Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 23

“Go Yohan, are you crazy? Are you insane? No, seriously, I always thought you weren’t normal, but I didn’t know you were this crazy.”

“Seokhyun. You have to teach a barking dog its place with a stick.”

At Kim Seokmin’s words, Kim Minho jumped up in his seat.

“Yohan, you son of a bitch— That’s right. That’s right, Seokhyun! A man’s pride, why would you go easy and let a gay bastard get your ass? Damn it, if anyone’s getting penetrated, it’s me!”

Kim Minho, who had been sitting on Han Junwoo’s desk, stomped his foot and laughed at the trivial words. And Kim Seokmin proudly spread his legs wide.

“I wondered who would win if they really fought, but as expected, Go Yohan won.”

“Hey. Of course! You idiot! Who is Yohan! This guy was awesome even in first grade!”

Kim Minho shrieked and playfully raised his fist. Kim Seokmin got up and caught Kim Minho’s fist with his palm. Their playful sparring began like this. And next to Kim Seokmin, Park Dongcheol sat awkwardly.

“Yohan is really amazing.”

But no one answered his words. It was because Park Dongcheol’s words were merely a repetition of what he had said a moment ago, and even Kim Seokmin, who usually paid him some attention, was busy playing with Kim Minho. Park Dongcheol subtly rubbed his nose with his thumb and smiled awkwardly. He knew well that no one was interested in him. Still, it was better than being alone.

Look, teacher. This is the pyramid of pathetic boys.

I rested my chin on the back of my hand, then pulled out two one-thousand-won bills that had been tucked away in my front pocket. Then I acted as if I had just realized something.

“Oh, right. Dongcheol. I haven’t given you the money yet, have I? For the milk.”

When I offered words of sympathy, at that moment, Park Dongcheol’s eyes would fill with hope, and he would flash a cheap smile. I, as if giving alms, carefully handed the four-folded bills to Park Dongcheol.

“Here.”

“Oh, uh. Thank you.”

Idiot. What is there to be grateful for? What the hell? But I cast a vote of sympathy for this idiot. This ‘thank you’ made me happy. Because Park Dongcheol himself admitted with his own words that I was above him. And Kim Minho and Kim Seokmin, who hadn’t even been paying attention to Park Dongcheol’s words, stopped their playful struggle and asked,

“Milk? What milk?”

“Jun put my tooth in milk for me. If I hadn’t had that, I would’ve had implants for life.”

Go Yohan bared his teeth and tapped the area above his canine with his finger. Kim Minho asked again.

“Why milk? Is there something about milk?”

“Isn’t this bastard an idiot? Haven’t you been taught to put a lost tooth in milk?”

“Oh, is that right? Hey. Kang Jun, this bastard is really smart.”

Kim Minho shook my shoulder. Seeing that, Go Yohan grinned and hit Kim Minho and Kim Seokmin’s backs with his right hand.

“You useless bastards. Be someone useful in my life, like Jun.”

I subtly smiled watching Go Yohan’s actions, then turned my head. Park Dongcheol was isolated again. But Park Dongcheol was smiling. And behind Park Dongcheol, I saw Choi Donghwan and Hong Hwijun looking at us as if we were noisy. Watching them, I, too, laughed louder than anyone, just like Park Dongcheol.

Indeed, I was not wrong.

On the day of the fight between Go Yohan and Han Junwoo, I was the first witness chosen. When I was first called, I was a little flustered. I wondered why I, of all people, was called, but I soon understood. The homeroom teacher had been unusually fond of me for some time, and I was close to both Han Junwoo and Go Yohan.

However, my testimony was honest in a way that only favored one side.

“Junwoo started picking a fight with Yohan. He also hit him first.”

“Really? You’re not just taking his side because you’re close with Yohan, are you?”

The suspicious and accusatory tone was quite irritating, but my expression wasn’t very good even before I faced the teacher. The teacher probably didn’t think anything strange of it.

“Yes. Really. He suddenly said something about a textbook, and then out of nowhere, he punched Yohan. Yohan just hit back because he was hit.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

The teacher ran a finger along the hair behind her ear.

“But you know Junwoo was much more injured than expected, right?”

“Is that so.”

“When the ambulance came, Yohan walked on his own, but Junwoo was carried out. Junwoo even went to the emergency room. His nose bone was broken, and his facial skin was torn. The difference is too great.”

“But it’s true that Junwoo hit first, and Yohan even lost a tooth.”

I might add, at this time, I didn’t even know that Han Junwoo had lost two teeth.

Thinking about it now, Go Yohan, who diligently collected the teeth amidst that chaos and hid the one that could have been saved just to torment Han Junwoo, feels disgusting. Perhaps Go Yohan is a more formidable person than Han Junwoo. At least mentally.

“Hitting is hitting, but wasn’t Yohan a bit too rough? How could he do that to a child’s face?”

“……That’s true.”

“Perhaps, several of you hit Junwoo… That’s not the case, is it?”

