Chapter 27 (1/2)

“Let me get ready.”

Jino said so, then he started to take off his clothes. Myohan didn’t know what he was doing, but then he explained he had only one school uniform. Transforming into a horse while wearing it would rip it apart.

“But why did he easily admit being the horse?”

A strip show in front of five men was embarrassing enough. It was too much for Jagyeom and he asked, looking away. The answer came from Myo Cheong.

“Because he’s a complete weirdo.”

“He’s a weirdo?”

Myohan couldn’t believe him. Jino, who was now wearing nothing but his underwear, nodded with a bright smile. Then he didn’t wait to take off his underwear. Myohan recalled what Sajun had said, about how horses were famous for their stamina and size, and he looked at Jino with a bit of curiosity, but he couldn’t see him naked as O Shin covered his eyes from behind. Sajun whistled at the same time.

“I-”

Jino opened his mouth. Myohan wriggled his way out of O Shin’s hands. He didn’t like being blinded.

“…don’t know what makes me transform.”

When Myohan could see again, what was in front of him was a horse. Jagyeom was surprised to see the brown, silky horse. Myohan looked at the crumpled school uniform on the floor, and then the horse, then he nodded.

“Just as I thought.”

“Shit, you weirdo.”

Myo Cheong stomped his feet. He started to explain, although quite reluctantly. Jino had been wanting to befriend Myohan for some time, but he hid Jino as he couldn’t trust Myohan and others, and he had been having a really hard time trying to stop him from talking to Myohan.

“You knew he couldn’t lie from the beginning, didn’t you?”

Fierce eyes looked at Myohan. He nodded. He had his guesses since Myo Cheong said with confidence that Choi Jino couldn’t lie. More accurately, he reacted too much to be called a lair rabbit. He had been lying about something, and Myohan only hadn’t been sure if it was about ‘not knowing what transformed Jino’ or ‘Jino not lying at all’.

“I told you being his friend wouldn’t work. Shit, I will soon get to tell you, ‘I told you so!'”

“But why did he want to be my friend?”

Myo Cheong looked back at him, looking like he really didn’t know why he was asking. Then he showed him the stuffed rabbit. Jino carried it and entrusted him with it.

“Choi Jino likes cute things.”

The horse who had been waving its tail this whole time, shined its eyes and put a hoof forward. O Shin grabbed Myohan’s shoulder and pulled him back. He was clearly not liking the horse’s twinkling eyes. Jagyeom glanced at the horse. Myohan frowned.

“Then, what he’s been trying to tell me is…”

“That you’re cute.”

That answer came with a sneer. Myohan thought of Jino’s twinkling eyes and how glad he had been to see him. Maybe he had been feeling what most people felt like when seeing pets. Myohan didn’t know how to feel about it. So, he just asked what he couldn’t understand the most.

“Why would he think I’m cute?”

“I told you, he’s a weirdo.”

Myo Cheong still sounded cold. Then he looked away and muttered, ‘You’re more…..than cute.’, but Myohan didn’t care. He just sighed and looked at the horse. Jino’s eyes were still sparkling.

Myo Cheong held his rein, but after the race ended, it had been freed. Myohan looked at O Shin’s hand on his shoulder, then at Sajun’s playful eyes. Then he said, “Let’s just say you won the bet.”

Jino jumped up high, but Myohan ignored him. Myo Cheong laughed at Jino, saying, ‘I told you so.’ Jagyeom also sighed about having two maniacs near him. Myohan had caught only four, but he was already feeling too exhausted.

The classroom was quiet. Only the sound of pens writing on paper was in the air. Even the old fans sounded too noisy. Yuja must have thought so, because he turned off the fans. Thanks to the air conditioner, they didn’t need the fans to stay cool. Myohan, who was wearing his school shirt and his gym suit over it, looked out the window. The sun was burning hot, and it was summer.

Someone angrily put down his pencil, making a thud. Yuja’s fierce eyes were immediately on him. It was Sinsul. He leafed through his schoolbook, then he fell on his desk, looking like he was about to die. He started to throw a huge tantrum.

“Soccer! I want to play soccer!”