Chapter 136 – GOY 136

#136

The ​Horaitron ​Gate—it ​was ​the ​worst ​moment of Park ​Geon-woo’s ​life.

Since ​his ​Awakening, ​he had experienced numerous ​gates ​and even succeeded ​in the Akar ​Gate ​Raid, ​but ​nothing ​was ​as horrific as ​the ​Horaitron ​Gate….

Park Geon-woo had ​never lived his life ​according to ​his own ​will.

His father ​was an ​ambitious ​man. ​However, because of ​his low ​rank, he had been ​forced to give up ​many things. Even after ​succeeding as ​a ​businessman and marrying a wife from ​a prestigious family of ​Ability ​Users, ​that ​lingering ​resentment never vanished.

Then, ​when his ​son, ​Park Geon-woo, awakened ​as ​an S-Class, he believed the ​opportunity to ​realize ​his unfulfilled dreams ​had ​finally ​arrived.

“S-Class! ​As ​expected of ​my ​son! Geon-woo, ​from now on, just do as your ​father tells you. ​Then, South Korea ​will be in your ​hands.”

“Can I ​become a general?”

His ​father ​had said he ​wanted to be ​a general ​but ​failed because ​of ​his rank.

At ​Park ​Geon-woo’s question, ​his ​father ​snorted.

“Is a mere ​general ​all [visit our site]you’re ​worried ​about? ​You ​could even become stolen contentthe President. I [unauthorized copy]will make you so! Just trust your father!”

“Yes, Father.”

His father intended to make Park Geon-woo the symbol of South Korean Espers and a hero looked up to by everyone. Park Geon-woo followed his father’s words without any particular complaints. It wasn’t that he wanted to be a hero or the President.

‘Always be polite.’

‘You must not swear. Do not use vulgar slang or internet terminology.’

‘The Center said they would create a special program for you. Do your best and perform well. The current Center Director won’t last long. The Deputy Director is the one with the real power. Make sure to stay on his good side.’

‘There is no need to join a guild. Those are places for people who have nothing. The moment you are swayed by money, you drift away from power. You must go to the Center. The public will cheer for a young hero who chose patriotism over money.’

‘Yes, Father.’

None of the things his father said were wrong, nor were they difficult to follow.

Above all, he was happy that his father, who was always busy with business, was showing interest in him.

Not long after his Awakening, Park Geon-woo came to be called the ‘Nation’s Son.’

“You truly are my son.”

His father was proud of Park Geon-woo, [visit our site]and he, too, didn’t dislike the feeling of [Read on Read BL Novels]living amidst the praise and cheers of the public.

However, happiness did not last long.

Joo Seung-hyuk, the youngest son of Chairman Joo of the Seong Han Group, awakened as an S-Class. Moreover, he did so at the age of 13—only 11 by international age.

The media was abuzz, calling it the youngest S-Class Awakening in South Korean history, and upon hearing this news, Park Geon-woo’s father was enraged.

“How could a brat like that be an S-Class! Seong Han must have used some dirty trick! Chairman Joo surely manipulated the tests to make his son an S-Class! Son, you cannot lose to a guy like that! Do you understand! You are my son!”

“…Yes, Father.”

“I must find a Guide immediately! My son needs a Guide who is worthy of him!”

No matter how outstanding an Esper was, they could not exert their full strength if they couldn’t find a compatible Guide. Especially for S-Class Espers, finding a Guide with a high matching rate was far more difficult.

His father strove to find a Guide for Park Geon-woo, but no one met his standards.

Then, news broke that an S-Class Guide had awakened.

The entire nation’s attention focused on the first S-Class Guide to appear in over ten years. Park Geon-woo was no different.

Lee Yeon-soo was a very beautiful child. He wasn’t just talking about his face. The way he took a deep breath as if nervous before starting an interview, his calm way of speaking—everything was beautiful and cute.

“Father, how about that boy?”

His father wanted an S-Class Guide. No matter how good the conditions were, he often rejected candidates simply because their rank was too low. Thus, he thought that boy would be perfectly to his father’s liking.

However, upon hearing Park Geon-woo’s words, his father’s face contorted.

“Don’t talk such nonsense! That kid isn’t from a family of Ability Users, and his parents’ occupations are unremarkable. Furthermore, seeing as all his relatives are Betas, he’s likely a Beta too. Beta Guides have limits. Even if his Mana Level is high now, he will eventually fall behind. He is far too lacking to be your Guide.”

“But he’s the first S-Class Guide to appear in ten years.”

