Rain poured from the angry skies, mercilessly hitting the already worn-out stone tiles of the abandoned monastery

As it did, two figures shrouded in shadows appeared on opposite sides

One wore a blindfold and a demon face mask, ready to unleash his katana against his opponent, but he would soon find out that his opponent was not a person, but rather, a beast

Oni: Is...is that a fucking bear? 

The creature got on two legs and let out a mighty roar

ROUND 1

FIGHT!!

The two characters lunged at each other, unleashing a massive array of attacks. Behind the screen, were Juri and you

The Oni threw a chain to whip the bear closer, but it somehow jumped over it and delivered a crushing overhead blow that connected into a combo. It even summoned a fish into its jaw to smack him with

The two of you focused on the match, with Juri trying her best to apply some lengthy combo, only for you to swipe with your deadly claws

Juri: Siobear is so broken in this game

You: I'm just amazed they got a bear in this game

This got a chuckle from her

Juri: The magic of fighting games

Suddenly, the bear began to glow, and it let out a mighty roar

Juri: Crap!!

Oni tried to jump out of the way, but the bear caught him and slammed the character down with brutal force, then somehow suplexed him across the screen and lunged at him

Without letting up, it began slashing away, getting faster and faster until there was a flash of yellow and red

K.O!

The announcement echoed as did Oni's agonizing scream of defeat

SIOBEAR WINS

Your character did a victory pose and you threw your arms in the air, while Juri let out a loud groan

You: Hell yeah!

Juri: Ughh! Stupid beginner's luck

Then she turned to you and pointed a finger

Juri: I'll wipe that stupid grin next round

However, her threat did little to make you flinch. On the contrary, you leaned forward

You: Will you, now?

She mimicked your move, closing some distance between you with her scowl

Juri: Just you wait

You chuckled as she turned her attention back to the screen to set up the next fight

.

.

.

People gathered and cheered for the fight that would take place in the pub

From the left, the lead singer of a punk band hummed along to the music in her earphones until she came to a stop

On the other side, her brighter appeared. The bartender walked up to her and rolled up his sleeves to reveal red dragon tattoos

Wolfgang: Admit it, you love my cooking

With a chuckle, the girl took off her earphones and stored them in her coat

Ecila: I mean, you had to be good at something

The bartender groaned before he cracked his neck

Wolfgang: Okay now you're just asking for it

ROUND 2

FIGHT!!

And so, the fighting had resumed. These characters were quick, more evenly matched than the last two, and their strikes carried some brutality to them

Ecila threw a punch, only for it to be countered with a kick by Wolfgang. He then hit the joints in her wrists to keep her from using her fists, but that's when Elice let out a growl

Ecila: Time for the Queen of Hearts!

Suddenly, Wolfgang was met with an elbow to the nose, then a series of vicious kicks to the legs

then a series of quick punches, and to the chest, and before he could even move, a Judo throw that left him on the other side of the stage. Juri giggled before she made Ecila jump to close the gap

However, there was a sudden kick to her jaw that sent her back. Wolfgang was surrounded by energy before he lunged at her with both hands

Wolfgang: Fang over Fang!

He quickly stunned her before placing a hand on the top of her skull, and another on her chin. Akin to the vicious jaws of an animal, he made a brutal closing motion

This is not at all how you expected your day to go, especially with it being Thursday. It was odd, out of place

And yet it was the most fun you'd had in a while

However, that begged the question...why was this a thing?

Juri Han barely attended class. Why would she stick around for an essay? She could have just ditched it and call it a day

So while your characters continued to beat the everliving crap out of each other, you decided to speak your mind

You: I got to ask, Juri, why bring me here?

But the girl just scoffed playfully

Juri: To play games, duh! Why else would you come to an arcade?

Ecila jump-kicked Wolfgang into the crowd, and they pushed him back into the scene just in time to counter a kick with a punch of his own and swept her legs

You: No, I mean, bringing me with you. You could have just dipped and left me to do this alone

Suddenly, the game paused. The focus was easily broken by the interruption. You glanced at the girl. Her gaze was serious now, a stark contrast to the Juri you knew

Juri: It's been a long time since I've been able to do something like this

You: Play video games?

