“So you haven’t talked to her yet?”- Sakura sat leisurely on Sihyun’s bed, looking at the ceiling unconcernedly. There wasn’t much to do, other than study, on a winter’s evening right before the exams, and she had done plenty of studying already for the regular subjects.

Sihyun didn’t answer at first, she was focused on the outside while she looked through the window. Normally she’d be shopping on a day like that yet Yiren and Yena were both busy doing god knows what. It was a boring day and it’d probably remain like that.

At least Sakura was helping relieve some of that boredom, the girl had texted her out of nowhere, telling her she’d be at her room in five minutes, something that had come to be a routine of sorts for both of them.

It wasn’t like they knew each other for a long time, quite the contrary, they had only befriended not too long ago. Sakura had come by the first time to apologize, feeling like she had been a part of the fight Sihyun had had with Juri.

She had found Sihyun crying her eyes out inconsolably when she did.

Sakura’s protective instinct kicked in, almost like that of a mother, so she stayed with her that entire day until Sihyun fell asleep, and Sihyun couldn’t help but to share everything with her.

It was always easier to trust strangers, she told herself, after all she already knew what Yiren and Yena would say. They’d probably urge Sihyun to leave Juri once and for all, like they always did.

And could she blame them? It wasn’t the first time Sihyun had wept because of her.

Sakura, however, brought a fresher take on the whole thing to the table, she brought Sihyun hope. Maybe it was because she felt guilty of kissing Juri, something that Sihyun didn’t really care about, but the Japanese girl had made it her duty to come check on her every now and then.

“You know, I’m not the most experienced person with this kind of stuff, but maybe you should let her say what she wants to say.”- Sakura seated on the bed, stretching as she got up.

“I don’t know if I can…”- Sihyun mumbled from her place near the window.

“Have you seen her? That girl looks even more haggard every day.”- Sakura pointed out and, indeed, Sihyun had noticed it too. The dark bags under her eyes were already enough of an indication that Juri hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and that was enough to worry Sihyun. - “It’s obvious it’s starting to take a toll on her spirit, she hardly ever looks at you in class ever since the mock examination last week.”

Last week had been a surprise. Juri had actively tried to talk to her when, usually, she’d just wait for Sihyun to come looking for her.

That was all the proof Sakura needed to start vouching for Juri – for some reason Sihyun couldn’t comprehend– as she began insisting that Sihyun gave Juri a chance.

“Do you love her?”- Sakura asked, drawing out the words for a few seconds. It was almost painful to listen and even more painful to think about.

“More than life itself.”- Sihyun admitted, pursing her lips - “I just… I don’t know if I can do this anymore. I can’t bring myself to do this all over again.”

The kiss wasn’t even important; it had never been.

Sihyun was tired of it all, she couldn’t bear it anymore, she couldn’t endure the agony of being second in the list of priorities.

Maybe it was her being selfish, she had pondered that a lot, but it didn’t matter. She had been giving Juri concessions for a long time, allowing her to immerse herself in her training as much as she liked, it was fine at first, Juri knew how to contain herself, she’d give Sihyun attention, they’d go out and enjoy their time together.

They were happy, yet, as time went on…

The day she found Juri kissing Sakura, the day she went out looking for Juri, was the day both of them were supposed to go out to eat for their third year anniversary.

And Juri had utterly forgotten about it.

“She has changed, for worse, she’s become obsessed.”- Sihyun thought about the many hours Juri spent locked in the training room and she felt her heart ache. - “She was once a bright light, so full of energy, so youthful and lovely, her spirit was captivating, she was… she was…”

Sihyun couldn’t contain a choked sob.

“You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you feel bad.”- Sakura was already at her side when Sihyun began to break down, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as she welcomed the girl in a melancholic embrace.

“I want her back”- Sihyun slurred out - “The old Juri.”

“And why do you think she changed?”- Sakura asked a question Sihyun was dreading.

