Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 45

I put a side dish in my mouth, chewed, and replied. After swallowing the chewed food, I gave my honest impression.

“…It’s delicious.”

“Of course. Our housekeeper cooks really well.”

“She seems quite young. Her skills are amazing.”

“Young? She’s in her late 50s.”

“Really? Her voice sounded young when I heard it.”

Go Yohan frowned one eyebrow and drank water. It was as if a large question mark was inside his eyes. Go Yohan, who seemed to have finished his thoughts, put down the cup and asked,

“Where did you hear the housekeeper’s voice?”

“When I pressed the intercom earlier. The person who answered.”

I subtly gestured towards the entrance and continued,

“Wasn’t it the housekeeper?”

However, Go Yohan, on the contrary, frowned. He shook his head, holding the water cup in one hand.

“No.”

“Then who was it?”

“Someone.”

Go Yohan put the cup to his mouth again. But he didn’t drink, and mumbled softly.

“That brat.”

It was a softly mumbled word, but because he spoke into the cup, it was loud enough for anyone to hear.

That brat?

I wanted to ask more about the person who had suddenly appeared. But the look in Go Yohan’s eyes when he uttered that nickname wasn’t good. It’s better not to interfere in this kind of atmosphere. I decided it was better not to ask and closed my mouth.

Go Yohan placed the water cup on the dining table. The lacquered table softly swallowed the sound of the glass cup. The hand that had put down the water crossed his arms and rested on the edge of the table. He slightly turned his body, leaning on the table, and looked at me.

“So what are you going to do after you finish eating?”

I didn’t answer. My mouth was full of food. I just chewed, maintaining eye contact with Go Yohan. Go Yohan nodded shallowly and quietly watched me chew.

“…”

Why is he staring like that? I subtly lowered my gaze. It was quite a burden. Only after swallowing the chewed food could I speak. Still avoiding eye contact.

“Once it’s charged, I’m going to ask my parents right away.”

“You said they’re overseas right now?”

“They wouldn’t have taken the key with them. There must be someone they left it with.”

“Oh.”

Go Yohan put a finger to his chin and nodded.

“But how did a meticulous guy like you forget your key?”

I crammed rice into my mouth and glared at Go Yohan. It’s because of you. You. It’s annoying how he acts innocent after messing with my head. What on earth is he thinking with that gloomy face?

Honestly, I really want to ask.

Were you the one who saw Han Junwoo and me fighting in the early morning? But why didn’t you say anything? If it’s revealed that I also like men, will you abandon me like Han Junwoo did? Am I really your friend? Aren’t you also just seeing me as a useful lackey, like Han Junwoo did?

If I didn’t force food into my mouth, I would have been so frustrated that I’d pry into every single detail. But knowing I couldn’t ask these questions, I just shoved side dishes into my mouth without chewing.

“Why are you glaring like that?”

“…”

“Eat slowly. You’ll choke.”

Go Yohan wiggled his eyebrows. I had definitely eaten a lot, and my throat felt blocked. I felt a tight, constricting sensation below my collarbone. My stomach hurt from the stabbing feeling, as if my breath was being squeezed, and I pounded my chest with my fist. At that, Go Yohan suddenly half-rose, lifted the cup he was drinking from, and brought it close to my mouth. I was slightly flustered by the cold sensation of the cup touching my lips. This isn’t even my cup… Isn’t he overdoing it a bit?

“Hey. I told you you’d choke.”

And with his other hand, he lightly patted my back. After gulping down the water that was forcibly pushed into my mouth, I subtly leaned back and avoided Go Yohan’s hand. Go Yohan’s kindness was better than Han Junwoo’s victim mentality, but sometimes it made me fear the consequences.

Kindness can be poisonous. At least for me.

Go Yohan’s hand, which had been patting my back, waved in the air. It was because I had twisted my body to avoid it. At that, Go Yohan’s eyebrow twitched again.

“Why?”

However, Go Yohan stopped mid-sentence. Strangely, his cool gaze shifted, moving behind me. I instinctively turned my head.

“……”

There stood a girl who looked to be around middle school age. Long, slender eyes with thin double eyelids. A cold face. White skin. And an overbearing expression. Go Yohan’s words from some time ago came to mind.

‘No. I’m the second. The second of three siblings. An older brother above, a younger sister below.’

It seemed Go Yohan’s father possessed incredibly strong genes. The girl cast a gaze filled with contempt. The end of that gaze was on me and Go Yohan. I turned my head back to look at Go Yohan’s face. His expression was truly shocking.

The arrogant Go Yohan had his head slightly bowed, looking at the floor.

Was it just my imagination? For some reason, his face looked a little forlorn. Why would he make such an expression? Even I, watching his pitiful face, felt depressed. I just hated it. Why was Go Yohan making this face? I couldn’t understand it, couldn’t accept it. Behind us, I felt a presence that simply passed by Go Yohan without any reaction.

Go Yohan was being ignored. And by a girl who looked like his younger sister.

A heavy silence fell. Unconsciously, I clenched and unclenched my fists. Then I turned around again and spoke to the girl who was about to pass by me and Go Yohan.

“Hello.”

The girl stopped and turned back. I smiled faintly and waved my hand.

“You’re Yohan’s sister, right? I’m your brother’s friend.”

Honestly, it didn’t matter whether this girl just passed by or not, but Go Yohan’s expression, which I was seeing for the first time, drew me in. I also just didn’t want to see Go Yohan being ignored. The girl slowly scanned me up and down.

