"Did you get permission from your parents before coming?"
"Did you get your parents' permission before coming here?"
I heard a mocking voice mimicking me. Go Yohan snickered, imitating my way of speaking but making it sound even more like a goody-two-shoes. I stopped my hand from opening the door and glared at him. But Go Yohan wasn’t the kind of guy to care about a glare.
"So what?"
Go Yohan tilted his head slightly and smiled with his eyes.
"When did I ever talk like that?"
"Even if you didn't say it like that, that's how it sounds."
Is my way of speaking really that nerdy? I couldn’t believe it. My brow furrowed automatically.
"Do I really sound like that?"
"Yeah. That’s right."
"You're fucking annoying. Seriously."
Hahaha. A bright laugh rang out. When he’s not sneering, Go Yohan actually laughs in a surprisingly refreshing way. I gave that clear laughter two choices.
"You wanna sleep in my room, or in the guest room?"
"Hmm."
Go Yohan stroked his chin with his finger. His wide, long mouth curled upward. Then, with a rather serious face, he answered.
"Guess I have to go to your room, huh?"
"...But there's only one bed in my room."
"Hey. Isn’t that obvious? Who the hell has two beds in their room?"
Go Yohan raised an eyebrow. I let out a pointless sigh. Maybe I shouldn’t have given him a choice in the first place. But somehow, his jokes hit just the right spot, and I barely managed to hold back my laughter.
"Hey. I can see you trying not to laugh."
Shit. Busted.
That morning, I woke up with Go Yohan. I handed him a spare toothbrush I had for guests. As for his uniform, well, he had brought it himself. Breakfast was a lunchbox my parents had ordered in advance. I even got a message saying that starting today, someone would come by to stock the fridge with side dishes, so I shouldn’t worry about meals. My parents' message blinked on my phone screen.
"What about your meals? I don’t want my son eating cold leftovers. Sorry for now, sweetheart."
The screen dimmed back to black over time, and in that black reflection, I saw Go Yohan.
On the way to school, I asked him,
"Do you know how to cook rice?"
"Rice?"
"Yeah. You can use a pressure cooker too."
"Oh. Yeah, I know how."
Go Yohan cooking rice? The thought alone was ridiculous. My imagination ran wild, and suddenly, an image of him in an apron popped into my head. I burst out laughing, and Go Yohan, not even knowing what was so funny, just laughed along with me. He probably thought I was making fun of him. But I didn’t explain, just let him keep laughing.
Once I got to school, I figured I should text my parents. Tell them it’s fine, that I can cook for myself.
And while my parents were looking for a new housekeeper, Go Yohan just... stayed at my house.
It had only happened once. On the way home, I had casually asked, "Wanna eat at my place?" Just that one time. But after that, he never left. Strangely enough, his belongings kept piling up in my room. At some point, his clothes even started hanging in my closet. Since our houses were close, he must’ve figured he could just leave them there.
That odd cohabitation gave me an unfamiliar feeling. At one point, I subtly asked him,
"Are you not going home?"
His answer was teasing.
"Where would I go? I have to cook for you."
"...Ah, right."
After that, I felt too embarrassed to ask again.
Go Yohan’s jokes are a bit overwhelming. Every night, I kicked him off my bed when he tried to climb in. Sitting on the floor, he would pout at me, and every time I saw that look, a heat would stir in the pit of my stomach. But since the reason I kicked him off was exactly because of that heat, I acted even harsher.
Thanks to that, Go Yohan mostly slept on the couch in my room.
And that’s when I found out—Go Yohan sleeps like the dead. No snoring, no grinding his teeth, barely even moves.
On nights when I had trouble sleeping, I’d end up watching him. He looked like a vampire from a movie.
One morning, I told him, "You look like a vampire."
Without hesitation, he answered while chewing his food,
"Probably because my great-grandmother was Romanian."
I had no way of knowing if that was true or not. And no way to confirm it either. His face didn’t change at all when he said it. Even if I asked if he was serious, I wouldn’t be able to tell if his answer was a lie or not. So I didn’t bother asking.
Even through all his constant lies and jokes, there was a weird kind of comfort in them.
