Vicious Spirits

by Kat Cho

  SOMIN SQUINTED AGAINST the sun as she stepped outside and students spilled from the school.

  Junu had declared that it was a crime for them all to stay inside on such a beautiful day. And gathered everyone to bring them out for dinner before they had to come back to school to study well into the night. Such was the life of a high school senior in South Korea.

  “I don’t know if I should leave,” Changwan said, glancing around nervously at the other students. Most of them were first- or second-years. Almost every third-year was still cooped up inside.

  “If you’re hungry, then you can’t concentrate. It’s basic science,” Junu said, throwing an arm around Changwan’s shoulders.

  Somin rolled her eyes. “I hate to admit he’s right,” she said.

  Changwan and Jihoon stared at her. “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day,” Jihoon said.

  “What? You’re surprised she agrees with me?” Junu threw his other arm around Somin, and she tried to hide her smile. “You know, I am a pretty smart guy. Somin recognizes that.”

  “I never said I thought you were smart,” Somin said. “I said that you said one right thing out of a million wrong things I’ve heard you say. That’s not really a great percentage.”

  “It’s pretty much a failing grade,” Miyoung piped up with a smile.

  Junu shook his head. “I have no allies. I’m outnumbered.”

  “I’m your ally, Hyeong,” Changwan said, forgetting his previous trepidation about leaving campus.

  “You’re all I have, Changwan-ah.” Junu sighed.

  Somin’s stomach chose that moment to growl. “Come on, I’m starved. And you promised food.” She grabbed Junu’s hand and jogged down the school stairs. She didn’t stop until they were outside the school gates.

  “Trying to get some alone time with me?” Junu asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Somin just laughed.

  “No. It’s like I said, I’m hungry.”

  “Sure,” Junu said, stepping toward her again. She stepped back only to collide with the security wall. “Be honest,” Junu said, leaning closer. And Somin’s lips parted in anticipation. Then he whispered, “Tell me what you and Hyuk talked about.”

  “Ya!” Somin said, smacking him on the head.

  He laughed as he backed up, rubbing a hand on his head just as the others rounded the corner.

  “I see you still haven’t learned your lesson when it comes to teasing Somin,” Miyoung said, but there was a knowing glint in her eyes.

  She looped her arms through both Jihoon’s and Changwan’s and started leading them up the street.

  “What about Junu and Somin?” Changwan asked, craning his neck around.

  “They’ll catch up,” Miyoung said, tugging them along.

  Junu turned back to Somin with a smile. “You really won’t tell me?”

  “It’s private,” Somin said. “The mortal world might depend on it.”

  “Oh really?” Junu asked, a playful grin spreading across his face. “I bet I can get it out of you.”

  “You’ll have to be really convincing,” she said, looping her arms around his neck.

  “What do you have in mind?” Junu asked, leaning in until his lips were a centimeter from hers.

  “I have a few ideas,” Somin said. “But I’m really bad at explaining things. So I’ll just have to show you.”

  Then she pressed her lips to his, humming in appreciation. And she welcomed the tingles that started in her toes and ran up her spine.

  “Ya! Hurry up, you two!” Jihoon yelled from down the street.

  Somin laughed at Jihoon’s exasperated voice.

  “So I spoke to my mother,” she said as they started after their friends, hand in hand.

  “Really?” he asked. “What about?”

  “I told her I wanted to apply to some colleges abroad.”

  Junu stopped walking. “Really?”

  “Yeah,” Somin said. “I figured if Jihoon gets into college, he’ll probably stick around this area, so it’s not like he needs me around when he has Miyoung and my mother. Changwan’s father has been throwing around the idea of sending him to Jeju-do to get work experience in their company factory before college, so he’ll be off on that adventure. And I just started to think about what I wanted.” She was rambling now, but Junu was just staring at her. She felt nervous suddenly, telling him this.

  Then a smile broke free and he asked, “Well? What did she say?”

  Somin grinned. “She said she thought it was a great idea.” Was this real contentment? Being able to share good news with someone she loved. Procrastinating from studying to go eat with friends. Stealing kisses in the street. Such simple things that turned out to be everything.

  “So where are we applying?” Junu asked.

  “We?” Somin said as they approached the others, who waited in front of the restaurant.

  “Well, I’ve been thinking,” he said, hauling her close until she stood in the circle of his arms again. “I haven’t traveled in a while.”

  “Is that so?” Somin asked. “Well, I might have a few suggestions.” And she lifted onto her tiptoes to kiss him.

  “Oh, come on,” Jihoon said with a groan. But she didn’t care. She wanted to hold on to this feeling. This love. It was so new she didn’t know if it would last. She didn’t know who they’d be in a month or a year. But a good friend had once told her not to worry about who they’d be a year from now.

