Monday had arrived pretty soon and now it was time for Jihoon to go back to the one place he hated the most.
School.
Miss Chae quieted the class to start homeroom. As the kids settled, she didn't launch into morning announcements as was the usual routine. Instead, she cleared her throat and glanced at something written in her notebook. "We have a new transfer student today, Shane Kensington."
She gestured to the open door.
A boy walked into the room. He had green, almost jade coloured eyes and black hair that was longer than the rest. He was dressed in the school's uniform but it was clear that this person was not from Korea.
Jihoon glanced at the boy, he seemed almost familiar.
And that's when reality struck him.
He half rose from his seat at the shock of seeing her. The dozens of times he'd thought of the grim reaper over the weekend, he never imagined he'd do anything as boring as attend school. Let alone his school.
In the sunlight his face was striking. All angles and planes, a straight nose, and dark eyes framed with long lashes and curving brows. The girls in the room sat up straighter like they were all puppets with their strings suddenly pulled tautly.
"Introduce yourself." Miss Chae invited Shane.
"My name is Shane Kensington." he bowed. "My sister and I recently moved to Seoul. Please take good care of me." It was the generic introduction of any new transfer student, but the way she said it held an edge of warning: Stay away from me. His eyes were hard as they swept over the room. Jihoon waited for them to find him. But he didn't even pause when he saw him.
"I think I'm in love," Seojun whispered. Like Jihoon, he preferred men than women.
"Stop drooling." Jihoon didn't spare his friend a glance. He was too busy staring at Shane, who refused to meet his gaze.
"You may sit by Park Minjae," Miss Kwon said.
Shane took his seat, keeping her head down and completely thwarting Jihoon's attempts to catch his eye. Miss Kwon finished the morning announcements as the bell rang.
As soon as she left, the room erupted into chatter. While the teachers moved from classroom to classroom for each period, the students gained a few minutes of freedom to gossip and eat forbidden snacks previously hidden away.
Jihoon usually used the break for the latter, but this time he pushed back from his desk, stepping toward Shane, he wanted to confirm his doubts.
He was beaten to the punch by Kim Daniel.
"Transfer student," Daniel eyed Shane, his eyes quick.
Kim Daniel was the bully of the school. He was handsome in the traditional way- classic oval face, perfect nose, and rosebud lips. His straight bangs perfectly styled, his shirt perfectly pressed. He reminded Jihoon of the Ken dolls they put on for show if dolls had judgmental eyes and sharp tongues. Jihoon had gotten into quite a lot of fights with Daniel, however, Daniel stayed away from them because Jihoon and Minjae put up a pretty good fight.
"Where'd you transfer from?"
It took Shane so long to answer, it seemed he intended to ignore the question. Finally, she said, "Australia"
"The whole country?"
"Adelaide" Another clipped answer.
"I have cousins in Adelaide." Daniel smiled, but it held no kindness.
"Hey Aussie, you're pretty ugly, did you get plastic surgery to get that special ugliness? I thought Aussies were good looking."
Jihoon rolled his eyes at the barb. Daniel went to great lengths to provoke students. And when they would attack him, he would act innocent and get away with it, since his daddy was some rich person. He saw Shane's hands clamp, two tight fists folded together. He wondered if he did that to save Daniel from a well-deserved punch in the mouth.
"Do you need something, Daniel?" Minjae asked, and half the class stopped their conversations. Some settled in for the show.
Daniel squirmed under Minjae's stare Jihoon didn't usually find pleasure in other people's discomfort, but he felt a grim sense of satisfaction as Daniel's eyes darted back and forth between Minjae and Shane. he seemed torn between playing with his new target and preserving his own skin. Everyone seemed to be scared of Minjae.
Daniel looked at Minjae and Jihoon couldn't help but think he'd made the wrong choice. "I'm saying hello to the new transfer."
"Well, you said it. You should sit before the teacher gets here."
"Sure, whatever." Daniel shrugged, a jerky movement filled with nerves. Everyone knew better than to cross Minjae.
"I didn't ask for your help,"Shane said, his Korean thickly accented; and heads across the room turned to stare in surprise.
