Chapter 4

Luna took a moment to notice the boys because she was looking at the ground and slowly glancing up when she entered. When she established eye contact with the males, she noticed that two of them were staring at her in disbelief. To be honest, that made her a little agitated.

"Welcome back home, Luna," Kazuo said with a cheerful smile.

"A-auh, I'm back." Luna returns her gaze to the guests, then to Kazuo, and adds, "Your friends?"

"Yes. On your left is Naoki, and on your right is Yuki," he says, and continues, "This is Takagi Luna, my childhood friend."

Luna bowed hesitantly, and when she drew back, her gaze met Yuki's. Luna recognized those gorgeous facial features; it was as if she had met him before. It finally hit her.

"Aren't you the guy I went to the horror museum with?"

Yuki smiled and said, "I'm surprised you still remember me."

"Yeah, I'm surprised, too," Luna said with a shaky chuckle. She didn't want to tell him the truth about why she still remembered him because it would be embarrassing for her.

Naoki was surprised when he heard that he visited the museum where Kazuo was employed, but he quickly regained his composure and replied, "Wait, no, that's not what I wanted to talk about."

He then turned to face Kazuo, who was looking at him with confusion.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, young man."

Kazuo and Luna were now sitting on the couch minutes later, while Naoki and Yuki stood directly in front of them. It was like witnessing two siblings being disciplined by their parents.

Kazuo explained everything that had happened that he hadn't told anyone about at the time. From who Luna was to why they opted to live under the same roof. That's when the lads learned about Luna's painful past, and the reality softened Naoki's expression.

"I see," Yuki replied softly, "but Takagi-san, Kazuo is still a man; don't you have any other friends of the same gender to help you instead?"

"I do, but I only have one, and she's going to America," Luna replied, "and Kazuo is the only one left."

The boys were worried. Even though it was their first meeting, they were truly concerned for Luna. She assumed she was the source of their distress when she noticed their pained expressions.

"I'll make sure to pay the rent and other household expenses, and of course I'll do the chores!"

"That's not our concern, Takagi-san," Yuki stated.

"I won't do anything to hurt Kazuo-kun; he's safe with me."

"Shouldn't it be the other way around, Luna?" asked Kazuo.

"Is it?"

Naoki found Luna's reaction amusing since she mistook herself for the problem. It's not that the lads didn't trust Kazuo; they were just concerned by the idea of a man and a woman living together without any sort of relationship. It's old-fashioned, but it's better than regretting this decision.

However, no matter how many times they tried to persuade Luna, it appears that the person making the decision was unwilling to back down. They can tell she puts her entire trust in Kazuo's hands. If that's her ultimate decision, they didn't have an option.

"If that's the case, please call either of us if anything goes wrong," Naoki stated. Luna immediately took out her phone and handed it to Yuki in front of her. The young man took her phone and saved his phone number. Naoki noticed what they were doing and leaned in to Yuki to see what he was doing with Luna's phone while he questioned

"What are you doing?"

"Typing my number into her phone. She can't call us if she doesn't have our number, now can she?"

Yuki handed Naoki the phone so he could add his number. Luna was then invited to join them for a drink, which she gladly accepted. She first went to her room to change her clothes.

Luna sat back on the couch in the living room, fatigued from all the work she had done earlier. She beat on her stiff neck as she let out a faint but long huff.

Naoki, who was pouring her beer next to her, heard her sigh.

"Sounds like your first day of work was very exhausting," he said as he handed her the glass, which she gratefully accepted with a nervous chuckle.

"You have absolutely no idea."

Kazuo inquired, "Why, what happened?"

"I was just unlucky enough to have an entitled boss for the job I wanted."

"Ooh, that's unfortunate."

"It's nothing new," Luna said before immediately changing the subject. They continued talking to get to know each other. Like how the three lads met in junior high and have been together ever since. This includes attending the same high school and university. Despite attending the same university, they pursued separate majors.

Kazuo is a working student who studies film arts and is an online author. Yuki studied mathematics but has since graduated and is now a professor at the institution they attend at night and an elementary teacher by day.

