Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 186

But the housekeeper mercilessly crushed my expectations.

“No. The housekeeper in that house said the second son had the highest chance of inheriting the company. She said they moved here because of the second son, and that the chairman was originally the second son. He took control of the company from his older brother… So he doesn’t like the eldest son much…”

“……”

“She said he openly told the eldest son that he had no intention of handing over the company to him. That it would definitely go to the second son.”

“He said… that?”

“When the eldest son first entered middle school. During dinner with the whole family.”

“And he hits such a second son with a trophy?”

That doesn’t make any sense. My head was boiling.

“That trash bastard.”

At least, in my opinion, he’s not. The father of this family is a psycho who enjoys pushing his children to their limits like racehorses.

“She said he used to do that often. Whether it was sleepwalking or something, he’d sometimes smother his face with a pillow in the early morning. Though he couldn’t do that after he was roughly in middle school.”

However, this wasn’t what I wanted to hear to deny it. I heard something even crazier than I imagined.

“With a pillow, what…”

“It was the housekeeper’s job to take the second son to the emergency room again if he fainted. She said it looked like he was taking out his stress on his son. It wasn’t frequent, though. Very, very—rarely. Perhaps he identified with him because he resembled him so much. That’s what she said.”

“What are you saying… No, isn’t she lying?”

“People usually think that. Since she was fired, after all.”

The housekeeper took off her rubber gloves. And opened the kitchen window. Her loosely tied black hair fluttered in the wind. Her expression was still not visible.

“Not everything is true, I suppose.”

“……”

“Still, that housekeeper liked me a lot.”

I wanted to believe it was a lie. More precisely, I didn’t want to believe that Go Yohan had gone through such a thing. It just didn’t suit the arrogant and magnificent Go Yohan to have such a past.

However, deep down, somewhere in my heart, I was convinced that the seed that had unleashed Go Yohan’s cruel nature was right here. Go Yohan truly resembled his father. Horribly so.

“Don’t take it too seriously.”

Why? Why did that person treat Go Yohan like that? I couldn’t understand it with my values. What on earth was wrong with that family…?

“……”

I clenched my fingers until my nails dug into my skin, then suddenly realized the person in front of me and snapped out of it. But why was she telling me this now? A chilling question arose, and I lifted my head, which had been bowed in thought.

“Ah.”

The housekeeper had already turned around and was tidying up the dishes. The expression I had so desperately wanted to see held no emotion. Expressionless. The same face she always showed. I saw that face and belatedly tried to cover up. I acted as if it had nothing to do with me.

“But why are you telling me this?”

I leaned back in my chair. See? I’m fine. I expressed these words with my body. Even though my head felt like it was about to explode, and my heart was pounding like someone who had just run a hundred-meter dash.

The housekeeper subtly raised her eyes to look at me and said nonchalantly,

“Because you live together. With that student.”

“……What?”

“And this, in his main house room.”

The housekeeper pulled out her phone from her apron pocket. It was my old one. Why this?

“She said it was broken back then, but it actually turns on sometimes.”

“……”

“He’ll be here soon. I took it so he wouldn’t find it.”

“……What?”

“Sometimes when he’s not home, he rummages through his room.”

What did I just hear? What? Oh. My head spun, and I searched through my remaining memories. One passing memory suddenly came to mind. Unsettling feelings are usually accurate.

The only day the housekeeper didn’t come. That morning when the front door suddenly closed.

No way, no way, no way, no way…

No. No way. I scratched the corner of the table with my fingernails, denying it. My denial provoked a struggle. I smiled as brightly as possible and met the housekeeper’s eyes.

“You must be misunderstanding, but no. No, wait, yes. I have a girlfriend. I bring her home sometimes.”

However, the housekeeper looked at me once, then pointed at the dishes and said,

“Are you done eating?”

“I’m done. I’ve finished eating. But, you know it’s not true. And that friend doesn’t live with me either. Maybe you saw something wrong when she came to visit.”

“Yes.”

It was an anxious and concise answer. Her wrinkled hand took the dishes. If I said more now, I would seem suspicious. I would seem anxious. I knew I shouldn’t say anything, but my mouth itched. I wanted to make excuses. Rather, her simply agreeing made me even crazier. It was obvious she didn’t believe me. Damn it.

It was a pathetic lie, even to me. Knowing that made my eyes burn even more. I felt like I was standing in a dead-end alley.

The food I hadn’t eaten was thrown away before my eyes, and the dishes were washed. The sink, which had just been cleaned, was cleaned again. Even after wiping the cleaned area several times, the housekeeper continued to wipe the innocent faucet for a long time. I bowed my head deeply, afraid the housekeeper might turn around and see my face. Tears felt like they would burst. I didn’t expect hardship to come so quickly.

