Chapter 31
When they pulled into Grace’s drive, a Sprite-can green convertible was parked out front. And Zoe was lounging on the front porch, sipping from an extra-large iced latte.
For a second, Grace considered just shifting into reverse and running away. But she knew Zoe was just as likely to give chase. Plus, it would be nice to have a non-god here to dilute the intense awkwardness she was feeling around both Hae and Yuhwa.
They’d been bickering since leaving the restaurant.
But Hae, also spotting Zoe, gave a little wave. “Great, Zoe will agree with me.”
“That bread is the best invention of modern society?” Yuhwa scoffed as she hopped out of the car first.
“It’s at least in the top three,” Hae grumbled.
Zoe stood as they all approached. “Gracie, I’ve been texting you! What’s the point of having a phone if you don’t answer?”
“Sorry, you know I don’t like driving and…” She trailed off as her friend’s eyes widened. They were no longer looking at Grace, but just beyond her shoulder with a slack-jawed expression.
“Zo? You okay?”
“Yeah.” A smile bloomed on their face. “I’m absolutely amazing now.” They made a beeline for Yuhwa. “Hey, I’m Zoe. I’m assuming you’re not human, because you’re goddess levels of hot.”
“Good eye.” Yuhwa grinned, taking Zoe’s offered hand and holding on instead of giving it a perfunctory shake.
“So, you’re just fine telling everyone you’re a god?” Grace asked, still feeling unsettled after the bizarre meal at Asia House.
“Well, it’s what I am,” Yuhwa said.
“Yeah, but people these days might not react the same way you’re used to.”
Yuhwa grinned kindly at Grace. “Yes, I know. But the ones I share myself with are chosen carefully.”
“You can share whatever you want with me.” Zoe sent Yuhwa a wink.
Grace wasn’t sure how she felt about her very mortal friend openly flirting with a goddess. But, then again, Zoe flirted with whomever they liked.
“Can we focus?” Hae said, glowering at the scene. He seemed upset that he was no longer the object of Zoe’s flirtations.
“On what?” Zoe asked, curiosity pulling them away from their admiration of Yuhwa.
Grace glanced around. “Let’s go inside to talk.”
As she unlocked the front door, everyone obediently took off their shoes.
“Nice place,” Yuhwa said, looking around. “Where’s your dad?”
“He’s at the hospital.” Still, she walked straight through the kitchen and out the back to the pool house.
It felt like the place to have this conversation.
Even though Grace wasn’t worried about her father showing up, it had now become habit.
Like the pool house was their headquarters for all things godly.
Haechi was delighted with more visitors, jumping onto Yuhwa immediately. Grace started to grab the dog when Yuhwa let out a delighted laugh, allowing Haechi to lick her face before gently pushing him down.
“So you’re saying Yuhwa’s dad summoned monsters?” Zoe summarized Grace’s explanation.
“My father, a very powerful water god,” Yuhwa clarified.
“So…what do you do to fight a powerful water god?” Zoe asked, looking around the room.
“Great question,” Grace said.
“First things first, I’m going to hunt down the sonnimne. We need to know how many there are and how feral they’ve become,” Yuhwa said, scratching Haechi behind the ears.
“Become?” Zoe asked. “Weren’t they always monsters?”
“The sonnimne weren’t inherently evil before. Their actions were based on the reception of humans. But it seems my father has somehow infected them with his fury. So it is my burden to stop them. He is my father, after all.”
And what about Grace’s burden for bringing Habaek back? She felt like the guilt was chewing at her insides like rats.
“But what about Mrs. Moon’s ritual?” Grace asked. “Seems safer than hunting them down. Could that stop them?”
“I don’t think it will.” Yuhwa shook her head. “Not in the state they’re in now.”
“All right. Enough talking, let’s go.” Hae started for the door when Yuhwa slapped a hand against his chest.
“You’re not coming.”
“Like you can stop me,” Hae scoffed.
Yuhwa lifted a brow and pushed him. He sprawled onto the floor with a grunt. Haechi immediately pounced on him, only to be pushed away by an annoyed Hae.
“Right now,” she said, “I could. You’re still weakened from fighting off the sonnimne at the carnival.”
“Fine.” Hae glowered as he stood again. He didn’t quite meet anyone’s eyes as he brushed imaginary dust from his pants.
Grace was surprised at his easy capitulation. He always argued about every little thing with Grace. Was it because it was Yuhwa?
“I’ll scout the town and see if I sense anything off,” Yuhwa said, getting up.
“I can give you a ride,” Zoe said, jumping up too.
