Shiori paced impatiently in the intensive care unit's waiting area and saw Shun's grandfather rushing over. "There you are, Shiori! I couldn't find you at home or your office, but your message—"

"Shut up! My son is in the ICU right now. I told you to stay home until I came back." She lowered her voice and stepped closer. "Did you know that Shun cut himself?"

"What do you mean, 'cut' himself?"

"I brought two kids to the hospital for different reasons about twenty-four hours apart. Don't get me started."

Shun's grandfather finally understood but brushed it off. "I don't believe it. He was fine and had enough energy to defy me before I left. You should've taught your son—"

"So now you acknowledge that Shun is my son? That means I decide how I want to raise him. I carried him to full term, and you haven't done anything but create trouble since his father died."

The elderly man clicked his tongue and pointed his finger at his daughter-in-law. "That's exactly how he spoke to me after I said that I refuse to let him to go national competitions. You sure taught him well. Better keep a closer eye on him them—and on that redhead violinist too."

With that said, Shun's grandfather left the waiting area as Alice walked by. "Shiori-san, what just happened?"

"Alice?! What are you doing here?"

"I leave the hospital today, remember? Why was Shun's grandfather here?"

Shiori looked around before ducking down to explain. "Shun...had an emergency. He—"

"Alice! There you are!" Clara entered the hospital and found her niece. "Shiori, I can't thank you enough for watching my niece when I was out. Alice, let's go home."

"But I—"

Shiori held a finger to her lips. "Everything will be okay. Go home and rest."

After some more paperwork and procedures to complete, Alice finally left the hospital with her aunt. The car was silent until Clara asked, "Sweetie, are you alright?"

"I want to go home."

"Care to tell me what's bothering you?"

The violinist groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I said I didn't want to play as often because school hasn't been easy for me."

"But we—"

"You don't get it! Back then, I don't mind going on tours because all of you took turns homeschooling me. Now I'm in public school, which has different requirements and commitments. Sometimes I get panic attacks before I play, and they usually go away—until this one persisted and sent me to the hospital."

Clara took a moment to process everything her niece just said. "I'm sorry for making this harder for you, Alice. I only wanted you to continue playing your violin after moving here. Some things shouldn't take too long to get started again."

"But other things are more important than playing the violin, Aunt Clara." The redhead took out her locket and opened the clasp. "It's called 'family'. You gave me this, remember?"

The blonde woman stopped at a red light and held her niece's head to her chest. "I'm sorry about the tight schedule. I'm sorry for pushing you so hard. I'm sorry for not giving you the option to decide what to do."

The redhead tears up but wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry for not telling you everything from beginning about what I was feeling."

Once they arrived home, Clara took out every calendar, planner, and mobile device she could find and spread them across the dinner table. "Every single one of these items has a record of your performance schedule. We can't cancel everything, but I'll let you decide which ones are really not working with your academic schedule."

"Thanks, Auntie."

"I know you have a couple more interviews left, but I'll also let you decide whether you want to continue touring after high school or attend university—or even do both. I'll cook some food."

Alice flipped through the wall calendar first. What do I want to do after high school? Shiori-san is still waiting for Shun to recover, so she probably won't have time to help me reschedule yet. But what did Shun do? He was still fine when he drove up here to see me yesterday...please be okay.

-x-x-x-x-x-

After spring break and state level competitions, STEM-FX held its weekly meeting during lunch. Runo invited Alice over to watch the slideshow, despite the latter still confused about how all this worked. "What are we waiting for again?" asked the violinist.

Dan tightened his fists. "Just wait for it..." Once the slide with all the students who placed at state level and qualify for national level appeared on the screen, the brunet shrieked loudly. "National competitions, here I come!"

Runo rolled her eyes. "You're not the only one. Also, where's Shun? I haven't seen him since Saturday when left the awards ceremony early. He wasn't in homeroom, and he's not here for lunch."

The brunet shrugged his shoulders. "He looked pretty upset ever since leaving the hotel early for some emergency back here. He looked even worse after winning second place twice."

Alice bit her lip. Shun said he was done with both competitions when he came to visit me. It shouldn't have affected his competition results, but it certainly would make him more upset. "I just remembered!" The violinist took out a paper list and read off it. "Can you get me copies of any assignments for Shun's classes?"

"You want to see his homework?" the bluenette reiterated. "Uh...sure? But why?"

"Shiori-san just told me that he'll be absent for a few days but didn't say why when he'll be back. After school, I'm on the way to—"

"His apartment?!" Dan assumed. "He doesn't even let Runo, me, or other people go to his place, yet you—"

"—to Shiori-san's office after school. She can deliver stuff to her own son, Dan."

