Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 111

Contrary to Shin Jaehyun’s attitude, I was quite well-integrated into the class. I wasn’t the only one who felt that the rumors about me had died down. The atmosphere spoke for itself.

However, even amidst that, I subtly felt isolated. As the Suneung approached, Ahn Jisu acted friendly towards me. However, what Ahn Jisu was curious about was how I had suddenly gotten into two school competitions at once. As if he wouldn’t know. I thought his face was truly shameless when he asked.

“Then I’ll get gold, and you can get silver.”

“…Oh, really?”

“Well, it could be the other way around.”

Ahn Jisu had a peculiar talent for subtly annoying people. But it wasn’t an important remark, so I let it go in one ear and out the other.

Something else captured my attention. Long after summer vacation, I submitted my early admission application to Hankuk University. The admissions expert recommended by Go Yohan’s mother suggested I lower my sights a bit and apply to the Sociology Department, but I replied “Yes” and applied to a slightly different department.

How could I trust someone recommended by Go Yohan? And to apply lower, that’s crazy.

I decided to trust myself. And recently, my daily life felt like ostracism in a crowd. It felt like being trapped on a small island. And the leader of that island was Go Yohan, but,

“Jun, I like caramel candy the best.”

“Oh, really?”

I didn’t care as much as I thought.

These days, all I said to Go Yohan was, “Oh, really? Right, I see, that’s true, well, oh, really? Seriously? Ah, I kind of get what you mean. I don’t know.” That was all. Fortunately, Go Yohan didn’t seem to notice anything strange about me. He was constantly in a good mood, bouncing around. My siding with him had paid off handsomely.

“It’s terribly sweet, isn’t it? So sweet it makes your teeth rot, makes your teeth ache, that’s what I really like.”

“Ah, I kind of get what you mean.”

“You get it? Then what about you? What do you like?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, seeing as you like things like green tea, I guess you probably have old-fashioned tastes.”

“That’s true, I guess.”

As I shifted my body to turn the page of my vocabulary book, my eyes met with someone I didn’t know far away. They seemed to have been coming to the pavilion but turned back after seeing that the seats were already taken. The second-year student, seeing Go Yohan sitting squarely in the middle, turned his body and waved to his friend.

“…did he say?”

I didn’t quite catch what Go Yohan just said. But I didn’t ask again and gave a mechanical answer.

“Really?”

I said, looking at a corner of the ceiling. As the Suneung approached, the class atmosphere became sensitive, so there was an awareness about making noise in the classroom. Usually, Go Yohan and I would spend our breaks sitting on the stairs. Through the window visible from the stairs, the blue sky was reflected.

“Yeah, the weather’s good too. Your midterm grades were good this time, too, so it’s good. You’re happy too, right? You think it’s all thanks to me, don’t you?”

While Go Yohan chattered, I chuckled weakly. His words were truly absurd. If it weren’t for you in the first place, I wouldn’t have needed any help.

“What makes you so happy?”

“Huh?”

“Because you’re smiling right now.”

“Ah… Am I?”

Time flowed leisurely, obediently.

By the way, there’s another reason why I wasn’t angry. A week ago, I heard a rumor at the academy that a surprisingly large number of students applied to Hankuk University’s Department of Sociology. They said it was because a rumor spread in a college admissions community that it was a “hole” this year.

And surprisingly, the biggest “hole” in the College of Social Sciences was Political Science and Diplomacy. That’s why I smiled.

“I see.”

Nineteen, the most important exam of my life, approached relentlessly as predicted.

And the phrase I hear most sickeningly these days is this:

“Second in the entire school for the second semester midterm… It’s really a shame.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course, your average would be even higher if your second semester grades were included.”

“What’s done is done, nothing can be done.”

So please stop talking about it. I know my grades are a shame too. Do you think I don’t want to swap my second semester final exam with my first semester midterm? Every time I go into the faculty office, I hear these words. I’ve heard them so much that my ears are calloused.

“The good thing is that third-year grades have a lower percentage in the GPA. Maybe there’s a chance?”

“Honestly, I’m really hoping for that too.”

I smiled awkwardly and responded with just the right amount of slyness.

I wanted to believe that people who pretended to know me were just worrying unnecessarily, but my parents told me the same thing. At that time, I truly couldn’t say anything. My mouth tasted bitter.

Surprisingly, Go Yohan was the only one who spoke differently to me about the first semester final exam.

“It’s naturally decided that you’ll pass. Your report card only has 1s and 2s.”

“I ranked 12th?”

“Isn’t 12 a 1 and a 2?”

Of course, as always, it was nonsense. But unlike before, it didn’t annoy or displease me. Before, I would have snapped at him to stop talking nonsense, or that I couldn’t understand his thoughts, but I didn’t feel like doing that at all. I rested my chin on my hand and just looked at the printout, which was heavily underlined with a mechanical pencil. My mouth just uttered whatever came to mind.

“Oh, right.”

But weren’t all those scores because of Go Yohan? I unconsciously lifted my head, recalling the cause of the harsh words I’d heard, and suddenly met Go Yohan’s eyes.

“…”

As soon as our eyes met, Go Yohan abruptly averted his gaze. Then, revealing the back of his hand, where bones and veins protruded, he frantically scratched his ear. A rosary still dangled from his wrist. I narrowed my eyes.

When I said nothing, Go Yohan, who had been sitting on the floor, subtly looked at me and rested his head on my knee, which was sitting on the chair. As carefully as a dandelion seed landing on a knee. His head was on my knee, but his back seemed to be in an uncomfortable position.

His back must hurt. But it wasn’t my concern, so I left him alone.