Yuhwa looked uncertain, but Zoe linked their arms together. “Don’t worry. I will just be your human chauffeur. I won’t get out of the car or try to confront creepy smallpox monsters. I have a very healthy sense of self-preservation. Right, Gracie?”
Grace reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Zoe doesn’t even like to participate in gym class. Says teenagers shouldn’t be trusted with projectiles.”
“See? I’m the safest person out there.”
“I don’t know if I’d say that,” Grace said. But it didn’t matter anyway, because Zoe was tugging Yuhwa out the door. Probably already thought of this as their first date. Haechi followed them out, letting out happy barks like he thought they’d let him tag along.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Grace wondered, watching them go. An unhappy Haechi was left to whine just inside the gate as Zoe latched it.
“What?” Hae asked. “Letting Zoe tag along with Yuhwa? Or the heavy flirtation between the two?”
“Both.”
“Yuhwa is strong. She won’t let anything happen to your friend.”
“Yeah.” Grace told herself they would be fine. But, as always, she couldn’t completely stop the anxiety.
“I can’t believe she just left me behind,” Hae complained, starting to pace the room.
“You need to rest,” Grace said.
“I didn’t used to. This new body is just so weak.” Hae glowered down at it, and Grace took a bit of personal offense. After all, she’d pretty much been the de facto designer of the form he was criticizing.
“Well, do you know of any way to get stronger faster?” Grace asked.
“My sword,” Hae said automatically. “My full powers.”
“Okay, other than those two things. There has to be something else we can try, because you’re starting to wear out the floor.”
Hae stopped pacing, lifting his foot to look at the carpet beneath his socks. “It doesn’t look any different than earlier.”
“It’s just an expression,” Grace said. She didn’t know why she even bothered. “I thought you had memories of this world. How come you don’t understand some stuff still?”
“I told you, my memories are limited.” Hae finally flopped onto the couch to stare at the ceiling. “I only saw what you chose to show me.”
“I wasn’t choosing.” Grace let it go. She was starting to learn it wasn’t worth bickering with Hae over these small things. “What was it like? Seeing those scenes?”
“They felt real. Like actual memories. When I was in…”
When he broke off, she leaned in, curiosity getting the better of her. “When you were where?”
“Nothing.” Hae stood to start pacing again.
Grace stepped in his path to stop him. “Why do you keep doing that?”
“I’m not doing anything.”
Because he was so opposed to lying, he wasn’t very good at it. Grace saw right through him.
“Was it bad? The place you were?”
He narrowed his eyes at Grace. Then, to her surprise, he nodded.
“Then you don’t have to tell me.”
“What?” His eyes shot to hers, surprised.
“I don’t want to force you to relive something that hurts you.” Who knew better than Grace that holding on to past hurt just prolonged the pain, stopping you from moving forward. Best to not let it fester.
“Really?” Hae asked, the question softer this time. His head tilted slightly as he eyed her. Not one of those invasive, too-close stares. But she inched away all the same, because this one made her feel like she was an oddity that he was puzzling over.
She thought desperately for a safe change of topic when her eyes fell onto her tablet. “So, uh, what do you remember from the webtoon?”
Hae pondered that a minute. “I remember your school library. The version in the webtoon. I was searching for something when I found Yuhwa on a ladder.”
“She lost her balance and you caught her. Classic K-drama scene.” Grace grinned, remembering it. It had been borderline fan fiction, but she couldn’t help it. She loved a good drama trope.
“And you gave me heart palpitations.”
“Yeah, because you liked her.” Grace frowned at the thought. Hae had said he was worried about Yuhwa flirting with Zoe. Was it because he was jealous?
“You’re wondering if I have more than just webtoon Haemosu’s memories, aren’t you?”
“No.” Grace tried to laugh off his astute observation.
“Would it bother you?” He studied her curiously. “If I loved Yuhwa the way comic Haemosu does?”
Grace snorted dismissively. “Why would that bother me? You can like whoever you want to like.”
And now, just as when Hae lied, she heard the fib in her own voice. Damn it. She hoped Hae hadn’t picked up on it.
But as he stepped closer with a grin spreading on his handsome face, she knew he knew.
“Fine.” She huffed. “Maybe it bothers me. But only because I don’t like the idea of forcing anyone to feel anything against their will. I’m not a god.”
“No, you’re not.” Hae inched forward another step. “But even gods wouldn’t be able to force someone to feel something against their will.”
“Glad to know there’s a limit to god powers.” Grace avoided Hae’s patented intense stare.
“Still, the way you write about me. It is a little unsettling,” Hae said, and even though she wouldn’t look at him, she knew he still watched her.