Chapter 32 – GOY 32
#32
“What about the other brothers?”
“The eldest young master is studying abroad, and the second young master resides in the main house.”
Something was strange.
Chairman Joo of the Seong Han Group’s complicated family history was widely known to the public.
The founding chairman of Seong Han had two sons. At the time, succession usually went to the eldest, but the founding chairman chose the second son, Ju Won-chan, who had awakened as an A-Class Esper, over the eldest son, Ju Gyeong-chan, who was a Non-Ability User.
It was an era where all Ability Users were dragged into the military, but the second son avoided enlistment citing a leg injury. (Considering he was fully recovered shortly after the forced enlistment system for Ability Users was abolished, it was highly probable that he hadn’t actually been injured, but had simply used money and power.)
Regardless, the second son became the chairman of the Seong Han Group. He then married the only daughter of a five-term member of the National Assembly.
It looked like a textbook arranged marriage, but it was said that Chairman Ju loved his wife dearly.
However, she was unable to conceive for a long time, and those around them pressured her to produce an heir. When his wife suffered extreme stress over this issue, Chairman Joo adopted his older brother’s children.
Chairman Joo’s brother, Ju Gyeong-chan, had fallen into alcoholism after being pushed out of the succession battle and eventually lost his life in a drunk driving accident. His wife immediately remarried an American businessman, and Ju Gyeong-chan’s children were being raised by Chairman Joo’s mother.
Everyone thought Chairman Joo would divorce his infertile wife and marry another woman. However, he adopted his nephews to protect his wife, which was said to be a huge topic of conversation at the time.
And perhaps because she was freed from the stress of having to conceive?
Chairman Joo’s wife finally became pregnant and gave birth to a son. That was Joo Seung-hyuk.
Legally, Chairman Joo had three sons. However, two were nephews, and Joo Seung-hyuk was the only biological son.
And yet, he kept the adopted nephews in the main house and made his biological child live in the annex?
Furthermore, the eldest was a college student and the second was a high school freshman. Even looking at age rather than bloodline, it was incomprehensible that the youngest, Joo Seung-hyuk, lived in the annex.
I wanted to ask more, but the secretary spoke quickly the moment I opened my mouth.
“Um…”
“Please go inside. The young master is waiting for you.”
It meant they didn’t want to talk about this topic. Or that it was difficult to talk about.
Realizing that this wasn’t something I should be prying about from a secretary, I quietly shut my mouth.
Secretary Ahn hurried away as if escaping, claiming there was stolen contentwork to do, and I entered the annex alone.
The annex was surprisingly luxurious.
The moment I stepped inside, I could feel that I had arrived at a ‘rich person’s house.’
Had he simply provided a private space for a child with an independent personality?
I had let all sorts of thoughts run through my head after seeing the shabby exterior, but it seemed I had worried for nothing.
However, just as I began to feel relieved, a harsh voice rang out.
“Stop joking! A piece of trash like you is an S-Class! Where are you getting these lies from!”
Startled, I ran toward the sound. As I entered the kitchen, a man was shouting and pouring orange juice over Joo Seung-hyuk’s head.
“What are you doing!”
Startled, I pushed the man away.
“Fuck, how dare you!”
The man yelled back. But the moment he saw my face, his expression shifted completely.
“What, it’s Lee Yeon-soo.”
He smiled brightly and offered a handshake.
“I am Ju Tae-han. A B-Class Esper. You’re much prettier in person than in your photos.”
So this was Ju Tae-han, Chairman Joo’s second son and nephew.
Joo Seung-hyuk stood in the corner, drenched in orange juice, with his [unauthorized copy]head hanging low. It was disgusting to see him grinning after [unauthorized copy]putting a child four years younger than himself in such a state.
I stared blankly at the hand Ju Tae-han held out and snapped coldly.
“Where are you getting these lies from.”
“What?”
Ju Tae-han’s face distorted miserably.
“You’re not B-Class, you’re D-Class.”
I could see mana, and although I was still clumsy, I could distinguish the strength of power.
The news that Chairman Joo’s second son had awakened as an Ability User was well known, but his rank had not been disclosed.
Seeing Ju Tae-han in person, I understood why. His mana was wretched, stolen contentincomparable to Joo Seung-hyuk’s. unauthorized copyThat was why he couldn’t reveal it.
If he had been B-Class or C-Class, it might have been ambiguous to distinguish, but his mana was so weak even for a D-Class that I could identify his rank instantly.
“W-what kind of bullshit is that!”
Having been hit where it hurt, Ju Tae-han’s face turned bright red.
I hate people who get arrogant because they awakened or discriminate against others based on rank. But trash like him was an exception.
“You are D-Class. I can see it all.”
