GOL Ch 12

I couldn’t focus on the lecture at all.

Joo Seunghyuk even chased me to the Changwi Guild. He knew my account number and pressured the school because he didn’t like me guiding.

Even if Joo Seunghyuk is crazy, would he go this far just to mock someone he dislikes?

Moreover, he gave me his card and cash. Of course, 10 million won might be nothing to a chaebol, but giving me his card carried a different weight.

Could it be that the original story changed because the protagonist’s first meeting went awry…?

Originally, Joo Seunghyuk and Kim Jun were supposed to meet at the freshman welcome party.

In Guide’s Swamp, Kim Jun attends the freshman welcome party with an excited heart. However, he’s openly ridiculed for being an F-rank Guide, and eventually, a senior pours champagne on his head.

Reminded of his own childhood by this sight, Joo Seunghyuk blows away the senior esper on the spot and leaves the party.

Kim Jun, who followed Joo Seunghyuk out, expresses his gratitude, but Joo Seunghyuk gets into his car without a word.

This was their first meeting as written in the original story. But in reality, Joo Seunghyuk and I slept together that day.

Furthermore, according to Jihee noona, the party fizzled out shortly after we left.

She said there was no bullying of freshmen or any champagne pouring incident.

The original story has changed.

But I wasn’t too concerned.

In fact, Joo Seunghyuk didn’t help Kim Jun out of kindness. He was simply reminded of his older brother when he saw the esper harassing Kim Jun, and that’s why he exploded in anger.

Joo Seunghyuk actually considered Kim Jun incompetent and stupid for attending such an event and being humiliated as an F-rank.

Joo Seunghyuk only started paying attention to Kim Jun from their second meeting. So, I thought it wouldn’t matter if the first meeting was different from the original as long as the second meeting occurred properly.

There’s also the compelling force of the original story.

But what if it’s not like that?

What if everything changed because I slept with Joo Seunghyuk on the day the original story was supposed to begin? What if Joo Seunghyuk’s object of obsession changed from Kim Jun to me…?

Scenes from the original story flashed before my eyes.

In the hard and intense trash can, Kim Jun realizes his sexual preferences and finds a kind of love and stability.

But not me.

I didn’t like the trash can, whether it was cozy or cold.

“Yeonsoo.”

“Uh, huh…”

Jihee noona shook my shoulder. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at her.

“What were you thinking about so deeply that you didn’t even realize the lecture was over?”

“Ah, there’s just something a bit difficult.”

I made an excuse since I couldn’t tell her about the original story.

“Yeonsoo, let’s talk for a moment.”

She looked around as she spoke. Even though the lecture was over, there were still many students left in the lecture hall.

I also had something to say, so I got up from my seat.

༺♛༻

“Noona, I’m sorry.”

I apologized to Jihee noona as soon as we entered the empty lecture hall next door.

When I checked my phone this morning, it was filled with missed calls and messages. All the notifications were from Jihee noona.

We had a brief phone call after I arrived at the dorm, but she must have been very worried.

“Sorry? I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“No. What do you have to be sorry about?”

“I heard from Jihoon oppa. He said some mercenary bastard was bothering you. Oppa should have stopped him; I’m really sorry. What kind of guild is he running if he can’t even protect you? He’s such a pathetic man.”

“Don’t scold him too much. That person did that suddenly, so Jihoon hyung must have been flustered.”

That mercenary was particularly troublesome, but I didn’t start guiding part-time without that kind of preparation.

Even in systematically managed corporations or centers, sexual harassment frequently occurred, let alone with mercenaries.

“There’s nothing to understand. Park Jihoon is supposedly A-rank, so he couldn’t handle a B-rank mercenary? That mercenary bastard must have some pull in the mercenary world. That’s why he couldn’t act strongly. He starts a guild saying he’ll break the corporate monopoly, but he’s just being mindful of mercenaries. Idiot.”

She gritted her teeth. It seemed like she was disillusioned with Jihoon hyung and the guild, as well as the mercenary.

“Noona, are you okay?”

“With what?”

“Are you not mad at me…?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“I messed up the guiding, and I broke the door…”

“Are you serious? You’re the victim; why are you worried about that? You’re too kind for your own good.”

“Still… weren’t you in trouble because the mercenary got hurt?”

Since the mercenary’s arm was blown off in the guiding room, the Changwi Guild must have been embarrassed.

But Noona answered nonchalantly.

“Not really. Joo Seunghyuk took care of everything.”

“Joo Seunghyuk?”

“Yeah. Someone from his side came and took the mercenary away, and they also paid for the repairs. They additionally gave us money for guild uniforms and the button. Joo Seunghyuk is strange. Why did he give money for the button separately? Does he like buttons?”

“…That’s probably not it.”

Did he give money for the button because I said that? He doesn’t really think I’m a button maniac, does he…?

“Anyway, Sunghan Group is really generous. The button money alone would be enough to build a new guiding room.”

It seems like Joo Seunghyuk properly compensated them. At least now I can face Jihee noona.

“That’s a relief.”

“What’s so relieving? Lee Yeonsoo, you’re too naive.”

Jihee noona smiled and handed me a white envelope.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the compensation money from Joo Seunghyuk. You were put in danger because of our fault; how can we accept this? Take it back.”

“Just take it. The door broke, too.”

I said, remembering the door that Joo Seunghyuk had crumpled like a piece of paper.

“We actually received help from Joo Seunghyuk. He did what Park Jihoon should have done.”

Noona is right. Although his methods were a bit extreme, Joo Seunghyuk prevented me from being molested.

“Then return it to Joo Seunghyuk.”

“I tried to. But he said he wouldn’t accept it. Joo Seunghyuk’s secretary told me to give it to you if I really wanted to return it.”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

Not Joo Seunghyuk, but his secretary said that? Then the secretary also knows about my relationship with Joo Seunghyuk?

The assumption that the main character might have changed after our first time together felt even more real.

While I was gripped by fear, Jihee noona slipped the envelope into my coat pocket.

“Noona!”

“Have a good date.”

I called out to her urgently, but she winked as if she knew everything and left the lecture hall.

No. Noona, it’s not like that.

I wanted to chase after her and clear up the damn misunderstanding. But a chilling mana emanated from Joo Seunghyuk, freezing me in place.

“Lee Yeonsoo, why aren’t you answering? Why are you hiding what kind of relationship we have?”

Joo Seunghyuk’s words became short, as if he was displeased.

Joo Seunghyuk in the original story was an obsessive male lead who confined people as easily as eating. If I say the wrong thing here, I might be confined.