Chapter 44 – GOY 44

#44

“Rumors ​have ​reached ​all ​the ​way ​to America that ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk ​fought ​over ​you.”

“…The articles are exaggerated.”

I ​had ​heard that foreign ​media had reported ​it, ​but ​were ​the ​articles ​bigger than I ​thought?

Suddenly, ​I ​felt depressed. I ​had even considered naturalizing ​if things ​got bad, ​but America ​is out ​of ​the ​question now….

“Then I ​guess you ​two aren’t dating?”

“That is….”

How ​should I describe the ​relationship between me and ​Joo Seung-hyuk? ​We ​are together every day, eating and ​sleeping side by side. ​The ​world ​would ​call ​this dating, but ​I couldn’t ​bring ​myself to say ​the ​words.

“You don’t have to force ​yourself to ​speak ​if you don’t ​want ​to. ​Anyway, ​whether ​then or ​now, ​those Esper ​bastards just won’t leave our Yeon-soo alone. ​I’m an Esper ​too, but they’re ​all crazy.”

“It’s because of ​the rank, ​I suppose.”

“Still the ​same, ​I see.”

“Pardon?”

“The way ​you think everything ​is because ​of ​rank.”

“Because it’s ​the ​truth.”

One must ​not ​mistake the ​interest ​and ​praise directed at ​an ​S-Class Guide ​for ​that ​belonging ​to the human Lee Yeon-soo. The original Lee Yeon-soo didn’t know that, which is why he met a miserable end.

It was easy to find people like that around me. To do this job, one must maintain a strong center. Otherwise, you can crumble in an instant.

“Once you graduate from the Esper Academy, you’ll go to a corporation or a guild, right?”

“Probably.”

That was my original plan. I intended to start looking for companies and signing contracts in earnest from the point where the original story ends. That plan hasn’t changed. Provided I can safely escape from Joo Seung-hyuk….

“Thank you for the meal.”

As soon as we left the restaurant, I bowed my head and greeted Hyuk-jin hyung.

“I’ll buy you something much better next time.”

“No, this was delicious. I’ll buy for you next time.”

Hyuk-jin hyung reached out. He hesitated as he was about to pat my head, then gave a light laugh.

“Look at this little bean, talking about buying me a meal.”

“I’m all grown up. I’m an adult.”

“This is ‘grown up’? You’re still just a little bean.”

“I’m a Guide, after all.”

I pouted.

Espers were naturally superior in physical ability, tall, and well-built. Hyuk-jin hyung was 188cm, and Chae-ah noona was 180cm.

It wasn’t that I was small; they were just too big.

“Haha. Right. Let’s go, our precious Guide-nim, I’ll walk you to school.”

“No need. It’s right there. You must be tired, so please head home.”

“It’s fine. Besides, I parked my car in the school lot anyway.”

“Then please just take me that far.”

We headed back to the school. Since the restaurant was not far from the campus, the parking lot appeared after about a ten-minute walk.

“Yeon-soo, get home safely.”

“Yes. You too, hyung.”

I waited for him to get into the car. However, he pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.

“I should smoke one before I go. Go on ahead.”

“Okay. I’ll be going then.”

Since I didn’t smoke, I turned toward the dormitory.

“Yeon-soo.”

Just then, Hyuk-jin hyung called my name.

“Yes?”

“If you ever need help, just tell me. I’m always on your side.”

…What would happen if I asked him to help me escape from Joo Seung-hyuk right now?

Would Hyuk-jin hyung take my side? After agonizing over it, I slowly opened my mouth.

“Yes. I will. Thank you, hyung.”

In the end, I couldn’t say anything. No matter how much of an S-Class Esper and master of a mega-guild Hyuk-jin hyung was, he was no match for Joo Seung-hyuk. If I played this wrong, I might bring harm to him….

I gave a thin smile. Then, after saying goodbye again, I walked away.

Do Hyuk-jin watched Lee Yeon-soo’s departing figure. He had grown taller and looked quite like an adult now. But perhaps because he had seen him since he was young, he still looked like a cute child in Hyuk-jin’s eyes.

Of course, not everyone seen since childhood is cute.

Hyuk-jin took a deep drag of his cigarette and spoke lowly.

“Come out.”

Then, a man revealed himself in the dark parking lot. Hyuk-jin frowned as he looked at Joo Seung-hyuk.

“I didn’t know the great Joo Seung-hyuk would personally resort to tailing someone.”

“Why did you come?”

“Let’s get in first.”

He extinguished his cigarette and climbed into the car. Joo Seung-hyuk sat in the passenger seat.

The moment the car door closed, Joo Seung-hyuk gripped Do Hyuk-jin’s right hand.

“Seung-hyuk-ah, I’m sorry, but I prefer Guides. I’ll pass on Espers.”

Do Hyuk-jin made a joke, but Joo Seung-hyuk did not withdraw his chilling killing intent.

“I told you not to touch Lee Yeon-soo.”

“I didn’t touch him.”

Do Hyuk-jin, who had habitually tried to pat Lee Yeon-soo’s head, had felt an immense killing intent and hurriedly pulled his hand away.

“Be careful. If you touch so much as a hair on his head, I’ll cut it off.”

