Eighteen’s Bed Novel Completed - Chapter 80

“…I did.”

“What?”

“I, back then, said, let’s make up…”

Go Yohan spoke, clenching his teeth. His long eyelashes fluttered downwards, and then his cold, white eyes revealed their presence between his lashes, glaring at me.

My body trembled slightly at that fierce gaze. The pendulum pressed heavily beneath me. Even as I felt my lower abdomen grow hot, my mind was drenched in fear. As expected, Go Yohan was no good. Someday, he would torment me as he pleased again. My reason flashed a warning light. I hid my chilling neck and slightly trembling voice and said.

“If we just don’t fight, and act like classmates who only greet each other in the morning, then that…”

Go Yohan glared at me, his fist still clenched. Still. I couldn’t bear that intense gaze, so I shifted my eyes from Go Yohan to the white sheets. A long silence followed. After what might have been several minutes, Go Yohan suddenly stood up.

“I’m leaving.”

And he left those words behind.

I suddenly lowered the hand I hadn’t even realized I had raised.

“…Okay.”

I didn’t stop Go Yohan. Go Yohan, who had gotten up, hesitated a little, looking at the door. Then he quickly walked out of the hospital room as if fleeing. He still didn’t look back.

After that, Go Yohan didn’t visit the hospital room again.

My body is weak, but healthy. What that means is, even though I’m frail when fighting or exerting myself, my recovery speed is incredibly fast. It’s a truly strange body.

My cast was removed in less than three months. My bone had already healed. In fact, I didn’t have much discomfort moving my arm. The bruises and contusions on my body quickly returned to their original color. Only a scar remained on the sole of my foot, but there was no pain. It seems my body is weak in strength but good at recovery. They say there’s nothing in the world that only has bad things.

My parents, as expected, went into a frenzy. My father, who had to remain overseas for work, fumed throughout the call, and my mother, who immediately flew back as soon as she received the call, screamed when she saw my face and called someone. The content was obvious. It was a threat to open a school violence committee.

At that time, I felt a little guilty towards my parents. As if I had finally become an unfilial child.

Things were resolved quickly. I didn’t have to do anything. I just lay on the bed, feeling the salty breeze of the hot summer.

The outcome of my constant idleness was Hong Hwijun’s expulsion. Apparently, his frequent disruptive behavior and actions that disturbed the students’ academic atmosphere had been noticed. In fact, Hong Hwijun caused fewer problems than Kim Minho and was a quiet student.

Anyway, having rich parents has its advantages. My mother, who finally achieved victory, left for abroad again. My mother, who had been crying in front of me, left for the airport without looking back as soon as it was time for her flight. I knew it was unavoidable. It was the proper treatment a son who lived up to expectations should receive. I decided to be proud of that treatment. As loneliness that I had to endure for a great benefit that would someday return to me.

Thus, there were no adults to protect me at home, and no friends to stand by me at school. However, my heart was unusually peaceful.

In a fight, the one who gains the upper hand is always the one who moves public opinion first. In that sense, I was at an advantage. I returned, even if late, and Hong Hwijun was completely expelled from school. However, I wasn’t a perfect victor either. Unfortunately, it was a dishonor.

‘Mama’s boy’ was my new nickname. Of course, it was implicitly used.

The fortunate thing was that it seemed the atmosphere was shifting towards ‘don’t mess with Kang Jun if you can help it.’ Even if it was at the level of avoiding something disgusting, it was fortunate for me.

After all, who would want to be expelled in the second semester of their third year of high school? The third-year students at this school, especially those who lived in the opposite neighborhood, must have keenly felt the class disparity. No matter how much they soared and crawled within the school, once they went out into society, everyone was beneath Kang Jun. However, it was strangely not pleasant that the school guys realized that fact.

“Still, ‘Mama’s boy Kang Jun’ is a bit tacky and embarrassing, isn’t it?”

