Oh girl you drive me crazy

"Get her!" Aliani screams as Zoan dodges a punch from Lorelai, easily kicking her knees out from under her before grabbing her elbow and throwing her to the side. She stomps over to Saige, who is holding Ving down on the floor, and kicks her off.

Saige blocks the kick with her arm but still goes flying. Quickly, Zoan crouches beside Ving, grabbing her by the elbow and helping her up. "You—" Ving says, dazed and surprised by what she just witnessed.

"Less talking, let's focus on getting the hell out of here, okay?" Zoan replies, dragging Ving to her feet and kicking down one of the guys who tries to attack her with a smooth move.

I could have done this better without my skirt blocking my way, Zoan thinks, annoyed. She glances at Vin, who is still kneeling on the ground.

With practiced agility, she dodges their attacks, blocking punches and sometimes redirecting their blows to hit their own teammates. What a bunch of idiots.

Aliani, cowardly at heart, hides behind her gang of thugs, refusing to step into the fray. "Wh—What the hell are you?!" she shrieks, letting out a scream when she thinks Zoan is about to grab her.

Instead, Zoan crouches beside Vin, taking off her blazer and wrapping it around Vin's hands. "Here," she says, helping the girl to her feet and turning to face Aliani.

The realization dawns on Aliani: this nerd, Zoan, has just taken down everyone here and made them kiss the dirt.

How dare she?! Aliani is furious—not only is Zoan someone she despises, but she's also ruined this day again! "You! You're ruining everything, again!" Aliani exclaims, her facade of coolness crumbling into idiocy at the sight of Zoan.

"Yes, me. Get out of the way before I decide to hurt you too," Zoan retorts, but before she can react, she hears footsteps. "Move!" someone shouts, pushing her aside just as a loud crash sends Zoan's head reeling.

She turns to see Vin punching Lorelai, who is holding a broken bottle, and on the ground, Ving is clutching her head, blood pouring onto the floor. "Shit," Zoan mutters, her heart dropping and pulse quickening.

"Ving!" Vin screams in panic, trying to shake the unresponsive girl.

Zoan turns back to Aliani, her fists clenched, as everything around her fades to red.

—

"So that's what happened," Ving mumbles under her breath, her head now properly wrapped. Having just left the hospital, she eagerly invited Vin and Zoan to her place, determined to avoid any calls to her parents.

"Yes, thank you for letting us crash here," Vin says, bowing her head. Zoan exhales, flicking Vin's cheek playfully and urging her to sit down. "I'm just glad you guys are okay—here's the phone. This is what you wanted, right?" Zoan pulls out her phone.

Ving's eyes widen as Zoan places it on the table, her gaze drawn to the red bruise on Zoan's knuckles. Before she can think twice, she grabs Zoan's hands instead of the phone.

"What are you doing?" Zoan asks, her voice laced with surprise as Ving looks up at her through her lashes. "You're hurt too; you didn't let them wrap your knuckles," she mumbles, her tone accusatory. Zoan flushes, trying to pull her hands away.

But Ving holds on, letting out a disappointed breath.

Watching them, Vin giggles. "Zoan was adamant about waiting beside your bed; she was watching you sleep," she reveals. Zoan's eyes go wide. "I was not!" she protests, glancing at Ving, who looks equally surprised.

"You were?" Ving asks, taken aback. She remembers being out for nearly two hours, and when she woke up, it was a nurse, not Zoan, who greeted her. To think Zoan would be waiting at her bedside…

"Look, I was worried. I know head wounds bleed more than they usually look, but I couldn't help but make sure you were alright. Besides, we're in this together, right? I can't just let my partner in crime keel over and die," Zoan huffs.

Ving breaks into a small smile. Partner, huh?

—

The next day was a weekend, and it was the perfect time for Ving and Zoan to explain what had happened the day before.

"Where were you guys? Oh my god, what happened to your head?" Jovi shrieked in surprise, causing Zoan to resist the urge to plug her ears.

"Calm down," Jiho hushed Jovi, who in turn visibly panicking over Ving, who offered a small, calm smile despite her head being wrapped. "I think it's time for us to explain what happened yesterday and why we disappeared," Ving murmured.

Behind them, Vin poked her head out and waved. Both Jiho and Jovi gasped when they saw her. "Vin?" Jovi exclaimed, while Jiho scratched her head in confusion. "What is she doing here? Did something happen?" she asked, glancing between Ving and Zoan.

It's safe to say something more happened…

"Yes!" Vin interjected, blocking Zoan's view of Jiho and Jovi. Zoan had to physically grab her and tug her away. "Sit," she ordered the younger girl, who saluted and plopped down on the bench. "Aye aye, Captain," Vin said seriously.

Jovi gave Zoan an odd look, eyebrows raised. "Yesterday, Aliani and her little gang of thugs—" Zoan paused when Ving shot her a glare. "I mean her little… group, decided to terrorize our poor first-year again. Look, she even stepped on her hands!" Zoan huffed.

