Several people rushed outside to the source of the screaming. Alice walked through the crowds and saw a pigtailed bluenette lying on the grass next to a folding ladder. "Runo, what were you doing?"

Another girl with a silver ponytail ran outside the door and kneeled next to the fallen girl. "I told you to hold off on hanging decorations on second floor windows until the walls dried up from the rain. You didn't listen to me!"

"Julie, you don't have to say that again. Everyone, I'm fine! You can go back to whatever you were doing." Runo stood up and massaged her back to relieve the pain. "What's Alice doing here?"

"I should be asking you. What's a communications graduate student like you doing here with garland decorations and a folding ladder?"

"Once in student government, always in student government. Same goes for Julie."

"At least I'm majoring in design and can contribute endlessly to decorations for university events! Let me fix the decorations for you since I'm wearing actual rain boots instead of sneakers."

While the design major climbed up the ladder to fix the rest of the garlands, the assistant professor escorted the bluenette to a nearby bench to sit. "You should get your bruises examined. The last thing you need is to file a worker's compensation claim."

"I'll be fine." While examining her knee bruises, Runo asked, "Have you been to Hanayome-no-taki before? It's crazily eerie there!"

"If you knew the actual story as to why that plunge pool is named that, then—"

"Oh, she's not talking about urban legends," Julie interrupted. "Runo insists that she saw a floating dead body in the clear water."

The redhead placed a hand on her chin in thought. "When did you visit? It's been raining everyday lately. I thought the park rangers would've blocked that area off to prevent accidents."

"It was just this past weekend. Dan took me out for a date because he knew I'd be busy once school started. But ever since I saw that floating white thing in the water, I haven't been able to sleep properly!"

The design major sat on the other side of Alice and whispered, "She also forgot a picnic basket there because she and Dan were running for their lives after seeing that 'floating white thing'."

The assistant professor laughed nervously. "Why not just go back and get your picnic basket again? I know the park rangers inspect the entire area for straggling people and lost items before closing the nature trails in the evening."

"Do you really think I want to go back there right now? I'm so mad at Dan for bringing me to Hanayome-no-taki out of all places!"

Julie sighed and dragged Runo by her wrist. "That's it. I'm taking you to the health center to get your injuries checked out. I'm sure student government classmates can finish your work out here. Anyway, it was nice seeing you outside of the classroom again, Alice! I hope your new professor job isn't too busy!"

As the redhead waved her friends goodbye, she suddenly remembered what she was doing prior to running outside. I was supposed to interview the new secretary applicant but got distracted by Runo's screaming! She immediately ran back inside to her office and saw her guest still standing in the hallway. "Sorry about that... One of my friends fell off a ladder outside. Anyway, please come inside."

After Alice opened her office door, Shun waited until she sat in her computer chair before taking a seat himself. "Your friend's okay, right?"

"She's on her way to the health center, therefore I'm back now." The assistant professor pulled up the applicant's résumé on her computer. "How did an engineering teaching assistant from the extension campus in Wardington like you end up in Bayview International University's Department of Folklore?"

"I was just curious as to what this job posting had to offer."

The redhead opened the webpage to the original job posting. "I guess I forgot to put job requirements on the original requisition as well. But Shun, why are you here? Folklore has nothing to do with engineering at all."

"Fine, you got me. My mom used to teach in this department, so I thought I'd move to Bayview and work here in hopes of finding answers. It's been three months already."

"I knew you looked familiar." Alice crossed her fingers and laid her chin on top. "I want to find Shiori-san too, but there at absolutely no leads at all. I have a former classmate that works in Bayview's police force now who always keeps me updated. So far, he said no one has found anything meaningful in the past three months."

"So, I came for nothing then..."

"Those are the facts." The redhead changed her screen back to the résumé. "Hold on...you work and live in Wardington. No wonder you said you wanted to move and work here instead. Let's say you do become the new department secretary. What do you have planned for housing and commuting? A one-way trip takes two hours. You can still go back to Wardington and continue working as an engineering TA."