In the midst of all this, I made a leisurely remark. The reason that was possible might be because my greatest sorrow had disappeared.

As soon as I went back to school, the one who surprisingly welcomed me the most was Oh Yeonjun. Even though it was awkward, Park Haon and Lim Yunki also pretended to worry.

‘Kang Jun, hello. Are you feeling better?’

It truly sounded like a line from a textbook.

And Go Yohan? Amusingly, Go Yohan slumped over his desk. It was impossible to tell if he was asleep or deliberately pretending not to notice. I often understood Go Yohan’s intentions, yet mostly, I couldn’t fathom what was on his mind. Oh Yeonjun, who had recently developed an arrogant and boisterous habit, sat not in front of the sleeping Go Yohan, but in front of the seat in front of him, and in the next row over. He acted as if he had become part of Go Yohan’s group.

As soon as the awkward greetings with Park Ha-on and Im Yoongi ended, Oh Yeonjun got up like a prowling hyena and approached me. This was the most dynamic welcome I received today.

“Hey, Kang Jun. You’re pretty good, huh?”

“Pretty good”? How ridiculous. Who dares to evaluate whom? I didn’t feel it was worth answering, so I just nodded my head. Oh Yeonjun seemed unsatisfied with that reaction and spoke again, saying something useless.

“As expected, having a lot of money at home is the best, after all.”

It was true. But for some reason, the remark felt unpleasant because of Oh Yeonjun’s tone.

“Why?”

“Why, you ask? Your parents totally cut Hong Hwijun’s neck off.”

Oh Yeonjun made a cutting motion with his hand near his neck. His voice was quite cheerful, as if he hadn’t noticed my unpleasant mood. How annoying. I rummaged through my bag, which I had placed on the desk. Oh Yeonjun, still seemingly disappointed by my indifferent reaction, even leaned down and whispered.

“Originally, that bastard, he was in the same group as that gay guy, right? You know how much he wanted attention, like birds of a feather flock together. He’s an attention seeker. An attention seeker.”

It was absurd and unbelievable how he acted as if he wasn’t one himself. Originally, he was someone I would have used as food to solidify my position. It was pathetic that I couldn’t control someone like him now.

“I can’t tell you how glad I am that you kicked him out. Honestly, if kids like that stay in school, it’s not good for the class atmosphere, is it?”

What nonsense. I endured Oh Yeonjun’s idiotic behavior until I suddenly stopped my hand, which was reaching for my pencil case.

I suddenly realized a profound truth. I stupidly stared at the ceiling. Why was I just listening to him? I felt pathetic for having endured it like a trained dog just now. This is why the hierarchy game sucks. Even if it’s not my original place, if I’m given a pathetic position, I start to believe I’m truly pathetic.

…Right. That’s right. I don’t need to do that anymore.

I had clearly made an unspoken promise with Go Yohan. To at least get along like classmates. If so, he wouldn’t try to push me down. He’d rather just ignore me like before. A smile slowly spread across my lips. But at the same time, I felt an uncomfortable sensation. Soon, I forgot the uncomfortable feeling. Because I wasn’t the idiotic Kang Jun. Ignoring the voice that flowed in one ear and out the other, I met Oh Yeonjun’s gaze.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“You…”

My lips curved upwards. I wore the brightest expression I had and spoke. It wasn’t intentional. It was genuine joy. I lightly chided Oh Yeonjun in a joking tone.

“Stop talking behind people’s backs.”

That’s right. Because I beat Hong Hwijun. Even if it was a draw, I was the one who remained in school and could manipulate public opinion. Anyway, I even drove out Hong Hwijun, so someone like Oh Yeonjun was nothing.

“Huh? What, what did you say? Talking behind our backs?”

My eyes, too, curved into crescent moons.

“What is it, Kang Jun, why are you talking like that?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’? It’s a bit uncomfortable to hear, isn’t it? Gossiping about past events is also low-class.”

“What? Low-class?”

