Ten Tales At Midnight - Chapter 4

? Chapter 4 ? #First Story -­ Note (3)

I opened the message with trepidation.

The words on the red paper were saying this:

1. 1. Play with the cat

What..?

Play with the cat? 

I couldn’t understand. The handwriting looked like an earthworm crawling, but it was definitely 15’s.

But the content. It was difficult to comprehend the meaning of ‘play with the cat.’

Until now, she had only sent me brief notes.

I had no idea why she would leave such a mysterious note.

The red paper looked strangely ominous.

? ? ?

Are you okay?

The next day, I handed this note to 15.

She looked pale. It seemed like she was trying to endure the pain.

With weak hands, 15 wrote a note.

Yeah.

I took out the red paper from my pocket.

It was the mysterious note that 15 left for me yesterday.

15 glanced at the red note I pulled out. And that was it.

There was no explanation.

Play with the cat? What does this mean?

Even after reading this note, 15 didn’t reply. Her small mouth remained tightly shut.

Her face seemed crestfallen. I decided not to pry any further.

The class president completely ignored me. I wanted to apologize, but I wasn’t given a chance.

Whenever our eyes accidentally met, she coldly turned her head.

She must have been hurt. It was entirely my fault.

The bell signaling the end of the fourth period rang, and it was lunchtime.

Just as I was about to go to the cafeteria, I realized that 15 was alone in the classroom.

“Aren’t you eating lunch?”

When I approached and asked, 15 quietly nodded.

She had her hands wrapped around her lower abdomen. Suddenly, the memory of yesterday came flooding back.

15, doubled over in the hallway, vomiting.

Is she still feeling unwell?

Come to think of it, I saw 15 dry heaving a couple of times today.

I was worried that she might need to go to the hospital.

I took a seat.

“Should I take you… to the infirmary?”

15 shook her head.

That sight looked so fragile, as if she could break at any moment.

The bruise on her lip remained, and her hair looked even messier than yesterday.

When I saw that, I felt a pang in my heart.

Suddenly, 15 took out a piece of paper and started writing a note.

Are you not eating lunch?

That’s what was written in the note she handed to me.

Until now, I had been the one asking the questions. It was 15’s first question.

“Oh. I’m just planning to skip lunch today. I don’t have an appetite.”

I responded like that. Although I was actually quite hungry… but it had been a long time since I missed the timing to go to the cafeteria.

Skipping one meal wouldn’t kill me.

“Urk. Oomph…”

Then, suddenly, 15 started dry heaving.

Her small body convulsed as if in a spasm. Frightened, I recalled yesterday’s events replaying in my mind.

“Are you, are you okay?”

“Urk…!”

15 abruptly stood up and quickly rushed out of the classroom.

When I tried to follow, she gestured for me to stop. It was a gesture that said, ‘Don’t follow me.’

The door closed, and I was left alone in the classroom. At that moment, this room felt incredibly unfamiliar.

I felt like I was on a deserted island.

After about five minutes, 15 returned. She was gasping for breath.

There was moisture around her mouth. It was easy to guess that she had just vomited.

Sitting back in her seat, 15 rummaged through her pocket.

Then she took out a small piece of paper.

It was a note.

Should the dead also have names?

Receiving the note, I was perplexed.

I couldn’t understand what it meant.

“What are you talking about? Names for the dead?”

I asked, but 15 remained silent. I was frustrated with these enigmatic notes, including the one about playing with the cat.

I wished she would be clear if she had something to say. Instead of these riddle-like notes…

After that, 15 stayed curled up the whole time.

Throughout the afternoon classes, the thoughts that occupied my mind were ‘cat’ and ‘the dead.’

‘Play with the cat.’ ‘Should the dead also have names?’

Could it be a code? Something she’s desperately trying to convey to me that she can’t say outright?

Amidst the confusion, the class ended.

As I was getting ready to pack my bag and stand up, suddenly, 15 sitting next to me reached out her hand towards me.

And with those extended fingers, she grabbed my sleeve.

“Uh…?”

I couldn’t help but be taken aback. It was completely unexpected.

As I looked at 15, she also stared at me without saying a word.

Her small, doll-like face and the long bangs covering her eyes.

The black pupils peeking through the gaps in her hair were like caves.

An abyss-like cave with no end.

From that state, 15 stood up and pulled my sleeve, leading the way.

I was dragged along without knowing why.

The class president, who stayed in the classroom to lock the door, was watching us.

Her face seemed to be filled with shock. Betrayal was evident in her bewildered expression.

Anyway, there was no way to stop 15.

She firmly held onto my sleeve, walking with determination like a soldier.

It was clear that she wouldn’t answer even if I asked for the reason. I just followed 15 without a word.

The destination 15 and I headed towards, after leaving through the school gate, was the back mountain of the school.

To be precise, it was near the entrance to the back mountain.

It was a place familiar to me as well.

I had memories of having water gun fights with friends here when I was in elementary school.

“Why are we here…?”

“…..”

15 went under the shade of a tree. And she waited for something.

After a while, a cat emerged from the bushes.

It was a black cat.

It wasn’t a small cat, but it was a skinny one. Its body resembled a dried anchovy.

15 crouched down and began petting the cat.

