Ahn Woojin thought to himself.
It's enough to say that I was late because I had to solve an important incident; the reason for belatedly boarding the train also played into this. He exuded an air that suggested he had anticipated Anomia's plan in advance, fitting the pieces of the puzzle snugly together.
So Woo-jin was planning to say, ‘I had already seen through all of your plans,’ after gauging the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the tattooed boy's eyes widened, "A Student Council President's armband...?"
Naturally, the Student Council was one of the groups that had to be closely watched. They were the armed force in charge of sanctioning criminal behavior in each school's jurisdiction.
So Anomia was basically familiar with the shape of the armbands.
"Holy shit, that's... the Student Council President of Asung High...?"
The badge Woojin wore belonged to the Student Council President at Asung High. The tattooed male student couldn't believe it.
'I thought he looked familiar...! I saw his face in the documents!'
He couldn't recognize him right away because he was wearing a cap — Ahn Woojin, the new Student Council President of Asung High School. He was one of the formidable individuals for whom even meticulous planning and thorough collection of information couldn't guarantee success.
'Why is he here...?'
The tattooed male student was suspicious.
"The Student Council President of Asung High? Why is he here?"
"I've already figured out that he's been coming to school first, but...?"
"I thought we had already figured out that he was the first one to come to the academy every day..."
The members of Anomia were in a state of confusion, whispering to each other. It was only natural that they would have strong doubts.
Ahn Woojin, the new Student Council President of Asung High School, had been a model student who had never missed a day of academy and had always been the first to arrive since his first year. Anomia already had that information.
If an Asung High student was here now, he would definitely be late.
But why was the president, who was the furthest thing from being late, the model student who had never faltered for a single inch... here today, at this time, on this train?
"He wouldn't be late... oh!"
They simultaneously came to the same conclusion and there was only one conclusion that made sense.
"Could it be that he figured out our plan...?"
"Were we already in the palm of his hand...!?"
That was it.
Other than that, there was no other way to explain why the student council president of Asung High School was here.
They had made every effort to prevent the information from leaking out; they couldn't even imagine how the information had been leaked. How terrifying was this man?
"......?"
Woojin was flustered, but he didn't let it show. He didn't think they would figure it out on their own. It was better that way.
Now it was time to start the crackdown.
Woojin silently approached the remaining Anomia members.
Judging by his knowledge of the game, he should be able to handle those riffraffs on his own.
"There's no escape! We have to fight!"
"C, catch that guy right now!"
"All at once!"
For now, it was difficult to escape from the train, which was running like a runaway locomotive.
Like prey trying to survive in front of a predator, the Anomia members rushed at Woojin all at once.
"Ugh!"
"Krak!"
The battle was no contest.
As Woo-jin swung his baton in an arc with dexterity, the members of Anomia were one by one writhing in pain or passing out.
The force of the blow was not as great as if it had been hit directly with a metal club.
Even worse, the lightning mana contained in the blow meant that even if the attack was barely withstood, the whole body would be electrocuted.
"Ugh!"
Judging that Woojin was off guard, the tattooed male student gathered his last ounce of strength and lunged at Woojin.
Slash!
The enchanted axe, charged with lightning, sliced through the air sharply. Woojin effortlessly leaned his upper body to the side, avoiding the attack with ease.
Thud!
"Arghh!"
The tattooed male student received a blow to the abdomen from Woojin's baton and once again writhed on the ground.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
He retched, managing to spit out what was in his stomach, then looked up at Woojin with eyes full of disbelief.
‘That... can't be beaten....’
The difference in skill was obvious.
He thought there was no business in engaging with someone like Woojin, but Woojin was effortlessly shattering that common sense.
In the end, the tattooed male student reached his limit and succumbed to unconsciousness.
The clash continued. Anomia fought valiantly, shouting with the courage of Spartan soldiers. However, to the students witnessing the scene, it appeared to be nothing more than a one-sided massacre by Woojin.
Including the original protagonist, Lee Tae-sung, all the students who had hoped for an opportunity stood frozen, unable even to contemplate intervening, swallowing their dry saliva repeatedly.
