When she got the job at The Cusp, Wren conceded to seeing Luka again. Initially, she had no intention of finding her. Now, she didn’t even need to. Luka had just marched back into her life like it was nothing.

She even asked her to walk her to Lotus Academy. It was such a ridiculously mundane task that she wanted to say no. Yet there was something in Luka’s eyes that stopped her. She didn’t know why, but something in her guts told her she would regret it if she rejected her now.

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Just as she spun on her heels and ready to walk downstairs, Wren heard Asher clawing at the door. He had gone from vocally complaining to scratching Bellamy’s door.

“Asher, stop.”

“Meeeoow!!”

When he wasn’t being the helpful cat that he was supposed to be, he was just annoyingly clingy.

“Ugh… hold on.”

Wren unlocked the door and stepped inside to find Asher’s harness and leash. Asher practically squeezed himself into the harness when she held it out. Then she walked out with a black cat whipping his tail back and forth.

“Hi, Asher,” Luka said.

He meowed back at her. He then pulled on the leash, telling Wren he wanted to go. So they began walking.

She’d expected Luka to say something during, but she was silent. This was the second time Luka had made her slow down and walk. Wren could’ve easily made three loops around this town on her motorcycle. Since Wren didn’t want to be caught looking at her, she chose to take in the scenery.

Locust Town changed a lot in the past ten years. The stores that she remembered were no longer here. Her old primary school was gone. More trees were planted around the town, acting almost like an extension of Asacia Park.

She and Luka used to live toward the north of the town, while now they were at the center in the proximity of Lotus Academy. At least… as centered as they could be, given how much of the western land Asacia Park consumed. If it wasn’t for the Park, Locust Town could’ve been big enough to be considered a city.

There weren’t a lot of people on the street at first, but the density began to show once they were near the Academy. Wren grabbed the sunglasses hanging on the collar of her shirt and put them on. She wasn’t sure who attended this school, but she wasn’t planning on being careless in case there were Natives here.

Luka stared, but Wren ignored her.

“Um. Thanks for walking me,” Luka said as they got to the entrance. “A-anyway, I gotta go. I’m late for class.”

She turned, and began running like her life depended on it. Wren raised a brow, wondering why she didn’t mention that she was late. Asher cried out, tugging on his leash. She picked him up, wrestling with him as he tried to squirm out of her grip.

“Asher. Stop it.”

Ding!

Her phone vibrated. She pulled down the zipper in her jacket pocket, and took it out. While she did this, Asher escaped her clutch, though he was still tied to her via the leash.

Bell.A: What did Luka want?

Wren: She wanted me to walk with her to school…

Bell.A: Oh.

Asher had stopped pulling on the leash and instead used Wren as a climbing pole. He stared at the phone like he knew how to read. Wren readjusted him on her shoulder, so that he wouldn’t slip and shred her jacket in a panic.

Bell.A: Can you walk Luka home? I’d appreciate it!

Wren: …

Wren: No.

Bell.A: :((((((

Bell.A: [sticker of a puppy with teary eyes begging with a text that says PLEASE]

Wren groaned, her throat rumbling.

Wren: What am I? Her babysitter? No.

Wren: Besides, I have work in an hour. I’m not gonna be home until eight.

She turned off her screen and shoved it back into her jacket. It was time for her to walk back home and get ready for work.

———

Beau Danaus sat on the patio seating, the same one as Luka from yesterday. The Cusp wasn’t busy, so Wren presumed she was just taking advantage of being the boss and having herself a cup of tea. Beau sat with an elegance, legs crossed, that could only stem from a wealthy upbringing. It was the one moment so far that Wren could see her coming from the House of Danaus.

“Ah, Wren, you’re here,” Beau said, her eyes locking with hers.

Apparently, she wasn’t just having tea. She’d been waiting for her.

“Seems like someone owes me money,” she mused.

Wren frowned. Who owed her money?

The woman seemed to read her, and explained, “I made a bet with Imon that you’ll show up today. Even after that rather grueling session he made you do.”

Ah, yes. Yesterday’s “grueling work.” The head cook gave her the task of two people and criticized her throughout. Then the cooks who were supposed to do the task took a break in the corner of the kitchen.

From the way Imon’s eyes blazed through her, she thought he would’ve brought her to the back and beat her, but if this was supposed to be grueling and disparaging, then Wren must’ve had it easy. Her professors at Culinary Institute of Insecta, and even her mother, were more unreasonable and demanding than Imon could ever be.

These Natives were soft. She wasn’t going to tell them, though. No need to rile them up.

“It’s just the first day,” Wren said.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Beau replied. “Anyway, you better hurry inside. We’ve got a big party coming in two hours. They reserved the whole place.”

Wren would’ve asked, but she learned that asking only got her reprimanded. She would find out in two hours anyway. So she gave Beau a nod and walked inside.

A small walk-in closet sat beside the kitchen door, a time-tracking tablet mounted on the wall beside it. Inside, hooks held jackets under a single hanging bulb. There was a free hook for Wren. She had worn her chef coat underneath, and since Beau said the piercings were fine, she left them in.

The kitchen was narrow enough that passing someone would require you to turn sideways. It was probably the smallest kitchen she’d worked in yet. A long prep counter ran along the left wall. Opposite it was a flat-top griddle, two burners, and a single oven. The extractor fan ran loud enough that everyone always sounded a little angrier than they were. Bright strips overhead, leaving no shadows hidden.

Imon didn’t look too pleased seeing her in the kitchen, but he greeted her all the same. She returned the gesture and turned to look at the schedule pinned on the cork board. They had her on prep duty, so it was just going to be a lot of cutting and stock and sauce making.

Although Wren learned a lot at the Culinary Institute, what she specialized in was Indian-Asian cuisine. An entirely different spectrum from The Cusp, which was French-Italian. She got a lot of advice in the form of criticism from Imon yesterday about her cutting technique and how she made the stock and sauces too bold.

The recipes for the stock and sauces were taped onto the wall. She noticed new pieces of laminated paper were attached. It was the different cutting techniques shown in step-by-step pictures.

“Heh…” She let out a small chuckle.

These Natives really were soft.

“Alright, let’s get it moving! We’ve gotta get ready for the party at one!” Imon shouted, jolting the other cook into a hurried frenzy.

He kept a close eye on Wren. She followed the instructions of the cutting technique and sped up once she began getting used to it. He didn’t say anything then, not even when she was making the chicken stock. But once it came to the sauces like Béchamel and Velouté, he was hovering over her like a hawk. She made sure to follow the recipe to the T instead of feeling it by taste, because apparently… her taste was too bold for these people.

The hours passed by, and soon the party arrived.

Wren glanced out the kitchen window, seeing all the customers in business or business casual suits, and assumed this was a company party. They didn’t look like anyone too special to her, so she paid them no mind.

She wasn’t on serving duty. The only thing she needed to do was to support the head cook.

Although, from the way she saw Beau talking to one of the men, she assumed she knew who he was or maybe she was trying to curry favors. The House of Danaus was known to have a vast number of connections.

After the busy party, the rest of the evening was quiet. Enough for the other cook, whose name Wren hadn’t gotten yet, to start a conversation.

“Say, señorita, you got some huevos to be working here. I mean, at least that’s what I hear.”

He leaned against the reach-in refrigerator toward the door, while Wren studied the recipes. She wasn’t sure of the exact translation, but she understood his meaning.

“I wasn’t planning on coming here.”

“Well, either way, I’m glad to get another morena. Too many gringos around here.”

Imon cleared his throat, a notification that he was still here. He was in the back washing the dishes, something Wren wasn’t expecting the head cook to do.

“Hey! Luka works here too, you know,” Beau said, poking her head in the kitchen window.

“You know what I mean, jefa. I was so sad when that kid quit.”

“Don’t remind me about that,” Beau groaned. “He has the gall to quit because that witch whispered sweet nothings, then he comes back a month later begging for his job. Like I would let someone who’s so easily poached to come back.”

The cook snorted. “Oh, man! I remember that. Pobre cabrón.”

Even during a quiet period for the cafe, the kitchen was still lively. It made it hard for Wren to study the recipes. It wasn’t like she wanted to listen in. Though her ears perked at what was said next.

“Lu! Back again, are you?”

“Hi, Ms. Danaus.”

Finally, she peeled her eyes off of the recipes and saw Luka’s head poking through the kitchen window. She seemed to notice Wren’s stare, and waved at her. Wren didn’t wave back.

Was Luka here to check up on her? She didn’t like that one bit.

She watched Luka grab a drink before heading over to the patio, and from now to closing time, Luka had her table littered with school work. Wren was lucky there wasn’t another big party coming, because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop herself from observing Luka.

Couldn’t she have done that at home? Why was she doing it here?

Only after Wren clocked out did she have an idea why Luka was here.

“Hey, Wren,” Luka said, hurriedly packing away her things. “Do you want to walk home together?”

“No. I came here with my motorcycle.”

“Oh. Uh.” She slipped on her backpack and stepped off the patio. “Can you drive me home?”

Wren frowned. “You could’ve gone home already. Why are you waiting for me?”

Luka’s grip tightened around her backpack. “I… I just wanted to be outside. Y-you know, get a different scenery. Since I’m always inside my apartment.”

That didn’t answer Wren’s question, but she thought back on this morning. How she could detect a tinge of concern in Bellamy’s voice, even though she played it up as a casual request. How her gut told her not to reject Luka’s mundane task. Even the fact that Bellamy had also asked her to walk Luka home.

She scratched her head, easing the simmering frustration, and grumbled. Then she made her decision. She just hoped she still had a spare helmet.

“You’re annoying, you know that? Come on.”

Table of Content

Luka didn’t get a response back from Bellamy, but she stood in the train station. Waiting near the platform gates without any reassurance that Bellamy would show. She just knew that this was the closest station to their apartment. If Bellamy did see her text, she could easily walk over from school. If she went somewhere far, then she would end up at this station on her way home.

Still, Bellamy hadn’t sent a message back. So whatever she was doing, she must’ve been real busy.

Luka paced back and forth the station for an hour. She even got questioned by some of the police on patrol.

It wasn’t uncommon for the police to approach people. Luka wasn’t special. Usually, when she explained her situation, they would leave her alone.

However, after what Wren told her, and after her searches on Insecta, she was hyper-aware to the things she always thought was normal.

The two policemen put on a pacifying tone, and it didn’t make Luka any less nervous at the sight of the rifles slung over their shoulders. When she noticed one of the men place their hand on the holster, her heart skipped a beat.

Last summer, she remembered her cousins from China talking about how crazy it was for the Insecta police to be so militarized. They even joked that Insecta managed to one-up the United States. Though Luka wasn’t sure what that meant.

“I-I swear, I’m just waiting for someone,” Luka said to the two policemen.

They looked at each other, then at her. Sweat trickled down her neck, a rather incredible feat considering the temperature had gone below ten degrees. Maybe because she was so nervous, they found her suspicious.

