Chapter 30: Jeryon’s Decision
"Maybe... I really am meant to be your partner."
Jeryon had thought the same thing before. But he was afraid.
He was afraid that if he insisted on continuing to resonate with Shani, she would end up just like his previous partners.
He didn’t want to see the warmth in Shani’s eyes turn into hatred.
Shani’s melodious voice, filled with hope, reached his ears again, slowly breaking down the walls he’d built around himself.
"Come on. Like I said before, I don’t mind if my rank drops or whatever."
Shani let go of his shoulders and instead took one of Jeryon’s hands, pulling him toward the elevator.
Jeryon allowed himself to be led away. His face was full of conflict.
Part of him desperately wanted to believe Shani was his destined partner.
But he also knew Shani was only an F-Rank. If he drained all of her beast energy, she could die.
Inside the elevator, Jeryon asked quietly, "Shani... are you an F-Rank?"
Shani stiffened. She instinctively turned to him, surprised that he had found out so quickly.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she looked at him and nodded. "I wasn’t trying to hide it. I was just... desperate to find a partner. I’m sorry."
"You didn’t do anything wrong. An F-Rank is still far better than someone cursed like me." Jeryon stared at the dull reflection of himself in the elevator doors.
"I’m sorry for taking your only baby beast slot," he muttered, gloomily.
Shani turned to him with a serious expression.
"Let’s stop apologizing to each other. I chose you, and I knew about your condition. I accepted the risks from the very beginning. And I still do."
"But, Shani... you could die—"
She interrupted him. "Of course I want to live."
"But what’s the difference between dying now and dying two years from now? At least now I’m fighting to stay alive."
Jeryon’s heart felt as though it had been crushed. He wasn’t the one with little time left, yet the thought of the girl beside him dying...
Ding!
The elevator reached the fifth floor. Still holding his hand, Shani led him toward Class 5.
She had never let go. Jeryon could feel the warmth of her hand, and it only made the ache in his chest grow stronger.
"Are you sure?" he asked softly.
"I’ve been prepared for every risk since the moment I became your partner." Shani answered cheerfully, flashing him a bright smile that swept away the gloomy atmosphere.
"Then, let’s do it."
Jeryon wanted to protect that smile that shone like sunlight. He hoped he wasn’t making the wrong decision.
As soon as they entered Class 5, the students who were busy resonating all turned toward them at the same time.
A chorus of gasps echoed through the room, followed by hushed whispers.
Shani ignored them. She also refused to let Jeryon be affected by their classmates’ gossip.
She immediately took two bottles of milk out of her small bag. "My throat’s dry after all that tension. Let’s drink some milk first."
Jeryon accepted the bottle she handed him but simply placed it under the desk. He had no appetite for anything right now.
"I’m guessing you skipped dinner because you didn’t want to go to the cafeteria, right? Drink it so you’ll have some energy!" Shani scolded him.
She put on her sternest expression, furrowing her brows as if trying to look authoritative. Unfortunately, the tiny pout on her lips made her look more like an angry kitten in Jeryon’s eyes.
Jeryon fought back a smile.
He picked up the bottle again and drank it, unwilling to let the little kitten in front of him keep pouting.
Meanwhile, Shani was secretly celebrating her success. With every sip Jeryon took, her smile grew wider.
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Shani grinned as she watched the series of notifications. If she hadn’t been inside a classroom, she would’ve shouted in excitement.
Her gaze shifted to Jeryon, who had finished the milk and placed the empty bottle back under the desk.
She nodded in satisfaction. "Good boy."
Jeryon’s ears, hidden beneath his golden hair, immediately turned red. He cleared his throat and straightened his back, trying not to look flustered.
The redness spread from his ears to the rest of his face. His entire body suddenly felt hot for no apparent reason.
Shani noticed the flush covering his face. ’Looks like his body is processing all that incoming energy at once.’
She had already read about Conscious Abyss Syndrome, so she knew this was a normal reaction after being cured. ’It shouldn’t interfere with our resonance.’
"Let’s begin." Shani’s voice pulled Jeryon out of his confusion.
Seeing the eager anticipation in her eyes, Jeryon ignored the strange sensation in his body. He placed both palms on the artificial egg at the same time as Shani.
Then, Shani began regulating her beast energy into the egg. Jeryon, however, hesitated and had yet to begin.
Without lifting her hand from the egg, Shani slid it across the surface until the tips of her fingers lightly touched his.
Jeryon’s body jolted. But he didn’t pull away. He turned toward Shani, who simply gave him a reassuring nod.
Jeryon closed his eyes. Finally... He made his decision.
His beast energy flowed from his hands into the egg. The two streams of energy met inside. The artificial egg separating them began to glow.
The students who had been secretly watching them, hoping for an entertaining disaster, were left completely dumbfounded.
For a moment, they wondered if they were dreaming.
Just that afternoon, Lara Benett had confronted Shani in the cafeteria, and even now Leah Benett was still crying in her dorm room.
So how... How could the person at the center of all that chaos successfully do their resonance?
...