Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 131

Then, below the thin T-shirt, which had slipped down slightly under my hand, a scar was revealed. A brown, spreading scar.

“…Damn it.”

I released the firm grip on his shoulders. Then I carefully adjusted Go Yohan’s clothes so that people nearby wouldn’t see. Just then, a voice suddenly cut in. This time it was the girl who often agreed with Soyeon. Was it just my imagination? I think our eyes just met.

“No. It’s already late anyway, so how about we break up here? We can barely catch the last bus now.”

“Huh? N-now? We can drink more.”

“What’s the fun if two people leave? Let’s just exchange numbers and go our separate ways, and meet again next time. We haven’t even talked properly yet. Let’s meet again and go for a third, fourth round.”

Ah, so this was it.

Her brilliant eyes were fixed on Go Yohan. The tightness in my chest became infinitely heavy. It felt like I had swallowed a heavy weight. I witnessed that strange hidden agenda I had seen sometime before, for the first time in a long time. It was the same atmosphere I often saw when hanging out with Han Jun-woo. This subtle sexual interest flowing in the air was always uncomfortable to witness.

“Ah, then, like that…”

However, what was even more annoying was that it wasn’t a bad offer for Kang Soohyun either. He was getting two opportunities anyway. And Kang Soohyun’s friend already seemed interested in another girl. So, that friend would naturally accept too. They could continue contact under the guise of exchanging numbers. I bit my lip tightly and gripped the table with my hand. Now it was tightening below my sternum. It was suffocating.

“Then, first, the numbers.”

I don’t know why that girl, Soyeon, kept looking at Go Yohan’s phone while suggesting we exchange numbers. There’s no need to pay attention to the phone of someone who’s passed out on the table, is there? My insides twisted. Didn’t she say he was just for friends earlier? My lips, which I had been gnawing on, pouted.

It was then.

“No.”

It was more like “No-o” than “No.” A long hand suddenly appeared on the table. And following the hand, a surprisingly wide shoulder, grotesque compared to his small face, also rose. His half-closed eyes quickly closed and opened. All eyes focused on this sudden declaration of opposition. As expected, Go Yohan had an innate talent for attracting others’ attention.

“I’m going to the third round separately.”

Go Yohan said, after closing his eyes tightly once, frowning, and then relaxing his expression. In his words, the atmosphere at the table stirred with excitement. And my insides were in turmoil.

“W-with whom?”

And it was Kang Soohyun who asked that. What an annoying mechanical engineering bastard. I felt like pushing away the snacks in front of me. Go Yohan, with his eyes closed, smiled faintly for a long time, then suddenly turned his head sharply. At the end of that direction, I was there.

“…?”

Again, the group’s gaze turned to me. Go Yohan was among them. What, what is it? As I was trying to figure out what the situation was, the tall figure suddenly stood up. His alcohol-scented lips touched my cheek.

Words of lukewarm emotion rubbed against my skin. A gentle vibration emanating from his hot lips brushed against my cheek. Even after he stopped speaking, a faint tremor lingered. What just happened to me? By the time I realized what was happening, my face was already beet red from head to toe. When I hastily turned my head to avoid him, Go Yohan, with his eyes tightly closed, followed. His soft lips kept brushing my cheek.

“Hey, hey, hey… What are you doing?!”

“Ah, whyyyy.”

“Wh-what, what is this…”

“Why?”

Naturally, everyone in front of me was aghast and speechless. Kang Soohyun, with a terrified look, stumbled backward. And as if to avoid Go Yohan, he hunched his body and said,

“Guys. He’s really, really drunk.”

“First, you’re responsible for inviting him to the group chat.”

“Me?”

“You brought him, didn’t you? Or not?”

Soyeon said to Kang Soohyun with a bright smile. The tip of her pointing finger was on Go Yohan. For reference, Go Yohan was slumped on my back, dragging his feet. He must have been truly drunk, as he was mumbling strange words that I couldn’t understand in any language I knew. That would have been fine, but the lukewarm breath that came out of his mouth kept touching my neck, which was uncomfortable.

“I don’t have his number.”

“Then who has Yohan’s number?”

“Well, Jun, of course. He brought him.”

