Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 30

She left the classroom after giving me the shameless request to take her book to the faculty office desk. Damn it. As I slowly got up and headed to the teacher’s desk, Kim Minho spoke as I passed by.

“Anyway, he’s so nice, he gets treated like a total pushover by the teachers.”

“Shut up.”

I subtly glared at Kim Minho and warned him.

I was on my way back after going to the faculty office with that request, which I couldn’t and wouldn’t rebel against. Just then, I needed to go to the restroom.

The restroom next to the faculty office was not actually for staff. The staff restroom was next to the administrative office, but its location on the first floor made it inconvenient for second-year teachers. The second-year classrooms were on the top floor, the fourth. So, the second-year teachers used the restroom in the corridor connecting the west and east wings, which was closest to the faculty office, as if it were a staff restroom. For the same reason, almost no students used the restroom near the faculty office. Using the ‘restroom next to the faculty office’ was a privilege that exemplary students who had run errands for teachers could enjoy.

Therefore, it was only natural that I preferred to use this place. I secretly confess. In fact, even now, I feel a little awkward going to the men’s restroom. Ever since puberty when I could feel sexual shame myself.

It was the moment I was about to open the door.

“Shut up.”

I immediately stopped walking and held my breath. Familiar voices were coming from beyond the door.

“Did you see that bastard acting all cool and arrogant like this? He’s a fucking tiny little prick.”

“Crazy, you just imitated Kang Jun, didn’t you? Exactly the same.”

“That Kang Jun bastard. His actions are the epitome of cunning. He stuck to Han Junwoo in first year, and then when Han Junwoo was pushed aside by Yohan, he subtly latched onto Yohan. Isn’t he a total bat? And then he acts all high and mighty, it makes me so embarrassed. Fucking hell. Honestly, what’s there to like about that bastard? He looks scrawny and acts all cocky because he has connections, doesn’t he?”

“Eh. That’s a bit much. Honestly, isn’t Kang Jun the best-looking guy in our school? And he has a lot of money and studies well. That’s why Han Junwoo protected him so much.”

“Did he protect him? He used him because he was useful. Everyone who hung out with Han Junwoo knows it. That Kang Jun was Han Junwoo’s errand boy.”

“But Yohan seems to like Kang Jun.”

“Stop interrupting and just shut your mouth. Damn it. Whose friend are you?”

“Of course, Minho is my friend. Honestly, Kang Jun is just someone who joined us in the middle of our fun. Happy now? Hey, what’s wrong. Hey. Are you sulking? Are you sulking?”

These were the voices that had been happily chattering with me at the back of the classroom just an hour ago.

“Anyway, I really don’t like that bastard. Opportunistic jerk.”

“Opportunistic? You can use difficult words too?”

“Ah, fucking hell! Lee Seokhyun! Stop cutting me off and focus on what I’m saying!”

“So, you don’t like Kang Jun, what are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do?”

“Actually, wasn’t it more fun when it was just us? Yohan, me, you, and Kim Seokmin. But then Kang Jun and that pathetic bastard Park Dongcheol suddenly joined. What the hell is this?”

“Still, Park Dongcheol is close to Seokmin. Give him a break for Seokmin’s sake.”

I heard Kim Minho groan from beyond the door. He seemed to hesitate a bit, but then a loud retort burst out in a rough voice.

“Ah, no! That bastard has no tact. No tact at all. How much Seokmin is annoyed by Park Dongcheol. He keeps milking that they were close in middle school, you know? Seokmin told me yesterday that Park Dongcheol kept following him around and it was annoying. Why does Park Dongcheol suddenly join us when he has his own friends to hang out with…”

“True, Choi Donghwan and Hong Hwijun were completely abandoned. No loyalty at all.”

“Exactly! It’s so obvious why they want to be close with us, it’s disgusting.”

“Park Dongcheol is really annoying. He’s not fun, and there’s nothing to gain from taking him around. I wish he’d just leave us alone, but yesterday when he said he’d follow us to the PC bang, it was so creepy. Can’t he see we want to hang out just among ourselves?”

“I told you. He has no tact at all. I actually think Kang Jun should also just leave us alone. Yohan is nice, that’s why he accepts Kang Jun. Park Dongcheol has no tact, so that’s one thing, but that bastard definitely figured it out and still sticks around. Isn’t that creepy?”

