I have only one thing to say here, after than, for the second time, I'm no doctor.

What is this?

Whispers and stares were what greeted Tokiya when he entered school. For once, he wished Fuuko was there. She'd been visiting him at home all the time, because probably of his decision to become friends. But she was always disappearing to wherever.

"Hey, is that him?" someone whispered as Tokiya passed by.

"Yes, he's going to die soon. He's so young…and the cutest guy in school…why couldn't it have been me?"

Please stop whispering behind my back, he thought, but couldn't say.

"Well if I had the power to change his death to someone else's, you can be sure I'll choose you," a loud voice said. Fuuko had just appeared and was glaring at the two gossips. "And maybe I'll change your disease, too. Which would you like? Bubonic plague or Ebola?"

She brushed against them and fell in step with Tokiya. "You know, your treatment is next week," she said in a low voice.

"I know. I already told the professor I didn't want to compete. He was pretty devastated, but I really don't care."

"Would you like to skip afternoon classes and have lunch? My treat," Fuuko said. "Afternoon classes is just too boring to live with. You're going to have to start enjoying life,you know."

He'd long stopped thinking Fuuko was an irritating monkey. "Well, sure. It's better than staying here," he said as a girl looked at them, burst into tears, and rushed down the hallway. "I've never known this school was full of kooks."

"Yes, I know, and you're the biggest one of them all."

The morning passed slowly and painfully. Each time between periods Fuuko would catch up with him and tell him a joke or some funny incident involving him in her classes, and he usually ignored what the professor was saying and repeated her stories over and over again in his mind to keep him smiling. It wasn't just the joke; it was also the way she projected it, and that was what made it funnier than it really was.

"OK, morning classes are over, let's go," Fuuko said, not even allowing Tokiya to straighten out his desk. They bribed the guard to let them pass, which was easy since his daughter was one of Tokiya's tragic mourners.

"Where do you want to eat? You have a choice of fast food, family restaurant, or all-out buffet."

"All-out buffet, of course," Tokiya chose the most expensive one. It was worth it to see Fuuko's face. "But we go Dutch."

"No, I said I'd treat you, so let's go."

"Dutch."

"Treat."

"Dutch."

"Tokiya, I'm going to kick your ass if you don't stop this ridiculous argument."

"Oh, fine then." They entered one of the biggest buffet restaurants in the city. After they'd gone through the line and sat down with their food, Fuuko began telling him about her last class.

"This girl was supposed to write a poem about her deepest, most inner thoughts. Then she read the poem, and it sounded so tragic and dark that we thought she must have really lost a loved one, and we were all quiet. But at the end, she was all, 'this poem is dedicated to my hamster, who was swimming in the toilet and my idiotic brother accidentally pissed in it then flushed it. The end.'"

Tokiya couldn't help it. He started laughing in a way that he never had before, and it seemed like the first time that he'd laughed after Mifuyu died. It was probably the first time he'd laughed sincerely after her death. Then he realized that Fuuko was staring at him and forced himself to stop.

"No, you shouldn't stop," she shook her head. "You have a really nice laugh…you should laugh more often."

And after that was an awkward pause. "You know," Fuuko said, "there was this really sick poem today in the same class."

"Well, OK, let's hear it," Tokiya said, still smiling from that hamster poem.

"It was about this guy's most arduous experience. He was like, 'sweat poured down my face and tears filled my eyes as the end of this terrible journey was not in sight. It was a horrible moment, one needing all of my strength, and all of my courage.'"

"And then?"

"Well of course, if this school is full of kooks, then it makes perfect sense that he was constipated."

The restaurant rang with their hysterical laughter.

They spent two hours in the restaurant, eating and talking and laughing. Some of the stories they exchanged were serious, and during this period Tokiya just listened to Fuuko's voice, soft sometimes but then rose when she was mad or excited.

He was waiting for more events like this to come.

*

"You've been spending most of your free time with your friend," Anthia noticed when Fukuo came into her house. "And even not-so-free time."

"But I still have time for you," Fuuko said, giving Anthia a sisterly hug.

