Diamond in the Rough (Seventeen and Bangtan Fanfic)

39: Her Other Knight

Rika's POV

Suddenly a jacket was thrown over the front of my shirt as someone turned me around, faced me away from the whole scene, from the stares, the humiliation, the whispers, and turned me to face a chest, where I could hide my face. I was so stunned, so afraid, that I just let myself be turned.

"Are you all blind or what?!" the voice spoke angrily as I let the tears drip into his shirt. 

Humiliated. That was all I would ever be no matter how strong I was, how hard I tried. 

The crowd whispers faded to a silence that only prickled at my insecurities. 

"Just because one person is on the floor, you all start blaming the other one without bothering to see the whole story with your own eyes?" his fierce voice continued. I was almost too much in my own world, struggling against my own thoughts battering myself down to notice that it was Jungkook. Despite all the teasing, he was the one here for me. And all of Bangtan was behind him, behind me. 

"Can't you see her shirt is soaked with burning coffee and that she's hurt too? Did you all see with your own eyes what happened before you started whispering hurtful things about one girl?"

The crowd shuffles uncomfortably, and I bury my face further in his shirt. 

"I think Rika-ssi was trying to help Hyorin-ssi when she stumbled," a female voice suddenly spoke clearly and confidently. I look up gratefully to the source of the voice, to see a beautiful, tall girl with black hair already in her performance outfit that looked very cow boyish, light makeup, except for the thick eyelashes that made her look confident, happy. She smiles gently at me and gives me an assuring nod, as though telling me she believed in me. I give a weak smile back, the tears suddenly ceasing with her interference. 

Jungkook looked over grinning too, then nodded back to the rest. "So don't jump to conclusions like that. Act with more dignity." 

The crowd was already slowly dissipating, feeling ashamed by Jungkook's strong words. 

"Rika, Jeon Jungkook, Bangtan," an authoritative voice spoke up, La Hee noona, "Sajangnim wants to see you all." She purses her lips and gives us a begrudging look at the commotion, although it was no fault of ours. 

I felt myself being led away by Jungkook, his arms still protectively around my shoulders over the jacket that covered my stained performance outfit. I have the urge to turn my head back, just to have one glance at Seventeen. 

I wanted to see their faces, even if all they held was guilt or disgust, but then Jungkook's hand directed my head away, stopping me from turning back, and we continued walking away as I felt a number of eyes staring into my back. 

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Jungkook's POV

The girl on the floor was screaming and shouting at Rika, and that silly girl just stood there stunned, not saying a word to defend herself. 

Did she not know how to protect herself? 

And Rika's shirt was soaked, and you could almost see through it. It was obvious that Hyorin girl had did in on purpose. I had heard enough of Rika's story to know, and being one of the only few Rika had shown this side of her story to, I had a responsibility to protect her, because she had trusted to show her past to me.