Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 71 A Life Gone Wrong

The gaze is alive. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be strangling my neck so vividly. No one is looking at me, yet at the same time, everyone is.

In short, I became a clown yesterday. The protagonist of a play that entertains thirty people in a small, square classroom. Of course, the ending of my play is a tragedy. Unfortunately, I have no Damien to protect me. The biggest reason I felt the atmosphere shift so actively was due to Park Ha-on and Im Yoongi.

Actually, I knew it would happen. That’s why when I entered the classroom and sat down, I deliberately didn’t greet them first.

“……”

Before sitting in my chair, I quietly looked down at them. Do eyes also exist on the back of one’s head? Because I definitely felt like these two were looking at me. Eventually, Park Ha-on turned his head first and greeted me. Following Park Ha-on, Im Yoongi subtly turned his head.

“Hi.”

“Yeah. Hi.”

It was a short greeting. Only then could I sit down.

Still, the two of them would occasionally turn their heads and talk to me during break times. Most of it was light, useless chatter, as always. However, I felt a subtle wall, and it made me keenly aware that they intended to keep their distance from me.

On the contrary, it was Oh Yeonjun who began to actively talk to me.

Oh Yeonjun constantly turned around and stared at me. He seemed to want to say something, but then he’d look towards the back of the classroom and hastily turn his head forward, not just once or twice.

“……Crazy.”

I wondered why he kept looking back like that, but the realization wasn’t long in coming. The very back of the classroom was Go Yohan’s seat.

“Idiot.”

I cursed under my breath, inaudible. I was burning with jealousy.

Go Yohan was clearly born to be loved, to look down from above.

In the end, among the three siblings, Go Yohan resembled his father the most. There’s an insurmountable similarity in genes. Go Yohan resembled his father. Perhaps because of that, Go Yohan was always surrounded by people. Most wanted to be close to him.

Actually, many guys were jealous of Go Yohan. However, most of them were jealous of his circumstances. Perhaps I was the only one who disliked Go Yohan for no reason the moment I first saw him. Didn’t even Han Junwoo like Go Yohan? Go Yohan had that strange charm.

Still, I thought I’d be better off in this class. I believed that the name tag of ‘top student in the whole school’ could be powerful here. No, I was certain. But it took me too long to realize that the honor of being the top student was nothing more than a target for arrows. Because I had never been the top student before.

Unfortunately, unlike Go Yohan, I had no luck with people. The result was clearly revealed today.

Why do the kids love Go Yohan, who is at the bottom of the class?

Go Yohan hadn’t done anything since he entered this class. He didn’t try to form cliques, didn’t tease teachers, and didn’t target anyone to bully.

Yet, Go Yohan became the protagonist of this class. Of course, unlike me, his was a comedy. Go Yohan didn’t care about anyone’s opinion. Even when he loudly tore open a snack bag and crunched noisily, he wasn’t disliked. How could he naturally sit at the top? Just as a subtle inferiority complex seized me, Go Yohan moved. And my play began.

Screech— The sound of a metal chair scraping against the floor. As expected, it came from the very back. Only Go Yohan could always be so boisterous in such an atmosphere. Then footsteps were heard. The sound of someone avoiding him was also heard. The sound stopped diagonally in front of me.

Knowing precisely who the source of the commotion was, I didn’t lift my head. I absolutely didn’t want to. But hearing sounds was beyond my will.

“What are you doing?”

He wasn’t talking to me. Im Yoongi, who was sitting in front of me, answered in a fluster.

“Uh, huh?”

“Can you move?”

Through my blurry vision, I saw Go Yohan’s hand. The rosary was still there. The hand with the rosary was casually tucked into his uniform pants. I lowered my head further, pretending to study.

“Ah, ah! Sorry. Sit here.”

“Thanks.”

What kind of position makes you apologize even when you’re giving up your own seat? And what kind of position brazenly takes someone else’s seat and receives an apology? Go Yohan sat in Im Yoongi’s seat and placed both arms on my desk. But Go Yohan’s coercion didn’t end there.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

A rustling sound was heard. The sound of restless movement. All I could see was the shadowed problem. Go Yohan’s quiet voice continued, even lower.

