Chapter 7

Slam!

Hana's back collided hard with the cold metal of the locker, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.

She gasped, only to have Kim Eunchae's foot slam into her stomach, knocking her down to the floor.

It had been a while since she'd felt the sting of physical pain. The peaceful holiday had temporarily made her forget the constant torment, the daily humiliation she had grown used to.

Go Haram held up a pair of shoes and socks in the air, her voice dripping with mockery. "God, who even wears crap like this anymore? What are you, a grandma?"

Choi Soojin's laughter rang out, cruel and unbothered. "My grandma has better shoes than these. That's an insult!"

The two of them shared a laugh, their voices harsh, as Eunchae dropped the shoes in front of Hana, her eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "Come on, ugly, come get it."

Reluctantly, Hana crawled forward, her body aching with humiliation. Eunchae stepped on her forehead, her foot crushing Hana's face into the cold floor.

"You look great under my shoe," Eunchae sneered, her tone venomous.

Hana felt the sting of their words, but it wasn't the words that hurt anymore, it was the powerlessness she felt every time they did this to her.

"Yo, Haram, take a picture!" Eunchae called out, her voice shrill with laughter. Haram, always eager to capture their cruelty, whipped out her phone and began recording.

"Hey, everyone, guess who makes the best mats in all of Seoul, Korea?" Haram sang out in a mocking, singsong voice.

Soojin returned, a bucket of water in her hands, her smile twisted with delight. "It's Hana!" she said, stepping on Hana's back, the weight pressing into her spine, making it hard to breathe.

"Omg, is she going to cry?" Eunchae laughed, her voice ringing in Hana's ears. "Her face is so funny!"

The sound of their laughter made Hana's head spin. She was drowning in their mockery, the pain of it sinking deeper with every second.

Eunchae dunked her shoes into the bucket of water, then kicked it toward Hana, who was desperately holding back tears.

"Well, I feel bad now," Eunchae said, the fake sympathy dripping from her voice. "You must be thirsty."

Hana looked up at them, her vision blurry with tears she refused to shed.

"Go on," Haram coaxed, her voice sweet and sickeningly kind. "Drink."

Hana clenched her fists, feeling her nails dig into her palms as she fought to hold onto her dignity.

She wasn't going to break. She couldn't. Not now.

Eunchae scoffed, her lips curling into a cruel sneer. "Is that bitch glaring at me?"

Hana didn't answer, though the fire inside her burned brighter than ever. She wasn't their victim. She wouldn't let them break her.

Before she could react, Soojin grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back painfully. "Ya, we weren't asking," Soojin growled. Without warning, she shoved Hana's face into the bucket of water.

Hana's lungs burned as she gasped, her body fighting for air. She swallowed water down her throat, choking and coughing, her head spinning as they laughed, the sound twisted and foreign in her ears.

When Soojin finally pulled her out of the water, Hana gasped, her body trembling. Her chest heaved as she coughed, throwing up water and bile, but their laughter only grew louder.

"That was fun," Eunchae said, her voice mocking. "Tomorrow, play nice, okay, Hana?"

Hana lay there, her body cold and wet, her mind numb as the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance. She didn't move. She couldn't.

One day, she thought, they'll pay for this.

But for now, she would lie in the girl's bathroom, broken and humiliated, but still alive. Still breathing.

"Yeah, one day was everyday."