Eighteen's Bed-Chapter 14.2: Han Taesan’s Intuition (2)

It was Kim Seokmin who calmed down the suddenly agitated Kim Minho. Go Yohan chuckled, shaking his spoon with a few grains of rice clinging to it, while Lee Seokhyeon grinned, scooping up his soup. Kim Minho bit his lip alone and spat out his usual foul language.

“Fuck, guess the nice guy has to be the one to hold it in. That bastard Go Yohan.”

“......”

While I wasn’t around, the dynamic between these four had reverted to how it used to be. Why? Naturally, I had to question it. What’s going on, Go Yohan? Didn’t you say you don’t hang out with split-faced punks? Narrowing my eyes, I bit my lip.

And yet, the reason I kept my mouth shut and only darted my eyes around was because something had changed.

First, Kim Minho, who always sat beside Go Yohan, was now sitting next to me.

This was undeniable proof that Kim Minho’s rank had dropped.

“But, you know, Chinese-made kimchi actually tastes better.”

“Who cares, you dickhead.”

Even Park Dongcheol, slipping in with a clumsy chuckle and trying to join the conversation, was the same. And so was Kim Minho, who immediately shut him down with a sharp remark. This part hadn’t changed.

Brushing off my hand, I picked up my chopsticks again. Should I just go rinse them? I was still hesitating when Kim Minho’s rough voice suddenly pierced my ear.

“So, did you two really fight?”

“Me?”

Why’s he getting so close? Annoyed, I leaned back slightly and asked. Kim Minho nodded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Of course, you, dumbass. Who else? You and Go Yohan fought, didn’t you?”

It’s rich coming from one of the main actors of this cold war. If Go Yohan was the war’s instigator, Kim Minho was its malicious bystander. He acted like I didn’t exist, but the moment I started having lunch with Go Yohan, he began buzzing around me like a fly.

Pathetic. It was almost grotesque how, even after being stepped on so miserably, he still couldn’t crawl out from under Yohan’s shadow.

“Hey, Kang Jun, Kang Jun, spill it. What happened? You started it, didn’t you?”

He kept jabbing me in the side with his elbow, slyly needling me for answers—without daring to ask Yohan himself, of course. Hah. Yeah, I get it. I’m still beneath you.

Yohan, meanwhile, was stuffing his mouth with several sausage pieces at once, chewing noisily. For someone who usually acted so refined, Go Yohan absolutely despised people who talked with their mouths full. So, clearly, he wasn’t planning to help me out here. I gave up and quickly shifted gears.

“We just had a little spat, that’s all. It’s normal. Teenagers fight. It’s how we grow up, isn’t it?”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true. Yohan, right?”

I threw the ball into Yohan’s court. After chewing with a camel-like nonchalance, he finally swallowed and spoke up, his tone dripping with mockery.

“Yeah. Boys grow up best through petty little arguments.”

“Ha! See? Totally Kang Jun’s fault, then. What’d you do, huh? Acted all goody-two-shoes again, didn’t you? I bet you were strutting around like some dumbass, ignoring everyone’s greetings.”

“Hey, that’s not what happened.”

“Oh nooo, ‘I’m a dumbaaass~.’”

With a theatrical slam, Kim Minho smacked his forehead hard against the cheap, laminated table like a bad comedy act, holding his head dramatically and wailing.

“Ah, fuck! God, that hurts! Shit, ow!”

“What the hell’s he doing? That’s not even funny.”

Lee Seokhyeon’s voice cut through the act. Immediately, the uproarious Kim Minho clammed up, rubbing his forehead awkwardly with his fingers.

“Shit, man. You guys used to crack up at this crap. When did your sense of humor die?”

“Pfft, what’s so funny about you squealing like a stuck pig?”

“The fuck did you just call me, you dick?”

“Why’re you losing your shit now? You used to just laugh it off.”

Seokhyeon’s tone was the same as ever, but something in the air felt different. Kim Minho, pointedly ignoring him, waved at a classmate across the room—a clear signal that he wanted out of this confrontation.

The pecking order had shifted.

“You little shit. Don’t act like you’re hot shit,” Minho snapped.

“Hey, man, a pig’s a pig—” Seokhyeon smirked, then sighed, “Fine. I get it. I won’t call you that. Minho. Kim Minho. Happy now?”

