Yukio slid open the door to Urufu's room, or rather the room he shared with another two patients .

One look inside told him one of those patients had been discharged . The bed was neatly made and still untouched for the day . Urufu sat in his bed by the window and looked out . He barely turned to wave Yukio welcome before he returned to staring outside .

The third bed was currently unoccupied; it's owner away for rehab or something .

'Next week they promised,' Yukio thought . 'You look like a bird in a cage here . '

"Urufu, I have the midterm results," Yukio said and zipped open his bag .

"What's the fallout?" Urufu wondered, but he still didn't look inside the room .

Yukio took the long way, grabbed a chair and positioned himself by the window . He quickly produced Urufu's five exams .

"You won't end up on the wall, that's for certain . "

"Top fifty? No, no I guess not . "

Yukio smirked . It wasn't like he was anywhere close to placing among the top fifty himself . There were close to 350 freshmen, so if he made it into the top hundred and fifty he'd be happy . As it was he scored number 160 overall .

Urufu leafed through the papers . "f.u.c.k! Oh well, could have been worse . "

"How bad?" Yukio asked .

"Three make-up exams . Should have been two, but our beloved basket case keeps s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g me over . "

"English again?" Yukio asked already knowing the answer .

"Yeah, the r.e.t.a.r.d doesn't know the language in the first place, and it shows in his grading . "

Yukio avoided meeting Urufu's eyes and stared at a tray with the leftovers from a nondescript hospital meal . 'Stop being so d.a.m.n c.o.c.ky! You're deliberately misinterpreting his tests and receive poor grades . ' But truth be told Yukio did suspect that Urufu's English was superior by far compared to their teacher's .

"You look down," Yukio said to change the subject .

"Don't worry . Just feeling restless . How did the rest of the gang do?"

"Kyoko scored number 130 . She's pretty unhappy about it . "

Urufu grimaced before saying anything . "Soz, but if she ever makes it into the top third that's her cap I'm afraid . "

"Like you've been a teacher!" Yukio said and barely managed to keep his voice down .

"I have, and you know it . Learning a.s.sessment was part of my job . Top third in this school if she makes an effort . Push her to make it into double digits . "

Yukio didn't respond . Urufu could be a condescending a.r.s.ehole, but he was very seldom wrong .

"The others?" Urufu wanted to know .

"Don't know about Kuri, but you can ask her yourself . I think she bombed pretty badly . "

With a sigh Urufu slowly started to laugh . "Yeah, I could see that coming . OK I'll ask her when she comes here next time . The twins?"

"Ryu just made it into the list . Number 48 . "

"Noriko?"

"Make a guess . "

"Hmm, she's been worried lately . Should cost her . She made fifth place and is sulking about it?"

Yukio stared at his friend . "Are you some kind of mind reader?"

There was a short laugh but no answer . If Yukio was honest with himself he wasn't all that surprised Noriko had dropped two positions given all that had happened during October .

He looked out the window, over the small park greeting visitors to the hospital and across a jagged landscape of low-rise buildings in their dirty, yellowish grey . Behind him Urufu stayed strangely silent and Yukio turned and looked at his friend .

For the first time he noticed that Urufu's eyes were tinged with red .

'Have you been crying?' "What's wrong?"

This time it was Urufu who didn't meet his eyes . Instead he looked through the windows at a grey autumn sky . There was something empty in that stare, a desolation Yukio knew from earlier .

"Man, are you back home again?"

Urufu drew a deep breath . "Yes, but it's only a memory now . I don't think I'll ever be able to go back . "

'Did you give up? When was the impossibility of anything a reason for you to give up?' "What do you mean?"

"You know," Urufu began with a voice that was barely more than a whisper, "we've met a couple of arrivals, but I've never even heard a story about anyone going back . "

"Huh?"

"I've been thinking a lot . There should at least be some kind of unconfirmed rumour . Some kind of wishful magic thinking, but there's nothing . "

Yukio wiped his mouth with his hand . He didn't share Urufu's information network, and to be honest he didn't put all that much thought into Urufu's old world . For him Urufu was his best friend, an adult caught in his teenager body, but no matter what Yukio truly saw Tokyo as Urufu's home .

"What's wrong," Yukio asked again .

"I miss them . "

"Sure, you've said that lots of times before . "

"You don't understand . I can't even visit her grave . My little girl, she's gone for good and I can't even honour her memory!"

In the self-deprecating way that was Urufu's he sniffled and cried like a girl . For some reason it never looked like a weakness to Yukio, not once even including that first time a year ago when Urufu cried his heart out longing for his lost wife . This time, however, it looked like a deeper crisis .

"Urufu, man, what's wrong . "

"She's gone, they're all gone!"

