her that she was still Lee Somin, the ace of this school, and not someone to be played around with.
“You know, I would have appreciated if you’d have returned one of my texts or calls. The polite thing to do when you want to end things with someone is to tell them directly.” The words spilled out of her like hot air, and she suddenly felt deflated. Her lips trembled, and angry tears started to fill her eyes.
She turned back to her workbook, ducking her head so he couldn’t see them. She hoped with all her might that he’d just leave now. She was mortified. Crying over a boy.
“Somin-ah,” Junu said. But she held up a hand to hold him at bay. If he came any closer, he’d see what a mess she was. “I wasn’t trying to end things.”
She let out a scoffing laugh. “You have a funny way of saying you still care, then.”
Junu sighed and, despite Somin’s protests, sat in the chair beside her.
“I was never planning to end things without talking to you.”
“But you were planning to end things.”
Junu’s eyes squinted in thought. “I’m not used to having . . . connections. It’s easier to be on my own in my line of business.”
Somin snorted in derision. “Sure, because business should always come first.”
“Well, maybe I also convinced myself that you were all better off without me and the baggage that comes along with me. I thought it would be better—”
“Of course you did!” Somin shouted, and Junu leaned back in surprise. “Of course you decided you knew better. Why? Because you’re, like, a thousand years older than us? Well, I’ve got news for you. Our problems weren’t all because of you. You didn’t force Miyoung to lose her bead. You didn’t force Yena to sacrifice herself for her daughter. You didn’t create that rip between the worlds. In fact, you were the one trying to foolishly fix it all by yourself. But guess what, it got fixed because we all worked together. That’s why you shouldn’t keep things all bottled up inside like a babo, know-it-all michin-nom.”
She took a deep breath that stretched her lungs, then let it out slowly. It felt good. Like she’d expelled a week’s worth of anger that had been festering inside of her.
“I know,” Junu said.
Somin opened her mouth to argue more before she processed what he’d said. “What?”
“I got a lecture from Miyoung yesterday. Granted, less harsh. But I understand that you’re mad,” Junu said. “That you have a right to be mad,” he added.
“I’m not just mad,” Somin said. “I’m hurt. On the mountain, you said you didn’t want to leave me, but that’s just what you did this last week. You left me alone to deal with everything that happened.”
“I was scared,” Junu whispered, his eyes lowered. “I’m still scared of how much I feel for you.”
Somin found that she couldn’t maintain the high level of anger she’d been walking around with all week, but she didn’t want to let him off the hook that easily. “So you’re here now. But how can I trust you won’t get scared again and leave?”
“I’m not sure,” Junu said. “But I do want to stay.”
“Oh yeah? You’ve decided to give slumming it with the humans a try?”
“No,” Junu said with a smile. “I’ve decided that I want to really live. That I want to let myself feel the pain that I’ve held back for centuries. Because if I can feel the pain, then maybe I can also feel happiness one day. And I honestly don’t think anything makes me happier right now than you.”
Somin forced her lips into a frown. Otherwise she’d smile like a lovesick schoolgirl and she didn’t want to give Junu the satisfaction. At least not yet. She’d suffered for a week. He could suffer for another five minutes.
“So what are you proposing? We date? I’m very busy studying for the suneung exam. I wasted my whole summer break on ridiculous things like saving the world.”
He laughed, but there was appreciation in his eyes. He took her hands in his. “I’m proposing that we try our hardest to make each other happy. Not really sure what that’s going to look like. But I am sure that I love your hands. I love when they’re holding mine.” He brought her hands to his lips to kiss them. Somin’s breath caught.
“I love your eyes. I love when they’re spewing fire at me like you’ll strike me down if I