The Cat hides its Claws

“What are you looking at?”

Myo Cheong sounded even angrier than usual. Myohan thought it would be best to leave him alone until the liquor wore off, but then Myo Cheong suddenly grabbed him by his collar. Jagyeom’s eyes widened so much that they almost popped out. Jino quickly came over to stop him.

“Cheong, what are you doing?”

The drunken rabbit was stronger than expected. Jino tried to unclench his hand, but it only made his grip tighter. Moreover, he started to shake Myohan.

“You! You can’t be like that!”

“Cheong, you will regret this tomorrow.”

“Should we stop him with force?”

“….It will break his bones.”

Myohan thought about Sajun’s suggestion, but he soon shook his head. Myo Cheong had weak bones, and if they handled him wrongly and he fell, he could be broken in a place or two. He let out a sigh and wrapped his hand around Myo Cheong’s. He flinched and looked down. His round eyes got teary.

“It was my first kiss! You know that?”

“Cheong, your first kiss was with your ex-girlfriend…”

Myo Cheong glared at Jino. He immediately shut his mouth. Myo Cheong was now about to shed tears any moment. Then he yelled, “You are bad!”

“….First kiss?” Sinsul asked with wide eyes. Everyone looked at Myohan. He frowned and let out a small sigh. Stupid rabbit. He was digging his own grave. Instead of answering the question, he grabbed Myo Cheong’s shoulder. Then he spoke, stressing each word, looking straight into his eyes.

“If you don’t let go, I’ll make you change into your rabbit form.”

It seemed to work. Myo Cheong’s eyes widened, and then he frowned.

“Shit, do it! Do whatever you want!”

No, it worked in the opposite way.

“….He’s even angrier now.”

Jagyeom frowned with distaste and butted to side to get away from the mad rabbit. Myo Cheong stomped his feet, still holding Myohan, and O Shin calmly raised an opinion.

“Just make him transform.”

Cold silence fell. The boys had heard enough to guess what would make Myo Cheong transform, so they watched with tension. Only O Shin and Myohan remained calm. Myohan pulled out Myo Cheong’s arm, and then he leaned down without hesitation.

“…What the,”

Their lips didn’t touch. O Shin covered Myo Cheong’s lips with a hand in the last second. Myohan ended up kissing his hand, and he backed off. Myo Cheong was yelling at him to take his hand off him.

“The one who started it shall end it.”

“….What?”

O Shin looked at Sajun. His eyes widened and he pointed at himself as if to ask, ‘Me?’

“It was your chocolate that got him drunk.”

But he had just been rejoicing about capturing the dog thanks to Sajun. He just changed his words.

Sajun just sat there, blinking, but he soon made up his mind to see Myo Cheong shake Myohan once again. His face hardened. Jino put up his hands in surprise.

“Wait, Cheong might not…”

A huge smooching sound made all of them shut up. The silence couldn’t be compared to anything. Myo Cheong froze, his eyes still wide, and Jino’s hands fell. Myo Cheong’s hand let go of Myohan.

Sajun put a hand behind Myo Cheong’s as if he had done it before. Myo Cheong wouldn’t even budge. Jagyeom looked away, his face now pale. He just couldn’t see anymore.

“Huh?”

Myo Cheong turned into a rabbit in no time. Sajun lifted him and was a bit confused. Jino must have forgotten about what he had just seen, as he was happy to see the white rabbit. Sajun tried poking it, and then lightly shaking it. Its furry body just drooped.

“….He’s unconscious.”

“Cheong!”

Jino quickly took him. Its chest moving up and down showed it was still breathing, and Sajun shrugged in pity.

“It must have been quite a shock for him.”

O Shin looked away and covered his mouth to hide his giggle. Myohan sighed and looked at the others, his face grim.

“Forget what you saw today.”

“…”

“…For the rabbit.”

