13. Seojun

CHAPTER 13

SEOJUN

H ow did my life get so weird?

How have I ended up tied to a guy who can't frown to save his life and makes me feel alive with a touch, let alone a kiss?

And how in the hell have I ended up in a Brooklyn apartment consoling a crying mess of a woman, surrounded by people who are acting as if the world has just ended?

Okay, to be fair, when Jack put it in my terms, it did sound terrifying. I don't know what I'd do if my apartment was taken from under my own feet, and I can't even begin to imagine where I'd end up without my signatures. But still. Can you compare being a supervillain to losing a job…as a teacher, no less. The whole profession is underpaid, undervalued, underappreciated, and overworked. They did her a favor by letting her go.

"You're better off without them, darling." I insist. Lily, a gorgeous blonde with hazel eyes and the biggest, roundest glasses I've ever seen, looks at me, all red and puffy. "What?"

Everyone is staring at me. Great. Now I'm the bad guy. I mean, I am the bad guy. I don't need them to act like it.

"You're right," Jack whispers and rubs my back.

Oh. So maybe I'm not being stared at because I'm bad. That's…different.

Annie smiles at me and squeezes my leg.

"Seojun is right. Do you want to work for those assholes anyway?" she tells her girlfriend, who shakes her head.

"I know they're assholes. I've hated the school board since they threw a hissy fit about you, but I love those kids. I was invested in their development and learning."

"I know, sweetheart," Zeke sits on the bed and wraps his arm around Lily. "But there's nothing we can do about that, unfortunately. Come work at my school. No one is a transphobic piece of shit there."

I tilt my head and stare at Zeke.

"Hang on. That's why they let you go? Because your girlfriend is trans?"

Lily nods.

"Why the hell are you crying then? This is not a crying matter. This is a get angry and break some shit matter."

Everyone stares at me again. Here we go again. Let's all glare at the bad guy.

"Seojun is right," Robin says. "Why are we sitting here? We should be suing their asses!"

"Oh, we don't have to get ugly like that," Annie says.

"Um…that's not ugly. What they did is."

"Yeah. Let's sue." Zeke fist pumps the air.

Jack chimes in too.

"But what if we lose?" Brandon asks from the corner of the room. I have no idea why he's standing there, but I forgot he was even here.

"That's simple. We don't lose," I offer.

"You guys. I'd love to sue. But with what money?" Lily asks.

"Mine!" I get up and spread my arms for the full effect.

"Yours?" everyone asks.

"What? Are you rich or something?" Zeke asks.

Annie slaps his leg. "Zeke! That's rude."

I shrug.

"Not at all. And yes. I can be rich."

It's been a while since I robbed a rich guy. I've let them get comfortable. And what better reason to get back in the game than to help fuck up some transphobes? Besides, I have a sidekick to pay now.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Robin asks.

Before I can answer, Jack drags me away and out of the room.

"What?" I ask.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't."

"That's kinda hard since, you know, the brain will just think things regardless."

"Don't play dumb."

I narrow my eyes.

"Are you saying you don't want to help your friend?"

"Of course I do."

"So…let me."

I start to turn around, but he grabs me by the wrist.

"What are you going to do?"

"That's for the Sinister Seomyeong to know, darling."

I wink at him and whip my phone out to call Kevin. He needs to find my next victim.

It doesn't take long to get the group back into good spirits and Lily out of bed. Robin and Zeke even start cooking dinner while the rest of us play Scrabble. I don't, however. I don't have any need to relive my disastrous spelling bee years. What do you mean Wednesday has a D in it? I call bullshit.

"Thanks for helping Lily," Annie whispers.

She sits beside me on the floor as I go through her VHS collection. I thought Gen Z didn't even know what tapes were, let alone collect them.

"I didn't help. Not yet."

Annie laughs, rolling her eyes.

"Of course you did. You changed the vibes in the room from sad to happy. The only other person I know who can do that is Jack."

I blow raspberries.

"I'm nothing like Jack."

She shrugs.

"You're more alike than you think. You make a good couple."

Had she said that yesterday, I would have dismissed her, but after last night…she might have a point.

Although he's still only with me because we're stuck together so that doesn't say much. I'm pretty sure when this whole ordeal is over, I'll never see him again. He might even throw me into prison himself.

"You're good for him," Annie says. "He deserves someone good for a change."

A little pang of guilt makes my chest throb. I'm not good, yet somehow, I've convinced these people.

"Why-why do you say that?"

"Well, you know about Denise, but…Jack's always struggled with partners."

"Why?"

What's there to struggle with? How can anyone dislike being with him? What reason could they possibly find?

"Being happy all the time is great, but it can have its downsides. Imagine being super pissed about something, and your boyfriend can't stop smiling and telling you it's not all that bad. Imagine not being able to have a proper fight because he always takes your side."

