The Cat hides its Claws

Chapter 87: Chapter 87

“Oh shit, he’s running again.”

Myo Cheong let out a deep sigh as he looked down at his friend running in the school yard. His coach had told him he had to take care of himself to be in good condition only a while ago, but Jino kept on training, probably because he was anxious about having to meet college coaches soon.

‘Staying still makes me feel empty, Cheong.’

And he also kept making that hard-to-understand remark.

Myo Cheong could relate to that. Jino had been his best and only friend since middle school, but he had been feeling somewhat empty and lonely for some time, not just because he wasn’t in the same homeroom with Jino this time.

“Hey!”

He was walking down the hallway on his way home when he bumped into some buffy guys. It was those meanies who had bullied him till last year. They smirked and stopped him, but they ran away the moment they saw who it was.

“I’m– I’m sorry!”

They apologized as they ran away. To think about it, he couldn’t recall how he had escaped those kids’ bullying. He had always thought he was easy prey to them, and he had just endured it, planning to take a few punches and lose some money.

“Oh, shit, I don’t know.”

He angrily pulled his hair and went on his way. He kept feeling gloomy and he just couldn’t get rid of it. And he couldn’t remember how he and Jino had become friends. They had gone to the same middle school, but he couldn’t recall any particular event that had brought them closer. Neither him nor Jino were the friendly type, and he found out he liked cute things only after they became friends.

“Cheong?”

He felt even lonelier than usual as he headed home without Jino. For some reason, he felt like he had belonged to a very noisy group. But then, someone stopped him right in front of his old middle school.

“Cheong, it’s you!”

A cute girl with a round face talked to him with a smile. She was wearing a school uniform from another high school nearby. Myo Cheong recognized her.

“Wow, it’s been a long time.”

She was the first girl he had ever dated.

“How have you been?”

They hadn’t met for some years, but it didn’t feel awkward at all. They talked about their schools, which universities they would apply to, and the friends they had in common from middle school. Time flew and their conversation stopped only when the girl’s phone rang.

“Oh, it’s my boyfriend.”

Myo Cheong saw the ring on her fourth finger then.

“Well, it was nice to see you again.”

“Oh, I enjoyed it too.”

He had thought he still had some feelings left for her until last year. She had been his first date, and although their relationship didn’t last for long, it was full of happy memories.

That was why he had always had some regrets, but when he actually got to see her again, he felt nothing. His regrets had vanished in the last year.

“But Cheong…” They walked together as their homes were nearby. But then, the girl looked up at him and asked, “Why did we break up then?”

He thought a lot about a lot of things. What had happened when they were dating, what he had thought when they broke up, and what had brought him close to Jino. He could recall without much problem, but when he got to the point of the breakup, his memories got all fuzzy and foggy.

“Hey, Jino.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember my ex-girlfriend from middle school?”

He was literally dragging Jino away from the racing tracks and into the building. Jino’s eyes widened at the sudden question.

“Why did I break up with her?”

If the two couldn’t remember it themselves, there was no way Jino could remember it. Myo Cheong knew it, but somehow he just wanted to ask him.

Jino blinked and said, “You two had your first kiss….”

Yes, Myo Cheong could remember that much. They got into the right mood, he kissed her, but he couldn’t recall what had happened after that. Jino frowned.

“I can’t remember what happened next.”

As it was coming from Jino’s mouth, it couldn’t be a lie. Myo Cheong nodded, but then he frowned. Why was he thinking everything Jino said had to be true?

“Meow.”

They started to walk faster as the next class was about to start, but then they heard a cat. Myo Cheong turned, but then he had to back off, startled by the cat jumping in his direction. It was an instinctive move. He didn’t have time to think there was a rock behind him, and he would end up stumbling and twisting his right ankle.

It all happened too quickly. He had to sit down because of the cat.

“Oww, shit!”

“Cheong, are you okay?”

‘You stupid cat…!’

“No, I’m not okay!”

He yelled, but it changed nothing. His ankle was twisted, and the moment he tried to get up, pain rose up in his leg. He had gone through quite a few days without twisting one of his ankles, but it eventually happened.

“…Hey,”

“Oh, Cheong, what should we do?”

“Hey, Jino,”

“What should we… Yes?”

Jino’s eyes widened. Myo Cheong asked as he got his help to stand up.

“Have my bones always been this fragile?”

The sickbay was silent. After Jino went back to his classroom, Myo Cheong enjoyed bedrest. He could recall frequently visiting the sickbay like this last year.

‘Someone used to carry me here…’

But he couldn’t remember who it had been.

“Miss, can I get some cold medicine?”

The door was opened and someone came in. Myo Cheong looked and got up to see a familiar face.

“What, she’s not here?”

It was that student Jino thought to was so cute. He had quite an unusual name. Yes, O Myohan. Myo Cheong remembered because Jino kept saying he wanted to befriend that cute boy.

“She’ll be here soon,” he said bluntly.

Myohan hadn’t known he was there and was a little surprised. He blinked and looked. The moment their eyes met, thrill ran down Cheong’s back.

“Oh, thank you.”

‘Shit. Jino, do you really think that’s cute?’

“…Oh, um…”

Myohan’s eyes were enchantingly glittering in the sunlight that came through the windows.

‘He’s not cute; he’s pretty,’ Myo Cheong thought so as he cleared his throat and looked away.

After that, awkward minutes passed. The school nurse didn’t come back for a long time, and Myohan sat down on a chair and muttered something under his breath, but Cheong couldn’t hear it as his voice was too small.

Cheong couldn’t suppress his curiosity and asked, “What are you saying?”

Myohan smiled, “Oh, I saw you’ve twisted your ankle, so I was thinking maybe…”

But what could his twisted ankle have to do with him muttering to himself? Myohan didn’t say more and stood up, probably to leave.

“Hey, wait.”

Cheong stopped him, although he couldn’t know why. But Myohan didn’t stop. He quickly came down from the bed. The moment he took a step, his body tilted and lost balance.

He knew he was about to fall. There was nothing nearby he could grab onto. But no matter how long he waited, he felt no pain. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Myohan’s delicate eyelashes.

His heart beat fast. He felt déjà vu. He recalled seeing that face from that close before.

‘I got you.’

Myo Cheong’s eyes widened at the voice that rang in his head.

“You should be more careful with your twisted ankle.”

After steadying him, Myohan put him back on the bed and turned, but Cheong stopped him again.

“Hey, shit…”

There was a blanket on him. His ankles couldn’t be seen, and students didn’t often win bedrest at the sickbay for having a twisted ankle.

‘You’re really good at acting.’

Recalling what Myohan had said to him almost a year ago, he snorted.

“I never said I’ve twisted my ankle.”