Read Online Park and Violet by Marian Tee - Free Book Online Page A

school then?” Violet looked at Park suspiciously.      “Nope.”
          She was confused. “Then what—”
          “I’m going with you to class. I’m here already. Might as well stay till my class starts.”
          Violet blinked at him several times. “There’s no need—” she finally started to protest.
          He cut her off with an impatient wave of his hand. “For better or worse, I did agree to be your friend and this is what friends do.” Then he grinned. “Besides, I’m enjoying the fact that you feel very vulnerable and dependent on me.”
          “Asshole,” she muttered under her breath.
          Park nodded without a qualm. “True.” He could feel her gritting her teeth next to him, and Park wanted to laugh because by now, he understood the way her mind worked. Violet hated feeling beholden to anyone. “Come on, say it. I know it’s killing you, but I also know you’re feeling like you have to say it.”
          She clenched her teeth harder. How could he know her so well in such a short span of time? “Yes, it’s killing me. I’d rather you go to hell but for now, I have to say this.” She took a deep breath, felt her face go green, and said, “Thank you.” And she immediately wanted to puke right after.
          Park laughed. He patted her head. “There, there,” he said with sham solemnity. “You know I always help weak damsels in distress like you.”
          Her cheeks reddened in anger. “Don’t. Push. It.”
          Park pointed to the door. “Oh. Look. There’s your class. Lots of strangers there.”
          Her face went back to green. “You. Bastard.”
          Park howled in laughter. “That’s the spirit.”
    * * * *
          Violet’s first day in a Japanese university, which had given her nightmares the past few nights, was the best she had in recent years.
          Park figuratively and literally held her hand all throughout. He had no problems sitting in every class with her since he knew all her professors. If he was a little late in coming in, having stopped to talk with some of his friends in the hallway, he would only have to glare at whichever hapless guy had the misfortune of choosing a seat next to her, and the chair would be immediately vacated.
          Arrogant Asian Yeti. She thought of those moments with secret fondness.
          But then, it wasn’t perfect. There were also times Violet wished Park was somewhere else–like when he couldn’t stop laughing like mad every time she mispronounced a word. Those moments she didn’t remember too fondly.
          In every class they had been in, most of the other kids appeared star struck, the sight of Park rendering him speechless. At first, Violet had wondered if it was just because he was the hottest-looking guy in this side of the world–and he was. But as the day progressed, she realized it wasn’t just that. It was mostly because of how he acted…with her.
          By the time Park had to leave for his own class—advanced Japanese for business—Violet felt well enough to handle the rest of her classes alone.
          He stood outside the door of her next class, looking down at her with a frown. “You sure?”
          She nodded, blowing him a kiss. “Thanks to my ever-attractive hero!” Although Violet meant every word, she said them just because she knew it would make Park uncomfortable.
          Park’s cheeks stained with color. “Violet,” he threatened.
          She grinned, throwing her hands up in surrender. “That’s it, I promise. Ceasefire…” She grinned. “For now.”
          “For now,” Park echoed, his tone a bit resigned.
          Raising herself on her toes, she whispered in his ear, “But honestly, Park, thanks. You’re the best.”
          Park practically leapt away from her with a snarl.
          She laughed, having guessed right that even though Park