Eighteen’s Bed

Their gaze is alive. If not, there’s no way it would be choking me this vividly. No one is looking at me, yet at the same time, everyone is.

In other words, since yesterday, I’ve become a clown. The protagonist of a play performed in this small, square classroom for the amusement of thirty people. Of course, my play ends in tragedy. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Demian to protect me.

The biggest sign that the atmosphere had shifted so aggressively was Park Haon and Im Yoonki.

I saw it coming. That’s why, when I entered the classroom and sat down, I deliberately didn’t greet them first.@@novelbin@@

“……”

Before sitting, I looked down at the two of them. Do they have eyes in the backs of their heads? Because it definitely felt like they were looking at me. Eventually, Park Haon turned first and greeted me. Im Yoonki followed, sneaking a glance in my direction.

"Hey."

"Yeah. Hey."

A short greeting. Only then could I sit down.

Still, the two of them occasionally turned their heads and spoke to me during break time. Most of it was trivial, pointless chatter. Just like always. But I could feel a subtle wall between us, and that made it painfully clear—they were keeping their distance from me.

Ironically, the one who started talking to me more actively was Oh Yeonjun.

Oh Yeonjun kept turning around to look at me. He looked like he wanted to say something, but then, more than once, his gaze flickered toward the back of the classroom before hastily snapping forward again.

"…Idiot."

At first, I wondered why he kept glancing back. But realization didn’t come too late.

The very back of the classroom—that was Go Yohan’s seat.

"Pathetic bastard."

I muttered a curse under my breath, quiet enough that no one could hear. Jealousy burned hot inside me.

Go Yohan was born to be loved, born to look down from above.

Of the three siblings, he was the one who took after his father the most. There are certain genetic traits you just can’t overcome. Go Yohan resembled his father. Maybe that’s why people always flocked to him. Most wanted to be close to him.

Truthfully, there were plenty who envied Go Yohan. Most of them were jealous of his privileges. But I might have been the only one who hated him from the moment I saw him, for no reason at all.

Even Han Junwoo liked Go Yohan, didn’t he? That was the kind of inexplicable charm Go Yohan had.

Even so, I thought I had the upper hand in this class. I believed that being ranked first in the school could be a kind of power here. No—I was certain of it.