The morning sun poured through the curtains, shining bright enough to wake anyone. But Linda lay stubbornly still, her face buried under a pillow as she tried to block out the light. She wasn't ready to move. She needed more sleep.
Sophia had walked past her room and paused at the door, peeking in quietly. She had wanted to wake Linda but her pale face and restless look made her hesitate. She'd noticed something strange about Linda the previous night—the way she stumbled in late, barely able to speak, and her face pale and step weak. There was even a faint bruise on her lip. Sophia had wanted to ask, but Linda looked like she'd collapse if she was touched. So she allowed her rest.
Now, with the clock steadily ticking past breakfast time, Linda finally stirred. She blinked slowly and stretched with a soft groan, her muscles sore and heavy. Her whole body ached as if she'd run a marathon. And then it all came rushing back—what had happened the night before. Her meeting with Mr. Fang Leng and Secretary Kim and the fight with the girl in a mask. Everything replayed in her head.
She shot upright and looked around quickly, then her eyes darted to the wall clock.
"Holy—eleven o'clock?" she gasped. "Why didn't Sophia wake me?"
Disappointment surged through her as she jumped off the bed. She darted into the bathroom, brushed quickly, took a rushed shower, and threw on some clean clothes. Within minutes, she was making her way downstairs.
Sophia was curled up on the couch with a controller in hand, completely immersed in a video game. Linda paused, taking in the sight for a moment. Sophia looked so carefree.
Sophia finally looked up and smiled when she saw her. "Hey, Linda. Good morning, sleepyhead."
Linda raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you wake me?"
Sophia shrugged with a gentle voice. "You looked really worn out, like... seriously. I didn't want to disturb you."
She placed the controller down and stood. Her expression turned more serious as she walked closer. "Where did you even go last night? You looked like you'd fought a mountain lion. And you had a bruise on your lip. Did you fight?"
Linda smiled faintly, brushing off the question. "It's fine."
Sophia didn't look convinced, but she let it go for now. "You hungry?"
"What did you have for breakfast?" Linda asked, making her way toward the dining area.
"Just bread and jam," Sophia said. "We're basically out of groceries. I was thinking of going to the mall later."
"Bills on me," Linda said casually as she poured herself a small cup of coffee. "I got some money yesterday."
Sophia squinted at her. "You are so mysterious sometimes," she said with a playful smirk. "Where do you even get all the money from? You refuse money from your parents, and yet you cover up the bills."
Linda grinned but didn't answer.
Just then, a knock echoed from the front door.
Linda froze, her coffee halfway to her lips. She placed the cup down carefully and walked toward the door and opened it.
Standing outside were Sofia, Jae Min, and Alex.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"
Jae Min gave a small wave, looking his usual awkward self. Sofia raised her brows with a teasing smile.
"Wow. Aren't we welcome?"
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that," Linda said quickly, moving aside so they could enter. "I'm just... surprised to see you guys."
Alex walked past her first, nodding politely. "You look worse than I expected," he said.
Linda chuckled, locking the door behind them. "I could say the same."
After Linda welcomed them in, the group stepped into the living room. The sound of a video game blared faintly from the TV, where Sophia was still seated eyes fixed on the screen. She paused the game and turned to greet the guests, wiping her hands on her joggers.
"Hi there!" she said warmly, getting up.
"Guys, this is Sophia". Linda introduced.
Sofia blinked, then laughed. "Wait, you're Sophia? That's wild. I'm Sofia too."
They both stared at each other for a second before laughing again.
"No way," said Sophia. "So you have a Sofia in school". She said staring at Linda.
"It could be different spellings, but I can see it's the same vibe. I love video games too." Sofia chuckled.
"Well, I guess we're not only name twins but also hubby-twins," Sophia grinned returning to her game.
Linda smiled and motioned for the others to sit, then quickly went to the kitchen and returned with a tray of snacks and a few soda cans.
"Here," she said, placing it down. "Eat before the real gist starts."
"Ohh, now I'm intrigued," Alex said, already grabbing a biscuit.
Linda sat cross-legged on the carpet and picked up a can. "Okay. So, last night," she began, "I was attacked."
Sofia's eyes widened. "What?! By who?"
"I don't know," Linda replied, twisting open her soda. "It was this girl with beautiful eyes. She moved like a pro. She was fast, trained, and strong. I had just finished seeing someone and bam! She came out of nowhere and beat me to a pulp."
"Wait, are you serious?" Alex leaned forward with his eyes narrowing.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Linda gave a half-laugh, pointing to the faint bruise on her lip. "Look at this."
Jae Min, who had been silent until now, shifted slightly. He leaned back, acting cool, but inside he knew. He knew exactly who that girl was—but there was no way Linda could connect the dots. He was worried about Linda knowing his identity. Most especially Alex, whom he liked had more now. He didn't want to break his heart.
"Did she say anything?" Sofia asked.
"Not really. She just came for me like she had a reason. I tried to defend myself, but she was faster," Linda said with a sigh. "I feel so useless."
"Don't say that," Jae Min said suddenly, his voice calm. "Anyone can get caught off guard."
Linda gave him a small smile. "Thanks. But I'm not taking this lightly. I'm going to train harder. Find that bitch—and get a rematch."
"You're serious?" Alex asked.
"Oh, dead serious," she said, biting into a cookie. "Next time, I won't go down like that."
There was a brief silence before Sofia let out a low whistle. "Damn, you're hardcore. Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Linda chuckled. "Don't worry, you're safe. Unless you start throwing ninja punches at me in the dark."
Everyone laughed, including Sophia, who was still half-focused on her game.
"Now that the exams are finished, we would hardly see each other. It's so annoying". Sofia said after sipping her soda.
"It's alright, you know. We could visit each other. The holiday would be a bit lengthy but we could see each other twice a week and hang out sometimes". Linda said pating Sofia shoulders.
After a while, the group switched to playing video games together. Alex and Jae Min tried to team up against Linda and Sofia, but the girls beat them mercilessly in every round. Even Sophia jumped in and crushed them in one round, proudly handing the controller back with a smug grin as Linda and Sofia cheered happily.
Time flew by, and eventually, the guests stood up to leave. Linda walked them to the door.
"This was fun," Sofia said, hugging her.
"We'll visit again," Alex added.
Jae Min lingered for a moment. "Take care of that bruise," he said softly, meeting her eyes for a moment longer than usual.
Linda smiled. "I will."
And with that, they waved goodbye and headed off.