[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eighteen-s-bed":3,"chapter-eighteen-s-bed-eighteen-s-bed-chapter-44":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Eighteen’s Bed",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1167102,1516,"Chapter 11.3","eighteen-s-bed-chapter-44",44,"\u003Cp>There was a difference between the way I had liked Han Junwoo and the way I liked Go Yohan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Junwoo had wronged me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had wronged Go Yohan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Yohan got angry—I just hadn’t understood the way he showed it. That was why he was disappointed in me. That was why he came to hate me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common factor was my behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like I had ignored Han Junwoo, I ignored Go Yohan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, I caught myself glancing at him without realizing it. But the moment I noticed, I would hurriedly, consciously, tear my gaze away. I didn’t want anyone to know I was paying attention to him. It was a matter of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been abandoned—but I didn’t want to believe that I had been abandoned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I abandoned him too. I agreed to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That false belief was what kept me going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the time when Go Yohan’s gaze never found me, I wondered why I had liked him in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he was good-looking. I cared a lot about faces.Second, he was tall. I cared about build, too.Third, he was rich—but so was I, so never mind. Scratch that.Third—he studied a decent amount. But that was just a surprising trait, not a reason to fall for him. So scratch that too.Third—he was kind to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah. He had been kind to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even after he learned my true nature, he had still been kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took me five nights after realizing that before I finally started to regret what had happened at his house. Some nights, I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn’t sleep. The kind of shame that made me want to strangle myself to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nights where I wished Kang Jun would just disappear. Die and be gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then morning would come, and Kang Jun would still be here, indifferent as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then on, I stopped looking at Go Yohan—even consciously, I made sure not to. I forced myself. Over and over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were even days when I didn’t look at him once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still hungry at lunch. The bread was still tasteless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the days passed, somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to what I found written on that desk in the science lab, they weren’t so bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words had been scrawled onto a desk in the second row with a permanent marker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know when it had been written. I didn’t know who had written it. I didn’t even know for sure that the “Kang” in question was me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, I knew it was about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until now, I had never cared when people insulted me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I knew—really knew—that their hatred came from jealousy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their criticism was born from my success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they hated the nerd who had never once fallen from the top rankings. Of course, they despised the brainiac who hung around kids at the top of the social ladder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just four characters—four strokes of ink—had captured my downfall perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More precisely, they had realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor they followed had abandoned me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pathetic little shits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I muttered, but my face was burning red with humiliation and rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only saving grace was that the lights were off for the PowerPoint presentation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they had been on, everyone would have seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone would have known I had been humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All this over just a few days…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People underestimated just how sensitive boys really were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pretended not to care, but no one was more attuned to others’ reactions than them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because admitting that they cared meant admitting their own weakness, they pretended not to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caring too much made you look desperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not caring enough made you lose your “friends.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear they had already noticed that something had changed between me and Go Yohan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands trembled as I covered up the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pressed my palm against the desk, rubbing it forcefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ink didn’t budge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I clenched my fist, covered the insult, held my head high, and swallowed down the bile rising in my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All this over just a few weeks…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced my humiliation down through sheer stubbornness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no time for this. I had to do something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—first, I had to erase this before anyone else saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat beneath my eyes threatened to spill over, but I held it back with everything I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit down on my lip while no one was looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost turned my head toward Go Yohan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I managed to resist that too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when class ended, I rushed to the infirmary, grabbed some alcohol, and ran back to the science lab—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only to find that the words had already been smudged into a purple stain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had tried to erase them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panic hit first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone would know I had fallen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as I was being swallowed by the horror of it, a voice called out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Chemistry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at me with pitying eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That? Shin Jaehyun wiped it off for you. Go thank him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze was full of sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment, I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time I had ever seen the name Shin Jaehyun was on the ranking sheet in the hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School-wide Rank 31.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Chemistry hadn’t told me his name, I would have never been able to guess who he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that incident, I spent three days watching him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking back, Shin Jaehyun was the first “mid-tier” kid I had ever observed of my own accord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to know everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How he had seen the writing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why he had erased it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it kindness? Pity? A sense of justice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he told anyone about it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he spread the rumor—consciously or unconsciously?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the graffiti had probably been there for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though it was obvious that a lot of people had already seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I fixated on Shin Jaehyun’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was the only witness I had found.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what I eventually learned about him… was unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I’m being honest, he was so obnoxiously wholesome that it pissed me off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, he had lived in America until middle school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A textbook “outdoorsy” type.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Easygoing, never stuck with any particular group, never got involved in drama—but never got ostracized either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few guys who hung around him described him like this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Jaehyun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A walking ball of positivity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An L.A. man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some Americanized idiot who sometimes sucked at both Korean and English.