MagicxMusicxMelody: I didn't realize I had a pattern! Now that you mention it, I'm not sure if there's a strong word in this chapter.

InnocentDiamond: Thanks! How was the movie? Yeah, it's a selca. You noticed a pattern, too? Awesome! That pattern's easier to manage.

Flopi216: That person would be the attacker, but I won't go into detail yet.

RosesOfTruth: So you noticed? That guy's going to come back soon but not often.

Cup of Violet Tea: I think all her conversations have an underlying meaning. Scary trick questions indeed. Julie knows how to defend herself, no worries.

Cherry-Tree: Good idea, yes, but maybe a little too coincidental. What he'll do with the ticket is a loophole, as you'll see.

SSR: Finally! It's raining! First day of rain since...I don't even remember.

Runo: And you know what that means? (many umbrellas in hands)

Dan: What the heck?

SSR: Runo, I wasn't serious about throwing the them away! But I don't need them right now because I'm staying in a cozy classroom right now.

Marucho: Speaking of cozy, I should turn the heater higher. (leaves)

SSR: Marucho, wait!

Runo: At least you told me you didn't mean it.

SSR: Come on. No umbrellas in the rain happens only in romantic shows. Those umbrellas are mine, but not Bakugan.

Chapter Eight

Can't Leave Yet

...

...

Think, Julie, think. What did Marucho and Kato teach you about self-defense?

Not only was Julie pretty much cornered, but the sun was shining from the other side, so the buildings' shadows covered her attacker's face. She was completely stuck, and retaliation may be her only choice.

"What do you want? I don't know who you are or what you're talking about."

Julie ignored the guy and left the alley like nothing happened, but he blocked her and placed his knife in front of him. "You know what I mean. I won't even give you two a change to leave because I need you two gone."

He held back the hand with the weapon and flung toward Julie, but now she had space behind her to run backwards and around him. The attacker swung the blade at Julie again, but this time, she drew a circle, creating a palm-sized compact mirror and reflecting the faint streaks sunlight, now reflecting in the right direction. Because Julie created the mirror with magic, it shined the light twice as bright at her attacker. "Try attacking me now."

"Darn it!" he muttered under his breath, dropping his weapon on the floor. "You may have gotten away this time, but I'll be back and after you two. You can't get off my radar."

Julie made a run for it and turned to look back only once. Even with his hand in the way, she could tell he was wearing a shiny mask that reflected in the sunlight. Wouldn't that mask be able to block most of the sunlight? I don't get it. It was only one glance, but that didn't matter. What's important was that Julie was safe and sound...for now.

After that was a loud foghorn echo in the air. The next ferry ride is here. I really need to go back. Meanwhile, her attacker walked out of the alley and watched Julie as she ran down the streets back to the harbor.

Julie Makimoto...you'd better watch where you're going.

...

...

"Why are you here?"

Alice stared straight at Shun, not moving a single inch. Her handbag dangled from one hand, but her crossed arms remained balanced. Shun feared that he was exposed, but since he managed to lie his way past Alice before, he can still do it again. Only, this was his third time meeting Alice in the past, and based on past experience, he didn't know if it would still work on this third try.

"Why do you ask?"

Again, she waved the ticket in front of her. "You want this ticket, right? Then answer my question." Alice walked up to him tauntingly, but Shun didn't move a muscle. "No one would just walk up to a stranger and ask such personal questions. You have motive."

"Maybe because you're not a stranger to me."

Apparently, they both took that by surprise. Shun didn't mean for himself to say that, and neither was Alice expecting that kind of answer.

"I'm...what?!"

"You remind me a lot of a really close friend of mine. She was just exactly like you, only..."

"Only what?" Alice's soft tone indicated she wasn't as mad as before.

As for Shun, he took a long pause before answering, because the answer wasn't as simple as it sounded. "Only she passed away."

Alice seemed a bit frightened, for she clutched her bag and tickets tighter.

"That's nothing for you to worry about. It's just so...nostalgic. Not that I think you're her, though."

"I hope not." she muttered. "Why don't you tell me about her instead?"

