Chapter 156 – GOY 156

#156

“Reporter, ​you ​seem ​like ​someone ​who’d ​be easily scammed.”

“Excuse ​me…?”

“Esper ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk ​has ​never attacked me. On ​the ​contrary, he saved ​me when I ​was ​being ​attacked ​by ​an ​S-Class monster. Esper ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk ​is my lifesaver.”

In ​that instant, everyone’s gaze ​shifted toward ​Park Geon-woo. ​Although there ​had been ​no ​official ​announcement, everyone likely ​knew he ​was the one who ​had saved me, so ​their surprise was only ​natural.

Park Geon-woo ​also ​looked at me, unable to hide ​his bewildered expression. However, ​I ​ignored ​his ​gaze ​and continued speaking.

“Furthermore, ​I understand ​that ​Esper Joo Seung-hyuk ​played ​a major role in taking ​down the ​Boss ​Monster of the ​Horaitron ​Gate.”

“But ​Guide ​Lee ​Yeon-soo, weren’t ​you ​injured at ​the time? You [unauthorized copy]wouldn’t have seen [unauthorized copy]Esper ​Joo Seung-hyuk defeat ​the Boss Monster,” ​another reporter asked.

As he ​said, I ​hadn’t witnessed the ​situation ​firsthand. I had ​heard about it ​from others. ​However, ​if I ​mentioned ​the real ​names ​of the ​Espers ​I ​heard it from ​here, ​it could ​cause ​a ​huge ​nuisance for them.

As I hesitated and bit my lower lip, a familiar voice came from the right.

“I saw it.”

It was Seon-woo sunbae.

He bowed to the reporters and introduced himself.

“Hello. I am Moon Seon-woo. I am an A-Class Esper of the Esper Academy and a member of the KN Guild.”

The students began to buzz. It wasn’t simply because Moon Seon-woo had stepped forward.

Even if most high-rank ability users of the Academy were under contract with guilds, they were officially affiliated with the Esper Academy.

Yet, right in the middle of the Academy—and in front of [visit our site]reporters, [stolen content]no less—he [visit our site]had revealed that he was an Esper belonging to a corporate guild.

It wasn’t a grave mistake, but there was a risk that reporters might nitpick it. It was an uncharacteristic slip for the always serious Moon Seon-woo.

“Esper Moon Seon-woo, did you witness the situation at the time?”

However, given the circumstances, the reporter jumped straight to the question instead of seizing on the flaw. Moon Seon-woo nodded.

“Yes, I did. I participated in the Horaitron Gate subjugation two years ago and witnessed everything up until the Boss’s defeat. At that time, every single second was critical. If it hadn’t been for Esper Joo Seung-hyuk’s efforts, an S-Class gate would have opened.”

An Esper from the KN Guild, a rival to Seong Han, had defended Joo Seung-hyuk. This statement carried far more credibility than anything I, as Joo Seung-hyuk’s lover, could say.

Moon Seon-woo must have intended this, revealing his affiliation with KN despite knowing the reporters might find fault with it.

As he continued to speak, the atmosphere enveloping the auditorium shifted. Faced with a story that was the exact opposite of the frame they had pre-established, the reporters fell silent in confusion.

I made one final appeal to the reporters.

“Right now, false rumors surrounding Esper Joo Seung-hyuk [stolen content]are stolen contentspreading indiscriminately. The full truth will soon be revealed. Until then, I earnestly ask the public and the reporters to wait just a little longer.”

I bowed deeply, my waist bending until my head nearly touched the ground. When I finally looked up, a deep silence had fallen.

“The full-scale mock battle training will begin shortly. Since there are parts that cannot be disclosed to the public, I ask the reporters to please step back for a moment.”

The staff member didn’t miss the timing and ushered the reporters out. The mock battle was a culmination of South Korea’s most advanced technology. It was the pride of the Academy; while they were cooperative with the press, they didn’t disclose everything. The reporters knew this, so they headed outside, leaving their dissatisfaction behind.

Once they had all left and the auditorium doors closed, Professor Jeon and Professor Choi stepped down from the podium to discuss something. Staff members from the Center, who had come for the mock battle, also approached, and since the conversation seemed like it would take a while, they all entered the waiting room.

They were likely discussing the progress of the upcoming mock battle and the scope of permitted coverage, given the swarm of reporters. If their goal were purely to cover the mock battle, they could have proceeded according to the usual manual, but today was different.

Once the professors had also gone to the waiting room, the tension broke, and my waist slumped naturally.

“Lee Yeon-soo, are you okay?”

Kang In-ho immediately approached and supported me. Come to think of it, this guy always seemed to appear and help whenever I was struggling, as if he had been waiting for it.

We weren’t even close, and he certainly wasn’t interested in me. At the time, I vaguely thought Kang In-ho just had a strong sense Read on Read BL Novelsof responsibility as the class [stolen content]president, but thinking back now, it was probably all under Joo Seung-hyuk’s instructions.

“Yeon-soo, our Yeon-soo, you were totally cool.”

Ji-hee noona also approached and gave me a compliment filled with comfort.

“Really?”

“Yeah. You were just like Joo Seung-hyuk.”

“…….”

“Why does your face look so rotten?”

I love Joo Seung-hyuk, but it was troubling to be told I looked like him. Especially in a situation like that.

“…Did I look that rude?”

