Wardington School of Integrated Health Sciences was closer to Bayview City Hospital than Wardington Central Hospital, so Alice was taken back to her current city of residence.

After receiving the news, Runo rushed to the hospital and saw Shun waiting outside. "Shun Kazami, this is all your fault!" she screamed while grabbing and shaking her friend violently by his shoulders. "Why did force her to do this?!"

"I didn't force her." The raven-haired student waited until Runo stopped before talking again. "I was only trying to help her overcome her nightmares."

"Clearly, it didn't work."

"If I don't find the truth, then who—"

Suddenly, a nurse exited Alice's room and shushed the two visitors. "Please be quiet. Miss Gehabich is awake. You may see her now."

Shun and Runo exchanged glares before entering, but then a young man with pale green hair and lavender eyes rushed in first. "Alice, are you okay?!"

The redhead faced all three visitors slowly, since she was tethered to an intravenous drip. "What are you all doing here?"

"Alice, is that really you?!" asked the rushing visitor. "I haven't seen you in...ages."

Shun whispered to Runo, "Do you know him?"

"No, I don't. However, both of you need to leave. Nobody is talking to Alice until she gets better." The bluenette rushed in and shoved both guys outside before closing the door.

Shun glanced at the lavender-eyed visitor. "Are you friends with Alice?"

"I was Alice's college classmate. My name's Hydron. I haven't seen her since she graduated early. Who are you?"

Not surprised that Alice chose to avoid former classmates. "I'm Shun, one of Alice's friends in Bayview. How did you know that Alice got admitted to the hospital?"

"She lives in Bayview now? I didn't know—"

"Hydron!" screamed a middle-aged male doctor who pointed to a ward down the hall. "Please return to your rotation shift. Everyone is waiting for you."

"Yes, sir."

Hydron returned to his shift as Shun observed the former's movements.He turned around and tried to look through the windows, but Runo closed the blinds. Shun faced the hallway again and saw a familiar brunette. "Dan, what are you doing here?"

"Chan sent me here to obtain a victim statement. Remember when I said that someone was throwing water balloons from rooftops? Now they're throwing paint can lids, so today's victim came here with a bleeding forehead. What are you doing here?"

"Just...waiting for someone," Shun lied. If I tell Dan about what happened today, then he and Runo will lecture me on unnecessary things again. "Good luck on your case."

"Thanks. See you later."

Such a weird sequence of events in the hospital today. Shun unlocked his phone to read pictures of his mother's notes. Something's missing. Mom's notes say that Lync was a gentle and calm person who wouldn't hurt anyone. Alice's recollections say that Lync escalated from receiving aggression to becoming the aggressor. Both statements are describing two different people and subject to flaws, so what do I trust?

-x-x-x-x-x-

Despite checking out a few days ago, Alice returned to the hospital for follow-up and was about to leave when a voice called her. "Alice! Wait up!"

"Hydron? What are you doing here? Are you still attending WSIHS?"

"Yes, but this my last year. Bayview City Hospital is one of the sites where I practice for my physician assistant rotations, which I just started. It's nice to see you again after...yeah."

"I remember you said you were a pre-PA student. I can't believe three years already passed. Congratulations on securing your spot in a competitive program."

"Well, I was a pre-PA student after all, so entrance into the physician assistant program is 99% guaranteed." Hydron looked around and asked, "Your friend Shun isn't here today?"

"You met him already?"

"He was here a couple days ago. We both wanted to visit you, but some bluenette with pigtails dragged us out. That was rude, but I understand since you just woke up at the time."

That's right... I was visiting my school with Shun when I ran off and—forget it. Hydron must be talking about Runo. "I know who you're talking about. I didn't want anyone to pick me up today." She checked her watch and gasped. "I'll be late for my afternoon work shift. Good luck on your rotations."

"Bye Alice! It was nice seeing you again!"

The redhead left the hospital quickly and crossed many streets. Why does Hydron have rotations in Bayview just after I moved here? I thought I would never have to see anyone from school ever again. She finally reached the lobby of her work building and was about to press the elevator button when someone stepped in front of her. "Klaus?!"

He bowed before her and commented, "I see that you have returned. Would you like—"

"I need to go back to work."

"Miss Alice, did it ever occur to you that someone with your standards should working at somewhere else...better than this radio station?"

Alice gasped and glared at the unwanted visitor. "Do you mind? I enjoy being a radio co-host and interacting with the audience." The elevator opened, and the redhead rushed inside immediately. "You need to go back to work instead of bothering me."

"I'm serious! Who cares if—"

Can he just shut up already?! Luckily, the exiting people and closing elevator doors deterred Klaus from chasing after Alice any further. Once the doors opened, she rushed out immediately and entered the broadcasting studio. "Do any of you know Klaus von Hertzon from the real estate office?"

