"Rumi-" Rin didn't even raise her head to look at the girls as they discussed. She already felt defeated. "The members of molecule will only show up by 7:00 pm. How are we going to hide her from the other candidates until then?" One of the girls asked their supposed leader.

"I've asked Erika to take care of that." Rumi said as she looked through Rin's phone. "Oh? You're a rich girl." She giggled.

"Eh? Really? She's a rich-to-poor story?" Another girl with two ponytails asked as she inched closer to take a look at the photo on Rin's phone. "Its true! There's a house, garage, a car and all." She laughed.

"How pitiful."

"What do you mean rich-to-poor? We're still well off!" Rin replied, offended.

There was silence for ten seconds, then boisterous laughter emerged from the three girls. Rumi even fell down to the floor and rolled around as she laughed.

"Why has your well off family moved to this dusty-ass town then? Our town has the highest crime rate and there's one school that everyone attends. Nobody here has the money to buy a car that's not second hand." Rumi mentioned. It was as if Rin's world had shattered.

"We've been doing everything we can to leave this town! If you're so well off, why would your parents move here?" Ponytails girl asked and Rin was left speechless.

"Did you not know your parents are poor?" The other girl asked. Too many things were running through Rin's mind. Why hadn't she noticed? Were they short of money? She never had to work a job like other teenagers to support her family. She was always comfortable, then how hadn't she realised that her parents were suffering. All alone.

"Its your own fault." Rumi started. "I mean, how sheltered do you have to be to not even check where you're moving or which school you're going to. How ignorant are you that you didn't know your parents have financial problems?" She was being condescending, but Rin had nothing to say for herself. She had been ignorant, she never had to do things on her own before. It was as if she was suddenly pushed into a new world.

"Ah, Erika is here." One of the three girls noticed. Rin was frozen, eyes glued to the floor. This was too much to process at once. How did her parents not let her realise even once? They didn't even mention a poverty-stricken town. They had bought her a new pair of DollsKill limited edition headphones only last month! How did they afford it?

Rin felt a painfully sticky tape being wrapped around her wrists. "What are you doing?!" She tried to yank her hand away, but to no avail. She now noticed a new girl wearing a pink hoodie over her uniform in the group.

"We can't lose you to the other students. There's a war out there because everyone wants to be a member of Molecule. Its the gang that can bring in so much cash, you have no-"

"Erika! This carton is too small for her to fit in!" Rumi interrupted.

"Ehhh, this is the best I could get. She's so small, she'll fit into any box, put her in." Erika replied.

The tape was surprisingly strong and Rin couldn't move one bit. "Okay, I promise this is the last." Erika taped Rin's mouth and dusted her hands.

Rumi gave them a worried look. "I'm still not on board with this carton idea." She exchanged hesitant glances with the other girls.

"No, believe me, it'll work!" Erika insisted.

_____________

"What do you mean that Rumi bitch took Rin away?!" Xiumin's voice thundered in the classroom. All the fifteen students couldn't help but look at the floor in shame.

Kakeru was holding a plastic bag filled with ice against his head. His ears were red in humiliation and anger. "I underestimated her." His fists were clenched tightly and his knuckles turned white. "I didn't think she had the courage to raise a weapon against me."

Xiumin snapped a finger in front of Kakeru. "She raised a weapon against Molecule! Almost strangled one of their female members. How dense are you?" He yelled in frustration.

"I'm sorry." Kakeru replied.

"Will your sorry pay off my family's debt?!" Xiumin screamed. "You let that stupid Rumi and girl gang get away with-"

"Who said they got away?" A dangerous smile crept up Kakeru's face.

____________

Rin had heard enough conversation to memorise the four girls' names. They didn't seem to have a leader, but the strongest one that captured Rin was called Rumi. The cheeky girl with two ponytails was Mei while the constant chatter came from Luka and Erika. Apparently, the two were sisters.

The tapes were strong enough to restrict Rin's movements as she was forcefully shoved inside a carton. She had no idea where they were taking her, only that she no longer had the will power to protest.

Rin was drowning in self pity. The best of humans experience a fleeting emotion that makes pain feel well deserved. Defeat was an understatement. It felt like her pride had been ripped away from her chest and she was bleeding on the floor.

Rin wanted to be saved. She hoped someone would show up and fight all the bad guys for her. Then she'd go home in relief and sleep comfortably in her warm blanket.

"Check on her." Rumi's voice sounded detached and unsympathetic. Rin felt the carton being placed down before it was opened and cool breeze greeted her neck.

"You want water?" Erika asked innocently. "Ah, my bad." She said before reaching out to harshly pull off the tape on Rin's mouth. She winced in pain.

"Aw, she's got such nice lips." Mei said in admiration. "Cherry Red gloss would look so nice on them." She suggested.