The man on the right said, “A person reported that you’ve been here for an hour. Are you sure they’re coming?”

Who’s been watching me for an hour?

Her heart was thumping so hard she could hear it in her ears. She gulped, hoping to swallow the shallow breaths that were desperate to break through. It was no use. Luka faltered, taking a step back. It must’ve given the policemen the wrong signal, because their gentle expression hardened.

“Luka!”

The voice came from behind, one that actually managed to pacify her tense chest. Bellamy ran over, her cheeks pink from the cold, breath coming out in small clouds.

She grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry, have you been waiting long?”

“O-oh. Um. Not really.”

She glanced at the men, who seemed surprised that she actually was waiting for someone. Or, at least, that was what she assumed. They gave her a quick apology and continued on with their patrol.

Bellamy’s grip tightened, almost like she knew how much Luka had been shaking.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine now,” Luka replied.

She gave Bellamy a small smile, hoping that would convince her.

It didn’t.

“This thing that you want to talk to me about… is it the same one from this morning?”

Luka should’ve known she was still thinking about it. She took in a deep breath. Since she was here, she might as well say it… well… maybe not here.

“Let’s get out of here first,” Luka said. “There’s a cafe nearby.”

“Sure.”

They made their way to a small coffee shop that was right outside the train station. Once they walked up the stairs and onto the ground floor, it was the first thing they saw.

Despite the shop being in their final hour, there were still plenty of people sitting inside. The dim light and dark wood setting gave this place an almost library atmosphere. Bellamy went to order while Luka took a seat at a two-person table.

Only when they separated did Luka notice Bellamy had held her hand the whole way here.

Maybe this was her way of comforting Luka. It certainly worked. Although now all Luka could think was how soft Bellamy’s hand was and what lotion she used. She’d be lying if she didn’t think Bellamy was a pretty woman, whether it was just genetics or her lavish upbringing. Or maybe both.

Once everything was in order—Bellamy sitting opposite Luka, and the both of them with a drink in hand—Luka finally… asked Bellamy what lotion she used.

Bellamy tilted her head. “Hm? I use Jezebelle.”

That’s like the most expensive brand here. Wait! This isn’t what I was supposed to ask her. Aaahh… I’m just delaying the inevitable.

Another deep breath in, Luka steeled herself. “I need you to promise me that you won’t tell Wren about this.”

Bellamy stayed quiet, her blue eyes dropping to her drink. But Luka needed to hear it from her, so she repeated.

“Okay… I promise,” Bellamy said.

Finally. For real, this time. Luka finally told Bellamy about what she’d been going through for the past week.

“What?” Bellamy was aghast. “Have you told Mr. Holt about this?”

“Yeah. He said I should be happy I’m getting free lunch.”

Bellamy frowned, her cheeks puffed. “The nerve of that man! I’m going to file a complaint to the Housing Office.”

Luka was close to saying something like, “Wait, no! Don’t do it! That’s too much trouble.” But considering what she heard from Mr. Holt… she wasn’t going to worry too much if Bellamy did it.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to tell Wren about it? She wakes up really early, and she can keep an eye out.”

“She just moved back and is starting her new job. I’d rather not give her more things to juggle.”

How could Luka, the girl who caused so much trouble for Wren back then, be daring enough to ask her for help? She even yelped and called her a wasp when she saw her yesterday.

I must’ve hurt her when I did that… and I haven’t even made a proper apology.

“B-besides, I feel much better now that I’ve told you about it.”

Her psychology professor was right. Just talking to Bellamy helped ease her mental stress. Though the opposite could be said for Bellamy herself.

“I’d feel better when you don’t have to deal with this anymore,” Bellamy sulked.

Luka didn’t know what to say to that. So she stayed quiet and finished the rest of her tea.

They left the shop just a couple minutes before closing and began walking home. Luka noticed Bellamy was holding her hand again. The warmth gave her enough courage to brave through this cold with only a button-up. It did make her wonder.

Would anyone mistake them for being girlfriends? Especially those who attended Lotus Academy?

She heard a lot of talks about Bellamy from her male classmates in the computer science branch. According to them, she was the woman of their dreams. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. An enticing smile. Kind to almost everyone. Incredibly out of their realm.

Luka wasn’t much for gossip, but she had to agree with them. Now that she knew the influence Bellamy’s family had, she wasn’t sure if she had the right to be her friend. Yet here she was, walking home and holding hands with her.

“S-say… Bellamy…”

“Hm?” She turned, giving her full attention to Luka.

“This might sound dumb, but I finally realized you’re from the House of Apis.”

“Really?” Her voice was low, and eyes now gazing ahead.

“Yeah. I don’t fully understand what that all means. I was quite surprised when I saw your family name on the list.”

“And?”

Luka gawked. It seemed like Bellamy wanted her to get to the point. The point being… maybe Luka wasn’t worthy. She was just a lowly Citizen.

“You… oh. Hehe. I guess that’s why we get along so well.”

Bellamy’s voice rang in her head . And suddenly, Luka grasped what she meant. The reason why they became friends in the first place was because Luka had no idea. People admired Bellamy, yet kept their distance.

Luka shook her head, and smiled. “Nothing, really. I just thought it was pretty cool.”

Bellamy giggled, delivering a smile that could make anyone fall for her. “My family is pretty cool. I love them.”

Luka swore her heart skipped a beat. She readjusted her grip, her thumb tracing over Bellamy’s delicate skin.

While inside her mind, she thought: Her smile always reminded me of someone, and I never knew who until now… it was Wren.

———

The third time… was not the charm, apparently.

Luka didn’t find a lunch box outside her home. And here she was, braced for another one that never came.

Could this mean her stalker had gotten bored of her? Or maybe they saw her throw away yesterday’s lunch and figured Luka wasn’t interested? Maybe it wasn’t a stalker and just a socially awkward person who might’ve had a crush on her.

While Luka deluded herself, she heard the door to 206 open. She poked her head out, assuming it was Mosca who was coming out. She was wrong.

A man in a dark suit appeared, his cutting gaze locked onto her almost instantly.

“Eep!”

Luka couldn’t hold in her squeal. How could she? A man thirty centimeters taller than her was glaring at her like she was an unwanted moth. She hadn’t expected this from a man she assumed was mild and inattentive.

Bam!

Luka slammed the door shut. It probably wasn’t the best idea. Still, she had no plan to speak with the man. He didn’t even thank her for saving his wife’s life that night, not that she was looking for appreciation since she would’ve just brushed it aside. However, because he didn’t, that was all she could think about.

A shadow covered the light coming from the slit of her door. Luka pressed her palm against her mouth, knowing that she would’ve yelped if she didn’t.

Who was it? Was it that man? Why wasn’t he knocking?

A bitter dread seeped through the gaps of her door. It froze her in place. She stared at the peephole, a small wave of relief washing over her when she saw it was covered. Although it was immediately overwhelmed by another thought. If she didn’t have her blocker… would they be staring at her?

…

The shadow eventually moved on, taking the taut atmosphere with it.

Luka put down her hand, and let out a breath so long it almost left her empty. She looked at her fingers, still trembling. She shoved them in her navy blue jacket.

Class was starting in twenty minutes. Luka couldn’t miss it. Lotus Academy kept attendance records, something her father looked over every week. She still remembered last year when she missed one class and got an earful from him.

“The next time this happens,” he said, “Don’t rely on me to pay for your apartment.”

She needed to move. Her rooted legs refused. So, she did the next best thing. She called Bellamy.

The call rang once. Then twice.

Come on, Bellamy…

It seemed the third time was the charm, after all.

“Hey!” Bellamy’s voice rang through the phone. “What’s up?”

“Um… Bellamy, are you already at school?”

“Mhm.”

“Oh… do you know if Wren is still at home?”

I know I shouldn’t bother Wren… but I really need to get to class.

“She might be.”

“C-can you call her and ask her to come to my place?”

“Huh? You can just knock…” Bellamy paused, then asked, “Is everything okay?”

Luka’s lips pursed. “Can you please do it for me?”

“Alright. I’ll let her know.”

“Thank you.”

Just the confirmation helped Luka’s rooted legs unravel themselves from the wooden floor. She could pace around now, at least. Heading to the door wasn’t an option, still.

It only took a painstaking five minutes before she heard a knock at the door. She walked over and peered through the peephole to see that it was Wren. She opened the door, so relieved that she didn’t fret over Wren’s annoyed look.

Wren had her hair up again. Luka craned her neck, staring at Wren’s many silver piercings on her left ear, noting the two connected with chains. She couldn’t fathom the fact that the woman in front of her had grown so much taller. Then again, she couldn’t expect her to stay little, not after ten years.

“What do you want?” Wren asked.

“Uh. Can you walk with me to Lotus Academy? I-if you’re not busy.”

Wren clicked her tongue. She was no stranger to expressing her irritation. But she didn’t say no.

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

Table of Content

When I started “The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula,” I only had in mind what the trait of the main characters are. One was scared of bugs and took photos of them. The other cooked.

I didn’t expect to create a whole island that’s deep in historical beef.

Not gonna lie, I did think about the questline “The House Always Win” from Fallout: New Vegas when I made the House of Natives.

A quick history lesson. Insecta was form 200 years ago and stayed uninhabited for 100 years. The SV Monarch got stranded on the island due to a storm with no way to contact the outside world so they settled on the island. These people are the Natives.

There are around 20 known Natives, but five families rose in fame and influence. These are the House of Natives.

Danaus - The Butterfly House
Apis - The Bee House
Mantina - The Mantis House
Tera - The Dragon(fly) House
Heropetra - The True House

As of chapter 6, you’ve already met at least three people from the House of Natives. These people will continue to play an important role in “The Many Problems of Luka Erebi” as they have lots of influence over Insecta.

There are still certain Houses that I haven’t fleshed out, but I know what their roles are.

If you know of insect scientific names (or you put two and two together haha), you’ll see that each of the Houses are named after bugs. Each have their own bug traits that will get explored as the story continues.

I’ll be honest, I think I kinda lost the theme a bit during my writing of the first arc. I can’t change much with it right now, so I’ll just have to steer it back after the first arc.

Luka has been avoiding the problem. Ari has decided that’s no longer an option.

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula.

Twenty-year-old Luka Erebi has two problems: a fear of bugs she’s desperately trying to photograph her way out of, and the sneaking suspicion that someone’s watching her.

The last thing she needs is for her neighbor’s prickly, yellow-eyed cousin to waltz back into her life. Wren Vespula has always been a lot, but they used to be good friends a long time ago.

Luka just never expected her to be this close again.

Read the webnovel

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi is a sapphic friends-to-enemies-to-lover story set on the Nation Islands of Insecta, where your status as a Native or an Invader matters more than who you love.

Luka figured Wren pretty much got the job when she saw Ms. Danaus leading her into the kitchen. What she didn't realize was that Wren would be put to work immediately.