“…”- She knew, it was a long story, but she just couldn’t share it with her. - “I have no idea...”

Even if she was angry at Juri, even if what they were going through right now had no solution, she wouldn’t betray her secret like that.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

“What was that?”- Sihyun’s ears perked up at the sound of knocking.

“Look! Under the doorway!”- Sakura moved away from her, breaking the hug, as she pointed at the door.

There was an envelope there.

Sihyun dragged her feet to it and picked it up with suspicion. She then opened the door slowly, peeking from behind it.

There was not a single soul in the hall that led to her dorm.

She closed the door before turning to Sakura with a puzzled look on her face. Unlike Sihyun, Sakura was grinning from ear to ear as she nodded, urging her to open the envelope that had been delivered.

“It’s… from Juri…”- Sihyun did so, and saw he girlfriend’s signature at the end of the letter. It was an invitation to a local restaurant, near the center of Seoul. – “She wants to go out… tonight.”

Sihyun gasped, she knew that one, it was unquestionably expensive, did Juri really have the funds to afford something like that?

“See?! She’s trying to do things right… give her a chance, please?”- Sakura had walked up to Sihyun while the girl was busy reading the letter. She still had a that big, encouraging smile on her face that filled Sihyun with hope.

“I…”- Sihyun was dumbfounded, dazed by the situation – “I will!”

Both girls started giggling almost hysterically as Sakura broke into a mad dash towards Sihyun closet.

They had just a few hours to get ready, but that’s all they needed, and they were sure to enjoy it.

*********************************************

She currently sits in the middle of the room, palms pressed together and cross-legged, as she fights with her inner self to muster something, any kind of power. She can’t seem to concentrate on her meditation no matter how much time she employs on it.

She’s going nowhere with it, her mind feeling like a dried lake, a barren wasteland that only contained painful memories and regrets.

She can’t win against her own self in the end, so she gives up. She has been like that for the past week, unable to conjure anything whatsoever no matter how hard she tried, and she wasn’t supposed to, but Sihyun ignoring her for far too long has affected her deeply, even more so when her defenses were already unstable to begin with.

Whenever she tried to meditate, Sihyun’s memory would just invade her mind, take hold of it and make her lose composure. The memories were enough to drive her over the edge in frustration, she was relieving a sweet nightmare time and time again.

Something had taken hold of her, Juri had never been this anxious about things, yet the image of an angry Sihyun would still pop up no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.

It was hard to bear for Juri, yes, but it was even harder to accept that she had disappointed the only person that had believed in her…

It doesn’t take long for Juri to give into those memories, as she begins reminiscing about how they’d both met, how happy she had been, how Sihyun had always been there for her, yet she realizes she can’t claim of having done the same.

She’d never forget the first time she saw those beautiful eyes…

….

 Her head slammed against the concrete wall, the impact bringing with it a splitting headache that made it feel like her whole skull was about to shatter from the pressure. That, coupled with the wave of nausea she was feeling product of the kick she had received in the pit of her stomach just mere seconds ago, made it impossible for Juri to stay afoot.

“You have to learn to respect your elders”- An admonishing voice with a mocking undertone reached her ears, but she didn’t have the strength to look up at the source of it.

As if starting freshman year in a school for people that were considered freaks by most of the general public wasn’t a nightmare by itself, Juri found herself being the target of a few bullies that were on the last year of studies from the moment she, regrettably, ignored a call of the main bully.

She was a girl with more brawn than brain. She was beefy and had straight hips, almost curveless, which contrasted poorly with how toned her body looked, even underneath the school’s uniform.

She was always followed by two other scrawny girls who did nothing but detract from the intimidating factor. Juri judged that, had the main bully not been there, the other two wouldn’t probably mess with anyone.

“I don’t even have to user my powers on you, just how weak can you be?”- One of the awfully slender sidekicks taunted her - “Why are you even on this school if you are powerless?”

