"Are you serious?!" Runo and Julie screamed at once. Both girls were gone for days with their parents elsewhere.

Alice only nodded and was too upset to explain, so Shun spoke. "I personally heard the conversation between Alice, Mr. Nova, and Klaus. Crazy, but true. I even recorded it." He took out his phone and pressed a few buttons. "Not like we can take this to court, but it's authentic."

Runo and Julie listened to it and shook their heads. "Alice, even though you don't want to marry him, you shouldn't have been too harsh on them." Julie pointed.

"This was so sudden and random. How do you expect me to say yes to marrying someone whom I've never ever met before? This was totally done without my knowledge. I refuse to accept."

"But you already agreed to marry Klaus so that Shun could go on his own..." Runo winced.

"I know. I shouldn't have done that, but I promised Shun to ask Mr. Nova if Shun could leave on his eighteenth birthday and-"

"Alice, if taking back that offer means that I don't get to leave, then I'll have it." Shun insisted. "You can't spend the rest of your life with a stranger."

"You were a stranger, too." Alice argued. "I was told to let you live in my house without permission. Either way, I'm going to be with you all my life or be with Klaus all my life. To avoid one, I can only choose the other."

While Runo and Julie murmured to each other, Shun leaned over to Alice and whispered, "Between being stuck with me and stuck with Klaus, I think you already know which one is the better choice."

"You don't understand. In fact, the only thing I can do is choose to marry Klaus and spend my life miserably with him."

He stared at her and sighed. "I guess your grandfather was scared that you wouldn't have a good life ahead of you after your parents died, and thus did this."

"Maybe. At least your grandfather didn't meddle with your future."

"He already did by sending me here."

"Let me ask you this then. Would you rather spend the rest of your life in a foreign place where you know nothing of with a stranger who looks like they can provide almost everything for you?"

"I think you know what I would answer already."

"Shun, I'm serious about-" Suddenly, Alice let out a choking cough, and she waved her hand to cool herself down. "That was uncalled for."

"Girl, you need to cover your coughs," Julie complained, brushing away the air around here. "or else you'll get us all sick."

"Thanks for reminding me that Klaus coughed during that meeting and spread a cold to me."

Runo waved her hands to cool Alice down as well. "You're probably just upset and haven't been feeling well. In fact, Julie and I should go back now, but we'll visit later. Whether you're sick or not, take care of yourself."

"I will. Thanks for stopping by."

After Alice coughed a bit more, Shun poured a cup of hot water and added lemon juice and honey to it. He stirred the solution with a chopstick and handed it to Alice. "You've been coughing for these last couple days. See if this will help."

"Thanks." Alice drank the solution slowly and licked her lips. "Sweet and sour at the same time. Just like the situation I'm having."

"How is this situation sweet? All I see is bitter and sour."

"You got what you wanted."

"But at the price of giving up what you wanted. Out of all times, why does this have to happen now?" He watched Alice take another sip, but then she choked. "Okay, you're really not looking well."

After several pats on the back from Shun, Alice spit out the second sip, and most of it landed on Shun's jacket. "Whew. So much better."

"Not for my jacket, though..."

"I'm sorry. I'll wash it out for you later."

"It's okay. My jacket, my problem." He grabbed a towel to wipe the table and handed tissue to Alice to wipe her mouth. "Next time, take smaller sips."

"I will. Thank-" Before Alice could finish wiping her mouth, she let out a long series of coughs before falling on the table. "Can't...breathe..."

"Alice, wake up!" The redhead's face turned slightly pale, and she became unresponsive to Shun's yelling. You can't pass out on me now!"

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

The doctor checked Alice's pulse once more and put her hand down. "She lost a lot of air during that coughing fit you described. Is Alice asthmatic?"

"Not that I'm aware of. She has no serious health problems but had been coughing during these recent days. Doctor, what's wrong with her?"

"For now, she probably caught a serious cold or a mild flu. I'm going to write a prescription, but I suggest she stay here for another hour so I can examine her again."

"Thanks, Doctor." Shun pulled up a chair by the bed and sat down. He brushed her bangs aside and sighed. "Feeling any better?"

