First battle

Lisa's POV

"Do you think you can make it?"

"Yes Syd, after my shift." I answered as I hand her her coffee and stood beside her, putting my hands inside the pocket of my brown apron. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you're already working with the choreos? And you even ordered a coffee?"

"Just wanna make sure that you will go to studio." She said with a shrugs and sip on her coffee cup, I noticed her eyes looking behind me and I quickly looked over my shoulder to see my boss, Irithel, walking out from her office to ask for a coffee for her own.

Maybe she felt that someone is looking at her and she quickly wander her eyes which made me to immediately turned my face to look back at Sydney. The smile creeps on my lips and raised my left eyebrow when Sydney shifted her gaze back at me.

"Stop using me just to see my boss challenge; failed." I said giggling and shook my head before walking back behind the counter.

"Bitch I'm not!" Sydney shouted making all the customer to look at her and I ignore her as I keep my face neutral when Irithel shifts her gaze at me.

"That's your friend,right?" Irithel asked.

"Yes Iri, sorry if she's making a scene." I said apologetically with a sly smile.

"Nah.. she's a regular customer here so it's ok." She said and waved her hand dismissively. "But may I know why she's here every time you were here?"

"She just want a place to kill her time ma'am and she told me that she really loves our coffee."

"Hmm.. that's a compliment then. By the way, your shifts will end in one hour, do you think you can fill one of your coworker's schedule-." Her words were cut off when the door swung open as if there's an extreme wind hitting the glass door directly and intentionally . "Whoa, that made me shocked." Irithel said and clutched her chest in surprised.

"Yeah, that's one extreme hit." I said and shifts back my gaze at her. "What were you saying earlier ma'am?"

"Oh I was-." She stopped again for the second time when the door swung open one more time, but this time, four gorgeous women stepped in inside the café. Taking all the customer's attention.

"Hey Lisa!" Sana greets me giddily and waved her hand before approaching me on the counter. "Can I ask for a caramel coffee?"

"Uh sure." I said as I punched her order in the mini screen attached in front of me and looked up again. "What about them?" I asked and jolt my head towards her friends.

"Oh uhm, I would like to order one slice of Black Forest cake and one americano." Chaeyoung orders and smile at me widely before looking behind her and let Jisoo to stand in the front.

"How about you ma'am?" I asked professionally and wait for her to pick her order as she scan the menu above my head. While waiting for Jisoo's order, I noticed Jennie staring at the woman beside me intently while mumbling something. My brows furrowed and adjusted my glasses to see clearly if she's really staring to my boss but Chaeyoung stand in front of me, causing to vanished Jennie on my sight.

"Please give me chocolate drink." Jisoo finally orders and smiled warmly.

"Is that all ma'am?" I asked when it seems that the last woman behind them, don't have any intention to say her order.

"One milk coffee."  She said monotonously, her cat-like eyes piercing on mine like I did a crime and I can feel the uneasiness building inside me.

"That'll be 685 won, ma'am."

Sana hand me her credit card and I swiped it on the card swiper before giving it back to her with a wide smile,refraining myself to steal a glance at the cat-like eyed girl. "Please take your seat ma'am and wait for your order, I'll just call your name."

"Thank you Lisa." Sana said before they all walked towards the table.

I adjusted my glasses before starts making their orders. I can still feel the gaze making a hole behind me and that makes me uncomfortable, I keep shrugging off the uneasiness and that's when Irithel noticed me.

She patted my shoulder causing me to look at her. "Are you ok?" She asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah, what were you saying earlier?"

"What? I just went out from my office and this is the first time we've talked this day." She said confusedly, furrowing her forehead like it was the most confusing moment that happen to her.

"What?" I asked quizzically, stealing a quick side glance at her before continuing the coffee I'm making. "You were here more than ten minutes already."

"Lis, why don't you go home after you serve that coffee? You really looked not ok." She said while giggling.

