Unexpected Friends
Chapters 13. No, I'm Not

Alice's breath was cut off. His heart rate is not in rhythm, and sweat continues to pour like a stream of water. But when reaching the hall of separation majors, Alice can sit quietly on one of the benches. "Well, almost there!" He complained very loudly regardless of anything around him.

"Yes, I don't know if I'll see you again. Is it the roof?" The trio's laughter came off instantly as Fumika made that dime joke. Yet there was one person who did not budge, even he interrupted. "Please, don't make fun of Ms. Youki." Speak Naoki with a tone of emphasis.

Of course as the victim of Bu Youki, they were confused. What good is the teacher who tortures his student the first day he enters?

The face-lout did not agree to see Naoki. He also realizes that the Youki ma'am they saw is not the same as Youki ma'am a year ago. Naoki resigned himself to the situation, but Alice's words gave him a little light. "Sorry, we don't know anything. So just look at 1 side."

The apology was followed by Eliz and Fumika. But Naoki refused, "The one who should be apologized is Bu Youki. Not me." There is at least a little hope here.

"Naoki-San, the entry time is still long. Is there a story you can tell before you come in?" Fumika returns as a topic seeker. And since Fumika had realized that Naoki knew this school better than them, he used this opportunity to look for new clues. Alice and Eliz who have just learned of Fumika's intentions support her. "Yes, it seems you know the cause of Bu Youki like this. Tell us, please." Eliz gave support for Naoki to tell stories.

And Naoki lightly told them on condition not to be spread. "But sooner or later everyone will know." Alice in her innocent tone denied. "It's not so fast." Naoki smiled in anguish.

Naoki started telling stories from the beginning. But he lied when he said "I know this from another friend." He himself has experienced it. How comfortable it was for Bu Youki to teach Japanese first.

"Bu Youki is friendly with his students. She loves them as much as her own son." That's explanation. "But after the Assassin Basket death incident, Ms. Youki became depressed. 'My 'friend' who visited her in the hospital got a message from Ms. Youki directly. He said he told her that the killer was Mr. Tanaka."

From here, the Trios are determined. They finally got the name of the suspect they needed to check. But this must be accompanied by reason, Fumika murmured in the heart. "If you may know, what kind of Mr Tanaka is and why is he called the suspect?" Tanya Fumika was wary of the situation.

He knew that the students who passed by were not going to talk about them. But they must remain vigilant because the threat of Pureya' always comes lurking even though they speak slowly.

Naoki finally responds, but he feels less confident in what he knows. "Pak Tanaka is a Social teacher, wears glasses and looks fierce. He is the vice principal."

"Youki said, he discussed the Assassin's plot before the incident. And it just so happened that Bu Youki was walking in a quiet warehouse when Mr. Tanaka was calling on the other side. For example Mr. Tanaka 'talking about' means there are 2 people."

From the beginning, this was a very strange case. That's why Fumika always carries a notebook every time just in case. His high memory ability was his 2nd advantage. "Means the perp we're looking for is 2 people."

Naoki agrees with Fumika. Then added, "Then the incident to 2, to 3, and to 4 is the same, Bu Youki assumed Mr. Tanaka was the culprit. And because of these successive incidents, the disease became severe." The trio were finally able to understand their teacher's strange behavior after Naoki explained.

"He's a Bipolar, isn't he?" Eliz guess. Naoki was surprised, but then nodded slowly.

"Yes, how do you know?"

"I have a distant uncle who has the same symptoms as Bu Youki. Sometimes he acts very rude even if he's a good uncle. After all, that traumatic event must have caused deep wounds."

Alice chuckles, "Yes, as in Schizophrenia, because she has a 'delusion' friend'. It's really traumatic."

Alice quipped. She felt the same feeling as Bu Youki as they both felt in the same position. No one believes them. Alice is not mentally ill.

"Huh? Who's that?" Naoki innocently asked something sensitive. Alice breathed a heavy sigh. Gravity is like pulling his body down and now his head is like touching the floor. She slackly replied, "Someone." Fumika and Eliz understood Alice's intentions, so they kept quiet.

Naoki is increasingly confused by Alice's answer, but he chooses to ignore it because there are more important problems. "So our mission this time is to find Mr. Tanaka and uncover the Assassin's death in the Basketball Court." Naoki explained their duty.

The trio simultaneously nodded steadily. Before they finally broke up by the entrance bell, Fumika asked one last time, "Hey Naoki-Kun, do you know someone we should ask?"

Naoki had not yet stood up from his stool. Looking up at the Trios, Naiko said, "I have friends. Alice still remembers? 2 girls when we meet, I'll ask one of them to meet you after class."

Alright. In order to complete the mission, the Trio must meet this woman. But they complained because Naoki didn't tell them what his name was. "The confidentiality of the source must be upheld!" Bela Naoki as Fumika collides with him. Tired of seeing, Alice and Elizabeth separated them.

