"Ouch! Watch where you're going, tomboy!" Jennie rolled her eyes at Hyori as she brushed her shoulder before strutting off in her platforms. Hyori bit her lip, trying to control her anger and tears. What is wrong with everyone here? Why do they always like to pick on her, just because she's .. different?

Hyori sighed and walked ahead like a zombie, her mind constantly replaying Jennie's words. Then, it struck her. She had said those words before .. the first time she met Chen.

Hyori felt like there was something stuck in . Was this karma? But she did not pick on Chen. She picked him up. So what has she done to make her deserve this?

As she thought about Chen's smile, Chen's laughter, Chen's constant chatter, she realised how much she missed hanging with him in school. Thinking of Chen made her think of her classmates. Especially Xiumin. And .. Zico. Her fingers unconsciously traced the necklace he had given her on her last birthday. She wore it everyday to school. She wondered how they're doing now.

Her mind was far far away. Until she ran into someone else.

"Dude!" It was a guy who scoffed at her now. He blinked. Then, he sniggered.

"Oops, for a moment I thought you're a guy with .. long hair," he laughed before walking away. That was the last straw. Biting her lip to resist the urge to scream, she stormed over to the guy, grabbed him by his  back collar and pulled him back, hate blazing in her eyes. The guy automatically turned and she used her other hand to grab his front collar while letting the other hand go.

"Whoa-" he was taken aback by her strength and got flustered.

"Listen here Jang Jaehun," she hissed as they stood really close to each other. "I did not give a damn about your business, so don't go around butting your nose in mine. It's my effing problem what I want to wear and how I want to look like. I HAVE FEELINGS TOO!" She yelled, tightening her grip.

Jaehun had gotten over his shock. He smirked at her as he raised both hands in mock surrender. As he opened his mouth to say something, a loud shriek from behind interrupted him.

"What the hell are you doing to my boyfriend?!"

Hyori whirled around, loosening her grip. Jaehun took the opportunity to free himself from her clutches, rubbing his neck.

It was Fei. Other students had started to gather around them. There was jealousy burning in Fei's eyes as she marched up to Hyori until they were nose to nose.

"I said, what the hell are you doing to my boyfriend?" She repeated in a dangerously soft voice.

Jaehun was still smirking. Should he create a new rumour, one that would make everyone in the school hate Hyori? Because once Fei (the popular girl) hates someone, everyone will automatically follow.

"She was hitting on me," he interrupted, sighing as he massaged his now sore neck. Both Hyori's and Fei's jaws dropped.

"Ah, fancy a girl with no looks, no style, hitting on a guy like me. She should be ashamed of herself," he smirked.

Hyori was speechless. "T-that's not-" But Fei was glaring at her.

"You just wait." She hissed before walking away. Hyori turned back to see Jaehun grinning the most evil grin she has ever seen.

"That's what you get for messing around with me." Then, he walked away. Hyori was still numb with shock. It was the crowd around her that jolted her to her senses. 

"YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID WASN'T TRUE! WHY DIDN'T YOU STICK UP FOR ME?!" She yelled at them, fighting her tears. When they didn't respond (some walked away), she screamed out in frustration before running away.

*

Meanwhile, in class, Fei was still trembling with rage. Her three friends were trying to calm her down.

"Jaehun wouldn't like her."

"Like he said, she was the one who flirted with him first."

"She doesn't know who she's messing around with."

Just then, the teacher came in so the girls dispersed. They glimpsed at Fei from time to time, worried. Fei took out her notebook and tore out a page before scribbling something and passing it on to the nearest person; Suzy. She opened it and read it before passing it on to the other 2 girls, who looked back at Fei and nodded.

- We need to teach her a lesson.

*

"What have I ever done to you to make you hate me?" Hyori half-yelled, half-whimpered as Fei and her friends crowded around her in the toilet. They had found her crying there and cornered her. One of them even put a "cleaning in progress" sign so that other people won't interrupt them.

Fei smirked. "You don't know? It's more of the fact that you exist. This is a design school. And you don't really fit in here, if you haven't noticed yet."

She stepped up to Hyori. "You've been getting on my nerves. Just go back to your little boyfriend!" She yelled and pushed Hyori. The other girls took turn to kick and slap her. They even pulled her hair. Hyori was a strong girl, but even she was not that strong when faced with 4 girls. She did her best to defend herself but she was helpless. Their hits were hard.

Tears fell. Hyori was actually wishing to die at that moment. Finally, after what felt like endless physical and mental torture, they finally stepped back, looked at her pitiful broken figure, before nodding in satisfaction.

"Let's go," Fei called her friends. "And you better not cross my path again, or you'll get it worse." They laughed as they left the washroom.

Hyori was trembling badly. Every part of her body was bruised and she even had a bloody lip. She was crying badly too. She had never cried so hard before. She pulled herself up to the mirror and looked at her reflection. She was a terrible mess. 

Seeing her pitiful state, she cried even harder, banging her fists on the sink. It was painful, to be bullied just because she doesn't fit in with society's standards of beauty. All sorts of unhealthy thoughts crossed her mind, but her rational side controlled her.

With trembling fingers, she gigngerly fished out her mobile phone and scrolled through her contacts. She clicked the call button and held the phone to her ear.

"Noona! Why are you calling? Aren't you in school now?"

"Chen .." Her voice was weak and shaky.

There was a sudden silence.

"Noona, what happened?" Chen's voice grew sharper.

"I can't take it anymore." Hyori began crying again.

"Do you want me to wait for you at the park?"

"C-can you do that?" Hyori sniffed.

"Yes. See you."

Hyori hung up and tended to her wounds. She washed her face and combed her hair with her fingers. Even though it was still school hours, she had to leave. She had to-

"My dear, what happened to you?"

*

Hello! I'm sorry for the late update, I had to settle my enrolment package for poly. This chapter marks the start of exciting things that's gonna come your way! :D I just hope I know what I'm writing LOL. I envy those writers who can write long chapters and know what they're writing :/

P.s: The secret mission's happening soon! ;D