"Irithel, what are you saying?" I asked as I spin around to face her. "We were talking earlier before my friend came-."

"Hey uhm, Lisa?" We both snapped our heads behind us when Chaeyoung interrupted me from talking.

"Oh uh sorry. I'm going to serve it." I said as I put their orders in a tray, she smiled at me before walking back to their table and I looked back to Irithel. "I'm going off after this." I said and she nods.

"Just make sure that you're going to rest."

"Yes ma'am." I said with salute and made my way to the table where four gorgeous women are waiting for me, I mean their orders. "Sorry if it takes too long." I apologized and starts putting down their orders one by one. "One caramel coffee, one americano and your slice of black forest and here's the chocolate milk, and the last one. Here's the milk coffee." I said smiling warmly to Jennie who's now raising her left brow at me, I don't know if she's trying to intimidate me but I ignore that as much as possible and my smile grew wider when I looked at her and our eyes met. "Enjoy and thank you for coming."

"Thank you." The three girls replied except Jennie.

I bowed my head slightly before turning my heels but I stopped when Sana tugged my sleeve and I looked at her. "Lis, good luck."

"For what?" I asked, creasing my brows.

"For..uhm..for the..uh.." She stopped when she can't finished her words, causing me to looked at her weirdly. "Never mind." She dismissed and chuckled nervously before taking a quick glance to Jennie.

"You ok Mizaki?" I asked, refraining myself to laugh at her weird antics.

"She's fine, she just hit her head on the door earlier." Jisoo chimes in. I shook my head while chuckling and continued my way towards Sydney's table who's still staring at my boss with her twinkling eyes.

"Would you stop that? You might creep her out." I rebukes her and smacked her head lightly.

"How lucky you are to work for such a gorgeous woman, look how fine she is." Sydney said as her eyes glimmers.

"Stop fantasizing my boss, you creepy maniac lesbian!"

"Oh please Lisa, I ain't like you who don't know how to admire young fine women." She snorts and waved her hand. "Go and change your clothes so we can go."

I furrowed my forehead deeply, making a hole in the middle of it and stared at her quizzically. "How'd you know that she let me off early?" Her eyes widened and quickly advert her gaze on me.

"Ow that's interesting." I heard Jisoo loudly said causing us to whipped our heads on their table, but she wasn't looking at us, instead. She's looking to Jennie who's now wearing her infamous smirk.

"Your boss spoke loudly, of course I'll hear them, everyone will would." Sydney said chuckling nervously. "Just go Lisa, you wouldn't want me to wait another hour for you right?"

"Who told you to wait for me in the first place." I snort and rolled my eyes at her before walking straight to the staff room to grab my things and change my clothes.

After I finished changing my clothes, I went out of the staff room and saw Jisoo and Jennie standing in front of Sydney's table and it seems that whatever they were talking about, was serious. "What's up?" I asked as soon as I stood near them, looking back and forth to them.

"They're just asking for our assignments." Sydney answered as she stand up and grabbed my hand. "Let's go." She said and pulled me hastily out from the café.

"Hey hey, I'm not crippled just so you know." I remind her and took back my hand from her grip. "Why are they even asking for our assignments if that Jisoo girl is our top student?"

"Does google know everything?" She asked back, making me look at her weirdly. "The answer is no and so as Jisoo."

"I didn't said that she's that smart, dumbass." I snickered and shook my head before hopping on my bike. "What's wrong with you? You're just admiring Irithel earlier with your eyes twinkling but after those two girls talked to you, you begun acting like they want to pick a fight with you." I said as I starts trampling on my bike.

"Don't mind me Lis." She said with her serious face that I rarely saw on her. Whatever that they talked about, I'm sure as hell that it's not about the damn assignments, but I'm not gonna push harder, I want her to tell me what it is because she trust me, not because I forced her.

-

"Ready?" Byul asked me as she jeered her head on the door.

