Chapter 100 – GOY 100

#100

“R-Reverse! ​Reverse!”

Secretary ​Son ​gave ​the ​order ​urgently. The Esper ​tried ​to ​reverse ​the ​car and pivot the ​direction ​immediately. However, Joo ​Seung-hyuk was faster.

Dark ​mana ​formed ​into ​sharp ​crystals ​and flew straight ​toward ​the ​driver’s seat.

The car ​was protected by a ​Barrier designed ​to withstand ​magical attacks, ​but it ​was ​useless ​against Joo Seung-hyuk’s ​power and ​was hollowly pierced through.

The ​mana crystals struck the ​driver’s seat, digging deep ​into the ​Esper’s ​hand.

“Aaaagh!!”

A scream echoed throughout the car.

With ​the windshield shattered and ​the ​driver ​injured, ​escaping ​was impossible.

Secretary Son ​and the ​other ​Espers quickly assessed ​the ​situation and stepped out of ​the car.

They ​each ​drew their weapons. ​In ​contrast, ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk ​was empty-handed. ​Judging ​by his ​attire, which was the same as when ​he was at ​the dormitory, it ​seemed he had rushed ​out in ​a car the ​moment ​he realized I ​had left.

But even ​without a ​weapon, ​he was ​the ​strongest character ​in ​the story. ​He ​could ​easily handle A-Class ​Espers, ​even if ​they ​were ​Espers ​from Seong Han, the top guild in the country.

As expected, they were knocked down before they could even take a stance. The crystals of dark mana had attacked several Espers simultaneously.

Blood splattered and screams erupted. However, Joo Seung-hyuk walked toward me with steady steps, his gaze fixed on me as if the others didn’t even exist. Despite the distance, the murderous intent emanating from him was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even lift a finger, let alone run.

Just then, the door swung open.

It was Secretary Son. While the other Espers were trying to block Joo Seung-hyuk, he must have planned to sneak around the back of the car to take me away.

“Come this way!”

He shouted urgently and grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me.

“Ah!”

The action was so violent that my arm twisted, and a groan escaped my lips. However, my voice was drowned out by Secretary Son’s scream.

“Gaaah!!”

Secretary Son screamed as he clutched his arm. Joo Seung-hyuk had attacked him. Blood dripped from Secretary Son’s arm, but Joo Seung-hyuk continued to pour mana into him without a shred of mercy.

Secretary Son collapsed to the ground, writhing without even being able to scream. But I couldn’t even offer words of concern, let alone check on his condition.

Joo Seung-hyuk, who had been walking toward me, stopped right in front of me. He looked down at me with eyes drenched in a madness that went beyond anger.

“Hyung, where are you going?”

Contrary to his gaze, his voice was calm.

“S-Seung-hyuk-ah…”

“I asked where you are going.”

“T-That, well…”

“Hyung, I hate repeating myself.”

A chilling murderous intent writhed beneath his low, steady voice.

“T-That… I mean…”

“Why can’t you answer?”

Joo Seung-hyuk slowly stroked my face. As the eerie mana flowing from his hand reached me, it felt as if my skin might be sliced open.

Seeing me frozen stiff, Joo Seung-hyuk let the corner of his mouth curl into a smirk.

“Don’t tell me you were trying to run away?”

“…….”

He was like an active volcano on the verge of exploding. The moment I answered that I was, my body would be thrown into the lava and melted away.

As I stared at Joo Seung-hyuk, unable to say a word, Secretary Son, who had managed to get up, tried to ambush him from behind.

“Behind you!”

Before I could even shout, Joo Seung-hyuk spun around and gripped the man’s neck with one hand.

“Ugh…”

Secretary Son struggled as he gasped for air, but the smirk on Joo Seung-hyuk’s lips only widened.

“Ah, I get it. These bastards kidnapped you, didn’t they?”

Hearing that gentle voice, which stood in stark contrast to the chilling murderous intent, I realized one thing.

Joo Seung-hyuk was giving me a chance. If I answered that I had been forcibly kidnapped, he would forgive me. Then, we could return to those peaceful days as if nothing had happened.

In exchange, Secretary Son and the other Espers would lose their lives for the crime of trying to kidnap me.

But if I honestly admitted that I had tried to run away, the murderous intent currently enveloping Joo Seung-hyuk would pour over me.

In the split second it took for me to grasp the situation, Secretary Son’s face turned pale, and the capillaries in his eyes were bursting.

‘What should I do…?’

I was afraid of Joo Seung-hyuk. But I couldn’t hurt another person just to save myself.

