Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 113

I narrowed my eyes and smiled. It’s good to look at life broadly. In my grand life map, I don’t need top predators who treat me as a toy. But Go Yohan is too close to push out of my life. I fell into contemplation.

“…Are you really not curious about me?”

At his words, which dripped with a certain regret, I said what Go Yohan would probably like the most.

“You probably did well on your own. You’re smart.”

When I return home from school, it’s the beginning of a truly boring routine. It was actually better when I was at school. Except for having to see Go Yohan. I was wasting time at home, and it felt too precious to spend it unproductively, so I went out to the bustling area near my house. I thought about buying a book and went to a bookstore, where I met Shin Jaehyun. It was unexpected good fortune.

When our eyes met, I debated whether to greet him or not. But Shin Jaehyun raised his hand first. It seemed it was okay to greet him. Relieved, I raised my hand too.

“Oh, hi.”

Shin Jaehyun was also tall, so with just a slight shift of his legs, he was quickly in front of me.

“Saw you at school, and now here again.”

“You just quietly read books.”

“The movie wasn’t my taste.”

Objectively speaking, I quite liked Shin Jaehyun. That’s why I had approached him before. Thinking about it now, it was almost impossible. Me, Shin Jaehyun? It could never happen. Even now, seeing Shin Jaehyun evokes no emotion in me.

Shin Jaehyun is fundamentally a coward. While he acts kindly when circumstances are favorable, he has a tendency to withdraw when he feels danger approaching him. There’s no way I could have liked such a Shin Jaehyun. Shin Jaehyun is inferior to Go Yohan. At least Go Yohan didn’t turn away on the day Han Junwoo was tormenting him. I subtly changed my sneering smile into a friendly one and spoke to him again.

“Did you come to buy a book?”

“Yeah, a book I wanted to read came out in English originally.”

“Why don’t you just buy it online?”

“I prefer to choose my books in person.”

“Is it because we’re not at school, you’re unusually talkative?”

“That’s… I’m sorry about that back then.”

Shin Jaehyun scratched his head in embarrassment at my lightly teasing remark. I shrugged, looking at Shin Jaehyun. I understood his values too well to resent him.

“It’s fine. I said I understood. My surroundings are just too turbulent.”

“That too… And because of the subdued rumors. And since it’s almost graduation.”

Shin Jaehyun’s expression as he continued speaking wasn’t good. As if there was something unsettling.

“About Go Yohan.”

“Yeah.”

“…He’s the first person like that I’ve ever met in my life.”

“…Me too.”

It was a conversation without precise content, but we understood what we wanted to say. Our eyes met, expressing agreement. A moment of silence passed, but even that was a conversation.

When the silence exceeded the time it could fill a conversation, I tried to change the atmosphere. Shin Jaehyun and I weren’t close enough to keep discussing such heavy topics. I brought up something that could be passed over lightly, even if it didn’t completely stray from the topic.

“When you were in America, you must have met a lot of crazy people. The land is vast there.”

“Of course, there were many.”

“Compared to them?”

“Hmm, actually, Go Yohan is easier to deal with.”

I hadn’t expected this reaction. It was a slightly disappointing answer. Shin Jaehyun didn’t change his opinion even though he read my expression.

“He has common sense. And he’s smart.”

“Common sense?”

“Because you can talk to him.”

That’s a funny thing to say. Go Yohan and common sense?

“Nonsense. He’s crazy.”

“…”

“No common sense, no morals, no control. He’s just… just a crazy bastard.”

I emphasized it again to Shin Jaehyun, as if forcing him to understand.

“He’s really crazy. He’s lost his mind.”

“That standard varies depending on one’s values and thoughts.”

“Alright, you think that way then.”

This part doesn’t match either. It somehow reminds me of what Im Yoon-gi said before about not understanding. I pouted my lips, feeling a little awkward. Seeing that, Shin Jaehyun chuckled lightly.

“What you mean…”

“There’s no need to call him trash… Everyone deserves a chance at rehabilitation, don’t they?”

“What? You say that even after seeing what that bastard did?”

“…It must have been that Go Yohan forced him to do it, that picture.”

“Ah.”