"Do you think we will win?" I asked. They all looked at me like I did a crime. They can't blame me tho, it's been long since I stopped from battling and this feels like nostalgic. The crowd that will cheer for us, the lime light that I need to embrace once I step inside the ring and that thought alone, makes me feel anxious.

"Relax Lis, you're a good dancer. We will win this battle." Sydney tells me and squeezed my shoulder to assure me.

"She's right, you could even beat the trio masquerade on how good you dance." Bambam said earning a disapproving look from Sydney.

"I hate to admit that and it hurt me but that douchebag is right." Sydney admits, slouching her shoulder and pad back to the make up table.

"Guys, this will only your first battle, you still have a long way until you've reach the chance to battle with the trio." Byulie reminds us as she fully entered inside the waiting room. "But honestly, today is not just ordinary day and it really surprised me."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"The trio are here, not to battle but they came just to fucking watch and be one of the hundred audience, can you imagine that?" She told us with her shocked expression and throw her hands in the air.

"For real?!" Yves and Sydney exclaims and ran towards the door but Byulie was too quick to stopped them.

"I just want to see them!" Sydney whines and tries to push Byulie away from the door.

"No! It's not time for you to show your face on the crowd!" She chided as she smacked Sydney's arm. "Wear those damn mask if you wouldn't want to see them your face and mob you outside this underground." She orders and picks up the white mask that will cover half of our face and throw it to us.

"Aren't we gon' sue for this?" Yves asked.

"Yves, we're in an illegal place, do you think the trio will file a complaint to police because we copied them?" Bambam asked mockingly while wearing the mask on his face and looked himself at the mirror. "I wore it better than them."

"Would you stop mocking my babies? What the fuck is your problem with those innocent fine woman?!" Sydney asked irritatedly. Bambam scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Did he just squint his eyes at me?" Sydney asked in disbelief.

"Yep, he did." I said while chuckling and wear the mask. "This is for you, mom." I muttered while staring myself from the mirror, I heaved a deep breath and exhales slowly, pulling my necktie to tighten it.

"It's about time guys." Byulie announced making us alert, stood tall and firm. "Break a leg."

"We will, but not literally." Sydney joked, making us all to giggle.

I released another shaky breath before following them. As soon as we stepped out from the waiting room, there are split reaction from the audience. One was they are looking at us with their judgmental eyes while murmuring words we don't wanna hear, second was they are cheering for us not because they know us, but because we're a new competitor and they saw us as instant money.

"Don't mind them, just focus on the battle." Bambam told us and looked at Sydney. "Bitch, stop looking everywhere! I said focus on the battle!"

"They're so hot with their casual fit! Oh my God!" Sydney exclaims as she stared hardly at the trio. I couldn't help but to look at them to justify Sydney's description, and the bitch was right. Seeing those three girls wearing their casual fits are so damn gorgeous and such an eye catchers.

The tallest was wearing crop top with high waist pants and a black doctor martens, the smallest was wearing a hoodie and a track pants and white simple sneakers while the last one was wearing a fucking Chanel crop top blouse,peeking her calvin klei sports bra partnered with Chanel black ripped jeans and a Chanel white shoes. Was she a human Chanel?? And yes, of course. They are looking at us, or should I say, they are looking at me. But no, I can't see their faces 'coz they're still wearing their mask.

"You're damn right Syd, they're so fucking hot." Yves whispered hardly while shrugging the older girl's shoulder.

"Yves! Please not you too!" Bambam irritatedly hit Yves arm. "There's no special about them." He remarks.

"You know what Bam? Sometimes, it makes me wonder if your holding grudge against them and we don't know what's that reason or you're just gay, thats why you can't see them as a woman but a rival." Sydney mocked, rolling her eyes behind her mask.

"First, I'm not gay you dumbshit, second is, I just can't find the interesting part with those girls. I don't find them special, I don't even find them gorgeous or whatever you found them and you're drooling over them." Bambam tells her and Sydney was about to storm towards her but she was stopped by Yves, who quickly stood in front of her.

