Seulgi POV

"I know you're having a hard time living your days. How about this: I offer you a job. Say you'll learn kickboxing as your way of dealing with your temper, how about using it to make some cash?"

And that's how I got into the ring. Even though I hate my step father, I know very well how I'm dealing with my life. For all of the 17 years of my life, I've struggled day by day finding food and just a place to live. I ran away from home when I was 12 years old and went to the orphan house before I got out to live independently.

Was my decision stupid? No. I think no one in this world wants to depend their life on somebody else for the rest of their life. So, I decided to live alone. Doing part time in a restaurant, gas station, and room service in a hotel. Could I afford a lot? Maybe just enough to buy my food and a drink for the day. 

During those days, I lived with my old friend whose father owned a kick boxing gym. Ever since I was a child, I was abused by my step father whereas my mother had died in a car accident years before. I managed to run away from my step father and live with my friend, Kim Yerim, and her father suggested that I learn boxing.

He suggested the idea so I could be able to defend myself and also be able to control my spontaneous emotions due to my past life. Yeri's father acknowledged how I was abused by my step father. So, in order to let out all of my grudges and anger, Yeri's father trained me to control those emotions with the art of kickboxing. 

It did help. Until one, my step father came and found me. Apparently he never lost me after I ran away. He let me go to keep an eye on me from far. I was mad at him. Almost punched him when he told me. But right as I was about to take out my anger, he suddenly offered me a job in the ring by using my ability to fight and win some money. He told me he would split the money 50%-50%, which seemed like a fair deal.

But the process to win was never easy. I went through failures and hardships. However, my step father never dared to throw punches at me because he knew I was strong. Only a lack of experience since Yeri's father never let me do sparring during my training. He only trained me to defend myself through techniques and practice my punches. 

Going to illegal fights is surely dangerous. None of Yeri's family know this. If they knew, they would surely kick me out. Well then, how did I manage to get myself a win? Apparently my step father has been in this environment for a very long time, long ago. He knew some people who then became my sparring opponents. Out of their surprising kindness, they trained me how to fight.

I know and realize how dangerous this illegal stuff is, but once you get yourself a win after several failures, you get addicted to it. Especially with the money you get. After one year, I managed to afford a place to live by myself. That's when I finally told Yeri about where I got all of my sudden money from. She was shocked and mad at me for doing that kind of stuff, especially when I told her I've been in contact with my step father again, that he was the one who introduced me to illegal fights.

Yeri didn't talk to me for 3 months. I understand her for being mad at me because at some point I took some advantage of the lessons her father gave me. Going to illegal fights and earning illegal money from it... it’s just not the right thing to do. After three months of silent treatment from her, we finally both got our peace back.

But she still doesn't like the fact that I'm doing illegal things to get money. I agree with her actually. But living in this cruel life which capitalism made us like this, doing something illegal in order to stay alive is the only option for me. I don't have much choice because that is the only ability I have. After all, by going to those fights, I could finally afford to go to college. 

I don't want to lie about it all because I do love the adrenaline, the crowds cheering my name. But I guess I will try my best to get out of this mess. Try to find my own freedom and stay away from my step father forever. He doesn't deserve me. After all, he never cared about me. He introduced this thing to me because he wanted the money.

Greedy .

And so, my life went on. Going to fights on weekends, and attending college at the same time. Everything went well until one day I met someone...

Third POV

"Please guys. I need to finish my essay," pleaded a girl with long black straight hair and rounded glasses covering her eyes.

"Geez, Irene. The due date is next week. Why do you need to finish so quickly?" said the chubby cheek girl sitting beside her.

"Because I want to get it done this weekend so I don’t have to worry about the due date, Jennie." 

"What's with the rush, Irene? Do you have a date?" asked the blonde hair girl sitting across Jennie and Irene.

"No, I have a dance performance next week." 

"Right! I completely forgot about that! We should go, Rose!" 

Irene rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe her best friend would forget her own performance that was next week. Well it wasn't that important, but dancing is her minor in college. She loved dancing because it helped her mind gain peace after the long lectures about criminal law and legal methods. Those two classes were her least favorite.

During those classes, she didn't have bad grades, just steady and average ones. She had promised herself she won't fail those two classes because she doesn't want to repeat them next year.