* * * * *
The train returned to its original route, and all of the Anomia members who had occupied the train were taken away in a transport vehicle, under arrest.
If our school's members hadn't helped, I would have had a hard time.
Now, my subordinates will interrogate the Anomia members and delve into the case. They'll handle it well on their own.
‘Anyway, Anomia won't grow any bigger here, so it's okay.’
Anomia will no longer be able to expand its power, and it will eventually collapse. Of course, there was a possibility that Anomia would revive if the situation went strangely. But, would I just let that happen?
‘The Mafia is more of a problem.’
On the other hand, the Mafia, which is in conflict with Anomia, will later expand its power and tap into the black market, becoming a “great evil.”
But I didn't consider the Mafia as the primary target; rather, I regarded them as a 'subject of caution' at the lower level.
‘They'll collapse anyway.’
Even if the Mafia becomes a great evil, it will soon disintegrate. Perhaps it was due to an unexpected death of the next boss; the reason for their sudden and anticlimactic demise wasn't clear.
So, all I needed to do was monitor the actions and trends of the next boss. Finding him was a priority, but there was no rush. In any case, the incident involving Anomia and the Mafia was something I could handle within my jurisdiction.
“You've done a great job, President.”
“Take care of the rest. Good work.”
“Yes!”
A member of the Asung High Student Council force saluted me and left. Although he was a classmate of mine in the second year, he treated me with respect due to the relationship between our positions.
It was strange; hearing honorifics from a classmate.
As I thought that, while looking at the back of my subordinate, a familiar voice reached my ears.
“Our President, a great performance on the first day.”
A warm and friendly voice. Another student from the student council had approached me.
I turned my head towards her and a girl with a red armband on her left arm and a sword at her waist came into view.
The armband had a silver border — it was the symbol of the vice-president.
"How's the situation on-site?"
"I just came to see you for a moment."
Oh Baekseo.
From this year onwards, she was my junior, serving as the vice-president and the student administrator.
She had led the student council members here after receiving a report about the disturbance in the train. There was no need for the vice-president to come herself, but upon hearing that I was dealing with it alone, she decided to come and check.
Oh Baekseo was a jack of all trades with excellent abilities, had a strong following, and excelled even in combat skills. As a result, Baekseo was also a highly sought-after figure in the entire Asung High School, not just the student council.
So why wasn't such a person appointed as the Student Council President from the start? It was because Baekseo did not wish for it and the reason was that she felt a sense of burden.
'It's a good thing she didn't want to be the president....'
If it hadn't been for that, I would have never dreamed of becoming the Student Council President.
Anyway…
I had never seen Baekseo as a rival for the position of the president, knowing her feelings from the beginning.
I just treated her casually.
That made me look like I was a relaxed person even to Baekseo, which apparently helped me to be recognized as a person fit to be the president, according to the gossip I heard at the last dinner party.
'The problem lies in the perception of the student council members.'
What about the members? They might find it difficult to find a reason to follow me with Oh Baekseo in place.
Because that's what I would have done if I were a member.
Therefore, Oh Baekseo was also a reason for me to strive to be more perfect as a president, just by her existence.
"Isn't it that? Without the President, the situation could have gotten much worse, right?" Baekseo spoke softly in her usual gentle tone as she looked over the documents on the clipboard she was holding.
"We couldn't even guarantee what kind of damage the many students on the train would have suffered, and the financial damage to the railway business would have been significant as well. The train service was completely suspended. President, you've single-handedly shouldered debts in multiple places. Well done."
A smile, reminiscent of a kindergarten teacher dealing with a child, played on Baekseo's face. She seemed ready to pat my head at any moment.
"It's fortunate," I responded casually, holding the front brim of my hat.
However, Oh Baekseo looked puzzled, "You're talking about it like it's not a big deal?"
"I just did what needed to be done."
"Really?"
"Yes.”
That's right. I just did what needed to be done.
She looked at me, stroking her chin. For some reason, a refreshing smile spread across her face.
"I thought you were going to be late for your first day because you were nowhere to be found...."
"That's an absurd thing to say. Do you think I would do something so unbecoming?"
"Of course not. You wouldn't do that."
Somehow, a single drop of cold sweat rolled down my cheek.
