Chapter 4.2

On the day Go Yohan and Han Junwoo fought, the homeroom teacher’s first witness was me. I was a bit flustered at first—why me? But I quickly understood. The teacher had taken a particular liking to me for some time, and I was on friendly terms with both Han Junwoo and Go Yohan.

However, my testimony was forthright in a way that favored only one side.

“Junwoo was the one who picked a fight with Yohan. He was also the first to throw a punch.”

“Really? You’re not just siding with Yohan because you’re close?”

I felt uneasy at being doubted and interrogated, but my expression hadn’t been good since before I’d walked in. The teacher probably didn’t find it strange.

“Yes. Really. He started going on about something with the textbooks, and then all of a sudden he threw a punch at Yohan. Yohan was just fighting back after getting hit.”

“Hm. Is that so?”

The teacher ran her fingers through the hair near her ear.

“You know Junwoo got hurt worse than we expected, right?”

“Did he?”

“When the ambulance came, Yohan walked on his own, but Junwoo was carried off. He ended up in the emergency room, with a broken nose and torn facial tissue. The difference is just too big, that’s why I’m asking.”

“Still, Junwoo did hit first, and Yohan even lost a tooth.”

For the record, I didn’t realize at the time that Junwoo had actually lost two teeth.

Looking back, it’s a bit creepy how, in all that chaos, Go Yohan carefully collected those teeth and, apparently just to mess with him, hid the one that could’ve been saved. In some ways, Yohan might be worse than Junwoo—at least in a psychological sense.

“Sure, Junwoo hit first, but don’t you think Yohan took it a bit too far? I mean, how do you leave a kid’s face like that?”

“…That’s true.”

“So, there wasn’t…you know, a group beating or anything like that, right?”

I stiffened for a moment, then answered firmly,@@novelbin@@

“No. It was just the two of them. Everyone else tried to stop it.”

“Hm…”

The teacher started scratching around her ear more vigorously. The thin hairs on her peach-colored skin rose up and settled back down. With her other hand, she repeatedly clicked a ballpoint pen. She seemed deep in thought, then slowly wet her lips with her tongue and called my name.

“Jun.”

“Yes.”

“Jun, you’ve always behaved in ways that inspire trust. You’ve helped me so much. So I really believe in you. I really like you, Jun. I’m on your side.”

“Yes.”

I repeated myself.

“…That’s what I saw.”

It was an excuse.

Sure enough, it’s a move to create an escape route.

“It was just what I thought.”

It’s a very one-dimensional exit strategy, but there’s no better way to brazen it out than this. And the homeroom teacher is ridiculous too. Calling in a handful of students who were close to Go Yohan for a talk—how is that going to help anything? Come to think of it, the teacher seems to be subtly taking Yohan’s side.

Well, it was clear the truth wouldn’t come out straightforwardly anyway. There’s no CCTV or anything.

And, just as I expected, no disciplinary action was taken against Go Yohan. I was certain it would turn out that way, but it was so obvious that it still surprised me a bit.

The reason I was so sure there wouldn’t be any punishment wasn’t just the school’s lax handling; my judgment from watching Han Junwoo for a whole year also played a part. I could guess how he would wrap things up.

I knew that Han Junwoo would never let words slip from his own lips about losing teeth, getting beaten nearly to death by a classmate, or ultimately losing. He would never admit anything that could damage his arrogant pride. Most likely, only his father was gnashing his teeth in frustration and pestering the school.

“…But this is strange.”

This is where my expectations and reality start to diverge.

For days now, I’ve been looking at the same old classroom as if nothing ever happened. There isn’t a hint of worry or concern on Go Yohan’s face. He’s just bouncing a rubber ball he got who-knows-where, goofing around as loudly as ever. All the while displaying his glorious battle scars across his face.

“How can he just sit there like that?”

In my mind, by now, Go Yohan should be bowing his head to Han Junwoo’s father with his own parents in tow. After all, the statement “Go Yohan hit Han Junwoo” is undeniably true. Having produced an outcome that displeased Junwoo’s father, Yohan should have to apologize in some capacity. Not necessarily a sincere apology to the actual victim who was punched—just the apology that an enraged father wants to hear.

“…”

I had assumed that once Yohan returned from that uncomfortable pilgrimage of apologies, he’d grumble about it, and I’d nod along to soothe his mood. I thought that was my role. But Yohan didn’t go see Junwoo’s father at all, and Junwoo’s father never came by the school. This piqued my curiosity.

I have this tendency: whenever there’s a suspicious situation I can’t predict, I feel compelled to dig it up, then decide whether to seize or discard the information I uncover. So I came up with a simple plan—like the silly, childish trick of a little kid.

“Hey, Goyoha—”

“Lee Seokhyeon!”

Right when I tried to talk to him, having cooked up my trivial scheme, Yohan had already tossed the rubber ball onto the floor and was calling out to Lee Seokhyeon while munching on some snack he’d gotten from who-knows-where. I frowned instinctively. Bad timing. Damn it.

“By the way, did someone just call me?”

He was about to dive back into conversation when he suddenly turned my way. Could he hear my voice in all that commotion? Anyway, I quickly raised my hand.

“Me, I did.”

“…What the hell, why’d you call me?”

Before answering, I narrowed my eyes in a squint—an expression of displeasure.

“If you called me, you should speak up.”

With a slight roll of his tongue producing a clear tone, Yohan crooked his finger at me. That gesture got under my skin enough that I frowned again. Of course, I was half-joking, and Yohan was the type who could take a joke, so it wasn’t a big deal.

