GOL Ch 14

“Do you know Kim Jun?”

“Kim Jun?”

“Yeah.”

“Who’s that?”

The eyes that were smiling like a child just a second ago suddenly turned cold.

“He’s a new student this year. An F-rank Guide…”

“Oh, a Guide?”

The black mana that was subtly emanating subsided.

“Yeah. A Guide.”

“I think I heard something about an F-rank coming in.”

He answered in an indifferent tone.

“Haven’t you met him yet?”

“No.”

They haven’t even run into each other?

I was worried that I might have taken the main receiver position because of what happened that night, but I felt a little relieved.

The two haven’t met yet. Because of that, the original story’s progression has been naturally delayed.

If Joo Seunghyuk meets Kim Jun, he’ll feel the same intense attraction as in the original story. He’ll forget about someone like me right away.

“Do I have to meet him?”

“No, it’s not like that, it’s just that he’s become a hot topic.”

“I don’t know.”

“He’s incredibly handsome.”

In the original story, Joo Seunghyuk described Lee Yeonsoo as a rose without a scent. He said it was pathetic how he doused himself in perfume to force a fragrance.

On the other hand, he described Kim Jun as an orchid buried in weeds.

Meaning someone who isn’t easily noticed at first glance, but keeps drawing your attention.

“It’s like, he’s an orchid buried in weeds, someone who keeps drawing your attention, you know?”

I delivered the killer line. At that moment, Joo Seunghyuk’s eyes widened.

Heh, yeah. Just hearing about him is your type, right? Don’t you want to jump up and go meet Kim Jun right now?

As I was smiling to myself, a loud ‘Bang!’ echoed.

Startled, I looked forward. A blunt table knife was stuck in the dining table, causing a crack in the surface.

“Lee Yeonsoo.”

Joo Seunghyuk’s voice was ominously low.

“Yes.”

Out of fear, I reflexively responded formally.

“Why do you keep talking about that other bastard? Is he that handsome?”

“….”

“Why? Are you regretting going out with me now? Are your eyes wandering to another bastard? Is your attention being drawn elsewhere?”

“….”

An obsessive madness flashed in his eyes, and dark mana, radiating hostility, constricted my body.

“Why aren’t you answering? Tell me if you like him. I’ll kill him.”

It wasn’t a simple threat. Joo Seunghyuk was someone who would actually kill.

“It’s not like that…”

“Tell me honestly. Besides Kim Jun, who else is handsome? Who else are you looking at?”

He looked ready to kill everyone I mentioned and lock me away.

I took a deep breath and carefully opened my mouth.

“Who else is there besides, besides you? And it’s the other way around. I’m not interested in him, I was just wondering what you’d think.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I’m the type of person who’s like a flower without a scent. Oh, I’m definitely not saying I’m handsome. Anyway, I’m the type who gets bored easily, and I heard that someone like Kim Jun is the type whose charm grows on you, so I was wondering if you felt the same way.”

“Who said that?”

Joo Seunghyuk from the original story said so.

But I couldn’t tell him that.

“No, it’s not that someone said it… I just… I’m not very attractive. My family is ordinary too. I was worried that you’re forcing yourself to go out with me because of what happened that night…”

“You were worried about that?”

The coldness in his voice lessened, as if his mood had improved a bit. But the mana constricting my body remained.

He must not fully believe me, or his possessiveness is overwhelming him…

“Yes…”

“Why wouldn’t you be attractive?”

“People don’t really like me.”

Even though I hadn’t done anything, everyone avoided me and kept their distance. I hadn’t committed any evil deeds like in the original story, in fact, I seemed to have lived quite virtuously, but still, they did.

I assumed it was because of the forced narrative of the original story.

This damned forced narrative is so strong that it won’t change no matter how much I try, I have to be careful and careful not to be killed by Joo Seunghyuk, I thought, shrinking back and living my life.

But looking at Joo Seunghyuk’s eyes, flickering with obsession towards me, it seems that wasn’t the case.

“Don’t worry. I’m here now.”

“Mmm…”

That’s what I’m most worried about.

I’d rather live alone, hated for the rest of my life, than become the object of a tyrannical obsession.

But I smiled faintly and nodded.

༺♛༻

I thought maybe Joo Seunghyuk was pretending to like me to get revenge for what happened seven years ago.

But the moment he sliced the table, not the steak, with the blunt knife, my last remaining hope shattered.

It’s laughable to even call it hope, but I still thought revenge would be a hundred times better than being the object of Joo Seunghyuk’s obsession.

If it was for revenge, maybe he’d forgive me if I knelt down and begged.

But it was none of those things. Not mockery, not revenge, not amusement, nor any other ulterior motive.

Joo Seunghyuk was purely obsessed with me. His obsession switch had been completely flipped.

How did things get to this point…? The seven years I spent trying to deviate from the original story went down the drain.

I’d rather be despised like Lee Yeonsoo in the novel.

Then, I could have just apologized cleanly and wished them blessings with Kim Jun.

But if I take the main receiver position, I’ll be walking the path of obsession, confinement, and high-level hardcore. I might be trapped in his house forever, in endless obsession.