Finally they agreed half-heartedly and dispersed to each other's places. Naiko stared at them from a distance until they were faded by the crowd. During that time he was still hounded because he was lazy to move places. "Well, it's gonna be a tough day." Say it in the heart.

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A good mother should be supportive. Understand the nature of the child. And always there beside her son.

But it was a mere shadow as I was ushered into a large monotomous, dull grey building with its glass doors and windows.

The smell inside stings like there are antiseptics and vomit. There were strange sounds and screams everywhere. I can't stand it, all this can make my head break. Especially after accidentally hearing a strange song on Uncle Steve's car radio. "Why is this song still on the radio? Just make goosebumps." Uncle Steve grumbled while driving the car.

"Sunday is gloomy

My hours are slumberless

I live with are numberless

Little white flower

Will never wake you..."

The radio song is in my memory. I want to quickly forget it, but like the other side I need entertainment to get through this terrible ordeal. I finally managed to sing it even though it was broken. "Little white flower's... Will never wake you..."

At that moment, I suddenly found my real nightmare. "No. Okaa-san, they're coming again." I'm goosebumps. My body trembled violently with cold sweat. Very scared, even with what I consider a delusion.

"Hiks.., Alicia doesn't want to be here." This large building with a bad aura, was nothing but a mental hospital. The beginning of My real terror.

☁️🏥☁️

After a check-up at the reception desk, I who was accompanied by Okaa-san and Uncle Steve had to wait for a while in the corridor to be called a doctor.

During that time, I felt a tight chest. It felt like my lungs were squeezed from the inside. Be ill.

I complained to Okaa-san, but she just said, "Sukosi maxtu te kudasai(Please wait a minute)!" I went back to whining to Uncle Steve, but Uncle Steve was playing his HP. Great, everyone ignored me.

After another patient left the pskiater room with a matted face, a nurse called my name. "Yamada Alice!" His voice shrieked until Okaa-san gasped for a moment.

After my name was called, Okaa-san and Uncle Steve held my hand together with Okaa-san at my right and Uncle Steve at my side. "Come on Alice." Okaa-san said suddenly after a long time of silence.

The room that he said this pskiater room looks unique. If we look from the front door there is a black table in the middle corner with a brown wood closet in the right. There were folders, papers, and books everywhere besides being spelled round in the middle of the room. There's a retro red long chair on the left. Paint the room white with a gray ceramic floor covered in a hairy carpet. Like the shrink room in the movie.

Then a middle-aged man approached us. He asked me to lie down in that retro long chair and tell him about my problem. "Well, your name is Alicia right, isn't it? Can you tell me about your friend?" The man by the name of Mr. This Lee asked about my Ex-Friend. Because too suddenly I became nervous, especially when Okaa-San and Uncle Steve were welcome out of the room.

"It's okay Alicia, just relax." Words Mr. Lee calmed me from anxiety. So I took a deep breath, then took it out. Prepare to tell stories. "So her name is Mandora. He was my old friend who loved to play on London Bridge because his house was destroyed by bad people." Mr's View. Lee went up and down from me to his writing book.

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*Ck*lek, the door to the pskiater room finally opened after half an hour I told her about Mandora. And in half an hour it was Mr. Lee gave me his advice in the hope that I could forget Mandora.

"Mandora's not real Alicia.",

"Humans are stronger than anything else.",

"Think logically, don't let emotions control you"

Some advice from Mr. Lee's. I just nodded and listened carefully. I don't know, this is all I can do.

After coming out and reuniting with Okaa-san and Uncle Steva, Mr. Lee asked me to leave for a while so the three of them could 'talk'. But of course I won't go far because I want to hear what they're talking about. So I walked away from them and as they focused on talking, I came back to hide behind a big pot. Fortunately, their voices were clearly heard in my ears.

"Alicia's age has many imaginary friends." Said Mr. Lee opened the conversation. "It is usually caused by ordinary social problems when children cannot be friends and are alone. I suggest paying more attention to Alicia even more so she is an only child. Maybe eventually his imaginary friend will disappear."

Okaa-san nodded. Uncle Steve disagrees. "Mrs. Lee, this doesn't make sense. Alice can be friends as usual, even she has 4 friends from small. Jack and Akiko's attention and love are enough to make her an independent girl. But how could he have this 'real' imaginary friend?"

Uncle Steve doesn't believe what Mr. Lee say. They began to argue until finally Okaa-san called Uncle Steve. "It's Steve, we'll think about it again." Uncle Steve also looks tired of talking at length with an erratic end. So he said Okaa-san.

Then my name was called back to approach. So I turned away by crawling from the big pot to the corner. They came back like nothing. Yeah, there's nothing. "From the signs, Alicia is schizophrenic." Speech Mr. Lee suddenly came back to surprise me.

And this is where I have to live with bad labels.

[To Be Continue!] 🍵