Professional jealousy.

It was a phrase that Jiu hated hearing. Why did they have to be jealous of one another when their ultimate goal was to help people? Why did one’s public success amount to one’s worth? Why were some treated like royalty, while others were treated like yesterday’s garbage?

The answer was obvious: the ranking system. According to the founding heroes, the ranking system was meant to encourage friendly competition while also giving the appropriate training regime based on skill. But as time passed, it devolved into a way to demean others. The system was so rooted in history that none of the higher ups wanted to demolish it. It made her sick.

So yes, professional jealousy, to put it nicely. She saw it in the way the higher ranks would exploit the lower ranks. She saw it in the way the lower ranks were scared of being bullied that they would allow fellow students to be bullied. She saw it in the way some medical students would give her dirty looks every time she achieved something. She saw it in the way that some lower ranked heroes would defect to being villains because they were tired of being second to their peers. She saw it in the way that Yoohyeon was anguished by her false accusations by a higher ranking student.

These hyenas were wearing the skin of humans, waiting and watching, for a chance to destroy. So when her new friendships with lower ranking students became apparent, Jiu did all that she could to ignore them. Any signs of weakness would get to her friends and then to her. Jiu would be damned if she let that happen.

But there were good people too, despite this terrible system. Rank 5 Dami quickly cleared Yoohyeon’s name (in exchange for information on that demon she fought. The real culprit is still at large, unfortunately). Rank 5 Kim Bora cared for Rank 1 Lee Siyeon as more than a friend, even Jiu could see that. Rank 4 Handong saved her life and cares not of the ranking system, befriending whoever she liked. Rank 3 Lee Gahyeon was a troublemaker but when she put her mind to it, she could do anything. Rank 1 Lee Siyeon had the heart and the drive of a true hero, regardless of her rank.

And Rank 4 Kim Yoohyeon was…

“Jiu!” Her musings were cut short by the very person she was thinking about. The taller girl caught up to her just as she was about to enter class. “You forgot your lunchbox on the counter.” She held out a bag decorated with cherry stickers and a cup of coffee. Jiu was in such a rush that she forgot her lunch this morning. The coffee was just Yoohyeon being extra nice today. Things between them started to get better since Yoohyeon woke up and Jiu couldn’t be happier about it. The younger girl sometimes went out of her way to do nice things for her.

Receiving the bag and the coffee, Jiu gave a small smile to the younger girl. “Thank you. Don’t you have class right about now? Don’t think that you can bribe me with coffee.” Yoohyeon was dressed in her uniform and it would have been perfect, had the taller girl not worn the blue hoodie on the inside. Noticing the look the older girl was giving her, Yoohyeon smirked playfully.

“Yeah I’m going to be late to class but I wanted to give you your lunch, otherwise I won’t get the chance for the rest of the day. Also, I may be attending class like you told me to, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to look the part.” The rank 4 student stuck out her tongue like a child.

Jiu shoved her shoulder jokingly and told her to get a move on to class. “Thanks again, Yooh.” She reached over to pinch the taller girl on the cheek, just like they used to. Shutting the classroom door behind her, she is met with many curious eyes. Most are just pure curiosity, while some others are poorly veiled distaste, particularly from Kang Jinwoo. He’s finally attained rank 5 but got suspended right after. Unfortunately, his suspension ended rather quickly.

The blonde sat down at her desk and her friend leaned over to whisper to her. “Jiu~ are you and your roommate...y’know...dating?”

“What? No way!” She quickly denied it.

“Oh? You aren’t? You seem to be getting along pretty well after she saved you.” Seungyeon teased. “Girl, if I wasn’t already in love with someone, I would so date Kim Yoohyeon. I mean look at her: she’s tall, cute, and brings you coffee. You’re even roommates. It literally can’t get better than that.” Jiu swore that Seungyeon can be such a little when she wants to be, despite her usual good manners.

She also tried her best to fight the blush rising on her cheeks. But it was all in vain. Seungyeon was too busy laughing up a storm next to her. Her only saving grace was the professor walking in and starting the class.

She was too busy paying attention to the lecture to notice that someone was drilling holes into the back of her head.

--

Professional jealousy.

That’s what Jiu believed it all boiled down to. Sure, there were other reasons, other types of jealousy. But they did not make up the largest percentage as to why this was happening.

The city was ablaze with demons and humans swarming the streets. Oddly (and kind of amazingly), the demons were not attacking the rogues, only focusing on the citizens. It was as if the demons understood that they could benefit from the chaos the rogues were creating to feed on innocent humans. That, or they were being controlled by someone.

Whatever it was, the principal was prepared for damage control. The Association already sent out their finest heroes to quell the chaos but there were too many.

“Students! All who are able will deploy at once: Kill the demons and capture dissents!”

Yoohyeon grabbed her arm with a grave expression. “I’ll cover you while you heal the citizens.”

“No...I have to heal the heroes fighting out there...Their injuries are more severe and we can just have other healers help the citizens.” Fear and apprehension, as Yoohyeon came to recognize in Jiu’s expression, made her understand how scary this situation truly was. As students, they went on several missions to exterminate demons but those missions were cleared with the academy before sending students out. The mortality rate is not something the academy wanted on their charts. But this time, everything was out of control and they had to make their own judgements on the field.

“It’ll be alright, Jiu. We’ve got your back.” Yoohyeon squeezed the blonde