“The fact that one appeared after a long time means more will continue to appear. Just wait. An S-Class Guide who is both from an Ability User family and a dominant omega will surely appear. There’s no need to be impatient!”

“But….”

‘I like that boy, Father.’

Park Geon-woo wanted to say those words. But before he could speak, his father gripped his shoulder tightly.

“You just need to do as your father tells you. Understood?”

“Yes….”

A while later, an article appeared stating that Lee Yeon-soo would sign an Exclusive Guide Contract with Joo Seung-hyuk.

“He must have been bought off with money. This is why poor people can’t be trusted.”

His father criticized Lee Yeon-soo. But Park Geon-woo was heartbroken.

And when he heard the news that Lee Yeon-soo had terminated his exclusive contract with Seong Han, he was overjoyed.

“I heard Lee Yeon-soo rejected the exclusive contract with Joo Seung-hyuk! I guess he wasn’t bought off by money!”

When Park Geon-woo spoke excitedly, his father shouted.

“He wasn’t rejected; he was fired! I heard the matching rate didn’t even reach 50%. He chased money and ended up humiliated.”

“The rate might be high with me! If he contracts with me…!”

“Stop talking nonsense! Not only did you lose the timing of Awakening to Chairman Joo’s son, but now you want to use a Guide that the brat threw away! What would people think! Do you intend to carry the label of ‘second best’ for the rest of your life!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Never mention this again. You are my son. My masterpiece. Do not disappoint me.”

“…….”

“Why aren’t you answering!”

“…Yes, Father.”

Park Geon-woo reluctantly bowed his head. However, his feelings for Lee Yeon-soo did not easily fade, and he often searched for articles about him behind his father’s back.

Fortunately, Lee Yeon-soo was rejecting contracts with other guilds as well. Perhaps he was thinking of coming to the Center, just as he had.

Park Geon-woo wanted to meet Lee Yeon-soo. And the opportunity came sooner than expected. He was chosen to read a statement alongside Lee Yeon-soo as a youth representative at a Blue House event.

“Hi, you’re Yeon-soo. Nice to meet you.”

Am I even speaking properly? The moment he saw him, he froze because he was so beautiful. It was on a completely different level from seeing him in photos or videos. His soft, calm way of speaking and neat atmosphere were also wonderful.

Throughout the event, Park Geon-woo kept only Lee Yeon-soo in his sight. His father had repeatedly urged him to do well since the President and key government officials were attending. But in Park Geon-woo’s mind, there was only Lee Yeon-soo.

The media constantly linked Park Geon-woo and Lee Yeon-soo.

They said that just mentioning the two names increased viewership and multiplied article views.

The combination of an S-Class Esper from a prestigious Ability User family and an S-Class Guide from a poor Beta family with stunning looks seemed to stimulate the public’s emotions like a ‘Cinderella story.’

“How dare they push someone toward my son!”

His father was furious, but Park Geon-woo didn’t dislike it. No, honestly, he loved it.

Lee Yeon-soo was still rejecting corporate contracts. However, he wasn’t [visit our site]stolen content[visit our site]receiving support from the Center either.

Some predicted that Lee Yeon-soo would sign an exclusive contract with Park Geon-woo. There were even false reports claiming they had actually signed a contract.

“That Lee Yeon-soo brat isn’t dreaming pipe dreams, is he! A guy with nothing but a rank, not knowing his place! Son, be careful.”

“No. Yeon-soo doesn’t think like that. I’d rather the rumors be true.”

“What! Are you defying your father now!”

“The matching rate between Yeon-soo and me is 85. There is no Guide better than Yeon-soo.”

Park Geon-woo was now twenty. He was no longer a child who was happy just with his father’s attention. While he didn’t stop following his father’s words, a sense of frustration was gradually creeping in.

Especially whenever issues regarding Lee Yeon-soo arose, he felt suffocated.

“That guy is a Beta! No matter how high the matching rate is, what use is a Beta man!”

Espers often bonded with their exclusive guides and led to marriage. Furthermore, Park Geon-woo had been harboring a long-term unrequited love for Lee Yeon-soo. Because his father knew this fact, he was even more determined not to allow Lee Yeon-soo as a Guide.

“…….”

“Just wait a little longer. There is the grandchild of the Vice Association President of the Ability User Association. They manifested as an Omega and have high mana potential, so there’s a high possibility they’ll manifest as an S-Class. The Vice President likes you, and if it goes well, you’ll have a smooth path ahead.”

