“No, of course I don’t think that about you,” Somin said. “I was just worried.”
Jihoon let his head drop into his hands again, rubbing them roughly over his face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that. I just . . . I have a really bad headache.”
“Here,” Miyoung said, returning with the aspirin. “Take these and then go lie down.”
“Yeah, okay,” Jihoon murmured, throwing the pills back. “Maybe I’ll do that.”
“And I’m going to go have a little chat with Junu,” Somin said. She wanted to give the dokkaebi a piece of her mind.
28
JUNU PULLED ON a fresh shirt, throwing the old one in the hamper. He actually considered burning it as it held a day’s worth of sweat. But it was designer, so in the hamper it went.
He almost groaned when he heard the brisk knock on his door. Before he could answer, Somin stormed in.
“Listen, I don’t—”
“No, you listen. I can’t believe you told Jihoon about our conversation. What happened to that whole my-business-depends-on-my-discretion nonsense?”
“This is the last time I confide anything in Ahn Jihoon,” Junu muttered. It felt like more of a betrayal than he’d have thought. He’d always thought Jihoon was steadfast when he made a promise. After all, he always guarded Miyoung’s secrets so carefully. But perhaps that consideration wasn’t extended to Junu. And that stung.
“Don’t get mad at Jihoon,” Somin said. “You’re the one who broke your word to me.”
“I brought him back in one piece,” Junu said. “I kept that promise. I don’t know what else you want from me. I’m not in the mood for the third degree about the last twenty-four hours.”
“Is that why you escaped into here, because you’re hiding out?”
“I’m not hiding,” Junu said. “Not exactly. I just, I don’t know what to tell Miyoung.”
“I’m a big girl,” Miyoung said from the open doorway, and Junu sighed. It seemed there was no escape, even in his own home. “Tell me what happened with your staff. The whole story. You know I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need to know.”
Junu nodded. He’d started this, so he would take responsibility. “I used it to trap something.”
“A gumiho,” Miyoung said.
Junu shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course Jihoon had told them. Apparently, none of Junu’s secrets were worth protecting. “I didn’t know what she was when I first met her.”
“I get it. You fell in love with her and then when you found out what she was, you betrayed her,” Miyoung said.
“No, it’s not as simple as all that.” Junu closed his eyes to hide his frustration. Why did Somin have to be here right now? This was not a part of his past he’d ever planned to share with her. Or anyone, for that matter. “I thought I loved her. You don’t know how much that meant to—” He couldn’t continue without exposing more about his past than he was willing to. He took a breath to collect himself before continuing. “When she finally revealed herself to me, I was scared. She woke me in the middle of the damn night. Of course a guy needs a moment to react to the demon fox standing over his bed at midnight.”
“Demon fox?” Miyoung said quietly.
“It’s how it seemed to me at the time.” Junu shrugged. “And Sinhye always did have a temper. She killed me for what she perceived as rejection. Next thing I knew, I woke up like this.”
“You were something before you were a dokkaebi?” Somin asked.
“Yeah, once upon a time, I was human. Sinhye got a shaman to trap my soul in a dokkaebi form. A punishment for rejecting her.” Junu gave a sardonic smile. Because in his human life, he’d always been the one being rejected.
“Some punishment. Immortality and beauty?” Somin said with a scoff.
“She wanted me to know her specific pain. A monster wearing a beautiful face. Cursed to incite lust but never real love.” His eyes slid to Miyoung, who gave a small nod of understanding.
“Did all dokkaebi used to be human?” Somin asked.
“No, some of us are just special little prisoners,” Junu said. “After the shaman turned me, she felt bad for her part in my curse and she offered me vengeance.”
“And you took it?” Somin sounded incredulous. “I thought you said you loved her.”
Junu stiffened at the accusation. “What upsets you? That I sought revenge for being cursed to wander the world a monster, or that I once loved another?”
“I don’t care about your exes,” Somin said. “I just