"By the way, you're incredible. I didn't know you had preemptively uncovered Anomia's plan. I had no idea. Couldn't you have told me?"
I had no idea either...
"I wasn't sure. Besides, if the information that I knew about their plans leaked, it could lead to uncontrollable information, so I approached it with caution," I shrugged and tried to blend it in with a natural nuance as much as possible.
"Really...Perhaps I should become someone the president can trust," Baekseo shrugged her shoulders as if she was imitating my actions from earlier.
"I'm not saying that I don't trust you."
"I know. It was just a hypothetical scenario."
She looked at the train where the incident had occurred, "Of course, there won't be any leniency for being late. I'll submit an exemption reason, so the president just needs to attend the opening ceremony. The 1st squadron will take care of the cleanup on the spot."
"I'll leave the rest to you. Handle the case, and let me know if anything unusual happens."
"Okay, I'll do that."
My role was done for now.
"Then I'll go back to the scene to direct."
With that, Baekseo turned around and started walking.
But why is she going in the wrong direction?
Oh, is she going to the bathroom?
Anyway... it's all over now.
'Pheww....'
I breathed a deep sigh of relief inside.
The tardiness was unavoidable.
I had become a person who, on the surface, 'preemptively understood Anomia's plan and subdued them.' Instead of tarnishing my image, I even succeeded in achieving results from the first day.
It was as if the heavens had a purpose.
I looked up at the cloudless sky and expressed my gratitude. Oh, I believed it all along!
Just then, Baekseo stopped in her tracks and turned around, as if remembering something.
Just beyond the corner, in the blind spot where the student council members were supervising the scene, she had arrived just after turning her back.
Oh Baekseo's compassionate smile was directed at me.
"President."
"??"
Baekseo called me gently, waving her hand lightly, "Come here."
What's going on? I narrowed my eyes and went to see. Maybe she wanted to play some prank as she was disappointed before going.
As soon as I entered the blind spot, Oh Baekseo's hand headed toward my head. Smoothly. She adjusted my hat and started to untie and retie my necktie.
"...What are you doing?"
"It was slightly bothering me. It was crooked."
Was it because of the battle?
"I appreciate it, but..., is there a need to do this here?"
In this obscure place.
She looked at me and, with a meaningful smile, whispered. "If other people see us like this, they might mistake us for a couple or something. If you want that, go ahead."
"If that's the case. It's fine."
It was as Oh Baekseo said.
We, as the student council, must thoroughly crack down on any signs of romance.
We were not allowed to emit even the slightest hint of an atmosphere that might suggest romantic involvement, more than anyone else. After all, Asung High had a rule prohibiting dating, citing that it would interfere with academics.
Afterward, an awkward silence settled in.
Throughout, Baekseo's gentle touch adeptly fashioned my tie into a neat form.
I swallowed dryly.
Somehow, tension crept in.
What was this feeling? Finally, the tie was fully tied.
"All done."
"Thanks for taking care of it."
But she, for some reason, didn't remove her hand from my tie. What could I say?
"...Baekseo?"
"We're now in our second year."
Baekseo responded to my call. Her voice was gentle.
"Right."
She let go of my tie, looked back into my eyes, and smiled brightly, "President."
"?"
"Entrusting my second year to you as well."
Suddenly?
‘Ah.’
Now that I think about it, today marks the first day as president and vice-president, doesn't it?
It seemed like we were saying, ‘Let's do our best’ to each other.
'This kid... quite sentimental.'
My lips curled up slightly. Responding with similar words seemed to be the proper course of action. "I'll do my best too."
After exchanging courteous greetings, I stepped back. Bowed my head and inspected my tie. It was skillfully tied, perfectly neat.
Baekseo was truly versatile.
"Nicely done, for someone who doesn't usually wear a tie."
"I practiced."
"Why?"
"Just because."
?
With a sly smile, Baekseo moved away, leaving me behind.
* * * * *
I arrived at school.
Since I was already late, I decided not to attend the opening ceremony, which was already in progress, and went straight to the Student Council office.
In the elegant room, a calligraphy piece hung high, engraved with the slogan, 'For the Revival of Humanity.'
