JinJu was in a foul mood- not unusually, as it was a Monday morning and she was going to school. On top of that, that deer from the previous Monday had been the largest catch she'd had all week, which meant that this morning she was dished up the leftovers in a delightfully repulsive cold gruel. Now she walked alongside Chanyeol, kicking stones aggressively in her wake as she trudged down the dirt road.

"I hate this place," she growled as she sent a stone spiralling into a rusted metal bin, resulting in a loud clang that resounded about the sparse and rundown suburbia.

Chanyeol shrugged, mouth curving up into a wry smile. "I know," he replied, sending a stone of his own bouncing down the road, "Your hatred for it only makes up around sixty to eighty percent of our conversations, after all." 

"Shut up." She nudged Chanyeol in the side not-so-gently, chuckling at the answering grunt.

"Insults make up the other twenty or so percent," he still managed to wheeze out triumphantly, desperate to get the last word. JinJu gasped and made a move to hit him across the head; but Chanyeol retaliated, darting out of the way before he could make contact. "Play nice, JinJu. I'm only telling the truth."

She leaped across, landing a playful slap on Chanyeol's shoulder."Shut up if you know what's good for you, Yeol." A soft laugh was her reply. Then the two walked in a comfortable silence, only sound to be heard from them the heavy thudding of their footsteps against the dirt. 

The school was a short walk from both of their houses; situated near the centre of town, the walk there was none too picturesque. Tin and worn timber houses sat in small land blocks with overgrown lawns. There would be a rusty old car parked out the front of every few houses- cars were expensive, so not many had them. In that aspect, JinJu supposed she was privileged. Chanyeol's family didn't own a car, despite the considerable sprawl of children they had when compared to JinJu's. They were still wealthier - they just didn't have any need for a car.

Chanyeol had four younger sisters and a younger brother, where JinJu only had a sister who didn't even live with her family anymore. They were twins, but not identical, and weren't very close. JinHee had moved to work as a part of the cleaning staff at a rich Shifter family's manor a year ago, and JinJu hadn't really seen her much since then. Chanyeol on the other hand was very close with his siblings- sometimes, JinJu would get jealous of how well they got along. 

"JinJu, incoming," Chanyeol muttered, shaking her out her own little bubble. She looked up to see a figure in the distance; squinting, she recognised it to be none other than the obnoxiously blonde and cruelly good looking Kwon Jiyong. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily, head ducking so that her hair fell to veil her face, and Chanyeol snorted contemptuously from beside her. "He's just a person, JinJu, get a hold of you-"

"Shut up, oaf," JinJu hissed, fingers twitching with the urge to hit Chanyeol and watching warily in her peripheral vision as Jiyong drew closer. He had a wad of gum in his mouth, the toxic pink flashing with every chew. He'd put a beanie on today, but had opted out of sleeves and worn a singlet. A little impractical perhaps, considering the arctic weather, but JinJu wasn't complaining at the bicep exposure. It wasn't all too impressive to be honest, but because it was Jiyong, JinJu thought it was perfect.

"JinJu." Jiyong acknowledged her cooly as he drew nearer with a small nod of his head. He blatantly ignored Chanyeol, who pulled a face at him before striding ahead of the two. JinJu came to a standstill.

"H-Hi Jiyong," JinJu said quietly, eyes fixed on his beat up canvas shoes, which had come to a slow halt in front of her. Said boy snickered slightly, before leaning down and positioning his face right in front of JinJu's.

"My face is up here," he whispered exaggeratedly, watching with satisfaction as JinJu's face turned an even deeper red.

"Yeah, I-I suppose so," she nodded lamely, eyes looking anywhere but at him. Jiyong pulled back with another low chuckle, watching JinJu appraisingly, knowing the effect he had on her. "U-um Jiyong... School is that way, you know?"

"Getting some cigarettes at the corner before school," Jiyong explained, and JinJu nodded understandingly despite her inwards cringe at the mention of cigarettes. She hated smoking.

A silence ensued, consisting of JinJu peeking up from under her lashes to find Jiyong staring bemusedly at her, and immediately dropping her gaze. It went on for a good minute or so; in the distance, JinJu could see that Chanyeol had stopped walking, back facing her. She knew he was mad, because for unfathomable reasons he hated Jiyong. Returning her gaze to Jiyong, she found him still staring at her, and the deep red blush reasserted itself upon her cheeks. 

Finally, the atmosphere became a little awkward. "Well, I guess-" JinJu paused, coughing awkwardly to clear her choked up throat, "-I should get going. Don't want to be late, right?" She laughed weakly, and Jiyong shook his head.

"Whatever. I'll see you around, JinJu." With that he strutted off, hands shoved deep into his pockets. JinJu stood planted still for a moment, before picking up at a run to catch up to Chanyeol. He didn't look at her once as she fell into step with him, mouth pressed into a hard line and eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Did you see that Yeol?" She smiled to herself doing a small skip. "A full conversation! An actual, full-"

"JinJu, he's a loser." Chanyeol dead panned, cutting her off. She gaped, but he didn't pause in his words or stride, so she stumbled to keep up. "This is not like you- never, not once in all the seventeen years we've known each other, have I seen you act like this. Why? He doesn't deserve it- JinJu it's so stupid! You're acting so... so..."

"Girly?" JinJu gave a wry smile, nudging Chanyeol in the side, "Because I am a girl, you know, even though I don't act like it much."

Chanyeol snorted derisively, "No, it's not girly. It's more... pathetic. You don't usually try so hard to impress people. I don't like it, 'specially not for him. He's a lowlife." JinJu kept quiet, shaking her head. Chanyeol didn't get it, and probably never would. She didn't really understand it herself; but ever since Jiyong had hit puberty and bleached his hair, he'd been immensly attractive to JinJu. His personality too was cool and detached, and whilst it didn't a kero incredible conversation, it gave him an alluring edge. Either way, JinJu liked him. A lot. 

"And also," Chanyeol turned to look at her, strange smile on his face, "Of course you act like a girl. You are a girl, I know this."

"Do you?"

"How could I not?" Chanyeol was grinning, and although JinJu didn't really understand it, she knew his disapproval had passed for now. "Hey JinJu?"

"Mm?" 

"Race you to school." And with that Chanyeol was off, sprinting towards the school which had become visible amidst the fog. JinJu sped after him, throwing insults and peals of laughter at his back as she went.

Things were all very well at 9:30, before school had even started; but by 5:00pm, when JinJu and Chanyeol collapsed onto her small mattress in her room, she was reminded all over again about just why she loathed it so much. The education system for Defectives had never been good; the only reason JinJu and Chanyeol, along with most in her town, weren't illiterate, was because of their proximity to the city. They had better access to resources than some slums in Indion, and even the world, and so their education was better than a lot of Defective. That didn't mean it was good though, by no means.

There were forty three students in JinJu's year level at her school, and they were all cramped into two rusty little classrooms. The desks were rotting and the seats were small and metal. There was no heating or cooling; the only upside was that majority of the students didn't show up, so then JinJu had more space. Chanyeol was in a year level above her, and even fear students showed up for his classes. They could fit all of the seniors into one classroom without any struggle at all.

"I hate this place." Chanyeol nodded tiredly as JinJu began to rant. Again. "I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! It's not fair- it's not like I asked to be born Defective. It's not a thi