Five individuals including A and B take seats around a circu

Five individuals, including A and B, take seats around a circular table in a completely random fashion. Suppose the seats are numbered 1, . . . , 5. Let X = A\'s seat number and Y = B\'s seat number. If A sends a written message around the table to B in the direction in which they are closest, how many individuals (including A and B) would you expect to handle the message?

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