Slowly, Ryuta opened his eyes. His eyes moved over the medical staffer who he believed woke him. For a moment, he thought that it was all a bad dream. Too bad he still had a splitting headache from before. He could have at least believed he was still dreaming for a bit longer.

Standing up was a struggle in of itself. The pain in his chest subsided, but his head felt like it was cracked wide open. Great. Knowing he wouldn't be able to focus on his studies today, he made a mental note to make up for it later. But more pressing matters were at hand. He glanced toward Yachiyo, gathering his thoughts as best he could through the pain. Carefully adjusting his glasses, he spoke to her with an even tone. "Hating you at this point would not resolve the situation. I prefer we move things forward. Before I leave, I want to know something from you."

A moment passed as he thought about how he wanted to phrase his question. He realized that there was no way around it, so he took the straightforward approach. "Do you consider us disposable? With a school full of potential candidates to use at your discretion, I wonder how highly you value our lives?" The cold silence swept through the room, the question lingering in the air.