Part 5: Chapters 41-48

Chapter 40: Kou's POV: Trolls. Trolls Everywhere. (3)

Grabbing a random set of clothes and the towel that Haruka oh so helpfully packed, I head to the bathroom.

Once again, I get hit with a reminder that Juliet does not see me as more than Haruka's brother. Taking a couple deep breaths to quell my disappointment, I step into the shower.

When I smell Juliet's citrus scented body wash, I realize the deep breaths did nothing for my nerves. The boner that had been mildly bothering me for the past couple hours finally rears its head. As much as I want to do something about my hardened appendage, defiling Juliet's bathroom just doesn't sit right with me. Plus, I need to get back and check on Juliet ASAP. Quickly turning the water icy cold to rinse away the soap suds and cool my head, I try my best to ignore the sensation.

Back in Juliet's room with the illest(1) blue balls I've had since I was a teen, I carefully wipe her face and neck with a wet hand towel. Rinsing twice, I place the damp towel on her forehead.

Her breathing is regular and she doesn't look like she's in any major pain for now so I start heading back to the other room when something catches my eye. At her desk sits a decently cushioned gaming chair. Convincing myself that being closer would be more beneficial if she needed me, I pull the chair to beside her bed and sit my ass down.

I had already turned off all of the lights in the condo but the street lights still manage to shine through the massive floor to ceiling windows. The windows are the thickest I've ever seen and tinted for some reason but New York street lights are ridiculously strong. Tonight, I'm grateful for the OP(2) lamps.

Juliet's features appear to be under a spotlight, glowing faintly compared to everything else in the room. For the first time that I can remember, Juliet finally looks completely relaxed. Her brows are not knitted, there's no dark cloud maring her expression and her eyes no longer swim around. Satisfied, I rest my head in my folded arms.

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'Indirect kiss… hehe.'

I'm shocked senseless, staring at this innocent version of Juliet. I have no idea what to do which apparently isn't good enough for Juliet. Her flushed face turns toward me and touches my lips with hers. The kiss that I craved so badly was happening and I was this close to losing all sense of reason.

When her tongue rubbed against my lips, coaxing them open, I earnestly reciprocated the kiss. Any thought of her being sick completely slips my mind. Juliet's tongue dances with my own until I lightly nibble on hers.

She spun around and wrapped her legs around my waist. With her arms wrapped around my neck Juliet pulled herself closer and rubbed her crotch against my pants. The very thought of her thighs around me flooded blood into my cock.

Without enough oxygen flowing to my brain, I fall backwards with Juliet on top of my abs. Smirking, she closes in to cover my lips again. My hands on her ass squeeze her soft flesh, completely filling my hands.

I reach up under her loose shirt and grab a free breast. While our mouths are occupied with each other, I tease her nipple. I'm not satisfied rolling the nub between my fingers until she moans into my mouth.

Just as I'm about to pull her shirt off, something happens.

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I wake with a start.

A sound rings from somewhere and upon looking at a clock, I assume it's Juliet's alarm. She still looks exhausted and she needs more rest. I hope she doesn't reprimand me for making decisions for her. Since I have no idea where the source is, I just speak to the room and hope it's a home assistant.

"Stop."

Somehow, the command triggers the A.I. and the ringing stops. A low beep sounds for about three seconds. When only silence follows, I assume the alarm has finished. A quick double check on Juliet's condition and I head to the bathroom once content.

My neck feels like it's been through a wringer and cracks several times just from rolling my head around. I'm usually a rather light sleeper so being able to stay in such an uncomfortable position must have meant I was really out cold.

Aside from the obvious crick in my neck, other parts of my body are also incredibly uncomfortable. My dick somehow managed to ache even more than it did last night. Blue balls for the second time in less than twelve hours just irks my mood. Washing my face with extra icy water helps shock me awake but does nothing for my horniness.

I shoot Haruka a text about Juliet's fever to get her the day off of work. Afterwards, I call my own company and let them know I won't be going to the office today. If they have any emergencies, I tell them just email me and I'll take care of it remotely.

With the formalities out of the way, I head to the kitchen to explore what I can make for Juliet. Looking around in the cabinets, I quickly realize why the set up looks so familiar. Everything in the kitchen is set up exactly the same as my house with Haruka. We originally had an apartment but moved to a house last year after Haruka graduated from university. Juliet had helped us a lot with house hunting and moving in. I wonder if it was on purpose or she did it subconsciously while helping us.

After setting plain white congee to simmer, I search the refrigerator for foods that Juliet will be able to digest easily. In a drawer I find some taro and hustle to chop it into square chunks and throw it into the congee to cook.

Soon, I'm satisfied that I made enough for Juliet to eat as much as she possibly could want and heat up some leftovers from last night to eat myself. Just as I'm about to sit at the kotatsu and eat, I notice movement coming from the left side of the condo.

Someone walks out, waves to me without even looking at me and goes to the bathroom while yawning. After finishing in less than a minute, they leave and stroll back to the far end of the hallway.

I rub my eyes and wonder if I had just imagined that.

Illest: the worst or the best (depends on context but this one is the worst)

OP: overpowered

Chapter 41: Kou's POV: Trolls. Trolls Everywhere. (4)

Even after I finished washing my dishes, Juliet still hadn't woken up. I had no intention of waking her up so I just changed the damp towel on her forehead and went next door to check my email on my phone.

Haruka had texted back saying she'd take care of the work end and I should just concentrate on taking care of Juliet. If Juliet wasn't better by next Monday, she was going to consider it my fault and find some awful way to torture me. As much as I hoped it wasn't going to be tickle torture, I had a feeling she was going to tickle me until I spilled about what happened here.

As expected, I had three emails of "urgent" work that needed my immediate attention. Glancing through them, I want to strangle whoever sent them to me. Did they really think they needed me to sort out a couple lines of code in the encryption programs? They could have given each program to an intern and would have had the same results. It would have taken a little longer but the interns needed as much practice reading code and finding mistakes efficiently as they could. Twenty minutes later, all three were taken care of. I had been hoping some work would take the edge off my frustration but clearly it hadn't.

