In the northern hemisphere, most grade schools and universities follow a school-year system of two semesters, where the fall semester spans from August or September to December, and the spring semester spans from January to May or June. Winter break, which covers several different December holidays and New Years, lasted anywhere from two to four weeks. Summer break lasted anywhere from two to three months.
Although August is traditionally a summer month north of the equator, today's weather was unusually cold and cloudy. Alice Gehabich, an incoming assistant folklore professor at Bayview International University, brewed a cup of ginger green tea and stared outside the windows in the faculty break room. "Grandfather, I don't think I'm ready for the new school year yet."
The redhead's grandfather was Doctor Michael Gehabich from the physics department on the other side of campus. He sat at the break table while typing on his work laptop. "Nonsense, Alice! Your passion for folklore studies will make you a great instructor."
"But this is my first time ever teaching after finishing my graduate program this past May. And I'll be responsible for two class periods! I've never worked without supervision before."
"I have faith that you will teach two classes with ease. Just use the same format that you learned from."
"Speaking of format, here is everything that I have planned so far." Alice grabbed a folder from her table and took out some papers. "I have the course syllabus, university time slot schedule, promotional flyers, final exam schedule...what am I missing?"
"There's no lab section, correct?"
"No lab or discussion. Only lecture. I looked at the rosters for both classes. Almost everyone is majoring in something else, so this folklore class is most likely an elective."
"Will you hire any research assistants?"
"Do I need to? I haven't even started teaching yet. Research assistants would help with projects related to the course, but I don't have anything yet. But since I'm the only one running the department this year, I will need someone to keep everything tidy."
"Wasn't there a department secretary here before?"
"I was the 'department secretary' during my graduate degree years, in addition to working as a teaching and research assistant. I also sent grant proposals to several organizations out there that earned us plenty of funding. The dean approved me hiring a department secretary, and I already told human resources to publish the final draft of the job listing online. Now I wait."
"That's excellent!" Doctor Michael closed his laptop and embraced his granddaughter warmly. "I know it seems like everything is happening in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I know you'll always find a silver lining. I won't be teaching any undergraduate classes this school year due to sabbatical, but I will keep in touch with my graduate research students and the other physics professors."
"When do you fly back to Russia again?"
"My plane leaves at 1AM on Sunday morning. I reserved a dinner table for two at our favorite restaurant on Saturday night at 6:30PM. Then you can drive me to the airport. I prefer to check-in five hours early for international—"
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by blinding flashes outside, followed by deafening roars. Alice turned around and saw thick gray clouds outside. "Rain, lightning, and thunder? In August? That's unheard of...and not a good sign."
"Get some rest now. Anyway, I must make some arrangements with some of my colleagues. Just remember to be yourself."
"I will. Be careful on your way to the physics building!"
After the redhead brewed another cup of tea, her phone received a text message from BIU. "WARNING: Strong winds and rain predicted for the rest of today through Friday. All individuals on campus should be careful outside."
Be careful outside... Some people need more advice than just that. Alice returned to her newly assigned office and continued decorating. Among all the framed photos on her desk, one of them featured the redhead in her graduation gown next to a taller woman with long onyx hair and emerald eyes. Shiori-san has been missing since the start of her summer break hiking trip. I went above and beyond for this department behind the scenes, but am I ready to stand and teach in front of two classes of students yet?
Then her office landline phone rang. "This is Alice from the Department of Folklore. How may I help you?"
"Hi Alice, it's Taylor!"
"Nice to hear from you! Does that mean HR has updates for me?"
"You bet. I have one person who applied to your department secretary opening. When are you free for an interview?"
"Video call or in-person?"
"Up to you, actually. The applicant is fine with either."
The redhead checked her work schedule and replied, "I'm free at 12:30PM next Monday. I'll be done with teaching all my classes by then."
"Sounds good! I'll email you soon."
Alice hung up and rearranged the photos on her desk. I can always mimic Shiori-san's lecture format from memory in case I get stuck, but teaching with my own style is just as important too.
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Did I spell your full name correctly, Shun?"
"Everything's spelled right, Taylor."
"Great! Your interview will be on campus at the Department of Folklore on Monday at 12:30PM. I'll email you a map soon. See you then!"
After ending his phone call with Taylor, Shun immediately searched online for the distance between home and school campus. A one-way trip from Wardington to central Bayview takes two hours. I can probably cut out thirty minutes if I take my motorcycle, but that means I can't bring too many items with me during each drive. Regardless, he began packing his most important belongings in a tan drawstring knapsack.
"Shun, why on earth are you packing your belongings?! Are you planning to run away?!" yelled an elderly man as he saw the mess from the hallways in the dojo.
"I'm moving to Bayview temporarily, Grandpa."
