It was a cloudy but warm day at the harbor when Shun asked, "Do you plan to visit Lync in the future?"

Next to him was Alice, this time wearing the same lavender cardigan from the kidnapping over her sleeveless polo. "Maybe...for answers...I don't know where to start. Why do you ask?"

"When I left, the security guard yelled that Lync would have a new visitor. I'm just wondering who that could be. On the other hand, I wonder if he actually wants to see you."

"Why would he? To apologize? No way."

"Maybe he'll eventually reveal the truth or tell you some shocking secret."

The redhead sighed and rested her arms on the railing. "How are you still fine with visiting him like this? Is there really that much to talk about?"

"Not anymore. When I first met Lync, I didn't know anything, so I learned a lot initially. Then he keeps asking to see me but will only tell me bits of new information. All those subsequent meetings didn't even last half as long as the first, especially since he starts screaming whenever I ask an open-ended question for more details."

"Maybe he wants to speak up but ends up remembering how horrible everything is instead."

"Sounds a lot like you."

Alice immediately glared at the raven-haired student next to her. "What do you mean?"

"Every time I ask you for details, you tell me something but enter another nervous breakdown. If I'm not around, then what do you do when you have another nervous breakdown?"

"I...text...you? Or call you?"

"Exactly—because I implied it was okay for you to do so. That's like what Lync is doing. My mom's not here anymore, so who else will he reach out to for help?"

"Maybe Lync and I aren't that different then."

"He's still the killer in the public eye, and no one can change that. He said that he killed your friends because they were hurting you. I argued that there was no proof of you being sad or miserable. Then he said that it was so obvious to everyone except you. Am I missing something?"

"That makes no sense. My group and I got along very well. I don't know he got this from. Sounds like endless rumors."

"Aside from Lync, who else do all five of you know?"

"Just us, Hydron, maybe Ace, sometimes Keith stopped by to annoy Mira... Who else is else Lync referring to? Even though the five of us appeared inseparable, we still had our own individual class schedules."

"So nothing, then. By the way, do you know where my mom could be going in this direction on that rainy night?" Shun took out folded pieces of paper from his pockets and handed them to Alice. "Based on everyone's call logs and Mom's GPS, she changed her route after answering the call that came after yours."

"That makes me feel even guiltier that I didn't keep her on the line with me." After the radio host calmed down, she looked at the map print out. "Shiori-san's car is in the middle lane. Going straight leads to a T-intersection in front of her. You can still go forward, but it leads you into a cemetery and not the main road."

"Why would she go to a cemetery there at that time of day? We don't have any family buried there...not that I know of." Shun was going to take the photos back, but Alice kept her fingers pressed. "What's wrong?"

"Taylor's buried there... I didn't even know until Hydron invited me for annual gravestone cleaning, but I declined because I just couldn't get myself together. He understood completely. I later went at my own time and dropped off flowers."

"Alice...you never told me this. What about your other two friends?"

"Chris and Soon aren't from Wardington, so they went back to their hometowns. I don't know why I could bring myself to visit Taylor but not Mira...maybe because Taylor's never coming—"

"Wait—Hydron told you a long time later that Taylor is buried there." Shun slowly let go of the photo as he fell against the railing. "He's the connection between everything."

"Pardon?"

"Somebody called my mom from a telephone on the sidewalk in the area. She answered the call, then changed routes instead of going home. What did she hear on the phone that required a desperate detour?"

Alice folded the papers back up and handed back to Shun. "Sometimes I had nervous breakdowns so bad that the university counselors had to call Shiori-san to help me. It worked...most of the time. If Hydron or anyone made a desperate phone call and mentioned any suicidal or homicidal ideation, then—"

"Then she'd go help them immediately because of her instincts and profession. What if Hydron actually made the call?"

"You suspect him? Even if he was calling for help? She might've have purely been at the wrong place at the wrong time..."

"So why didn't Hydron tell you where Taylor was buried until much later? Did her family even hold a funeral?"

"They did, but I declined because I was still hospitalized. Hydron knew the location because he was invited, but probably didn't tell me immediately because of my situation. Besides, what motive would Hydron have in possibly causing the hit-and-run?"

"Do you know if my mom ever helped him? I couldn't find any notes about him in per files."

"She might've reached out to Hydron because of his relationship with Taylor. Shiori-san focused a lot on me because I'm a close friend of all the deceased. Hydron also recovered more quickly recovery than me. I don't see him as the type to make a desperate phone call for help..."

"Just because he doesn't seem like it doesn't mean—"

"You killed Mira!"

Ace suddenly stormed over from nowhere and shoved Shun aside to slap Alice, but the raven-haired student quickly subdued the unexpected visitor. "Do you mind?! You can't just hit someone, with or without an explanation."

"Ace, what are you talking about?" Alice asked. "I haven't been in the hospital lately."

"Fine. Listen to this." The mint-haired boy took out his phone and played a recording.

"Doctor, what exactly happened?" asked Keith. "Did something wrong happen with the new treatment?"

"It had nothing to do with treatment," the doctor answered. "We were administering Mira the medications that she used to receive in Wardington when the nurses noticed that she was having kidney failure and seizures. We tried to resuscitate, but she went pulseless in half an hour."