“Lee Yeonsoo.”

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Kang Inho, an A-rank Guide.

“What are you doing? Let’s go in.”

“Oh, okay.”

We entered the shooting range.

Once a Gate is generated, it goes to auction within 12 hours, and the raid begins as soon as it’s won.

High-ranking Espers defeat monsters, and low-ranking Espers mine minerals within the Gate. And Guides wait near the Gate or in guiding rooms to conduct guiding. This is the basic procedure.

However, in cases where it takes a full day just to walk to the boss room in a super-large Gate, or when a particularly fast raid is required, Guides also enter the Gate.

When Guides enter the Gate, they either wait in a safe area or are escorted by Espers. But there are also cases where they have to protect themselves.

And the Supernatural Ability Academy was providing practical training to Guides in preparation for such situations.

As we entered the shooting range, second-year students in white Guide uniforms were lined up according to their ranks.

Unlike theory classes, uniforms were mandatory for practical classes.

As an S-rank, I was in the front row.

As I stood in my designated spot, Jeong Sangchul, an A-rank Guide in the row behind me, spoke to me.

“Lee Yeonsoo, you’re a little late.”

“I’m not late…”

“Still, you always come earliest for these kinds of training.”

“Not the earliest…”

I trailed off, trying to cut the conversation short. I didn’t want to get involved with Jeong Sangchul. But he kept rambling on.

“Still, you were the fastest among the high-ranks. But seeing you come this late today, I guess you’re also getting tired of doing these useless things.”

“Huh?”

“Why should high-rank Guides like us do this kind of training? Which stupid company would bring a precious high-rank Guide into a Gate? This kind of class should only be for those B-rank and below.”

I was appalled.

There were 35 students in the Shooting Training Class A. Of those, 32, excluding me, Kang Inho, and Jeong Sangchul, were B-rank or lower.

He had just made a remark that disregarded 32 people.

A chilling silence fell over the shooting range. But despite the cold air coming from the back rows, Jeong Sangchul continued.

“Anyway, it’s stupid because it’s run by the country. Why should we follow a curriculum designed for incompetent people? Don’t you think so?”

This is why I hate getting involved with this guy. If he’s going to say something that will cause resentment, he should deal with it himself instead of dragging me into it.

“It’s training for emergency situations. I don’t think rank matters.”

I tried to resolve the situation by stating the general principle. Then Jeong Sangchul scoffed.

“This guy is being considerate of the low- and mid-ranks again. Hey, act confidently. You’re an S-rank. Did we say anything wrong?”

What do you mean “we”! It’s just you!

Of course, there were problems with the academy’s curriculum.

Most of the lectures were geared towards mid-rank ability users, making them inappropriate and inefficient for high- and low-ranks.

This was a point that experts also pointed out.

But even if what he said was true, there was no need to point it out in such an obnoxious tone in this situation.

Furthermore, not all high-rank Guides just stay in the guiding room. There are many cases where they willingly enter the Gate with their Espers after they’ve bonded.

His statement was fundamentally wrong from the premise.

“I…!”

“How noisy.”

As I was about to refute Jeong Sangchul’s words, Professor Oh Seokgwang entered.

“I hear some nonsense. A Guide protecting themselves is protecting their own life. If you give your body, your mana, and even your life to an Esper, are you even human? You’re just an Esper’s lackey.”

Professor Oh was a star professor who gained popularity by criticizing high-rank ability users without hesitation despite being an A-rank Guide himself. Furthermore, he was popular among students for his attitude of representing low- and mid-rank Guides, his unpretentious and direct speaking style, and his famous quotes.

But I didn’t like him very much. I hated him even more than Jeong Sangchul.

You might think, “Why do you dislike so many people? Is there something wrong with your personality?” But there’s a reason for everything.

“If you do that, your life will disappear. Even S-rank Lee Yeonsoo is no exception.”

No, Jeong Sangchul said that, so why are you saying that to me?

Just like Jeong Sangchul, Professor Oh also picks on me whenever he gets the chance.

And if Jeong Sangchul spouts nonsense because he’s full of himself as a high-rank Guide, Professor Oh uses me for his own popularity.

He deliberately belittles me to appeal that ‘Everyone praises Lee Yeonsoo as an S-rank, but I’m different. I’m impartial and relentless, even to high-ranks.’

If he’s going to criticize high-rank ability users, he should criticize them all. He can’t touch those who belong to large corporations or have good family backgrounds, he only attacks easy targets like me.

Look at him now. He can’t say a word to Jeong Sangchul, the nephew of the Vice President of the Guides Association, and he’s only pointing fingers at me.

“Don’t get arrogant just because you’re an S-rank Guide. Once you enter the Gate, S-rank or F-rank, you’re all the same monster food. Don’t act like your rank is a big deal. Did everyone understand?”

“Yes, we understand!”

The students, moved by Professor Oh’s words, answered loudly.

But I kept my mouth shut. I was dumbfounded until the very end. What did I do to deserve this? But I couldn’t argue with a professor either.