CHAPTER 3: SNOW
Shit, shit, shit.
“It says in the brochure there are self-defense classes every Thursday. Who teaches those? You?”
Of all the high schools, of course, hoodie guy goes here, I thought, shaking my head. Not that he was wearing a hoodie today. In the sea of private school snobs, he was dressed in the same hoity-toity uniform as everyone else. No way should I have recognized him, even if he was in the third row—but I’d know those eyes anywhere. His piercing green gaze had caught mine immediately. The same striking green I’d seen right after The Kiss.
“You don’t teach them?”
I scoffed. Attacking some guy I’d never even spoken to with my lips, thinking I could get away with it? Yeah, right. First time I do anything even a little ballsy, and I get caught. Bruce would be so disappointed.
“Wait, wait, so do you or don’t you?”
I sighed and looked up, finally registering the guy in front of me.
“Sorry,” he smiled, nearly blinding me with a mouthful of metal. The braces looked a heck of a lot better on him than mine had on me, but the weatherman haircut was freaking me out. “I’m really interested in learning more about self-defense. You were quite impressive there, missy.”
Wow, he even sounded like a sixty-year-old man.
“Thanks,” I said as people milled around us. The meet-and-greet was in full swing, booths for the acts surrounded by CCDS’s finest. The place was packed. “And I teach the class.”
“Oh, you do? That’s great. My name’s Wilbur, by the way.”
I nodded. Wilbur the Weatherman. Were his parents trying to make him a target for jerks everywhere or just that clueless? In addition to the hair, Wilbur had also taken a fancy to highwater pants and argyle socks. I could definitely see why this guy would need self-defense. Luckily, The Academy was here to help.
“Let me just give you my card.” He fished something out of his pocket. “I’ll call The Academy later in the week to make arrangements. Do you do private lessons by any chance?”
“Um…no.” He looked so deflated I decided to throw him a bone. “Some of our other advanced members might be willing to help you out, though.”
“Alright.” Wilbur passed me his card and shook my hand. “Hopefully I’ll see you at class.”
“Sure thing,” I said, examining the little square as he walked away. Yep, just as I suspected. A professional card, printed on heavy stock, complete with his name, cell number and email address. High school kids with comb overs and business cards. I frowned. What was the world coming to?
“I don’t think you’re right for him.”
I whipped around…and came face to chest with hoodie guy. My heart stuttered as my eyes traveled up to his. He’d whispered the words directly into my ear. More than that, he hadn’t backed up, still standing in my space with a bad boy grin that’d make good girls everywhere weep.
“What?” I said like an idiot.
The grin turned into a full-on smile, and I could only stare. For the first time, I thought maybe he didn’t recognize me. Just because the light from the movie screen had flared right after we’d kissed, making his face perfectly visible, didn’t mean he could make me out. It was totally possible.
“A girl like you and a guy like him?” He shook his head, causing light to dance off the gold in his dirty blond hair. “It’d never work out.”
Frowning, I repeated, “A girl like me?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” It obviously hadn’t been his first kiss. Not with the way those lips of his set fire to my bones. Even if he’d seen my face, maybe I wasn’t all that memorable. God, what a depressing thought.
“It means,” hoodie guy lowered his voice, “you need someone who won’t run away when you surprise the hell out of him in a dark theater.” His eyes locked on mine. “You need a guy who’ll kiss you back.”
Shiiiiit.
“You okay there, ninja girl?” The nickname should’ve pissed me off—but right then, pissed off was the last thing I was feeling. My mind was officially blown. “You look a little dazed.”
“Yeah, right,” I said, hoping he couldn’t hear the breathlessness in the words. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” He winked. “I’ve been known to devastate members of the opposite sex from time to time.”
No doubt, I thought, taking him in. He was the definition of fine—and he knew it. This guy could not seriously be flirting with me. Could he? Like Nara said, I was a tomboy. He’d just seen me beat up on twelve other guys. No way, I decided. Hoodie guy was just playing.
“I said I’m fine.” I crossed my arms, trying to regain some of my cool. “And besides, why would you care? You don’t even know me.”
“But I want to.”
My jaw dropped.
He arched a brow. “What? Too honest for you?”
“A little,” I said.
“I’ll have to work on that. But right now, I’ve got to say you’re amazing. Those were some sick moves. Those other guys didn’t stand a chance.”
His smile hadn’t wavered once. Guys didn’t usually talk to me like this. Heck, guys didn’t usually look at me like this.
“Hey, Ash. How’s it going?”
A long-legged redhead walked by, smiled at him, and he nodded before turning back to me. It hit me then like a roundhouse kick to the head. What an idiot. The guy wasn’t flirting. He was playing me, nothing more. Guys like him went out with girls like her. End of story. I should’ve known better than to let him get under my skin.
“Whatever,” I muttered, shouldering past him. The stunned look on his face almost made it worth it.
“Hey, wait.” I hadn’t expected him to follow, but he did. If nothing else, the guy was persistent. “What happened there? I thought we were talking.”
“Talking?” I snorted, heading for The Academy table. Bae, my best friend besides Min-Hee, was looking at me anyway. He’d said he wanted to talk after our act, but Wilbur and hoodie guy held me up. “Pretty boys like you don’t talk to girls like me.”
“You think I’m pretty?” He put a hand on my wrist. “I’m a little offended by the word choice, but I’ll take it.”