“......”

Minho, face tight, threw his chopsticks onto his tray and shut his mouth. Yohan, observing the two with his usual detached amusement, sipped his water—though his cup was clearly empty.

Tap, tap. His finger drummed on the table rhythmically as he hummed a strange little tune. Meanwhile, Kim Seokmin, sensing the tension, suddenly turned toward a classmate far off and hollered loudly, as if to smother the simmering hostility.

“Hey! What’s fifth period?”

A voice called back from afar: “English.”

Kim Minho grumbled a reply, more to himself than anyone else.

“P.E. for us. Fuck. Running right after lunch—who the hell designed our schedule? Absolute trash.”

“Yeah, that’s gonna suck.”

Naturally, the only one who bothered to answer was Park Dongcheol, tucked into the corner.

I didn’t miss the opportunity. Instinctively, my eyes darted between them, piecing together the aftermath of the power struggle that had unfolded in my absence.

It seemed clear: Lee Seokhyeon and Kim Seokmin had gained favor under Yohan’s patronage. They’d climbed higher by using Kim Minho’s head as a stepping stone.

And then, my gaze returned to Park Dongcheol. He was hunched over his tray, eyes flicking around nervously. Our eyes met.

Caught. He froze, flashing me a stiff, awkward smile before diving back into his meal.

Park Dongcheol. That two-faced bastard.

Let me be honest. I still hadn’t forgiven him for that damn soccer ball. What pissed me off wasn’t even the hit itself.

It was that he’d never apologized.

The smug fuck stood there, perfectly comfortable never offering an ounce of remorse. If he was that shameless, there had to be a reason.

I bet he overheard what Kim Seokmin, Lee Seokhyeon, and Kim Minho said behind my back.

Fine. Let’s see for myself. Time to test my suspicion. I opened my mouth, throwing a line to see who’d bite.

“I’ve got English for fifth period.”

“Hey! Did you guys hear? They say the principal’s bald.”

“For real? Fuck! Let’s test that scientifically. Who’s got a balloon?”

“......”

My words vanished, swallowed whole by their loud voices.

Before I could even finish, Lee Seokhyeon had yelled over me, and Kim Minho burst out laughing, tilting his head back with glee. Even Kim Seokmin jumped in, joking about shoving the principal down the stairs or yanking his hair as a “prank.”

“...Ah.”

That was on purpose.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

Being ignored shouldn’t feel this familiar, but it still stung. My trembling hand placed the chopsticks back on my tray.

That bastard, Lee Seokhyeon. He deliberately cut me off and dragged the conversation into nonsense. My fingers, shaking, slipped under the table.

I lifted my head. Through my blurred vision, I locked eyes with Go Yohan—who, naturally, sat directly in front of me.

And I saw it.

A smirk.

Yohan, still playing with his empty cup, chuckled. His eyes met mine—mocking, taunting.

His grin said it clearly: No matter how hard you try, you’re still on the outside.

Then, with an exaggerated, lazy motion, he lowered his cup and opened his mouth.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve got English too.”

The reaction?

Night and day from mine.

“Nooo, shit! English?” Minho cackled. “Better just sleep through it, Yohan.”

“Pfft. Who’s talking? I ace that shit, dumbass.”

“Yeah? Says the guy who copied Kang Jun’s answers.”

Yohan raised his middle finger lazily at them, flipping off the idiots who were so sure he cheated.

“Here’s to you little fuckers. Hope you choke and die.”

The table erupted in laughter.

And just like that—once again, I wasn’t part of it.

My face burned hot with humiliation.

These assholes.

I clenched my fists beneath the table, eyes locked on my barely-touched meal. My chest was tight, boiling with that familiar, sickening shame.

“...Jun-ah, why aren’t you eating?”

The more detestable bastard is the one who finally singles me out and speaks to me now. Go Yohan, smiling, placed the last remaining rolled omelette from his tray carefully onto mine.

"You like this, right? Eat a lot."

Afterward, an odd silence fell. The gazes of Lee Seokhyeon and Kim Seokmin shifted toward me. Suddenly, a strange sense of unease crept up on me, and I averted my eyes. What’s with this atmosphere? Kim Minho, alone, let out an "Ahh-" and nodded his head before grinning mischievously. The mood felt eerily unsettling. Only Go Yohan seemed unbothered by this strange, uncomfortable situation. As I was trying to read the atmosphere, Kim Minho suddenly cut in.

