Vicious Spirits

by Kat Cho

  “I don’t think you give them enough credit. You can all survive without each other for a little while.”

  “You wouldn’t understand,” Somin said, shaking her head.

  That seemed to darken Junu’s mood. He lowered his eyes. “Perhaps not.”

  Had she hurt him? It was so strange, this feeling that he had . . . well, feelings. But it was ridiculous to think her words had any power over him. Still, a guilt rooted deep within her, and Somin hated to feel like she’d somehow hurt someone unless she’d deliberately meant to.

  “You’re brave for helping Miyoung,” Somin said, hoping it turned Junu’s mood.

  “Where’s that coming from?” Junu asked.

  Somin shrugged. “Even though you annoy me, it doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge when you do something good.”

  Junu laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, I don’t need your compliments. I know I never do anything good. I’m much better at being bad.” He winked, and it made her insides squeeze.

  “You say that like it’s a good thing.”

  “Well, I’ve never heard anyone complain,” he said with a sly grin.

  “You know, there are only three kinds of people who are so self-absorbed: assholes, people who are genuinely oblivious, and people trying to hide some kind of pain.”

  Junu’s eyes went dark and flat for a moment before he pasted on that megawatt smile again, a hint of mocking to add flavor. “And let me guess. You’ve convinced yourself that I’m the third and that you’re going to save me from my demons.”

  “Well, you’re half right,” Somin said, not letting him get to her. “I do think you’re the third. But I’m still trying to decide if you deserve to be saved. Maybe it’s all your fault.”

  The flash of indignation was the reward she’d been looking for, but it was followed so closely by a hint of something raw that ate into her fleeting victory.

  “What if I asked you?” His voice was smooth as velvet, but there was a strange, serious undertone.

  “What?” Somin asked, unsure if she’d heard right.

  “What if I asked you to save me?” he said, his eyes so intense they seemed to bore into hers. “Would you consider it then?”

  “You can’t be serious,” she breathed, uncertain of where to tread here.

  Then the tension broke as Junu gave a wide, reckless grin. “You know me too well.”

  Before Somin could reply, the doorbell chimed. Junu started for the foyer, but Somin stopped him. “He can’t know I was here.”

  “Stay back here and wait until we leave,” Junu said.

  “You won’t tell him what we talked about?” Somin asked, worry creasing her brow.

  “I gave you my word,” Junu said. “No matter how foolish I think the request is.”

  The doorbell chimed again and again with impatience.

  “I’m trusting you,” Somin said, trying to search out any seeds of doubt on his face. But it was placid, unreadable.

  “And I’m sure that it’s killing you to do so. Now, if you don’t want Jihoon to know about your little visit, then wait here and stay quiet.”

  Somin nodded as Junu walked to the front door.

  “Ah, Ahn Jihoon, why am I not surprised to see you?” Junu said as he opened the door, and for a moment Somin thought the dokkaebi was going to give her up.

  “I’m coming with you,” Jihoon said.

  “I figured as much,” Junu replied. “Well, come on, we’re wasting time just standing here.”

  “You’re not going to argue with me?” Jihoon asked.

  Somin almost cursed. Junu was being too obvious.

  “Well, I could argue, and then we’d waste about twenty minutes going back and forth about the pros and cons of you coming along. Like this is Miyoung’s life and she told you explicitly not to get involved. Or how it would be easier for me to move quickly if I were alone. Or how you have no idea how dangerous this place can be.”

  “Those all sound like cons,” Jihoon said.

  “Well, I guess you are smarter than I gave you credit for. Come on, then. We’ve already wasted three minutes with this non-argument.”

  Somin heard the shuffling of feet, and then the door closed with a chime of notes. And she was left alone, worrying whether she’d made a mistake letting Jihoon go with Junu.

  19

  MIYOUNG WAS BACK by the maehwa tree. The large X scarring the bark like a morbid mark on a treasure map. Mist hung so heavy she could barely see a meter in front of her. But she knew Yena was there. She could feel it.

  “Mother, what is all this? Is this just a dream or are you really here?”

  Yena moved out of the mist. Her face was blank; there was no way to read any emotion from it, but Miyoung still convinced herself she saw anger there.

  “Do you really want the answer to that?” Yena said, this time a spark of something in her eyes.

  “I don’t know.” If Junu was telling the truth, then was her mother haunting her? Miyoung knew enough about gwishin to know that they were a shadow of their living selves. And the longer they lingered in the mortal realm, the more they lost parts of their humanity. But maybe . . . since Yena hadn’t been truly human to begin with . . . maybe she was different?

  “Something else worries you, Daughter. Tell me.” Yena reached out to run her fingers over Miyoung’s cheek; they were cold as ice.

  “My bead,” she said. “Do you know where it is?”

  “It is your life and you’ve rejected it,” Yena said, her eyes fierce and accusing.

  “It’s not the life I wanted,” Miyoung said.

  “So you reject the life I fought for? The life I died for?” Yena’s voice rose, her teeth clenched in barely contained rage.