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His life motto was basically “Things will work out somehow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A quiet guy, but one you could trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how they saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ironically, the teachers didn’t think much of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in a bad way—just in an unremarkable way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got that answer firsthand when I casually asked my homeroom teacher about him while picking up some printouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jaehyun? He’s a good kid. Sometimes forgets his homework, though.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other teachers’ reactions were just as bland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shin Jaehyun’s in Class 1?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, our class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They trusted me too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After I had cemented myself as the top student, their trust in me had only grown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talkative teachers casually threw out their evaluations of Jaehyun in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it was anything negative—otherwise, they wouldn’t have said it so freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, my homeroom teacher suddenly asked, as if curious,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But why do you ask?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smoothly adjusted the printouts in my hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He just seems… nice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A good kid,\" she said, this time with genuine sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He's as kind as you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, I felt a bit relieved. My thoughts finally settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wouldn’t be any rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, I spoke to Shin Jaehyun just once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I caught him during a chaotic moment between classes, slipping into the crowd as I approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only said one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t really gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was more of a plea—Don’t tell anyone. Don’t say a word about my humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’re a good person. You won’t betray me. You’re mature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what I was hoping for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Jaehyun, who had been staring off at the sky while walking, suddenly turned to me, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was blank, genuinely clueless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, I didn’t answer. Too many eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaehyun had asked a question, but he never got the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he simply gave me a puzzled smile before turning away, as if thinking, What a strange guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment, I finally understood why I had never heard anything bad about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mentally revised his record.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Jaehyun. Better than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain shot through my back, making me yelp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the—?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rubbed the stinging spot with my left hand and spun around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no one there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I instinctively glanced down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my feet, a small rubber ball lay still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snapped my head up again, scanning the hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My position was shaky, but my pride was intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I must have been born with a naturally strong sense of pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My upbringing had only reinforced it, shaping me into who I was now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But sometimes, too much pride chipped away at my self-esteem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mostly in front of the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I had just grown five more centimeters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I would’ve at least hit 180.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My small frame and thinner-than-average bones were my biggest insecurities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even my mother acknowledged it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She always tried to push herbal medicine on me, poking at my complex every time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drink it. Drink it all in one go. Just five more kilos, okay? You’d look so much better.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let myself be convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swallowed the vile, gag-inducing herbal concoctions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my body just wasn’t the type to gain weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And unfortunately, being small meant being easier to disregard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why I clung to academics, appearance, and social connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In order to survive the hierarchy, I had to play the cards I had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, I had always been in the upper tier of every group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I thought I had a safety net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just because things had ended with Go Yohan didn’t mean my entire social life had crumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, I had been actively striking up conversations with people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, outside of lunch, I could still chat with classmates and cram school acquaintances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Annoyingly, that included Oh Yeonjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yo, Kang Jun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But among all these subtle changes in my social standing, there was one particular shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A barely perceptible shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A slight but undeniable attempt to push me down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you finish the homework? Can I take a look? Sorry, I totally forgot today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh Yeonjun was starting to get on my nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And today was the final straw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifth period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The classroom was loud with complaints about the upcoming performance assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of them were grumbling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why the hell are they making seniors do this? Just replace it with a test score.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up, dude, no way. A test would be even worse. I have no idea what to pick for my topic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll just have my mom do it for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jesus, you’re hopeless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, two people turned to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Park Haon, ranked ninth in the school, and Im Yoonki, ranked twenty-first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, Kang Jun, have you picked a topic yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two were the ones I had been working the hardest to get close to lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, it was paying off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling slightly elated, I answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not yet. I was thinking of asking my cram school teacher.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Which teacher? When are you gonna ask?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could answer, Yeonjun, who had been listening from afar, suddenly barged into the conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And of course, he had to say something unpleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yo, Kang Jun! Let’s go ask together later. I’ll help you out. I mean, your arm’s messed up, so writing’s gotta be tough, right? No problem, yeah?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost scowled right in his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the hell did we get close enough for that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was anyone I didn’t want to get buddy-buddy with, it was Yeonjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time I saw him, my stomach twisted with irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made my insides burn with jealousy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t even want to engage. So I just tossed out a vague response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Sure. Let’s ask together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright. Later then… Oh, right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew what was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he said \"right,\" he was about to pick a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But your arm, though. If it’s taking three months to heal, doesn’t that mean it’s broken, not just cracked?