The plan was almost complete.
Maps on the table. Timelines scribbled in Kira's handwriting. Ethan pacing. Ava sitting quietly beside Judith, her fingers laced tight like she was holding onto something fragile.
Jack stood near the window, phone in his hand. He had not said much since the planning started.
Kira noticed.
She always noticed.
When Judith finished explaining the final step of the plan, Jack's phone buzzed again. He silenced it too quickly.
Kira's eyes narrowed.
"Who keeps calling you?"
Jack hesitated. Just for a second.
"No one important."
That was the moment everything shifted.
Later that night, Kira couldn't sleep. Something felt wrong, crawling under her skin. She stepped into the hallway and saw Jack in the kitchen, whispering urgently into his phone.
"I told you I'm done. I'm not sending anything."
Silence.
"I don't care what you promised back then. I'm not part of this anymore."
Kira froze.
The call ended. Jack turned and saw her.
Their eyes met.
Too late to pretend.
"Kira…" he started.
She crossed her arms.
"Who were you talking to?"
Jack exhaled slowly, like he had been holding his breath for months.
"My aunt."
The word hit her harder than she expected.
"She's the one connected to your uncle," he continued quietly. "She sent me here."
Kira felt her chest tighten.
"Sent you… how?"
"To watch. To listen. To report back."
The room felt smaller.
Kira laughed once, sharp and humorless.
"So this was all fake?"
"No," Jack said immediately. "None of that was fake."
"Then why were you taking pictures?" Her voice cracked. "Why were you getting those calls?"
Jack ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself.
"That was the condition. She said she would tell me where you were, who you became. I hadn't seen you in years, Kira. I didn't even know if you remembered me."
Her throat burned.
"So you lied," she said softly. "Every day."
"I never sent anything," he said. "Not one photo. Not one message. I cut ties with her after the funeral. That's why the calls started getting worse."
Kira shook her head.
"You should have told me."
"I was scared," Jack admitted. "Scared you would look at me like this."
Silence stretched between them.
When Kira spoke again, her voice was calm but wounded.
"I'm not angry because you were sent."
He looked up, hopeful.
"I'm angry because you chose to lie," she said. "You let me trust you while keeping this from me."
Jack swallowed.
"I know. And if you walk away, I'll understand."
That hurt more than anything.
She turned away.
"I need space."
Jack nodded slowly.
"I'll give you all the time you need."
As he walked out, Kira's hands trembled.
Not because she stopped liking him.
But because she still did.
And that was the worst part.
...….
Kira did not mean to hear it.
She had gone back downstairs to get water, her head still spinning from everything Jack said earlier. The house was quiet, lights dimmed, everyone asleep.
Then she heard voices.
Low. Urgent.
From the backyard.
She stopped.
Jack's voice came first, tight with anger.
"I told you I'm done. You don't get to control my life anymore."
A woman laughed softly on the other end of the call. Too calm. Too sure.
"You think you can just walk away?"
Kira's fingers curled around the wall.
Jack's voice dropped.
"Don't bring her into this."
"Oh, I already did," the aunt replied. "And if you don't start cooperating again, I'll tell Kira everything."
Jack went still.
"There's nothing else to tell."
Another laugh. Sharper this time.
"You want to pretend she doesn't exist?"
Kira's heart skipped.
"Your girlfriend," the aunt continued smoothly. "The one back home. The one who still thinks you're visiting family. Should I send Kira the pictures, or will you behave?"
The glass in Kira's hand slipped and shattered on the floor.
The sound was loud. Final.
Jack turned instantly.
"Kira…"
She stepped into the light, her face pale, eyes unreadable.
"So," she said quietly, "you have a girlfriend."
Jack's mouth opened. Closed.
"It's not what you think."
She laughed, breath shaky.
"You all say that."
"Kira, listen to me," he said, moving closer. "That relationship ended years ago. She doesn't even live in my life anymore. My aunt is using it to threaten me."
"But you didn't tell me," Kira snapped. "Again."
Silence.
She nodded slowly, like something inside her was settling into place.
"I think I need to stop filling in the blanks for you."
Jack's voice broke.
"I was trying to protect you."
"From what?" she asked. "The truth?"
She stepped back.
"I trusted you," she said softly. "And you let me look stupid doing it."
That hurt him more than anger ever could.
"Kira," he whispered. "Please."
She turned away.
"Goodnight, Jack."
When she went upstairs, her chest burned, tears threatening but never falling.
Behind her, Jack stood alone in the dark, phone still in his hand, finally realizing that silence had cost him the one thing he never meant to lose.
And somewhere far away, his aunt smiled.
Because lies always echo louder when someone else tells them.
——————
Next morning came softly, like nothing had broken the night before.
Kira sat on the edge of her bed, knees pulled to her chest, staring at absolutely nothing. She hadn't cried. That somehow felt worse.
There was a light knock.
Judith peeked in first, already reading the room. One look at Kira's face and her smile faded.
"Hey," she said gently, stepping inside. "You okay?"
Kira shook her head once.
Judith sat beside her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Kira didn't answer. Instead, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Judith's waist, burying her face there.
"No," she murmured. "Just… hug me."
Judith didn't ask anything else. She just held her. Tight. Protective. Like she'd been waiting for this moment.
"It's okay," Judith whispered. "You don't have to explain anything. I'm here."
The door creaked again.
Ava walked in, still half-asleep, hair messy, wearing one of Kira's hoodies. She froze when she saw them.
"…Why does it feel like someone's heart got stepped on?"
Judith looked up. "She's not okay."
Ava's face softened instantly. She climbed onto the bed too, squeezing in on Kira's other side and pulling her into a group hug.
"No fair," Ava said quietly. "You're not allowed to suffer alone. That's against the friend rules."
Kira let out a tiny breathy laugh despite herself.
Ava pulled back just enough to look at her. "Okay. Emergency plan. We cheer you up."
Judith nodded seriously. "Agreed."
They both thought for a second.
Then Ava cleared her throat and said, very confidently,
"Annyeong… um… yeorobun?"
Judith gasped. "No way. That's all you've got?"
"I'm trying!" Ava protested. She turned back to Kira. "Sarang… hae?"
Kira blinked. "You just told me you love me."
Ava beamed. "See? Comfort."
Judith jumped in. "괜찮아… gamsa… gamsamida?" She winced. "Did I say that right?"
Kira finally laughed. A real one this time.
"You both sound like toddlers."
Ava puffed her chest. "Excuse you. I am fluent in emotional support Korean."
Judith added, "Same. Certified."
They squeezed her again, warmth wrapping around her chest where everything had felt hollow.
For a moment, the lies, the secrets, the fear all faded into the background.
It was just three girls on a bed, holding each other together.
And even if Kira wasn't ready to talk yet, she knew one thing for sure.
She wasn't alone anymore.