"Alice, you're back!" Runo hugged her friend and then asked, "What about Klaus?"

"The other day, he tried asking me out for lunch. Today, he kept saying that I deserve a better job than this place. How rude is that?!"

"I don't believe it either!" screamed Julie while gripping on a stack of papers way too tightly. "His real estate work place is around the corner, but he never comes by this building. I feel bad for you, Alice. How about the three of us go out for lunch?"

"Lunch? Right now?"

A door slammed open as the radio show's host exited office unenthusiastically. "Alice, I placed some more file folders on your desk. Please keep up with your tasks."

"Yes, Dylan." After he returned his office, Alice signed and returned to her desk. "Looks like I can't go anywhere just yet."

"Just because we can't eat out doesn't mean we can't get take-out..." Julie argued. "Right?"

Runo smacked her forehead. "That was horrible joke, Julie. But if Alice wants to, then I wouldn't mind either."

The redhead stared at her work desk and nodded. "Why not? I could use another break."

The three employees grabbed their belongings and descended the elevator to the first floor. Runo exited first and saw a familiar face on the sidewalk. "Dan? I thought you were at the police academy."

"I am, but I'm working with Chan today..."

Dan sheepishly stepped aside as Chan walked past Runo to see Alice. "Are you Alice Gehabich?"

"I am. What's wrong?"

"Bayview Police would like your help in an ongoing investigation, especially since you had verbal altercations with some victims."

Everyone gasped, and Alice gripped her bracelet tightly. Why is this happening again? What have I even done since moving here?

In the interrogation room, Chan and Dan sat on one side while Alice sat across from them. "I still don't know what's happening," Alice muttered.

Chan flipped her notepad and read, "On Tuesday at 2:30PM, somebody hit Sellon with a paint can lid from above outside. This may or may not be related to the other water balloon pranks that we've seen. Witnesses saw nobody, but others recall hearing you and Sellon arguing over at the Misakis' diner. Where were you at that time?"

"I...have an alibi."

"Which is?"

Alice grabbed her wrist tightly and covered her scar tissue with the bracelet. "I was at Wardington School of Integrated Health Sciences...and later got into an accident." Please stop asking me about where I went. That was a horrible day.

"Can anyone verify that?"

"I was with Shun..."

The police madam tilted her head, but Dan whispered, "I don't know about going to WSIHS, but Runo did say that Alice stayed in Bayview City Hospital for a couple nights. Plus, I trust Shun."

"You can check the hospital logs then." Chan continued flipping pages and read, "On the previous Sunday at noon, somebody hit Julio Santana three large water balloons simultaneously. Again, people said you two had an angry conversation at the Misakis' diner. Where were you at that time?"

"I was at Bayview Harbor."

"Can anyone verify that?"

After a long pause, Alice muttered, "With Shun...again."

Chan shook her head lightly, and Dan whispered again. "He's a close friend of mine. I don't think he's suspicious."

"You know what? I need someone else to do this. Billy, get in here!" After Chan screamed into her radio, the blonde trainee knocked and stepped inside. "Billy, go find Shun and get his statement to confirm his and Alice's whereabouts during these two dates and times."

"Yes, madam."

After Billy left, Chan wrote more notes before closing her notepad. "Do you personally know these two victims at all?"

"I don't. I ordered take-out for the first time at the Misakis' diner that day. Julio suddenly came in and screamed at Mrs. Misaki. All the customers were annoyed. I was waiting for my order to finish when Sellon entered and cut me in line, and I told her that I was here first. That day was my first and only time seeing them."

After Dan recorded Alice's statement, he handed it to Chan, who read every single word. "Good job, Dan. Alice, if everything is written correctly, then please sign and date here.

The redhead nodded and read every sentence before signing. "Thank you. Sorry that I couldn't be of more help."

Chan escorted the redhead outside to the hallway. "At least you told us that Sellon and Julio were being rude and impatient customers. I don't know how Runo's parents put up with that behavior...or how Runo puts up with Dan."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" the brunette screamed.

"It means you need to step up. I put in 110% effort and became the youngest police madam sworn into service and to oversee trainees like you."

Alice sighed and exited the police station. At least I know how to handle police interrogations well enough now. Even with Shiori-san sitting next to me back then, I still couldn't handle it. She reached the sidewalk and saw Shun standing by a tree. "Billy did go to find you."

"I was on break and in the area anyway. Runo and Julie returned to work after lunch."

