Days passed in much the same way. They would
spend all of visiting hours together having tea
and then do it again the next day when she
awoke.

With each day, Azusa grew stronger. The I.V.
was eventually removed and the doctors were
now only taking tests to make sure her body was
responding to her medication. She was even able
to take short walks around her floor as long as
she went with the, now empty, rolling I.V. stand.

She was recovering, but the new medication had
her feeling strange.

"Would you like a hot cup of tea?"

"Yes please."

The day had worn on at a miserable pace for
someone confined to her bed. Azusa burned her
fingers on the dainty teacup, shocked by the
unexpected sting. When she finally was able to
bring the bowl-sized cup to her lips, she found
that the tea was almost frozen.

"Mugi-senpai, this is really cold," she coughed,
putting down the thimble.

"I know. I asked if you wanted a hot cup of tea."

This caught Azusa off her guard and, while she
was trying to find a reply, she bit into a pastry.

A pastry that Mugi had brought.

A pastry that did not have any filling.

Before the feeling of defeat could take a stronger
hold on her, Azusa gave up on her tea and
changed the subject.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful for the visits,
but don't you have things you need to do now
that you've graduated?"

"No," Ritsu answered absent-mindedly while
dropping a card onto the pile that was building
on the chess board between her and Mio, "we
don't have anything we need to do anymore.
BINGO, Mio."

"Aren't you just being lazy, Ritsu-senpai?"

"No she's not," Mugi joined in with a somber
tone, "we really don't."

A heavy silence fell over the group and the four
older girls stared at various objects or corners of
the room.

"Okay," Azusa declared, "I want to know what's
going on. Why are you all acting so strangely?"

They all exchanged glances before Mio took it
upon herself to speak.

"I think it's time she knew," she said to the
others.

Slowly, one by one, Mugi, then Ritsu, then Yui, all
nodded in agreement.

Mio gracefully came to Azusa's side. She placed
her left hand against her junior's right cheek and
brushed the long strands of hair away. Her
fingers moved up to lift up Azusa's bangs.

Mio gently placed her forehead to Azusa's.

Mio felt cool.

Almost cold.

Her touch left a tingling sensation on her skin
long after she pulled away.

"What did you do?"

"Just wait, it will come back slowly."

She could remember the day of graduation.

"Don't you remember?" Yui began, "We were
going over to Mugi-chan's house after school."

"We all got into Sawa-chan's car to go," Ritsu
continued, "We had to cram in to fit."

"We were all so close together," Mugi sighed,
placing her hands on her blushing cheeks.

Mio cleared her throat to bring attention back to
the situation at hand.

"Do you remember now Azusa?" she asked in a
more serious tone.

Their junior gave it some thought before
speaking.

The memories suddenly came flooding back.

"I do," she said with some horror, "the accident."

"You're so smart Azu-nyan!" Yui declared before
hugging her neck.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked again while
trying to get out of the vice. "Anyway, are all of
you alright? You all seem to have made it
through just fine."

"Oh no, we're dead, Azu-nyan," Yui continued
happily.

"What!"

"We were killed in the accident," she restated as
she pulled away to look her in the eye.

Azusa looked to the other girls. Their faces did
not seem to deny the statement.

"What's going on?" she asked in a whisper.

"We died in the accident Azusa," Mio confirmed,
"You were the only one to make it out alive."

"No," the girl shook her head violently, "you're
not dead! You're all right here with me! Why are
you saying such mean things!"

"Don't you remember Azu-nyan?" Yui asked. "You
said you never wanted us to leave you. Now we
can be with you forever!"

The senior clung even tighter to the younger
girl's neck.

"NO!" she screamed, "YOU'RE NOT DEAD! YOU'RE
NOT DEAD! YOU'RE ALL STILL ALIVE! YOU'RE ALL
GOING TO COLLEGE TOGETHER! YOU'RE STILL
ALIVE!"

The four girls stepped aside so the nurses that
were rushing in could sedate the girl.