Chapter 59 (2/2)

“Are you anxious?”

The voice was gentle. O gently rubbed Myohan’s now red lips. He kissed them lightly at last and smiled.

“We still have time.”

“…Not really.”

One of his hands was still on Myohan’s hand. Myohan let out a sigh. Sometimes, O Shin just saw through too much. His fear that had frozen him, the bad feeling he instinctively got, and the anxiety that he produced were easily seen through.

“We don’t have much time.”

After October, they had only two months till winter vacation. It was going to be hard to find the zodiac animals during the vacation. What would happen if they failed to find the twelve in two months?

Myohan didn’t know what kind of consequences awaited them, but he knew he couldn’t let it happen. He had accomplished this much relying only on his gut feeling, and it was telling him to hurry.

“I…”

O Shin spoke. His black, mysterious eyes wavered with unknown thoughts. What kind of feeling was behind that abyss? Myohan wondered.

“…will never forget you.”

Another headache. Another sense of déjà vu engulfed him.

‘Even if you can’t remember me.’

He kept hearing a voice that had to be O Shin’s. He could hear the sound of rain. Damp rain and someone wet who kept caressing his face. O Shin looking at him sadly as if he was about to disappear.

“So relax.”

But now, he was just gently stroking Myohan’s hair. The sky couldn’t have been bluer. Was it his imagination, or did O Shin’s gentle smile resemble the clear sky?

“What happens if we can’t find them all in time?”

“I’ll wait.”

“You’ll wait?”

Myohan really couldn’t understand. O Shin was answering to his every question, but it did him no good as he couldn’t understand any of his answers. O Shin just smiled and said what he said once to him.

“Wait for many, many years, until the twelve and you gather at one place.”

When they first met, Myohan just scowled and said speaking in cool riddles wasn’t going to make him help. He had dismissed it as nonsense at the time, but now, it somehow pierced his heart. O Shin cupped a hand under his chin, kissed his eyelid, and spoke again.

“I’ll just wait.”

And he sounded sadder than ever.

***

“Eat more than last time.”

Really, the cafeteria was always full of noise. Myohan nodded to Yuja’s order and looked around. Sinsul grabbed Chookjae’s arm and excitedly chatted.

“Let’s play soccer after we eat!”

“Sinsul.”

“…Okay.”

Of course, he was soon disappointed. Yuja was telling Myohan to eat more, but he didn’t have any appetite. O Shin felt no different. He had come to the cafeteria for one purpose, and that wasn’t for having lunch.

“Sinsul!”

Someone came to them.

“Wow, hey, Myohan! Still looking good today!”

Seonhan said hello to them and O Shin put an arm around Myohan’s shoulder as a warning. Myohan said hi too and looked behind Seonhan. As usual, Sadeol was with him. He grinned to see Myohan.

“Hi!”

Thick eyebrows and huge eyes, and light-colored irises that looked straight at him. It gave him the chills again, but not as much as last time. At least he could say hi. Myohan looked down and nodded. O Shin laughed under his breath.