mad; at worst . . .” Junu paused. “It could affect the order of death itself.”
“How long do we have?” Somin asked.
“Five days, maybe six?” he said. And there was more in his expression. Like there was something he wasn’t telling them.
“Well, there has to be a way to find Miyoung’s bead,” Somin said. “Some kind of talisman. A shaman ritual. You guys are freaking mythical beings. You can live forever, but you can’t figure out how to find one fox bead?” She racked her brain, trying to remember Halmeoni’s old stories. Ones about magpies bringing good news. Or rabbits tricking tigers into holes. But it wasn’t a story that caught her memory but something from last night. Among the chaos and the violence. The dokkaebi. And his club. But Somin remembered that it wasn’t a club, not in the stories. It was a bangmangi—a dokkaebi staff—and it could summon things. “The bangmangi.”
“What?” Jihoon asked, but she could see recognition in Junu’s eyes.
“The dokkaebi staff,” Somin clarified. “It can summon things like food and gold, right? Can it summon anything you want? Is that story real?”
“I’ve heard tales of it,” Miyoung said, her eyes considering Junu. “Could it work?”
“We could try,” Somin said. “We have one. The dokkaebi last night—”
Junu shook his head. “No, it broke. It won’t work anymore.”
“Dammit.” Somin huffed. She’d thought she’d hit on something there.
“I hate to bring it up, but . . . aren’t you a dokkaebi?” Jihoon said to Junu.
“And?” Junu lifted his brow imperviously.
“Yeah,” Somin said. Why hadn’t she thought of this herself? It was a solution staring them all in the face. “Don’t you have a bangmangi, too? Could you use it to find Miyoung’s bead?”
Junu shook his head. “No.”
“No, you can’t use it? Or no, you don’t want to use it?” Jihoon asked.
“I don’t have it anymore,” Junu said.
“Anymore? So you did have one. Where is it now?” Jihoon asked.
“Not here.”
“Okay, well, tell us where it is and we’ll go get it,” Somin said.
“No.”
“Why not?” Somin wanted to shake Junu. He was usually so chatty, and now he was barely answering them.
“It’s somewhere I can’t go,” Junu said, turning his back to them. His shoulders were hunched defensively. Classic avoidance pose.
“Can’t? Or won’t?” Miyoung asked.
“I’m sorry, it’s not possible,” Junu said. “We’ll have to find another way.”
“There is no other way,” Jihoon said. “We should have known. You said you were here to help, but you’re still the same selfish jerk we’ve always known. Why don’t you just go?”
And Junu did. Without so much as a reply, he opened the door and left.
“Jihoon-ah,” Somin chastised. “Why did you have to say that?”
“What? He never listens to me. How was I to know he’d do it now?”
Somin shook her head and chased after Junu.
She caught up with him as he waited for the elevator. “You can’t just leave like that.”
“I don’t see the point in staying. None of you trust me. I have nothing to offer you. Why should I be here?” Junu wouldn’t even look at her.
There was a moment where the words seemed to encompass more than just this moment. But Somin couldn’t think of that right now. She knew that if Junu left, then their chances of saving Miyoung would be leaving with him.
“Please, your bangmangi might be the only hope we have to save Miyoung,” Somin said.
“There’s no guarantee of that,” Junu said, finally looking at her. “And even if there was, it’s not in a place we can ever enter. It’s not safe.”
“Why not?”
Junu shook his head. “I can’t talk about that.”
“Please, Junu. I wouldn’t ask this for myself, but it’s Miyoung. She needs us. She’s had everything taken from her. She has no one.”
“And that’s my fault, right? That’s what you’re trying to say?” Junu turned away from her, but he didn’t leave. He paced a few steps away, then paced back, rubbing his hands over his face.
“I’m not saying that—” Somin began, but Junu held up his hand. He closed his eyes, and it seemed Junu was having an internal war with himself.
“Dammit,” Junu muttered, and Somin knew she’d won. “Well, let’s go back inside if we’re going to figure this out. It’s not going to be fun. I can promise you that.”
“Thank you,” Somin said, but he’d already started back down the hall and she had to jog to catch up with his long strides.
He stopped in front of her apartment. “Just open the door before I change my mind.”