Well, there goes my plan of grabbing lunch with her.

She finished her coffee, and then said goodbye to Wren, who just grunted in response.

“Wow, not even a thank you or anything.”

Luka heard one of her coworkers whisper as she walked out of the cafe. She wasn’t expecting Wren to thank her, so she shrugged it off.

The train ride back home was a little less awkward and intense now that she was alone, but it didn’t make the walk back to her apartment any easier. All she needed was to go back to her room and switch her sling bag with her backpack.

I really should’ve just brought both…

When she got to the stairs, she noticed someone standing at the top. The woman held a laundry basket, probably heading to the laundromat across the street. She still had her plaid apron on, her long brown hair tied and resting on her right shoulder. She saw Luka and gave her a smile.

“Good afternoon, Luka.”

“Hi, Mosca.” She glanced at the laundry basket that seemed over capacity. “How are you?”

“I’m… doing better. Thanks for asking.”

Mosca lived in 206, making her Luka’s next-door neighbor. Although Luka had lived here for almost a year, she never really interacted with Mosca until late of last month. And that was only because chance brought Luka to the bridge towards the eastern side of Locust Town.

The water was really cold back then…

Luka watched Mosca walk down the stairs, observing her fair skin and noting a bit of plumpness compared to last month. The woman, having noticed Luka’s gaze, made eye contact and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“O-oh! Um…”

There wasn’t much Luka knew about this woman, but they exchanged small talk every now and then after the incident. Considering they were next-door neighbors, Luka might as well ask her this, “Have you seen anyone suspicious around the apartment lately? Particularly in the early morning?”

“No, I… haven’t been waking up that early, but I can ask my husband.”

“Thank you. Anyway, I’ll let you go. Bye, Mosca.”

“Bye, Luka.”

Luka ambled up the stairs, thinking about Mosca’s husband. Her only impression of him was how long it took for him to visit Mosca at the hospital. Luka remembered awkwardly sitting in the hospital room, stuck between wanting to go home and not wanting her neighbor to be alone.

I doubt he’s seen anyone, but you never know.

———

Luka saw Ari at the school cafeteria, sitting beside the girl from yesterday… the one she gave the lunch box to. Apparently they were hitting it off.

Ari had her hair in a fishtail braid today, the ends reaching her lower back. She wore her usual grey oversized jacket over a white polo neck and white skinny jeans.

With two wrapped club sandwiches in hand, Luka decided to take a seat far away from Ari and the girl. She didn’t want to bother them. But it seemed Ari wanted to bother her. It only took Luka two bites before Ari sat down in front of her.

Ari pouted, though it was more playful than upset. “You come to get lunch unannounced and now you’re just gonna ignore me?”

Luka glanced back at the girl, who seemed disappointed Ari left. “I didn’t want to disturb you and that girl.”

“Oh, her?” She chuckled. “She really liked that lunch from you. Hasn’t complained about being sick yet.”

“Don’t say it like I made it, and I still can’t believe you gave it to her—”

“So, did you get another one today?” Ari asked abruptly, her expression devoid of the joy she was conveying earlier.

“Uh…”

“You did, didn’t you?” She sighed. “Have you told Bellamy about this?”

Luka avoided her gaze, which was all the answer she needed.

“Why haven’t you told her?”

I really need her to stop reading my mind. And why is she taking this so seriously anyway?

“I was going to tell her yesterday… but things happened and I haven’t gotten a chance.”

Luka took a big bite of her sandwich.

“Bellamy told me you walked with her this morning.”

“Mm!”

It seemed the sandwich went down the wrong hole, and now Luka was choking. A chair scraped against the ground, then footsteps wandered away from Luka before making its way back to her.

Ari placed down a paper cup filled with water, her hand resting against Luka’s back. Luka took the water and drank it down in one gulp. Then she resumed eating, taking smaller bites this time.

“So what was your reason again? You haven’t gotten a chance to talk to her?”

She’s not going to let it go, is she? I should’ve never told her about this…

“Her cousin recently moved in and… I found out she’s someone I used to know when I was a kid.”

“Uh huh. And what’s this got to do with your current situation?” Ari asked, now sitting next to Luka.

“W-well… if I tell Bellamy now, she’s going to tell her cousin… and I don’t want to bother her with my problems. Not when she just moved back.”

Ari groaned, looking like she was over this. “Seriously? Who cares. Your problem isn’t going to magically disappear if you ignore it, especially if you’ve got a stalker who already knows where you live.”

Luka couldn’t argue with Ari. In fact, she wished Ari wasn’t making so much sense right now. More importantly, she really wished Ari didn’t just say that word aloud…

Stalker.

Maybe Ari should’ve just gone back to saying secret weirdo. That sounded less harmful.

Luka ate the last of her first sandwich, and unwrapped the second. She was trying to do anything that wasn’t responding to Ari, but the woman’s red eyes marked her. This entire time, Luka was already caught on her web. No matter how much she wriggled, she wasn’t going anywhere.

So, she chose to go on the offensive.

“W-why do you care so much anyway? You never took me seriously.”

Ari arched a brow. Her index finger traced a circle on the table. Then she made a thin smile.

“You’re right. I never took you seriously. The only reason why I hung out with you in the beginning was because Bellamy kept insisting.”

Luka gulped. She had similar thoughts to Ari, but she would never voice them.

“I thought you were a wimp with the way you duck and scurry from the tiniest of bugs. You weren’t going to be someone I could rely on.”

Okay, now she’s just roasting me…

Luka was close to finishing her second sandwich. Once she was done, she would take it as an opportunity to leave.

“But you know what? When you stood up for me on Christmas Eve… I thought you might not be all that bad.” She now gave what Luka could only read as a genuine smile. “So yeah, I take your stalker problem very seriously.”

Oh. She was going somewhere with this, but…

“You… you say Christmas Eve like it was any regular day.”

Ari’s hands cupped her cheeks, her elbows resting on the table. Her tone turned back to the mischievous Ari Luka came to know. “You’re telling me you don’t like getting your ass beat on Christmas Eve?”

“I prefer not to…”

Luka would’ve never been in that alleyway if Ari hadn’t accidently messaged her. She was never Ari’s first dial. Still, no matter how much Luka’s heart wanted to leap out of her chest that day, she couldn’t leave Ari alone.

“So, here’s the plan,” Ari said, “You need to tell Bellamy. I don’t care if her cousin knows or not. Then you need to set up a camera in case your stalker comes back to give you another lunch box.”

“Oh, um… actually, my landlord doesn’t allow cameras.”

…

Ari gawked.

“What?”

“I-I mean… I can ask…”

———

The sun was on its descent when Luka stood in front of room 101. A breeze blew past, and normally she would’ve found it pleasant. If only she wore her undershirt. There was no use standing here and shivering, so she knocked.

It took at least five minutes for the door to open, revealing a plump middle-aged man behind. He was the landlord, and one who wasn’t very tech heavy. If he was, Luka would’ve just texted him.

He wore a blue polo shirt that was doing its best to accommodate his size. His greying hair sat flat against his head, like it too had given up.

“Yes? What do you need?”

From his tone, Luka figured he was in the middle of something.

“Um… Mr. Holt, is there any chance I could install a camera on my front door?”

His bushy brows frowned, and his dark eyes narrowed. “Cameras are not allowed. We respect other people’s privacy around here.”

Who’s we? Luka kept that to herself.

Instead, she clasped her hands and tried to reason with him.

“W-well, you see, Mr. Holt, I’ve been having a problem lately… I think someone’s been watching me and… leaving me lunch boxes in the morning.”

Upon hearing that, her landlord chortled. “Really? That’s all?”

Luka’s mouth agape, she wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Back in my days, I would’ve killed for such a secret admirer.”

“B-but, Mr. Holt—”

“Look, Luka… if you really think it’s that serious, take this to the police and come back with something official. Then I’ll consider it. But from where I stand, you should just accept the gifts given to you and stop complaining.”

Luka’s hands fell to her side. She remained silent, which was enough for her landlord. He closed the door and left her standing outside in the cold.

She sighed, taking out her phone and sending Ari a message as she walked back to her room.

Luluka: My landlord won’t let me do it without a police report.

Ari is a Weaver: …

Ari is a Weaver: Oh yeah. The police will totally take you seriously when you tell them someone’s been leaving you lunch every day.

Luluka: I mean… it’s not every day yet.

Ari is a Weaver: So you’re planning on letting them do it until the end of the week?

Ari is a Weaver: Fuck your landlord. Install a camera anyway.

Luluka: Do you want me to get kicked out?

“Oh, hey, Luka.”

Luka had been so absorbed in her messaging with Ari that she almost bumped into her neighbor. “Ah! Sorry, Mosca. I didn’t see you.”

Mosca wasn’t wearing her apron, letting her plain beige dress flutter alone in the wind. She shook her head and said, “It’s alright.”

When Luka noticed her hazel eyes panning down to her phone, she turned off the screen. She gave Mosca a smile, and was about to head to her door.

“I asked my husband. He said he hasn’t seen anyone suspicious lately.”

Figures…

“Ah. Well, thanks for asking him.”

“Has there been someone weird skulking around?”

She looked around the premises.

“I’m not sure, actually. That’s why I wanted to see if someone else has seen them.”

Her brows furrowed. “Have you reported this to the police?”

“Not yet. I don’t even know if it’s that serious or not.” Luka shrugged. Her eyes dropped to Mosca’s arms, noting an empty tote bag hanging. “A-anyway, are you heading somewhere?”

She followed Luka’s sight, and gasped. “Ah! Yeah, I was going to buy some groceries. I’ll see you later, Luka.”

With that, Mosca headed out. Luka watched her go, her phone buzzing in her hand. When she finally turned her screen back on, the first thing she saw was—

Ari is a Weaver: You want me to call Rose? She’ll stake out your place and kick your stalker’s ass.

Luluka: No!!

Luka had no idea who this Rose was, but the fact that Ari had a go-to person for ass-kicking was a little worrying. She couldn’t help but think back on what happened to Ari on Christmas Eve. What was she doing that got her jumped by those women?

No, I shouldn’t think about that. The less I know, the better.

Ari is a Weaver: By the way, I’m going to ask Bellamy tomorrow if you’ve told her yet. And if she says she hasn’t, I’m going to tell her.

Luluka: Hey! Not cool, Ari!

Luka held in a frustrated squeal, and finally entered her apartment. Talking about this to Ari was her worst mistake, because she was now backing her into a corner. What was so wrong with not thinking about it?

It was just like her landlord said, it was just a lunch box.

Just as she was trying to take the side of her landlord, a deep and guttural yawn crept up. The energy that came from the pure adrenaline of seeing Wren again had worn off. In its place, something heavier settled. A doubt she couldn’t swallow down no matter how hard she tried.

She looked around her living room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Yet the place was starting to feel like when she first moved in. Alien.

