Chapter 139 – GOY 139
#139
“I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long?”
“No. Actually, while I was waiting for you, I ran into Seonbae Park Geon-woo.”
“That bastard?”
Joo Seung-hyuk’s eyes suddenly flashed with a cold glint. I had wondered why he hated Park Geon-woo so much, but now I understood. It would be stranger to like someone who snatched away the credit for your own hard work.
“Yes. He suggested that I become his exclusive guide… Where are you going?!”
I hurriedly grabbed hold of Joo Seung-hyuk, who had suddenly started to run off.
“I’m going to kill that bastard.”
Seeing Joo Seung-hyuk trembling with rage, I felt reassured rather than afraid. He hadn’t changed. Nothing would have happened with Kim Joon either. I felt certain once again.
“Don’t do that. I turned him down.”
“You turned him down?”
“Of course. I’m your guide.”
Joo Seung-hyuk beamed a bright smile and gripped my hand tightly.
“That’s right. Hyung is my guide.”
“Yes. Let’s go home now…”
I tried to get into the car, but Joo Seung-hyuk remained standing, refusing to budge.
“Seung-hyuk-ah…?”
“Then I’ll just go gouge out his eyes.”
…This crazy bastard.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, you can’t do that.”
“Hyung, why are you taking that bastard’s side?”
“I’m not taking his side; I just don’t want you doing something bad because of me.”
“You don’t like it when I do bad things?”
“Yes. Don’t do it for my sake.”
I squeezed his hand tightly. In the past, I thought it didn’t matter what Joo Seung-hyuk did as long as he didn’t get entangled with me. But not anymore. I hated the idea of him being talked about by others for doing something wrong.
“Alright. If Hyung hates it, I won’t do it.”
Unexpectedly, he followed my words obediently.
“Shall we go home?”
“Yes.”
I quickly got into the car before Joo Seung-hyuk’s anger could flare up again.
After fastening my seatbelt for me, he started the engine.
Was it because I had been living so comfortably without lifting a finger? Even [Read on Read BL Novels]though we were heading to Joo Seung-hyuk’s house—a place I had [visit our site]feared so much—I felt strangely at peace.
“Seung-hyuk-ah.”
“Yes.”
“During the Horaitron Gate incident, you saved me, didn’t you?”
“Ah, that time…”
The expression of Joo Seung-hyuk, who was driving, stiffened slightly. He seemed as if he didn’t want to recall the events of that time.
“Why didn’t you tell me…?”
“I didn’t save you. I hurt Hyung.”
Joo Seung-hyuk’s voice sank heavily. Was he perhaps blaming himself for that incident…?
I placed my hand over Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand on the gear shift.
“No. You saved me. If it weren’t for you, I might have died back then.”
At that, he pulled the car over to the side and gripped my hand firmly.
“Don’t say things like that. That will never happen. I won’t let it.”
“Yes. I understand. I won’t say it.”
Seeing Joo Seung-hyuk’s face turn pale, as if he couldn’t even imagine me getting hurt, a smile naturally formed on my lips.
To think I once believed a person like this might kill me. What on earth had I been worrying about all this time?
“But how did you know?”
“When I entered the Linked Gate and saw you, the events of that time vaguely came back to me. And I asked Seonbae Park Geon-woo today.”
“I’ve just made you recall bad memories for nothing.”
Far from boasting that he had indeed saved me, he instead worried about me.
“I’m fine. I only remember that you saved me. That’s why I’m telling you. You were the only one suffering from bad rumors because of it. If I had known, I would have cleared it up long ago…”
While resting in bed, I had searched a lot about the Horaitron Gate. It was to see if it would help confirm the hypothesis that Joo Seung-hyuk had saved me.
And I discovered that a rumor visit our sitewas spreading online [stolen content]that I had been seriously injured because Joo Seung-hyuk had attacked me at the Horaitron Gate.
They say the person involved is always the last to find out about rumors… Since it wasn’t in the news but just a rumor people were whispering about on the internet, I hadn’t noticed at all.
But even if I didn’t know, Joo Seung-hyuk must have known.
“I don’t care what others say. As long as Lee Yeon-soo likes me, that’s enough.”
“Seung-hyuk-ah…”
“And it’s only natural for an Esper to protect their guide. Hyung is my guide, so I have to protect you.”
…I wasn’t Joo Seung-hyuk’s guide back then. Even when we met during subjugations, I was always assigned to a different squad, and we had never even shared a brief moment of guiding.
Yet, Joo Seung-hyuk had considered me his guide. Ever since that time seven years ago.
“That’s right. I’m your guide. I am your guide.”
I lowered my head to hide my tears. Then, Joo Seung-hyuk took both my cheeks in his hands and made me look up.
“Hyung is my guide.”
“Yes. I’m your guide. Thank you. Thank you so much for saving me back then.”
“What are you thanking me for? I’m sorry for putting Hyung in danger.”
“No. I’m sorry for not remembering.”
“Don’t remember it. Why bother remembering something like that?”
