I Became the Leader of Academy City chapter 15

15 – Rule 8. Student council presidents maintain their dignity even at exchanges (4)

Prominent strongmen in the academy city were properly gifted with ‘nicknames’.

For instance, Oh Baek-seo, the representative of physical strength and the strongest one in Asung High School. A genius who was unequaled and unmatched. Her nickname was ‘Great Korean Butterfly’.

Ma-hyun High was no different. Aside from the student body president who was the representative of physical strength, the student council president, Lee Je-ho, had a nickname.

His nickname was ‘Rock Cloud General’.

An Woo-jin was dizzy at the thought of arm wrestling with such a nicknamed opponent.

However, he couldn’t back down.

“The match is a one-round contest.”

The commentator Shin Ga-yeon, placed her hands over the clenching hands of An Woo-jin and Lee Je-ho.

“If anyone attempts to use any other technique like ‘Magic Formula’ other than physical strengthening with supernatural power, he will be immediately disqualified. Please, take note of this.”

A Magic Formula denoted a technique derived from developing inherent supernatural capabilities.

The conversation was irrelevant to Woojin, who lacked a unique ability of his own.

“The table is processed with a magic-coated stone known for its durability, so it is incredibly sturdy. There’s no need to worry about it breaking, unless you intend to purposely smash it.”

Woojin and Jeho flinched.

Their plan to discreetly break the table and invalidate the game if they felt they were losing was now shattered.

“That doesn’t matter! Do you think such a trifle as the table getting damaged would mar our contest?”

“Even if the table had broken, the competition would have continued.”

With the unbreakable table out of the equation, both men put on airs like gladiators, puffing up their combative spirit.

“Both of you seem to have a tremendous desire to win,” noted the moderator, Gayeon, as she lifted her glasses and nodded.

Jeho, dripping with anticipation, called out irritably with resolve as if intent on striking while the iron was hot.

“Declare the start of the duel now, Vice Chief!”

There was no turning back.

Only a path forward remained.

“It’s ‘match,’ Sir. Not ‘duel.'”

“Anyway…!”

“Yes, let’s get ready.”

Woojin and Jeho concentrated on their clasped hands.

Their honor as branch chiefs was at stake in that grip.

“Begin the match!”

With those words from the announcer Gayeon, and a swift motion of her hands, the veins in Woojin and Jeho’s arms bulged instantly.

Craaack! They channeled their magical power to strengthen their bodies and exerted all their force into their arms.

“Gruuugh…!”

“Graaah…!”

Both competitors shouted their fighting spirit.

A thrilling test of strength began.

Rumble rumble…!

The ground started to reverberate.

“What’s this, an earthquake?”

“It feels like the air itself is trembling…”

The students murmured among themselves.

Thrum…!

Tables, dishes, and glasses began to shake gradually.

The tremor spread, slowly affecting the entire banquet hall.

And then.

Crash!

“Ahh!”

“The glass is shattered!?”

“The dishes too!?”

Starting from the two club presidents engaged in arm wrestling, glasses and dishes began to break one by one, like dominoes falling in succession.

“Arrgh…!”

“Ughh…!”

Woojin and Jeho’s eyes were bulging as they continued their test of strength.

Boom! They had only intended to enhance their physical strength with magical power, but the magic coursing through their skin collided, causing a violent repulsion that sent continual shockwaves rippling outward.

The shockwaves grew intense, bringing with them fierce gales. Whap whap! The presidents’ hair and clothing flapped ceaselessly like flags facing a typhoon.

Stage props tumbled down in disarray, their debris helplessly swept away by the force of the magical shockwave produced by their arm wrestling.

Even amidst the chaos, Woojin and Jeho kept arm wrestling with all their might.

“The head of discipline at Ahsung High isn’t yielding at all!”

“Our president isn’t falling behind, even against Amunjang’s rep?”

“Amazing…”

The students were speechless.

‘This guy, what on earth is he!? He’s not budging at all…!?’

