Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Jin Se-hee had been wandering through several floors in search of an empty personal training room.

She wasn't the type to train particularly hard, and there was no real need to burn with motivation.

Students holding positions below Department Head could never beat her, after all.

'As expected, I don't feel like training. I don't want to fight the President. The President I want to defeat isn't someone like that.'

Jin Se-hee had long since lost her passion for training.

Before enrolling at Miterich, she had raised her level while receiving all sorts of support.

After enrolling at Miterich, she had gathered points in the blink of an eye and quickly earned the Department Head position.

But hadn't all of that been meaningless in front of Seo Hyun-woo?

'Arrogant, self-righteous, contemptuous of the weak, and flaunting his power—that's the President. So why did he end up like that? There must be a good reason for it.'

Jin Se-hee regarded Seo Hyun-woo as an enemy, yet still considered him a capable Awakened.

Wasn't he solidifying his authority as Student Council President by wielding overwhelming power?

Watching such a Seo Hyun-woo made her fighting spirit boil over, filling her with the resolve to defeat him no matter what.

But as things stood now, she couldn't see any reason to beat Seo Hyun-woo at all.

'Don't tell me it's because of the Vice President. Has all his edge been drained away because he's been busy dating the Vice President? If that's the case, I can't forgive it. I can't accept that.'

Jin Se-hee clenched her teeth as she imagined Seo Hyun-woo and Baek Seo-yeon together.

They were probably whispering sweet nothings to each other, doing nothing but soft, spineless things.

Most of it likely happened in the Student Council President's office, and on holidays, they probably set aside time for pointless dates.

'......It's not like anything would change even if I stepped in. They're already dating. Should I just give up? Even if I beat a President like that, it wouldn't make me feel any better.'

Jin Se-hee was trying to let go of what little lingering attachment she still had.

The side Seo Hyun-woo had shown at the last morning meeting was no different from his former Student Council President self.

That had given her a sliver of hope—maybe it was worth watching a little longer.

But that change had been only fleeting, and nothing had shifted at a fundamental level.

'Maybe it's about time I stepped down from the Department Head position. At this rate, I'd be better off completing my term early and working as an active Hunter.'

Miterich granted the option to graduate only after a student had maintained their position for two years following their promotion to Full Member.

In other words, a student who met those conditions could graduate immediately or hold out longer and aim for a promotion.

However, students holding the position of Team Leader or above were required to maintain their student life at Miterich for a minimum of three years.

This approach was maintained to continuously elevate Miterich's prestige and value by utilizing its talent.

'It's been about a year since I became the Attribute Department's Department Head. I got demoted a few times from challenging the President, but I quickly reclaimed the Department Head position each time. With a track record like this, I should be able to start as a Blue Hunter or Yellow Hunter.'

Jin Se-hee calculated the time she had left while periodically checking for empty training rooms.

If she had been demoted to Full Member, she only needed to maintain that status for two years total—counting all prior periods combined—to graduate from Miterich.

If she became a Full Member as things stood, she could graduate from Miterich within a year.

'I've been obsessing over the President too much all this time. He's an opponent I can't beat anyway. I can't even find a trace of who he used to be anymore. Finding a new path would be......'

Jin Se-hee instinctively stopped in her tracks and fixed her gaze ahead.

Before she knew it, she had wandered over toward the sparring room.

And two students she recognized were conversing inside.

'The President and the Vice President came to the sparring room together? It can't be a Rank Battle, so...... a Training Battle?'

Jin Se-hee peered through the glass with a question in mind.

If they were a couple, a Training Battle would be perfectly reasonable.

But in another sense, the very idea of lovers fighting each other didn't sit right with her.

'I don't know what they're talking about, but the mood doesn't look good. The Vice President probably lost. So he doesn't go easy on her just because she's his lover.'

Jin Se-hee hid herself and continued watching the inside of the sparring room.

Seo Hyun-woo had tossed a water bottle over to Baek Seo-yeon and was now approaching her.

Baek Seo-yeon had her head lowered, seemingly muttering something.

'......The Vice President's over there acting weak, and the President's going to comfort her? I can't watch any more of this. I'm going to settle this once and for all.'

Jin Se-hee turned her hesitation into resolve and revealed herself.

Seo Hyun-woo immediately turned his head and looked at her.

But Jin Se-hee paid him no mind and opened the sparring room door.

"President, I'm requesting a Rank Battle. Name a time that works for you. I can fight right now if need be."

"The first thing out of your mouth when you see me is a Rank Battle request? Interesting."

Seo Hyun-woo was slightly surprised by Jin Se-hee's words but didn't let it show.

Every current Department Head across the departments had lost to Seo Hyun-woo in a Rank Battle at least once.

In other words, they were well aware of the fact that fighting him only led to defeat.

But there were occasional cases like Jin Se-hee's, where someone would risk demotion and request a Rank Battle anyway.

'Did Jin Se-hee request a Rank Battle against Seo Hyun-woo around this time? I don't think so. Then again, it might not have been depicted in the story.'

Rank Battles at the Department Head level and above always drew significant attention from the students.