“No, I spoke too harshly. I’m sorry. I guess I was a bit sensitive.”

I finished speaking at once and pulled out my pencil case. The noisy break time after first period, which should have been bustling, was as quiet as a mouse. Well, it didn’t matter to me. I placed my pencil case on the desk and looked at Oh Yeonjun again. I did so, hoping he would finally leave.

“You know it’s all a joke, right?”

“Hey!”

Oh Yeonjun suddenly shouted. His squawking was so loud that I involuntarily frowned. The laughter was gone now. I subtly covered my ears with my hands and furrowed my brow.

“Hey… why are you suddenly shouting?”

“Wow, Kang Jun, why are you suddenly like this? Are you out of your mind?”

“Out of my mind? You’re saying things that are very unpleasant.”

“Don’t you remember what you just said to me? You were the one who spoke like a total jerk first!”

“What, why are you suddenly like this?”

“Hey, you son of a…”

Foot. Just as Oh Yeonjun, who couldn’t even swear properly, was about to break his final resolve, an interruption came. There was a thud as a thick textbook hit the wall. It was the math teacher.

“What are you two doing? Sit down!”

Oh Yeonjun instantly shut his mouth and looked at the math teacher with an aggrieved expression.

“What are you doing? He told you to sit down.”

I gladly patted Oh Yeonjun’s back and spoke benevolently. The math teacher, who noticed the strange atmosphere filling the square space, was satisfied with my attitude. And he had every right to be. Teachers, in fact, just want their classes not to be disturbed and their workload not to increase. In his eyes, there was no way I wouldn’t look good for taking care of the situation myself. And the math teacher had, for some reason, liked me a lot for a while now.

As proof, throughout the class, the math teacher never once used me as a student for problem-solving.

After class, Oh Yeonjun came to my seat again, but my response was clean. At least, that’s what I thought.

“Yeonjun.”

Honestly, it was my genuine feeling. At that moment, I think I had forgotten how to lie a little.

“Isn’t it really pathetic to come looking for me twice like this?”

And I guess I’m not destined to live an easy life after all.

“If you do this, other people will see you as a complete loser. Don’t do that.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Oh Yeonjun clenched his fists and trembled, then forcefully pushed my desk. My pencil case clattered to the floor, spilling countless pens. Thanks to that, my pens were scattered messily across the floor.

Annoyingly, Oh Yeonjun ultimately didn’t pick up the pens. He just mumbled something and turned away.

I’m not sure what he said. His voice was too quiet, and I didn’t think it was worth paying attention to anyway. He even opened the door with force, as if to show how truly angry he was.

“…Ah. My ear.”

The classroom door, which hit the threshold hard, rattled loudly. That was Oh Yeonjun’s mistake. Who likes that kind of behavior? It would clearly only annoy the other classmates. Oh Yeonjun wasn’t some Go Yohan-level figure, so he probably wasn’t very scary. As soon as Oh Yeonjun left, I finally lowered my head and picked up my pens.

“Ah, crazy, what the hell. The door’s going to break.”

“…Why are they suddenly like that?”

Of course, the way the other kids looked at me wasn’t very good either. In the end, I was the one who caused the trouble, so the responsibility for this atmosphere lay with me. Those eyes looking down at me must be thinking this: I’m just like Oh Yeonjun. He’s not even Go Yohan-level, but he’s acting so arrogant.

That’s obvious. I’m not Go Yohan either. I suddenly turned my head and looked at the back seat.

Go Yohan had his head slightly raised, hands in his pockets, and was blinking. Just staring at my seat. His eyes were utterly unreadable, impossible to tell what he was thinking.

And his slender eyes suddenly sparkled, then formed a subtle smile.

…What the hell.

As I was flustered, Go Yohan took his hands out of his pockets and slowly clapped. Clap, clap, cla-ap. The lingering applause ended when Go Yohan put his hands back in his pockets.

“Wow.”