Chapter 29 – GOY 29

#29

Come ​to ​think ​of ​it, ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk had been ​composed ​from ​the ​very ​beginning.

Even in the desperate ​situation ​where Guiding Rejection ​Reactions occurred and ​his ​matching ​rate ​with ​other ​Guides fell below ​3%, ​he ​showed no sign ​of anxiety.

If anything, while ​staying at ​the hospital, ​he only ​looked after ​my ​health.

Today ​was no different.

Despite ​the fact ​that his life as ​an Esper might have ​been over, he wasn’t ​nervous in ​the ​slightest.

Of course, Joo Seung-hyuk wasn’t in ​a position where he ​clung ​desperately ​to ​his ​activities as an ​Esper, but ​even ​taking that into ​account, ​it was strange.

I hate to ​admit it, ​but ​Joo Seung-hyuk was ​obsessed ​with ​me. ​If ​the Guiding ​Rejection ​symptoms continued, ​he would have to quit being an ​Esper and leave ​the Esper Academy. ​If that happened, the ​chance of ​him naturally crossing ​paths ​with me would ​vanish.

Joo Seung-hyuk would ​have wanted ​to ​continue his ​activities ​as an ​Esper ​just to ​avoid ​that. ​Yet, he remained ​relaxed ​until Read on Read BL Novelsvisit our sitethe ​moment ​he ​went ​in for the matching rate test.

While he seemed reluctant to be away from me for even a moment, he appeared indifferent to the matching rate results that could determine his expulsion.

And even after a staggering matching rate of over 90% came out, Joo Seung-hyuk wasn’t surprised at all. Rather, as if he had been waiting for it, the words “my Guide” left his lips.

Could it be…?

I thought he was relaxed despite the Guiding Rejection Reaction because he had no lingering attachment to being an Esper. But if that wasn’t it…?

Perhaps Joo Seung-hyuk had known our matching rate from the start?

No, further than that—could all of this be something Joo Seung-hyuk orchestrated?

The sudden Guiding Rejection Reaction that wasn’t in the original work, the extremely low matching rate with other Guides, and even the fact that our matching rate would exceed 90%… all of it.

“Now, the only person who can guide me is Lee Yeon-soo.”

Joo Seung-hyuk hugged me and whispered low in my ear. Just as he said, I had become the only Guide capable of guiding Joo Seung-hyuk.

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Regardless, Joo Seung-hyuk had gone without stolen contentGuiding for [visit our site]about stolen contenttwenty days. Even if he used mana recovery potions, they couldn’t compare to Guiding.

Though I was confused by the sudden turn of events, we first headed to the Guiding Room in the KR Building, the closest one to the examination room.

I was told that mock training had been suspended following the incident where Joo Seung-hyuk almost went into a Rampage. Perhaps that was why the spacious Guiding Room was empty.

The Guiding Room consisted of several small rooms. I heard that in the past, they were all open-concept. This was to prevent deep physical contact that occurred during Guiding.

However, Guiding was not something achieved through reason alone, and depending on the situation, physical contact was absolutely necessary.

Thus, curtains were provided to be used as partitions when needed, but dissatisfaction didn’t fade. After installing rooms in only some areas, most of the space had now been converted into a room structure.

Two chairs were placed inside the room. One was a wide leather chair for the Esper, which could be reclined halfway if the angle was adjusted. Beside it was the chair for the Guide. It looked like an ordinary office chair, but there was an emergency button on the armrest.

If an Esper forced unwanted physical contact during Guiding, the Guide could press the button to request help.

“Please take a seat.”

Upon entering the Guiding Room, the formal speech slipped out of me habitually.

Startled for a moment, I glanced [visit our site]at Joo unauthorized copySeung-hyuk, but he [visit our site]simply said, “Yes, Guide Lee Yeon-soo,” and obediently sat in his seat.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Do you not need to adjust the angle of the chair?”

Every Esper has a preferred posture. Some prefer to receive Guiding while sitting upright, while others prefer to be almost lying down.

In the case of Espers I guided frequently, I could tell if they were ready just by their posture, but since this was the first time with Joo Seung-hyuk, I had to check everything one by one.

“No.”

Joo Seung-hyuk spoke while looking at the chair, which was almost fully reclined.

“Do you prefer receiving it lying down?”

“No. But since you’re my Hyung.”

Joo Seung-hyuk said something incomprehensible.

“Aren’t you going to lean back?”

Despite having the chair reclined all the way, he didn’t lean back and instead sat with his back straight.

“If I lie down, I won’t be able to see Hyung’s face.”

Joo Seung-hyuk leaned in and stared intently at me.

In that moment, stupidly, the thought occurred to me that Joo Seung-hyuk was handsome. Even though this whole mess started because I told him he was handsome once.

You haven’t been punished enough yet, Lee Yeon-soo.

I subtly pulled my body back and held out my hand.

“If you’re ready, I’ll start the Guiding.”

Joo Seung-hyuk stared at my hand and then slowly rubbed the scar on my palm.

I had injured my hand while performing Guiding to prevent Joo Seung-hyuk’s Rampage.

I was told that while I was unconscious, Joo Seung-hyuk had poured S-Class potions—costing at least a hundred million won per bottle—into me to treat my hand. However, because the wound had been so severe, a small scar remained.

“I’m sorry.”

As if this scar weighed on his mind, he apologized whenever he had the chance.

“It’s okay. This kind of injury is common for Ability Users.”

“No. To leave a scar on Hyung’s hand… it’s an unforgivable sin.”

“It’s not that much…”

It was a scar about the size of a pinky finger joint. If one looked closely, it wasn’t even that distracting, easily mistaken for a palm line.

“I’ll take responsibility.”

“What?”

