PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT! YOU NEED TO OPT BACK INTO RECEIVING EMAIL ALERTS EVERY TIME YOU LOGIN FOR NEW UPDATES, REVIEWS, FOLLOWERS, AND FAVORITES!
Review responses:
cherry-tree-of-life - Thank you for all the support! It definitely wasn't easy when all the email alerts stopped. I agree that the Alice/Chris/Soon trio is an unexpected but sustainable friendship. I will reconsider bringing herbalist Alice back in the far future T~T But she and Shun will be safe in the end, so don't worry about that!
ladyluck1668 - Welcome back for you too! Let's blame the restaurant suite for not being suitable for dining XD Officer Julie was definitely itching to get out of there after co-interrogating Shadow. I kept Alice's petty revenge to a minimum so that the VIP room truly appeared to have only one person (which was Shadow), but you'll see more of savage Alice soon.
pretty-on-point - Alice is always the best girl! I HAVE seen that aunt-divorce-anxiety meme before...but is it still a meme if it uses dark humor instead? I felt relieved but also sad when I first read it. FYI, this chapter will be the last to have major action.
CookieDecor22 - I call it...a taste of Shadow's own medicine! Soon and Chris are off to better places. As you can see, I like to reuse my own reference because it requires less brainwork for me XD You'll see Shun's detailed reaction very soon (leaning toward not wanting to leave but also...just read ahead!).
MagicxMusicxMelody - Sorry! Better for Soon and Chris to be safe than otherwise! Considering that this is Alice's escape plan, I'd say that everything will work out more smoothly for her than Shun. You'll find out soon about what she still has yet to tell him!
-x-
Me: I don't usually update on Valentine's Day, but it's been a bit over a month since I last updated, so here you go!
Julie: Welcome everyone! Please have some chocolate!
Runo: How much of our studio budget did you spend on this?!
Julie: Well... it's already February 15th somewhere—meaning that Valentine's Day is officially over and that all the sweets are on discount!
Runo: I guess I'm totally eating discounted chocolate then!
Marucho: After Valentine's Day is usually Easter... which usually doesn't focus that much on sweets... Oh never mind, holiday merchandise is overrated anyway.
Julie: Wait, I'm supposed to save some chocolate as farewell presents for—
Me: I do not own any anime, drama, or film that this story was inspired by! And I must remind the rest of you that your "studio budget" comes from MY personal budget!
Julie & Runo: *escape quietly with stuffed mouths*
Chapter 11 - Old Plans Make New
xXx
Due to Julie setting the local prison on fire, as well as the type of crimes that Joe was pretending to press charges for, Shadow was held in a state-level prison instead. He tapped his feet impatiently in his seat and waited for his visitor to arrive. The warden finally opened the visitor's door as a young woman walked in. "Did I keep you waiting?"
"Alice... you have the nerves to visit after what you did to me during dinner?!"
The redhead sat across from the silver-haired prisoner and maintained her calm composure. "Don't think of it that way. Shun said that you told him 'good news' while he was in prison, so now I come bearing 'good news' for you."
"He's alive and well, isn't he? My people already know who you two are and will find you."
"I'm not worried about that. Even though your attempt to get close to me failed entire..." The redhead leaned forward and rested her chin on her interlocked fingers. "I can't thank you enough for bringing Shun into my life."
"I can have you arrested for cheating—"
"By the way, Shun has a note for you."
Alice leaned back before Shadow could attempt to strangle her. Then she slid an envelope across the table. Once the guards finally calmed the prisoner down, Shadow opened the envelope and read what Shun had to say.
Shadow—
The deal is off. Your original plan was to steal Alice's money after you two got married. However, driving her insane THEN killing her are out of the question. Clearly, I wasn't your only accomplice. Enjoy the rest of your life in this "rotten atmosphere". Everyone knows that illegally selling firearms is far worse than financial fraud and embezzlement. The police might even add treason to your profile if the evidence supports it.
Best wishes,
Go to hell.
The silver-haired prisoner ripped the letter into pieces as the heiress left the visitor's room. "Alice Gehabich, come back here!"
Just as some prison guards were about to bring Shadow back to his cell, another guard burst through the visitor's door and stopped them. "Don't take him away yet! There's another visitor that wants to see this prisoner."
