before | lisrene

II

With a slight limp, Lisa made her way inside her new school. A school that she doesn't know anyone. The hand me down backpack that she's carrying from her older cousin Ten is filled with hand me down books.
You can say that at 13, Lisa already had it all.

Being born and raised in a tropical country, Lisa doesn't know that the weather from this part of the planet is like the one they have in Thailand only during December. Gripping the windbreaker that her Aunt Dara forced her to wear, she looked around the school, hoping to talk to someone who looks friendly enough. There are curious stares and some of them changed their directions as Lisa approaches the building. Starting to feel deflated, she sat at the bench that is situated under an overgrown tree. She looked at her wristwatch, also a battered one like every other thing that she owns, and sees that she still has 30 minutes to find her new homeroom. The feeling of dread is starting to creep up as she didn't notice the footsteps approaching the bench that she is currently occupying alone.

"Look what we have here." A deep voice said, looking down at Lisa who suddenly tensed and refused to look up.

"A rat." Another voice said followed by laughter.

Lisa felt like her head has grown three sizes larger and her heart started palpitating. She closed her eyes and hoped that the people surrounding her will go away but she knows that never happens. Never in Thailand. Never in South Korea.

She clenched her fist, holding on to her jeans that is a size bigger than her thin frame.

"You will silently walk away or you want us to kick you all the way to your building?" Another voice said.

Lisa failed to identify another set of footsteps approach them.

"What the hell is happening here?" A girl's voice asked.

The guy with the deep voice replied. "N-Nothing, Irene."

"It's Ms. President for you, Chanyeol." The girl Irene answers back.

Lisa can feel the girl's gaze fall on her but still she didn't look up.

"Really, Junmyeon? A kid? A freshman?" Irene speaks again.

"She's sitting on our spot, Rene." The guy who called Lisa a rat replied.

"And what, you will beat her because she is sitting at a bench that none of you owns?"

The guys didn't reply.

"Look at you three. Your faces are still the same when you don't know the answer to our teachers' questions." Irene added sarcastically. "GO!" She yelled.

Lisa can feel the air became suffocating and her breathing became uneven. She heard mumbling and then hurried footsteps away from where she is sitting. She slowly opened her eyes to look at her savior.
When she sees the girl named Irene for the first time, it felt like the air in her lungs were pulled out. She is slightly taller than Lisa and maybe a few years above. She didn't notice she was staring until the face of the girl became contorted.

"Don't sit here again next time. You are lucky I came." Irene said with one of her eyebrows raised. Lisa just nodded. She developed an adoration for the girl in an instant. It's the first time someone stood up for her.

Maybe, just maybe, South Korea isn't bad after all.

For the nth time, Lisa heard another set of footsteps run to their direction. Lisa looked at the source of the sound where a tall girl is approaching, with books enclosed to her chest and a backpack that can send Lisa's to shame is dangling on her right shoulder.

"Irene! Sorry I came late! Wannie forgot that she is to pick me up today!" The tall girl said. There's no hint of apology on her face.

"It's okay, Seulgi." Irene replied. "I didn't wait long. Let's go."

The girl Seulgi looked at Lisa's direction and noticed her for the first time.
"Who's this?" She asked Irene. She moved her right forefinger to point at Lisa.

Irene looked at Lisa without any emotion on her face.
"Just a nobody." She replied.

In a span of 5 minutes, Lisa was again proven wrong.