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way, dude. My brother broke his toe, and it took exactly three months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the fuck is his problem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is he like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The irritation sat heavy in my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t just agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I admitted it, he’d never shut up about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d keep bringing it up, stubbornly forcing his version of the truth down my throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeonjun was the type who had to be right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I was never going to give him that satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was a petty person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeonjun, maybe you just misremembered?\" I said smoothly. \"I don’t think that’s the case.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is, though. My brother literally said so. You’re the one who’s wrong.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, don’t you think I’d know my own body better?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept my tone even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Three months… That’s just what the doctor said. They told me to take it easy for three months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think you're smarter than a doctor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sarcasm finally shut Oh Yeonjun up. His smug mouth clamped shut, and the satisfaction of seeing it happen was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whatever, then… Ah, right. What I was saying before.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely had a second to enjoy my victory before he started up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After class, we’re meeting at the academy. You have to come with me, got it? Don’t even think about sneaking off alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, without warning, he shoved my shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If my arm had been fine, I could’ve braced myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one of my arms was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shit. Fuck. Not like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falling backward, crashing to the ground like an idiot—nothing could be more humiliating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeonjun must’ve been enjoying this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never dared to pull this shit when I was with Go Yohan, but now that he saw an opportunity, he was crawling out of the woodwork. Climbing up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, he wanted to humiliate me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fucking bastard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…….\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My left hand fumbled uselessly for the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as I resigned myself to eating the floor—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chair screeched violently against the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that my chair?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had I really been pushed that hard?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that at least I wouldn’t go down in a pathetic heap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please, please, please—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I never hit the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By some miracle, I had stopped falling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had caught me—awkwardly, but firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large hands pressed against my back, holding me steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pushed myself upright, turning to see who it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, it was Shin Jaehyun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at him in confusion before muttering,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t mention it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jaehyun, completely unfazed, walked away into the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind me, someone spoke up in a voice filled with some mix of amusement and disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Park Haon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Doesn’t he move kinda like an American?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, Shin Jaehyun? Yeah, he reeks of Yankee energy no matter what he does.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeonjun, hearing this, immediately over-exaggerated his reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even mimicked Jaehyun’s voice, putting on a stupid nasal tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t mention it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But look at this asshole—he shoved me, and he’s still not apologizing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anger surged up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I straightened up and stared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeonjun.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I almost fell just now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, uh… Oh yeah! My bad, dude. I’ll be more careful. But seriously, that guy’s such a Yankee, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a shameless fucking deflection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely even tried to hide it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now he was mocking Jaehyun’s lips, pursing his own in a ridiculous imitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before I could say anything, Haon cut in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, stop it. Jaehyun’s a good guy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, there aren’t many like him. Sure, he’s kinda slow on the uptake, but still.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You two know him well?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my sudden question, Im Yoonki gestured between himself and Haon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We were in the same class last year.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, you didn’t know? Makes sense, I guess. He does have kind of a weak presence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He doesn’t talk much, yeah. But weirdly enough, he’s got a lot of friends. It’s kind of fascinating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haon and Yoonki had good chemistry—almost like best friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of duo that made it hard for others to join in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And apparently, Yeonjun was feeling left out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, being the shameless bastard he was, he turned to me instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, Jun, are we meeting before or after class?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was still clinging to this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suppressing my irritation, I answered flatly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay! Then let’s go after class.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeonjun, can’t you handle this on your own?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yoonki, grinning good-naturedly, playfully chastised him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I liked Yoonki’s comment, obviously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No clue why he was siding with me, but I wasn’t complaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeonjun, on the other hand, was complaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No way! I have to get good grades! I wanna get into college through early admissions!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Man, must be nice to have that luxury. Didn’t you run for student council president? That should be good for your application, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh yeah, you did, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh. That actually counts for something?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeonjun made a weird face, suddenly looking sheepish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well… Yeah, I guess it’s something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It definitely is. Not just anyone can run for student council. You need a teacher’s recommendation too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haon and Yoonki, being so generous, stoked his fragile little ego.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I disagreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t even that impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just running for student council?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But judging by his expression, Yeonjun was thrilled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guess he was one of those people who just ate up compliments, no matter how shallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nice! Man, talking to you guys makes everything feel clearer. You top-rankers are something else. Anyway, I’m off! See you later, Jun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bye!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See ya.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good fucking riddance.\u003C\u002Fp>",3039,"2026-06-03T12:59:24.646Z","2026-06-03T12:59:27.192Z",1,"novelbin.me","4a04cdac2fcbf471df3194dfc3cd3d6677252fa9034c7e4d248a4f8de9b47169","eighteen-s-bed-chapter-45","eighteen-s-bed-chapter-43",138,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feighteen-s-bed-cover.jpg"]