He hastily clapped a hand over his mouth. Idiot Kang Jun. He’d admitted the truth himself. He widened his eyes and cautiously glanced around, and Shin Jaehyun raised a hand.

“It’s okay. I’m just curious, I won’t spread it to anyone.”

“…You won’t tell anyone, right?”

“Of course, since you didn’t tell anyone about me either.”

A good-natured smile curved his lips. Shin Jaehyun’s index finger pointed at himself and then at Kang Jun.

“Same-same?”

“…Same-same.”

“Haha, anyway, have you decided where you’re applying for college? You seem free, seeing you here.”

This time, Shin Jaehyun changed the subject. He probably did so with the same thought as Kang Jun. They weren’t suited for serious conversations. Kang Jun gave a self-deprecating smile and replied.

“I guess the news about me failing early admission has spread everywhere again.”

“Of course, this season you’re more famous than Go Yohan, that arrogant Kang Jun who longed for Korea University’s Business department, failed and is now walking a path of hardship, they say.”

“It’s not really hard.”

He fidgeted with his hands, not knowing where to put them. He moistened his lips with his tongue, scanned the surroundings, deliberated, and then decided in a fit of pique.

“Actually, I got into early admission.”

“Oh, really? Korea University Business?”

Surprise bloomed on Shin Jaehyun’s neat face. Kang Jun quickly corrected himself, worried he might have caused a misunderstanding.

“Not Business, anyway.”

“Wow, so you got into Korea University. As expected.”

“What’s ‘as expected’?”

“I just thought you’d somehow find a way.”

“Find a way? What makes you say that?”

“Your face just says it.”

People with faces like yours usually have things go well for them. Shin Jaehyun said something absurd. A guy who looked like a typical American suddenly talking about physiognomy. Kang Jun frowned at the suspicious remark, and Shin Jaehyun, as if he couldn’t hold back anymore, closed his eyes and laughed heartily.

“Was that a joke just now?”

“Yeah, how was it?”

“Don’t ever try comedy again.”

“Why?”

“It’s not funny. If you want to be funny, try a different approach.”

“That’s hard…”

“Then what about you?”

“Me?”

“Did you apply for early or regular admission? I don’t think I’ve ever heard.”

It wasn’t a question asked with any great intent. However, Shin Jaehyun looked somewhat pleased. Kang Jun could instantly tell that he had received good news.

“Early admission. You have to use opportunities when you have them.”

“Opportunity?”

“I recently had a good opportunity.”

He was relaxed, not anxious. His slightly excited movements added to Kang Jun’s certainty. Strangely, Kang Jun, who usually only felt dissatisfaction and complaints at others’ news, felt quite good upon hearing his news. Perhaps it was because they weren’t competitors to begin with. What was important, anyway, was that for the first time, Kang Jun purely rejoiced without any conditions.

“You got into a good place.”

“Victory.”

1. He held up two fingers and smiled.

“Don’t do that, it’s a bit pathetic…”

As Kang Jun was getting fed up with another incomprehensible comedic gesture, his pants pocket vibrated violently.

“Hold on.”

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and checked the messages. Three had come. One from his parents, one from Go Yohan that had arrived a while ago, and one from an unknown number that had just come. He first read his parents’ message, which was at the bottom.

「Our son, I’m sorry. I tried to move the schedule up, but it won’t work. We can’t go to your graduation ceremony. But when you graduate, please come to where Mom and Dad are. Let’s rest comfortably for a while. Forget everything.」

Well, what’s new. He was alone even for his middle school graduation. He should send them a message later saying it’s okay. That way they’ll be relieved. Thinking of this rather obligatory filial piety, he swiped the screen.

「What are you doing?」

He stared at the screen for a moment, then swiped again.

「You dog-like whore. Are you happy? I’ll slash and mutilate your face with acid and a knife, turning it into a rag.」

It was a message that had been arriving periodically for some time. He roughly knew who it was. Kim Minho, probably. Still can’t let go of his obsession. He should just live quietly, his life is already ruined anyway. He sneered and turned off the screen. Then he looked up and spoke to Shin Jaehyun, who was reading the cover of a book he had taken from the bookshelf right next to them.

“Want to grab something to eat together? I’ll pay if we go.”

