DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: Summer 1996 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT A GIRL is sleeping in her HOSPITAL BED. GIRL (V.O.) My health was never particularly good, come to think of it ... EXT. SCHOOLYARD There are children running around, playing on the playground equipment. GIRL (CONT'D) But I was able to attend primary school like anyone else - in the summer I'd play until I was burned through and through ... INT. SCHOOL CLASSROOM A GIRL, twelve years of age or so, sits at a desk by the window, looking out. GIRL (CONT'D) It was June, just after I had entered middle school. It was just before the midterm tests. EXT. SCHOOLYARD The GIRL, behind a window, looks longingly outwards. GIRL (CONT'D) It was the day after I ordered a swimsuit for the summer. That was the first day I'd been admitted to the hospital. EXT. CLOUDS AND RAIN Looking UPWARDS at the falling rain. GIRL (CONT'D) It was a cold, unpleasant, drizzly day. INT. HOSPITAL BED The same GIRL is lying on top of a HOSPITAL BED clad only in her pyjamas. She has a WHITE BRACELET on her wrist. GIRL (CONT'D) Shrouded by the rainy sky - murky, white, and damp. The GIRL turns to look at the DOORWAY, and sits up. Several GIRLS enter, brandishing boquets, chocolates, etc. They begin conversing. GIRL (CONT'D) At first my classmates came to see me - almost every day. When I was out of the hospital, they'd come and play on the weekends too. But that was only at first. EXT. TREES - AUTUMN It is clearly AUTUMN now and the leaves on the TREES are red and brown. GIRL (CONT'D) Autumn came ... WIPE TO: EXT. TREES - WINTER It is WINTER now - the trees have no leaves and there is a light dusting of snow on them. GIRL (CONT'D) ... And passed into winter. I was admitted and discharged, went in for tests, was re-admitted ... There were people in my class that I had called my friends - but before I realized what was happening, they were merely acquaintances - and then ... INT. HOSPITAL ROOM The GIRL is looking out the window once more, from the vantage point of her bed. EXT. STREET - GIRL'S POV The GIRL watches a crowd of PEOPLE walking on the street across from her window. GIRL (CONT'D) Then they were strangers. With each change of the seasons I had faded from more and more memories. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM GIRL I suppose they ... don't like seeing me like this. If you've got a normal life you wouldn't want someone like me in it. EXT. STREET - GIRL'S POV GIRL So they blank me out ... EXT. HOSPITAL The camera is looking at the SEVENTH FLOOR. GIRL I've passed all these seasons under that white overcast sky, without needing to speak to anyone ... CLOSE UP: TEXTBOOK ON A DESK. GIRL My English textbook is untouched from the first-year midterms ... PAN UP TO: INT. BEDROOM The GIRL, looking at the textbook, sighs as she leaves the room. GIRL As though ... Even time had stopped for me ... OPENING CREDITS ROLL DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: Early Summer 2004 EXT. CLOUDS It is sunny. NARRATOR (V.O.) It was summer. The season of sweat. EXT. BUILDING There is a giant DISPLAY BOARD outside of the BUILDING. NARRATOR We were all staring at the display board intently. EXT. DISPLAY BOARD This is a Japanese style test scoring board - rows of numbers are printed on it, each with a light beside it. NARRATOR The test centre was pretty up to date - the display was computerized. The DISPLAY BOARD begins to flicker to life. NARRATOR The lights on it - our indicators of success - began to spring to life. We were each watching for our own number. CLOSE UP: BOY IN CROWD BOY 237 ... 237 ... EXT. DISPLAY BOARD - DAY The CROWD is composed mainly of twentysomething people - all gazing intently at the DISPLAY BOARD. Some people begin to leave now, smiles on their faces, and enter the BUILDING. NARRATOR About 80% of the lights came on. Mine was among them. INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE - DAY The TRAIN CARRIAGE is almost empty. The BOY from the CROWD earlier is sitting on a seat, holding a BOOK. NARRATOR I took the train home. It was a quiet time of day - all you could hear was the rattling of the train car as it swayed. CLOSE UP: BOOK This BOOK is marked 'HIGHWAY CODE'. NARRATOR In my lap there was a brand new copy of the Highway Code. In my breast pocket there was a brand new license. INT. TRAIN CARRIAGE BOY So now I'm a driver, too ... It becomes apparent by now that the BOY is the NARRATOR. BOY (V.O.) I tried to whisper it as if it were a profound thing, but it really didn't excite me all that much. I hadn't particularly wanted to be able to drive. I had no other motive for taking the test - except maybe peer pressure, I guess. EXT. HOUSE - NIGHT BOY (V.O.) I told my parents I had got my license. INT. DINING ROOM The BOY sits here with his FAMILY - his FATHER, MOTHER, and younger SISTER. BOY (V.O.) All they said was, 'well done.' I tried to borrow the car - just to see what would happen - but all I got was a simple 'no'. I guess that's just the kind of people my parents are. INT. BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING The BOY lies in bed groaning. He clutches his CHEST. BOY (V.O.) The next day I woke up with excruciating chest pain. EXT. AMBULANCE LIGHTS BOY (V.O.) Bad enough that I had to be taken to the hospital. EXT. HOSPITAL This is the same HOSPITAL that the GIRL is in. BOY (V.O.) I wasn't particularly fond of the hospital. There was a long wait. Longer than I had expected. INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM The BOY sits in a chair. He looks like he's about to fall asleep. The BOY'S FATHER is discussing something with the TRIAGE NURSE. They both look at the BOY. BOY (V.O.) When at last they had seemed to have straightened up - I had been getting ready to go. But it turned out that I was going ... being taken for X-rays and blood tests. INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM The BOY, FATHER and a NURSE enter from one of the doors leading into the hospital. The NURSE turns and begins talking to the TRIAGE NURSE, who gradually begins to look more worried. The BOY and FATHER sit down. Everyone in the BOY'S FAMILY looks anxious. INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - NIGHT The BOY and FATHER sit here. The BOY, looking bored, puts down a magazine. BOY (V.O.) I had read almost all of the magazines in the waiting room that day. Just as I reached for another ... MEDIUM SHOT: BOY, FATHER SITTING DOWN A NURSE comes and says something to the BOY. He rises from his seat and begins following her through a door leading deeper to the hospital. BOY (V.O.) ... They came and took me away. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAYS The BOY walks along with the NURSE. BOY (V.O.) My brand new driving licence was still in my pocket. The BOY fishes out his LICENSE from his pocket and looks at it. BOY Looks like I'm not going to get a chance to use this just yet ... FADE TO: DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: Autumn 2004 BOY (V.O.) It was about the time of year when the cicadas finally start to shut up. EXT. HOSPITAL BOY (V.O.) I was in hospital, as usual. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM The BOY sits in a HOSPITAL BED, reading a MAGAZINE. He is wearing pyjamas and has a BLUE WRISTBAND. BOY (V.O.) Oh, I hadn't been in there all summer. I'd been in and out, back and forth. I'd had my first operation the previous month. They'd discharged me afterwards but I still came in a lot. Luckily it's only a five minute walk. A NURSE enters, and gives the BOY a glass of water and two pills. BOY (V.O.) And so the cycle continued: admission, discharge, tests, readmission, and on, and on ... Whether it was for PET scans or Iressa treatment, I don't know - but before I knew it the cycle had been going on for months. The BOY has a drink and swallows both the pills. He thanks the NURSE, who exits the room. The BOY gazes out of the window ... BOY (V.O.) My appetite shrank, while the number of medications I'd been expected to take just kept growing. I felt like I could see myself weakening. Even my legs seemed to wither ... EXT. HOSPITAL The camera is on the FOURTH FLOOR. The BOY is looking out ... BOY (V.O.) It wasn't my imagination. I could weigh myself and the scale would not lie. And yet ... Somehow it didn't really seem all that personal. It was like I was watching it happen to someone else. Like it was a scene from a drama on TV. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM The BOY resumes reading his MAGAZINE. He looks slightly pale. BOY (V.O.) I was unable to understand what was happening to my body all of a sudden. I hadn't even grasped the fact the changes were real. So - personal as it may be - I still watched it from my disinterested, detached position. DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: Winter 2004 BOY (V.O.) It was a winter's day. The time of year when Christmas is just winding down. They let me go home for New Year's. EXT. HOUSE - EVENING It is pouring rain. BOY (V.O.) I arrived home amidst pouring rain. EXT. ROAD The ROAD in front of the HOUSE. A SILVER COUPE pulls up. The FATHER and BOY exit, dashing for the cover of the HOUSE. INT. DINING ROOM The BOY and FAMILY are here. The FAMILY seem weary and have somewhat strained looks on their faces. BOY (V.O.) My parents had always seemed quiet and aloof. Today they greeted me with smiles and laughter, even if it seemed forced. Even my sister - who normally has nothing to do with me - had made me my favorite stew. The BOY picks up a tangerine and begins peeling it. BOY (V.O.) We sat around the table, peeling tangerines. I was touched to be surrounded by such kindness. The BOY stops peeling his tangerine. A thought has just struck him. BOY (V.O.) Just then I began to realize. The BOY fishes around in his pockets and pulls out his LICENSE. BOY (V.O.) I probably wasn't going to get much use out of this. The BOY stares at it. BOY (V.O.) That's what I thought, as the forced smiles and cheer washed over me. That's all I thought, in the same calm, detached way I had been thinking about this whole affair. DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: January 2005 BOY (V.O.) I returned to the hospital in the new year. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAYS The BOY and FATHER walk along with a DOCTOR. BOY (V.O.) For once I didn't return straight to the fourth floor. Instead I went ... I was taken to a different room - a discussion room. The BOY, FATHER, and DOCTOR enter a discussion room. INT. HOSPITAL DISCUSSION ROOM The BOY and FATHER are seated on chairs around a small rectangular table. The DOCTOR is opposite them. He is discussing something with the FATHER. BOY (V.O.) My father was with me - and there was a doctor too - and they both talked with me. Or rather at me. I listened. Was made to listen. It turns out that this was what they called 'disclosure'. The doctor took a long time to explain everything - and used lots of medical jargon and long words in the process too. But all it came down to was that I was going to die. BOY I see ... The FATHER and DOCTOR look somewhat saddened. The BOY is indifferent. The FATHER and DOCTOR resume talking. The DOCTOR produces documents - the FATHER and DOCTOR discuss them, with the FATHER signing one every so often. BOY (V.O.) This was my only reply. I had no other words for the whole session. The doctor and my fother were locked into business mode. BOY (muttering) ... So it's this simple ... BOY (V.O.) That was the only thought I had about this. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAYS The BOY, FATHER, DOCTOR all walk through the hallways. The DOCTOR has a BUNDLE OF DOCUMENTS in his hands. BOY (V.O.) That day I was transferred from the fourth floor to the seventh - and from a six-bed ward to a private room. The BOY and train enter an ELEVATOR. INT. ELEVATOR The DOCTOR pushes the button for the SEVENTH FLOOR. After a short while, the doors open ... INT. HALLWAYS OF 7F The HALLWAYS are clean - the floors are well polished and the ceiling is high. A NURSE greets the DOCTOR - the DOCTOR, BOY, etc. exit the ELEVATOR. BOY (V.O.) First of all, the floors were spotless. Secondly, the ceiling was higher than the other ones. The NURSE shows the BOY and FATHER the room the BOY is to stay in. