Chapter Text
In a small corner of Seoul, tucked in between two large apartment complexes sits a small park. Its name, Caht Park. A generous gift provided by Geraldine Caht, a benevolent benefactor to good things such as charities, functions and the Bear Lovers United (BLU). Erected in the late 1990s the park stands as a gaunt memory of the sparkling splendor it used to be.
“That’s what it says in the google maps review,” Jisung says to Renjun. They’re on a train heading over to the park. It’s a normal day, for the denizens of the metro rail system lingering about in their peripheries. There are odds and sorts, such as a man with top hat skimming the daily news, a middle-aged woman in athleisure ware and a group of schoolgirls who seem to be late for something.
“pinkFFF12 gave it five stars. He’s a prolific park patron.”
“How do you know that?” Renjun asks.
Jisung shows him his phone, “Google says so.”
Renjun rolls his eyes as the words ‘prolific park patron’ is highlighted under a picture that captures only half the face of a man.
“What do you think we’ll find in the park?” Jisung says as he fiddles with his phone.
“Maybe something. Maybe nothing.”
“Deep,” Jisung says. He absentmindedly starts going through his phone. He checks his social media accounts. He sees a tweet from his cousin complaining about his job. He also comes upon a post about Lee Taeyong’s newest movie, and a Facebook post about some idol audition program for young, impressionable youths who have the spring of life flowing within them, which marginally interests him for a record two seconds.
“So, what we know is that the cat is probably in heat that’s why she went off,” Renjun says suddenly.
“Yup, she got horny and needed to get some.”
Renjun sighs, “What are the places where cats congregate?”
“Church?”
Renjun kicks Jisung in the shin.
“What gives? I only hear ‘congregate’ when my mom wakes me up to go to church,” he whines, rubbing the spot where Renjun’s had left a red mark.
“You’re of no help.”
“I don’t know why you’re asking me about cats. I hate cats. I hate dogs. I hate anything smelly and noisy.”
“That’s ironic,” Renjun says.
The cart rattles to a stop as they reach their stop.
“Never mind. Let’s just see what we can find in Caht Park.”
After a short walk and Jisung leading them to a fish store rather than a Caht Park, they find themselves before a rusty arc, with the letters “CA T PARK” written in neat, rusty cursive. Below it hangs an equally rusty, but slightly more maintained sign reading ‘NO CATS ALLOWED.’
The park seems a logical place to start. It’s not a long walk from their apartment complex. CJ Beat might have ventured into the park at night and bypassed the warning about cats not being allowed in the premises. It’s a weak lead, but a weak lead is better than no lead at all.
“Well isn’t this ironic.”
That is to say, an event or situation that occurs in a way that is opposite to what is expected. Or in this case, for the statement “NO CATS ALLOWED” appearing under an arc, that to anyone who does not know the storied history of Geraldine Caht, simply reads “CAT PARK.’ Or, when Renjun told Jisung that his statement was ironic, it was to imply that it was odd and comical for Jisung to say that he dislikes things that were smelly and noisy when Jisung himself is both smelly and noisy.
It is also interesting to note that the term ‘ironic’ has no relation to the metal ore that one calls iron.
Beyond the rusty arc is a system of paved roads, with overgrowth dotting the path. In the center of the entrance is a bust of an elderly woman with crazed hair that is twice the size of her strong-jawed face and pointedly pointy nose. Below it reads “Geraldine Ca t. Benefactor of Bereaved Bears and Bovines”
On the left is a path that leads to a thicket of trees that seems to be more mangey and unkempt compared to the path on the right, which had fewer trees and more park benches. It is also noteworthy that the path on the left seems like a forgotten memory as if only the right side had been given any thought to maintain.
Right below the plaque reads “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Western portion of the park has been left untouched due to Ms Geraldin Caht’s dislike of the direction West. Proceed with caution—danger may lurk in the shadows.”
“Where do we start?” Jisung says, his eyes looking at the right path.
“Your gaze suggests that you want to head to the right,” Renjun says.
“It’s less creepy.”
“I suggest we take the road less travelled.”
Jisung snarls, “I suggest we take the road that has less danger that may lurk in the shadows.”
“My father always told me that there are no dangerous things that lurk in the dark. Only dangerous people.”
Jisung moans.
“Are you telling me that action star Park Jisung is afraid of some old trees?” Renjun says with the slightest hint of astonishment in his voice.
