Flutters winged through Jihoon’s stomach, like dragonflies taking flight.
“Miyoung?” He whispered her name, like he was afraid of hoping.
“She’s worried about you.”
Jihoon’s eyes hurt like he’d held them open too long on a cold day. Then he realized he hadn’t been blinking.
“She’d kill me for telling you that,” Junu said. “She asked me to make sure you weren’t living in squalor. Didn’t think you’d be back so soon, but I’m not one to hide.”
“Where has she been?”
“Around.” Junu flicked his wrist, like that was explanation enough.
Jihoon decided he hated this boy.
“Well,” Junu said, standing. “It’s getting late. I am starving. Do you think there are still kids at the playground?”
Jihoon’s eyes widened in horror, and Junu broke into raucous laughter.
“Oh, the look on your face.” He slapped his knee. “Dokkaebi don’t eat people. I have a delicate stomach. I must treat my body like a temple.”
Jihoon stared at him, speechless.
“I should get going. I wasn’t joking about being hungry. Should I get jjajangmyeon or jjamppong?” he wondered aloud as he sauntered to the door.
“Tell her to come herself,” Jihoon blurted out.
“Huh?” Junu gave him a curious look.
“If she’s so worried about me, then she should come check on me herself.” Jihoon gripped the sides of his pants so he wouldn’t fidget with the nerves that raced through him.
Junu took a moment to consider the request, then nodded before departing. The door swung shut, fluttering the bujeoks by the door. They’d done nothing to keep the dokkaebi from the apartment, but Jihoon had no time to ponder that as he sank onto the couch. He was starting to get a headache.
46
SHE’D BEEN BACK for weeks and had gained no traction in trying to find a solution to wake up Jihoon’s halmeoni. At first she thought she could offer some of her own gi. But she quickly found out she was too weak, and after trying to force the connection she’d barely made it to the sink to vomit. That had been the end of those attempts.
But she had a bigger problem now. It was hard to admit, but Miyoung knew she needed to talk to Jihoon. She’d been putting it off, hoping she could slip in, help his halmeoni, and slip back out again. But she knew she needed access to Halmeoni’s hospital room and she couldn’t keep sneaking in. Jihoon was always there until visiting hours ended. So she’d taken to sneaking in, waiting him out, and then slipping into Halmeoni’s room. Except today a nurse had found her and asked her too many questions. She’d covered by saying she’d lost track of time, but the hawk-eyed nurses had definitely memorized her face by now.
She didn’t want the nurse telling Jihoon before she could explain why she’d returned.
That was how Miyoung found herself in her old neighborhood, pacing in front of Jihoon’s apartment.
She walked past the small squat building for what must have been the dozenth time that night. The windows were lit in the apartment above the closed restaurant. When she’d first seen the handwritten sign stating CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, she wanted to rip it down.
“You’re that yeowu girl.” The voice was old and cracked and stopped Miyoung in her tracks. She turned toward the old halmeoni who sat peeling chestnuts outside a medicinal wine store.
“Excuse me?”
“That girl our Jihoonie brought home once. You have secrets, dark ones.”
“What?” Miyoung tried to act confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The old woman cackled as she peeled another chestnut. This time she held it out and Miyoung took it with two hands.
“Don’t try to hide things from someone as old as me. I’ve seen far too much to be fooled.” Her words echoed something Jihoon’s halmeoni once told her. “Don’t worry, I don’t need to know your secrets. I have enough of my own, collected over a lifetime. Though I think yours will come out soon enough. If Jihoonie is the one you want to tell, then you should just bite the bullet. He’s a good, kind boy.”
“Is Jihoon okay?” Miyoung asked. “I mean, without his halmeoni? How is he?”
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” The old woman gestured down the road and Miyoung saw Jihoon making his way down the street. Just as she was about to take off after him, she noticed another figure. One all too familiar.
“Ya!” she shouted before she could stop herself. A rash move as the girl’s head jerked around, she saw Miyoung, and then she took off down a side