[General POV]
 

"Hey~ Yuri, you're having lunch with us today, right?" a girl walked over to Yuri's table, gently, yet teasingly placing her hand on the desk. Let's call her... Yook Jiyoung. Two other girls snickered behind Jiyoung as they towered over Yuri. 

They waited for her reply though they were absolutely positive Yuri wouldn't reject them, "Hah, why am I even asking? I know you don't have friends do go to. You should be thankful I'm looking out for you."

"I-I.. I'm sorry, Jiyoung.. I.. I have to go somewhere today," Yuri replied meekly. She hadn't considered how difficult it would actually be for her to follow what her senior had asked her to do. Jinyoung's group always had her during lunchtime. 

"What did you say?" Jiyoung glared her down, "Who said you had the right to reject?" Jiyoung slammed her hand on the desk, gaining looks from their other classmates. No one, not even the guys would stand up to Jiyoung. 

Yuri knew very well how big of a mistake it was to reject her. But then, Yuri was far more scared of her senior. Choi Yena was a third year she knew close to nothing about. She didn't know what the older girl was capable of. 

"A-A senior asked me to come and s-see her today," Yuri kept looking down at the table. She was not about to make eye contact with Jiyoung for whatever reason. 

"...Oh?" Jiyoung seemed to loosen up after hearing her reason. The girl smirked when a wicked thought popped in her mind. Of course Yuri wouldn't reject her to escape. She was being called out by someone else, "Who?" 

"U-Um.. C-Choi Yena.. from 3-1," Yuri answered quickly. Jiyoung grinned the moment she heard the name. Choi Yena. Yuri didn't really pay attention to her surroundings, but Jiyoung did. 

Choi Yena was known among the school bullies. Yena was a person none of the school bullies would dare mess with. Jiyoung was excited by what she heard. Yuri was called out by the person even she herself was scared of.

"Well, you better go then," Jiyoung tried to stop herself from giggling. 

H-Huh?" Yuri looked up at Jiyoung in surprise but looked away quickly. She wasn't allowed to look at Jiyoung for too long. Putting that aside, she didn't Jiyoung would let her go that easily... But when Yuri thought about it again, it makes sense. Jiyoung probably thought the same thing she did. She was leaving to get bullied by someone else. Yuri just knew that Jiyoung was purposely letting her leave with that thought in mind. 

"Hurry up, now," Jiyoung flashed a smirk, "You might not know.. so as your friend.. I'll warn you. Even among people like me, Yena-unnie is someone to fear... I can't even imagine how it would be for someone like you."

Yuri felt chills run down her spine for the first time in ages. Because she had gotten used to the treatment she always received, she no longer feared bullies... but.. hearing what Jiyoung said, however, spiked fear in her. Jiyoung, the girl who made her school life hell, the girl who no one stood up to... feared  Yena. 

Surely, Yuri did feel a strong aura from Yena. She did, but this wasn't what she was expecting. 

"Aww, are you shaking, Yuri-yah~?" Jiyoung laughed at Yuri's pathetic state. She was right. Yuri was shaking. It's been a while since Jiyoung saw her like that. Yuri wasn't fazed by her anymore so seeing Yuri shaking at the mention of someone more dangerous was pleasing, "You should hurry."

Yuri didn't waste another second and got up. She started making her way to class 3-1. She wasn't running, but she wasn't walking either. It was like a part of her wanted to get there faster... but the other didn't want to go at all.

No, it's fine. You can handle it Yuri. She thought to herself. She's handled all sorts of people before. How bad could be?

Soon, the sign saying '3-1' had entered her sight. She approached the open door with heavy footsteps, looking in. 

"Need anyone?" the boy sitting by the door asked. 

"A-Ah.. I-I'm looking for.. Y-Y..Yena...unnie...?" Yuri wasn't sure how to call the girl but she settled for unnie. 

The boy gave her a weird look before turning to a girl on the other side of the room, "Choi Yena! Someone's looking for you."

Yuri looked at the direction the boy turned to just in time to see Yena look at her. Instinctively, Yuri looked away from Yena. From the corner of her eye, Yuri could see Yena walking up to her. She felt herself flinching when Yena stepped up to her. 

"Let's go," Yena stared at her.

"....Go where..?" Yuri blinked.

"To the cafeteria. Where else? It's lunch," Yena raised an eyebrow.