Joo Seung-hyuk wiped away the tears gathered in my eyes.
“And don’t cry. I hate it when Hyung cries.”
“Yes. I won’t cry. I won’t.”
I forced the corners of my mouth up. I didn’t want to show him my crying face.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, let’s eat something delicious.”
“Yes. What do you want to eat? Just name anything. I’ll make it for you.”
“No. I’ll do it today.”
“Hyung will?”
“Yes. I’ll make something delicious for you.”
“Won’t it be too tiring for you?”
“Don’t worry, I’m all better because you took care of me.”
I wanted to treat the benefactor who had saved my life to a meal. I wanted to repay Joo Seung-hyuk, who had looked after me every day. I wanted to prepare a warm meal for the little boy who had always been lonely.
I wanted to make delicious food for him.
“Alright. Then I’ll look forward to it.”
“Yes. Leave it to me!”
We went to the mart together. Although we had been stuck together since the first semester, this was the first time we had visited a mart.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, have you ever been to a mart?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Why are you so surprised? Do you think I’ve never even been to a mart?”
“Yes…”
When I nodded honestly, Joo Seung-hyuk chuckled and ruffled my hair.
“I wonder what on earth you think of me… Hyung, I’m ordinary.”
I felt that was absolutely not the case… Setting everything else aside, his visuals alone were far from ordinary.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. I’ll believe you.”
But for now, I wanted to believe his words. Hearing me, the corners of Joo Seung-hyuk’s eyes folded into a bright smile. Was he really that happy?
“What do you want to eat? Tell me everything you want.”
“Kuni.”
“Huh?”
“Kuni chicken nuggets…”
Joo Seung-hyuk mumbled softly, sounding shy.
“You want chicken nuggets?”
“Yes. I want to know what things Hyung liked too.”
“Alright. Let’s eat those. And what else should we eat?”
“Anything you make is fine.”
He smiled brightly and gripped my hand tightly. If I had known he’d be this happy, I would have done it sooner.
“Alright. Then I’ll decide everything as I please.”
“Yes.”
The way he answered so meekly made him just like our Woong-i.
Feeling the urge to pat his head, I entered the mart with him.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, do you have onions?”
“Yes. We do.”
“Zucchini?”
“We don’t have that.”
“Meat?”
“We have beef tenderloin.”
“For steak, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should buy meat.”
I bought the necessary ingredients while talking with Joo Seung-hyuk. [stolen content]It was unauthorized copysurprising that he knew the exact state of his refrigerator. But I suppose Joo Seung-hyuk had always been this kind of person.
It was just that I had been so caught up in the original story that I failed to see the real Joo Seung-hyuk.
“Eggs?”
“Three left.”
To think he even knew the number of remaining eggs. He really is meticulous…
“Then I should buy a carton.”
“Yes.”
“Which eggs do you eat?”
Normally, I would have picked the ones with the biggest discount without thinking. But thinking about eating them with Joo Seung-hyuk made me hesitate.
Large, extra-large, nutritional, antibiotic-free, eco-friendly, organic, free-range, laid by Jirisan chickens…
Were there always this many types?
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Still…”
While I was hesitating, unable to choose easily, he picked one.
“Let’s go with this one.”
“Okay.”
After purchasing all the necessary ingredients, the cart was quite full.
At first, I pushed the cart. I intended to do everything today. But when I came to my senses, the cart was in Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand.
“Shall we buy some snacks too?”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course it is.”
“Then shall we buy a few chips and some ice cream?”
“You can buy a lot.”
Joo Seung-hyuk lightly pinched my cheek.
Does this guy think my cheek is a toy? He touches it every chance he gets.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, do you like touching my cheek?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Alright, then keep doing it.”
Well, it’s not like it’ll wear away from being touched, and since he likes it so much, I’ll just let him.
“Yes.”
Joo Seung-hyuk smiled sheepishly and kneaded my cheek.
No, even if I gave permission, isn’t it a bit much to touch it as if he’d been waiting for the chance? He really is a fellow who doesn’t know how to decline.
But why does that side of him look so cute?
After grocery shopping at the mart, we returned home.
“It’s too late. You’re hungry, right? I’ll make it quickly, so just wait a moment.”
Between attending the opening party and going to the mart, it had become very late.
As I hurried toward the kitchen, Joo Seung-hyuk followed me in.
“Are you very hungry? Do you want to eat some snacks while you wait?”
“No. I want to help.”
“It’s okay! I said I’d make it today. Go and rest.”
“I want to try cooking with Hyung. Do you… hate that…?”
Seeing him look discouraged, as if worried I might reject him, he looked like a puppy caught in the rain, and a part of my heart ached.
“No. Why would I hate that? Let’s do it together.”
“Yes.”
The moment I gave my permission, the visit our sitecorners [visit our site]of Joo Seung-hyuk’s mouth curled up into a smirk.
Surely he didn’t intentionally act pitiful because he knows I’m weak to his gentle side…
No, that can’t be it. He just smiled because he was happy, and I’m just overthinking.
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