The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim (ebook reader with highlighter .txt) 📕

wanted to go to Disneyland, but I don’t know. She sounds a little…different,” Taeyo says.

I nod. “We don’t have time for that anyway. Their lines are legendary. Let’s keep swiping.”

The next profile we get is the face of an old woman with sad but smiling eyes. Her name comes up as Jennifer’s halmeoni (aka Jennifer’s grandma), and her profile is short and straight to the point.

“‘I died peacefully in my sleep, but unfortunately, I didn’t get to do the one thing I needed to do,’” Taeyo reads aloud. “‘Please help me deliver a message so I can pass on to the next realm with peace in my heart. Thank you.’”

“Swipe right,” I say. “She sounds perfect.”

Emmett nods. “She seems okay.”

Taeyo complies, and we wait with bated breath.

Within a few seconds, the screen lights up with a bright notification accompanied by exploding streamers and balloons. IT’S A MATCH!

“OMG, she chose us, too,” Emmett says. He’s trying to hide it, but I can tell he’s excited. He glances sheepishly at Taeyo. “I guess your app isn’t that stupid.”

“Now what?” I ask.

“Now we wait for her to message us.”

The food arrives, and Taeyo takes a bite of his taco. He puts it down, and the grin on his face is so wide, he’s all teeth. “Oh, wow! This is so good.” He takes a picture of it with his phone. “I definitely want to remember this.”

A minute later, just when the taco has been demolished, a notification pops up on his phone. He’s received a message from Jennifer’s halmeoni.

Dear Taeyo,

Thank you for matching with me. From your profile it looks like you are a kindhearted young man, and I am grateful for your offer of assistance. I am seeking to deliver a message to my dear granddaughter, Jennie Byun. She is a Samjogo seeing witch who lives in this area. She has recently turned thirteen years old. I cannot leave for the Spiritrealm until I communicate with her. Will you be able to help?

I almost choke on my gimchi guac. “Of all people, we chose Jennie Byun’s halmeoni?” I groan. “What are the chances?”

I quickly shut my mouth. As much as Jennie is a pain in my butt, her halmeoni seems sincere. And if Taeyo, a cursed Horangi, can do something nice for strangers like us, then I should be able to do the same for Jennie. Plus, if it’s going to help us find the fallen star, it will all have been worth it.

Taeyo’s eyes light up. “Oh, you know this Jennie person?”

“I know her, all right,” I say, trying not to sound too Debbie Downer. “But I have no idea where she lives.”

“Neither do I,” Emmett echoes.

“I do.” We look up to see David Kim standing there with a tray of Milkis bottles. His cheeks go redder than usual. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but my eomma told me to give these to you—on the house—and I happened to overhear your conversation. I know where Jennie lives, and I’d be happy to take you there. It’s super close.”

Emmett’s eyebrows gather together. “Why would you help us?”

“Yeah,” I say. “And aren’t you working?”

David smiles shyly. “The app sounds amazing, and I know how much Jennie’s halmeoni means to her. So if you’ll let me, I’d really like to help. Besides, my parents don’t actually need me here. I’m just an extra pair of hands.”

Taeyo slaps his hands on the table. “We would love your help—thank you so much for offering. The more the merrier.”

Emmett and I share a look. David is a decent guy, but do we really want another person to join our mission? Three’s already a crowd….

David beams like a neon light at Taeyo’s invitation, though, so I keep my mouth shut. Hattie would probably say that more heads are better than one.

Emmett shrugs, too. And so, the next thing I know, we are leaving the deliciousness of Seoulful Tacos behind and heading to the house of my least-favorite person in the world, with a half-Gom, a Horangi, and a Tokki, to reunite my sworn enemy with her hungry ghost halmeoni.

I guess this is just my life now.

JENNIE’S HOUSE IS A HUGE MANSION with one of those fancy electronic gates in front, and I’m not surprised in the slightest. Witches in the Samjogo clan are often wealthy because of their ability to divine money luck from their visions. Merely by touching draft contracts or shaking hands with potential business partners they can get premonitions about the future success of a deal. In fact, one of Appa’s seer friends got mega rich because he put his hands on the New York Stock Exchange building and guessed which stocks would go gangbusters that day.

“We’re here.” David pushes the bell on the gate and I shift nervously from foot to foot. I try to keep my face angled away from the little security camera.

The bell stops ringing. “Ugh, what are you doing here?” my least favorite whiny voice says through the intercom.

Taeyo takes the lead. “Hey, Jennie. You don’t know me, but I am here to deliver a message from your halmeoni.”

I can almost hear her making a face on the other end.

“Are you pulling a prank on me, Riley? Because it’s not funny, and I will tell on you if you are.”

I am horribly offended by this accusation. Why would she jump to the conclusion I would do such a thing? She’s the one who’s always mean to me!

“It’s not a prank, Jennie,” David assures her. “They’re telling the truth.”

There’s a long pause, and for a second I worry she’s written us off and walked away. But then the electronic gate starts to open with a humming buzz.

The front door opens and a fat fawn-colored pug comes running out. He tries to bark, but to be honest, it sounds more like an old man’s snore. Emmett squeals with delight and picks him up immediately. Boris is still tucked under his other arm, and the dragon-on-wheels’ tail