"Lunch?!" The redhead buried her face in her hands. "Julie suggested that we go out for lunch, but then Dylan said that I need to catch up on my work. Just when we reached the first floor, Dan and Chan came and took me here to for interrogation. I'm not in the mood to do anything except—"

She tripped but made no effort to stop her fall until Shun and caught her. "Alice, look at yourself. Who knows if you'll pass out again if you go straight back to work?"

"There's a lot that needs my attention..."

"Since you insist...I'll walk you back." Shun ran ahead and hit the crosswalk button first. "I'm sorry that you had to experience this."

"Shun, it's not your fault. I had nothing to do with Sellon and Julio—"

"Not that." He grabbed her left wrist and faced the palm up. "I'm sorry about taking you back to WSIHS and making you cut yourself. It's my fault that you missed a few days of work."

"It's still not your fault." After the light turned green, Alice pulled her hand back and walked first. "I couldn't control myself. Even though I avoided and often refused to cooperate during appointments with Shiori-san, things could've been different if she were still here for me to finish my therapy."

"Alice, I know you moved here to escape old problems, but that doesn't mean new problems won't happen, such as this person that's throwing stuff from rooftops. I know you're not over your friends' deaths, but what happened to Sellon and Julio has nothing to do with your past."

"But it does." The redhead stopped walking and turned to faced Shun with heavy breaths. "I was only person who was nice to Lync. He ended up stabbing all of us, but I survived, and another is still comatose." She grabbed her scarred wrist and bracelet and looked around frantically. "What if I ignored Lync instead? Maybe he wouldn't have followed us if none of us—"

"That's still has nothing to do with the present. I don't know Lync very well, but treating him nicely unlike your four friends might have stopped him from doing more dangerous things."

"What if he was just taking advantage of my kindness so he could get rid of all of us?!"

Alice is becoming more and more unstable. "At least you're still here...but nobody will know why he did that. Mom couldn't get him to talk. Other evaluating staff made no progress either. You're the only one who knows anything about him."

"But I don't want to think about it. Why can't I just live peacefully here?"

"Okay...forget about Lync." The two of them crossed the street as Shun asked, "Also, who's Hydron? He seemed very excited to see you at the hospital the other day."

"Hydron...was Taylor's boyfriend."

The raven-haired student stopped walking for a moment. This is more complicated than I thought. "Was he friends with all five of you, though?"

"He wasn't that close, since he was in the pre-physician assistant program. Taylor was the only one in the group who was dating. Sometimes he stopped by during lunch. He recently said that he was in Bayview for third-year rotations."

"You don't have negative feelings about him?"

"Well...I am the only person who survived and recovered. Sometimes he asked how I was doing if we saw each other on campus. Otherwise, I didn't socialize much ever since. I have nothing against him, but I don't think he's over Taylor's death, either."

"Wouldn't practicing in a hospital remind him of the past too?"

"Maybe...even me staying in the hospital for a few nights reminded me of the past, let alone him practicing there for the whole semester or school year with—" Alice's eyes widened and pointed somewhere. "What's Klaus doing here?"

Shun faced where Alice was pointing and saw a tall man with silver-blue hair and dressed in a lavender suit. "I don't know who that is."

"I've been avoiding him since returning to work earlier. Klaus, leave me alone!"

"Miss Alice, there you are!" The real estate worker rushed over and grabbed Alice's arm. "With your skillset, you would make a great addition to our team at—"

"Shut up!" screamed the redhead as she shoved Klaus away. "You don't know anything about me. What makes you think you can change my life when I can't even do that?!" Suddenly, she lost her balance but grabbed onto a street pole. "If I'm going back to the hospital again because of you, then you won't see the end of this."

Shun stared at radio co-host while processing her words. That demanding voice didn't sound like Alice at all. She went from feeling hopeless about the future to swearing payback...

Klaus fell back a few steps but regained his ground. "I honestly don't think you're suitable to keep working at the radio station after that one broadcast. You need another job that won't remind you of—what is that?!"

As he looked up, a shadow casted quickly on Klaus's forehead until a large brick landed on his head, causing him to fall over and blood to splatter everywhere—including Alice's hands.

She stared at the red specks on her skin and trembled. Not again... Back then, it was only my blood all over me when Lync stabbed me and when I cut myself, but this? It's not even my business, yet my hands still get stained with someone's else's blood.

"Alice, are you okay?!"

Her friend stood in front of her as she pointed at Klaus with a trembling before fainting. Shun caught her before she the ground. Splattered blood from her hands transferred to his. The raven-haired student observed the blood smears before looking at Klaus's unconscious body. If Alice and I stood any closer, we could've been hit instead. He wiped the blood away and took out his phone. Whether this has to do with the escalated water balloon pranks, I need to call an ambulance.

Shun stared at the redhead momentarily as the call connected. The blood, the shock, the unconsciousness...is this what Alice went through in the locker room three years ago?