“I have something to talk about with Kang Jun.”

“Ah, sorry! Speak freely.”

The sound of chairs moving was heard. A chilling screech scraped the floor. The sound of Park Ha-on and Im Yoongi’s footsteps walking down the hallway in a line was also heard. It wasn’t clear, dragging on the floor. Regret dripped from their steps.

Finally, there was no one around me. And only then did Go Yohan speak to me.

“Kang Jun.”

Kang Jun. My heart instantly crumbled.

Did he really have to pinpoint me like that? My chest felt so tight I couldn’t speak. I didn’t want to show myself to others, crushed under such a heavy weight. I didn’t answer and just scratched at the paper with my mechanical pencil.

“……”

When I didn’t answer, Go Yohan’s shadow on the desk grew enormous. Go Yohan’s warmth reached my ear. And he whispered softly, lowly.

“Look up.”

“……”

I’m an unavoidable dog. A dog of hierarchy. Why must I lift my head even at a moment like this? But my head lifted automatically, like Pavlov’s dog. Even then, not wanting to look at Go Yohan, I lowered my gaze.

The area below my eyes began to throb. Hot and painful.

Go Yohan slowly straightened his back with a satisfied expression. His hands, placed in front of me, were clasped together. Go Yohan spoke again.

“Kang Jun, what are you doing?”

If he said the same thing twice, it was a demand for an answer.

“……Solving problems.”

“Ah—”

Go Yohan’s waist twisted slightly. Go Yohan, shifting his gaze to the center of the class, spoke to the entire class, not looking at anyone specific, as if genuinely curious.

“Hey, everyone. What did I do?”

“Nothing?”

A voice from somewhere. The gruff reply was full of interest.

“But why… is everyone staring at me?”

But Go Yohan never gave the answer others wanted. Go Yohan pointed to himself and tilted his head. What he said next was clearly a command to anyone who heard it.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t stare.”

Haha. A short, sharp laugh escaped me. Even then, I silently lowered my gaze and looked at my desk. Go Yohan’s body, which had been turned, returned to its original position. Clink. Go Yohan’s rosary hit the desk.

“Kang Jun. I have something I want to ask you, can you answer me?”

“……Uh.”

If I didn’t answer, he’d throw a fit like before. I answered, trying my best to hide my trembling voice.

“Who do you eat lunch with these days?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Kang Jun. You said you’d answer?”

Shit. My hand gripping the mechanical pencil tightened. Shit, shiiit.

“……Alone… I eat alone.”

“Oh, really?”

Suddenly, his tone brightened crazily. Then he chuckled to himself. Very openly. He let out a full, mocking laugh, looking down on others, then belatedly covered his mouth with his hand. And with his other hand, he waved it in the air, making excuses.

“No, no. I wasn’t laughing, it’s just that I haven’t eaten with you lately, so I’m feeling a bit disappointed.”

“I told you. My foot hurts, my hand is like this, and I don’t have enough time to study, so I can’t go to the cafeteria.”

I told a brazen lie.

I had no choice. Go Yohan was trampling me. He told them not to stare? Would the kids really not watch this situation then? I could hear them whispering excitedly from here. My paltry pride would never die.

“Oh.”

“……”

I gripped the mechanical pencil as if to break it, but answered with a perfectly neutral expression. My nineteen-year-old lying life hadn’t died either. However, Go Yohan, who made a hobby of tormenting others, trampled on my expectations miserably.

“When did you say that?”

“……A while ago. When I first got hurt.”

“No, I don’t remember hearing that?”

Go Yohan covered his mouth and smirked.

“What? I’ve never heard that before. Don’t lie.”

“Are you sure you’re not just forgetting?”

I flared up. I desperately attacked Go Yohan. Because offense is the best defense.

“And aren’t you better at lying than me? Lying is your hobby, isn’t it?”

“Exactly. If you’re going to lie, do it well like me, you’re too obvious.”

“I haven’t lied, and since you seem to not remember, I’ll tell you again. I’m busy.”

“A lie no one knows is innocent, but an obvious lie is guilty.”

Go Yohan playfully twisted his shoulder and continued.

“You’re guilty.”