The Cat Hides Its Claws - Chapter 15

“What is he saying?”

Myo Cheong seemed to be thinking. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much time to think. Myohan shouted, trying to measure the height of the window of the first floor right behind the wall.

“One,”

He thought of the worst-case scenario. What if Myo Cheong didn’t do as he said and everything went wrong? Still, he had no other option. He recalled how O Shin had told him to follow his guts.

“Two,”

He gulped. He could see the buff guys laughing to see him suddenly begin counting. They had to be thinking he was up to something stupid. Myo Cheong closed his eyes.

“Three!”

“Ugh!”

The one who screamed was the one standing at the back. Myo Cheong kicked his thigh with his leg in the cast, and at the same time, Myohan jumped up a wall and then stepped on the shoulder of the guy in front of him.

“What, what the?”

‘Kick with your leg in the cast and run.’

Myo Cheong recalled what Myohan had said a minute before and looked like he was about to cry. What should I do? What should I do? He was nervously shifting around when Myohan shouted again.

“Hey, what are you doing? Run!”

Myo Cheong quickly ran away only then. Myohan let out a sigh of relief. He had guessed so as he ran without limping, but he was right. His leg had already recovered.

He took a deep breath, dodged a punch, and then nimbly jumped up to the shoulders of the biggest guy.

“Idiots,” he added, smirking. And then he quickly ran toward the wall he had been standing on. The bullies all frowned. Of course they were angry to miss two victims in less than a minute. They decided to go after Myohan instead of following Myo Cheong.

“You..!”

But when they went behind the wall, there was no one there.

Myohan sank to the floor. He could see the bullies looking around confusedly. He had jumped up through the window while they were in shock. It was good that the window was open.

“Reckless cat.”

A familiar voice said so. Myohan undid a couple of shirt buttons and grinned.

“I knew you would say that.”

He had been sure of it. The man just laughed. Myohan didn’t seem to be surprised to see him there. He even knew what he would say. Now he really understood the man.

“But what if they come after you?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“They must have seen your face.”

Myohan hadn’t thought that far. His body just moved instinctively, making him do what he had done.

The fact that he might be the next target of those bullies, or that his interference might have just put Myo Cheong in an even worse situation hadn’t crossed his mind at all. So why did he do it? He was actually pretty confused.

“Rabbits have keen ears.”

Myohan nodded, but actually, he didn’t even care a bit about it. What mattered the most was that he had missed the rabbit yet again. Letting him run away was meaningless. He had missed a chance and it wasn’t going to come back. Would he be willing to talk if Myohan went to find him again?

“You know it?”

The man asked, but it sounded like he already knew the answer. He offered Myohan a hand, so he took it to stand up. Then he looked out the window. The bullies were long gone. He narrowed his eyes and replied, looking down at a student, “Well…”

Myo Cheong, who had run away, had come back.

***

“You saved my life?”

“I just didn’t want to be bothered.”

“No, you’re my…”

“Stop, stop!”

O Shin stopped in the middle of his line and looked at Yuja.

Yuja yelled angrily, “What kind of a prince looks at his princess like that?”

After classes, both Myohan and O Shin were held back by Yuja, who told them they were going to pay the price for running away during lunchtime. Myohan, who had been reciting the lines he had remembered days ago, replied halfheartedly.

“How am I supposed to look at him, then?”

“With love, with love!”

“They won’t notice the difference when we’re on stage.”

“Ugh!”

Chookjae had to grab Yuja to make him calm down. It seemed like Yuja was about to get a heart attack from all the stress he was getting trying to make a prince out of Myohan.

The school festival was just around the corner, but the damn prince kept looking at the princess as if he were a bug. Well, to be fair, the princess just as emotionless, too.

Yuja managed to recover his calm and banged on the table, although he was very tired.

“Let’s give it one more try. But this time, with more emotion.”

Myohan wasn’t being uncooperative on purpose. He knew he had to make up for missing the class meeting, and now he had already learned his lines, he had no reason to complain about being the prince.

It just that he couldn’t think of the tall guy in front of him as a princess. Not bursting into laughter was the best he could do.

“You saved my life?”

“I…”

After O Shin said his line, a lot more naturally, Myohan opened his mouth to say his. But then, the back door opened and there came in a familiar boy. Myo Cheong found that he had attracted too much attention and flinched.

“Um, I’m looking for O Myohan…”

Myohan put down his script. Yuja let out a deep sigh and waved his hand.

“Be back in ten minutes.”

They went out the second they got his permission. Myo Cheong didn’t say even a word on their way to the taps. Myohan looked back from time to time to see if he was following, but it only made him jump up. Myohan had to speak to him first after making sure no one else was listening.

“Why did you run away from me?”

Myo Cheong’s voice wasn’t timid as expected. Myohan thought that he would always whisper as he was startled by even the smallest sound, but he was wrong. Of course, what he said was even more unexpected.

“I thought you were trying to bully me as well.”

“….Why would I?”

Myohan was a little shocked. He had run away because he thought Myohan was another bully? But he took pride in being a nice and diligent student.

“Because I’m an easy prey.”

Myo Cheong continued speaking slowly, his dry voice making Myohan shut his mouth.

“Because I’m quiet.”

No emotion at all. His voice was calm, quiet, and dry.

“I can say nothing and do nothing when bullied.”

Myohan blinked slowly. Myo Cheong looked into his eyes.

“I have few friends and no one to help me.”

His rabbit eyes drooped sadly. Although he sounded fine, his eyes were dying. Myohan now could see why he couldn’t help caring about this rabbit.

“So…”

“Hey, rabbit.”

There was the feeling he had been sensing ever since he found the rabbit.

“There’s no good reason for being bullied.”

He felt no sympathy in hearing what the bullied kid was thinking. Why was that? Because he was that cold? Because he lacked sympathy?

“Let’s say those guys bully me next.”

Myohan went closer to Myo Cheong. Yes, it didn’t feel right. Even though he had shuddered to see them, he had been rather relaxed when surrounded by bullies. Even though he looked like he was crying, he hadn’t looked sorry at all.

“Then what, is it because I’ve given them a good reason? Because I helped you? Or because I called them idiots?”

He had been stupid to chase the rabbit without any doubt. The voice in his heart had told him otherwise, but he just told himself that the boy was just fearful after being bullied for so long.

“No, it’s because they’re bullies, and that’s the only reason.”

Myo Cheong’s eyes widened. Myohan added as a conclusion, “Don’t try to reason with yourself with such shitty reasons.”

Well, bite the bait now.

“…Then what, I was just unlucky?”

Myo Cheong’s eyes trembled. He angrily stomped his feet.

“Yes, they all say that the victim isn’t responsible, the perpetrators are. And yet, both teachers and students tell the victims to change.”

His round eyes were now full of emotion. But it wasn’t sadness.

“I said a few words, and they said I was rude, so I kept my mouth shut, and then they called me mute. Bring money, do this, do that. Shit, I was going to get compensation money if they beat me, but they were scared to see me wearing a cast and couldn’t do more than threatening me…”

It was resentment. Resentment strong enough to make Myohan feel sick of it. Myo Cheong kept cursing and stomping his feet for some time, but then, he abruptly turned to Myohan. Myohan couldn’t help flinching and taking a step back.

“I could have beaten those guys up, but I was just seeing how it would go, and you came in and ruined all that!”