Eighteen's Bed-Chapter 22.8

“By the way, it’s almost lunchtime.”

“……Hey.”

“What do you want to eat? Want to go out and buy something?”

But Go Yohan doesn’t answer. Only the uncomfortable silence spreads. I nervously fiddled with the end of the unfamiliar T-shirt I was wearing. After a long while, a soft sigh escaped. It was Go Yohan.

“I’m a bad guy too.”

“……”

“You’re really a bad guy too.”

“……”

My gaze was still fixed on the T-shirt hem. I couldn’t gather the courage to raise my head and look at Go Yohan. I scratched the seam that was sewn tightly for no reason with my nails.

“Damn it, you mess around, then make a mess everywhere.”

“D-Don’t talk like that.”

“Why? Are you embarrassed?”

“It’s not that I’m embarrassed…”

There are feelings that are hard to describe. Go Yohan, who speaks words that are still too difficult for me, makes me uncomfortable. It’s not out of malice, but… The T-shirt was getting wrinkled, but I couldn’t stop my hand from tormenting the fabric. I almost flinched, wanting to say something, but when I opened my mouth to speak, Go Yohan hurriedly cut me off.

“No, don’t. Don’t say it.”

His voice, urgently stopping me, carried a sense of panic. As if he didn’t want to hear my answer.

“Really, don’t say it.”

“……”

I felt a bit relieved. Even if they call me a coward, I can’t say anything. I know exactly what Go Yohan really wants, but even so, I shamelessly changed the subject.

“By the way, you know that guy from the mechanical engineering department?”

“Kang Suhyeon?”

Honestly, I’m grateful to Go Yohan. Just now, he accepted my shamelessness. I couldn’t stop a small smile from spreading across my face.

“It’s Kang Suhyeon.”

“Does it matter?”

He spoke in a teasing tone, and Go Yohan raised an eyebrow. What’s bothering him this time? Besides, he doesn’t even feel guilty about being wrong. Even though he’s twenty now, he still doesn’t remember things properly if they’re outside his interests.

“You’re something else.”

“The real issue is the mess that bastard caused.”

“Mess?”

“Look, you know you’re clueless, right?”

Go Yohan frowned. And he shot me a strange, hard stare.

“I’m quick-witted.”

“You’re telling me a clueless guy is happily accepting someone else’s flirtation?”

“Ha, unbelievable.”

I scoffed. It was just absurd. It’s been a short life, but I’ve never been called clueless before. It was a comment I never expected to hear. Of course, I was stunned.

“You didn’t know the girl sitting at the far end of the table was staring at you.”

“So Yeon? Gahwi?”

“I don’t know, idiot.”

This time, Go Yohan grumbled. I was dumbfounded and tapped his leg with the back of my hand.

“I know the girl was looking at me, but she was looking at you.”

“You, idiot.”

“I’m telling you it was you.”

“Fine. Whatever.”

“Well, that’s right. It shouldn’t matter, should it?”

Thinking it might turn into an endless argument, I just let it go. But Go Yohan wore a subtly smug smile. He’s so transparent when he’s like this. I let out a helpless laugh. But then, strangely serious, Go Yohan unfolded his arms and extended his hand.

“What’s this?”

“Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“Why? Even in the middle of your messed-up mind, you listened to all that bullshit. An invitation? Are you serious? No way.”

“Kang Suhyeon already knows my number, what’s he gonna do about it?”

“What’s there to do? You should pretend your number’s changed. Give it to me.”

His left hand flicked a little. I sighed deeply and bent down to pick up the pants that had fallen on the floor. As soon as I grabbed them, I was momentarily dumbfounded by the underwear falling off, but I quickly grabbed my phone from my pocket, startled by the sound of Go Yohan getting up behind me. When I turned around, I found Go Yohan had already gotten up, leaning his body weakly against the couch. Even in the middle of all this, he still manages to grab my phone so easily.

“……”

And, of course, he still knows my password. I looked at the screen with a sense of hopelessness. When I sighed, “Huh,” Go Yohan flinched and glanced at me before quickly looking away.

“You should change your profile picture and status.”

Go Yohan muttered to himself as if making an excuse, then suddenly became serious, staring at the screen and biting his nails. After a moment, as if remembering something, he smiled and swiftly began typing. I didn’t care much about how he changed it since I didn’t have anyone to contact anyway, but I couldn’t help being curious. I leaned in a bit closer to see the screen.

‘Cheongsong Apples for Sale^^ / Honest Honey Apples, one box for 20,000 won / Delivery available / 5,000 won per individual package.’

