My Chemistry Tutor

CHAPTER 29

LISA'S POV

There, standing before us, is Kai with a menacing expression. My immediate reaction is to step slightly in front of Jennie and Jisoo, shielding them instinctively.

"I got suspended thanks to you faggots!" Kai whines, his voice echoing in the hallway.

"No, that was entirely your fault," I reply, already annoyed by his pathetic attempt to blame us.

"God, won't you ever shut up?" Kai mutters, shaking his head in frustration.

"Not when there are idiots like you running their mouths," I snap through gritted teeth, my patience wearing thin.

He is testing me today, and I'm two seconds away from snapping completely.

"Maybe it's best if we all go our separate ways and not bother each other," Jennie speaks up, her voice calm but firm.

"I agree. That sounds like a great plan, right guys?" Jisoo adds quickly, clearly trying to diffuse the situation.

"I think not. You guys got me in trouble, so if you think I'll just leave you three runts alone, you're very wrong," Kai sneers, stepping closer.

"Look, tensions are high right now. We can talk about this later," Jennie says gently, tugging at my arm to pull me back.

"No! How about we talk about it now?" Kai explodes. "Let's talk about the fact that you little shits are shitty and constantly ruin everyone's day!"

"Stop blaming your shitty life on us, Kai!" I yell back, my voice sharp like a whip. "If your day gets ruined just by looking at us, then I guess it's karma getting you back!"

"You bitch!" Kai roars, his face red with fury. He suddenly lunges forward, raising his hands aggressively.

Before I can even react, Jisoo shoves me out of the way and takes the hit. Kai pushes her hard, sending her crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

She groans in pain, clutching her side as Jennie drops to her knees beside her.

"KAI! WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING?!" Mrs. Jeon's furious voice cuts through the chaos as she comes running down the hall, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

"O-Oh, Mrs. Jeon... hi! I didn't see you there," Kai stammers, suddenly panicking.

"Don't 'hi' me, you insufferable delinquent! Get your ass to the principal's office, now!" she shouts, her face red with rage.

"B-but I can explain! They were provoking—" Kai tries to defend himself, but Mrs. Jeon cuts him off coldly.

"I have had enough of you, Kai. Enough. I will personally make sure you get expelled from this school. NOW GO TO THE OFFICE!"

Kai gulps, fear flashing across his face, before he bolts down the hallway toward the principal's office.

Mrs. Jeon turns back to us, her expression softening. She crouches down and helps Jennie lift Jisoo back to her feet.

"Kai won't be bothering you three anymore, I promise," Mrs. Jeon says firmly, determination in her voice.

"Is it okay if I leave you girls for a moment? I need to go talk to the principal," she adds.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Maybe my butt's bruised, but I'm good," Jisoo mutters, rubbing her backside with a small wince.

Mrs. Jeon hurries down the hall, leaving the three of us together. I turn to Jisoo, my chest heavy with emotion.

"Why did you do that? Why did you push me out of the way?" I ask, still shaken.

Jisoo smiles faintly despite her pain. "Because Jennie loves you. And since Jennie is like my sister... like hell I'm going to let anyone hurt you guys."

Her words hit me so hard my chest aches. I've never felt this kind of compassion before. Tears suddenly blur my vision, streaming down my face before I can stop them.

"Woah, you're crying! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry!" Jisoo panics, her eyes wide. "Oh god, Jennie, what do I do?! How the fuck did I make a badass cry?"

Jennie giggles softly and pulls me into her arms. "We just hug her and let her know we care," she says gently, wrapping me in a tight embrace.

"Okay, I'm down for a group hug," Jisoo teases, joining in and wrapping her arms around us both.

The warmth of their embrace calms me, and for the first time, I feel completely safe.

The rest of the day passes quickly, and soon the final bell rings.

Jisoo waves goodbye, promising to go home and ice her bruised butt, while Jennie and I head to the parking lot. We climb into my car, both of us sighing in unison.

"What a hectic day," Jennie murmurs, rubbing her temples.

"Yeah... we need to figure out how to make it better," I reply, starting the engine.

Jennie thinks for a moment, then smiles. "Want to go to the movies?"

"Nah," I grin mischievously. "How about the mall? We could look around and try on sexy clothes?" I tease, shooting her a wink.

Jennie rolls her eyes, though a faint blush creeps up her cheeks. "Are you ever not horny?"

"When it comes to you? Nope," I laugh, my voice playful.

"The mall has a bookstore and frozen yogurt," I add quickly, knowing exactly how to bribe her. I glance at her with a grin.

Jennie's eyes sparkle. "Gosh, you know me so well," she replies.

"Of course, I do, love," I say softly, taking one hand off the steering wheel to intertwine my fingers with hers.

Jennie smiles, her thumb gently brushing over my knuckles. "I can't wait for this day to get better," she whispers as she turns up the volume on the radio.

And just like that, despite everything, the day already feels lighter.