Chapter 55: Male School Heartthrob x Military Academy Student (16): He Was Once on the Male Zerg Guide Candidate List

【Knock knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

Iso's respectful voice came from outside.

"Lord Hill, breakfast is ready. Would you like to eat something?"

Continuing to hide like this wasn't a solution.

Hill took a deep breath and walked over to open the door.

The moment his eyes met the Zerg outside, Hill saw those slightly pursed lips again.

He had seen those lips stretched completely open before.

Hill painfully pressed a hand to his forehead, covering his eyes.

For the first time in his life, he hated the excellent memory of high-ranking male Zergs.

Everything replayed in his mind like a movie. Every detail was crystal clear.

He simply couldn't forget it.

"Lord, are you feeling unwell? Is something wrong?"

Iso was very worried. Instinctively, he reached out, wanting to support the male Zerg, but stopped before his hand touched Hill's shoulder, leaving it suspended in the air.

Their relationship wasn't that close.

Touching a male Zerg lord's body without permission was disrespectful and could easily invite his disgust.

Lord Hill looked exactly like the kind of male Zerg who disliked being touched by unfamiliar Zergs.

Yes, even though they had already done very intimate things and were raising a hatchling together, their relationship was only slightly closer than strangers.

They weren't close.

"I'm fine..."

Hill looked up just in time to see Iso withdrawing his hand, and for an instant he felt puzzled.

"Let's eat first."

As Hill spoke, he tried his best not to let his gaze fall on Iso's lips.

But it was useless.

Even though Iso wore his military academy uniform neatly, with every button fastened to the top, Hill still knew exactly what the body beneath looked like.

Male Zerg psychic power was particularly unreasonable in this regard.

...Military academy uniform?

Hill raised his eyes.

"Are you going to school?"

"Yes."

Iso answered while carefully examining the male Zerg lord with concerned eyes. Seeing that he truly didn't seem to be in any discomfort, he finally relaxed.

"I'll leave Isi in your care. I'll return before evening."

He had applied to commute long ago.

Although the principal's attitude had been strange, he wouldn't go back on his word and cancel his commuting privileges.

And if they really were canceled...

Iso would simply sneak out.

Military academy management was strict and curfews were tightly enforced, but that wasn't difficult for him.

"Okay."

Hill agreed. They had already discussed this.

In the end, Iso hurried off before even having time to eat breakfast.

Hill sat at the table, watching him leave.

When he reached the doorway, Iso suddenly paused and looked back.

He was probably looking at Isidore, but Hill felt as though that gaze had scorched him.

This scene looked just like the morning of an ordinary Zerg family.

The male Zerg and the hatchling eating breakfast at the table, watching their Female Lord leave for work.

No...

If they really had that kind of relationship, the male Zerg would walk over and kiss his female Zerg.

Doing that in front of the hatchling seemed somewhat inappropriate, but it didn't matter. Iso would use his body to block him, and little Isi wouldn't see anything.

His thoughts wandered for a while.

By the time Hill came back to his senses, Iso had already hurried away, his pace particularly fast.

He ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) was probably about to be late.

Hill withdrew his gaze, only to see Isidore staring at him from across the table.

"What's wrong?"

"Papa is strange today."

Isidore rested his chin on his hands.

Hill blinked.

"Hm? What's strange?"

"You didn't kiss Father."

Isidore said matter-of-factly.

Hill's face instantly turned red.

"That's because... because..."

He didn't know how to continue.

After a while, he asked instead,

"Do you think I should?"

Isidore nodded confidently.

"Papa does it every day!"

Every day...

He kissed...

Iso?

This wasn't the first time Hill had learned about their future from the hatchling, but it was the first time he had been affected so deeply.

Before, even when he saw photos of his future self, he had only felt confused.

That seemed to be him, but not him.

He had never felt much immersion.

It was like watching a movie called "The Future."

But this time, that sentence—

"Papa kisses Father every day."

—perfectly overlapped with the thought that had just flashed through his mind.

And through it, he saw himself.

For the first time, he had the feeling that perhaps that future really was his.

Though...

Would Iso even be willing?

Something like this had to depend on what both Zergs wanted.

