[Contest] Friends are not enough

broken friendship

I tried to get up in a hurry and chase after Jeon Jungkook, but my arm started to ache so much that I gave up and ended up lying back down on the bed.

Why did Jeon Jungkook have such hurt eyes?

I vaguely realized that it was a heavier feeling than guilt about my injured arm.

배주현

Heroine!

The door to the infirmary was suddenly flung open, and Joohyun rushed in toward where I was lying.

He seemed quite shocked by my injury. Judging by the tears welling up in his eyes.

배주현

Seriously... why are you getting hurt so badly?

나

I'm not sick at all. Don't worry, I'm fine.

배주현

I should have been there for you...

I silently patted Joohyun, who was hugging me. He was so shocked that he started to shiver and cry.

김태형

Hey. Bae Joo-hyun.

Kim Taehyung called out to Joohyun in a cold voice.

Only then did Joohyun realize that Kim Taehyung was next to me, and he let out a frightened “hic” sound and hugged me even tighter.

김태형

You really...

나

Stop it, Kim Taehyung.

He wiped away the tears of the very frightened Joohyun and told Kim Taehyung to stop.

It was the same in class earlier, and I don't know why Kim Taehyung hates Joohyun, but it was because he put comforting Joohyun, who was crying, first.

김태형

Hey, you... are done.

Kim Taehyung left the infirmary, shaking his head roughly in anger.

Thanks to Kim Taehyung slamming the door shut, Joohyun started sobbing again. I wiped the tears streaming down Joohyun's cheeks.

배주현

Oh, right... Yeoju. I'll pack your school bag and come back down. Let's go home together.

나

Can you do that?

배주현

If you're my friend, you should do it. I'll get it for you quickly!

Joohyun went to the classroom to bring my school bag with a bright face as if she had never cried before.

나

Oh, right. Cell phone...

As soon as Joohyun left for class, I remembered the phone I'd left behind. Thinking it would be too late to call Joohyun again, I dragged my aching arm out of the infirmary.

The hallway was so dark that I had to grope my way around using the light coming from the classrooms, as if I had just started studying.

As I slowly approached the classroom, I heard Joohyun's voice from inside. Strangely, I felt like I needed to hold my breath, so I watched her from behind the door.

Joohyun wasn't alone. Around her stood several kids known for their bad behavior at school.

At first, I thought Joohyun was being bullied and tried to go into the classroom to get her out, but after hearing Joohyun's continued words, I ended up dropping my hand from the doorknob.

배주현

I don't know why Jeon Jungkook keeps fighting with Kim Yeo-joo.

친구

That's why. Jeon Jungkook is such an idiot. He doesn't even know that Kim Yeoju is a real fox.

배주현

When I went to the infirmary, Kim Taehyung was sitting there. But isn't Kim Taehyung more innocent than I thought?

친구 2

Yeah. I got caught by him last time I was picking on Kim Yeo-ju. I was really scared then~

배주현

I don't think Kim Taehyung said anything because Kim Yeoju doesn't seem to be avoiding me. Kim Yeoju must be happy~ because there are two fish in the pond.

I wondered if this was the Joohyun I knew.

I hoped what I was hearing wasn't true. My aching arm seemed to be getting even more sore.

My hands were trembling, and I was about to take a step back with difficulty when someone came up behind me and covered my ears with warm hands, as if to tell me not to listen to such words.

The scent I felt from the person behind me told me it was Jeon Jungkook. A familiar, warm scent that was uniquely Jeon Jungkook.

전정국

Don't listen to that kind of stuff.

At that moment, it seemed as if I heard a loud crashing sound inside my mind.

...a long-standing friendship has been shattered. Is that broken friendship Jeon Jungkook or Bae Joohyun?