In an effort to curb my nervous energy, I drop and start doing push ups. Jumping jacks or high knees might wake Juliet so I decide against including those. While I could go out to the living room, I didn't want to disturb the other person in the off chance that I didn't imagine them.

After ten push ups, I realized I left the door open.

After thirty push ups, my arms and back start burning.

After fifty push ups, I've broken out in a sweat.

Still feel just as agitated as before I started so I start doing some sit ups. After fifty of those, I know any more will make me regret my life tomorrow and stop. However, the frustration hasn't really faded at all so I stack on another fifty squats.

By this point, I'm soaked in sweat and sticky. Maybe doing so much so quickly was not a good idea. Regardless, what's done is done and I need to stretch a little before I shower.

A quick glance at my phone tells me it's barely 11:00. Juliet was still quite warm when I checked on her before so waking her up for another dose of Nyquil after I finished showering would be okay timing.

I was mentally ready for the soap smell this time but that did nothing to prevent my physical reaction. Following enough warm water to wash away the sticky sensation and loosen my aching muscles is the ice blast from last night. My blood still boils in my veins but I can only stay in the freezing stream for so long.

By the time I get out, I can barely feel my fingertips and toes. This frequency of cold showers in early winter can't possibly be good.

Despite the shower having felt like forever, I was only occupied for a little over half an hour. Towel drying my hair so it no longer drips down my neck only takes an extra minute.

Back in the kitchen, the taro congee is still warm from the low low flame without any signs of sticking to the bottom of the pot yet. I find Juliet's tea tray and place a bowl filled with congee, a glass of warm water and the cold medicine bottle on it. I bring it to Juliet's room and place it on her bedside table while I try to wake her up.

"Hmm… What do you want...." Juliet murmurs in her sleep. She's clearly not pleased with being woken. Haruka told me she wasn't a morning person but I'd never seen it in person before.

"You need to take more meds. Your fever hasn't broken yet. Come on and try to sit up, Juliet," I try coaxing.

Juliet just rolls onto her side away from me. "Dun wanna."

"Come on, Juliet. You gotta take more meds to get better."

When she doesn't respond, I assume she's gone back to sleep already. Take two- time to try again.

I pull her shoulder towards me a little and she falls over surprisingly easily. Supporting her back and neck, I lift her higher until she can lean on the stacked pillows against the headboard.

"Hey, Juliet. Wake up a little."

"What… Fine…" Juliet's grey eyes barely open but at least now she won't choke while eating or drinking.

I spoon feed her a little at a time after blowing on it a couple times to cool down. About halfway into the bowl, I notice that Juliet is losing her ability to sit up straight.

Putting down the bowl, I lift the glass of water to her lips instead. Instinctively or something, Juliet sniffs and licks the water before actually drinking. When I hand her the Nyquil, she does the same thing before downing it all at once. She grimaces a little and quickly trades the meds for the water. This time, she just drinks it without any hesitation. A little stream leaks out of her mouth. I didn't bring a napkin or anything so I wiped her mouth with my sleeve after she finished the glass.

She's nodding off again so I slide her back down and walk out with the tray. I had turned off the stove before but the pot was still hot. Juliet's bowl in the fridge, glass of water washed and Nyquil put away, I've officially run out of things to do. My phone had no new notifications and it was barely even one o'clock.

Having nothing better to do, I just go to the second room and take a nap.

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Suffering another wet dream, I wake up even more tired than I was before. As much as I like being in Juliet's company, this ain't it, chief.

As I contemplate what to do with my life for the umpteenth time today, I hear Juliet's voice and internally celebrate the end of my awkward loner day.

"Rea, what time---"

"You have a home AI system?"

I clearly shocked her with my sudden appearance. While I wonder if I'm supposed to say anything more, the AI breaks the silence and Juliet responds, asking me why I'm still here. I'm not sure how to answer so I check her temperature instead.

Neither of us end up answering each other's questions, much to my relief.

The pot of congee had cooled down in the past two hours so I worked on reheating it and some other side dishes that I had made earlier. Right before I start setting the table, I hear Juliet call out from the bathroom.

"Hey, Kou? Do me a favor?"

Without a second thought, I pull out the first drawer and immediately shut it.

What the fuck.

She definitely said the first drawer. I definitely opened the first drawer. But what's in the drawer is definitely not clothes.

Handcuffs, ropes and a dildo or vibrator I would have understood, but what I saw was way more than that. There were at least three different dildos of various sizes and girths and at least five vibrators. In the corner I saw candles and a bunch of lighters.

I've used them and seen them used on women before but this entire collection could have stocked a Spencer's back area. Suddenly self conscious, I just quickly go through the other two drawers and pull out a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. Hopefully, the branded image doesn't decide to stay for too long.

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She was literally JUST teasing me. What exactly triggered her that the annoying storm cloud is back? Why does she keep thinking that she's a bad omen or a harbinger of danger or something?

When I notice Juliet's breathing getting really shallow and choppy, I pull her into my arms. I hear some whispers but have no way of deciphering what they actually mean.

What I wouldn't give to get her to tell at least someone. Hopefully someday when she realizes that she's not alone.

I know that her offer to sleep in the same bed was probably a joke but I'm concerned that the panic attacks will return in her dreams. Only five minutes had passed while I was in the bathroom but Juliet is already comfortable in bed with new pillows, all but asleep already.

"Juliet."

When she doesn't respond, I sit down on the side of her bed, flip her hair up and feel her temperature. Her forehead is still warm so I use a cooling pad I found at the bottom of my duffel bag and stick it onto her. Leave it to Haruka to be oddly helpful in the worst ways.

'Huh, she has a tattoo behind her left ear. I wonder what kind of flower is that?'

While I debate whether or not to stay, Juliet grabs my waist and refuses to let go. Guess that decision has been made for me. If Juliet clings to me like this, tonight is going to be a long night.

These women have been trolling me for two days now but maybe I'm the worst troll for doing this to myself.

Chapter 42: Wonders of the World: Addition #1

"Oh, Kou, you're awake," I say, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Yeah, I heard you guys talking so I came out." Something in his expression says there's more that he wants to say but doesn't.

I have no idea how to respond when Z thankfully cuts in.