"Sort of. My chest feels tight, like I'm wearing a huge rubber band around it."

"The doctor said you might have a serious cold or mild flu. Either way, I can't see how this is mild when you coughed and passed out. Here, drink some water."

"Thanks." Alice sat up with Shun's assistance and finished the cup of water. "Either I have a cold or the flu, or I'm just overworking myself."

"I sure hope you're just overworking yourself. Should I call Runo and Julie?"

"Not right now. I don't want them to get worried after they were in a hurry to leave this morning. Do you think I caught something from Klaus?"

"That was just a guess. If Klaus really is coming down with something, we can only ask him. As far as I've heard, he hasn't been back since that day I followed and recorded you. Is there anything you want me to do for you right now?"

"Can I see your phone?"

"Uh...sure. Don't press anything random."

He handed Alice his phone reluctantly, but she laughed. "Shun, I know how to use a mobile phone. My parents each had one." Surprisingly, Shun let her look through his photo albums, music archive, and others. "Is that your mother?"

"Yes. I was only five back then."

"You two look alike on every aspect except for the eyes."

"I know that. I have my father's eyes, who has my grandfather's eyes. I really wish I don't end up like them."

"You'll need to start a family first to find out."

"Did you just-" After Alice coughed again, Shun shook his head and crossed his legs. "No point in arguing with you now."

"What's this?" Alice point to a photo where toddler Shun sat on a swing catching red and yellow leaves. "Looks like autumn."

"You're right, and I was at a park. My mother used to call those leaves as butterfly leaves because the originally green leaves turn into vibrant shades of warm colors before falling to freedom after a year's worth of hard work. Didn't make much sense to me when I was a kid, but it does now."

"Kochouha has a ginkgo tree like this. Barely anyone visits it because it's uphill near a cliff, where it's always windy and cold." Alice yawned and gave Shun his phone back. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Shun, here's the prescription for Alice's medicine." The doctor from earlier came out and ripped a piece of paper for Shun. "Excuse me. I need to answer the phone."

As Shun waited for the doctor to come back, he heard a conversation in the doctor's office. "Pneumonia? Could be a possibility, but that's scarier than a serious cold or mild flu. I'll have to change the prescription then. Thanks. Talk to you later."

Shun recorded that portion of the conversation and left.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Really? He's not well? Thank you for calling, Madam. We shall talk again soon." Mr. Nova hung up and saw Shun running outside. "You must be Shun. How may I help you today?"

"You can't let Alice marry Klaus."

"What?" the town headman asked confusingly. "I don't understand."

"You know what I'm talking about. Alice's grandfather and Klaus's parents agreed to betroth their kids to each other when they were younger."

"Shun, I don't know what you're talking about. That's ridiculous." he denied.

"You're being ridiculous. You just want Alice out of here, don't know? "I'm not going to let her marry Klaus."

Mr. Nova sighed, seeing that there was no way he could lie anymore. "Fine. You know about it? Either way, this is an engagement between the two. You're an outsider and have no say in this."

"What if I said she has pneumonia?" Mr. Nova stopped yelling and stared at Shun. "And what if I said that Klaus was the one who spread it to her?"

"That is absurd. Klaus doesn't have pneumonia. His great-aunt just called saying that he's perfectly healthy and-"

"How do you explain the loud cough he had the other day after coming back from his great-aunt's? And to clarify it even more, he hasn't come back after that meeting day when he coughed."

"That has nothing to do with—oh. Hello, Alice."

Shun turned around and saw Alice walking to the front door of Mr. Nova's office with a limp. "Alice, you should be resting in bed at home. What are you-"

"I have pneumonia?" Both Shun and Mr. Nova didn't say a word until Alice screamed again. "Answer me!"

"Actually..." Shun started. "The doctor who examined you consulted a friend, who believes you have pneumonia, which I know can be contagious. I'm already up to date with all my vaccinations. You said you caught a cough from that day Klaus was here, and he hasn't come back since. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but that's what I'm seeing."

"Why...?" Alice coughed loudly and feel to her knees. "My grandfather died from pneumonia. What about me?"

Mr. Nova nodded in confirmation, and Shun gasped in shock.