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM There is a large BED with plain bedsheets, a PAINTING on the wall, a POTTED PLANT or two, and a gigantic WINDOW. There is also a TABLE by the wall. BOY (V.O.) The rooms were very nice, and they had large windows. The sunlight streamed in through them as if they were designed for it. The BOY tries to open the window - a safety latch, anchored firmly in place, stops it after 15 centimetres of movement. BOY (V.O.) But the windows only opened a little ... I tested them out. They'd only open enough to stick my head through. The BOY retreats to his BED - sitting with his back againt the wall, he seems thoughtful. BOY (V.O.) The colour of my ID bracelet had changed as well. The BOY looks at his wrist - a WHITE BRACELET is there. CLOSE UP: WHITE ID BRACELET BOY (V.O.) The bracelet I'd worn from my first admission onwards - the one that had my name and my blood type ... The BOY looks at his BRACELET. BOY It's white now, huh ... EXT. HOSPITAL The camera is on the SEVENTH FLOOR. The BOY looks out from the window... BOY (V.O.) A high ceiling, a white bracelet, and a window that barely opens at all ... INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE A fairly bland room. Several round tables each have a few chairs. There's a couch in the back. There are some narcissi (daffodils) on the windowsill. There is a TELEVISION here - a boring holiday special is playing. BOY (V.O.) The TV programs celebrating the new year were still going on when I had come ... Was transferred to the seventh floor. PAN OUT to reveal the GIRL, watching the TV disinterestedly. BOY (V.O.) Come to think of it, that's how I ended up meeting her ... DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: Winter 2005 - 7F BOY (V.O.) There was this place - kind of like a lounge - across from the nurses' office. INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE BOY (V.O.) This generally deserted place had a few chairs, a couch, and a TV. A large one at that. The TELEVISION here is displaying a meaningless holiday program. BOY (V.O.) Stupid programs commemorating the new year were still being broadcast. The GIRL, sitting in a chair, stares disinterestedly at the TV. BOY (V.O.) And ... There was a girl who looked absolutely bored watching the absolutely boring TV. Short. In pink pyjamas. With a white bracelet on her wrist ... Just like me. Impressively long hair that almost reached her hips. The BOY stands at the entrance door to the LOUNGE. The GIRL takes no notice of him, her face affixed to the screen. BOY Hey ... Do you find that interesting? BOY (V.O.) There was no real purpose in asking - I had nothing else to do. GIRL Not really ... The GIRL pays no heed to the BOY at the door. BOY (V.O.) And she kept staring at the TV like I didn't exist. BOY (mumbling) ... Then don't watch it ... The BOY walks over and sits beside the GIRL. She still ignores him. BOY (V.O.) Side by side, we watched TV. There was nothing else to do. Nothing we could do. The TELEVISION blathers on. BOY (V.O.) New Years' programs. A useless selection of comedians and other oddities. Every so often the laughter of the host would resound dryly in the lounge. GIRL Say ... Tell me ... The GIRL still makes no eye contact. GIRL ... How many times is it for you now? BOY What do you mean? GIRL How many times have you come here? ... To the seventh floor? BOY Sorry. I can't tell what you're talking about. GIRL I see ... It's your first, then. The GIRL pauses. GIRL (CONT'D) Since there's nobody else around ... And since it's my duty ... BOY Duty? GIRL There's this rule here ... Someone here has to tell newcomers the truth. BOY (V.O.) I knew nothing. I understood even less. As if I didn't exist ... She began her speech. GIRL Then listen closely ... BOY (V.O.) In her methodical, mechanical tone, she explained to me. It was different from what the doctors had told me. In their crisp, businesslike voices they had said: INT. HOSPITAL DISCUSSION ROOM The BOY and FATHER sit here. A DOCTOR sits across. Documents are strewn over the table. DOCTOR The seventh floor is where you will go to wait for advances in medical care. It's a place where one can heal one's heart. BOY (V.O.) Perhaps they were correct in a general sense. INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE BOY (V.O.) But, according to the girl, that's just what the doctors said. GIRL This place ... The seventh floor .. Is the only place in the hospital where medical treatments don't take place. It's just a place where ... You wait for your life to run out. BOY (V.O.) Those were her words to me. I'd thought so as well. I'd felt it even before she'd spoken. GIRL See, it's my second time here ... BOY Second time? GIRL Coming here. To the seventh floor. Nobody on 7F stays here from hospitalization until death. BOY (V.O.) While there was zero possibility that you'd be cured - you were sent home if you were stable. But when it worsened again you were brought back. GIRL ... That cycle only ends in death. Whether it's at home or on the seventh floor, you are going to die. No way to escape it. The GIRL pauses. She is still not looking at the BOY. GIRL I'm only going to say this once ... So listen closely now ... BOY (V.O.) She continued speaking, string at the TV screen all the while. This wasn't idle chit-chat about lights out time or where the kitchen was or anything. This was completely diffrent. GIRL The third time you're discharged ... Resign yourself. There is never a fourth time. You'll never go home again. If you ever want to escape, go to the farthest train station. Eat nothing. That is the simplest shortcut. You'll be less of a burden that way ... BOY (V.O.) It was if she was packed to the brim with matters like those. This was probably an oral tradition ... Relevant only to those doomed to die ... And kept by those who came for that purpose. BOY Is this the duty you were talking about? GIRL Yes. That's right. Do remember to perform it for a newcomer someday. The GIRL stands up, tosses her hair, and takes steps towards the exit. GIRL I have to go get my temperature measured, so ... The GIRL turns her back and exits. BOY (V.O.) In the end, she didn't look at me once. DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: January 10, 2005 - 7F BOY (V.O.) New year celebrations had ended and the students were beginning a new term ... And just as ever ... INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE - AFTERNOON The BOY and GIRL sit here, watching TV. The windows are open a bit. BOY (V.O.) She and I sat in the lounge, watching TV. BOY Kind of boring... GIRL So it is. The BOY and GIRL both keep their eyes on the screen. BOY Is this place always like this? GIRL What are you getting at? BOY I'm getting at how it's always deserted. BOY (V.O.) Other than the doctors, nurses, and staff, and other than her, I hadn't seen another person. BOY Did everyone go home for the new year? GIRL Do you really want to know? BOY Uh ... Well.. I didn't mean .. GIRL Then I won't tell you. BOY (V.O.) We disinterestedly tossed back and forth this exchange. It didn't qualify as conversation. From time to time, the breeze would make her hair sway, and as if in agreement the flowers on the windowsill did too. This is how we wasted day after