Vicious Spirits - Kat Cho Page 0,45
silence before. He was good at compartmentalizing, so it didn’t usually bother him. But Jihoon’s presence weighed on him and wouldn’t let him ignore it. So instead, he leaned into it.
“I like driving, feeling the power of the car in your hands,” Junu mused as he pressed on the gas to pass an SUV. “Cars are a magnificent invention. Sometimes I wonder if people take them for granted.”
“What are you talking about?” Jihoon asked.
“Figured it would be nice to get to know each other. You know, since we have so many friends in common.”
Jihoon scoffed. “Friends? Who is your friend?”
Junu placed his hand over his heart in mock injury, though there was a real throb under his palm. “That’s cruel. You know how I care for our Changwanie. And I think of Miyoung as a little sister of sorts. And Somin.” He paused, unsure how to label that relationship.
“You and Somin are what?” Jihoon asked.
“Exploring things,” Junu said with a shrug.
“Why are you so interested in Somin? You don’t have a chance with her.”
Usually, in a situation like this, Junu would feel smug. Knowing he’d done something a person told him would never happen. But instead he tensed at Jihoon’s words.
“You really think so?” Junu asked, maybe too seriously, because Jihoon gave him a confused look.
“I mean, you’re just not her type,” Jihoon said, the sharpness of his voice toned down.
“What’s her type?” Junu asked, trying to keep the question casual-sounding. Staring at the road instead of at Jihoon.
“Why do you care? You’re only hitting on her to annoy her. It’s just one of your strange dokkaebi games.”
“You think that’s all I do? Mess with people for entertainment?”
“Well.” Jihoon pretended to think it over, then emphatically nodded. “Yes. Yes, I do think that’s what you do. Can you honestly say that you don’t?”
Junu scowled because Jihoon wasn’t completely wrong. Miyoung always claimed Jihoon was more observant than he let on, and Junu was starting to suspect that might be true.
“I do, but I don’t always do that. Sometimes I’m being genuine.”
“Well, that’s really hard to tell.” Jihoon shrugged. “Maybe if you spent as much time having an honest conversation as you did talking about how amazing you think you are—”
“Rude,” Junu said.
“The truth,” Jihoon said with a knowing smile. “Listen, I don’t mind a person who keeps their feelings to themselves. I mean, we all do it. But you always act like you don’t care about anything but yourself, so what else are we supposed to do but believe it?”
Junu scowled. He’d heard that Jihoon could be brutally honest. A boy who hated to lie. Junu had thought it was an exaggeration when Miyoung first told him.
“Fine, let’s have a moment of honesty because we’re not just going on a leisurely hike.”
“When is a hike ever leisurely?” Jihoon muttered, and Junu smiled despite himself. If they’d met any other way, Junu had always thought he and Jihoon could have gotten along. A shame, really, that they had to be frenemies.
“The mountain we’re going to isn’t just a mountain.”
“What is it? Like, your evil lair?”
“What? No, you watch too many movies.” Junu realized he should just spit it out. “There’s a sansin that isn’t really a fan of mine.”
“A sansin? Like a god?” Jihoon turned now to stare at Junu.
“Do you know any other kind of sansin?”
“Why does this one hate you?”
“Hate is kind of a strong word. This one just doesn’t like me that much. And, to be honest, I don’t really like him either.”
“Care to elaborate?” Jihoon asked. “Is there anything else I should know?”
“No,” Junu said. And he meant it. There wasn’t anything Jihoon had to know, and Junu was risking enough going back to this place. The place where everything had begun. The place where she was.
“If he’s a god, then won’t he know you’re on his mountain?”
“Even a sansin has limits to his abilities. And that’s why I needed to prepare yesterday. Here.” He popped open the center console and took out a bujeok. The yellow paper waved like a flag as he handed it to Jihoon. “It should help hide our presence.”
“Oh great, more bujeoks,” Jihoon said, but he took it and tucked it carefully into his pocket.
“Just be cautious while we’re on the mountain and stick close. We’re going straight to the bangmangi and straight back down. No detours. No dawdling.”
“I’m fine with that,” Jihoon said.
THE FIRST TIME Junu saw Sinhye was in the market.
Junu’s mother and sister had dragged him out to hold