Eighteen's Bed-Chapter 22.2

“What? Hey, where the hell did you get my picture?”

“Where do you think? Your damn expensive number. Huh? I got my hands on it in a panic, just in case you tried to bail again. What are you gonna do about it?”

Hearing that he had seen my profile picture, I shut my mouth. One way or another, I was the villain for ghosting the team project.

“Ahem, right. Got it.”

Shit. I subtly turned my face away from Kang Suhyeon and cursed silently under my breath.

And why the hell was Go Yohan just standing there? Just a few years ago, he used to sneer at any mention of girls. Now he was tagging along to a blind date? Unbelievable. What, is he suddenly curious? Or does he want to experience a whole new world?

Whatever it was, it didn’t change the fact that I hated this situation.

I shot him a look full of resentment. Honestly, it was pretty obvious. But the bastard just stood there, observing, slowly running his index finger along his chin.

Annoying bastard. Pissing me off bastard.

As expected, everything that came out of Go Yohan’s mouth was a lie. What was that bullshit about listening to me? Like I’m some kind of religion? And I was the idiot who got caught up in it. Asshole.

“Uh, hey, buddy?”

“Huh? Me? You called me?”

“Yeah.”

While I was glaring at Go Yohan and biting my lip, he briefly glanced at me before looking away and answering Kang Suhyeon.

For a second, I had hope.

While my frustration was boiling over, a tiny spark of hope flickered inside me.

Yeah, at least now, at this moment, say you want nothing to do with this stupid bullshit. Cause a scene and walk away, like you usually do.

But instead of that, Go Yohan’s gaze slowly followed Kang Suhyeon’s arm down to the fabric of my shirt he was gripping.

“You’re gonna wrinkle my friend’s clothes.”

“Really?”

“Obviously, right?”

Damn it. Of course.

The hope fizzled out like a dying ember.

Kang Suhyeon must have sensed the sudden shift in Go Yohan’s mood because he hesitated before slowly loosening his grip. Then, smoothing out the wrinkles he had left, he spoke.

“Oh, yeah… Jun? Looks like I crumpled your shirt a little. You seem pretty pissed about it.”

It was about time I acknowledged my own learning ability.

Go Yohan never does anything that meets or defies expectations. Nothing is ever in between.

Honestly, I didn’t give a shit about my shirt.

“Hey, your friend’s a little intense.”

And this mechanical engineering major was clearly out of his mind.

If he thought whispering right next to me was discreet, he was dead wrong. At this distance, with this volume, there was no way Go Yohan didn’t hear him calling him weird. But he didn’t react at all. He just crossed his arms and watched.

Encouraged by the lack of response, Kang Suhyeon leaned in and kept whispering.

“Is he always this bad with first impressions?”

“…Yeah, pretty much.”

The problem was that he was right.

For a brief moment, my mental concept of "weird bastard" shifted to "slightly less weird bastard."

I decided to erase the hot breath brushing against my ear from my memory. That was a disgusting feeling I never wanted to remember.

“Damn, even his voice is low. Man, that’s actually kinda attractive—”

“What’s the point? His personality makes you sick of him.”

I vaguely agreed but didn’t at the same time.

And I had no intention of whispering.

By bluntly saying it out loud, I put Kang Suhyeon in an awkward spot and vented my anger at Go Yohan all at once.

As soon as I practically shouted it, Kang Suhyeon flinched, reaching out to cover my mouth before hesitating. He must have realized we weren’t close enough for that. Instead, he awkwardly waved his hands through the air.

“The air’s kinda dusty today…”

His wistful muttering blended into the evening sky.

Then, after staying silent the entire time, Go Yohan raised an eyebrow.

“Sick of me?”

“Yeah. Completely.”

I stomped on his words, laced with subtle thorns.

Go Yohan forced a grin by dragging his fingers across his cheek. One side of his face lifted unnaturally, twisting into a crooked smile.

Great. Now things were going to be uncomfortable for a few days.

And yet, knowing this, I still acted like this.

