Chapter 7 - Yoo Jonghyuk's side quest #6: Compliments are good for the health. [part 4]

A man dressed in a long black coat slowly, but steadily walked beside a fidgeting teen who kept his gaze down and because of that, his face was now covered by the black locks of hair hanging over his forehead like curtains. All the wounds on his body were mostly hidden under his school uniform as the face was mostly left unscathed by the thugs and there was only a small cut left behind, but that had already been patched up yesterday. Kim Dokja felt very uncomfortable with the tall black-clothed man silently towering over his small frame like a dutiful bodyguard. Even with that usual cold and impassive face, the sole presence of that man beside him was enough to turn many gazes towards the strange duo.

Kim Dokja felt very grateful for his hyung's attempt to protect him, but such a thing shouldn't be done in broad daylight! It... It was embarrassing! Very, very embarrassing! After all, with so many eyes locking on them, the dejected teen felt even more insecure than when he was being ignored by everyone and deemed only as a normal bystander! With such a hunk beside him, the poor teen could only tearfully wave goodbye at his former privacy.

The regressor's stunning beauty, paired with the confident demeanor that he was so effortlessly showcasing, was causing many women to stare and blush. People almost drooled over the ground as they gawked at the handsome features hidden behind that pair of dark-rimmed sunglasses. With both hands tucked inside the pockets of that open coat, Yoo Jonghyuk glanced at his surroundings, probably unaware of the attention he was receiving or just plainly feigning ignorance towards it.

In the end, the young boy couldn't keep his grievance silent anymore. "Hyung this is unnecessary..."

Yoo Jonghyuk turned his head sideways to size up the frail teen beside him and with the usual indifference, he gave again another evaluation identical from the preceding ones.

「 Yes, indeed very frail. 」

"What are you putting a brave front for? You are very weak. That's the reason why you need protection."

As if hurt by that blunt statement, the teen tried to rebuke. "But..."

The regressor lowered his voice and gave the young Kim Dokja a stern look resembling a parent reprimanding his children. "What if they attack you again?"

"Now that hyung reminded me. I still wanted to ask, how did hyung manage to find me at that time?"

The sudden turn of the topic caught him off guard as his left foot almost missed a step, but yet it still managed to shake that rigid composure of his. As he looked at those sparkling eyes filled with gratefulness, he couldn't possibly say that he was forced, right? Like this morning when it happened again, the regressor couldn't retaliate back at the system and could only hide those expressions spilled through his dark eyes with a random pair of sunglasses he had found beside him. Stepping so low to even lie to a kid by saying he did what he did because of the need to look more professional while accompanying him through the trip. Everything was easier when he kept himself hidden in the shadows as he hated being stared like a piece of art, but yet he was forced to sell himself like this. Scoffing inside his mind, he began cursing the system.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yoo Jonghyuk saw the young man tripping down. The regressor's instinct acted quicker than his brain and with a swift movement, he hooked an arm around the teen's waist. Maybe it was because he applied too much strength, or maybe it was because of the sudden contact with the wounds, but Kim Dokja let out a small groan when he tried standing up again.

Looking at the unstable teenager, Yoo Jonghyuk forcefully took away the backpack from those trembling shoulders. His action was met with the pouting face of the young man, which he responded with his usual icy tone.

"If you don't wish to be carried yourself, then I will take this instead."

Gazing up to look at the older man, Kim Dokja couldn't make out any expression from that ice block as the most expressive part of his face was covered by two jet-black lenses. Still pouting, the young Kim Dokja gave in and obediently nodded his head.

「 When will this end, stupid system? 」

[Side effect ended.]

"..." 「 It worked? 」

After some time, they finally reached their destination. Yoo Jonghyuk still remained the same when receiving more questioning looks and bashful gazes from the maidens, but that did not include Kim Dokja current mood at all! The bashful gazes are all directed at this hyung of his and the questioning and also more threatening gazes were all especially directed straight at him. The teen felt like Swiss cheese with all those holes bored through his body by those dagger-like gazes! All he wanted now was to run away and nothing more!

"Hyung you don't need to pick me up! I'm not a child! If something happens I will run as fast a possible!"

"..."

「 It wasn't in my intentions anyway. 」

Suddenly the bell inside the school tower started to ring, warning everyone of the time. Kim Dokja yanked the backpack to his left shoulder and started pushing the regressor away, at least he tried to do so, but his small frame was too weak against that immovable mountain.

"Now, please go back! I will see hyung later!"

***

Many gazes followed the inconspicuous Kim Dokja while he hasted his pace through the hallways. He really hated this newfound attention, where was his privacy? Where is the unbreakable loner aura surrounding him? Why it isn't working anymore?

