Page 125 of Vicious Spirits

“See?” he said. “No one cares what we do. We’re just normal students.”

Miyoung frowned. That was also going to take some getting used to. But it seemed like being with Jihoon made her “normal” now. And she smiled at the thought. It was going to be nice being a regular teenager who didn’t carry around the weight of deadly secrets.

There was a sudden bustle of activity in the hallway. Miyoung checked the time. Free study period wasn’t over yet. But kids were shuffling around, hurriedly gathering into small groups to whisper. Anxiety spread through her. This was a familiar scene. Kids gossiping about someone, usually her. Butthey weren’t looking into the classroom. They were all staring down the hall.

Then she saw him. Junu walked past the windows between the classroom and the hallway. Girls giggled as he passed them. But unlike his usually flirty self, Junu didn’t seem to notice.

Every eye was on him as he moved assuredly through the hallway. His eyes glanced toward their classroom, scanning the seats. He nodded in greeting when he saw Miyoung and Jihoon. She lifted a hand in a small wave.

“You know him?” a girl asked, leaning over her desk toward Miyoung.

This girl had once been one of Miyoung’s tormentors, and now she watched Miyoung with unaffected interest, waiting for a reply.

“Um, yeah, he’s kind of like my cousin?” Miyoung looked at Jihoon, who gave her an encouraging nod. “We live together.”

“Daebak,” the girl said. “Does he have a girlfriend?”

Miyoung pursed her lips at that. “I think that’s what he’s here to find out.”

The girl frowned in confusion, so Miyoung took pity on her. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he has a girlfriend.”

With a sigh, the girl turned back to her desk, muttering about how the cute ones were always taken.

“What do you think he’s really doing here?” Jihoon asked Miyoung quietly.

“I think he’s looking for Somin,” Miyoung said, opening her workbook again.

“I hope she gives him hell.”

Miyoung smiled to herself. Is this what it felt like to be content? To know that everyone you cared about could be happy?To have people to care about? If it was, then Miyoung thought everything they’d gone through might have been worth it. If she was allowed to have this life now. And maybe she didn’t need to just survive anymore. Maybe now she could give herself permission to really live.

“I’m sure she’ll give him exactly what he deserves.”

71

SOMIN STARED ATher math workbook, and nothing made sense. She was usually so good at math. In fact, she was planning to enter the upcoming math contest to increase the specs on her college applications after her talk with her mother. But try as she might, she couldn’t get herself to study the material.

This study room was usually empty because it was next to the bathroom that was constantly flooding because of bad plumbing. When it was really bad, water would start to seep into this study room as well. So most students avoided it because they were squeamish. But Somin had been desperate for some quiet. Even that hadn’t helped.

She closed the workbook and dropped her head on top of it with a thud.

“Ow.” She let out an unhappy moan, muffled by her workbook.

“Is this normal human behavior?”

Somin jerked upright and frowned at Hyuk.

“Why are you here? To play more games with our lives?”

“A jeoseung saja doesn’t play. And we’re not supposed to do anything that affects outcomes in the mortal realm.”

“Not supposed to,” Somin said. “But you did.”

“There were extenuating circumstances. We had to do what we could to close the tear between worlds.”

“But you did more than help us close the tear. You wanted me to save Junu.”

“I merely told you where Junu was going. I never told you how to stop him or even if you could.”

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