Surprisingly, Go Yohan knew how to use a washing machine.
Since a new housekeeper would be arriving soon, I had just been dumping all my dirty clothes in the laundry basket, waiting for them to pile up. But then, Go Yohan randomly went looking for the washing machine manual.
My family doesn’t throw away manuals. Even if the live-in housekeeper quits, the next one can just read the manual and start using things right away. Go Yohan found it. Like some kid who knew how to survive all on his own.
"Jun, you’re seriously useless at living. You’re so much of a garbage-tier mess that I can’t even sort you for recycling."
"Shut up."
Feeling embarrassed by his playful scolding, I snapped back a little harder.
"What would you do without me?"
"......."
Rolling up his sleeves, he pressed a few buttons, and the washing machine started running just fine.
I didn’t help him at all. Instead, I just stared at his white dress shirt, his long arms, the tight stretch of his shirt across his stomach, and the sharply defined lines of his neck.
And I wanted him.
Fuck. I really was just another dumbass guy. Abstinent Kang Jun? What a joke. What kind of abstinent person looks at his own friend like a goddamn side dish?
But the one making it worse was, as always, Go Yohan.
"Jun-ah."
"Huh?"
Lately, physical contact between us had been getting bolder. The moment that shocked me the most was when Go Yohan took a picture of the laundry.
He was just snapping a proof shot to send to my parents, to keep them from meddling. But suddenly, out of nowhere, he appeared behind me and squeezed my arm.
His warm touch burned against my cold skin.
"Wh-what? What are you doing?"
Heat shot up from my toes straight to my navel. Startled, I pulled away, but Go Yohan just grinned and walked off like nothing had happened.
School life was smooth.
Han Junwoo still wasn’t coming to school. Occasionally, I’d see him standing outside the school gate, waiting for Han Taesan. Even though everyone walking by glanced at him, he just stood there, waiting like an idiot.
Honestly, he looked pathetic. Like a total dumbass who never thought about anything other than what was right in front of him. Did he not even care about the stares and whispers?
Meanwhile, Han Taesan quietly went about his school life. He sometimes skipped the last class or avoided heading straight to the school gate after classes, probably trying his best to avoid Han Junwoo.
Since that incident, Han Taesan hadn’t spoken to me. Nor to Go Yohan.
"Ah..."
"Yeah."
Shit. When you're in the same class, these things happen. Like nearly running into each other at the door.
I quickly put on a polite smile and spoke.
"Hey, good morning."
Han Taesan, thankfully, never responded. He just walked past me.
Yet every time we crossed paths by chance, he always turned red and looked nervous. He’d glance at me as if he wanted to say something but would end up closing his mouth and walking away.
I didn’t bother paying attention.
And then—
"...Fuck."
Go Yohan got his wish. We ended up in the same class.
I clenched my fist as I looked at the class list on the wall. My wish had been completely shattered.
3rd Year, Class 1.
Out of all the people in his friend group, Go Yohan and I were the only ones in the same class.
*****
Maybe God is really on Go Yohan’s side. Otherwise, how could he be this lucky? Even the so-called losers in life—Go Yohan’s friends—had been pushed away, along with Han Taesan and Han Junwoo. Thankfully, Han Taesan barely ended up in a middle-tier class. Meanwhile, Go Yohan and I were placed in the very first class, while everyone else was stuck in the last ones.
Even the buildings were split between the West and East wings.
Our homeroom teacher remained the same. Clearly miserable about being assigned to seniors, he grumbled from the very first morning meeting.
"I’m only doing this because I’m the youngest and a newbie."
Still, he looked pretty cheerful. He glanced around at the students, then smiled broadly.
And for good reason.
Strangely enough, Class 3-1 had no troublemakers. The class was filled with students known for their good grades.
Looking at the situation, there was only one conclusion to draw.
"Did they put all the top-ranked students in one place?"
Someone muttered it, and I silently agreed, scanning the room.
Any doubts I had were confirmed in Korean class. Our teacher, notorious for his loose lips and half-assed attitude, put the final nail in the coffin.
"As expected, the air is different in an elite class. I wish I could teach only Class 1 and 2 for the rest of my life."
