There was tension in the air. Since word had gotten out about class A and class B having the chance to gain more stars for their partners, Somi had kept a pair of eyes in the back of her head. Yuri was starting to show that she wanted to change how Somi and the others were moving up the ladder within the school. They were gaining more strength as a team, and not too many people were pinning negative opinions against them anymore. It was as if they proved themselves, and people were starting to take them seriously. All this and the lack of bitterness from the rest of the school were adding gasoline to the fire beginning to brew within Yuri. If the rest of the school population wouldn't make Somi miserable, then Yuri would.

At first, Yuri's intentions were hidden behind her sickeningly sweet smile and her facade of wanting the best for her cousin, but slowly, as the weeks unfolded, so did Yuri's layers to reveal her true intentions.

Now her hair was not so well slicked back in its ponytail, and a couple of her buttons were undone. There was a ferocious look in her eyes, and they were pinned on Somi's moving figure.

"Somi!" Yuri's hand was stopped from grabbing Somi's hair by Changkyun, who reacted in a split second to Yuri's approach. Hyungwon stood before Somi and pulled her back, so she was in Hyunwoo's arms. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and Somi had to look around to catch up to everyone else.

"Yuri? What the hell?" Somi couldn't believe the bold attack that came from Yuri, who was fuming at the sight of her. Her teeth were revealed in a snarl, and her nostrils flared as she panted, heavy breaths loudly escaping her.

"You don't deserve to be here!"

"Pardon you?" Kihyun wasn't making any move to stop Yuri and her behaviour. The young woman who prided herself on being a lady was anything but ladylike as she tried to push past Hyungwon and Changkyun. They didn't budge at her attempts, and Yuri grew wild. She hair with her hands, her eyes wide open, her nose scrunched as her lips sneered, hissing at Somi.

"I make the Han name what it is! You have no right coming here and taking what I worked hard for! You have no reason to have him!" A long nail pointed at Hyunwoo. Somi glanced up at him. Hyunwoo didn't react. He held Somi tightly, looking over Changkyun's and Hyungwon's heads, standing taller than everyone else.

"I'm pretty sure that was our parents or at least mine, but go off, sis" Somi shrugged her shoulders as she held onto the last trindles of her temperament. 

"Your lady is in public; you should make sure she continues to be aware of her surroundings", Hyunwoo advised Kihyun. His eyes were also on Hyunwoo. They were dark and calculating as they monitored Hyunwoo.

"Let me go, Hyunwoo", Somi ordered.

"Everyone will hate you, and you'll never amount to anything when I am done with you!" It was like Yuri had lost her mind, spitting and yelling insults regardless of if she was getting retaliation or not.

"Move!" Somi ordered, waking up her team to her commands. None of them wanted to, but they moved out of Somi's way. Her word was final. Yuri bolted forward, but Somi was quicker. She grabbed Yuri by her wild hair and rammed her into the lockers against the wall. Yuri hissed, clawing and scratching wherever she could land a hit on Somi.

"Sick of playing sweet and lovely with me?" Somi sneered, pushing Yuri, so she was pinned to the lockers.

"Somi, I do not condone this behaviour", Hyunwoo warned her, though he had made no movements to interfere yet.

"Try your absolute best against me, Yuri. You're not gonna win in the end."

"I'll have him. He doesn't belong with you!" Yuri screamed in Somi's face and switched their positions with a surge of strength.

"That is more than enough!" Hyungwon barked, ripping Yuri from Somi and shoving her in Kihyun's direction. Kihyun caught her in his arms, his face showing no reaction as he held onto his lady, refraining her from running at Somi again.

"I recommend you get your under control", He snarled with his hand reaching out to pull Somi away.

"Hyungwon", Hyunwoo scolded, leading the way down the hall, leaving a wild Yuri flailing in Kihyun's arms behind them.

"Somi, you know better than to retaliate to that sort of attitude" Hyunwoo began his lecture, and Somi rolled her eyes, shaking her head. This wasn't Yuri's first attempt to cause bodily harm to Somi. At first, she hadn't made it so noticeable, and then when she did grow blatant about it, there was always one of the boys in her way, stopping her from landing a hand on Somi.

