The Cat hides its Claws

“Just get some rest, okay?”

After saying that, Yuja opened another notebook and started writing in it. He was trying to find a way to make it even easier for Myo Cheong and Sinsul to understand. He was more enthusiastic than most teachers. Jagyeom and Miho were impressed, and Jino said, “Cheong, please don’t die…”

Sinsul, who was rolling around, eventually bumped his head on the table leg and whimpered.

“But is Chookjae one of the twelve animals too?”

The disorder stopped immediately at that question. It surprised Yuja and he frowned. Chookjae just looked at Myohan.

“What twelve animals?”

He sounded bored. He said nothing more and pushed his workbook toward Chookjae again.

“I can’t do this one, either.”

“…Um, this one’s no different than the last one.”

O Shin got up, stroked Myohan’s hair once, and went into a room. The cat, which had been on the sofa all the time, stretched its back and followed him. Jino tried to stop it, but it was already gone. The boys were trying to figure out what was going on, but Yuja just snorted and went back to work.

That was all. The silence was broken only when Sinsul yelled, “I’m hungry!” They were suspicious, but none of them confronted Myohan.

“The cat’s gone…”

“It’s alright, it’ll be back.”

“Are we studying here again tomorrow?”

“That’s fine for me.”

“Shit, you’re saying that because this is Myohan’s place.”

“How about soccer instead of studying?”

“After the exams are over.”

O Shin left the noises and went into a room. He smiled as he looked down at the cat that had followed him. Its yellow eyes looked straight at him. He said, “See? That’s why I can’t help liking him.”

The cat moved its tail gently, and then it rubbed a paw on his face.

“Meow-”

It sounded like it was somewhat unhappy about it.

***

The school was now deadly quiet. It was because the exams were near, but also because the National University Entrance Exam was getting close. Most classes were turned into independent study times, and the teachers didn’t even come to the classroom. Myohan studied, got some sleep during break time, and watched Sinsul get scolded by Yuja.

But now, he was standing in the cafeteria. He always skipped lunch because he found it too bothering, but today he was there, and there was only one reason for that.

“You’re a teenager and a student. You need your lunch.”

Yuja the class president made him do it.

“But I don’t want to go down.”

“You skip lunch just because you don’t want to go down?”

“There’s only one thing that matters more than lunch, and that’s soccer.”

Myohan had meant to stay in his classroom with O Shin as he did every day. He wasn’t hungry, and he found standing in line to get lunch too much work. It was then when Yuja, who was seeing if Sinsul had done the math assignment he had given him, asked, ‘You’re not going for lunch?’

Sinsul answered that question instead.

‘Myohan doesn’t eat lunch, you know.’

“I don’t want to stand in line.”

Yuja frowned. He clearly thought it was absurd. Chookjae, who was standing next to him, also shook his head.

“But O Shin’s not eating at well because of you.”

O Shin, who was looking around the cafeteria, smiled, probably because of the name ‘O Shin.’ Myohan just shrugged. Yuja wasn’t wrong. He had been skipping lunch every day ever since he came to their school.

“You’ve been skipping lunch because of me?”

Myohan never thought he was the reason, but O Shin just wrapped an arm around his shoulder without saying anything.

“Oh, I don’t like today’s menu.”

As it was quite late, there were only a few students at the cafeteria. Myohan got his food and sat down, but then he saw a group of boys enter. He looked up, and then he narrowed his eyes to see not one but two familiar faces among them.

“Well, Sadeol, there isn’t a thing you can eat today.”

It was the class president and vice class president of Class 2. Myohan could almost see a golden wig on Seonhan’s head.

“Why?”

Sinsul asked to see Myohan staring somewhere instead of eating. He shook his head and said it was nothing, but then they saw Sinsul.

“Oh, it’s Sinsul. Sinsul!”

Seonhan left his friends and came to them.

“Huh? Why are you eating so late?”

“We had a game of soccer, of course!”