The pre-made lunches she bought were probably expired by now, since she’d been refusing to eat in her apartment since last week. She was already halfway to not being able to fully sleep in her own home.

Was this really something she could afford not to think about?

Tomorrow… I should… no.

Luka took out her phone.

Luluka: Bellamy, I need to talk to you. Meet me at the train station?

Luka has a theory about Wren. It is not scientifically sound. She is going with it anyway.

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula.

Twenty-year-old Luka Erebi has two problems: a fear of bugs she’s desperately trying to photograph her way out of, and the sneaking suspicion that someone’s watching her.

The last thing she needs is for her neighbor’s prickly, yellow-eyed cousin to waltz back into her life. Wren Vespula has always been a lot, but they used to be good friends a long time ago.

Luka just never expected her to be this close again.

Read the webnovel

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi is a sapphic friends-to-enemies-to-lover story set on the Nation Islands of Insecta, where your status as a Native or an Invader matters more than who you love.

Table of Content

Bellamy almost saw the lunch box today.

While Luka was stuck in a replay of yesterday, staring at the lunch box on the ground, she heard the door to Bellamy’s open before she saw her. Her body reacted before she could even think, kicking the lunch box into her apartment. When she looked up, she saw Bellamy in a cute overall dress over a long sleeve shirt, a pink pastel jacket completing the look.

“H-hey, Bellamy! Didn’t expect to see you this early.”

“Hi, Luka. I’m actually helping out the Lotus Bookstore today.” Bellamy beamed, her crystal blue eyes glancing at Luka’s backpack. “Let’s walk together.”

“Sure!” Luka nodded, happy that Bellamy missed out on that lunch box… even if it was now inside her home.

They walked out of the apartment building with a relative quiet, but it didn’t take long for Bellamy to begin asking questions about Luka and Wren.

“How did you two meet?”

“Um… we met when we were eight at the playground. I saw her all alone, almost like nobody wanted to play with her. So I did.”

“Wow. Did you know she was a Vespula at the time?”

Luka’s brow raised. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Bellamy returned her reaction with a surprise of her own. “You… oh. Hehe. I guess that’s why we get along so well.”

That certainly didn’t make Luka any less confused, but if Bellamy somehow found her response reassuring, then she wouldn’t question it.

“By the way, what was that thing you wanted to tell me?” Bellamy asked.

This was the perfect moment. They were away from the apartment and halfway to Lotus Academy. Luka should tell her.

“Oh. It’s nothing. I already got it solved.”

Luka chose not to tell her. Why?

I just know if I tell Bellamy about it, she’ll tell Wren. And I don’t want to bother her with my issues.

She silently thanked Bellamy for not pushing further, and their walk to school concluded without any incident.

During class, she was pretty much on autopilot. Her hands were taking notes and participating, but her mind was back on yesterday’s meeting.

Luka had to admit, when she first saw Wren again, her body froze. She could hear everything going on around her, but she couldn’t move. An out-of-body experience, almost.

The Wren she knew was a softie, a crybaby even. So imagine the shock Luka felt when the woman nearly scared the soul out of her. Every part of her body wanted to run, but she was locked in.

Then her savior arrived in the form of a beautiful black cat.

That was when Luka came up with a theory. One that worked well enough for her body to calm down.

If she’s got a cat, then that means she can’t be a bad person!

Was her theory backed up by science? Of course not. It wasn’t even a theory, more so a hypothesis, but let’s ignore that.

Once class was over, she made the walk back to her apartment. There, she set down her backpack in exchange for her sling bag, picked up the lunch box, and marched toward the apartment’s bin room. A sharp sting pricked her nape when she dropped the box into the garbage.

She hurried out of the room and looked around only to see no one. Goosebumps bloomed on her arms, suddenly making her realize how cold it was.

It wasn’t ten just yet, but she didn’t want to wait.

I might as well go up to see Wren and get out of here.

———

“You really need to learn the history of Insecta. Even if you’re just a Citizen.”

Luka didn’t really understand what Wren meant even when they finally arrived at The Cusp.

The cafe was spacious enough that even when half-full, it didn’t feel crowded. The purple walls and red wood tables gave it quite a regal atmosphere.

She saw Ms. Danaus joking and laughing with the servers behind the counter, but her mood changed the moment Luka and Wren entered. Luka wasn’t sure what got Ms. Danaus so surprised.

“My, my.” She smiled, yet it was devoid of any humor. “If it weren’t for your eyes, I wouldn’t have even recognized you. What brings a Vespula to my humble abode?”

Almost like Ms. Danaus said a code, the head cook walked out from the kitchen. Luka usually never saw the man smile, but she never thought he was intimidating. At least, until now. The malice leaking from his eyes made her want to take a step back. Good thing it wasn’t aimed at her.

But… she didn’t like that it was aimed at Wren, who maintained her frown.

“Uh… Ms. Danaus… you know how I mentioned yesterday that someone I know is looking for work?” Luka said, hoping to ease this rather tense situation.

“Yes, you did, Lu. Oh! This is who you were talking about?”

Ms. Danaus studied Wren, her eyes glancing up and down.

“Have you already found someone?” Luka asked.

“Not yet, but…” Ms. Danaus looked over at the head cook. “What do you think Imon?”

“Do I really need to spell it out?” He replied, unamused.

Wren clicked her tongue, whispering something under her breath about this being a lost cause. Then she said aloud, “Look, I know when I’m not wanted. I’ll be heading out.”

“Ah, Wren—” Luka turned to see Wren already marching out.

“Woah there. I never said I’m not interested,” Ms. Danaus said. “Let’s discuss this in my office, so we don’t cause too much of a scene out here. Imon, get back to work.”

Wren eased her frown, though she still kept her hands in her pocket. Luka followed behind Wren as they walked into the office in the corner of The Cusp. This was actually Luka’s first time in the office, considering Ms. Danaus was often found outside of it.

Inside, she saw the Star given to The Cusp last year being hung behind the desk. Ms. Danaus sat on her designated seat, her arms resting on the desk and her fingers woven together. After Luka and Wren took a seat, Ms. Danaus flashed them a rather disarming smile.

“Wren, was it?” When Wren gave a slight nod, she continued, “I’d like to know how you know our Lu.”

Well, that’s a weird question to start an interview with, Luka thought.

“We’re… we knew each other when we were young.”

“Is that true, Lu?”

“Yeah,” Luka said, “We’re friends.”

Ms. Danaus’s lips parted at that statement, like she wasn’t sure she heard that right. “Even though she’s a Vespula?”

There it was again. Luka had heard this question earlier this morning.

“Did you know she was a Vespula at the time?”

And just like this morning, she continued to not understand. “I… I’m not sure what you mean.”

Wren sighed. “If you think I’m blackmailing or coercing her into this, then just say it. I’m tired of beating around the bush.”

Luka thought that was a rather sudden jump to conclusion. She wasn’t sure how Ms. Danaus was going to respond to that, but she sure knew she didn’t want it to be about what Wren just said. So she began to explain to Ms. Danaus.

“Actually, my friend asked me if we were hiring because her cousin was looking to work. That’s when I found out Wren had just moved back .”

“Her cousin?” Ms. Danaus seemed more and more surprised. “What’s her name?”

“Uh… Bellamy Apis.”

“An Apis, you say?” Ms. Danaus’s eyes moved to Wren, who looked away.

“Y-yeah,” Luka said, not sure where she was going with this. She wasn’t even sure why Bellamy’s name needed to be uttered.

Ms. Danaus’s fingers unwoven, she now tapped her nails in a slow rhythm before making a decision.

“You must be a rather lucky woman, Wren Vespula. To have the approval of my favorite employee and an Apis at that.”

Wren only responded with a reluctant, “Yeah.”

“Alright, let me give you a proper interview then. Lu, you’re free to go. Thanks for bringing her in.”

“Oh, okay.” Luka got up from her seat, and began walking toward the door. “I’ll see you outside, Wren.”

Luka let out a long sigh of relief once she left. It seemed she managed to steer the boat out of the storm. Now, it was up to Wren.

She walked toward the patio, feeling the sun heating her cold skin. Milkweeds lined the patio, attracting butterflies to the premises. The best time to see them were when The Cusp wasn’t busy.

Three months ago, she would’ve had to run into the cafe if she saw butterflies swarming the outside. Nowadays, she was able to take her time walking in, and even sitting around them.

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot.

Luka took out her camera from her sling bag, hoping to take some pictures of the butterflies.

Snap!

[A picture taken of a monarch butterfly with its wing span spread, the pattern resembling stained glass.]

Snap!

[A photo of a butterfly resting on a milkweed flower.]

“Yo, Luka. You want anything to drink?”

Luka jumped, causing the butterflies to depart from their nectar tasting. She turned to see her coworker, Reggie, standing behind her. He had his hair tied up today, probably because he got scolded the other day for keeping it unkempt and letting a hair fall into a customer’s food.

“You scared me, Reggie,” Luka said and then sighed. “And the butterflies.”

He looked at the winged insects scattering, then laid his eyes on her camera. “Oh, you’re still taking pictures?”

Luka showed him the two shots she took, and he whistled a positive tune.

“Nice. They’re not extremely blurry anymore.”

“Thanks…” Luka wished he would stop commenting on how blurry her beginning photos were. “Anyways, can you get me some coffee?”

“Sure, sure,” Reggie said and walked away.

As she watched him move to behind the counter to fill her a cup of coffee, she noticed Ms. Danaus and Wren leaving the office. Her boss led Wren over to the kitchen to show her inside and possibly introduce her to the other cooks. Luka could see her coworkers, Reggie included, trying to eavesdrop while acting busy.

She’d never seen them so interested in a new coworker like this. Was it because of what had happened?

Vespula. Apis. Danaus. Are these all names I should know about? Wren said that I should learn about our history...

School only taught Luka the basic history of Insecta, but Luka wasn’t the best at paying attention in history class. In her hazy memory, she could only remember Insecta being formed some four-hundred years ago by multiple erupting underwater volcanoes. Then something about the British-Spain occupation. Nothing else came to mind.

Reggie came over with her coffee, along with sugar and cream. She thanked him and fixed it how she liked it. While she mixed, she took out her phone. She wasn’t going to look up the entire history of Insecta, but she might as well search up the names, starting with Vespula.

The first thing that came up was: [Wisteria Vespula refuses to sell the northern part of Asacia Park to the House of Danaus.]

Wisteria? I think that’s Wren’s mom… I didn’t know she owned a portion of the Park.

She stared at the headline for a moment longer, her finger wrapped around the cup handle and brought the coffee to her lips.

So Wren’s family was already tangled up with Ms. Danaus’s before today. And what exactly is the House of Danaus?

Just as the question formed in her thoughts, she typed it down in search. This was the first result: [The House of Natives: Who they are and their influence over Insecta.]

The House of Natives?

She clicked on this one, leading her to an article from Koncha News. According to the writer, there were at least twenty families that arrived on Insecta during the crash landing of the SV Monarch two hundred years ago. However, there were five families that rose above because of their leadership, strength, resources, cunningness, and benevolence.

