Earlier that same morning, at the home of Syd Barrett – 7:20 a.m.
Jody Johansson was training downstairs in the living room, wearing a navy polo shirt and black sports pants.
Her blue aura radiated throughout the entire space. If you looked closely, you'd notice her heavy breathing and the sweat dripping from her face and body.
"..."
But Jody fought through the exhaustion, trying to control her breathing.
She took deep, steady breaths and slowly exhaled. Doing this repeatedly would help her body adjust and build up her mana channels.
She recalled what Syd had told her.
Trying to control her aura felt almost like doing an intense morning workout. It drained her energy and left her sore all over.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
It was the timer app alarm she had set.
"Haaahhhh!! Whew..."
The teen girl let out a big sigh of relief, releasing the built-up fatigue in her body. She felt feverishly hot, as if she had a mild flu, with sweat pouring out from every inch of her, even her fingertips.
She grabbed a soft white towel she had set nearby and began wiping the sweat from her face—and then wiped the drips that had hit the floor.
After that, she reached for the timer app.
35 minutes.
She had managed to maintain her aura for 35 minutes today.
Still 20 minutes short of her target.
More training was needed.
"Jeez, go shower already. You stink of sweat."
Syd Barrett, who had been standing in the kitchen munching cereal straight from the bag, teased from behind, waving his hand dramatically in front of his nose.
"..."
Jody smiled faintly and turned toward him.
"You know, that really hurts. My soap costs a lot, you know."
She let out a light chuckle as she stood up. She knew he was just messing with her.
"..."
Syd shook his head and went to the fridge, pulling out his favorite strawberry milk gallon. He grabbed a red bowl and brought both the cereal and milk to the center table before sitting down.
Then he looked up and asked:
"Hey... do you usually pour milk first then cereal, or cereal first then milk?"
"...The eternal debate. What made you ask that all of a sudden?"
Jody wiped sweat off herself and sat at the same table.
"I usually pour cereal first... but for some reason it always gets soggy before I can finish. Feels like a waste. But if I pour milk first, I can't gauge the cereal amount…"
"Hm…"
Jody scratched her chin.
"How about this—I've got a new method to suggest."
"What method?"
"Pour both at the same time."
"!"
"...Damn… genius."
Syd gave her a "that's actually smart" look and started pouring both milk and cereal into the bowl at once.
He took a gulp of strawberry milk, then dug in with his spoon.
But then, he felt something...
He looked up from his bowl to find the American girl sitting across from him staring at everything he did.
She gazed at him warmly, raising her eyebrows as if to ask, "What?"
"…What are you looking at?"
"...Nothing."
Yeah right.
"Want some?" He offered the cereal bag to her, waving his hand.
Jody took it… only to set it beside herself, not even touching it.
"…Huh?"
Syd furrowed his brow.
"….."
Jody smiled at him, amused.
"…What are you staring at?"
"Nothing~"
"You want some?"
He pretended to throw a playful punch at her.
"No thanks~ I'm scared~"
"Seriously, what are you looking at?"
"You, duh."
Jody smiled sweetly, and that made Syd squint at her suspiciously.
"…Why are you looking at me like that…"
"I dunno. I think you're kinda cute."
"I think only weirdos like you would ever say that."
"What? There's nothing wrong with it. You are cute… kinda makes me feel like I have a little brother."
"…Do Americans have no shame, saying stuff like that?"
"Nope. I just don't feel shame."
Syd gave her a middle finger.
And then, something unexpected happened—Jody reached out and started petting his head.
"Hey!"
Syd grabbed her wrist, trying to pull it away.
But Jody kept petting him, smiling to herself with joy.
"You damn foreigner, knock it off!"
"..."
She let go.
"You've crossed the line now…"
"I really don't get it... why are people afraid of you, Syd? You're actually kinda adorable. Haha."
"Watch it, limpy. I'll kick your legs out from under you…"
Syd took another spoonful of cereal.
"Jeez, this feels like some cheesy Netflix teen rom-com. What, you gonna ask me out or something?"
"…Wanna?"
Syd froze on the spot.
"...."