Currently, Irene, Jennie, and Rose were sitting at their usual table in their usual cafe near the campus. Rose and Jennie were arguing about what they should wear for tomorrow's party at Jisoo's place. Meanwhile, Irene, the genius amongst her other friends (Lisa and Jisoo), had kept her mind busy after classes had ended.

She wanted to finish the essay about legal drugs that were being transported through her country recently. It's really hard for her as a student majoring in law. Especially talking about criminal law. Too many complicated laws for it. But she's a genius. She will pass the essay with another A. Typical straight A student that she is. But apparently her other friends are much different from her. 

Rose, Jennie, Lisa, and Jisoo do maintain their grades at the average. They never fail any classes however they can be quite lazy. Doing assignments last minute before the due date or doing last night’s homework questions as the teacher is collecting the answers. At least they manage to pass all of their classes, right?

"Are you finished, yet? We need to go to the mall to find the perfect dresses for the party.”

"I'm not going," said Irene literally, whose friends froze at the comment.

"What??" said Jennie and Rose together.

"You heard me." 

"How can you miss Jisoo's party?! It's going to be lit! Lots of guys will go there!" said Rose.

"Like you're into guys? What about Lisa?" Irene said savagely.

"Well I could actually take some time looking at handsome guys, right?" said Rose.

"Lisa will surely spank you" Jennie added and Irene laughed..

"Irene, come on! It will be fine! After all you still have two more days to finish that essay." Jennie pleaded by laying her head on Irene's shoulder.

"What advantage will I get by going to a party?" 

"You can get your mind at ease for a while. That's one of the reasons why you applied to dance classes, right?" asked Rose. 

Irene is not a typical party student. She would rather much stay at home and sleep. She doesn't like crowded places and meeting new people, but maybe she should try it, thinking that Jisoo will be the host, she will probably disappoint Jisoo by not showing up at her party. Still, she felt unsure to go. She doesn't have a beautiful dress for her to wear, not even a prom dress as she never went to prom night for high school.

Even though a lot of men came up to her and asked her out to be their prom date, she rejected every one of them. She just...doesn't want it. Like no one catches her attention. They just want to look cool in front of the school for finally dating the famous Bae Irene. Yeah, she was famous in her high school for being a genius and also the most beautiful girl, she had an eternal beauty that everyone adored.

Until now, everyone in college still tried to hit on her but eventually none of them were successful. What a pity to all the men out there. 

"I don't know guys. I don't have anything to wear and I don't have any experience for partying."