“……Actually, I used to come on weekends, a little early, to bring side dishes.”

“……”

“I’m sorry.”

Behind the words of rigorous wiping, I heard the housekeeper’s apology. Surprisingly, it was the only emotional word among the blunt remarks she had given me. Before I could grasp the intention of those words, sorrow burst forth in my eyes.

After that, the housekeeper didn’t say anything. No, she said just one thing.

“No one knows but me.”

Was that comfort, or was it a warning? The sorrow burst even greater. I tried to put strength in my throat, at least not to make a sound. Tears I couldn’t wipe with my hand dripped onto the table below.

Even amidst that, the sounds of the kitchen being tidied up were faithfully heard.

Only I was sitting at the table, sobbing. If I got up, they’d know I cried. No, they probably already knew.

“……You won’t tell my parents, will you?”

Since I was already caught, I had to get confirmation. I lifted my tear-filled face and desperately asked. The housekeeper didn’t look at me. Was this also her consideration?

She opened the refrigerator, which now had nothing to organize, and stared at it until a warning sound was heard, then the housekeeper said:

“I want to work here for a long time.”

“Are you saying I should prevent my parents from firing you?”

“No.”

Beep, beep, beep—. A loud noise filled the kitchen. Thanks to that, my foolishly trembling voice was drowned out.

“I meant, don’t worry.”

With those words, the housekeeper closed the refrigerator. And as always, she went to the living room and picked up her small bag. It meant she was returning to her main home.

I couldn’t even see her off and hastily hid my face. The housekeeper, as usual, picked up her bag and left, only saying, “If you want anything to eat, text me.”

The text came exactly 10 minutes later.

「I’m truly sorry. That housekeeper told me about the food the student next door likes. Ask me if you’re curious. It’s late, but happy new year, student.」

I couldn’t finish reading the text. Tears poured down like a torrential rain. After experiencing several things and observing the housekeeper’s personality, I was convinced. The housekeeper had made a gentle threat, and as long as I acted quickly and understood, she truly hadn’t told anyone, and wouldn’t tell anyone in the future.

“Damn, it was obvious I’d get caught.”

I’d been acting so suspiciously. I just thought I was an indifferent person who wasn’t interested in worldly affairs. I should have known it made no sense for such a person to choose a profession managing a household. It was my arrogance.

I roughly rubbed my cheeks with my wrist. Strangely, after receiving the text, my head felt lighter. Honestly, I knew I’d get caught eventually once I met Go Yohan, didn’t I? I had just taken one more step on the path I had to walk. The worry hadn’t left, but at least it was better than experiencing something I thought would never happen. At least I had expected this to happen someday.

“Kang Jun, you complacent bastard.”

I rubbed my eyes harder with my wrist. And then I stared blankly at the turned-off laptop.

1. Go O-O is bad.

※Still, sometimes he’s kind to me. Only to me. Sometimes.

※Presumed to be his original personality.

Do you want to think like this even now? However, the desire to escape from the sudden reality of the world often breeds strange thoughts. So, I pressed an imaginary backspace on the data that would be on the turned-off screen.

1. Go O-O sometimes does bad things.

※The observer speculates that he doesn’t know the extent of his pranks. He might not even realize he’s doing bad things.

※It’s because his family background is strange.

“Go Yohan, you poor son of a bitch.”

Leaving the tears still dripping, I looked at the text that was still on my phone. Thinking about it my way, it wasn’t a bad thing. The relationship between the housekeeper and me was that of subordinate and superior, after all. So she made that humble threat, I suppose. Whatever she heard from my parents.

Yes, I was lucky in everything except love. I lightly wiped the tears on my chin with my fingertips, then pressed the keys on my phone.

The first message I sent was a reply to the housekeeper’s text.

「Do you like seafood?」

And then I wiped my nose and typed out a message to my parents.

「I’m doing well, Mom. The housekeeper gave me some side dishes, and they were really delicious. She’s my favorite among all the people who’ve worked at our house. She takes good care of me, so don’t worry too much. Come home safely.」

Send. Send. Send. After pressing it violently three times. I threw my phone near the laptop. The phone screen, which had slid near the laptop, lit up brightly.

「He has a mild allergy to crustaceans. The chairman of that house likes seafood.」

“……”

The brightly lit phone turned off again. And a few seconds later, it turned back on.

「I’m truly sorry.」

I stared blankly at my phone until the screen turned off, then collapsed onto the table. The tears didn’t dry. But I didn’t rub them with my hands. Because I didn’t want Go Yohan to know I cried.

Idiot.

When I woke up, it was 8 PM. Right now, it’s 8 PM. January 30th. 8 PM.

