Miss Lee POV
It was around eight o'clock at night as I drove down the dark, empty road. I'd remained after school for a little longer to help some struggling students and prep for my class's finals. Luckily, I'd finished most of the work on my end by now, so the rest of the week should pass easily.
Or at least—that was how it usually went. But this week, I'd been asked to watch over a pair of students. I didn't question her request—I never did, and never needed to. If she asked, I simply trusted her.
When a familiar, tall tree-covered hill came into view, I slowed the car down and pulled over to the side of the road with the hazard lights on. I wasn't fond of leaving my car in the middle of the street like this, but the black car ahead, doing the same thing I was, made it feel okay.
I stepped out of my car and walked around the base of the hill until I found a decent spot to climb. It was choked with overgrown weeds that reached my knees, but it was better than clambering over fallen tree trunks.
The moment I stepped into the trees, the world went pitch black. Still, without even needing my phone's flashlight, I navigated through the darkness with ease, using the vague shadows of the trees as landmarks.
A twig snapped under me—and with it, a terrified scream rang from beside me.
I turned to the side and saw the glowing silhouettes of two high schoolers. One of them—a tan girl with long, wavy black hair in a wide stance—was laughing uncontrollably. While the other one—me—was clinging to her for dear life.
I blinked, and the two silhouettes were gone.
I couldn't help but chuckle as I continued climbing the hill.
The cold grip of fear that had plagued me back then couldn't touch me now.
Eventually, the tree line parted, revealing an open space at the peak of the hill.
The area was ringed with root-tangled fencing, and at its center sat a single bench. On it sat a shadowed figure—legs spread wide, arms draped over the backrest.
My eye twitched just from the way she acted like she owned the place.
You never change, do you?
I put a hand to my mouth and cleared my throat as loudly as I could. "Ahem!"
The figure flinched, then snapped her head toward me, squinting. She couldn't see me from this far—not because it was dark, but because she had terrible vision—so I stepped closer until the pool of shadows parted from my body and into the moonlight.
It was like I had stepped into a whole other world. The sky was a deep, dark blue, with countless bright stars shining overhead. And yet—even with a breathtaking sight like that, I could only stare at the person sitting on the bench.
At her wide, confident grin.
She pushed herself off the bench and greeted me with a small wave.
"Yo! It's been a while, Mira."
I opened my mouth, ready to greet her back—until I saw the cigarette butt sticking out of her mouth.
At that moment, my head boiled over in rage. Maybe it was because I was already tired, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with her antics.
I stomped over, grabbed the cigarette from her lips, spat on it, and threw it to the ground.
She stared at me, bewildered, before mumbling, "What was that fo–"
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, JULIE? STOP SMOKING! IT'S BAD FOR YOU!"
Julie took a retreating step back, hands raised. Yet, her smile didn't falter.
"Whoa, sorry about tha–"
I didn't give her the chance to explain herself.
"NO! THAT'S WHAT YOU TOLD ME LAST TIME! ENOUGH EXCUSES!"
I crossed my arms and turned away from her, refusing to look her in the eye.
She never listens to me! I'm so sick of her!
Julie paused, then shook her head with a small chuckle.
She slowly walked toward me, the leaves barely crunching underfoot. When she was close enough, she gently grabbed my shoulders.
"Oh, c'mon. Don't be like that," she said, her rough voice unusually soft. But I knew better than anyone that these were just whispers from the Devil.
I shut my eyes, stubbornly standing my ground. "NO! You said this last time—and the time before that! I'm not getting tricked again!"
Suddenly, a soft touch ran across my cheek. I flinched, my legs tensing as I tried to step back, but Julie's grip held me in place.
"Listen, honey," she said. "I can't prove myself if you don't open your eyes. Just give me five seconds—that's all I need."
No! You can't let her play you like this!
...But even knowing that, I opened one eye. The instant I caught a glimpse of her face, the urge to fight dwindled, so I squinted.
Julie's smile widened. "There. Now–"
"Five."
She tilted her head, smile dimming. "What?"
"Four."
That was when she caught on.
"Three."
She put a hand on her hip, laughing to herself, and rummaged through her pocket.
"Two."
Then, she pulled out a box of cigarettes and threw it over the fence. We watched it fall until it vanished into the darkness below. I wasn't a fan of littering either—but if it was choosing between that and Julie's health, there was no contest.
I let out a resigned sigh, then opened both my eyes again.
"Okay, I forgive you—for now."
Julie laughed softly, and I couldn't help but grumble, knowing she'd gotten her way.
"So, what do you want?" I hissed, feigning annoyance.
But Julie ignored my question as she pulled away from me and walked to the fence.
I thought she was going to enjoy the view, but she turned around and leaned against it. The fence rattled, and the metal groaned as it supported her weight.