Naoki studied fashion design arts and was the CEO of his own brand while he studied. And it appears that Kazuo's father owns this apartment.

He was meant to live here for free, but Kazuo didn't enjoy the fact that he didn't have to pay for anything. He wanted to have the experience of working hard to earn money and pay bills on his own, aka to be independent; hence, he was allowed permission to pay for his living expenses, which have now been slashed in half since Luna moved in with him.

'And here I am, broke, with no family left, and working for an arrogant employer,' Luna reflected.

She began to doubt her existence as she became more acquainted with the men. What exactly does she intend to do with her life? What was the point of it? She was the only survivor of her family who is still alive today. Why is that so?

Luna went to work the next day, while Kazuo had morning classes with Naoki. You could tell she was dreading going back to work by the grimace on her face. She knew she wouldn't have joy doing what she loves if she had to work in a toxic environment.

Luna cheered herself up by thinking that at least Sugihara would be there. However, when she got to her workplace, Sugihara was not there. After assuming she was either late or in the restroom, an hour had passed and she was still not present.

Has something happened? Has she come to her senses and resigned her career, or is she simply sick from overwork? Regardless of the explanation, Luna had a hunch she wouldn't show up for work today.

When the third day arrived, Sugihara was still not at work. This continued until the following Monday. Luna was astonished to discover her senpai working on her desk after she assumed she had departed. Her expression lit up when she noticed Sugihara's arrival.

"Hey senpai, welcome back!" Luna said as she sat at her desk. Sugihara returned her welcome with a smile.

"Good morning, Takagi-san."

"I'm glad you're back, Senpai. What happened last week? Were you okay?"

Luna's genuine anxious tone and concerned expression moved Sugihara deeply. She was the first individual in this office to demonstrate that she was sincerely concerned about her well-being.

Sugihara wanted to reveal the truth about her absences, but she didn't want Luna to be concerned about her. Because if she confides in Luna too much, she may become a burden to her. And she doesn't want to lose touch with her first pal.

She replies, "I wasn't feeling well these past few days, but I'm fine now," with a forced smile.

"I honestly believed you had left your work, so I'm delighted to hear you're doing well, Senpai. You have no idea how much I missed you." Hearing that made Sugihara genuinely happy, and she couldn't help but respond with a shy but huge smile, which made Luna chuckle, as if her enjoyment was contagious.

But Sugihara's elation was short-lived when the boss dumbed down a mountain of work on her desk.

"I've mailed you your chore list and instructions; please come to my office before you leave."

"But, sir–."

"Then I don't mind firing you right here, right now." The threats continue. All eyes were now on the poor lady, who had no choice but to follow orders.

Luna caught a glimpse of her coworkers' looks and noticed a forlorn look on their features, as if they wanted to do something but couldn't.

Asahi hurried away to his office just as Luna was about to say anything. Luna couldn't help but click her tongue while gazing angrily at the path her boss took. When Luna returned her gaze to Sugihara, the lady's reactions made her concerned about her. She appeared terrified and alarmed.

"Don't worry, Senpai, I'll help you with your work; for some reason, they don't give me anything to do," Luna soothed her, but Sugihara's face remained expressionless despite her forced grin.

"I-imma just…Go to the washroom."

"O-okay…"

Sugihara instantly felt the urge to vomit as she rose up. She hurriedly covers her mouth with her hand and hurries to the restroom. Witnessing the action increased Luna's anxiety for her and gave her the idea to go after her.

When she arrived at the restroom, she saw Sugihara vomit in the toilet cubicle and instantly helped her hold her hair back.

Luna suspected Asahi had something to do with Sugihara's behavior. She had been acting afraid ever since Asahi summoned her to the office that day, and maybe Asahi did something different than what she thought they did.

Time had gone by, and it was time to leave. However, before Luna and Sugihara depart, one of their coworkers approaches them, calling out Sugihara's name.

"The boss has summoned you to his office," he says.

The poor woman trembles just hearing the boss request it. There must be a reason why Sugihara is shaking so violently. As soon as Luna saw her senpai in this condition, she knew she had to step in and assist.

