After a harrowing ambulance ride, it is explained that Ruriko is afflicted not by a mortal medical malady such as appendicitis or cancer but a mere stomach ulcer -- nothing that medically-supervised tender loving care cannot cure. This brings no relief to either Mikako who has yet to resolve her hidden issues with Ruriko; Noriji volunteering to fill out the paperwork and Yuusuke calling it a night obfuscates Mikako making a trip to the bathroom in which she is torn over whether to tell Hirohiko about what happened to Ruriko oblivious to Tsutomu having made the choice for her. The ironic silver lining in Mikako's protracted absence is that it has ultimately set the stage for Mikako to finally realize that she never had to go it alone and that Tsutomu has already demonstrated his promise of perpetual proximity and attentive availability many times over.