It was an offer that he half-expected to be rejected. He thought it would be a natural parting if Shin Jaehyun said no, and he’d just say, “Okay, got it,” and say goodbye. However, it was unexpected when Shin Jaehyun nodded.

“I’ll think about it after I hear the menu.”

“It’s nothing grand, just some street food.”

“Good. If you’d said pasta, I would have run away immediately.”

“Surely no crazy person would suggest pasta when two guys are eating together?”

“Wouldn’t there be someone somewhere?”

A guy with unnecessarily abundant humanity. Kang Jun snorted at his inclusiveness, connecting every conversation with “If” and “Maybe.” He wondered how he managed to stay with him, but then a realistic thought struck him: they weren’t at school, and graduation was just around the corner, so that’s why he was like this.

Nevertheless, Shin Jaehyun was, by Kang Jun’s standards, a quite likable person.

No, not “nevertheless,” but “because of that,” perhaps. Kang Jun tended to be drawn to people who were subtly cunning, good at looking out for themselves, and didn’t act foolishly.

And he learned within the short time they spent together, less than 30 minutes, that Shin Jaehyun was also quite lucky. Apparently, he got into a slightly better school than his grades suggested. He wondered how that news hadn’t spread, but it was the same situation as him. He had applied alone without telling his homeroom teacher. The reason was that he didn’t want his story to spread anywhere. It was an uncharacteristic remark for someone who seemed to pick up every piece of gossip everywhere.

“Aren’t you proud? Teachers would treat you differently with a school like that.”

“Just to show off for a few days?”

Shin Jaehyun, who seemed unable to handle hot food, blew on the fish cake soup in the paper cup, and his mouth opened wide.

“I don’t like to stand out. The more you stand out, the more enemies you make.”

“You know, I haven’t been able to tell you this until now.”

“Huh?”

“Your thought process is really unique.”

“No, it’s just that I’ve lived a hard life, so I learned how to live long and thin. You only truly understand things when you’ve suffered.”

The playfully sneering mouth curved downwards. Because it was so true. He deeply speared a soggy tteokbokki rice cake with a toothpick. He chewed the rice cake a few times and then nodded.

“You’re right.”

“You haven’t told anyone you got in either, right?”

“I’m thinking of only telling the homeroom teacher later. I’m afraid the principal and vice-principal will scold me.”

“That’s kind of you.”

“They were good to me, it would be a shame not to.”

“Then the news will spread throughout the school. Teachers’ treatment will change too. Haha.”

“Forget it, it’s not like I can keep it a secret forever anyway.”

“Why keep it a secret now?”

It was a short question, but it cut to the core of the conversation. This time, Kang Jun didn’t spear a rice cake, but poked it around with a toothpick, then hesitated and finally opened his mouth.

“You know perfectly well.”

“Ah, right.”

Hoo-hoo. Shin Jaehyun blew harder on the soup, which must have already cooled down. How sensitive to hot food was he, that he kept blowing on it the whole time? Kang Jun glanced at him with narrowed eyes and then picked up a piece of tteokbokki he had been tormenting.

“You finally believe me.”

“…It’s not that, it’s just that there’s no harm in being careful.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ Ah, this soup is delicious.”

Shin Jaehyun finally put the soup to his lips when no more steam escaped. Shin Jaehyun had now completely ended his suspicion. He must be convinced of what he thought. It was a relief that he was a timid but smart guy. He would never mention Go Yohan to others, no matter what.

Kang Jun fidgeted with his fingers alone, then suddenly spoke as if confessing.

“Oh, right, I’m going to live in the dorms.”

“Suddenly? Why?”

Perhaps he had hoped for agreement, or for Shin Jaehyun to cheer him on. Anyway, he had that strange sense of expectation.

“He lives next door to me.”

“Ah, ah-ah. You two are both rich. But can you go to the dorms? You’re from the same area.”

“I told my parents it would be tiring because the school and home are far, and they said they’d arrange it.”

Shin Jaehyun nodded slightly and quickly asked.

“Not living alone? What about a car? Your parents aren’t buying you one?”

“Living alone… It feels like there’s nothing around. The security near the school isn’t good either. And I don’t know if I’ll have time to get a license.”

“Ah, dorms are definitely safer than living alone.”