Chapter 164 – GOY 164

#164

“Your ​exclusive ​guide ​has ​been ​decided.”

“Guide…?”

“Yes. ​You’re finally getting ​an ​exclusive ​guide. ​Aren’t ​you happy?”

“What is a ​guide?”

“…….”

Do ​Hyuk-jin was speechless ​after hearing Joo ​Seung-hyuk’s ​question.

What ​on ​earth ​was ​Chairman Joo thinking?

To ​begin ​with, ​he couldn’t understand ​leaving a young child ​alone on ​a remote ​foreign island. ​Furthermore, for ​someone ​who ​had awakened as ​the youngest ​S-Class Esper and stopped ​a Gate Break, bringing ​Joo Seung-hyuk back to ​the country ​in ​secret like a criminal—there was more ​than one or two ​suspicious ​things ​about ​this.

When ​they first met, ​Joo Seung-hyuk ​didn’t ​even know his ​own ​name. He had barely managed ​to recall ​it ​by searching through ​his ​memories… ​Moreover, ​he ​lacked basic ​common ​sense. He ​seemed intelligent, but he had a blank-slate ​quality to him, ​as if he ​had never received any ​education in ​his entire life.

Could ​the ​rumors that he ​wasn’t Chairman Joo’s ​biological child ​be ​true…?

Even so, ​to ​not teach ​him ​the basic ​and ​essential ​information that any ​Esper ​should naturally ​know.

Besides, ​this ​wasn’t ​knowledge exclusive to ability users. It was the most basic common sense that any three-year-old South Korean citizen—no, anyone in the world—would know.

And yet, he hadn’t been told any of it.

If he were the child of a lover, as the rumors suggested, it would have been better to just put him up for adoption.

There were plenty of sponsors or corporations willing to support an S-Class Esper. If he were that hated, it would have been better for everyone involved to adopt him out and leave him in someone else’s care.

However, this wasn’t a problem Do Hyuk-jin could solve.

Suppressing his anger internally, Do Hyuk-jin looked at Joo Seung-hyuk.

“Do you remember when you left the island, someone held your hand and gave you mana?”

“Yes.”

“That person is a guide. Giving mana is called Guiding.”

“Yes….”

“And a guide is an Esper’s partner.”

“Partner?”

Joo Seung-hyuk tilted his head slightly, as if he didn’t understand the word ‘partner.’

“A partner means, uh, basically, someone who gives strength to the other. No matter how outstanding an Esper is, [visit our site]they can’t use their power without a guide. Seung-hyuk-ah, think back to the first time you Read on Read BL Novelsreceived Guiding. When the guide did it, didn’t you feel power surging through you?”

“No.”

Joo Seung-hyuk answered indifferently. After leaving Abite Island, someone had held his hand, but he hadn’t felt anything special.

Since he spoke so firmly, Do Hyuk-jin scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Ah, I see…. That’s strange…. But an exclusive guide will be different.”

“What is an exclusive guide?”

“It means a guide who is yours alone. A being who will be solely on your side in the harsh world of ability users.”

“On my side….”

Joo Seung-hyuk couldn’t relate to his words.

There was no one in this world who wanted him. Even his parents had Read on Read BL Novelsabandoned stolen contenthim. And yet, [visit our site]someone would be on his side?

“Yeah. Curious about who it is?”

“…No.”

Joo Seung-hyuk shook his head. There was no way such a person existed anyway. However, Do Hyuk-jin lightly ignored his reaction.

“Right, you must be excited!”

“No.”

“Don’t be too surprised.”

“I won’t be.”

Regardless of Do Hyuk-jin’s efforts to brighten the mood, Joo Seung-hyuk steadfastly denied it. But Do Hyuk-jin didn’t give up.

“Right, you’re probably curious.”

“…….”

Just as Joo Seung-hyuk lost the energy to even respond, Do Hyuk-jin spoke with a wide smile.