The girl gently shook her head

Juri: Act my age. Just...fool around without a care in the world

She then took her lollipop out of her mouth and waved it around as she continued

Juri: It's always "Go here, get rid of that, execute this"...I can't remember the last time I had fun

You let go of the controls to fully turn to her. You could feel your gaze softening as you did

You: That sounds...exhausting

She glanced at you for a brief moment. The pink in her eyes seemed dulled, tired

Juri: You don't even know, babe

A sigh left her lips before she leaned on the side of the machine

Juri: It's true. I could've just left you to do the work and only show up for the exam as always, but

The girl chuckled silently as something crossed her mind

Juri:...god that sounds stupid

You: What does?

You raised a brow and watched as she ran a hand through her hair before finally looking at you

Juri: I guess I just wanted to experience what it's like to have a friend for a change

Her words struck your heart like arrows. You could only look at her in surprise

Just like that, her behavior throughout the day started to make sense. Taking you for a meal, the arcade, everything

You: Juri...

It felt like an eternity for you, but it was merely a moment, and that was all she needed

Without a warning, the game was unpaused. Suddenly, Ecila summoned a microphone stand and let out a mighty scream, stunning Wolfgang long enough for her combo

A purple flash took over the screen as she took a swing from a flask and grinned

Ecila: TEA PARTY!!!

She threw the flask at her opponent. In a series of frantic, unpredictable moves, she went from a throw to a strike, a strike to a lock, a lock to a throw, a lock to another strike. She left little to no time for her opponent to even react before the rest of her band jumped in

Before you knew it, the screen flashed colors again, and that's when the announcer stepped in

K.O!

Juri laughed like a maniac while all you could do was watch in absolute disbelief, but now for another reason entirely

Shortly after Ecila's victory pose, Juri turned to you while wiping a tear from all the laughing

Juri: I can't believe you fell for that made-up crap!

And just like that, you were dragged back to reality

It hurt

Juri: God you're an idiot!

With a frustrated groan, you dropped your face on the buttons as her laughter continued

You: ...That was evil...

She shrugged

Juri: Hey, it got me the win, didn't it?

Juri continued to revel in her success for a moment. Once the laughter died out, she patted your back

Juri: Come on now, we're 1-1. Time for the tiebreaker

Reluctantly you got up. Understandably, still thinking about what just happened

But when you watched her smirk, something clicked: It wasn't her words what sold it, but her eyes

Either she was one hell of an actress...or she wasn't acting at all

The game returned to the character selection screen. Time for the third and final match

...or at least, that was the intention

Harriet: Juri Han?

You perked at the voice. Your eyes went wide at the sight of the colorful delinquents starting to surround the scene. One of them even waved at you

Your companion, on the other hand, remained focused on the screen

Juri: Who's asking?

Quinn: We're here on behalf of the Mad Gear gang

The Mad Gear gang? You heard about them from the news. A major headache for, well, the mayor

The mention of this made Juri turn to them with an unamused look in her eye and crossed arms

Juri: Is this because of Hugo? Because I'm not apologizing

Oh god, she knew them

Curious, one of these delinquents stepped forward

Stella: Wait, what did you do to him?

The leader made her step back, staring daggers at her before returning her attention to their target

Quinn: It doesn't matter. You're coming with us

She too crossed her arms to glare at her, but all this did was earn a scoff from Juri 

Juri: Can't you see I'm busy here?

The character selection screen popped up, and she had just selected hers: The King of Rats

Juri: Now, unless you wanna cheer me on, you better scram

There was a hint of venom in the last part. That was enough to startle some of them, but not the leader

Quinn: That wasn't a request

Then, she glanced over to you, immediately noticed your less-than-stoic reaction to them, and then pointed at you

Quinn: You don't want us to hurt your friend, now, would you?

In the blink of an eye, Juri was face to face with Quinn, grinning madly at her with her eyes glowing under the lights of the arcade. Everyone flinched at this sudden move

Juri: You did NOT just threaten him

???: Yo! Neon chicks!

Everyone looked to the source of this new voice. An employee approached them, hands on her hips and a look of disapproval all over her face. This girl with short hair, green eyes, and a panda hairpin

Lucia: Did you not read the fucking rules? No fighting in the arcade

An annoyed Harriet stepped up to talk, only for the employee to grab the collar of her shirt

Lucia: Now whatever squabble you have, it gets settled outside, am I clear?

She let go and pushed the redhead into her friends with surprising strength

Lucia: NOW GO

Juri and Quinn then looked at each other

Quinn:...wanna take this outside?

