Safe Zone (NF, NP, ML, EB, JP)

Chapter Five

A/N: WOO new character(s) alert

Milk stood frozen for a moment after Love left, staring at the steam curling off her tea. Her fingers tightened around the cup until her knuckles whitened.

Namtan raised both brows. “...Soo. What was that?”

Milk forced a small laugh, setting her tea down. “Just Love being… Love.”

“Mm.” Namtan wasn’t convinced. She grabbed a banana off the counter, peeling it slow. “She’s not usually that intense unless she smells blood.”

“Blood?” Milk shot her a look.

“You know what I mean.” Namtan shrugged, chewing casually. “Secrets. Drama. Someone hiding something.”

Milk bit her lip, gaze flickering to the hallway Love disappeared down.

__________

Meanwhile, Love was back in her room, phone open, scrolling through the photos she’d snapped from Milk’s drawer. Her thumb hovered over the threatening note again and again.

The words glared back at her:

Stay away from her, or you’ll regret it.

Love frowned, zooming in, studying the handwriting. It wasn’t Milk’s. She knew Milk’s scrawl, round letters, messy loops. This one was sharp, deliberate.

Her jaw clenched.
“So who the hell were you protecting me from, Milk?”

___________

Later that night, the house was quiet. Emi and Natt were half-asleep on the couch with some random rom-com playing. Namtan had gone upstairs.

Milk sat at the dining table with her laptop open, pretending to type an email. She wasn’t. She was staring at the blinking cursor, lost in thought.

Love appeared silently, pulling out the chair across from her.

Milk startled. “You scared me.”

“Good.” Love rested her chin on her hand, eyes locking on her. “Keeps you honest.”

Milk exhaled through her nose, trying not to let her irritation show. “What do you want, Love?”

“The truth.”

Milk’s jaw tightened. “About what?”

Love pulled out her phone, tapped the screen, and slid it across the table. The threatening note filled the display.

Milk froze. Her face went pale.

Love’s voice was low, calm, but edged with steel.
“Who wrote this?”

Milk’s throat bobbed as she swallowed.
“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t.” Love leaned forward, eyes burning. “I found it in your drawer. Next to pages where you literally admitted you didn’t want me to hate myself.”

Milk’s breath hitched.

Love pressed on.
“So, I’ll ask you one more time. Who made you leave me?”

The knock at the door saved Milk from having to answer.

Emi groaned but got up anyway, unlocking it. When the door swung open, two familiar faces stood waiting—Jingjing and Piploy, both holding travel bags.

“Evening,” Piploy said, polite as ever. “We were told to report here immediately.”

Love frowned, setting her mug down. “Report… here?”