Jeho was astonished by the immovable fortress that was Woojin’s arm.

The clash of magical powers was no different.

Despite the collision of magical forces, Woojin did not give an inch.

The strength of an arm and the density of magical power.

It seemed impossible that these belonged to someone of the fourth rank.

Had he masked his rank?

No.

Those with unique abilities instinctively recognize others with unique abilities.

It was only confirmed later that he did not utilize his unique ability.

However, not even a hint of that feeling emanated from Woojin.

This man certainly had not reached the 5th Rank.

‘How can this be the 4th Rank…!’

Je-ho recalled the sparring match between Woojin and Shinso.

Woojin’s manipulation of magical power was nothing short of artistic.

In particular, his technique of condensing lightning magic into a shockwave was an extraordinary skill.

In such delicate craftsmanship, Je-ho conceded that Woojin was superior to himself.

However, Je-ho believed he held the upper hand in the density and amount of magical power.

Common wisdom held that the higher the rank, the more extraordinary the level of magic.

It was common knowledge that even a single rank difference meant an immense gap.

But Woojin was different.

It was almost as if he was mocking that common knowledge.

Just how remarkable was his magical power that he wasn’t overwhelmed, despite being of a lower rank than himself?

Je-ho couldn’t suppress his astonishment.

‘One thing is for certain…!’

The doubt Je-ho held towards Woojin transformed into conviction.

‘This guy isn’t just a strong 4th Rank. He has the makings of a monster…!’

Suddenly, the images of heroes he had seen styled like fairy tale illustrations came to mind.

The historical heroes who led the “Golden Ram Subjugation” campaign.

They were the ‘Argonauts,’ having reached the 8th Rank among humans.

Je-ho was fond of the history of the Argonauts, having memorized their entire chronicles.

That’s how he knew.

Although the Argonauts were late in reaching the 5th Rank even compared to other geniuses.

They had already begun to distinguish themselves while at the 4th Rank.

The more exceptional one’s unique ability, the longer time and effort needed to awaken it.

Because the conditions for achievement are exacting.

For someone like the Pentacle with an excessively lofty talent, the required time and effort may be shortened, but at a glance, it did not appear that Ahn Woojin was inferior to the Pentacle.

In fact, if this was the extent of 4th Rank, there’s a greater likelihood that his talent surpassed even that of the Pentacle.

‘It won’t be long before this guy reaches the 5th Rank.’

Having achieved such success in the fourth rank, Woojin’s talent was bound to surpass the barrier of the fifth rank.

“If this guy is of Argonaut caliber…”

The realm of heroes.

Woojin could become a major player who would turn the academy city upside down.

Boom!

“The ground…!”

“Everyone, get out of the way!”

Magical energy pulsed in all directions, shattering the ground.

The disciplinary committee members all fled.

Crash! As the stage floor blasted apart and caved in, Woojin and Jeho were taken aback but quickly composed themselves and continued their arm wrestling match.

Crack!

The aftershocks of the arm wrestle whipped up a storm, scattering the debris of the stage floor in all directions.

Before long, only Woojin and Jeho remained in the fierce arm wrestling match, along with their vice-chief.

“Grrr!”

Jeho’s arm was gradually being forced back.

‘No. It can’t be…!’

Jeho strained the veins in his neck as he wielded his strength forcefully.

“Grrr…!”

Slowly, both men’s arms returned to the center of the table, the site of fierce combat.

Crackle!

“Ugh…!”

Waves of magical energy surged around them, shaking the air relentlessly.

Nearby, Baekseo and Gayeon had to draw their weapons and adopt defensive stances to withstand the impact of the magical force.

“Terrifying…”

“Is this what true arm wrestling is…!”

From a distance, the disciplinary committee members swallowed hard as they watched the directors’ arm wrestle.

They couldn’t guess what fate would befall them if they dared to get any closer.

Even among the fourth rank, no, even the majority of the fifth rank could not produce such a sheer force.

This was a decisive battle that only those in the upper echelons of the fifth rank could exhibit.

