Milkshake Boy | pjm

twenty-five

Mrs. Kim leans over her desk, her hands holding her up as she stands on the other side. She sighs loudly before rubbing her temples. "Please, someone, tell me what happened."

Jimin and Hyesun look at each other for a moment before turning back to the principal.

"Hyesun was talking about Taishi in a sexual way," Jimin says quietly. My heart sinks in my chest. "I got annoyed so I threw a punch."

"And how did Taishi get involved?" Mrs. Kim asks, her eyebrows raising with curiosity.

"I heard a commotion outside, so I went to see what happened," I say as I look at the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. "I saw Jimin getting hit by Hyesun, so I went to help him."

I leave out the part where Hyesun tells me that Jimin said I wouldn't get involved and the part where he tells me to punch him. I say the basic part of the incident and I fall silent, waiting for Mrs. Kim to hand us our punishments.

"Jimin," she says as she straightens her posture. "You're suspended for the rest of the week, you may come back on Monday."

Jimin sighs. I can't tell if it's a sigh of relief or a sigh of accomplishment.

"Hyesun," Mrs. Kim says as she turns to face him. "You'll have a two-week suspension for fighting and the sexual things you were saying about Taishi."

Hyesun nods.

"Now, please don't fight, I have to call your parents," Mrs. Kim walks around her desk and leaves the room, heading to the front desk to call Jimin and Hyesun's parents.

I turn to face Jimin with an angered look, but he is anything but upset. He's happy and content with what he's done.

Jimin turns away from me and raises his hand, allowing Hyesun to high five him, the both of them smiling.

"What the fuck is going on?" I ask as I furrow my brows, my arms crossing over my chest. I turn to Hyesun before speaking again. "Why did you make me punch you? And why did you say I wasn't supposed to get involved?"

Jimin and Hyesun share glances before Jimin steps forward and holds my hands.

"Hyesun didn't say anything sexual about you," Jimin says. "This whole thing was planned."

"What do you mean it was planned?" I ask as I look into his eyes.

Jimin licks his lips. "You were suspended, and I wasn't going to let you be suspended alone," he smiles a little. "I sure as hell wasn't going to make you spend time alone with my family for a week."

"Jimin," I squeeze his hand a little. "This doesn't answer my question of why it happened."

"Jimin texted me earlier," Hyesun says as he walks toward us. "He said that he had an idea that would get us both suspended. He texted me knowing I wanted to be suspended, and he told me his plan was to throw a fight in the hall where everyone could see."

"And why did you grab my shirt like you were going to kill me?" I raise my eyebrow and pull my hands away from Jimin, crossing my arms over my chest.

"He told me that you wouldn't get involved," he explains. "But when you pushed through the crowd and pulled me off of Jimin, I had to make it look like I was a really bad guy," he takes a breath. "I grabbed you by your shirt and spoke to you in what seemed like an aggressive manner, so when you punched me it made it look like you were protecting yourself."

I look at him with shock before shaking my head. "So you did this," I turn to Jimin. "Because you didn't want me to be suspended on my own," I then turn to Hyesun. "And you did this because you wanted to be suspended."

They both nod.

"That's oddly strange, yet sweet," I say with a slight smile. "I'm almost completely flattered."

"Alright, kids," Mrs. Kim says loudly as she whips open the door to her office, causing all of us to jump. "Jimin, your mom told you to drive home with Taishi. Hyesun, your mom wants you to find a ride home because she can't leave work."

"I can drive you home," Jimin says, making it sound like he doesn't want to. "Only if Taishi is okay with it."

"I get the front seat," I say as I grab my bag and push past the principal who is standing in the doorway.

This is, by far, the weirdest day of my life.