"So remind me... I literally just have to yell the name of these powers?"

"Precisely."

Naeun can only sigh. She's alone in her apartment, standing in the empty space of her living room. It's just after dark and she's wrapped yet another day at work trying to find answers to where Khan took Huh Gak. It's been a couple weeks since his abduction, and the search has turned up empty every day. In the meantime, she's gotten to know more about Alpha, the AI from the lost craft from the future, who has since been stored in Naeun's morpher.

"Remember: the activation will cause the fiery aura that you told me you saw when you first manifested the suit to appear."

"Why doesn't that aura feel hot?"

"It'd take some time to explain, but essentially the creators managed to synthesize some connection to the Morph-"

"You know what, it's fine. Maybe it's best if I don't know."

"But you see, Miss Naeun, you're quite the smart lass, hence why I'm happy to oblige-"

"Alpha, it's fine."

-

"Unnie!"

"Seeun, what are you doing here?"

"Everything alright?"

"Yea, let's just go home."

"...come on, unnie. Answer me for real."

(Long sigh)

"This is getting tiring, unnie. Eunji-unnie and Sooah-unnie have been so nice to you. Why can't you just appreciate that?"

"Seeun, please don't go there with me-"

"LISTEN, unnie, I don't know why you can be so dense sometimes. But if you think for one second that they aren't being genuine in at least trying to help you, you're going to be thanking me later on for proving you wrong."

(Pouting sigh)

"You should know how all the gossip spreads around like wildfire at our school. I know for a fact that Eunji-unnie and Sooah-unnie had to stand up for you again. I didn't get a chance to thank them before Eunji-unnie had to go to detention AGAIN."

(Shaking head)

"It'll only be a matter of ti- Sooah-unnie!"

"Seeun! Naeun! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Sooah-unnie... thank you. I'm so sorry Eunji-unnie keeps getting in trouble over Naeun-unnie!"

"You don't need to thank us, Seeun. The amount of BS that you two endure is horrid. I don't understand why people keep picking on folks like you. I can only imagine what it was like for you in Seoul..."

"You see un- wait... unnie?! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!"

-

"I sense something in you, Miss Naeun."

Naeun lets out a long sigh.

"Don't worry, Miss Naeun. I won't be offended. Did my persistence trigger you?"

"How is it that you can pick up on this?"

"You should know that I sat in your parking lot for a while. I've learned how you and your fellow officers interact. I'm just curious as to what makes you tick."

Naeun can feel something boiling within her, ready to burst through her head at the crown. "After all this time, you've been spying on us like an AI gone mad?!"

"I was observing, not spying, Miss Naeun." Alpha says, calmly. "Also, I am merely an assistant technology. I am programmed to help human needs, not to tell you what to do. To my understanding, that is what a human seeks from us, and I cannot provide that."

Naeun shakes her head slowly. Whatever was boiling has subsided. And now she begins to feel the cold that she's so used to in her apartment. "Then how do you explain correcting me on how to address you?"

"That is an exception, Miss Naeun. It's wired into my programming."

Naeun dips her head down even further, beginning to let her eyes float toward the ground.

"Miss Naeun, I am ultimately only capable of providing choices. It is on you for what you choose to do. For example, you could attempt to morph here or take a rest to recuperate. Your call."

Naeun can only sigh.

-

"Namjoo!"

"Sungjae! Hey!"

"What do you think? Who comes out on top today?"

"Why even ask this anymore, doofus? I've beaten you every time."

"I want to make sure your conviction remains the same. May the best racer win."

-

"Namjoo!"

"...huh?"

"You alright there?"

"Oh... sorry, Eunji-unnie... must've been daydreaming again..."

"I find you doing that often. What do you dream about?"

"...the old days. Back when I was racing..."

-

"Sungjae! Sungjae!"

"Sup, champ?"

"You always seem to give me a scare out there."

"Can't let the champ off easy, can I?"

"You always just seem to fall short..."

"Hey, you're better, hence why you win."

"C'mon, you're lying. You know how good you also are."

"Not as good as you. Anyway, I gotta head out early."

"Again? You're always doing this... you can't ever hang out after, can you?"

"You know how we all have jobs outside this racing stuff. It's an odd job for me to get some extra cash, ya know? It's why you only see me here now. Plus, you're on the cusp of joining the force. I'm really proud of you."

"Mmm... I just hope we can hang again some day. Just like the good old days."

-

"No kidding... weekend races? And you won every time?"

"Yea... I guess it's why the Captain and the rest of the higher-ups wanted me as a driver for units when I graduated. I can weave through traffic like it's nothing!"

"You have to show me. It's super cool that you had all that!"

"I still do, unnie. Nothing's changed! Maybe you should sit with me the next time a race pops up on TV. I don't watch dramas and fashion shows all the time!"

-

The next morning, Naeun wakes up with the sun shining right into her closed eyes.

"Nnnh..."

Slowly opening her eyes, she shields them as she looks at her clock at her bedside, yawning as she sees that she's woken up a little early.

"Good morning, Miss Naeun. Did you have a good rest?" Alpha asks in a soft voice.

"Mmm..." Naeun mumbles with low energy.

"Take your time, Miss Naeun."

-

Namjoo awakens with a start. For a second, she thought she saw Sungjae pass her in a race! Looking around, she sees that the others are gone.

"Unnie? Hello?" she says with a drawl.

"Unnie!"

Namjoo turns her head to where the voice came from. "Oh! Hayoung-ie!" She sees her dongsaeng peering out from the bathroom with a toothbrush in and a towel wrapped around her hair.

"The unnies went out for a quick walk. I'm getting ready."

"I see... did you sleep well?"

Hayoung nods her head.

"Ok, I'm going to make my cushion here."

"Mmm..." Hayoung says as she closes her door.

Namjoo stretches her arms out. The apartment is a little dark with the curtains still up. She takes that her unnies didn't want to awaken her.

"Aigoo... my hair!" Hayoung says as she leaves the bathroom, frantically trying to dry it.

"No need to worry, Hayoung. I can help you!" Namjoo says as she heads off to look for the hair dryer.

"Thank you, unnie!" Hayoung says as she plops onto a chair at the kitchen counter. "Unnie, you might be late for work if you stay too long. When the unnies come back, I'll be going off with them."

"Don't worry about it, Hayoung. I actually asked for the day off." Namjoo says as she plugs in the hair dryer.

"Oh, I didn't know!"

"I think I only told Eunji-unnie, who will probably tell Chorong-unnie and Bomi-unnie. Besides, if I was to go with y'all today, I would've been ready also. You know how fast I am. Just like on the race track!"

-

Will Naeun and Alpha work more harmoniously? What will Namjoo do on her day off? Is Huh Gak ever going to be found? Find out next chapter!

-

A/N: Bit of a slower chapter this time around. Be prepared, though: someone will be in the spotlight next, and you'll probably be able to guess who.
Hope y'all have enjoyed reading! Any feedback will be much appreciated!