"Well you have your best friends! Come on. We will buy you a beautiful dress!" said Jennie, who then closed down Irene's laptop and dragged her out from the cafe together with Rose giggling behind the two of them.

~~~

"Do you really need that many stitches?” 

"Well, whose fault is it?" 

The two girls currently sat in the living room of the medical student apartment. As always, the monolid girl came to her apartment in the middle of the night after having a fight. One of her illegal fights to be specific. The blonde had herself looking like a doctor already. With hand gloves covering her steady hands, handling the scars and bruises on the monolid girl's body like a professional. 

"Slowly, Sunmi! It hurts!" 

"Then why do you still go, Seulgi?!" asked Sunmi-touching the still damp scars.

"Ouch!" 

After putting several stitches on the scars, Sunmi treated the scars with cotton. Then she went to the other wounds and bruises. She treated Seulgi for about 15 minutes and during that time, Seulgi and Sunmi didn't talk. They sat in silence. It was always like that. However despite how much Sunmi hates to see Seulgi like this, all beaten up and scarred. She would always help the monolid girl regardless of what she thought.

She treated every wound and scar Seulgi would get after her fights, but every week she would always pray that she would never see Seulgi come to her apartment bleeding herself. As a fourth year resident, she had been dealing with lots of wounded patients in the hospital that involved very serious matters such as gunshot wounds and more.

Sunmi is very familiar with lots of scars and she can treat them very well. Seulgi could always depend herself on Sunmi for her free practices, since her step father never cared about the wounds she would get from her fights. He only cared about the money that he received which he would divide half and half.

"I'm sorry, Sunmi. I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to." 

"I know. I'm sorry for being harsh to you. But Seulgi, don't you want to get out? I saw you in the ring and you weren't… you." 

Seulgi had her head hanging down. At some point she did feel guilty for dragging Sunmi into this, treating her wounds every week and sometimes even going out to see the fights in person. For a doctor like her, surely this is a nightmare. What all the doctors want is for everyone to be healthy.

But Seulgi had nowhere else to go. Going to the hospital will cost her a lot of money and being treated by Sunmi is free. Sunmi said it herself. She felt guilty at some point. Sunmi must have been through a lot. What could she do anyway? These illegal fights have been apart of her life since she was 17 years old. 

Also, retiring from the fight was equivalent to suicide. Seulgi would need to deal with some s who knew what. Especially with her step father. What would he say if she decided to stop this routine, when she's so far on top? He wouldn’t let Seulgi do that. Seulgi knows what her step father is capable of.

"Think about what I said, Seulgi. You will lose yourself if you stay in that ring. Find a way to get out. I don't like to see you getting hurt again and again.” 

With that, Sunmi got herself up and went to the kitchen. Seulgi put her clothes back on and sighed. Sunmi didn't know how much longer she wanted to play this game. But Seulgi couldn’t help the feeling of wanting to do more and more. The adrenaline in the ring really gets her nerves hot. The feeling after you received cheering from the crowd and the amount of money she got was intense.

She knows how illegal everything is, but the fights always find their way to get out from the police and law enforcement. She always managed to get away from it all. 

"Have you eat anything yet?"

"It's okay, Sunmi. I don't want to bother you even more.”

"Like you never did." 

Seulgi chuckled.

The apartment’s doorbell then suddenly rang and Seulgi got up from the couch and took her belongings. Sunmi who was about to open the door saw Seulgi gathering her things.

"You're going so soon?"

"Yeah. Wendy’s probably at the door. She's picking me up. Thank you, Sunmi. I owe you a lot." 

Sunmi nodded.

Once Seulgi got out from Sunmi's apartment, a blonde short hair girl with her leather black jacket stood by the door, looking a bit surprised at her best friend. Seulgi had some scars on her face. She looked so messed up with her hair untidy and just the smell of sweat covering her body. She surely didn't shower after the fight.

"You look like ." said the blonde girl.

"Thank you, Wendy. I appreciate your concern." said Seulgi, a little annoyed by her best friend.

"Eat slowly, Seulgi." 

"I don't have any fights this weekend."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. They decided to let me take a rest. Since today was quite a tough game."

"That explains your bruises and wounds." 

Seulgi looked down.

She became roommates with Wendy after she had earned enough money to afford an apartment. Wendy rented out one of her rooms in the apartment  to Seulgi and they have been friends since they were in junior high school. Both of them went to the same school and Wendy knew everything about Seulgi. How she lived in the orphanage and then moved to Yeri's house. How she was abused by her step father and was currently working for him to by joining in illegal fights. 

Did Wendy like it? No, of course not. But she was always there for Seulgi, supporting her in her fights because she believed that one day, Seulgi would get herself out of that environment. Maybe not now, but later.

Wendy knew Seulgi had been through a lot. Fighting is her way to cool down her emotions. Sometimes Wendy did find Seulgi being someone else during the fights. Like she wasn't the kind and calm Seulgi she knew. It was because of the emotions Seulgi had due to her bad past. She let all of it out to the surface and let it blow up during her fight. 

The image of her step father abusing her and her trying to hit him several times. She knew she couldn’t fight her step father even if she wanted to. Because apparently she's working for him and she was also in debt to him after what he did to her. Without him, she probably wouldn’t have enough money to live her life. 

"Then if you're free, why don't we go to a party? I heard one of the law students are having a party tomorrow." 

"You know I don't like parties."

"Just chill, Seulgi-ah. Try to refresh your mind and relax a little bit. It will be fun." 

"They're inviting us? Performing art students?"

"Yeah! She invites all students in the college." 

"Is she rich?" 

"I don't know but we should find out, right?" 

Seulgi thought a little bit. Maybe going to a party wouldn’t be so bad. After all, she needed time to ease her mind a little bit. Probably a drink or two wouldn’t be bad for her. What’s the worst that could happen?

"Yeah… sure. I'll go."

"Great! Joy will be there too." 

Hope it’ll go well, Seulgi thought.