POISONED YOUTH: TWISTED

CHAPTER 17

Dragging her feet toward the school benches was an exhausted Na Yeoreum.

She had arrived late to first period, received a warning from her professor, almost tripped over a rock on her way out, and now had absolutely no energy left.

She dropped herself into the empty space beside the two girls sitting on the bench.

Both were staring at her. Banana milk straws remained between their lips as they watched their friend with matching expressions of confusion.

Naih nudged Yeji and tilted her head toward the newly arrived short-haired girl.

Yeji sighed. She snapped her fingers in front of Yeoreum's face.

Yeoreum flinched and blinked several times.

"What's with you?"

The question immediately made Yeoreum's shoulders slump.

Her lips formed a small pout.

"Donghyuck doesn't want to talk to me."

"He– what!?" Naih nearly shouted.

Yeji quickly reached over and grabbed her arm. "Calm down."

Yeoreum let out a distressed sigh before stabbing the straw into her own strawberry milk and taking a long sip.

"I mean, I just wanted to ask him how he slept, and then he replied with a..." She paused, imitating his deep voice with an exaggerated expression. "'Fuck off.'"

She rolled her eyes.

"What's so bad about that?"

"Um..." Yeji scratched her cheek. "Nothing, but... how did you even talk to him?"

"Telepathy."

Both girls froze.

Yeji's jaw dropped.

Naih's mouth fell open as well.

"Dude!" Yeji exclaimed. "It took me a year to discover telepathy!"

"Cool." Naih sighed, glancing down at her own leaf-shaped tattoo. "I haven't even met mine yet."

Yeji immediately softened. "Oh, sweetie. You will. You'll get there eventually. Fate will do the work."

She looked back at Yeoreum. "But, yeah... I guess he just had a bad day."

"Then every day must be a bad day for him," Yeoreum grumbled. "What's his problem?"

She pushed herself off the bench, startling both girls.

"I'll be in the classroom."

She stomped away, and both girls watched her disappear.

"Um... are you sure she's angry?"

"I don't think so." Yeji frowned. "Yeoreum isn't someone who gets angry easily."

She paused.

"Maybe it's secondhand anger?"

Naih stared after Yeoreum. "Soulmate bonds are crazy."