"My friends, all these people,

they're only looking at me."

-

》...《

Waking up from the sound of her alarm, the girl groaned not wanting to awake from her dream that she missed dearly.

So, she pressed the snooze button only to jerk up from her position as she realised it was her first day at her new school.

Pissed off because she was interrupted from her slumber, the girl gradually lifted herself off the bed and reluctantly began her usual routine of 'trying to not look like someone who just came out of the walking dead' in the morning.

After nearly scaring herself by looking at the mirror, she finally got prepared for the hell hole she was forced to attend- i mean, who likes to sit on a chair for six hours boring their eyes onto the screen, whilst listening to teachers talk about nonsense?

The truth was, ryujin would rather as it got her away from this very place called 'home'. Well, it got her far away from a specific person living with her at home.

As afterall, that's the cause for her shattered past.

Unlocking her bedroom door, a pungent smell that she knew awfully too well, infiltrated the air around her as she observed the disappearance of colour and life in the house.

Then again, when was the last time she was greeted by the existence of life in this place anyway?

To answer the question, the last time she smiled whilst at home, was when her family was complete- the memories were now fragments in the end as she hasn't felt the same these years.

Her sharp gaze then fell onto a disheveled, snoring figure, lying down on the couch with not a care in the world at how pathetic she looked in her daughter's eyes.

3 bottles. Glass bottles.

Bottles that contained that bitter fragrance of alcohol.

Ryujin hated it.

She hated everything about it- the revolting smell, the bitter taste, the sight of it.

It took the thing she wanted the most,

the love in her family.

She didn't know why people liked to drink it.

All she knew was that, she promised herself she would never commit the same mistake like her mother of relying on that devilish substance to fix her problems in life.

A deep sigh released from Ryujin's lips,

as she cleaned up the mess not wanting to disturb her mother as she wasn't ready to go through another traumatic episode this early in the morning.

Before leaving her apartment, she left some hangover pills for her mother.

Despite the many horrific incidents that happened in the past, she still treated her mother the same.

Afterall, she's still under her care.

Under her strings.

Under her rules.

And gosh, she hated it.

+×+

Taking a step in the elevator, Ryujin kept her head low but her thoughts were still flowing; not wanting to think about her mother anymore as she was ashamed of her being an alcoholic.

Although she tried hard to forget about the usual sight that morning, even if she saw it numerous time, she wondered 'how would her family be if her dad didn't leave.' - 'how would her dad react if he realised how her mother is now without him.'

When stepping out, a gust of wind brought Ryujin back to reality as a familiar figure ran past her. She did catch him upstairs rushing down forgetting he could've just used the elevator too and he wasn't late so why was he running?

She did catch his uniform though and compared it to hers and thought if he was going to the same school. But, why was she caring? It was strange as Ryujin wasn't one to associate herself with new people nor linger in her thoughts about their business.

Thankfully, she snapped out of it and started to walk out of the apartment complex letting the calming breeze swim around her; breathing in the crisp air made her smile as she felt more free without the cloudy smell of alcohol in her nose.

+×+

Immediately going onto the school grounds, whispers of amusement could be heard surrounding Ryujin, as her eyes solely met the ground wanting nothing more but to hide away.

"Who is she? Is she new?" "I guess so..."

"I'm blessed if she's in my class. Wanna bet?"

"She's pretty, but seems like a bitch."

Heck, how much she wanted the ground to swallow her own existence up. She didn't appreciate the attention nor the comments. It was as if they thought she was deaf or a foreigner to not understand whatever they said about her.

Where is your group of friends when you need them- "Ryujin unnie!"

"Oh, Yuna!" An enthusiastic voice called out to her and Ryujin thanked Yuna for her great timing today as Ryujin didn't think she could stand tolerating another sentence about her in the crowd full of gossip.

"I legit was about to die there- ow unnie!"

Ryujin dramatically complained, having her hand above her heart only to be met with a playful slap on the arm by Yeji.

"Guys, let's go in. It's cold and we need to find our classes!"

Chaeryeong suggested pushing the door and began to walk past pupils with a smile, wanting a good impression on them.

"We need to find the Principles office to get our schedules first." Yeji strolled past, her head turning around to find where exactly they were meant to be.

"Do you know where it is, unnie?" Lia had asked as she too was unsure.

"I'm taking that as a- no then."

For the past 10 minutes, they've been searching for the Principles office and at this point, Ryujin had nearly given up and accepted their tragic fate on having a fat lecture for being late.

"Then, we'll just ask someone for directions!" Yuna gave an option.

An option that Ryujin fully disagreed with.

"Uh, I think it's best to not mind their day.

So let's not-"

"Do you guys need some help around the school?"