Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 44

Haha. White steam came from Go Yohan’s laughing mouth. Go Yohan, who had just come out of the house, was lightly dressed. Go Yohan was wearing a thin t-shirt. Go Yohan’s broad, lean shoulders showed through the fabric. How much that straight line squeezed my desire. I pulled up the collar of my coat to hide my flushed face.

“Are you cold?”

But Go Yohan seemed to have misunderstood. Still, I was grateful he understood it this way. Because I didn’t have to make excuses. I just nodded, embarrassed that my voice might crack again. Go Yohan saw my nod and walked quickly to press the code on the front door.

Go Yohan’s shoulder blades showed through his thin t-shirt. And the shape of his broad back, subtly revealed.

A t-shirt and cloth pants. Even if I was cold, Go Yohan would be colder. White steam billowed from Go Yohan with every breath.

I looked at that steam and squeezed my eyes shut. I’m truly hopeless. You idiot.

As soon as the front door opened, Go Yohan grabbed my arm, which had been lingering behind him, and pulled me. My heart almost burst. Go Yohan pulled me so urgently that I didn’t even have time to look around the interior.

“Hey, wait…!”

All I felt was Go Yohan’s hand on my arm, my pounding heart, my mind a blank, and the scent of soap from Go Yohan.

Go Yohan’s room was on the second floor, like mine. Unlike my room, which was furnished with wooden furniture, Go Yohan’s room was filled with metal furniture. It was a cold and cool room. Near the entrance to the room, there was a crucified Jesus. It was so large and conspicuous that I thought he must see it every day.

I stared at the cross for a long time before averting my gaze. It felt as if the crucified Jesus was staring back at me.

“…”

It was Go Yohan’s hand that helped me. A large hand suddenly appeared before my eyes. I subtly placed my phone on Go Yohan’s outstretched hand. As if it was what he wanted, Go Yohan opened another door attached to the room. A quick glance showed it seemed to be a bedroom. Go Yohan took out a charger from beside his bed.

“You can just throw your bag anywhere in my room’s living room, and, uh, just hang your coat on the sofa.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Go Yohan grinned and lightly tapped my arm. I lightly rubbed the spot where he had touched with my hand. Go Yohan put his hands in his pants pockets and left the room. When I stayed still, Go Yohan turned back and asked,

“Stay here for a bit, don’t come out.”

“Why?”

“Uh…”

His light-colored eyes rolled around, as if thinking. Then he looked at the empty space to his left and continued,

“I have to get permission from my parents that you’re here.”

“Oh, are your parents home now?”

“Yes. My mother.”

“Then I should at least say hello…”

“No.”

A firm voice cut me off. For a moment, I felt like a huge wall was pressing down on me. It was a truly peculiar feeling.

“Don’t come out until I tell you to.”

“Do your parents not like friends coming over?”

“Uh, kind of.”

“Oh, okay.”

It was embarrassingly firm. I felt unnecessarily self-conscious and nodded carefully. If he didn’t like it, he should have just said so first. Why did he need to be so firm? I blamed Go Yohan for my embarrassment.

“Alright, I’ll wait in the room until you come.”

I bowed my head and sat on the nearest metal chair. And as I stretched out my legs, pretending to pass the time, Go Yohan stared at me quietly, then slowly closed the door and left. I looked at the closed door and grumbled.

“He’s making me unnecessarily awkward.”

Since I came in because I needed to, I had nothing to say. It was all the poor ‘B’ party’s fault. While waiting for Go Yohan, I looked around the space, which seemed at least twice as large as my room. My room also had a dressing room and a bathroom, but… it didn’t have a living room attached like Go Yohan’s. As I recalled, Han Junwoo’s room wasn’t this big either.

‘Our house is richer than yours.’

“That’s… true.”

He doesn’t look like it, but he’s super well-off. His face looks full of deprivation, though. Like someone who grew up lacking something. I came up with ridiculous reasons and got up to explore every corner of the room. There was no door connecting the room and the living room. It was just an archway. Through it, I could vaguely see the bed. I approached it with a somewhat satisfied feeling. The bed was about the same size as me. As I stepped forward, the door Go Yohan had closed suddenly opened.

Go Yohan, who had opened the door and entered, stared intently at me and asked,

“What are you doing? Snooping in someone else’s room.”

“Oh, no, I was just bored.”

“Come out.”

“Did you get permission?”

“Yeah, you said you were hungry, right? Let’s eat first.”

“Is that okay?”

“Consider yourself lucky. Today’s lunch is braised short ribs.”

“It’s f***ing delicious,” Go Yohan whispered softly.

Go Yohan waited for me with the door open. As I awkwardly walked past him, Go Yohan, who had already closed the door, strode ahead of me with his long legs. His posture descending the stairs was familiar. Strange. It should be natural for it to be familiar since it’s his house, but what is this feeling? It felt like I was seeing another side of Go Yohan.

I suddenly remembered something someone was chattering about in the classroom once. “Isn’t it kind of cool when your friend skillfully punches in the code to their house?” “Cool? What cool? This guy’s talking nonsense.” “No, it’s true. When I asked where to throw out the trash, he just took it and threw it in the bin without a word, and it was kind of chic.” You know, like seeing a master who has mastered something.

At the time, I thought it was idiotic nonsense. But now I sort of get it. I could feel that subtle emotion. Is this what it feels like? I secretly pressed my palm against my chest, hidden from Go Yohan.

Go Yohan led me to the dining room and pulled out a chair at the dining table.

“Sit here for a bit.”

“Oh, okay.”

