Free Park and Violet by Marian Tee Page A

right.”
          She shoved him away. God, he could be so arrogant she just wanted to kill him. “No. You’re not.”
          Park laughed harder. “I think you should say it again. Park, I need—”
          Violet threw him a glare. “Ssshh! Remember your silent and brooding routine? Get back to it.”
          Park still hadn’t lost his smug-looking smirk when they reached their workplace. Assigned to assist the cashier as bagger for today, Violet was able to observe mostly everyone working. More often than not, her gaze was drawn to Park.
          It stunned her, the way he was so different when interacting with other people. It was like how he had been the first day they met–only several times worse. He acted normal with the rest of the guys and kids, too, but with women he was cold and unsmiling, acting like a prickly bear and totally clamming up. And when they persisted in showing their interest in him, Park did not hesitate to become rude—also exactly like how he had been with her the first day.
          But he had changed with her, and Violet couldn’t figure out why that was so.
          She could barely wait for their shift to end to ask that very question.
          Park no longer tried pulling away when Violet automatically curled an arm around his as they made their way back to the dorm. There was no point pulling away since it just made her cling harder.
          “So…”
          He knew that tone. She was an incurable busybody and he cringed at the memories of all the times she had pestered him to tell her more about his background.
          Park immediately tried breaking free, but Violet just tightened her hold on him. Park might be stronger, but he hated being the center of everyone’s attention and the only way he could disentangle himself from her was to create a public spectacle.
          She smiled up at him.
          He glared down at her.
          “So…”
          “The answer is no, whatever it is.”
          “But I haven’t said anything yet!”
          “It doesn’t matter. It’s still no.”
          Ignoring that, Violet asked, “Why are you so grumpy all the time with girls?”
          “When we’re close enough, I’ll tell you.”
          Violet snuggled as close to him as she could, pressing her breasts on his arm.
          He stumbled.
          She giggled.
          Park’s eyes were dark with fury when he recovered his balance. “Stop flirting with me,” he hissed.
          “Then answer my question,” she told him petulantly.
          He asked exasperatedly, “Why do you even care to ask?”
          “I just wanted to know what makes me different,” she answered simply.
          He snorted. When Violet acted so confident like this, Park was torn between being turned on and being exasperated at the way she seemed to take for granted that she’d always have her way. “You really think highly of yourself, don’t you?”
          “I think it’s safe to say that I think of myself as highly as you think of yourself,” she retorted.
          Park had to laugh at that. “True.”
          “Well?” she nagged. “Could you at least answer that one?”
          He sighed, knowing that in this mood Violet wouldn’t let up until he gave her some kind of satisfactory answer. “Fine. I act different with you because I know you don’t like guys.”
          Her jaw dropped. “But I’m not a lesbian, Park.” She had nothing against them, but she had always been straight.
          Park rolled his eyes. “No, idiot, I meant that you don’t seem to be interested in having a relationship.” He raised a brow. “Are you?” It was a rhetorical question, though, because he already knew he was right.
          Violet couldn’t answer fast enough. “Nope.”
          “Then it’s safe to assume that you don’t plan to have a relationship with