Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Baek Seo-yeon glanced sideways at Seo Hyun-woo and observed his reaction.

The expression of the Student Council President, which had always been stiff, had relaxed before she knew it.

Seo Hyun-woo was conscious of Baek Seo-yeon’s gaze, but he continued the meeting.

“The next item is the precautions for the Advance Battle. I believe an official notice already came down about this once.”

“They must have sent another official notice to tell us to be especially careful. There must not be any accidents.”

Advance Battle.

It was both a training exercise taken by Miterich’s students and a kind of graduation exam.

Aside from individual training, Miterich’s students periodically carried out Advance Battles.

Through Advance Battles, they accumulated training experience and skill, and earned the points needed for graduation.

“The Vice President is right. An Advance Battle must not be carried out while the Barrier System is being inspected. The Administrative Office will block the system for Advance Battles separately too, won’t they?”

“Yes. However, because there is still a possibility of something happening, I will inform the students of this matter one more time.”

“That would be best. The next instruction is.......”

Seo Hyun-woo continued checking the instructions in the official notice and proceeded with the meeting.

The department heads no longer looked surprised and began adapting to the atmosphere.

After that, no words that seemed to mock or criticize Seo Hyun-woo came out at all.

“Then now, I will hear the reports from the department heads. Were there any problems after yesterday’s end-of-day meeting?”

“There were no issues in the Attribute Department.”

“Same with the Enhancement Department.”

“......There was one in the Special Department. I understand that two department members fought for personal reasons. So for now, those two have been detained, and we are waiting for disciplinary instructions from the Security Office.”

Seo Hyun-woo nodded and exchanged glances with Baek Seo-yeon.

It was a matter that had already been reported last night, so the response had been completed.

It was merely being reported once more for confirmation of the facts.

“Then it is highly likely the Security Department members were dispatched. Was anyone else injured?”

“Fortunately, no. The Security Department handled it quickly.”

“The Security Department really is good. Is it because they belong to the Security Office?”

“......President, the Security Department also belongs to the Student Council.”

“That can’t be. Then why has the head of the Security Department not shown his face to me even once? Because the Student Council President looks easy? Because the Security Office Director’s position is higher? I would like to hear what all of you think.”

At Seo Hyun-woo’s joke, the department heads burst into laughter at the same time and turned their heads.

Seo Hyun-woo looked at them and smiled in satisfaction.

The atmosphere had been too heavy, so he had thrown out the joke without thinking much.

However, it had worked better than expected, and he felt the atmosphere had eased quite a bit.

“Hah! Are you saying that seriously?”

“About half of it is serious. They should not take away a department belonging to the Student Council just because they are a higher-level office.”

“So you’re going to fight the Security Office?”

“I intend to officially protest to the Administrative Office. I will tell them that if this is how it is going to be, they should not leave it under the Student Council and should have the Security Office take full responsibility for everything. There is no reason for me to suffer while receiving the Security Department’s paperwork.”

The Administrative Office was a higher-level office that handled Miterich’s various clerical and administrative work.

The Security Office was a higher-level office responsible for Miterich’s safety and order, and it was even making use of the Security Department that belonged to the Student Council.

Seo Hyun-woo did not like that point, so he intended to completely overturn it this time.

‘In any case, before long, the Security Office will be sanctioned for abusing its duties and authority. Because of that, the Security Department will naturally return to the Student Council. I’m only moving that timing forward a little, so it shouldn’t have a major effect on the story.’

If the Security Department were compared to a real-world school, it was similar in concept to a student guidance committee.

It was operated for the same purpose as the Security Office, but it differed in that its members were Miterich students.

On top of that, the head of the Security Department also possessed considerable skill like the other department heads, so was there not a need to make that person an ally in advance?

“This does not seem like a joke.”

“You are suddenly saying you will take back the Security Department? What is the reason?”

“Didn’t I tell you the reason earlier? The Security Department is also a department that belongs to the Student Council. No matter how similar the Security Department’s purpose of existence is to the Security Office’s, they should not infringe upon the Student Council’s authority. Am I wrong?”

“Theoretically, you are right. But you alone will not be able to stand against the Security Office.”

Jin Se-hee spoke with a serious expression.

The position of Student Council President was impressive, but it was not enough to surpass a higher-level office.

If the Security Office were to raise an objection, the Student Council President’s demand would be dismissed in no time.

“The solution is simple. If the other party is stronger than I am, I just need to bring in an enemy stronger than that other party.”

“A stronger enemy?”

“......I know who you mean. But there is no guarantee that they will grant permission.”

“In that case, I will bring in an even stronger enemy.”

“You really intend to see this through to the end.”

Jin Se-hee understood what Seo Hyun-woo meant and said nothing more.

It could not necessarily be called a good method, but there was no helping it if he wanted to achieve his goal.

On top of that, even if the Security Department were brought back to the Student Council, the Security Office would try to intervene in the Security Department in some form.

“There are no other reports, correct? Then today’s morning meeting ends here. I will see you again later at the end-of-day meeting.”

Seo Hyun-woo closed the folder and immediately rose from his seat.

Baek Seo-yeon followed him silently and left the meeting room.

The remaining three seemed to stay still for a moment, then slowly began moving.

‘What on earth is the President thinking, starting something like that?’

‘He changed too much in such a short time. Did something happen to him?’