Ahn Jisoo had been placed in Class 2. Meanwhile, sitting at the very front of our classroom was the student ranked third in the entire school. That’s when I realized—the school had deliberately stacked Class 1 and 2 with the top-performing students, based on the last finals.
I had no idea how they assigned students in the other classes, but it was clear that Class 1 and 2 were the ones they actually cared about. The rest? They’d been thrown away.
At least, that was how things worked in this school.
I turned my head to look at Go Yohan.
As always, he was sitting in the very back. He was tall with broad shoulders—just sitting in the middle would block someone’s view. On top of that, his long legs and arms made every little movement noticeable.
Meanwhile, I, who was only slightly taller than average, was placed in the middle.
Go Yohan stretched his neck out, pressing the end of a ballpoint pen against it. Go Yohan holding a pen, Go Yohan studying.
A paradox. Go Yohan.
In the end, Go Yohan surpassed Han Taesan’s grades.
Of course he did.
Even though Han Taesan had ranked seventh in the first semester’s finals and Go Yohan had placed ninth, the second semester had been a disaster for Taesan. Meanwhile, on the surface, Go Yohan had remained steady.
On the first day of class after winter break, the new live-in housekeeper finally arrived.
She looked like she was in her late 30s, younger than I had expected. Unlike the previous housekeeper, who had always been attentive to my moods, the new one was strictly professional. She finished her tasks and returned to her quarters without fuss.
Which meant Go Yohan had even more space to lounge around.
Not that he was the type to care about others to begin with.
Still, it seemed like he had at least mentioned it to my parents.
Even though I hadn’t said a word, they knew Go Yohan had been coming over. One time, they casually brought it up over the phone.
"I heard Chairman Go’s son has been visiting our house a lot?"
I had only mentioned him as a neighbor, yet somehow, his father’s name got brought up.
I couldn’t help but resent my parents a little for never telling me that the Go family lived next door.
"Yeah. Turns out we’re in the same class. We ended up getting close."
"Oh my! That’s great!"
The response was completely different from when they talked about Han Junwoo.
Laughter rang through the receiver.
"Oh, my son always picks such good friends! But honestly, I do worry about you. Other kids go wild when left alone, but you don’t even know how to have fun. What are you going to do when you grow up?"
Empty words.
Their words of reproach were actually filled with affection.
A smirk crept onto my lips.
Yeah, what will I do when I grow up?
Rebellion would be a relief. But, Mom, your son is actually a gay who gets hard whenever he sees a hot guy.
This isn’t rebellion—it’s practically treason.
After sitting through a whole speech full of motherly pride, I finally headed back to my room.
But when I got there, Go Yohan was gone.
I walked around, looking for signs of him. Then I heard the sound of water running from the bathroom connected to my room.
He must be showering.
I turned around and lay on my bed, scrolling through my phone.
Somewhere, a phone started ringing.
I sat up and looked around. A phone was flashing at the edge of the bed. I reached out.
It was Go Yohan’s.
"Father."
The screen went dark, but past call records appeared.
Nine missed calls.
All from Father.
Just as I was about to check them, the phone rang again.
The tenth call in a row.
This couldn’t be good.
When parents call this persistently, it’s rarely for anything good.
I left the bed and walked to the bathroom door.
"Yohan."
I knocked. No response.
I knocked again, but the only answer was the sound of running water.
My hand instinctively reached for the doorknob.
But I couldn’t bring myself to open it.
I already knew what I’d see.
And I wasn’t confident I’d be okay after seeing Go Yohan’s naked body.
Kang Jun, ever so subtly perverted.
In the end, I decided to answer the call myself.
That was probably for the best.
After dealing with Han Junwoo, I had a talent for making up bullshit excuses.
The tenth missed call ended, and the phone immediately rang again.
The eleventh.
I exhaled, returned to my room, and answered.
"Hello—"
"You little shit. Where the fuck are you running off to this time? What the hell are you trying to pull? Do you have any idea how much of a mess you’ve made for me with CEO Han?"
...What the fuck?
Shocked, I pulled the phone away from my ear and checked the caller ID again.
