Chapter 155 – GOY 155

#155

The ​moment ​I ​stepped ​into ​the ​KR Hall auditorium ​in ​full ​uniform, ​a ​barrage of reporters’ voices ​poured ​over me.

“It’s Lee ​Yeon-soo!”

“Lee Yeon-soo is ​here!”

“Lee ​Yeon-soo ​has ​arrived!”

The ​Esper ​Academy was a ​space ​where ​access for outsiders ​was restricted. Of course, ​it wasn’t ​as strictly ​blocked off ​as it ​had ​been ​when it was ​under the ​Ministry of National Defense, ​but one couldn’t simply ​enter without a reason.

However, ​today was ​the ​start of the second semester’s mock ​battle training, and reporters ​had ​flocked ​here ​under ​the pretext of ​covering the ​event.

The ​Academy board knew ​this, ​but they likely had no ​grounds to ​refuse. ​Mock battles were ​the ​pride ​of ​the ​Esper Academy, ​and ​there were ​probably guidelines to cooperate with press requests ​as much as ​possible.

So, it wasn’t ​that I hadn’t [Read on Read BL Novels]expected ​this situation, ​but there were ​far ​more [unauthorized copy]reporters than ​I had anticipated.

“Guide ​Lee Yeon-soo, ​are ​the rumors ​true?”

“Were ​you aware ​that ​matching rate ​manipulation ​drugs ​were being taken?”

“Are ​there ​any side ​effects?”

The ​reporters ​rushed ​toward me as soon as they saw me. However, they were blocked by the Academy staff before they could reach me.

“Please refrain from questions unrelated to the mock battles!”

“Please stay behind the photo line!”

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo! Were you aware of Esper Joo Seung-hyuk’s criminal activity?”

“You must stay outside the line!”

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo, were you truly unaware of the matching rate manipulation!”

“I told you to stop!”

No matter how much the staff shouted, the reporters wouldn’t listen. Eventually, the situation became so severe that physical altercations broke out, and Espers dispatched from the Center—sent to prevent any mishaps during the mock battles—joined in to restrain the reporters.

Amidst the chaos, a staff member signaled me with a glance. It was a sign to hurry inside. The atmosphere would only settle down once I had entered.

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo, is it true that you were nearly killed by Esper Joo Seung-hyuk at the Horaitron Gate? Were you also aware that Esper Joo Seung-hyuk intended to cause a Gate Break?”

“Esper Joo Seung-hyuk must have been terrifying; why did you agree to date him?”

No matter how blinded they were by the prospect of a scoop, there were things one should say and things one should not. To ask questions based on internet speculation as if they were established facts, rather than cases under official investigation or actual suspicions…

“Excuse me…!”

“Yeon-soo, let’s go.”

Kang In-ho wrapped his arm around my shoulder as if guarding me. It was a sign telling me not to answer the reporters.

“Okay.”

Keeping my mouth shut, I entered the KR Hall. The buzzing atmosphere instantly fell into a dead silence as stolen contentstudents in uniform stared visit our siteat me. They [unauthorized copy]were likely talking about me and Joo Seung-hyuk.

As an S-Class Guide, I had to stand at the very front. As I walked in with my head held high, the sound of low whispering reached my ears.

“What a disaster for Lee Yeon-soo.”

“I know. If the side effects are severe, won’t his career as a Guide be over?”

“Is his career the problem right now? His life is at risk.”

“This is terrible. What’s Yeon-soo going to do? He won’t be able to use mana anymore, right?”

Even though they were worrying about me, I didn’t feel grateful.

“Aw, how sad.”

“Poor Yeon-soo, what a shame.”

The group that usually spent their time tearing me down and nitpicking everything now spoke in unison about how pitiful I was.

Was I just being cynical if I felt that their words of concern were laced with ridicule?

As I took my place at the front of the Guide line, I saw Park Geon-woo at the vanguard of the Esper students.

Last semester, Joo Seung-hyuk had stood in that spot. I had thought I would be with him today as well, and the empty space felt far too large.

Unlike Joo Seung-hyuk, who had plummeted overnight to become one of the most notorious criminals in Korean history, Park Geon-woo had become a hero once again. After articles were published stating that Park Geon-woo had played a significant role in the investigation, the public showered him with praise for taking a path diametrically opposite to Joo Seung-hyuk’s.

Park Geon-woo waved his hand in greeting. I gave a small nod and looked back at Kang In-ho, who was standing behind me.

“In-ho.”

“Yeah?”

Because Kang In-ho was very tall, it was difficult to whisper to him. When I grabbed his arm, he anticipated my thought and leaned down to match my height. I whispered softly in his ear.

“Am I not supposed to answer the reporters’ questions?”

“No.”

“Then why did you stop me…?”

“There’s nothing good about being linked to Joo Seung-hyuk right now.”

“…….”

I thought he stopped me because he was afraid I might make a slip of the tongue and harm Joo Seung-hyuk. But it was the opposite. He stopped me because he was afraid my image would suffer by being associated with Joo Seung-hyuk.