"I know Juliet made the soy sauce chicken because it tastes delicious as always but I couldn't figure out who made the salmon steak. There's no way she did because it was way too cooked to be her. Juliet only ever makes smoked salmon or rare to medium rare salmon steak. Did you make it? How did you manage to keep it so soft and moist despite fully cooking it? It's so good like oh my gawd."

Kou looks a little overwhelmed by Z's bubbly personality but he quickly recovers. He must be used to it since his sister is Haruka after all.

"I just cooked both sides with higher heat to get a crispy outside then lower the heat to slowly cook the rest of it through. Then again, I might have used more salt and pepper than Juliet usually does. I'm not sure though because I've never had it before," Kou answers simply and matter of fact.

"No, no, no, no. You added more black pepper for sure because she doesn't add any but I think you actually might have used less salt. And, and, and I found the kimchi pork belly you made too. I honestly think you're a better cook than she is," Z adds, extremely unnecessarily.

Of course, I feel some type of way about Z saying this when she's in my house so I have to defend my honor. "You want to stay with him or find your own place then? It's not like I'm forcing you to stay here, y'know."

"No, no, no, of course not Juliet. You're definitely the best!" Z exclaims to me while sending a very obvious wink towards Kou.

"Fucking kissass," I mutter. "Kou, you should wash up before she eats everything. You already got her stomach's approval so get ready to fight for your meal."

The complicated expression on Kou's face finally lifts and he slaps his fist into his other palm like he made a sudden realization. "You're the one from yesterday morning! I could have sworn I imagined you and was just really tired!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, you were about to eat when I came out to pee. I'm Sophie, by the way. Sorry if I scared you," Z answers with a giant shit grin.

I can tell that she's not sorry at all but that's not what I was focused on at all.

'Sophie? Doesn't she have a given name to use from Alphabet? Is Sophie her original name or something?'

When I'm about to shoot her a questioning glance, Z just turns her shit grin to me and walks away, bowl in hand to get refill number who-knows-what.

"I should hurry and get ready for work… I already missed yesterday," I mutter to myself.

Kou apparently heard me because his voice interrupts my thoughts. "You know today is Saturday, right?"

"It is??" I scramble to find my regular work phone and see a text from Erica and three from Haruka. Erica said that she heard about me being sick from Haruka and not to worry about work until I fully recovered. Haruka, on the other hand, sent texts full of emojis and kept insinuating that Kou got some action at some point or something or the sort. Unless endless trolling is considered action, I can confidently say that Kou was bored out of his mind yesterday.

"Oh yep, I got similar texts from my sister yesterday," Kou says from over my shoulder. He's usually not that much taller than me but my lack of high heels means he needs to bend over slightly to comfortably read on my phone screen.

"Shoo, your breath smells. And I'm serious about Z-Sophie. If you don't hurry up, she will eat her way through the whole kitchen." With that, I walk towards the kitchen in search of my own breakfast. I was too bloated last night to eat much and the thought of salmon steak and kimchi pork belly was making my mouth water in anticipation. Today being Saturday was a very good thing. If my kitchen was stocked so nicely, I'd be able to take my time enjoying it as long as I slapped Z's wandering chopsticks periodically.

The one really good thing about Z is that she does not play around when it comes to meal time. If I was feeling lazy enough, I would just fill a bowl with rice and some side dishes and call it a meal. Z, though, was exactly the opposite. She would unplug the rice cooker, heat up all the side dishes and make a full spread of everything on the table. She even set bowls and chopsticks for Kou and me on the table. Everything looks delicious and after recovering from my cold, I feel like I could eat a whale and still not be full.

Even though I was trying my best to eat slowly and savor the food, old habits die hard. By the time Kou joins us, only half of the food is left. It doesn't sound like we really decimated everything but there was enough food for at least the next three days.

The shock is evident on his face. Seeing his expression, I laughed because I knew he wouldn't believe me.

"I know you warned me about Sophie but you didn't say anything about you pig-digging in too," Kou says. Regret is written all over his face for taking as long as he did just to wash up.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm done for now. If I eat too much after just getting better, I'm going to make myself a different kind of sick."

Z naturally chimes in between bites. "Well, I'm not so you better hurry up. You should come over more often. Juliet needs a break from cooking once in awhile."

"Why don't you cook?" Kou asks.

The question seems benign but I can still remember the black mess that was supposed to be fried rice. I wouldn't wish that monstrosity of wasted food on my worst enemy but Z still managed to force it down. Her stomach is one of my choice additions to the wonders of the world.

Z knows her skills better than I do but only silence rolls off of her. Happily eating, she casually ignores the question as if Kou will just let it go after seeing how talkative she is.

"She's embarrassed," I finally relent. "I asked if she could make anything in the first week she was here. Z-Sophie said she could only make one thing. I've never had fried rice so inedible."

As much as Z reminds me of my little sister, the one thing that really separates the two is that Andrea could cook. Well, she could after a couple coal experiments. Eomma(1) was painfully patient when teaching Andrea compared to me. I remember laughing a lot until I was forced to be the guinea pig and eat all of the failed dishes. I was always tempted to escape but then I would have to miss out on dessert and that was a crime. Rea needed some practice to learn how to cook but she took to baking and dessert making like a fish in water. My favorite was her green tea cheesecake and any time I tried to replicate her recipes, it was never the same.

"Just because my tongue is good and I can eat everything doesn't mean I have the skills to feed myself, " Z pouts.

"I'd beg to differ that your tongue is good but sure, whatever you say. Now stop eating already and leave some for the poor guy. If he goes home like this, Haruka is really going to think I sucked the life out of him," I say.

It's not until after it's been said that I notice my innuendo but after thinking for a second, I find that it'll just make for a good story for Haruka. Kou flinched for a split second before swallowing painfully but he continued eating normally so it's whatever. As expected, Z finds the slip up hilarious.

Eomma: mom (Korean)

Chapter 43: Resolve

"How old are you supposed to be, Sophie? It wasn't even that funny," I chide.

Z sticks out her tongue at me after she finally finishes eating. "Don't flame me just because you're getting old and boring."

Her snide jab leaves me speechless for a second. "Wow. You must really have stayed here for too long. This chick thinks she owns this place now." I jokingly glower at her. This joke started the second day she was here. Z is poked at for being young and immature while I have a stick up my ass because I've started getting old.

