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Chapter 25 : That's done. What else?
Ju-kyoung looked straight at him. "How do I know you'll keep your word?"
Soo-hoo's eyes shifted from the book to her face. His gaze was so sharp, so sudden, that Ju-kyoung startled, her heart giving a little jump.
"What if I don't?" he said flatly.
Ju-kyoung's eyes widened. A thousand possibilities rushed through her head—what if he exposed her, what if her secret spread across the school, what if she lost everything she'd worked for? Panic pushed her into action.
She slipped out of the room for a moment, then returned with a sheet of paper. She placed it firmly on the table between them.
It was a Confidentiality Agreement.
Soo-hoo's brow arched. He glanced at the paper, then back at the girl seated across from him, her face set in unusual determination.
"Is this really necessary?"
Ju-kyoung nodded without hesitation. "This is how desperate I am."
She tapped the line marked for a signature. "Please sign."
Soo-hoo leaned closer, his eyes narrowing at the design. The paper had a skeleton background, its grinning skulls giving it a sinister air. It looked less like a legal document and more like a contract with the devil.
"I don't think so." He leaned back, unimpressed. This girl is unbelievable, he thought.
Ju-kyoung froze, dumbfounded. "What? Why not—?"
"A truly desperate person wouldn't copy a page from Hell's Pledge," Soo-hoo cut in coolly.
Ju-kyoung's lips parted in shock. Then, curiosity flickered across her face. "You… you know Hell's Pledge? That's such an old comic. Not many people know it."
Soo-hoo gave her a look like the answer should've been obvious. "How could I not know? With a modern style that still holds up after thirty years… It was the first domestic series to fuse occult horror and sci-fi. One of the finest of the twentieth century."
Ju-kyoung stared at him, mesmerized. It felt unreal to finally meet someone who shared this strange, niche passion. Her lips curved into a smile. "I personally prefer the author's earlier works."
"Cursed Mask!" they both blurted out in unison.
Her eyes widened as she gawked at him. "Amazing!" she whispered, still stunned.
"You know Cursed Mask?" Soo-hoo asked, eyes narrowing slightly, though his voice carried a flicker of excitement.
Ju-kyoung smiled softly. "That was what pulled me into horror comics. I even have a signed first edition."
For the first time, Soo-hoo's composure cracked. His eyes widened. "You do?"
"Yes," she said with a small nod, tilting her head at his expression. "Why?"
He stared at her, genuine interest sparking in his gaze. His voice dropped low, almost bitter. "I've been trying to find the signed edition for two years… and you have it?"
Ju-kyoung let out a playful laugh, crossing her legs and sitting straighter. "I've been into horror comics for a while now. Guess I got lucky."
"How much?" he asked bluntly, leaning forward.
Ju-kyoung's smirk faded into firmness. "I don't think so."
She picked up her contract again, holding it like a shield. "A truly desperate person wouldn't just throw money at their problems."
Soo-hoo's brows furrowed, his lips tightening. He clearly hated this, but he reached for the paper anyway. Ju-kyoung's eyes gleamed as he scribbled his name, then shoved it back at her.
She held the paper to her chest, grinning. "That's done. What else?"
For a moment, Ju-kyoung just looked at him. "He's a completely different person outside of school," she thought, eyes narrowing mischievously. "Perhaps even… gullible."
She cleared her throat dramatically. "I'm parched."
Which was how she ended up following Soo-hoo to a small supermarket across from the library.
Inside, she pointed at a drink, and he silently bought it for her. On the way out, she grabbed a bag of chips, flashing him a cheeky smile. Popping the drink open, she let out an exaggerated "ahh" as she sipped.
"I feel somewhat peckish," she added casually.
Soo-hoo's eyes grew colder, but Ju-kyoung had already grown used to that glare.
"So what?" he muttered.
She raised an eyebrow at him, her face practically saying obviously. "Aren't you desperate?"
His glare darkened further, and for a moment, Ju-kyoung's confidence wavered. I shouldn't have said that, she thought, biting her lip.
Back at the library, Soo-hoo picked up two bowls of noodles from the counter and carried them over to their table.
Ju-kyoung's eyes drifted to the wall and caught sight of a scrawled message: Reserved for Lim Ju-young. Sit here and you'll grow butt hair. She snorted softly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"If you saw me at school, you wouldn't dare do this to me," Soo-hoo said suddenly.
Ju-kyoung blinked. "What?"
"You promised me Cursed Mask for two bowls of noodles," he reminded her, eyes on the steaming dishes.
Ju-kyoung smirked, picking up a bowl. "Actually, I'll settle for one." She slid the second bowl toward him with a playful grin. "This is a bribe—for keeping my secret."
Soo-hoo frowned slightly. "Bribe?"
"Yes." She held her chopsticks like a queen commanding her subject. "Go ahead. Eat."
Then she dug in, slurping happily.
I'm having instant noodles with Lee Soo-hoo at a comic rental shop, she thought, her stomach fluttering. If the whole school knew, they'd freak out.
Soo-hoo's eyes lingered on her as she slurped noisily. "I always wondered why there were so many splatters on the comic pages," he muttered.
Ju-kyoung looked up mid-slurp. "Hey! Eating instant noodles at the comic shop is the best. You'll regret it if you don't."
He hesitated, his hand hovering.
She arched a brow. "Don't you want your Cursed Mask?"
That did it. He finally picked up the bowl and took a bite.
Ju-kyoung's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Isn't it good?"
He took another spoonful, chewing slowly. "It's good… for the first meal on my birthday."
Ju-kyoung froze, her chopsticks mid-air. Her eyes widened. "It's your birthday?"
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