"Oh, Go Yohan. Now you're looking out for him again?"

His tone was oddly mocking. Is this guy out of his mind? Well, knowing Kim Minho, he probably is. Lee Seokhyeon and Kim Seokmin shook their heads slightly, probably thinking the same thing. Kim Minho scoffed at them.

"What? Why?"

"Why?"

Go Yohan merely responded with the same question, his gaze fixed on Kim Minho. His eyes were piercing, almost to the point of discomfort. There was no light in Go Yohan’s eyes, just pitch-black darkness that stared deeper and deeper into Kim Minho.

"What's wrong with looking out for him?"

Kim Minho smirked, about to say something, but his face twisted for a moment.

"Is there a problem?"

With every word Go Yohan uttered, Kim Minho’s expression contorted even more. In the quiet, subtle pressure of Go Yohan’s silent dominance, Kim Minho finally surrendered.

"It’s nothing."

"If it’s nothing, then don’t bring it up in the first place. What an idiot."

The moment Kim Minho admitted defeat, Go Yohan, who had averted his gaze, smiled and spoke. After that, what happened? Absolutely nothing. They went back to their usual, shallow conversation.

And that gave me a moment to reconsider their flimsy friendship. It was the time after sixth period had ended. During the break, I stepped out into the hallway, hoping to avoid the annoying guys in the front row, and by chance ran into my homeroom teacher.

"Jun-ah. Just the person I wanted to see. Where are you heading?"

"Oh, I was just walking around to wake up a bit."

I gave a simple answer, but my homeroom teacher seemed pleased.

"Well then, could you drop by the computer room? I had a mobile lesson earlier, but after class ended, I had to leave in a rush, and I forgot to turn off the computer on the desk. Can you turn it off for me? I think I’ll have a hard time going back to do it before the next class. Is that okay?"

What could be the problem with that? I didn’t want to leave a bad impression on my homeroom teacher.

"Sure, no problem."

"Thank you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Oh! If you’re thirsty later, come to the teacher’s office secretly. I’ll give you a frozen drink, just between us."

"No, I’m fine."

I was just thinking that I would press the power button and be done with it when it suddenly occurred to me. Wait, since it’s break time, the screen must be locked. That meant I’d have to find another teacher to ask for the password. Not wanting to waste my time, I quickly grabbed my homeroom teacher again.

"Teacher, what’s the password?"

"Password?"

"The computer. To turn it back on from sleep mode, you need the password, right?"

"Oh, right."

It seemed my teacher had momentarily forgotten, as she made a blank sound and then thought for a moment before responding.

"Well, Jun wouldn’t do anything bad, so... it’s 92406789. Can you remember it? Want me to write it down?"

"No, I can remember it."

"Great. Thanks a lot!"

My homeroom teacher hurried off, clearly in a rush, and I humbly bowed as she left.

I walked absently and arrived at the computer room, where I saw a familiar figure. Kim Seokmin, Lee Seokhyeon, and Park Dongcheol. It wasn’t anything special. These guys always tried to use the computers whenever the computer room was open. My homeroom teacher probably asked me to go because she was worried about them using the computers. She must have thought that I was the only one who could kick them out. I wasn’t sure if she was clueless or if she really trusted me that much.

"...Really."

I thought to myself, I’ll go crazy if they ignore me again. A sense of depression crept up on me. I hesitated in front of the open door, but in the end, I decided to just turn off the computer. Since it was a favor for my teacher.

I silently made my way to the desk and quietly pressed the Enter key. The plastic buttons made a clicking sound, and at that moment, the three of them, startled, turned their attention toward me. Luckily, the guys hiding at the back of the classroom were so busy talking among themselves that they didn’t notice me. I made sure to press the password as quietly as possible.

Without taking my eyes off them, I moved the mouse as silently as I could. Then, one program on the screen caught my eye.

"Huh."

There’s no place more tempting than the computer room. Surely, there must be a way for teachers to catch students slacking off. I thought there might be, but I didn’t expect it to be so obvious. Hesitating for a moment, I carefully clicked on the suspicious-looking program.