...】

[He would! He would! He's gone crazy wanting it!]

The readers wished they could rush into the story and agree on Iso's behalf.

[Who could possibly reject Lord Hill? If Iso doesn't want it, then there's definitely something wrong with him!]

[So Lord Hill actually kisses Iso every day before he leaves? Wouldn't Iso spend the whole day dizzy?]

[More like he'd be so excited he'd go one against a hundred in the army.]

[A hundred is too weak. Looking down on a future S-rank, are we? Make it an entire legion!]

[Military doctors take his blood and discover there's not a drop of blood in it, only stimulants.]

[It's all pheromones. His pheromone levels are through the roof.]

[No wonder my Female Lord and attendants made me kiss each of them before letting me leave today.] €€€€ This is a male Zerg.

[No wonder the military females in camp looked like they'd taken pheromones. They rushed in shouting that they wanted to fight ten opponents.] €€€€ This is a female Zerg.

[You people are fake, but I'm real! Do you know how long it took me to kiss everyone in my huge family? (crying)]

[Seriously? Are there really male Zerg lords who do things like this?]

Truth and lies mixed together until nobody could tell anymore.

[Look at my lips, they're red from kissing. (Picture) (crying)]

[Whoa, such kissable lips. Passing by, let me steal one peck.]

[The person above has no manners at all. (Saving image.) I suggest Lord report him to the authorities.]

[Lord, marry me. I definitely won't be as rude as those female Zergs. I'll kiss very, very gently. (Shy)]

A certain male Zerg angrily withdrew his message.

Whether true or false, ever since the newest chapter of School Heartthrob came out, companies and military units alike had suddenly gained groups of female Zergs showing up to work with kiss marks.

Each one carried himself so proudly that his chin practically pointed at the sky.

Those without them turned green with envy.

Privately, they discussed putting sacks over those female Zergs and beating them up.

As for the Zergs who had no idea what was happening, they heard a few keywords and immediately opened their terminals to catch up on the novel.

...

【Rumors that Iso was dating Lord Hill had spread throughout the entire military academy.

There were no photographs, but eyewitnesses spoke with absolute certainty.

They claimed to have seen Iso and Lord Hill shopping together.

They had even been carrying a pink-haired hatchling, who was apparently Lord Hill's younger brother.

The first class of the day was Military Theory.

The moment Iso entered the classroom, all noise abruptly ceased.

Every gaze turned toward him.

Curiosity.

Wonder.

Surprise.

Some hostility born from competition.

And...

Seeking guidance?

A thirst for knowledge?

Iso paused.

His roommate, who had saved him a seat, waved him over.

As soon as Iso sat down, several roommates crowded around him.

"Iso, I heard you got a date with Lord Hill. Is it true?"

"You bastard! We invited you out and you refused, but you secretly kidnapped the school heartthrob!"

"You didn't come back for two whole nights. Did you two already..."

"Wait... what's this smell... so good! Is this Lord Hill's pheromones?!"

Several Zergs bombarded him with questions, but when they reached the end, all of them stopped and stared at him with astonishment.

The other female Zergs in the classroom all sat upright and stared straight ahead, ears perked up.

They had also smelled the male Zerg pheromones clinging to Iso.

Iso: "..."

The pheromones were his oversight.

He thought he had cleaned them away completely, but the scent of a high-ranking male Zerg clearly wasn't easy to remove.

Right now, carrying Lord Hill's pheromones made him look as though he had already been marked.

But Iso knew that wasn't true.

Lord Hill had not accepted him.

They didn't have that kind of relationship.

But Lord Hill had said he could use dating him as the reason for requesting leave.

And he really needed the time off to care for Isi and share Lord Hill's burden.

So he couldn't deny their relationship.

In the end, Iso merely gave a low "Mm."

That was his answer.

"You admitted it? You're really dating Lord Hill?!"

"How in the world did you manage that..."

Suddenly, all the noise died again.

An instructor in military uniform stood at the doorway.

The stern gaze swept over the room.

The cadets immediately sat up straight and shut their mouths.

The instructor's eyes lingered on Iso a moment longer before entering and beginning the lesson.