From the door the sound of a sudden gasp caught Yukio's attention and he looked up . In the door opening he saw how Kuri slapped her hands to her face with a stricken look before she turned and ran away .

Yukio slid open the door to Urufus room, or rather the room he shared with another two patients . One look inside told him one of those patients had been discharged . The bed was neatly made and still untouched for the day . Urufu sat in his bed by the window and looked out . He barely turned to wave Yukio welcome before he returned to staring outside . The third bed was currently unoccupied; its owner away for rehab or something . Next week they promised, Yukio thought . You look like a bird in a cage here . Urufu, I have the midterm results, Yukio said and zipped open his bag . Whats the fallout? Urufu wondered, but he still didnt look inside the room . Yukio took the long way, grabbed a chair and positioned himself by the window . He quickly produced Urufus five exams . You wont end up on the wall, thats for certain . Top fifty? No, no I guess not . Yukio smirked . It wasnt like he was anywhere close to placing among the top fifty himself . There were close to 350 freshmen, so if he made it into the top hundred and fifty hed be happy . As it was he scored number 160 overall . Urufu leafed through the papers . f.u.c.k! Oh well, could have been worse . How bad? Yukio asked . Three make-up exams . Should have been two, but our beloved basket case keeps s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g me over . English again? Yukio asked already knowing the answer . Yeah, the r.e.t.a.r.d doesnt know the language in the first place, and it shows in his grading . Yukio avoided meeting Urufus eyes and stared at a tray with the leftovers from a nondescript hospital meal . Stop being so d.a.m.n c.o.c.ky! Youre deliberately misinterpreting his tests and receive poor grades . But truth be told Yukio did suspect that Urufus English was superior by far compared to their teachers . You look down, Yukio said to change the subject . Dont worry . Just feeling restless . How did the rest of the gang do? Kyoko scored number 130 . Shes pretty unhappy about it . Urufu grimaced before saying anything . Soz, but if she ever makes it into the top third thats her cap Im afraid . Like youve been a teacher! Yukio said and barely managed to keep his voice down . I have, and you know it . Learning a.s.sessment was part of my job . Top third in this school if she makes an effort . Push her to make it into double digits . Yukio didnt respond . Urufu could be a condescending a.r.s.ehole, but he was very seldom wrong . The others? Urufu wanted to know . Dont know about Kuri, but you can ask her yourself . I think she bombed pretty badly . With a sigh Urufu slowly started to laugh . Yeah, I could see that coming . OK Ill ask her when she comes here next time . The twins? Ryu just made it into the list . Number 48 . Noriko? Make a guess . . Hmm, shes been worried lately . Should cost her . She made fifth place and is sulking about it? Yukio stared at his friend . Are you some kind of mind reader? There was a short laugh but no answer . If Yukio was honest with himself he wasnt all that surprised Noriko had dropped two positions given all that had happened during October . He looked out the window, over the small park greeting visitors to the hospital and across a jagged landscape of low-rise buildings in their dirty, yellowish grey . Behind him Urufu stayed strangely silent and Yukio turned and looked at his friend . For the first time he noticed that Urufus eyes were tinged with red . Have you been crying? Whats wrong? This time it was Urufu who didnt meet his eyes . Instead he looked through the windows at a grey autumn sky . There was something empty in that stare, a desolation Yukio knew from earlier . Man, are you back home again? Urufu drew a deep breath . Yes, but its only a memory now . I dont think Ill ever be able to go back . Did you give up? When was the impossibility of anything a reason for you to give up? What do you mean? You know, Urufu began with a voice that was barely more than a whisper, weve met a couple of arrivals, but Ive never even heard a story about anyone going back . Huh? Ive been thinking a lot . There should at least be some kind of unconfirmed rumour . Some kind of wishful magic thinking, but theres nothing . Yukio wiped his mouth with his hand . He didnt share Urufus information network, and to be honest he didnt put all that much thought into Urufus old world . For him Urufu was his best friend, an adult caught in his teenager body, but no matter what Yukio truly saw Tokyo as Urufus home . Whats wrong, Yukio asked again . I miss them . Sure, youve said that lots of times before . You dont understand . I cant even visit her grave . My little girl, shes gone for good and I cant even honour her memory! In the self-deprecating way that was Urufus he sniffled and cried like a girl . For some reason it never looked like a weakness to Yukio, not once even including that first time a year ago when Urufu cried his heart out longing for his lost wife . This time, however, it looked like a deeper crisis . Urufu, man, whats wrong . Shes gone, theyre all gone! From the door the sound of a sudden gasp caught Yukios attention and he looked up . In the door opening he saw how Kuri slapped her hands to her face with a stricken look before she turned and ran away .