My Childhood Friend’s Stock Will Never Fail Chapter 31

“What? Do you two know each other?”

 

“I wanted to talk to him a little more.”

 

As everyone’s attention suddenly shifted toward them, cold sweat trickled down Yoohee’s temples.

 

She had never received this much attention in her life.

 

“You two know each other?”

 

At that moment, unable to contain his curiosity, Jooyoung leaned over and whispered to Yoohee.

 

Just as she was about to answer, Joohoon spoke first.

 

“Yeah. Looks like you’re pretty close with Yoohee too.”

 

…Did he just cut me off?

 

Maybe it was just her imagination.

 

Jooyoung answered cheerfully.

 

“Of course! We even survived the Race from Hell together. You won’t find a better duo than us.”

 

A disaster duo, more like.

 

Yoohee stared at Jooyoung in disbelief at his shameless answer, while Joohoon slowly nodded.

 

“I see. So you’ve been paired with Yoohee this whole time.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“And you’ll keep being partners from now on?”

 

“Probably.”

 

Jooyoung nodded and looked at Yoohee.

 

I’m sorry, Nam Jooyoung…

 

But you won’t be my partner anymore.

 

She tried to reject him with her eyes as sorrowfully as possible.

 

Unfortunately, the message didn’t get through.

 

“Is that true, Yoohee?”

 

Joohoon asked calmly.

 

For some reason, there was a faint chill hidden in his gaze.

 

“Uh… well…”

 

Being caught between the intense stares of two men, Yoohee had no idea what to say.

 

“It’s true that Jooyoung and I have been partners a lot until now… but Joohoon and I are childhood friends. So… I was thinking maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to switch partners this time.”

 

She answered as carefully as she could, trying not to hurt Jooyoung’s feelings.

 

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop him from looking devastated.

 

“So the new stone is kicking out the old one?”

 

“Technically… Joohoon and I have known each other much longer.”

 

“Yoohee… I trusted only you.”

 

Jooyoung’s shoulders slumped in utter despair.

 

Feeling guilty, Yoohee gently patted his shoulder.

 

“You’ll find an even better Guide.”

 

“A Guide who matches me this well is rare.”

 

“I don’t think we were that compatible.”

 

“I’m hurt. Then at least give me one last Guiding.”

 

“Right now?”

 

Jooyoung nodded.

 

Yoohee hesitated for a moment.

 

Well… class hasn’t started yet.

 

Thinking that, she reached out to take his hand—

 

“Sorry. Yoohee overworked herself yesterday. She’s tired.”

 

Joohoon grabbed Yoohee’s arm.

 

Her body was instantly pulled sideways until she ended up pressed right against him.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You don’t have to push yourself, Yoohee.”

 

“I… overworked myself?”

 

“You overdid it last night.”

 

“I slept really well last night.”

 

She had slept so soundly she’d completely forgotten Joohoon had been beside her.

 

Her body had always been sturdy, and after a good night’s sleep even the muscle soreness had disappeared.

 

But Joohoon kept saying things that sounded… incredibly misleading.

 

“Before that. You collapsed while we were doing it.”

 

Hey.

 

You’re leaving out the object of the sentence.

 

Jooyoung’s eyes went wide as he looked back and forth between Yoohee and Joohoon.

 

“…I-I had no idea. There’s no room for someone like me between you two. You really are soulmates.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

As Jooyoung awkwardly backed away, Joohoon answered with a bright smile.

 

…I feel like this has gone horribly wrong.

 

Before Yoohee had the chance to clear up the misunderstanding, the teacher arrived, ending the conversation with Jooyoung.

 

Wearing a troubled expression, she took a textbook out of her bag.

 

Beside her, Joohoon quietly whispered into her ear.

 

“Did I say something wrong?”

 

When she looked up, Joohoon was watching her with slightly anxious eyes.

 

“I thought if I mentioned the Guiding, you’d just end up having a harder time. I also don’t want the other Espers getting interested in you.”

 

…I think things have become exhausting for a completely different reason.

 

Still, seeing Joohoon nervously watching her reaction, she couldn’t bring herself to scold him.

 

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

Joohoon smiled innocently.

 

Well… as long as you’re happy.

 

***

 

As expected, the next class was dodgeball in pairs.

 

Their opponents were, as always, the Kestrel Class.

 

As Teacher Youngju’s energetic whistle echoed across the field, the muscular Esper from the Kestrel Class, who had picked up the ball first, looked straight at Joohoon, who was standing beside Yoohee, and said…

 

“There’s a new face I haven’t seen before.”

 

A familiar face.

 

‘That bastard… he’s the one who almost got me killed before.’

 

Back then, Juyoung had dodged the ball thrown with that hulking guy’s brute strength, and I had nearly lost my life instead.

