My Childhood Friend’s Stock Will Never Fail Chapter 63

Once he finally understood the situation, Do Young burst out laughing. He tucked the sunglasses he had been holding into the collar of his shirt and put on a rather sly expression.

 

“Haha, who would’ve thought we’d run into each other somewhere like this? The world really is small, huh?”

“I didn’t know you’d be here either, oppa……”

 

She really hadn’t. She hadn’t heard anything from him since he moved away in high school, so she had simply assumed he was doing well somewhere. She certainly hadn’t expected him to become an A-rank Esper like Joohoon.

 

“Wow, how many years has it been? Seven? Almost ten? It feels like just yesterday you were that little kid from the neighborhood with a runny nose. And look at you now—you’ve grown into a proper young lady.”

 

Since she didn’t even have his phone number, it had been roughly seven years since they last saw each other.

 

Back when they were students, he had been a naive yet boisterous neighborhood oppa. Now, he has become a fairly stylish working adult.

 

Well, though he didn’t seem to have changed much on the inside.

 

Do Young approached with clicking footsteps. Just then, Joohoon, who had been sitting beside her, dragged his chair back and stood up. Do Young stopped when Joohoon blocked his path.

 

“……Huh?”

 

Standing face-to-face, even Do Young, who wasn’t short by any means, was still a head shorter than Joohoon.

 

Taken aback by the difference in height, Do Young fidgeted and asked,

 

“Th-this is the first time I’ve seen you. Who……?”

“He’s an intern who came with Yoohee.”

 

Suin casually supplied the answer, and Do Young finally relaxed and nodded.

 

“Ah, ahh—an intern? I was wondering who he was.”

 

But Joohoon stared down at Do Young.

 

“Don’t you remember me?”

“Huh……?”

 

When it became clear that Do Young didn’t recognize Joohoon, Yoohee gave him a hint.

 

“It’s Joohoon. He went to the same school as me.”

“Joohoon…… Ah, Kim Joohoon?”

 

Do Young looked up at Joohoon once again.

 

His mouth fell slightly open in astonishment. He probably couldn’t easily connect this grown man with the child he remembered.

 

“You’ve…… changed a lot. N-nice to meet you……”

 

Do Young awkwardly greeted Joohoon. Joohoon calmly returned the greeting.

 

“But how tall are you? You’re pretty tall.”

“186 centimeters.”

“Oh…… Is that so? Damn.”

 

Do Young’s expression turned bitter. Then he hurriedly changed the subject.

 

“But are you still sticking around Yoohee all the time? You were always glued to her side when you were little, too. You barely talked back then. Ah, I guess you talk more now?”

 

He didn’t seem to mean it that way, but it sounded almost like he was mocking Joohoon.

 

Yoohee was about to say something, but Joohoon spoke first.

 

“I’m pretty much the same as before. Yoohee is still the most important person to me.”

 

“Oh my, how sweet, Joohoon.”

 

One of the team members listening to the conversation clasped her hands together like a young girl, clearly impressed.

 

Soon, everyone began praising Joohoon, saying that he was not only handsome but had a good personality as well.

 

Do Young’s expression is subtly hardened. He tapped Yoohee’s desk twice with the back of his hand.

 

“Come with me.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m taking Yoohee out on patrol.”

 

Apparently, without caring whether Yoohee agreed, Do Young loudly informed Haeseop.

 

“You’re taking Joohoon too, right?”

 

Haeseop suggested that Joohoon go along as well.

 

But Do Young strode over to the drawers by the window, took out several document files, and placed them on Joohoon’s desk.

 

“Joohoon, finish these.”

 

The thick metal file cover was labeled ‘Q2 Gate Ore Sales Report.’

 

“Check whether the figures match, and fill out the rest yourself.”

 

Joohoon remained composed, but Yoohee’s mouth fell open.

 

He only started today!

 

Even Suin thought Do Young was going too far and stepped in to stop him.

 

“Um, I already told them to review the gate information for today. It’s their first day, so asking them to do something like this is a little—”

 

“I’ll check it again when I get back. Just think of it as doing the preliminary work. He can handle that much, can’t he?”

 

Do Young refused to back down, leaving Suin with no way to argue.

 

As the atmosphere grew awkward, Haeseop cleared his throat.

 

“Ahem. Ahem.”

 

Hadn’t they said Do Young was the only A-rank Esper in the center?

