A week passed.
Winter had finally begun.
At the bus stop, Lucy and Ken waited together as they welcomed Mira and Hiley.
"I'll help you carry your things," Ken offered.
"It's okay, really," Hiley said shyly. "We already feel bad enough that we're staying overnight at your place."
"What are you talking about?" Ken chuckled. "It's totally fine. You're always welcome at our home."
Mira and Hiley smiled warmly.
"We're okay, it's not that heavy anyway," Mira added.
As they walked, Ken suddenly noticed something—
Lucy seemed cold.
Without hesitation, he removed his scarf and stepped closer to her.
"Wait a second, Lucy," he said.
Lucy stopped.
Her cheeks instantly flushed as she realized what he was about to do.
Ken gently wrapped the scarf around her neck, carefully adjusting it.
"I noticed you were cold," he said softly.
Mira and Hiley exchanged glances—
barely containing their excitement.
Lucy looked away, flustered.
"U-uhm… thank you, Ken! L-let's hurry back home," she said quickly, walking ahead.
"Hey, wait for us!" Mira called out, grinning as she and Hiley rushed after her, leaving Ken behind.
At Home
They soon arrived.
Only Lara and Luna were there. Ken's mother and grandmother had gone out, while his father was at work.
"Welcome," Lara greeted them warmly.
"Good afternoon!" Mira and Hiley said in unison.
As they sat in the living room, Mira couldn't hold back her curiosity.
"Um… may I ask something?" she said.
"Of course," Luna replied with a smile.
Mira glanced between Luna and Lara.
"I noticed that the two of you look exactly alike… Are you twins?"
Luna let out a soft laugh.
"We're cousins," she explained. "But a lot of people mistake us for twins because we really do look identical."
Mira and Hiley immediately believed her.
"Honestly, we get confused too about who's Luna and who's Lara," Lucy added.
Everyone laughed.
Ken suddenly spoke up.
"Maybe one of you should cut or change your hairstyle?"
Lara's eyes lit up.
"That's actually a good idea."
"I'll trim my hair a bit later," she said without hesitation.
Ken scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh… I was just joking, Big Sis Lara. You don't really have to do that."
"It's fine," Lara smiled. "It'll help avoid confusion. I never thought of that before, so I'm glad you mentioned it."
Laughter filled the room once again.
That Night
Inside Lucy's room—
Mira looked around in awe.
"Your room is really nice… it feels so peaceful."
"Yeah," Hiley added. "Ken's family is really kind."
Lucy nodded gently.
"They are… They've been so kind to me. For the first time in a while… I feel like I have a real family again."
Her voice softened.
"But I don't want to be a burden. I want to find a job someday… to help with daily expenses."
"And I want to repay all the kindness they've given me. So as much as I can, I'll help them—even in small ways."
She smiled—
a genuine, grateful smile.
Mira and Hiley smiled back.
For hours, the three of them talked, laughed, and shared stories.
Later—
They moved to the living room to watch horror movies.
Luna, Lara, and Ken joined them.
They played games.
They laughed.
The house was filled with warmth—
with joy that felt like it could last forever.
Hours passed.
Eventually, all five of them fell asleep—
lying side by side on makeshift bedding spread across the floor.
All except one.
Lucy.
She quietly got up and gently fixed their blankets, making sure everyone was comfortable.
She looked at them—
her friends…
her family.
"I wish every day could be like this…" she whispered softly.
"I'm really happy I met all of you. I promise… I'll do everything I can. I'll use my power to protect all of you… no matter what."
With that, she lay down beside Mira—
and slowly drifted into sleep.
The Next Morning
"Thank you so much," Mira said.
"Yeah, thank you, Ken," Hiley added.
"Take care," the two of them said as they prepared to leave.
"Stay safe," Lara and Luna said at the same time.
They looked at each other—
and laughed.
Lucy and Ken walked Mira and Hiley to the bus stop.
But as they walked—
something felt… off.
A strange presence lingered in the air.
Lucy and Ken exchanged subtle glances.
They could feel it.
Something was watching.
Something dangerous.
They quietly scanned their surroundings, staying alert.
They finally reached the bus stop.
"Take care," Lucy said as the bus began to move.
"Thank you for everything!" Hiley called out from inside.
The bus drove away.
As Lucy and Ken walked back—
Lucy spoke in a low voice.
"Did you feel that?"
Ken nodded.
"Yeah… just earlier. I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this."
Lucy's expression turned serious.
"Stay alert, Ken. We don't know what might happen."
Ken gave a firm nod.
"You too."
They made it home safely.
And just like that—
the strange presence disappeared.
As if it had never been there at all.
But deep inside—
they both knew.
This was only the beginning.