The cat, as if familiar with it, rubbed its head against 15’s leg and meowed.

It was only then that I realized.

“‘Play with the cat’… Could it be referring to this cat?”

“…..”

15 nodded slightly.

The contents of the red note were simply a request to play with this cat.

Feeling a little amused, I smiled.

The sight of 15 affectionately petting the cat made her appear as an innocent girl.

I felt pleased to discover this new side of her.

While petting the cat, 15 suddenly stopped and took out a piece of paper from her pocket.

This time, it was a red note.

2. 2. Do not talk about these notes.

“Umm…”

Now that I knew it was not a code but a simple request, there was no need to ask any questions.

I will not discuss the contents of this note.

It meant not only prohibiting the disclosure of the contents of the red note to others but also avoiding any mention of it in our ‘note conversations’ during class.

At least, that’s how I understood it at that time.

15 looked at me, as if waiting for a response.

I nodded and carefully folded the red note, tucking it back into my pocket.

A cool breeze brushed against my ears.

The branches of the trees swayed, and at the same time, 15’s long hair fluttered in the wind.

A dark shadow lightly floated in the air.

Her pale face, which I saw momentarily, was very beautiful.

? ? ?

When I arrived home, I spread out the two red letters on my desk.

1. 1. Play with the cat.
   2. Do not talk about these notes.

As I thought about these somewhat perplexing promises, it felt like they were connecting 15 and me…

My chest tightened a little. A strange sense of excitement had settled somewhere in the back of my mind.

I no longer cared about the red color of the paper that looked ominous.

So, what if it’s red, if it’s green, if it’s blue?

The important thing was their contents.

That’s what I believed. 

Foolishly.

? ? ?

That day, 15 was nowhere to be seen even after the morning attendance.

The homeroom teacher raised an eyebrow, but it wasn’t something they were particularly concerned about.

On the other hand, I couldn’t stand it because I was worried. I felt the absence of 15 very much.

It felt like there was a gaping hole in the air.

Various speculations circulated in the classroom. Some said she was sick, others claimed she was delayed due to divine intervention.

At this nonsense, I couldn’t take it anymore and screamed.

The atmosphere in the classroom quickly turned ugly.

I reacted sensitively whenever they were talking about 15.

I gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and glared at my classmates like I was going to kill them.

It was around the start of the third period when 15 finally arrived.

As soon as I saw her coming through the back door, I was speechless.

And the same was true for the other kids as well.

Her pale face was covered in bruises, with almost half of it swollen.

If before it was just a few punches or slaps with a hand or fist… this time it felt like being struck with a blunt object.

It was not just a simple assault; there were marks of a beating.

Underneath her swollen face, resembling a drowned body.

Her legs seemed injured as well, as she limped. She looked like she had been hit by a truck.

With her wretched body, 15 sat down in her seat. From up close, her condition appeared even more severe.

Blood was stuck to her hair. When I saw it… I couldn’t bring myself to ask, ‘Are you okay?’

There was no way she could be okay.

To come to school so casually in such a state… Honestly, it was terrifying.

Staring at the board, 15’s eyes were blank.

No one in the class was focused on the lesson. All attention was directed towards 15.

Even the teachers seemed perplexed.

After the third period ended, 15 rummaged through her bag.

Then she took something out and tossed it onto my desk.

It was a red note.

The moment that red color entered my sight, my heart started pounding fiercely.

An inexplicable fear washed over me like a wave.

Just like that, 15 turned her back and left.

There was no one to stop her.

Not even the teachers stopped her as she walked out of the school.

I remained frozen in place.

I couldn’t gather the courage to open the red note lying in front of me.

Unable to endure the cold sweat pouring down like rain, I ended up leaving early.

I felt like something terrible would happen if I stayed in the classroom.

As I walked out through the school gate, I recalled the image of 15 petting the cat in the mountain behind the school.

I wondered if she was still there, petting the cat at this very moment.

Of course, it was a delusion.

As I walked shakily, I came to a halt on the pedestrian crossing.

And what stopped me in my tracks was none other than a cat.

A black cat.

The cat that 15 was gently petting.

‘1. Play with the cat.’

” … Ah… “

As I opened my mouth, a cry-like whimper escaped me.

The cat was dead.

It was fused with the asphalt. The tire marks were clearly visible across its body.

Gory pieces of its innards and blood stained the ground. Some unknown liquid, whether it was burst eyeballs or cerebral fluid, was flowing out through its nose, mouth, and eyes.

And even more horrifying… the cat wasn’t alone.

There was a kitten inside its stomach…

….

… The sight…

I felt nauseous, but I didn’t throw up. I’d rather get it all out and be comfortable.

The lump in my throat writhed. An inexplicable fear began to overwhelm me.

I ran as if fleeing for my life. My legs grew weak, and I nearly stumbled multiple times, but I kept running without stopping.

When I arrived home, the lump in my throat barely subsided. My back was drenched in sweat.

Something in my pocket pricked my thigh.

It was the third red note that 15 had given me before leaving.

1. 1. Play with the cat.
   2. Do not talk about these notes.

Number 1 had become a promise I could never keep.

The cat had died under a car.

What about number 3?

I couldn’t summon the courage to check at school, but now I felt like I could. 

No, I had to check.

I opened the note with trembling hands.