"Right..."

Runo then elbowed the brunet's ribs and whispered, "In case you didn't know, Shiori-san manages Alice's violin activities, although Shun's sudden absence has me worried."

"Tell me about it. I don't even remember the last time that he missed classes."

The bluenette cleared her throat and took out her planner. "I'll ask other people for the classes that we don't share with Shun. I wouldn't worry about it too much as long as Shun has excused absences. Teachers are more lenient about those, and his mom is a very proactive parent. Anyway, meet us in the quad immediately after dismissal for the handouts."

"Thank you so much!"

Once she met with her friends in the quad after school, the violinist walked to the hospital and asked for help to Shun's room. "Alice? What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you." The redhead placed a paper bag of stuff on the desk tray and pulled a chair next to the hospital bed. "If you visited me when I was in the hospital, then why can't I visit you now? But the real question is..." She took a deep breath and continued. "...why are you here in the first place?"

"My mom didn't tell you?"

"Before Aunt Clara picked me up on Sunday, I saw your mother and grandfather here. She said everything would be fine. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Does it have to do with you placing second for both competitions at state level?"

"How—" Shun reacted quickly and was about to point at Alice until they both noticed the bandages on his hands. "Forget it."

"What was that? You have bandages on both hands now!"

"It was an accident."

"Shun, I told you what happened to me prior to waking up in the hospital. Now it's your turn."

"Because..." He groaned and pressed his forehead. "Close the curtain."

Alice reluctantly pulled the curtain over, leaving the two of them alone inside. "I think I have a clue on why you're here..."

"I've placed first in my individual competition for the past two years. I placed second in both competitions this year. It had nothing to do with driving up here to check on you."

"Shun, we're in the final year of high school. I've only known you and been here barely a year, but I can tell that many unexpected things happened to you, starting with your grandfather not letting you attend that leadership conference. By the way, Runo said that she hasn't seen you since Saturday."

"That's because I left the ceremony early after getting both second-place plaques. I checked out on Sunday morning and went home to find Grandpa watching the apartment because Mom was either at work or watching you. He saw my plaques and refused to let me go to national competitions when second place still makes me qualified. Then I locked myself in my room—my head was hurting, luggage was a mess, trash bin was still full... I tried to reassemble a broken glass paperweight, but somehow bled out and ended up here."

The violinist gasped but held Shun's hand. "You're not upset about earning second place. You're upset about your grandfather insulting you for earning second place. And it's my fault that Shiori-san stepped out and called him over. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have been here, and you wouldn't hurt yourself. Wait—you also had smaller bandages on your hands in the past."

"I knew this was bound to happen, just not in the way I expected it to." The raven-haired student stared at Alice's hand and then locked his fingers with hers. "Acetaminophen wasn't working, so I tried to ibuprofen, then naproxen. The doctors said the latter two have some bleeding risk associated."

"Does your mom even know about the painkillers?"

"She doesn't, especially since they're all over-the-counter. At least...I can still see you again."

"Cutting yourself is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." Alice smiled and pressed her palm against his. "Maybe this will help you heal faster."

"Alice, it doesn't work that way."

"If I say that it works, then it will. Today, Dan and Runo were very excited that they qualified for national competitions with you instead of just presenting reports. Don't ruin it for them."

"I know better now."

"And if you were an instrumentalist like me, then you'd very likely ruin your career even if you recover. Aunt Clara said she'll loosen my schedule, but not cancel everything completely. I'm just waiting for Shiori-san to review my edits. I don't know if I should resume touring after high school or attend university. Shiori-san set up so many interviews but—"

"But you weren't the one who made the decision."

Alice nodded and held her head down. "I really don't know anything. I do well in academics and music, but don't understand all these procedures about applying to college."

"You'll be fine." Shun let go but placed a chaste kiss on the back of Alice's hand, causing the violinist took look up with a slight blush on her face. "You should go home before your aunt gets worried."

"You're kicking me out?"

"No, but I'm really tried. I think the hospital makes me sleepy."

"Alright, one last question. Remember when you asked if I believed in destiny?"

"Yeah."

"I think there's something deeper than that... Otherwise, we wouldn't end up in the same hospital within less than a week."

"And you think that's a good thing?"

"I don't know...just can't describe it." Alice's phone vibrated, and she checked the caller ID. "That's my aunt. I should go now. There are snacks, notes, worksheets, and homework assignments in that bag."

"Thanks, Alice. Stay safe." Shun watched Alice exit the curtain and then stared at the bag on the desk tray. I don't know what to call it either, but at least it's better than nothing.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"WELCOME BACK, SHUN!"

