"Da-ge is DEAD," the sobbing freshman screams, and then redoubles the waterworks. The poor person he's crying on does not look at all equipped to handle this. The Shanghai enclave is acquiring a fair number of onlookers; even some of the English-speaking half of the room is taking notice.
Ayako's first instinct, of course, is to keep her head down and keep watching, or alternately to turn away now that she's found out what's going on and go make contacts with someone who isn't going to die in the next six weeks. But-- something about it catches her attention, just a little but it's there, and it's the first day and looking distinctive is better than going unnoticed, and her teachers specifically told her to socialize with people from other enclaves.
She steps forward from her polite distance away. "I'm sorry," she says to the sobbing freshman, she doesn't ?think? anyone else has yet. "About your brother."