I stomped up the stairs to the school’s main entrance and stopped in the bathroom even though I was running late, just to make sure I didn’t look like I’d been crying before I walked into class. I carefully molded my face into an expression of indifference and strolled unhurriedly into homeroom, dropping into my seat between Yejun and Jihoon.
“Mina,” Yejun said at once, brightening as he saw me.
“Morning,” I said stiffly, turning my back to him and facing Jihoon with a smile. Jihoon went still like a prey animal, gaze shifting between me and Yejun before tentatively holding out a bottle of Yakult.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” he said quietly.
“And miss this?” I said, peeling back the foil on the yogurt bottle. “This is my favorite part of the morning.”
Jihoon smiled. “Really?”
I flinched as something sharp poked me between the shoulder blades. I glanced over my shoulder at Yejun, who had jabbed me with a pencil. “Mina,” he said, smirking like watching me and Jihoon was amusing to him. I swallowed down the urge to splash the Yakult in his face. “We need to talk after school.”
“I’m busy,” I said, turning back to Jihoon.
But of course, Yejun didn’t take the hint.
“With what?” Yejun said over my shoulder. “It’s important.”
“I have plans,” I said. “Right, Jihoon?”
Jihoon went still. “I… uh… yes!” he said, finally catching on to the dangerous edge of my smile. “Whatever you want, Mina.”
“Unbelievable,” Yejun said. “Anything for a few points, huh?”
“Points?” Jihoon echoed.
I will murder you the moment we’re in private, I vowed silently, whirling around and glaring at Yejun.
“Caffebene loyalty points!” I said, smiling at Jihoon and praying I didn’t look too murderous. “If I get two more, I can get a free coffee. You like coffee, right?”
“Uh, yeah,” Jihoon said, shoulders relaxing. “We can go there.”
Mr. Oh hurried into the classroom and mercifully ended the conversation. I spent the rest of the period desperately trying to think of nothing but calculus, only so I wouldn’t plot out elaborate ways to push Yejun out the window without getting caught.
As soon as the bell music played, I looped my arm around Jihoon’s and swept him out of the classroom before Yejun could try to talk to me. I should have felt bad for using Jihoon as my human shield, but he didn’t seem to mind.
I spent the rest of the school day avoiding Yejun like it was an Olympic sport, taking sick satisfaction from the fact that heseemed genuinely annoyed. It served him right. He always looked so unbothered—it would be good for him to actually feel something for once.
I all but dragged Jihoon out the front door once school was finally over.
“I think I forgot my calculus book,” he said, glancing back at the school building.
“Leave it,” I said, lacing my fingers through his. He jolted like I’d electrocuted him, then his muscles relaxed and he pressed closer to me, letting me lead him quickly down the hill. The last thing I wanted was to run into—
“Mina!”
I sighed, walking faster, but Yejun hurried down the stairs after us. “I don’t know what your deal is, but there is actually important stuff that we need to talk about,” he said.
If anything was that urgent, you wouldn’t have time to go chasing after girls, I thought. I let go of Jihoon’s hand and crossed my arms. “What, a calculus emergency?” I said.
“Calculus?” Yejun said.
“Yes, because that’s all we talk about outside of school,” I said, positioning myself between Jihoon and Yejun. “You tutor me in calculus. That’s the only reason I talk to you.”
Yejun scoffed. “Obviously,” he said. “I would never spend time with someone like you for any other reason but charity.”
My eye twitched, and I looked away so he wouldn’t see how much his words stung. Of course he would have preferred to work with literally any other girl in class.
