Page 128

“What? You’re surprised she agrees with me?” Junu threw his other arm around Somin, and she tried to hide her smile. “You know, I am a pretty smart guy. Somin recognizes that.”

“I never said I thought you were smart,” Somin said. “I said that you saidoneright thing out of a million wrong things I’ve heard you say. That’s not really a great percentage.”

“It’s pretty much a failing grade,” Miyoung piped up with a smile.

Junu shook his head. “I have no allies. I’m outnumbered.”

“I’m your ally, Hyeong,” Changwan said, forgetting his previous trepidation about leaving campus.

“You’re all I have, Changwan-ah.” Junu sighed.

Somin’s stomach chose that moment to growl. “Come on, I’m starved. And you promised food.” She grabbed Junu’s hand and jogged down the school stairs. She didn’t stop until they were outside the school gates.

“Trying to get some alone time with me?” Junu asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Somin just laughed.

“No. It’s like I said, I’m hungry.”

“Sure,” Junu said, stepping toward her again. She stepped back only to collide with the security wall. “Be honest,” Junu said, leaning closer. And Somin’s lips parted in anticipation. Then he whispered, “Tell me what you and Hyuk talked about.”

“Ya!” Somin said, smacking him on the head.

He laughed as he backed up, rubbing a hand on his head just as the others rounded the corner.

“I see you still haven’t learned your lesson when it comes to teasing Somin,” Miyoung said, but there was a knowing glint in her eyes.

She looped her arms through both Jihoon’s and Changwan’s and started leading them up the street.

“What about Junu and Somin?” Changwan asked, craning his neck around.

“They’ll catch up,” Miyoung said, tugging them along.

Junu turned back to Somin with a smile. “You really won’t tell me?”

“It’s private,” Somin said. “The mortal world might depend on it.”

“Oh really?” Junu asked, a playful grin spreading across his face. “I bet I can get it out of you.”

“You’ll have to be really convincing,” she said, looping her arms around his neck.

“What do you have in mind?” Junu asked, leaning in until his lips were a centimeter from hers.

“I have a few ideas,” Somin said. “But I’m really bad at explaining things. So I’ll just have to show you.”

Then she pressed her lips to his, humming in appreciation. And she welcomed the tingles that started in her toes and ran up her spine.

“Ya! Hurry up, you two!” Jihoon yelled from down the street.

Somin laughed at Jihoon’s exasperated voice.

“So I spoke to my mother,” she said as they started after their friends, hand in hand.

“Really?” he asked. “What about?”

“I told her I wanted to apply to some colleges abroad.”

Junu stopped walking. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Somin said. “I figured if Jihoon gets into college, he’ll probably stick around this area, so it’s not like he needs me around when he has Miyoung and my mother. Changwan’s father has been throwing around the idea of sending him to Jeju-do to get work experience in their company factory before college, so he’ll be off on that adventure. And I just started to think about what I wanted.” She was rambling now, but Junu was just staring at her. She felt nervous suddenly, telling him this.