She smiled softly and reassuringly as she clasped Sugihara's shaking hands. A tear falls down the woman's cheeks as she slowly looks at Luna slowly. It crushed Luna's heart to see her so terrified, to the point that she couldn't stop crying.

"I'll go with you, Senpai."

"But he'll kick you out," the woman whispered shakily.

"I'll wait outside then. Yell for my name, and I'll come straight to you, Senpai. I promise." Luna responded tenderly, wiping away a tear on her senpai's face with her thumb as she cupped her palm around her face.

Sugihara consented and directed Luna to meet her outside Asahi's office. And while Luna waited for her, everything seemed normal, and nothing terrible seemed to be happening.

Asahi couldn't help but sneer when Sugihara entered, frightened, seeing that the woman had given herself over yet again merely to get paid.

"I see you've returned, Sugihara-san."

She felt an uneasy tingle behind her spine as she heard her name called out in a deep tone by someone she didn't want to see or interact with at work. She wished to flee and despised it. She despised being so frail.

"What do you want, sir?" Sugihara wanted to skip the formality and answer rudely, but her payment remained in her thoughts.

This man possessed the authority and control over the money that she so desperately desired and required. She needed to obtain the money before leaving this hole, which felt like torture.

"You don't have to be so cold. I just missed seeing my favorite hardworking employee." Asahi answered as he took a step closer to the woman, who took a step back, trying to get as much distance from the man as possible.

"Don't come any closer, please."

Asahi felt fantastic for being superior to someone when he noticed dread in her voice and expression. To these peasants, he's a king.

A tear trickled down Sugihara’s cheeks as she thought the man in front of her was about to move closer. But, to her astonishment, Asahi walked right by her, giving her a sigh of relief.

The sound of the door knob being turned locked, on the other hand, brought back her terror, as if the same incident were replaying itself. As she turns around, she sees Asahi with one hand on the door and the other untying his belt.

"No, please, don't do this again." Her voice trembles with each step Asahi takes forward. And when the man's belt was completely loosened, Sugihara's worst nightmare occurred once more.

"NO!"

The sound of screaming from within the office was thankfully heard by Luna, who was patiently waiting for Sugihara outside the office room. She initially assumed the scream she heard was her fighting back. She screamed Luna's name, though, the second time.

"LUNA!" The call for aid sounded so horrifying, like something out of a horror film, that when Luna heard it, her heart sank and she sprang into action.

Luna attempted to open the door, but it didn’t budge. The bastard had it locked. Luna didn't care about her reputation or what would happen to her at this time. What matters right now is Sugihara. With that mindset, Luna grabbed whatever weapon she could find near the office—an extinguisher—and smashed the door handle, destroying it in the process.

Luna dashed inside the office as the door opened. And, as she had predicted, the poor woman was being raped rather than scolded or assigned extra labor. The realization of what Luna had arrived at made her cry, but she didn't notice or care.

She didn't have time to respond further and pushed the boss away from Sugihara, causing him to fall to his bottom. She then stomped on the boss's bear manhood, causing him to scream in pain.

Luna then grabbed and helped Sugihara straighten her blouse and pants before fleeing the office.

They took the stairs rather than wait for the boss to catch up with them. They needed to go as far away from there as they could.

They sat down on a bench in what appeared to be a park as soon as they were far away from the building.

"Thank you," the woman said softly, still grieving silently from the ordeal. Luna discovered from this that this wasn't the first time Asahi had used and harassed her. The catastrophe began last week when she was summoned to his office. Sugihara's week-long absence was also due to this. She used up all of her vacation days just to try to recover.

After a few moments, Sugihara decided to stay at Luna’s for a week or two. Kazuo understood the situation that she was in, and when Naoki learned of it, he graciously invited Kazuo to remain with him until Sugihara recovered. Surprisingly, he lives directly above their apartment unit.

The next morning, the girls decided not to go to work. At this moment, they decided to leave their job and look for another. Sugihara was due to see a doctor on this day, and Kazuo gladly organized an appointment with his personal doctor for the lady. And at 10:30 a.m., they arrived.

The doorbell rang, and Luna dashed to the front door, where she was welcomed by Yuki, Naoki, and Kazuo's personal doctor.