“I’m not. I just think that we should follow the warning.”
Renjun huffs, crossing his arms against his chest. “Your greatest enemy is a precautionary plaque? How ironic.”
What is more ironic, however, is the fact that Jisung is correct in erring to the side of caution. For if they heeded the warning, they would have gone to the right side of the park and discover that there is no suspicious activity. They would then proceed with a life that had more good things than bad things. A life with more lazy afternoons and quiet mornings. In choosing the road less travelled, Renjun and Jisung would ultimately also choose a path fraught with horrors and inhumanity that only a television broadcasting station can bring.
“What happened to your sense of adventure? Where is your hunger for the pursuit of the truth?”
“It went away when I spent my entire allowance on a salad served by the weird waiter.”
“We are on a mission, Jisung, leave your fears at the door. We’ve come here to solve a mystery.” Renjun says with aplomb, which is to mean an abundance of self-assurance. It is this self-assurance and self-confidence that often brought Renjun and Jisung into the most unlikely situations. It is this steadfast strength that usually ends in a string of unfortunate events. It is also this unquenchable yearning that will lead Renjun and Jisung into a world of secrecy, espionage, murder, and the impeccably insidious world of the performing arts.
Jisung relents and moves to stand very close to Renjun. He clings onto his arm and lets a heavy breath.
“You better treat me for dinner,” Jisung says as he closes his eyes and follows Renjun to the West side of Caht Park.
As they make their way down the path of Caht park that’s less travelled, it becomes increasingly clear just how less trodden the portion was. The path opes to thick trees that obscure the rays of the sun, grass that covers most of the paved road and park benches are more planks than they are a bench. The trees that surround them do not provide light shade that trees in the Eastern portion of the park would probably supply. No color appears to penetrate the thick foliage—no bright blues or vibrant white cascade through the gaps. Only a faint light shines through the leaves, reflecting the dark bark of the trees surrounding them; as if dipping the world into a well of dull grey.
They venture on, Renjun taking the lead and Jisung following closely behind. As they trudge forward, Renjun has his eyes peeled for signs of life, of movement or anything that could indicate the faintest forewarning of a feline, while Jisung walks with his eyes closed.
So far, that path has been straight and narrow, and the deeper they go, the thicker and darker their surrounding gets. Just as Renjun thinks he’s going through an endless walk in a hall of grey the path ends, and a set of stairs begin. From what Renjun can see, the stairs descend at a diagonal and zigzags down the expanse of a slope. Below them they see a small alcove, in the center of which stands a rusted fountain.
However, more interesting is the existence of two figures sitting on a rusted park bench facing the fountain.
“This is an odd place to leisure,” Renjun whispers to Jisung.
“Who’s leisuring?” Jisung mutters.
Renjun turns behind him to find his companion’s eyes still shut.
“Open your eyes.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“It’s a personal matter.”
Renjun kicks Jisung’s shins; this elicits a loud screech of surprise and pain.
From below, the two figures stir. Their eyes turn toward the top of the winding stairs.
“Jeno, there seem to be two other people who enjoy the dank darkness of this side of the park.” The one who is not Jeno says. In his hands he holds a used face napkin coloured black, blue and everything in between. He has pink hair that does not glisten in the shade of the Westside of Caht Park. His face is boyish, with eyes the shape of a half-moon and a thin set of lips. He has what one would call a kind face—lips that naturally turn upward in a delicate arch, and big, bright eyes that sparkle in a faint glimmer when the light hits the right spot (not that there are any signs of good lighting where they are). He wears a doublet of deep purple and emerald green a beret with a golden feather sitting on its top, an outfit that most people his age would not wear on the daily.
“Perhaps, Jaemin, they came here accidentally,” says that one named Jeno. He, on the other hand, is wearing a white dobok with seams coloured black, which would seem normal for people who practice martial arts such as taekwondo or hapkido. However, the ballet flats he is replacing with a pair are not.
They were, what one would call, an odd sight in an odd sight.
“Perhaps they are talent agents hired to scout for me. Do you think this is my big break?” Jaemin asks. He bunches his used wet tissues and places them in a clear plastic bag that he has taken out of a large duffle bag by his feet.
Jeno looks at Jaemin with a smile, “I highly doubt it.”
