The chapter’s most powerful sequence is a flashback within a monologue. We learn that Haruki’s mother was not a villain, but an absent figure. She was a touring violinist who left him with his grandmother at age seven. Her only form of love was leaving art supplies behind. For Haruki, art became a desperate attempt to "reach" her (the "Taranai" of the title). In a shocking move, Reiko does not offer comfort. Instead, she calls Haruki a coward.
"Why are you mixing paint for a ghost?" she asks, her voice cold in the raw scanlations. "You’ve never finished a single piece for yourself. You always paint for her gaze. Now that she’s gone, you’re free." -read toru ni taranai chapter 22-
Permission to be insufficient. Permission to draw the ugly line. Permission to scream even if no one is listening. The chapter’s most powerful sequence is a flashback