Honestly, he’s so heavy I feel like throwing up. This uselessly tall bastard. This uselessly large bastard. First, I reached out and laboriously grabbed a utility pole, holding on tightly. My mind currently had no capacity to focus on that conversation. I put firm strength in my legs and squeezed out all my power to ask the most desperate question right now.

“When is the taxi coming?”

I asked with difficulty, but no one answered. Damn it. As I was about to ask again, full of annoyance, the girl I met in front of the restroom glanced at me, then quickly approached Kang Soohyun and asked again.

“Hey, she’s asking when the taxi is coming…”

This is why people say to live a good life. That damn Kang Soohyun finally looked at his phone.

“Uh-. It’s a bit late. It’s usually hard to catch a taxi around here at this time. It’d be a miracle if one connects.”

“Call anywhere and tell them I’ll pay three times the fare, just come quickly.”

“This guy, you’re spending money like it’s not yours. What a commendable bastard.”

Have I ever experienced my voice trembling because my body was so exhausted? Definitely not in my memory until now. As I endured, sweating coldly, I saw Kang Soohyun making a proud expression. He didn’t seem to have any intention of helping. Look at how he subtly avoids my gaze. Bad bastard. But I’m the one who made the mistake, so I have to humble myself. What can I do? Damn it.

“Anyway, c-call quickly.”

“Alright, you brat. You guys hurry up and go before the last bus leaves. Didn’t you say there wasn’t much time left?”

“Uh-huh.”

A timid voice answered softly. The moment I lifted my head, grimacing, my eyes met with the owner of the timid voice. Since our eyes had already met, it was awkward to avoid, and since she had conveyed my message to Kang Soohyun, I just gave a wry smile.

“Goodbye.”

“You, you too, goodbye.”

Her face, barely visible in the darkness, subtly averted her gaze and waved her hand.

“Then you invite him, and later you can invite Yohan. That should work, right? I really want to apologize to Yohan. I made a mistake while drinking.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll take care of everything, so just go catch your last bus.”

“Okay, J-Jun. We’re sorry we couldn’t help. Be careful!”

“Hey, aren’t you going to say goodbye to me?”

“You have my number!”

The way she called me ‘Jun’, even though we just met today, was so awkward. It made me uncomfortable. I just lowered my head and vaguely raised my hand. Then I knelt down and squatted. Go Yohan’s feet also slid on the floor and stretched out. I might look like a frog pressed against his back, but who cares. Damn it. I feel like throwing up from the immense weight pressing down on my back.

And so, the noisy gathering was left with only three people.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

I glared, gasping for breath. It would be a lie to say there was no resentment. Kang Soohyun, who subtly avoided my gaze, said,

“Actually… I’m sorry. The last bus to my house has already left.”

“…”

So, his earlier suggestion to drink more really did contain a hidden agenda.

“So?”

“I can sleep at your place, can’t I?”

“What nonsense is that… Ah!”

“Is he very heavy?”

“If you know, why don’t you help?”

“My back is a bit weak. I’m a Grade 4 in my physical exam. I’m a public service worker, a public service worker.”

“I don’t know, you bastard.”

I cursed the fact that I couldn’t go to school last year. Was it the butterfly effect? A small flap of wings causing a storm? If I had known I’d encounter such a storm, Go Yohan or not… I would have just abandoned him and diligently attended classes.

“Anyway, that friend is paying for the taxi, and I have a very charming side, you know? I’ll make sure your parents adore me.”

“What are you… Ah!”

Then, a hot tongue licked my neck. My fine hair bristled with goosebumps.

“…Hey, Go Yohan.”

“Why, why?”

“Ha… No, it’s nothing.”

I bit my lip and cut my words short.

It was clearly intentional. Every time Kang Soohyun looked away, his lips on my neck moved softly. It felt like he was deliberately messing around, pretending to be drunk. Moreover, every time his soft touch reached me, he would subtly chuckle, and the lukewarm breath that accompanied his laughter touched the moisture Go Yohan had left. His low laughter traveled across my skin. I clenched my fists at the dizzying sensation traveling down my spine.

Damn it, if he wasn’t drunk, I’d throw him down and leave him right now.

“Hey, wait, your, your friend is laughing right now? What, what’s wrong with him?”