Vin pouted, giving Jiho and Jovi her best puppy eyes while showing them her wrapped hands. The girls 'awed,' while Ving sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Thankfully, Zoan was able to film what happened. I won't show it to you both, though," Ving said as Zoan retrieved her phone and handed it over.

"Hopefully, with this, Ms. Atiro will finally be able to put a stop to them," Ving added, her hands clenched around the device. Jovi clasped her hands excitedly. "Then by Monday, we should have a team meeting! This can also serve as Ms. Atiro's first visit to our club room," she suggested, and Jiho nodded in agreement.

With that, they all decided to find a place to hang out.

"Also, I never knew there was an all-boys school nearby. I thought I had gotten used to the area, but I've never heard of another university close by," Zoan remarked as they finally found a spot to sit.

"Are you talking about Paradise University?" Jiho asked while Jovi walked off to buy ice cream for the five of them.

"Yes, it was Paradise that we saw yesterday. I never knew Aliani was connected to any of them," Ving said, her expression troubled as Zoan hummed thoughtfully.

"Frankly, I don't know anything that's been going on," Zoan admitted.

"Me too," Vin murmured weakly. Both Ving and Jiho turned to her. "Then why were you working for her?" Ving asked, and Vin sighed heavily.

"Before I was blackmailed, I wanted to learn how to fight—and I thought joining them would help. I met someone who told me she could teach me," Vin mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zoan sighed, scratching her cheek. "Hey, don't believe others so easily," she said, tempted to flick Vin on the forehead to emphasize her point. Vin shot her a weak smile. "I guess I shouldn't, huh?" she replied, lowering her head in shame again.

"You shouldn't be ashamed for trusting someone too easily," Jiho said softly, gently placing her hand over Vin's.

Vin raised her head. "I was also bullied by Aliani. She made me complete all her homework and projects. It was like that for my entire first year. Ving tried to help me, but she couldn't do much," Jiho continued, shaking her head.

Vin's eyes widened as she turned to Ving, who simply hung her head and shook it slightly. "It was Zoan who somehow helped me. She inadvertently drew their attention and ended up bearing the brunt of everything," Jiho said, her eyes growing sad, on the verge of tears.

Vin looked surprised. "Master Zoan! You were bullied too? But—I just saw you beat their asses!" she exclaimed, catching Zoan off guard, who looked like she wanted to cover Vin's mouth.

Ving raised her head, amusement flickering in her eyes as she glanced between Zoan, Vin, and a stunned Jiho. "What?" she asked, as Zoan let out a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her head. "N-Nothing!"

Vin gripped Jiho's hand with both of hers, her expression serious. "Master Zoan is an amazing fighter! She defeated fifteen students at once! She saved Master Ving!" Vin declared.

Jiho let out a loud, "What!" and turned to look at Ving and Zoan, who now broke into a nervous sweat.

It was clear she would not take their explanation of the fight lightly.

—

"That fucker!" Aliani screamed, her hair a chaotic halo as she stomped across the room. The sharp clicks of her heels made Saige and Lorelai flinch, their eyes meeting in shared fear.

"When I get my hands on her…" Aliani's voice dropped to a dangerous growl.

"What do we do now?" Lorelai wrung her hands. "We couldn't get the phone. If Atiro gets that video, we're done for."

Aliani stopped pacing, biting her thumbnail. "She won't give it to Atiro through messages. She's too arrogant. She'll want to deliver it in person." A flicker of hope crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by anxiety. Her heart hammered against her ribs. If she failed to stop Zoan, she wouldn't just face suspension; expulsion loomed.

"Then on Monday, we stop them from getting to school," Saige declared.

"How?" Lorelai demanded, her voice laced with desperation. "We can't touch the teachers, not after last time. And Atiro… she's a fucking psycho! Who knows what she'll do?" She clenched her fists.

Aliani sank onto the plush couch, her leg bouncing nervously. "So what do you suggest?"

"We beat up Zoan," Saige said, stating the obvious.

"We can't!" Lorelai exploded. "Did you even see her fight? You couldn't even lay a finger on her! Look at your arm!" She gestured to Saige's cast.

"Then we overwhelm her. We find people who want to beat her up," Saige insisted.

Aliani slammed her fist on the coffee table. The sudden noise startled the other two. "I've got an idea." Her eyes gleamed with a manic intensity. "There's a test on Monday, right?" Lorelai nodded slowly.

"Do you still have those tablets from Jae Wok?" Aliani asked.

Saige's face paled. "You don't mean…"

Lorelai mumbled, her voice barely audible, "Aliani… that's… if we get caught, we're talking juvenile prison."

Aliani bared her teeth in a tight smile. "They won't catch us." A cold smirk spread across her face. "Or are you two scared?" When they shook their heads, she continued, "Good. Because I want you to gather every student who's itching for a fight. We'll kill two birds with one stone. I get the video, and I get to watch her suffer." She leaned back, a predatory gleam in her eyes.