"A-Ah..! R-Right.." Yuri nodded, following Yena when she led the way to the cafeteria. 

~ + ~

When they got there, Yuri made sure to pay close attention to Yena in case she asks for anything. She can't risk making mistakes. 

Yena just kept walking and went over to the ticket machine. Yuri waited for Yena's order... But it never came. Instead, Yena asked, "What do you want?"

"......" Yuri paused. She was trying to process what just happened. Did she just... receive an offer?

Yena looked at her, giving her an equally puzzled look, "I asked you a question."

"Oh!" Yuri blinked a couple of times before turning to the ticket machine, "I-I'll just take ramen."

"Right," Yena took out some bills and put them in the machine. She then got the Ramen ticket for Yuri and Pork Cutlet ticket for herself. 

"W-wait..! I could've paid for it..!" Yuri was hesitant when Yena handed her the meal ticket. In the end, she accepted it, and they fell in line. 

"S-So what do you need me to do?" Yuri asked quietly.

"What?" Yena looked back at her. 

"I-I mean," Yuri was slightly startled, "In exchange for the ticket.."

"Look, I don't know what you're on about but I invited you," Yena handed her ticket to the lunch lady and took her food, "Of course I'm paying."

"B-But.." Yuri bowed slightly at the lunch lady, handing her ticket over as well. She stared at the bowl of ramen in her hand, worry all over her. She followed Yena to wherever the senior was sitting and sat across her. 

"Ah, I forgot the drinks," Yena was about to stand back up when Yuri stood up faster.

"I-I'll get the drinks!" Yuri was fast to offer, "W-What would you like??"

"......" Yena gave her a look before answering, "....Just get me an energy drink."

"R-Right..!" Yuri scurried over to the vending machine, whispering to herself as she took out her wallet from her blazer. 

"Out of the way," Yuri was suddenly pushed aside by another girl. It was Jiyoung. 

"A-Ah.. J-Jiyoung..." Yuri took another step back when she realized who it was. She didn't need to look directly at the girl to know her voice. So she was mad after all, Yuri thought to herself. She patiently waited for Jiyoung to finish but all of a sudden, the girl just leaned on the machine as to purposely block it. 

"U-Uh.. Jiyoung.. I need to get a drink..." Yuri spoke softly.

Jiyoung stared at her for a moment... and then said, "No. Tough luck, Yuri."

"U-Uh.. U-Unnie wanted.. a drink so I have to-" Yuri tried to reason with her only to feel a sharp pain on her cheek. Yuri backed away, placing a hand on her cheek and wincing once she touched it. Jiyoung held nothing back on that slap. 

"Who said you could talk back?" Jiyoung glared, "I was being nice when I let you go earlier but I didn't think you'd actually run off on me."

All eyes were on them. The students just watched, not wanting to get themselves involved. The cafeteria staff continued their work as if nothing was happening. 

"Did you learn to make excuses?" Jiyoung laughed in a sarcastic manner, "When I actually thought about it, what would someone like Yena-unnie need from someone like you?"

Yuri didn't talk back. She knew not to. It was like an unspoken rule to her. Never. Talk. Back. She wouldn't have been slapped if she didn't.

~ + ~

[Yuri's POV]
 

I never learn, do I? Stupid, why did you talk back in the first place. I keep my head low, my eyes only looking at the ground. I couldn't even dare look at Jiyoung's feet. I don't have the right to. I talked back, it was my mistake. I.. I just need to wait for her to calm down. 

"What? Are you just standing there?" Jiyoung walked over to me and pushed me back again. Okay, I can do this. I just have to let her anger fade. I could hear her uneven breathing, her anger evident even when I couldn't see her face. 

"Apologize to me." she demanded. 

"I...I'm sorry," I did just as I was told. Yes, if I just do what I was told it would all be-

"What are you doing?" I notice another set of feet walk beside me. That was Yena-unnie's voice. 

What is she doing? She could've just waited it out like everyone else does. Oh, I get it. This happened before too. I'm her thing now so she wouldn't just allow someone else to do things like this to me. 

Yeah, that's it. This is the sense of ownership.

"Yena..unnie..," Jiyoung's voice became passive, showing respect to our senior. When did I last hear Jiyoung speak that way? Actually, did I ever hear her speak like that? I highly doubt it. I don't deserve that much respect in the first place. 

"I asked you what you're doing?" Yena-unnie repeated her question again. I only looked away the entire time so I couldn't see any of their faces but I could feel the tension from how close I was standing.

