Chapter 166 – GOY 166
#166
‘It’s Lee Yeon-soo.’
Joo Seung-hyuk recognized him at a single glance.
He looked exactly as he did in the photos from yesterday. No, he was far more beautiful.
His eyes were large, and his nose was sharp. His lips were lovely. And also… he couldn’t find the words to describe it. The moment he looked at Lee Yeon-soo, his mind went blank.
His heart raced, and his expression threatened to crumble regardless of his will.
“Hi.”
Lee Yeon-soo gave a small wave.
‘Did he just greet me?’
His body stiffened. Yet, contrary to his tension-hardened frame, the visit our sitecorners of his [visit our site]mouth began to creep upward.
“What are you doing?”
Joo Seung-hyuk put immense strength into his lips to stop the smile from breaking through and snapped irritably. He felt that if he didn’t act this way, his trembling heart would be exposed.
At the same time, he steadied himself.
‘Don’t tremble. Don’t get your hopes up. He was dragged here against his will anyway. He’ll hate me. I don’t want to be abandoned. I don’t want to see him turn on me once he finds out I’m a fake. It’s better not to have an exclusive guide at all.’
“I was thinking.”
“About what?”
“Whether I should hold the hamburger with my hands or cut it with a knife. That’s what I was thinking about.”
“Ha… are you an idiot?”
“Do I seem like an idiot?”
“Yeah. Fucking stupid. Why would you even worry about that?”
He intentionally spat out harsher words to hide his fluttering heart.
They were mean words, similar to how Ju Tae-han used to pick fights with him over every little thing.
However, Lee Yeon-soo did not get angry. Nor did he ignore him. Instead, he explained in a gentle voice.
“It’s my first time eating a gourmet burger. I want to eat it properly if I can.”
“Are you a beggar?”
“No. I’ve just never had a gourmet burger before.”
Just as Ju Tae-han had said, Lee Yeon-soo was poor. To the point where he had never even eaten a hamburger until now.
That must be why Lee Yeon-soo’s parents chose me. Because of money… Lee Yeon-soo really was dragged here by force…
“That’s why you’re a beggar.”
Perhaps finding this last comment hard to bear, Lee Yeon-soo looked Joo Seung-hyuk straight in the eyes.
“You shouldn’t say things like that to people. Apologize.”
“Acting all high and mighty for a beggar who came to sell his body because he has no money.”
“Sell my body?”
“You’re like Shim Cheong.”
But Joo Seung-hyuk continued to spit out even crueler words.
He had been abandoned since birth, and he was accustomed to people’s contempt. He felt that if even his own biological parents rejected him, it was only natural for others to dislike him. But he didn’t want to be abandoned by this boy. Rather than being rejected, he wanted to be the one to reject first.
At this point, the other boy would surely get angry and leave. If he knew the Esper he was to sign an exclusive contract with was this mean, his parents wouldn’t be able to force him.
“So you’re Joo Seung-hyuk.”
Contrary to his expectations, however, Lee Yeon-soo wore a soft smile.
“Yeah.”
“You’re late. I guess the traffic was heavy.”
“No. I just held out because I didn’t want to come.”
“Why?”
“Because I hate you. I don’t need a beggar who offers his body for money.”
He poured out every harsh word he knew. But Lee Yeon-soo’s expression didn’t change. Far from getting angry or walking out, he instead bent his knees to meet Joo Seung-hyuk’s gaze.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, I’m not Shim Cheong. I didn’t come as a sacrifice, but to become your guide.”
“…My guide?”
‘I came to become your guide.’
Those words contained Lee Yeon-soo’s own will. It meant he hadn’t been dragged here by his parents, but had become Joo Seung-hyuk’s guide because he wanted to.
‘Could he really want to be my guide?’
No way. There’s no way.
He immediately denied the thought.
He didn’t want to hope. He didn’t want to be fooled. Lee Yeon-soo would surely abandon him in the end. Everyone else had, so there was no reason Lee Yeon-soo would be different.
“Right. Your guide. And I’m a first-year in middle school. I’m a year older than [stolen content]you, Seung-hyeok. So you shouldn’t call [Read on Read BL Novels]me [Read on Read BL Novels]‘you,’ you should call me ‘Hyung.’”
“Don’t call my name so casually.”
Even if it isn’t now, he will leave once he finds out I’m a filthy fake. It’s better to end it here.
Joo Seung-hyuk forced his heart, which was racing with anticipation, to settle down.
“Alright. Seung-hyuk-ah.”
“I told you not to call me that!”
“You don’t like having your name called? We’re going to be together from now on, so we should get along.”
“…….”
But Lee Yeon-soo did not leave. Instead, he smiled and took Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand.
In that instant, a tingle shot through his fingertips. The mana throughout his entire body surged from his hand and began to run wild.
“If you’d kept insisting on not coming, we wouldn’t have been able to eat. Seung-hyuk-ah, come here and let’s eat together.”
‘What is this? What on earth is this?’
Confused, he followed where Lee Yeon-soo led him.
“Here, pick one. Do you want to eat with your hands? Or should we use a knife?”
“I’m not eating!”
“Huh?”
“I said I’m not eating! You eat it all! Idiot!”
Finally regaining his senses, Joo Seung-hyuk shook off Lee Yeon-soo’s hand and bolted out of the hospital room.
It was strange. His hand was strange, his heart was strange, and his mana was strange. In front of Lee Yeon-soo, everything moved of its own accord.
‘What on earth is this?’
Joo Seung-hyuk was bewildered by the sensations he was feeling for the first time in his life, but for some reason, he didn’t hate it.
The result of the matching rate test between Joo Seung-hyuk and Lee Yeon-soo was 48%.
