Ch 168
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 168
"Young master, we have arrived."
"Ah, I see."
"Using formal speech again... Young master, are you really alright? Even now, you should go to the hospital..."
"It's fine. I'll go, so just leave now."
As I get out of the car, he panics again.
I wondered what I did wrong, but now I see he's surprised because I opened the door and got out by myself.
"Um... Young master, then I'll be going now. I hope you have a pleasant school life."
An uncle who looks to be at least in his mid-thirties is bowing his head in greeting, which is quite burdensome.
I still can't believe this is real.
I was definitely drinking heavily with a friend since I was supposed to enlist in the military a week later, came home and collapsed into bed, but when I opened my eyes, I was inside a clearly luxurious car.
I thought 'What kind of hilarious prank show is this?' but when I saw my face reflected in the rearview mirror, I knew it wasn't a prank.
Even if it was a YouTube channel... No, even if it was a broadcasting station's prank show, they wouldn't perform plastic surgery on someone's face without consent.
The fat, greedy-looking high school student in a uniform I'd never seen before, reflected in the rearview mirror.
That was me.
While thinking about how this could have happened, I discovered the name written on the name tag attached to the uniform.
[Lee Ji-sung]
It's a relatively common name - there's even a celebrity with the same name - but because of the Lee surname, I realized it immediately.
Lee Ji-sung is the villain from a novel I recently read called 《Swordmanship Genius of Hunter School》.
The writing skill was decent, but the protagonist was too old-fashioned.
A typical good hero, in modern terms just a pushover angel type who kept giving to others around him and helping them, getting involved in incidents - there was too much frustration.
So I wrote some complaints... But did I get possessed because of that?
I often enjoyed reading novels and saw many protagonists who got possessed into games or novels, but I never thought I would be in such a situation.
And not even as the protagonist, but as Lee Ji-sung...
Lee Ji-sung is the third generation of Hwasin Group, the most successful conglomerate in Korea.
You might think being a third-generation chaebol, and not just any ordinary one but the best in the country, would be good, but that's absolutely not the case.
Just as the protagonist is a typical good hero type, this Lee Ji-sung guy is a typical third-generation chaebol.
Looking down on people is basic for him, his fists always come out before words, and he's a scoundrel among scoundrels who loves power harassment more than anyone.
Although the original novel had a modern setting, maybe because the genre was fantasy, or maybe because the author didn't properly understand chaebols, I personally thought it was a strange setting.
I occasionally encountered news or internet articles about chaebols' power harassment or delinquent behavior, but that was just a minority, and usually the more well-off people are, the better they educate their children.
Moreover, if you're not just any ordinary chaebol but rich enough to be ranked first in Korea's business hierarchy, there would be many eyes watching, so they would have educated their children even more thoroughly. But this Lee Ji-sung guy is truly unspeakably trash.
A typical scoundrel villain who runs wild without fear of anything in the world, then gets punished by the protagonist.
That's exactly Lee Ji-sung.
Although he's not in the same class as the protagonist Kim Do-hyun in their first year so they don't get too entangled, in their second year when they become classmates, he bullies the protagonist and gets disciplined, eventually even getting expelled.
At this time, he doesn't get completely cut off by his family, but most of his support is cut off.
In the latter part, harboring resentment about being expelled, he plots revenge against the protagonist after graduation.
But in the end, true to the novel, he gets disciplined by the protagonist again and finally gets completely cut off by his family, his life falling into ruin.
When I read novels, usually people get possessed as the protagonist, but even if I got possessed, why did I have to become such a piece of trash...
I may not have lived particularly virtuously, but I didn't live particularly badly either...
Moreover, the original me didn't have much money but had a decent face and a good body that everyone envied from consistently going to the gym since high school, but this guy...
I don't like his ugly face or his chubby body that's gained a lot of weight, though not to the point of severe obesity.
This really sucks.
No wait. Earlier the driver said it was a call from father and handed me the phone, and the man called father on the other end said that if I cause trouble in high school, he'll kick me out, so please live quietly.
Today must be the high school entrance ceremony, so since I'll be in a different class from the protagonist in first year anyway, if I change now, wouldn't it be fine... Damn!
It's impossible.
Thinking about it, Lee Ji-sung already became classmates with Kim Do-hyun in their third year of middle school and has accumulated quite a karma stack.
Memories are gradually coming back one by one, and sigh... This is much more serious than what I read in the novel.