It is interesting to note that the one named Jeno has smaller eyes than the one named Jaemin. However, this is not the only feature that distinguishes the one named Jeno from the one named Jaemin. On the contrary, there are many features that distinguish the one named Jeno from the one named Jaemin.
For instance, the one named Jeno has jet black hair with bangs that reach his eyes when not fixed. He also has a slightly larger frame. Whereas the one named Jaemin has a longer, leaner torso that dips at the hip, the one named Jeno possess a wider upper body that contrasts much clearly against his narrow hips.
The one named Jaemin rolls his eyes and listens to the odd squawking noises coming from the pair atop the stairs.
“What would possess such shrill creatures to come here?”
“Curiosity?”
The one named Jaemin nods, taking out a mint and flicking it into his mouth, “Their curiosity must be very strong. Only the strong-willed come here.”
“Are we strong-willed?”
The one not named Jeno shrugs in response.
The one not named Jaemin looks around at the darkness that surrounds them. To their right a thicket of trees so gnarled and gaunt that evil-doer would not be able to find their way throughout it. Above them, an odd canopy completely obscuring the sun from shining its rays upon them. Erected in the center the suspended head of a rusty Geraldine Caht, below it pools dead leaves and moss.
In its glory days, this would have been an outstanding site. Lush leaves cascading down the parkways, sunlight filtering through the canopies, and the sound of water gushing from the mouth of Geraldine Caht’s iron bust.
“Do you think that this is a sign?”
The one named Jaemin takes a glance at the two figures now descending the stairs.
“A weal?”
The one named Jeno shrugs, “A woe?”
“A weal and woe?”
The one named Jeno nods, “Perhaps.”
The two only other visitors of this abandoned section of this park make their way slowly down the stairs. They notice that the two figures whom they do not know the names of are staring at them. From what Renjun can perceive, their eyes are curious and surprised, but not suspicious. As they reach the base of the stairs, the one with pink hair and weird garb stands.
“This is an odd sight.”
Renjun looks to him and to the other boy who is not standing. His eyes scan over him, with the limited light that filters through the barrier of dark leaves above them.
“You are also an odd sight,” Renjun says, looking at the boy and his odd garments.
“What’s an odd sight?” Jisung asks from where he buried his face in Renjun’s midriff.
“Two boys in odd clothing.”
“My clothing is not odd,” says the boy with pink hair.
“Your clothing is quite odd,” says the boy with black hair. The boy with pink hair glares at him.
“What are you doing in the Western portion of Caht Park? Not many have the strong-will...” He pauses and peers at the lump clung onto Renjun and then back at Renjun, “or grip to venture so deep.”
“I could ask you the same question.”
Jaemin smiles, “Oh, apprehensive.” He takes a good look at Renjun and then at Jisung.
“Your trench coat, it’s dated—Humphrey Boggart in Casablanca. Impeccable construction. Well-worn. Ill-fitting. Not yours. Handy down?”
Renjun does not answer the question. Jisung finally opens his eyes.
“You’re quite observant,” Jisung says.
“Thank you. I have a keen eye for fashion.”
“He reads a lot of his mom’s fashion magazines!” the boy on the bench adds.
Jaemin shoots him a quick glare and murmuring something under his breath that neither of the two catch before he looks back at them with a rehearesed smile.
“Have you seen any cats around?” Renjun says.
“Why would there be cats in a park which forbids felines?” Jaemin replies, “That would be ironic.”
The boy does not flinch at the question. It sounds like a script. The way the boy talks is careful and purposely fluent. There’s a rehearsed quality to the words as if they were used for a specific purpose to elicit a particular emotion.
Renjun crosses his arms.
“You see, stranger, the reason he and I,” he says pointing at the boy sitting down, “are here is because my dear friend is aggravatingly allergic to cats and particularly pervasive of people.”
The boy moves with an exaggeration that Renjun pointedly dislikes. His fingers protrude too much, and his arm movements are too big for a casual conversation. His words are verbose and lyrical, like proofread script. Everything is too structured, too composed for a boy whom Renjun assumes is around his age.
“He also speaks in alliterations. We should leave before he starts reciting poetry,” Jisung says attempting to pull at Renjun to the stairs.
“Is there anything else beyond this point?” Renjun asks instead, “Since you’re so familiar with this portion of the park.”
“Nothing of note.”
Renjun looks at him, “Are you sure?”
“And why would I lie to you?”
“Why are you asking about cats?” inquires the other boy. He is still sitting by the bench with a blank look on his face.