He looked at her face, unsure if she was joking or being serious. Jody was always calm and reserved, so he really couldn't tell…
The air between them went quiet. They stared at each other, neither blinking. Jody's face didn't show much emotion, but Syd noticed—her ears had turned noticeably red.
But then—
Ding dong!
"..."
Both turned toward the door.
"…They're here."
They immediately backed off from each other.
"I'm gonna go shower."
"…Yeah."
Syd went to open the door and greet the guests.
Jody walked upstairs to the second floor. She grabbed her towel and a fresh set of clothes she had prepared earlier, and headed into the upstairs bathroom.
Click!
She closed the door. Then locked it.
Leaning her head against the bathroom door, Jody quietly reflected on what had just happened, hand resting on her chest.
"....."
"…Fuuuu…"
40 minutes later
After showering and changing into a short-sleeved blue shirt and shorts, Jody came downstairs.
She heard it—the chatter of multiple voices coming from the living room. They had arrived.
"....."
When Jody stepped into the living room, she came face to face with two new arrivals…
The first person was a short-haired Asian guy with blue hair, chatting with Syd. They were about the same height—though Syd seemed just a little taller. Compared to Jody, though, she guessed she was about the same height as him.
The other was a tomboyish girl with brown hair streaked with a muted yellow, the same shade as Syd's. She had bright red eyes—exactly like her brother—and was typing away at a laptop on the table.
As soon as Jody stepped into the room, both the newcomers and Syd turned to her.
"Oh!"
The Japanese guy was the first to speak. His eyes were playful and welcoming.
"Jody? You're Jody, right?!"
He walked up to her and extended his hand.
"Jody Johansson—'Racist Bastard' told me all about you. I gotta say, you're seriously impressive!"
His warm smile and friendly tone instantly eased the tension.
"But uh (eyeing her head to toe)... Jesus, why are you so tall...?"
"You must be Toshi, right? I saw your picture."
Jody smiled and shook his hand.
"Toshi Ishii. Or Tosh, if Japanese names are a hassle. Nice to meet you. Looks like we'll be working together for a while~"
After the handshake, only one person remained. She was shorter than Sera, probably around 165 cm—just slightly above Jody's shoulder height.
"..."
But this girl's presence felt intense. Jody could sense it immediately.
It was quiet—but not calm. It was a dangerous quiet.
Her face was defined by her lashes and brows, giving her a naturally stern expression—like she was always mad at someone.
"...Roxxy."
Her voice was deeper than expected for her age—a husky tone kept under tight control. It reminded Jody of a more serious, colder version of herself.
The two shook hands—but as soon as their skin touched, Jody felt it.
A sudden coldness—like ice.
She jerked her hand back in reflex and saw white ice crystals forming on her skin.
"?!"
Startled, Jody instinctively activated her power—her tornado symbol flared, and blue aura surged around her, a spiral of air forming defensively on instinct.
She looked at Roxxy and saw her aura: a soft red glow, and a symbol of a snowflake.
"Roxxy, stop."
Syd placed a hand on Roxxy's shoulder, and the ice on Jody's hand slowly melted away.
Then came—
"...More intense than I expected."
Roxxy's voice shared Jody's same calm, slow tone—but it lacked the depth. It was soft, yet still hit hard—Jody immediately realized Roxxy was the kind of person who could say just a few words and leave someone emotionally wrecked.
"..."
"Roxxy Barrett," she introduced herself before turning back to her laptop.
"That… was your power?"
Jody asked.
Roxxy nodded silently.
"And you?" Jody turned to Toshi, only to freeze in shock—another Syd Barrett was now standing in the room.
"?!"
She was completely thrown off until Syd, standing next to Roxxy, casually picked up a glass of water and splashed it on the other Syd.
The water-drenched face began to melt, revealing the true face underneath—Toshi Ishii.
His aura glowed gray, and his symbol was a pair of overlapping masks.
"..."
Toshi looked irritated as water dripped from his face.
"You asshole. Could've asked if I was okay before throwing water in my face…" he grumbled at Syd.
"Shut it, you damn weeb. I'm the boss here."