What the hell is this?

“Really, you’re unbelievable…”

“Move over. I need to download a picture of honey apples.”

I tried to take my phone back, but his arm blocked me, so I sighed and backed off. Seeing him so focused, almost pressing his nose against the screen, made all my energy drain. And then there was the way his typing had changed with the chopstick-like grip. Go Yohan used to type with both thumbs, but now he types with his left thumb and right index finger. Like some kind of eagle-style typing.

At a quick glance, it might seem like a strange habit, but looking closely, it was a bit awkward. It was the same with the laptop. Go Yohan uses his left hand to type normally, but his right hand types with eagle style. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the way he holds a pen. To be precise, his middle, ring, and pinky fingers don’t seem to be used much. It’s not like those fingers don’t move at all, though. He once said that the pain he felt meant the nerves hadn’t fully died. A lucky but bad case. That’s Go Yohan.

“It’s done. If you get a message, just ignore it. Got it?”

“But I have to do a project with Kang Suhyeon…”

“Ignore it. Just send the file and pretend you don’t know.”

“This petty trick won’t work.”

“Even if it doesn’t, I don’t care. I saw yesterday that if you hit him a few times, he’ll shut up on his own.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

I shook my head at his ridiculous words and snatched my phone away. Go Yohan pouted, watching my phone as I walked away. But honestly, I didn’t plan to continue the conversation either. After all, I was just bait, and the real target was always going to be Go Yohan—the fishermen only care about him.

Looking at his profile, which looked like it belonged to someone working in some rural area, I couldn’t help but wonder. It was a pointless question, though.

“By the way, are Cheongsong apples really 20,000 won?”

“How should I know? I don’t like apples.”

“……”

But why apples of all things? As I was thinking that, an alarm suddenly went off at a perfect timing. When I looked at the screen, Go Yohan quickly came up next to me.

Surprisingly, the message was from Kang Suhyeon. Was it lucky or unlucky?

「Why are Cheongsong honey apples so cheap? Are they windfall apples? Can they be delivered to Seoul?」

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

“……”

“See? He’s lying.”

Go Yohan’s fingers were trembling as he smirked.

“Looks like it’s funny.”

But even as I mocked him, my voice wavered, and I quickly stuffed my lips into my mouth. My hand holding the phone was trembling too. Is Kang Suhyeon an idiot? The conversation we had a few days ago is right at the top. As I thought that, Kang Suhyeon sent another message, almost as if to confirm my thoughts.

「Huh, it’s you, Jun.」

「Do you have an orchard at your house?」

“Hey, there’s no value in answering him.”

“Right.”

I agreed and swiped the message away. I stared at my phone as it powered off, and suddenly, I was filled with frustration. When I thought about it, it pissed me off. Why do I have to go through all this? And I still wanted to know the truth that had been bugging me all this time. I have every right to see Go Yohan’s contact information too. I stared hard and reached out my hand, just like Go Yohan had.

“Give it to me too.”

Go Yohan gave me a look as if asking why I wanted it, but then he quickly said, “Ah!” and rummaged through his pockets.

“My phone? Here.”

“Ah? Ah, ah… That one.”

But why is he giving it to me so confidently? I suppressed the uneasy feeling and grabbed the phone. As I tried to take it, it didn’t come to me right away, as he held it tightly with his own hand. His fingers were white from gripping it so hard.

“……”

“……”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Go Yohan. He smiled awkwardly and then let go of the phone.

“No, I’m just not fully awake.”

“You said you were drunk yesterday.”

“I’m never really in my right mind.”

“……”

It’s true, so I couldn’t argue…

I scratched my head and unlocked the phone. As soon as I did, I realized I made a mistake. By unlocking it, I might as well have openly told him how I secretly saw Go Yohan’s secret. Was it like this when Go Yohan unlocked it and looked at me earlier?

“……”

“……”

We both stayed silent, trying to read each other’s intentions. Honestly, by now, he probably realized it, but the reason he hadn’t erased my fingerprint until now was intentional on his part. And now, I found myself justifying it, telling myself there was no need to lie anymore. With that thought, I pressed the messenger app and froze.

“……A thousand?”

I blinked, thinking I had misread the number. I looked again, and the number didn’t change. Even the accumulated messages showed ‘999+’. Is this real? Or am I dreaming? He said he had no friends. Then what is this massive number? I can’t trust my own eyes, so I looked up at Go Yohan, who, with a serious, firm, and stern expression, spoke.