Luka read through these five names, her jaw dropping when she saw Apis as one of them. Good thing she had set down her coffee, else she would’ve dropped that too.

Naturally, she had to search up Apis. A headline from last year caught her eye: [Cortesan Callum Apis appointed as the Minister of Health by President Yang.]

What?! Bellamy’s relative is in the Cortes AND is a Minister? I’ve always thought she gave off the rich girl vibe with the way she never worries about money, but you’re telling me I’ve been friends with someone who has this much influence this entire time?!

Luka placed her phone down, the screen now hugging the table. Her shaky hands grabbed her cup, feeling the heat dissipating into her fingers. Then she took a sip and tried to wipe away everything she had just learned.

Let’s be honest… does this really matter much in my life? I’m just a regular college kid with nothing much going on.

That nothing much being a potential stalker, but that was just another stressor Luka would sweep under the rug for now.

Next Chapter

Table of Content

Chapter 3 of The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula introduces Wren and is the first chapter in her perspective.

Originally, I thought I was going to write this story in first person. It’s been a while since I’ve written in first person and I thought it might fit for the contemporary setting. Then I read it aloud and realized how cringe it was…

So I scratched all of that and chose to go with third-person limited. It’s basically like first-person, but not haha.

I believe it was a good decision because I’m also doing my own narration of the story and I’m not feeling like I want to die while recording.

One problem I had as a kid was being able to differentiate character voices, whether it was in dialogue or perspective. Sometimes, it just feels like it’s the same thought but with different people.

Even though it’s not a true solution… I ended up resolving it by making my characters on opposite spectrums lol.

Luka is a timid person compared to Wren who’s more prone to aggression and sharp thoughts.

Another difference I wanted to give them is how Luka does a lot of internal monologues while Wren doesn’t.

That’s the clear indicator between them.

I also think I should start setting up words that each one of them would use to describe others. I sorta do it in the moment, but having a reference would be good in case I get lost in the sauce.

Note that I say I think. Will I actually do it?

Tune in next time (so that you can see that I totally didn’t do it).

By the way, do you prefer a single perspective or are you the type who enjoys multiple perspectives?

Wren Vespula didn’t plan on coming back. But here she is. And Locust Town is already full of complications.

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula.

Twenty-year-old Luka Erebi has two problems: a fear of bugs she’s desperately trying to photograph her way out of, and the sneaking suspicion that someone’s watching her.

The last thing she needs is for her neighbor’s prickly, yellow-eyed cousin to waltz back into her life. Wren Vespula has always been a lot, but they used to be good friends a long time ago.

Luka just never expected her to be this close again.

Read the webnovel

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi is a sapphic friends-to-enemies-to-lover story set on the Nation Islands of Insecta, where your status as a Native or an Invader matters more than who you love.

Wren never thought she’d be back in Locust Town. Not after what had happened ten years ago. She was supposed to have severed all ties. Yet, even when she lived in the bustling Pachi City, her mind couldn’t help but to wander back to that town. To Luka Erebi, the girl she thought was her best friend.

“A-a wasp!” Luka’s shout jabbed at Wren.

“Tch.” Wren wrapped her arms around her tight chest, trying to offer her body a bit of comfort from the panging.

This was the first time they’d seen each other in a decade… and this was the first thing Luka said to Wren? What an insensitive girl.

Bellamy clapped her hands and gestured between them. Wren stood a full head taller than her cousin, which made Bellamy’s enthusiasm look even more excessive.

“Luka, this is my cousin Wren. Wren, this is my friend and neighbor Luka. Say hi!”

Luka’s dark eyes were glued to the floor, apparently finding that more interesting than Wren. Her lips pressed so hard that blood was being pushed out, leaving a white spot in a midst of red. Those small shoulders of hers trembled slightly.

How pathetic.

If she wasn’t going to say anything, then neither was Wren.

Her cousin looked at the both of them, before nudging at her to speak. Wren grumbled, not wanting to be disrespectful to her cousin’s pleas. She was kind enough to let Wren stay here.

“Hi.” Wren’s voice was low, almost inaudible.

Luka remained silent.

“Luka? Is something wrong?” Bellamy asked.

Wren sighed. “What else is wrong? She obviously doesn’t want to see me. This won't pan out if I work in the same place as her, so forget it.”

“Mreew~”

Before Bellamy could respond, Asher finally made his appearance after hiding out in his crate all day. His four tiny paws padded over to Luka, rubbing his body against her legs.

Finally, Luka found something worth looking at that wasn’t the cement. She crouched down, and showed her hand to Asher, letting him take in her scent. Then he nudged his head against her palm, giving her his explicit permission to pet him.

Bellamy’s eyes beamed. “Oh, wow. Asher must really like you, Luka. He wouldn’t come out to play with me, even when I had treats.”

“I already told you, Bellamy,” Wren said. “Asher’s a therapy cat. You’re a constant ball of energy, so he doesn’t need to help you.”

She pouted, her bob cut bouncing as she lightly stamped her foot. “Yeah, well, he’s gonna make me sad if he keeps ignoring me.”

“S-so does that mean he goes to hospitals and stuff,” Luka said for the first time since that outburst. She picked up Asher, letting his purr resonate against her chest.

“No, he doesn’t. His handler isn’t around anymore, so he’s stuck with me.”

“Oh.”

“Are you feeling better, Luka?” Bellamy got close, her hand placed against Luka’s cheek.

“She doesn’t have a fever,” Wren said.

“How do you know that?” She replied. “Wait. Actually, why are you talking like you know her? Do you two know each other?”

When Wren didn’t answer, Luka spoke up.

“We used to play with each other when we were kids. B-by the way, Wren…” Her eyes made contact with Wren’s, a small smile sprouting. “I was just a bit shocked when I saw you. Sorry for shouting. Let me know if you’re free tomorrow at ten, and we can head over to my workplace.”

Wren couldn’t tell if her smile was genuine or forced. How could it be genuine? If it wasn’t for Asher, she wouldn’t have even spoken.

“How long are you going to hold on to Asher?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Luka reluctantly let go of the cat. Black fur now covered her white shirt. Asher trotted back into Bellamy’s apartment, having figured his job was done.

After a sharp exhale, Wren was ready to turn back too, but before she did, she thought back at what Bellamy said when she was messaging Luka a few hours back.

“You said I could head over whenever. Why tomorrow specifically?”

“W-well, I don’t have class until three after my morning class. So I figured I might as well introduce you.”

Wren narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t sure what to make of this girl. Or what she was after. Still, she accepted her invitation and slipped back into the apartment for the night.

While she brushed her teeth, she could hear Bellamy talking with Luka for few more minutes. Then the door closed, and her cousin made her way over to the bathroom door.

“Wren! You should’ve told me that you and Luka were childhood friends!”

“How the hell was I supposed to know? You kept referring to her as your friend.”

After washing her face, she traveled from the bathroom to her room. Her cousin still followed.

“Are you two on bad terms?”

Although Bellamy was born blonde, Wren could see her roots turning brown. If Wren was anything like her mother, she’d tell her to dye it.

Instead, Wren shrugged, not exactly interested in discussing it. Just as she sat on the bed, Bellamy walked over and wrapped her arms around her.

“I hope you two will be able to make up. I don’t want you to have another strained relationship being here.”

Wren touched Bellamy’s arm, seeing how much of a contrast her light brown skin was compared to Bellamy’s pale skin. They were cousins, not sisters, so Wren figured that was why their complexion was different. Yet she couldn’t help but think Bellamy was probably the more perfect daughter for her mother.

A sigh escaped her.

She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her mother. If her mother hadn’t tried to push for an arranged marriage, and to a man who was of British descent. Like she didn’t know the reason why.

Wren leaned into Bellamy’s warmth, letting it envelop her for a while more. But she couldn’t stay like this forever.

“Alright, I’m gonna go to sleep now.”

“Okay.” Bellamy released Wren from her grasp. As she was about to close the door, she said, “Goodnight, Wren.”

“Yeah.”

Her head hit the pillow, her vision lay on the ceiling before it was covered by Asher’s purring neck. She slipped her fingers under his belly and pulled him into her blanket.

Eyes closed, she tried to drift off to sleep. Yet her mind wandered to Luka Erebi. They’d both grown up a lot these past ten years. Alone with only her thoughts, she could finally admit it.

She’s gotten a lot prettier…

———

“H-hey! Wren, don’t cry. It’s just a little scrape. A little bandaid and you’ll be fine,” little Luka said, sounding close to tears herself. Yet she continued to reassure her regardless.

It didn’t help little Wren one bit, she kept crying. How could it? The girl in front of her was in an even worse condition. Her cheek was swollen, her lips cut, and her canine teeth missing.

The scrape on Wren’s knees was nothing compared to hers. So she wept. Wept for the day they’d been having before it fell apart, all because of the color of her eyes. Wept for being so powerless in the moment, and for forcing Luka to protect her.

She never wanted to feel that way ever again.

The scenery began to fade as she felt something heavy lying on her chest. It rumbled, like a quiet and steady engine. Then a cold and wet sensation nipped at her chin. Wren opened her eyes to black fur, her hand reaching for his back as she drew in a long breath. She paused for two seconds, then exhaled.

“I’m fine, Asher,” she said as she brushed him off.

Not to be deterred, he moved onto her lap. She sighed, reaching for her phone on the end table. It was six in the morning, time for her to get ready for school. That was, if she was still attending. With the decision to move out of Pachi City, she had also taken time off.

Not that her body knew. She still woke up all the same, and she knew she wouldn’t fall back asleep any time soon. So up she went, putting Asher on the ground, and walked into the bathroom to wash herself.

All the while, she thought about the dream she just had. A dream she hadn’t had in a long time, no doubt due to her meeting with Luka. But why that one specifically?

She remembered how heroic Luka looked to her at the time, yet thinking about it now… all she really did was take a beating from those kids. There wasn’t much she could do against three of them. They only stopped because her mother came back and saw.

So it wasn’t like Luka did anything.

After Wren left the bathroom, she began making breakfast for the household—her black cat included. She packed up Bellamy’s in case she had class in the morning, and ate hers with Asher.

Her assumption was right when she saw Bellamy just past half seven. She thanked Wren for the lunch box, gave her a hug, and zoomed out of the apartment. No time wasted at all.

For the rest of the morning, she lounged on the couch and searched up The Cusp. Even though she was only looking for temporary work, she didn’t want to come to an interview empty-minded.

From the look of it, The Cusp opened four years ago, having earned a Star last year. The ratings were at a solid four point five, coming from over a thousand people. Most of the reviews raved about their coffee and breakfast menu, while those who complained often mentioned the rude staff.

Wren couldn’t imagine a timid Luka cussing out a customer. She’d more likely cower and hide behind someone more reliable.