Juri shrugged

"Sure"

- - -

A suffocating silence took over as everyone left the arcade, yourself included. You didn't know what would come of this

There were a dozen people, was Juri seriously considering taking them on? What did they even want with her?

So many questions and the girl's attitude didn't help either. She just enjoyed her lollipop with her arms on the back of her head

You reached the parking lot and, much like the start of the matches in the game, Juri and the delinquents stood on opposite sides. After what felt like an eternity, she broke the ice

Juri: Listen, I'm in a good mood, so I'll let you walk out of here 

Then, she took the candy off of her mouth and grinned with malice

Juri: While you're still able to walk

There were varied reactions to her "friendly warning". From fear to anger to skepticism

With chains wrapping around her fists, Harriet scoffed

Harriet: You don't seem to realize how screwed you are

The rest of the gang stepped up and cheered. Some took out bats, pipes, and even a knife. Quinn rested the bat on the ground and pulled up her face mask, as did the rest of them

Quinn: Last chance, Juri

Juri then turned to you

Juri: Listen, I gotta take care of this real quick

You looked at her as if she were crazy. Was she really not worried at all about this?

You: We can just leave a--

She placed a finger on your lips and smiled

Juri: I got this, just give me a minute, babe

With a wink, she patted your cheek and walked to the gang

Juri: Don't say I didn't warn you

They watched as she cracked her neck and proceeded to raise her guard, and her left leg in a fighting stance they had never seen before

Juri: Are we doing this or not? Don't make me waste my time

But the girls stood in place, all waiting for Quinn's command. She stared at Juri, and her scowl intensified

Quinn: Let's show Poison we're worthy of Mad Gear!

She stared down the taunting opponent and slowly pointed her bat at her

Quinn: LET'S BRING HER IN

Her friends let out a warcry as they charged towards Juri, who could only laugh 

Juri: Poison sent you?!

Harriet hurled her chain at Juri, only for it to wrap around her left leg and Juri pulled her in before slamming her into the ground with a single punch, then another and another

Harriet threw a punch, only for Juri to catch it and pull her too close to her. It was then that she caught a glimpse of the insane look in her eye

Juri: Oh she sent you to DIE

Rowan: BACK OFF!!

The blue-haired girl swung her bat, prompting Juri to sidestep and sweep her legs with a low roundhouse kick to the legs. Once her balance was off, Rowan was sent flying with a powerful upwards kick, strong enough to leave a trail

Everyone stopped to try and catch Rowan while you just watched. You had seen impressive matches when you visited Ryu, but this, this was something else. The way Juri moved was frantic, as brutal as it was fast

But more so than that, she seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself. Two more had fallen to her, and you could tell she was only getting started

Juri: Come on now, keep the beat! 

Then, she grabbed another's head with her foot, forcing her to hunch over, and then sent them flying with two kicks before stopping another delinquent who swung a pipe at her. She blocked it with her forearm and hit the girl's throat with a spinning kick

The delinquent let go of the pipe, which Juri swung into her side and then her head, knocking her out for good

Juri: Oops!

Another bat was swung at Juri, who ducked, then weaved, and sidestepped with ease like some sort of evil dancer

Juri: Cha! Cha! Cha!

???: OH SHUT UP!!

Juri cackled before she slammed her knee against the girl's wrist, disarming her with ease and using her other foot to knock her opponent down. She followed up by stepping on her back two times  

 Quinn: GET OFF OF HER!!

Quinn swung her metal bat, only for Juri to leap over it, but that's when she was hit in the back of the head with another bat

Stella: Got you now!

She whipped Juri with her chain, stunning her enough for Quinn to swing at her legs, throwing her onto the ground. The leader spat out some blood before she cracked her neck

Quinn: This has...gone on...for long enough!

You: JURI!!

She swung down but...the hit never met Juri

But instead, the girl found herself lying on the pavement, away from the others. By her side, she spotted you, with blood coming from the back of your head

Her pink eyes widened when she pieced it together. You tackled her out of the way but took the hit yourself

You...you idiot...

She...she told you to stay out of it! Why did you jump in for her?!

The girl quickly rushed over to your side

Juri: Y/N?! Y/N are you okay?!

She shook you in an attempt to wake you up. Only when she felt the blood on her hand did it hit her

The others froze at the realization of it. Quinn nearly dropped the weapon

Quinn: I...I didn't see him!

???: Came out of nowhere!

Quinn: I-I'm so sorry! It wasn't supposed to be like this!

