once friends, now more

Chapter 9

Third person pov:

The tension in the principal's office was unbearable as voices rose, filling the room with anger and desperation.

"I want that girl expelled!" Jungeun's mother's voice was sharp, her tone leaving no room for compromise. "If not, I'm reporting this to the police!"

Jiyeon's mother paled, gripping Jiyeon's arm tightly. "Please," she pleaded, her voice shaking, "there must be some way we can settle this without involving the police. We're deeply sorry for Jiyeon's actions. She didn't mean for it to go this far..."

Jungeun's mother scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Sorry doesn't cut it! Your daughter humiliated mine in front of everyone. This was an awful invasion of privacy!"

The principal cleared his throat, his expression serious. "Given the severity of Jiyeon's actions, she will be expelled, effective immediately." Jiyeon's mother gasped, but before she could respond, the principal continued, "as for Jiyoon, although her actions were uncharacteristic, fighting is unacceptable. She will serve a three-month after-school cleaning duty."

Jiyoon's father gave a slight nod, relieved that his daughter would not face a harsher punishment, although he still cast a disappointed look in her direction.

Outside the office, Jungeun's mother turned to Jiyoon, her expression softening as she hesitated. "Thank you for protecting my daughter." she said at last, her voice gentler now. "She...she's lucky to have you looking out for her."

"Oh, no worries Mrs Choi." Jiyoon said, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside her. "I just did what anyone would have done in that situation. I couldn't just stand by and let Jiyeon hurt Jungeun like that."

She glanced over at Jiyeon, who sat with her head down, clearly embarrassed. "We've had our differences, but what Jiyeon did crossed a line. It's beyond anything I expected from her. No one should have to go through what Jungeun experienced."

Jiyoon turned back to Jungeun's mother, her heart racing as she continued, "I've known Jungeun for years, and seeing her go through something so awful... it really upset me. I want you to know that I'll always be here for her. No one deserves to be treated like this, and I'll make sure she feels supported through it all."

Jungeun's pov: 

I sat on my bed, the weight of the day crashing down on me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I replayed the events in my mind. Jiyoon's fierce punches, the humiliation of those photos, and the heated confrontation in the principal's office. It all felt surreal, like I was stuck in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

The door creaked open, and Sarang poked her head in, concern etched on her face. "Unnie, you okay?" she asked softly before stepping inside and sitting beside me on the bed.

I wiped my tears, trying to catch my breath. "I would be lying if I said yes." I admitted. "You won't believe what happened today."

I told Sarang everything: what Jiyeon had done, Jiyoon's bravery in standing up for me, and the chaotic scene in the principal's office. Sarang's expression shifted from worry to anger. "That's so messed up! I can't believe Jiyeon would do something like that. Pathetic loser..."

"Yea." I replied, feeling a mix of relief and sadness. "But Jiyoon really had my back. She confronted Jiyeon and protected me. I didn't expect her to fight for me like that."

Sarang's eyes softened. "At least you two made up. That's something good that came out of all this." I nodded, feeling grateful for Jiyoon. It felt nice to have her in my corner again.

As Sarang wrapped her arms around me, I couldn't help but wonder how everything had changed so quickly. In the midst of chaos, a flicker of hope ignited within me. As I sat there, enveloped in Sarang's comforting embrace, I realised that even though the day had been filled with pain and humiliation, it had also brought unexpected strength. With Jiyoon by my side, I felt like I could face whatever came next. For the first time in a long while, I dared to hope that brighter days were ahead.