"For what?! We don't have any friends or family in Bayview—"
"Need I remind you that Mom has been missing since the school year ended this past May? The police still have no leads. She was a professor at Bayview International University, so that's where I'll start looking."
"What about your current TA job for the school of engineering on Wardington campus?"
"I submitted a request for a year off last month and also asked to transfer to Bayview campus."
"You've been planning this for at least a month now?!"
"Don't be surprised."
"What about food and housing? This is Bayview you're talking about. Cost of living is—"
"Grandpa, just stop! You gave Mom the exact same spiel when she accepted the position at BIU and kept shaming her for prioritizing work over family when I just started high school. I never had any hard feelings about it and subsequently learned to become independent. It wasn't like Mom was completely gone. She stayed in Bayview during the school week and came back to Wardington during the weekends, academic breaks, and other urgent situations. I'll compromise and commute the way she used to, if that's what you're worried about."
"But who will do chores and run errands while you're gone?!"
That last question made Shun drop his knapsack in complete disbelief. "No wonder Mom chose to commute the way she did. Now that I'm leaving, you need to become independent yourself. I'll still come back on weekends if my schedule allows. Otherwise, you're an authorized user on all my credit cards, have your own laptop, have both a landline and a smartphone... What else do you need?"
The elderly man shook his head and began walking away. "Suit yourself."
Was I too harsh? I mean...I'm also at fault for not telling him that I'm leaving, but he still doesn't seem concerned at all that Mom is still missing. Shun sighed and continued packing. I'm not entirely sure what to expect out of this. I might actually find exactly everything I need to know, or I end up with absolutely nothing.
-x-x-x-x-x-
With several file folders in one hand and a laptop bag slung over her opposite shoulder, Alice navigated through crowds of lost students on Monday morning to her assigned lecture hall. Once inside, she laid stacks of papers on the front table and connected her laptop to the projector. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Alice Gehabich, and I'm an assistant professor with the Department of Folklore under BIU's School of Humanities. I'm pretty flexible however you greet me—Doctor Alice, Miss Alice, Professor Alice, Alice-san, Alice-sensei... But try not to use my last name, since it gets confusing between me and my grandfather Michael Gehabich, who teaches physics. Any questions about that?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Sounds good. Looks like everyone already grabbed one of each paper from the stacks that I laid on the table. Did you all read the first page yet? What do you think? Are you more confused than ever about what 'folklore' is after reading the detailed course introduction?"
The majority of the students nodded their heads.
"That's what I thought. So, what exactly is folklore? The dictionary definition says that it's 'the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth'. If that's the case, then what's the difference between folklore and history?"
Students murmured amongst themselves softly in discussion.
"I checked the roster for this 09:30 AM class and my other 11:00 AM class. All of you are majoring in completely unrelated subjects, so let me give you a brief history lesson. BIU's Department of Folklore was established by Professor Eva Cordier in 1980. All the material that you learn in history classes have official documentation that you can trace. That is what historians research. But we folklorists—"
Alice suddenly ripped the copy of the promotional flier in her hands, earning her several shocked reactions from the audience.
"—don't care about that. Our interests include... What kind of ghost stories are there on campus? What's the most fun way to scare the new freshmen students? Which courses can still be passed easily with the least amount of effort? All of these things that aren't on paper is what folklorists investigate. Our customs and traditions may change over time, but they're still an important part of our identities and daily lives. Long story short, studying folklore is studying how customs and traditions from the past affect how we act in the present day. It's a field of study where not only new material is added, but old material might change any day. Now that you've listened to my long rant, what questions do you have for me?"
A tall boy with blue eyes and mauve-purple hair in a red headband stood up. "I have a question! How useful will taking this course be? Will this give me an advantage in finding a job?"
After other students finished laughing, Alice responded, "That was actually two questions, but I applaud your realistic and forward thinking. My original major was actually psychology, not folklore studies. I registered for this class as an elective during freshman year and then applied to be a research assistant. The primary instructor back then was Professor Shiori Kazami, and she told me something during one of our field days that I will never forget. But first, may I get your name and major?"
"I'm Baron Leltoy, a first-year student in speech-language pathology!"
"Thank you, Baron. Now let me explain..."
Alice finished propping up a canopy tent and folding table on the side of a mountain hiking trail when her onyx-haired professor returned from a side path. "This is a nice place to stop. Alice, do you see that giant rock over there from where I came from?"
"It's surprisingly giant, alright. Is there something special to it, Shiori-san?"
"Do you know the story of Boufuseki?"
Baron answered, "You mean the 'husband-watching stone'? A long time ago, there was once a husband and wife in which the husband had to travel far for work. The wife would carry their infant son and wait every day for her husband to return until one day when he didn't. She and her son eventually became rocks."
"That's what I said as well, however..."
Shiori chuckled softly and explained. "That's only part of the story, Alice. Do you know how the story actually starts?"