Myohan looked away, completely uninterested. His tray was full of things kids loved, things made of meat. But they weren’t really appealing to him. He poked his rice with a chopstick, and O Shin glanced at him. Both Yuja and Chookjae weren’t interested in Seonhan. Yuja just ate his lunch, looking at his small vocabulary notecards with his eyes.

“I want to play soccer too!”

“Then you should. How about lunchtime tomorrow?!”

“That would be…”

“Sinsul.”

Yuja calmly called his name and his shoulders drooped. He knew what Yuja meant by that. He said sadly, “No, I must study.”

“Are you kidding? You don’t study.”

“I do now. Yuja’s teaching me these days.”

“Wow, that’s really nice of you.”

“Just bring your lunch!”

“Sadeol said he would do it for me.”

Two Sinsuls talking to each other. That was how Myohan defined their conversation. They didn’t look like each other, their voices were different, but they were both energetic in a similar way. Seonhan smiled playfully and sat down next to Sinsul, opposite Myohan. He giggled about how there were exactly two empty spots there.

Yuja was almost finished, but Myohan wasn’t eating at all. O Shin was no different. Myohan had no appetite, so he put down his spoon and looked up to say that he would leave first.

“Yuja, I think I will….”

“Oh! It’s you!”

But Seonhan clapped before he could finish his sentence. O Shin frowned. Myohan frowned too, as he didn’t know what Seonhan was talking about. Seonhan stood up, put his face right in front of Myohan’s, and looked.

“I wasn’t certain since you kept looking down, but it is you!”

“Huh? What? What is it?”

Seonhan smiled. He grinned as he sat down again.

“He made my class lose in dodgeball!”

During the sports competition in May, Class 1 had won over Class 2. Myohan nodded, thinking it was odd of him to still remember him, and then he tried to get up, but Seonhan spoke again.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you. It’s O Myohan, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know me? I’m Sin Seonhan! Your name is as strange as mine.”

“I know, you’re Sinsul’s friend.”

“Sinsul’s friend? No, we’re rivals.”

“What? But I thought we were friends!”

It didn’t feel good. Myohan had thought Seonhan was just like Sinsul, but now he could see there was more to him than that. He couldn’t exactly describe what he was feeling, but he didn’t feel talking to him more. Getting to know him was going to be even worse than being Sinsul’s friend, so he turned and looked at O Shin. He was just quietly looking at Myohan. He didn’t look like he wanted to eat more.

“If you’re finished, let’s go.”

“What? Myohan, you’re finished?”

Yuja sounded like he really didn’t like Myohan’s still full tray.

“I don’t have any appetite.”

He stood up, holding his tray. Seonhan’s eyes widened and he stretched out a hand.

“Huh? Wait! Don’t leave now!”

“Hey, don’t bother him.”

“But I want to be his friend.”

Sinsul tried to stop Seonhan, but it didn’t work. He grabbed Myohan’s thin waist and tried to pull him, but then O Shin slapped his hand away.

“Ouch!”

Myohan didn’t even have time to put down his tray. Seonhan’s hand was pushed away with too much force. He was surprised.

“Seonhan! Why did you sit here? There are too many of us!”

Thankfully, things didn’t get awkward, thanks to Sadeol who came with two trays. He put them down, frowning. Myohan looked up.

“We’re finished, so you can sit here.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, we’re…”

But then, Myohan flinched and stopped. Their eyes met.

“Thank you.”

Sadeol smiled brightly. His eyes were as light-colored as Myohan’s, and they looked down on him.

“…Okay.”

Chills crept up his back. It felt similar to when he had seen Sajun through the windows a few months ago. The predator’s eyes that held him captive, his curiously narrow pupils, and sense of danger that almost strangled his neck. The moment their eyes met, Myohan was seized. Then one thought came to him.

‘I’m about to be eaten.’

He was about to be eaten, devoured in a single bite. His cool eyes under the thick eyebrows and curled up lips — they all felt so familiar.