Joo Seung-hyuk warned him once more before letting go. Do Hyuk-jin grimaced and looked at his hand. Even though he had been held for only a moment, the blood flow had been cut off, leaving his fingertips cold.

“Honestly, that temper. By the way, your pheromones were vibrating all over Yeon-soo. Did you get permission? Even if Yeon-soo is a Beta, you shouldn’t do that secretly.”

He gave Joo Seung-hyuk advice as a senior in life. However, the mana filling the car emitted an even colder aura.

Unlike Yeon-soo, Hyuk-jin could not see the form of mana directly, but he could sensitively feel the wavelength.

“Calm down. Are you going to send me away like the Espers at the Academy?”

“If you approach Lee Yeon-soo.”

“Approach? I just bought a meal for a younger brother I cherish. Anyway, I’ll be careful from now on, so let it slide just this once. Think of how many years we’ve known each other.”

He put his hands together in a pleading gesture. However, Joo Seung-hyuk’s killing intent showed no sign of subsiding.

“What did you say to Lee Yeon-soo?”

“You heard. I told him I’d help if he wanted. If you cross the line, I’m the one who has to stop you—who else could? There’s no way In-ho could stop you.”

“Do not interfere.”

“I hope it doesn’t come to that either.”

“Stop the bullshit and tell me why you came here. Surely you didn’t return from the States without any results.”

“What’s with the ‘bullshit’ talk to your hyung? Bullshit, indeed. Honestly, this guy has absolutely no manners.”

Do Hyuk-jin protested, but Joo Seung-hyuk only glared coldly.

“I can’t even stand being a figurehead CEO.”

Though he grumbled, he handed over a photo from his inner pocket.

“I’ve found Ju Tae-han’s whereabouts. The real master of the YL Guild.”

Ju Tae-han was Joo Seung-hyuk’s cousin and legally his older brother.

Joo Seung-hyuk checked the photo with an stolen contentexpressionless face. It showed Ju Tae-han, who had left [unauthorized copy]to study stolen contentin the US after that incident seven years ago.

Ju Tae-han’s eyes were glazed, and his clothes and hair were disheveled. Syringes were scattered on the table, and other people around him were half-naked.

“He’s completely gone.”

“He spends every day soaked in drugs. I guess the aftereffects of that experiment are immense. It seems he can’t endure it without drugs.”

He was the man who had pushed him into hell during his childhood. Yet, even in the face of his enemy’s downfall, no emotion could be read on Joo Seung-hyuk’s face.

Do Hyuk-jin looked at Joo Seung-hyuk. He was always like that. His emotions had been worn away and disappeared long ago. He couldn’t feel joy, sadness, or agony—the natural emotions a human should feel.

The only time he showed a human reaction was in matters concerning Lee Yeon-soo.

Joo Seung-hyuk returned the photo with a blank face.

“Proceed as planned.”

“…What about Yeon-soo? Those bastards might target him. There’s no better subject than Yeon-soo for that experiment. He’s highly capable, and he’s your Guide to boot. Ju Tae-han is one thing, but especially your eldest brother.”

When Do Hyuk-jin referred to Ju Jeong-han, the eldest son of Chairman Ju, as ‘brother,’ Joo Seung-hyuk’s mana surged violently.

“Ah, sorry. My mistake.”

Do Hyuk-jin bowed and apologized before the other could say a word. Joo Seung-hyuk spoke without withdrawing his chilling mana.

“Be careful in the future. And I will handle the Ju Jeong-han matter myself. Master Do, please continue to monitor Ju Tae-han.”

Joo Seung-hyuk answered firmly. Do Hyuk-jin looked at him with concern, but he nodded without further comment.

“Understood.”

Joo Seung-hyuk looked at Ju Tae-han’s photo with an indifferent face before tucking it into his own inner pocket.

Chapter 4

I was reading a book in the dormitory.

However, my body felt heavy with every page I turned. This was because Joo Seung-hyuk was hugging me from behind, burying his face in my back.

This bastard did this all the time. No matter what I was doing, he clung to me like a leech. Since getting entangled with an obsessive yandere, it had become difficult to even read a single book.

Moreover, this wasn’t just a simple back-hug; he was probably plastering me with pheromones.

Rumors had spread at the Esper Academy that Joo Seung-hyuk [visit our site]was giving me Pheromone Showers. Since it was such a [stolen content]famous rumor, it naturally reached my ears. However, since I was a Beta and [unauthorized copy]couldn’t feel pheromones, I left it alone for the time being.

I figured he would stop after a while anyway, so I decided there was no reason to provoke the obsessive yandere. But I was mistaken.

Even after midterms ended and May arrived, that guy was still giving me Pheromone Showers.

There was a limit to pretending not to notice. I carefully broached the subject.

“Seung-hyuk-ah, are you by any chance putting pheromones on me right now?”

I asked in the softest voice possible so it wouldn’t sound like I was confronting him, and an answer flew back immediately.

“Yes.”

He was very confident. Even though he’d been caught giving me a Pheromone Shower, his attitude was incredibly brazen. He didn’t even show a hint of embarrassment. Truly a crazy bastard.