This, too, must have been Joo Seung-hyuk’s instruction. Just like how he offered to sue those leaving malicious comments this morning, he had ordered Kang In-ho to prioritize ensuring that no harm came to me.

I bit my lower lip just as Professor Jeon, the head of the Esper Department, stepped onto the podium. The mock battle training was managed by the Guide Department in the first semester and the Esper Department in the second.

Professor Jeon’s speech began. He was the type who disliked formalities. Last year, he had finished quickly after a few short words encouraging everyone to do their best. However, perhaps because of the large number of reporters, today’s speech was longer. After all, on the surface, the reporters were there to cover the mock battles.

He emphasized the history of the Academy’s mock battles, the excellence of the system, and its safety. He repeatedly stressed that Espers and Guides from the Center, as well as healing-type Ability Users and doctors, were on standby to prepare for any unforeseen accidents.

It seemed he was trying to refresh the negative image caused by the accident last semester. This was likely why they couldn’t refuse the reporters’ requests for coverage.

“Do not let your guard down just because this is a mock battle! If a dangerous situation arises, suspend the training immediately!”

After repeatedly urging [stolen content]caution regarding safety, Professor Jeon [unauthorized copy]cast a long [Read on Read BL Novels]gaze toward the students.

“Any questions?”

The auditorium was silent. Professor Jeon had only asked as a formality and didn’t seem to expect an actual Q&A session, as he didn’t press further.

“Then, I will end the explanation her—”

Before he could finish, I shot my hand up.

“Cadet Lee Yeon-soo, speak.”

“It’s not a question, but I would like to explain the articles about myself and Joo Seung-hyuk that were reported yesterday. Could you grant me a moment of your time?”

“Yeon-soo!”

Park Geon-woo looked at me in surprise.

“Lee Yeon-soo…”

Kang In-ho, standing in the back row, also [Read on Read BL Novels]called my name in stolen contenta low unauthorized copyvoice. It was clearly a tone of dissuasion.

Ji-hee noona also approached me, looking worried.

However, unlike the people around me, the reporters who had been listening to the speech with boredom at the back of the hall were thrilled. They judged this as an opportunity for a scoop.

“In-ho, take Yeon-soo…!”

Professor Choi, who was standing behind Professor Jeon, made a small gesture toward Kang In-ho. His hand was pointing toward the waiting room behind the podium. It was a sign to move me there for a moment to get me out of the spotlight.

“Lee Yeon-soo, let’s go.”

Kang In-ho, seemingly agreeing with Professor Choi, grabbed my shoulder and whispered softly. But I remained standing tall and spoke louder once more.

“There is something I must say.”

It was the reporters who took my side.

“Professor, please allow it!”

“The public wants to hear Guide Lee Yeon-soo’s voice!”

“Please do not block Guide Lee Yeon-soo from speaking!”

The voices pretending to care for me, pretending to appeal to justice, were disgusting.

I had never liked the breed known as reporters, but the more I experienced them, the more I hated them.

The staff tried to restrain the reporters, but it was useless. As the voices grew louder and the situation spiraled, Professor Jeon had no choice but to listen to me.

“Speak then.”

“Thank you.”

After thanking Professor Jeon, I turned around and bowed deeply toward the students and reporters.

“Hello. I am Lee Yeon-soo.”

I didn’t offer the customary apologies for causing a commotion or thanks for coming all this way.

Because I felt neither grateful nor sorry toward them.

“Since yesterday, baseless rumors regarding myself and Esper Joo Seung-hyuk have been circulating.”

“Are you saying it wasn’t matching rate manipulation?”

A reporter shouted. It seemed the Academy’s warning to refrain from questions unrelated to the mock battles had flown right out the window. The staff seemed to have given up on stopping them now, but it didn’t matter.

“Yes. I am an S-Class Guide. If I had taken illegal drugs that affect mana, I would have noticed. Even if I hadn’t noticed immediately, I would have felt a sense of dissonance while performing Guiding. However, while Guiding Esper Joo Seung-hyuk, I have never once felt anything unusual or encountered any problems.”

I trusted Joo Seung-hyuk, and I trusted my own abilities as a Guide.

No matter how new the drug was, if it had been taken for nearly half a year, there was no way I wouldn’t have noticed.

As I asserted this with a strong tone, the crowd stirred. Then, a reporter asked again.

“But isn’t that merely circumstantial evidence?”

“Correct. It is circumstantial. Everything is circumstantial. Currently, Esper Joo Seung-hyuk is under investigation, and nothing is certain. And I trust Esper Joo Seung-hyuk.”

As soon as I finished speaking, another reporter asked in a provocative tone.

“I understand that Guide Lee Yeon-soo was attacked by Esper Joo Seung-hyuk at the Horaitron Gate. Despite that, do you still trust Esper Joo Seung-hyuk?”

I looked at the reporter and gave a thin smile.

“Reporter, you seem like someone who would be very easy to scam.”