Before Wren could further play with that thought, she heard a knock at the door. Fifteen minutes until ten. That girl was early.

As she sat up, she looked at what she was wearing, a jacket over a sports bra and shorts. Without answering the door, she sauntered to her room to change.

Donning a loose polo neck and a dark puffy jacket with black trousers, Wren stuffed her phone and essentials into her pockets. Then she tied up her hair into a ponytail, revealing the fade cut underneath. She contemplated on whether she should take out her piercings, but chose to let them stay. It wasn’t a five-star restaurant or anything.

She walked toward the front door. Asher was there, skulking and sticking his paw under the door. Wren could see shadows of Luka poking at him. She picked up Asher and opened the door to see Luka crouched, her brown eyes going wide as she looked up at her.

The girl wore a different white button-up and blue jeans, but it was still quite similar to yesterday’s outfit. A nervous smile sprouted on her face, probably because she hadn’t expected Wren to catch her playing with Asher.

Wren almost wished the girl wasn’t so easy on the eyes. The way her face showed no blemish. How her small lips, when stretched into a smile, made it hard to stay cold toward her.

“It’s ten degrees,” Wren said. Aren’t you cold? She didn’t say the latter.

Luka stood up, readjusting her sling bag and shirt. The goosebumps were visible along her arms, raised against otherwise smooth skin.

“I don’t find it that cold. As long as there’s no wind or rain.”

Wren thought back on the weather forecast for the week. “A storm’s coming this weekend.”

“Oh.” With seemingly no other response, Luka took a step back.

Wren dropped Asher down and closed the door behind him. She could hear him meowing, a complaint of being left behind.

She let Luka lead the way, walking for about five minutes to the train station. Wren would’ve preferred to get on her motorcycle, but considering Luka chose to freeze in a button-up, she begrudgingly chose the public transit.

At the station, it didn’t take long for Wren to notice the stares from people. Some of them were whispering to each other, their eyes not leaving her. Wren frowned, shoving her fists into her jacket.

Luka, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to it.

On the train, Wren decided to sit in the women-only seating, figuring that the women were less likely to pick a physical fight than the men.

“H-hey, Wren,” Luka spoke up, sitting half an arm’s distance from her. “What have you been up to the past ten years?”

She studied her. The girl’s question seemed like it stemmed from a genuine interest, yet she was obviously avoiding asking about a certain incident.

“I learned how to cook. What else?”

Luka blinked. It was another moment where she didn’t know how to reply. Not that Wren was making it easy for her. But eventually, she figured what she wanted to say.

“W-well! The head cook at The Cusp is really good. He and Ms. Danaus bicker all the time, but when they work together, they get a lot done. I think you can learn a lot from them.”

Wren’s brows pressed. “Danaus?”

“Yeah. She’s the owner.”

She exhaled sharply through her nose, enough to make Luka flinch. Her arms resting against her legs, she buried her face into her hands. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it through her palm.

So this was the girl’s plan. It didn’t take her long to show her true nature.

She was going to lead Wren, a Vespula, straight to a Native, especially one that was a part of the House—the wealthiest and most influential families on Insecta. The kind of introduction where Wren’s family name alone could start something.

And she had the nerve to do it personally.

“A-are you alright, Wren?”

Letting her hands down and leaning against the seat, Wren stared at the girl feigning concern.

“Haah… are you serious right now?” Wren asked.

“Huh? Serious about what?”

Had Luka always been this good at acting? Or perhaps…

An inner voice tried to pull Wren back. Luka didn’t even know it was Wren who needed work until yesterday. How could she have planned this?

If this was true, then this could only mean one thing. Wren sighed, and said, “You really need to learn the history of Insecta. Even if you’re just a Citizen.”

Luka tilted her head, seemingly confused. Her reaction, Wren felt, seemed real enough. At least, it aligned with most Citizens, who were happy enough to become a permanent resident of Insecta that they couldn’t care less about its history.

Wren hoped that was the case for Luka.

Next Chapter

When I was creating characters, I was fleshing out almost everyone except for the main character herself. She was actually the last person to be named.

I came into this project knowing that Wren’s name started with a W because she was going to be a wasp. Vespula was one of the wasp family scientific name. Wren Vespula rolled right off the tongue. She was the one with the stinger.

While the main character would be… not that. I wanted her character to be someone who’s scared, but brave when the situation calls for it. Like Courage, the cowardly dog.

She’d get in many conflicts, but not because she’s a damsel in distress. She just finds herself in it. Whether it’s through her own actions or others.

I knew what her character was… and I had no name or bug type to go with it. I did think nonchalantly of a moth before forgetting about it.

Then, during the first week of worldbuilding, I woke up to a moth flying around in my room. I didn’t know how it got in, but it was in.

I think it was a sign.

Moths are drawn to the light, they literally cannot stop themselves from being drawn in. Because of this, they can orbit of a light until they get tired and die.

Similar to how our main character would find herself taking pictures of insects, even when she’s got insectophobia.

So, a moth it was. It was easy finding the last name and then the first name after that.

I chose the name Luka because it reminded me of Luca, the city in FFX where you play blitzball. You’ll notice I enjoy naming a lot of things after my favorite games.

Even Ari, the character introduced in chapter 2, is from Fields of Mistria. Of course, Ari Weaver just sounds right, but I was thinking about the default name in Fields of Mistria1.

Everything seemed to tie together for Luka Erebi. She, like a moth, was drawn to danger even if she didn’t want to. She even has a terrible sense of danger. And because of that, it’s going to cause her lots of troubles.

Read The Many Troubles of Luka Erebi

Luka wakes up to something unexpected on her doormat. And her day only gets stranger from there.

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula.

Twenty-year-old Luka Erebi has two problems: a fear of bugs she’s desperately trying to photograph her way out of, and the sneaking suspicion that someone’s watching her.

The last thing she needs is for her neighbor’s prickly, yellow-eyed cousin to waltz back into her life. Wren Vespula has always been a lot, but they used to be good friends a long time ago.

Luka just never expected her to be this close again.

Read the webnovel

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi is a sapphic friends-to-enemies-to-lover story set on the Nation Islands of Insecta, where your status as a Native or an Invader matters more than who you love.

The sun was a curse on Luka’s tired eyes. Her curtains had betrayed her, fluttering against the wind and letting the sunlight pour directly into the room.

Against the wind, huh?

She tilted her head and stared at the window. Until—

Wait! Did I not close the window yesterday?

Luka emerged from her blanket cocoon and stared. Sure enough, there was a gap in her window. As she left her bed to close the window, she counted her blessing that it was close to summer. Else she would’ve woken up frozen.

She played this up as her not closing the window before leaving for work yesterday. Then she must’ve forgotten about it when she came back. It was the most logical conclusion, even if she didn’t remember. That was why it was called forgetting.

A yawn came from deep within her throat. Then her alarm went off. One hour before class started. Like her old teacher from secondary school once said, leave all of your troubles outside of class.

After slipping on a white button-up with a black undershirt and jeans, the quintessential Luka getup, she was on her way out the door. Then trouble went and made sure she couldn’t ignore it in class.

A lunch box sat on her welcome mat, wrapped in a pretty flower pattern. No note was left behind.

She gulped.

W-what the hell? W-who put this here? Did they drop this? Was it an accident?

To the left and right of her was no one. It was halfway through six, so that meant whoever left this here woke up earlier than Luka.

She was locked into an intense staring conflict with the lunch box. Her already tired mind worked overtime.

Should I just leave it here? Maybe if it was an accident, they’ll come back to pick it up. Oh wait! What if Bellamy sees this? Aahh… shoot…

Stuck in between Bellamy finding out or taking the lunch box with her, Luka chose the unfortunate latter. This was obviously a terrible idea. But she didn’t have the time nor the mental capacity to think it through.

Shoving the lunch box into her backpack, she hurried to Lotus Academy.

———

Luka was one step between the world of consciousness and the world of dreams during her psychology class. It made her glad that she chose to sit with Ari in the back. Then again, she never did notice Ari staring at her until class was over.

“Gosh, I know you took this class because of me, but you don’t have to be so uninterested in it,” Ari said, her chin propped on her palm as she leaned against her desk.

Another yawn leaked from Luka. She rubbed her eyes and stared at her classmate. Ari Weaver wore a crown braid today, revealing a portion of her web tattoo on the back of her neck. Her scarlet eyes complimented her smile, though Luka couldn’t tell if she was being humorous or not.

“I haven’t been sleeping very well.”

“Why’s that?”

“Um…”

Luka wasn’t sure if she should tell Ari about this. Not that she suspected it was Ari who left the lunch box. It didn’t make Luka any less wary of her.

Ever since she began photo-journaling bugs and learning more about them, she’d been categorizing people in that way. Ari’s was rather obvious, considering she once told Luka her favorite bug was the orb weaver.

And for someone like Luka, who considered herself a moth, getting trapped on a spider’s web wasn’t ideal.

Let’s just say… Luka had heard some things about Ari. The people who liked her loved her. Those who didn’t hated her with a passion and called her a habitual liar.

However, Bellamy trusted her, so Luka was trying to. No matter how Ari’s eyes represented a patient predator waiting for her food to fall into her trap.

“Well, hypothetically…”

“Oh!” Her hands clasped, she grinned. “I love hypotheticals!”

“W-what would you do if you saw a lunch box left outside your door?” Any attempts of trying to stay cool were immediately tossed out the window when Luka’s pitch elevated by two octaves.

Ari lost her grin, and replaced it with a raised brow. “So you’ve got a secret weirdo?”

Luka’s mouth agape, hoping Ari would played along. “Hey, I-I said hypothetically.”

She tucked her loose auburn strand behind her ear, and said, “I’d throw it away.”

“Yeah. That’s the right thing to do… right? Hmhm…” She bit her lip, trying to hold back her nervous laughter.

Those red eyes narrowed, dropping from Luka’s face to her backpack. Luka suddenly became aware of how rumpled her button-up had gotten. Even though Ari hadn’t said anything, Luka instinctively blocked her backpack with her leg.

“Luka Erebi. You did not bring it with you.”

Luka’s shoulders tensed under Ari’s gaze. She didn’t expect Ari to take this seriously, considering her usual response to Luka was to joke and tease.

The cat was out of the bag, so Luka might as well bring the lunch box out too. The wrapping was loose, having shifted around during her rush to the Academy. She could see a dark wooden pattern on the box.

“Ahem… Ari, Luka, if you two want to have breakfast, please do it outside,” said Professor Tera from her table.

Luka looked around. Each seat was elevated, with the back behind the highest. All the students who surrounded Professor Tera were gone, leaving Luka and Ari the only ones here.

Ari put on her usual grin, and said, “Of course. We’ll be leaving.”

The cafeteria wasn’t busy in the morning. Ari dragged Luka through the circular tables towards the kitchen at the north end, vending machines lining the walls on either side.

Ari opted for an egg and cheese sandwich while Luka wasn’t feeling hungry. Not when she still held the unwanted lunch box.

