“……I’m the vice president of the student council?”
After lunch, I followed Son Ah-reum, who said she wanted to talk to me alone, and she asked, “How about challenging for the position of vice president?”
I have no idea what kind of thoughts led her to make such an offer.
Noticing my expression, Son Ah-reum spoke with a grin that looked like she was about to burst into laughter.
“Don’t worry. The student council usually just puts names up and doesn’t do much work.”
“Uh…….”
If it were anyone else on the student council, this wouldn’t be surprising, but Son Ah-reum isn’t one of those; she’s one of the few ‘hardworking members’ in that council.
Realizing my hesitation, her smile quickly turned into a bitter laugh.
“I still plan to do my work seriously. This time, more lead committee members have been added… and I became the lead committee chairperson. It wasn’t intended, though.”
“Really?”
The fact that Son Ah-reum became the lead committee chair wasn’t that surprising. Instead, it’s more surprising that she hadn’t been one until now. With her level of diligence, shouldn’t she have been given that role ages ago?
“Then why are you insisting on recommending me for that ‘just put your name down’ position?”
Yes. If it’s a ‘just put your name down’ role, it means anyone could put their name there anyway.
“That ‘name’ would hold weight if it’s your name.”
Son Ah-reum leaned against the school building wall and said it.
Where we were wasn’t the school park. Sure, people would move aside if we went there, but that doesn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be any eavesdroppers. To be honest, we had no right to speak anyway.
Moreover, since my birthday party, a lot of kids have started approaching me.
Most of them would be the ones who received my invitations. As I walked through the hallway or strolled around after meals, at least one or two would definitely strike up a conversation. They didn’t last long, but it wasn’t like they completely ignored me either. After all, they were from my faction.
Son Ah-reum knew that well, which is why we chose to meet behind the school building, a place seldom visited. Precisely, it was a corner close to the wall. We’d confirmed that no students would intentionally come here, ensuring our conversation wouldn’t be interrupted.
“The kids who applied to be lead committee members are all ones who weren’t at the party that day.”
“Really?”
That wasn’t such a surprising fact.
Right now, the largest faction in the school was, of course, mine. The rest of the factions had either broken apart after their key members transferred schools or lost much of their power.
I mean, even if you call it a ‘faction,’ it’s just a group of friends hanging out together. I had no idea how the previous factions were structured or what famous factions existed. I just never cared.
The reason I created my faction wasn’t to clash with other factions, but simply to protect myself and my friends.
Kids applying to be lead committee members were probably just trying to get on Son Ah-reum’s good side. They were scared to approach me, and my closest friends Ha Neul, Sohee, and Sua were always directly by my side. Although it seemed like some kids were trying to talk to Sua, at least up until now, she hadn’t been hanging out with any specific friend, so those attempts probably didn’t work out very well.
Because of that, I stayed the leader of the ‘faction’ while not really roaming around or making noise while leading the group.
I didn’t want to do that either. To be honest, it sounded a bit embarrassing.
……And somewhat scary too.
Anyway, the only kids I could talk to were those who came to Sara’s birthday party.
And among them, the very first guest was Son Ah-reum. I understood the psychology behind her trying to get connected somehow.
The problem was it was just too obvious.
“So you want to use my name to catch those kids?”
“Um…… That’s one of the reasons, but……”
After a moment’s thought, Son Ah-reum continued.
“That was chosen by the student council president.”
“Umm…….”
I’d seen the student council president. I’d never really talked to them properly, though.
They looked like a diligent student who was trying their hardest to deny my existence while I was right in front of them.
……And probably one of the candidates from the original story.
In fact, the student council president was an incredibly weird being for me. I mean, how could there possibly be a reason for Ha Neul and I to get involved with them?
Or is it? If Yoon Da-ho is treated like a tutorial, can’t the student council president be easily approached like eating cake?
Hmm, really, I don’t know after thinking about it.
“Why the president?”
“Well, because…….”
Son Ah-reum seemed to deliberate for a moment before making a big decision.
“That person was one of the ones who was bullying you. And they just let it all pass without any issues. So……”
“So you want me to punish them, right?”
After my question, Son Ah-reum hesitated again for a moment.
“Hmm, rather than that, well…… It seems that person hasn’t really reflected on their actions. It’s entirely your prerogative whether to forgive them, but just letting it go feels a bit off, you know?”
Maybe it was awkward to speak about something that wasn’t her decision.
Still, I understood what Son Ah-reum wanted to say.
I didn’t intend to seek out any heavy punishment, but merely becoming vice president would be enough to give the student council president a hard time.
It’s one thing if a being they used to look down on suddenly shows up empowered and takes a prominent seat right beneath them.
Then, every time they try to act, it’s like I’d be pulling on them, making things difficult.
It felt like a scene from a daytime drama revenge plot.
To be honest, though, it sounded tedious.
And quite frankly, it also piqued my interest a bit.
Usually, in a high school, a student council president and vice president are often determined by popularity contests. Most students don’t even know who the president or vice president is and just pick someone randomly. Some get elected president just because a handful of kids chose number one out of sheer indifference, while others, who have tons of friends and a wide network, become presidents.
But here, what kind of president would emerge?
They would likely be of the former type.
The school was overflowing with kids who didn’t care about how the school operated as long as they could befriend kids of wealth or power.
……What do you think, Sara?
What a hassle.
I knew you’d say that.
But if you’re becoming vice president anyway, isn’t it okay to have some power to wield?
Wow, that’s a really detached way to put it.
What good is being vice president, anyway?
The vice president’s only function is pretty much to take a bullet for the president. Regardless of whether they hold power or not, that’s just how people perceive them. Even if I put my name up there, I don’t think it would have much impact.
“Hmm…….”
I tilted my head and looked at Son Ah-reum.
She merely shrugged her shoulders in response.
“Actually, being vice president doesn’t really change anything unless you act like the president or something. You can just do whatever you want. If you merely hint at wanting to do something, the president will be under enough pressure.”
Is that right?
That could definitely be true.
“I’ll take some time to think about it. I’m not planning to sign up right away.”
“Okay, got it. Just thinking about it is good enough.”
Fortunately, Son Ah-reum nodded readily at my words.
“Ah, by the way.”
Just when I was about to get lost in my thoughts after the conversation had ended, Son Ah-reum spoke up again.
“Hmm? Did you have something to add to that?”
“No, it’s not about that. This is a different topic.”
Son Ah-reum stared at my face and then glanced back and forth between the two girls next to me.
“Um, no matter how you look at it, showing that much affection at school seems a bit much, don’t you think?”
“…….”
I had no words for that statement.
Since that day I hugged them, the limit was off for the three of them, and combining that with the undeniable certainty that we couldn’t hide our actions at school, Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee had been openly expressing their affection towards me.
As soon as Son Ah-reum’s words ended,
Smack.
I heard a sound from my left cheek.
Ha Neul, who was stuck to my left arm, had just kissed my cheek.
Smack.
And as if to not be left out, Sua, who was hanging on my right side, kissed my right cheek.
And lastly,
Smack.
I felt Sohee’s lips land on the back of my neck.
“Uh…….”
Upon seeing that scene, Son Ah-reum’s face turned bright red.
“……Does this situation make it look like I’m controlling them?”
“……N-No, I’m sorry……”
At my words, Son Ah-reum deeply bowed her head in response.