After all, wasn’t one of them Woojin of the fourth rank?

It was unbelievable.

“Hey, Chief Ahn Woojin…! Looking a bit worn out, are we? Why don’t you just stop your futile resistance and give up, eh!?”

Je-ho taunted him, his face covered in cold sweat.

“That’s rich… Chief Lee Jeho, are you aware that your veins are popping out of your neck as if they’re about to burst…!?”

“It’s just my constitution…! Even a little strain, and my veins stand out clearly…! When you have as little body fat as I do, it happens!”

“Seems like you’ve forgotten how close you were to falling over just a moment ago?”

“That was just a passing humorous thought that made me let my guard down…! In the end, you couldn’t get past my arm, could you!?”

“Nonsense…!”

Woojin and Jeho forced out smiles.

‘Please, just fall over!’

‘I want to live!’

Both men cried out desperately in their minds.

They both felt like crying.

‘This can’t continue.’

Woojin thought.

He needed a decisive blow.

As if his brain treated the potential loss here and the fallen honor of the Prefect Chief as death, a series of flashbacks flew through his mind.

From Noble mtl dot com

“!”

From within those flashbacks, Woojin hooked onto a piece of game knowledge.

─ ‘I attended the exchange meeting, but only because the student council president instructed me to.’

The reason Lee Jeho attended this exchange meeting.

It was due to the student council president’s instruction.

And the president was Jeho’s older sister.

That’s right.

‘Aha, this bastard, was a siscon!’

Jeho, a siscon, must have attended this place, unable to refuse his dear sister’s wishes.

A thought suddenly struck him.

Without filtering, Woojin blurted it out.

“Chief Lee Jeho, you said you attended here on the student council president’s orders, didn’t you!?”

Due to the fierce tremors caused by the arm wrestling, Woojin had to raise his voice.

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“You, you’re the student council president’s sibling…! So what, you have to follow whatever your sister says? Even if it means having an exchange with us, whom you despise?”

Woojin laughed scornfully.

“Are you a siscon?”

As Woojin had anticipated, Jeho’s face turned beet red with anger.

Though Jeho had often been subjected to the derogatory term siscon, he never imagined that he would hear it directly from Woojin’s mouth.

He bristled with anger.

“What are you talking about…! How dare you speak to me like that…! Ugh!”

Jeho could not continue his words.

Woojin had tensed his arm with sudden excitement, catching Jeho off-guard.

Jeho’s arm, losing to the force, began to twist backward.

“Ugh…! You cowardly…!”

Jeho wouldn’t back down.

“What about you, hiding in the shadow of Obaekseo and not ashamed of becoming a division head!?”

“What…?”

“At least you should have proven that you are better than Obaekseo before becoming a division head…! Don’t you think you’re a nuisance to Asung High!?”

Jeho struck at Woojin’s weak spot.

He was sure there was a reason Woojin had become a division head, but that was the only attack that came to mind at the moment.

“Even Obaekseo’s vice division head must feel contempt…! Having to serve under someone weaker than himself! I have been continuously proving my strength to be worthy of our disciplinary committee! Unlike you!”

“So what…!”

Jeho continued to shout.

“Look at our vice division head for a moment! Such an intellectually gifted top-performer watching my back! That’s because I have proven my ability…!”

“That’s a laugh…! Do you think I haven’t done anything…!? And our vice division head is second to none in intellect…! Even to the vice division head you brag so much about!”

“What!? Bah!”

Fueled by a fierce secretion of adrenaline, both were filled with a strong desire to win.

Ultimately, a vein popped on Jeho’s forehead from Woojin’s last remark.

“Are you trying to say that our vice division head’s intellect is inferior to yours!?”

“Our vice division head’s reputation is well known even to you…!?”

By now, the student council presidents had the look of distress on their faces.

They realized that the situation had gone awry as the two division heads argued and growled at each other.

The disciplinary committee members munched noisily on their popcorn, their hearts thumping with excitement as they watched the two deputy leaders.

