Chapter 77 – GOY 77

#77

However, ​a ​turning ​point ​in ​his ​life arrived during ​his ​sixth ​year ​of ​elementary school. He awakened ​as ​an S-Class Esper.

S-Class ​Espers had high ​utility. ​For ​the ​sake ​of ​his business, Chairman ​Joo ​recognized ​him as his ​son.

After that day, the ​relationship between ​the two ​deteriorated further. ​Chairman Joo ​viewed ​Joo ​Seung-hyuk as a ​tool, and ​Joo Seung-hyuk sought revenge ​against Chairman Joo for ​using him, aiming to ​seize the ​Seong ​Han Group.

After reaching adulthood, the management ​rights of the company ​gradually ​began ​to ​tilt ​toward Joo Seung-hyuk. ​It was ​around ​this time that ​Lee ​Yeon-soo, who had been playing ​both sides ​between ​Joo Seung-hyuk and ​Ju ​Tae-han, ​began ​to ​go all-in ​on ​Joo Seung-hyuk.

However, ​a plot twist appears toward the end ​of the novel.

As ​Joo Seung-hyuk grows, ​he begins to look ​exactly like ​Chairman Joo. The ​eldest ​son, Ju Jeong-han, ​finds this strange ​and suggests ​that ​Chairman Joo ​undergo ​another DNA ​test.

The ​test results ​reveal ​that ​the two are ​indeed ​biological father ​and ​son.

Secretary ​Ahn, ​who had been eyeing the position of the Seong Han Group’s matriarch, had manipulated the DNA test. She claimed she thought that if she said Joo Seung-hyuk wasn’t a biological son, Chairman Joo would forget his wife and start a new love.

It was a ridiculous reason.

Upon belatedly learning that Joo Seung-hyuk was his biological son, [visit our site]Chairman Joo shed tears of [unauthorized copy]regret. But it was too late to repair a relationship [Read on Read BL Novels]that had gone completely astray, and in the end, the two met a tragic end.

“I wonder who he takes after to be like that.”

Chairman Joo clicked his tongue, criticizing Joo Seung-hyuk. Does he even intend to contract with me? No, he’s probably exercising this much restraint only because he’s in front of me.

If that weren’t the case, he would have despised Joo Seung-hyuk far more.

Is Joo Seung-hyuk destined to live through persecution and contempt until he becomes an adult?

“I didn’t cry because of Esper Joo Seung-hyuk.”

I spoke impulsively.

“There is no need to protect him.”

“It’s not that. Why would I protect Esper Joo Seung-hyuk after seeing him only a few times? I simply cried after realizing my own helplessness.”

“Haha. Helplessness. Since you’ve just awakened, shouldn’t you be anxious to try out your abilities?”

Chairman Joo showed a slight interest in my words. He seemed to find it amusing that a child would use such unusual vocabulary.

Unlike Chairman Joo, however, I had no intention of joking.

I looked him straight in the eyes.

“You know that I can see mana, right?”

“I do.”

“Esper Joo Seung-hyuk’s mana and yours have the exact same shape. If it weren’t for the grade, I would have mistaken you for the same person.”

“Me and that brat…?”

Chairman Joo’s face froze instantly.

“Yes. Why are you so surprised? It’s natural for family members to have similar mana.”

“Is that true?”

“Didn’t you know? If you’re family, the shape of your mana is similar. It’s just like doing a DNA test. I can see it all.”

Of course, it was a lie. I didn’t come from a family of Ability Users, and I had almost no opportunity to encounter other Espers or Guides. Therefore, I had no way of knowing whether the mana shapes of family members were similar or not.

However, it was said that I was the only person in the world with such an ability.

While High-ranking Ability Users could feel the wavelength of mana, it was said that no one could see its shape. Thus, even if I made it up, Chairman Joo wouldn’t be able to tell.

“That boy and I…”

Chairman Joo’s pupils wavered.

“By the way, you and your youngest son are exceptionally alike. I’ve met your second son as well, and he was a bit different.”

“You’re already fond of your Esper.”

Suspicion filled his eyes. He thought I might be lying to get on Joo Seung-hyuk’s good side.

I wondered why such caution wasn’t applied to his secretary. Did his judgment cloud because she was the one who comforted him after his wife left? Either way, it was pathetic.

Instead of answering, I took his hand. Chairman Joo seemed surprised, but he didn’t reject it. Even while doubting, he wanted to believe my words in his heart.

Holding his hand with both of mine, I let a small amount of mana flow.

“Now that I’ve performed Guiding, I can tell even more certainly. It really is the same. But there is one other thing.”

“What is it?”

“The amount of mana. While your mana shapes are the same, the difference in skill is like heaven and earth.”

“Yeon-soo!”

Do Hyuk-jin shouted in surprise at visit our sitethe bold remark. However, Chairman Joo stopped him and listened [stolen content]intently to what I had to say.

“Isn’t that natural since the grades are different?”

“I’ve seen S-Class Espers at the Center. But I’ve never seen an Esper with mana as vast as your son’s.”

“To become an exclusive guide, one must also know how to flatter an Esper.”

I looked straight at Chairman Joo’s sneering face.