"Oh no, no, no, I'm sorry eonni(1). Please forgive me. I'll die if you kick me out."

"Hmm I should probably replace you with someone that can cook or clean. Someone like Kou, don'tcha think?"

"Hey! I wash dishes every day! And I do clean! It's not my fault I'm a fire hazard in the kitchen."

"If you know that, lowering the flame or time should do it. That plate of charcoal was just an insult to my kitchen and the farmers that raised the ingredients."

"HEY! I still ate all of it! I didn't waste any food… Even though you didn't eat past one spoonful…" Z says.

J:27, Z: 1. She only got that win the first time we went at it because it caught me off guard.

While she tries to redeem herself by adding that she'll try to cook again, I'm tempted to toss her a cake recipe and see what happens.

Kou had been studying our interaction with a slightly bewildered look on the side.

"You two are really close," he observed.

"Well yeah, we work toge-umph," Z started before I kicked her under the table. My knee complained from the unnatural movement. I would definitely regret this later. There's no way Kou could be related to Haruka and not have caught that but it was literally a knee jerk reaction.

Kou's eyes narrow slightly but he doesn't push Z's comment or my response.

"I guess it makes sense since Juliet said you've been here for over a month now." Thankfully, Kou veers the conversation away from the mistake.

"Yeah! J complains about having to cook all the time but she still makes my favorites at least once a week! And, and, and she talks

to kick me out!"

I stand up and push Z's head down. "Alright kiddo, that's enough out of you. I'll wash dishes since you prepared everything and Kou cooked."

"Really?! What did I do to get blessed like this today?" Z, of course, is over the moon for being able to eat so much delicious food and not have to wash afterwards.

Still, she helps clear the table with me and Kou. Honestly, I think she does it with more gusto than usual because she's really taken a liking to Kou. He's an attractive, older guy with a stable job and can cook like a five star Michelin. What's there not to like?

Watching Kou and Z interact reminds me of how tangled my lives had become. Haruka suspected enough danger to attempt to Pink Panther(2) me and Kou already saw me freak out over my own words. Furthermore, the supposedly separate groups already know each other.

With that, I resolve to tell Kou and Haruka what's going on. If I wait for a second incident or for them to find out on their own, who knows what could go wrong.

The only problem with revealing everything is the rest of the Letters. I can confess about myself but I need B, G and Z to be okay with being exposed as well.

Z still needs to have a full recap with B on wherever they went before I got sick and I need a run down on what I've missed. Ever since my ankle healed enough to walk normally, I've been itching to go back out and fight. Maybe this will give me enough leverage on G to finally stop babying me again. He was the first one to expose me to Haruka, after all.

Well, there's no time like the present. We took our sweet ass time with breakfast but it was still only around ten hundred.

Stepping into my room to send G a quick text, I walk back into the kitchen to see Kou and Z still chatting. Kou had started washing dishes despite my earlier statement so I kicked the back of his knees. While he was down, I motioned to Z that we were going to the monkey house later. She nods and resumes smiling in time for Kou to look up at me with an incredulous look in his eyes.

I smirk in response and take the soapy sponge away from him while Z drags the indignant giant away to the living room.

Eonni: endearment title for older sister/female from a female's POV (Korean)

Pink Panther: sneak around. Is the reference too obscure? Lmk in comments pls

Chapter 44: She Does

"Shouldn't you head home? You look like you've aged two years in two days."

I frown. Was taking care of me that hard? With the exception of a couple really bad chronic migraines that made me throw up, I don't remember being that difficult of a patient. At least, no one had ever told me otherwise.

"I guess so. Are you going to be okay? You just recovered," Kou answers. He raises his hand to feel my temperature again. There's been no difference since he last did the same thing twenty minutes ago before I started changing.

"Yes, yes, I'll be fine. Worst come to worst, Sophie can take care of me. I'll see you later. Tell Haruka I'm coming for her on Monday," I add with a grin. "Be careful heading home, Kou. Actually, I'll just get Haruka to let me know when you're back."

With that, we go our separate ways. Kou heads home while Z and I go to B and G's house.

"Sooooooo, you have something you wanna tell me about Mr. Hottie?" Z asks innocently. At least she tries to act innocent.

"There's nothing for me to talk about. You already met his sister at the hospital. She took care of me when I was alone and the rest is history." After what Z said earlier about wanting Kou's number still irked me. I didn't like him like that so I had no reason to be jealous but I still didn't want her making moves on Kou.

"Riiiight. Is there a reason why you slept together then?"

I flushed at the memory of this morning. "It's not like that. He wouldn't sleep in his room so I just told him to sleep with me if he was so worried."

'Oh no… Not that shit grin. Z looks more like the Cheshire cat every time she's up to no good.'

"Mhmm okay. Sure, sure, J. Keep telling yourself that." Z stops pushing me there but I can tell she's still sending weird looks my way. Thankfully, the MTA(1) decides to bless up for once and we get to the house in less than 45 minutes.

Naturally, I just let myself in without bothering to knock. Z sends me another questioning look, thankfully not about my relationship status this time, but doesn't say anything.

The lights are all off except for in the kitchen where B is typing away on a laptop on top of the island. She doesn't react to our appearance at all as if she didn't notice us but we know better than to take the lack of acknowledgement at face value.

"We brought bribes. Well, I guess it's only a bribe from me. Z is just along for the ride," I call from the doorway.

"J, whatchu mean? It's a peace offering for me. This wasn't planned and you just casually walked in like you owned the place," Z amends.

"I mean, technically, she does," B says, finally looking up from whatever she was doing.

"She does?" Z exclaims.

"She does," I echo dryly. "It's not like I'd live here myself when I have the condo. I just collect the property taxes in the form of "rent" and ignore them," I add with air quotes.

"How the fuck…?"

"My parents made it big when I was little. I never bothered to find out how but I went from middle class co-ops to newly built high rises a little after my brother was born. Probably something along the lines of winning the lottery or whatever. They did have a decent construction company going though, so most of the buildings built on my land were done by them. I lost the company when they died but I still inherited all of the land. I'd have no idea what to do with any of it if A didn't convince Alphabet's HR to rent most of the properties. Helped pay off the inheritance taxes too," I shrug. It's all old news to me. It was a pretty big shock when my parents' lawyer gave me a whole list of properties I now owned but after three years, it just was what it was.