In front of the scene, the two members of the discipline committee were united in spirit, just like an audience seated in front of a movie theater screen.

“Ha! Our deputy head is wise and intelligent! There’s no way those glasses could look any better on her! A deputy head with both beauty and brains, the best there is! Do you think she’ll fall behind the deputy head from class 5-2?”

“Our deputy head is also the complete package, with both beauty and intelligence…!”

“Our deputy is the best supporter and…”

“Our deputy head is the undisputed strongest leader at Ahseong High…!”

The quarrel between the two leaders devolved into a bragging contest about their respective deputies.

Gradually, the expressions of the two deputies began to shift.

Shin Gayeon’s face flushed a bright red. It seemed as though heat was radiating from her.

Trying to maintain a gracious smile, Oh Baekseo nevertheless could not prevent the corners of her lips from twitching. Even she couldn’t calm her expression under these circumstances.

The heated exchange between the two leaders was inflicting them with a fatal dose of embarrassment and cringeworthiness.

Finally, what was bound to happen, happened.

“Our Gayeon is…!”

“Enough already!!!”

Crash!!

“Pfft!”

Suddenly, a giant hammer, enlarged in size and swirling with magical power, was sent flying towards Jeho. Its power was tremendous.

Jeho’s body cut sharply through the air, rolling mercilessly on the ground before finally coming to a halt against the wall.

Having fortified his body with magic beforehand, Jeho was spared from grave harm. His exceptional skills contributed to this as well. Still, the mental damage was significant.

Looking bewildered, Jeho stared blankly at the stage.

“Haah, haah…!”

Gayeon, holding the large two-handed hammer, caught her breath with a face as flushed as a ripe apple.

Her patience, always so composed, had finally reached its breaking point.

“Vice president…! Do you really intend to kill me?!”

Gayeon shouted loudly, her face ablaze with excitement.

Her voice cracked. She was that unable to calm her emotions. Tears had even pooled in the corners of her eyes.

Only then did Jeho regain his senses and realize his mistake.

“…?”

What on earth had happened?

For a moment, Woojin was swept up in confusion.

Suddenly, someone gently grabbed the hem of Woo-jin’s clothes and tugged lightly.

“?”

Woo-jin turned to look at the person who had grabbed his clothes.

It was Baek Seo.

“Boss, can we stop now?”

Baek Seo was still wearing his usual gentle smile, but the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

His voice was generous, but Woo-jin felt a menacingly unknown energy.

“Oh.”

“Can’t believe this is happening….”

“Goodness….”

The student leaders all displayed their disarray at the unexpected outcome.

It was the same for the musicians.

They couldn’t even think of continuing the play.

For a while, the venue was filled with silence.

……

The next day.

[Recreation result]

– A victory for Ah Sung High School.

– A defeat for Mahyeon High School.

Jeho readily acknowledged his defeat.

He made a mistake due to his excitement and damaged his boss’s mental state.

He had no grounds to complain about his boss’s intervention.

However, since it was not actually a fair match, no understanding was formed about one side being weaker.

“It was amazing….”

“It seems Boss An Woo-jin is not a normal fourth-tier.”

“Actually having a close fight with Dark Cloud Palace?!”

“Could it be that he’s not a boss because of cowardly moves?”

The spectacle seen by the student leaders spread as rumors throughout the school.

The students who had been skeptical about Woo-jin becoming the boss started to reassess him after hearing the news of the exchange.

Among other things…

“Ma-hyeon High lost the match, I heard?”

“Vice Director Oh-baek apparently didn’t even make a move.”

“But, are the Director and Vice Director of Discipline dating by any chance?”

“The two of them stick together all day long. It wouldn’t be surprising if feelings developed.”

“Yesterday’s praise of the Vice Director… It was so sugary it even made me cringe.”

“It was just each camp boasting about their own vice directors that led to that situation. To see it as them dating is an overinterpretation, I’d say.”

“It must have been their competitive spirit.”

