out toward the city; her silence seemed to indicate the topic upset her. But then she spoke. “I never met my father. My mother said he left before I was born. So I guess I never had an image of him. I don’t even know who I’d be mad at. Like trying to throw darts without a target.”
Jihoon frowned. It was strange to imagine. Would it have been easier if he’d never met his parents before they abandoned him? If he could, would he want to give up the few memories they’d left him with?
Miyoung walked to the ledge, her toes peeking precariously over.
“Careful,” Jihoon said.
She shot him a dismissive look. “I don’t need a boy to keep me safe.”
“I don’t think you’re going to fall because you’re a girl,” Jihoon said, equal parts chastised and defensive. “I think you could fall because as far as I know, gumiho can’t fly.”
“It’s hard for me to take you seriously when you make a joke out of everything.”
“Looking at life with humor doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriously. You need to be able to laugh at things, even the sad scary stuff sometimes.”
“I don’t get you.”
“You say that like it’s a problem for you.” Jihoon joined her at the edge, staring out toward the lights that marked the city.
“It’s not,” she said, so forcefully he thought she was mad at him. “Or it wouldn’t be if you left me alone.”
“Does it really bother you that much? That I want to be friends?”
“I don’t need friends. I belong alone.”
“I don’t believe you. No one belongs alone.”
“Since I’m not really human, I don’t care about human concerns. Like being wanted or having friends.”
“For a non-human you have very human reactions. You must be a good liar.”
She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Lying is how I survive.”
“Well, good thing we’re up here all alone. So no one can hear if you accidentally tell the truth.” His words were light, but even as he spoke he realized how much he wanted to know the real Miyoung. She had so many secrets. Jihoon wondered if that was all that held her together.
“I’ll go first,” he said. “I don’t think you’re pretty.”
A frown planted itself firmly on Miyoung’s face. “I thought you were going to tell the truth.”
“I am. Your face is beautiful, but you’re empty. You never let anyone see past the surface, because you think that’s all they want to see. You’re fake and that’s not pretty.”
“If people saw what I really am, they’d hate me.”
“That’s not true. I saw you.” And you were beautiful, he wanted to add, but didn’t. He had a feeling physical compliments didn’t go far with Miyoung.
“Not all of me,” she whispered.
“I see more than you think,” Jihoon insisted. “Do you realize you recoil from people in the hallway? It makes the other kids think you’re disgusted by them, so they react to that, not to you as a person or gumiho or whatever. How could they when that’s all you let them see?”
Miyoung opened her mouth, as if ready to rain a storm of fury on him. Instead, she turned away.
Jihoon wondered if he’d gone too far. Usually, he didn’t worry about saying the exact thing on his mind. This time, he felt regret when he saw the hurt flash underneath Miyoung’s anger.
“I think there’s more to you,” Jihoon tried to clarify. “I heard you helped Changwan this afternoon.”
“Because I hate bullies.”
“See? You’re a better person than you give yourself credit for.”
Miyoung rolled her eyes. “Stopping bad people doesn’t make me a good one.”
Jihoon wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her. “Then why did you save my life?”
Miyoung let out a bitter laugh. “Do you know what I was doing before I saved you? I was sucking out a man’s gi.”
Jihoon winced, but held his ground. He couldn’t be wrong about her. He knew she wasn’t evil and he refused to treat her like a monster. “Sucking out his gi? Like a vampire?”
Miyoung let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s like siphoning energy. It’s slow but it’s like falling asleep.”
“I knew it,” Jihoon said.
“Knew what?” Miyoung frowned.
“It’s because you care,” Jihoon said. “You would never rip a man apart like that body the police found.”
Miyoung was quiet a moment and Jihoon thought perhaps he’d lost her, but she finally replied. “No, that was my mother. I can’t do that.”
“Was he a bad man?” Jihoon asked. “The one whose gi you took?”