The girl woke up when the door opened and closed. She listened to the footsteps of someone that walked around in the room. She continued to lie still in her spot under the table afraid of getting noticed by the person that had come inside.

The steps soon stopped and she continued to lie still by didn’t hear them anymore. She slowly sat up under the table and crawled out from her spot and stood up.

Her eyes fell on a girl that was hunched in the corner of the classroom. The girl had her eyes tightly shut and kept her hands over her ears like she wanted to block out the sound.

The girl titled her head to the side with a puzzled look on her face. She continued to study the girl as she felt the girl was similar to someone. Minutes passed and when she soon began to put the pieces of her memory together a frown appeared on her lips.

Sobbing was heard in the empty hallway of the school. The girl walking through it kept looking left and right, trying to locate where the sobbing was coming from.

The sobbing got louder and she started to walk slower until she came to the part where the restrooms in the school were located. Her eyes fell down to a girl that was leaning her back against the wall, her ears was covered by her hands, and her eyes were tightly shut with tears streaming down from them.

The girl standing up blinked as she had found the crying person. She slowly crouched down to the girl’s level, placing her hands on her knees as her eyes fell on the girl’s form.

“Hey”

Eyes snapped open and she was met with eyes showing fear. She got startled as well as she hadn’t expected the girl to get so scared.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She said and hoped it could relax the crying girl a bit. She noticed the girl’s tensed body seemed to relax and she smiled assuringly at her when the girl was a bit calmer.

“If you’re wondering they’ve left the school. There aren’t any students left.” She said. The girl nodded her head and let her hands go from her ears to wipe the tears on her cheek. The girl in front of her continued to smile until she had calmed down enough to stand up and they both exited the school together.

Upon realization of who the girl reminded her of she walked closer to her and crouched in front of her. She noticed the girl had really long legs and was kind of thin for her height. Once again did she tilt her head as she noticed the girl was shaking like she was scared.

She reached her hand out towards the girl but stopped and bit down on her lower lip. What if I scare her even more? She thought and looked down on her hand which she lowered and placed on top of her knee.

She shook her head and stood up and backed a few steps away from the girl. She put her hands in her pockets, trying to look as little intimidating as possible as she figured the girl was probably already scared and she didn’t need someone to look threatening right now.

"Hey you. Are you okay?" She finally asked the girl.

The girl hunched in the corner opened her eyes wide and looked up at the girl in front of her.

"Are you okay?" The standing girl asked once more.

The girl placed her hands that had been covering her ears on her knees and she looked around in the room.

"They didn't find me?" The girl asked her eyes returning to the girl in front of her.

"It's only me here. So no, they didn't find you." The standing girl said and shrugged her shoulders.

"Good." The girl sighed in relief and leaned her head on the wall behind her.

The standing girl raised an eyebrow and glanced towards the door the girl had come through. Her eyes went back to the girl on the floor before she turned around to take a seat on one of the desks in the room.

"So why are you hiding?" She asked as she took a seat on top of one of the desks.

"Three seniors tried to take away my money and make me do things I don't want to." The girl explained and looked the other girl’s way.

Once again did the girl on top of the desk raise her eyebrow. She noticed the girl on the floor lowered her gaze to the floor like she was ashamed. A frown appeared on the girl’s lips upon seeing the girl’s distressed state.

"Do you know who they are?" She asked and leaned back on her hands on top of the desks.

"I don’t know their names, but they are all girls. Two of them are tall, and one of them is pretty short. And the short girl seems like the leader." The girl explained.

Of course it’s that trio. The girl on top of the desks thought and closed her eyes as she refrained from sighing.   

"Do you know them?” The girl on the floor asked.

“Yeah, kind of.” The girl on top of the desks replied and jumped down. I sure know that shorty well…

“You do?” The girl asked surprised.

“Yeah, they’re in the same class as me.” She confessed and scratched the back of her head as she looked down on the girl on the floor.

"What is your name?" She asked when she realized she didn’t know it.

The girl looked surprised upon the question, but answered it anyway.

"Yoona. Im Yoona." The girl said.

The standing girl nodded her head, and smiled a small smile at the girl.

"I'm Jessica." She introduced herself and saw a smile forming on Yoona’s lips.

"I think I can help you with these girls, do you mind me helping you?" Jessica asked even though she felt she didn’t want to meddle in the trios business, but seeing how scared this girl was she couldn’t help but offer a helping hand when she knew she could.

Yoona looked up at her with hopeful eyes.

"Really? You can help me?" She asked her smile widening.

"Yes. I will try to help you." Jessica said and hoped she could keep her promise. I just need to get my hands on that shorty.

Her thoughts were broken when Yoona suddenly stood up and started to bow. Jessica blinked surprised upon the girl’s action.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Yoona said while she was bowing.

"You don't need to thank me. I haven't helped you yet." Jessica said and tried to make the girl stop bowing towards her. To her relief Yoona stopped and the girl smiled at her instead.

Seeing the smile Jessica couldn’t help but feel she had done something right. Yoona spun around to check the time on the clock that was hanging on the wall in the classroom. The girl’s eyes widened when she saw the time and she spun around towards Jessica again.

"I must go to my class now. It's almost starting." Yoona announced and pointed to the door. Jessica nodded her head understanding and watched as the girl made her way to the door.