"Why are you so nonchalant about it?! I've been living for free with a rich ass heiress and this is how you act? You don't seem like an heiress at all!" Clearly, Z is having some issues wrapping her head around it all. Still not my problem though. It never has been and never will be if people don't get it.

I grab Z and give her hair a quick redo. "If you know you're living for free, you'd think to be a little more helpful of a guest," I jest. "And I'm not actually an heiress. I told you, I lost the company. I just own a lot of land that Alphabet uses."

"Wait, wait, wait. If Alphabet is borrowing land from you, why are you just a Letter? Shouldn't you be in Admin or something high and mighty like that? Actually, why do you bother working at all? You shouldn't need to for the rest of your life."

Blessed B, decides now is a good time to cut Z off before her head exploded. "Wouldn't you get bored if you spent every day of your life doing nothing just because you could? J is so young, it's way too early to become a retiree."

After thinking for a second, I add, "I'd probably end up being a NEET(2) for a couple months, maybe a year tops before getting bored. My desk job is a formality since I wanted to leave Alphabet and they thought I was KIA(3) anyway. Wait… If I'm young, what are you? I'm older than you, hoe!"

"Oh, are you? Must be the lack of a child that's keeping you young," B retorts.

The joke flies over Z's head, obviously. "Whaaa, you're preggo?!"

I facepalm, probably a little harder than necessary. "No, she's talking about the child that just woke up," I say, pointing down the hall to the bedroom.

From the shadows, comes a bumbling fool. "Who you think you calling a child?! It's too early for this bullshit!" shouts a disembodied voice.

"You, you dimwit. Now get yo ass over here. I know you brushed your teeth already so nothing else matters. We gotta talk. Which you would know if you were alive to check your phone instead of B doing it again, as usual," I snap. "It's well past noon already! Early, my ass. You're just fuckin' lazy."

"Bitch, don't even. You'd be waking up around this time too if you weren't dead all of yesterday!" G claps back.

He's not wrong but I'm not going to back down that easily. I'm awake now and still got here before he even woke up. If this was three years ago, he'd be giving me shit for sleeping in. Obviously, I have to return the favor. Revenge is a dish best served cold, after all.

"Says the one that didn't even notice when we came in! We've been here for twenty minutes already giving Z the rundown on how yo ass is leeching off of me."

"Leeching? You're the one that said I could live here! Even if you didn't, Alphabet woulda just given it to some other Letter or made it a safe house. At least you get rent from my "leeching" ass," G quips with a quick eye roll.

Meanwhile, B went back to her work and Z was watching both of us go. All she needed was a bag of popcorn to match how entertained she was.

MTA: Metropolitan Transit Authority. Public transportation in NYC

NEET: Not in Education, Employment or Training

KIA: Killed In Action

Chapter 45: Letters (1)

"Alright, alright. Ya done yet? Z can't focus while you guys argue like cats and dogs," B finally interrupts. "Also where's my food? If you wanna keep going, leave the food and debate who's better at sleeping in in the living room."

"Aw hell no, you shoulda told me there was food. You're not hogging all of it to yourself, hoe!" G cuts in.

"Fucking fatasses," I mutter, putting the cooler bag on the island. I know they're circling like vultures because I brought food even though they will probably notice that I didn't cook most of it. B notices things like that and G had been leeching for entirely too long to not be able to taste the difference.

G naturally comments first. "Whoever made this is a genius."

"Huh? You can tell right away?" Z asks. She really shouldn't be so surprised at everything. At this rate, her eyebrows are going to become permanently attached to her hairline. Also, my forehead is going to become concave.

"You noticed I didn't cook it so how would it even be possible for them not to? You've only been a leech for a month," I sigh.

"Oh. Yeah, that's right."

"Anyway… J, why'd you come here so suddenly? I'm not complaining and the monkey probably isn't either but it's not like you to make impulsive decisions to leave home for Alphabet," B asks.

"Anymore," G corrects. "She used to be a slave for action any time she could."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just made a decision that affects you guys as well so I need your okays," I start. I'm suddenly self-conscious and at a loss of how to explain what I want to do.

Z's brows shoot up then start wagging. That's not a good sign… On the other hand, B stops to stare at me and gives me more attention than I would have liked. Thankfully, G just continues eating.

"So, um. You guys know Haruka and Kou, right?"

B slowly nods, as if putting the pieces together. Z's shit grin has only grown and G still looks way more occupied with his food.

"You want to tell them?" B hesitated then asked.

"Of course, she does," Z answers for me, slamming her hands on the island. "What's there not to like about a man like that? He spent all day and all night taking care of her AND made fully cooked salmon taste good."

"Wait, he made this? Goddamn B, you should take some notes!" G exclaims, earning him a smack upside the head from B.

"It's not like that!" I cut in.

"It's not? Because this is bomb as fuck." I know for a fact that G is just trolling and feigning ignorance on purpose so I smack his head as well. "Bitch, what was that for?" G says.

"Just hurry up and eat before I pack it up for my fridge," I respond with an eye roll.

"Nah, bitch. This mine now. Pass anything else he makes too. It's fucking good," G declares. B finished eating already but G seems intent on finishing every last scrap.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. That's not the point though. You guys already know what happened a month ago at the resort. Something is up and keeping them in the dark not only does them a disservice but us as well. Sure, we could just keep working the same way we used to but they're a little too involved to keep it all under the wraps. Haruka recognizes you two already too," I say while pointing at G and Z. "Kou might not have before but he definitely will now since you introduced yourself as Sophie. Why did you do that, by the way?"

"What's wrong with giving a regular name to a regular person?" Z naively asks.

G finally chokes mid-bite and B stares at the rookie. Silence hangs heavy in the air as the information settles.

B finally breaks the tension. "Did you, by chance, give him your real name? As in the one you were born with? And the one that's legally traceable?"

"Yes? Why are all of you staring at me like that?"

Once again, my palm makes a beeline for my forehead.