"She was waiting to let rip on me at some point. I knew it was coming eventually. And now that it's here, I'm not just going to sit and take it," Somi retorted.

"That doesn't mean you go feral in the halls; you are being no better than her by feeding into her behaviour."

"I'm sure that was nothing compared to what she's got up her sleeve", She grumbled.

And Somi had been right. Weeks passed, and she tried her best to settle into the higher grade. All the while, Yuri was trying to make Somi's life hell. 

Yuri was starting a war. After their debacle in the hall, Yuri threw her lunch in Somi's face, or at least she had tried to do that. Hyungwon was quick to slap the plate away before it could cause any damage to Somi. Rumours were going around the school about Somi and how angry she was making Yuri. And Yuri was becoming reckless and wild, not caring who saw and heard what she was doing and saying to Somi to provoke her.

On three separate occasions, she had started a fistfight in front of a crowd, and every time it ended with Somi getting away scratch-free while Yuri kicked and screamed, trying to escape being held back by Kihyun. For a moment, Somi had felt embarrassed for Yuri, not anywhere near as sorry as she felt towards the talk going around school about their feud, though.

Yuri had an obsession, and Somi wished she could have stopped it sooner. Yuri wanted nothing but Hyunwoo, and she was doing everything she could to make it clear to Somi.

And now, Yuri had crossed the line with Somi.

"You and me, we're going to compete."

"What, like you've been doing this whole time?" Somi snapped, crossing her arms over her chest, her jaw clenched, and her brow went up. She wasn't impressed with Yuri's continued harassment.

"No!" Yuri's laughter fell into a smirk that gave off Yuri's belief that she had already won this battle.

"We will compete officially."

"Why should I give my time to you?" Somi scoffed. Her head shook, wanting this interaction to be over.

"Because the teachers have already approved of it. In fact, they're delighted by my suggestion," Yuri hummed, shrugging her shoulders proudly.

"Is that right?"

"Yes, do you want to know why?" Yuri's head tilted, and the smile on her face was far from innocent. Yuri knew that she had this in the bag.

"Not really" Somi shook her head, turning to walk away.

"It's because I proposed a trade", Yuri started. Somi halted in her place, looking over her shoulder at a smug Yuri.

"You what?" Somi's tone challenged Yuri to repeat herself.

"I've challenged you for a trade" Somi knew what was coming, she didn't have to ask, but Yuri was going to tell her anyway.

"I'll trade one of my cards for one of yours."

"You" Somi's fists trembled at her sides as she turned slowly.

"Stay rational, Somi", Hyunwoo muttered quietly. Somi hardly paid him any mind.

"Let's make a deal; you and I are going to battle. If I win, I'll trade you, Hyunwoo, for Kihyun," Yuri smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

"And if I win?" Somi bit back as everyone in the room gasped, unable to believe what Yuri was saying. Kihyun looked devastated by the news, unable to hide how Yuri's gambling had cut deep. It was clear that they still needed to communicate about this.

"If you win," Yuri laughed as if it could never happen, "Then it's only fair I let you decide what you want."

"You," Somi shook her head. Of course, this is what Yuri was planning, all for a way to get Hyunwoo in her hands. Hyunwoo put his hand on Somi's shoulder, keeping her in place. Somi couldn't believe it. Yuri was taking things to the extreme, all for her own entitlement.

"Breathe," Hyunwoo reminded her. Somi took in a deep breath. Her head was starting to spin.

"Since you didn't want to tell me until now that you've set us up to compete officially," She started, smiling at Yuri, who smiled back, awaiting Somi's next move.

"I won't tell you what my end of the trade is until before the battle" Somi shrugged, and Hyunwoo's hand followed the motion. Yuri nodded as if her decision was no big deal.

"Very well, see you tomorrow for our friendly battle", Yuri winked.

"Oh, go to hell, Yuri" Somi rolled her eyes, turning to face her friends. They all looked down at her with worry, heads following her as she directed them away from the crowd that had been forming, something that happened more now whenever Yuri interacted with Somi.

"Somi", Somi was quickly caught up to as she left the building.

"What are you doing?" Hyunwoo fell into step with her.

"I'm walking away; what does it look like?" Somi retorted, and Hyunwoo sighed.