Sliding the door open, the usually noisy classroom oddly got quiet and his appearance immediately became the focus of all the attention. But the silence was soon broken by many whispering noises between the classmates. The teen decided to just quickly make a way towards his usual seat, but as he passed by, he couldn't help but overhear some words of their discussion.

"It's him."

"I never thought he was a rich young master type."

"He really doesn't look like one, but what she said yesterday and the bodyguard of this morning..."

"Yeah, it's all adding up!"

Confused, Kim Dokja looked around at the people who were avoiding his gaze but would keep staring at him while his focus was on someone else. Strange. Really strange. The murmuring noise stopped at the sound of the sliding door being opened again. A beautiful girl stepped in while giving everyone a cheerful greeting as she smiled.

Looking at the unfamiliar face Kim Dokja thought that she was a new transfer student and gave her only a few more glances before looking out the window again. The seats were arranged singularly and thus people ended up not having a deskmate for all their high school life, but this wasn't a problem at all for Kim Dokja as the latter could not be happier for such arrangements. The only thing close enough to be considerate a quasi-deskmate where the seat before and behind you, that's why Kim Dokja always chose the seat on the last-row facing the window. No one ever sat before him so he always had his small territory unsullied.

Turning her head behind, she was met with a pair of perplexed eyes. "Hello, my name is Kim Sunri and I'm happy to be finally able to make your acquaintance cousin!"

"..." Did he mishear? It must be the case...

Seeing no reaction from the latter, Kim Sunri tilted her head sideways and waved her hand before the dazed teen's face. "Hello? Dokja-hyung?"

More uncertainty ȧssaulted his mind, with a wary tone he finally responded. "You... Said you are my cousin?"

Without even a moment of hesitation, the girl nodded her head with an earnest look on her face. "Yes!"

The little interactions between the two were all surveilled by countless curious gazes from the surrounding students. All they wanted to know is if what Kim Sunri told them about Kim Dokja's real identity was really true or just a hoax, yet contrary to their anticipation the teacher suddenly made his entrance and started the lesson immediately after the class saluted him. The students could only regretfully shallow down their curiosity, but even the usual bookworms of their class were absentminded during the lesson this time, the gossip was just too juicy to be so easily forgotten.

Twiddling with the pencil in his hand, the center of all the rumors was just as oblivious as he always been before. Kim Dokja couldn't help but frown, it was strange because in all those years he hadn't got close to any relative in his family simply because they despised his existence. Now the real question was, what are her motives? The young boy may seem a dumb airhead sometimes, but he was raised as an expetionally cautious and wary person inside. After what all happened, such a consequence was inevitable.

Soon break time arrived and the girl before him propped her head on both hands as she kept staring at the young boy shunned by everyone. She tried to strike a conversation and ended up inviting the latter to a more isolated area to speak more freely.

The initially suspicious young man later found out about the history of this cousin of his. Kim Dokja looked at his cousin standing beside him. As he said before, he had never got familiar with any of his relatives, and it came as a surprise for him finding a cousin frequenting the same school as his. But most important of all, she didn't shun him away after learning who he was like the rest of his relatives.

After a long day at school, the students were finally all freed from that place and allowed to go home. The heat from the sun was already starting to slowly dissipate away as the day was becoming evening. Kim Sunri could be seen talking to Kim Dokja on the street right across the school gates.

"Dokja-hyung so you live alone?"

"Yes. I live in a house not too far from here."

As if overjoyed by that confirmation, the young girl started to hop around with glee and displayed a fervent gaze as if she saw her savior. "Grand! Can I drop by? I totally couldn't understand what the math teacher was blabbing about! Dokja-hyung please help me!"

Kim Dokja showed a troubled expression. "Are you sure? What would your parents say?"

"I don't need their opinion anyway! It's not like they would care about me..."

Faced with such a dejected tone, the young man couldn't force himself to refuse anymore. So he complied to her request making her dark moon immediately disappear. The trip wasn't nor too long or too short and as they both arrived at his residence, Kim Dokja invited her in and prepared everything just as any good host would do. Yoo Jonghyuk wasn't back yet, so there were only the two of them and some math books.

After a few hours, the sky was beginning to dim down as the lampposts started brightening up the cold city streets. Standing before an open door, Kim Sunri gleefully bid goodbye at the teen who was waving his hand in response. Only after hearing the sound of a door closing behind her, she started to walk toward an inconspicuous spot before making a call. A crisp and young voice responded on the other line.

-"Hello?"

-"How did it went?"

"No one."

-"Are you sure about that? There were no signs at all?"

"There was an extra pair of male slippers left on the entrance, I think that he may already found a guardian."

-"Good, keep an eye on him and remember, this is your chance to show your value to father."

And after that, the call was soon ended by the other side. Gazing toward the horizon, Kim Sunri clenched her hold on the phone tightly, the girl responded with a resolute tone. "I won't let him down."