Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 5

About half a month later, Han Junwoo tripped Han Taesan in the middle of the classroom for the first time as he was walking by, which was proof.

“Ah, ouch…!”

Han Taesan grimaced as he fell, and even though he had tripped over his own feet, he smiled apologetically, brushed off his pants, and stood up.

I was suddenly flustered by the act of Han Junwoo tripping Han Taesan. Why, suddenly? I stood frozen, just watching the situation unfold. Han Junwoo didn’t even care about my bewilderment, and slowly pushed back his light hair, saying,

I still vividly remember those words.

“Damn it. Look where you’re going. That’s what happens when you don’t look properly and don’t know what’s in front of you.”

I’m rethinking those words now. Then it sounds like a whine that he was angry because he wasn’t being looked at, and I often scoff at Han Junwoo’s childishness.

In contrast, I have a high degree of self-control. This is due to a life thoroughly controlled by my parents. My personality was also like that. I hate showing weakness to others more than anything. So, even in situations that would cause great emotional upheaval, I was able to endure quite composedly.

Because of this, I was often called a boring person who didn’t get angry easily, but that wasn’t because I didn’t get angry; it was because all the emotional upheavals I had endured until now had hardened like scabs, making my personality unreactive to most things.

That was true for everything related to Han Junwoo as well.

That’s why I could exist as Han Junwoo’s friend. I was a reasonably good kid, good enough that my parents didn’t have to worry, and I had a pretty good standing at school. And I wanted to maintain that position of mine. The position I had desperately created.

“Hey, Go Yohan.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you talking like that? It’s so disgusting.”

“Oh, like your face?”

“Bullshit.”

You only hurt someone by calling them ugly if they’re truly ugly. Han Junwoo just laughed off Go Yohan’s playful provocation.

“Go Yohan, don’t you know anyone? You have a lot of people around you.”

“What kind of person?”

“A decent one.”

“What’s a decent one?”

“You know. Damn it. Stop playing dumb.”

This time, Go Yohan chuckled, fiddling with a rubber ball. But he didn’t say anything further. Han Junwoo didn’t seem to desperately want Go Yohan’s answer either. His gaze was intently fixed on a shabby head in the distance.

“……Someone with chubby cheeks and a bit of aegyo, a girl, that would be good.”

Han Junwoo was impulsive, savage, violent, and lacked deep thought. He had been ruled by sexual desire since puberty, so I didn’t need to prove it myself. Thus, Han Junwoo’s bullying, which he didn’t know how to hide, became increasingly blatant.

So, by today, August, after summer vacation ended, Han Taesan was completely alone. But unfortunately, Han Junwoo was not satisfied with that level.

Even among groups of similar standing, their behavior patterns differ. Choi Donghwan, Hong Hwijun, and Park Dongcheol, who hang out with Han Junwoo, tend to chatter for a few minutes after the bell rings, waiting for Han Junwoo, while Kim Minho, Lee Seokhyun, and Kim Seokmin, who came from the West Wing with Go Yohan, tend to bolt out as soon as the lunch bell rings.

In first grade, I was also part of Han Junwoo’s group, but in second grade, everything fell apart. It was because Hong Hwijun, that bastard, first said, “Kang Jun eats with Go Yohan, right? You eat super slow,” and excluded me against my will.

The most humiliating part was that Han Junwoo had no interest in my conversation with Hong Hwijun. It didn’t matter if I went or didn’t go. Damn it. I glanced at Han Junwoo and asked.

“Do I really eat that slow?”

“Damn it, of course you do. You always chew with your mouth tightly closed, and don’t you know it’s polite to finish school lunch in 5 minutes?”

“Yeah, because of you, we’re always late for soccer.”

“……Ah.”

“We’re playing a soccer bet with the next class today, so you eat with Go Yohan.”

“……”

Honestly, my pride made it hard to ask to be included, and I also thought that perhaps my indigestion throughout first grade was due to such rushed eating habits. Lastly, the sight of me clinging to Han Junwoo like fish poop was utterly disgusting even to myself, so I didn’t beg or argue.

In the end, I was separated from the group like that. My will didn’t matter.

While trying to act as if nothing was wrong, my eyes met with Go Yohan, who was left alone with me. Go Yohan, who had been lying on his desk bouncing a rubber ball, stared at me quietly and asked.

“What time are you eating?”

“……”

“Me, I’m eating in about 10 minutes.”

“That time works for me too.”

In truth, I had never eaten at that time. It was something I said because my survival instinct, which told me I had to remain in Go Yohan’s group, suddenly awakened. The first time I ate alone with Go Yohan, I left half of my school lunch, feigning a lack of appetite. At that time, Go Yohan frowned and said,

“Are you eighteen and still picky about your food?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Always acting like a child.”

“Even adults don’t eat fish cutlets with tartar sauce.”

I retorted defiantly. At the same time, feeling a surge of resentment, I glared at him. What’s it to you? How annoying.