"That is not what I meant"

"What do you mean then, Hyunwoo?" Hyunwoo sighed, running a hand through his slicked-back hair.

"What I mean is, what are you going to do?" Hyunwoo reworded, and Somi stopped walking, turning to face Hyunwoo.

"What do you think I am going to do?"

"You can't refuse this battle" Hyunwoo shook his head, offending Somi.

"Why not?" She bit, and Hyunwoo let out another deep sigh.

"Because if it has been approved by the school, it means that it is official, and you can't walk away from an official challenge. If you do, there will be serious repercussions; you may even get dropped back down to the lower grade if you act out," He explained. Much to Somi's dismay, she didn't like the words she was hearing.

" it"

"Somi", Hyunwoo warned Somi against her use of words.

"What do I do?" Somi's head fell into her hands, and Hyungwon and Changkyun were quickly on either side of her.

"We will get through this" Hyungwon put his hand on Somi's shoulder. Somi looked between Changkyun and Hyungwon, feeling utterly lost. Their faces didn't convey the same emotions flooding Somi, but she didn't find her answer in their eyes either.

"I have no choice about this battle, right?" Somi sighed, looking back at Hyunwoo. He shook his head, only making Somi feel more defeated.

"I can't lose you, Hyunwoo. You belong here with us" Somi shook her head, and Hyunwoo nodded, his hand squeezed, trying to reassure Somi of his presence, showing her that he was still there with her.

"It's nearly the year's end; we can't just leave early and work harder first?"

"There is no delaying this, Somi" Hyunwoo denied Somi of her hopes, the weight pushed down on her heavily. The feeling of not being able to breathe was consuming Somi, and she had to shake her head to rid it of the dizziness that spun her thoughts into a mess of looking for a way out.

"Then I just have to make sure we win."

"We will get through this. I know it." Somi nodded, believing Hyunwoo's words.

"You will come out of this with all of us still by your side. Nothing is going to change that."

------------

Somi wished that they didn't have to enter the gymnasium today. A natural disaster could have occurred, a mass disease or something, everyone could have lost their memory, anything could have happened, and Somi would have run with it all for the sake of avoiding this day.

It was time. There was no running away, no matter how much Somi wanted to. She had spent all night begging and pleading with Hyunwoo for them to just up and leave, take what money they had and take the bus back home. But Hyunwoo wouldn't allow it, and now, Hyunwoo and Kihyun were standing face to face with their swords in hand with a cage separating Somi from Hyunwoo. Somi wished that distance wasn't there. She would have taken Yuri in a hand-to-hand combat battle if she had things her way. Yuri was brilliant, she had played her cards, and now Somi was in a crowded room feeling like all eyes were on them as a bell rang. Somi almost couldn't look; she wanted to close her eyes and turn away. But Changkyun put a hand on Somi's shoulder, keeping her grounded. Somi's lips trembled, and she gripped the cage tightly between her fingers.

"Come on, Hyunwoo, push." 

"You better win, Kihyun!" Yuri all but screeched, slapping her hand against the cage's bars. Somi flinched, looking her way before her eyes quickly darted back to Hyunwoo.

"You can do it, Hyunwoo!" Somi raised her voice to have Hyunwoo hear her. He took her words of encouragement into his body like they were steroids.

His strength increased as he blocked an attack from Kihyun and pushed him back with the power in his arms. Kihyun was nimble and quick, keeping Hyunwoo on his toes. The sounds the swords made whenever they collided with each other were as horrid as nails on a chalkboard. It filled the room and mixed with the gasps and other noises of excitement the classes were making.

"Come on, Hyunwoo" Somi's legs were trembling. She was a mess as she used the cage to help her keep standing. Unlike Yuri, she yelled, forcing Kihyun into making confident strikes to live up to her expectations. Kihyun's strikes and movements were sharp and precise. They held a world of intent with enough strength to push a heavy wall like Hyunwoo back. 