“The person is none other than Lee Yeon-soo!”

“…….”

“Why aren’t you saying anything? I said it’s Lee Yeon-soo!”

Do Hyuk-jin studied Joo Seung-hyuk’s expression.

Lee Yeon-soo was the first S-Class Guide to appear in over ten years. While most people were enthusiastic about his appearance, some expressed disappointment.

This was especially true for those who called themselves ability user experts on the internet or *Tube.

More than anything else, they pointed to Lee Yeon-soo’s trait as a problem. Lee Yeon-soo’s family and relatives Read on Read BL Novelswere all [Read on Read BL Novels]Betas. They predicted that while an awakened person [stolen content]might luckily appear in a Non-Ability User family, Manifestation would be difficult.

No matter how high the S-Class rank was, a Beta guide had limits. While superior to an A-Class, they couldn’t match an S-Class Guide who had undergone Manifestation.

They claimed that even an S-Class who manifested as a general trait rather than a Dominant one was considered disappointing, so a Beta guide went without saying.

And there were ability users who said such things as well.

But whenever Do Hyuk-jin heard those things, he wanted to tell them to stop talking nonsense.

Ability users are people, not game characters.

‘Ah, even an S-Class needs to undergo Manifestation and be reinforced once to become solid. It’s a shame they’re a Beta.’

He wanted to blow away all those self-proclaimed experts who evaluated others in such a manner.

The same went for the ability users who would fly into a rage if a single word was said about their own mana or rank, yet prattled on and critiqued the ranks and traits of others.

However, even Do Hyuk-jin felt that Lee Yeon-soo being decided as Joo Seung-hyuk’s [unauthorized copy]exclusive guide [stolen content][Read on Read BL Novels]was somewhat disappointing.

It wasn’t the trait, but rather his age and experience that bothered him. Guides often served as mentors to young Espers. Especially for that child right now, he needed an experienced guide who could teach him about the life of an ability user and help draw out his powers.

But Lee Yeon-soo was too young and had zero experience.

Of course, just signing an exclusive contract with an S-Class Guide was an incredible feat.

There were countless Espers and guilds eyeing Lee Yeon-soo, and many envied Joo Seung-hyuk for succeeding in the contract.

But this wasn’t just anywhere; it was Seong Han, the number one conglomerate and number one guild in the country.

If Chairman Joo had set his mind to it, he could have contracted an experienced S-Class Guide. But Chairman Joo chose Lee Yeon-soo.

It could have been an intention to provide a peer-like friend to soothe his heart rather than a mentor-like guide to draw out his abilities as an Esper, but in Do Hyuk-jin’s view, that wasn’t it.

He simply wanted to show the public that he cared for his son by contracting the most talked-about guide at the moment.

This was a choice made unauthorized copythoroughly to [unauthorized copy]protect Chairman Joo’s own image rather visit our sitethan for Joo Seung-hyuk.

But since he couldn’t tell the child these circumstances, Do Hyuk-jin congratulated him on the exclusive guide contract with a bright smile. However, Joo Seung-hyuk had no reaction.

It didn’t seem like he was disappointed because he knew the behind-the-scenes story. He seemed completely unaware of Lee Yeon-soo’s existence.

From TV and newspapers to the internet, it was a frenzy across all media, and one could easily hear people talking about the new S-Class Guide just by stepping out onto the street.

Even if one covered their ears and tried not to listen, it was impossible not to know about Lee Yeon-soo, yet this child seemed to have been in a completely different world.

Since returning to the country, Joo Seung-hyuk had not left the mansion and had not gone to school. He hadn’t seen TV or newspapers, and he had no phone.

He had been thoroughly isolated and could only receive education within the scope permitted by Chairman Joo, and that was why he didn’t know about Lee Yeon-soo.

Do Hyuk-jin felt a surge of anger at Chairman Joo’s treatment, but he hid his true feelings and smiled. Then, he searched for a photo of Lee Yeon-soo on his smartphone.