"Weren't you debriefed on this when you got your Letter?" I ask, deadpan.

"It's not like I tell just anyone! Kou is the first one I told, okay? Well, and J since she was there. Do we really have to always call each other by Letters? There are aliases you guys use besides just the Letter, right? J has Juliet so why can't we use that?"

B pinches the bridge of her nose. She's definitely the most level headed out of all of us and it shows.

"When you start working for Alphabet, your identity as it was is essentially forfeit. Most agents either heavily section off their lives or they don't have other people outside anymore. J- Juliet's situation is a little special right now because of the past three years. It's for your protection and for the people around you," B patiently explains.

The words 'people around you' pricks my conscience. My family got dragged in unknowingly and even if my parents understood what was going on, my younger siblings definitely did not. Since Kou and Haruka were already trapped in whatever was going on and suspected it wasn't safe, they deserved to know the whole story.

"When you get sent out on a job and have to communicate with other agents, you only use your Letter and their Letter. It's your codename if you need a title for it. Getting a Letter means you can go out on team missions. Granted, we only use the Letter and not an alias attached to it because we're just used to it. If you're really not used to the Letters, you can call me Bella and G, Gabe or Gabriel. You already know about Juliet so that too, I guess," B finishes.

"But those aren't your real names, are they…" Z says, shrinking a little.

"No, but those names were something we let go of when we started. I lost my entire family when people found the connection between Taylor, the student, and Juliet the Letter. I don't know who you still have in your life but separating them from now on is vital to everyone's safety." Saying my old name makes me cringe a little from its unfamiliarity.

"Damn, now that's a name I haven't heard in years," G sighs.

I scoff. "Psh, as if yours was any better. Z, do you have something you want us to call you? It should start with your Letter to prevent confusion though." Despite her mistake, she said she's only ever told Kou since getting her Letter so we can treat it as a learning opportunity.

"I guess Zoe or Zoey works. It sucks but at least now I know my idol's name," Z says cheerfully. As long as it made her feel better, I wouldn't mind telling her more if it was safe.

"Back to the main topic, how much do you plan on telling them, J?" B asks.

Chapter 46: Letters (2)

"I don't mind telling them my Letter if they want to help not being dead weight. You said Haruka was tipped off by me before and was snooping around too. They probably know more than they've been letting in on," G says.

"Same here. They already recognize us in one way or another so hiding everything is kind of pointless. Plus you trust them which says a lot," both B and Z agree.

"Does it really, though?" I question. The three of them nod so I guess it does. "If you guys are okay with working with them and using them with bait, I guess. Both of them said they wanted to help but I doubt they even understand the magnitude of what's going on," I lament. None of us really want to use civilians but if it'll complete the mission faster and with less collateral damage, it's a possibility that we have to consider.

"You're not going to tell Admin or anything? Is that going to come back to bite us in the ass?" Z asks.

"What they don't know can't hurt them? Well no, not really. I did shoot Mama S a message before we came here since Alpha's inbox is monitored much more heavily. She didn't think it was a bad idea but she said she'd run it by him later," I answered.

"Whenever Mama S gives the green light, we could have a meeting to figure out exactly how much Kou and Haruka know and now much they think they know. And then compare notes or some shit. Maybe get some leads out of them," G proposes.

B nods, "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. We can gauge exactly what they know then too. Might as well make a list of things they should know and stuff they can do without."

She opens up a new Excel(1) sheet and labels a couple of different columns.

"'Probably know', 'Should know', 'Shouldn't know', 'Need to know basis'," I read. "Should there be a 'Never let them know' column too?"

"Aside from our real names and identities? Can't think of anything off the top of my head but sure," B says, adding a separated column at the end. In the first box underneath, she fills in 'real names/identities of other Letters'.

"Hm, that's a good point. If shit hits the fan should we even reveal ourselves?" I ask, kind of curious but also very much so getting willingly distracted.

"Focus, bitch. I know you're nervous about putting them in danger they're aware of instead of just plain danger but use that monkey brain of yours a little," G answers instead.

"No, no, she has a point. What should we do-" Z follows my train of thought a little too well.

"Use yer head and decide for yourself, kiddo," G snaps and returns to the chart. "They definitely know they're in some type of danger. Last time the guy got kidnapped by a supposed work client, right?"

"I think I-er- Izzy was posing as a client's daughter or something but same shit," I answered. "Both of them are too sharp to not have realized something was up with the way that went down. Pretty sure they've just been being nice about waiting."

"So they know this is dangerous and that you're involved," G summarizes. With food in his stomach and about twenty minutes to fully wake up, he's started to sound a lot more coherent. "Do you still have that drawer of obscenities in your room?"

I laugh, remembering the last person to open the drawer. "Yeah, I do. Guess Haruka can take her pick out of the collection."

"I still think it's weird," G ridicules.

"It might be weird, but it's pretty genius if you ask me," B says, defending my collection of self-defense weapons for women. Her reaction at first was pretty shocked as well until she realized what they were.

"Exactly," I state proudly. "So suck it!"

"That's a no from me, dawg," G answered.

"You're just jelly(2), you can't hide stuff in toys and accessories."

This banter goes on for another two hours while we sort out information on the table. Over the years at Alphabet, G has become a brother to me and B is the sister-in-law I've always dreamed of having. I'm extremely grateful the past three years of distance from Alphabet haven't changed anything between me and G.

While I am surprised by how willing the three of them are to being potentially exposed, I appreciate their unconditional support. Z, especially, hasn't known me for that long and only started working in our sub-unit recently. She reminds me of Andrea(3) but I have no idea why she'd be so attached.

"My brain hurts and I'm hungry again," G complains. "You shoulda brought more of that guy's cooking."

"You know he has a name, right?" I quip. For someone who worships Kou's cooking, his attitude really hasn't stopped being any less rude. "And maybe I should only bring his from now on. Then I don't gotta cook fo' yo' ass anymore. Past three years have been real cheap on groceries until the black hole came along."

"Not until he wifes you, he don't. Haruka's aight though. She's chill," G laughs.

Where this discrimination stems from, I have no idea. I wish I had a response for the 'wifes me' remark but Z's indignant expression over being called a black hole immediately morphed into a side eye shit grin so I just keep my mouth shut.

