one hundred thirty-six days after
- The semester ends in less than twenty-four hours, and Miles still hasn't finished his final for the Old Man.
- He comes back after his precalc test and notices a letter to him and the Colonel from Takumi.
- In the letter, Takumi says that he saw Alaska on the night of her death; she told him that she needed to put flowers on her mother's grave and that she forgot. He says that he thought she was just looking for flowers; he admits that he let her go too.
- Miles runs to Takumi's room to tell him he forgives him, but Takumi is gone; Miles realizes that "we had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth" (136after.9).
- Miles also realizes that even though he doesn't know Alaska's last moments and thoughts, the not-knowing won't stop him from caring.
- The Colonel isn't back in their room yet, so Miles sits down to write his final for the Old Man. In the final, he writes about several realizations:
- He first thought that the way out of the labyrinth was to ignore it.
- He still believes in a Great Perhaps.
- He will forget Alaska, and she will forgive him for it.
- He thought she was just dead, but now thinks that part of her "cannot be destroyed" (122after.16).
- He wishes he could have given Alaska hope so she didn't commit suicide.
- He forgives Alaska, he knows she will forgive him, and he hopes it's beautiful where she is.