"There's more?"
"Before this husband-and-wife household existed, there were two other households that preceded their time. The wife delivered a baby girl but soon passed away from hemorrhage, leaving behind her husband and daughter. Coincidentally, there was a house next door where a widow recently gave birth to a son. Traditional family structure consisted of a breadwinner husband and stay-at-home wife, so the widow and widower came together to raise their respective children together. The son and daughter are the husband and wife that everyone traditionally mentions in this story."
The mauve-haired student's forehead wrinkled in thought. "What does the previous generation have to do with this story? That's such a weird beginning."
"Again, I told her the same thing—that the beginning seemed completely unrelated to the main story. But guess what she told me?"
Shiori opened a foldable chair and sat down. "Sometimes, the most unrelated things are what connects everything together to reveal the hidden truth. I did say that the widow and widower became a new couple after their spouses passed away, right? That means their children became stepsiblings. How do you think old society viewed that?"
"I assume that everyone viewed stepfamily as blood family, regardless."
"But that son and daughter eventually grew up and got married to each other. They knew that they weren't related by blood, so there's nothing wrong biologically. Even though modern society has come a long way, there will be people that refuse to accept stepsiblings falling in love with each other."
Alice gasped in realization. "No way... That's what happened?"
"That husband and wife—formerly step-siblings—already moved away from the main town, but that still didn't stop the rumors. The husband had no choice but to abandon his family so that villagers would stop harassing them. That's the real reason why he left. What appears as a straightforward story might actually be hiding something unthinkable or borderline unethical. Since concepts like this are difficult to say out loud or even put onto paper, the only method of expression is through such legends that become stories passed to the next generation."
The entire class also gasped in realization as well after listening to Alice repeat Shiori's explanation. "What you can't see is often more important than what you can see. That's the motto of all those who study folklore. We're kind of like detectives. Through research and analysis, we uncover each layer of these stories until we find the truth. This was the main reason why I changed majors from psychology to folklore studies."
Baron raised his hand again. "What other urban legends will we learn about this semester?"
"That will be a surprise, but I guarantee that Bayview is never lacking in urban legends. I've lived here since middle school, and I can confidently say that we're a huge cultural melting pot here—or a salad bowl, if you prefer that term. Some urban legends aren't that complicated. For example, I have friends who still fear Kuchisake-onna for their lives because their parents told them that she will haunt kids at night if they walk home alone past sunset. Other parents use this urban legend to discourage kids from being picky eaters. If you don't eat your vegetables, then Kuchisake-onna will cut your mouth wide and shove those greens down your mouth. Problem solved!"
The class laughed after hearing the last couple sentences.
The redhead checked her pocket watch. "It's 10:45AM already? Time sure flies when you enjoy what you do. Thank you for making my very first ever lecture so lively! Other than that, you're free to go. Don't get lost looking for your next class!" While most students exited via the front door, a raven-haired individual used the back door instead. I didn't even know there was another entrance. That would've saved me a lot of walking time.
When the second class at 11:00 AM later finished at 12:15PM, these students left the lecture hall when Baron suddenly returned. "Professor Alice, do you have a minute?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"How can I meet Professor Shiori again? She sounds like a really cool person!"
The assistant professor almost dropped her laptop. "I'm sorry, but I don't know how to answer that. She was still here in May when I finished my graduate program. Then she went missing during a hiking trip afterwards. For fall semester, she was supposed to teach two classes while I teach one, for a total of three. It's August already, but we still don't have any leads. Therefore, I'm here teaching two class sections by myself."
"Oh man... I'm sorry for asking."
"You didn't know, so it's not your fault. I feel awful for the students who signed up for the third class that had to get canceled." Suddenly, an alarm rang on her phone. "Anything else I can help you with? I have an interview to attend."
"Nope, that's all. See you on Wednesday, Professor Alice!"
The redhead closed the door behind her and rushed back to her office while scrolling on her phone. I completely forgot to print this applicant's résumé when I was printing papers for my two classes in the break room. I guess I'll open it on my laptop when— She suddenly dropped the folders in her hand after seeing the same raven-haired individual standing before her in the hallway. It's him again... He looks familiar, but from where?
The said person turned around, revealing a fair complexion and amber eyes. He saw the mess on the floor and offered to help. "Hey, you dropped all your papers—"
"No worries. I got this." Once she finished, the assistant professor asked, "Are you waiting for someone?"
"I have an interview at 12:30PM, but I haven't seen anyone come outside from the department offices yet."
"Interview? Your name?"
"Shun Kazami. Why?"
"Interesting..." The redhead finally opened a preview of the applicant's résumé on her phone. "Same last name as Shiori-san..."
"You know my mom?!"
"Wait...what?"
That was when a loud scream from outside the building distracted everyone inside.