Shadow returned to his seat and tapped his fingers on the table anxiously as a tall man with salmon-red hair entered. "How did you get into a situation like this?" the visitor asked.
"I thought I had my eyes on easy prey, but she turned out to be a black widow!" the silver-haired swindler explained. "I can't post bail because 'illegal firearms trade' is a serious crime, Volt. Did you know that Alice Gehabich just visited me to flaunt her newfound freedom? I want you all to find her and Shun Kazami immediately. I'll make them both pay for this!"
"But why should we do that? And what happens after we do that?"
"Alice said she sold everything at home because she had no need, so I'm sure she has a bunch of cash on hand. She might've even shared some money with Shun. Find them, steal the cash, and get rid of them. We'll split the money once my charges are proven false."
"Thanks for letting me know about Alice Gehabich's money. However, I'd rather keep it all to myself and keep you in here forever."
"Wait...what?! Are you disobeying me?!"
"Actually, you might not be here for long." Now it was Volt's turn to lean closer and speak threateningly. "The punishment for fraud and embezzlement is usually a life sentence in prison, but I'm certain that illegal firearms trading leads to execution."
Shadow's face immediately turned pale. "Death row?! Shun really played me this time. Volt, this is more reason for you to save me!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." While the prison guards restrained the silver-haired prisoner, the salmon-haired visitor prepared to leave and waved his hand. "See you later...maybe never."
-x-x-x-x-x-
Dan opened the front door of their hideout after recognizing the door knock pattern and looking outside the eyehole. "Shun and Alice are here! Come look at Marucho's masterpieces."
The blond pushed the magnifying glass away and waved two booklets in the air. "The forged passports are complete. Even with fake names, I was able to create perfect replicas as if they real, from ink stamps to the seal imprints. I even added some fake entry and exit stamps so that the passports don't look too new."
Alice took out her actual passport and compared it to the fakes. "Your artisanship is incredible. Let me get you—"
"Enough." Runo suddenly held the redhead's hands to prevent her to grabbing what she wanted. "Everything that you've gave us will last us to the end of the year. We manage our finances by living frugally and saving most of what we can get. Save the money for yourself. You'll definitely need it when starting afresh in a new place."
"Thank... you..." Alice brushed Runo's hand off gently and embraces the bluenette briefly. "I haven't heard someone tell me words as honest as that in a long time."
"You never said a bad word or complained about us or how we live. You're a kind person, and we you the best."
Alice kept both her real and fake passports before handing Shun his fake passport. "I'll wait outside while you to talk to your friends."
He nodded, and after Alice stepped outside, the surrounding trio dropped all tasks and hugged their leaving colleague. "We'll miss you so much!"
"Okay stop...you three are literally suffocating me." After Shun's friends all stepped back, he continued speaking. "I know Marucho is staying to watch the house. Dan and Runo are sending us off at the ferry station, so I'll still see you two until I pass the gates."
"Do you regret working with Shadow?" Runo asked.
"Of course I do. It's the worst decision that we've made. We should never have let him back in the first place. But not everything that happened was bad. I wouldn't have met Alice if it weren't for Shadow."
"Apparently, that's all he cares about..." whispered Dan, followed by a painful nudge to his waist by Runo's elbow. "Come on!"
"Dan, if we don't send Alice and Shun off now, then they'll be late. We'll be back, Marucho!"
Once at the ferry station, the quartet glanced at every waiting area, ticket window, and schedule board. "Alice, do you know where you plan to go?" Shun asked.
"I do, but I don't see a ticket booth for that particular destination that I want to go—"
Suddenly, Julie sprinted up to the quartet and held her arms out. "There you are! Thank goodness you guys actually came to buy ferry tickets like Marucho planned."
Runo fanned her friend to cool her down. "What's with the rush?"
"Shadow's other accomplices are out to steal Alice's stash of money, and then kill her and Shun to tie up their loose ends!"
Joe also suddenly appeared and added onto Julie's statement. "Regardless of if we framed Shadow for illegal firearms trade or not, the punishment is execution. No questions asked. Some of his associates include Volt Luster, Lync Volan, Mylene—"
"Those are the names of the fake officers that searched my house and arrested Shun," Alice realized.
"That too. They're leaving Shadow to die in prison instead and searching all over town for the both of you. No honor among thieves, right?"
"No honor among those kinds of thieves," Dan emphasized.