She grunted, consciously aware that the bully wasn’t wrong. She wasn’t sure why she even was admitted, seeing as she wasn’t even capable of producing even the most basic forms of psychic energy.

People would tell her to just give it time, that her powers would develop, but she had known about them since she was five and as of now, eleven years later, she hadn’t been able to manifest them more than just a couple of times.

Why was she even there? It was embarrassing, she felt like a failure, being the only powerless individual in a school full of people that boasted great abilities, some beyond Juri’s wildest dreams.

Plus, the “F” tag in her uniform didn’t help with her frame of mind at all.

“Next time, when I call you, you answer, alright fresher?”- Juri felt her hair being violently tugged as the muscular bully yanked it forward, meeting her eyes. - “You better get used to who the boss is around here”

The girl let go of Juri’s hair, letting her fall again as one of her sidekicks struck her again. She groaned in pain as they laughed, and began to focus on her hands. She was tired, she wouldn’t let them toy around with her anymore.

Her hand started to glow a faint lime green color. The energy enveloped it and Juri could feel it beginning to course through her before it faded just as fast as it had started.

“What are you doing?”- Juri’s eyes opened in terror as she noticed the muscular bully watching her with a serious look on her face.

“She’s challenging you! It seems she still has fight left in her!”- One of the boney girls cackled, spitting everywhere, as the main bully drew closer to Juri once again.

She scooped a handful of her uniform on her hand and lifted Juri off the ground with relative ease. Unlike before, there was no trace left of the mocking attitude, this time there was only anger.

“Of course you would…”- She began talking, but Juri didn’t allow her to continue, head-butting her out of impulse with as much power as she could. She then tried to wiggle free, taking advantage of having momentarily stunned her assailant, but her feet never touched the ground.

She heard a snort, followed shortly by an annoyed grumble as the bully wiped the blood out of her nose. Juri had never stopped squirming to get out of the bully’s grasp, yet when the grip on her uniform tightened again she knew she wouldn’t have that chance anymore.

“That was your last mistake for today, freshman…”- The bully said, growling at her in such an animalistic fashion that even her two companions took a step away in fear.

She was violently pushed against the concrete wall behind the school and her beating resumed. It was only the leader at first, hitting Juri with raw fury time and time again, but the two friends joined in time, and Juri had no option but to endure it and hope they eventually leave.

Which they did, after quite some time they ultimately tired and went away, leaving behind a badly injured and bruised Juri. She picked herself up together and rested for a few minutes, her body aching everywhere nonstop. Thankfully for her, nothing was broken, yet she found it hard to walk nonetheless.

Her home was about a kilometer away from the school, which was bad, she didn’t want to collapse in the middle of the street for everyone to see. It was a shame she had to be enrolled that year, as the dormitories of the school wouldn’t be finished until the next one, although she hoped by that time she wouldn’t be bothered by the bullies anymore. The academy was relatively new, having been functional for only a couple of years since the super human’s accords were signed by the United Nations.

She prepared herself, standing upright, for the long trip back home. Her bag was still back in the classroom but, frankly, she didn’t have the spirit or the energy to go back for it, she just wanted to reach home, take a bath, mend her injuries and go to sleep.

Then she would be left alone for a few days until the bullies came back and decided they didn’t like the way Juri was eating her salad or the way Juri’s shirt was tugged, so they would beat her again until they had their fun.

And it wasn’t like she had anyone to turn to, she had no friends, and she wasn’t particularly social as well. Nobody would defend her either, and if they did then they probably were in line for a beating of their own.

She had the misfortune of being the victim of the year of one of the most renowned bully groups in the school. You’d think that, in a school for super heroes, that kind of stuff wouldn’t happen at all, seeing how most people had a way to defend themselves, yet no teacher was aware of what was going on, and Juri wouldn’t tell them either.

She may be weak, but she had her dignity left, she would find a way out of this by herself, she would show those bullies that they were wrong for picking on her.