From her gaze, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. I remembered seeing those eyes somewhere. Was it Go Yohan’s father’s eyes when he looked at me? It was similar, but slightly different. It was from even earlier. When our cool gazes met, it suddenly clicked.

It was Go Yohan, whom I first saw in the cafeteria in my first year.

I almost burst out laughing at the sudden familiarity. Go Yohan was really annoying back then. My eyes curved as I thought of the sharp-edged Go Yohan from that time. The eyebrows of the girl who looked like Go Yohan’s younger sister twitched slightly. That habit must be genetic too. It felt strange.

“Are you two from the same school?”

“Yes.”

I put on the kindest smile I could manage. However, Go Yohan’s sister responded to my efforts with a snort.

“You must be quite the delinquent too, then.”

And with that, she spun around and headed for the kitchen. The words she muttered softly as she passed by were at a volume that made me wonder if she intended for me to hear them, or if she simply didn’t care if I did:

“What’s the point if you’re only halfway decent-looking?”

Her voice faded as she entered the kitchen. I suddenly felt as if I’d been hit hard on the back of the head, utterly dumbfounded. I let out a hollow laugh, flabbergasted. I was so speechless that I forgot what to say. As I stood there blankly, unable to find any words, I heard a sobbing sound from somewhere.

“Keu-heup.”

Go Yohan, who had been bowing his head in my sight, began to heave his shoulders. What? Go Yohan. What’s wrong with him now? No way, is he crying? I was flustered. Hesitating about what to do, I placed a hand on Go Yohan’s back.

But the sobbing sound was a little strange. As I was flustered, Go Yohan suddenly snapped his head up.

“Ah, crazy!”

The emotion in Go Yohan’s face was not sadness, but amusement.

“……What? Are you laughing right now?”

“I can’t help it. It’s so funny to see you being treated like a delinquent.”

Go Yohan, who had been contorting his face and laughing, wiped away tears as he spoke.

“Don’t feel too bad. Go Rosa is always like that. Just think of it as a memento. When else in your life would you be treated like a delinquent?”

“I don’t really feel bad. It’s just what a kid said.”

“Right, right.”

A large hand lightly patted my back. It was a comforting gesture. There was nothing to comfort, though. I squinted at Go Yohan. But his sister’s name was strange.

“Is your sister’s name Go Rosa?”

“Yeah. The same as her baptismal name, Rosa. Isn’t it weird? What kind of name is that?”

I don’t think you’re in a position to mock. I shook my head at Go Yohan’s childish attitude. Something closed in the kitchen. It must have been the refrigerator, judging by Go Rosa, Go Yohan’s sister, holding a drink in her hand.

Go Rosa glared at Go Yohan with a scrunched-up face and then passed us by again without a word.

Go Yohan, instead of getting angry at his sister’s attitude, suddenly became expressionless and just stared. That expressionless face strangely kept bothering me. It was an unfamiliar face I had never seen before. It wasn’t a face that looked down on someone to ignore them. Rather, it was a face that looked at someone difficult. I bit my lip slightly. And then I called out to his sister as she passed by.

“Rosa.”

Go Rosa, the sister who trampled on Go Yohan, stopped her steps again at my words.

“Am I handsome? Really?”

“No.”

Go Rosa continued.

“You’re ugly.”

Didn’t she say I was halfway decent-looking earlier? Her contradictory words were absurd.

“Really? Sorry. I must have misheard.”

“……”

But Go Yohan’s sister just stood there silently. I looked up at her and asked. Blinking my eyes as slowly as possible, I put on the gentlest smile I could show.

“Why?”

“You’re not that ugly.”

“Oh, really? That’s a relief. I was actually a little hurt.”

A momentary silence fell in the conversation. I didn’t speak first, waiting for the other person to make an effort to continue the conversation. I believed that in this atmosphere, the one who fidgeted and said something first lost. And by my standards, Go Yohan’s sister had lost to me.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to give you a piece of advice.”

Go Yohan’s sister slightly distorted one side of her face.

“Don’t get close to him. Unless you want to be corrupted.”

Without waiting for a reply, the sister blurted out in a blunt tone and left the dining room. I was a little flustered, but what a kid. I shook my head and turned towards where the food was laid out.

Just as I was about to pick up my chopsticks again, I felt a sharp gaze. I looked up to see Go Yohan covering his mouth with the back of his hand, laughing. My heart sank to the floor again. Go Yohan leaned slightly. Go Yohan, close to my body, whispered very softly, so his sister wouldn’t hear:

“Hey. She must like you.”

But why did Go Yohan’s laughing face look so sad? It didn’t seem like that at all. As I just stared at his incomprehensible words, Go Yohan scratched near his chin, looking embarrassed. With a very awkward expression.

“But she’s really rude, isn’t she?”

As soon as Go Yohan entered the room, he threw himself onto a sofa as large as a bed. I followed Go Yohan and picked up my phone near the table next to the sofa, squatting there.

Quite some time had passed, so it was adequately charged. I roughly checked the time and saw it might be when my parents were asleep, so I just sent a message. I also added in the message that I was at a friend’s house in the same neighborhood.

“Ha…”

A sigh escaped my lips out of habit. Would they contact me early? It felt a bit awkward to go to the academy after being at Go Yohan’s, so I decided to skip the academy today. I grabbed the sofa with my hand to get up. My hand reached the edge of the sofa, and my head naturally turned towards Go Yohan. At that moment, our eyes met.

Unconsciously, I took a deep breath. I had to widen my eyes so as not to show it. It was because Go Yohan was lying on his side, propping his head with his hand, looking at me.

“Aren’t you going to call?”