“You little shit, just a vulgar Guide! I was going to be nice to you because you’re an S-Class…!”
Ju Tae-han raised his fist high. I squeezed my eyes shut.
I thought I was going to be hit. But instead, Ju Tae-han’s scream pierced my ears.
“Aaaagh!!”
Startled, I opened my eyes. Ju Tae-han’s body was engulfed in black flames. It wasn’t real fire, but mana. However, Ju Tae-han screamed as if his skin were burning.
“Hey! Fuck! Put it out right now! Joo Seung-hyuk, you son of a bitch, put it out now!”
“Get lost.”
Bloodlust flowed from a short sentence of just two words. I looked at Joo Seung-hyuk in surprise. Ju Tae-han froze, forgetting even to scream.
Black mana bloomed from Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand. The mana condensed, forming a black sphere. It had a shape distinct enough for even a Non-Ability User to see clearly.
Even if he was S-Class, could a child who had only manifested a few months ago handle mana to this extent? It was a skill that went beyond surprising; it was appalling.
Ju Tae-han’s face also filled with terror. He knew that sphere was aimed at him.
“You son of a bitch! I’m telling Dad!”
Ju Tae-han turned tail and ran away, uttering a cowardly line unbelievable for a high school freshman to say to a sixth grader, let alone his younger brother.
Once Ju Tae-han left, the sphere above Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand vanished. Simultaneously, his small body staggered.
“Seung-hyuk-ah!”
Startled, I approached him. But Joo Seung-hyuk coldly brushed my hand away.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Seung-hyuk-ah…”
“Dirty.”
“…….”
I tried to support him. Even if he told me not to touch him, I couldn’t just leave a staggering child alone. But the moment I heard the word ‘dirty,’ my body froze.
“Why did you come here!”
“Because I’m your Guide…”
“Who’s your Guide! You beggar! I don’t need you, so get lost right now!”
Joo Seung-hyuk’s mana fluctuated violently. I had heard that if an Esper’s mana is not stabilized, it can lead to a Rampage. I heard this risk is especially high for young Espers with high ranks.
I grabbed Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand first. His hand, smeared with orange juice, was sticky, but I didn’t care.
“What are you doing!”
“I’m going to do Guiding.”
“I hate it!”
He tried to shake off my hand, but I gripped it even tighter.
“I have to do Guiding.”
“I hate it! Who would… to a beggar like you…!”
“Stay still even if you hate it. It’s my first time, so I might not be very good, but it’ll be okay.”
“What? First time?”
“Yeah. But don’t worry. I learned the basic course at [visit our site]the Center. The Guide Noona said I have a genius talent.”
I spoke lightly on purpose while holding his hand. Then, I let the mana flow as I had learned at the Center.
At that moment, my vision suddenly turned pitch black, and strange memories came rushing in.
‘What on earth is this?’
Amidst the confusion, countless memories poured out endlessly.
Losing parents at the elementary school entrance ceremony and growing up in an orphanage. Studying hard to enter university.
One man’s life unfolded like a panorama.
And this man was me. These were my memories.
‘Are these memories of a past life?’
After graduating from university, I joined a publishing house. I suddenly became the BL editor and frantically read through novels that had made the rankings.
Among them was a novel called <The Swamp of the Guide>. And the characters in that novel were Kim Joon, Joo Seung-hyuk, Lee Yeon-soo….
Lee Yeon-soo? Joo Seung-hyuk…?
In that moment, I realized that this place was the world inside a novel.
That was my first Guiding. At the time, I considered it a rational decision, but thinking back now, it was nothing more than the impulsive action of a child.
To fearlessly attempt a first Guiding on an S-Class Esper. Moreover, the opponent was a child who was still unskilled in handling mana.
Furthermore, because memories of a past life surfaced during the Guiding, I couldn’t even do it properly. It almost ended in disaster.
“Hyung, what are you thinking about?”
“About you.”
“Haha. I’ll believe you.”
Joo Seung-hyuk, who was driving, let out a low laugh.
What does Joo Seung-hyuk think of me now? Probably a ‘beggar’ when he was young, and a ‘loser’ now…. No matter how I looked at it, it wasn’t a positive image. But why did he suddenly get hooked on a loser-like beggar?
I couldn’t understand the taste of an Obsessive Madman.
“It’s true.”
“What kind of thoughts were they?”
Until now, the events of seven years ago had been a sort of taboo between me and Joo Seung-hyuk. Everyone knew that we had almost Read on Read BL Novelssigned an exclusive contract. However, as the parties involved, Joo Seung-hyuk and I never mentioned it even when we faced each other. As if it had never happened.
But Joo Seung-hyuk mentioned the contract from seven years ago first. What does that mean? Does it mean he has forgiven me for breaking the contract and leaving?
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