Such conversations about the Disciplinary Committee members spread among the students of A-seong High.

* * *

The Disciplinary Committee’s executive office was engulfed in a silence punctuated by the aroma of coffee beans.

I set down my coffee cup next to me, reviewed some documents, and then began to sign my name, engraved in the dedicated lines.

“……”

Suddenly, my pen came to a halt.

It was the thought of yesterday’s event that flooded my mind.

My head drooped low.

Thud!

I hit my forehead against the desk.

“Let’s just die.”

I didn’t have the confidence to live with this embarrassment.

I had been reprimanded by the Student Council President about what would happen if we fought at the exchange event. The situation at Ma-hyeon High must have been similar.

But that wasn’t what mattered.

The confrontation had ended in A-seong High’s victory.

That also wasn’t what mattered.

…No, is that actually important?

Anyway, yesterday I ended up putting a tremendous strain on Oh-baek.

I felt sorry.

‘How am I supposed to face Oh-baek now…’

I should have maintained a bit of rationality.

No matter how much I regretted it, I couldn’t rewind the past that had already gone by.

Then…

Suddenly.

At the sound of the executive office door opening, he quickly straightened his upper body to sit upright.

As the head of student guidance, he couldn’t afford to be seen in a disheveled state.

The person who entered the room was Officer Oh.

“Deputy Chief? Hello…”

“Good morning.”

Officer Oh received my greeting with a warm smile.

‘Should I apologize for what happened yesterday…?’

It was a hard topic to even broach.

Was an apology really necessary?

Wouldn’t Officer Oh prefer not to dig any further into it?

While losing himself in contemplation, an oblong box that Officer Oh was carrying caught his eye.

“What’s that?”

“This?”

Officer Oh put the gift box on my desk.

“It’s a gift from Ma-Hyeon High School. A student from there handed it over.”

“A gift?”

The sender was listed as the student guidance chief of Ma-Hyeon High School and the recipient was the chief of student guidance at Ah Sung High School on the package bill.

The box was considerably large.

“Why did they send it?”

“Didn’t you check your email?”

“Not yet.”

“I checked it in the chief’s email. They said it’s to celebrate our victory?”

“Hmm.”

He then logged into the internet and checked the email he received from Lee Je Ho.

─ Sender: Lee Je Ho

─ Recipient: Ahn Woo Jin

Dear Student Guidance Chief at Ah Sung High School.

I am Lee Je Ho, the Student Guidance Chief at Ma-Hyeon High School.

I wish to express my thanks for sincerely welcoming our Ma-Hyeon High School student guidance through the exchange visit.

Additionally, I send you this gift in the spirit of celebrating the victory at the recreation event.

I would be grateful if you could accept it.

Have a good day.

‘This means… asking me to zip my lips.’

I could understand the hint.

The exchange event had dealt a significant blow to the image of Ma-hyeon High School’s discipline committee.

It was a clear request for us, the discipline committee, not to dig up anything related to this event in the future.

‘I wasn’t planning on blabbing about it anyway.’

I had no desire to go out of my way to tarnish the reputation of another school’s discipline committee.

“Did you get a gift from the student council president too?”

“Seems like it.”

While chatting with Baek Seo, I unwrapped the gift box.

Crackle.

A luxurious case emerged.

I opened the lid.

‘Oh?’

Inside was a long rod with a handle, similar in size to the telescopic baton I usually carried.

It had a design akin to a lightning rod, sleek and able to retract the metal rod into the handle, like a telescopic baton.

I immediately recognized what it was.

‘A Byukchukbong (Lightning storage Rod)?’

It was a rare magical tool capable of storing lightning magic and releasing it at the will of its wielder.

Although I could manipulate lightning magic with my baton equipped with magical circuits, my ability to emit lightning externally was extremely limited.

In other words, this was an incredibly useful tool for me.

‘Astounding… But how did they manage to acquire something like this?’

The gift seemed excessively lavish as a means to silence someone, which raised questions, but I soon figured out the answer.

