Chapter 182: AWKWARD CONFERENCE

Chapter 182: 182: AWKWARD CONFERENCE

"How long have you been dating our June?" Lune asked with a smile as she followed Nyx into the kitchen. She folded her arms, standing at the doorway with a smile on her face.

"Huh?" Nyx turned to stare at her, surprised. "Well, not too long."

Lune smiled. "Is that so? Who made the first move? Who liked each other first?"

Nyx hesitated with a smile before answering, "All me..."

Lune raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Is that so? I guess our June got himself a dedicated admirer, then."

She smiled along with Nyx.

Lune stood there with her arms folded, staring at Nyx for a while without saying anything.

Then Nyx asked, "Is there anything you’d like to know? You can ask, and I’ll try to answer..."

Lune smiled as she shook her head. "Of course I’d have endless questions. But I won’t bombard you with them so it doesn’t look like some interrogation. I won’t keep you uncomfortable."

She smiled as she added, "Besides, June is the one dating you. And if he thinks you’re right for him, then you are."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Nyx slowly nodded, looking pleased.

Lune added, "And..." She smiled. "Please try to understand our June. He can get misunderstood a lot. He’s not the best at expressing himself and can come off as demanding... but I promise, he’s a really good kid."

Nyx smiled. "You don’t need to explain any of that to me. I guess I got to learn the real him... and that’s more than enough reason to like him."

Nyx added, "He... June is really lovable... and cute... and nice. I like him a lot..."

Lune smiled at his response, satisfied as she slowly nodded. "That’s good, then..."

Immediately, June made his way into the kitchen and suspiciously stared at Lune.

"What are you talking to him about now?"

Lune laughed. "What? So possessive? I can’t even talk to your boyfriend anymore?"

June nodded. "Yes. You can’t talk to him when I’m not around. Before you poison his mind."

Lune smiled. "Okay, then... I won’t."

She shook her head before turning to leave.

"I’ll leave you two to enjoy your honeymoon, then. Hurry up with the filling."

She turned and left them alone.

June turned to Nyx. "Don’t listen to her. Whatever she says."

Nyx smiled as he turned to fill up the bowl. "Don’t worry. She didn’t say anything bad about you. She only praised you... I guess she really loves you a lot."

June blinked as he turned toward him. "Is that so...?" He cleared his throat. "That’s good, then."

Nyx smiled as he stared at June and gently pinched his cheeks.

"Cute," he said before turning back to continue filling the bowl with soup.

---

That morning, Nyx and June attended the award recognition conference meant for them. Grey had driven them there, as he was also receiving an award.

It was a bustling conference, with reporters and media personnel crowding the hall. Cameras flashed constantly, and questions were thrown around even though no one was actively responding.

June and the others stood on the stage: June, Nyx, Simon, Kael, Ryan, Syll, and Grey. The Minister of Esper and Guide Affairs presented them with their medals, exchanging handshakes and posing for pictures with them.

While he handed out the medals and exchanged handshakes with them, June couldn’t help but notice how the Minister exchanged glances and smiles with Ryan. It was almost as though they already knew each other.

That made June wonder how Ryan knew the Minister. It only made him more curious about Ryan and what his real identity was.

He had already been suspicious of him after Ryan’s sudden display of resourcefulness and skill in the dungeon back then. But June didn’t want to interrogate his friend like that. He never wanted to.

Still, Ryan didn’t seem as simple as he had first appeared, and June had a feeling that he was hiding some kind of secret.

They finished receiving their medals, and the Minister took his time with his speech. He praised them while emphasizing that they were being recognized for their role in taking down and exposing Mr. Kevin.

According to him, Mr. Kevin’s malicious activities had been unknown to them. Since he was powerful and influential, they had trusted him with representative work and hadn’t looked too closely into what he was doing. He had taken advantage of that authority and gone even further.

And now, they thanked June and his team for taking him down.

Syll and Grey were rewarded with promotions within their Guild Organization, along with promises of funds, investments, and resources to help revive their falling organization.

As for June and his team, being students of the academy, they were promised energy and Gem rewards along with promotions within the academy.

Nyx and June also received additional rewards. As a phenomenal F-rank Esper and Guide duo, they were rewarded for their exceptional actions and contributions.

They were nationally recognized as rare talents despite their low ranks.

June was somewhat confused.

Ryan was also an F-rank, but he hadn’t received any rewards like this. June felt bad for him and wondered why that was.

Was it only for June and Nyx?

When June turned to Ryan, however, he didn’t seem bothered. Ryan was simply smiling proudly at him and Nyx for their achievement.

After the speech and recognition ceremony, they all took pictures while the media flashed their cameras endlessly and threw questions at them.

They were all heading down from the stage when June decided to approach the Minister. He had a request that he believed the Minister could help him with, so he caught up with him and called him back.

"Oh, June." The Minister turned toward him. "How can I help you?"

June smiled. "I... I have a request to make. I don’t know if you can help me with it..."

The Minister smiled. "Sure. Go ahead and tell me. I’m listening."

---

June stepped out of the bustling building to catch up with the others.

But as soon as he came outside, he saw Nyx standing still and staring into the distance without moving or speaking.

June followed his gaze and saw Mr. and Mrs. Faux standing at the other end of the distance, staring at him as well.

June could tell that Nyx was scared to see them again. He was conflicted as he stood there staring at them, while Mr. and Mrs. Faux slowly approached with fake smiles on their faces.

June could tell they wanted to get involved with Nyx again. At a time when they were under investigation for Mr. Kevin’s crimes, getting close to Nyx would certainly help them clear their names.

June was pissed off.

He walked up to Nyx and held him by the hand.

Nyx met his eyes as June smiled at him. "Why are you zoning off? Come on, let’s go."

He held Nyx firmly by the hand and led him away.

The two of them walked past Mr. and Mrs. Faux as if they didn’t see them at all. They left them standing there, watching them in silence.

They couldn’t stop them. They couldn’t say anything.

They simply stood there in shame until the reporters recognized them.

And then the reporters came flooding toward them with questions, forcing them to turn and run off.

---

"It’s okay," June smiled at Nyx as he held his hand and led him back to where the others were.

Simon and Kael had gone out to use the restroom, while Ryan stood there waiting. June and Nyx arrived beside him.

"Was that Nyx’s parents...?" Ryan asked.

Nyx hesitated before nodding. "Mmm."

Ryan could read the room, so he casually brushed the conversation aside and didn’t continue.

Instead, he smiled and turned to Nyx. "What did you talk to the Minister about?"

June smiled. "It’s a surprise. You all will see soon."

Ryan nodded with a smile. "Is that so? Then I suppose I’m excited for the surprise."

While they were at it, June decided to ask Ryan something. At least, it was a place to start.

"And..." He stared at Ryan. "You seemed to know the Minister..."

Silence settled between them as the two stared at each other for a while.

June smiled. "I was just curious to know how you know him... It’s okay if you don’t want to say."

Ryan remained quiet for a while before smiling. He understood June’s concerns and possible suspicions. At this point, he’d be daft to think anyone wouldn’t be suspicious after everything he had done.

And Ryan couldn’t help but realize that a part of him had actually done it all intentionally for June to pick up the clues and become suspicious.

A part of him wanted to let June in on that side of him.

He smiled at the obvious realization that a part of him had already grown close enough to June to feel comfortable letting him into his world.

And at that moment, he smiled and asked,

"Do you want to see something interesting?"