The outcome of those fights could shake the very foundations of each department's policies and the Student Council itself.

But since the story's flow centered on the protagonist, it wouldn't be strange for it to go unmentioned.

"If you're busy with work, I don't mind postponing."

"No. Still, a Rank Battle between me and a Department Head can't exactly be put off. Today would be difficult, so how about tomorrow morning?"

"......I see. You intend to settle it before the morning meeting even starts?"

"Wouldn't that be best? You seem to be in quite a hurry yourself."

"I appreciate the consideration. Then let's hold the Rank Battle first thing tomorrow, as soon as we arrive at school."

Jin Se-hee seemed to study Baek Seo-yeon for a moment before exiting the sparring room.

Seo Hyun-woo appeared unbothered on the surface, but his mind quickly sank into thought.

Why had Jin Se-hee suddenly requested a Rank Battle against him?

'Did I look weaker than expected? Or maybe the change in my personality created something she doesn't like. I can't think of any other reason.'

Seo Hyun-woo took another gulp of water and cleared his mind completely.

If a Rank Battle request had been made, he was obligated to accept.

That was Miterich's rule—wasn't it the competitive framework that upheld Miterich's prestige?

"It seems she didn't get a good look at our Training Battle. If that's not the case, then her judgment must have been clouded."

"You can't know until you actually fight. I might lose, you know?"

"......If that were actually the outcome, I'd have no choice but to assume you lost on purpose."

Baek Seo-yeon answered belatedly while taking a drink of water.

She had already gotten a rough grasp of the Department Heads' abilities.

That was why she could say so with certainty.

Unless something drastically defied her expectations, there was no way they could beat Seo Hyun-woo.

"You seem to have too much faith in me."

"It's your talent and ability I believe in, not you personally. That's precisely why I brought up the possibility of you losing on purpose."

"I have no intention of losing on purpose. That would be disrespectful to my opponent. I have my own position to consider as well."

From Seo Hyun-woo's perspective, stepping down from the Student Council President seat meant death.

Of course, Seo Hyun-woo didn't fully believe that, but he didn't dismiss it either.

Besides, there was no one who would believe what he had to say, so he had no choice but to overcome it on his own.

'Rank Battles are the one thing I absolutely can't go easy on. My life is on the line, so I have to finish it decisively.'

***

Min Ha-young woke up earlier than usual.

Checking her smartphone, she still had about an hour before her alarm was set to go off.

Normally she would just close her eyes again, but today of all days, she needed to get ready for school quickly.

'They definitely said the Rank Battle would start as soon as they arrived at school. There's no way I'm missing this.'

Min Ha-young kicked off the covers and got out of bed.

She went to the bathroom, washed up briefly, and headed to her vanity.

Since her outfit was already set as the Miterich-exclusive uniform, she could afford to spend more time on her makeup.

'I didn't expect Se-hee to request a Rank Battle against the President. Has she still not let go after losing that many times?'

Min Ha-young ran her fingers through her hair and gazed into the mirror.

Her curly black hair swayed with a lustrous sheen.

Her red eyes, set between delicate brows, seemed to glow softly.

Just as yesterday, it was still a face that looked noble and beautiful.

'Losing to the Vice President with this face? No way. The President's ideal type just happens to be similar to the Vice President. As for personality and speech...... pass.'

Min Ha-young pulled a displeased expression as she quickly changed clothes.

Even if her looks didn't fall short, when it came to personality and manner of speech, she had no choice but to concede.

Didn't Baek Seo-yeon maintain basic courtesy toward Seo Hyun-woo and the Department Heads while handling every task assigned to her?

Above all, with outstanding talent and relentless training, she was naturally stronger than any of the Department Heads.

'The photos turned out pretty well this time too. She matches with the President to an annoyingly perfect degree. Looking at them, anyone would think they're a couple.'

Min Ha-young straightened her clothes and quickly slipped on her shoes.

Stepping outside the dormitory, she saw several students already heading to school.

There were still about twenty minutes until the start of school hours, but the Rank Battle might have already begun.

"Hah...... hah......"

"Just in time? The Rank Battle was about to start."

Choi Jae-yeon spotted Min Ha-young first, then turned his gaze back toward the sparring room.

Min Ha-young caught her breath in a hurry and looked through the glass.

Seo Hyun-woo and Jin Se-hee were wearing their battle suits, facing each other.

"Hah...... looks like some people are missing."

"The Form Department's Department Head said he'd be arriving late due to work. The Special Department's Department Head said he'd be absent due to personal matters."

Baek Seo-yeon answered calmly without so much as a glance at Min Ha-young.

Both of Baek Seo-yeon's eyes were focused solely on the other side of the sparring room.

The outcome was already decided in her mind, but to find a way to challenge Seo Hyun-woo, she needed to find at least one weakness.

HUMMM.......

A pale sky-blue barrier filled the sparring room as the Barrier System deployed.

At the same time, two crimson flames erupted simultaneously, encircling each combatant.

But Jin Se-hee's flames were already being pushed back.

'......If the gap in power is that wide, the fight can't even be called a proper match. Does the President even have any weaknesses at all?'