The Cat Hides Its Claws - Chapter 38

According to what Sinsul had said, he and Chookjae drank booze together, and Chookjae got to see him turn into a dog.

“Another dead end…”

Now Myohan was sure that Chookjae was the cow, but that didn’t change anything. He had to find out what made him transform, and even Chookjae himself didn’t know what it was.

Myohan was supposed to be getting a severe headache, but for some reason, he didn’t. Well, he had his guess. It was just that he couldn’t be sure of it. That was always the problem.

“What was Chookjae doing two hours ago?”

O Shin spoke to help Myohan be sure. He stretched out a hand and turned Myohan’s face to make him look at him. He blinked as he answered the question.

“Really, it’s a piece of cake.”

His face was so close. Their lips could meet at any moment. O Shin smiled, gave him a peck, and went away. Myohan looked at the clock and went down from the desk. O Shin made him sit down on his lap, wrapped his arms around his wrist, and rubbed his face on his neck.

“Well, then, we have ten minutes to ourselves. What should we do?”

The other boys were not going to come soon. As it was the last day of the semester, there was no morning independent study. No one was going to come in for ten minutes at least. Myohan could see what he meant by the question. He narrowed his eyes and stroked the back of his head, making his soft hair slip through his fingers.

“What an easy question.”

Their lips met. With regards to what made Chookjae transform, how Jino had managed to stay human after lying, and how Jagyeom managed to take shower, Myohan had many things to figure out. But he decided not to care about any of it, at least for now. First, I must cancel my application for extra summer classes. That was what he thought of first.

***

“So…”

Myohan’s neat eyebrows went up. Only Sinsul was smiling and nodding to him. He crossed his arms, reclined on his sofa, and sneered.

“What is this?”

“Summer vacation homework camp!”

Sinsul sounded even more innocent than usual. The other boys had been sitting around the table, having a meaningless conversation. (“Oh, Jino, stop it!” “But Cheong, the cat is…” “Will both of you just shut up?” “Just leave them alone.”) They all glanced at Myohan. He looked at O Shin to ask for his opinion, but instead of saying anything, he just put his head on Myohan’s shoulder.

“….And why does it have to take place here at my home?”

A few hours ago, after the school ended, Sinsul came to Myohan and asked the same question as usual.

“Do you want to play soccer?”

Myohan got that offer three times a day. Of course, he pretended not to hear it and packed his things, and Sinsul left with sad eyes. But then he soon came back and asked a different question. And this time, Chookjae was with him.

“Would you do summer vacation homework with us then?’

Myohan looked at him, and then at Chookjae, and he didn’t refuse. He just nodded and left the classroom.

But now, he felt like throwing rocks at himself that time. Of course there wasn’t a place in school to do homework during summer vacation. He should have asked where they were headed. After that, Sinsul followed Myohan and started to ask everyone they met on their way (first Jagyeom, and then Sajun) to join them. And in the end, he came to Myohan and smiled.

“Let’s go to your home now!”

He clearly meant, “We are about to do vacation homework at your place. Would you like to join us?”

“Did you just say ‘camp?’”

“Yeah! It’s summer vacation!”

Myohan wanted to ask what on earth he was talking about, but before he could, Chookjae spoke first.

“Yes, it’s vacation time.”

That was a thing that was supposedto come from Sinsul’s mouth, not Chookjae’s. He was a hard-working student. He wasn’t supposed to be so excited about homework camp/hangout night. Myohan gave him a questioning gaze, and he explained, “I’ve never been on a school trip, and I’ve never spent a night at a friend’s place.”

“His grandmother is really strict, she never lets him do such things.”

Sinsul helped him out. Chookjae added, “I’ve been living with her since I was really little, and her words are like the law to me.”

“Then why is it different today?”

“She’s not at home today.”

Myohan seemed to be having complicated thoughts as he quieted the noisy boys. (“Ugh! The cat…” “It scratched you and now you’re bleeding, you idiot!” “Hey, you guys are too noisy.” “Just ignore them.”) He did so with just one sentence. “Say one more word and I’m going to kick you out.”

It became quiet in less than a second. The cat escaped from Jino and jumped up to Myohan’s lap. It liked the silence and sat down with a yawn. Myohan slowly looked around. They all looked back at him with wide eyes. He asked, “Are you really going to spend the night here?”

“Yes.”

Sajun was the first to answer. Myohan ignored him as if it was only right. He turned to the others. Jino nodded with excitement. Myo Cheong looked away, but he also nodded. Only Jagyeom seemed to be thinking. He frowned, but he soon scratched his cheek and said, “Isn’t it already too late for us to go home?”

He was right. It was already 10:56 p.m. Myohan sighed and told them to do whatever they wanted. O Shin muttered about how the cat was actually nicer than he wanted to be.

“Just call your parents and tell them about it, or else they will be worried.”

“Well, I don’t think they will care at all.”

Jagyeom said so with a sneer. Then he stood up, looking away.

“Anyway…let me use the bathroom, then.”

Myohan looked up. He suddenly recalled the question O Shin had asked him. How did Jagyeom take his shower? Jagyeom noticed his gaze. He stopped and cleared his throat, looking troubled. Myohan narrowed his eyes and put down the cat.

“I’ll give you some clean clothes.”

Jagyeom followed Myohan into his bedroom. He closed the door and rummaged through his closet.

“What you were trying to say the other day, say it now.”

When Jino didn’t turn into a horse, and when he did transform later after lying, Jagyoem had looked at Myohan as if he had something to say. Jagyeom seemed to know what he meant by ‘the other day.’

“I wasn’t sure if I should tell you because I’m not 100% sure of it… But I guess it would be better to tell you.”

Myohan had brought him to his bedroom because he was worried that Myo Cheong might hear him. In the same room, Myo Cheong would be able to hear every word they said with his rabbit hearing. Jagyeom looked like he didn’t want to talk in front of the other boys, and Myohan wasn’t thinking of making him talk with everyone listening. Jagyeom sighed and began to talk.

“In the beginning, I didn’t turn into a rat.”

What Jagyeom said first wasn’t what Myohan had expected. He sat down on his bed as the story was going to be a long one. Jagyeom leaned against the door and continued.

“It was when I was eleven years old. It was my birthday. I had a birthday party and went into the bathroom to take a shower, but then I suddenly turned into a rat. My parents were surprised to hear a rat, so they came in, but I wasn’t there. There was only a rat.”

“So you suddenly changed?”

“Yes, just like that. But then, after about 10 minutes, I transformed back.”

Jagyeom wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered, recalling the dreadful day. He added, “It’s a horrible memory.” And then he looked down.

“It was 11 p.m.”

Myohan sighed, thinking how Jagyeom had just wanted to take shower when it was almost 11.

“It starts at 11 p.m., but I don’t know how long it lasts. I was too scared to find out. I just take shower as soon as the clock strikes 11 and dry myself.”

He thought the other boys were the same, that they didn’t transform after 11 p.m. He was sure that even Sajun and Myo Cheong were the same; they just didn’t know that. But then, he saw Jino not transform before 11, and he realized he had been wrong.

“They were all full of hope about not turning into animals again, and I couldn’t tell them. It’s 11 p.m. for me, but I don’t know when it is for Jino. I just kept wondering if I should tell them. I was afraid it might just disappoint them all.”