Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1)(49)

“Must be nice to have a rich mom who can pay to fix your mistakes,” Hana said. “Even when those mistakes are attempted murder.”

Miyoung didn’t answer. Her head hung low so her hair curtained her face.

“Ya! Did you hear what I said?” Hana shoved Miyoung into the wall again; this time her head cracked against the tile. “My cousin lives in Gwangju. When I sent him your photo, he said he knew you, but you had a different name. Did you change it because you tried to kill that girl?”

Somin stood in the corner, drying her hands calmly. She acted as if nothing was amiss in the small bathroom.

“What are you doing?” Jihoon asked. All three girls glanced up at him.

“Oh shut up, Ahn Jihoon. I know you have a thing for her.” Hana sneered. “Has she told you about why she got kicked out of her old school? She’s an attempted murderer.”

Still ignoring the scene, Somin threw her paper towel in the trash. Jihoon whipped out a hand to stop her. “Somin-ah, I’m disappointed in you.”

“What?” Somin’s eyes widened.

“You should have stopped this,” Jihoon said.

“You have no right to judge what I do,” Somin retorted. “Not when you’re obviously keeping secrets from me and shutting me out!”

Jihoon didn’t know what to say to that, but he didn’t get a chance to reply as Somin shoved past him and stormed out.

“You should leave, too, Hana. If you don’t want me to tell Miss Kwon what I saw.”

Hana huffed indignantly, but she still slunk out, avoiding Jihoon’s eyes as she left.

Jihoon inspected Miyoung for injuries.



“Are you hurt?” He tucked her hair aside to see her face.

She shoved his hands away, like a petulant child refusing a parent’s care. “I wouldn’t have hurt them.”

“I didn’t stop them because I was afraid of what you’d do. I did it because they were wrong.”

Miyoung’s eyes darted to the side nervously.

“Don’t worry, she won’t come back,” Jihoon reassured her.

A small whimper escaped Miyoung’s throat, and her shoulders began to shake. Her eyes moved right and left like she followed invisible shadows he couldn’t see.

Jihoon frowned. He worried the blow to her skull had confused her. Could gumiho get concussions?

“It’s true.” Miyoung’s voice broke on the words.

“What’s true?”

“That girl. She thought I stole her boyfriend. He dumped her because he thought he was in love with me, stupid human boy.” Her expression soured. Still a flash of heat burst in Jihoon’s chest, the fleeting embrace of jealousy.

“She wouldn’t stop bothering me after that. She turned the whole school against me.”

Jihoon kept silent. He knew she needed to get her story out. His halmeoni always said things like this were better out than in.

“I got too emotional. I just wanted her to leave me alone. She was so close and I could hear her heart beating. I pushed her only to get her away from me. She shouldn’t have followed me over that bridge.”

“What happened to her?” Jihoon asked, trepidation thickening his words.

“She survived,” Miyoung said. “I don’t murder innocents.” She eyed him, her face pinched in defense. It spoke volumes. It told him no one had ever taken her side.

“So it was an accident.” He breathed a sigh of relief.

“If it wasn’t, would you be here still? Would you even talk to me if you thought I hurt an innocent person on purpose?” Miyoung’s voice rose.

Jihoon hesitated. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But that’s not the case.”

“That’s your problem. You want to be friends with the noble monster, but you forget that I kill to survive. I’m not a good person,” Miyoung said. “I never pretended to be.” Her voice cracked in desperation.

“I don’t forget,” Jihoon said. “I just know there’s more to you than that.”

“Don’t say that.” Miyoung’s voice echoed angrily off the bathroom walls. “You don’t know! You don’t know what I’ve done. Stop pretending like you do.”

“I know I don’t like it when people bully you. Even when the person doing the bullying is yourself.”

Jihoon had come to realize Miyoung cared, about everything. She was someone who killed to live, but she had a soft heart. It must have torn her apart that her very existence caused pain for others. And knowing that, Jihoon hurt for her even as he didn’t know how to help her.

“I can’t stop seeing them.” Her voice trembled. “They remind me of what I’ve done.”

“Who?” Jihoon asked, desperate to understand her, convinced if he could, then he could finally help.

Miyoung huffed out a breath, tears brimming, but she never let them fall, so complete was her need for control.

Her phone buzzed and she glanced down at the text. Then without another glance at Jihoon, she pushed past him and out the door.





22





WHY DOES AHN Jihoon have to be so frustratingly understanding? Miyoung thought.

Her phone buzzed again. Another message from Nara.