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[The bruises on my shoulder never have a chance to fade.]
[…I’m sorry, Josh.]
[Why are you sorry? I’m just being childishly jealous because you dumped me.]
[Do you want me to buy you ice cream?]
Jiyu managed to ease her guilt only after she finally forced an ice cream into the hands of Joshua, who had adamantly declined, saying he was fine.
That night.
After receiving a text from Hunter telling her to come down to the treehouse immediately, Jiyu secretly slipped out of the Hamilton residence around nine o'clock.
For some reason, she felt a sense of déjà vu.
The story of Hunter Hamilton confessing his feelings to a girl in the cafeteria and getting rejected had been circulated like a legend among the students of the Upper East Side private schools for a while.
Hunter neither denied nor admitted it. As the rumor spread from mouth to mouth, it became exaggerated, and various theories emerged about the girl's identity.
At Aster School, Jiyu was called "Triple's Crush" instead of by her name.
Whenever she passed by, she could hear the whispers: "Ah, is that her?", "He liked that type?", "She's more mediocre than I thought."
Sometimes she wanted to scream, "My name isn't Triple's Crush, it's Olivia Parker!" However, being called "Hunter Hamilton's unrequited love" was far better than being called the "daughter of a Ponzi schemer" as she had been in the past, so she played dumb and kept her mouth shut.
Some boys even approached her, asking for her number. Among them were boys she had never seen in her life. It was obvious that half of it was curiosity, and the other half was a competitive desire to win over the girl who had rejected Hunter Hamilton.
Having heard about this from someone, Hunter began making frequent appearances at the Aster School cafeteria under various pretexts. Using the excuse of checking if Daisy was okay, he would appear at the school gates and follow Jiyu and Daisy from a few paces behind, as if monitoring them.
Still, Jiyu did not harbor the naive delusion that Hunter liked her.
The greedy Hunter had been the type since childhood to prevent other children from playing with toys he didn't even like. She knew better than anyone that he hadn't changed; he still snarled like an animal whose territory had been invaded if anyone touched his things.
However, things had nearly reached a breaking point when the clueless Steven Burlinsky asked her out in front of the school.
It was a day when Daisy had gone to a friend's house for a playdate, so there was no need to pick her up. The catalyst was that Jiyu hadn't ignored the text he sent asking to meet, but had instead sent a polite refusal.
Steven, who had been waiting for her in front of the school, was quite persistent. Every time Jiyu tried to avoid him, he moved in the same direction, blocking her path. When she told him in a firm voice to stop and tried to move another way, he gripped her wrist tightly.
[Let go, Steven!]
Just then, Hunter, who had just left the Alton School gates, saw the scene and crossed the street in the blink of an eye to stand before them.
He glared at Steven with a chilling gaze and a sneer. A hesitant Steven released Jiyu's wrist while glancing at him. Simultaneously, Hunter grabbed the back of Steven's school uniform collar. He then yanked him back so violently it looked as if he were choking him.
Steven was thrown back helplessly, landing hard on his backside.
[She said she hates you, you little piece of shit.]
Hunter had a menacing expression on his face, the kind only seen right before he was about to smash a racket in a fit of rage. Jiyu's body trembled at the premonition that something uncontrollable was about to happen.
Misinterpreting her trembling, Hunter's bright blue eyes flashed like a sky struck by dry lightning. Jiyu wasn't the only one who noticed that the fiery temper he had suppressed through countless repetitions of discipline and will had finally been ignited.
Students began to gather around, buzzing with excitement.
Hunter, spitting out Korean curses repeatedly, took a ragged breath and turned back toward Steven.
The 6'4" athlete Hunter Hamilton versus the 5'6" nerd Steven Burlinsky.
It was a situation where a one-sided assault was about to occur in front of numerous witnesses.
For an athlete, a record of school violence was akin to a death sentence. Whether it was college recruiters or professional sponsors, no one wanted a player involved in a violence scandal. No matter how exceptional their skill, they were the first to be avoided.
It was a moment where everything Hunter had painstakingly built was about to collapse over something trivial.
[Hunter!]