day ... Staring at that boruing TV. There are FOOTSTEPS from the hall. NURSE Oh. Here you two are. BOY (V.O.) From what I'd seen, she was the nurse in charge of the seventh floor. NURSE Well, Miss Setsumi, any fever? GIRL I'm fine. BOY (V.O.) ... Setsumi. So that was her name. NURSE You really shouldn't be moving around like this. SETSUMI doesn't care. NURSE Don't you understand? You're making everyone worried. GIRL Well, whatever ... NURSE What kind of an answer is that? Children these days ... BOY (V.O.) The nurse continued to scold and pick at her for a while. And the girl ... The girl named Setsumi .. Didn't even notice at all. She just kept staring at the screen. NURSE I'll be coming later to draw some blood, okay? The NURSE leaves the doorway. BOY Hey, you know ... mind if I call you Setsumi? The BOY looks at her BRACELET - it's WHITE, and has 'Setsumi' and 'Blood type: O' written across it. SETSUMI sighs. BOY Is something wrong? Setsumi? SETSUMI Why are you calling me that? BOY Hm? SETSUMI You're younger than me ... BOY Wait. I'm not younger than you. SETSUMI Never mind. It's just what I thought. BOY (V.O.) It wasn't that I was offended that she called me 'younger' than her - it was just that it looked that I was five or six years older than she was. The BOY takes out his LICENCE and hands it to SETSUMI. BOY I may not seem it, but I'm 20 years old. SETSUMI makes an indifferent sound. SETSUMI You're younger after all ... SETSUMI glances at the LICENSE and hands it back. BOY I don't really get what you're saying. SETSUMI It doesn't matter ... I'm just a little older than you, that's all. BOY (V.O.) Her eyes were fixed on that TV, but it looked like she was looking at something far away ... INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - MORNING A NURSE is just exiting. The BOY, sitting atop his bed in pyjamas, picks up a BOOK and begins leafing through it. BOY (V.O.) After my morning checkup the next day ... The BOY waits a bit and gets up. He leaves the room. A look of concentration is on his face. INT. HALLWAYS OF 7F The BOY walks into the open ELEVATOR at the end of a hallway. BOY (V.O.) I snuck past the nurses and went into the elevator. He pushes the button for the FIRST FLOOR. BOY (V.O.) When I got to ground level I went out the outpatient doors and walked out of the hospital. EXT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT - MORNING BOY (V.O.) My goal was the farthest train station I could get to. It wasn't that I wanted to escape ... BOY At the seventh floor or home, none of us die anywhere else, huh... The BOY begins walking. People passing him by take no heed of him, even clad in pyjamas. BOY (V.O.) That's what I'd been told. And this station, to which this girl called Setsumi had been to many times ... At least, just once, I wanted to see this place with my own eyes. BOY It's not as if there's going to be a guard on duty. BOY (V.O.) Even so, we were inhabitants of the seventh floor. Different from everyone else. And, thinking of vague maybes, I headed towards that station. My legs settled into a lazy pattern as I glanced at the people going to school or work. EXT. SUBWAY STATION - MORNING The BOY is standing in front of the station. People bustle in and out of the station. BOY (V.O.) After maybe 25 minutes, or 4 bus stops as I calculated, I made it to the station. BOY Wow. Lots of people. BOY (V.O.) I stood out a bit 'cause I was in pyjamas ... But I felt if I could get a ticket I'd be able to go anywhere. No questions asked. I still had no idea why I was told to go to the farthest staion. BOY Looks like I could escape if I really wanted. BOY (V.O.) She must have come here many times herself ... But why was she still on 7F? The BOY stares at the station. BOY (V.O.) I stood there, thinking about it, as these people passed me by. INT. HALLWAYS OF 7F - NIGHT The hallways are dark - it's passed lights-out time. The BOY wanders aimlessly. BOY (V.O.) That night. Bored of reading and unable to sleep, I wandered the hospital alone. Certainly it wasn't supposed to happen after lights-out - but we on 7F had a particular ... Liberty. The BOY walks into an OPEN DOOR marked with 'Hospital Lounge'. INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE - NIGHT SETSUMI sits at a chair, looking out of a barely open window. BOY (V.O.) That's where I found her. The BOY stands in the doorway. BOY You've been looking outside today? SETSUMI ... Mmm. SETSUMI still stares out the window. Her eyes are unfocused on anything. The BOY sits down at a nearby table and looks at the ceiling. BOY I went to the station today. The farthest one, just like you taught me. SETSUMI I see. BOY (V.O.) Her response never changed. I thought that since she'd been there too ... But now I thought about it, did the fact that she was here ... Mean she didn't want to escape in the first place? SETSUMI I'm going to be ... Going home soon. The BOY is a bit shocked. He turns to look at her. BOY What? SETSUMI ... That makes next time my third ... We may not see each other again. BOY I guess so. BOY (V.O.) She was probably getting a temporary discharge. And since nobody was discharged more than three times ... SETSUMI Oh. Which one have you decided on? BOY Decided? SETSUMI Where you're going to die ... There's an eerie SILENCE in the room for a bit. BOY (V.O.) When that word, 'die', came up so abruptly I was at a loss for words. The BOY hangs his head. He seems indiffrent. BOY I don't know ... Haven't thought about it, really. SETSUMI Well ... It is your first time, after all. BOY (V.O.) It wasn't as if I was going to exist here forever. Just like everyone else, I'd be admitted and discharged, grow weak, and finally ... I'd have to choose in the end: Here on the seventh floor, or at home surrounded by forced smiles. SETSUMI I ... Don't want to die at home. But I don't want to die here either ... BOY What are you going to do? SETSUMI sighs. She still makes no eye contact. SETSUMI I guess ... The only thing ... Is to go somewhere ... While I still have the strength ... BOY Somewhere? You can't be ... BOY (V.O.) This girl, staying here on 7F, could have escaped any time she wanted. When I thought of that ... BOY ... Do you have any other place to go? SETSUMI Do you ... Want to stop me? BOY What? SETSUMI Or do you want to come with me? BOY That wasn't really what I was thinking about ... SETSUMI Then... Don't ask ... BOY (V.O.) She was staring out the window as she spoke. Dispassionate. Not looking at me once ... The same as ever. But then and just then ... her usual