My Childhood Friend’s Stock Will Never Fail Chapter 27

It had been a mistake to trust the wrong person from the start.

 

Yoohee hurriedly looked at the Ppiyak ring in her hand and shouted,

 

“Roar of the Vermilion Bird!”

 

She figured that if Roar of the Vermilion Bird could throw the creatures into a state of confusion, escaping afterward would be her best option. Choi Aram’s group and Kim Nayoon’s group couldn’t be far away. If she could use that opening to quickly regroup with them—

 

[Your pet’s current status is ‘Hungry.’ Please feed it before trying again!]

 

…What?

 

The only thing that came back was the status window informing her that the skill couldn’t be activated. The creatures before her still exuded an eerie, bloodthirsty aura. As Yoohee stood there blankly, Jooyoung asked anxiously,

 

“Sh-should we call for rescue?”

“No!”

 

Yoohee rejected Jooyoung’s suggestion without hesitation.

 

If they could just make it to the destination point, she might finally be able to save Joohoon. She couldn’t let it end pointlessly.

 

“Isn’t there any other way, Jooyoung?”

“Uh… um… I don’t think I can do it by myself…”

 

Jooyoung’s magic specialized in rear support.

 

That meant it was practically impossible for him alone to subdue two perfectly healthy mid-level creatures.

 

‘What do I do…?’

 

Was there really no way?

 

Then again, if the two of them alone could have overcome a crisis like this, Jooyoung wouldn’t have died so easily in the original story.

 

Grrrr…

 

The creatures, driven into a frenzy, bared their razor-sharp fangs as they slowly approached the pair.

 

“Y-Yoohee. When I count to three, run.”

 

Though his face had gone pale, Jooyoung spoke with determination. It seemed he could at least buy her enough time to escape.

 

“I’ll somehow block their path… One, two… Ack! Run!”

 

You said to run on three!

 

Caught off guard by Jooyoung shouting before he finished counting, Yoohee started running a beat too late.

 

To make matters worse, the gust of wind Jooyoung had stirred up to block the creatures’ advance kicked up so much dust that even Yoohee couldn’t see where she was going.

 

‘This is exactly why I always die young!’

 

She was once again experiencing firsthand the original story’s cruel settings when—

 

A chilling breath brushed against the back of her neck.

 

Hot, ragged breathing.

 

The stench that assaulted her nose.

 

…This is it.

 

The moment a death flag planted itself firmly in her mind—

 

Thud! Thud!

 

Two enormous rocks came flying from somewhere and struck the creature squarely in the back of its head.

 

The creature collapsed to the ground, its eyes spinning as it lay there completely dazed.

 

“Senior?”

 

Thinking Gong Taehyun or Choi Joonghoon had come to save her, Yoohee looked up.

 

As the sandstorm gradually settled, someone standing behind an old tree came into view.

 

But the figure that emerged was neither Gong Taehyun nor Choi Joonghoon.

 

‘……’

 

She stared blankly at the man before her, looking as though she’d just seen a ghost.

 

‘How…?’

 

There was no way he could possibly be here.

 

She had only seen this man once before.

 

She hadn’t gotten a good look at his face, but she remembered his massive build, his long, shaggy hair hanging in a tangled mess, and above all—

 

those unmistakably glowing eyes shining through his hair.

 

“Yoohee! Thank goodness, you’re safe!”

 

Just then, the rest of the group, including Jooyoung, came running over to her.

 

Yoohee glanced toward them before quickly turning back to where the man had been.

 

But he had vanished without a trace.

 

“What’s wrong? The seniors found the destination point! We don’t have much time, so let’s go!”

 

Apparently not having seen the man at all, Jooyoung grabbed Yoohee by the arm.

 

“Yeah… but didn’t you see that man just now?”

“What man?”

“The guy with the shaggy hair. He was standing over there by that old tree.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see anyone.”

 

Jooyoung tilted his head in confusion.

 

Did I imagine it?

 

But it had been far too vivid to be a hallucination.

 

Besides, if it wasn’t him, there was no other explanation for how those creatures had been knocked out.

 

‘He got out of F Building?’

 

That was impossible unless someone had successfully guided him.

 

“Let’s move first.”

 

With no other choice, Yoohee followed Jooyoung back toward the rest of the group,

 

a single unanswered question weighing heavily in the corner of her mind.

 

***

 

[Congratulations, Twenty-Ninth Possessor! You have completed the Fourth Side 

Scenario!]

 

[As a reward, you have received sponsorship from the Constellation, ‘Obsessive Romance Fantasy Fan.’]

 

[You may increase a stat of your choice. Which stat would you like to raise?]

 

Naturally,

 

She chose Guiding Ability.

 

[The Guiding Ability stat you selected has increased!]

[Guiding Ability: 17 → 20]

[The waves you emit now radiate with majestic power. Perhaps your future Guiding will unfold in an entirely new direction?]