Shun glanced at the incoming ferryboats and asked, "Don't you have a ride coming?"

"I can always wait for the next one. Plus, just because you hear their foghorns doesn't mean they'll be here in five minutes. What was she like?"

She didn't even say "I'm sorry to hear that" or the like, and I didn't say that the person who 'passed' away was in fact her. He brushed the complicated thought aside and replied, "She was a lot like you. Nice, sweet, and caring. She had a lot more friends than you, no offense."

Alice giggled at the last comment, reminding Shun of the past times in which his words made Alice laugh before. "I'm probably the only exception among everyone."

"She was like that once, too." he reassured, bringing some relief to Alice. "If she can do it, then so can you."

"Not when you know someone's out there to prevent you from doing so."

"How?" This was getting more serious. "Who's after you? Why would you think someone out there's-" The foghorn sounded for a third time, indicating that the boat was going to park at the harbor now.

"I should get going. I already missed the first ride and can't miss the second one now." From her bag, she pulled out another ticket. "I didn't expect you to answer more than just that one question of mine, so I might as well give you two tickets. This third one is a one-way ticket that I've kept for a while. You can have it."

She handed the ticket to Shun, who received slowly, not sure if Alice really meant it. "Are you serious? I don't know how else to thank-"

"Then don't." Alice held her index finger up in front of Shun's mouth and back in front of hers. "We both got what we want. There's no need to thank each other."

"True. I understand that talking to a stranger like me isn't safe, but considering that you're willing to talk to me about your personal things, maybe your fate will change."

"Maybe." Alice put on her bonnet and sunglasses. "Got to go. Rest in peace to your friend, by the way."

"Thanks." You have no idea that you're actually saying that to yourself. "Be safe. Maybe we'll see each other again."

"Maybe to that too." Before entering the small gate, she turned around and said, "Maybe we're not strangers after all."

That got Shun worrying.

It's just a saying. She's just talking in the way you were talking earlier. In Shun's hand was a frog charm, another addition to the charm bracelet. "A frog for a safe journey. Alice's isn't traveling that far-"

"Shun!" Julie ran quickly over to him with her hand pounding her chest. "That was scary. Never ever go downtown alone."

"What happened?"

"I was buying food and walking back in this direction when I heard this guy tell me to get out. So I went to take a look and ended up in an alley, where this guy tried to attack me with a bladed weapon! Then he acted all executioner or assassin on me, but I created a mirror and temporarily blinded him. Thank goodness I left in time."

Shun pounded his chest at the thought, too. "It actually feels scarier that I'm not the one being chased after here. This time, I got a frog charm. Should we get going?"

"The sooner, the better." For a moment, they both laughed since that was the phrase Shun said not long ago after leaving the fields. "Wait, why aren't we moving?"

"Did you waste all your energy against the guy?"

"No! I just made a compact mirror!"

"Then how come-"

"Ribbit." The unexpected sound interrupted their thoughts.

"Julie, you hear that?"

"Ribbit." The sound came back, followed by a small thud sound.

"Look behind you." Julie pointed to the ferryboat directly behind Shun. On the railing was an average-sized green frog, perched and expanding its throat. On the side, a trail of few more green frogs hopped over to the railing of the harbor. "Where did they come from?"

"A frog stands for safe journey, and Alice's is going to Bayview, so-"

All the frogs jumped into the water at once.

And in the window behind the frog that was on the boat railing was vaguely a man with a mask on, with clenched teeth being the only visible feature on his face.

"That's the guy that tried to kill me!"

"That's the ferryboat that Alice boarded!"

It didn't take long for them to realize what one plus the other could've meant.

SSR: This is a more obvious cliffhanger.

Runo: But it's still a cliffhanger!

SSR: I'm stuck in a classroom for lunch because it's raining, so I was bored.

Dan: That explains everything.

Marucho: Uh...I don't know where the heater is.

SSR: That's what I was trying to tell you. It's in the faculty room.

Everyone: Aw man...

SSR: No worries! Just leave a review!

Everyone: (shivering) For...our...sake...

SSR: Come on, just close the door.