“A cat is missing,” Renjun replies.
“What would possess you to peruse a park that prohibits the pet?” Jaemin says.
Jisung groans, “He’s doing it again.”
The boy who is sitting continues sitting, but looks at the two and flashes them with a smile, “You don’t have to worry about Jaemin, he’s harmless. I hope you find the cat.”
“You would not find a cat in a place that bars them from entering. It’s like looking for a fish in a desert,” Jaemin says, ignoring the other boy.
“The cat lives near this park. There’s a possibility that it could have wandered here.”
Thie boy on the bench seems much kinder than boy whom he now knows is named Jaemin. He speaks as if they are not surrounded by gnarled trees and dead leaves and a gaunt restructuring of a benevolent benefactor of bears and bovines. He sounds like what Renjun assumes the eastside of Caht Park would feel like.
“There’s the nondescript shed not far from where we are,” he continues pointing to the portion of the park behind him, “It’s well-hidden beyond the trees. It’s hard to find and easy to miss.”
“Oh, yes, there is the unremarkable shed. I do forget about that. Perhaps due to how unremarkable it is,” Jaemin says.
“Jeno, do you think we should help them find it?”
The boy who’s seated down—Jeno—finally stands and flashes them another smile. Renjun has an inkling that the boy’s reaction to anything remotely out of the norm is to smile, though Renjun is still on the fence what ‘normal’ means to him and Jaemin.
“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” he says before setting off.
Jeno takes the lead, followed by Jaemin, then Renjun and Jisung. Jeno starts walking to the edge of the paved portion of the park. Beyond it lies an expanse of tall grass and darker barks of old trees.
“We’ve only ever gone that far once,” Jeno says.
“It was our first time visiting this part of Caht Park,” Jaemin says
“It was after my ballet class,” Jeno says pointing to the ballet flats he’s hung around his hip.
“And my acting class,” Jaemin adds not pointing at anything in general.
“A lot of parks allow pets to frolic, especially cats,” Jaemin says, “So it’s hard to take Jeno to parks.”
“But this park does not allow cats, so we decided to try it out.”
“When we saw this dark and dank portion of the park, we were immediately interested.”
“We like dark places. It’s very comforting.”
“It seems your companion is not as congenial to the darkness,” Jaemin says, pointing over to where Jisung clings onto Renjun.
“He was never fond of it, no.”
There are no longer paths that go straight or stairs that go down. They follow the movement of Jeno’s robes as they venture deeper into the unknown section of the park. Jaemin hums a soft tune under his breath, and Jisung cowers more the deeper they go.
“What’s the cat you are looking for?” Jeno asks.
“Siamese. No tail.”
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Jeno says.
“Your friend is a very nice,” Renjun says to Jaemin, “is he always like that?”
“Yes, he is too nice sometimes,” Jaemin says.
“Is that why you always find a need to test the people who approach him?”
Renjun can’t see his face, but he feels that Jaemin is smiling.
“He’s easy to love and easier to fool.”
“And you’re never fooled?” Renjun asks.
“How can a fool be fooled?”
Renjun doesn’t pry further. They continue on their trek, with Jeno leading their uncanny group deeper and deeper.
“Are we getting any closer?” Renjun asks.
“We’re nearing the shed. You should keep your eyes peeled. The shed is tough to find and easy to miss—” Jeno’s voice stops as do his footsteps.
They all halt and watch the odd sight in front of them.
Many things have been considered odd in Renjun and Jisung’s surprise adventure. A Caht park that does not allow cats. A duo sitting in a far-flung corner of a dark and dank park. A missing cat. An old woman who named her cat after detergent.
However, nothing is as odd as the sight right in front of them. Because beside a nondescript shed, with its nondescript walls and its nondescript door, are two very prominent people.
The two people. The boy is tall and muscular and the girl slender and lean. Her hair is tied in a bun and her eyes are narrowed in contempt. The boy, on the other hand, has his arms raised in defeat.
Renjun observes the boy and notices that he is the tallest one of the people gathered in the clearing. His body is lean—like Jeno—and slender—like Jaemin. He’s wearing a body-hugging black t-shirt and pair of camo pants, and around his neck hung a silver dog tag. Upon first glance, Renjun knows immediately that the boy has Chinese ancestry running through his veins. However, his features also some other lineage threads through his large eyes and thick, full, lips. If they were in better lighting, he would imagine that the boy’s skin would shine in a rich bronze. He has a handsome face—one Renjun does not trust.