Someday…

She reached the exit gate as stealthily as possible, trying not to be seen by any member of the school’s staff, she didn’t want to be seen as an embarrassment. Most of the students had left the school by know, considering that it had been at least half an hour since classes ended and she was intercepted by the bully trio on her way out.

The iron gates were still open and wouldn’t close until the last of the students was away. It was a beautiful place and a testament to how luxurious the school itself was. Beside it there was a nice looking weathered wrought iron fence with a vividly breathtaking looking bush and some flowers around the base, which separated the school grounds from the pedestrian pathway.

“Can you believe that ? I would’ve knocked her over her if she did that to me…”- She heard giggles coming from nearby.

Oh … were people still there?

Juri peeked from behind one of the bushes, catching a sight of three elegant young girls that boasted fine jewelry of incalculable value. Juri was mesmerized for a second at the size of those rings before pain came as a sore reminder that she was covered in bruises. She moved back, hiding behind one of the bushes as she waited for them to leave. She didn’t want to be seen like that and, quite possibly, get turned into the school’s laughing stock.

They were known as a bunch of mean girls around the school, all of them coming from rich and well off families, so they were annoyingly pompous and petulant… well… not all of them.

“I’m sure it was not that bad, why don’t you just talk it through with her?”- That voice was one Juri had heard before and could recognize.

“No way, she has it coming, you’re just too soft Sihyun”

Sihyun was an exception to that rule, and Juri had only heard good things about her. She had seen the girl once up close, but the difference between class B and class F made it hard for her to see her again, even if the girl was a freshman too.

She was a popular girl from the get-go, even during freshman year, but never quite as mean as her friends, something that furthered her popularity as some sort of down-to-earth Diva. Juri, on the other hand, was the kind of girl that was tossed aside and went by unnoticed, and it would have been perfectly fine for her if it wasn’t for the whole bullying ordeal.

“Just try not to get in trouble, okay?”- Juri heard Sihyun talking again, her voice had a certain warmth to it, the kind that enthralled people due to how heartfelt it sounded.

“Whatever.”- Her friend huffed.

“Promise me”

“Fine, geez, I won’t do anything stupid, I promise”- One of the girls answered, sounding irritated, although Juri detected no malice in her voice.

“That’s better Yiren”-Sihyun giggled, apparently unruffled by her friend’s reaction. - “I’ll see you guys later; I have to get home quick or dad’s going to get mad at me for skipping tea.”

A few quick goodbyes followed and Juri didn’t dare to peek again, choosing instead to remain hidden, pressed against the bush so it could cover her small frame completely. She heard unhurried steps that were coming her way, as one of the girls seemed to be heading in the gate’s direction.

Juri tried to still her beating heart as the footsteps drew near at the same time as a ticklish sensation began spreading through her left leg. She looked down and her breath hitched, watching an oversized and annoyed looking centipede as it crawled its way up her leg, probably furious that Juri had disturbed its nap by using its bush as a hiding place.

Precaution went out the window as Juri panicked and jumped from behind her cover, landing first into the sidewalk as she swatted the centipede off of her exposed thigh.

And people asked why she preferred trousers over skirts, mostly due to like that.

The centipede landed on the sidewalk and remained motionless for a few seconds before it turned tail and started making its way back into the bushes. Juri scoffed at it, annoyed, as she picked herself up from the ground and dusted her clothes.

“Oh. My. God.”- She heard a voice coming from behind her and remembered why she was hiding in the first place – “Are you okay? You are wounded…!”

Juri turned around, coming face to face with a concerned Sihyun who had rushed to her side, tossing her bag aside as she clasped Juri’s hand within her own, taking a look at the girl’s various cuts.

It took a second for Juri to retract her hand, the feeling of Sihyun’s balmy hands was enticing –even though she would never admit that out loud – however, she wasn’t keen to stay around campus any more than she had to.

“We have to take you to a doctor, those cuts don’t…”- There she was, a complete stranger offering Juri aid. Normally that came at a cost, but Sihyun’s face was filled with nothing but genuine worry.

