Ah. I seem to have forgotten that I had this. I apologize, then, to everybody concerned. Every trace of influenzia has been eradicated (not completely, though, as Akito always manages to remain sickly through a sunny day), and the Main House has since been bustling with life.

With the epidemic no longer tying me down, I have been able to concentrate on depleting the amount of paperwork on my desk. I have done away with one-third so far, and it pleases me immensely.

Another thing to brighten my day: Suki. Or rather, the lack of Suki's vexing presence. I successfully managed to send her off on a vacation - a reward of sorts for the "excellent assistance" that she had provided during the outbreak. She was helpful, I admit that, but I am just as glad to see her gone as I was glad for the extra hand.

(You may mutter under your breaths and shake your heads for as much as you want, but I stay my ground; Suki is an abomination, helpful or no)

I suppose that there is one other thing that has contributed quite a bit to my plesant mood. I have acquired a... what is it that people call it nowadays? A 'Phone pal'? It is an utterly ridiculous, but surprisingly accurate description, to be honest. And I never expected a relationship of this sort to take root between Shiraki Mayuko and myself.

We have become friends - not in the way that we were friends back then, because Kana had been there. I knew her only as "Kana's friend", and she knew me as "Kana's beloved". Now that she is gone (and I say this with as much regret as resignation), we both have had to start anew. And that began as I was trying to find a way to keep track of Yuki and Kyou's health records.

Those two have been adamantly refusing to honor their monthly checkups with me. I understand their reasons, of course, but it isn't as if I have the time to come to them. So when Momiji informed me about the school clinic, one thing lead to anther... and I found myself dialling her number.

I had to confirm if the doctor was female (too much trouble if that were the case). And once that was over, we slipped easily into conversation.

We have been conversing for a month now, and it is something that I welcomed into my schedule with most pleasure. I never knew a woman like Mayuko to be this interesting, and I am most relieved that I had the opportunity to find out.

Signed by Hatori