"Excuse me?" Minjae asked, and Jihoon got the impression of two powerful forces pushing against each other.
"From now on, keep out of my business." Shane spoke in a low voice but easily heard in the silent room.
Jihoon watched Minjae clench his jaw, like he held back a biting retort. But he knew him. He rarely succeeded in curbing her temper. It was as if the whole class held their breath, waiting for the thick tension in the air to break.
Instead, the door opened and the math teacher, Mr. Hong, entered.
• • •
Jihoon watched Shane throughout the class.
he sat a row up and across the aisle from him. His hand took quick notes as the teacher lectured. His face looked so similar to the grim reaper he had seen then, but then that time he had red eyes.
Jihoon scribbled a quick note and leaned into the aisle, casting a furtive glance at Mr. Hong. The teacher was watching two kids try to solve problems at the board, tapping a split bamboo branch on his palm. He liked to crack it against desks when kids fell asleep, and Jihoon knew that before corporal punishment was outlawed in schools,
Mr. Hong would have used it directly on the kids.
"Ya," Jihoon whispered.
Shane's hand stopped writing, but he didn't look over. Jihoon tossed the paper. It hit the edge of Shane's desk and fell to the floor. Shane continued taking notes as if nothing had happened.
"Ya," Jihoon said again, his voice the urgent gravel of a whispershout.
A foot dropped on top of the note, and Jihoon grimaced as the teacher picked it up.
"Shane Kensington, it apparently seems like Park Jihooon would like you to meet him after class," Mr. Hong said. It earned muffled laughter from the other kids.
"The two of you, follow me outside."
In the hallway, they sat on their knees, their hands raised in the air.
A punishment they'd have to continue until the class period was over.
Already, Jihoon's arms ached.
"You should have caught it," he said.
Shane ignored him, staring straight ahead.
"About the other night in the woods—"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Miyoung interrupted him.
"But—"
"I just moved here. I don't know the country. Why would I be in the woods?" Shane's face was set, his eyes clear.
'Maybe I am mistaken.' Jihoon told himself.
He started to speak again. Mr. Hong tapped on the glass and mouthed, No talking. Jihoon lowered his head and tried to ignore the ache in his shoulders.
The bell rang, a shrill noise that broke the silence and marked the time for gym. It hurt to lower his arms after holding them up for so long. When Jihoon stood, his legs trembled, the pricks of a thousand needles creating a shiver of pain.
As he struggled to his feet, a group of girls descended upon Shane, who didn't seem to have any issues shaking off the physical effects of the punishment.
"Your face is so small. You could be a model," one of them cooed.
"I'm jealous."
"Your skin is so clear. What is your skin care routine?" asked another.
"I don't have any," Shane replied, his voice cold and dismissive. The other girls didn't seem to get the hint as they continued to pepper her with questions.
"Park Jihoon." One of the girls zeroed in on him. "Hitting on the transfer on her first day? It's so unlike you."
Jihoon shrugged by way of answer. "I am the resident gay guy, Erin, what can you expect?" he laughed it off.
"Does Minjae know you're crushing on the transfer?" Jihoon glanced over to see Shane's reaction, but realized he'd taken this opportunity to disappear.
"Minjae knows you're talking about him behind his back. You are sick people, why do you think I would have something with my own brother?" Minjae stepped out of the classroom, his arms crossed. The girls jerked upright, like army privates faced with their colonel.
"You should change for gym class," he said. The girls nodded and scurried away.
"Brother , if you keep doing that, no one will ever talk to us again." jihoon threw an arm around his shoulder in a light choke hold. The movement was more to support his still-weak legs than anything else, but no one had to know.
"Is that a bad thing?" Minjae jabbed him in the side so he loosened his grip. "What did you want with the transfer?"
"Just trying to be friendly," Jihoon said. He didn't want to discuss the confusing mystery that was Shane Kensington right now.
"I don't like him. He's rude."
"You don't like him because he's not afraid of you," Seojun said, joining them.
"No one cares about your opinion," Minjae said, and the two began to bicker.
"Come on." Jihoon threw his other arm around Seojun's shoulders, turning the three of them into a unit. "You can work off that extra energy in gym."