As soon as the program window opened, over forty new windows popped up. Just as I suspected. My gaze shifted between the three students and the bright monitor. Of the windows open, only one was visible. I didn’t take my eyes off them as I moved the mouse. Click—. The screen that appeared was a roadmap photo.

Only then did I shift my attention to the screen. The location they were looking at was exactly on the opposite side of the neighborhood where I lived. The image was of an old house with a rusty blue roof and cracked concrete walls.

What’s this? This rundown house...

"Wow, is this for real? Is this his house?"

"Kim Minho, that bastard. He’s a real piece of shit."

At that moment, Park Dongcheol suddenly laughed loudly. Looking closer, he was holding the attendance register. Oh, right. Kim Minho and Park Dongcheol were in the same class. I suddenly remembered that the school’s attendance register listed students’ home addresses. No wonder teachers didn’t trust students with it. Park Dongcheol must have gotten his hands on it somehow.

"I kind of guessed it, but I didn’t know it was this bad. Isn’t he basically in the same situation as Han Taesan? And he still acts like that?"

"This bastard borrowed 30,000 won from me and never paid me back."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

Park Dongcheol said smugly, waving the attendance register.

"Wow, Kim Minho is done for. Isn’t this guy a thief?"

Surprisingly, Kim Seokmin supported Park Dongcheol. Not a pacifist, but a timid politician. I felt a chill run through me. The suspicion I’d had before turned into certainty. My hand that was holding the mouse trembled slightly. The moment I knew for sure.

These bastards are the ones who used the broken palace name. It’s clear. It must be them.

"We should report this to the police. Kim Minho hasn’t paid me back my money since last year."

Lee Seokhyeon chuckled softly.

For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t be hearing this conversation. Instinctively, I was certain. I had to leave without getting caught. It was a stupid thing to have eavesdropped on. I lowered my body, filled with self-reproach, and quietly moved the mouse to turn off the computer. In an instant, the screen went black and a “waiting” message appeared. And then I realized my mistake and screamed silently inside.

“Kang Jun, you idiot...!”

I frantically reached for the speaker connected to the computer.

But it was too late. Nowadays, computers usually shut down quietly, so I had completely forgotten. After having my head buried in work for so long, I’d become this stupid. I knew how old and dysfunctional the computers in the school computer room were. The problem was that the speakers were behind the glass on the teacher’s desk. It would take 10, 9, 8, 7 seconds... before my hand could even reach them.

The short sound of music descending from a higher place spread across the screen as it went black. I stood up from where I had crouched, biting my lip. What a damn mess this was. I thought I was having a lucky day, but damn, was I cursed?

I swallowed the rising irritation hard. My regrets went down with my saliva. Fine, there was no point in clinging to it now. I might as well let it go.

When I stood up, I noticed three people staring at me. I raised my hand casually.

“Hey.”

“......”

“......”

“...Oh, hey.”

It was Kim Seokmin who awkwardly raised his hand first. I decided to set a clear goal. What would they do if they found out I had been listening to their gossip? I didn’t want to get involved in this headache-inducing situation, but here I was. I should’ve gotten rid of this trait of mine long ago. It’s in my nature, I guess. Nothing to be done.

The second option was to deal with Kim Seokmin, the pacifist who didn’t want to fight. He was a selfish neutral who wanted to keep the peace in any situation. The selfish part was that he remained neutral no matter who the victim or perpetrator was. Kim Seokmin’s peace came from avoidance, and I knew that avoidance would benefit me here.

“The homeroom teacher asked me to turn off the computer. He always asks me to do stuff like this when he sees me.”

“Ah...”

“I think we should head out soon too, since the door’s going to be locked.”

Their eyes met in the air, unsure. I leaned forward casually, trying to act like it didn’t matter. I couldn’t blame them here. If I did, they’d take my moral advice as an attack and consider me an enemy. That’s how guys are. I couldn’t escape that instinct either, especially if they thought I was on the same level as Park Dongcheol.

“How’d you end up here?”

“Oh, me and Seokhyeon were having class here.”

“Ah, I see.”

I opened my mouth and nodded slowly. I deliberately shifted my gaze to the attendance sheet. I saw all three of their eyes follow my movement. Park Dongcheol seemed to have caught on and awkwardly hid the attendance sheet behind his back. Was he trying to be sneaky? He had been holding it out in the open just a second ago, and now he was hiding it? How stupid could he be?