Had I read it wrong?
No, it definitely said Father.
I thought back to the polite, well-mannered man I had met before. The gentle authority figure who had just now turned into a crude thug.
Is this something a father should say to his son?
And in this tone?
That meant Go Yohan had been hearing this all his life.
I had never experienced it, and I couldn’t understand it.
"Uh..."
What the hell is wrong with Go Yohan?
He’s smart, quick-witted, only dabbles in light mischief, and actually has a weirdly kind side.
Even back when I hated him, I had still thought he was better than Han Junwoo.
And so, before I could stop myself, I opened my mouth.
Honestly, I think I got a little pissed off.
"Excuse me... I’m Yohan’s friend, Jun. Kang Jun. We’re in the same class."
Silence.
And then more silence.
Nothing but silence filled the call.
He must be embarrassed.
After all, he had just cussed out his own son in front of his son’s friend.
It must have felt like his true nature had been exposed.
"Do you remember? We met at the church that time—"
"Ah, it’s you."
A flustered voice responded.
Of course he was startled.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.
He had just unleashed a storm of curses, only to realize the person listening wasn’t his son, but his son’s neighbor.
"I'm sorry."
I made sure to keep my voice low, deliberately letting the sound of his quickened breathing reach my ears.
Pissing off adults I couldn’t actually fight against—this was the perfect way to get back at them.
Just enough to be an annoying little shit, nothing more.
Something embarrassing enough that, when he thought about it before going to sleep, he’d feel just enough shame to stop himself from treating his son like garbage.
"Actually, Yohan’s at my house right now. Turns out we live next door, so I invited him over."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. His parents are away from Korea for a while, and since the housekeeper quit, he was alone at home. The weather’s been pretty scary lately, so I kind of begged him to stay with me. I just didn’t want to be alone, so Yohan had no choice but to stay. If that’s a problem, I sincerely apologize. I thought it’d be fine since our houses are so close... I’m really sorry."
Right here, I deliberately name-dropped my parents.
And I made sure to sound pitiful, practically groveling.
This is why having powerful parents isn’t all bad.
It forces people to tread carefully.
Scolding someone else’s kid isn’t as easy as scolding your own.
"It’s fine."
A slow inhale came through the receiver.
"I’m sorry. That kid’s always been trouble, so I lost my temper, thinking he might have caused another problem. You must have been surprised. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Sons will be sons, after all."
"Not all of them."
I had casually thrown in an agreement, but he immediately rejected it.
And somehow, that made me uncomfortable.
At the very least, Han Junwoo’s father still held onto some hope for his son.
But Go Yohan’s father didn’t.
Even though Han Junwoo had messed up worse, Go Yohan’s father was way colder.
That empty, detached version of fatherly love made my throat tighten.
I instinctively swallowed and rubbed my neck.
"So, that kid’s at your house?"
"...Yes."
"Then send him back soon. He’s bothering you."
Send him back?
A cold, empty house in the middle of winter.
Go Yohan in nothing but a T-shirt, his bony shoulders sticking out.
All those details made me pity him.
It would feel like I was abandoning him.
"Uh. No. It’s fine. I actually like having him around. It was lonely before, but now I have company. He’s not bothering me at all. We even study together. Oh, right! Did you know Yohan’s grades went up? He made it into the honor class."
"Really?"
Wait. Did he really not know?
How could he be this indifferent?
I frowned.
Does this guy even deserve to be called a father?
I desperately tried to say as many good things about Go Yohan as possible.
"He cut ties with all the bad kids and only focuses on studying now. He’s ranked top in English for the entire school. Sometimes, I even ask him for help with my English assignments."
I never had.
But I said it anyway.
"That’s why I asked him to stay over—to study together. Midterms are coming up, and I figured it’d be better for both of us to focus. You know, having a study partner at home keeps you motivated."
No response.
The silence made me uneasy.
"And, well... Yohan told me he doesn’t go to cram school, and it’s hard for him to focus at home because of his family..."
Lies piled on top of lies.
Go Yohan had never said any of that.
But I had said exactly what adults liked hearing.
The kind of words they wanted to believe.
And with that, the silence finally broke.