When I stared at him blankly, Joo Jeonghan quickly lowered his head.

“Ah—my apologies. That was a poor choice of words. Lexington’s side is furious, and Father told me to settle this today no matter what. I guess I said something I shouldn’t have in my urgency.”

...Was it really a mistake?

If he was being pressured from both sides, it wasn’t unreasonable for him to slip up from stress.

If it truly hadn’t been out of malice, then everything he said must have been true.

That Joo Seunghyuk had formed countless relationships with other Guides over the years, and that even while he was with me, he’d been preparing to marry the Lexington heiress behind my back.

“...Ha.”

Not that I ever believed that whole “I’m a strict virgin until marriage” act of his. But now that I’d heard the confirmation, a bitter laugh escaped me.

Jeonghan glanced at me again, reading my expression.

“Guide Lee Yeonsu, as Seunghyuk’s older brother... I’m truly sorry about this.”

“I’ll break up with him.”

I answered flatly.

Whether Jeonghan had slipped up or deliberately tried to destroy our relationship didn’t matter.

From the very beginning, my goal had been to get away from Joo Seunghyuk. And now—at last—that chance had come.

“Thank you. We’re prepared to offer any compensation you need.”

“I don’t want money.”

“I—pardon? Then...?”

“Instead of financial compensation, please guarantee my safety. And the safety of my family.”

In the original story, when Kim Jun was told that Seunghyuk was getting married, he tried to end things—only to end up imprisoned.

Even if everything Seunghyuk said or did with me had been a lie, that didn’t mean his obsession wasn’t real. Even if I left him over this engagement, there was no guarantee he’d accept it.

“Of course. In fact, we’ve already made preparations to send you abroad until the engagement ceremony is over.”

Jeonghan replied like he’d rehearsed the line.

That gave me a strange sense of unease.

If I refused, what would they have done with those preparations? And not just relocation—he was talking about another country.

...Can I really trust this man?

I suddenly recalled a drama I’d seen before: a chaebol family head lies to split up his son and his lover, leading to a snowballing series of misunderstandings. It was a classic, worn-out cliché.

Was this just another version of that?

Chairman Joo had never liked the idea of his son dating a Beta. (Even in the original, he adored Yeonsu at first—only to turn against him once Seunghyuk was confirmed to be his biological son.) Maybe he’d orchestrated this entire situation through Jeonghan.

Still, it didn’t really matter.

This might be my last chance to escape Seunghyuk. I couldn’t let it slip away.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes. We’ll ensure you’re comfortable and safe during your time overseas, Guide Lee.”

“Thank you.”

“There is one more thing I’m afraid I need to bring up...”

“What is it?”

“The engagement timeline is a bit... tight. If possible, we’d like you to depart early...”

So the engagement was already right around the corner. Even if they’d tried to keep it under wraps, rumors must’ve started spreading. Park Geonwoo might’ve heard about it too.

“When is it?”

Honestly, the sooner the better. I’d already made up my mind—there was no reason to drag it out.

“Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow...? That’s way too fast. I wouldn’t even have time to say goodbye to Seunghyuk...

No—what goodbye? If I’m leaving, I should do it quickly. Besides, finals would be over tomorrow and break would officially begin.

In the original, Kim Jun was locked up the moment the semester ended.

Better to get out before the break starts.

“...Alright.”

I agreed to Jeonghan’s plan.

***

After the meeting, I returned to the Esper Academy.

Tomorrow—I would finally be free from the obsessive madman.

The reason Seunghyuk approached me. The truth about his engagement. The reason he intercepted Park Geonwoo’s letters. None of it was clear. All of it was a mess.

But if I left him behind, it wouldn’t matter anymore.

I just had to get through the rest of today. Then freedom would come.

It was everything I’d wished for, but for some reason... I didn’t feel happy.

Dragging my feet, I returned to the dormitory.

“Hyung...”

“Seunghyuk...”

When I opened the door, he was already there, sitting on the bed.

It had been four days since we started sharing a dorm room. But even now, the sight of him waiting for me like this—as if it were his own room—still felt surreal. Though technically, it was his room now too.

“You’re late. Where did you go?”

“Ah... the library. You’re back early. Isn’t it still exam time?”

“I finished early.”

Wow, he really did finish fast. I thought I’d wrapped up my talk with Jeonghan pretty quickly, but Seunghyuk still beat me back.

“I see... So just one left now?”

“Yeah. You too, right?”

