Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 28

The fact that I could convey that directly meant that I thought quite highly of Go Yohan. I was surprised even as I said it. I even regretted being so honest. Go Yohan, who heard my true feelings, smiled subtly. It was as if he had been waiting for me to say something like this. Though it might have been my imagination.

“I knew it, somehow.”

That chilling face grew even narrower. His already cold face looked even colder.

“I understand. I hate Han Junwoo, don’t I? It’s like that.”

“You hate Han Junwoo?”

I was truly surprised. It wasn’t a mechanical reaction; I was genuinely shocked and let out a loud sound. Of course, looking at their fight, he would hate him, but this tone sounded as if he had hated him even before the fight. It sounded as if his hatred for Han Junwoo was a given. However, Go Yohan, surprisingly, only smiled with his mouth and replied.

“Wow, look at him pretending not to know. How hypocritical.”

“No, since recently? Or before that?”

Speculation began to creep up. Go Yohan, a devout Catholic. So, is it homosexuality? Does he hate Han Junwoo because he’s acting gay? My heart suddenly dropped to the floor. It felt like a heavy weight was tied to my heart. Uneasy. Scary. Disgusting.

At my words, Go Yohan straightened his back, looked down at me quietly, then clicked his tongue. Tsk. In an atmosphere that felt like a rebuke, I lowered my gaze to the floor once, then carefully looked up at his cold face. Go Yohan seemed to think for a moment, then quickly changed the subject.

“Oh, right, do you know why Han Junwoo can’t come back?”

“Ah, damn it, seriously.”

I slightly raised my fist, threatening Go Yohan. But honestly, I didn’t want to hear the former answer with my own ears. Was it a defense mechanism, or guilt? I might have wanted to avoid that terrible answer.

“What is it?”

Go Yohan lowered his head. He brought his hand even closer to my ear than before and whispered even more thinly.

“Han Junwoo’s family went bankrupt.”

“…What did you say?”

Was I too surprised? I could feel my voice trembling. Of course, I couldn’t help it. I asked uneasily, wondering if this was another one of Go Yohan’s lies, and the guy who dropped the bomb smiled mischievously.

“They’re completely, utterly ruined. Han Junwoo’s father. His company was already faltering, and it seems he even got caught up in an embezzlement crime. He lost management rights, and his only son can’t study worth a damn. He’s young, and lately, strange rumors are circulating, so what power would he have? His uncle, who had been grinding his teeth, took everything. That bastard, he became a beggar in an instant. That guy. He used to look down on Han Taesan, that loser. No, he used to look down on all the kids in class. He’s poorer than those bastards now. And you know what? Only you know this? Han Junwoo’s father. He’ll be arrested soon. He might even appear on TV. This is just between us.”

For a moment, I felt a small stone hit my chest. It was because Go Yohan’s finger, bent at the prominent first joint, tapped my chest like a knock. I stopped walking, turned my neck slightly, and looked directly at his chilling face, which had been barely visible. Go Yohan pulled up one side of his lip and confidently asserted.

“This is really not a lie.”

I had a bad feeling. My intuition was almost never wrong. This was truly not a lie. I took a step back. But Go Yohan, as if easily dropping a bomb, broke that subtle boundary and our silence with remarkable ease.

“Oh, right. Jun-ah. I think I’m crazy.”

“What?”

“I left my homework at school. Damn. I’m screwed.”

“The one due tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah. Fuck, I’m screwed. I’ll go back and get it.”

A fist with appropriate force landed on my chest.

“See you tomorrow. Sorry I can’t go with you.”

Whether my chest broke from the impact of the fist, I don’t know, but just as something damp seemed about to leak from beneath my chest, he pulled away and walked far ahead.