"Look, I've already made up my mind. If I want to find my mom, then I need to be where she was last seen to do my own investigation. You don't know what sacrifices she made both at home and at work to become a distinguished professor and your department head here."

He really came prepared for this interview... Although, I haven't even asked him a single question related to this job opening at all. "How about this? I do need to fill the secretary position as soon as possible, since I'm literally the only person remaining in this department. I'll make things as easy as possible for the first two months, but the rest is on you as the school year progresses. This is a full-time position, which means you only get evenings and weekends off. Does that schedule sound familiar to you?"

She's right... I really didn't think this through, but if Mom could manage a full-time schedule like this, then I can too. "I'm flexible and open to suggestions. When do I start?"

"Does next Monday work for you? HR needs some time to complete paperwork, especially with granting your student ID card full access to certain buildings, and I'm sure you'll need to find a place to stay in Bayview for the school year. Have you ever been to this campus?"

"Never. This my first time here."

"I thought so. If you're free tomorrow, then I'll give you a tour of the entire campus. I don't teach classes Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also, if you already obtained a parking permit from the Wardington campus, then that permit is also valid here at BIU campus."

"Good to know. Next Monday works for me. Weird question, but how do you want me to call you?"

The assistant giggled softly and leaned back against her chair. "Just call me Alice. We're actually the same age, based on the graduation years you listed. You were at my 09:30 AM class today, right? I saw you leave through the back door but didn't think much of it at the time. This is my first time teaching, so I'm still trying to decide what kind of lecture style works best for me. If you have no other questions, then I'll see you here tomorrow at 9AM. I already have your email and phone number from your résumé."

"Thanks again for the interview...Alice."

The redhead opened the door and escorted her interviewee outside. Once he left, she walked over to an adjacent office and stared at the name plaque by the door. Shiori-san, do you think it was a good idea for me to take him in? I feel like I'm even more lost and confused as to how to run this department by myself.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The next day, Shun arrived in front of Alice's office but was distracted by rustling sounds coming from the office next door. "What's going on over—"

"Don't mind the mess!" The redhead popped up from under the table and saw her visitor. "Sorry, I was just cleaning out Shiori-san's office. You can come inside."

"How do you have keys to this door?!"

The assistant professor placed boxes on the office desk and took a seat. "Before Shiori-san departed for her hiking trip, she gave me a spare key to this office in case I need to borrow anything for research. There's nothing valuable in here anyway...except for the computer setup, which is school property. But we all know that she later went missing, and now I think that her giving me this key was a bad omen."

"Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Last night, I was debating whether I should conduct a research project this school year and—"

"Alice, you just said yesterday that you're a brand new professor. You want to multitask already?"

"Since you'll be my new secretary, I can give you some easier tasks to complete while I work on projects." She continued looking through file folders until she found what she needed. "There it is! It's not exactly a thesis statement, but Shiori-san did want to publish something for the school newspaper and eventually in a local history magazine. Now I need to draft a requisition to hire research assistants and inform HR."

"Good for you...I guess?" Shun scrolled through some notes on his phone. "By the way, I only found a PO box address for my mom at the local post office. Do you know what her Bayview address is?"

The redhead stopped searching and faced her guest. "You don't know?"

"What do you mean?"

Alice's voice faltered until she walked over to a large drawer and pulled out a bundled sleeping bag. "Maybe she didn't tell you because she didn't want you to worry, but Shiori-san doesn't actually have a local address here."

"What does that mean? And is that—"

"I won't sugarcoat this, but she basically lived in this office and slept in a sleeping bag. Maybe it was her way of saving on rent and other costs of living. I was surprised at first too when I asked how come she's always the first to arrive and last to leave. What else would you like to know?"

"All I know is that she stayed in Bayview during school days and came back to Wardington on weekends and other academic breaks. What about lunch and other things?"

"My friends and I always saw her get food from the dining hall during lunch hours. She once admitted to me that she showers at the fitness center after her afternoon walking exercises on the treadmills. Was that too much information for you?"

"No... the more, the better."