  Right now, he was what was right for her.

  And right now, everyone she loved was happy.

  Somin knew how rare that could be. So she’d appreciate what she had in this moment. And if she needed someone to stand with her in a storm, she knew who to call.

  GLOSSARY

  -ah / -ya (-아 / -야) informal name-ending implying the speaker is close to the person they are addressing

  abeoji (아버지) father

  ajumma (아줌마) middle-aged woman

  appa (아빠) dad, daddy

  babo (바보) fool

  Baektu (백두산) an active stratovolcano on the Chinese–North Korean border; at 2,744 meters (9,003 feet), the highest mountain of the Changbai and Baekdudaegan ranges; Koreans assign a mythical quality to the volcano and its caldera lake, considering it to be their country’s spiritual home

  bangmangi (방망이) a large club carried by a dokkaebi that is used as a weapon, but also has the power to materialize anything one wishes

  bbeongchiji ma (뻥치지마) slang for “don’t lie to me”

  bujeok (부적) talisman created by a shaman or monk, often used for luck, love, or to ease stress (see Notes)

  byeontae (변태) pervert, weirdo

  chonggak dokkaebi (총각도깨비) handsome “bachelor goblin” that is known to attract humans

  daebak (대박) awesome, amazing

  dokkaebi (도깨비) goblin; legendary creatures from Korean mythology that possess extraordinary powers and abilities used to interact with humans, at times playing tricks on them and at times helping them

  emo (이모) aunt; sister of your mother

  eomeoni (어머니) mother

  eomma (엄마) mom, mommy

  eomuk (어묵) Korean fish cakes

  gaesori (개소리) bullshit

  gi (기) human energy, also known as qi, chi, or ji in other East Asian cultures

  gu (九, 구) nine

  Guksabong (국사봉) a mountain of Gyeongsangbuk-do, eastern South Korea, with an elevation of 728 meters (2,388 feet); its name can be transcribed in Chinese characters in various ways, according to the related stories: 國思 means “national concern,” 國祀 means “state ritual,” and 國師 means “state preceptor,” a high government post given to eminent Buddhist monks

  gumiho (구미호) literally “nine-tailed fox,” a mythical, immortal
fox that appears in the tales and legends of Korea

  gwishin (귀신) ghost

  halmeoni (할머니) grandmother

  hanja (한자) Korean word for Han Chinese characters that were adopted from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation

  harabeoji (할아버지) grandfather

  hyeong (형) older brother; also used for an older male the speaker is close to

  jeoseung saja (저승사자) Korean reapers that are often seen dressed in a billowing black robe and a gat, a black hat worn during the Joseon Dynasty (see Notes)

  jjigae (찌개) stew

  kimbap or gimbap (김밥) Korean dish made with rice, seaweed, and fillings such as meat and vegetables; the rice and fillings are rolled into the seaweed and sliced into small discs for ease of eating

  kimchi (김치) fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage or radishes, served as a side dish in Korean cuisine

  kkeojyeo (꺼져) fuck off

  maehwa (매화나무) Asian flowering plum tree, also called a maesil (매실나무) when emphasizing the fruit

  michin nom (미친놈) crazy bastard

  miyeokguk (미역국) seaweed soup, often served on a person’s birthday or to someone recovering from an illness

  mul gwishin (물귀신) water ghost

  ramyeon (라면) instant noodles

  saekki (새끼) or saekkiya (새끼야) literally “baby animal,” it’s often used as slang to mean “bastard” or “asshole,” though parents can use it as a term of endearment for their child as well (depending on context)

  sansin (산신) mountain god

  seolleongtang (설렁탕) beef bone soup

  Shin ramyeon (신라면) a brand of spicy ramyeon

  soju (소주) clear distilled alcohol usually made from rice, wheat, or barley

  suneung (수능) nickname for the College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT, given to third-years (seniors) in high school in Korea every November; on the test day, the stock markets open late and bus and subway service is increased to avoid traffic jams that could prevent students from getting to testing (see Notes)

  tteok-bokki (떡볶이) hot, spicy rice cake

  yeowu guseul (여우구슬) fox bead

  NOTES

  In South Korea, the school year is divided into two terms. The first term usually runs from March 2, unless it is a Friday or the weekend, to mid-July, with the summer vacation from mid-July to late August (elementary and secondary schools) or from mid-June to late August (higher education institutions). The second term usually runs until mid-February. Third-year high school students (equivalent to high school seniors in Western countries) all take the College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT (대학수학능력시험), often called the suneung exam, in November.