"I hope we're not late," said Naoki.

"Nah, you're right on time! Come in!" Luna scoots away from the door, allowing them to enter. When they did, Naoki met Sugihara's gaze. He bowed properly and flashed a warm, welcoming grin.

"You must be Sugihara Chieko-san; my name is Fujioka Naoki, and to my left is our friend, Kazuo's personal doctor, who will begin assisting you.”

"Good morning, my name is Miyamura Keiko, and it's nice to meet you, Sugihara-san," the doctor said, bowing.

Luna muttered to Yuki beside her, "I thought Kazuo's personal doctor was a man."

"In this situation, it wouldn't be appropriate, would it?" He whispered back, "So Naoki and Kazuo hired a female doctor instead."

"By the way, I made some cookies for everyone; I'll go prepare them in the kitchen," Yuki said, leaving the other two to sit next to Sugihara in the living room.

After an hour of examination, thankfully Sugihara wasn’t pregnant and the doctor was able to determine her real illness. She was very underweight and had low blood pressure. Overworking every day appears to be the reason for this. It's not good and can be fatal.

"I recommend you take these prescriptions; they'll at the very least help you feel better," Doctor Miyamura remarked as she jotted the prescriptions on a piece of paper. Sugihara panicked when she realized she had to waste money with the little money she had.

"M-medicine isn't needed, Ms."

"It is absolutely necessary, Sugihara-san," the doctor objected.

Luna inquired, "Why don't you want to take the medicine?"

"If money is an issue, don't worry; our friend, Kazuo, has offered to pay for all of the expenses on your medical bill, no matter how much it is."

Sugihara was reluctant to have someone else pay for her, but Naoki pushed. She eventually consented to take the medicine after being persuaded.

"Will taking these medications listed here cause me to gain weight?"

"Of course, it will add more protein to your muscles and help you gain more healthy fats."

"Do you have any pills that won't make me gain weight? Or a pill that will make me full in a day, so I won't have to eat!"

Luna was saddened to hear the lady speak further about not wanting to gain weight.

"Why would you want to lose more weight when you're already perfect the way you are?" Yuki asked, setting the plate of cookies on the living room table, but Sugihara remained silent. She knew what she was doing was wrong, yet she was still conscious of how her body looked. It may appear flawless to them, but she believes she can do better.

The morning has come and gone, and the evening has arrived. In Luna's bedroom, Sugihara was fast asleep. Luna and the others encouraged the lady to drink the medicine provided to her in order for her to be healthy. They even considered various techniques to keep a healthy body while eating great foods without feeling bad. Although Sugihara hesitated a few times, she was interested in changing her behavior and realized that she needed to start today.

Kazuo and Luna were currently eating dinner while watching a movie in the living room. For dessert, they ate some cookies that Yuki had made for them a while ago. And as they were eating, Kazuo started talking about something he had forgotten to tell Luna about.

"By the way, Sugihara-san and you will be quitting your job, right?" he inquired.

"Is there any other option? I don't want Sugihara-san in the same room as that boss, and she feels the same way; I despise working in that kind of environment; what's the point of continuing?"

"That's fantastic! You guys deserve better," he said as he nibbled into the cookie. Luna was intrigued by his inquiries and wondered why he thought of asking her that. When she inquired, Kazuo responded,

"You didn't hear from Naoki-san?"

“Heard what?”

Kazuo talked about a chat he had with Naoki after Sugihara's treatment was completed, and he mentioned two points. The first is that Naoki reported the unfortunate event of Sugihara to the police station this morning before arriving here, and the search results arrived swiftly.

They witnessed evidence of the assault from the CCTV camera installed directly in front of Asahi's front door, catching Sugihara running away in tears and catching sight of a half-naked Asahi sneering at what he had done on tape. And they'll arrest him tomorrow, after they get the warrant of arrest slip from the chief of police.

Lastly, Naoki is the only shareholder of the company for which she works. That's all they've talked about up to this point, and Kazuo has no idea what Naoki will do next. But after hearing what Kazuo had to say, Luna had an idea of what he'd do, and she knew she wanted to be a part of it in order to exact her revenge for Sugihara.