“I hope you’re not planning on eating that,” Ari said with contempt.

They sat opposite of each other on a two-person table.

“Of course not.” Luka shook her head.

Ari took a bite of her sandwich, covering her mouth as she spoke, “But you should open it anyway.”

“What?”

“Since it made it this far, might as well see what’s inside.”

Luka should’ve tossed this lunch box the moment she entered the cafeteria, but instead, she unwrapped it to reveal what she already suspected. It was a wooden lunch box, one that she remembered seeing at the mall. This wasn’t cheap.

With the lid now off, Luka grimaced. It was… a perfectly fine looking meal. If you ignore the fact that it had a heart-shaped seaweed on top of the rice.

It was Ari shaking her head this time. “Oh no.”

“I-I think this was definitely given to the wrong person. I mean, I’m not the only person who attends the Academy and lives in that apartment.”

Her hand laid limp, keeping a loose grip on the sandwich. Ari’s expression was humorless.

“Let’s hope so,” she said before propping her grin back up. “Anyway, let’s get it tested shall we?”

She placed the lid on, wrapped it up, and scanned the room. When her eyes paused, Luka turned to check who or what she was looking at. A young woman was deep into her novel two tables to their right. Whether she had breakfast or not, Luka wasn’t sure.

Ari walked over and began talking with her. The young woman seemed flustered that Ari was speaking to her, though it didn’t seem like she minded. If you squinted hard enough, you could see a sliver of a smile on the woman’s face.

Luka’s mouth dropped when she saw Ari handing the lunch box over to her and returned to their table.

“A-Ari!” Luka whispered-shouted. “What if that lunch box was poisoned or something?”

She shrugged, and resumed eating. “I guess we’ll find out when it happens. Now, how ‘bout you go get something to eat? I’m gonna head out once I finish this.”

Luka sighed. She still didn’t want to eat, but she had class in an hour. She should at least pay attention to the rest of her classes for the day. So she said goodbye to Ari, who was one bite away from finishing, and sauntered over to the cafe to grab some coffee.

She couldn’t help but to glance at the young woman with the lunch box. She seemed so happy to have gotten something from Ari, especially when she saw the heart-shaped seaweed. Luka didn’t have the heart to stop her from eating it.

Every week I learn more and more on why people love or hate Ari…

———

Good news! Luka was done with classes and it was only two in the afternoon.

Bad news… Someone took a sick day today, so she had to go to work. Not that she minded much. Her boss, Ms. Danaus, paid her quite decently when she worked off-schedule. She also appreciated having something to do instead of going home directly.

During her six hour shift, she noticed she got a text from Bellamy.

Bell.A: Luka, my cousin is looking for work. Do you know if your place is looking for a cook?

Luluka: Not sure. I’ll let you know.

“Are we looking for a cook?” Ms. Danaus1 asked, tapping her long acrylic nail on her chin, like she didn’t know herself. Her thick, black hair brushed against the kitchen window as she leaned in and asked it again.

“Beau… we’ve been understaffed for the past three weeks,” replied the head cook with a scowl. “Summer is coming, so are the tourists… and you keep rejecting everyone who comes in for an interview!”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Don’t put all the blame on me. You agreed with most of my rejections.”

“U-um!” Luka spoke up, hoping to redirect them before they got into their usual arguments. “So then you are hiring, right?”

“Yes, Lu.” Her cream orange lips smiled, a complement to her amber eyes. “We are. If you have someone in mind, please send them my way.”

“Okay. Thanks, Ms. Danaus.”

Her boss turned back to the head cook. “Why do all the youngins call me by my last name?”

His back was already facing her, his hands working on plating the food. “Because you’re old. What else?”

Luka slowly walked away as Ms. Danaus hissed at him.

Luluka: We’re hiring. Tell your cousin to come to The Cusp whenever and say that I sent them.

Bell.A: Thank you! I appreciate it! By the way, I think we’re pretty much finished with unpacking. Do you want to meet her? I think you’ll like her!

The last time Bellamy said that… she introduced Luka to Ari.

Not saying Ari is a bad person. I think. I hope. And I’m pretty sure I like her.

Luluka: Sure. I figured I’ll see her eventually, since we’re neighbors and all.

Bell.A: Great! Give me a knock when you get back.

And so, Luka pondered for the rest of the evening about her neighbor’s mysterious cousin. She kept making guesses about what kind of person she was.

I’ve always thought Bellamy was like a bee. Always buzzing, and somehow making everything around her better for it.

Her thoughts persisted all the way through her train ride home.

If it’s her cousin… hm… I guess it’d be too easy to assume she might also be a bee. It’s not like she’s her sister. How alike could they be?

504 was now in front of her. The only light was the thin strip bleeding from under the door. A shiver ran down her neck when she glanced at her welcome mat, the place where the lunch box once resided.

Let’s not think about that.

She tried shaking the shiver away. A futile attempt. Then she knocked on the door and took a step back.

“Oh! Luka’s here!”

She could hear Bellamy from inside, before another voice spoke up and repeated her name in question. Luka gulped, and took another step back. She couldn’t hear the voice clearly, but her body was bracing for… something.

The door swung open. Bellamy was already smiling. Luka almost smiled back. Then her cousin stepped into view.

The woman had sharp yellow eyes that pinned her in place. Brows and nose scrunched, like she was disgusted to see her. She tilted her head, perfectly still.

Luka’s thoughts blazed at breakneck speed, showing her every single memory of her adverse reaction to many types of insects. But one in particular stopped her cold, every single time—

“A-A wasp!”

Her hands clasped her mouth, but it was too late. The words were already out.

“Tch.” The woman clicked her tongue, having gone from disgusted to vexed.

Luka never expected to see her ever again. Yet now that she had… she suddenly remembered.

In front of her stood Wren Vespula. A name she couldn’t forget. The girl from ten years ago. The reason for her insectophobia.

Next EP

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula.

Twenty-year-old Luka Erebi has two problems: a fear of bugs she’s desperately trying to photograph her way out of, and the sneaking suspicion that someone’s watching her.

The last thing she needs is for her neighbor’s prickly, yellow-eyed cousin to waltz back into her life. Wren Vespula has always been a lot, but they used to be good friends a long time ago.

Luka just never expected her to be this close again.

Read the webnovel

The Many Problems of Luka Erebi is a sapphic friends-to-enemies-to-lover story set on the Nation Islands of Insecta, where your status as a Native or an Invader matters more than who you love.

Table of Content

Lately, Luka had been feeling restless in her own home. Like the walls in her apartment were growing eyes and leering at her. She didn’t know if it had been going on for weeks or months. Only that she couldn’t sleep soundly anymore.

After the fourth restless night, Luka figured it was time to talk to someone.

This was how she found herself at Asacia Park1, renowned for being both a tourist attraction and a local favorite. She would prefer to not come here alone, yet here she sat on a picnic table in the middle of its lush forest, staring at her now bee-swarmed can of soda. She had left it on the table for just a minute, and already the bees found their saccharine.

If Bellamy was here, she would’ve gently nudged them away and handed Luka back her soda.

… If only.

Bell.A: Sorry, I can’t make it today! My cousin is moving in and I’m helping with the move.

Bellamy sent this message on LIME a minute ago. The minute that distracted Luka from her sugary drink.

She sighed, her thoughts swirling.

She hoped to talk to her friend about something important today, but it seemed that wasn’t going to happen. Sure, she could’ve taken the train back to her apartment and talked to Bellamy. They were neighbors, after all.

But…

I’m not even sure if I should talk about it there. What if they’re listening in? Whoever they are.

Hopefully it was no one.

Her psychology professor said the best thing you could do to ease your mental stress was to talk to someone you trust. Luka was just trying to follow her professor’s advice.

So why is it that I’m in a situation where I’m even more stressed out?!

Luka stared at her phone sitting on the table. Only a couple of minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity with how rigid her body was becoming. With every addition to the swarm, her shoulders tensed.

If it were the Luka from three months ago, she probably would’ve freaked out and ran. If it were the Luka from six months ago, she would’ve never entered Asacia Park alone in the first place.

You see, Luka was terrified of bugs.

Her father certainly never helped with that, shoving insects in her face and crushing them in his hands to prove they were nothing. Apparently, it was his way to cure her of it. Her mom would scold him for dirtying his hands. Not for scaring Luka.

So, what was stopping the current Luka (age: twenty) from sprinting a hundred meters in ten seconds?

With a gulp, she forced her hand into her sling bag and took out a digital camera. She turned it on, twisting the camera lens into microscopic mode. Every fiber in her body was telling her to bolt. Instead, she slowly extended her arms and brought it closer to the danger.

The slightest of jolts would alarm these pollinators, and (in her head) would point all their angry stingers towards her.

Snap!

[A picture taken of a honey bee slurping on some soda. Its fur, particularly its legs, was covered in pollen.]

Snap!

[A closeup of a bee’s face, revealing the fur on its eyes.]

Snap!

[A photo showcasing a bee’s translucent wings, although this one seemed to have a small tear on its left wing.]

“Wow! Look at all those bees!” A boy shouted, appearing excited at the sight of the swarm.

Luka jerked, causing the furry little bugs to spread their wings and fly off in a panic. Intimidating buzzes whipped about her ears, almost like the insects were telling her to get lost.

Well, they didn’t need to tell her twice. Luka jumped out of her chair and dashed towards the southern entrance of Asacia Park.

“Haaah… Haah…”

Her body was going to kill her by tomorrow, but all that mattered was that the danger was far away. She looked at the three photos she managed to take. Clear shots, considering. High quality enough that she got nauseous just looking at them. She really didn’t want to see them anymore.

Ding!

Bell.A: We can talk when you get back. If that’s okay with you.

Luluka: No… I’d rather not. Let me know when you’re free and we can go to a cafe or something.

Bell.A: I’ll let you know!

If Luka was lucky, Bellamy could fit her into her schedule by next week. The young woman was a busybody, and she always had something to do.

“Be selfish from time to time. Pull Bellamy away from her packed schedule.” I remember Ari telling me that once.

…

But how am I supposed to do that when most of the things she’s doing is volunteer work? “Oh, hey Bellamy, I know you’re helping feed the homeless today, but I think you should hang out with me instead because I’m lonely.”

Luka shook these impure thoughts (and Ari) away.

———

She didn’t come back to her apartment until the sun was gone, having killed time at The Cusp. It was a slow day for the cafe, so her coworkers didn’t mind her taking residence on one of the patio seats. They were also nice enough to chat with her whenever they had the time.

The train was nearly empty by the time she boarded. She didn’t mind. It was the walk from the station she always did faster than necessary.

Approaching her apartment at night, the blue roof was the easiest way to tell it apart from the rest of the street. The building was small, with only twenty residents—the landlord included—living here. Though with how quiet the corridor was, light bleeding only from under a couple of doors, she sometimes felt like ninety percent of the residents were either nonexistent or ghosts.