"We can just get pizza or something. The place down the block is pretty good. Any topping requests?" B, ever the realist, quickly has a solution.

Z answers first, super excited at the prospect of more free food, "Ooh, ooh, can we get Hawaiian?"

"Sure, you can have the whole pie to yourself," G grimances.

"Pepperoni too, please," I add. Manners are exclusively for B in this house.

Before they go out, I figure I might as well work out when to catch Haruka and Kou up to speed. "Do you guys have a mission tomorrow? Or should we plan for next week?"

G's getting dragged along to be B's pack mule but he at least answers me while B puts on her shoes.

"We're free anytime if you're cooking," he says with a wink. If he wasn't at the doorway already, I would have smacked his head. Thankfully, less than two seconds later, I hear the tell-tale sound of him getting smacked anyway.

"Thanks, B!" I call out. Z is laughing next to me. The entertained popcorn eating look is back, making me laugh as well.

"Tomorrow is ideal because we haven't heard anything yet but if they're not free, we'll have to aim for next week," B answers on her way out.

Excel: Microsoft Excel if anyone internationally uses something different

Jelly: jealous

Andrea: Juliet's little sister

Chapter 47: Come Eat

"You can stop pacing around now, eonni(1). You're going to burn a hole in the floor. I know it's yours but it's still gonna be a pain to fix."

I shoot Z a scathing glare. She's not wrong but I'm really nervous.

This past week had been nerve-wracking to say the least. After discussing with Erica for two days, we agreed that ditching the desk job would be for the best. She hadn't known about the ominous message but that was the final nail on the coffin. The fact that I had lasted nearly three years with one identity and two years at one company was a miracle in itself. Granted, I hadn't been an active agent but the feat was still impressive.

Despite the fact that I hadn't told Haruka yet, I had a growing hunch that she already knew or was suspicious of it. At least tonight would finally confirm our theories.

"Eonni(1), should I cut the apples now or later?" Z asks.

I stop pacing and feel the cheesecake. It was taken out of the oven not too long ago so it was still warm. "You can start cutting them now. Thin as you can get them. Just remember to sprinkle lemon juice on them before they brown. Oh, and use the smith apples," I answered. When Z tilts her head in confusion, I laugh. "The green ones."

"Oh okay, I knew that," Z feigns. I don't fight it but we both know the truth.

In my anxious state I had made way too much food. No one would dare complain but I know for a fact that G is going to have some choice words and trigger Z's eyebrow wiggles.

Since only the oxtail was still stewing and everything else had already been plated and covered at the table, I started helping Z slice some apples. She's struggling, just as I expected, but she hasn't complained once.

"If getting them thin is too hard, just try to make them the same size-whatever thickness that is. In the end it's going to be eaten and not displayed anyway. Oh, but the middle is just tiny strips so use your screw ups there," I explain.

Z's impatience starts showing. "Why am I doing this again?"

"Would you rather make frosting? Making it from scratch sucks even with a hand mixer. And you sure as hell aren't defiling my stovetop again," I chide.

"Bleh, 'kay fine."

The final result actually looked really good- plain cheesecake with a sliced apple rose layering on top. Just as Z was sprinkling some more lemon juice on top, we hear my front door key pad being unlocked. I prickle for a second before realizing it's probably just G being dumb. However, as a precaution, I pick up a knife and get ready to throw it at the intruder.

"I was too lazy to call from downstairs. Put down the damn knife, hoe," G's telltale voice calls from beyond the cracked doorway. He's opened the door but not any more than two inches to talk to us through the crack. "We got your buddies too."

I put down the knife and picked up a rejected apple slice instead. When G hears the clatter of the knife being put down, he opens the door and finds himself with a new face accessory.

"Hmm, nice tang to it," he says while eating the uneven slice.

Rolling my eyes, I take the finished product and place it in the fridge to chill until after dinner.

"Just wash up and get ready for dinner. Everyone else too," I call. The three people filing after G respectfully say some variant of 'sorry for the intrusion'. Haruka skips the trip to the bathroom and decides to wash her hands in the kitchen where Z and I are still standing and snacking on other rejects.

"Ooh, what'd you make, Juliet? Is this enough to say that you're not mad at me anymore?" Haruka asks, picking up a slice to try herself.

"I wasn't really mad at you to begin with but sure, I guess."

"Oh, thank god, bless. I'm sorry I didn't just ask…"

I chuckle lightly. "It's not like I would have answered you just because you asked anyway."

"I guess so…" Haruka's usual energetic personality is nowhere to be seen and it bums even Z.

"Hey, eonni stop being so down ! Juliet eonni forgave you already, okay? She even made a shitton of food so just eat a lot! You know the way she is, 'sorry' doesn't exist in her vocabulary. It's just 'come eat'!" Z says, dragging Haruka towards the loaded table.

"E-e-eonni?!" Haruka questions, looking at me instead of the one that said it in the first place.

I don't even have the chance to open my mouth before Z catches Haruka's attention again.

"Yeah! 'Cuz you're eonni's best friend, so you're my eonni too!" Z is a little too friendly but it's part of her charm that gets people to let down their guards. At least right now it's harmless.

"Just go with it," I mouth to Haruka. Z started calling me eonni as soon as I let her and never let up.

By now, the other three occupants of my home had come over and sat down. G naturally came first since he was the first through the door and B, ever the polite one was last.

"Why aren't I 'oppa(2)' then?" G teases.

'Oh boy is he in for a thrashing,' I laugh to myself.

"Why would you be 'oppa'? You already have B AND you suck. I'd call B 'eonni' before you'd be 'oppa' any day," Z pouts.

"Why, you cheeky little-" G starts before getting cut off by B pulling his ear.

"Let's just eat, okay? Eat a lot so I don't have to deal with leftovers for five years," I say to everyone.

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" G and Z say at the same time. If I didn't know better, I'd think they were related with the same black hole stomach.

Eonni: intimate way to address an older female from a female point of view

Oppa: intimate way to address an older male from a female point of view; also could be used in relationships to address a male

Chapter 48: Table Flip

My kotatsu table was definitely not meant for five people and this much food but somehow it worked out. The table got split so the girls were on one side and the guys on the other. I shared a side with B while Z sandwiched Haruka adjacent to us. Kou and G got their own sides and were just talking in their own world anyway so we ignored them.