"I-I was just letting this girl know her place," Jiyoung's voice shook slightly. So she wasn't joking about fearing Yena-unnie..? Just what is unnie...? I'd never heard of her but it seems like I should have.

"Who are you to be deciding what her place is?" Yena-unnie's voice remained stern. Each word she spoke felt sharp. 

I found myself looking directly at Yena-unnie for the first time since we entered the cafeteria. She didn't particularly look angry but her eyes did not look happy while they looked at Jiyoung.  

She must be.. something like.. the boss of the bosses...  ? That must be it. Jiyoung told me earlier.. what was it.. That even people like her fear unnie. So she's someone above those little groups and gangs in school. I guess she really doesn't like it when people mess with what's hers.. I should be extra careful not to anger her.

I see Yena-unnie look at my direction and immediately looked away. I can't look at someone of her status. I'm just a nobody in this school.

I heard her sigh.. followed by a sharp pain on my cheek. 

I yelped, flinching back when I felt a hand touch my cheek where I'd been slapped. I looked back at Yena-unnie, seeing her hand extended right where I previously stood.

Crap. 

"N-No.. I was just.. It was painful so I.." I tried to come up with an excuse. How could I react like that? Sure, it was painful when she touched it but it wasn't as if she slapped me.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have," Unnie took her hand back and looked back at Jiyoung.

W-Wait. What do you mean it's fine? I was almost always taken down if I ever acted on my own. Is she testing me? Maybe it's her way of seeing if I'll be defiant when she's being nice. In that case, I should really watch out.

"Let's go," Yena-unnie grabbed my wrist and dragged me back to our table, "Our food's getting cold."

"W-What about your drink?" I looked up and asked. 

"Forget it."

After that, as if nothing happened, the cafeteria was back to normal. Unnie and I ate our food in silence. When we were done, she stood up first and I followed. 

"You can head to your classroom now," she told me. 

"U-Um.. Should I go see you again tomorrow?" I took initiative. I shouldn't wait to be ordered. I need to be as obedient as I can be. If she can talk Jiyoung down, I wouldn't want to be on her bad side. 

She paused for a bit then replied a short, "Sure."

I nod, though she didn't see because I was walking behind her. We went up the stairs and when I stopped at the second floor, she headed up without a word but immediately came back down. 

"Your number," she handed me her phone, "Give it to me."

"O-Oh.. Um..." I took her phone and entered my number, "Here..."

She took her phone back, looked at my number for a few seconds before heading upstairs.

After watching her go, I headed back to class, thinking about what to do if Jiyoung approaches me.
 

~ + ~

Surprisingly, or maybe not, Jiyoung didn't do as little as to look at me. From the remaining classes til I got home, I didn't have any trouble. It only proved how highly she thought of Yena-unnie... and that worried me more. I got myself involved with someone way out of my league. The people I used to fear... They feared her. 

Today, the hours after lunch was probably the most peaceful hours of my entire school life. I've never lasted that long without Jiyoung and her group picking on me one way or another. In a way, I was relieved. I was able to focus in class today because no one was bothering  me plus I was able to go home earlier than usual without being held back.

At the same time, of course, I couldn't settle down. Really, what have I gotten myself into?

Choi Yena. 

I repeated her name in my head as I lied down on my bed.

It was a name I have never heard of prior to meeting her. 

What kind of person is she that she's above the bullies but at the same time, not known enough for me to hear about? Or was she actually pretty well known but I was just out of the loop?

All these thoughts circled in my mind... I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Wait.. In the first place, how did she know about me? Now that I think back, she talked to me right as I passed the gates.. Did she wait for me? 

"Agh... All this thinking is making my head hurt," I mumble to myself, "Ugh.. Even though today was was a less hectic, I still feel tired."

Just as I decided to get some sleep, I felt my phone vibrate. 

Right after typing 'Good night', I save her number under Choi Yena.

I.. I don't think I've ever received a 'Good Night' from anyone other than my parents. Even though I'm obviously being bullied, I couldn't help but be just a bit happy about it. Maybe under a different circumstance, this would be what having a friend would feel like?

Thinking about it won't change anything. 

I sighed.

I should just go to sleep...

~ + ~

||a/n: I find Yuri's POV funny yet sad at the same time. She's already made so much assumptions about Yena on their first meeting. Anyways, hope you enjoyed~||