Kim Minho seemed to move, and loud footsteps echoed inside the restroom and came out.

“Hey. Aren’t you washing your hands?”

“Didn’t get anything on them, bastard.”

“Ugh. Dirty bastard.”

“Anyway, I’m going to wash my hands after a smoke, so why wash them twice? It’s annoying. That’s worse for your health. On that note, smoke breaks?”

“Deal. Incinerator.”

“Hey. Wait. Aren’t you washing yours either?”

“I’ll wash them later too. Too lazy.”

“Oh, you’re loyal, you bastard.”

When the two voices approached the door, I had already hidden behind the opposite door. Two sets of footsteps busily descended the stairs. I stepped out the door, then casually entered the restroom to take care of my business, thinking.

“So, Kim Minho and Lee Seokhyun. The bastards who hate me.”

I wasn’t scared, nor worried. The hierarchy battle from March to May that men usually experience. Even if one or two drop out from the wide and sturdy lower floor, nothing much happens. But the upper floor is different. With Han Junwoo’s position, which clearly existed on the upper floor, becoming vacant, the hierarchy battle in the shaken pyramid had begun again, and I had only confirmed that fact. And I confirmed something else.

Washing my hands at the sink, I looked at the mirror in front of me.

‘Did he protect him? He used him because he was useful. Everyone who hung out with Han Junwoo knows it. That Kang Jun was Han Junwoo’s errand boy.’

Fucking hell.

I left the restroom and immediately returned to the classroom. As always, I took out my textbook for the next class. A sharp corner brushed my palm. Ouch. I looked at my palm at the sudden sting. There was a nail-shaped scratch on my palm, and the skin between it was red. I clenched and unclenched my hand once. Then I sat down.

Just before class started, Kim Minho and Lee Seokhyun came in, reeking of cigarettes. Kim Minho, rummaging through his locker at the back of the classroom, turned around and suddenly asked me.

“Kang Jun, Kang Jun. What’s the next class?”

“Next? Social Studies and Culture.”

“Fuck, I’m gonna fall asleep again. Ah, when do we have art? Art is seriously the best.”

“Art is on Wednesday. But they said it’s self-study then.”

“Really? For real? Oh, shit, that’s awesome.”

Oh. Good. I nodded. And so, the fourth period began.

The thin voice of Social Studies and Culture sank into my thoughts. I stroked my chin with my fingers. Then I looked up at the more than thirty backs of heads. What rank would I be in among these heads? In this square, sometimes that clumsy number was more important than school grades.

Now, the first rank was undoubtedly Go Yohan. Before, Han Junwoo and Go Yohan were called a two-headed monster, but in fact, Han Junwoo implicitly held a higher position than Go Yohan. The dark-skinned Han Junwoo was the epitome of the so-called popular guy that men admired, and the somewhat strange Go Yohan was unpredictable and subtly had a bookish side.

I had never even been in that ranking. Kim Minho’s words were not wrong. The most important things were power, money, and an undeniable aura.

It was always like that. Those with only power were implicitly treated as useless trash with no future, those with only money became public wallets, and those with only a decent face were treated as mere facades. Sometimes, as I had experienced, they were even disparaged as having an arrogant face.

To judge coldly, the resources I possessed were a high average, not an unparalleled ability. The only reason I could climb to that position was purely thanks to my quick wit and Han Junwoo. Han Junwoo’s close friend. Sometimes that one label was more useful than any ability.

But Han Junwoo fell. And along with him, Hong Hwijun, Choi Donghwan, and Park Dongcheol’s positions plummeted. And Kim Minho made it clear today that I couldn’t escape that evaluation either. Nevertheless, I didn’t hit rock bottom like those three, nor was I looked down upon. The reason was the same as before. Because I was close with Go Yohan.

I turned my head to look at Go Yohan, who was sitting next to me. This guy had started sitting next to me at some point, and now he was practically settled there as if it were his designated seat. He looked like he was concentrating on class, which was unlike him, but if I looked closely, he was occasionally blinking slowly, as if sleepy. Seeing Go Yohan like that, the corners of my mouth gradually turned up. I rested my chin on my hand. I tapped my cheek with my finger.

Yes, the most certain method is the most classic one. Like Kim Minho, who raises his voice in the back of the classroom to mark his territory.

I turned my head to look forward.