“You said you’re bored after school, right?”

“Yeah. Totally.”

“Are you free tomorrow? I’m not going to the academy then.”

Living my life by calculating ways not to lose out, I decided to create an opening. I gave a satisfied smile. After hearing my proposal, Yohan pointed at me and said something so outlandish.

“You’re not suggesting we hang out together, are you?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah.”

“You and me? Doing what?”

What’s up with that reaction? Somehow, the lukewarm response made my face go rigid.

“Well… just, you know, hanging around.”

“For what?”

“What do you mean, for what? Just like we usually do.”

“What? Usually? Have we ever hung out one-on-one outside of school?”

I frowned because his taunting tone got on my nerves. Right, we’d never actually hung out one-on-one, so saying “like we usually do” was a mistake. Is he mocking me for that now? Damn it. My face flared hot in an instant. Fuck, does he really have to make me look this pathetic?

“Fine, if you don’t want to, forget it.”

“I never said I didn’t want to.”

He didn’t say it outright, but he sure was being sarcastic. Holding back what I really wanted to say, I clamped my mouth shut. What’s with this guy? I was about to speak again but suddenly realized something and stopped.

Right, this is what he’s always like.

I’ve known all along that Go Yohan can be nice when he feels like it and then pull away just as easily when he doesn’t. Why did I assume he’d jump at my suggestion so readily? Was I feeling some kind of camaraderie because we both consider Han Junwoo an enemy? Ashamed and disgusted with myself for such a dumb thought, I pretended not to care and spoke brazenly:

“Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

But the second the words left my mouth, I sank straight into regret. The way I’d said it sounded like a childish bluff, and my face burned with embarrassment. Ugh. How pathetic. Pathetic, Kang Jun. Biting my lip, I clenched the fist on my thigh several times. My right eye twitched in the process. Go Yohan finally gave his response:

“Alright.”

What a fucking pain... I whipped around to face away from him. What an annoying bastard.

*****

There’s no real "rest" on a high schooler’s day off.

It’s just an extension of studying, cram schools, self-study, and extra prep.

But my parents aren’t around. There’s nobody watching me. One benefit of being neglected by busy parents is the freedom you get. Because of that, I’m a high school student who knows how to enjoy a fair share of liberty on weekends—but then a sudden air raid shattered my so-called rest.

The culprit: Go Yohan.

“Damn, the world’s gotten a lot better, huh? Hospitals have cafeterias now.”

That abrupt text left me dumbfounded, especially since he was the one who turned down my invitation before. Why is he suddenly calling me? Then again, thinking about it—this is exactly the sort of selfish behavior he’s known for, so my feelings kept see-sawing.

“Why’d you call?”

“You just popped into my head all of a sudden… thought we could grab a bite.”

This asshole. I gritted my teeth and bit my lip.

“We’ll see.”

I licked the inside of my cheek. I guess I can’t just take this lying down, even if I’m technically not in a position to demand anything. I wasn’t trying to annoy him; I was just giving him a taste of his own medicine. And I was about to figure out how to wrap it up when suddenly his first line replayed in my mind.

“Wait, did you say you’re at a hospital right now?”

That was the reason my rest got canceled, and I ended up going to see him.

If the hospital Yohan was in had been some tiny clinic far from my place, I’d have gone ahead with my original plan like any other day. But it turned out he was at a large hospital fairly close to my house, so I accepted his invitation without much hesitation.

When I arrived, he was waiting in the lobby, sprawled out on a bench with his legs spread wide. As soon as he saw me, he just flicked his hand once in a half-assed greeting. I didn’t bother returning the gesture and instead stood there, squinting as I looked at his face.

“Why haven’t you taken off that bandage on your nose?”

“I’ve got my reasons.”

“Are you still bleeding? Wound not healed yet?”

“It’s closed up. Don’t worry.”

While I was talking, he stood up, came over to me, and threw an arm around my shoulders.

“Let’s eat. My treat.”

“It’s a food court in the basement, right?”

“What, shit… You think the food court’s free?”

“Bragging about a couple of bucks…?”

I glared at him. He just sneered arrogantly. The two of us went down to the hospital’s basement and placed our orders, aiming to fill our stomachs with a mediocre lunch. As we waited for our food, I asked him,

“So why are you suddenly at the hospital?”

“Huh?”

“You here because of your face? The wounds?”

“Oh.”

He pointed to his own face with a finger. He kept circling it gently around his jaw until he waved his hand, responding in a casual tone.

“Nah. This is where Han Junwoo’s hospitalized.”

“…What?”

The air felt like it got heavier. I stopped the light rhythmic tapping of my fingers on the table. My body stiffened. Why would he come all the way here if Junwoo was admitted? I was the only one feeling uneasy, while Yohan answered like it was nothing.

“I’m gonna show you something fun.”

“What the hell?”

“Junwoo’s dad is in the hospital room. Crazy, right? I called him.”

My mouth opened and closed. The question “How…?” circled in my head but wouldn’t come out. Bouncing a fork in midair, Yohan went on, giving me only the reason for his actions.

“You know I’m a devout Christian, right? Forgiveness! Man, what a beautiful, glorious word. My faith says to seek forgiveness and offer forgiveness. How can I not do that?”

“You expect me to believe you’d do that just for some religious reason? You’re actually asking for forgiveness?”

“Yep.”

He wrinkled his nose as he smiled.

“I don’t wanna go to hell.”

He’s one of those guys who does whatever the hell he wants.

“…And you really think he’ll just forgive you because you decided to ask?”