The Cat hides its Claws

“Maybe I should.”

What Myohan muttered made Sinsul look back at him. He looked like he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Yuja felt the same. He asked Myohan if he was sick, and he said, flicking his pen, “I’ll teach you till the finals.”

Chookjae got up and came to Myohan. Then he put a hand on his forehead, looking worried. O Shin glanced at him, but he was a lot more serious.

“Well, there’s no fever.”

“Oh, stop it.”

Myohan threw his hand away. As Chookjae normally never made a joke, he could see he had said something really crazy. He didn’t like getting all that attention, so he put down his pen. No, I must have been out of my mind for a sec. Forget it. He was about to say so, but then Sinsul asked excitedly, his eyes still shining, “You’re going to teach me?”

He looked much like a pet dog asking, ‘Are you going to take me out for a walk?’

Myohan let out a deep sigh. The kitten, which was lying on his leg, yawned widely. Jino, whose eyes were still twinkling, grabbed his chest and fell on his desk.

Myo Cheong didn’t hesitate to smack his head, but the sound made Jagyeom complain.

“….But…”

Myohan sighed once again. Sinsul, who was whimpering while nibbling the tip of his pen, whispered into his ear.

“What kind of group is this?”

“A group for preparing for the finals.”

O Shin, who was reclining on the sofa, said it as if it made sense. Sinsul soon nodded and accepted it, and then he started to focus on his book. Really? You can buy that? Myohan sighed again.

“I must have been crazy….”

There was only one reason for such a strange group gathering at his home to study for the finals. They had run into each other.

They couldn’t stay at the library for long, and they’d risk being seen by others anywhere else. When Myohan thought that far, he picked his own home as the right place. It was a perfect place where even huge animals, such as a horse, could stay without a problem, so it seemed to be the right place to explain about the twelve zodiac animals to Sinsul and convince him. Sinsul easily followed him, and it seemed it was going really well.

“So cute…!”

Jino moaned and reached out. But the kitten pulled up its tail and went in deeper to Myohan’s arms. It clearly didn’t like Jino. Myo Cheong kicked his back hard to make him stop.

When Myohan left school, he right ran into Jino who had been waiting there with excitement. He was with Myo Cheong who was really unhappy about the situation. Blushing, Jino asked Myohan to show him the cat. Myohan froze, wondering if he had found out his secret, but Myo Cheong added, ‘You have a little kitten, right?’ and he soon relaxed. Jino must have remembered seeing the kitten. Myohan didn’t want to let them tag along, but then Sinsul started to talk to Jino in his unique friendly way, and in the end, they all headed to Myohan’s place.

“Are you sure you’re all here to study…?”

Jagyeom asked with a frown. Then, how was he here? Well, it had been another coincidence.

“No, I came to see the kitty.”

“Jino, please shut up.”

Jagyeom had been wandering around as there was no empty spot in the study room, and then he ran into them at the school gate. He asked where they were going, Myohan replied they were going to study for finals, and he tagged along, hoping to get Myohan’s help with math. Myohan didn’t try to stop him as he was quiet unless he was spoken to, and he was going to study harder than any of them. But now, he muttered with great regret.

“What a mess.”

He had been wrong. In this mood, it would be impossible to ask Sinsul about his secret. O Shin smiled and stroked his head. He had been having a headache about the mess, so he gladly closed eyes. His kitten wrapped its tail around his wrist, and then it purred and rubbed on him.

“But why is that pervert not here?”

“He said he will be going on a trip abroad this week.”

Jagyeom answered Myo Cheong’s question. Myohan had never heard about it. When everyone looked confused, Jagyeom sighed and explaind, “He said it when we were together the last time. He even asked if you wanted anything, Myohan. He said he would get it for you.”

“I can’t remember.”

But Myohan could remember, although quite vaguely.

Sajun tried to hug him once more and asked, so Myohan just thought he was saying nonsense and pushed him away. Well, it was good that Sajun wasn’t here now. If he had been here, Myohan would have kicked out everyone minutes ago. Sinsul was watching the kitten rubbing on Myohan. He asked, “Who’s the pervert?”

“Kim Sajun.”

He didn’t seem to be able to keep up with the conversation, but Myohan lacked the will to explain who Kim Sajun was and why he was called ‘the pervert’. But then, Sinsul sighed lightly and asked back.

“Oh, that snake?”

“Yes, the snake.”

O Shin immediately got up on the sofa. Myohan answered the question without much thought, but then he dropped his pen in shock.

“….What did you just say?”

The kitten stretched its back and came out of Myohan’s arms. Then he went into a room. Sinsul was surprised to get everyone’s attention. He scratched his head.

“Didn’t you know? You guys smell?”

Jagyeom looked like he was about to pass out, and Myo Cheong was no less than surprised. Sinsul pointed at Jagyeom, Myo Cheong, and Jino, and then he said, as if he couldn’t see anything odd with it.

“Rat smell, rabbit smell, horse smell.”

Then he came to Myohan to sniff at him.

“And cat smell.”

None of them could say anything. They had been busted way before they could find out what Sinsul was. More than that, he could smell cat on Myohan. But since when?

“He keeps a cat, so of course he smells like a cat.”

O Shin broke the silence. Sinsul exclaimed, “Oh!”

‘Oh!’? Myohan really wanted to tackle that dumb face, but he didn’t. Instead, he tried to sound out Sinsul.

“…I’ve been raising it for two months.”

Sinsul nodded. He smiled sheepishly, and he was clearly telling what he believed to be the truth.

“That must be it, then. You started to smell like a cat again, in, like, March.”

Good. Myohan quietly let out a sigh of relief and looked at O Shin. He smiled to him. But his somewhat sly face made Myohan feel like he was missing something critical. He shook his head to dismiss the ominous thought and looked at Jagyeom, Myo Cheong, and Jino. They were surprised that Sinsul knew their secret, and they were not giving a second thought about what he had said about Myohan smelling like a cat. They seemed shocked and worried.

“Then,”

Sinsul, who was leafing through his notes with a moan, started to speak again.

“That Kim Sajun has a snake,”

Someone gulped hard. Sinsul turned and looked straight at Jagyeom.

“You have a rat,”

Jagyeom couldn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help imagining what to do when his secret was revealed. Maybe I can tell him I have a hamster. He was clearly thinking that. Then Sinsul turned to Myo Cheong.

“You have a rabbit,”

At least Myo Cheong could get along with it. Rabbit was a common pet. He managed to calm down, but only for a second. Sinsul looked at Jino and gave him a bright smile.

“And you have a horse!”

Shit. No, this wasn’t going to work. Myo Cheong looked down in despair. How was Jino supposed to have a horse? It wasn’t like his father was a millionaire or something. Only a complete idiot would believe it. While he was desperately trying to think of something to say, Sinsul, who was still smiling, just picked up his pen. Then he started to moan and complain.

“Oh, Myohan, I really don’t want to study.”

Myo Cheong looked at Myohan, his eyes clearly asking, ‘Does this kid lack a piece of his brain or something?’

Well, it was all the better for them. Sinsul went on studying in quiet, and O Shin lay down again and stroked Myohan’s hair. Myo Cheong seemed like he couldn’t understand something, but he decided to be content that his secret was safe again. Myohan was trying to focus on O Shin’s warm hand to get rid of that anxiety in his heart. Jagyeom was the one to point out the strange fact.