During class, while the instructor wasn't looking, the roommate beside him secretly bumped Iso's arm and wiggled his eyebrows.

He was asking the previous question.

How had he done it?

How had he... gotten Lord Hill?

Iso ignored him and simply looked ahead at the light screen.

He hadn't done anything.

He simply shared a hatchling with Lord Hill.

...

As soon as class ended, before anyone could question him, Iso was summoned to the principal's office.

Walking behind the instructor, Iso casually closed the door.

The moment it shut, the principal, who also served as an instructor, slammed his desk and exploded.

"You little brat! You still remembered to come back?! I told you yesterday to get your ass back here! Where the hell did you go?!"

Maintaining a straight face, Iso repeated what he had written on the leave application.

"On a date."

"You—!"

Supporting himself on the desk with one hand while clutching his chest with the other, the principal nearly suffered a heart attack.

Trembling, he pointed at Iso.

"You still dare say that?! You don't want your legs anymore, but I still want mine!"

Iso didn't understand.

"I don't understand."

Society encouraged relationships between female Zergs and male Zergs.

There was even a special dating leave.

The principal's reaction was the strange part.

And what did he mean by not wanting his legs anymore?

The principal seemed afraid of something.

Iso frowned slightly and suddenly thought of something.

"Is it about what you mentioned before? Becoming a guide for a male Zerg lord... But didn't you say that lord had already rejected me?"

Iso looked directly at him, his expression darkening.

The principal choked.

He had been rejected.

Back then, the candidate list had been incredibly long. Iso had been among the most outstanding candidates, and even the General had been very satisfied.

But the little ancestor at home had glanced over the list and rejected every single one.

He hadn't even wanted a guide and had completed his physiological awakening alone.

Who knew that after the awakening was already over, Hill would end up liking him anyway?

The principal secretly looked Iso up and down, not noticing any changes.

Could it be he simply wasn't photogenic?

Was he better-looking in person?

Actually, Hill being with Iso wasn't a problem.

Male Zergs would eventually have female Zergs.

The timing was just terrible.

He trusted Iso's character and knew he wouldn't deceive Hill.

But the General didn't know that.

Kidnapping his precious male Zerg on the very first day of school and even taking him to the Underground District—

How could the General possibly tolerate that?

Being satisfied with "Guide Candidate Iso" didn't mean being satisfied with "that military academy student who abducted his male Zerg on the first day."

Seeing the principal's complicated expression, Iso immediately understood.

"So it really is because of that..."

His lips tightened and turned pale.

Back then, when the principal had placed him on the guide candidate list of some great family's male Zerg, he had only been a candidate.

Iso knew the principal meant well.

Other Zergs would kill for such an opportunity.

Rejecting it would seem incredibly ungrateful.

The principal had discovered him and helped him many times.

Out of gratitude alone, he couldn't refuse.

So he silently accepted, though he never believed he would be chosen.

When he later learned that he hadn't been selected, he had secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But now—

The old matter had resurfaced.

And it happened precisely when he could no longer have anything to do with another male Zerg.

"The male Zerg lord changed his mind?"

"He wants me to serve him?"

Iso asked.

For an instant, emptiness and panic appeared in his eyes.

"Not exactly... I guess so? Uh... maybe not?"

Even the principal confused himself.

He could smell male Zerg pheromones on Iso.

So...

Wasn't this changing his mind?

"I refuse!"

Iso suddenly declared.

He raised his eyes, his gaze firm.

"I already belong to Lord Hill. I will never serve anyone except Lord Hill!"

As he spoke, he bowed deeply.

"I'm very sorry for causing you trouble. If that male Zerg lord wants to hold someone accountable, please let him come to me."

Then he turned and left immediately.

"Hey?"

The principal reached out to stop him, but he had already gone.

"Brat, running so fast. Hurrying to get your ass kicked."

The principal cursed under his breath.

Damn it.

He still hadn't had time to ask about that pink-haired hatchling.

...

Walking through the military academy, Iso felt lost and uneasy.

Should he tell Lord Hill the truth?

About how he had once been on another male Zerg lord's guide candidate list...

Lord Hill would hate him, wouldn't he?

Things had only just started progressing between them.

Would it end before it had even truly begun?

...】