Various classmates hugged the raven-haired student immediately after he entered the usual hangout classroom during lunch break. "Guys, I've only been gone for three days..."

"Oh, you were gone for three days alright—without replying to any of my messages!" screamed Dan as he took out his phone to scroll through his chat with Shun. "Where were you?"

"Family emergency. Now get off me and my case."

Shun sat down by a computer table and ate lunch before turning on the device. The brunet rested his arms on the computer monitor and mentioned, "Prom tickets got cheaper, by the way."

"So?"

"You're still not interested?"

"Dan, shouldn't ticket prices increase as supply decreases? Unless the school has difficulty selling them. Either way, I have other better things to spend my allowance on."

"Like what?"

"None of your—"

"Valedictorian isn't going to prom?!" exclaimed Joe as all eyes faced him. "That's unacceptable!"

"Wait—I'm valedictorian?" Shun asked. Everyone nodded and applauded. "When was this announced?"

"While you were gone." Dan counted his fingers and answered, "It's funny how Shun's the only valedictorian but there are like ten salutatorians—including me, Runo, Joe, Julie..."

"That's...a lot. But congratulations, you two." As valedictorian, I'm mandated to give a speech. "Question—who's senior speaker? I doubt all ten of you want to give speeches at graduation."

Dan and Runo stared at each other and then asked everyone else, filling the room with, unproductive arguments. Shun shook his head and resumed eating. I regret asking...

"There's always one student who will be senior speaker," Joe clarified. "It's usually not a valedictorian or salutatorian, because that would defeat the purpose."

The brunet breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness I'm only salutatorian, therefore speeches are optional. Shun, good luck in writing—"

"Dan, that's exactly why you don't quality for valedictorian," Runo insulted.

"Oh yeah? Want to fight me?!"

"No, but I might not go to prom with you."

Shun rolled his eyes and finished his lunch before working on assignments. Afterwards, he packed and went to his locker before wandering around. I've never missed this place so much before. Maybe it does take an adverse event to notice the little things around us. The raven-haired student stared at the vibrant flowers in the quad until he felt someone tapped his shoulder. "Can I—"

"You're back!" greeted Alice cheerfully. "I rarely see you in the quad."

"I usually stay indoors. I never noticed that these flowers were here the whole time. They resemble the flowers boxes along the hospital lawn."

The violinist's faced frowned quickly. "Never mind, then."

"It's not a bad thing. The flowers are nice...something to look forward to."

"That's good! How are your hands?"

Shun rolled his sleeves to his elbows and turned his hands. "All better, like nothing ever happened." After a short pause, he asked slowly, "Are you...going to prom by any chance?"

Why is he asking me about prom now? Did he change his mind? Unless he wants to—Alice, don't even think about it! She discarded the thought and asked, "When is it?"

"First Saturday in May...before all the AP exams."

"First Saturday?! I have one performance that afternoon! I know Shiori-san and Aunt Clara said they would loosen by schedule, but I can't skip this one."

"You sound really passionate about it."

"I am. Since you have AP exams immediately after, I don't think you should go either."

"Why not? It's my decision."

"I think I know you well enough by now to know that you would find it 'pointless'."

The raven-haired student chuckled slightly as the violinist's comment. "I can't believe you still remember that. It's nice seeing you again, Alice—for real. Also...have you considered applying to be senior speaker?"

"What's that?"

"The staff already announced who will be valedictorian and salutatorian—basically, the top few students after grades are calculated. Very rarely will the final spring semester grades impact the overall grades unless you fail miserably. I'm the only valedictorian, while Dan, Runo, and others make up almost ten salutatorians."

The redhead gasped and applauded. "Congratulations, Shun! I can't rank because I didn't spend all four years here, so I didn't pay attention at all. All that matters is that I graduate."

"Understood. As valedictorian, giving a speech is mandatory. It's optional for the salutatorians, though. However, there's still an opportunity for another student to say something meaningful if they apply to be senior speaker. Only one student can take that position...and I think you should apply."

Alice's face turned pale quickly. "Why me? I'm good at playing my violin onstage, but not sure about speaking live for a few minutes. And since I've only been here for a year, I'm not a good representation of our graduating class."

"But Alice, aside from panic attacks, I can tell you have no stage fright. Plus, you have a motivational background story. I'm not asking you to reveal it to everyone, but overcoming hardships is something to learn from."

"Is that what your speech will be about?"

"Not sure yet...the school staff will need to review and approve every draft I make. Applying to be senior speaker is very competitive." The bell rang again to indicate the end of lunch break. "Think about it. I'll see you later."

