The Cat hides its Claws

When Myohan turned, he saw Yuja with a long face. Everyone was excited about the trip and was looking around, but only Yuja looked so troubled.

Myohan went behind him and poked him behind the knee.

Normally he would have accused him of the prank, but this time, he just staggered and almost fell. Myohan managed to grab him in the right time, and he was a little surprised. What was wrong with Yuja? But then, he steadied himself quickly and yelled, “Myohan, what do you think you were doing?”

“I…”

Yuja looked perfectly fine as he glared at Myohan. His previous worries were now gone and he was now just mad about the joke. Myohan sighed and Yuja soon moved on it. He started to gather his classmates.

“Maybe I was wrong.”

“About what?”

Sinsul came while waving his tail, which couldn’t be seen but had to be there. He looked even more excited than usual.

“Yuja just… No, forget it.”

“What? You just sighed! What have I done?”

Myohan opened his mouth to explain, but then he saw Sinsul’s innocent eyes and shook his head, thinking the dog who was just excited to be outdoors would never be able to understand deep thought of human beings. Sinsul got mad and kept asking, ‘What about me?’ but Myohan just pushed him away.

“Wait.” Like talking to a dog, he said, “I hate you!”

Sinsul pouted and went to Yuja. Myohan could almost see him dragging his tail behind him. Yes, it had to be there. Anyway, Sinsul grabbed Yuja’s sleeve and clung onto him. It’s not going to work, Myohan thought, but Sinsul couldn’t hear it.

“Yuja! When can we have lunch?”

Yuja raised his glasses and frowned. Then he scribbled something on the paper he was holding to do a headcount.

“Wait.”

“…I hate you all.”

In the end, Sinsul wailed about how one was ultimately alone in this cold world, and Myohan met eyes with O Shin who chuckled for a long time.

However, Yuja kept looking troubled for a second while they ate Jeju’s famous black pig pork for lunch. They walked the beautiful Olle Trail while they were briefed about the next day’s schedule. He was still worried when they went into their room after having their bags checked.

“Yuja, what’s the matter? You should sit down.”

Now they had some free time before dinnertime. As they weren’t kids anymore and it was the last school trip they would ever be on in high school, the teachers let them loose to some extent.

Myohan said so to Yuja and he came in reluctantly. O Shin, who was sitting next to Myohan, smiled.

“The bathroom is really small! We won’t be able to take a shower together!”

“We’re not showering together.”

In the meantime, Sinsul looked around the small room and shouted, opening the bathroom door. They scolded his idea of taking showers together, but he said it was the fun of a school trip.

O Shin gave an interesting gaze, but Myohan did his best to ignore him. Yuja was now sitting in a corner to himself and sighing, and it bothered him more.

“What is it?”

Myohan wasn’t up to nagging him, but he thought it would be better to ask once. Yuja was startled by the question. He touched his glasses, and he sighed again for everyone’s attention.

“…It’s nothing, really.”

“Hmm.”

Myohan lay down and turned to look at O Shin. His kind hand put back his now untidy hair. Yuja seemed to be relieved that Myohan wasn’t asking more. He sighed and stood up, saying he would go and check on the other rooms. He looked a little unnatural as he left, but no one tried to stop him. As soon as he closed the door behind him, a light silence filled the room. Myohan felt O Shin’s hand with closed eyes, and then he asked, “Sinsul.”

“Yeah?”

The dog-boy was unpacking his things. The trip was going to last only for three days, but he had brought too much. Clothes, charger, snakes, and a deck of cards. He was really eager to get some proper fun.

“This is Yuja’s first school trip, isn’t it?”

“Yes, he didn’t go attend last year’s field trip.”

They had been in the same class with Yuja since last year. He had always been the class president since first grade, and last year was no different. As he wasn’t there, the vice class president, whom they couldn’t even remember now, took his place and led the boys.

“Why?”

Maybe he had been sick, or maybe it had been for a personal reason. But why did Yuja remind him of Chookjae not coming to the trip? Sinsul’s eyes widened and grinned.

“Well…”

Myohan narrowed his eyes. That was a strange answer, much different from a number of normal answers like, ‘He must have been sick,’ or ‘Something must have happened,’ or even ‘I dunno.’

Sinsul sounded suspicious and it bothered him. He thought about asking more, but then he just closed his eyes. He found it too bothersome, and he wasn’t sure Sinsul knew something.

“….You’re not asking more?”

Sinsul butted close and asked with disappointment. He was clearly eager to be asked. Myohan rubbed his forehead on O Shin’s knee without opening his eyes and said yes.

“Why?”

“Too bothersome.”

“Come on!”

Sinsul looked really eager now. Myohan opened his eyes and O Shin winked. Clever cat. He could read that in his eyes. Myohan asked slowly, trying to sound uninterested, “Why should I ask?”

“Because you’re curious now.”

Myohan sighed at the whining boy. Then he slowly got up. O Shin looked somewhat sad about it, but he just stared at Sinsul with narrowed eyes.

“Sinsul.”

His eyes shined. You’re asking? You’re asking, aren’t you? His eyes were saying so. Myohan grinned, raised a hand, and grabbed him.

“So you know something.”

He gulped hard. Sinsul now felt uneasy. He looked away. Myohan slowly pulled him close and smiled.

“Tell me.”

Actually, he didn’t care much about Yuja and his trouble. They just happened to be in the same class, and after he made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it, it would be rude of Myohan to dig into it more.

But now, Sinsul was now feeding his curiosity. He knew something, something Myohan would definitely be interested about. That was why he was trying to attract his attention. Sinsul’s eyes twinkled.

“Then…”

Myohan cared about almost nothing, and there was only one thing he would be interested in. The twelve zodiac animals. There were five animals to catch now: tiger, dragon, monkey, rooster, and pig. Their letters were In, Jin, Shin, Yu, and Hae.

‘Yuja’s the rooster.’

Myohan grinned.

“I won’t play soccer with you.”

“…You’re bad.”

“You’re worse. You’re using Yuja’s problem to make me play soccer with you.”

“Why won’t you play soccer with me?”

“There are a number of people who’d do that instead of me.”

Myohan let him go and lay down again. It would be good to hear what Sinsul knew now, but it wasn’t necessary. Asking around about Yuja’s secret would be wrong(although he had been doing it all the time). Plus, if it wasn’t about the twelve zodiac animals, he just couldn’t hear it.

Myohan turned his back on Sinsul, which meant he wouldn’t listen to anymore. Sinsul complained under his breath and resumed unpacking. O Shin stroked his hair again. It made him feel sleepy.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

With that mysterious offer, he fell asleep. He woke up because someone shook him. O Shin would have done it by calling him softly, but this person was just merciless. He turned slowly and frowned.

“Myohan, wake up! We must go to dinner.”

He got up only when he heard a familiar voice. What he saw first was Yuja’s glasses. He looked at the eyes behind them and blinked. Yuja just thought he was still half asleep and pulled at his soft cheeks.

“Wake up!”

“… I am awake.”

Yuja easily let him go. When he looked around, rubbing his cheeks, there was no one there. Both Sinsul and O Shin had left. Sinsul would have run to dinner, but there was no way O Shin would have left him…

Yuja raised his glasses and offered a hand to Myohan.

“Let’s go, they’ve all gone first.”