The sharp slap across her cheek jolted Hana awake. Her eyes fluttered open, taking in the group surrounding her—Dara, Haram, Eunchae, and Soojin, along with Junwoo and Jaewoo.
"Wakey, wakey," Eunchae sneered, perched casually on a stool.
"Ya, Dara, isn't that your Chanel top?" Haram laughed, gesturing toward Hana.
Dara's smile turned venomous. "Yeah, that's mine. What a little thief," she said coldly.
Eunchae twirled a baseball bat in her hands, her terrifying grin sending a chill down Hana's spine.
Panic set in as Hana glanced around. She was still in the club, but this room felt darker, more menacing. Her memory was hazy.
What happened?
How did she get here?
And where was Yuna?
"Where's Yuna?" Hana asked weakly.
Dara's smile faltered for a split second before she burst into laughter. "Did she just ask about Yuna? Like they're friends or something?"
Haram grabbed a bottle of champagne, shaking it until the cork popped. It flew directly into Hana's cheek, grazing her skin before the contents splashed over her face, stinging the fresh wound.
Hana screamed, her voice raw, but Haram only laughed. "The audacity," Eunchae growled, flicking her cigarette to the ground and crushing it beneath her Louis Vuitton heel.
"Who does she think she is?" Haram sneered, watching as the champagne dissolved some of Hana's makeup, revealing her bare skin beneath.
"There it is—that ugly face," Eunchae cackled, her voice dripping with cruelty.
"Bet she felt real pretty after stealing my makeup," Dara added, laughing hysterically.
"What should we do with her?" Eunchae asked, turning to Junwoo, who leaned against the wall, looking bored and disinterested.
"We could play with her," Jaewoo suggested, his tone laced with something unsettling.
Dara shot him a sharp glare. "Keep your pants zipped, you perv."
Jaewoo smirked. "You asked, Dara."
Haram clapped her hands suddenly, a wicked idea sparking in her eyes. "I've got it. Since she wants to be pretty so badly, let's give her a makeover."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a lipstick. Without hesitation, she smeared it across Hana's face in uneven streaks, circling her mouth.
"There! Isn't she so pretty?" Haram mocked, then slapped Hana hard across the cheek.
"Oh no, my hand slipped," Haram said with mock concern. "Guess I ruined it. Let me fix it."
Eunchae tossed her mascara over, laughing. "Yeah, don't forget her lashes."
Haram applied a thick coat to Hana's lashes, then slapped her again, this time directly over her eye.
Hana cried out in pain, a shrill, horrified sound that echoed in the room.
"Yah, don't blind her!" Soojin yelled, though her smirk betrayed her amusement.
They all laughed. Dara stepped forward, her smile icy and venomous. "Mother said you have better hair than me..." She reached into her purse and pulled out a razor.
Hana's heart sank. Tears welled in her eyes as Dara grabbed a fistful of her long hair.
"Let me give you a proper makeover. Hope you don't mind," Dara said, her tone mockingly polite.
Hana's tears spilled over as Dara began hacking at her hair, letting the locks fall to the floor.
"Stop!" Hana cried, but Dara silenced her with a dark warning. "Hush, or I'll give your face a few more marks to match."
Hana sobbed helplessly as Dara continued, her laughter echoing through the room.
"That's it," Dara hissed, throwing the razor aside. "Cry, you pathetic little bitch."
The others joined in her laughter, their voices cold and merciless, as Hana sat there, stripped of her dignity and strength.