"Yah, Yah, Yah! Make way!" Hansol yelled through the hallway, an arm wrapped around Jungkook proudly.

They arrived at the boy's locker, where the usual cluster of people waited around for him, chatting amongst each other and sharing homework.

"Guys! Take a look at this:" Hansol said again, pointing directly at the small cut on Jungkook's cheek and his overall bruised face. "Jungkook was in a street fight!"

There was a collective awe as respect spread through their eyes. Some people passing by turned their eyes from his loud voice, Jungkook cought someone rolling their eyes

"Really?!" Some asked.

"Against how many people? Where they good?"

"Why?"

"How did you win?"

Questions were fired at him from all directions and Jungkook slowly felt like his head was getting heavier and heavier.

His friends seemed impressed, but they had no idea what had actually happened, and anyone else in the hallway either looked uninterested or intimidated.

He felt terrible. Mostly because he was still in shock from literally getting beat up by five adults, sent by his own father, for money.

To make it worse, the only person who had worried about his well being was a nerd he'd been nothing but rude to.

But he couldn't let them know that.

"There were like... five I guess." He said, trying his best to hide his shaky hands from his friends.

They were so scary. All ganging up against me, pushing me to the ground and kicking me, looking down at me from up there. Felt like being an ant surrounded by a bunch of sadistic kids stomping around.

A round of impressed remarks followed his statement, a few people tapping his shoulder to congratulate him. But it hurt his wounds, and the scrape he had gotten from falling down.

"Were they good fighters?" Someone asked.

"Yeah." Not really, they were just too many and I panicked.

"Yaaaah." Hansol scoffed. "Our team captain really is the best huh?"

Jungkook wanted so badly to walk away. He smiled instead, receiving the handshakes everyone was throwing his way.

As Hansol kept boasting about his fictional accomplishments, Jungkook suddenly felt the urge to throw up.

He had just spotted Jimin, looking right at him. His hand was on one of the books in his locker, but his eyes were on him. He looked worried.

"Yah. What are you looking at Jimshit?" Leemin snarled, making the whole group turn towards the boy.

Jimin simply shrugged, averting his gaze and taking the last supplies he needed and closing his locker door. Before he could walk away through, Hansol had wrapped his hand around the strap of his backpack and was pulling him backwards, towards them.

Jungkook wanted nothing more but to sink down in the floor as his saviour stumbled in the center of their little group

"Jimshit, you know Jungkook was in a street fight last night." Hansol says.

Jimin doesn't move, the shaking in Jungkook's hands intensifies.

"He could win a street fight." He says, shoving Jimin harshly. "But you can't handle a bunch of high school kids."

That's not true. Jungkook thought, looking desperately as the people around started to shove Jimin from one end of the circle to the other, laughs erupting throughout.

Flashes of Jimin helping him the other day kept replaying in his mind, juxtaposing with the familiar sight of Jimin getting picked on at school.

Why isn't he defending himself?

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Jimin's almost limp body crashed into his.

He was kick to wrap his hands around his shoulders and prevent the both of them from falling onto the ground, completely surprised by the feeling of Jimin so close to him.

He was so close he could smell the mango shampoo wafting from his hair.

Time froze. What do I do? People were waiting for his next move, expecting him to throw him back into the circle.

"Yah." He says, barely containing the shake in his voice. "Don't pull me into these stupid games."

And with that, he pushes Jimin away from him gently and turns around to walk away, hoping that no one would follow after him or ask him anything regarding Jimin.

Thankfully, no one did, but his shoulders jolted when he heard the sound of Jimin's body crashing against the lockers, the group that had been around him bullying him loudly.

He wanted to turn around so badly, but didn't.

He should be okay... right? Yeah he'll be okay. Jungkook tried to assure himself. He handled five grown men, a bunch of teens should be no problem to him.

A/N:
i finally have WiFi back after 3 weeks!
I could finally experience net culture again (ATEEZ comeback amiright??)