I pulled up short. “Let go,” I said quietly.
“Why?”
Bae was watching us now with a scowl. He looked like he was two seconds away from coming over. Crap.
Turning, I said, “Listen, I’m sorry, okay? What happened at the movies was a mistake.”
“So, you’re saying you accidentally jumped into my lap and your lips just fell onto mine? Sounds like the best mistake ever.”
This guy had an answer for everything. Eyeing his hand, I twirled, tugged up and back on his thumb, forcing him to let go. The move flipped our grips so I was the one in control. I held him like that for a second, wrist bent back enough to make him wince, then released.
“Wow,” he said. “First the surprise make out session in the theater—”
“Hey! It wasn’t—”
“—now this.” He titled his head. “I need a name to put with those fond memories. You already know mine. It’s only fair. Otherwise, I’ll have to keep calling you ninja girl.”
I grit my teeth.
“No? Well, the name fits. The way you moved out there…” He shook his head. “Bruce Lee would’ve been proud.”
I stopped. “What did you say?”
A shadow fell over us before he could answer.
“Gwaenchanh-ayo?”
Hoodie guy looked past my shoulder, and I knew exactly what he saw. Bae Park a.k.a. large Asian male with the body of a wrestler and a face of stone. And he was deliberately speaking in Korean so Ash—yes, I’d caught his name from before—couldn’t understand. Great. Just great.
“I’m fine, Bae Bae,” I said, looking him in the eye. “We’re just talking.”
Bae’s jaw twitched. “Geu-neun baegopeun-gut churum dangshin-eul chuda-bogo it-suh. Dangshing-eun ahju mash-it-neun gopchang hanjupshi-ya.”
Translation: “The guy looks at you like he’s hungry. And you’re a nice, juicy plate of Gopchang.”
“Really?” I said surprised.
Bae hit me with a cold stare, but I’d known him since I was five, so it didn’t do any good. I’d grown impervious to all three of his facial expressions. The cold stare was a step up from his usual unreadable, I’m-not-amused look and a step down from the death glare he leveled on Ash as he laughed.
“Something funny?” Bae said.
“No, no.” Ash waved a hand in front of his face, getting his laughter under control. “It’s just…Gopchang? Really? You do realize you just compared her to barbecued intestines, right?”
Bae sniffed, and my eyes widened.
“You speak Korean?” I said.
Ash shrugged. “Not nearly as well as English or German, but I have a thing for languages. Plus, Big Bang’s one of my favorite bands.”
I laughed. “Me, too.”
“You like Taeyang better with them or solo?”
“Both,” I smiled. I couldn’t believe he liked one of my favorite K-Pop bands. This was so surreal. “Favorite song?”
“Probably Lies, but they’re all good.”
Bae grunted.
Ash shot him a look. “You say something, Bae Bae?”
“Watch your mouth,” he said. “Only she gets to call me that.”
“Ooh, pet names. A little kinky, but I like it.”
I winced as Bae took a menacing step forward. He never got this riled up. Bae was usually cool as ice, mellow to the point of statue-like indifference. I couldn’t understand how Ash had managed to get to him so quickly.
“Calm down, Bae,” I said, tugging on his arm. “It was just a joke. A pretty crappy one”—I glared at Ash—”but let it go.”
Bae looked at me then stared back at Ash. To give him credit, Ash didn’t back down. Even though he was a little smaller than Bae Bae, their heights matched up perfectly. I’d seen full-grown men flinch away from Bae’s glare, but not this guy.
“I don’t like you,” Bae said finally.
“Feeling’s mutual, chingu,” Ash threw back.
“I’m not your friend.”
“No argument there.”
“Stay away from Snow.”
“Bae Bae,” I groaned. My best guy friend had just made matters worse even if he didn’t know it. Stupid Bae and his big mouth.
“What?” Bae said, confused.
“So, she does have a name.” Ash smiled suddenly. “Snow and Ash.” To me, he said, “Come on, you can’t deny it, ninja girl. We were made for each other don’t you agree?”
Our names did sound great together. But he couldn’t possibly mean what he’d just said.
I shook my head at him. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Everything okay here, Mr. Stryker?” I recognized the guy in the black suit. Dark, close-cropped hair, real tall, about six five, with harsh features. He’d been there guarding Ash that night at the movies.
“Fine, Evers.” Ash rolled his eyes. “No need to get excited.”
Evers frowned at Bae. “You looked like you might need some assistance. A fight wouldn’t look good for your dad. You’re a reflection of him, you know.”
“God, I hope not,” Ash mumbled.
Stryker, I thought, putting two and two together. Ash was related to Wesley Stryker. I’d physically assaulted the Senate hopeful’s son. Good God. This just kept getting better and better.
“Do I know you?” The security man, Evers, was staring at me. Closely. “You look familiar.”
What was I supposed to say to that? I was the girl you pulled off Ash, the one who made you and your sidekick look like ineffective idiots. Yeah, no.
“Nope,” I said quickly, pulling Bae away.
“I’ll catch you later, ninja girl.”
I didn’t look back as Bae Bae and I got lost in the crowd. This year’s Cultural Exhibition had been a lot more exciting than last year. But I wasn’t sure if I wanted Ash to keep that promise or not. I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said, the words running on repeat in my mind.
Bruce Lee would’ve been proud.