I was an idiot for even thinking about cooking something for Go Yohan. I thought he’d just say something like, ‘I can buy it with my own money. You’re poorer than me,’ no matter what I gave him, since he has more money than me. In the end, I didn’t do anything for him.

“I messed up.”

My throat was parched. It was because I had cried so much. I gently raised my hand and pressed around my eyes. They were swollen. Even amidst that, I was glad I could make the excuse that I had been sleeping.

“Yes, you ruined it.”

I held my breath instantly. A chilling voice pierced the back of my head. Cold sweat ran down my back, even though I hadn’t done anything wrong. I slowly, creakily, turned my body, which had been lying towards the window.

There, Go Yohan was leaning against the bed frame, a cake box on his thigh, staring coldly at the cake. And an odd party hat on Go Yohan’s head. It was a glittering silver-furred party hat.

“What’s with your getup?”

“It’s a party to celebrate my birthday.”

“……”

“Though it’s ruined.”

The straw toy in Go Yohan’s mouth made a strange sound as it extended and retracted. I didn’t know where to put my eyes and awkwardly got up. Poo-woo. Go Yohan blew the straw toy again. The clumsy toy beneath his flamboyant features looked terribly out of place.

I fiddled with my fingers, then raised my hand and grabbed the straw Go Yohan was holding in his mouth. And I pulled it with a little force. Go Yohan’s lips stretched, stuck to the straw, then detached with a light sound.

Thanks to that, Go Yohan’s now free mouth opened arbitrarily.

“Why did you do that?”

I had a reason. But I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth and say it. My voice was too hoarse. But I wanted to ask too. Why was he in that state on my birthday?

“Why did you ruin my fantasy?”

So that was it. I cleared my throat loudly and carefully spoke.

“Sorry.”

“Is ‘sorry’ enough?”

“No, I had a reason.”

“Right, congratulations for having a reason.”

No, this isn’t right. The conversation is going strangely again. I squinted my eyes and assessed the situation. Go Yohan raised one eyebrow and took off the suspicious party hat. I still watched Go Yohan’s actions with narrowed eyes.

Go Yohan met my eyes defiantly, then very naturally placed the party hat on my head. It was so natural that I couldn’t find time to stop him. Only after a few seconds did I hastily grab the hat and pull it down. At the same time, the snapping elastic hit my chin, and I tumbled onto the blanket.

“Ah, ouch.”

“I didn’t put it on you to make you laugh.”

Go Yohan said in a bewildered voice. I didn’t do it to make him laugh either.

Sleep hadn’t quite left my head yet. I was intoxicated by the sensation of large air bubbles filling my empty head instead of a brain. A sky mixed with navy and orange rose above the blanket.

Today was Go Yohan’s birthday, and the weather was beautiful, but my mood was somehow gloomy. So I didn’t react to Go Yohan’s words. I wasn’t the type to react much to begin with.

Should I say it? Or not? Hesitation floated around in the air bubbles. Finally, I chose the answer. Let’s not say it. The reason for the answer lay with Go Yohan. More precisely, it lay with Go Yohan, who was scratching and playing with the elastic band stuck to my chin.

Why should I burden him with my worries? The matter with the housekeeper was a problem I had to bear anyway.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

I just said I was sorry. Go Yohan looked at my expression, made a slightly puzzled face, then stroked the back of my head with his large hand. It was a truly unfitting action.

“A few days ago, I was sound asleep.”

“Yeah.”

“A revelation came down.”

Go Yohan struck a bizarre pose, holding one hand up and lowering one shoulder. I shouldn’t have asked.

“You’ve finally gone crazy.”

“Take bread and bless it, then distribute it to twenty boys, and prepare meat as they desire. Then a rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between me and all living creatures on earth.”

Biblical tone. A tone that could be heard in any church. Words that seemed to be followed by “Lord Jesus Christ” were listed, leaving an unsettling feeling. However, Go Yohan’s face, as he recited the long passage filled with sacred words, was less sacred and more like an infidel committing blasphemy.

His flamboyant face, like a snake, smiled, offering an apple. Go Yohan’s words and actions were always like tempting apples.

“Don’t say things like that. It’s weird.”

“Three days passed while I was trying to interpret whether ‘twenty boys’ meant twenty boys or boys who were twenty years old. It was too difficult. Religion is difficult, after all.”

“Are you being serious right now, or is this a joke?”

“It’s a total lie, you idiot. Did you believe that?”

Pah. A clear breath burst from Go Yohan’s mouth. The cake Go Yohan had brought was now overturned in its box on the bed. It must have been completely crushed. Go Yohan, who had prepared the cake, didn’t seem to care at all if the cake was crushed or not.