HAZARDOUS ✷ Lookism.

𝐈. death of a star

"oh." was his soft response as their eyes met. "a girl."

with a long, drawn out sigh, deok-ja looked away irritably. as she mentioned previously, she just wanted to go home.

"vasco, move out of the — " another boy, this time smaller and more intellectual looking stepped inside the classroom, and his jaw fell to the floor.

a girl! in their department!

"hi." he said stupidly. "i'm jace park. and you are?"

"done with this bullshit." she finished for him, giving them all a chilling glare.

"your name... girl." the taller tattooed guy tried again.

she studied him for a moment, eyes narrowed dangerously. "kil deok-ja."

"have more respect, that's our leader you're speaking to!" a short boy called, arms crossed. deok-ja raised an eyebrow at him, as though challenging him.

"you're all fucking disgusting." deok-ja snarled distastefully, flicking off a candy wrapper from a desk near the corner and sitting down.

"hey —!" some made to protest, but the big eared boy shut them up.

"she's not wrong, guys. you made us look bad." he muttered under his breath to the others.

"apologize!" the same short boy said angrily, slamming his foot down.

"what a child." deok-ja scoffed, hanging her backpack on the hook before standing back up.

"kil deok-ja!" the same guy from before called loudly, his eyes bright. "join burn knuckles!"

"vasco!"

"you're crazy!"

"but boss!" the boy replied incredulously. "she can't join!"

"why not?" 'vasco' asked genuinely.

"b-because!" he spluttered, eyes darting around for an excuse. "she needs to prove herself! she has to arm wrestle all of us and earn her place like everyone else did!"

"oh." vasco blinked. "you're right."

"and she won't want to do that —"

"shit, now you're talking." the scowl on her form grew to more of a crazed look. "bring it."

and at the sudden fire to her, the rest of burn knuckles felt themselves get pumped up for an inauguration.

deok-ja learned swiftly that there was a hierarchy in the group, and who was stronger than who. it was no surprise when the first person she would face was that annoying boy that was complaining about her.

he wasn't scrawny, but he wasn't strong either. his grip felt like nothing against her rough, calloused hands. in fact, they were almost smooth.

deok-ja didn't need much force to slam his hand down, despite the obvious (and ineffective) effort he was putting against her.

"cry about it," was her sneering response when he made to complain on his loss, looking between the others for support. "who's next?"

it was a strange thing to burn knuckles — the prospect of losing, much less to someone smaller than them. but they knew as soon as they made contact with deok-ja's calloused and scarred fingers that she was no ordinary person.

even in her stare, cold as ice, they dared not look her in the eye after their loss. not out of shame, but fear of her overwhelming presence.

only vasco, their leader, was able to look at the girl on equal footing. heavy hands met in the middle, two pairs of eyes contrast to the other connected.