Shun suddenly bowed in front of Julie and Joe, much to their surprise. "I can't thank you two enough for helping me and Alice despite stepping away from your families back home. Without all of your help, I don't know where we would be today. In fact, I think I see Volt at the other terminal. That red hair is unmistakable."
"Then let's escort you to the ticket window as soon as possible. Which one are you—"
"I found the ticket booth for Bayview! Follow me!" Alice led the way to the appropriate line. "At least the line is short. Now I see Mylene and Lync too."
Joe devised a plan. "I'll stay with Alice and Shun until they successfully buy their tickets and cross the gate. Dan, Runo, Julie—you three should distract Shadow's associates and keep them away."
"You got it!"
The line finally reached Alice and Shun's place in queue. The redhead handed their fake passports to the cashier and requested, "Two ferry tickets to Bayview, please."
"Alright. Would you like to upgrade to a first-class suite that includes windows and balcony space?"
"That would be nice. How much extra?"
The cashier handed bill to Alice, who gladly paid for two tickets plus the upgrades. "Thank you for your purchase today. Here are your tickets and passports. You may obtain your keys from any team member on the ship. Please go to Terminal 6, and bon voyage!"
The trio now waited in line at Terminal 6 for check in. "Joe, you can't cross the gate with us once Alice and I check in," Shun explained.
"I know. I'm just keeping your eyes on the line while I keep my eyes on the crowd behind us."
As line continued moving, the raven-haired servant whispered to Alice, "Are you scared?"
"Not really. More like shocked. I guess Shadow wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to me. What about you?"
"I'm just glad he's never coming—"
"Well, what a pleasant surprise!" Joe interrupted. "There are police officers here to arrest Shadow's associates. They're even holding wanted posters in their hands. I can tell Dan and the others to retreat now. The predators are now being preyed on. "
"Great analogy," Shun commented. The line shortened and reached the pair's place in queue again. "This is it, Joe. Say goodbye to the others for us."
Joe returned to the waiting area while the gate inspector verified Shun and Alice's tickets and fake passports. After crossing the gate, the pair turned around and saw their friends waving at them. "We'll miss you guys! Thank you for your help!"
"Stay safe and enjoy your journey!"
The ferryboat to Bayview was a large cruise ship. Shun read the room designation on the ticket and asked, "Did you want to stay on deck, or put our stuff away first?"
"I'll stay on deck. I really need to breathe some fresh air." Once the ship blew its horn and set sail, Alice stretched her arms and rested her elbows on the railing. "Ever since you confessed to me your real intentions for working at my place, I always had this question in the back of my head."
"Like...why didn't you report me or Shadow to the police when you had the chance?"
"Surprisingly, no. My question is...did you ever work at Kagusa's house before working for me?"
This. Lie. Again. Shun covered his mouth in laughter as Alice stared in confusion. "No, I never did. Shadow said he knows some of Kagusa's family members because he's done business with them before. Otherwise, they don't actually know me...or Dan and the others."
"A fake letter of recommendation...I see. In case you were wondering, I didn't report you to the police because I felt bad for you. But in no way will I ever be on friendly terms with Shadow again."
"During my first few days of work, I felt really bad for you too. I knew who Shadow really was, and it was apparent that you didn't feel fully comfortable around him. Your grandfather also died recently, so you had to sign for the inheritance and close out any of his active accounts. He preyed on you during your most vulnerable time."
"But you saved me during the most vulnerable moment in my life, didn't you? I seriously thought about suicide and ending all this, but later on, I realized that I still have a lot to live for. Suicide might free myself from Shadow, but that won't stop him from preying on someone else."
"Hence you decided to work with me and take Shadow down on your own terms?"
"Something like that... Obviously, I couldn't do this by myself. I'm glad that you didn't think differently about me afterwards and that your friends didn't blatantly reject me."
"What happens to the rest of your inheritance?"
"There's a clause in the will that said I can't get the money until I get married...or turn a certain age, whichever comes first. The minimum age listed is so ridiculous that it's not worth me thinking over it. Most women would get married before that. But it doesn't matter, since I do have a lot of money from selling the mansion and any big items inside."
"That's great. You have backup...so to speak." Shun stared at the ticket again and asked, "Where is Bayview? Why did you pick this location?"
"Bayview is a major city in the nation that borders our home country from the south."