“…I applied too.”

“Oh, yeah.”

I don’t know where he applied, but I hope he gets rejected immediately.

The Suneung was always coming, but I didn’t realize it would be so subtly upon us. The air smelled of Suneung. A heavy, chilling scent. The scent of November. I had read the printouts so much that I could write the exact same sentences with my eyes closed. I closed my eyes, recalled the written sentences, and thought about the biggest exam of my life. I didn’t need the minimum score anyway.

Should I aim for a Grade 1 just in case I fail? Regular admission isn’t great these days.

“Hey.”

At the sudden call, I narrowed my eyes and looked at Go Yohan, whose head was resting on my knee. I saw the back of his head, where he was tidying his slightly ruffled hair with his fingers. His face wasn’t visible.

“You have to pass.”

Surely, it’s not guilt. As always, it must be nothing. Go Yohan is trash among trash who doesn’t even think about my life. I went back to diligently reading the summarized printout.

Go Yohan was not something to be concerned about. I merely replied for the sake of our macroscopic relationship.

“Right.”

The final battle approached in an instant. Half a month passed so indifferently.

I let out a long breath as I exited the exam hall. A long plume of white breath billowed out like cigarette smoke.

The school gate was quiet, perhaps because I had just finished the second foreign language exam. Some students ran towards the school’s main gate or the cars parked in the school’s parking lot. The words I heard were always the same.

“How was the exam?”

“No, I completely screwed up. Oh, I don’t know. I’m just going to eat.”

“You have an appetite, so you must have done well?”

“Done well? It was hell. Hell. I’m just relieved that other kids seem to have done badly too.”

Was it that difficult? I thought it was just a moderate difficulty. I continued walking, dismissing the overheard conversations. The cold air brushed against my thin skin. I passed the subtly noisy main gate and hailed a taxi on the road.

The taxi driver, who glanced at me in the rearview mirror after I got in, suddenly spoke.

“Student, are you coming from Suneung?”

I leaned back into the cheap leather seat and looked out the window. This summer wasn’t very hot, so they said winter wouldn’t be cold either. As if to prove it, this November was only chilly, not so cold that my nose stung. I placed my hand on the window-opening button and repeatedly opened and closed the window slightly. And only after a very, very long time did I open my mouth.

“Yes.”

“You’ll eat something delicious when you get home, won’t you?”

Zzzzing, zzzzing. I still didn’t stop opening and closing the window with my hand. Perhaps it bothered him, as the driver cleared his throat noticeably. Only then did I realize and take my hand away. But I still lightly tapped the button area with my finger. The cheap plastic clicked.

“I don’t know.”

I don’t know. No one would be home anyway. No, not no one, the housekeeper would be there. It wasn’t that I was lonely or resented my parents. It was just strange to feel like no one was by my side on the day all my efforts ended.

“…”

After that, the driver remained silent. He must be thinking I was an ill-mannered student. But I didn’t want to exchange useless words just to be polite. I didn’t want to be the driver’s conversation partner. Why should I be a clown just because he’s an adult?

Getting out was even more chilling. When I handed him my card, he looked at me with a displeased face.

“Student, don’t you have cash?”

Unfortunately, I didn’t. I shook my head, looking at my empty wallet.

“No, I don’t.”

“Student, how can you not pay cash for such a short ride?”

“…My house is here, so I’ll go inside and get the money.”

“Then leave your phone here for now.”

“Huh?”

“Leave it, and go get it from your house.”

I really picked the wrong taxi. I suppressed the urge to grimace immediately and handed over my phone. Just as his rough hand was about to take my item, something thwacked violently against the window.

“Wh-what?”

“…?”

What I saw through the slightly translucent window was Go Yohan. It was a bit shocking.

“Ah- Mister. You’ve completely lost your conscience.”

“You, what are you?”

“Me? I’m Go Yohan.”

I’ve heard that line somewhere before. I looked at the irrational Go Yohan, holding my phone precariously. What was truly crazy about this guy was that he suddenly opened the car door. While the driver was flustered, Go Yohan calmly read the name tag next to the passenger seat.

“You’re Oh Gwanghyuk, right? 6259?”

Go Yohan, holding the car ceiling with both hands and leaning his body slightly, grinned. The driver looked at me and Go Yohan with an uneasy gaze, then quickly changed his tone.

“Alright, I’ll accept it today, but don’t do this again next time. This is very impolite.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Then he quickly waved his hand, signaling for the card. I awkwardly handed over the card and looked around the taxi. What was the name about? The answer came sooner than I expected. A paper titled “<How was today’s service?>” on the opposite door caught my eye.

“…Ah. So that’s why.”

They say filing a complaint works, and it seems it was true.

I heard the machine recognize the card a few times, then the driver roughly pulled out the card and almost threw it at me. Frowning deeply, he subtly glared at Go Yohan outside, and Go Yohan reached his hand through the open door and pulled out the “<How was today’s service?>” paper. He even hummed a tune. His arm was so long that he could easily reach the back seat.

“Student, what are you doing right now?”

“Me? Oh, it’s nothing. I needed a piece of paper to spit out my gum.”

The white paper fluttered between his fingers. But Go Yohan wasn’t chewing gum. The atmosphere was suffocating. In that silence, I moved my body and opened the car door.

After getting out of the taxi, I looked at Go Yohan with a puzzled expression. Go Yohan waved at the receding taxi, then turned around and met my eyes. When I couldn’t find anything to say and was scratching my head, Go Yohan spoke first. Well, it was the same pattern as always.

“How was the exam?”

“So-so.”