Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 126

His long fingers put on the gloves he had taken off. It was as if the world had slowed down just for his moment. I simply watched the process. I didn’t dare to look at his face. Something descended into my vision. I raised my head. Go Yohan’s father was handing me something.

“……This is.”

“Are you perhaps on an early birthday or something?”

“Oh, no.”

“Then it should be fine.”

It was a guardian’s pass.

“You can have that.”

Before I knew it, a small plastic card was in my hand.

“……”

I stared blankly at the card in my hand, flustered, then raised my head. His eyes, meeting mine, shone chillingly, and I instinctively bowed my head deeply again.

“I met the detective earlier, you see.”

“……Yes.”

“He said that while you were enjoying your long vacation, that friend looked for you very often.”

“What?”

For a moment, I thought about what I had heard, and the moment I understood the words, my whole body began to tremble. The small plastic card in my hand clicked and popped. Go Yohan’s father quietly looked down at it, then very slowly continued.

“Please give my regards to that friend.”

“……Ah, ah… No…”

An excuse should have come out immediately. But my head was filled only with despair. The sensation of a large hand gently stroking my head was vividly clear. I couldn’t bring myself to lift my head or push it away. I only trembled.

I, Go Yohan, because of me, like this.

Hellish guilt flowed through my hands.

“Uh, that is…”

His long hand lightly ruffled my hair and then dropped away.

With a faint breeze, the black leather shoes echoed in the quiet hospital corridor at a very slow pace. The stifling musk dissipated, leaving behind the lingering scent of moss-covered trees. When I cautiously raised my head, Go Yohan’s father was gone. Somewhere in the distance, footsteps at a steady pace gradually faded away.

“……Ah.”

I stood in front of Go Yohan’s hospital room for a long time, and only when the sound of footsteps completely disappeared did I rush to the restroom. My face in the mirror clearly showed the traces of abundant tears. I hastily turned on the faucet and plunged my face into the running water.

But as the water ran down my face, why did it feel like I was crying again?

I kept my face in the water for a long time, then, without even thinking to wipe my wet face, I went to find his room. I suddenly realized that Go Yohan might spend the night alone.

Sure enough, Go Yohan’s hospital room was empty. Only Go Yohan was there, lying face down. I quietly watched his drug-induced sleeping back from a distance, then moved to sit on the hospital sofa. I lay down there. The hospital room was still chilly.

“……”

Go Yohan was visible in the world turned upside down beside me.

It was Go Yohan’s second scream that woke me, who had fallen asleep at some point.

“He’s going to have skin graft surgery.”

“Oh, really?”

“……Your father agreed.”

“Over the phone?”

I hesitated for a moment, about to nod. A massive sense of responsibility surged with a single nod. Fortunately, Go Yohan removed my burden. He answered preemptively.

“I knew it. Damn it. How can a parent be so uninterested in their kid?”

“But they said his joints weren’t badly damaged, and his growth plates are closed, so there won’t be any contracture.”

“Hey, if he gets any taller, he’ll be an ogre, not a human, right? Fuck, what’s 191?”

Go Yohan, with white gauze plastered all over his back, grimaced intensely. Was it from pain, or was he horrified by the fact that his height was 191cm? His endlessly lighthearted attitude exhausted me. Honestly, I also thought he was too tall.

Go Yohan grumbled about his height, then suddenly asked me.

“……But you grew too, didn’t you?”

“Me?”

“Look, you seem taller.”

“I don’t know, I haven’t measured.”

It was ironic. My height was my biggest complex. But after turning nineteen, or more precisely, after getting entangled with Go Yohan, I stopped measuring. I didn’t have the luxury.

“Come here.”

Go Yohan, lying down, beckoned. It was his usual arbitrary way of calling me, but I saw one of his eyebrows slowly twitch. However, when I didn’t move, his hand, trembling with embarrassment, dropped.

“……Never mind. It’s fine.”

Go Yohan lowered his head. I could see the crown of his head. The white gauze was also visible. I slowly looked at the crown of his head, then got up. The moment he heard me move, Go Yohan abruptly raised his head and looked up at me.

Eyes looking up at me.

“It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“……This is the first time I’ve looked down at you openly.”

“My height must be really tall, then.”

Was he grumbling, or boasting? He subtly raised his head and glanced at me, his eyes filled with a strange hope. I caught a glimpse of that tiny hope and closed my eyes for a moment. A fleeting instant passed. To others, it was barely a second. I decided on my answer.

“Why did you tell me to come?”

At the end of my question, spring arrived. Brightly blooming flowers. Spring unfolded in Go Yohan’s eyes.

“Just stand there and wait a moment.”

“Don’t move carelessly.”

“Don’t be scared, it doesn’t hurt at all. I got a ton of painkillers.”

Before I could stop him, Go Yohan abruptly stood up. With that, his bare chest was fully exposed. C-crazy bastard. I awkwardly averted my gaze. Without even trying to notice my reaction, Go Yohan, strangely excited, stood next to me. Then he subtly looked down, peered around, and then, aligning himself with my shoulder, he smiled with an indescribable brightness.

“You grew.”

His stiffly raised fingers were awkwardly bent. Go Yohan’s right hand remained unresponsive.