"You can do the same thing if you want, unless you've already found a place to stay. That's up to you. Since I already found what I needed..." Alice led Shun outside, locked Shiori's office behind her, and slid the file folder under her own locked office door. "...let's proceed with the campus tour then. I already asked the ID card office to give you employee credentials early to access buildings. Follow me."

That wasn't exactly how I wanted to find out Mom's living situation. The raven-haired guest followed the redhead around as she showed him the entire school of humanities building. "You mentioned that your grandfather teaches in the physics department. How's your relationship with him?"

"We're close, despite our interests in completely different subjects. My parents passed away when I was young, so he ultimately decided that moving to Bayview to teach physics here would be the best option for work-life balance. He's on sabbatical for the entire school year and not teaching any undergraduate classes. I just finished my folklore graduate program this past May and am now licensed to teach." After leaving the humanities building, the assistant professor led the way to some important administrative offices and then the dining hall. "What do you think of BIU so far, Shun?"

"It's definitely livelier than Wardington campus, even for the second day of instruction. Where are we going next?"

"I'll skip the student housing buildings. Also, there are two gyms on campus. One is on the north side just before you cross the river, and the other one is—" Suddenly, Alice's attention was drawn to the live news playing on the dining hall televisions. "Oh my god...someone actually died there?!"

"Where is that?"

BREAKING NEWS: An unidentified woman was found dead in a plunge pool at Hanayome-no-taki.

The redhead's eyes were still fixed on the news report when two girls surprised her from behind. "What are you doing here, Alice?"

"Runo! Julie! You two scared me!" The assistant professor continued watching the news. "Runo, remember when you said you saw a floating white thing in the water? It turns out to be a dead female body in a wedding dress."

"Don't even mention it! And forget about my picnic basket!" After sensing a stranger watching the three of them, the bluenette asked, "Who's this guy?"

"I almost forgot. Shun, this is Runo, and that's Julie. They're my friends from high school and now graduate students here. Runo's with communications, and Julie's with design. Girls, this is Shun. He graduated from Wardington campus and will be my new department secretary. I'm showing him around since I don't have classes today."

As Alice's two friends and new secretary talked to each other, a flash of lightning scared several students into finding shelter indoors. "This is some unusual August weather!"

"I walked to school today... Now I need a ride home..."

"I'm going back to my dorm! Catch you all later!"

Julie tapped the redhead's shoulder and said, "Runo and I are going to buy lunch now, Alice. And it was nice meeting you, Shun!" With that said, she winked and walked off with the bluenette.

The raven-haired secretary blinked in confusion. "Did she just—"

"Those kids are right..." the assistant professor sighed. "Sorry, I'm talking about the weather. August in the northern hemisphere typically shouldn't rain. I guess that concludes today's campus tour since it's raining outside."

"Don't worry about it. I've seen all the important buildings already and have the campus map on my phone. What else do you need from me for the rest of the week?"

"I still haven't heard back from HR yet, so you're free to go wherever you want. Actually...if you have time tomorrow and Friday, then you can attend my lecture at 09:30 AM or 11:00 AM. It's up to you, but otherwise, I'll see you Monday!"

"Sure...see you around."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Alice was reading her research assistant posting on the university's job search portal when someone knocked on her office door. "Come in. It's unlocked."

"Surprise!" A tall brunet wearing blue goggles, red puffer jacket, and gray jeans stepped inside. "Sorry that I couldn't attend your promotion party."

"No worries, Dan. It's good to see you again after graduation." The redhead poured a glass of water for her visitor. "How's police training? Runo said that you barely have any free time anymore."

"Yeah...now she doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Because of the unpleasant date at Hanayome-no-taki?"

"You about this already?! Since it's not a secret anymore, let me explain why I'm here. Runo does blame me for taking her to a scary place, even though it's not my fault that it's raining in August or that someone drowned in the water. Did she also tell you about her lost picnic basket?"

"Yes, she did. I told her to call the park rangers to check their lost-and-found collection, but she declined. Other than that, I don't have any relationship advice. Runo fell off a ladder on Monday because she was so traumatized from seeing the 'floating white thing' in the water."

"That's what I thought... I'll buy her chocolates then."