Heading up to the second floor, Luka glanced at 204, where Bellamy was staying. The lights were on and she could hear her talking with someone.

Now that I think about it, Bellamy’s apartment does have two rooms. If I remember, she mainly uses it as a storage room.

Although Luka was curious on who Bellamy’s cousin was, she figured they would meet eventually. No need to force herself in.

She walked a couple more steps until she reached 205. Giving her surroundings a quick glance for anyone suspicious and after seeing no one, she unlocked her door and stepped inside.

The moment she closed the door, a tingle danced down her neck, causing goosebumps to appear across her arms. It was the same feeling she’d get when she noticed a mosquito slipping into her home. Knowing that it was there, and that she couldn’t do anything to it. All she could do was to wait until it was satisfied and moved on, or get Bellamy to remove it for her.

She switched on the lights and gave her living room a thorough scan, searching for any movement. Nothing.

If there was one word that described her home, it would be minimalistic. Clean lines, no clutter, nothing to hide behind.

There was a method to her simple living.

The less clutter, the easier it is for me to clean. And the cleaner my apartment is… the less chance I’ll have roaches or any other bugs.

Yep. Her fear of bugs had seeped into her way of living.

Whenever a moth or anything else snuck into her room, she couldn’t even have the heart to smack them. If cockroaches found her home suitable, well… she wouldn’t have a home anymore.

Let’s not think about that.

She went through the motions of changing into her sleepwear, washing her face, brushing her teeth, and applying lotion. Then she hit her head on her firm pillow and closed her eyes.

She would then think about… nothing. Not about the roaches. Not about the way her heart was beating out of her chest right now. None of that. Tomorrow was Monday, and that meant her morning class for psychology. She couldn’t afford to have another sleepless night.

…

Her eyes shot open, and she swirled her head around the bedroom. It was just her, her bed, her desk with a backpack on top, her slightly opened closet door, and her full-length mirror that was facing away from her bed. With a grumble, she got up, closed the closet door, and hopped back in the bed. Her blanket now covering her face, she tried to will herself to sleep.

…

Thud!

A low sound coming from somewhere. Whatever it was, it wasn’t human. The sounds were small and deliberate. It came again, this time loud enough for her to realize it was coming from Bellamy’s.

A sigh escaped her lips. It was probably nothing. But the thud didn’t return. Luka lay there, counting the seconds. At some point she stopped counting and just stared at the ceiling. No matter how heavy her eyelids were, or how exhausted she felt, she just knew sleep wasn’t coming.

Luka got out of bed for the last time, and reached for the melatonin on her desk.

Next Chapter

I never found myself enjoying writing about a real place with fictional characters. There will be times when I compromise and write in a state that I live in, but the town/city won’t be real.

It gives me more freedom to do whatever I want without a native going, “Hey! Seattle isn’t like that!”

More power to you if you write in real places.

To complement (or torture) Luka’s bug problem, I wanted it to be in a place where insects thrives.

This year, I got to go to Malaysia and Singapore, and although the heat was unbearable, I loved the scenery. I spent only 2 days in Singapore, and it was enough to make me want to come back.

I like the idea of Singapore; this small island country that had more wealth than Malaysia. Their public transport was great, expanding through the entire island.

So I based the Nation Islands of Insecta around Singapore.

I actually only intended on making a fictional town called Locust Town, but then I went a bit wild and made a whole history of Insecta.

A little history lesson about Insecta.

It was created in the middle of the Northern Atlantic Ocean by numerous volcanoes erupting and was uninhabited for a century, until a people from the S.S. Monarch got stranded due to a heavy storm. Since they couldn’t contact anyone and help wasn’t coming any time soon, they chose to make these islands their home.

After its discovery 50 years later by the world government, Britain and Spain sought the islands for themselves. They both occupied the islands, vying for territory.

50 years of occupation was met with scorn and anger by the natives, who eventually rose up against their occupiers and drove them both out. Thus created the independent nation of Insecta.

I’m still working on fleshing out the cities and districts of Insecta, but it’ll be quite exciting once I get a map of it.

Locust Town is where the main story will take place.

It’s the town Luka grew up in. It’s the town that she met Wren. And it’s the town where all of her troubles started.

On the history side, it’s one of the first towns created in Insecta with a majority of its land taken by Acacia Park—a lush forest park that’s both a tourist attraction and a local favorite.

Just don’t wander in at night. It’s probably not a good idea.

Anyway, maybe there will be some problems with the government officials (or some wealthy folks) wanting to cut down a portion of the park for their own needs. Who knows. I haven’t gotten there yet.

Locust Town is also home to Lotus Academy, a well-known school for its science and medical branch. A lot of foreigners come to attend Lotus Academy.

The story’s not locked in to Locust Town, but it’s a good hub world. I have no plans of going outside of Insecta.

There are some other places I haven’t mentioned. You might’ve seen it in the picture at the top.

Read The Many Problems of Luka Erebi

So a character who likes bugs and the other who likes cooking. Simple enough.

But since I take pictures of bugs (particularly mantids), I figure why not make the main character interested in doing that… and what if they’re actually afraid of bugs and are taking pictures to help ease their fear.

That left me with the other character, the cooking side. It should probably be someone who’s not afraid of bugs, and can help the MC with her bug problem.

Then I thought… what if I don’t do that? At least, not directly.

I’ve always enjoyed enemies to lovers type stories. I also enjoy the dynamic of friends to enemies to lovers. When done right, it gives just that tolerable amount of angst and anxiety. A needle that I’ve got to thread carefully.

I don’t want an easy path for my characters, after all.

Character categorization.

Since we were going to go with bug themes, I figured we should base characters off of insects. This really captured my interest, and I’m quite happy I decided to do this.

I jokingly made my cooking-focused character a wasp because she had a WASP mom. Haha. Get it? :l

For the MC, I did everything but give her an actual name and bug type until the very end. I kept putting it off because I had so many other ideas on different characters (some who may not even show up until later on).

Since I was basing this off of insects, it made naming them a little bit easier.

Here’s a portion of the character sheets I have of our two main characters.

Name: Luka Erebi

Age: 20

Height: 5’3” or 160 cm

Race/Ethnicity: Chinese

Bug Type: Asian gypsy moth
Bug Trait: Nocturnal. More comfortable at night. Poor judge of danger.

Appearance: Shoulder-length black hair. Dark brown eyes. 

Keeps a clean and minimalistic look.

Personality: Timid. Shies away from any sort of aggression. 
Doesn’t want to get hurt.

Brave when the situation calls for it.

A bit of a germaphobe due to her fear of bugs.

Tends to refer to people as bugs.

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Name: Wren Vespula

Age: 21

Height: 5’9” or 175 cm 

Race/Ethnicity: Half-Indian Half-British

Bug Type: Wasp
Bug Trait: Her intense, cold gaze makes people freeze up or back down without a word being said

Appearance: Yellow eyes.

Brunette / brown hair that goes down to her chin, but has a fade underneath. 
Often puts up her hair in a bun/ponytail.

Has a piercing on her left eyebrow. Has multiple piercings on her left ear.

Light brown skin.

Personality: Hotheaded. Aggressive. 

Honest to a fault, even when it hurts other people’s feelings.

Extremely protective of those she loves. Is willing to get into fist fights.

Everything else is a secret because [spoilers].

You may have noticed the fist fights…

Yeah, apparently, I wanted to do fight scenes in this series. So I guess we’re fighting at some point!

I also wanted to do a tournament arc at some point, but I have no idea how to segue into it. You’ll see it when you see it!

This is a living and breathing character sheet, so I’ll be adding more to our characters as the story continues.

I contemplated for the week (of worldbuilding) on whether I wanted a soft magic system or not. After three days, I realized that I’ve actually never done a soft magic system before (I usually do a hard magic system) and that it would take too much time to integrate the magic into problems.

That and I never intended the characters to actually be bugs.

So I compromise with bug traits instead!

It took me 5 hours spread across 5 days to feel like my worldbuilding is good enough to start writing. I can always add more to it as I write, so that’s what I’ve been doing.

Putting myself on a timer really got my brain racking and needing to put something down on paper (or in this case, Scrivener).

I think I spent a lot of time on the title. I went through a lot of variation…

• She Stings Like Honey

• The Version She Knows

• The Danger She Carries

• Her Venom That Heals Me

• I Love Her Venom

• That Daunting Yellow Gaze

• The Lies That Binds Us

They all felt cheesy and unappealing to me. And the ones I did like… unfortunately were already taken.

I was close to just letting it go until next week, which is why I’m happy to say that I’ve finally got a title I’m liking so far.

Stay tune for The Many Problems of Luka Erebi, Including One Wren Vespula.

Summary: Twenty-year-old Luka Erebi has two problems: a fear of bugs she’s desperately trying to photograph her way out of, and the sneaking suspicion that someone’s watching her.

The last thing she needs is for her neighbor’s prickly, yellow-eyed cousin to waltz back into her life. Wren Vespula has always been a lot, but they used to be good friends a long time ago.

Luka just never expected her to be this close again.

Read Chapter 1

Writing has been a part of me ever since elementary.

It started with me writing Naruto fanfics because I got really into Sasori x Sakura when Shippuden first came out.1 I eventually grew out of writing fanfics and into my own story.

My writing was terrible, which was warranted for an immigrant kid who was learning English at the same time.

None of my English teachers could teach me the most important aspect… grammar. Yet it was my love for creative writing (no matter how terrible I was at the craft) that pushed me to learn this elusive grammar for myself.

Now, as an adult…

I run a newsletter and a blog that’s beloved by CEOs within the niche.2 Companies seek me out when it comes to writing about their event.

And I have absolutely zero published fiction (besides the fanfics).

Sigh…

Maybe it was the lack of time. I was always busy working and putting my creativity in making YouTube videos instead of writing my story.

That was what I told myself.

But then there’s the fact that I have a hard time finishing my story. I’ll get wanderlust and move on to a whole different novel.3

I’ll let the story sit and sit and sit and sit. Until, next thing you know, it’s been five months since I’ve written anything.

One day, I finally sat down for a writing workshop.

During these sessions, one person said, “Give a deadline to your worldbuilding. Don’t just keep building and building because you’re never gonna start writing. You can continue building as you write.”

That clicked with me. I don’t know why I never thought about it.

I’m also in the middle of an ongoing series called Tearmoon Empire where the author started off writing chapters weekly, which resulted in a lot of numerous amounts of short chapters in their novel.

That’s when I got this idea.

I want to push myself and write weekly chapters. These chapters will be posted on Monday, whether I’m done with it or not.

I’ll set aside an hour every day and do nothing but write.

By the time you read this, I’m already out of my worldbuilding phase and am already writing the first chapter. I’ll give you the run down on the worldbuilding and how I got to where I was in the next article.

I’m really excited to start this project, and I hope you’ll join me for the journey.

Read The Many Problems of Luka Erebi