‘Ah. It must have been influenced by the student council president.’

It had been the student council president of Ma-hyeon High School who wanted to befriend the discipline committee of Ah-sung High School through this exchange event.

It seemed likely that it was a gift sent by her, along with Lee Je-ho.

In essence, the gift also conveyed a message of ‘Let’s stop fighting and become close friends.’

“You gave me something really nice…? I’ll send a thank you note.”

“I’ll send it. It’s a gift for me, after all.”

“Okay.”

Baek Seo nodded her head.

“And…”

Following that, Baek Seo pulled something out from inside her clothing and placed it on my desk.

“This is a reward from me.”

“Huh? Ah.”

That’s right.

I remembered that Baek Seo had said she would give me a reward if I beat Lee Je-ho.

I instantly realized that the stockings mentioned as a reward yesterday were nothing but a provocative joke.

What was the real reward, then?

I took it all in with my eyes.

‘A card?’

I saw a pretty card.

Baek Seo had cut out the card paper and crafted it herself.

I read the content written on the card.

[ Baek Seo Utilization Coupon ]

─ 1 time, you may rest your head on Baek Seo’s knee and receive an [Ear Cleaning]. The effects of this card cannot be nullified.

※ Only for Chief Ahn Woo-jin’s use

“…….”

I never expected something like this?

Compared to yesterday’s joke, this was not explicitly risqué, but isn’t it still quite embarrassing…?

“Uh… thank you. I’ll use it well.”

“Okay. Use it when you need it.”

Baek Seo smiled brightly and then headed towards the couch.

She seemed unbothered.

I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but Baek Seo’s ears seemed redder than usual.

Soon, she casually brushed her hair, covering her ears, so I couldn’t get a good look.

Anyway, I just stared at the card for a long while.

No matter how much I thought about it, this didn’t seem like a mere prank.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a bolt of doubt streaked across my mind.

“Could it be… does the assistant manager have a crush on me?”

It was a logical conjecture.

Especially after the rather inappropriate joke, he made yesterday.

And then granting me the embarrassing wish of earning the right to tweak his ear.

“He wouldn’t do this if he weren’t interested…!”

I knew there was a perfect way to test the waters.

Casually suggest a date.

I was about to call out to Baek.

“Baek…”

“About yesterday.”

Baek’s voice cut me off before I could finish.

“I’ve realized once again that I definitely need to take care of you, boss.”

Baek turned to look at me.

His usual smile was plastered across his face.

“My pride, you listened well. So the manager has that kind of regard for me?”

“That’s right…”

Baek smiled brightly, like a budding flower coming into bloom.

“I also treasure you, boss. As a colleague in the student council too.”

“……”

I swallowed a pointless breath.

Gratitude and ambiguity took their seats in my heart at the same time.

“That’s a relief… that you think so.”

I raised the corners of my mouth in an attempt to return the smile and nodded my head.

Baek’s head turned away again.

“Sigh.”

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A silent sigh leaked through my lips, against my will.

The phrases “I definitely need to take care of you” and “as a colleague too” were filling my mind.

“I see… Like how a company supervisor looks after their subordinate, or how a mother cares for her son… it might be that kind of feeling.”

To Baek Seo, I seemed to be perceived merely as a “division chief to take care of.”

This wasn’t a matter of whether there were feelings of attraction or not; it was a problem that scratched at my pride.

A sense of futility washed over me.

“Let’s stop counting our chickens before they hatch…”

Whether there’s interest or not.

Within the same organization, it is wise not to touch on such issues unless you are certain.

There is the risk that the relationship between friends and colleagues could become awkward.

Let’s give up on irrelevant thoughts.

Firstly, it’s necessary to solidify my standing as the chief.

To overturn Baek Seo’s perception of me as a “division chief to take care of.”

“……”

Today, Baek Seo was brushing her hair back more than usual.

She always used to tuck her hair behind one ear.

Yet, for some reason, today she kept her hair over both ears the whole time she was in the office.