Chapter 74 (1/2)

“You’re asking what this is about.”

He had been gone. Myohan had been looking for him everywhere, but he didn’t leave a single trace. And now, here he was, asking as if everything was fine. He picked up cat Myohan and met his gaze. His twitching lips indicated he was mad, but his eyes couldn’t have been gentler.

“I saw a crazy cat jump into an icy river in this cold weather, so I just brought him in.”

He wasn’t wrong. It had been an act of madness; he could have died, him and monkey Seonhan.

“Reckless cat.”

Despite all of that, Myohan was mad. If he hadn’t been in his cat form, he would have cursed. He would have cursed wonderfully. I said no, I refused your offer, and you had no reason to disappear. He wanted to say so many things. He had to say so many things. But what O Shin whispered to him shortly after was enough to melt all of his anger.

“I’m sorry.”

His hand caressed Myohan, soothing him and making him think, whatever. He had returned, and he was looking at Myohan at the moment.

Myohan just rubbed his face on his hand as it stroked him. O Shin let out a deep sigh. But then, someone called Myohan’s name.

“Myohan.”

Oh, no. He looked around. He saw one, two, three, four… eight familiar faces. Seonhan was among them. Myohan wished he could sigh as Seonhan called him again gravely. It was then time for him to deal with the consequences. Yell at me, curse me, do whatever you want to do, he thought and braced himself, but then Seonhan’s eyes sparkled and he said, “I’ve fallen for you!”

“Shit.”

Myo Cheong spoke for Myohan. At the same time, O Shin scowled. But Seonhan wasn’t done yet.

“Your power! Your determination! Your passion!”

“He’s just like Sajun. Throw him out.”

“Cheong, you can’t throw out a person.”

“Seonhan! Myohan’s going to play soccer with me!”

“No, he’s not.”

Myohan had forgotten the murmurs he’d heard first. Jino took a deep breath to see his small cat ears perk up. He was a yellowish-brown cat, but his paws and belly were white. He looked so cute that even Myo Cheong was awestruck.

“So Myohan becomes a cat when he catches a cold?”

“I didn’t know he was a cat…”

“Well, the cat isn’t one of the twelve zodiac animals.”

Since he had turned into a cat, their chatting was too loud for him. He tried covering his ears with his front paws, but then he changed his mind and gave O Shin a pleading gaze. He had been looking to see if he’d been wounded.

He said, “He says you’re too loud.”

“…Says who?”

“Myohan.”

A bunch of confused gazes looked at Myohan. He waved his tail contentedly. I wish he would tell them what makes me change. The moment he thought so, O Shin added, as if he could read his mind,

“Myohan becomes a cat when he gets a fever.”

“…He must have gotten a fever when we were freshmen.”

O Shin knew why Myohan was so afraid of the cold and wouldn’t stand in the sunlight in summer. Myohan snorted to hear what Sinsul muttered to himself. Then, he stretched out his legs and closed his eyes.

“…Then, how does he go to the hospital when he gets sick?”

“He can’t go.”

O Shin sounded firm. The boys couldn’t say anything else. Cat Myohan was so small that O Shin could put him in his hands. He must have felt so lonely, in that wide apartment. Only then did they realize why he smiled when they offered to take care of him if he got sick.

“Get some more sleep.”