"So did it have to do with the medications or something else?"

"Keith, you need to understand that Mira's body was weak to begin with. She probably couldn't handle the transfer. The Wardington hospital did their best to keep Mira's medications running during transfer, but nothing is perfect."

Ace stopped the recording and crossed his arms. "You heard everything loud and clear. Even Mira's gone now."

"Still doesn't mean that I killed her! You heard what the doctor said. Even though I think finding better treatment is a good idea, you have to consider if Mira can handle it. Besides, Keith makes the final decision because he's her brother. Stop blaming everything—"

"Hydron did it," Shun interrupted.

The other two stared at him in confusion until Ace said, "I saw Hydron a few days ago. He said that his rotations don't cross paths with Mira's treatment."

"Doesn't mean that he won't cross paths with reinitiating Mira's medications. He's definitely involved somehow, but I just don't understand how or why..."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Remember me?"

Lync's newest visitor took a seat across from the prisoner and twirled his hair. "I remember now... You're Hydron...but you're not mad me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your girlfriend died, Alice is perfectly alive, and Mira is still comatose."

"But didn't you want Alice to stay alive? Isn't that why you saved her for last?"

"I did as I was told—"

"Lync Volan, do you have any idea how useless you are?! Look at yourself! You're stuck in jail, and Alice couldn't care less about you."

"Well...as long as she's happy—"

"Oh, she's not happy at all. If she were, then she would've visited." Then Hydron leaned closer and whispered, "Your wishful thinking made you believe that Alice actually cared about you, but deep down, she just wanted you to disappear like everyone else."

After watching Hydron back away calmly as if he hasn't said anything, Lync pounded the table and screamed, "What did you say?"

"You can only blame yourself for doing stupid, pointless things that only harm people. Enjoy the rest of your life in prison."

"You played me!"

"You're realizing this just now? If people like me don't put failures like you to good use, then you'll eventually ruin yourself. Such a pity."

At this point, the security guards were holding Lync back as Hydron prepared to leave. "Alice will never like you back!"

"We'll see," replied Hydron, without looking back. Mira's finally gone, Ace will go lunatic, but Shun will suspect more of me... How much better can things get?

-x-x-x-x-x-

At the police station, Chan gathered Shun, Alice, Ace over to report important findings. "Don't spread the word around, but the hospital staff determined the cause of death to be infusing Mira with hypertonic saline instead of normal saline...whatever that means. They have hearings to conduct, and I have a case to build."

"Looks like Keith will be planning funeral business instead..." the mint-haired visitor lamented.

The radio host shook her head in disbelief. "How could the hospital be so careless? Did they not reconcile Mira's medications during the transfer? An error like this will definitely show up on the news. What if the media drags along the locker room murders? I'll never be at peace."

"I don't care about that. This isn't how I want Mira to be remembered by."

"But Ace, Alice has a point," Shun noted. "If Alice went on air to explain how the agonizing wait for Mira to recover became a nightmare when she suddenly died, then maybe the perpetrator might reveal themselves." Because I already know exactly who's behind this.

"And I thought you—out of all people—would understand what 'respecting the dead' means, Shun. Either way, I need to go home. Keith has been texting me nonstop."

"I'll lead you outside," the police madam offered.

After Alice finished packing, Shun asked, "Do you want bubble tea to take your mind of this for a moment?"

"Sure...but you're treating."

"Not that I mind."

Shortly after arriving at Joe's bubble tea bar, the owner himself approached the redhead and said, "Lync wants to see you this time, Alice. That's what he told my mom."

"Me? But when?" She glanced at Shun, who was equally confused. "We were just talking about this last time. This is really bad timing. I wanted to spend the next few days planning what to say to the media if they do dig up the past and reach out to me about Mira, but then Lync..."

The raven-haired student wrote down his order on paper for Joe and told Alice, "I'm scared that Lync might hurt you. He's acted somewhat violently around me before...mainly because I asked some triggering questions."

"You just said that you asked triggering questions. Maybe I should go. I need to face this problem eventually, just like with Shadow. Everything happened because of me."

"I really don't think—"

"Shun, you're doing this for your late mother. Why do I even matter to you?"

"Because I wouldn't have achieved this far without your help."

"I may be a victim in all this just like Ace keeps saying, but I don't need anyone's pity anymore."

"Then you understand why I changed my major, right? Even though we both changed majors in school, there's still the past that we have to let go. You've been living in the shadow of what you could potentially be if your life weren't ruined, and I've been living in the shadow of my mom and her unfinished business. It's time to let go and step into the light."

"Try experiencing all that victim mentality, shaming, and blaming that I went through for once." Joe returned with bubble teas, and Alice immediately stabbed a straw into her drink. That's why I stopped making friends and never considered dating after that incident... I couldn't bear losing anymore close people... "What if Lync wants to see me because of something that the mystery visitor said?"

"But Alice, I—"

"And you're right. You couldn't have achieved this far without my help. Since you visiting Lync is becoming pointless now, let me talk to him for once to see what I can get out of this." With a pouting face, the radio host hesitantly kiss the raven-haired student on his cheek, but for a full second. "I'll keep you updated."