"Are you stupid? Her skin colour is too light for that." Erika commented. "Apple Red liquid lipstick would definitely suit her more."

"Look at you both act like you can actually afford makeup from those rich people brands." Luka rolled her eyes.

Rin, on the other hand, greedily drank water from the bottle Rumi placed near her mouth. Her throat was parched and head slightly dizzy. It wasn't just mentally, Rin felt like she was falling sick for real. Her breathing had got heavier and sweat covered her forehead.

Rumi placed her palm on Rin's forehead, then closed her eyes in annoyance. "It hasn't even been two hours and this bitch already has a fever." She complained.

"Ehh? Rich people are that weak?" Mei placed her palm on Rin's cheek. "Oh god, its true. She's burning up."

One thing that Rin found common among the girls was the coarse surface of their hands. Their fingers didn't feel soft like her mother's when it touched her forehead. They were rugged and irregular, almost scraping against her skin. It felt like they were worn out from a long time of being worked.

"What if she dies on us?" Mei asked in fear.

"Let's throw her to Molecule before something like that happens. It'll be their problem after that." Luka suggested, earning a nod of approval from Rumi. "Sorry, girl. God knows we wouldn't have been friends anyway." She said as they prepared to tape her again, until a strangely familiar growl emerged from behind them.

Rumi's eyes shifted towards Mei who was staring back in horror. "Did you hear that too?" Luka asked as her fearful eyes met Erika's dark brown ones.

"Yah, you whore, did you allow that Kakeru's dog to sniff you before you came with us?" Mei asked in fury laced with panic in her voice.

Rin was too weak to listen or pay attention. Her strength, willpower, and voice had left her as the hours passed by. Somehow, she knew her consciousness would soon follow.

"I'm hurt, Mei. No one's called Malika a dog before." Kakeru's voice emerged from behind them.

Rin could barely move, but as she weakly turned around, she saw Kakeru, his German Shepherd, and another boy with golden brown hair sizing them up from the distance.

"That monster will surely spill some blood, Rumi." Mei whispered.

"She's right. Xiumin is also with them right now. We won't win this fight. Let's come back for her later." Luka suggested.

Rin watched as Rumi kicked the wall beside her in defeat. She clenched her hands into fists and took a few steps back.

Fear started creeping up Rin's stomach. She could barely move because of her fever and now her kidnappers were suddenly going to change. They were abandoning her in this forsaken place and leaving her for the dogs. She watched quietly as the four girls sprinted away and headed down the stairs.

Kakeru didn't bother chasing them. He rolled his eyes and headed towards Rin, his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. Malika reached Rin before the two boys did. Somehow, she seemed like the only one that didn't harbour any resentment towards Rin. Malika excitedly jumped around and licked Rin's cheek.

"Don't feel flattered," Kakeru commented as he got down to Rin's level to remove the tapes restricting her hands. "Malika's just a nice girl. She's scary, but friendly too, if she feels protective. You're clearly no threat. I wonder how you went ahead and made enemies with Molecule in your first week of school." He said in disbelief.

"Bring her to the classroom." Xiumin ordered as he walked away with no emotion in his eyes. He didn't even bother glancing at Rin once.

"Okayyy." Kakeru chimed as he used a pocket knife to cut the carton Rin was placed in. "Ah, I almost forgot." He said as he removed a familiar metal water bottle from his bag, that now had a dent on its shiny surface. He drew his hand back to swing it harshly in Rin's direction, causing her to flinch and shut her eyes tightly.

A cold and hard material lightly landed against the side of Rin's head. She slowly opened her eyes to find Kakeru grinning at her. "I told you. I don't fuck with weak girls like you." He said.

Tears were streaming down Rin's eyes. Even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to contain them. A headache had already settled in and moving around felt impossible. Rin didn't know if it was psychological, but it was sure that the fever wouldn't subside until a week at least.

"Aw, I told you to come and sit with me." Kakeru used his thumb to wipe her tears. Rin pushed his hand away.
"Okay, let's get you to the classroom." He said to himself as he pulled his sweater over his head. It caused his hair to become slightly messy and his bangs fell down to cover his forehead. Kakeru shook his head slightly and they were out of his eyes.

Rin didn't protest as he then brought the sweater down over her unusually warm body. The texture of his hands were rough, but the hold on her wrist was gentle as he pulled them through each sleeve. The sweater was long enough to reach the edge of her skirt.

Her eyes were half closed when Rin felt his hands around her shoulder and under her knees before she was lifted off the ground. "There's no escaping a hell like Goldencross." Kakeru told her as he walked down the stairs. "Especially because everybody here is desperate for money. If you make a little bit of money, someone will be right there to snatch it from you." Rin was only faintly registering what he said. She had no control over herself as she started falling asleep.

"You really aren't even in the start line of this competition, Rin."