expressionless face looked sad to me. SETSUMI and the BOY both look out the window. BOY (V.O.) I was a newcomer to 7F, taught that your third discharge was your last. She was a girl soon to be discharged for the second time. I still didn't feel that any of this was real ... But would I, too, come to wear a face like hers someday? INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE - MORNING There is rain pouring down outside. The BOY sits in a chair, watching the TELEVISION once more. BOY (V.O.) The rain at morning twilight. Sometimes sleet, sometimes snow, but always coming down. And there I was, sitting, watching TV. The seventh floor felt desolate as always. SETSUMI appears at the door. SETSUMI Anything interesting? BOY Completely boring. SETSUMI walks over and sits down beside the BOY. BOY (V.O.) She was probably in the same boat as me - nothing else to do. Nothing else we could do. SETSUMI is a little startled by something onscreen. SETSUMI Oh. BOY (V.O.) I had never seen her respond to the TV before. BOY Is something wrong? SETSUMI ... Not really ... BOY (V.O.) Those were her usual words, but her response was anything but usual. I looked at the screen - interested in what could move her so. EXT. FIELD There is a FIELD onscreen - there are rolling HILLS covered in trees, grasses, and flowers. There are a lot of NARCISSI. BOY (V.O.) I remembered those flowers from somewhere - they were the flowers adorning the windowsill. BOY (to himself) Are those the same flowers? The BOY looks at the vase of NARCISSI on the windowsill. SETSUMI No. BOY Oh? SETSUMI They're the same variety, but not strictly the same. SETSUMI glances at the NARCISSI on the windowsill. She resumes watching TELEVISION. BOY (V.O.) She told me they were different - but I couldn't see the distinction, really. And it meant nothing to me whether they were the same or different. What did mean something was that Setsumi usually never spoke more than one or two words. She was conversing in rare form today ... BOY Do you happen to know a lot about them? Flowers, that is. SETSUMI Not really. BOY Really? I can't see the difference. BOY (V.O.) The flowers onscreen - and the flowers in the vase beside her - I continued to talk as I stared vacantly at the two. BOY Are those orchids or lilies? SETSUMI is silent. BOY They're pure white, right? SETSUMI is still silent. BOY (V.O.) I had no interest - but I still kept trying to make her talk. But ... She slipped back into silence soon enough. SETSUMI still stares at the screen. The BOY continues looking at the vase of NARCISSI. BOY (V.O.) Just when I'd become resigned to the fact that she'd not say anything more ... SETSUMI (quietly) ... narcissus ... BOY Hm? SETSUMI They're narcissus. SETSUMI, for the first time, turns to face the BOY. She point at the screen and looks at the BOY. BOY (V.O.) As she answered ... She turned to face me for the first time. Her ID bracelet was white. Her skin was white. Just like the flowers onscreen ... And I swore I could see a tiny smile ... DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: January 16, 2005 - 7F BOY (V.O.) A few days later, plunging further into the depths of winter. During this time - the time the rest of the world called 'exams' - we were sitting watching TV, the same as ever. INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE - DAY The BOY and SETSUMI sit, watching TV. BOY This is boring. SETSUMI So it is. SETSUMI and the BOY don't avert their gaze from the screen. BOY (V.O.) This exchange that could not be called a conversation. We'd spent all our days in this fashion - killing time without meaning or purpose. BOY Speaking of which - when is it for you? SETSUMI Today. BOY Today, huh ... BOY (V.O.) That word, that 'today' - it was the temporary discharge she'd alluded to earlier. SETSUMI So ... We may not see each other again ... BOY I guess that's true... BOY (V.O.) Even if she was readmitted to 7F - it would be her last time. And in that time, I'd probably be discharged and readmitted myself. It didn't seem likely that things would line up so we'd see each other again. SETSUMI Have you decided yet? BOY Where I'm going to die? SETSUMI Mm. BOY No, not yet ... SETSUMI I see. SETSUMI nods. BOY (V.O.) I still felt nothing about the whole situation, and the doctors hadn't told me about my first discharge yet. Come to think of it ... I wondered what her decision was ... FOOTSTEPS from the hallway. A WOMAN appears at the doorway. WOMAN Setsumi, everything's set. The WOMAN nods at the BOY. WOMAN We'll be leaving soon, but are you ready? SETSUMI Yes. WOMAN Have a nice day, sir. The WOMAN nods at the BOY again and turns to leave. She extends her hand to SETSUMI. SETSUMI doesn't move. The WOMAN walks over and grasps SETSUMI's hand. WOMAN Is something wrong, Setsumi? SETSUMI It hurts ... A little ... The WOMAN is clearly worried by this. WOMAN What? Where? Your chest, your abdomen? SETSUMI My ... Chest ... WOMAN (shocked) S-stay right here. I'll get the doctors right away ... The WOMAN rushes out. BOY (V.O.) She took off. In a sprint. To the nurses' station, no doubt. There were two things left in this place: me and her. Both in chairs. I didn't know a thing about her disease or its status. The only things I did know were courtesy of her bracelet: Her name was Setsumi, and her blood type was O. But we were inhabitants of the seventh floor - and she was older than me, if just by a little. BOY Hey, do you want to lie down over there for a bit? The BOY gestures to the COUCH. BOY It'll support your back ... SETSUMI doesn't move. SETSUMI Doesn't matter. I'm fine now. SETSUMI stands and exits. BOY Hey, wait ... BOY (to himself) Don't do anything foolish. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT The BOY lies in bed, trying to sleep. BOY (V.O.) Nightfall. After lights-out. The BOY gets out of bed and enters the HALLWAYS. INT. HALLWAYS OF 7F - NIGHT BOY (V.O.) Bored of reading - as usual - i wandered through the darkened hospital. The BOY arrives at the LOUNGE. BOY (V.O.) The usual lounge - pitch dark. INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE SETSUMI sits, looking out of a window. The BOY is at the doorway. BOY (V.O.) That was where I found her. BOY You're still here ... SETSUMI Yeah. BOY What's up? Feeling unwell? SETSUMI ... Not really. BOY (V.O.) That was all she said as she stared at the window. So her discharge had been postponed after all. Nobody knew when the next chance would come - but it would likely be weeks from now, not days. BOY Could it be ... that you ... Feigned illness today? SETSUMI sighs. BOY (V.O.) That was probably not the right way to put it - we were, after all, sick all the time. BOY What I'm saying is: you didn't want to leave the hospital, right? SETSUMI I don't know what you're talking about. BOY Because there's no 'afterwards' for you now ... BOY (V.O.) There was no answer to my question - only silence. She had asked me so many times before about where I had wanted to die. It had always been that I didn't know and she didn't want to die on 7F or at home. BOY So you ... Have no other place to go after all ... SETSUMI What about it? BOY No, nothing. BOY (V.O.) This familiar lounge, flooded in darkness. Her familiar stance, looking out the window, blotting me out of her mind. This place we called a hospital and its darkened lights at 11 PM. This was the tangent point between what was normal and what wasn't. On top of that, we were inhabitants of the seventh floor - bereft of any choice save for one: death on 7F or death at home. SETSUMI continues to stare outwards. BOY (V.O.) The outside world that she was staring at, from the pitch-black height of 7F. The normal world. The buildings and home were still radiant with light and the people overflowed as they went home. And although I was still vaguely aware of it ... I was already an inhabitant of 7F. Already an abnormal person. There was no longer any way for me to go back to the normal world now. EXT. CLOUDS AND RAIN SETSUMI ... My time is at a standstill ... SETSUMI (V.O.) I'd spent so many seasons, so many overcast skies, without the want or need to converse with somebody. At first I'd look down at the healthy kids going to school, or the people walking back and forth on the streets. And when I got tired of that, I'd watch TV. There was nothing else to do. Nothing else I could do. The camera pans back to reveal SETSUMI, watching TV in the LOUNGE. INT. HOSPITAL LOUNGE SETSUMI (V.O.) Even when there was snow outside, it was always bright and sunny in the TV. A dream world, stretching out before my eyes: without heat, without cold, without pain. SETSUMI continues watching TV. She is alone. SETSUMI (V.O.) I sought comfort from my imagination. And so I amassed a huge knowledge base - meaningless trivia upon meaningless trivia, over and over ... And before I knew it, nothing on TV seemed real anymore. In quick succession it happened to books, to games, to my family, as well. Finally it was if I was staring at scenes from another person's life. INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAYS SETSUMI and a faceless DOCTOR are in the elevator. SETSUMI (V.O.) That's why I wasn't suprised when they transferred me to 7F. The DOOR closes. INT. ELEVATOR SETSUMI has her eyes closed. SETSUMI (V.O.) If I but closed my eyes, the world would vanish. So I thought I'd be fine. And I did as I thought. INT. HOSPITAL SETSUMI and a WOMAN - her mother, it seems, are leaving the HOSPITAL. SETSUMI (V.O.) And soon enough, my second discharge from the hospital. By the time of my next admission, I'd probably be too weak to stand by myself. EXT. SIDEWALK SETSUMI and the WOMAN are walking along. SETSUMI (V.O.) I found my own self - the one that couldn't do anything even though she knew this - to be pitiful. I found my own self - the one that had no destination - to be ridiculous. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM SETSUMI stands at the window, staring out at the sky. She is reflected on the glass. SETSUMI My time at a standstill, my heart at a standstill, my chest standing still with huge scars. I'd lived for 22 years now and I found myself utterly helpless. DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: January 19, 2005 - 7F BOY (V.O.) The overhanging clouds had cleared up, and an endless, endless winter sky was in their place. INT. HALLWAYS OF 7F The boy's FATHER walks along. He's carrying some BAGS. BOY (V.O.) Oddly enough, my father had come to visit. A difficult expression was on his face the whole time. He was saying something or other about my insurance. At that time he wasn't unhappy at all. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM The BOY sits on the BED - looking at both his FATHER and the assortment of GIFTS on the table. FATHER I have to talk to the doctors for a while ... The FATHER leaves the room. BOY (V.O.) Saying this, my father strode down the corridor, toward that dim conference room where this had all begun ... The BOY gets up from the BED and goes to look through the GIFTS. There's some FRUITS, DRINKS, some MAGAZINES, and a BOOK or two. The FATHER has also left some CAR KEYS here. BOY (V.O.) Having nothing to do - I reached for the magazines they'd bought me at the newsstand. Accompanying them - just as ever - were fruits and drinks as get-well gifts. But to one side of the basket that the fruits were piled in ... In front of the melons that I despised ... BOY Hm? BOY (V.O.) What I saw was ... A set of car keys. The BOY looks at the KEYS, in shock somewhat. BOY (V.O.) These were the keys to my father's pride and joy - the coupe that he'd meticulously taken care of all these years. The coupe I'd asked to borrow a long time ago, and was turned down within a second. And my still-unused license, in my pocket ... The BOY fishes out his LICENSE and stares at it. BOY (V.O.) Even after it had lost its chance for use that day - it remained with me, as if that were its proof of life. The BOY puts his LICENSE back into a pocket and grabs the KEYS. BOY (V.O.) It happened as if on impulse - and I didn't know what my motives were either. I grabbed them without a second thought. As if I were looking at a scene on TV. The BOY gets an idea - he grabs his MEDICATIONS off the bedside table - and shoves them into a plastic BAG left by his father. BOY (V.O.) Those few days' worth of meds that I'd been dispersed, I stuffed those into a bag, and ... The BOY strides out of his room rather hurriedly. INT. HALLWAYS OF 7F The BOY is walking at a rather rapid pace. BOY (V.O.) I headed down the corridor. Straight towards the elevators. The BOY continues walking. BOY (V.O.) A bag in my right hand, the keys in my left, and a license in my pocket ... The BOY stops and turns his head. He's in front of the LOUNGE. BOY (V.O.) The next thing I saw ... Was the girl sitting there, watching TV as usual. Staring blankly and boredly at the screen - sitting on a little foldable chair. The BOY moves to the DOORWAY. He's SMILING. BOY Hey ... That show any good? SETSUMI doesn't look up. SETSUMI Does it look that way to you? BOY No. Not at