In first grade, Han Junwoo and I were mostly together, but in second grade, the instances of Han Junwoo and I being in the same space significantly decreased. This was all because of Go Yohan. Still, I had no right to say anything. I was lower in the hierarchy than Go Yohan.

Go Yohan and Han Junwoo’s circle of friends overlaps quite a bit; most of them are delinquent students who hang out at the lower end of the class rankings. They are the type who either create fake early dismissal slips to escape, or skip classes with complacent teachers who don’t bother to check if students have gone to the nurse’s office.

Han Junwoo usually had to stay until the end of class due to his parents’ watchful eyes, but I once wondered why Go Yohan, who was considered his equal, also remained in his seat. So, one day I subtly asked him, and Go Yohan frowned and said,

“I’m disappointed. Do you see me as such a pathetic bastard?”

“No, it’s just that all your friends are like that.”

“Friends? What nonsense are you talking about? Those bastards aren’t my friends. They’re trash.”

“Huh?”

“A student’s duty is to attend classes at school. Isn’t it?”

“……That’s true.”

“Don’t associate me with trash like that. It pisses me off.”

“Okay, sorry.”

“I wasn’t saying sorry.”

For me, it was, of course, a natural thing to say, but the fact that Go Yohan said it was baffling. The guys who were friends with someone who spoke like that skipped school at least once a week.

Anyway, that’s how I spent most of my second year with Han Junwoo and Go Yohan. I considered this our own sanctuary, which no one could invade. It would have been even more perfect without Go Yohan, but surprisingly, Go Yohan and I got along well enough that I wasn’t so uncomfortable or annoyed that I wanted to bolt from my seat. I just disliked him, and disliked him even more.

However, Han Taesan makes even these days the worst.

Today was a little different from usual.

“Ah, I feel like shit. Hong Hwijun, Choi Donghwan, seriously.”

Around the end of fourth period, Han Junwoo swore, holding his head. As soon as I heard Han Junwoo’s voice, I turned around and asked with a slightly flushed tone,

“Did they ditch again?”

“Those bastards.”

“That’s too bad. Then who are you going to eat with?”

A slight anticipation rose within me. The hand gripping the back of the chair trembled slightly. Han Junwoo sighed deeply, then looked at Go Yohan sitting next to him and said,

“Hey, I’m eating with you guys today.”

“No thanks? Don’t just butt in.”

“Keep messing around if you want to die.”

“Today I really want to punch Han Junwoo in the mouth.”

“Then you’ll die.”

“The loser who eats alone talks too much.”

“Alright, Junwoo, let’s eat together.”

I abruptly interjected into their conversation. I was that desperate.

“We can’t just let Junwoo eat alone.”

My desperation brought victory to Han Junwoo. Finally, Han Junwoo subtly curved the corner of his mouth towards Go Yohan, triumphantly.

“Damn, I have good friends.”

“……”

“How about it, Kang Jun, useful, right?”

At that, Go Yohan crumpled his face and pushed Han Junwoo’s pencil case away with a throwing motion. The pencil case fell with a loud clatter. Well, whether Go Yohan liked it or not was none of my business.

What mattered was that Han Junwoo finally joined our awkward meal with Go Yohan and me. It had been a long time, and I, in my happy mood, willingly put side dishes I didn’t even like into my mouth.

However, Han Junwoo silently scanned the cafeteria as if searching for prey. I watched Han Junwoo, eating distractedly, so much so that I didn’t even notice Go Yohan was taking my side dishes. Suddenly, Han Junwoo’s spoon went down, and his free hand grabbed the arm of a passing student. I looked up and saw it was Han Taesan.

“Why don’t you sit here?”

Han Junwoo gestured with his chin to the empty seat next to him.

“Anyway, you don’t have any friends to eat with, do you?”

Han Taesan’s face suddenly flushed. He rolled his eyes for a long time, looking at me, then bit his lip and slowly sat in the seat Han Junwoo had indicated. I was dumbfounded. It was absurd. Since when did he care whether Han Taesan had friends or not? And Han Taesan having no friends was all Han Junwoo’s fault. Han Junwoo hated it intensely when anyone went near Han Taesan.

Again, something sour rose in my throat.

Unconsciously, I threw my spoon and chopsticks onto my tray with a clatter. But even with such a loud noise, the only one who looked at me was Han Taesan, who flinched at the sound I made. Han Junwoo was still looking at Han Taesan.

Damn it. At that moment, I felt the scab that had hardened so much slowly peeling off, and though I tried to stop it, I couldn’t. Perhaps my unknown limit was drawing closer. But I desperately denied reality and snapped at Han Taesan.

“Han Taesan. You can just go.”

“Uh, huh?”

“Don’t listen to Han Junwoo, just go. It’s fine.”

“Hey, Kang Jun.”

When I told Han Taesan that, Han Junwoo, who hadn’t even turned his head at the loud noise I deliberately made, finally gritted his teeth and glared at me. That made me even more indignant, so I stared even more intently into Han Taesan’s eyes.

“I’ll handle it. You can go.”

“Uh, u-uh.”