The Perfect Jinx
Hunter H. Hamilton didn’t care about anyone else the way he cared about Jiyu. So whatever he did with Siena meant nothing. But listening to her, it felt like she was on the verge of mistaking him for God’s perfect blessing.
The other kids never showed they liked him outright because they were watching Siena. But the moment he walked past them on the way home, they’d exchange meaningful glances and giggle behind their hands.
Things that used to be invisible were now catching Jiyu’s eye.
The cliques that had begun forming rapidly since fifth grade had hardened into something solid by sixth. The kids instinctively knew which group they belonged to.
Jiyu’s clique was the Nerds—kids who were good at studies but lacked social skills and barely managed athletics.
Boys and girls alike wanted to join the Popular Kids group with Hunter and Lex. They focused on being noticed rather than academics.
For the elite kids from old-money families whose last names opened every door, getting into a good college meant little. Going to some mediocre one was worse.
Kids at that level would get into Ivy League schools through legacy or contributions as long as their grades were decent. They didn’t need to study or hone special talents like everyone else.
It was almost exceptional that Hunter was willing to bet his life on tennis.
Jiyu, who hated being noticed, had no intention of joining Hunter or Siena’s circle even if they offered her a seat. And of course nothing like that was going to happen.
Having gone to the same school since kindergarten for about seven years, she wasn’t running away from anyone like a scared dog when someone spoke to her. But her natural personality hadn’t changed a bit. She still found it most comfortable to spend time with her best friend Chloe.
Still, a tiny spark of curiosity had begun to flicker.
What exactly were these kids seeing in Hunter that made them like him so much?
She saw his face every day, but she didn’t really know. Everyone said he was handsome, and she supposed they were right.
Tall, rich, athletic. Well, that covered the basics.
But that was just the surface. She knew how self-centered and rebellious he was, yet they still liked him. Hunter Hamilton was the kind of person who couldn’t love anyone except himself.
Jiyu shrugged her shoulders.
Whether anyone liked Hunter or not, it had nothing to do with her. And she firmly believed it would never have anything to do with her.
In October, the broad carriageway along the edge of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park was painted in vibrant autumn hues by the trees lining the Bridle Path.
At 2 p.m., the Upper East Side’s Bridle Path filled with students from various private schools, wearing their school-embroidered gym uniforms, gathering one after another.
Jiyu, Chloe, and a group of other girls entered the Bridle Path under the guidance of their PE teacher. A short distance behind them, a group of Alton School boys in navy and white gym uniforms walked in.
Starting in middle school, from fifth grade, students had to choose one sport each semester. For fall, Jiyu had chosen volleyball. For winter, softball. For spring, lacrosse.
After experiencing them all, she concluded that team sports were a waste of time. She had been standing around as a spectator while the Popular Kids jostled for the ball.
This year she picked individual sports—track, cross-country, and outdoor running. The names changed slightly each semester, but it always boiled down to running.
Like other Manhattan private schools, Astor and Alton didn’t have their own fields. The sports center was too small for track events, so most schools used Central Park as their home ground.
This year Hunter also chose track. The reason was simple: unlike team sports, he could finish by 3:20 p.m. and head home.
He trained at the tennis academy on Randall’s Island from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. That schedule ruled out anything like basketball, football, or field hockey that ended at 5.
But when Hunter opted for track, the Popular Kids group, including Siena, suddenly flooded into it. Jiyu hadn’t expected that.
If she had known, she would have just chosen volleyball.
Jiyu regretted it now.
Each school had its own designated base camp, chosen by long-standing tradition. Alton’s was a little farther back than Astor’s.
Recently Hunter had begun to realize the importance of manners between people. As he passed Astor’s base camp and their eyes met, he gave her a barely perceptible chin nod. Jiyu returned it with the slightest nod of her own.
Luckily, no one noticed the swift exchange.
The kids lined up at the starting line as usual and set off at their own paces.
Jiyu loved the time she ran alone. Only one street separated her from Fifth Avenue, but once inside Central Park the air felt cool and refreshing.
The gentle warmth of sunlight on her shoulders, the leaves fluttering down in red, the sparkling reservoir reflecting the afternoon sun, and the skyline of the Upper West Side in the distance.
As she ran through scenes that belonged in a travel guide, only the rhythmic sound of her footsteps and her breathing remained, and all other noise faded away.
That was normal.
But suddenly the ground began to shake with the sound of feet pounding in unison. Startled, Jiyu glanced back while running. A group of ten Alton boys was running behind her. Hunter, with his noticeably larger head, led the pack.
When Hunter suddenly locked eyes with her mid-stride, panic hit Jiyu. She veered sharply sideways, running away from their path and looking back repeatedly. Then her foot caught.
Her body swayed, and just before she fell face-first into the dry earth, she squeezed her eyes shut. Her thigh and knee twisted together, and the sharp point of her elbow slammed into the ground with a bone-jarring crack.
[Eh, look over there!]
[Shit, she fell properly.]
[What’s her name again?]
[Olivia? Neverland Kids.]
[Eh, yeah! Should we help?]
A chorus of voices from boys just entering puberty erupted at once.
She had thought they were hidden away in the corner the whole musical performance, unnoticed. She never imagined any of them would remember her name.
[Shut up and run!]
In the middle of it, Hunter’s harsh voice cutting in was unmistakable.
Jiyu squeezed her eyes shut again. The pain was nothing compared to the overwhelming embarrassment of falling so clumsily in front of Hunter and the Alton boys.
I’d rather just jump into the reservoir.
She pushed herself up on her bloodied palm and was about to sit when Hunter, who had just walked past her, locked eyes with her again. With a look of pure disdain, he brushed past and turned his head away.
An oddly miserable feeling washed over her, like she had a fever that made her whole body burn.
How many more times will he mock me for this?
Head bowed, Jiyu finally felt the pain. Her ankle throbbed, her knee stung, and her thigh was scratched raw, blood seeping through. A trickle of bright red blood began oozing from her elbow. Tears welled up but she held them back. Crying in front of everyone would only draw more stares.
I need to get up quickly.
Then a pair of legs in blue gym shorts appeared in front of her. White “ALTON” lettering ran down the left leg of the shorts.
Before Jiyu could look up, strong arms grabbed her and yanked her to her feet. Rough, uncaring hands gripped her, and the sharp angles of his shoulders towered directly above her line of sight.
She knew it was Hunter even without seeing his face.
When she glanced up, he let out sharp, ragged breaths and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the wristband.
[Are you insane? Why were you running diagonally?]
[……]