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Miyoung said quickly.

  Yena settled, a small smile playing across her features. Such a sudden change that Miyoung’s heart still raced. “My daughter. Tell me what worries you.”

  Miyoung frowned, confusion pricking at her anxiety. “I—I don’t know.”

  “Tell me,” Yena said, her eyes narrowing in anger.

  “Junu,” Miyoung said quickly. “I don’t know if I can trust him, but it feels like he’s the only one who can help me right now.”

  “Those boys don’t know what awaits them.”

  The words sent a shiver down Miyoung’s spine. “What do you mean?”

  “He’ll come against one that he can’t deny.”

  “You’re making no sense, Mother.”

  “They’re approaching an enemy that has been waiting for her chance.”

  “If you know what’s going to happen, then tell me!” Miyoung’s chest tightened, and she couldn’t draw a full breath.

  “I don’t know the future.”

  “Please just tell me what the danger is.” Miyoung frantically reached out to her mother, but her hand went right through air. Where her mother’s arm had previously been was wisps and vapors. She began to fade into nothingness, like pollen on the wind.

  “No, Mother! I need an answer,” Miyoung insisted.

  But Yena floated away, sifting into the air as she had the night she died in Miyoung’s arms.

  “Mother!” Miyoung jerked awake, lashing out at a weight pushing her down before she realized they were hands. And they were attached to a worried Somin.

  “Bad dream?” Somin asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “I’m fine,” Miyoung said. “Where’s Jihoon?”

  Somin was silent too long. And Yena’s words still haunted her. Those boys don’t know what awaits them . . . They’re approaching an enemy that has been waiting for her chance.

  “‘They’re approaching,’” Miyoung whispered to herself.

  “What?” Somin asked.

  “Jihoon went with Junu, didn’t he?”


  “Yes, and before you say anything, I tried to talk him out of it.”

  “You should have tried harder.” Miyoung fought back a mix of anger and fear.

  “You know how stubborn Jihoon can be.”

  “And I know he almost died because of me once already. I’m not risking him like that again.”

  “He’s not going to die. Junu will take care of him.”

  Miyoung eyed Somin, looking for a mocking tone, but didn’t find it. “You seem to have changed your tune when it comes to Junu. Why’s that?”

  “Because I have to trust him. It’s the only option I can see right now.”

  “Well, right now, I need to be alone,” Miyoung said. “And then I think I should go back to Junu’s to wait for them.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  Miyoung wanted to say no, but she knew none of this was really Somin’s fault. “Fine, just give me a little time to get ready.”

  “Okay,” Somin said, worry clear in her voice, even as she abided by Miyoung’s request.

  Alone now, Miyoung listened to the quiet room. There was nothing. Just the sound of her ragged breathing.

  How could Yena have known? What were these dreams? Junu had said Miyoung was connected to the ghost realm. Could that mean that Yena was truly visiting her?

  “Mother?” Miyoung said aloud. “Are you here?”

  She waited, not sure whether she wanted a reply or not.

  But none came.

  20

  JUNU HAD SAT through tense silence before. He was good at compartmentalizing, so it didn’t usually bother him. But Jihoon’s presence weighed on him and wouldn’t let him ignore it. So instead, he leaned into it.

  “I like driving, feeling the power of the car in your hands,” Junu mused as he pressed on the gas to pass an SUV. “Cars are a magnificent invention. Sometimes I wonder if people take them for granted.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jihoon asked.

  “Figured it would be nice to get to know each other. You know, since we have so many friends in common.”

  Jihoon scoffed. “Friends? Who is your friend?”

  Junu placed his hand over his heart in mock injury, though there was a real throb under his palm. “That’s cruel. You know how I care for our Changwanie. And I think of Miyoung as a little sister of sorts. And Somin.” He paused, unsure how to label that relationship.

  “You and Somin are what?” Jihoon asked.

  “Exploring things,” Junu said with a shrug.

  “Why are you so interested in Somin? You don’t have a chance with her.”

  Usually, in a situation like this, Junu would feel smug. Knowing he’d done something a person told him would never happen. But instead he tensed at Jihoon’s words.

  “You really think so?” Junu asked, maybe too seriously, because Jihoon gave him a confused look.

  “I mean, you’re just not her type,” Jihoon said, the sharpness of his voice toned down.

  “What’s her type?” Junu asked, trying to keep the question casual-sounding. Staring at the road instead of at Jihoon.

  “Why do you care? You’re only hitting on her to annoy her. It’s just one of your strange dokkaebi games.”

  “You think that’s all I do? Mess with people for entertainment?”

  “Well.” Jihoon pretended to think it over, then emphatically nodded. “Yes. Yes, I do think that’s what you do. Can you honestly say that you don’t?”

  Junu scowled because Jihoon wasn’t completely wrong. Miyoung always claimed Jihoon was more observant than he let on, and Junu was starting to suspect that might be true.

  “I do, but I don’t always do that. Sometimes I’m being genuine.”

