Jungkook took some distance, waiting for his friend to come around, until a few days later Taehyung sat beside him in class again.
Dowoon was giving his all to frame him and put the class against him. But Taehyung was unbothered. He kept talking to everyone like he always did, not caring about what other kids said or thought about him. Jungkook could never do that. The idea of being the subject of jokes was too much.
"What did your mom buy you with the money, uh? Did you get that ugly necklace you were wearing?" Dowoon asked Taehyung a week later while gathering his things after the teacher had left. Taehyung ignored him. The necklace Dowoon mentioned was missing from his neck today. "My dad said she has four jobs to take care of you."
Jungkook saw Taehyung clenching his jaw, knowing how hard he was trying to avoid doing something he could regret later.
"You're mean," Hyejin said out of nowhere, passing by Dowoon and punching him in the chest.
Taehyung smiled and walked out of the room with her. Jungkook looked at their arms brushing together, feeling something heavy in the back of his throat. Once again, he wished he could be the one defending his best friend. Making him smile like that.
Hyejin stayed by Taehyung's side for the rest of the day, like she had been doing for the past week. Jungkook couldn't understand what was bothering him so much about it. He should be happy that Taehyung has made a new friend—even if it was a girl.
They used to look at girls in school together from afar, not messing with them. They used to leave after the last period and go home together, too. But it seemed as if Taehyung was avoiding him now.
Something tangled deep down Jungkook's throat at the thought. And it stayed there until the end of the school day when he met Jaebeom outside, the boy's uniform already full of doodles in black marker and dirty with dust. No Taehyung or Hyejin nearby.
"My dad's gonna kill me," Jaebeom said, with a smile on his face, somehow amused by the idea of being scolded. "I will tell him Yugyeom did it."
"Where is he?" Jungkook adjusted his backpack on his right shoulder.
"Dunno. He said he had to go home. Why? You miss him?" Jaebeom nudged Jungkook in the arm, but it was the stiff smile edging his lips that showed he might not be joking.
"No." Jungkook looked to the side.
Boys and girls were leaving the school lot, and among them was Dowoon, who was walking alone. Jungkook's face must have turned into a weird frown, because Jaebeom turned his head fast, following his gaze.
"Is that the one who started the rumor?"
Jungkook nodded, not taking his eyes off the boy. "His name's Dowoon. He's been making Taehyung's life hell."
Jaebeom remained quiet for a moment, eyes stuck on Jungkook's classmate walking down the street. He chewed on his bottom lip before turning to Jungkook. "What about the girl?"
"Hyejin?" Jungkook frowned. "She told Dowoon that Taehyung was in the classroom where the money was."
"So she was the one who put him in this."
The words grabbed Jungkook's attention, his eyes glued to Jaebeom, who had one eyebrow raised and hair long enough to touch his eyelashes. Jungkook kept his hair short, just how his mom used to like it.
"You wanna fight him?" Jaebeom asked after a beat of silence.
Jungkook felt his eyes getting wider and his ears burning. "What? No. He's too big and I'm still short."
Jaebeom made a face. "And?" he asked, voice cracking, which made him smile and turn his cheeks a shade of pink. "My dad has been teaching me how to fight. He says it's better to have a few beers on you, but it works anyway."
Feeling his lungs shrink, Jungkook thought about Jaebeom's father, who he's only met twice. A man with a big house and sparkling cars—more than what Jungkook could count in his father's garage. He always smelled like alcohol and expensive suits, as if he belonged to those gangster movies Jungkook still could not watch but did anyway in Yugyeom's room.
"I don't know," Jungkook said. He looked at Dowoon, getting smaller and smaller with every step he took. Suddenly the boy didn't seem intimidating from afar, surrounded by big houses and lampposts. He looked innocent. "I've never punched someone before."
"Neither have I! But I'm as tall as him. We can take him. He enjoys bothering Taehyung, and Taehyung is your friend. This is what you do when you care about your friends. I would do it for you, too."
Jungkook glanced at him. "You would?"
"Hell yeah!"
A smile spread on Jungkook's face. Jaebeom was right, Jungkook should do something for his best friend after what Dowoon has said and done.
He really wanted to.
"Okay, but no one has to know."
"You think Taehyung will get angry at you?"
"Maybe."
"JK." Jaebeom rolled his eyes, an exaggerated smirk showing on his face. "He will like it. Trust me." He grabbed Jungkook by the hand, gripping tight, and strolled with him down the street.