The woman, on the other hand, is wearing a blue pinstripe pantsuit with a crisp white shirt. Her hair is a sleek black like Jeno’s that’s tied into a tight bun. Her face has the features resembling a local; delicate eyes and a small, rounded face. However, there were slight differences in her visage. Her jaw is strong and pronounced, and her nose is sharper at the tip, qualities that are not endemic in their community.
The two seem to be in the middle of an argument. However, as soon as the four boys come into view, they stop and direct their attention to them.
“You said no one comes here,” the girl says to the boy. Her voice sounds shocked and accusing.
“That’s true. No one comes here,” Jeno says in reply even though it was exceedingly clear that the girl was talking to her acquientance.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” she says.
“I know,” Jeno says back in return with an ear-splitting smile.
The boy crosses his arms and looks at all of them curiously.
“You guys shouldn’t be here. There are dangerous things that lurk in the dark,” he says to them in a tone much less accusing than his companion.
“Dangerous things do not lurk in the dark. Only dangerous people,” Renjun says in reply, “those who say otherwise are very often dangerous people.”
This draws the attention of the boy. He smiles.
“You are correct. Only dangerous people lurk in the dark—people with dastardly plans and ill intentions. You should run from them. Save yourselves.”
Jaemin looks at him and smiles, “We came here as a dare,” he says calmly. Renjun immediately picks up on the tone. Though he’s only met Jaemin a few minutes back, he has a strong inkling that he has sensed danger.
Renjun is curious to why, but he knows that this is not the right place or time to be asking questions. Renjun is not aware of the situation which they have walked into, nor does he understand the shift that has occurred within both Jaemin and Jeno, but he knows odd things are unfolding before them.
“We just wanted to check the shed and take a picture,” Jaemin says shyly, “I’m sorry that we’re interrupting, we just need to take the picture and go.”
The way Jaemin takes on the character is swift and to the point. The words he uses are much simpler and more common for people their age. He talks like a boy without knowledge of the things around him. If Renjun weren’t talking to him a few minutes back, even he would be convinced.
“Why do you need to take a picture of the shed?” the girl asks.
“They say it’s haunted,” Jeno says.
Renjun already felt it before; the odd connections between the two friends. Jaemin only took one step, but Jeno already knew the direction and destination he was heading. Jeno doesn’t seem the type to be deceptive, but it appears that under the guidance of Jaemin he could adapt and play the role required to supplement the character Jaemin had plucked from thin air.
Jisung is no longer gripping onto him. He’s also standing and looking at the scene unfold. Renjun knows that under normal circumstances, Jisung cannot for the life of him read a room. However, he had an uncanny way of discerning moments of action films. Right now, his face read hostile confrontation.
The woman scoffs, “Whatever. Let’s take our conversation elsewhere,” she says to the boy. The boy nods.
He looks to them and smiles, “Goodluck on your adventure. Don’t linger here unless you want to attract unwanted attention.”
Then, the two turn to the direction where the four boys came from and start walking; the boy moving to the right of the group and the girl moving to the left.
There are moments, minuscule moments when one action changes the course of events to come. If they had walked away from the group using a different direction, or if they requested that the group return to where they came from then maybe their threads wouldn’t have intertwined. Maybe, if they had chosen differently, their threads would have never met . However, like a single drop of water in a still basin of lactic acid and performance-enhancing drugs, a ripple will rip through the calm waters of Renjun’s destiny.
As the two figures walk past them, Lee Jeno pauses, then as if on cue, lets out a gentle sneeze. The drop.
As if on instinct, Renjun turns to the boy and the girl. His eyes wide and his heart churning.
“Have you seen a cat?” He asks.
“I’ve just been discharged from the army, so no cats,” says the boy.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead with those disgusting things,” says the girl.
It is in this moment, in the depths of Caht Park that Renjun feels the shift in the cogs. Where things, the important things start to begin. When the mundane mystery of a missing mammal becomes much less manageable than Renjun initially thought.
As the two walk away, the threads of the universe intertwine, and the lives of the six people intertwine.
As the figures disappear into the fold of trees, the two other boys walk up to him.
“Those two are suspicious,” Jeno says.
“Those two are lying,” Jaemin says.
“Are you two free for dinner at a cat café?” Renjun asks.