But what caught their attention, was the increasingly ragged breathing coming from the concrete. A tear fell from Juri's manic eyes

Juri: YOU. FUCKED. UP!!!

With a roar, she shot up and lunged at the nearest opponent, delivering a swift overhead roundhouse that  turned into a series of vicious kicks like a windmill

The delinquent went flying into a car

Harriet: That's enough!

The larger girl grabbed Juri from behind as soon as she landed, prompting her to smash the back of her head into her nose, prompting Harriet to let go. Juri got ahold of her shoulders and used her to balance herself until she was behind the redhead and dug her boots into her back

Juri: How's THIS?!

The redhead let out an agonizing scream before she fell to the ground, and that's when Juri slammed her boot into her head, knocking out the biggest of them

???: AAHHHHHHH!!!

She turned to find another girl swinging a metal pipe she picked up, only for something else to intercept her

???: SPIRAL ARROW

A spinning kick with both legs hit the girl in the stomach and pushed her back as a distinct blonde appeared on the scene

Juri gasped at the sight of the most unlikely of allies

Juri: You?!

Standing between Juri and the delinquents was none other than Cammy, and she looked pissed. She quickly went ahead and checked up on you. Juri watched as the blonde let out a relieved sigh, and felt herself sighing too 

At least you were somewhat okay

Juri: Listen, I--

Cammy: Not. one. word

She delivered a quick uppercut to an opponent before winding up a massive kick to the stomach, knocking the air out of her before being knocked down

That was all Juri needed to understand that at least this time, they fought side by side. The delinquents knew it too, and fear was quick to take over the few members still standing

While Cammy worked on doing quick work of the goons, Juri set her sights on the leader. She rushed straight at her, leaving little time to prepare

A growling Juri leaped forward in a low arc towards Quinn. She could only use her bat as a defense before Juri came down with an axe kick

But this was unlike any other attack, as purple energy seemed to encase her foot when she brought it down. It was too strong, Quinn could barely hold on before the bat broke, and the sheer force brought her to the floor

But that was hardly the end. She found her chin resting on a boot, that pulled her face-to-face with Juri

Juri: Just remember, I gave you a chance

Before she could protest, she was bashed back into the ground with that same foot. She dove her other foot into her ribs for good measure

Her goon fell suit shortly after, and now, it was only Cammy and Juri left. The latter took a moment to regain her breath before she heard her voice

Cammy: I knew this would happen

Juri turned to see Cammy looking around at the many people lying on the floor, yourself included. Quickly, she raised her hands in defense

Juri: Hey, this was not my intention

Cammy: Like hell it wasn't!

White's sudden outburst caught her off guard, but even then, she tried to prove herself

Juri: I swear! We were just playing some games and they showed up!

Cammy: That's exactly the problem!

Juri stopped to listen to her, raising a brow

Cammy: Don't you see it, Juri?

Then, she gestured at their surrounding area. Only now did some of the blood splatters on the concrete become visible

Cammy: Whenever you go, danger follows!

Juri scowled at this. While it was true that she had a close relationship with danger, it was not all her life was about

Juri: Hey, that's just how things happen sometimes! You think I just go around from door to door looking for a fight or what?!

The blonde pinched the bridge of her nose as she walked past her

Cammy: I'm not one to tell you how to live your unhinged life...

Her expression became noticeably softer upon laying eyes on you. She gently kneeled over and took you in her arms

Cammy: Just don't make others pay the price for it

She was about to argue when she became aware of the state you were in. Nothing lethal, but it was still something that made her heart wrench, and she couldn't place her finger on it

Before she knew it, she was already talking

Juri: Let me take him to the--

Cammy: DON'T

Juri stepped back and raised her guard out of instinct. Cammy herself became aware of it, and let out a heavy sigh, allowing herself to relax ever so slightly

Cammy: Just...don't

The troublesome girl could only watch as the two of you left the scene. She recalled calling out to her again and again in desperation but to no avail. But even long after you were gone, her eyes remained fixed on the horizon

Juri Han was not a normal girl, and she normally relished in such a fact. Never a dull moment,  never slowing down for anything or anyone

But that lifestyle came with a price. Loneliness and uncertainty 

When she saw you, she felt an inviting warmth that only something normal could give her. A taste of a life she could have

Sure, she accepted this for the sake of rubbing it in the face of her enemies, but...it quickly turned into something else

How dare she try and be normal for a day

How dare she allow you to pay for it

- - -

The next day came as a reminder of the season, as snow was starting to cover the city with a gentle veil

