My Childhood Friend’s Stock Will Never Fail Chapter 22

“You’re not actually going to believe this idiot, are you?”

 

“…I’m not that oblivious.”

 

Gayoung answered in a completely dejected voice.

 

Yoohee felt like she was about to burst from frustration.

 

At this rate, all the groundwork I painstakingly laid is going to disappear!

 

“Good.”

 

“At least you’ve got enough sense.”

 

Constellations, would one of you please shut this jerk’s mouth?

 

Unfortunately, the Constellations had a habit of never showing up when she actually called for them.

 

“From now on, don’t pay any attention to what this idiot says.”

 

And why does he keep calling me an idiot?

 

When Yoohee cautiously glanced up at Seo Hyunho, his pitch-black eyes glared at her so coldly that a chill ran down her spine.

 

She instinctively shrank her shoulders.

Then Seo Hyunho passed judgment.

 

“You.”

 

“Come with me.”

 

With that, he strode down the hill.

 

Left with no choice, Yoohee grabbed her bag and hurried after him.

 

Even as she followed, her mind was in complete turmoil.

 

Ah… what do I do?

 

Seo Hyunho was clearly in an exceptionally foul mood.

 

Thinking she should at least send an SOS to his group of followers, she pulled out her phone.

 

– Buy peop…

 

Thunk.

 

Before she could finish typing, her forehead slammed into a broad, solid back.

 

Rubbing her throbbing forehead with one hand, she heard Seo Hyunho’s chilly voice beside her ear.

 

“Looks like you’ve got enough free time to be on your phone.”

 

He smoothly plucked the phone right out of her hand.

 

“’Buy peop…’?”

 

“I-I meant… become a considerate person.”

 

Yoohee forced an awkward laugh, hoping to smooth things over.

 

Seo Hyunho, however, didn’t look amused in the slightest.

 

…This is really bad.

 

“What exactly possessed you to spout all that ridiculous nonsense back there?”

 

As Seo Hyunho finally got to the point, Yoohee’s face gradually turned pale.

 

“That’s…”

 

Seo Hyunho’s affection level was only 2%.

 

If it was that low…

 

…wouldn’t someone as powerful as him be perfectly capable of making a mere C-rank Guide disappear without anyone ever finding out?

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I was being thoughtless.”

 

“I just wanted you and Senior Gayoung to get along better…”

 

“I stuck my nose where it didn’t belong.”

 

Yoohee bowed deeply as she apologized.

 

“Right.”

 

His voice was calmer than she’d expected.

 

For a moment, she thought he might actually let it slide.

 

Then came his next words.

 

“For the record…”

 

“I really hate people who meddle.”

 

[The male lead candidate ‘Seo Hyunho’ harbors killing intent toward you.]

 

[Male lead candidate ‘Seo Hyunho’s Affection has decreased.]

 

[Seo Hyunho (Affection: 2% → 1%)]

 

Yoohee’s eyes trembled.

 

Affection can actually go down, too?!

 

Seo Hyunho’s affection had fallen to 1%.

 

A number so low…

 

…that she might as well have become a complete stranger to him.

 

[Some Constellations express disappointment with your story’s development.]

 

[The Constellation, ‘SSS-Rank Free-to-Play Player,’ says, “See? That’s what you get for meddling.”]

 

[The Constellation, ‘Mother of Failure,’ comforts you, saying these things happen.]

 

The Constellations’ comments echoed in her ears.

 

But Yoohee remained frozen.

 

At first glance, lowering Seo Hyunho’s affection didn’t seem like a bad thing.

 

The real problem…

 

…was that he now wanted to kill her.

 

Am I seriously going to die at the hands of the male lead?

 

The best option she had right now was…

 

The candy…?

 

Suddenly, she remembered the White Day event candy resting safely in her pocket.

 

It was the miraculous candy that had instantly turned Seo Hyunho’s followers into her allies.

 

Surely…

 

…it could calm Seo Hyunho down too.

 

“Um… Senior.”

 

Yoohee rummaged through her pocket, took out one piece of the White Day event candy, and held it out to him.

 

“It’s… candy.”

 

Seo Hyunho’s sharp gaze shifted from the candy back to Yoohee.

 

His expression practically asked,

 

You’re offering me candy… at a time like this?

 

“I-If you don’t want it…”

 

“Y-You don’t have to take it…”

 

Yoohee immediately shrank back, stammering nervously.

 

Perhaps she looked too pitiful as she cautiously watched his reaction.

 

Without saying a word, Seo Hyunho accepted the candy.

 

“You want me to eat it now?”

 

“Y-Yes.”

 

“It’s really good.”

 

“Please… try it.”

 

Finally lowering his guard, Seo Hyunho unwrapped the candy with his long fingers.

 

The moment the round candy entered his mouth…

 

The sharpness in his eyes softened.

 

At the same time, another status window appeared.