‘I should apply for exemption from being late’
Although Baekseo offered to take care of it, I didn't want to burden her with such matters.
Attendance is recorded electronically, and the late attendance should have already been processed. So, all I had to do was submit a request for exemption on the school's website. The AI would then assess the validity of the reason and provide a conclusion.
"Hmm?
...Why is it already submitted?
What do you mean, the application was 'in process'?
I checked the submitted request.
[Request for Exemption from Late Attendance]
—Name: Ahn Woojin
Reason: As I was unavoidably late for school in order to deal with an urgent matter as part of my Student Council activities, I would like to be recognized for regular attendance according to Article 32, Section 6 of the school regulations. Attached is supporting documentation.
Attachment: Student Council Activity_Ahn Woojin_PNG [Download]
—Proxy: Oh Baekseo, Student Council Vice President
Baekseo had already submitted it. The application was submitted during the time I was apprehending the Anomia members. The attachment file contained records of an incident I had never seen before.
'This is it....'
Huh.
I let out a hollow laugh through my teeth.
Once the application was accepted, I would not be able to see the contents. It must have happened after the opening ceremony.
I canceled the submitted request and wrote a new one. This time, I decided to keep it a secret from the Vice President. Whether I should view her covering for me in such a positive light or not was a dilemma I pondered for a while.
* * * * *
—Miss Se-Ah, are you well?
"Yes, I'm fine~."
Wearing the black uniform of Asung High School, the neat female student, Lee Se-Ah, answered the smartphone with a smile, her almond-shaped eyes twinkling like a fox.
“Our school’s Student Council President personally protected me. I never thought I would be involved with the disciplinary office on my first day, and I would even owe them a debt. This is really, troublesome!"
Se-Ah chatted with a lively tone, seemingly unfazed. She was the female student who became the target of Anomia during the train incident. Although Anomia didn't show any signs, Se-Ah easily sensed that she was a target.
However, she remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
—Miss Se-Ah, please refrain from commuting alone in the future. You know that Anomia has targeted you, right? This time, the Student Council President of Asung High School helped you out, but there is no guarantee that something like this will not happen again.
“Oh dear, that's also quite a predicament!"
—Don’t be excited.... It’s serious.
A sigh was heard from the smartphone.
—By the way, I didn’t know that the Student Council President of Asung High School had figured out Anomia’s plan. We didn't notice it ourselves.
"Jungmi Unni, doesn't that seem a bit strange?"
—What do you mean?
Se-Ah chuckled mysteriously.
“I mean, I got on the wrong train at first, didn’t I? That’s why I was late, right?”
—...?
"Anomia probably followed me secretly, moving flexibly. So, they could precisely attack the train I later switched to. But, did the Student Council President know exactly which train I would take later? How did this happen?"
Se-Ah tilted her head with a smiling face.
"That person."
Suddenly, Se-Ah lowered her voice. Despite still wearing a smiling expression, there was a seriousness in her voice.
"He was checking Anomia's movements in real-time."
Student Council President Ahn Woojin went beyond merely anticipating Anomia's plans. He was a step ahead. Se-Ah sensed some kind of determination from President Ahn Woojin, something beyond her comprehension.
"Then? What about other organizations?"
Facing Anomia is one thing, but dealing with larger organizations could be even more challenging.
—Indeed... I understand what you mean.
"Well~. It's not for nothing that President Ahn Woojin surpassed Oh Baekseo and became the Student Council President. It's truly frightening, really."
Se-Ah returned to her lively tone.
When she decided to enroll in Asung High School, she had little interest in the Student Council President. She was only slightly intrigued by the fact that someone other than the famous aristocrat Oh Baekseo became the president.
Little did she expect it to be to this extent.
Se-Ah giggled.
"I'm starting to find it a bit interesting."
And so, on the first day of school at Asung High School, the new student Lee Se-Ah, who leisurely enjoyed being late, marked the latest arrival, leaving a tardy record among the students.
---- End of Chapter ---
Translator's Notes:-
I am still conflicted about the title and am asking people around. I just need to confirm what school organization the MC belongs to. (학원도시의 선도부장이 되었다)
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