“Then...”

I was expecting them to suddenly pick a fight, accusing me of having seen something I shouldn’t, acting like people who got caught at a crime scene by a snitch.

Kim Minho, you’re more impressive than I thought. Even when Go Yohan told them to ditch Kim Minho, they kept giving him the benefit of the doubt. The fact that they didn’t kick him out of the group after that proved his worth.

To Go Yohan and their world, Kim Minho was something else. My arrogant view from Yohan’s position had just been slapped in the face. I was about to be dumped by Yohan myself. What was I doing, looking down on them like that? No wonder I got slapped in the back of the head. So stupid.

I turned my gaze to the door and continued talking. Should I pretend I didn’t hear anything and leave, or should I show I know everything?

“You guys better listen to your next class...”

Just like I hadn’t noticed the downfall around Han Junwoo because I had been so focused on him, the same thing was happening now. Right. I always saw the world through Go Yohan’s standards. But there was also a different standard when Go Yohan wasn’t around.

Muscle-bound Kim Minho. His flesh was all made from instant food, but considering his height, his bulk became an overwhelming presence. Kim Minho was even taller than Han Junwoo, the pig.

“We’ll see you later.”

And everyone knew who was the best at playing the seesaw game in this dirty school. Bat-like Kang Jun. The one who sniffed out the scent of losers and crawled to find the scent of victory. The mama’s boy who poured his study brain into politics. So, Kang Jun lived a comfortable life.

That Kang Jun decided to leave, pretending he didn’t know what was going on.

“I’m leaving.”

“...Oh, see you.”

But had Kang Jun really lived comfortably? With his small frame and a face that got him ignored by others? If things had gone a little differently, I might’ve ended up just being the money supplier or, in other words, the homework vending machine for them.

I heard the sound of air rushing out of the slippers. The door was open, and all I had to do was cross the threshold. But the reason I was dragging my feet was...

“Hey, Kang Jun.”

It was because I was waiting for Lee Seokhyeon.

He definitely was going to speak. Unlike Kim Seokmin, who was a pacifist, Lee Seokhyeon was the scheming type who thought about how to gain from a situation. He’d definitely want to be sure. I didn’t stop my acting and turned around, feigning surprise.

“What?”

“Are you going to say something?”

Lee Seokhyeon half-turned his body to ask. It seemed like the three of them were sure I had heard everything. Did they know what I had heard? If it was Lee Seokhyeon, he probably did. And I knew very well that my answer here was the most important.

“What? Who to?”

“You heard everything, didn’t you? Are you going to tell Kim Minho?”

Wow, Kim Minho. He really had a talent for fear-based politics. Or maybe it was just his size that gave him power. Normally, I thought I wouldn’t care if he found out, since people always disrespected him, calling him a pig and whatnot. So, why hadn’t I just kept my mouth shut about him? What was he trying to do? Or at least be careful? I just couldn’t understand it.

“You know Kim Minho’s been on bad terms with Yohan, right?”

“Ah, I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, maybe you were too busy with studying to notice, but we’ve got some stuff built up against him.”

I looked down at the sliding door handle, belittling their petty internal struggles and praising Kim Minho’s wild political skills. Two paths were laid out before me: blackmail or alliance.

“Dongcheol’s been tired of Kim Minho’s bullshit for a while... So, what are you going to do?”

It seemed like Park Dongcheol had chosen the alliance path. Or maybe, they had become a small country offering tribute for them to enjoy gossip. Thinking back, I realized Park Dongcheol and I were on the same level. No wonder they treated me like one of their own.

I kept my mouth shut, thinking.

“Hmm...”

It was so quiet I could hear the clock ticking. The bell for the next class was about to ring, yet no one stood up. I could feel their eyes, all three of them, fixed on me, waiting for my answer. Cold sweat formed in my palm. Right. I was the one who was bluffing here.

“Hey.”

But I didn’t want to become Park Dongcheol.

My pride wouldn’t allow it. I hated the thought of being called Park Dongcheol 2. It pissed me off. If anyone was going to be called that, it should be Park Dongcheol, not me. So, I wasn’t about to pick the path of the dumbass who had made all the wrong choices before me.

“Don’t worry. Even if I tell him, I don’t have any proof. You really think Minho would believe me?”

So, the path I chose was to back out.