Chapter 35 (2/2)

“Can’t you smell anything on Chookjae?”

Myo Cheong was now literally sitting on Jino. Sajun grabbed him and told him to calm down. Jagyeom gave up. O Shin watched all of that as if it had been a wrestling match.

“Chookjae? Smell?”

Sinsul’s eyes widened. Myohan stroked the cat and was about to explain about the cow, but then he jumped to his feet, surprised to hear something suddenly.

“Are you really…”

“Nothing happened!”

Myohan stood up so suddenly that his cat fell. It had to land on the floor. Myo Cheong was still holding on Jino with Sajun stopping him. Jagyeom was sitting next to him and Sinsul was sitting on the table. They all stared at Jino in shock. Only O Shin remained calm once more. Myohan didn’t know what to think.

“Meow.”

The cat rubbed a paw on its face and moved away. It was silent and its steps were heard clearly. Jino closed his eyes and shouted again.

“Cheong, nothing happened on that day!”

“…What the.”

Myo Cheong let go of him. He quickly got up, making Myo Cheong fall backward, but as Sajun was still holding him, he didn’t get hurt. A surprised voice muttered, “What the?”

Brown hair, a horse-like face, clear eyes, long neck, athletic body, and long fingers, all remained the same. Even Jino himself looked like he couldn’t believe it. Sajun couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Myo Cheong pushed him away and went to Jino.

“Say it again.”

“….Nothing happened on that day, Cheong. You didn’t change into a rabbit.”

“Then what happened?”

“You just…..you just ate those chocolates, got drunk, and, and fell asleep, so I took you home.”

Jino gulped hard and spoke. He frowned harder with each word, but he didn’t change into his horse form. Myohan sat down again. Myo Cheong turned to ask them.

“Is he telling the truth?”

O Shin grinned. Then he crossed his legs and said, “How can the horse not tell the truth?”

Myo Cheong still seemed like he couldn’t fully believe it, but he couldn’t doubt anymore. He lightly pushed Jino’s chest and frowned.

“You should have told me sooner, then.”

“I was just too afraid of you…”

No one seemed to be buying it, not even Jino. He smiled, but his hand was shaking as he patted Myo Cheong’s shoulder. Myohan put his mouth right next to O Shin’s ear. He worried Myo Cheong might hear them, but what was happening now was more important than that.

“How can the horse not tell the truth?”

O Shin smiled to be asked the same thing he had just asked. Myohan knew he wasn’t going to give him the answer as always. He sighed as he looked at Jino’s eyes full of guilt. Really, it was a mystery.

They hung out there for hours. They ordered pizza for lunch and joked around about Myohan voluntarily taking extra summer classes. Jagyeom looked at Myohan more than once, clearly wanting to say something, but he couldn’t. When Myohan noticed the gaze and looked at him, he wasn’t looking at him.

“Jino.”

Jagyeom wasn’t the only one who failed to say what he had to say. Myohan also failed to ask Sinsul about Chookjae as he kept trying to find out why Jino didn’t change after lying.

“Hey, lie about something.”

They all became tense when Myohan said that to Jino, right before they left. Jino had been moaning happily to see the cat on Myohan’s lap. He smiled awkwardly.

“Why?”

“I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s just not right.”

Myo Cheong moaned. With Jino’s reaction and others’ looks, he could make one guess. Maybe Jino had stopped turning into a horse. That was why he remained as himself even after lying. Maybe he lied when he said nothing happened.