Seungmin had been your best friend since diapers—your moms were close, so it was kind of inevitable. He was always the short-tempered one, snapping at people over the smallest things. But somehow, you were the only person who could ever get him to breathe before blowing up.

Right now, though, you were both stuck in detention. Seungmin had thrown a punch at a guy who was spreading rumors about you, and despite not throwing a single hit yourself, the principal claimed you were “encouraging the violence.” Typical.

The silence in the classroom was thick, except for the ticking clock and the scratch of a pencil from someone two seats down. Seungmin leaned toward you, his brows pulled together, a mix of confusion and frustration in his eyes. “Why are you mad at me?” he asked, voice low. “That jerk got what he deserved.”