Ultimately, I decided to confess honestly and opened my mouth.

“I…!”

“Kuh!”

At that moment, blood burst from Secretary Son’s mouth. I had seen monsters being slaughtered often, but humans were different. Moreover, seeing a person get hurt because of me was an entirely different matter.

Joo Seung-hyuk stared at my pale face and then released his grip on Secretary Son’s neck. Secretary Son collapsed to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for air.

Fortunately, it seemed his life was not in danger.

The moment I felt relieved seeing him, Joo Seung-hyuk grabbed my hand and led me toward his car.

I followed him, unable to say a word.

Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t say a single word until we arrived home. I, too, was so terrified by his murderous aura that I couldn’t utter a sound.

“Get out.”

Joo Seung-hyuk’s first words were unexpectedly soft.

He stepped out of the car, and as I hurriedly tried to undo my seatbelt, my hands kept fumbling.

Then, the car door opened, and Joo Seung-hyuk unbuckled the seatbelt for me.

“T-Thank you.”

Without a word, he lifted me up in his arms.

“I-I’m okay, though…”

“Hold on tight.”

“Okay.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. Joo Seung-hyuk held me tightly and carried me into the house.

I thought I would be killed, blasted by mana, or at the very least, beaten until I fainted.

But instead of being dragged along like a criminal, he actually held me.

This unexpected reaction only fueled my fear.

‘Is he forgiving me even though I tried to run away…?’

Joo Seung-hyuk carefully placed me on the sofa.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. You must have been so shocked to be almost kidnapped.”

“…….”

Contrary to his gentle voice, his eyes were cold. Joo Seung-hyuk had not forgiven me. He was giving me another chance. He wanted me to say that I hadn’t run away on my own, but had been kidnapped.

“Right?”

“…….”

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“Seung-hyuk-ah, I…”

“You were tricked by that bastard Ju Jeong-han. Right?”

Joo Seung-hyuk interrupted my answer. He spoke as if this were the correct answer, as if I absolutely had to answer that way.

“…Did you know I met Ju Jeong-han?”

“Please tell me no.”

Instead of answering, Joo Seung-hyuk pleaded with me. The man who had always been strong took my hand, knelt, and looked up at me.

“Seung-hyuk-ah…”

“Even after meeting that bastard Ju Jeong-han yesterday, you told me you’d go to the amusement park with me. You said we’d look at animals together, and you bought me delicious food. You smiled so beautifully for me.”

“…….”

Joo Seung-hyuk knew everything. He had gone to the amusement park with me even though he knew I had decided to leave.

“Hyung, I was happy. Because you said let’s go to the amusement park, I was so happy because I thought you trusted me. But there’s no way you would abandon me. If you were going to abandon me, you shouldn’t have acted like that.”

Tears dropped from Joo Seung-hyuk’s pitch-black eyes.

In that moment, a memory from my past life surfaced. After my parents passed away, I lived at my aunt’s house.

Unlike when my parents were alive, my aunt found me burdensome. I spent my days walking on eggshells around her, but one day, she took me to the movie theater.

It was an animated film I had wanted to see. Honestly, the movie wasn’t as good as I expected, but I was still so, so happy. I thought my aunt had finally accepted me as family. That’s why she remembered the movie I liked and took me to the theater.

But the very next day, my aunt abandoned me at an [visit our site]orphanage. I fell from visit our site[stolen content]the peak of happiness into the abyss.

I would have preferred it if she had continued to hate me, continued to make me feel unwelcome. I truly hated and resented my aunt for giving me hope only to throw me away.

And I had done the exact same thing…? I had done the same thing to Joo Seung-hyuk….

“Seung-hyuk-ah.”

I gripped Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand tightly.

He looked up at me with a tear-stained face.

Please tell me you were dragged away by force, tell me you were kidnapped—Joo Seung-hyuk’s eyes were pleading for that.

“I intended to leave you.”

But I couldn’t do it. If Joo Seung-hyuk had shouted or used violence, I might have made up a lying excuse to appease him.

But looking into those black eyes, wounded just like I was in my past life, I simply could not lie.

Joo Seung-hyuk froze and stared at me. Then, he slowly opened his mouth.

“…Tell me you were kidnapped. Tell me you didn’t want to go but were dragged away by force, that you were threatened. Just say that.”

Joo Seung-hyuk gave me one last chance. If I said what he wanted now, he would act as if today never happened.

But if I spoke honestly, he would not forgive me.

I hesitated before opening my mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

Even thinking about it again, my conclusion remained the same. I could not lie to someone who was pleading so sincerely.