Page 10 of Vicious Spirits

Somin knew Hwang Halmeoni was old enough to remember a unified Korea, and how it was broken in two, but she realized she’d never heard the woman talk about it.

“We weren’t able to come back for years, and when we did, everything seemed different to me. Perhaps when you’re forced out of your home like that, you’re willing to hold on to it with all you’ve got when you get it back. I’m sorry Jihoon wasn’t allowed to hold on to his.”

The way Hwang Halmeoni looked at Somin made her self-conscious, like the old woman was looking into Somin’s soul. Like she could see the secret desire that Somin had never told anyone—that sometimes she wished she could just leave. To go and be anywhere but here. But she knew it was a pipe dream. Where would she even go? And where would she get the money for it? She should just take a lesson from Hwang Halmeoni’s words and appreciate what she had: a good family, good friends, a place to call home.

Somin’s mother stepped out of the apartment and lifted herhand to her brow as if scanning the terrain, stopping when she zeroed in on Somin below.

“Your mother should find someone,” Hwang Halmeoni said. “Such a pretty woman like that, a shame for her to be alone.”

“She’s not alone,” Somin said. “She has me.”

“Of course she does.” Hwang Halmeoni patted Somin’s hand.

“Somin-ah,” her mother said, jogging across the street to join them. “Hello, Hwang Halmeoni.” She dipped into a bow.

“Moon Soohyun, you look like you could be Sominie’s sister instead of her mother.”

Somin’s mother blushed. It was true, Somin thought. Her mother always had such a youthful glow about her. Despite the things she’d been through—getting pregnant right after high school, losing her husband when Somin was still so young—she was ever the optimist. Somin wondered why she hadn’t inherited any of that positivity.

“Somin-ah, I’m going to go buy some drinks for the movers. They’re working so hard, and it’s so hot, you could bake an egg in there. Can you keep everything in order here?”

“Sure,” Somin said. She was used to her mother trusting her to take charge of things. It had been that way since she was a little girl. Her mother used to say she was so serious about everything she did, wanting it all to be absolutely perfect.I’m so lucky to have a daughter like you,her mother always said.I had no idea what I was doing, but you made it so easy for me.

Somin used to love that her mother said that. It made her feel so useful. Though the truth of her childhood was that Somin had raised her mother just as much as her mother had raised her.

On her way back to the apartment, Somin stopped short when she spotted Junu outside, fanning himself as he perchedon the railing of the stairs. Somin considered just giving him a push. The two-story fall probably wouldn’t kill him with his fast dokkaebi reflexes. But it would give Somin great satisfaction.

He lifted his head, perhaps alerted by the sound of her steps, or maybe it was those supernatural dokkaebi senses. He sent her a cocky grin.

Somin ignored him and tried to walk around, but he blocked her path.

“What’s the rush?” Junu asked. “Didn’t you leave to get away from the stuffy apartment?”

“I left to get away fromyou.”

Junu laughed, the opposite reaction she’d wanted. “Lee Somin, your words hurt.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I mean it. I’ve never been quite so... intrigued by a person before. Can’t you give me a chance?”

Somin glared at the suave words. Junu’s beauty was both smooth and hard. The kind of face that looked better with a smirk. And Junu always took advantage of his best features, so his mocking smile was pretty much a permanent fixture.

It’s why Somin had hated just the sight of his smug face from the day she’d met him. What did he have to be so confident about? It’s not like he worked hard for that face. The luck of being born with good looks wasn’t something to brag about. And to make matters worse, every time he spoke, heads turned. As if everything he said was the most important thing in the world. He probably thought so, as nine times out of ten, he spoke about himself. Pompous ass.

“Not if you were the last boy on earth.”

“Good thing I’m not only a boy.” Junu’s grin widened.

Somin made a gagging noise deep in her throat. “Don’t make me throw up.”

“I bet I could change your mind if I put any effort into it.”

She let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “I’d love to see you try.” She’d blurted it out before she had time to think. Or remember the fact that the dokkaebi loved to take things literally just to piss her off.

Junu’s grin turned into a full-fledged smile. “Would you, now?”

Something seemed to take over Somin, an overwhelming sense of competitiveness that she couldn’t fight. She lifted her chin and said, “Of course. Give it your best shot.”

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