episode_0047

During the exam, I made an effort not to be too conscious of the outside situation even during intermittent breaks.

I judged that encountering negative information such as fights escalating outside could potentially affect my exam results.

After finishing the Korean exam, I stepped out into the hallway during break time. As I pulled a can of drink from the vending machine, I closed my eyes tightly.

“I hope they’re doing well.”

Mentally cheering on those girls who were in the midst of a fight, I prepared for the next exam.

The street was quickly becoming crowded with students, making it difficult to walk.

The rough shouts and fierce sounds of impact filled the rotary near the academy.

Despite the chaotic scene, Lee Ji-hye licked a lollipop and looked around. Her gaze, searching for Han Do-a, was incredibly persistent.

“Hey, you’re in the way.”

Lee Ji-hye spoke to a female student blocking her view. The uniformed female student glared at Lee Ji-hye behind her.

“Lee Ji-hye!”

Recognizing Lee Ji-hye’s face, the girl swiftly threw a punch towards Lee Ji-hye without hesitation.

Thud!

“It landed properly.”

The girl, smiling with satisfaction, wiped away her smile upon seeing Lee Ji-hye, who was smaller in stature, still standing unfazed.

“Is it over?”

Maintaining a calm expression as if she felt no pain, Lee Ji-hye touched her cheek and loosened her other hand.

“You crazy girl, acting tough from where you stand!”

Once again, the female student threw a punch, but Lee Ji-hye, though her face turned, showed no signs of pain as she muttered.

“You hit me first.”

With those words, Lee Ji-hye tossed the lollipop she had been sucking on at the girl’s face.

“Eek!”

As the girl closed her eyes, revealing a gap, Lee Ji-hye grabbed her leg.

Losing her balance, the girl fell backward, and Lee Ji-hye began twisting her joints in a grotesque manner.

“Ahh!”

Despite the girl screaming in pain and struggling, she couldn’t escape the hold due to the precise technique.

“Back off!”

A nearby Sky High student tried to help by hitting Lee Ji-hye from the side, but Lee Ji-hye remained focused on twisting the joint.

“Stop it!”

“…”

“Damn it! At least act like it hurts!”

Despite the Sky High student shouting in anger and hitting her, Lee Ji-hye’s attack continued.

“Ugh…”

Finally, as the girl fainted from the pain, Lee Ji-hye let go of her body.

Although Lee Ji-hye had taken many hits, she smirked while turning her shoulder. Smiling, Lee Ji-hye spoke up.

“Do you not know who I am?”

“W-what? What are you saying?”

The Sky High student couldn’t continue speaking and had to shut her eyes tightly. Lee Ji-hye’s fist had struck her face.

Once again, Lee Ji-hye pinned the fallen Sky High student’s arm to the ground, clinging to it like a snake.

The Sky High student thrashed about, ranting and raving in pain like the Yushin High girl, until she eventually went limp.

Students watching Lee Ji-hye’s fight from afar couldn’t approach her.

Lee Ji-hye glanced at the nearby Dowon High students.

“Hey, you guys. I have someone to find, so take care of these girls coming at me.”

“Got it.”

“Are we supposed to catch them?”

Following Lee Ji-hye’s orders, the Dowon High students hovered around her, continuing the fight. Thanks to their help, Lee Ji-hye quickly achieved her goal.

“Ah…!”

Seeing the person she wanted to see, Lee Ji-hye sprinted down the street with a crazed smile.

As students around her got caught up in Lee Ji-hye’s manic grin and cleared the way for her, she could run unimpeded.

“Do-a, senior!”

Shouting Han Do-a’s name, Lee Ji-hye ran towards Han Do-a, who was knocking down Ojakgyo students with a wooden sword, and threw a punch.

“Captain! Watch out!”

Han Do-a lowered her head at the warning of a leading member. Lee Ji-hye’s fist sliced through the empty air.

Han Do-ah attempted to strike Lee Ji-hye’s abdomen with her elbow, but Ji-hye rolled to the side, evading the blow.

“Senior! We finally meet!”

“Lee Ji-hye….”

While Ji-hye smiled brightly, Han Do-ah’s expression darkened.

“I really missed you. It’s been almost since your expulsion from the kendo club, right?”

“…I have no lingering feelings for you.”

Han Do-ah’s hand holding the wooden sword trembled. Observing her shaky hand, Ji-hye realized she was lying.

“No lingering feelings? The juniors who revered you as a senior and followed you would be hurt, wouldn’t they?”

“Revered me as a senior…?”

“What’s the relationship between you two?”

As words that could be used by gangsters or thugs surfaced, the expressions of the kendo club members became strange. Han Do-ah, agitated by Ji-hye’s words, shouted.

“Not once did I embrace you! You acted on your own, it’s your own doing!”

“After all, followers naturally gather behind a superstar. Even if the senior doesn’t want it, people like me stick to seniors.”

Blushing, Ji-hye reached out to Han Do-ah.

“Let’s go back to those days. Be the strong, dignified senior. Stop playing games like the kendo club, okay?”

“If you came here to spout such nonsense….”

Han Do-ah dropped the wooden sword to the ground and assumed a combat stance.

“It’d be better for you to leave quietly.”

“You’re still the same. Believing in not using weapons in one-on-one combat… I’ve also developed my own beliefs, like not striking first unless struck.”

“Don’t call me senior!”

