Legend [YEONBIN] ✓

twenty-one ; yeonjun

School was torture. Well, more intense torture than normal.

Soobin sat across the aisle, face worn, purposefully ignoring me. But at least he’d come back to class. I made note of his sallow skin and sweaty brow. It worried him. He’d told me gumiho couldn’t get sick. So what was making him look so pale?

I stewed over it as I walked back from the school store with Huening Kai, arms loaded with snacks. Then I stopped short, noticing Soobin walking down the hall. He saw me, then swerved right, entering the restroom. Obviously avoiding me.

“He’s still ignoring you?” Huening asked.

“What are you talking about?” I failed miserably at playing dumb.

“Everyone knows.” Huening shrugged. “There’s a bet about when he’ll break up with you.”

“You can’t end something that’s never begun,” I said as I positioned myself to wait outside the bathroom. “Here, take my snacks back to the room for me, will you?”

Huening took the bags of chips and candy, wished his friend luck, and continued on to class.

“What are you doing out here? Being a perv?” Choi Lia stuck her nose in the air as she pushed open the door.

“Last I checked, this wall was open to the public.”

Lia rolled her eyes and let the door close in his face.

Another two minutes passed before I gave up, annoyed. What was I doing? Waiting out here just to get yelled at or ignored, or worse.

I had started to leave when I heard a shout from inside. I pushed open the bathroom door in time to see Lia shove Soobin so hard he slammed into the tile wall where there is a small hallway dividing the male and female restroom.

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

Soobin didn’t answer. His head hung low so his bangs covering his eyes.

“Ya! Did you hear what I said, gay?” Lia shoved Soobin into the wall again; this time his 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 boy?”

Beomgyu stood in the corner, looking at them calmly. He acted as if nothing was amiss in the small hallway.

“What are you doing?” I asked. Three of them glanced up at me.

“Oh shut up, Choi Yeonjun. I know you have a thing for him, you both gays.” Lia sneered. “Has he told you about why he got kicked out of his old school? He’s an attempted murderer.”

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

“What? Im just going out in boy's restroom when I heard Lia’s voice.” Beomgyu’s eyes widened.

“You should have stopped this,” I said.

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

I didn’t know what to say to that, but I didn’t get a chance to reply as Beomgyu shoved past me and stormed out.

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

Lia huffed indignantly, but she still slunk out, avoiding my eyes as she left.

I inspected Soobin for injuries.

“Are you hurt?” I fix his messy hair.

He shoved my 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.”

Soobin’s eyes darted to the side nervously.

“Don’t worry, she won’t come back,” I reassured him.

A small whimper escaped Soobin’s throat, and his shoulders began to shake. His eyes moved right and left like he followed invisible shadows I couldn’t see.

I frowned. I worried the blow to his skull had confused him. Could gumiho get concussions?

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

“What’s true?”

“That boy. He thought I stole his girlfriend. She dumped him because sh thought she was in love with me, stupid human girl.” His expression soured. Still a flash of heat burst in my chest, the fleeting embrace of jealousy.

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

I kept silent. I knew he needed to get his story out. My halmeoni always said things like this were better out than in.

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

“What happened to him?” I asked, trepidation thickening my words.

“He survived,” I said. “I don’t murder innocents.” He eyed me, his face pinched in defense. It spoke volumes. It told me no one had ever taken his 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?” Soobin’s voice rose.

I hesitated. “I don’t know,” I 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,” he said. “I never pretended to be.” His voice cracked in desperation.

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

“Don’t say that.” Soobin’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.”

I had come to realize Soobin cared, about everything. He was someone who killed to live, but he had a soft heart. It must have torn him apart that his very existence caused pain for others. And knowing that, Im hurt for him even as I didn’t know how to help him.

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

“Who?” I asked, desperate to understand him, convinced if I could, then I could finally help.

Soobin huffed out a breath, tears brimming, but he never let them fall, so complete was him need for control.

His phone buzzed and he glanced down at the text. Then without another glance at me, he pushed past me and out the door.