 

Even from the records Yoohee had briefly looked through, Do Young had practically monopolized the MVP title for combat performance.

 

It seemed that even Haeseop, the team leader, couldn’t bring himself to stop him.

 

As the silence dragged on, Joohoon finally answered.

 

“……Understood.”

 

At Joohoon’s acceptance, Do Young smiled with a look of smug superiority.

 

“Then, good luck.”

 

Ding.

 

Do-young and I left the center together. Perhaps because there were so many trees, the cicadas’ incessant buzzing was loud enough to hurt my ears.

 

“There.”

“Come this way.”

 

Do-young walked ahead, leading the way.

I had no choice but to follow him, while the displeased reactions of the Constellations reached my ears.

 

[The majority of the Constellations are displeased by the appearance of an unwelcome guest.]

[Constellation, ‘SSS-Rank Free-to-Play Gamer,’ asks who that squinty-eyed character is.]

 

As if I wanted things to turn out like this.

I walked with my eyes narrowed against the afternoon sunlight that was still blazing, when Do-young stopped in front of a nearby convenience store.

 

“Hot?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s get some ice cream.”

“What?”

 

Wasn’t he supposed to be taking me on patrol?

Before I knew it, we had each grabbed a popsicle from the convenience store and walked back out.

 

“Is this really okay?”

“Patrol? It’s fine. It’s not like I’ve only been here for a day or two. The problem is that it’s too peaceful around here. Even if something happens, the app will notify us in time.”

 

Then I had no idea why he had asked me to come on patrol in the first place.

There was a bench near the convenience store where we could sit and rest. As I sat down and took a bite of my ice cream, Do-young casually started talking.

 

“I never thought you two would awaken, too. Your mom must’ve been happy.”

“……I suppose so.”

 

In this world, awakening was considered even more important than getting into a good university.

Even a C-rank Esper could have a stable future without worrying about retirement. And if they had enough skill, they could suddenly rise to stardom and enjoy popularity rivaling that of most celebrities. In fact, there were quite a few celebrities who were also Awakeners.

 

‘But how was I supposed to know I’d die young in a Gate?’

 

Unlike my previous life, this world had well-organized Center and Academy systems. It was a country so meticulous in managing Gates that it was even called a leading nation in the field of Awakeners.

So even for a C-rank Awakener, dying young in a Gate was hardly an outcome anyone could have anticipated.

If it weren’t for the Gate Rifts, I could have lived comfortably without having to worry about any of this.

 

“Aren’t you pretty famous yourself? I heard you even get dispatched to other Centers.”

“Well, there are a few places that ask for me.”

 

Do-young shrugged and bragged casually.

The more I looked at him, the stranger it seemed. I just couldn’t picture this man making a name for himself in the Gates.

 

“Kim Joohoon is still stuck to you like glue. Doesn’t it bother you when he clings to you like that?”

“No…… Aren’t you the one who dislikes Joohoon way too much?”

“……He’s annoying.”

 

Do-young quickly finished his ice cream and stood up. His brow was deeply furrowed.

 

“Why?”

 

I shaded my eyes with one hand as I looked up at him. Do-young tossed the empty popsicle stick into the trash can beside the bench and grumbled.

 

“It’s always been like that. Whenever I tried to do something with you, that bastard would step in and interfere with everything.”

“…….”

 

I almost asked what exactly he had ever tried to do with me.

We had lived in the same neighborhood and crossed paths often, but we had never been particularly close. The only time I could remember going out together was when we went to see Dongwon hyung.

 

“Honestly, I never thought I’d meet you again.”

“Neither did I.”

 

Who could have imagined that the neighborhood kid I knew would grow up to become a respectable Awakener?

Then Do-young’s voice lowered.

 

“……Don’t you think this is fate?”

 

What was he talking about?

 

“Meeting like this. It’s just like a movie.”

 

I was at a loss for words at how unexpectedly serious Do-young looked. He slowly looked me over with his half-lidded eyes.

 

“Your face hasn’t changed much since you were a kid.”

“……Yours hasn’t either.”

 

His overall atmosphere might have changed quite a bit, but his facial features were still the same. That was why I recognized him at a glance.

 

“I’m not trying to brag, but I’m doing pretty well for myself. I’m an A-rank Esper, so I get dispatched pretty often. I make good money, too.”

 

Do young suddenly began listing off his accomplishments. I nodded awkwardly, but then he looked straight at me as though he had made up his mind and spoke.

 

“I’m not joking.”