“Ah, shit…”

Annoyingly, Han Taesan turned his head and looked at me. He couldn’t have made it more obvious. As soon as his large eyes met mine, he pretended to look at his watch. What a joke. I saw the back of his neck, thickly covered by long hair. There was a bluish bruise between his uniform collar and his hair.

As soon as I saw the traces of violence, I felt a surge of displeasure and violently flipped through my textbook. I relieved my stress with the sound of the paper tearing as I turned the pages. Good. I focused on the class again. The thin voice of Social Studies and Culture echoed louder and louder in my ears.

If there was one thing that hadn’t changed since the incident, it was lunchtime. Five minutes before class ended, Kim Minho threw a crumpled note to Go Yohan. The note flew and landed on me. How lucky. Why did I have to read it first?

I casually unfolded the note.

<Yohan, Yohan, as soon as class ends, straight to the cafeteria, okay?>

If it had been before the third period, the content would have seemed normal, but now it looked quite unpleasant.

“…”

I handed the note to Go Yohan without crumpling it. Go Yohan read the paper and, as if uninterested, threw it on the floor. A clear refusal. But Kim Minho, unwilling to give up, finally grabbed the door just before leaving the classroom and shouted.

“Go Yohan! Let’s go! Run!”

The only thing Go Yohan gave Kim Minho in return was a middle finger.

“You run. You pig bastard.”

Kim Minho, momentarily speechless at Go Yohan’s reply, soon cursed and then, as if in a hurry, ran towards the cafeteria. Park Dongcheol frantically followed behind him.

“Hey! Let’s go together! Ah, damn it. These bastards said they’d wait but they didn’t…”

And so, Go Yohan and I continued to eat together. There must have been similar days before today. If Go Yohan had followed Kim Minho, I would probably have eaten alone. Or I might have become like Park Dongcheol, frantically and ungracefully trailing behind after class, or perhaps secretly chewing on bread in some corner. More than anything, that was the most annoying part. I had no idea I was heading for rock bottom without even knowing it.

Even after arriving at the cafeteria, I was so proud of Go Yohan for not abandoning me that I placed a large rolled omelet on his tray.

“…?”

Go Yohan, who was drinking water, spoke with his eyes. His gaze dropped to the omelet once, then rose to me. I also spoke with my eyes. It was a bribe for him to take my side. I stretched my lips into a long smile. As if he understood something, he lowered his head to meet my gaze and mimicked my smile.

He carelessly put down his cup and didn’t even clean up, knowing full well that water was spilling all over the table. It was intentional. Go Yohan always acted as if he wanted to annoy someone. The spilled water soaked the floor.

I waited for the right moment. Because I had come up with a very good idea. It was an idea I could only have because I was always observing the more than thirty backs of heads. I was smarter than most eighteen-year-olds. Or at least smarter than Kim Minho.

I waited for Kim Minho to voluntarily set a trap and walk into it himself.

For 24 days, Kim Minho was noisy every time, and occasionally subtly provoked Han Taesan. Han Taesan, surprisingly, just kept his head down, neither crying, nor getting angry, nor refusing to come to school. He just didn’t speak. And for 24 days, I gave Go Yohan the tastiest side dish. On the second day, Go Yohan seemed to be thinking something, but after about two weeks, he just smiled sheepishly and ate it.

And I moved on the 25th day. That day was the day after I coincidentally met Ahn Jisoo near the cram school in the evening. Kim Minho was as noisy as ever, subtly bothering Han Taesan just enough not to get caught. Han Taesan, just like he had done before, put his arms on the desk and buried his face in them.

The other students in the class half-turned their bodies, looking back and forth between Han Taesan and Kim Minho. Ahn Jisoo was among them, and when our eyes met, Ahn Jisoo let out a loud sigh, as if to make sure everyone heard. She was giving me a signal. It was annoying, but it was a sign that the time had finally come. Then, I spoke.

“Minho. Let’s stop now.”

I felt thirty-six pairs of eyes turn towards me. Squeak – the sound of a desk being pushed, and an unpleasant gaze. It must be Han Taesan. Disgust rose to my throat.

“Huh? Who just said that to me? Was that Kang Jun? Wow. So dignified. And serious? Hey. Did you see Kang Jun giving me a lecture? Oh. So scary.”

“I’m not joking.”