"Oh wow, getting all alpha now just 'cause your buddy showed up? Missed me that much, huh?"
"Damn right. Been ages since we had a reunion like this. Turn around, lemme smack that ass."
"No thanks, Zest king."
These two were clearly very close.
"That's your power?" Jody asked.
"Yep."
Toshi nodded.
"I can shapeshift. Not flashy or fantastical, but I can copy everything—from fingerprints to retinal lenses."
"…So you can become that person completely?"
"Exactly. Any gender, any age... If the target's a girl—don't get me wrong—it's not pervy or anything. Even that down there disappears."
"…Whoa. That's insane…"
Toshi summoned a white-patterned mask.
"My power manifests in an object. When I want to shift, I use this mask."
He pointed at Syd while continuing to explain.
"That means if I turn into this asshole, I could check his PornHxb history on his phone. Y'know this freak likes the—"
"Hey, shut your damn mouth."
Syd kicked Toshi, chasing him across the room.
Did he just call him "Racist Bastard"? Jody raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you call him that?"
"Cause he is. I bet he's already called you Whitey, right?"
"...Oof."
She chuckled—it was true.
"Racist my ass, you yellow ape."
Syd tackled Toshi to the ground and started tickling his sides, making the Japanese boy burst out laughing.
"If I'm a yellow ape, then you're a whole damn zoo."
"Shut it, anime country."
"See, Jody? This guy's like a walking Twitter cancellation."
To Jody, it felt like watching two kids mess around. Or monkeys. Yeah—monkeys was more accurate. Grown men acting like children… it was kind of adorable.
But then she realized—one person was missing.
"Wait... where's the last one? Mickey, right? Where's he?"
Syd and Toshi stood up and brushed off their clothes. Syd replied,
"He left, but he's on his way back now."
"Wait… Zest king?"
"That's what we call Mickey. He's not actually gay, but he's so pretty he gets mistaken for a girl all the time."
Toshi added in.
"Mickey went to run a little 'test' on Sera, borrowed Syd's uniform."
"Test Sera? Test what?"
"He just wanted to see what she'd do if she got ambushed… see if she'd rat us out."
Syd explained.
"And? What happened?"
"C'mon, Jody… you think I'd bring someone like you or her in if I couldn't tell who was reliable? Huh?"
"Sure, Mr. Genius."
"Whatever, donkey."
"Shut it. Zip it."
Syd flipped Toshi the finger. But Toshi kept talking.
"It's also standard protocol. If we bring civilians into a mission, we're obligated to protect them."
"…Protect? So that means Thrak's higher-ups already know Syd brought me and Sera in?"
"Since day one."
The one who answered was Roxxy. She didn't look up from her screen.
"You two are under observation… from every side."
"..."
Jody tensed up instantly.
"…And when all this is over… what are they going to do with me?"
Roxxy didn't answer. Instead, she turned to her brother.
"Tell her, Syd."
"….."
"You're one of us now... and your ability's caught the eye of the Masters. They're probably going to recruit you."
Masters?
"…You mean like you guys?"
"There are lots of roles in the organization. But from what I've seen—if they train you as a spy like us… this guy right here might start sweating."
Toshi grinned.
"Sweating? Ha! Over this lizard looking ahh?"
Syd smacked the back of Toshi's head.
"…Syd? Sweating? Why?"
Jody's curiosity peaked.
"Everyone in the org knows, Jody. This bastard's a prodigy. Other spies are like—"
But before Toshi could finish, Roxxy cleared her throat.
"Ahem."
"…."
Everything fell silent.
Toshi looked like he just realized his mistake. More than that—he was visibly intimidated by Roxxy. Like he had massive respect (or fear) for her. He shut up immediately.
"In any case… if you ever get the urge to deck this guy, Jody—I won't stop you. He's got enemies lined up waiting to jump him."
Toshi joked.
"You're damn right."
Syd shot back.
"Toshi, that's not fair. Syd's not that bad. But seriously… who came up with the nickname 'Zest king' for Mickey?"
"…."
Toshi didn't answer. He just glanced sideways—at Syd.
"So you're not just a racist, but homophobic too, huh?"
"Jody. Shut up."