I flinched for a moment, then gave a firm answer.

“No. Only Go Yohan and Han Junwoo fought. The other kids all tried to stop them.”

“Hmm…”

The teacher now began to scratch near her ear. The thin hairs subtly rising on her apricot-colored skin went up and down. With her other hand, she regularly clicked the button of a ballpoint pen. The teacher, lost in thought, slowly moistened her lips with her tongue and called my name.

“Jun.”

“Yes.”

“Jun has always acted trustworthy. And he’s helped me a lot. So, I really trust Jun. I really like Jun. I’m on Jun’s side.”

“Yes.”

I repeated the words.

“……That’s what I saw.”

It’s an excuse.

It’s definitely an act of creating a loophole. ‘That was just my opinion.’ It’s a very one-dimensional escape route, but for brazenness, there’s no better escape route. And the teacher is funny too. What good does it do to call a few students who are close to Go Yohan and talk to them? If you look closely, the teacher subtly seemed to be taking Go Yohan’s side.

Well, it was clear that the truth wouldn’t be revealed as it was anyway. There was no CCTV.

And just as I thought, Go Yohan received no disciplinary action. Of course, I was confident that would be the case. I was only surprised by how obvious it was.

My certainty that he wouldn’t be disciplined wasn’t just due to the school’s sloppy handling; my own judgment, having watched Han Junwoo for a year, also played a part. I could roughly guess how Han Junwoo’s decision would end.

I knew that Han Junwoo would never, ever say anything that would crack his arrogant pride, such as losing a tooth, getting beaten to death by a classmate, or ultimately losing. Only Han Junwoo’s father would have felt frustrated and pestered the school.

“……But it’s strange.”

Around this point, my thoughts and reality diverged slightly.

For several days, I looked at the interior of the ordinary classroom where nothing had happened. Go Yohan’s face showed not a speck of worry or concern. He was just bouncing a rubber ball, which he’d acquired from who knows where, and playing boisterously. All the while, his face proudly displayed his glorious wounds.

“How can he be like that?”

In my opinion, Go Yohan should be bowing his head to Han Junwoo’s father with his parents by now. After all, the premise ‘Go Yohan hit Han Junwoo’ was certainly true. Go Yohan, who had produced a result displeasing to Han Junwoo’s father, should have naturally apologized. Not a sincere apology to the injured Han Junwoo, but merely the apology the angry father wanted to receive.

“……”

I thought I should chime in and lighten his mood if Go Yohan complained after completing the unpleasant pilgrimage of apologies. I also thought that was my part. However, Go Yohan didn’t visit Han Junwoo’s father, nor did Han Junwoo’s father come to the school. This piqued my curiosity.

I have a nature that tries to dig into any suspicious situation that I can’t predict, and then choose between seizing or excluding the resulting outcome. So, the method I thought of was very simple. It was a ridiculous and childish scheme, like a child’s trick.

“Hey. Go Yohan…”

“Lee Seokhyun!”

Just as I, who had devised a trivial plan, finally spoke, Go Yohan had already thrown the rubber ball on the floor and was eating snacks he’d gotten from who knows where, calling out to Lee Seokhyun. My eyebrows furrowed automatically. Bad timing. Damn it.

“But did someone just call me?”

Oh, I was about to fall back into thought when I suddenly listened to the words calling for me. Did my voice even get heard amidst that commotion? I quickly raised my hand.

“Me, I did.”

“……What? Why did you call?”

Before answering, I slightly narrowed my eyes, stretching them sideways. It was an expression of displeasure.

“If you called, you should say something.”

As Go Yohan rolled his tongue, making a clear sound, he crooked his finger. That action was strangely irritating, so I furrowed my brow again. Of course, I was half-joking, and Go Yohan was the kind of guy who could take a joke as a joke, so it didn’t matter much.

“You said you were bored after school, right?”

“Yeah. Totally.”

“Are you free tomorrow? I don’t have an academy then.”

Let’s live by calculating my moves so I don’t lose anything. First, let’s create an opportunity. I smiled proudly. After hearing my suggestion, Go Yohan pointed at me. And what he said was truly a sight to behold.

“You’re not suggesting we hang out, are you?”

“Huh? Uh.”

“You and me? Doing what?”

What’s with this reaction? My face stiffened at his strangely unenthusiastic response.

“Well… just walk around or something.”

“What for?”

“What for? Like we usually do.”

“What? Usually? Have you and I ever hung out outside separately?”

His teasing tone irritated me, and I frowned. Right, we’d never made time to hang out just the two of us, so “usually” was a mistake. Is he being sarcastic now, seriously? Damn it. My face instantly flushed with heat. Damn it, how can he humiliate someone like this?

“If you don’t want to, then don’t.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”

You didn’t say it, but you were sneering.

I bit my tongue, holding back what I wanted to say. What is this guy? I was about to continue speaking, then suddenly realized and sealed my lips.

Ah, right, this guy was always like this.