Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 21

I had once heard that if a freshly pulled tooth is soaked in milk, it can be put back in its original place later. The blood-soaked tooth drew a bright line in my head. Park Dongcheol nodded his head shallowly a few times up and down. And then, as he was about to go to the convenience store, he stopped in an awkward posture and asked,

“With my money?”

“Ah, damn…”

I glared at his pathetic face, arguing over a few measly coins. Only then did he look around and start moving with small steps.

“…Uh, I’ll go buy it for now.”

“You’re busy now.”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry. I’m counting on you.”

I wasn’t sorry at all, actually. I watched Park Dongcheol’s retreating back, sighed, and grabbed any nearby object. I needed something to hold onto to relieve the tension.

Han Junwoo must not gain the upper hand. Go Yohan absolutely had to win. That was how I would survive here. I had to crush Han Junwoo down below, as if compacting him, so I could survive in this square jungle. I absolutely had to live in the small triangle at the very top. I trembled with anxiety.

Kim Minho looked back and forth between Han Junwoo and Go Yohan, muttering curses to himself. Most of them were directed at Han Junwoo.

Han Junwoo, who had been writhing on the floor for a moment, holding his side, was now standing, facing Go Yohan. Compared to Go Yohan, whose mouth was stained with reddish-orange and yellowish blood, Han Junwoo’s face was clean, as if he hadn’t been hit. However, Go Yohan seemed to have more composure. It was strange. Or perhaps he was feigning composure. Go Yohan, without properly wiping his mouth, tucked his bangs between the fingers of his left hand and swept them back.

“Hey, Han Junwoo.”

“…”

“You take this.”

Go Yohan was clearly insane.

“Truly crazy bastard…”

He had thrown his own tooth at Han Junwoo. Forty pairs of eyes gathered and dispersed towards the white tooth. Han Junwoo’s gaze, no different from others, landed on Go Yohan’s discarded tooth, and as his face wrinkled in displeasure, Go Yohan instantly raised his foot and kicked Han Junwoo’s knee.

There was a sound like wood hitting wood. As the staggering Han Junwoo widened his stance to regain his balance, Go Yohan, who had the upper hand in position, grabbed a handful of Han Junwoo’s hair and pulled him down. Han Junwoo’s waist bent forward with a faint groan, and Go Yohan hit Han Junwoo’s face squarely with his knee. When Han Junwoo grabbed Go Yohan’s pants buckle, Go Yohan grabbed Han Junwoo’s collar, pulled him down again, and this time hit his nose hard. The area near the knee of Go Yohan’s uniform pants, which had fallen, was stained dark.

“Wow. How despicable. Did you want to win that badly? I didn’t think Han Junwoo was that petty.”

Go Yohan, with his mouth split open and face covered in blood, grinned nastily with an unpleasant expression. And he licked his bleeding lips with his tongue, then casually ran his tongue over his intact teeth. Then he spat blood-clotted saliva onto Han Junwoo’s head and raised his foot to kick Han Junwoo’s right ear. Han Junwoo’s large body swayed from the impact, trying to fly to the opposite side, but his tightly held hair pulled him back.

“I went easy on you because you’re my friend, but you kept climbing all over me, you son of a bitch.”

Go Yohan grabbed Han Junwoo’s head tightly and pressed him down under his body. Han Junwoo, whose body was bent towards the floor, groaned and then suddenly bent his waist even deeper. He had twisted his center of gravity. Go Yohan’s weight shifted forward, making him stumble. Han Junwoo took advantage of the opening and threw his body at Go Yohan’s lower half. It was Han Junwoo’s scheme. And so, Han Junwoo and Go Yohan rolled on the floor.

It was truly the beginning of a dogfight. No matter how strong they were, it was just a fight between high school students. And in the classroom, where only a small murmur had been calm, finally, shouts erupted.

“Hey! Stop Yohan! Hey! Go Yohan! Stop it!”

“Damn it! What are you looking at? Everyone who’s not in our class, get out!”

“Hey! Close the window!”

“Class rep! It’s a disaster! Call the teacher!”

“Kang Jun! This!”

Amidst the commotion, Park Dongcheol squeezed through. I grabbed the milk carton Park Dongcheol handed me, but my eyes remained fixed on the two entangled figures. Han Junwoo, rolling on the floor like I once did. And Go Yohan’s discarded tooth. I tightened my grip on the milk carton. A moment where anxiety and pleasure swirled.

Go Yohan absolutely had to win this fight. For me. For my life. I had lived an excellent life, always sitting in a superior position to others.

I clenched the hand holding the milk carton and took a step.

Between the smelly, bulky figures surrounding them, two lions were entangled. Just like Park Dongcheol, I pushed through the noisy crowd, found a gap hidden by the throng, extended my hand, and pulled hard on the collar I touched. And quickly picked up Go Yohan’s tooth, which was rolling nearby.

I buried myself back in the crowd and put Go Yohan’s tooth into the milk. When I looked up, the match was already decided. Han Junwoo’s body, which had been lying face down, was now lying on his back, exposing his stomach. Han Junwoo was barely gasping for breath. Exposing one’s stomach is a posture of submission and defeat, they say. I looked at Go Yohan.

Someone once said that love missed its timing is nothing but a disaster. Han Junwoo. You were my disaster. So why did I do something that would cause me such torment?

The loud male shouts echoing noisily in the space grew even louder, but to me, they sounded indistinct, like the echo of a valley that had passed five times. Time flowed slowly, and I saw Go Yohan stand up and pick up a nearby chair.

“Go Yohan! Go Yohan! You crazy bastard! Hey! Stop it!”

The moment Kim Minho’s muffled voice clearly rang out, the chair leg, clearly made of iron, fell towards Han Junwoo’s face. Go Yohan was the one holding the chair.