OUR HEARTBEAT [BEOMJUN] ✅

twenty

Wednesday, after school, I saw Soobin heading for the recording studio. I weaved my way through the crush of bodies in the hallway, trying to reach him before he got into the room. He hadn’t been in podcasting class today but he was obviously showing up for lab. He had just reached the door when I finally caught up with him.

“That’s what you call a truce?” I asked. The words had been stewing in my chest for too long now. Maybe I should’ve just confronted him after lab. I had this notion that this would be more private. It didn’t feel private, as my outburst made several heads turn.

“What do you mean?” he said calmly, reaching for the knob on the door.

I took him by the arm and dragged him around the first corner and beneath the stairs.

“If you wanted to be alone with me, Beom, all you had to do was ask.”

“Don’t be stupid.” I lowered my voice. “Why did you do it?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“I’m too tired for this. I literally just got back from a five-hour bus ride,” he said.
“What? What is it that I’m supposed to know?”

Even if he wasn’t involved in the actual “prank” on my marina, his family would’ve heard about the report we filed. The fact that he was playing innocent just irritated me more. “Did you think it was funny? Was it supposed to be some truce joke?”

“Oh, is this about the pictures? Talk to Arin about those.”

“The pictures?” I asked, my anger making way for confusion.

“On the website. Of you and Sieun.”

“There are pictures on the website of me and Sieun?”

“Like I said, talk to Arin.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Are we done here?”

“What? No, no, we are not done here. I’m talking about the stunt you pulled at the marina Saturday morning.”

His expression was utterly clueless. He was either the world’s best actor or telling the truth. Was he telling the truth?

“Look, here’s Arin now. Take up the picture issue with her,” he said as if this was still about the pictures. He reached out and pulled Arim in to join us.

“Ooh, a secret rendezvous under the stairs,” she said. “What are we talking about?”

“Tell Beomgyu the pictures were your idea,” Soobin said.

“You told her?” Arin asked.

“He already knew,” he said.

“I did not know!” I cried. “I still don’t know.”

“Don’t kill me,” Arin said. She linked one arm through mine and one through Soobin’s and led us back toward the recording studio.

“I’m not done with him.” We walked a few more steps, then I said, “Wait, what pictures?”

“We put your picture and Sieun’s picture on the website. We thought it added a personal touch.”

“Which pictures?”

“Your school picture,” Arin said.

“The world’s worst picture of me?”

“We also added a candid Soobin took while you guys were recording the podcast last week.”

“Consider it our gift to you,” Soobin said smugly.

“I’m kind of tired of your gifts,” I mumbled as we walked through the door.