“No, I said you were cool. What does this kid think his lover is?”

She burst into a hearty laugh.

It must be a genuine compliment, right…? Right, Ji-hee noona isn’t the type to be sarcastic, so it must be a compliment.

Feeling somewhat relaxed, I approached Moon Seon-woo.

“Sunbae, thank you for helping me.”

“It’s nothing. I just told the truth.”

“Still. It couldn’t have been easy to step forward in a situation like that.”

Even if what I said were reported exactly as it was, the situation probably wouldn’t change much. In fact, there would likely be more people disappointed, saying that after they defended him as a victim, he turned out to be just like Joo Seung-hyuk.

Public opinion, once swept up in madness, does not change easily. If things went wrong, the damage could have extended to Seon-woo sunbae for taking Joo Seung-hyuk’s side.

“Yeon-soo, you’re my lifesaver. How hard could it be to say a word for a lifesaver?”

“Still.”

“I said it’s fine. And don’t worry about Joo Seung-hyuk. He has a rough personality, but he doesn’t hold grudges. He’s not the type to do something like that just because it’s a hassle; he’ll be cleared of the charges soon.”

“Thank you.”

Honestly, Joo Seung-hyuk wasn’t a great hubae. He had clashed heavily with the other Espers during the first semester. Despite that, he spoke of him like that.

I was sincerely grateful to him.

“Now, focus!”

Professor Jeon, who had returned to the podium, grabbed the microphone.

The scattered students straightened their backs, and I turned to return to my original spot. In that moment, Park Geon-woo’s stiff expression entered my field of vision. He was staring at me, but I pretended not to see him and returned to my seat.

“I will now announce the team members visit our siteunauthorized copywho unauthorized copywill be training together during the second semester.”

The atmosphere, which had remained restless despite the professor’s words, settled instantly.

Everyone momentarily forgot the topic of Joo Seung-hyuk and me, staring at the central screen in hopes of being placed in a good team this semester.

Team 1

S-Class Esper Park Geon-woo

S-Class Esper Joo Seung-hyuk

S-Class Guide Lee Yeon-soo

The silence was short-lived as the atmosphere began to stir again.

“Ah, there goes the chance for first place again.”

“Exactly. Three S-Classes in one team is just wrong. visit our siteTwo visit our siteof them were first place last semester; having Read on Read BL NovelsGeon-woo sunbae in the same team is too unfair.”

“Did they put them together because of Lee Yeon-soo? Lee Yeon-soo was originally Park Geon-woo’s assigned guide.”

“Not assigned, they were lovers.”

“Ugh, guiding an ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend at the same time. I’d absolutely hate that.”

“Did they even break up properly? Isn’t it more like a vague state of someone moving on?”

“I’m realizing it again, but Lee Yeon-soo is amazing. Even as a Beta, S-Class Dominant Alphas keep flocking to him.”

“It’s because Lee Yeon-soo is also S-Class.”

“I heard Lee Yeon-soo had a thing with David from Achilles.”

“With Aaron hyung? How is that possible? After all that chaos with Aaron.”

“That’s why I’m saying, he pretends to be quiet but he’s a total mess.”

Nonsense was echoing from all directions. I desperately wanted to explain and argue that it wasn’t true, but since so many people were talking at once, there was no way to refute them.

Maybe I should have said I never dated Park Geon-woo earlier….

“But shouldn’t Joo Seung-hyuk be removed? He was arrested.”

“Well, the crime isn’t confirmed yet. Besides, he says it wasn’t Lee Yeon-soo.”

“It might not be a drug, but I heard that bastard tried to kill Geon-woo sunbae.”

“Eh, I don’t think that’s true. Why would Joo Seung-hyuk do that? He’d just stick with him. Like Lee Yeon-soo said, as long as he didn’t use matching rate drugs, he’ll be out soon.”

“Even if he gets out, he’ll go right back in. Do you think that bastard will stay quiet seeing the mock battle teams look like that? The moment Lee Yeon-soo guides his ex in front of his eyes, he’ll actually kill him.”

“I’d be pissed too. Lee Yeon-soo is Joo Seung-hyuk’s assigned guide. Who would like it if their guide guided some other bastard? I wonder what the professors were thinking when they made the teams like this.”

“Well, I heard it was originally temporary? I guess the assignment is over now.”

That was true. I was in a relationship with Joo Seung-hyuk, but that wasn’t a factor considered when performing guiding. Even after marriage, there were many cases of guiding other people.

Unless one was an exclusive or imprinted guide, they had to guide others. Moreover, I was merely Joo Seung-hyuk’s ‘temporary’ assigned guide.

Especially now that Park Geon-woo had returned, it was only natural that I, who recorded a high matching rate with him, would handle the guiding. Furthermore, this semester, the Esper Department arranged the mock battle teams.

Being an S-Class and already slated for the Center, Park Geon-woo was the most precious resource in the Academy. The Esper Department would have prioritized him when forming the teams, just as Professor Choi had based the teams on the Guides rather than the Espers during the first semester.

Therefore, it was predictable that Park Geon-woo and I would be on the same team. As a temporary assignment, I eventually had to guide other people. Besides, I had originally aspired to be a Free Guiding guide, so there was no problem with it.

But why do I feel like this? Just the fact that I have to guide someone other than Joo Seung-hyuk made my breath hitch.