Chapter 28 – GOY 28

#28

“Hyung.”

As ​I ​was ​trudging ​out ​of ​the building after ​finishing ​my ​conversation ​with ​Professor Choi, I heard ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk’s voice.

“Seung-hyuk-ah, what ​are you doing ​here?”

“Professor ​Jeon ​called ​me. ​He ​told me to ​get ​a ​matching rate test ​with you immediately.”

It seemed ​Professor Choi ​had contacted ​Professor Jeon ​as soon ​as ​I ​gave my permission.

Since ​an S-Class ​Esper was at risk ​of disappearing, that side ​would be in far ​more of ​a ​state of emergency than the Guide ​department.

“I heard you’re having ​a ​Guiding ​Rejection ​Reaction?”

“So ​they said.”

It was ​a situation ​where ​an Esper’s life ​could ​end, yet he himself was ​nonchalant.

For the ​past ​few days, Joo ​Seung-hyuk ​had ​only ​worried ​about me ​and ​hadn’t said ​a word about his Guiding Rejection Reaction. ​I had felt ​sorry yet disappointed ​by that fact, but ​it seemed ​he just hadn’t ​mentioned ​it because he ​didn’t think much ​of it…

Then ​again, ​for most ​Espers, ​the moment ​they ​retired was ​practically ​the ​end of their ​lives, ​but Joo ​Seung-hyuk ​was ​a ​chaebol. He had plenty even without superpowers.

Rather, it was the people around him who would be anxious.

The loss of an S-Class Esper would be a great national blow.

Up until now, I had wanted to give Joo Seung-hyuk a smack for saying nothing, but the moment I saw him, that thought vanished.

‘Besides, the moment I hit him, I’d probably be the one dead… right?’

In the first place, it wasn’t something for me to be angry about. It’s not like we’re actually dating…

Once the original story begins in earnest, this will end, and even if it doesn’t, it’s a relationship that must be ended.

“Hyung, let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

We went together to get the matching rate tested.

To the north of the Esper Academy, there were facilities for measuring ranks and matching rates, as well as various laboratories, including the KR Center.

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo, you’ve arrived!”

The staff at the examination room welcomed me enthusiastically as I entered. Their nerves must have been frayed from the continuous matching rate tests.

But I probably won’t be able to meet their expectations…

To begin with, the matching rate between me and Joo Seung-hyuk was low. In a situation where even people who originally had high matching rates were all below 3%, there was no reason I would be any different.

“Please change into the examination clothes in the dressing room and then enter the connected room.”

“Yes.”

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo, please go this way; Esper Joo Seung-hyuk, please go that way.”

“Yes. I understand.”

As I was about to go where the staff member guided me, Joo Seung-hyuk gripped my hand tightly.

“See you in a bit.”

We were only going to be apart for about thirty minutes at most, yet he was unnecessarily affectionate. But after the matching rate comes out, will Joo Seung-hyuk still look at me with that same expression?

“Yeah.”

I went into the dressing room, took off all my clothes, and changed into the white examination gown.

When I opened the door inside the dressing room, a small room appeared. A large, sphere-shaped examination machine sat in the empty space.

“Please step inside when you are ready.”

The staff member’s voice came through the microphone, and the sphere opened.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Closing the door.”

“Yes.”

As I answered, the door moved at a snail’s pace and slowly closed.

I don’t like matching rate tests. Whenever I do this test, I feel scared and suffocated, as if I’m trapped alone in a stark white solitary cell.

“Please hold the white handles on both sides.”

I followed the researcher’s instructions. I was used to it since I’d done it once or twice before.

Soon, the sound of the machine running could be heard. Perhaps as a consideration to block out the noise, 8-bit style music also echoed through the room.

I always feel that the synergy between the “ding-ding” BGM, like a classic game, and the “whirring” sound of the machine is the absolute worst.

I always thought it would be better to just turn off the music, but I had never voiced it.

I wonder what Joo Seung-hyuk is doing right now? [stolen content]If it were [unauthorized copy][unauthorized copy]him, he’d probably say a word to get rid of this damn noise…

The matching rate machine was manufactured by the Seong Han Group. Since Seong Han Group was the world leader in superpower industrial technology, including mana measurement equipment, not only the Academy and the Center but also foreign countries used Seong Han’s products.

So, if Joo Seung-hyuk insisted strongly, it could be changed. But seeing as they left it alone, perhaps this music is unexpectedly to Joo Seung-hyuk’s taste.

I listened to the 8-bit music. I tried listening to it again with the thought that it was Joo Seung-hyuk’s taste, but it was still terrible.

This was the second time I was doing a 1-on-1 matching rate test with Joo Seung-hyuk. I hadn’t done it once since middle school.

Normally, if two S-Classes enrolled, a 1:1 matching rate test should have been conducted first, but I was able to avoid it thanks to the school’s consideration.

Until a month ago, we hardly ever locked eyes, so how did things end up like this…?

Anyway, this was truly the last time I would be entangled with Joo Seung-hyuk.

The test was still ongoing, but the result was obvious. Even Guides who originally had high matching rates couldn’t exceed 3%, so there was no way I’d be different.