I didn’t want to keep talking, so I just stared at the ground.

“Just so you don’t get the wrong idea—I wasn’t talking about me.”

Surprisingly, it was Kang Suhyeon who shattered the awkward atmosphere before it could settle in.

“I said I think it’s attractive.”

His face was scrunched into a desperate grin, hands clasped together as if in prayer. But it wasn’t actual desperation—his expression was practically screaming, “Why the hell are these two fighting again?”

Glancing back and forth between me and Go Yohan, he suddenly put on an exaggeratedly serious face.

“Fight after the blind date. And not in front of me. We need to stay focused on our mission here. Do you have any idea how high-class this setup is? It’s with the dance department. Oh—hey, my friend’s here!”

Kang Suhyeon’s thick eyebrows scrunched together in excitement. His hair, slicked down with way too much wax, glistened under the streetlamp.

The one who completely shattered the heavy mood wasn’t a peacemaker—it was just another guy showing up.

Go Yohan and I instinctively exchanged glances, then looked away, scratching at our necks in mild embarrassment.

We probably looked exactly like two idiots who just had a childish fight.

****

The most infuriating part?

Go Yohan was unbelievably bad at drinking games.

“What the hell? You got caught again?”

“Wow, Yohan, you really suck at this.”

A beer glass, stained white from wear, was filled with a murky mixture of soju and beer. Without hesitation, Go Yohan downed it. This was already his ninth drink. On top of that, because he kept losing every single round, I—who was sitting right next to him—hadn’t had a single sip.

“This is too much, you guys. It’s not like I’ve ever played these games before.”

He smiled as he said it, the kind of smirk that made me want to punch him.

He downed another glass in one gulp, so much that some spilled down his jaw. Then, setting the empty glass down, he gestured toward the four guys with his thumb.

“We’re just a bunch of nerds who only know how to study. Korea University, you know?”

“Eh, I don’t buy that. At least you seem like you used to party.”

The short-haired girl—was her name Soyeon? I didn’t remember her last name—leaned forward, eyes practically sparkling. She’d been watching Go Yohan like that since the beginning.

Go Yohan, gripping his cup with his barely functional right hand, tilted his head slightly.

“Nah. I was a total loser.”

Liar.

Who would’ve thought the guy who ruled an entire high school with an iron fist would go around claiming he was at the bottom of the food chain in college?

His slow blinks, the slightly drunken haze in his eyes—every little movement of his was infuriatingly shameless.

While Go Yohan lay half-slumped over the table, propping his chin up with one hand, Kang Suhyeon took the chance to secretly glance at me. His mouth moved exaggeratedly.

“Is that true?”

What do you think?

I wasn’t close enough to him to outright say no, so I just gave him a twisted little smile.

“From what I can tell, he ruled the whole damn world.”

I ignored his disbelieving expression.

"Man, I was such a loser that—"

Go Yohan’s voice dragged, and suddenly, his gaze landed on me.

I flinched, caught off guard. Why are you looking at me?

Feeling uneasy, I instinctively leaned back.

But in an instant, his hand shot out, grabbing my shoulder.

“This guy was my high school classmate. And let me tell you, he had so much power that if he didn’t want to be friends with me, I had to get on my knees and beg.”

Six pairs of eyes turned toward me. Wide-eyed and full of curiosity.

It was such utter bullshit that my hand moved on its own, lifting helplessly before I weakly shook it from side to side.

“A-ah, no. That’s not true.”

“People used to tremble at the mere mention of his name. His personality was the worst.”

“No, no. He’s just joking.”

“Do you even know how much I had to beg to be his friend? I literally got down on the ground and pleaded. Kissed his feet, even. So spread the word, alright? Korea University’s Kang Jun—sure, he’s got a pretty face, but his past was a mess, and his personality sucks.”

“What the hell? You’re lying again! Quit messing around!”

Soyeon burst into laughter, slapping the table. The heavy thud cut off Go Yohan’s words, and the entire group erupted in laughter.

