In all honesty, despite whatever faux act she put up to assure Jaemin, her arms were still covered in scratches and aching pain. She took the soreness and swelling nonetheless because--well, it would only get worse. It was abundantly clear to her that Jaemin had been going easy on her before and was now increasing his strength, and if he didn't then that would only result in one thing: her death.

So. Yeah. Yoonah will take the agony of swollen arms over death any day.

They had split paths in the hallway to get dressed separately (obviously, you creeps) but even as Yoonah patted light concealer into her eyebags and brushed her hair in fifty strokes and as the clock chimed, her partner was no one to be found. The girls' dormitory was bustling with gossip and sneering, and yet the other was nowhere in sight.

With the tilt of her head, Yoonah tightened her grip on her backpack straps before darting through the hallway in an attempt to remain unseen. Her blazer was feeling unreasonably tight around her arms as she slithered past bodies that will soon fall limp to the ground, in vain and blood.

It felt weird. Walking down these halls without Jaemin by her side--and there was nothing more irritating than that thought. She should be used to walking without him. An annoyed huff escapes her lips as she finally makes it out of the girls' dormitory (eyes still discreetly on the lookout for a certain ashy-haired boy).

Crisp, cool air engulfed her in an icy embrace, painting her cheeks and nose a pleasant pink. December was ready to come in full swing. Cold dew rested over the dying grass and the auburn leaves were finally on their last limb, leaving bland branches in their wake. Yoonah now suddenly wished she had taken a pair of gloves and a beanie before leaving, though the gauze wrapped around her hands (courtesy of Jaemin) helped keep some of the warmth.

The school looked daunting as always. Ravens cawed as they circled around a scrap of food left by one of the students in the garden center, picking and tugging at it. Yoonah blinked before walking away, pulling open the large doors and entering chaos.

Quite literally, not just for the dramatic effect this time.

As soon as her feet step foot on the polished marble floor (which, surprisingly isn't polished today. It lacks its normal squeaky shine and is tracked with mud and mush from students' feet. She squints, noticing a brownish-red squelch in between the cracks, but can't make out exactly what it is), she is greeted with nothing short of a nightmare.

Well, it can't really be considered a nightmare if it is expected, can it?

On Yoonah's moral standards, it was a nightmare, at least.

Students brawled, mouths snarled into something sinister and teeth sharp with intention, in every corner, every space possible. Their screaming and yelling could be heard from miles away, but Yoonah struggled to make out exactly what they said. It reeked of mayhem and blood and that only drove the stake deeper into the hearth.

She gasped when her eyes landed on Chenle and Jisung who were dueling a group of three. They held no weapons, for once, and were playing defense. As if the group had taken them by surprise, and were crowding them into the lockers behind them.

They snarled at the two, who only glared back menacingly. Still, they didn't seem worried even as they were outnumbered. Chenle was quick to through an uppercut to one of the students jaw, breaking that unsaid rule of 'whoever hits first' and they break out into brawl. They fight side by side, taking the students out one by one with ease before moving into the next.

It felt unsettling seeing one of her friends fight with such ease. As if it took nothing out of him. It felt even worse when she saw a prideful smirk decorate Chenle's lips as he punched a student straight in the nose, and unsettling crack sounding as he crumbled to the ground.

Donghyuck was nowhere to be seen, which was worrisome; but not as much as her black fox.

Doe eyes searched through the spilling carnage in hopes of seeing a sneaky fox in the midst but doesn't have the chance when a hand snatches her arm and pulls her behind a wall, out of sight.

Her mouth is open in a ready scream before a hand slaps over it and the scent of expensive champagne fills her nose and familiar eyes send her body limp in acceptance.

"What are you doing?" Yoonah asked with a rushed tone, desperate to keep searching for her sly fox. She flinches when she sees a body fall limp to the floor. The victor (she recognizes him as Yeonjun) stands over them with a psychotic smile before his eyes scour for his next victim.

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Saving you from getting mauled, what does it look like?" Her eyes followed Yoonah's before her arms held the girl firmly in place by her shoulders as if she would flee. "Are you--" Unsure eyes search for a riddle that refused to be answered.

