The Cat Hides Its Claws - Chapter 6

“What the…”

Myohan thought he had to run. Sajun’s eyes shined dangerously as if he was about to devour Myohan, which didn’t match his kind face.

“Why are you stalking me?”

But Myohan didn’t run away. His pride was too high to let him run away just because the boy’s gaze was a little intense.

Sajun seemed to find Myohan amusing and a little strange.

“Who are you, and why are you stalking me? Are you interested in me?”

“Yes.”

The answer that came was quite shocking. It made Myohan frown hard. He hadn’t really meant it. The ‘interest’ he had talked about was ‘feeling’. Were you watching me because you like me? Sajun could fully understand the question, but still, he said yes. He smiled and then added matter-of-factly, “I like cats.”

“Stop calling me a cat!”

“So sharp, just like a cat.”

Now Myohan was really irritated. Sajun’s way of talking was just like that of the man who was at his home now. He didn’t like that he was facing another person who talked like that. He asked back, not trying to hide his irritation, “Why am I a cat?”

Sajun pointed at Myohan with a hand. Being pointed like that didn’t feel good, but Myohan decided not to bother to point that not.

“Because you look like a cat.”

Is he joking or something…

“Oh, and for your information, I really mean it.”

Myohan narrowed his eyes after having his mind read like that. Sajun was really a lot like O Shin.

“I was going to watch you some more, but it is an honor to be talked to first.”

“Stop talking crazy nonsense and answer my question. Why were you stalking me?”

“I told you.”

His thin lips curved softly. Myohan had felt it for some time, but Sajun’s smile was strangely dangerous. Even though he was smiling, his eyes had something similar to the will to kill. Myohan wasn’t happy to be overwhelmed like that, so he glared at Sajun.

“I like cats.”

“Oh, will you stop with that shit?”

Myohan’s neck started to hurt after looking out the window for so long. Sajun seemed to be thinking of neither running away nor coming closer.

Actually, Sajun hadn’t done anything to Myohan. Myohan had been just irritated to feel an unknown gaze all the time, and now that he knew who it was, he could find Sajun and ask him again later. There was no need to bother to talk to him now when they were in different buildings.

“If you like cats, just give some food to stray cats in your neighborhood and pat them. Stop stalking me. If I see you do it again, I’ll make you pay for it.”

It was especially so as Sajun was calling him a cat.

“You’re running away?”

Maybe Sajun was joking. Maybe he was calling Myohan a cat because his appearance resembled a cat. Myohan was constantly called a cat because of his feline-looking face and fast movements.

“Oh, shut up.”

Myohan decided to end it there and grabbed the window to close it. He was getting a bad feeling. If they talked more, he was going to reveal his secret. His instincts were telling him to escape from the situation, whether Sajun knew he was really a cat or not. More conversation wasn’t going to get him anything. However, Sajun wasn’t thinking of letting him go.

“O Myohan.”

Myohan glanced at Sajun.

“What do you think will happen if a man jumps down from a building?”

He still had a smile on his face.

“He’ll die.”

“Yes, if he’s an ordinary person.”

Oh crap. Myohan blamed his instincts for never being wrong about bad things.

“But the boy in front of me is still alive and well after jumping down from the sixth floor.”

That gaze Myohan had felt every time he jumped down because he didn’t want to go down the stairs. That gaze that had followed him to the ground. He had believed it was O Shin’s, and he should have realized that gaze had been exactly the same with the ones he had felt recently.

“It was so marvelous that I recorded it with my phone.”

“Hey!”

Myohan shook the window, making it rattle. A corner of his lips curled up.

“If you’re trying to say something, say it properly.”

His voice was strong enough to startle Sajun for the first time. Running away wasn’t Myohan’s thing. Yes, he had run like crazy from the man, but now it could lead to even bigger problems. Sajun was in the same school, so he could spread a rumor in no time. Sajun felt the irritation mixed in Myohan’s low voice and flicked a finger.

“Cross over.”

Myohan didn’t hesitate. The window was weak, and it opened widely the moment he pushed. Its chink was damaged but he didn’t care. He stood on the windowsill and jumped. The distance was risky. Anyone else wouldn’t have dared to cross over. Jumping from a small window to another small window. If anyone had seen him do it, he would have thought he was an alien.

He jumped lightly and landed easily, just like a nimble cat would have done. He stood on the windowsill without much difficulty and stared at Sajun. For some reason, he looked quite surprised. Myohan liked that his smile was gone.

“So?”

Myohan went in and approached Sajun. He slowly spoke, narrowing his eyes.

“What do you want to say if I’m a cat?”

But Sajun just looked at him. Myohan’s light hair moved in the wind. He wasn’t panting at all, even after jumping over a long distance. Sajun cupped his chin, thinking he wanted to touch those pretty eyes. Myohan didn’t resist and stayed still. Sajun bit his lips lightly. He let out his tongue to moisten his lips, which made Myohan realize something.

‘He is…’

Now he knew why he had felt danger each time he looked at Sajun’s face.

Jumping from the sixth floor wasn’t enough to make people think of a boy as a cat. Most would have just thought he had extremely good reflexes, or they would have doubted their eyes. Nevertheless, Sajun was calling Myohan a cat.

Myohan smirked and thought about the twelve zodiac animals. His long eyes, thin lips, small pupils of a predator, and the way he looked at Myohan, they all made him recall an animal.

“Hey, snake.”

Myohan couldn’t know what Sajun wanted. He was clearly about to demand something now that he had evidence to reveal Myohan’s secret, so Myohan had to find a similar secret of his to make him shut up.

He wouldn’t have even imagined to do so if he hadn’t seen Jagyeom turn into a rat. He had thought he was the only person who could turn into an animal for his entire life.

“If you keep trying to mess with me, I’ll dip you in booze and make snake wine.”

For a moment, he thought splattering water might work. Jagyeom turned into a rat when he was wet, so Sajun could be similar to that.

“You’re misunderstanding me, I don’t want to threaten you.”

Myohan frowned hard, trying to see what Sajun was up to. He had been talking quite threateningly till now, but he wasn’t threatening?

“I’ve been telling you that I like cats.”

Sajun was still smiling. But then, his face came closer. Before Myohan could realize what was happening, their lips met.

“Why would I threaten you?”

It happened so suddenly that Myohan didn’t have time to get away. Sajun’s hand stroked his face. Myohan blinked in shock, and then he angrily grabbed Sajun by his collar. No, he tried to grab him by his collar.

“You crazy bastard!”

But Sajun easily suppressed Myohan. They were both boys, but they were not equally strong. Although Myohan had good reflexes, he wasn’t that strong. Being unable to get away angered him more than being kissed by another boy. He could feel himself losing temper.

“You really have a death wish, don’t you?”

Myohan twisted his arm to free it and kicked Sajun’s stomach. Sajun quickly blocked the attack, so Myohan couldn’t hurt him as much as he had wanted to, but it was better than nothing.

“I’ve never seen you before, and you just jump out of nowhere and annoy me? Are you crazy? And why did you put out your mouth like that?”

“As you just said, I’m a snake.”

“I know, you bastard.”

“Maybe that’s why.”

Sajun slowly studied Myohan up and down. Myohan could feel goosebumps.

“Whenever I see you, I get to want to eat.”

He had found Myohan out of mere coincidence. He was standing behind the school to enjoy the good weather, but then something nimble went over the wall. At first, he thought it was a huge beast. He was surprised to see a cat as big as a tiger jump over a wall, but what he had thought of as a beast was actually a boy. And the intruder also seemed a little surprised to see him there. The moment their eyes met, Sajun felt a strange sensation. It was hunger.