"Thank you so much, unnie. See you around.” Yoona said and bowed before she opened the door and went out of the room.

Jessica waved at the girl and stopped as Yoona closed the door behind her. A sigh left the girl’s lips when she was alone and she brushed her fingers through her hair and went back to the table she had been sleeping under before Yoona had interrupted her.

I will get my hands on that shorty tomorrow. Jessica thought and folded her hands behind her head. Her eyes drifted close and she resumed sleeping.

---

Tomorrow came way earlier than Jessica had expected. It just took a few minutes after her last class the same day that she bumped into the trio Yoona had talked about. The two taller girls the girl had mentioned were looking at something on the floor, and Jessica guessed it wasn’t their short companion as she could see the back of the girl behind the tallest of the three girls.

“Hey, what are you three doing?” Jessica asked and poked one of the girl’s shoulders. The girl turned, her eyes widened when they settled on Jessica, and she turned to the shorter of the girls. The shorter girl also turned towards Jessica, she had the same reaction as her tall friend as she looked at Jessica.

“What?” The short girl asked, her surprise was long gone from her face and a tough façade was put up instead.

“You heard me, Kim. What are you doing?” Jessica asked and crossed her arms.

“None of your business.” The short girl answered and mimicked Jessica’s pose. Jessica’s eyebrow rose as she realized the girl was challenging her. She looked back at the short girl’s friends and noticed they exchanged glances.

“Then move aside and stop taking up space in the hallway.” Jessica said motioned for the girls to move. None of them moved and a frown appeared on her lips.

“Taeyeon.” Jessica pierced the shorter girl with her gaze. “Move aside.” Jessica said.

She noticed the girl hesitated. She continued to hold the girl’s gaze with her own, her left eyebrow raised when she noticed Taeyeon wasn’t doing anything, the action made Taeyeon turn around, and an annoyed sigh left her lips.

“Let’s go.” Taeyeon motioned for her taller friends to move and took the lead as the two of them followed her. The two of them glanced at something on the floor before they followed the shorter girl.

Seeing them leaving Jessica uncrossed her arms. Her eyes went down to what the trio had been focused on. A large cardboard box was on the floor. It made Jessica raise her eyebrow and she opened the lid to it, only to slump her shoulders when she found a girl inside; curled up into a ball, covering her eyes. 

“Hey, Yoona, they have left.” Jessica said and saw the girl uncovering her eyes and looked up at her. A relieved expression appeared on Yoona’s face, and Jessica reached out her hand towards the girl and helped her out of the cardboard box.

“Thank you.” Yoona smiled at her. Jessica couldn’t return it as she felt anger boil inside her.

“What were you doing in there?” Jessica asked.

“Oh…they told me they would leave me alone if I hid in a cardboard box and scared a teacher when they went by.” Yoona explained and scratched the back of her head. A sigh left Jessica’s lips and she rubbed her temple.

“You’d have gotten in trouble if you had done that.” Jessica pointed out.

“Yeah…I know…” Yoona said and lowered her gaze to the floor.

Jessica looked at the girl that once again looked ashamed over what she had gotten through. She shook her head and looked the way the trio had gone.

“It’s not your fault. Just stay away from those three girls, okay?” Jessica said and looked back at Yoona. A smile appeared on Yoona’s face and she nodded her head.

“Okay!” Yoona exclaimed.

Jessica managed to smile and she nodded her head. “Good.” She said and fixed the strap of her backpack on her shoulder.

“I gotta go now. Take care Yoona, and stay away from scary senior girls!” Jessica told the younger girl.

“Okay, unnie! Thanks again!” Yoona thanked her.

Jessica waved to the younger girl before she began heading to the school entrance. A sigh left her lips as she exited the school and began heading home.

---

Jessica knew she was being followed, and because she knew who it was she couldn’t bother about it and continued to walk like she didn’t notice the steps that she heard was following her from behind.

She turned left and continued to hear the steps that had followed her since the bus stop outside of the school. She looked around and made sure they were alone on the street before she spoke up.

“Are you going to beat me down?”

“Why would I?” The person following her asked back.

“I don’t know. Isn’t that what you do with people that speak up to you?”

“Not always…”

Jessica continued to walk. A satisfied smile on her face. She contemplated whether she should stop and let the girl catch up to her, or just continue walking and act angry, which she in truth was, with the girl.

In the end she continued to walk with the girl following her a few steps behind. She soon took a turn to an apartment block and the girl followed. Her steps slowed down as she fished up her keys from her pocket. She glanced behind her at the girl that had followed her home.

“Do you wanna come in?” Jessica asked and eyed the girl who was standing with slouched shoulders, hands buried deep in her jeans pockets and a nervous look on her face. So different from the girl she had confronted in school.

“May I?” Taeyeon asked surprised her eyes widened.

“Yes, you may, but that doesn’t erase the fact that I’m angry at you.” Jessica stated and turned to the door. She glanced at Taeyeon again to catch the girl lower her gaze to the ground with a guilt-stricken face.

Good. You should feel guilt, Taeyeon. Jessica thought and unlocked the door.

She held the door open for the other girl to enter. She saw a small smile appeared on Taeyeon’s lips, but when she didn’t return it she saw it instantly fade and the girl returned to stare at the floor. Jessica just shook her head.

You’re so different outside of school.