I roll my eyes.

"Seriously?"

I thought anyone would kill to have their partner always take their side.

"Oh, I know. It's silly, isn't it? But unfortunately, that's what his exes were like. When they weren't taking advantage."

I frown. "Advantage how?"

She glances at Jack on the couch. He's too absorbed by his tiles to pay us any mind, and Annie purses her lips.

"Because you can ask your happy boyfriend for anything, and he'll always think it's a good idea. Even when it's things like taking out a loan neither of you can afford."

I stare at Annie, my insides twisting, acid climbing up my throat.

"Really?"

She nods.

I turn to Jack and feel a sudden urge to break some shit. Who could ever take advantage of him? I mean, I know I am, but I'm cute and fair. Those women weren't. And they need to pay.

"Dinner's ready," Zeke calls out from the dining table, and everyone gets up.

"Are you okay?" Annie asks.

"Huh? Yeah. Why?"

She scans the air around me and purses her lips.

"Your aura. It…changed."

I frown.

"Changed. Changed how?"

"It's gone redder." She waves a hand in front of me and nods.

"What does that mean?"

She opens her mouth but closes it before she utters anything.

"Come on. Let's go eat." She links her arm to mine and drags me toward the dining table.

"Annie! What does it mean?"

"Don't concern yourself with that." She pats my hand. "It's all good. I think."

It's good that my aura changed when I started thinking about exacting revenge? I'm not so sure I agree, but Annie refuses to explain, and besides, with everyone gathered around the table, I don't want to probe any further and cause any sort of unwanted revelations.

"It all smells delicious." Jack sniffs the air as he takes a seat.

Everyone agrees, and he turns to me as if waiting for my opinion. He smiles.

I look into his eyes that look more familiar than they have any right to look, and I become more determined than ever to make anyone who's wronged him pay. Not just him. Everyone in this room.

Which is an odd feeling. I've never felt protective over anyone other than Omma and Min. I don't know what to make of it. I don't even know these people. I shouldn't feel this way. Like, at all.

"Yes. Delicious. But I will confirm once I try it." I pull the chair closer to the table and Zeke serves everyone individually.

There's creamy mac and cheese, roasted honey-glazed vegetables, Cobb salad, and steaks for anyone who eats meat. And yes, it all looks like it'll go down well.

And it sure does. Especially the steak and mac and cheese. And apparently, Zeke is a wine snob because he pairs everything with fabulous wine as if we're in a Michelin-star restaurant, so I can't complain. He even teaches us about the grapes and somehow I retain the information instead of it going into one ear and out the other.

Robin is all too excited for us to try their dessert when my phone rings.

I reach for it just as Robin puts a big slice of gooey chocolate cake in front of me and I literally salivate in a millisecond.

"Aren't you gonna get that?" Jack asks.

"Huh?" I turn to him, spoon already buried in chocolate and shooting straight for my mouth. "It's probably Kevin about the engagement party."

The entire table gasps, and I shove my mouth full of cake before the interrogation starts.

"Engagement party? You mean your engagement party?" Zeke asks.

"When is it?" Robin asks.

"And were you not going to invite us?" Lily chimes in.

Jack stares at me, unable to utter a word against me, and I can't because my mouth is full. If it were up to me, I'd keep it full for the rest of the day, but this whole situation is my fault, and I owe it to them. And to Jack.

I put my hand up and try to swallow as quickly as possible before I address them all. "It's not what it sounds like. Really."

"Really? What does it sound like? Because it sounds like our best friend has hidden a fiancé and now a party from his best friends." Zeke crosses his arms and stares right at me.

Oh great. We're back to me being the enemy. But I deserve it, so I can't be mad about it.

"It's not like that at all. We're…we're only doing it to shut up some work colleagues. We're not even anywhere close to getting married."

"Oh, is that the case?" Zeke arches an eyebrow, and I'm not sure if I've made things worse or not.

"You guys are more than welcome, of course. But honestly, it's not even going to be anything fancy."

"Of course we'll come," Annie says, staring at everyone else as if daring them to say otherwise. "We want to be there for our friend, even if it's a nothing party."

"That's it. A nothing party. Like you said," I tell her, and Jack awkwardly smiles at them.

I can't even imagine how much he hates me for what I'm putting him through. For the rift I'm causing between him and his friends. But he has an excuse, and if I have to, I'll tell them as such when all this is over. Preferably by email and from far, far away, where no one can find me, especially Jack. Because no matter how happy one can be, I'm sure forcing them to betray their friends' trust is something to be angry about.

Maybe Thailand. I haven't been in forever. It's nice this time of year.

"So, when is this nothing party?" Robin asks.