Streets were slightly emptier this time, as some people preferred to stay inside and enjoy the warmth

It was in such a day that Juri found herself...coming back to school

But something was missing. She did not carry herself with the usual flair, and people were quick to notice that but were still too afraid to comment on it

Just because she looked defeated didn't mean she couldn't kick them into oblivion

But the reason she was here, was something personal. She felt she owed you that much. After all, you were the one who wanted to do this stupid essay

So she stopped when she was outside the classroom and took a deep breath. When she opened the door, she found the students talking amongst themselves. She even spotted Chun-Li's little gang but...no sign of you

Just the thought of you lying on the floor with blood sent shivers down her spine

But then again, that is also why she was here. Fortunately, the gang seemed too busy talking amongst themselves to notice her. Good, she did not want to deal with them

 Allowing herself to push through, Juri walked toward the desk, where Mr. Josh was grading some papers

Juri: Listen, teach, I gotta talk to you

She placed her hands on the desk to gain his attention, completely disregarding the fact that he was busy enough as it was 

Mr. Josh: Yeah? What is it?

Her hands clutched at the words she wanted to say. It was always so easy to lie, but admitting to something? That was another monster entirely

Juri: It's about the essay...

Mr. Josh: Oh yeah, I read it

The man responded nonchalantly, quickly making her look at him in shock

Juri: You...you did?

The teacher nodded 

Mr. Josh: Between us, I think it's the best one out of the whole class. You narrated the story of our city to perfection!

The girl looked at him bewildered. He had to be messing with her, she was pretty sure she didn't do the damn thing. Hell, she spent all day actively avoiding it!

???: Is everything okay?

Both Juri and the teacher looked at the new voice, and she gasped at what she saw

It was you, walking and acting as you always did. Granted, you wore a beanie that concealed some bandages. Other than that, it was as...as if nothing bad had happened yesterday

She had to fight the urge to run over to you and hug you, but seeing you here offered great comfort

Mr. Josh: Y/N!, we were talking about your essay

You walked over and raised a brow

You: Is there something wrong with it?

Mr. Josh: On the contrary! You two did an amazing job

You: We tried our best

Then you patted Juri's back, much to her surprise

You: Right Juri?

She gave you an odd look, but a simple wink was all she needed to understand

Then, she looked back at the teacher and nodded

Juri: Yeah, it wasn't exactly difficult either

The man chuckled at her remark

Mr. Josh: I could always give you another assignment. A real challenge this time

Juri: Actually, I was hoping I could talk to Y/N for a moment

Both of you looked at her. However, the teacher couldn't exactly afford to look into it. He had piles of essays to go through, after all

Mr. Josh: Sure thing

Juri: Great

As soon as she got the go-ahead, she got ahold of your hand and dragged you out of the classroom

This time, your gang took notice

Cammy: Did you see what I saw?

Chun-Li: That delinquent stealing our friend again? Yes, I did

Ken: We still haven't talked to her about yesterday's disaster

But as they were preparing to leave, a hand stopped them all in their tracks. It was Ryu

Ken: Bro? What's the holdup?

Cammy: What are you doing?

Ryu: ...let them be

Cammy/Chun-Li: WHAT?!

The rest of the class looked at them, prompting them to lower their heads as everyone returned to their business

Cammy: Why would you say that, Ryu?

But that's when Ken stepped up

Ken: Hold up. Did you sense it?

This got a nod from him, which in turn made Ken gasp. The girls did not know what the hell was going on

Chun-Li: What does that even mean?

Ken: It means that we gotta trust him on this one. Ryu's meditation does some spooky stuff

Cammy: What does that have to do with anything?

Ken: Enhanced wisdom and insight, that's it!

While he argued with the girls as to what was the logic behind it, Ryu glanced at the door and just nodded

He knew both of you needed this conversation

...

Juri took you to the rooftop, where nobody else could pry on your conversation. You sat together on the edge, your legs dangled freely

Juri: So what happened? Shouldn't you be in bed?

You: I'm fine. Just a couple stitches

Then, you adjusted your new accessory

You: I've always wanted to try out a beanie

While you chuckled at your own joke, Juri didn't. She clutched her fists and looked down

Juri: You idiot...

Your laugh stopped as you gave her a puzzled look

You: Huh?

That's when she finally looked at you, worry and regret were written all over her

Juri: Why did you do it?! I told you to stay out of it!

