( A/N: ahhhhh a big thank you to @HyuTaeSoox for this idea!! <3 )
"Stop it!"
Sejun laughed bitterly, looking down at Soyeon. She halted her slapping to speak, "And what are you going to do if I don't? You're too small, too weak compared to me."
Soyeon fleetingly tried to reach for Sejun's stupid face. What she was going to do, she didn't know. But, any sort of defense would be good at this point. Because at this point, she feels humiliated, being pinning to the wall by a woman. In an elevator at that. At her job.
After one last struggle, she stilled, body stiff. She's right. Soyeon thought, looking in Sejun's eyes that were full of disgust. I'm too small, I'm too weak.
A small noise sounded, signaling that the elevator had reached the last floor. Sejun sneered. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Jeon."
Soyeon simply nods, scurrying as far away as she can from that bully. She groans sadly. This was supposed to be a new start. She's not in school anymore so why, why are people still bullying her?
~
Right now, Soyeon stood at the front desk of a gym, waiting for someone to assist her. A little impatient, Soyeon looked around the place. It was nice and quiet at this late hour, and there seemed to be only one other person there with her. Soyeon caught the woman's eye, caught off guard by the sudden realization on her face. Wait, why's she coming towards me?
"Hi! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Soyeon blinked, taken aback by the woman's deep voice. But she couldn't lie, it also intrigued her. She was dressed in a comfortable blue hoodie and track pants, which was similar to Soyeon's attire.
"No, it's alright... I'm just wondering if I need a pass or a membership to exercise here?"
The woman's eyes glowed. "Nope!"
"Oh, that's lovely," Soyeon commented. "Might I ask why you're the only staff here now?"
She sighs, scratching at her blonde hair. "I'm not actually staff here. I'm a regular at this place, my cousin owns it. Tonight she's out partying and I owe her I guess."
"I get that." Soyeon took a deep breath, looking at all of the gym equipment.
"It's not all as daunting as it seems." The woman was quick to recognize the hesitation in Soyeon's gaze.
"I just... don't know where to start," Soyeon admitted.
The woman gave her a bright smile. "I can help you with that. Why did you come here today?"
Soyeon looked at the ground, her voice shaky, "I- there's this bully, and–"
The woman suddenly grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Hey, hey, violence isn't the answer." When Soyeon didn't say anything back, she raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"
"O-okay." Soyeon doesn't have time to say anything else before the woman's eyebrows scrunch up and she is being pulled across the gym over to a punching bag.
"Put these on," The woman hands her boxing gloves, her face suddenly very serious. "My name's Yuqi, by the way. What's yours?"
"Soyeon. Uh, what's about to happen?" She slid the gloves onto her hands, tightening them.
"Hit this." Yuqi held the punching bag.
Soyeon hesitantly hit the punching bag softly, not wanting to hurt the woman on the other side holding it.
"HARDER!" Yuqi suddenly shouts, her booming voice echoing around the place and startling Soyeon into hitting the bag as hard as she possibly could. Yuqi smiles. "Good job."
"Why'd you yell??"
"It motivated you, didn't it?"
"I guess so.. Anyways, what happened to violence isn't the answer?"
Yuqi pursed her lips. "I got the feeling you actually need to learn how to defend yourself."
Soyeon felt blush on her face in embarrassment and sudden realization. She'd been walking around all day with slap marks on her face? Gosh.. "You're observative."
Yuqi chuckled darkly. "I'm a social worker."
Soyeon gazed at Yuqi for a moment, watching the other woman suddenly shake off the dark aura that had suddenly taken over her.
"Now, instead of punching the bag straight forward, come at it at an angle."
Soyeon moved off to the side a little, curling her fist upwards and striking the bag. "Like that?"
"Perfect," Yuqi smiled.
~
A few days later, Soyeon walked purposefully through the hallways of the highschool, excited to have been hired for the substitute as the school's nurse for the day. She wandered the place, enjoying the quiet hallways, though she stuck close to the nurse's office. Just in case.
Suddenly, she was shoved from behind onto the floor.
Ah, shit, shit, shit... Soyeon's breath quickened as pain coursed through her body, registering that she had hit her knee on the floor. No, more like someone had pushed her onto the floor.
Sejun kicked her onto her side, laughing. "I should take a picture of you like this. You look so pathetic." She pulled her phone out and snapped a few photos. "Smile for me, Ms. Jeon," she teased, enjoying seeing Soyeon finding it hard to breathe as she clutched her hurt knee.
A hand was held out in front of Soyeon's face. She took it, surprised to see Yuqi. Yuqi turned to Sejun. "Fuck off, alright?"
Sejun opened her mouth to retaliate, but took one look at Yuqi's muscled body and probably thought better of it.
"Are you okay?" Yuqi asked, very aware of how Soyeon leaned almost all of her weight on her.
Soyeon let out a quiet cry, hugging Yuqi. She wasn't even going to ask what Yuqi was doing here, she didn't really care. This meant more to her than the other woman would ever know. All of her life, she's been bullied and treated harshly by people who thought that they were better than her.
No one's ever stood up for her. Heck, she hasn't ever even stood up for herself.
"Thank you."