“This is Lee Yeon-soo.”

He showed the photo of Lee Yeon-soo to Joo Seung-hyuk. The boy’s unauthorized copyeyes, which [visit our site]were always expressionless, widened. He stared at the photo without a word.

Watching that, a faint smile played on Do Hyuk-jin’s lips.

“He’s really pretty, isn’t he?”

“…A little.”

“A little pretty?”

Joo Seung-hyuk nodded. He had never seen someone so beautiful in his life.

It wasn’t just that his appearance was pretty.

The way he smiled brightly was like warm sunshine. It was a beautiful smile, so clear and warm that it felt as if one would smile along with him.

Even after Do Hyuk-jin left, Joo Seung-hyuk recalled the face of the boy he had seen on the screen.

He was a child as beautiful as a [stolen content]drawing in a fairy tale book, bright as light. Such Read on Read BL Novelsa person would be on my side?

‘On my side, my guide….’

Even as he chewed over the words Do Hyuk-jin had said, it didn’t feel real at all.

Joo Seung-hyuk had always been alone. He had been abandoned from the moment he was born, and his very existence was a sin.

And yet, for the first time in his life, he was getting something of his own, a person of his own.

The corners of his mouth kept curling up, and a part of his chest felt ticklish. It was an emotion he was feeling for the first time.

However, Joo Seung-hyuk forced the corners of his mouth down to compose his expression and tried to restrain his heart, which was racing wildly.

Happiness had never once visited his life until now. This time would be the same.

There was no way something completely mine would be allowed in this world, and in the end, despair would only arrive in proportion to the hope he held.

Let’s not expect anything for nothing. I’ll only end up Read on Read BL Novelsdisappointed. Yes, visit our sitethat’s how it will be. I mustn’t expect anything.

Despite bracing his heart over and over again, tension surged the moment the next day arrived.

Joo Seung-hyuk woke up early in the morning and rummaged through his wardrobe. His wardrobe was filled with expensive clothes.

Chairman Joo was indifferent to Joo Seung-hyuk and delegated everything to the secretary.

What the child ate, whether he slept well, how he was treated in the mansion, how he felt—all of those things were outside his interest.

However, he chose the clothes himself. They were children’s lines from luxury brands his wife had liked, or clothes of a similar type to the colors she liked or the styles she enjoyed wearing.

Joo Seung-hyuk had no particular interest in clothes.

Occasionally, he felt goosebumps whenever Chairman Joo stared at him intently and said things like, ‘As expected, you take after your mother, so pink suits you well,’ but he didn’t have any clothes or styles he particularly liked. He simply wore what he was told to wear.

But today, he stood before the mirror from early morning, holding various clothes up to his face.

It was the day he would visit our sitemeet [visit our site]Lee Yeon-soo for [Read on Read BL Novels]the first time. He wanted to look as cool as possible.

This was a first. It was the first time he had ever thought he wanted to look good to someone, and the first time he had put in this much effort.

He felt somewhat embarrassed doing this in front of the mirror, but the desire to look cool to Lee Yeon-soo was greater.

After much deliberation, Joo Seung-hyuk chose a navy blue suit. It was a new piece of clothing he had never worn before.

What if Secretary Ahn came and told him to wear something else? He thought of the pink cardigan Chairman Joo liked. He really hated that.

That wasn’t the only thing he was worried about.

According to Do Hyuk-jin, it wasn’t yet confirmed that Lee Yeon-soo would be his exclusive guide. It seemed that after meeting Lee Yeon-soo today and conducting a matching rate test, the exclusive guide contract would proceed only if it exceeded 50%.

I hope the matching rate comes out well….

Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t know exactly what a matching rate was. But he vaguely hoped it would be high.

He would be able to meet Lee Yeon-soo soon. Amidst tension and excitement, he looked at the clock.