“…He’s crazy.”

“He’s really, really drunk. Is he always like this when he’s drunk?”

“No, he’s always like this, even when he’s sober.”

I said, stiffening my neck and pushing away Go Yohan’s head, which was subtly pressing down on me.

“I’m giving you serious advice, Go Yohan is really not in his right mind, so be careful with every word you say.”

“You two are really strange.”

“What?”

“Then why do you hang out together? You say you’re not friends, not close. You even trash each other’s personalities… But you take care of each other immensely, and why do you know his house?”

“…”

Yeah, why do I hang out with him?

I let out a hollow laugh. It took me almost two years to realize that. But this logical mechanical engineering bastard, who makes me speechless, pulled out the key to the answer in just a few hours of meeting.

“Is this what they call a love-hate relationship?”

That guy should have gone into philosophy, not mechanical engineering. As I was lost in absurd thoughts, sharp fangs lightly bit the space between my neck and shoulder.

“Ah!”

“What happened?!”

“Ah, nothing.”

Taking advantage of my distraction, I moved my head and pushed away Go Yohan, who had started obsessing over my neck again. He was pressing so hard that I couldn’t properly push him away.

“Ah, get off me…!”

“No.”

This time it was “No-o” again. He chuckled lightly and rubbed his head against my cheek. The rustling sensation tickled my skin. Damn it. It was hot below. As I was fighting a silent war, Kang Soohyun shouted,

“Hey! It’s here!”

“Where?”

“Oh, here! Over here!”

Kang Soohyun, who completely ignored me, suddenly ran out onto the road and waved his hand. His clenched fist trembled helplessly in the air. Ah, seriously. Why is my life like this? I sighed, resting my arms on my knees in exasperation.

“Jun.”

Go Yohan, who had been pressing down on me with his body, moved. The guy, who had been leaning his upper body entirely on me and just stretching out his legs, moved his legs and bent his knees just like me. Because of that posture, I ended up trapped between Go Yohan’s legs.

“Hey, if you’re awake, get up.”

“Jun.”

He wasn’t awake. I covered my face with my hand and exhaled more deeply.

“Why?”

“Why does it feel so good?”

The movement of pressing my forehead with my fingers stopped abruptly. Go Yohan’s hand, which had been draped over my shoulder, fluttered, then moved to hug me tightly. A light chuckle brushed my ear.

“It feels good.”

It was almost dawn, under the flickering streetlamp and the old utility pole, was a drunk Go Yohan. I turned my head to look at the fingers gripping my shoulder. Three fingers of his right hand couldn’t quite grip my shoulder and were slightly floating.

It was strange. The fingers that couldn’t quite hold me were the ones holding me captive.

I take back what I said about Kang Soohyun being logical. He’s a bit stupid. Especially now, seeing three people squeezed into the back seat confirms it even more. It’s definitely not because I’m stuck in the middle, being squeezed from both sides.

“You could’ve just sat in the front.”

Swoosh– Kang Soohyun swallowed and made an excuse.

“I was trying to help you move.”

“You didn’t help at all.”

“You’ve been saying things that hurt my feelings, you know? I’m the one who carried you through the group project. What do you take my kindness for?”

“I got a C- for that.”

“Sometimes even buses lose their way.”

“……”

“No, and you should be grateful you didn’t get a D, right? For a freeloader, why are your expectations so high?”

“Ah, stop moving. It’s cramped.”

Kang Soohyun kept turning his body, and his arm kept bumping into my chest. Annoyed, I forcefully pushed Kang Soohyun’s arm through the narrow gap.

“It’s me who can’t get anything done because of you. Isn’t it common sense to bring someone slightly below my level to a blind date?”

“Common sense? I don’t know any, you bastard.”

“Ah, why on earth did you bring that guy?”

“I brought him to beat you to death. What are you going to do about it?”

Those weren’t my words. I turned around, and Kang Soohyun looked behind me.

Where our two gazes met, a pair of long, narrow eyes looked down at us. The hesitant tone had vanished, leaving only a low, ominous voice. The car passed through a tunnel, and an orange light quickly swept across Go Yohan’s face.

A drooping hand slowly rose.