  “Well, that’s really hard to tell.” Jihoon shrugged. “Maybe if you spent as much time having an honest conversation as you did talking about how amazing you think you are—”

  “Rude,” Junu said.

  “The truth,” Jihoon said with a knowing smile. “Listen, I don’t mind a person who keeps their feelings to themselves. I mean, we all do it. But you always act like you don’t care about anything but yourself, so what else are we supposed to do but believe it?”

  Junu scowled. He’d heard that Jihoon could be brutally honest. A boy who hated to lie. Junu had thought it was an exaggeration when Miyoung first told him.

  “Fine, let’s have a moment of honesty because we’re not just going on a leisurely hike.”

  “When is a hike ever leisurely?” Jihoon muttered, and Junu smiled despite himself. If they’d met any other way, Junu had always thought he and Jihoon could have gotten along. A shame, really, that they had to be frenemies.

  “The mountain we’re going to isn’t just a mountain.”

  “What is it? Like, your evil lair?”

  “What? No, you watch too many movies.” Junu realized he should just spit it out. “There’s a sansin that isn’t really a fan of mine.”

  “A sansin? Like a god?” Jihoon turned now to stare at Junu.

  “Do you know any other kind of sansin?”

  “Why does this one hate you?”

  “Hate is kind of a strong word. This one just doesn’t like me that much. And, to be honest, I don’t really like him either.”

  “Care to elaborate?” Jihoon asked. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “No,” Junu said. And he meant it. There wasn’t anything Jihoon had to know, and Junu was risking enough going back to this place. The place where everything had begun. The place where she was.

  “If he’s a god, then won’t he know you’re on his mountain?”

  “Even a sansin has limits to his abilities. And that’s why I needed to prepare yesterday. Here.” He popped open the center console and took out a bujeok. The yellow paper waved like a flag as he handed it to Jihoon. “It should help hide our presence.”

  “Oh great, more bujeoks,” Jihoon said, but he took it and tucked it carefully into his pocket.

  “Just be cautious while we’re on the mountain and stick close. We’re going straight to the bangmangi and straight back down. No detours. No dawdling.”

  “I’m fine with that,” Jihoon said.

  THE FIRST TIME Junu saw Sinhye was in the market.

  Junu’s mother and sister had dragged him out to hold their purchases as they shopped. His mother said it was because she wanted all the women to see her youngest son and how filial he was.

  He would believe her, except she already had a son who’d achieved great things. She didn’t need her useless second son to help increase her pride. She just wanted someone to hold her things. But at least that meant she wanted him around. So he went along.

  Before the war, their city had had a variety of classes. Now there was no in-between. If you weren’t noble, then you were slave class. Junu’s family was part of the noble class, barely. And his parents always worried about their place in society and the maintenance of their precarious hold on the claim of nobility. The market was the only place the two levels of society mingled.

  The girl wasn’t entirely visible through the crowd of men surrounding her.

  Junu could barely make out her fair complexion, her raven-dark hair, long and flowing. Not the way a noble would wear it, but she still held herself with such grace and class. And the men surrounding her were from some of the most noble houses in town. Her clothes were made of fine silk. Brightly colored, but still not enough to take attention from her beautiful smile.

  Then her eyes lifted and latched on to Junu’s. A quick second later, someone shifted, and she was swallowed again by the crowd of her admirers.

  Junu felt drawn to her, but his mother placed a hand on his arm.

  “Come, Junu, there are more vendors down this street.”

  He tried to crane his neck to catch another glimpse, but she was gone.
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br />   She found him later.

  As he waited for his mother and sisters to finish perusing a table of shoes, the girl approached him.

  “You are one who observes more often than he partakes.” She did not say it like a question, but like a statement.

  “And you are one who can’t seem to move much without attracting a dozen distractions.”

  She gave a small chuckle and gazed at the sky, taking in the sight of a kite flying above.

  “I envy that kite. How beautiful and free it must feel all alone in the sky.”

  “But a string holds it down. How free could it really be?” Junu asked.

  She nodded in agreement and said, “What do you wish to accomplish in this life?”

  He was surprised at the question but too polite not to answer. “I would like it if I were free of social constraints. If I could be who I wish without the expectations of family and others. Though I have a plain face and my family expects me to become a scholar, I have more interest in art.”

  “Are you any good?”

  “I’m great. I could sketch something for you if you’d like.”

  “Could you sketch me?” she asked.

  He was speechless, so he just nodded.

  And so they started spending time together. He’d steal out of the house to meet her in the nearby forest. She said that it was easier away from the crowds of town. And it would give them the space and privacy to finish the painting.

  His family never noticed what he was doing unless they were looking for him to do some chore. So it was easy for him to spend hours and hours away.

  And in the course of this painting, they fell in love.

  He loved her under a new moon sky, lit only by stars. And that night, he asked her to marry him. When she accepted, he brought her home to meet his family and they laughed at him. They said there was no way a lady so beautiful would want to be with him. He was so homely and nervous and mediocre. His head was always in the clouds instead of trying to get an appointment that would make his family proud.