"There is a dead person in this house. He died about three minutes ago. Come on, quickly, before he starts decaying."

Fuuko picked up the man's most treasured possession, a small bible, and pressed it against his heart. Finding Tokiya's most treasured possession wasn't hard. It was his ensui.

It was when Fuuko was in the fifth Layer that she noticed something wrong. "Anthia, there's something here. It's disturbing the souls."

"What?" Anthia shouted. "Move, please."

Anthia took Fuuko's place. After about fifteen minutes, she cursed. "I can't believe what it's doing here!"

Fuuko knew that Anthia was traveling back the living world, because if she simply broke the connection, she could've lost her soul. When Anthia stood up, she walked to the phone and called the man's family and told them to fetch his body.

"I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem," Anthia said. After the family had picked up the body, she'd told Fuuko to sit down. "There's a sphinx down there. It appears once every century, to test the skill of a shino necromancer. Normal necromancers can still communicate with the dead, but the shino cannot revive them unless we solve a riddle."

"What?" Fuuko cried.

"You're going to have to solve a riddle of the sphinx," Anthia told her, "If you want to save your friend. The shinx will choose which riddle: easy or difficult. It's to your fortune or misfortune on whichever one he chooses."

"This sucks. I don't know any riddles," Fuuko shouted.

"That's why I'm here to help you. My great-grandmother and her great-grandmother had to solve a riddle. Whoever solves the riddle will have the title of 'the great.'"

"So your great-grandmother was the great Audere?" Fuuko said, trying to remember the history scrolls of the shino.

"She sure was. And if you're willing to go through it to save your friend, and if you answer the riddle correctly, you'll be known as the great Fuuko."

That's pretty cool.

"But if I don't answer the riddle correctly?"

"Then the sphinx won't give you the soul. You should be grateful that's all he'll do. In the olden times he'd take your soul away too."

*

Fuuko bumped into Recca and Yanagi on her way home. They seemed friendlier now. "I heard Tokiya's gonna have his treatment next week."

"Yes, he is," Fuuko said.

"What's the matter?"

What's the matter? My plan is going berserk! That's what's the matter! "A riddle," Fuuko said absentmindedly, "like the one with four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the eve--"

"Fuuko, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing. I'll see you around." Fuuko brushed past them.

Blindly walking through the city, she found herself standing in front of the cemetery. Suddenly an idea struck her. "Of course! I haven't talked to Mifuyu yet!" she ran through the iron gates.

Mifuyu must have been popular, because there were fresh flowers on her grave, probably by someone from her class. Fuuko ignored the curious stares of people and pressed her palm on the earth and closed her eyes.

*

Fuuko found herself in the first Layer. This was going to be dangerous, because she was going to call Mifuyu from paradise. She wasn't supposed to be doing this yet, as an apprentice, but she needed to talk to someone.

Since she'd met the dark shadow in the fifth Layer, the four previous ones were easy to get through. In the fifth, she caught a glimpse of the sphinx. It was standing at her side, still as a statue. "Hello," she greeted nervously.

It ignored her, sensing that she merely wanted to talk with a spirit.

Fuuko had a problem with the seventh Layer. It was completely black, and Fuuko didn't know where a piece of ground in front of her would just open up and drop her into a bottomless pit. It took her nearly two hours before she'd inched past it.

Then finally, she reached the golden doors. "Mifuyu?" she called out. As soon as she spoke, the blackness disappeared and she was surrounded by gold light. And a cold feeling touched her cheek, and a white angel materialized in front of her. "Mifuyu?"

"You want to talk with me?" a voice, clear like crystal and as beautiful as a bell, asked. "Oh, you are a friend of my brother's."

Fuuko couldn't believe she'd actually gone this far. No other apprentice had ever gone this far by himself or herself.

She really did look like Yanagi, except as an angel, she was definitely more beautiful. Her face was white and her hair was always streaming behind her. She smiled. "It's been a long time since someone wanted to talk to me."

Fuuko could only nod.