“Isn’t the Vice President’s grandchild an elementary schooler?”

“They’re a middle schooler this year. And it’s only a 6-year difference. It may seem like a large age gap now, but in a few years, it’ll be nothing. Besides, aren’t you going to Africa next year? There’s time until you return to Korea, so let’s wait a bit longer. In the meantime, it would be great if the Vice President’s grandchild awakens, or another Guide might appear.”

“Father, as for Africa, I….”

“Just endure it for two years, think of it as going to the military! Then you can completely crush Chairman Joo’s son. How long are you going to be compared to a guy like that? If you succeed in the Akar Gate Raid, you’ll become a world-class Esper! You’ll become the overwhelming number one, incomparable to someone like Joo Seung-hyuk!”

His father wanted Park Geon-woo to be dispatched to Africa upon turning twenty, rather than attending the Esper Academy.

The media and the public constantly compared Park Geon-woo and Joo Seung-hyuk. Honestly, Park Geon-woo didn’t welcome this situation either. Moreover, there was an anxiety that Joo Seung-hyuk’s reputation among high-rank Espers was rising day by day.

Going to Africa would be a great opportunity to prove the difference between himself and Joo Seung-hyuk. However, Lee Yeon-soo weighed on his mind. He didn’t want to be away from him.

“You only have to suffer for exactly two years! I cannot stand to see my son being pushed back!”

“It’s time for the Gate Raid, so I’ll be going now.”

Park Geon-woo bowed his head and excused himself.

His father always urged Park Geon-woo to draw a line with Lee Yeon-soo. But there was no need for that.

Because Lee Yeon-soo kept a distance several times greater than Park Geon-woo did.

“I don’t know why false rumors keep spreading. I’m truly sorry.”

When he arrived at the gate, he saw Lee Yeon-soo. Before they could even exchange greetings, he began with an apology.

It must be because of the dating rumor article from yesterday.

“No. It’s not something you need to apologize for.”

“Still. I’m sorry….”

Lee Yeon-soo bowed his head and went to sit in a corner.

He was always like that. Unless he was apologizing for something like this, he never spoke first. He kept his distance, barely even using the title ‘Hyung.’

While everyone was anxious to get close to Park Geon-woo, Lee Yeon-soo seemed to have no such intention at all. Park Geon-woo wanted to close this gap. He wanted to approach Lee Yeon-soo.

Park Geon-woo decided to confess on Valentine’s Day.

He had proposed a so-called ‘Yeon-soo Agreement’ to other Espers of his age.

It was something along the lines of: ‘Let’s not fight over Lee Yeon-soo, and let’s not bother him. When receiving Guiding, let’s just receive the Guiding cleanly and not be clingy. Let’s not pressure or force him with private proposals like exclusive contracts or bonding, and let’s wait until Lee Yeon-soo chooses for himself.’ It sounded like a noble sentiment, but in reality, it was nothing more than a petty tactic to prevent other guys from approaching Yeon-soo.

But he no longer wanted to hide his feelings this way. He hated seeing Lee Yeon-soo apologize, saying he was sorry for the dating rumors.

If the confession succeeded, he would spend time with Yeon-soo and then attend the Esper Academy.

Actually, this wasn’t the first time he had made such a resolution. But every time, things kept getting tangled.

At first, he thought Joo Seung-hyuk was sabotaging him.

In Park Geon-woo’s opinion, Joo Seung-hyuk was after Lee Yeon-soo.

Whether it was due to a grudge from the past, or because he couldn’t stand the thought of Lee Yeon-soo—who had rejected him—becoming Park Geon-woo’s exclusive guide, the exact reason was unknown, but the look in Joo Seung-hyuk’s eyes when he looked at Lee Yeon-soo was unusual.

However, he soon discarded that thought. Problems continued to occur even when Joo Seung-hyuk wasn’t around.

He hoped nothing would happen this Valentine’s Day, but as expected, the situation became a mess.

The chocolates he had prepared for Lee Yeon-soo disappeared, and the raid time was extended because Joo Seung-hyuk insisted it had to be finished today. He rushed out the moment the raid ended, but absurdly, he got lost. He wandered as if a space spell had been cast on him, and by the time he finally escaped, Lee Yeon-soo had already gone back.

But he couldn’t give up here. And the opportunity came sooner than expected.

A B-Class gate on the verge of a break was discovered.

Park Geon-woo was inwardly delighted. Unaware that it was actually the S-Class Horaitron Gate, and that it might become the worst day of his life.