The other boy swallowed again, took a deep breath and said excitedly, "We got a transver student from Shanghai in our history class!"

"Wow! Really?" Misao said.

"Well, not really from Shanghai," Gisuke added. "He's Japanese but he's been staying in Shanghai for the past, like, ten years. He speaks with an accent, and he's got these weird glasses."

"How so?" Aoshi asked, taking a sip of tea and regarding Gisuke over the rim of the cup.

Gisuke made two circles with his thumb and forefinger and held them out for the others at his table to see. "The lenses are about this big, and they're really dark."

"Cool…"

"He's got blue eyes like you, Misao-kun. He's really tall and skinny, but he looks strong, like he lifts weights or something."

Chiho leaned closer to Gisuke and said in a casual and secretive whisper, "Is he cute?"

Misao let out a hoot of laughter when Gisuke turned bright red and snapped back, "Hell no!"

"Gisuke-kun, I was just joking," Chiho said around giggles, "joking."

"You're too easy to tease, Gisuke," Aoshi said softly.

Gisuke snapped his fingers and sat up straighter. "Oh yeah, he's got bright white hair!"

"What!?"

"No way!"

"You'd think he'd mention the hair first…"

Gisuke glared at Aoshi. "You shut up. Anyway, the rumor is he's an albino."

"Get real, Gisuke-kun," Misao said, making a face. "Albinos have really bad health problems, I've heard. Like as a rule. I doubt an albino could grow to as tall as you make him out to be."

Gisuke looked disappointed. "It seemed like the most logical explanation to me."

"But it seemed…" Gisuke repeated, more subdued.

"You should let him get used to the school and Japan again before you go spreading rumors," Chiho added. "He's only been here one day."

"Be nice!" Misao said. "He's probably going to be lonely enough because he's new in the middle of the year and he doesn't speak good Japanese. He doesn't need to be left out because his hair is white, too!"

Aoshi spoke up, "Why don't you tell us his name, Gisuke, so we know who he is."

"Ooh, good idea!" Chiho said excitedly with a shade of sarcasm.

"We can invite him to come with us and help him get used to Japan again!" Misao added with Chiho.

"Yuikoshiro Enishi," Gisuke said blandly.

His words had an odd effect on Misao and Aoshi. They both froze with strange looks on their faces. They looked almost scared or dramatically surprised.

"Yu- Yu- Yukishiro?" Misao stammered.

"Enishi. Yukishiro Enishi," Aoshi repeated slowly, numb. His cup slipped from between nerveless fingers and fell onto the table top with a clunk. A few drops of dark tea seeped from the cup onto the wood. They ran into the cracks of the table and ran along the tiny canyons like blood through veins.

"You know him?" Chiho asked innocently.

"I- I think I might," Misao said softly.

"Me too."

Chiho and Gisuke were silent for a while, looking uncomfortably at the dumbstruck pair. "So" Gisuke said hesitently. Misao stood up slowly, and muttered something about her grandfather wanting her home before heading dazedly out the door. Aoshi bid Chiho and Gisuke a hasty and absentminded good bye before chasing after his friend.

"Something tells me those two aren't telling us everything," Gisuke grumbled. Chiho watched Misao go with a worried frown.

'She's become awefully distracted since she met Aoshi-kun. Something happened to them and for the first time in fifteen years,' she realized with a pang of concern, 'she's not telling me'