all. BOY (V.O.) The all-too-expected exchange. Her eyes looked as far-away as they ever had. BOY Well then. Shall we go together? SETSUMI is startled. SETSUMI What ... ? The BOY procures the KEYS and shows them to SETSUMI. BOY You see, I don't want it to be at home. SETSUMI And I ... Don't want it on 7F either ... BOY Well then. Shall we go? SETSUMI ... Okay. SETSUMI gets up and leaves the LOUNGE. She heads for her ROOM. The BOY follows. The BOY watches as SETSUMI puts her medication in a small bag. BOY (V.O.) And we left the seventh floor together. As they pass the LOUNGE, the BOY ducks in and switches off the TV. They enter the ELEVATOR together. The BOY presses the button for the GROUND FLOOR. BOY (V.O.) Both of us, clad in pyjamas, boarded the elevator. Heading down to the first floor. At the ground, we headed not for the E.R. entrance - but for the outpatient clinics entrance. EXT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT - DAY The BOY and SETSUMI are standing just outside the HOSPITAL. BOY (V.O.) The cold winter air struck away at our faces. All the stronger in a wide open space like the parking lot. The BOY and SETSUMI begin walking into the PARKING LOT. The BOY is looking for his father's SILVER COUPE. The BOY spots it and they both walk over. BOY (V.O.) After a little while, we came across my father's car. The silver coupe. The BOY and SETSUMI both stare at the car. BOY (V.O.) My father's pride and joy - impeccably maintained. The BOY opens the passenger door. BOY Go ahead, get in. SETSUMI Very well ... SETSUMI enters the car, closing the door behind her. The BOY enters as well. INT. CAR The BOY slinks into the driver's seat. BOY (V.O.) I sank into the driver's seat. She was in the passenger's seat - but she was so short she'd have a hard time seeing the road. The BOY starts the car. BOY (V.O.) I turned the key in the ignition and accelerated lightly ... Just as I'd learned during training. The CAR hums to life. The BOY releases the handbrake and applies the clutch. BOY (V.O.) Now we could go anywhere. That was our plan. BOY All right, let's go ... SETSUMI Okay. SETSUMI nods gently. BOY (V.O.) Instead of replying, I shifted into second. The BOY shifts gears. BOY (V.O.) The car accelerated smoothly. The CAR slowly begins moving. BOY (V.O.) Unused to the clutch, and swerving slightly, I advanced slowly. SETSUMI You're swerving. BOY Yeah. It's my first time ... Well, the first time since I got my license. SETSUMI I see. BOY (V.O.) The exit to the parking lot was now in view. And the largish road beyond it, without traffic lights. I turned onto it. The CAR turns onto the road, leaving the HOSPITAL behind. EXT. CAR The CAR is being followed by OTHER DRIVERS - they are HONKING. BOY (V.O.) The sound of car horns ... Directed at me, no less. The silver coupe complained as I worked the foreign clutch, the stiff gearbox. I must have rubbed the drivers the wrong way - the honking didn't want to stop. I just continued driving without caring a whole lot. Nothing seemed real anymore. BOY Hey ... SETSUMI What? BOY You scared? There is a PAUSE for a bit. SETSUMI Do you ... Want me to be? BOY Not really ... EXT. CLOUDS BOY (V.O.) Still before noon. The high-flying sun. The skies of January - above and beyond in the windshield. Skies so blue ... They almost seemed in mourning. INT. CAR BOY (V.O.) We had no destination. On that cold day with an alien clutch and a swerving coupe. On that day we drove onto the highway in our pyjamas. On that very day of winter. DARKNESS SUPERIMPOSE: January 19, 2005 - Ibaraki: Mito Highway BOY (V.O.) Around when that blazing sun had turned a dusty orange. EXT. CAR - EVENING The SILVER COUPE is speeding along on a HIGHWAY. BOY (V.O.) We were continuing to drive. Just driving in any direction. And, at a place I didn't recognize ... The SILVER COUPE pulls up to the shoulder. INT. CAR BOY We're stopping for a bit. SETSUMI Mm. The CAR stops moving. BOY (V.O.) A roadside somewhere, far from civilization. No traffic anywhere. Lonely. Having stopped the car here, I started inspecting the cabin. The BOY unbuckles his SEATBELT and begins fishing around the cabin. BOY (to himself) ... If there's anything useful here ... BOY (V.O.) We had just run off without any preparation at all but there was something troubling me. With that on my mind, I first scoured the dashboard. SETSUMI is looking out the window. The BOY looks over the dash. BOY (to himself) There's nothing here at all. BOY (V.O.) A few hundred yen, around the gearstick, and a couple of magazines, and a cheap disposable camera. The BOY slides down in his SEAT. BOY (V.O.) It wasn't as if we had a destination - but we had no maps. And I only had about 8,000 yen on me. That was all I had lying around when I up and left. The BOY opens his hand and looks at it. He's holding several COINS. BOY (V.O.) Combined with the change I'd found ... That made about 9,000 yen. Of course, I hadn't really expected there to be anything in the car anyway. But this lack of money made it impossible for us to get lodging. The BOY looks at SETSUMI. She's staring out the WINDOW. BOY (V.O.) And it didn't seem likely that this girl would have any money on her either. SETSUMI notices something and speaks. SETSUMI Is something the matter? BOY No, it's nothing ... BOY (V.O.) I'd half expected this from the beginning. It wasn't as if I had a plan or a schedule. I just wanted to get out. The BOY buckles his SEATBELT and starts the CAR again. BOY Hey, are you hungry? BOY (V.O.) We hadn't eaten since morning. BOY Want to stop at a convenience store or something? SETSUMI ... No. BOY Don't be quite so melancholy. I'm sure anything's better than the food on 7F. SETSUMI looks down at her pyjamas. BOY Oh, yeah. The BOY glances down as well. BOY (V.O.) Sure enough, in these things, we'd be noticed no matter where we went. Not that we weren't right now. In any case, we had to do something about them. The BOY makes a turn. BOY (V.O.) After a little more driving, we arrived in a place whose name I didn't recognize. Probably close to a rail station. Certainly enough people around for it to be the case. BOY There's gotta be one around here ... The BOY leans forward. He's looking for something. BOY Ah. There's one. EXT. LAUNDROMAT The SILVER COUPE parks in a space in front of the LAUNDROMAT. BOY (V.O.) At last. A coin laundromat. It looked pretty run down from the outside. This was as good a place as any. BOY All right. I'll be back in a bit. The BOY unbuckles his SEATBELT and exits the car. SETSUMI shoots a