 

[Thanks to the Event Candy’s effect, the increase in male lead candidate ‘Seo Hyunho’s Affection is approximately doubled!]

 

[Seo Hyunho (Affection: 1% → 3%)]

 

As if the status window announcing the increase in Affection had been telling the truth, Seo Hyunho spoke in a noticeably calmer tone.

 

“I don’t want anything like that to happen again.”

 

“Yes. I won’t speak so recklessly again.”

 

Crunch.

 

As he bit into the candy, Seo Hyunho suddenly turned around and started walking off.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Aren’t you coming?”

 

“Huh? O-Oh, right!”

 

Yoohee hurried after him.

 

When she caught up, Seo Hyunho flashed a crooked grin.

 

“I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

 

The very definition of a tsundere.

 

Once again, everything Yoohee had told Gayoung was the truth.

 

 

***

 

 

Meanwhile, inside Yoohee’s dorm room…

 

Clatter. Clatter.

 

The egg Yoohee had carefully left on top of the dresser was vigorously rocking from side to side across the wooden surface.

 

A large crack had split straight across the center of the shell.

 

Holding a cordless vacuum in one hand, Jinhee covered her mouth in horror.

 

“I dropped it…”

 

“…and it’s still alive?”

 

Completely unaware of what was happening back at the dorm, Yoohee walked home feeling much lighter.

 

Seo Hyunho had calmed down, so she thought the immediate crisis was over.

 

At least…

 

Until she opened the dorm room door.

 

“Jinhee, I’m back.”

 

As she stepped inside, she found Jinhee standing there with the cordless vacuum.

 

“Oh, you’re cleaning?”

 

A roommate who cleaned was truly a blessing.

 

After all, when two girls shared a room, there was bound to be hair scattered everywhere.

 

Smiling to herself, Yoohee set her heavy bag down beside the dresser.

 

Then she froze.

 

Something was off.

 

Something…

 

Was missing.

 

She had the distinct feeling that something which should have been sitting on top of the dresser wasn’t there anymore.

 

What’s missing…?

 

…Oh, right. The egg!

 

After thinking for a moment, Yoohee finally realized the egg that should have been on the dresser had disappeared.

 

For a second, she wondered if it had somehow hatched and wandered off by itself.

 

But it still had six days left before it was supposed to hatch.

 

“Jinhee… have you seen the egg that was here?”

 

Yoohee asked just in case.

 

Jinhee immediately looked away, her eyes darting around with an unmistakably guilty expression.

 

…

 

A terrible thought crossed Yoohee’s mind.

 

Don’t tell me…

 

Did Jinhee cook the pet egg and eat it?

 

Just then, her gaze dropped to the floor in front of the cordless vacuum.

 

Clatter. Clatter.

 

What was almost certainly the pet egg she’d been looking for was wobbling enthusiastically from side to side as though it were dancing.

 

A deep crack ran straight through the middle.

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

“But it’s alive.”

 

Jinhee muttered apologetically, still sounding as though she couldn’t quite believe it herself.

Yoohee was just as stunned.

 

Apparently, Jinhee had dropped the egg.

 

Don’t tell me…

 

Is it hatching because of that?

 

Craaack.

 

The cracked shell split open.

 

The pet egg broke cleanly into two halves.

 

And from inside came…

 

Cheep! Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!

 

A… pink chick?

 

Because it had hatched too early, it was incredibly tiny.

 

Its sparse down was still soaked.

 

But unlike an ordinary chick…

 

Its feathers weren’t yellow.

 

They were pink.

 

“…It’s a pink chick?”

 

“What kind of bird is this?”

 

Jinhee asked, her eyes wide with amazement.

 

As if Yoohee knew.

 

“L-Let’s wrap it in a towel first.”

 

Yoohee hurried to the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and gently wrapped the chick, whose eyes hadn’t even fully opened yet.

 

The poor little thing, which had been wobbling unsteadily, gradually calmed down.

 

Then it slowly opened its eyes.

 

And something truly unbelievable happened.

 

“Pathetic human.”

 

“Was it you who awakened me?”

 

Yoohee stared blankly at the towel-wrapped chick before turning to Jinhee.

 

“Jinhee…”

 

“Did you just say something?”

 

“What?”

 

“I didn’t say anything.”

 

That’s strange.

 

She was certain she’d just heard a tiny voice call someone a pathetic human.

 

“So it was such a primitive human who awakened me.”

 

The same thin, high-pitched little voice spoke again.

 

Its tone was solemn and dignified…

 

Yet because of its squeaky voice, it wasn’t intimidating in the slightest.

 

Yoohee lowered her gaze.

 

The chick’s black eyes were staring directly back at her.

 

Come to think of it…

 

Its voice sounded remarkably similar to its chirping.

 

“…Don’t tell me it was you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It was I.”

 

Yoohee’s mouth slowly fell open.

 

How could a chick… not be cute?

 

“Human.”

 

“Bring me food at once.”