"I think sugary treats will make her even more agitated, but she'll still eat it anyway. What else do you need help with?"

"I'm sure you saw on the news that the 'floating white thing' turned out to be a dead woman in the water." The brunet pulled out a case folder and laid out every document on Alice's desk. "This isn't public information yet, but the dead woman turned out to be the Vanessa Depass."

Alice's eyes widened as she looked through photos of the dead body. "I know she's a rich model known for her philanthropy and other charity work, but how did she end up dead in a white dress in—"

Another knock echoed, followed by Shun slowly opening the door. "Sorry to bother, but can I borrow the spare key to Mom's office?"

"Of course... Actually, have a seat! Dan, you took Shiori-san's folklore class as an elective, right? Her son Shun is now my new department secretary. Shun, this is Dan. He's my former classmate and also my friend in the police department who's following your mother's missing persons case." After Alice's two guests shook hands, she continued talking. "Dan, what else do you have on Vanessa?"

"Unlike all the drowning rumors circulating, her actual cause of death is sharp force trauma, but that's not the only weird thing." The police officer flipped to the medical examiner's report. "There are also strangulation marks on her neck."

"No offense, but are you even allowed to disclose confidential information like this?" Shun asked.

"No offense, but you must be brand new to the area, because I always ask Alice for help with classwork and policework."

"What does me being an outsider have to do with preserving the chain of evidence?!" Despite arguing with Dan about disclosing information, the raven-haired secretary couldn't help but look through the case file as well. "Everyone keeps talking about this natural plunge pool. What is it?"

Alice pointed to a map of Bayview on the wall behind her. "Hanayome-no-taki, which translates to Bride's Pool, is a national park located in northeastern Bayview. It's a river characterized by a string of waterfalls with plunge pools. Legend says that four servants were carrying a bride in a sedan along the water's edge to meet her groom in stormy weather when one of the servants tripped, and bride fell into—"

"Sorry, but are you playing the news on your computer? Can you raise the volume?"

The assistant professor did as Shun asked and changed her computer screen. A tall man with salmon-red hair faced the camera and multiple microphones with a solemn expression. "I'm deeply saddened by my fiancée's passing. I'd appreciate it if the media refrained from spreading rumors until the police have a final report."

"Vanessa was engaged to this Volt Luster guy...?" Dan muttered. "How come we didn't know about this until after she died? I'm also surprised that you heard this news report despite the low volume, Shun. You have sharp ears."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

While the news continued playing in the background, Alice examined the autopsy photos instead. "The medical examiner is correct about the COD being sharp force trauma, but look at the front of her neck, Dan. There's a slight cross right here, meaning she was strangled from the front instead of the back."

"That's what we suspected too. Strangulation didn't do the job, so stabbing it is."

"But the report also says that her hyoid bone was perfectly intact. The failed strangulation attempt was messy, but the stab wound is very clean. I'm going to make a bold speculation that the perpetrator had at least one other accomplice. Given that Vanessa was engaged, she's basically a future bride herself, but her death wasn't a stormy accident like the original legend."

"I'll tell my supervisor then." The brunet stood up and took out an individually wrapped dorayaki from his shirt pocket. "Thanks for input today, Alice! I'll ask for more help when I need it!"

Shun closed the office door afterwards. "Does he always ask you for help on cases that the police are supposed to solve on their own?"

"I don't mind as long as I'm helpful, and Dan knows exactly what he can and cannot disclose." Alice's work email set off a series of notifications. "HR just published my research assistant requisition this morning, and I already have two student applicants."

"Didn't you say that neither of your classes had anyone majoring in folklore studies? What are they expecting from this RA position then?"

"I could say that same about you when you applied to be my department secretary." The assistant professor then pushed the dorayaki and Shiori's spare office keys toward Shun. "Here are the keys you wanted, plus a treat from a 'new friend'."

"Thanks... Do you need help with interviews or anything?"

"I'm good. I used to be a research assistant as well, so I know exactly what to do. You don't start until next Monday, so enjoy your free time until then." Once Shun left, Alice closed the door behind him and went back to read her email. I hope the new school year keeps up the good start.