"Wait...we're crossing country lines?!"
The redhead giggled at her friend's shocked reaction. "That's why I was desperate for Marucho to forge passports for us. Also, my real passport expired. I kept forgetting to renew it because I had to deal with Grandfather's inheritance, but that's all in the past now. After the cruise ship docks, I need to take a train ride to the coast."
"Why the extra work? And how do you already know your way around?"
"Because...I have a vacation home near the sea."
Shun stared in disbelief as his jaw dropped slightly. "When did you get that?!"
"The vacation house belonged to my parents, who then gave it to Grandfather after they died, and Grandfather gave it to me. Thankfully, I don't need to be married to own or access this place. I didn't tell anyone this because I probably wouldn't have time to travel after marriage, but I've been to this place several times as a child. I won't be homeless, that's for sure."
"So where am I going when—"
"Almost forgot." From inside her coat pocket, Alice pulled out small but thick orange envelope and handed it to Shun. "For you."
"What is this?"
"Severance pay."
With eyes staring widely, he opened the envelope and saw a stack of bills inside. "What for?! I bet you gave severance pay to Chris and Soon because you had no choice but to let them go, but I'm still here."
"Once you accept severance pay from me, then you don't work for me anymore. You're free now."
Shun closed the envelope and shoved it back to the redhead before hugging her tightly. "I don't want money. I want you."
"Ah...you're suffocating me!"
"I'll work for you for the rest of my life."
"Shun, that's impractical. Once I actually get married, I won't be able to bring—"
"Why not me?" The couple then stared into each other's eyes as that question echoed in their heads. "Let's say that I accept this envelope of severance pay. I don't work for you anymore, right? We'll just be strangers with nothing in common. Then I can legally ask for your—"
"You must be hungry and sleep-deprived!" Alice laughed as Shun let go in confusion. "The future is too unpredictable. I have a lot of money on hand and a vacation house waiting for me in Bayview, but you literally have nothing. I gave your friends so many pieces of jewelry to pawn for cash, but I don't think I gave you anything in particular."
"You're right about that. Even the gold diamond bangle you gave me went to them. But I do have this." From his jacket pocket, he took a familiar sapphire hairpin. "Julie gave me this to pick the locks in prison. It's my lifesaver. I'm keeping this and never selling it."
"Wait...if a simple hair pin like that could pick the locks at the local prison, then they have a serious security problem...especially since Julie set that place on fire!"
"Hey, do not change the topic. I seriously thought you left me behind when you didn't stop Shadow's associates from taking me away. I hated you for a moment until I saw your letter. But now I think I hate you for real because you have a head start in life while I don't."
"You're kidding, right?" By now, Shun was ignoring everything Alice had to say. "I'm sorry for not telling you about the vacation house, but why are you surprised just now about me and all my money?"
"I should've have gotten myself involved with you and your rich people problems."
"Can you please make up your mind as to whether you want this envelope or not? You're giving me mixed signals."
The raven-haired passenger rested his chin in his hands and stared into the ocean. "Sorry, I'm somewhat hungry and sleep deprived."
The redhead sighed while trailing behind Shun, who smirked subtly upon seeing the former's reaction. "Fine, I'm all ears..." groaned Alice, although with a hint of giggling in her voice.
Me: Everyone got the memo last time about this story being almost over, right?
Runo: This feels like the actual ending, yet it kind of doesn't...
Me: Basically, I only have one more chapter left before concluding this story! So you could say that this chapter was the end, and that the next chapter is an epilogue of sorts.
Dan: But I want to travel the world too!
Marucho: Not until you learn to earn more and spend less.
Julie: Ooohhh shots fired...!
Marucho: Normally, Shun would be complaining about Dan being a big spender, but since he's not here, I will speak on Shun's behalf.
Me: I actually agree with Marucho, and therefore also agree with Shun by proxy.
Runo: Geez... I almost complained about Julie buying so much chocolate, but even I wouldn't complain Dan's poor budgeting out loud.
Me: On another note, do NOT ever let any of your important documents expire BEFORE you renew! That includes driver license, passports, other IDs, insurance, car ownership...you name it.
Julie: Now you're going off topic Dx Here, eat some chocolate! You're not yourself when you're hungry!
Me: But those are important life lessons! The next (and final) chapter takes place some time after landing in Bayview. Leave a review on the way out!