Page 34 of XOXO

Gi Taek looks between Nathaniel and me. “How do you two know each other?”

When Nathaniel doesn’t look like he’s going to answer—his mouth full of food—I explain, “We met at the uniform store when I went to go pick up mine.”

Angela sits forward in her seat. “Did you know who he was?”

“Not then.”

“But now you do,” she prompts.

“I mean, sure. I watched your music video,” I inform him.

“Oh yeah?” Nathaniel says. “What’d you think?” Now it’s my turn to get the spoon pointed at me. “Couldn’t take your eyes off me, could you?”

Angela giggles.

“Yeah...” I say, though it’s not Nathaniel’s part in the music video that replays in my head. That’s replayed in my head since the first time I saw it.

There’s a stir at the entrance of the cafeteria.

I look up to see Jaewoo walk into the cafeteria... with Sori.

I’ve never seen a more striking pair. They look like they stepped out of a catalogue.

“Is it weird if I take a picture?” Angela asks. “Like as a souvenir for myself. I’ve never seen such great visuals.”

“I wouldn’t,” Gi Taek says, answering her seriously. “What if that picture got out somehow? It could create a scandal. I mean, do you remember—” He cuts off abruptly, looking stricken.

Nathaniel glances up from his tray. I stare at Gi Taek, whose face has gone completely white.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing,” Gi Taek says. “It’s nothing.”

Nathaniel puts down his spoon and sits back in his chair, an amused expression on his face.

I have a distinct impression that I’m missing something here.

“I guess you wouldn’t know,” Nathaniel sighs. “Min Sori and I dated for six months before her mother found out and forced us to break up.”

“Oh my God,” I say.

He shrugs. “Messed up, right?”

Nathanielis the writer of the postcard. Relief washes over me, quickly followed by guilt. Several times today, I caught Sorilooking over. I thought something was off about her expression and yet I was more jealous than sympathetic.

Even now, she can’t keep her eyes off our table; the look on her face can only be described as miserable.

The postcard didn’t even sound like Jaewoo, now that I know who wrote it. Remembering the words in English at the end of the postcard, I fill in his name at the end.

Chin up, Songbird.

You will always have my heart.

XOXO

Nathaniel

Fourteen

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