"I've heard he has leukemia. He will be joining me soon."

"But he can't, he's--"

"I know," Mifuyu said. "It's not his time yet, and you need him in order to be a shino necromancer. But I know something more between the two of you…"

"Huh?"

But Mifuyu looked back at paradise, then looked at Fuuko. "I can't talk with you today, I have something to do. Perhaps after the sphinx leaves…but you must get past it in order to bring Tokiya back." Then before neither of them could say anything, Mifuyu disappeared, and the golden gates were as silent as ever.

Fuuko sighed, turned around, and began the journey back to the living world.

*

"Fuuko? What the heck are you doing?"

Fuuko quickly stood up and brushed the dirt from her palms. "Uh, nothing," she stammered. Tokiya glanced at her. During the time she'd stayed in the underworld, rain had begun to fall. It was just stopping, but it was already evening and quite cold. "Just…no, you wouldn't believe me."

Tokiya just stared at her. "I was just wondering if you'd like to go to the park with me," he muttered, looking at his feet. "So…why did you run off in a hurry anyway?"

"I had an appointment with death," Fuuko said automatically.

"What?!"

"…Did I say something?"

"…No."

Fuuko clenched her fists at her side. We were so loud in the restaurant, and then we're so silent now. It's weird! "You're looking a little bit better," she noticed out of the blue. But that was probably because he was wearing a huge coat and a scarf, and so she couldn't see how thin he was.

"I just folded my thousandth paper crane today," Tokiya said.

"Really, that's amazing! It took Sadako Sasaki longer."

"Yes, but she was confined in a hospital bed for a long time, because they had to treat her. For her, she had a chance. But for me…" suddenly he leaned against a wall tiredly.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing, I just had a dizzy spell…"

"No, you've been looking tired ever since you went to the cemetery. You shouldn't have gone out in the rain."

"I'm fi--" but then Tokiya's nose had started to bleed again.

"You idiot! Don't faint yet!" Grabbing a tissue from her pocket, Fuuko gave it to Tokiya and grabbed his arm. "All right, now you're coming with me to the hospital where you like it or not." Tokiya didn't have a choice, as his legs were refusing to work for him.

Once in the hospital they met Dr. Sakamoto, Tokiya's doctor. "Mikagami," she said once the nurse had retrieved an ice packet for Tokiya's nose. "I think it's time for your treatment."

With Fuuko's help, Tokiya staggered up. "I'm going to call Yanagi," Fuuko said. "I'm just going to find your room later."

Tokiya stared after her as she left, and to his eyes, it seemed like she was leaving forever.

*

The first few days after the treatment, Tokiya was in pain. It wouldn't have been so bad if Yanagi hadn't added to it with her sobs, and Koganei with his heartbroken stare. Domon was just being the gorilla that he was. In fact, Tokiya thought that he probably wouldn't remain conscious if it weren't for Fuuko.

All these guys are skipping school to see me…well, except for Ganko since Kagerou wouldn't let her…Tokiya thought, staring at the rain. Recca was trying to comfort Yanagi and Koganei at the same time, all the while glaring at Domon for not helping, but Domon wasn't even listening.

"You should've told me!" he roared, a fountain of tears spurting from his eyes. "Then I could've made myself useful--"

"Since when?" Tokiya said. He couldn't speak in a normal tone because whenever he did his stomach burned, so he was ready to punch himself for speaking in a soft, pitiful whisper.

"I'm going to ask them if they can release you," Fuuko said, "After you've recovered."

"Fuuko!" Yanagi said sharply. "He should be staying in the hospital…"

"No, I want to leave," Tokiya interrupted. "I can't wait till I can feed myself."

"Then at least you won't be worried about constipation," Fuuko said, grinning slightly, "As a journey like that requires one's full strength--"

"Oh, please don't remind me about that," Tokiya groaned. "I can't laugh. It hurts too much."

*

A few months after Tokiya's treatment, Fuuko asked Anthia if the sphinx was still there. "Yes, he is. He'll be there for a few more months." Anthia said. "It's likely that you'll meet up with him."