Juri would admit that she had been painfully mistaken about Sihyun. Yeah, she often heard about how different the girl was from her friends, but she had never believed in them that much, attributing it mostly to how Sihyun was often seen as some sort of school diva.

She came from one of the riches families in Seoul and was known to be a great student all around, it was obvious the spotlight would land on her.

Yet to see her here, wanting to tend to Juri’s wounds, it was surprising to say the least.

“N-no. it’s okay.”- Juri forced the words out of before the silence became awkward.

“But…”- The young Sihyun tried to protest, but Juri interrupted her before she could say anything.

“I have to go home, goodbye.”- And with that, Juri bolted around, picking up the pace as much as her legs would allow her to.

She kept the pace for a few minutes, walking approximately half the trip home, before she allowed herself to breathe. She felt the anxiety caused by the previous situation wash away little by little as her old, controlled self returned.

And so did the pain of her cuts and the soreness of her bruises. She began massaging her arms, trying to dissipate a little bit of the ache before she reached home, yet her trembling hands weren’t precise enough to handle her body with care, which provoked her to release a painful yelp from as she applied to much pressure.

“Does it hurt badly?”- A curious voice came from behind her and, sure enough, Sihyun was there when Juri turned around, scaring the living daylights out of her.

“W-wha-wha-what are you doing here?!”- Juri croaked, trying to decide if she was startled, confused or bothered. She ended up settling for the last one. - ““Can you… please stop following me?!”

She was probably there to take advantage of her situation, Juri knew it, Sihyun wasn’t as good as people claimed her to be. She would try to blackmail her, forcing her to be her slave in exchange for her silence, like any rich kid would!

“I’m not, I’m going home too; which happens to be this way.”- Sihyun shrugged, looking at her amusedly.

“…”- Juri could feel herself turning beet red from the sheer embarrassment as those previous thoughts evaporated from her mind - “W-whatever!”

She turned around, trying to hide her reddening cheeks from her fellow freshman as she began walking again and a smiling Sihyun started trailing behind her.

They didn’t talk for the reminder of the trip and Juri made sure to always be four or five steps ahead “just in case”, Sihyun didn’t ask, she just accompanied, but Juri could feel that the girl was dying to know what had happened to her.

When Juri reached home, Sihyun just muttered a quick goodbye and kept going. Juri cheerfully though that would probably be the end of it, but that couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

That was the first time she had seen the girl but it certainly wasn’t the last one. Juri had quite the tendency to get in trouble with the school bullies at the time, and Sihyun was coincidentally always there to offer her help.

Sihyun always asked if she’d like to go see a doctor, and the answer was always the same reticent rejection. Still, Sihyun didn’t seem discouraged at all, always following Juri home silently, waiting for her to get inside before leaving.

It was what most people would consider a kind gesture and although Juri would’ve most preferred to be left alone if possible, she was starting to get used to it.

Juri wasn’t used to being offered help so selflessly, other than her dad, hardly ever had she been tendered to, and her dad didn’t even know about the bullying since he wasn’t home often by the time Juri got there after school. She always nursed her wounds all by herself, trying to hide most of the bruises as best as she could both from her dad and from the rest of her classmates. It had been a lonely life since her mother died. Her dad tried to provide for everything, but his work didn’t allow him to pass as much time with Juri as he would like. Still, she couldn’t complain, it’s not like they were struggling and they were still a happy duo in spite of everything.

Moreover, by the time Juri realized, Sihyun had started waiting to check on her near the iron gates. She was a smart girl, so it didn’t take long to figure out that whenever Juri lagged behind then it meant she was getting picked on again.

“Will you ever let me give you a hand? I can drive you to my home and take care of you.”- The girl asked once on their usually silent trip together. It was exactly like every other day, she would ask and Juri would refuse, then both of them would just start walking home.

But today was different. Her dad had been given a leave from work so he’d be home