 

The status window tacked on that last line, sounding suspiciously like the vague prediction from a horoscope.

 

Sure enough, the energy of her waves felt noticeably stronger.

 

Compared to when her Guiding Ability had been only 4, it wouldn’t have been strange if someone thought she was an entirely different person.

 

[The Constellation, ‘Obsessive Romance Fantasy Fan,’ marvels at your unwavering devotion.]

[The Constellation, ‘SSS-Rank F2P Player,’ begrudgingly acknowledges your perseverance.]

[The majority of the Constellations feel proud of your growth.]

 

Even the Constellations had recognized Yoohee’s progress.

 

Later, when Yoohee dragged her exhausted body back to the dormitory, Jinhee—who had already heard the news—clapped her hands in amazement.

 

“You’re kidding! You actually cleared the Race from Hell? That insane race?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s incredible. Seriously. I thought the only team that could finish it was the one with Senior Hyunho.”

 

The team with Seo Hyunho and Gayoung must have cleared the gate as well.

 

Every member of their team was among the academy’s elite, so they had probably completed it far more easily than Yoohee’s group.

 

“Do you have a death wish, human?”

 

Just then, a tiny voice abruptly issued a murderous threat.

 

Having returned to its chick form, Ppiyak had finished gulping down its feed and was now glaring up at Yoohee. Incidentally, the chick feed had become its staple diet, replacing the millet she’d been giving it before.

 

“…Ppiyak, are you mad?”

 

Was it because she’d left it hungry for so long during the exam?

 

Yoohee asked cautiously, and Ppiyak tilted its head before opening its beak.

 

The response was rather unexpected.

 

“You nearly died during the exam. You only have one life, so why were you acting so recklessly?”

“Well…”

“Do not die before I kill you myself.”

 

It sounded like a terrifying threat…

 

Yet somehow, it also sounded like concern.

 

Should she be grateful…

 

or terrified?

 

Unable to understand Ppiyak’s words, Jinhee smiled and spoke to Yoohee instead.

 

“It really looks like Ppiyak’s talking directly to you, doesn’t it?”

“…Y-Yeah.”

“But when Ppiyak grows up, it’s definitely going to be super handsome. You can already tell by its aura.”

 

They still didn’t know whether Ppiyak was male or female.

 

But the way it stood proudly on its slender legs, staring without blinking its sunflower-seed-like eyes, was undeniably extraordinary.

 

“Answer me.”

 

“Yes, Boss.”

 

Only after Yoohee answered in a quiet voice did Ppiyak finally blink and turn its head away.

 

Its body might have been tiny,

 

but in terms of sheer presence,

 

It was unquestionably the most intimidating creature in the room.

 

“Aren’t you going to change your clothes? You’ve been wearing your combat uniform this whole time.”

“Oh, I’m heading out again for a bit.”

“Really? Aren’t you exhausted?”

 

Jinhee asked in confusion, and Yoohee replied with a calm expression.

 

“There’s somewhere I have to go.”

 

She had waited for this day for so long.

 

No matter how exhausted she was,

 

there was one place she absolutely had to go.

 

She needed to see Joohoon as soon as possible.

 

***

 

As she stepped out of the dormitory, dusk had already settled over the path leading to Building F.

 

Her pace quickened as she passed the clock tower and crossed the threshold into the academy’s dry, chilly Building F.

 

“Visiting hours are over.”

 

The guard cut her off the moment he saw her.

 

She had arrived just barely within visiting hours.

 

No, there was still a little time left.

 

“Please… not even five minutes?”

 

Yoohee pleaded desperately.

 

The guard checked his watch.

 

Exactly five minutes remained.

 

After a brief hesitation, he finally nodded.

 

“Then only five minutes.”

“Thank you!”

 

Following the guard’s guidance, she headed to the visitation room.

 

As she waited for Joohoon to arrive, her palms grew damp with sweat—

 

just like during their very first visit.

 

‘It’s okay. Stay calm. Just guide him the same way you’ve guided everyone else.’

 

Suppressing her nerves, she wiped her sweaty hands against her double-layered combat jacket.

 

Not long afterward, the door across from her opened,

and Joohoon stepped inside.

 

“I’ll return in five minutes.”

 

The guard left the visitation room, once again leaving only the two of them.

 

But Joohoon simply stared at Yoohee with a surprised expression.

 

“Yoohee… those clothes…”

 

She had always visited wearing her school uniform before.

 

This was the first time he’d seen her in combat gear, and he seemed a little taken aback.

 

Then again…

 

She must have looked like a complete mess after everything she’d been through.

 

“Oh, this? My exam just ended. Sorry… I probably look pretty rough.”

 

She scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

 

Then Joohoon answered without the slightest hesitation.

 

“No.”

 

“You look beautiful.”