They could all tell it was an exaggerated joke.

But there was something they didn’t know.

Out of all the lies Go Yohan had spewed tonight, this was the only one that was true.

That bastard really did get down on the ground and kiss my feet.

I had been denying it over and over, but now, I suddenly shut my mouth. My face felt like it was burning up.

Why the hell would he bring that up now?

My tongue rolled against the inside of my mouth as my cold fingers pressed against my heated neck.

I stared blankly into space, not knowing where to look.

Just thinking about it made my hands go ice-cold, while the rest of my body felt unbearably hot.

“You really have a shit personality, you know that?”

Soyeon pointed at Go Yohan, laughing. “Dragging down a friend who even went to the same university as you, just to score points with the girls? What a guy. You’re perfect friend material. Friend.”

Her laughter was unreserved, the kind that made it obvious she wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

It was weirdly refreshing.

When she casually smacked Go Yohan’s arm, which was resting on the table, it felt a little off—but somehow, her laughter alone was enough to clear the suffocating tension that had been weighing on me for days.

Before I realized it, I rubbed my chest with the palm of my hand.

For once, I felt relieved.

Shit.

I could feel the corners of my mouth twitching.

“I’m gonna hit the bathroom real quick.”

Maybe some cold air would help.

I stood up, but all the attention was still focused on Go Yohan.

Damn, people sure liked him in an over-the-top way.

The sarcasm bubbled up in my chest.

As expected, no one cared whether I was here or not.

Shrugging at the familiar feeling, I left the table.

****

The second time I found myself alone with Kang Suhyeon was in the bathroom.

Not just any bathroom—one located outside the restaurant.

To be honest, I hesitated at least a thousand times before stepping in. Should I go in or not?

The place was disgusting. Filthy. Just thinking about setting foot inside made me sick.

But I didn’t really have a choice.

Everything in life is something you get used to.

If I really thought about it, my high school bathroom wasn’t much better than this.

All the same in the end.

After giving myself that pep talk, I finally went in. While washing my hands, the door opened.

And in walked Kang Suhyeon.

Our eyes met in the mirror, and he clicked his tongue, raising a hand in greeting.

“Your friend totally wrecked this meeting.”

“Well, that’s just how it is.”

It wasn’t exactly surprising.

Having spent three years right next to Go Yohan, I knew it better than anyone.

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“He always monopolizes people’s attention.”

“What the hell? What kind of way is that to talk? You guys aren’t that close?”

“…Not really.”

“You’re not friends?”

“Friends?”

That would be a weird way to describe us.

Shaking the water off my hands, I hesitated before answering.

“…No. Not really.”

“Figures. That’s why you didn’t play fair.”

“Fair?”

“Does this look like a fair situation to you? That guy’s gonna walk away with at least three phone numbers. And you—hey! You shouldn’t be acting so clueless. I told you to bring someone decent, but instead, you completely screwed this up.”

“Nah, the girls said Yohan was just friend material anyway.”

“You actually believed that? Do you have any idea how many times I’ve seen this exact situation? They’re all just testing the waters.”

I didn’t respond.

My expression twisted into a scowl.

The tightness in my chest that had momentarily eased was creeping back again.

“…I see.”

Damn it.

That same sickness that plagued me all through high school was rearing its head again.

A dull, aching weight pressed down on me.

Why was I even here?

“You should’ve stopped him from coming. Even if he wanted to come, you should’ve found a way to block him.”

I didn’t even hear Kang Suhyeon’s complaints anymore.

I was too lost in my own thoughts.

Why did I bring him?

As I pondered that, an image seared itself into my brain—Go Yohan’s clumsy grip on his chopsticks, his fingers failing to hold them properly.

My mind gnawed on the same thought over and over.

The reason I was weak to him.

“…Yeah.”

“Ugh, whatever. I need to—go.”

Still muttering his grievances, Kang Suhyeon suddenly tensed, squeezing his legs together as he shuffled toward a stall.