“I mean I’ll take responsibility for Hyung. Hyung, when shall we get married?”

What do you mean, responsibility! Why is the conversation jumping to that!

He had been somewhat quiet while in the hospital, but as soon as he was discharged, he started again.

In the original work, there was an incident where Lee Yeon-soo was injured while guiding Joo Seung-hyuk. Despite it being his own fault, Lee Yeon-soo used the small scar as a pretext to scream at Joo Seung-hyuk to take responsibility.

I was already confused enough that events meant for the main uke were coming to me; I didn’t want to add the villainous sub-uke’s death flag to the mix.

“No. It’s really okay. There’s no need for ‘responsibility’ over something like this.”

“I understand. If Hyung says so, it can’t be helped.”

“Thank you.”

At least after being hospitalized, he seemed more reasonable than before.

“Then Hyung, you take responsibility for me.”

“What?!”

“Why are you so surprised? You said you’d take responsibility for me.”

“…”

That’s right. Even if Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t take responsibility for me, I had to take responsibility for that guy’s purity…

To think I have to take responsibility for purity when it’s not even about purity. A sudden surge of unfairness welled up in me.

When I didn’t say anything, Joo Seung-hyuk’s eyes narrowed bleakly.

“Why? Have you decided you don’t want to take responsibility?”

“N-no, it’s not that, but you said you were dizzy. Let’s just do the Guiding. I’m starting.”

I quickly gripped his hand. Fortunately, Joo Seung-hyuk gave me his hand without further comment.

The matching rate test said 93%, but honestly, I couldn’t believe it.

Just in case the result was wrong, I let only a very small amount of mana flow.

“How is it?”

“Don’t worry. It’s fine.”

Joo Seung-hyuk looked comfortable. The flow of mana was good, and it entered him smoothly.

Did he not manipulate something? Is it really 93%?

If it wasn’t manipulation… sigh, that’s bleak in its own way…

Regardless, now was the time to focus on Guiding. This was the first Guiding in twenty days since the Rampage crisis; there could be no mistakes.

Focusing on the Guiding, I let more mana flow than before. Suddenly, Joo Seung-hyuk burst into laughter.

“What is it?”

“I just thought… it really is different.”

“What is?”

“Everything.”

Joo Seung-hyuk gripped my hand firmly, interlocking our fingers.

“We bite and suck each other every day, but doing Guiding like this is something else.”

How can Joo Seung-hyuk say such embarrassing things so nonchalantly?

“D-does it feel lacking compared to the matching rate?”

I asked, clinging to hope.

In the original work, Joo Seung-hyuk evaluated that ‘Lee Yeon-soo’s Guiding has a level of shittiness that transcends rank or matching rate.’

Actually, this was the second time I had guided him. Seven years ago, I had done something similar to Guiding for Joo Seung-hyuk. Back then, Joo Seung-hyuk had been angry.

Of course, it wasn’t formal Guiding. That was when I didn’t even know what Guiding was. Moreover, I had no mana control and no skills, so even I thought it was a mess. It was also a time when Guiding would start just by physical contact…

But regardless of that, Joo Seung-hyuk really hated it.

He felt a repulsion toward my mana itself. There was no way it would improve just because seven years had passed.

Since it happened when he was young, Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t seem to remember it well, but the moment my mana entered, he would realize.

The peculiar ‘shittiness’ felt within my mana.

Regardless of the matching rate, once he realized my mana itself didn’t suit him, he would look for another Guide.

There must be another Guide with a high matching rate somewhere besides me.

“How could that be? It’s good. So good. It’s the best.”

Good? It shouldn’t be good…

Joo Seung-hyuk said something completely different from my expectations.

The moment I fell into despair, hearing the sound of my hope vanishing, Joo Seung-hyuk suddenly pulled me by the nape of my neck.

He wasn’t simply trying to [stolen content]kiss me. I [Read on Read BL Novels]could feel a deep impulse [stolen content]in Joo Seung-hyuk’s eyes.

Guiding is accompanied by sexual impulses. Joo Seung-hyuk was under that influence.

As his lips approached, I hurriedly turned my head away.

“Lee Yeon-soo.”

When I rejected the kiss, Joo Seung-hyuk’s voice dropped low. The way he suddenly transformed into a wild beast was terrifying, but I couldn’t allow this.

“Seung-hyuk-ah, no.”

“Why not?”

“I… I only perform Guiding with my hands. This is a rule I’ve set.”

Not only Espers, but Guides also feel sexual impulses during the Guiding process. I had seen many Guides who were swept away by this, entered into deep relationships, and later regretted it.

That was why, from the moment I awakened as a Guide, I vowed not to cross the line by being swept away by impulse. I set a rule for myself and had never broken it once.

“Have you never guided in any other way until now?”

“No.”

“Not even kissing?”

“No. Never.”

“Am I the first for everything?”

“Yes. You’re the first for everything.”

After saying it out loud, a sense of unfairness washed over me again. I’m the one whose purity was stolen, so why do I have to take responsibility for this libertine obsessive yandere!

Unknowingly, my lips pouted, and then our lips met.

Joo Seung-hyuk gave me a light peck and smiled brightly.

“I’m sorry. Lee Yeon-soo is so pretty that I couldn’t hold back.”

“Seung-hyuk-ah, during Guiding, only Guiding…”

Ignoring my words, Joo Seung-hyuk hugged me tightly.

“We don’t need to do Guiding. This is already enough.”

“But it’s been a long time, we should do a bit more…”

“That’s enough. Right now, I just want to hold Lee Yeon-soo.”

If it were sexual desire, I would have pushed him away no matter how scary he was. But the way Joo Seung-hyuk held me now was like a child searching for a place to lean on, reminding me of that time seven years ago, and I couldn’t bring myself to shake him off.