Cat Boy

19 | cult

"Let me get this straight," Wonpil says thoughtfully. "You brought me all the way out here to paint my face?"

"Yes," Joshua affirms in his usual cheerful manner, apparently missing the dryness of the brunet's tone. Jeonghan doesn't, however, but doesn't acknowledge it. The bleached blond leans against the side of his care with a waif of an amused smile, watching the two calmly.

"I don't get it," Wonpil announces immediately.

"Get what?" Joshua asks, seemingly confused. "The plan is simple enough."

"But why are we in a field?" Wonpil asks. "At almost midnight? With not another soul in sight?" That's true on all counts, he's not exaggerating or anything—the four are standing in a vast empty field with wild grass up to their ankles, and the sky starry and clear looking down upon them. Wonpil gestures at Vernon, who's standing behind them watching the conversation go down with clueless, innocent eyes. "And why is he here?"

"Rude," Jeonghan quips.

Wonpil turns to Jeonghan and opens his mouth, but can't think of anything to say. So he opts for a heavy sigh, and turns to a still clueless Vernon with an apologetic look. "Sorry," he murmurs. "I didn't mean you can't be here, but—it seems a little pointless. And a waste of time. For you, I mean."

Vernon doesn't take offence, simply pointing to the back of Jeonghan's car. "I'm here to operate the telescope, of course."

"Telescope?" Wonpil echoes.

"Yeah," Vernon mutters, then furrows his brow. "For the painting reference?"

"Reference?" Wonpil echoes again. Vernon opens his mouth, probably to answer his question in a way that would only make way for yet another batch of questions, but Wonpil raises his hands before he can say anything, looking mildly defeated. "Never mind. Don't answer that," he mutters. "What are we waiting for?"

"Daehyun," Vernon answers promptly, paying no heed to Wonpil's earlier plea for silence.

"Daehyun," Wonpil mutters, and takes a deep breath before exhaling. "Why, exactly, are we waiting for Daehyun?"

At this the company falls silent, all three looking at one another for support. Wonpil looks among them, his eyebrows raised, but none of them seem to have an answer. Well, that's a first, he thinks, but the thought comes too soon.

"Because she had an engagement earlier and couldn't turn up on time," Vernon says again, seemingly ignorant of the heavy sigh that leaves Wonpil's lips. "She said she'd be here soon."

Wonpil looks like he's about to argue the need for her presence in relation to the painting project he's supposed to be the unwitting victim of, but refrains at the last moment. Instead, he inhales and exhales slowly, methodically counting to four and back in his head. When he's done, he flashes the company a smile too bright for even him, though it fails to hide the pain in his eyes.

"I just want be sure you guys won't chop me up into pieces and bury me in the woods," he says.

"I'd never do that," Vernon says almost immediately, and Wonpil notes with dull panic the way he said I instead of we. "Dogs come out onto the prairie at night. They'd find your body right away."

"Reassuring."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Yeah, well," Wonpil mumbles. "Let's just start already."

"Wait for me!"

Thus enters the fifth voice, finally completing the set. Wonpil turns to find Daehyun behind him, doubled over and breathing hard. He stays frozen as she looks up, catching their eyes guiltily. "Sorry I'm late."