“Yep. Guide Ethics.”

I pulled out the Guide Ethics textbook and sat down at the desk.

“You’re really going to study for that?”

“Yeah...”

“You’re so diligent.”

He smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth.

‘Guide Ethics’ was a complete joke of a class. It was graded pass/fail based on attendance alone. There was a written exam, technically, but whether you scored zero or a hundred, it didn’t affect your grade at all. Even skipping the exam just cost you one attendance mark. (You still had to submit a report, but even a garbage paper wouldn’t make you fail.)

Basically, nobody studied for it. I wouldn’t have either—if I weren’t trying to avoid spending time with Seunghyuk.

“Hyung, why do you study so hard?” 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He usually didn’t bother me when I was reading or preparing for exams. But apparently he didn’t buy that I was actually reviewing Guide Ethics.

“Well...”

“Don’t give me some crap about taxpayer money. What’s the real reason?”

“...Because I need a job?”

“Do you not want to be my Guide?”

“What...?”

After our matching test, I’d become his assigned Guide. But that only applied within the Academy. I hadn’t signed any exclusive contract with him.

And Seunghyuk had never brought it up—until now. For the first time in seven years, he was asking me to be his Guide.

“When will I finally be part of the future you imagine for yourself, Lee Yeonsu?”

He gazed at me steadily.

But I had no words.

Because Seunghyuk would never be part of my future.

I was leaving tomorrow.

“...Aren’t you studying?”

“My last one’s Esper Ethics. I don’t need to.”

“......”

He wasn’t wrong. Nobody studied for these pass/fail classes, whether Guide or Esper.

“Hyung, where’d this ugly dog come from?”

He pointed at Woongie, sitting on my bed.

‘He’s old, but not ugly...’

I wanted to defend him, but if Seunghyuk thought he was ugly, then ugly he was.

Sorry, Woongie. I don’t have the strength to defend you right now.

Still... tomorrow, I’d be free. No more groveling, no more pretending.

“I got him at an amusement park.”

“Amusement park?”

“Yeah. I went when I was little, and this guy looked so much like Woongie, I had to buy him.”

Originally, it was Gyeongsu and Minsu who saw the stuffed dog, shouted ‘It’s Woong!’ and begged for it. But they lost interest the moment we got home, so he became mine.

At first I just kept him around because it felt like a waste of money, but now... he was my comfort object.

“You mean Minwoong?”

“Yeah. Our Minwoong.”

Seunghyuk’s expression suddenly turned cold.

“Why do you talk about that damn mutt so sweetly?”

“Because he’s family.”

“Don’t speak to him more kindly than you do to me.”

This lunatic’s jealous of a dog.

Now that I think about it... even our first time, he got mad because of Minwoong.

...Could that kind of thing really be an act?

Could someone pretend to be like that?

When I made the decision to leave him, everything had felt so clear. But now, face-to-face with him again... my thoughts were all tangled.

The engagement, the intercepted letters, pretending not to know my home address... If all of that was a lie, then maybe his feelings for me were the one real thing.

“When the exam ends, let’s go to an amusement park.”

“...Amusement park?”

“I’ve never been to one.”

“Ah...”

Of course. He probably didn’t have any happy childhood memories.

He was always treated as the product of an affair, or worse—of a mistress. Even if he had material luxuries, no one would’ve cared for him emotionally.

He always had good clothes and delicious food, sure. But no one ever brought him an umbrella when it rained. No one ever took him to a theme park on his birthday.

Even if he marries that heiress from Lexington, I doubt they’ll go to an amusement park together.

“Seunghyuk, want to go to one with me?”

The words spilled out of my mouth before I could think.

“Right now?”

“Yeah.”

But what was done was done. I nodded.

“I thought you said you were studying?”

“I don’t think I need to anymore. Besides, let’s go now. I really want to.”

Today would be the last day I ever spent with Joo Seunghyuk.

And I wanted to give him one final good memory.

Maybe he really was trash—a man ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) planning to marry into another chaebol family while making a fool out of me.

Actually, that was almost certainly the case.

Even if it had just been Jeonghan’s words, I might’ve doubted it. But Park Geonwoo’s warning, and Seunghyuk’s reaction, made it clear: the engagement was real.

And yet, knowing all that, I didn’t hate him.

I didn’t resent him.

...All I wanted was for him to be happy.

What the hell was this feeling?

Even though it was my own heart, I couldn’t make sense of it.