Alice left before Shun could even process what happened. He stabbed a straw into his drink as a small smile escaped his lips. You're finally in control for once.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Lync Volan, your visitor is here!"

The prisoner lifted his head from the table and saw a familiar redhead from his past answer the room. "Alice, I'm so glad you came!"

"You asked for it." The radio host took her seat hesitantly across from Lync. "I still have many questions that need to be answered. Why did any of this happened in the first place?"

"Alice, don't you understand? I was trying to protect you from—"

"From what? Did I say I was in a dangerous situation? No, I never did! I don't know where you're getting this from, but it's all in your head. It's just like how Komba and Shadow believed their actions were helping people. You never actually asked the person that you're trying to help if they're fine with it."

"I didn't need to ask! He told me everything already, which is why I—"

"Hold on." Alice held up a trembling hand as thoughts raced in her head. "Who is 'he'?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just said that somebody told you 'everything' already. Was it Hydron?!"

Lync leaned back in his chair to avoid the raging Alice in front of him. "He said it was in everyone's best interest. I saw the way you acted around your friends. You weren't very comfortable. You always apologized on their behalf whenever they said mean things to me. I never blamed you at all."

"Wait...why would Hydron make such an assumption?"

"I...I just wanted to talk to you for once...as friends, maybe. But you were already with your group of five, so I never got a chance to talk to you one-on-one."

"Was there something important you needed to tell me? Or did Hydron feed you lies about my friends secretly hating me?"

"Not at all. I just wanted us to say 'Hi' to each other for once, instead of saying 'Sorry' to each other every time we crossed paths. Your four friends are one thing. Hydron is another. You can't trust any of them."

Shun was right. Hydron is connected somehow. "Why not?"

"Every time Hydron talked to me, it was always about you...how your friends were mistreating and excluding you. He said he wanted the best for you and that if I wanted to talk to you, I should take the initiative and find you. But wasn't Taylor enough for him already?!" Lync then lunged forward and held Alice's hands tightly. "The reason why I kept approaching you is so that Hydron will stop thinking and talking about you."

"Lync...I'm sorry. I don't know what you or Hydron feel about or have against me." The redhead removed her hands forcefully and shook her head. "I still don't get it."

"I knew you might say that...and I still won't blame you even to you this." The prisoner pushed his chair back and stood up slowly. "I don't regret meeting you at that camping trip."

Lync, what are you doing?

Then he banged his head against the edge of the table before falling down.

Alice screamed as she stood up and backed up to the wall. "Is that blood?!"

Additional security guards suddenly entered the room to check Lync's vitals. "He's not breathing, and pulse is weak," one of them reported. "I think he was trying to snap his neck and commit suicide."

"I'm calling an ambulance," replied another guard. "Miss Gehabich, you shouldn't stay here any longer. My colleagues will escort you to leave this facility for your safety."

After passing all security measures upon exit, the radio host returned home urgently and called Shun. "I need your help. Things got worse."

"Alice, slow down. Where are you? What did you do?"

"I visited Lync, but I'm home now. He did end up telling me everything. Hydron is behind this, just like you suspected. He told Lync that friends secretly hated me and that I was suffering without even knowing. That why Lync did what he did."

After a long silence, Shun asked, "What do you want me to do now?"

"I don't know..." Alice checked her house calendar for a second. "Aunt Clara has late shift tonight. I'm scared to be alone..."

"I can come by in a few minutes, if you want."

"Thanks." After hanging up, the redhead held her phone tightly and paced around the living room. What if Hydron acted normally all this time because he never actually cared about Taylor? What else is he hiding? After hearing a car door slam outside, Alice peeked through the curtain and opened the front door. "Shun, I don't know what to think about—"

"Then don't." After locking the door behind them, he pulled her in for a hug and walked her to the sofa. "You're more agitated than you usually get."

"You know how we keep wondering why Hydron seems perfectly normal with everything? Because he isn't even 'normal' to begin with. My skin feels like it's peeling off me, now that I think back about how we interacted with Hydron act at the hospital and radio station."

"He sure hid his true colors very well. No doubt that he called Mom on that rainy day to set up the hit-and-run...under the disguise of acting suicidal, maybe."

"And Lync...he tried to kill himself. Maybe Hydron was the mysterious new visitor that you were asking about. Maybe he told Lync something that pushed Lync to the edge. Lync was fed up with keeping secrets and decided to tell me everything." Then the redhead laid her head on Shun's shoulder as the sky outside started raining. "I wanted Lync gone from my life, but I didn't him to die..."

The raven-haired student placed his hand on the radio host's forehead after hearing her shallow breaths. "You're heating up again. Better dress in layers the next time to go you out, especially to somewhere you don't usually go to. Let me get—"

"Don't go," mumbled Alice, wrapping her hands around Shun's arm. "Stay with me?"

"Uh...one moment." He let go of her arm gently and removed his jacket to cover both of them. "Much better, but I need to leave before Clara comes back. Who knows what she'll say or think?"

Alice's soft giggle was the last thing Shun heard before she fell asleep to the sound of rain.