LOVE:ZERO

Hunter stood frozen in the middle of the courtyard like a marble statue in a fountain, unable to move. Only when Jiyu opened the door to the apartment did he come to his senses and take a step forward.

“Jiyu”

Jiyu turned back to Hunter and cut off his words with a red face.

“Develop your skills, Hunter. Don’t blame me for the jinx.”

It wasn’t until they got home that they realized that Hunter had called her name properly for the first time.

ꕥ

The cooler lasted longer than expected. They still had math tutoring together, but the two spent the winter semester of their sixth year without exchanging a single word.

The spring semester was a full tennis season, with Hunter skipping school more often to play in tournaments.

Jiyu snorted a little grumpily when she heard from Ae-Jeong that Hunter, who had been in a slump for over six months and had not achieved any notable results, had broken his racket while going wild during the last tournament.

In mid-June, Hunter went to a two-month summer camp at a top tennis academy in the South of France, just as summer vacation began. He returned to New York in mid-August and spent the rest of the vacation at his villa in the Hamptons, returning to the Hamilton Residence right after Labor Day.

As soon as Hunter got home, he called Jiyu to the tree house.

“That’s funny. You’re not a puppy, so you have to run out when I call you?”

Jiyu ignored his text. But as with all fights between kids, the vivid anger and sadness from being apart for the entire summer vacation had faded a little under the strong summer sunlight.

‘Why are you calling me again this time?’

As the time for the appointment approached, Jiyu, who had been fidgeting, finally threw the book she was reading on the bed. She could not overcome the curiosity fueled by the impulsive adolescent hormones that made her mood swing several times a day.

She opened her closet to change clothes and go out, but for some reason her pride was hurt, so she arrived at the courtyard 10 minutes late for the appointment, still wearing the shorts and tank top she was wearing. Jiyu planned to turn around and leave right away if someone got mad at her for being late.

Hunter did not enter the tree house, but waited for her, leaning against the pillar.

He was wearing a tracksuit, as if he was about to go to practice. He was already tall, but he had grown even more during the vacation, and he would soon be over six feet tall. His skin was tanned with a deep golden color, like the sunlight of Southern France.

“Hey”

Hunter rose from the pillar. He looked her over from head to toe with eyes that were somehow unfamiliar.

“….”

Jiyu stopped, turning away from his gaze with a cold face. Then he strode towards her with long legs and thrust something at her. Then he covered his mouth with his fist and coughed in vain, letting out a short apology.

“Ahem, um, sorry.”

It was the first time since their second play date seven years ago that he had waved a flag of reconciliation. Instead of an olive branch, he offered the same peace gesture as before: a book.

Jiyu looked down at the book she had received without realizing it and was so surprised that she almost fainted. She could tell that she had wrapped  it herself just by looking at the worn cover peeking through the clumsily wrapped ribbon.

(“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”)

It was her favorite science fiction novel. Hunter knew that too. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer, untied the ribbon, carefully lifted the cover, and turned the yellow pages.

First edition, 1979.

The autograph of the author, Douglas Adams, who passed away in 2001, remained.

Jiyu took a deep breath and covered her mouth. Then she carefully closed the book and hugged it to her chest. She raised her head. Hunter looked down at her, slightly raising the corners of his mouth, then turned his head to the side and coughed again.

This was clearly a bribe. I knew that if I accepted it, there would be a price to pay. But it was an apology gift that I simply could not refuse.

“…Thank you, Hunter.”

So, just before entering the 7th grade, the two reconciled, and Jiyu regained her place as Hunter’s winning  ‘jinx.’

That weekend, Hunter returned with a dazzling performance to win the trophy at the Under -14 L1 tournament in Chicago.

Spring semester of 7th grade. April was unusually warm compared to previous years.

New York’s winters were so persistent that it often snowed in mid-April. It wasn’t until May that the splendid spring shyly showed its face, only to be quickly replaced by the blistering heat of summer.

Perhaps because spring came early, it often rained instead of snowing.

Three times a week, the last class was PE (Physical Education). But today, due to rain, both team and individual sports, which are played outdoors, were canceled.

At that time, indoor classes were held in the sports center shared by Astor School and Alton School.

Inside the large cargo, seventh-grade students from both schools sat in rows on the shiny wooden floor. Even so, there were only about 50 or 60 students per grade, so the two schools together totaled less than 120.

The humid air that had seeped into the room was filled with the smell of sweat from adolescent boys and the usually sweet smell of girl’s perfume, which mixed together and made it suffocating. When smelled separately, the smells were even worse, and they canceled each other out, so it was actually bearable.

Jiyu arrived home a little late after history class because she was discussing with her teacher the topic of her capstone project on ancient civilizations.

She paused as she opened the heavy soundproof door and entered. The seating was on a first-come, first served basis, and the Alton School students and Astor School students were mixed together randomly. On rainy days, they used to do physical training or simple team sports games in the gym, but today, it seemed like there was a special class.

A look of regret crossed Jiyu’s face as she looked back at Chloe’s head, who was sitting in the second row from the front. She planned to quietly squeeze in next to her later after noticing the situation.

Jiyu’ specialty is sneaking in like a ghost without making a presence. It was also one of the survival skills she learned in the merciless jungle that is the Upper East Side private school, an introverted girl.

Jiyu lifted her heels and sat down at the very end, muffling the squeaky sound of the soles of her sneakers against the shiny wooden floor.

Fortunately, no one paid any attention to her. Only the boy sitting next to her glanced at her and then turned his gaze forward again.

Soon, the school nurses from both schools, Ms. Shapiro and Mr. Hawkins, began their lesson with a human model in the middle.

“Today, in the second lesson of ‘Safety and Survival’, we will learn about vital signs, or how to check biological responses in an emergency situation.”

Last winter semester, on a day when it was snowing heavily, instead of physical education class, a certified PE teacher taught a class on first aid and artificial respiration.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang as the door closed. Then, thud, I heard the sound of indifferent footsteps coming in, making a loud noise despite being late.

Suddenly, Jiyu froze. Just hearing the sound of footsteps made her shoulders rise and the hairs on her arms stood on end.

“It’s Hunter.”

It was an inexplicable instinctive reaction. The student’s eyes all turned toward the door, but Jiyu didn’t even turn her head.

“Hamilton,  sit at the end.”

Mr. Duncan, Alton School PE teacher, stood up and pointed at Jiyu.

Hunter walked a couple more steps with clattering footsteps and then collapsed on the ground.

“Hi, Hunter.”

Sienna muffled her greeting, but everyone heard.

“What’s up, triple.”

A boy sitting in front of him turned around and stuck out his fist. Hunter lightly bumped his fist with his own.

“Hey, Hamilton.”

As the sound of greetings here and there died down, Ms. Shapiro resumed class. Only then did Jiyu glanced at Hunter. He also glanced at her, rolling his eyes.

When their eyes met, he pretended to know her with a vague nod and slightly wiggled his eyebrows. Jiyu was a little flustered, but she pretended to know him by slightly moving her eyelids.

She rolled her eyes and looked forward again, and her eyes met Sienna’s. She was sitting in the second row from the front, coincidentally next to Chloe. Her eyes, half-turned toward where Hunter and Jiyu were sitting, were unusual.

Doubt and denial.

Jiyu swallowed dryly and lowered her eyes. She was reluctant to become Sienna’s enemy while attending Astor School.