'Are you okay after literally watching your 'boyfriend' carve his initials into the school's self-proclaimed king thus creating both him and yourself a new enemy?'

"Are you okay after seeing students fall and fight to the death, knowing that it could easily be you?'

Well no, when it's put that way, Yoonah is far from okay.

"I'm fine," Yoonah shakes her head. More bodies have fallen, though it's unsure if it's from unconsciousness or purely from lacking life. A shiver courses through her body and she bites back the vile taste growing in the back of her throat before asking, "Have you seen Jaemin anywhere?"

The reasonable question probably would have been: what the hell is going on here? But obviously, Yoonah had more important things on her mind.

She hasn't turned away from the scene, so she can't see Sookie's expression when she responds, "No. Shouldn't he have been with you?"

That does little to nothing to ease her worries. Her eyes scan the hallway, looking past the puddles of blood and bared teeth and shrills of urgency. It was odd--the sight made her feel uneasy but she kept looking. She wanted to run away but she planted her feet against the tiled floor. Everything about what she was seeing was unusual; unsettling, but all she could find herself caring about was finding Jaemin. As if everything was worth ignoring until she found him. Nothing mattered more than him.

She quickly swooped underneath Sookie's protective arm and ignored her frantic calls before entering the hallway. She nearly slipped and lost her balance, her foot squelching in blood. She looked down to see her shoe covered in red and cringed, but shook it off, desperate to find the other. A few fights were one versus one, but others were clearly unfair as she rushed past them. She ran straight past Jungwon; their eyes met briefly and widened as if in shock, but she kept running.

Groups would hover over an innocent kid--well, Yoonah would never truly know how innocent they really were. Every student who attended Yongsan must have committed a sin.

The fights were outnumbered and unfair, and perhaps Yoonah might have cared if her mind wasn't filled with one thought only, plaguing her brain with an urgency she has never felt.

In reality, she knows that Jaemin is fully capable of handling himself. Her sly fox has been victorious every year. But still, her mind supplies her with heinous images of him drowning in her shower--hopeless and helpless. A desperate need to be the one who shines light over his dreary head.

In the west hall, there's a much larger group in the center. They're circling around something--someone--like a pack of ravens picking at their prey. They're chanting, no, screaming--cawing--unintelligible words until she gets closer.

Words such as 'traitor', 'raven king', or 'the monarchy have fallen' circle around the crowd. It looks nothing short of some weird cult ritual. Yoonah furrows her brows and pushes through the group, ignoring their snarls or growls with a swift roll of her eyes. Animals.

A gasp escapes her lips as she approaches the middle of the horde. There stands Jaemin in the center, ashy hair messy and astray.

He looks drunk and dazed, and his face is littered in scratches and covered in small splats of blood. She can tell that he's been fighting for a while—defending himself—because he's putting all of his weight onto one leg and is slouching as his eyes dart around the crowd. A weakness of his that she learned early on in their training sessions; his back. She never exactly learned what happened, perhaps it was just genetic, but he can only fight for so long before it starts to give out.

He's staring at the others with wide eyes and his bloody mouth agape as they thrash him around, pushing him from side to side. They crowd him, and one grabs the collar of his blazer and pulls him close.

Yoonah tucks her lip under her teeth and clenches her fists. Do something, she begs, but he simply stares into the students' eyes with a dead gaze--as if he could care less that his life is at stake.

Which, how could that be? The man who reigned every single year through death and gore doesn't care about his own life? Where is that fervor? Why is he giving up now?

With the will to live absent in his eyes, Yoonah is set ablaze with vehemence and force as she pushes past the ground and pulls the boy who has Jaemin in his grip backward, sucker punching him straight in the nose.

The crowd gasps and the boy groans and takes a step back in shock. His eyes are filled with hatred and something akin to thirst as he glares at her, hands carefully cupping his nose. Yoonah already feels herself panting with dread as she stands in front of Jaemin, arms spread as if she were actually capable of protecting him.

How humorous.