Enraged, Han Do-ah rushed at Ji-hye, throwing a punch. Despite being excited, it was a clean jab.

Ji-hye calmly took the hit, turning her head slightly to minimize the impact.

“Now, let’s begin.”

Ji-hye tried to grab Han Do-ah’s arm and trip her, but Han Do-ah dodged with a step and freed herself from Ji-hye’s hold with her other hand.

Undeterred, Ji-hye aimed for Han Do-ah’s lower body, crouching.

Once again, Han Do-ah swiftly dodged and threw a punch.

Ji-hye meekly met the fist with her face.

“What…!?”

Even as her face contorted, Ji-hye relentlessly lunged at Han Do-ah, finally latching onto her midsection.

“Ugh! Get off!”

“No.”

With a chilling smile, Ji-hye and Han Do-ah tumbled to the ground together. They writhed for a while, each moving strategically—one to dislocate joints, the other to avoid being caught.

“Sorry, senior!”

Suddenly, Ji-hye yelled and grabbed Han Do-ah’s ponytail, viciously yanking it.

“Ow…!”

Despite trying to stifle her screams, Han Do-ah endured as Ji-hye repeatedly slammed her head into the ground.

*Thud!*

“Feeling more alert now?”

*Gasp!*

After banging her head on the ground, Han Do-ah swiftly raised her other hand to shield her head from further blows.

Using the recoil, she pushed Ji-hye away. Due to her smaller build, Ji-hye was easily pushed back.

Seizing the opportunity, Han Do-ah delivered a kick to Ji-hye’s face. The kick landed straight on her lips.

“Heh, hehehe!”

With blood trickling down her chin, Ji-hye, standing up again, continued to laugh without showing signs of fatigue.

“Sister… I’m not done yet… It doesn’t hurt at all….”

“I told you not to call me sister!”

“We just fought, and I realized. Sister, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you? You were going to subdue me in that state without even using your wooden sword?”

“If I had the sword… I felt like I might actually kill you.”

Despite Han Do-ah’s lively words, Ji-hye tilted her head, lifting the corners of her mouth.

“So you don’t hate me enough to kill me?”

“I clearly warned you!”

Hana’s fist struck Eejihye’s abdomen, pushing her back. However, without even a small whimper, Eejihye grabbed Hana’s wrist, the one that had thrown the punch.

“I got you.”

Eejihye, her voice barely above a whisper, leaned back and slammed her forehead into Hana’s face.

“Ouch!”

“Is the whimper cute?”

Undeterred, Eejihye continued to strike Hana’s face with her fist. Hana tried to create distance, but Eejihye held onto her wrist, preventing it.

Hana changed her strategy, delivering multiple knee kicks to Eejihye’s abdomen.

Yet, Eejihye, showing no signs of pain, focused on hitting Hana’s face.

“Hah! Hah!”

Breathing heavily, Eejihye relentlessly pounded Hana’s face, staring at her intently.

Where had the delicate face of the noble girl gone? Her cheeks were swollen, and blood trickled from her nose.

Meanwhile, despite the fierce knee kicks landing on Eejihye’s abdomen, she showed no signs of pain.

“It doesn’t hurt… You know me well… Why are you doing this…”

“Cough… Cough…”

“My fist hurts? Of course, it does. But we who have been abandoned by our sister have suffered more!”

With a shout, Eejihye slapped Hana’s face. Exhausted, Hana slumped weakly.

Eejihye grabbed Hana’s ponytail, preventing her from falling. To an onlooker, it seemed like a clear victory for Eejihye.

The students around couldn’t take their eyes off the fight between Eejihye and Hana.

“What… Did Hana lose…?”

“Even though Eejihye looks terrible.”

“Principal!”

Several members of the disciplinary committee tried to intervene, but students from Dowon High School, who had received a request from Eejihye, blocked them.

Eejihye squatted, holding Hana’s hair, locking eyes with her.

Hana’s eyes were so swollen that her pupils were barely visible. Eejihye forced open her eyes for eye contact.

“Just because I can’t feel physical pain… It doesn’t mean I don’t suffer inside… You need to feel the pain I feel… Even you…”

“…Not even once.”

With a strained voice, Hana mustered her remaining strength.

“Not even once have you been a sister to me.”

“….”

“We have no relationship.”

“Damn it!”

Eejihye erupted, striking Hana’s cheek. Trembling, Hana retaliated with a punch to Eejihye’s face.

They continued to exchange blows.

“We…! We only looked up to our sister…! How can you… just ignore us…!”

“Again, you all followed me as you pleased… I have no connection with any of you…”

“Don’t lie! Don’t lie!”

Both were too exhausted to have a proper conversation. Continuously exchanging words and blows, the surrounding students expressed exasperation.

“To fight until they’re in this state…”

“…The first to give up will lose.”

Eejihye’s grip on Hana’s hair weakened, and she let her go, sinking to the ground herself.

Though Hana fell to the floor, she glared at Eejihye, who, breathing heavily, returned the gaze.

“It’s not too late…”

A hoarse voice escaped Hana’s lips.

“Even now… Let go of your grudge against me… Stop your evil deeds… Then… I’ll see you differently too…”

“Nonsense… Don’t say that… Don’t end it so sentimentally…”

As Eejihye finished speaking, a shout came from another direction.

“You…! You’ve crossed the line…!”

Realizing who the owner of the shout was, Hana thought, ‘Noel’s junior…?’