I awkwardly moved my creaking body and sat on the chair. But Go Yohan, whom I naturally expected to sit across from me, casually headed towards the inner part of the kitchen. Was he going to ask the housekeeper? I waited, thinking he’d be back soon, but he was taking longer than expected.

Waiting alone, I got bored and got up. I vaguely looked around and moved towards the inner part of the kitchen where Go Yohan had gone. And there, I saw something truly shocking.

“Oh…”

I wondered what Go Yohan was doing in the kitchen, and he was taking out dishes from the cupboard. The braised short ribs were already in a transparent dish, steaming.

At first, I just watched what he was doing, but the moment I realized, it came as a shock. He dished that out himself? That Go Yohan?

I quietly watched his actions, and he even took outside dishes from the refrigerator and put them in individual bowls.

…Go Yohan dishing out rice himself.

The gap between his familiar actions, as if he had always done this, and the unpredictable, arrogant attitude I had seen at school, flustered me. Go Yohan’s finger joints, reddened at the tips from the cold tap water, caught my eye. The water droplets, not properly wiped off, reflected the light and made Go Yohan’s hands look even redder. I felt terribly awkward.

In the end, I couldn’t overcome that peculiar situation. So I lingered near the kitchen and asked,

“Can I help?”

Go Yohan suddenly looked up. Only then did he seem to realize I was in the kitchen, and Go Yohan’s slender eyes widened slightly. And from that expression, I felt a subtle sense of guilt. Go Yohan’s pale face flushed red. As if he was embarrassed.

“No. Just go.”

Why that face? It makes it seem like I did something wrong.

“Oh? Uh, uh-huh.”

I almost said ‘Sorry’ but bit my lip. What do I have to be sorry for? I didn’t do anything wrong. Unable to say anything, I turned around and left the kitchen. For some reason, the dining chair I had just sat on looked crooked. It hadn’t bothered me at all just a moment ago. Unlike the other chairs neatly placed around the rectangular table, it stuck out awkwardly.

“…”

I glanced towards the kitchen. The clattering sound still came from the kitchen. That sound urged me to sit down quickly. Should I sit? Do I not need to go in and stay with him? I’d never experienced a situation like this, so I didn’t know. Finally, I hesitated and sat on the awkwardly protruding chair. I sat on the chair, listening to the clinking of dishes, and waited for Go Yohan.

Go Yohan’s flushed face was still vivid in my mind. He had only dished out food, so what was Go Yohan embarrassed about? The guilt I felt from seeing his face still hadn’t faded. I looked around and saw a glass cup and a bottle placed in the center of the table.

“Should I do something, anything…?”

I wanted to do something. Should I pour some water? I quickly got up and grabbed the water bottle and two cups. I poured the transparent cups half full of water and placed one at my seat and one at the seat across from me. The reason I only poured half was because Go Yohan might not drink it.

As I placed the water cups on the table and sat back down, Go Yohan came out of the kitchen. He was holding a tray full of small dishes. Go Yohan placed the tray on the dining table. Go Yohan, who lightly smiled while stroking his chin with his free hand, said,

“Anyway, I was just going to set up something simple for you, so I just prepared it quickly by myself.”

“Okay.”

Strangely, it sounded like Go Yohan was making an excuse. At least, that’s how it sounded to me. I pretended not to notice his excuse and accepted it. I slightly got up and moved the small dishes from the tray to the table.

“I’ll move the small ones, so if you have anything else to do, go ahead.”

I said that and then subtly glanced at Go Yohan. Go Yohan stuck out his lower lip and then quickly turned around. And immediately, he brought the rice bowl and the braised short ribs dish. I pushed the dishes around to make space for the braised short ribs, and Go Yohan subtly placed it there.

“Thank you.”

This time, I looked directly at Go Yohan and spoke. I sat back down on the awkwardly protruding chair. As I sat down, my hungry stomach finally started to growl.

“I’ll eat well.”

When I said my greetings, Go Yohan, who had been standing idly watching me, let out a hollow laugh.

What? I looked at his attitude strangely and instinctively reached for the table, but there was nothing there. Huh. I aimlessly fumbled on the table. Go Yohan was now looking at me as if I were something curious. His gaze bothered me, so I frowned and asked,

“Why?”

“Are you going to eat with your hands?”

Only then did I remember what I had been aimlessly looking for. Ah. Utensils.

“Wait. I’ll get them.”

So that’s why Go Yohan hadn’t sat down. My bewilderment melted away, leaving only embarrassment. I unnecessarily let out a small cough. A loud laugh came from the kitchen. Now my face was hot. Soon after, Go Yohan approached, holding a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other, waving them. His attitude seemed to be teasing me, so I pouted.

“Stop it, don’t laugh at me.”

“Wow. I never dreamed our Jun was Indian.”

“Oh, seriously.”

The utensils were placed next to my rice bowl. I deliberately made a loud sound as I picked up the chopsticks.

“I poured your water.”

“Oh? You did?”

Go Yohan turned his head to look at the seat across from me. I looked at Go Yohan, then shifted my gaze to my rice bowl. White rice was steaming. His skill in dishing out the rice was surprisingly neat, unlike Go Yohan. As I picked up a suitable amount of rice and was about to put it in my mouth, I heard the sound of a chair moving.

It wasn’t the chair across from me. The presence was close by. I lifted my head while putting rice in my mouth. Looking to my side, I saw Go Yohan sitting on the chair, watching me eat. He was holding the cup I had poured. Did he deliberately pick up the cup I had placed across from me and move it next to me?

His attitude felt strangely cute. When I laughed without even chewing my rice, Go Yohan scolded me.

“Chew and laugh. Chew.”

“Yeah, I got it.”