"Whatever you say, Shun. Stay safe."

"You too."

As Shun walked the other way to his next class, the violinist stood by the flowers and thought about the conversation she just had with him. Prom is definitely out of the question. Public speaking isn't my best skill, but if Shun thinks I'm suitable for the position, then I shouldn't let him down.

-x-x-x-x-x-

On her way to Shiori's office after school, Alice was speaking on the phone with her aunt but suddenly asked, "Aunt Clara, what do you think about me speaking in public?"

"Public speaking?" The blonde woman took a moment to process her niece's words. "I know you've played your violin in public, but speak? Why do you ask?"

"During graduation, there's also position called 'senior speaker', in which only one other student who isn't valedictorian or salutatorian can give a speech. I plan to try out for that."

"You're not valedictorian or salutatorian?"

"I can't rank because I didn't spend all four years at Wardington High School."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Anyway, if you think you have something memorable and impacting to speak about, then go for it. Just balance your time wisely."

"I will. Thanks, Aunt Clara."

"Also, I heard from work that your high school's prom is on the first Saturday in May. Are you going?"

"I'm not. There's a very important performance that I must attend that day."

"You can go to prom and celebrate with your friends after a long day, if you'd like."

"I'll be very tired after the performance. Plus, prom tickets are expensive, even after the discounts."

"Sounds good."

After hanging up, Alice took out a notepad and scribbled down all the thoughts in her head. Better write my speech while I still have ideas fresh in my head. Why are there no creativity or public speaking classes in high school? She arrived at Shiori's office and knocked on the open door. "Is there something happening today?"

"Alice, have a seat!" Shiori then rotated her computer monitor for her visitor to see. "Some of the music universities responded saying that you passed the interviews and auditions. These universities aren't like the other ones that most high school seniors apply to, so your decision to attend which one isn't due until—"

"When is everyone else's decision due?" the violinist interrupted.

"Every year on May 1st. Shun should have received and sorted through all the university response emails by now. Aside from college acceptance news, you have one more performance left in May before the school year ends. I left a voicemail for your aunt and will send you all the exact details soon."

After more discussion, Alice exited the office after Shiori answered an office phone call. In the hallway, Shun leaned against the wall while playing with his phone and car keys. "Shun, what are you doing here?"

"Mom's car had issues earlier, so now it's at the mechanic. I went there to check, but they said they can't finish in time before closing, so I'm here to pick my mom up when it's time to leave."

"That's still a couple of hours away. But is it even safe for you to drive in less than a week after discharge?"

"Alice, I'm fine—I mean it. There are empty offices upstairs where I can do my homework and other things. How's your speech going?"

"I wrote some ideas down, just not sure how to piece everything together. What about you?"

"Not exactly taking a shortcut, but my speech is based on the personal statement I used in my college applications."

The violinist covered her mouth in laughter. "I didn't know you take shortcuts!"

"I don't. Even though the content won't change, I need still need to rewrite to appeal to our classmates and teachers now, not the college staff anymore. First draft is due before AP exams. Who even set these due dates...?"

"That's right... Shiori-san said that you probably received all the acceptance emails by now. How's sorting all that working?"

"I have no idea what I was thinking when applying to so many colleges. Then again, it was probably to meet Grandpa's ridiculous quota."

"How are you two getting along now?"

"He hasn't visited me in the hospital or us at home since the Sunday that I saw him. Doesn't matter now. I'm feeling much better physically and mentally. Speaking of visit...you're not going to prom, right?"

"I'm not. I have a performance, remember?"

"Would you still be free after your show?"

"I'll probably go home and rest..."

"How about I take you somewhere that evening?"

The redhead's lips parted into a stunned expression. "You? Me? Where? What?"

"It won't be faraway or take too long either. Just say yes or no."

Alice was about to ask for more details when her phone vibrated. "Aunt Clara's waiting for me outside. I should ask for her permission first."

"Of course."

"Also...I've always been waiting to ask." She pointed to the car keys that were still in Shun's hand. "You said that your mom worked multiple long days to make ends meet, so how did you get your own car?"

"My own car? It was my dad's. My parents each had a car. After Dad died, Mom continued driving hers, but sometime drove Dad's so that the engine doesn't go dormant. As soon as I earned my license, I got to drive his car."

Tears built up in Alice's eyes, but she wiped them away discreetly. "That's great way to keep his memory alive. Even though I can't answer you yet, I'd be more than happy to spend Saturday evening with you while everyone else is at prom."

Shun waved the violinist goodbye and added, "I promise you won't regret."