They said an exclusive guide contract is only proceeded with if the matching rate is over 50%. Therefore, whether Lee Yeon-soo had been dragged here by his parents for money or [visit our site]had decided of his own will unauthorized copyto become Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide, the contract could not be finalized.
It was for the best.
That’s what Joo Seung-hyuk thought.
There was nothing to gain from being entangled with a filthy fake like him anyway. Lee Yeon-soo would eventually come to hate him, so it was better to end it here.
But contrary to his thoughts, the strength left his body. As he trudged along with heavy legs, his eyes met Lee Yeon-soo’s.
Reflexively, Joo Seung-hyuk turned his head and ran out of the hospital.
He didn’t know why he did it. He just felt suddenly, overwhelmingly shy the moment he locked eyes with Lee Yeon-soo.
And all the way home, Joo Seung-hyuk regretted it.
‘I might not see him again, I should have at least said goodbye….’
As soon as he arrived at the annex, Joo Seung-hyuk stripped off the clothes he had dressed up in to look good for Lee Yeon-soo.
Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t eat that day. He had no appetite. Besides, there was no one who cared if he starved all day.
There was no one who would worry if he [stolen content]hadn’t eaten and tell him to eat together, like Lee Yeon-soo did….
Just then, a guest visited the annex. It was Do Hyuk-jin.
In truth, Do Hyuk-jin had been concerned about Joo Seung-hyuk since they were on Abite Island and had tried to visit the annex often. However, he was blocked by Secretary Ahn every single time. If it had just been the secretary, he might have spoken to someone else, but Chairman Joo also did not want Do Hyuk-jin to meet Joo Seung-hyuk.
But an opportunity arose while selecting Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide.
It was a matter of selecting a guide for the son of Chairman Joo and an S-Class Esper. Even formally, it was necessary to seek the advice of a High-rank Esper. And Chairman Joo judged that Do Hyuk-jin was better than someone who knew nothing about Joo Seung-hyuk.
Of course, though it was called “advice,” all decisions were made by Chairman Joo, so there wasn’t much Do Hyuk-jin could do, but he could at least use this as an excuse to come to the annex.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, hi.”
“Hello….”
“Why do you look so drained? Did you fight with Lee Yeon-soo?”
Contrary to Do Hyuk-jin’s expectation that Joo Seung-hyuk would be fluttering with excitement after meeting his exclusive guide, he was completely crestfallen.
“No.”
“Then do you not like him? [unauthorized copy]Isn’t he [Read on Read BL Novels]even prettier in person? Everyone [stolen content]who saw Lee Yeon-soo said he was incredibly beautiful.”
“Not really….”
Joo Seung-hyuk muttered weakly.
“Not really?”
“His eyes were big.”
“Only his eyes?”
“His eyelashes were long, too.”
“Yours are long too.”
“His are way longer than mine!”
Joo Seung-hyuk recalled Lee Yeon-soo’s face.
“His pupils are a pretty brown. His hair isn’t black, it’s the same color as his eyes! And it sways whenever he moves just a little. His nose is sharp and his lips are very red. His skin is white, and his voice is pretty.”
“I see.”
“And his smile is incredibly pretty too!”
Seeing Joo Seung-hyuk chatter away about what happened today, a smile naturally formed on Do Hyuk-jin’s lips. The boy, who always seemed cast in a deep shadow, looked like a child his own age today.
“And he told me to eat a hamburger with him!”
“Wow. Really? He must have liked you.”
“R-really?”
The boy’s eyes widened.
“Of course. There’s no way he’d share food with someone he doesn’t like.”
“Ah, I don’t think so…. Though he did call my name. He called me ‘Seung-hyuk-ah.’”
Even as he denied it, he spoke with excitement.
“I call you by your name too.”
“That’s different!”
It was different from how Do Hyuk-jin or his tutors called him.
It was soft and ticklish, and cozy. The moment Lee Yeon-soo called his name, it felt as if warm sunlight wrapped around his entire body. Moreover, Lee Yeon-soo said he came to be his guide.
My guide, someone who would be on my side….
Recalling the events with Lee Yeon-soo today, Joo Seung-hyuk became gloomy once again.
“I won’t be able to see him from now on, right?”
“Why?”
“Our matching rate was 48%. You have to be over 50% to make a contract.”
“I wondered why you were so drained; was that what you were worried about?”
“…….”
Joo Seung-hyuk shut his mouth tight. Do Hyuk-jin intended to tease him, but he stopped when he saw the boy looking as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
“Don’t worry. It’s been decided that you’ll contract with Lee Yeon-soo.”
“What? Really?”
“Yeah. Chairman Joo decided.”
After hearing the matching rate of the two, Chairman Joo instructed them to proceed with the contract, stating that 2% was within the margin of error.
As he said, 2% was within the margin of error and a figure that could increase over time. However, he didn’t think Chairman Joo had made this decision after considering the change in matching rate or the future.
He probably just found it tedious to look for another guide.
“Are we really contracting with Lee Yeon-soo?”
“Yes.”
“Lee Yeon-soo is becoming my guide?”
“Yeah. He’ll be your exclusive guide.”
Regardless of Chairman Joo’s intentions in making the decision, seeing how happy the boy was, it was a good result.
Do Hyuk-jin had secretly wanted a more experienced guide, but [stolen content]seeing Joo Seung-hyuk’s reaction now, it seemed that unauthorized copychoosing Lee Yeon-soo was the best choice.
“Starting tomorrow, he’ll be living in this house with you.”
“In this house…?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that great?”
“N-no!”
Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, Joo Seung-hyuk reflexively shook his head. However, he couldn’t hide the beaming smile that leaked out.
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