  When women in Korea marry, they do not take their husband’s surnames, thus the different surname for Somin’s mother (Moon, not Lee).

  In Korea, a person is one year old when they are born, and everyone turns a year older at the new year. Therefore, though Jihoon, Miyoung, and Somin think of themselves as nineteen years old, they are actually eighteen years old chronologically.

  Bujeoks contain letters or patterns that are believed to carry the power to chase away evil ghosts and prevent calamities. In Korean folk religion, amulet sheets are generally made by painting letters or pictures in red on a sheet of yellow paper. Nowadays, they are made with disassembled and combined letters written as abstract forms on a piece of paper. Bujeoks are often sought out before a big test or interview.

  In Korean mythology, jeoseung saja are reapers dispatched by King Yeomra, ruler of the underworld, to collect spirits of the recently deceased and lead them down Hwangcheon Road to the afterlife. In some myths, jeoseung saja were originally humans. The hero Gangrim Doryeong was ordered to capture King Yeomra, but instead became the first jeoseung saja.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thank you to everyone who helped me bring this duology to life!

  First, I’d like to thank my amazing and talented editor, Stacey Barney. She helped me sift through the muck of ideas that I’d originally cobbled together to try to make this book. She helped me make sense of my ramblings and create a story that I could be proud of!

  To my awesome agent, Beth Phelan. I could not have survived debuting and entering this industry without you. You’re more than just my agent, you’re my friend and my confidante, and I value you so much!

  To Vanessa DeJesús, thank you for all the work you put into getting my books out there and making some of my bucket-list author dreams come true!

  To Felicity and Shannon and all of the Penguin Teen crew! I love all the amazingly creative work you’re doing and look forward to every email from Felicity that starts with “So, I’m emailing because you’re willing to do weird stuff for social media . . .” (Also, sorry that I spend so long playing with the coffee machine every time I come by.)

  To everyone else at Penguin Random House, Keri, Caitlin, thank you so much for your support of Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits; it has meant the world to me!

  To my friends Rebecca Kuss, Deeba Zargarpur, Emily Berge, and Alexa Wejko. You literally helped me survive some of the most harrowing professional years of my life. It’s so hard to step into a new role, and you all made it so much better! I’d do it all again just so I could meet you and become friends!

  To my Chicago crew: Rena Baron, Ronni Davis, Samira Ahmed, Gloria Chao, Anna Waggener, Lizzie Cooke. Thank you for your constant support and friendship!

  To my friends Karuna Riazi and Nafiza Azad, you inspire me every day with your beautiful talent!

  To my NYC writing friends, Swati Teerdhala and Liz Lim, I’m always so happy when we get to catch up and talk books and writing! You are such wonderful WOC talents!

  To my writer cult: Janella Angeles, Erin Bay, Ashley Burdin, Alex Castellanos, Maddy Colis, Mara Fitzgerald, Amanda Foody, Christine Lynn Herman, Meg Kohlmann, Katy Rose Pool, Akshaya Raman, Tara Sim, Melody Simpson. We are legion, but it’s because we all truly adore and respect each other and that is such a precious thing! I can’t think of a group of writers I’d rather embark on this publishing journey with! You’re all destined for amazing things and I am excited I get a front-row seat!

  To my best friend and writer partner in crime, Claribel Ortega. I was so lucky to have you by my side as I debuted, and I feel honored I was able to see you debut this year as well! A good friend is someone who you can have fun with. A great friend is someone who supports you when you’re down. And family is someone who pushes you to be better even when you think you’ve reached the end of your tether. And you are all three of those things to me!

  To my cousin and fave author, Axie Oh. Thank you for always supporting me and my writing. Thank you for being a sounding board and for always wanting to make sure that we can be both great CPs and great cousins to each other! I love you!

  To my family, Halmeoni, Emo Helen, Uncle Doosang, Emo Sara, Uncle Warren, Uncle John, Aunt Heejong, Emo Mary, Uncle Barry. Thank you for always supporting me and being there for me!

  To my cousins, Adam, Alex, Saqi, Sara Kyoung, Wyatt, Jason, Christine, Kevin, Bryan, Josh, Scott, Camille, you’re the best family I could ever ask for, and I love you all so much!

  To Jim and Lucy, I love you!

  To my sister and my person, Jennifer Magiera. You are my favorite person in the world (well, tied with Lucy at this point). I could not have survived the last decade without you. You are so talented and smart and good, and I am so lucky to have a role model like you in my life. You will forever be my person. And I love you very much!

  To Mom and Dad. I love you. 보고싶어요.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped wh
en she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt.

  What’s next on

  your reading list?

  Discover your next

  great read!

  Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.

  Sign up now.