The boy slowly lowers his hands from his nose, and Yoonah realizes that she knows him. A lower-classmen who went by Ayden. Blood dripped from his nose, down to his chin, and Yoonah didn't even have it in her to feel proud of the strength of her strike. Her heart dappered, finding it cruel to be in a system that forces you to face your classmates. Violence would never give her a thrill like the rest of them, but she stood her ground.

He tilts his head and smirks, stepping forward. "Well look at you, new girl. Following your boyfriend around like the little bitch you are."

She lifts her chin. "Leave us alone." She says against her teeth.

He scoffs. "Or what? You're gonna fight me? With what weapon?" He sneers, and crowds in on her further.

The students follow with hungry smirks and thirsty gazes, their knives pointed threateningly.

She backs away, walking straight into Jaemin's chest. She turns her head over her shoulder for a split second, and he seems to be looking somewhere else far away. As if stuck in a trance. She follows his gaze and nearly freezes when she sees Jeno staring right at them. He's engaged in a fight of his own, but doesn't seem nearly as affected as they are--well, as much as Yoonah was. He doesn't even look the girl whose throat he slit in the eye as she tumbles to the ground against his feet.

She furrows her brows. Is this why Jaemin isn't doing anything? She thinks vaguely of how Jaemin reacted after his last encounter with Jeno—the way he seemed to disappear into a far away place. Sitting underneath the burning water, attempted to ease his own mental pain with something physical.

The sound of metal swipes past her, snapping her out of her thoughts, nearly knicking her in the cheek. She gasps and blocks the next swipe with her forearm and throws a quick jab to Ayden's jaw. He stumbles backwards and Yoonah takes that opportunity to quickly reach underneath Jaemin's untucked button up shirt where she knows he keeps that damned knife. Her fingertips drag over his bare skin quickly until they grab the knife from the garter around his waist. He seems to flinch underneath her touch, but does nothing to stop her, still stuck in a trance.

The cold metal sits heavily in her palm before she flips it open with ease--which is surprising, seeing as she's never handled a knife before. She'll thank beginner's luck. She points it threateningly at the others.

Now armed and (hopefully) dangerous, she swings it at the prowling students. She aims blindly, not really having an exact target, just praying to take out anything in her way. The students howl and cackle, and this seems to break Jaemin out of whatever weird trance he was in when she feels a hand against her shoulder.

"Yoonah, we should-"

"Kinda busy here, Jaemin." She snaps back as one of the students swipes the knife dangerously close to her neck, and she dips back.

Suddenly, the lights flash on and off multiple times and the fire alarm squeals. Screams echo throughout the hallway until all of their gazes landed on the grand staircase where Headmaster Kim stood. They all pause and look up sheepishly as if they all just didn't commit mass murder. Most dropped their knives, but Yoonah gripped hers (Jaemin's) tightly in her fist.

"What in the seven hells is going on here?" He bellows.

Jaemin's grip on her shoulder becomes tighter. "We should really go-"

And just like that, they take off, following the crowd of students escaping their consequences. Yoonah sucks in a deep breath and quickly slips the knife into the waistband of her skirt. Jaemin's hand travels from her shoulder to her own hand and intertwines them. Yoonah justifies it as a means to stick together--plenty reasonable. The crisp air of the winter morning hits welcomes Yoonah with a sting to her cheeks, but she finally feels like she can breathe.

They stop once they exit the gates, both bent over and panting. Once Yoonah catches her breath, she can finally feel all the rage and anger that was nestled just below her heart. She glares and turns towards Jaemin, who is still bent over. She slaps his back harshly, startling him into a standing position as he looks at her as if she was crazy.

"What-"

"Yah!" She hits him again, this time in the shoulder.

"Hey!" He whines, patting his shoulder.

Then she does it again, directed towards her chest. "You idiot!" She sucks in a deep breath as if trying to keep in all the emotions that threaten to escape.

He looks at her with a bewildered expression. "What did I do?!"

Her fist connects with his chest multiple times as she huffs and puffs. "How could you let them do that!" She whines, her voice turning into that slightly high-pitched tone--the kind that means she's about to cry and she really doesn't want to do that.