Hyunwoo hissed, bending his knees and locking his elbows into place. Kihyun's sword pushed into his, and despite their height difference, he had lowered Hyunwoo so much that they were face to face and snarling at each other. Hyunwoo pushed back with a grit of his teeth. It put Kihyun's back to the wall of the cage that Hyunwoo had been cornering him towards, but it didn't last long. Hyunwoo took the chance for a big attack with a full swing of his sword, and Kihyun used the time Hyunwoo spent winding up the attack to duck and avoid it. Rolling out from the corner and behind Hyunwoo, it was Kihyun's sword that made contact with its target. 

His sword sliced through the material of Hyunwoo's clothes and deep into the skin of his back. Hyunwoo's knees lost their strength for a moment, and he wound his fingers around the cage's bars so he wouldn't fall to the ground. Kihyun raised his sword with the intention of doing more damage to Hyunwoo. 

There was a fire in his eyes and intent within his grip. His knuckles went white, and his fingers clenched around the hilt of his sword.

"Bring him out alive, Kihyun!" Yuri's demanding voice cut through to Kihyun, and he hesitated. Growing frustrated with what he was set up to do, Kihyun slashed against Hyunwoo's back, bringing the same reaction out of Hyunwoo.

"Please, Hyunwoo! Don't let him beat you!" Somi pleaded, putting her arm through the cage bars but being too far away to reach Hyunwoo no matter how much she stretched her fingers. Hyunwoo's face contorted. A sword had just slashed through the skin and muscles of his back, and he was feeling it. 

But there was a very special young woman on the other side of the cage, begging him to make it out of this battle as the victor. There was a place at her side that belonged to him, and he couldn't rid himself of that privilege by failing her. Hyunwoo forced himself to turn, raising his sword and defending himself just in time for Kihyun's sword to clash with his. 

Hyunwoo's leg raised and his foot connected with Kihyun's stomach, kicking and creating distance between them. Kihyun's face contorted with the harsh attack from Hyunwoo. Hyunwoo followed it up with a jab of his sword. Kihyun avoided the pointed tip of the blade by stepping to the side. He made his own strike with his sword, and Hyunwoo ducked under it to slash at Kihyun again. The hit connected this time, and blood gushed from Kihyun's stomach and flicked off Hyunwoo's sword into the air. in breaths of shock echoed in the room. Somi held her breath, arms going slack as she watched on with little strength in her body remaining. 

Everything she had was going towards Hyunwoo, every fibre of energy and strength she directed to him, with the dream of it seeing him burst to life with unbeatable power. Her bottom lip trembled at the same pace as her legs that would have struggled under her weight if they didn't feel like boulders holding her in place. Somi's eyes watered, and her hands were trembling. There was a bad feeling that Somi just couldn't shake off.

"Keep going, Hyunwoo!" Somi's voice trembled, unable to hold the same strength it contained earlier. Changkyun put a hand under Somi's arm, and Hyungwon followed when he noticed the strength slipping out of Somi. Her fingers curled, gripping the cage as she fought away any tears from blurring her vision.

"Fight Hyunwoo! Fight!" She yelled, putting more force into her voice. Like adrenaline filled his veins from her words, Hyunwoo made several damaging strikes to Kihyun at a moment's notice. It pushed them back to the middle of the cage, but it didn't knock Kihyun down.

"Do better Kihyun!" The command shot through the air, and then Kihyun pushed back, acting as if he wasn't just tattered and torn up more by Hyunwoo and his sword. Blood was covering their clothes and dripping down their limbs. Hyunwoo and Kihyun had to strangle their swords' hilts to ensure the slick blood didn't change their grip on their weapon. Everything started to move quicker. Hyunwoo's steps fastened, and Kihyun's body spun and ducked to avoid his attacks as their swords clashed and bounced off the other in lightning-fast movements. Their feet stamped over the ground, and their swords clashed as they grunted.

The crowd's eyes strained to keep up with the pace of their fight. It was exhilarating for them to see. Somi blinked, and then they were closer to her. She blinked again, and they were in the corner. She blinked again, and then Hyunwoo backed Kihyun against the cage with his sword pressing against Kihyun's. 

Yuri hovered over Kihyun's shoulder, hissing something in his ear and reaching through the cell to push him towards the battle zone again. Everyone cheered when Kihyun's sword slid across Hyunwoo's arm. The slice drew another heavy flow of blood and Hyunwoo faltered with a