“Chairman. There’s a fairy tale I read when I was little. In a certain kingdom, a beautiful queen gave birth to a son. But a maid, jealous of the queen, lied and said the child was not of the Emperor’s bloodline. The Emperor believed only the maid’s words and abandoned his son. He was a foolish man. He should have verified it himself instead of listening to others.”

“…”

“The prince, abandoned by his father, suffered hardships until he met a master who was a great mage, awakened his abilities, and eventually became a hero who saved the country.”

“…Why are you telling me that story?”

“I am not qualified to be Esper Joo Seung-hyuk’s guide.”

“…”

Chairman Joo’s eyes widened. He had thought I was flattering him to become Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide, so he was likely surprised by my sudden refusal.

“An exclusive guide is not simply a being who supplies mana. They are a companion to navigate a difficult [unauthorized copy]path [Read on Read BL Novels]together, and for a young Esper, they are like a teacher. Esper Joo Seung-hyuk possesses a genius talent even among S-Classes. He doesn’t need a novice like me; he needs an experienced guide who can draw out his potential.”

From the moment I realized the original plot, I had intended to refuse the exclusive guide contract with Joo Seung-hyuk.

If I became Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide, I would eventually meet my death at his hands. He hated me from our first meeting; I couldn’t even imagine how much he would loathe me if we lived together.

But these words weren’t just a convenient excuse.

Right now, Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t need a novice guide with a low matching rate like me; he needed a seasoned guide who could be his mentor.

Of course, the guide’s grade is also important. If there were a choice between a novice S-Class guide and a seasoned A-Class guide, anyone would choose the S-Class. But he was the chairman of the Seong Han Group.

He could easily find a guide who was both high-ranking and experienced.

“It would be an unparalleled honor for me to become Esper Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide. I would be the guide to Korea’s greatest Esper. However, for the sake of Esper Joo Seung-hyuk and the future of Korea, I will cast aside my personal greed.”

“Guide Lee Yeon-soo, are you speaking sincerely? No matter if you are an S-Class guide, opportunities like this are rare.”

Do Hyuk-jin tried to dissuade me. He was right. After my Awakening, numerous offers came in, but Seong Han was overwhelmingly the best.

Unless I naturalized abroad, it would be hard to find better conditions than this. But no matter how much money I made, it wasn’t more important than my life.

If I became Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide, I would spend my days trembling in constant fear for my life.

“Yes. I will decline the exclusive contract with Esper [Read on Read BL Novels]Joo Seung-hyuk. [unauthorized copy]Thank you once again for giving me such a great opportunity.”

I bowed politely and then stood up from my seat.

Chairman Joo was lost in thought. The exclusive guide contract probably wasn’t the most important thing to him right now. He would likely order another DNA test the moment I left.

“Chairman.”

He finally looked at me.

“I know you are a busy man, but please verify important matters yourself from now on. He is your beautiful and wonderful son. It will be too late if you regret it later.”

“…I understand.”

These were bold and arrogant words for a middle schooler to say. However, Chairman Joo did not scold me and instead bowed his head with a sorrowful expression.

Perhaps he thought that as an S-Class guide, I had powers other than seeing mana. Or perhaps he was reflecting on his own actions.

Regardless, he wouldn’t do something as foolish as believing only the secretary’s words this time.

If he performed the test properly, he would realize that Joo Seung-hyuk was his son.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

I greeted him again and left the drawing room.

As I opened the door and stepped out, Joo Seung-hyuk was standing there. He was still covered in sticky orange juice. He wouldn’t have to go through things like this in the future.

“You…”

Joo Seung-hyuk hesitated and touched the area around my eyes. It seemed he had followed me all the way here because he was concerned that I had cried.

“I’m okay.”

“…”

I smiled and took Joo Seung-hyuk’s hand. He flinched, but he didn’t pull his hand away. Fortunately, his mana was stable.

“Esper Joo Seung-hyuk, I’ll be going now.”

“…Why?”

“Because I am far too lacking to be your exclusive guide. A much more wonderful guide will come to you.”

“…”

“It was a short time, but it was pleasant. Thank you.”

“…”

While I walked away, Joo Seung-hyuk said nothing.

And so, I exited the original story.

A month later, news arrived that Kang Ok-eun had become Joo Seung-hyuk’s exclusive guide. She was an S-Class guide known as a legend among Korean guides. Despite being in her 50s, she was still very active.

Even for the Seong Han Group, it would have been difficult to contract a guide of Kang Ok-eun’s caliber. Chairman Joo must have used his influence.

After that, Chairman Joo frequently brought Joo Seung-hyuk to official events. The secretary was nowhere to be seen—perhaps replaced—and it was said that Ju Tae-han had been sent to study abroad.

In the original story, Ju Tae-han was a low-life villain who harassed Joo Seung-hyuk at every turn and hit on Lee Yeon-soo. But because Chairman Joo cherished him, he got away with everything. Such a person had now been sent overseas.

Chairman Joo must have confirmed that Joo Seung-hyuk was his biological son. That’s why his behavior changed.

I thought that I might have changed the future.

Joo Seung-hyuk escaped from contempt, and the people who tormented him disappeared.

The Joo Seung-hyuk of the original work questioned his own existence, was cynical about love, and was a twisted human who only knew the emotions of obsession and desire.

However, I thought that with this change in his environment, his personality might also naturally change.

But I was mistaken.