In the end, O Shin couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud. Jagyeom eyed Myo Cheong with pity. Looking at Jino wailing and calling Myo Cheong’s name, Sinsul muttered, “I think I’m at least better than him…”

Myo Cheong didn’t wake up even after he came back to his human form. Jino dressed him and Sajun carried him on his back, looking somewhat sorry. No, he tried to carry him. But Jino accusingly said, ‘Are you really going to kill him?’ So, he couldn’t. Jino took him instead. He asked, ‘What if he never wakes up?’ But no one answered the question, as they all thought it would be much better for Myo Cheong to never wake up again.

“I showed you my dog form, so you’re not playing soccer with me anymore, are you?”

Even after they all left, Sinsul stayed. He kept on hassling Myohan about soccer. Myohan kicked him playfully and snorted.

“I used not to play soccer with you, I don’t play soccer with you, I won’t play soccer with you.”

“Which is exactly why you’re bad.”

Sinsul murmured and rolled around the living room. Myohan told him to attach a cleaning cloth to himself on something if he was going to keep on rolling around like that, but he just ignored him. O Shin leaned on Myohan’s shoulder.

“Play soccer with me again!”

“Again? I’ve never played soccer with…”

But Myohan stopped there. O Shin glanced at him. Sinsul got up and asked what it was about.

‘It was then when you started to smell like a cat again.’

He thought of O Shin’s mysterious gaze. The anxiety he felt then resurfaced. He smelled like a cat again. Again. He started keeping a cat four months ago. Then Sinsul must have smelled cat on him before that, and he remembered it.

“What is it?”

When? When? Myohan narrowed his eyes. When had he smelled cat?

“Hey, Myohan, are you okay?” Sinsul asked with worry. Unlike other animals, Sinsul and Myohan had been friends for a long time. They had become friends without knowing each other’s secrets, and their friendship hadn’t changed even after Myohan found out Sinsul was the dog. He stared at him, and then he smiled.

“Okay.”

He could remember. The only day he was absent from school in his freshman year.

“I’ll play soccer with you again.”

Well, whatever. Sinsul was still that simple and innocent.

Sinsul said, “Hurray!” and then he started to roll again. O Shin took Myohan’s hand without the dog-boy noticing. Summer vacation was coming.

“I’ll put application form for extra classes during summer vacation, so if you need it, take it.”

Chookjae put down a pile of paper as soon as Yuja said it. Myohan, who was dozing off yet again, perked up to hear that. O Shin, who had been giving him a warm gaze, put his bangs back for him.

“What is it?”

Myohan didn’t answer the question. He stood up and went to the front. Sinsul, who was still hugging his soccer ball, looked at him with wide eyes.

“Hey, Chookjae.”

Chookjae, who had gotten himself a form and was reading it, nodded. Myohan yawned as he wasn’t fully awake yet and asked, “You’re taking the extra classes, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Yuja eyed Myohan, confused. As far as he knew, Myohan wasn’t interested in others enough to ask such questions, especially to Chookjae. Myohan and Chookjae were classmates, but nothing more. Myohan mostly kept to himself, and Chookjae was a quiet boy. Anyway, they weren’t that close.

“Why, you want to do it too?” Yuja asked, offering Myohan a form. He was half-joking, expecting him to say, “No, I’m not out of my mind,” and return to his seat. But he didn’t. He rubbed on his sore neck, took the form, and nodded.

“Yes, I am going to.”

Is O Myohan crazy? Someone whispered. Sinsul dropped his ball. Yuja also looked at him with surprise, his hand still in the air. Myohan frowned.

“I’m going to kill you all.”

“Ar-are you sick or something?”

Yuja’s surprise became a shock as he slowly processed what he had just heard. Myohan had hated practicing for a 10-minute play, so of course there was no way he would choose to come to school during summer vacation. Myohan just ignored them all and looked at the form.

Application Form for Summer Vacation Extra Classes. Date: 23rd of July-10th of August. Oh, does it have to be so long? He let out a sigh and said, “I just want to study,” but of course no one bought that. He returned to his seat.

“Have you decided to be a diligent cat?”

“Of course not.”

As he answered O Shin’s question, he fell on his desk again. O Shin’s hand soon started to stroke his hair. Enjoying the soft feeling, Myohan closed his eyes.

Park Chookjae. He was the only student who had ‘Chook’, the letter for cow, in his name.