For the first time, Jiyu grabbed Hunter's hand in front of the other students. She was mindful of the surrounding stares, but if Hunter's future were ruined because of her, it would be like repaying Lauren's kindness—who had taken him in when he had nowhere to go—with enmity.
Hunter, who had been panting like a Doberman about to snap its leash and bolt, whipped his head around to look down at her hand. Then, he slowly raised his gaze.
As their eyes met, Jiyu shook her head desperately, pleading.
[Don't do it, Hunter. He's not worth it. Please, I'm begging you...]
Surprisingly, Hunter's gaze softened slightly. He lifted his chin a bit and let out a short, sharp breath. Then, taking a slow, deep breath, he met her eyes again.
Hunter gestured with his head toward Fifth Avenue and adjusted his grip on Jiyu's hand. Then, he pushed through the curtain of people surrounding them without hesitation.
With that, Hunter sealed the rumor that Jiyu was his crush. It became such an established fact that even Chloe wouldn't believe her, no matter how much she denied it.
That was the first and last time she walked hand-in-hand with Hunter.
Her heart pounded, and Hunter's hand was hot. Even when she tried to subtly pull away, he did not let go of her hand until they reached the apartment.
Just before entering the lobby, Hunter gestured with his eyes toward the corridor leading to the courtyard. Jiyu nodded silently and headed toward the courtyard, keeping a slight distance.
She had heard there were no tournaments that week, yet Hunter wrapped his arm around the nape of her neck and didn't let go for a long time. His kiss was filled with raw, explosive emotion.
Only after a long time, when that emotion scattered like a light mist, did he release her.
With her lips swollen, Jiyu left the treehouse first. This was because Hunter told her to go up first, saying he would follow shortly.
As she walked down the hallway, curious about what he was doing, she peeked through the window overlooking the courtyard. He was gripping the bar of the swing like a pull-up bar, doing pull-ups at a rapid pace.
For some reason, she felt that today, just like that day, she wouldn't be able to escape the treehouse for a long time.
The courtyard, usually quiet, was deserted after evening hours and once it grew dark. This was especially true in this kind of weather. Unlike the daytime, which felt fully like spring, the nighttime temperature was closer to winter.
Thump, thump. Hearing the sound of a tennis ball being thrown, it seemed Hunter had already arrived. Shivering in the cold wind sweeping through the courtyard, Jiyu hurried toward the treehouse.
Since they had agreed to date in secret, the two had maintained a strange relationship. They didn't go on formal dates, nor did they show affection in front of others. However, when they were alone, the atmosphere became quite sultry.
Hunter tried to kiss her at every opportunity. He mostly used the excuse of having a tournament, but since he went to play tennis almost every day, there was no way to know if it was true or not.
After they were nearly caught by Daisy, who had burst through the door while they were kissing in a corner of the basement tennis court, Jiyu declared a "no kissing at home" rule.
Hunter had flown into a rage, claiming he couldn't agree to such a unilateral rule, but once his anger subsided, he tried to persuade her persistently.
[You're a son of this house, so you're not at risk of being kicked out, but if your parents catch us, I might have to leave. They've been so kind to me; what would they think of me if they found me doing this with you in secret? Hunter, I already feel guilty.]
Only after Jiyu confessed this with a sorrowful face and tears in her eyes did Hunter back down. That didn't mean he gave up on kissing, though.
Last August, upon finally becoming an adult, Hunter received an unrealistic amount of stocks, cash, and various types of real estate through a trust fund.
Once he got his driver's license, he bought a car with a large trunk that could carry his tennis equipment. She had expected him to buy a flashy luxury sports car like other wealthy kids, but he surprised her.
As soon as he became comfortable with driving, Hunter called her out, saying he would show her the night view of the East River, and parked the car in a secluded spot on Randall's Island. There, he precariously skirted the boundaries of the defensive line Jiyu had firmly established. Thus, it was impossible not to know what he wanted from her.
Listening to music while gazing at the beautiful night view inside the enclosed car, as they naturally shared kisses, it became increasingly difficult for her to push him away. Realizing that her resolve was wavering at times, she declared that she would no longer go on drives alone with him.
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