If the Guiding Rejection symptoms continued like this, Joo Seung-hyuk would not be able to continue his life as an Esper. He would end up dropping out of the Esper Academy.

If that happened, regardless of the original story, I would no longer have to face Joo Seung-hyuk.

I would finally be able to escape from the obsessive yandere. It was clearly a good thing, but my heart wasn’t at ease.

I felt as if Joo Seung-hyuk was suffering because of me.

I hoped he could somehow treat the Guiding Rejection symptoms or find a Guide with a high matching rate…

Ding-dong-dang-dong!

Just then, the door opened with a cheerful notification sound signaling the end of the test.

“Thank you for your hard work. The test is complete, so please come out.”

The staff member spoke in a monotone voice. I couldn’t guess the result from his voice alone.

After stepping out of the capsule, I changed my clothes back in the dressing room.

By now, the staff’s expressions must have turned grey. I must have been the last hope…

Having a low matching rate wasn’t my fault. However, unauthorized copymy unauthorized copyheart felt heavy at the fact that I had unauthorized copydisappointed people’s expectations.

When I stepped outside, sure enough, the people’s expressions were overcome with shock.

It was the reaction I expected. Since I failed too, the Esper department must be in a total state of emergency.

An S-Class symbolized national power just by existing. Not only the Academy, but the Center and Seong Han Group would all be in an uproar.

Once this news got out, the public would be stirred. An Esper capable of raiding high-rank gates would be disappearing…

I broke the suffocating silence and spoke.

“What is it?”

It’s better to get the beating over with first. Standing still like this wouldn’t change the result anyway.

When I asked, Head of section Lee in the examination room answered.

“It’s 93%.”

“What? 9.3?”

I asked back, doubting my ears.

“No. It’s 93%. 93.872%.”

93.872…? This was a figure higher than Kim Joon’s in the original story.

How on earth could such a figure come out? Seven years ago, it was 48%, exactly like the original story. But it suddenly rose this much?

“The result is wrong…”

I was about to ask if the result was incorrect, but at the same time, the staff’s cheers erupted.

“It’s 93! 93! Rounded up, it’s 94!”

“93 between two S-Classes! This is unprecedented!”

[For an F-Rank to be 91, it’s unprecedented!]

The staff’s voice overlapped with the lines from the original story.

Even when Kim Joon and Joo Seung-hyuk’s matching rate came out, the staff couldn’t hide their admiration and shock.

But why are they saying to me what they should have said to Kim Joon?

Something was wrong. Then, someone grabbed my hand. He was a man I could recognize just by looking at his hand now.

“Seung-hyuk-ah…”

Joo Seung-hyuk, who had changed his clothes and come out at some point, smiled at me.

“Hyung, I guess we really are destiny.”

Destiny my foot! Your destiny isn’t me, it’s Kim Joon!

Honestly, I was worried about Joo Seung-hyuk. I hoped he would recover from the Guiding Rejection Reaction and continue his life as an Esper.

However, I had absolutely no desire to be tied to an obsessive yandere by destiny.

But since it was obvious what would happen if I said such things now, I had stolen contentno choice [visit our site]but to hide my true feelings and put on an awkward smile.

“C-could the test result be wrong?”

“No! The matching rate was so high that we double-checked it several times! That’s why the test time was extended.”

Head of section Lee, who was standing next to us, quickly intervened and crushed my hopes.

So the test time was long… I didn’t notice because I was lost in thought.

“We’re saved thanks to Guide Lee Yeon-soo. The higher-ups kept pressuring us to find a matching Guide for Esper Joo Seung-hyuk, so we were all on the verge of dying from overwork…”

So that’s why they were so happy. No wonder their cheers felt sincere.

Excited, Head of section Lee grabbed my hand firmly.

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo has saved our lives…”

“Take your hand off my Guide.”

Joo Seung-hyuk emitted a gloomy aura and slapped Head of section Lee’s hand away.

Head of section Lee let out a short scream and collapsed to the floor. He had hit him so hard that the back of his hand swelled up red.

“Head of section!”

Startled, I tried to approach him, but my waist was grabbed by Joo Seung-hyuk.

“Hyung, why are you worrying about some other bastard?”

“Huh?”

“Since Hyung is my Guide, you should only worry about me.”

My Guide my foot! Since when was I your Guide!

I hoped he would overcome the Guiding Rejection symptoms and meet a good Guide, but I never hoped that it would be me.

‘And you, you said you hated that I was your Guide! You said that seven years ago!!’

But mentioning that incident would be like digging my own grave.

“Hyung, my hand hurts. Please give me Guiding.”

He cast his eyes down sorrowfully. He looked pitiful, like the protagonist of a melodrama, but I was just speechless.

He’s so brazen, considering he’s the one who did the hitting.

“I’m so dizzy because I haven’t received Guiding for fifteen days. Please do it quickly.”

The corners of Joo Seung-hyuk’s mouth curled up eerily. The moment I saw that relaxed smile, contrasting with his drooping eyes, a chill ran down my spine.

Could it be that Joo Seung-hyuk…