SWEET CREATURE | vk

e i g h t e e n

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On a bright (barely), beautiful (debatable), cold Tuesday morning, Kim Taehyung found himself sat in the rigid chair opposite the principal. Jungkook, with cheeks red and nose bloodied, sat next to him, blinking his eyes incessantly. Taehyung clicked his tongue.

He didn't mean to get in trouble. He didn't ask to get sent to the principal's office, didn't want to be in the principal's office, and most importantly, didn't want to see Jungkook so frightened. He did not want to see Jungkook a little bruised, very embarrassed, and undeniably frightened, sinking into his chair as if it were an extension of his skin.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Kim?" The principal drawled, leaning back in his seat. Taehyung sighed.

"Why am I here? I don't understand why my- my friend and I are in your office, while those other guys are not."

Jungkook stiffened a little, covering his lip with the back of his palm. Taehyung noticed and tapped the boy's arm, and slowly, Jungkook lowered his hand, revealing a battered lip and quivering Cupid's bow. Taehyung's breath hitched.

"You punched a fellow classmate, that's why you're here," the principal said, smacking his lips together. Taehyung fidgeted in his seat, pressing a melting ice pack against the side of his neck.

"He punched me first. And before that, he punched my friend, who was doing nothing wrong-"

"Show some respect," the man snapped, rubbing his temple. Taehyung huffed, swallowing Jungkook's shaking hand up with the palm of his own. He rubbed his thumb along Jungkook's knuckles and felt Jungkook do the same to his, but the boy's fingers froze as he recognized the red marks along Taehyung's fist. He had punched someone, and Jungkook didn't like that at all. Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut.

"Can Jungkook go to the nurse's office? He's hurt-"

"I'm fine," Jungkook interjected, allowing his hand to be calmed by Taehyung's careful fingers. "C- can I just go to class?"

"You heard him. Let Jungkook go to class-"

"Neither of you are going to class," the principal (it took Taehyung about fifteen minutes to remember his name, Mr. Lin) spat, voice growing deeper. "I don't tolerate any type of violence on my campus-"

"They were punching him! What the hell kind of discipline-"

"Watch it, Taehyung," Mr. Lin warned. "I've met your mother, hm? I don't think she'll be too happy getting a call from the principal, knowing that her son's been in a fistfight."

Taehyung gulped, shifting around in his seat. Jungkook took in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry for- for causing a disturbance-"

"You didn't," Taehyung assured, voice quiet. He turned his head to Mr. Lin. "Let him go to the bathroom or something, he needs to clean his face-"

"Neither of you are going anywhere until you explain what happened," Mr. Lin announced. Jungkook sank deeper into his seat, doe eyes big and unfocused, glued to the birds outside the window. Taehyung squeezed Jungkook's hand, lacing his fingers between the younger's slender ones.

"I was walking to where we eat lunch," Taehyung started, glancing at Jungkook every so often. "And Jungkook wasn't there. It worried me because he always gets there first."