confused look at him. The BOY closes the door. INT. LAUNDROMAT The walls are covered with various coin-op washers and driers. Some are operating. BOY (V.O.) My nose was filled with the smell of detergent and bleach the moment I'd entered. The exterior had told no lie: The washers and driers were run-down as well. BOY There's nobody here. The BOY is silent, glancing around. The only sounda are the WASHERS AND DRYERS humming. BOY (V.O.) Only a single dryer was in operation - making its characteristic humming noises. The BOY walks up to the DRYER. He examines the plaques by the coin slot and glances at the timer. BOY 30 minutes for 200 yen, huh? And it's only been going for 5 minutes. BOY (V.O.) Whoever it was, didn't have the patience to sit around here all day. The BOY looks around the deserted LAUNDROMAT again. He grasps the DRYER's door handle. He opens the door. BOY (V.O.) The dryer spun down to a forced halt. I pulled out a clump of half dry clothes, ignoring the heat and humidity. The BOY closes the door, turns and leaves the LAUNDROMAT. EXT. CAR SETSUMI looks at the BOY returning, holding a clump of CLOTHES. SETSUMI Oh. BOY (V.O.) She sounded slightly surprised when she saw me return with the clothes. The BOY throws the CLOTHES in the back seat. BOY All right, let's go. INT. CAR - NIGHT BOY (V.O.) I looked back at the bundle of clothes, steering wheel in one hand. Gaudy sweatshirts and jeans and nothing else. All in fairly big sizes. All still wet - but the car's heating would fix that. BOY Change into whatever you'd like later. SETSUMI stares at the pile of CLOTHES in the back seat. BOY We had no other choice. SETSUMI I know. BOY (V.O.) It wasn't as if I liked doing this kind of thing. And it wasn't as if I was saving my money for anything. It was just that given the amount we had, it would have been rather difficult to buy clothes. INT. CAR - NIGHT The MOON is shining. BOY (V.O.) After a bit of driving - the moon was shining above us - I stopped the car near a public park. The CAR rolls onto the shoulder of the road and stops. There's a PLAYGROUND here. The BOY unbuckles his SEATBELT and begins rummaging through the CLOTHES. BOY (V.O.) They were dry now - thanks to the car's heater. But they were all men's clothing. Made for someone around the same size and age as me. EXT. CAR The MOON is above the CAR. It looks to be about midnight. BOY (V.O.) Sitting in the driver's seat of the car, I changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. BOY You should get changed too. SETSUMI They're all too big ... BOY Going to go on wearing pyjamas forever? SESTUMI sighs. SETSUMI Fine. SETSUMI leaves the car with some CLOTHES in hand. BOY Where are you going? SETSUMI ... To get changed ... BOY (V.O.) She was walking to the park's bathroom. INT. CAR The BOY lies back in his SEAT. The passenger DOOR opens. BOY That was fast. SETSUMI piles in. She is wearing a white sweatshirt - it's drooping down to almost her knees. The cuffs are rolled way up. The legs of her jeans are too. BOY (V.O.) She'd come back on short order. Her pink pyjamas in her hands, a white shirt and a pair of jeans on her body ... BOY That turned out fairly well. SETSUMI is silent. BOY (V.O.) I'd expected this, but everything was so big and baggy on her. SETSUMI The pyjamas fit better. BOY At least it's a little warmer this way. SETSUMI makes a slightly dissatisfied face. BOY Were you hoping for more feminine clothes? SETSUMI Not really. BOY (V.O.) The same response as ever. I was sure she was unhappy with her baggy attire, but she soon returned to her expressionless self. INT. CAR It's raining - the droplets collect on the WINDSHIELD and pool down every once in a while. There's packaging and an empty bottle or two on the back seat. The BOY is reflected in the WINDSHIELD. He and SETSUMI are looking at the RAIN. BOY (V.O.) A freezing rain falling from the January sky as if it had forgotten how to stop. Countless raindrops spattering the windshield and obscuring the view from inside. And when each grew too large, it would become a river down the windshield, swallowing up other raindrops and running to the bottom, The BOY stares emptily at the RAIN. BOY (V.O.) A parking lot somewhere. A desolate place away from humanity. After shopping at a convenience store, we were spending the night here. The menu: 2 riceballs, a bottle of Coke, and half a bag of potato chips. BOY It's been a while since we did something like this. SETSUMI Mm. SETSUMI holds a RICEBALL in one hand, half-eaten. BOY (V.O.) It wasn't anything of wonderful quality - but it was better than anything up on the seventh floor. And as we were both going after the potato chips, she suddenly stopped. SETSUMi stares out of the WINDOW. BOY Something wrong? SETSUMI Not really... BOY (V.O.) But her eyes were turned past the windshield glazed by rain, at a few white flowers on the roadside. At some flowers, soaked by rain. The BOY, too, looks out the WINDOW. There's a few NARCISSI. BOY (V.O.) I didn't know if someone had planted them or if they were wild, but I did remeber them. BOY Hey, aren't those ... Narci ... Narcissu? SETSUMI Narcissus ... That's what they are. BOY Right, narcissus. BOY (V.O.) I Hadn't heard a lot about botanical names before - but I had heard of narcissus before. And this girl who seldom spoke a single work was talking about something. And so I followed along. BOY These the same ones? SETSUMI Not really ... BOY Are these pretty rare? SETSUMI Not really... You can find them almost anywhere. BOY Any place in particular? BOY (V.O.) It wasn't that I had any deep purpose - I just wanted her to talk. SETSUMI thinks for a bit. SETSUMI ... West ... BOY ... West? SETSUMI Awaji Island is famous for them. The BOY is startled a bit. BOY Awaji Island? Wait a minute. BOY (V.O.) How far away do you think that is? I'd just started driving a car. I wasn't all that proficient yet. It was what, 700km away, and even on the toll highways I couldn't really tell. And in the first place, I didn't think we had enough money for that anyway. If we went by normal highways instead of tollways, there's no way we'd have enough for gas. BOY Don't say things like that. You can't mean to go there. SETSUMI Who said I had wanted to go? BOY What? SETSUMI I was just answering your question. SETSUMI resumes looking at the flowers. BOY (V.O.) And just like that, she went back to staring at the flowers. The thick haze of the cold rain on glass. She kept gazing and gazing ... I didn't want to go there a lot either. But I had nowhere else I wanted to go.