You crossed your arms

You: I wasn't just going to stand there and let you get beaten

Juri: Why not?

The question took you by surprise. You rubbed your chin while you thought about it

You: Well... because you gave me the best day I've had in a while

Her pink eyes went wide

Juri: ... did they hit you that hard?

She covered her mouth the moment she realized what you said, but you just waved it off

You: Listen, I love my friends, but things lately have felt like a routine, and you know how tedious those can get

She nodded, asking you to continue, which you did with a smile

You: You made me open to try things I never would've

She tilted her head as she got closer to you

Juri: Like what?

You: Traveling at dangerously high speeds on a motorcycle, for starters

A chuckle left her lips before she looked at you with a raised brow and her signature smirk

Juri: So you stepped in because I'm a thrilling experience?

But she was caught off-guard when you shook your head

You: You're so much more than that

Juri: ...really?

You: Mm-hmm. You're terrifying, but you're also very fun to be around

You found yourself getting closer to her, while she listened to your every word with great interest

You: You're unapologetically you, I respect that. But you're also very loyal, energetic and--

Juri: Fuck...

You stopped when you noticed the girl covering her face with her hands. Immediately, your heart dropped, 

You: Juri....?

Juri: Didn't you hear your friends' warnings?

You: What?

She let go to make air quotes. Tears threatened to form in the edges of her eyes

Juri: "Whenever I go, danger follows", and all that crap

Then, she dropped them to give you a defeated look

Juri: You're playing with fire, Y/N

Lastly, she placed a lollipop in her mouth

Juri: And I wouldn't like your pretty little face burnt

She let out a heavy breath and looked to the side, allowing herself to drop the act when you weren't looking

You: Well... I've never been one to make great choices anyway

She snickered, her smile returned as she flicked your head

Juri: Don't tell me I charmed you that much

A brief laugh was shared between you, but that's when something crossed her mind

Juri: I gotta ask, though, what was that about us writing the best essay ever?

You chuckled before you looked at the city before you, winter was coating it slowly

You: I may or may not have slipped an essay in Mr. Josh's pile last minute

Upon hearing that, she shot up, her wide eyes fixed on you

Juri: You didn't

But your smug smile only confirmed it

Juri: Why didn't you tell me?! We could've done the damn thing!

Even then, you remained as calm as ever

You: You gave us one of the wildest rides ever to a restaurant with delicious food, practically paid for it, then took us to an awesome arcade, and just had fun

The girl placed her hands on her hips as she leaned down

Juri: Where are you going with this?

Not dropping the smile, your eyes met hers

You: Not once did you ask anything in return

She was about to argue but dropped her hand once she realized the truth to your words. To her, the experience was payment enough

You: So I guess this is me thanking you...and we never had that third match to determine the loser

She looked at you to see if you were serious. This was too good to be true. It...it just was

When she looked into your eyes, she found none of the malice she had grown used to. No hidden intentions, nothing

For the first time in what felt like forever, she didn't know what to make of it...and she kinda liked it

Juri: ...That's it? No catch?

You: None

Without a warning, you were pulled towards her, and before you knew it, your lips were meeting hers. A sudden warmth amidst the cold winter

Her lips were surprisingly delicate, contrasted only by the metal of her piercings. She was the first to close her eyes, and once you understood what was going on, you followed suit and leaned into it

The bell rang, sending its message all throughout the school. Only then did your lips separate, with breathing slightly altered as well

Her pink eyes met yours, and you found that glimmer in them, directed towards you this time, in a much tender fashion

Juri: You... really are an idiot

She leaned forward and planted a kiss on your cheek, leaving a black imprint when she was done

You held her waist, while she gently tapped the other cheek, and smiled at you

Juri: See you around, loser

You: Yeah...until then...

With that, she let go and headed back into the building, leaving you alone on the rooftop as the students began to pour out of their classrooms to go on about their day

You exhaled gently and found yourself chuckling

Before today, you had only heard tall tales about Juri Han. Her impressive feats in and outside school grounds, and mainly, her sadistic nature

And now, you could confirm these to be true, but it wasn't even a fraction of who she was

Then, you grazed your hand over your right arm, gently caressing the scars hidden by the clothes. 

You then rolled up your sleeve to reveal a series of scars. Memories from prior encounters in your life as the grandson of a Yakuza member

You had played with fire before, and much like that time... you found yourself enamored by it

The end