I wanted to tell her it was dangerous—but I knew she wouldn't listen. And even if something did go wrong, she'd find a way out of it.
Julie took a lighter from her pocket and began flicking the flame on and off, the brief light pushing the darkness back before vanishing.
Then, she took a deep breath. "Well, I went to see my cousin today."
Just to be sure, I asked, "Which one?"
"Hoshino. I plan on talking to Lily soon—but right now, I want to focus on him."
I would never admit it, but I admired the way Julie put her family first. As much as I'd have liked to support her, there was another pressing issue.
"Aren't you taking too much work?" I asked seriously. "You're already helping kids from other schools. Don't you think that juggling that and this is too much—even for you?"
I didn't want to discourage her; I just wanted to be sure she was aware.
Julie worked in one of the most draining corners of the education system—the part that handled "troublesome" kids. Whether they were in gangs, falling apart, or worse—she dealt with and saw those things every day.
Even she had to have her limits.
Julie's lighter clicked shut, letting the darkness back in. Yet, I could still see her two shining black eyes.
It was a complete contradiction—'shining black eyes'—but that was the best way to describe them. Just seeing them, my shoulders eased.
She really hasn't changed since way back then…
"To be honest, it is a lot of work," Julie admitted slowly. "Normally, I wouldn't bother with work that isn't paid for. That doesn't mean I hate my job—I'm just being realistic."
Questions floated in my mind, but I stayed quiet and waited for her to finish.
"But if it's for those kids... then I will do everything that I can."
That told me everything I needed to know. Even though she didn't say it, I could tell something happened back then that left her feeling indebted to these kids—aside from her love for them. As much as I wanted to ask—it was none of my business if it involved the kids too. Just knowing was enough.
Still, there was just one thing left.
"...Then why are you poking around Mei?" I asked.
Mei had nothing to do with her or her cousins at all. From what I could tell, she and Hoshino weren't close—nor strangers. They were just friends, as most classmates usually were.
Julie gave me a faint smile before pushing herself off the fence, gradually approaching me.
"Anyway—I talked to Hoshino today, asking him about this and that. He gave the usual vague, flat answers a kid gives."
Julie wasn't ignoring my question; she was getting to it. So I trusted her and waited.
Her gaze softened, as if in thanks, before inching closer to me.
"Oh yeah! How could I forget? I saw his friends, too."
Julie stuck up five fingers and put one down with each name she listed. "Yu—big, tall, strong. Sora—rigid, clueless, but nice. Remi—overdramatic, but dignified. Luna—pretty, funny, energetic. And the last one…"
Her pinky slowly descended, her voice dropping to a much deeper tone.
"And Mei… I don't even know where to begin with her—much less how I'd describe her."
Julie paused, then shook her head. "No—that's a lie. I know exactly how I would describe her. In fact—I know her even better than my own cousin."
"What do you mean?" I couldn't help asking.
Julie didn't answer right away—or at least not directly.
"Hey," she said, her voice quieter. "Did you know Hoshino doesn't have a girlfriend?"
I blinked in confusion, but I didn't want to leave her waiting, so I managed a reply.
"Uh—I guess? I don't see him hanging around any girls besides Luna and Remi—but they're just friends. And it's none of my business. Why are you bringing this up?"
For some reason, Julie let out what seemed to be an impressed hum.
"...Is that how they seem to you?"
"Them?" I couldn't help but recoil a little. "What are you talking about???"
Julie let out a low chuckle. "Who else? Hoshino and Mei, of course."
I opened my mouth, but Julie spoke over me.
"Say—when you asked Hoshino to help Mei, what did he say?"
I scratched my head, struggling to remember.
"Uhhh, I think he said no at first, but after blackmailing him, he gave in. Why?"
"And there it is."
By now, Julie was only a few inches away from me.
Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and pulled me close.
I stared deep into her eyes. It felt like my whole self was about to be swallowed.
Then—she took a deep breath and spoke with raw certainty.
"If there's one thing I know about him—it's that he only does what he wants to do."
Before I could even begin to wonder what that implied, she slowly pulled herself back, still holding onto my hand—our arms a tether.
Her lips parted, revealing an all-enveloping black where a smile should be.
Seeing that smile, I shut my mouth.
I wasn't going to ask anything else. This was something only she could handle. Even if I tried, I wouldn't understand—because I was not her, and I haven't lived through what she has.
I'm not putting Julie on a pedestal or calling her a hero.
I just know Julie better than anyone else.
Some would say this was Julie at her scariest—but I disagreed.
When Julie gets like this, despite how it looks, I know that she will do the right thing—even if her methods seem wrong.
Because no one has seen or lived through as much as she has.