I didn’t want to see that.

Shaking my head, I turned to leave.

And right outside the door, I saw a familiar face.

“…Oh. Uh, hey.”

One of the girls from the meeting.

The one who had been the most quiet.

She’d introduced herself in such a small voice that I hadn’t caught her name properly.

Something like… Igahee? Yoon? Something similar.

For now, I mentally labeled her as Gahee.

But she wasn’t going into the bathroom.

Instead, she stood stiffly in the narrow alley leading to it, an uncomfortable expression on her face.

We had spent a few hours sitting at the same table, so ignoring her felt weird, but starting a conversation felt even more awkward.

So I just stood there, my hand still on the door, and looked around.

“…Ah.”

A few glances around, and I got it.

A cramped, dimly lit alley.

A run-down men’s bathroom next to it.

And beside that, the flimsy door of the women’s bathroom—so poorly fitted that you could see inside through the gaps if you just turned your head slightly.

“I’ll wait outside.”

“Huh?”

Without looking at her, I leaned against the wall next to the door, pulled out the earphones buried in my pocket, and plugged them into my ears.

Then I jerked my chin in her direction and glanced at my phone.

That was all.

It wasn’t anything grand.

It was just that staring at someone as they walked into the bathroom felt kind of creepy and weird.

Gahee took a moment, but eventually, in a barely audible voice, she muttered:

“…Thanks.”

I didn’t respond.

That seemed like the kind of answer she’d prefer.

Three songs later, I felt a small tap on my back.

Turning off my music, I looked over my shoulder.

She was standing there, head slightly bowed.

“Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s fine.”

And just then, Kang Suhyeon finally emerged.

What the hell had he been doing in there?

I could guess, but I really didn’t want to.

Gross.

Pressing a hand against my chest to ease the tightness creeping in again, I turned back to the restaurant.

But before I could take a step, Kang Suhyeon approached me with a deeply wrinkled, sorrowful expression.

“Look at this. Look. Birds of a feather.”

What the hell was he talking about now?

I shot him a glare.

“There really is no such thing as male friendship after all.”

…Seriously, what was this guy on about?

I was too exhausted to care.

He muttered something about picking the wrong persona before shaking his head, trembling with faux grief.

Ignoring him, I yanked out my earphones and made my way back inside.

Right as I reached the door, I nearly bumped into someone.

Instinctively, I took a step back.

Again?

She hesitated, lips moving slightly as if trying to say something, but her voice was too soft to hear.

There was something familiar about this.

And then it hit me.

I knew why she was lingering.

Of course.

It made sense.

A dark alley between two buildings, packed with drunk people, not a single streetlight nearby.

For a girl, it was obviously uncomfortable.

I hesitated for a moment, then asked:

“Wanna go in together?”

“…Wow.”

From beside me, Kang Suhyeon let out a long, exhausted sigh, staring at me like I was beyond saving.

Then, when I even held the door open for her, he covered his mouth with both hands, his face twisted in a comically grotesque expression.

“What?”

I glared at him as I stepped inside, following behind Gahee.

But the once-lively table had fallen silent.

The change in atmosphere caught me off guard, and I quietly made my way over.

And that’s when I saw it.

“…Why is he suddenly passed out?”

Kang Suhyeon asked seriously.

The answer was obvious.

The protagonist had collapsed.

Four people awkwardly stared down at Go Yohan, now slumped over the table.

In perfect unison, they muttered:

“I think he’s drunk.”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

Kang Suhyeon stroked his chin, nodding.

Meanwhile, Soyeon’s expression crumpled into a look of guilt.

“Did we make him drink too much? Oh no… was I a bit harsh earlier?”

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno, he kept dropping his chopsticks like a kid, so I might’ve teased him about it…”

“Now that you mention it, his chopstick skills were kinda weird.”

“….”

My shoulder stiffened.

I hadn’t meant to, but I shot a sharp look at the back of Kang Suhyeon’s head.

The way he casually took Soyeon’s side was oddly irritating.