"But I have to bring him back, sphinx or not."

"It all depends on whether the sphinx gives you an easy riddle or not. And you can't bribe him, or ask for mercy. It won't work."

Fuuko nodded silently and, after saying thank you and good bye, left.

"Fuuko!"

Tokiya emerged from a café, and started running towards her. "Tokiya, you shouldn't be running," she said dejectedly. "What are you doing in a café anyway? That's not your place."

"I was just accompanying Yanagi and Recca, but I think they can do without me."

He's already sweating hard, just from running half a block. If he tries to train, even with the ensui, that could kill him. He can't be so fragile already, but he is. "Tokiya," she said suddenly, "what do you think of necromancy?"

"Huh? Well…I think it's a cool kind of gift, and if I'd had it, I bet I would have just chosen to be hooked up on life support and talk to Mifuyu forever."

He sounds like a kid now. He grew up too fast.

"Oh."

"Fuuko, what is this? A meeting with death? A talk on necromancy? What is it?"

"School project," she said lamely. "Anyway, want to go for a walk? It's not so cold outside. Walk, no running. You got it?"

"Sure."

They decided to go to a tiny strip of beach where no one went, because it was a shark-infested swimming area. When they got there they saw several fins sticking out of the water. "As long as we stay on the sand, we'll be fine," Fuuko said.

They sat down on the sand and took off their shoes. "You know…I think Mifuyu must have been very beautiful," Fuuko said softly. "She couldn't have looked prettier, even if she went to paradise." Tokiya lay down on the sand, his arms acting like a pillow. "But Yanagi's resemblance…yeah, she does look like Yanagi, if there were a few changes."

"So my suspicions were correct then," Tokiya muttered. "You're talking to my sister."

Startled, Fuuko stared at him. Oh my god, I'm so stupid. What am I supposed to do? Knock him out and when he recovers tell him he'd been dreaming?

"No, you don't have to tell me. I just added it all up. It seems as though you desperately wanted me to know, but you weren't allowed to."

After a long silence, Fuuko looked the other way and punched Tokiya. "You are such a moron! Why would I be doing a thing like that?"

"I don't mind," Tokiya said, ignoring his throbbing cheek. "I'm going to be joining her soon, in just a few months. It'll be nee-san and me again, just like before."

"Do you want to go to heaven, Tokiya?"

"Not really. I'm OK with my life right now. I mean, I'd like to go to heaven, but not now. I wonder what you guys will do with the ensui…"

"The ensui isn't going anywhere, Tokiya."

"Yes, it will. I bet you guys will train Ganko to use it or something, so that it won't be wasted. There's no sense burying it with me, I have no use for it up there…"

"My god, you're a bigger fool than I thought," Fuuko said. "Tokiya, I said the ensui isn't going anywhere. You have to understand that what I say goes."

"And you accuse me of being high and mighty," Tokiya snorted. Fuuko still refused to look at him.

"Fuuko?"

"Yeah?"

"When I die, will you talk to me?"

"What makes you think I can do that?"

"You can stop joking, Fuuko. I know you can do that."

Fuuko turned her back on him. "Yes, but do you think it's easy passing through all of those Layers? I'm not going to go through all of that for you. Anyway, you shouldn't depend on me too much."

Tokiya raised his head and stared at her. "I am not depending on you too much!"

"I know, but I can't visit you!" I can't visit you if you're not dead, you dingbat! But with the sphinx in her way, it seemed nearly impossible to revive him. "It's just not fair, and it's not easy.

"Fuuko, turn around."

What, is he going to flash one of his irritating smir--Fuuko turned around warily.

Whoa. Wo-oh-oh…what's that look for? Tokiya's eyes were dazed, and he was staring at her. He looked even more like a girl now. Dilated pupils…confused expression, shit, he's going to throw up on me!

"Fuuko…"

"Stay away, I don't care if you drank, but I do care if you mess up my clothes," Fuuko warned, scooting back.

Tokiya shook his head. "You're so clueless."

"And you're not making any sense!"

