Senior year officially began. March used to be Jihoon's least favorite month as it meant the start of a new school year and the end of the short reprieve of winter break. But now school would be a good distraction from all the other places his brain wanted to go.
The first day of school was uneventful, exactly what he wanted, except he couldn't keep his mind off a certain grim reaper. It was a blur of teachers stressing that third year was not only their final year as high school students but the most important, as they would be taking the suneung exams.
Senior year also brought with it long nights where third-years would stay up well past midnight to study. A fate he'd always dreaded, but now grabbed on to like a lifeline. It was only at dinnertime that he left the school building to make his way to the hospital and see grandmother.
He was exiting the school with Seojun, who was headed to his after-school academy, when a black sports car sped into his path, causing him to jump back or risk being hit.
"Whoa, that car is so cool," Seojun said.
Jihoon frowned at his best friend, so easily won over by a sports car.
He moved to walk around the car, when the passenger door swung open and Shane stepped out.
"Shane-ssi!" Seojun exclaimed. Then his eyes slid toward Jihoon and he wiped the smile from his face. "When did you get back?" he asked in a more moderate tone.
"Not too long ago," Shane replied, a faint smile on his face. "It's good to see you, Seojun-ah."
Jihoon didn't have time to stick around for small talk. But before he could take a step, Shane moved into his path.
"Jihoon—" he began.
"Let me pass."
"No," Shane said. "I have something to talk to you about."
"I think I'll just go over there," Seojun mumbled, moving toward the car. Neither Jihoon nor Shane acknowledged him.
Jihoon tried to walk around him but the signal changed and he watched as the bus pulled up to the stop across the street.
Frustrated, but not wanting to talk to Shane, he took his anger out on the driver. He was surprised to see Eamon leaned against the hood now, explaining the features of his car to an enamored Seojun. If he were a cartoon, Seojun would have hearts in his eyes and Jihoon didn't know if it would be for the car or Eamon. His friend always got a large dose of hero worship when he saw someone he thought was cool.
"You shouldn't be speeding so close to a school. It's dangerous,"
Jihoon said to the time keeper.
"Are you with the police?" Eamon drawled.
Jihoon curled his lip in disgust, but then again he shouldn't be surprised that a someone like Shane didn't care about who he hurt.
"Why don't we give you guys a ride?" Shane said, obviously noting the longing in Seojun's eyes as he stared at Eamon's car.
"Seojun , isn't that your father's driver?" Jihoon said, pointing at a sedate (boring) black sedan parked at the curb. A man clad in a black suit stood beside it, watching them.
"Yeah." Seojun pouted, glancing back at the sports car, then let out a resigned sigh. "Rain check?"
"Sure, Seojun-ah," Shane said with a smile. He started to smile back but slid cautious eyes to Jihoon, then set his face into a somber expression.
"See ya," Seojun said, obviously trying to make the words clipped but just sounding nervous before he jogged over to his waiting driver.
"Jihoon?" SHane asked, and he realized he was waiting for him to respond to her offer of a ride.
"I'm fine. I'll take the bus." He moved to the curb to wait for the crosswalk signal to change.
"Can we talk first?" Shane asked.
He didn't reply, and when shane didn't continue, he realized he was waiting for Jihoon's permission to speak. "What?"
"I came back for a reason."
"I don't care unless you came back to save my grandmother."
"Well, you're in luck."
Jihoon noted the frustration in Shane's voice before he absorbed Shane's words. "Wait, what?"
Shane's face was an expressionless mask, giving up nothing. But he noticed sweat beading along his brow. He started to ask Shane if he was okay. Worry bloomed like bright flowers in his chest before he stomped them down. Shane wasn't any of his concern anymore.
"Okay, continue," he bit out.
"I came back to help, but I can't do that without your cooperation. Your grandmother's soul is terribly weakened."
"How do you know that?" Jihoon narrowed his eyes.
Shane pursed his lips, and Jihoon knew that answer. He'd been to see his grandmother without Jihoon's permission.
But he didn't want his anger to get in the way of things. So he held back from yelling at SHane . "So what does that mean? Her soul being weak."
"It means that she doesn't have enough energy to wake up again."
Jihoon didn't like the sound of that. Did this mean his grandmother would never wake up?
"She could wake up again," Shane said, as if reading his thoughts.
"In theory."
"And what does this theory require?"
"If we could figure out a way to get her soul to energize, then it could jump-start her body and she could wake up again."
"Good, where do we get that?"
"I'm still working through that."
"Take it from me," Jihoon said. "The soul."
"No," SHane said so vehemently that Jihoon stepped back.
"Why not?" Jihoon asked.
"It can't come from you. You're a boy."
Jihoon frowned, but he remembered something from his grandmother's books about the yin energy of women and the yang energy of men. It could be true, since so many other things were.
"So you'll let me help?" SHane asked.
Jihoon wanted to say yes. He wanted to grab Shane in a hug and thank him for returning. But something held him back. He remembered Minjae chastising him for having too much pride, but he couldn't set it aside. Shane's sister was the reason grandmother was sick in the first place. And then Shane had disappeared instead of facing it. He couldn't bring himself to fully forgive or trust him right now.
"I'll think about it," he said before crossing the road to wait for his bus.