“They’re Plus Friends.”

“……What’s that?”

“Like restaurants or franchises.”

“……So are the restaurant and franchise owners named Moon Giyeong and Kim Hakmin?”

“Those assholes aren’t my friends.”

I didn’t believe him. After everything he’s put me through. My eyes narrowed in frustration.

“Then prove it. Show me evidence they’re not friends.”

“That’s easy.”

He easily reached out and grabbed my phone back. I stared at my phone, now taken from me, and muttered in frustration. Damn, must be nice having long arms. With a grumble in my heart, I watched as Go Yohan stood up from the sofa, never missing a chance to keep an eye on him.

Go Yohan didn’t hesitate and walked confidently into the kitchen connected to the living room, tossing the phone into the sink. Then, he turned on the tap, and with a cool sound, water began to pour over his phone. My mouth, which had been slightly open, widened in shock at the unbelievable situation.

“Hey, what are you doing…?”

“Wait a second.”

Go Yohan wiped his nose with his finger and went into his room, coming back with a laptop and an external hard drive. He also grabbed a few USB drives. Then, with an expression of utter indifference, he poured everything under the sink. I was left speechless.

“Hey, why are you putting it there…?”

“I can’t back up my contacts now. It’s over with those assholes I don’t even know.”

Go Yohan, having delivered his clear sentence, smiled with a slight squint at the corners of his eyes.

“You believe me, right? I didn’t lie.”

“……”

I felt my body go limp. What kind of person does this?

“Oh, right.”

Suddenly, Go Yohan’s face went pale, and his usually cold expression turned even whiter. His face had the pale emptiness of a barren field with no sign of life. I saw the sudden change and became uneasy.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

Go Yohan stood frozen, unable to even touch the sink, staring at it blankly.

“……I didn’t submit the assignment.”

“Are you talking about the report you were working on?”

“Yeah.”

Go Yohan’s face grew even more haggard. My mind began to feel just as pale.

“Didn’t you back it up?”

“I just… backed it up on the USB…”

“When’s the deadline?”

“Tonight.”

“……”

“I’m dead. My dad’s going to kill me.”

I finally understood. The reason Go Yohan's face turned pale.

“……”

There are only two people Go Yohan lowers his head to: his father and me. I don’t understand why he does it to me, but unfortunately, Go Yohan still lives in an unhappy home. At times like these, I can’t help but think about Go Yohan’s life. The Go Yohan who lies without lying. The Go Yohan, devoid of empathy, who can throw a thousand people into the water without a second thought, and the Go Yohan, pale with fear.

That Go Yohan was made by his father. Even now, Go Yohan hasn’t escaped the trap.

“Yohan.”

At the sound of my voice, Go Yohan, who had been staring hopelessly at the sink, lifted his head. In his transparent eyes, I could see despair. I had to understand.

But in the end, Go Yohan is still twenty.

We’re still too young to solve everything, and awkward to accept it all.

But I owe a debt to Go Yohan. I knew he had been anxious, especially since he suddenly took a leave of absence due to illness last semester.

I knew the cause as well. The heavy sound of leather shoes still echoed in my mind. His father made such a huge impression at every moment, in every situation. Maybe, in Go Yohan’s life, the biggest figure was his father, not me. The despair that settled in his pale eyes made my debt to him feel even heavier.

“Let’s rewrite it on my laptop. We’ve got plenty of time until tonight.”

I forced a bright smile. At least, I shouldn’t make Go Yohan anxious too. Maybe we wouldn’t have much time, but if we hurried, we might barely make it. It was still morning. I shook off my heavy heart and stood up.

But as soon as I stood, my pants fell down. Damn, I knew this would happen. Go Yohan, damn it. He should think about his size. Ah, shit. Embarrassed, I hastily grabbed the waistband of my pants that had slipped down. My face was burning. I didn’t need to look in the mirror to know how pathetic I must look.

“……”

Go Yohan stared at me with no expression before slowly covering his mouth with his palm.

“Ahem.”

The heavy breath that escaped from him was muffled by his hand.

“……”

That bastard is laughing right now. I bit my lip and lowered my head. Damn it. I quickly grabbed the pants and underwear that had fallen on the floor and rushed to my room, slamming the door shut. After a few seconds, I heard Go Yohan’s laughter from the other side of the door. Cursing under my breath, I leaned against the door with a flushed face.

Yeah, Go Yohan can laugh.

__________________

TL Notes:

Here's how our first side story turned out. We'll continue at the same time tomorrow. Hope you got what you wanted. 😉