The main star was the oxtail stew still in the pot sitting behind me next to the rice cooker. While the sides of the table were populated by platters of kimchi and steamed egg, there were also dishes of stir fried squid and another whole soy sauce chicken, chopped to bite sized pieces. My mom had taught me how to cook originally but one does not live in New York and not learn to cook foods from other cultures.

As expected, G had some choice words to say about how much the spread was but a quick threat to kick him out without dinner got him to shut up real quick. Haruka quickly clicked with B and had already met Z after the incident. On the other hand, I didn't expect G to get along so well with Kou but it all made for a very peaceful dinner.

At least it was peaceful on the surface. There was a tense undercurrent that Haruka noticed more than once so Kou must have as well. Still, I was determined to enjoy the first, although probably last, dinner with both circles of my friends.

Sure enough, Haruka cracks before we even finish eating.

"I can't stand it anymore! Spill! What's going on! Someone start telling me what's happening before I flip the table!"

Mid-conversation, G picks up what Haruka says. "Aw hell no, nah nah nah that's not necessary," G immediately responds, tightening his grip on the table.

"Yeah! Haruka eonni, don't waste eonni's hard work like that!" Z quickly adds.

"So spill! What's going on that all of you are so stressed over and can't just say it already?!" Haruka exclaims.

"Uhm…" I start. Haruka's eyes dart to me and I feel a chill run down my spine. "It's uh…"

"Go on," she says while rolling her hands in a 'continue' motion. Her eyes are so wide, I think they might pop out of her head.

"It's about what happened…" I continue with a swallow.

"It's about what that happened?! God, just spit it out already!" If Z wasn't holding onto Haruka, she might have really swung.

"Y'know, when we went to the resort and shit happened…" I add. Suddenly, telling Haruka doesn't feel like such a hot idea.

"Haruka, relax," Kou interrupts. His resting bitch glare is usually offset by his easy going personality but this time I'm grateful for his seriousness.

----------------------

Z's metaphorical sweat drop disappears. "Yeah! Oppa gets it!"

"Tch, he gets called 'oppa' but I don't? Lame piece of shit." G's slide remark helps Haruka relax a bit.

"Okay, fine. Juliet, is this something to do with why you suddenly started avoiding us?"

"Well, yeah. About 90% of it, probably," I answer. "Me being around you isn't safe for you. At least that's what I thought before I talked it out."

"What do you mean it's not safe for us? What changed that now you've decided to tell us?" Kou asks. His level-headedness really helps balance out Haruka when she snaps a nerve.

B steps in and takes the baton from me. "She got too caught up in her fears, that's what changed. After talking it out with the rest of us, it makes more sense to at least get you guys in the loop of what's going on- especially because I-Izzy or whatever she called herself had built a relationship with you personally."

"The girl I had to keep company at the resort? That one?"

"Yeah, her. I had also gotten messages from whoever the source is at work," I confess.

"You mean the day you got shook(1) at your desk and looked around like a madwoman? Okay, yeah that makes more sense now," Haruka says.

"I looked around?" I don't remember that…

"Hmm, not really but I noticed you reeeeeally wanted to. So what about this I or Izzy woman is so dangerous?" Haruka asks.

"Where to start…" I glance at G who just shrugs.

'Gee, how helpful.'

"Our Letters? Uhm, so we work? Or like we're part of an organization called Alphabet. It's not really a secret but it's not like it's terribly well-known like some other government agencies: CIA, MI6, whatever. Technically, is Alphabet even considered under government?"

The four of us Letters stare at each other while Haruka and Kou look lost.

"Probably not? It's not centralized to one country. I think the best way to describe it would be if the United Nations had a militia," B finally answers. "Come to think of it, how is Alphabet international when there are only 26 agents?"

"No idea, especially with the unoccupied Letters. They do work us pretty hard though. Passports would look pretty colorful if we only had one," I add.

"Hey, hey, hey, mind not going off on tangents? We can't follow them. Thanks," Haruka interrupts.

"Ah, right. Well in Alphabet, we get letters when we finish training. I'm 'J', this is 'B', 'Z' is next to you and that's 'G'. Really creative naming, amirite(2)?"

"Are all of your Letters based on your names or something?" Kou asks.

"No, other way around. The names we use and the IDs we're issued are based on our Letters. It's easier to just start calling each other by the Letter instead of by name but it just doesn't feel right," B explains. On the side, Z pouts.

"So, none of your names are what you told us, are they? Have I been calling you by a fake name since college?" Haruka slowly sputters out.

I immediately can tell where Haruka's agitation stems from. "It's not entirely a fake name. I just stopped using my birth name entirely since high school. I even enrolled with identification that Alphabet issued. All of my high school transcripts were altered over time. So no, you haven't been calling me a fake name. Juliet is my legal name, for now and the past three years anyway."

"Three years without a name change. That's really impressive," B notes. "You can still call us by the names we gave you before. It might be a bit confusing if/ when we get a name change so you can call us by the Letter too if that's what you prefer."

"Hey, hey! Speak for yourself. I'm going by Zoe or Zoey for anyone that matters for the rest of my career," Z corrects.

"Okay. Back on topic, what does this have to do with that Izzy woman? Is she- was she part of Alphabet before or something like that?" Kou asks.

"Yeah, that's why I was so hesitant about taking your offers at face value. You don't know what you're getting into," I admit. "I guess that's just what's getting you this talk now.

"As much as I wished to never tell you, it'll be that much worse when you get targeted again and have no idea what's going on. From what we're already found out, there's at least two groups after… me? Us? Us. Izzy had been with Rey last time Kou got kidnapped and Rey was meeting with the Insects' princess. The Insects are a small-ish time gang but the princess is out for blood because I ended her daddy's career before I dropped off the radar. Rey's a bigger problem, partly because Izzy is with him but mostly because he runs the drug circle down south and past the border. We still don't know why he's so far up north or what he's planning but his connections and resources

Shook: shocked or surprised (thanks Urban Dictionary)

Amirite: am I right