My Summer in Seoul

Number thirty-eight.

I gulped as I shot to my feet and ran after him.

My heart nearly stopped when the door opened, revealing a shorter guy with dark brown hair. He was wearing black joggers and a vintage shirt.

Maybe the assaultive fan was his girlfriend?

Kevin was never wrong.

I elbowed Lucas.

Give him the pizza and run.

We needed to regroup.

But Lucas apparently had other plans as he dropped the pizza onto the ground and reached for the guy’s shirt, clutching it in his hands, his expression murderous.

No, no, no, not the plan!

“Lucas.” I tugged at his shirt; he slapped my hand away and continued shoving the guy back into his own apartment.

The guy instantly paled and tried to pull away, firing off something panicky that I couldn’t understand while Lucas shoved him up against the closest wall.

Abort, Abort!

“Lucas, put him down!”

What was sorry again? So sorry? Forgive us?

I scrambled to pull my phone out of my pocket as both guys were chest to chest.

Lucas was yelling.

Loudly.

The guy looked like he was going to faint.

And then it was over.

Whatever it was.

Lucas held out his hand.

Shaking, the guy reached into his pocket then handed him his phone. Lucas typed a number then held it up to his ear. A voice sounded on the other end, then Lucas handed the phone back to him and crossed his arms as if to say, I’ll wait.

What the hell was going on?

I caught nothing. Even if I knew Korean, I’d probably struggle because the stranger was speaking so fast.

When he hung up, he looked ready to puke.

Lucas patted him on the shoulder, the guy flinched, and then Lucas was walking out the door saying. “Gaja.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice.

I basically sprinted after him as he stepped over the dropped pizza box and continued power walking toward the elevator.

He hit the lobby button so hard I flinched.

When the car arrived with an off-key ding moments later, we stepped into it. The doors closed, and Lucas’s jaw was clenched tight, both fists were balled. I was surprised he hadn’t punched the guy; he’d looked angry enough to.

“It’s okay; we’ll find the girl.”

His eyes were unfocused when he glanced over at me and slowly pried my phone out of my fingers, speaking into it slowly, “Ulineun haessda.”

“We did,” the robotic voice translated back.

I stared down at the phone. Clearly, the app was translating things wrong, right?

Lucas was silent but clearly fuming the entire way back to the van. By the time we arrived, the only explanation I had for Rae was that Lucas almost beat up some poor guy but not to worry, we left the pizza, so he’s probably not going to press charges…

Lucas jerked open the van door, jumped in, then started violently punching the back of Rae’s chair. It took both Jay and Kai holding him back to keep him from either breaking the seat or his hands.

“Ssi-bal!” he repeated it over and over again, pretty sure I knew he wasn’t commenting on the weather.

The more he said it, the lower I sank into my seat until I wanted to disappear underneath it.

I knew they were all staring at me, waiting for an explanation. But I had nothing. Tears welled in my eyes, and then Lucas started explaining in a hoarse voice.

I cringed, knowing full well he was telling them about our utter failure and him slamming a guy up against the wall.

But instead of looks of murder, when he stopped speaking a few minutes later, and I finally looked up, they were all giving me extremely thankful looks.

Thankful that the cops didn’t come?

Thankful that we made it out alive?

Thankful we left the victim a snack?

“You did good, Grace.” Rae took what appeared like his first soothing breath in days. “You did really good.”

“Don’t forget Kevin,” Jay just had to add in under his breath like this was the perfect time to joke.

“Huh?” I glanced around the van.

Lucas had at least calmed down enough to put his seatbelt on.

“Have you ever had soju?” Rae asked, starting the van again.

“I’m so confused.” I buckled up. “You guys aren’t mad?”

“Jay can explain on the way,” Rae said. “It’s time to celebrate.”

Chapter Fifteen

Jealousy

Grace

We were at Haneul Park, one of the places that my dad said I absolutely had to visit before I came home.

It was nearing eight at night by the time we made it there after Rae insisted on buying several bottles of soju or rice wine, and exhaustion was creeping up on me hard and fast. I was surprised I hadn’t already fallen flat on my face. Why was it taking so long to get accustomed? Maybe it was the stress.

The guys kept all of their disguises in place and made sure to look down when people glanced in our direction—not that there were many people at the park that late at night.