Page 39 of XOXO

“I wanted to talk to you,” Jaewoo says, “about Nathaniel.”

I blink, surprised. “What about him?”

“Stay away from him.”

I cross my arms. High-handed, much?

He hurries to explain. “Last fall, a tabloid released an article about Nathaniel, that he was dating someone...”

“I know,” I say. “He told me about it.”

“He did?” Jaewoo looks surprised. “Did he give any details?”

“Just that the other person involved was Sori.”

Jaewoo sighs. “It came at a bad time. We were only six months out from our debut, preparing to release “Don’t LookBack.” Then we got the news thatBulletindropped that bomb. We had to cancel shows, interviews. Of course it was the worst for Nathaniel. Not only was he forced to break up with his girlfriend, but he stopped getting invited to do solo activities, and his SNS accounts were flooded with hate comments.”

It’s hard to imagine anyone getting upset enough at another person for dating and openly attacking them for it on their social media profiles. Especially Nathaniel, who’s so friendly and easygoing.

“Honestly, I don’t know how he does it,” Jaewoo says. “He claims none of it matters, but it can’t be easy.”

“And Sori?” I ask. “What was the fallout like on her side.”

“Luckily her motheristhe CEO of Joah Entertainment, and she was able to force the tabloids to blur out Sori’s face in the photographs. There were some rumors at school... but that’s it.”

Well, not exactly. Even if her character wasn’t attacked by trolls on the internet, people like Jina, and I’m sure others, bully her at school. I’ve also only ever seen her alone.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll try to stay away from Nathaniel. Forhissake,” I clarify. “Not because you told me to. I don’t want to get him into trouble.”

I can see now that Jaewoo, unlike Nathaniel, is very careful with his public image, talking to everyone equally and not singling anyone out for special attention. Nathaniel is the complete opposite. He really doesn’t care.

“It’s notjustout of concern for Nathaniel,” Jaewoo says.

Even with only the dim light of the bulb above us, I can see the high color in his cheeks.

“I don’t want you to be friends with him,” he says. “Not in the way you’re friends with me.”

It takes me a moment to realize...

He’s jealous.

“I meant everything I said.” He looks down, unable to meet my eyes. “But my motives aren’t entirely selfless.”

In the distance, a bell rings, signaling that lunch has officially started.

“We should go,” Jaewoo says, but neither of us moves.

I wonder if he sees the irony that in order to warn me away from a potential scandal with Nathaniel, he’s pulling me into stairwells and closets. But of course I’m not going to point that out to him.

A lock of his hair has fallen forward and I reach up, my fingers sweeping slowly across his brow.

“Jenny...” His eyes are heavy-lidded, his lips parted. As he moves closer to me, I grab onto the front of his hoodie, clutching it. Just as my eyes flutter closed, the door swings open.

Seventeen

Youngmin stands outside the door, his eyes trailing from me to Jaewoo. “Why are you in the broom closet with Jenny-nuna?”

I’m frozen in place, wondering how I must appear with my face flushed. I quickly let go of Jaewoo’s hoodie. Luckily Youngmin doesn’t seem to notice the movement, his eyes on Jaewoo.

---