I don't know if it just me, but I can feel the gaze they're giving to me shifted to Bambam and the smallest of them was about to moved but she was stopped by the tallest and snapped her head hardly to Bambam. Her hands are clenching into tight fist ball. What the fuck is happening? Can they hear us?

"That's enough, let's just finish this battle and go home." I rebuked them and tapped Bambam's shoulder. "Bam, just let the girls admire them, we have different taste for the girls. Sure, they are not gorgeous for your eyes, but for us, they are. So let's just finish this and have some cold beers. What do you think?"

"Much better." Bambam uttered softly and nods his head before starts climbing inside the ring. I looked back to Sydney and Yves and smiled at them before we all followed him.

-

"Have you seen how those 8 men cried when they lose to us?" Yves asked, laughing her ass off.

"That was hilarious! Oh my God, I couldn't imagine their faces when the crowd cheered for us loudly than them!" Sydney exclaims and wrapped her arm on my shoulder and pulled me closer to her. "You didn't even show your real move."

"I did!"

"No you're not." Bambam chimes in before chugging on her beer and wiped her mouth using the back of his palm. "We know how you dance, and what you did there? You were like just a bored girl who just wants to dance, but that was really a good moves Lisa." He added and ruffles my hair like a proud brother to her little sister.

"Aren't y'all praising me too much? Y'all did a nice job too." I said shyly as I sipped on my glass of beer.

"You're such a humble bastard. Two of the trio even clapped their hands when you danced in the middle with your shit moves." Yves said snickering, she's drunk, I can see on her already flushed cheeks.

"I saw that! They did clapped their hands giddily!" Sydney exclaims, pointing exaggeratedly at Yves before facing me and tapped my shoulder. "You're really one lucky bastard! Do you remember when they waved at you after they won last time?"

"Bitch, you're drunk. How can you say that they knew it was me who's dancing?" I asked chuckling while shaking my head and removed her arm on my shoulder. "I should put you to bed."

"They knew it was you."

I stopped and snapped my head to Sydney in stunned surprised. Her serious voice send chills on me that made me shiver. "What are you talking about Syd? Do they have superpowers to see who's behind my mask?" I asked while laughing nervously. That's impossible right? But how can I deny the fact that the girl in the middle was glaring at me when Sydney and Yves hugged me tightly when they announced the winner. That glare she gave me the first our eyes met and one last thing. That girl's eyes, it seems very familiar, I think I have seen that eyes before. And her deathly glares, I already felt that from someone I know. "No, that's impossible." I voiced out, shrugging off that thought.

"I must be drunk, let's go home Lisa."

"We better be, I need to go home first before dad." I said as I helped Sydney to stand up. "C'mon Syd, you're heavy!" I groaned and tightened my grip on her shirt to stand her straight before looking to Bambam. "You'll be fine on this Bam?"

"Don't worry I got this, I'll just let Yves crash my place for tonight." I nodded my head before tugging Sydney towards the door and once I stepped one foot outside Bambam's place. I can feel someone is looking at me, or should I say I can feel there are, because I can feel multiple pairs of eyes looking at me.

"Lisa, let's go home fast."

I looked at the girl on my side in surprised. She looks more sober now than before we went out from Bambam's place. Her face was very serious and she keeps looking behind us.

"Syd, are you ok? You seems wasted just awhile ago."

"I'm sober now. Let's go Lis." She said and we both hopped on in our bike and starts to drove away. Sydney begun acting like a weird person these day, at first she'll act like a normal Sydney who don't give a fuck on her surroundings, but lately. She's more becoming serious every now and then, I don't know what happen with her but I just hope that she's not using drugs.

And one more thing, it seems that she can feel the gazes because she keeps looking behind us where I can feel the gazes coming from.

And it really makes me anxious!

_______