"Fuuko, I just want to kiss you!"

"Oh, yeah, that was delivered with a lot of subtlety--wha?" He just said he wanted to kiss me. Fuuko turned around so that her back was facing Tokiya. He'll probably take this as utter confusment, I mean confusion, probably a benefit to his amusion--no, I mean amusement, so I have time to think. OK, so I am utterly confused.

"So will you turn around so I can do it already?"

Huh? Now that was a simple act of idiocy-- "Now hold it right the--"

Tokiya sprang forward and quickly placed his lips over hers before he lost all his nerve.

OK, now he has no right to do this without my permiss--but it does feel kind of good, Fuuko said, grinning slightly. She placed a finger against the two of them as a barrier. "Tokiya, I don't know how to kiss."

"Me either," Tokiya said, shrugging. "So I guess we teach each other."

The next few moment were very awkward. Fuuko tilted her head to the right, but so did Tokiya and so he had to quickly rivet to the left, which made Fuuko laugh.

Finally Tokiya lost all patience and did the same thing he'd done earlier. It worked perfectly. "I don't think we're supposed to teach each other, I think it comes naturally."

Fuuko felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach. The only thing standing in my way to becoming a full-fledged shino, and the girlfriend of the hottest babe in town is the sphinx. And from what I've heard, he's got a mind span the size of the universe and mine is like an atom compared to it. "But if I try to fool the sphinx by answering his riddle with another riddle--of course!"

"Huh? OK, now I know you're up to something, Fuuko. Come on, tell me! We just--"

"Kissed? Oh, alright, I get it. You wanted to fool me into spilling out my secret by kissing me--which was pretty successful," Fuuko admitted grudgingly, "Until now. And let's see if you can get out of this without sounding mushy!"

"I can't," Tokiya admitted. "I didn’t kiss you to get information out of you, it just happened, OK? But I know definitely that you've talked to my sister."

Fuuko looked straight into his eyes. They stared back defiantly. "Oh, all right. I believe you. And I'll tell you the truth," but not all of it, she finished in her mind.

"I took up necromancy some time ago, and then I thought it would help you if I talked to your sister. The only thing she told me was that there was something more between the two of us. And poof, she vanished. I think she had an appointment."

"Do you think I'll have appointments, too?" Tokiya asked.

He sounds like a kid, Fuuko thought, staring at him. I think he's really scared. Slowly she reached towards his hand and held it tightly.

And then Tokiya turned and stared at Fuuko so sadly that she knew she had to get past the stupid sphinx no matter what.

*

When Yanagi came over to Fuuko's for a visit, she didn't say anything at first. Fuuko finally sighed. "OK, Yanagi, what's up? I've been spending every free time with Tokiya, and been taking care of him. I helped him fold his paper cranes, what complaint do you have against me now?"

Surprisingly, Yanagi blushed. "I know what happened between the two of you," she said.

Fuuko threw up her hands. "You're right, I admit it. I ran over a man and dumped his body in the river, I'm so sorry. Don't call me Fuuko, I'm under a witness protection program in case any psychos are after me."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"I know, but you're acting so serious about it." Acting like a good and friendly hostess, Fuuko offered Yanagi some pastries. "Have some? I mean, I don't eat them, you might as well bring some home for Recca. He'll have this box in his mouth before you can say 'chew.'"

Yanagi just sat there in a formal position. "Yanagi, we're friends here. If you’re going to sit there like I'm your grandmother I'm going to force you out. I can't stand stuffy people."

"I mean, I know what happened between you and Tokiya."

"Yeah, we played with the dolphins. They were really pretty."

"Fuuko! Just say it outright! You and Tokiya fell in love!"

"So we did. How did you find out, anyway?" Fuuko asked casually. "You know what? Never mind." Suddenly she whacked Yanagi with a rolled up newspaper. Yanagi yelped. "I just said no stuffy people, right? You want lunch?"

"Sure, if Recca can--"

"No Recca. You've been really mad at me for four months and I'm going to show you what life will be like without me in it."