Kang Soohyun and I simply stared at the scene. It felt like a dream. In that dazed moment, a clenched fist suddenly slammed down hard on Kang Soohyun’s shoulder.

“Ack! Wh-what?!”

“I heard everything. C-minus? And what, a blind date? An ugly bastard like you will be alone your whole life, even if you go on a hundred dates, you idiot.”

“Ugly?! Un-ugly… Hey! That’s unfair! Does a person only have good points?!”

“Yes.”

“What, he’s short too!”

“Why am I suddenly in this? And I’m not short.”

I pushed Kang Soohyun away with my arm and retorted.

“I’m above average.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Jun is 180 if you round up.”

“……”

Ah, damn it… Why did that have to come up there? Go Yohan’s logic made me endlessly embarrassed. With unbearable shame, I covered my face with my hands.

“You science majors are so inflexible with rounding… Aack!”

“So what? Ugly people can’t even round up.”

“The world’s too harsh! Y-you can sue for defamation of character!”

“Go ahead. I have a ton of money.”

“P-person! Ack!”

This is torture. Do I have to keep listening to this linguistic garbage? My body swayed haphazardly like a leaf scattered by the wind. Left when Go Yohan moved, right when Kang Soohyun was hit by the recoil.

“Why are you following us into the taxi, you son of a bitch. Damn it, get out right now. If you’re not out by the count of ten, you’ll die here.”

“How-how can I get out here?! Ugh! Stop it!”

“Just open the door and get out. Nine.”

“Someone’s going to die!”

“Eight.”

A fist rapidly grazed the tip of my nose, and I flinched, quickly pressing my back against the seat. The speed was so fast that I could feel the wind brush against the bridge of my nose. Kang Soohyun was struggling to block it and whining, but I knew Go Yohan’s fist well. In fact, that was him hitting lightly. But Go Yohan wouldn’t go easy on someone he disliked.

In other words, Go Yohan was still drunk.

“Six.”

“Ah, I’ll go when we arrive. When we arrive!”

“Five.”

“Hey! Why are you just sitting there? Tell your friend to stop!”

I leaned my body against the seat and looked up at the ceiling. It was a way to minimize contact. Kang Soohyun, who was struggling to block Go Yohan with his arms, looked at me as if I were a traitor. What, what did I do? I subtly avoided his gaze and mumbled.

“……Just take it. I can’t do anything about him either.”

“Three.”

“You… how can a person. Ack! Wait, you didn’t count four just now?”

“One.”

“Y-your way of counting is strange?”

“That’s it, you bastard.”

Go Yohan, who had turned to face me at some point, lifted his foot and kicked Kang Soohyun’s knee. There was definitely a sound of something breaking. The one who was hit screamed, clutching his knee and collapsing under the seat. His not-so-small frame hunched over towards his knees. Once he disappeared from view, Go Yohan slowly leaned his back against the car door and closed his eyes.

Since he was quiet, he must have fallen asleep again.

“……”

I glanced at the driver, trying to read his expression. Reflected in the rearview mirror was the face of a veteran who had seen countless such troublesome customers. Rather, his lack of reaction made me even more embarrassed. Kang Jun, the only normal person who knew shame, braved the surging humiliation and spoke.

“S-sorry.”

There was no answer. Only the sound of Kang Soohyun sniffling, still hunched over, echoed in the quiet car.

“Why are you even friends with him, seriously…”

At that, I pouted. Tell me about it.

Kang Soohyun, unable to overcome his fear, fled as soon as he got out of the taxi. He said he’d go back to school and sleep in a friend’s room. If I were his friend, I would never answer his calls. I shook my head briefly to myself.

Go Yohan, however, managed to get out of the taxi fine but couldn’t enter his house. He clung to my back, hugging, pulling, stuffing himself into my arms, and when I pushed his arm away in defiance, he leaned his back against the apartment entrance pillar with a sulky face. “Are you really going to be like this?” I asked, and Go Yohan laughed, his head still resting against the wall.

Giving up, I sat on the stairs and waited. Go Yohan came over with light, almost running steps and sat next to me. A small breeze stirred. And a small head leaned on my shoulder.

“……Go Yohan.”

“……”

“When on earth are you going to wake up?”