He catches her fist in his palm. "Do what?" He asks exasperatedly.

She stares at him with pursed lips and takes in his scratched face and bloody mouth. A deep cut rests on his cheekbone and that only fuels her psychotic rage. "That!" She points towards his face with her other hand.

Her eyes begin to grow blurry with tears and they slowly drip down her cheeks. Perhaps it's the adrenaline finally coming down. She hiccups softly and tries to breathe deeply to calm herself, but it does little to ease her emotions. "Why did you let them do that?" She asks, a bit more softly this time.

She's not really talking about the scratches. Anyone can get hurt during a fight, even Na Jaemin. But she means that moment in the middle of the crowd, where she saw the fight physically leave his eyes. What would have happened if she hadn't stepped in? Would he have just accepted death, just like that?

That wasn't the Na Jaemin she heard of before. Not Na Jaemin who is top of his class, second in his rank, and one of the most feared students in his class.

Is this who Na Jaemin really is without Lee Jeno by his side? Just an empty, hollow husk drained of all the fight in him and the will to live?

Yoonah felt like slapping him, then hugging him, then crying maniacally in his shoulder all at once.

Jaemin seems to understand now if his expression was anything to go by. His eyes soften and his grip on her wrist loosens. "I didn't know you cared."

She scoffs and looks to the side, wiping the tears that still drip from her eyes with her free hand. "Well of course. You're my only chance in this school."

Then, after a few deep breaths to tone down the adrenaline still pumping in her veins, she glances up and really takes a look at Jaemin. Not only do her eyes trail back to that scratch on his cheek and bloodied mouth, but also the cut on his right arm. His sleeve is torn and blood oozes from the slash. She fights back a growl and slings her backpack over her shoulders and begins digging through it aggressively.

"What're you doing?"

She hisses at him. "Gonna clean you up, obviously. Again." 

He chuckles slightly. "Is this considered our bonding time, then?"

"It wouldn't have to be if you didn't get hurt so much!"

"Yeah, because you're so untouchable." He crosses his arms and raises a taunting brow. Then, his eyes dart across to the schoolyard, where students are still scrambling to get away. "I'm fine, though. Seriously."

Yoonah narrows her eyes, the first aid kit already in her hands. "You're bleeding." Then she's trying to push Jaemin down to sit on the sidewalk with a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and a soft rag in her hands. "Sit."

He startles and fights her advances. "I—no—why do you just carry an entire bottle of hydrogen peroxide with you?"

The girl sighs, still trying to push Jaemin onto the sidewalk while answering exasperatedly. "Why wouldn't I? This is a murder school. Figured we'd be needing this."

"That bottle is bigger than your head."

"Not the point!" She huffs, then places one hand against her hip and glares at him. "Sit!" She commands as if he were a dog.

He glares back, but his eyes dart to something behind her and he quickly diverts his gaze. "Not here." He mumbles.

"What?" She snaps.

Pleading brown eyes meet hers. His next words come out in a soft whisper. "Please, not here.."

Instantly, she melts. Damnit. "Then where?" She asks, tone equally as soft now.

"Anywhere but here."

Yoonah purses her lips. She turns her head over her shoulder, doe eyes searching for whatever could've possibly made Jaemin uncomfortable enough to back down, but is already pretty sure what--or who it could have been. A messy mop of blonde hair confirms her suspiscions, and she quickly turns back before she can catch his gaze.

"Fine," she grabs Jaemin's hand suddenly and drags him further away from the school. "Follow me."

"But-what about school?" Jaemin asks and Yoonah almost coos at how innocent and confused he sounds.

She turns around with a big smile over her shoulder. "You wanna be stuck there or with me?"

He glances back at the school yard, where students are still looking at each other like a piece of meat. "You. Definitely you."

"That's what I thought."

ahahah. this was supposed
to be a shorter chapter. oops.

not my best, detailed writing
but hey. this and the next
chapter are kind of the only
break you'll get from the angst,
so enjoy that and my lax writing
while you can xD