 

The memory of that trauma surfaced, and Yoohee instinctively grabbed Joohoon’s shirt tightly.

 

Joohoon looked at her in confusion.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared.”

“Scared…?”

 

Joohoon’s expression changed at once. Seeing Yoohee clinging to his shirt as though it were a lifeline, he looked completely at a loss.

 

Then the muscular Esper spoke firmly.

 

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re new.”

 

Turning her head, Yoohee saw him raising his thick arm, taking the stance of a pitcher preparing to throw.

 

“I’ll finish this early today.”

 

“Yoohee, stay behind me.”

 

Ignoring the warning, Joohoon stepped in front of Yoohee, shielding her with his body.

 

Still clutching the back of his shirt, Yoohee hid behind him.

 

Joohoon looked at the opposing team and spoke in a cold voice.

 

“Why are you trying to scare her?”

 

Wait a second… that line…

 

Wasn’t that what I used to say when we were little?

 

Back when kids used to pick on Joohoon, I—

 

“Yoohee said she’s scared.”

 

***

 

Ten years earlier.

 

Back when Joohoon was still a little kid about the same height as Yoohee, there had always been a few children who liked to bully the kind-hearted boy.

 

“Hey, pretending not to talk is your whole gimmick, isn’t it? Huh? Are you trying to be edgy?”

 

Joohoon was simply shy and quiet.

 

As if provoking him wasn’t enough, they even swung their fists right in front of his face.

 

“I saw you blink just now. Right? You’re scared, aren’t you? If you’re scared, beg us to spare you.”

 

“……”

 

“What, seriously? I’m really gonna hit you. Huh? Really gonna do it.”

 

Since Joohoon didn’t answer, the rotten little brat kept pretending to punch him, stopping just before his face over and over.

 

There was no way I could just stand there and watch.

 

Those little punks deserved—

 

“Why are you trying to scare him?”

 

As someone living her second life, I tried to reason with them as politely as possible.

 

Leave while I’m still asking nicely.

 

“Can’t you see Joohoon’s scared?”

 

Unfortunately, they were the type who mistook kindness for weakness.

 

“If he’s scared, he should say so! Look, see? He’s not scared because he isn’t saying anything. Even if I do this— Ah!”

 

While taunting Joohoon by swinging his fist through the air, the boy accidentally brushed Yoohee’s cheek with it.

 

He looked startled for a moment, but quickly raised his voice instead.

 

“Th-Then why are you sticking your nose into this?!”

 

“…Did you just hit me?”

 

And thus began his lesson.

 

Instead of fighting him, I burst into tears and ran straight to the teacher.

 

In the end, the boys were forced to apologize.

 

After that, they started treating Yoohee like some crazy chicken and never dared lay another hand on Joohoon.

 

That incident was also what brought Yoohee and Joohoon even closer together.

 

‘I never imagined the roles would be reversed.’

 

Now, standing firmly before Yoohee was Joohoon, all grown up beyond recognition.

 

Not just because of his Esper abilities—

 

Joohoon himself had become someone she could depend on completely.

 

“W-What…”

 

Intimidated by Joohoon’s fearless attitude, the muscular Esper lowered his arm for a moment.

 

Then, apparently irritated with himself for backing down, he shook his head and raised the ball high once more.

 

“Then I’ll just knock you out early!”

 

The muscular Esper hurled the ball with all his might.

 

He truly put everything into the throw.

 

The ball crossed the guide line at terrifying speed, so fast that it was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

 

Yoohee squeezed her eyes shut.

 

Then—

 

Crack…

 

The sound of something freezing echoed through the air.

 

Tweet!

 

“Ball change!”

 

Teacher Youngju blew the whistle, calling for a new ball.

 

Yoohee cautiously opened her eyes.

 

Joohoon was still standing exactly where he had been.

 

The surrounding students were simply staring at the two of them in stunned silence.

 

Still holding onto his shirt, Yoohee peeked out from behind him.

 

The ball had been completely frozen in midair, connected to a thin pillar of ice that had shot up from the ground.

 

“I didn’t even see him move… and he froze it.”

 

“He stopped Daeho’s full-strength throw in an instant…”

 

“So his attribute is ice? That’s a rare element, isn’t it?”

 

The students murmured among themselves.

 

A moment later—

 

Crack…

 

The ice shattered, and the frozen ball crumbled into countless fragments that scattered across the ground.

 

A ball that could have seriously injured someone had been reduced to dust with absurd ease.

 

Standing beside him, Yoohee blinked in astonishment.

 

“Joohoon… was that you?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

A faint white breath escaped Joohoon’s lips.

 

His gray eyes reflected the blue ice, making them shimmer with an icy azure.

 

“…Are you scared of something like this?”