i WnT 2 NoE: New reviewer! Interesting name. Shun and Julie are leaving soon.
Cup of Violet Tea: I'll go more in depth about the attacker later. He might not be back for a while. Julie had other things to do.
Cherry-Tree: There's nothing to worry about. They're just premonitions. The name mix-up will be fixed later. Ah, you predicted the charm already.
MagicxMusicxMelody: They won't go to Bayview often. That's cool! Our pools here have shower stalls in the restrooms. A public shower like that is usually for beaches to wash your feet.
InnocentDiamond: I wouldn't say Alice's a fortune teller, but there's a lot going in her mind. So you speak Cantonese? Alice isn't that demanding.
SSR: The other holidays are getting closer! Uh oh, I forgot where the Christmas tree star went.
Marucho: Somewhere with the ornaments, I think.
Julie: Which aren't even out of the attic yet.
SSR: Long story short - my house is a mess. Clean my house while I-
Runo: It's going to get dirty all over again.
SSR: Just do it! There'll be guests over during various days in December. (hands them cleaning supplies)
Everyone: You've got to be kidding us...
SSR: And I don't own Bakugan!
Chapter Ten
To Remain Unsaid
...
...
In a way, it used to be Shun always following and finding Alice to see what she was doing. Now it was Alice's turn to find out what Shun was doing.
"What danger am I in?"
"What danger? Was I talking about you?"
"That's the point. You mentioned my name." Shun just realized he accidentally said Alice's name while making that wish. "We never introduced ourselves to each other, yet you know my name. Why are you here? How did you know my name?"
"Because I asked people around where you went, and the housekeeper told me your name."
Alice calmed down for a moment but then yelled, "You were stalking me?!"
"No! That was not stalking! Can't you see that this is for your own good?" Shun continued explaining before Alice had the chance to yell back again. "After you left on the boat, I saw someone suspicious sneaking up on you and was afraid that they were going to kill you or something."
"So that's why..." Alice bowed in apology. "So I wasn't the only one who noticed?"
"What do you mean?"
Alice sat down on the edge of the fountain. "Sit down. At first, I thought I was seeing things, but now I'm certain I wasn't."
"When did that happen?"
"Today, I went over to my friend's house for a moment, and the housekeeper poured me a cup of tea. In my cup, I saw someone else's reflection, but it disappeared."
"Was he wearing a mask that covered all of his face but the mouth?"
Alice nodded.
"I thought so. Maybe I'm worrying too much. Not to be mean, but it's not me that's being followed by a possible murderer."
"Yeah, I get that a lot. Everyone else acts all 'sucks to be you' on me. Besides, it's not the first time they treated me like that."
"Some people will never change."
"And neither is this the first time that I've seen that person." she added, completely ignoring what Shun said before. "I felt like I accidentally found out some secret and am being pursued by whoever this person is."
That's a good enough reason for someone to want to kill her, but why wait two years? "But do you know what you found out by accident, though?"
"I don't know. That's what has me wondering. But if I try to find out what I discovered by accident..." Alice trailed off.
"...then you end up discovering it for real and are now really in danger." Shun finished for her.
Alice nodded again.
"Okay, changing the subject. Didn't you say you were visiting a friend?'
"Oh yeah, that. We spent almost an hour going around Bayview, but she had to return home to go somewhere with her family. I haven't bought a return trip ticket yet, in case you're wondering. I want to stay here a little longer." She put her hand above her eyes and pointed at the bay. "It's so serene. I wish life was gentle like this with no ups and downs."
"But once the ferryboats travel across, it's bound the leave the water waving up and down. It's inevitable." However, it didn't take long for Shun to realize what Alice was making a comparison of. "Sorry."
"For what?"
"I didn't mean to follow you here like that and ask about your personal information."
Alice giggled and smiled. "It's not your fault. I gave you those tickets."
"But I asked for them in the first place."
"But I bought leftover tickets that I didn't plan on using."
After that short 'fight' over claiming responsibility, Alice and Shun simply burst into laughter afterwards. Only, Shun couldn't really 'laugh' knowing that Alice was still in danger and that she probably wasn't fully stable. "Ever thought of moving?"
"Moving? I can't. I have my grandfather and academic to consider. I can't just forget about them."
"Maybe you can't, but think about it. Whether you choose to stay in Wardington or move to Bayview, you'll meet new people and get away from the past." Shun tucked a lock of Alice's hear behind her ear and added, "Think about it."
Surprised by what Shun just did, Alice sighed and closed her eyes. "You do have a point, but you didn't have to tuck my hair to get my attention."
"Sorry." he chuckled. "I did that out of habit."
"Habit? That makes me not the first girl you've given advice to."
"It's not that..." You still have no idea that I'm talking about the future you when it comes to habit. "Remember when I told you that you reminded me of a really close friend who passed away?"
Alice blinked her eyes multiple times like she was about to cry. "I see what you mean. Do I really remind you of her that much?"
"If I could, I would call you her reincarnation, but some things will never be the same."
"Of course." Alice faced and scooted closer to Shun. "We're pretty much strangers still, you know."
"I thought you said we weren't, right before you got on the ferryboat."
"But still. We may be strangers on the outside, but we completely know each other on the inside. Well, you know more about me."
That's because I already met you a long time ago...
"Also, I haven't asked for your name yet."
That request got Shun thinking because he already told Alice his name twice before, yet she still doesn't remember or recognize him. "Shun."
"Thanks, Shun. I don't know if we'll see each other again, but I'll keep your advice close to heart. But tell me, are you the only person who also saw that other person following me?"
"Uh...I think it's just me. Why?"
"Well, if other people saw it, then it means I'm really in danger. But since it's just the two of us, then it means I won't be in danger for too long. It could even a special bond between us."
Special bond...Shun thought. The sound of that echoing in his mind was quite scary.
Alice checked her phone and said, "I should get going."
"One more thing. Remember when you were on that ferryboat? Where did you get the frog from?"
Alice was silent for a moment but smiled and answered. "It just hopped into my hands. There's nothing wrong with kissing a frog, is there?"
"Not at all. I should get going, too."
"Going back to Wardington with your other ticket?"
"Yeah. Thanks for that, too." he lied. "Bye."
While walking away from the fountain, Julie ran into his direction again. "Shun! Did you find Alice?"
"Yeah. We talked for a long time, too." He held his hand out, showing a mushroom charm. "This wasn't from a hand transfer, but I must've gotten it when I tucked her hair. What's up?"
"While you two were chatting, Marucho and I had a very interesting conversation, too. But I think we should leave first because it's too much to explain now, and we'd be wasting time."
"Right." Shun took out the bracelet and attached the frog and mushroom. "Let's go. I'll tell you everything we talked about, too."
Little did they know that Alice was watching them—just Shun, to be exact. She touched the locks of hair that Shun tucked for her and closed her eyes.
Sorry, Shun. Some things need to remain unsaid.
Julie: Alice scares me...
Shun: Don't even remind-
SSR: Done cleaning?
Everyone: NOPE.
SSR: I thought so. This isn't that important, but I won't be updating until final exams are over.
Everyone: Review now!
SSR: Excuse me? Get back to work!
Everyone: (trudging away)