‘He was a little scary before, but now he feels different. Hmm.......’

***

As soon as the morning meeting ended, Seo Hyun-woo immediately returned to the Student Council President’s office.

Then, by the time lunch break arrived, he had handled most of the urgent documents.

There were still minor documents left, but it seemed he could finish all of them before leaving school for the day.

Because he wanted to have at least a little mental breathing room, Seo Hyun-woo was walking through the garden around the Student Council building.

“Vice President, this is all fine, but why do you keep following me around?”

“Assisting the President is also one of the Vice President’s duties.”

Seo Hyun-woo glanced at Baek Seo-yeon, who stood beside him, with a question in mind.

It was not entirely wrong, but there was a clear difference between assisting him and constantly following him around.

Above all, did the Baek Seo-yeon he knew not almost never spend time with Seo Hyun-woo outside of work?

“Do you have something you want to say to me? If so, you can say it now.”

“Do you think there is any private conversation for you and me to have, President?”

“We can make one now. For example...... When is your birthday, Vice President?”

“......Could it be that you do not know?”

“You’re being too sensitive. You probably don’t know my birthday either.”

“Is it not June 13?”

“......?”

Seo Hyun-woo stopped walking for a moment and looked back at Baek Seo-yeon.

Baek Seo-yeon remembered his birthday exactly.

He had thought she would have no interest because their relationship was purely official, yet she knew even such a trivial detail.

“Now, let us hear why you do not remember my birthday.”

“Uh....... Because the way we each think about our relationship is different?”

“That is a plausible excuse. However, that does not erase the fact that you did not memorize my birthday.”

“I can remember it from now on. So when is your birthday?”

“Try finding out yourself. I also found yours myself.”

At her cold answer, Seo Hyun-woo gave a faint nod and started walking again.

Finding out Baek Seo-yeon’s birthday was simply a matter of looking it up with Miterich’s dedicated program.

However, for some reason, he felt that she was a little different from the Baek Seo-yeon he already knew.

‘Ah, I see. When I read the novel, it was from the protagonist’s point of view, but now it’s from the Student Council President’s point of view. On top of that, Baek Seo-yeon probably doesn’t see me and the protagonist the same way. She most likely ended up memorizing my birthday by chance while trying to find a way to beat me.’

Ever since Seo Hyun-woo became the Student Council President, no one had taken this seat from him.

Skilled students had challenged Seo Hyun-woo endlessly, but all of them had only been defeated and demoted.

That was why even the Vice Student Council President and the department heads did not recklessly attack Seo Hyun-woo.

‘The only students qualified to challenge me are the Vice Student Council President and the department heads of each department. Of course, if a Student Council President Seat Contest is held, freshmen are also given that chance.’

The positions in each department were divided into a total of six tiers.

Department Head, Secretary, Team Leader, Managing Member, Full Member, and Temporary Member.

When a freshman joined a department, they received the position of Temporary Member, and if they had enough points obtained through Advance Battles, they could quickly rise to Full Member.

‘In the actual story, the protagonist also challenged Seo Hyun-woo through the Student Council President Seat Contest. But there’s still a long time before that comes. Can I hold out well until then?’

According to the original story, Seo Hyun-woo would maintain the position of Student Council President until the protagonist challenged him.

The confrontation would end in a draw, and the protagonist would be satisfied with that and graduate early.

However, there was almost no description of what happened to Seo Hyun-woo after that.

Above all, since the novel was written mainly around the protagonist, there was no way to know exactly what Seo Hyun-woo went through.

‘If I consider variables too, I really do need to change my way of thinking a little. The abilities Seo Hyun-woo has are definitely tremendous, and his amount of mana is also considerable. But from the point I already became Seo Hyun-woo.......’

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Thinking, huh....... There is a lot to think about. I have to handle the piled-up work, train, and even get along with you and the department heads. My head hurts from all these worries.”

“......Now I am beginning to doubt whether you really are the President himself. If I had my way, I would absolutely send you to the hospital.”

Baek Seo-yeon showed a cold gaze, but her tone was quite calm.

To be honest, Seo Hyun-woo’s changed appearance was not all that bad.

Unlike in the past, did he not express his thoughts without filtering them, and had his changes in expression not become fairly varied as well?

It could be a simple whim, but she wondered if it might be fine to go along with him a little.

“I said I’d consider it if you went with me.”

“You know very well what answer I will give.”

“That’s fine. I just have to keep asking until you accept.”

“Surely you are not trying to hit on me right now?”

“If that were the case, wouldn’t I have asked for your phone number?”

“Why would you ask that? You should already know my phone number.”

“......Right. I forgot for a moment that I’m the Student Council President.”

“You have been choosing only cute actions lately.”

“Do I look that cute to you? I am deeply honored.”

Seo Hyun-woo felt a subtle sense of dissonance and smiled awkwardly.

It was likely because he still had not properly accepted the fact that he was Seo Hyun-woo.

Perhaps even Baek Seo-yeon felt repulsed after seeing how much he had changed.

“Hmm....... It’s true. The Vice President is walking with the President, isn’t she?”

“The Vice President must have gotten curious too. The President has changed so much.”

Two female students in black uniforms were watching Seo Hyun-woo and Baek Seo-yeon from a distance.

Because golden insignia and epaulettes were shining on them, it was clear that they held the position of department head.

“Then are those two dating? That’s rather romantic.”