While bullying other kids, when the protagonist tried to stop him, he picked a fight with the protagonist and got beaten up, breaking his nose.
After that, both their mothers were called to school.
Unlike Lee Ji-sung's father who seems slightly stern, his mother dotes on Lee Ji-sung terribly.
Lee Ji-sung's mother threw a fit and made the protagonist's mother kneel down and beg desperately.
This is also a typical chaebol family lady feeling.
Instead of living quietly after getting beaten up for acting up, this Lee Ji-sung guy actually bullied the protagonist even more afterward.
He manipulated the class kids into group bullying and even made personal attacks...
If I were Kim Do-hyun, I would never forgive him...
Thinking how disgustingly twisted this situation is, I passed through the school gate.
"Hey student! Student!"
A teacher at the entrance is calling someone - could it be me?
"Me?"
"You're wearing a high school uniform but why are you going toward the middle school... Oh, it's Ji-sung."
"Why?"
"The high school is that way, you need to go to the auditorium."
"Ah... Yes. Thank you."
"Th-thank you? Oh, okay."
Just saying thank you once, but he looks shocked as if he heard something shocking.
Although the setting is that he's been a famous scoundrel since middle school, just how much trash was this guy...
That teacher earlier too, and looking around, students are walking to school in groups of three to five talking, but not a single student comes close to this guy.
Rather, they glance at me and whisper, which feels quite unpleasant.
Can I even resolve this...
Honestly, I can't even begin to imagine it, but since I've become Lee Ji-sung, there's no choice.
I have to struggle and survive somehow.
First, the entrance ceremony is priority, so I followed students wearing similar uniforms.
Entering the auditorium, there are quite a lot of students.
It seems like they're lining up by class - which class am I in?
I thought memories would come back like before when I tried to think, but I can't remember.
What the hell?
I have no choice but to ask someone around.
While wondering who to ask, I discovered two female students with yellow armbands labeled "Student Council" giving guidance near the entrance.
Both are pretty, but of the two, the one with shoulder-length bob hair, fair skin, and eyes that curve into half-moons when she smiles is more my type.
Of course, it's a bit much to have such thoughts about a minor, but anyway, I'm the same high school student now.
Rather, looking at the different colored name tag, that girl seems to be older than me.
"Excuse me."
"Huh? Did you call us?"
"It's a new student. Is there a problem?"
Both look at me and speak with bright smiles... That bob-haired girl is really my type.
"Yes. I forgot which class I'm in - is it posted on a wall somewhere?"
"I don't think there's a separate announcement anywhere. Our Hunter School has everyone advance from middle school to high school, so they tell you at the middle school graduation ceremony. Minhee, can you handle guidance alone for a bit? I'll take this new student to a first-year teacher and come back."
"Okay. Seong Eunseo, come back quickly."
"Got it. New student, follow me."
So her name was Eunseo.
A pretty name like her face.
I don't think I saw her in the novel... Is she an extra?
"You're a senior, right? What grade are you in?"
"Huh? I'm a third-year. That teacher over there is the first-year academic affairs director, okay? If you go ask, you'll find out."
Third-year means she's nineteen?
Just right.
I'm seventeen now, but I was originally twenty-one.
Honestly, it's better to be at least a year or two older than the seventeen-year-old kids my age.
"Thank you. I'm Lee Ji-sung. Do you have a boyfriend by any chance?"
If I'm interested, I approach right away.
This is my style.
The old saying goes that the brave get the beauty too.
"Uh... Huh?"
Her cheeks turn bright red immediately - she's the type who gets embarrassed easily.
Is this her first time dating perhaps?
She has a slight model student feeling and seems like there's quite a good chance.
"My appearance isn't great right now, but it'll change soon. Most importantly, I really like you, senior."
This type is weak to honest confessions.
I thought about appealing as a third-generation chaebol, but money isn't that important to young kids anyway.
It might just create backlash.
Wait, does this senior know about my bad reputation too?
There's a two-year age gap, so we would have attended middle school together.
But it seems like this scoundrel lived relatively quietly in his first year of middle school.
"Um... Well..."
Fortunately, she doesn't seem to know.
"We can get to know each other gradually. Could you give me your number?"
"Sorry. You're not my type."
Right, she has to play hard to get at least once for courtesy.
"I'll lose weight quickly and I'm a better person than you think."
"I said I'm not interested, okay? Hurry up and go ask about your class and get in line."
She speaks coldly and walks away quickly. More decisive than I thought.
I thought she was the type who couldn't refuse well, but is appearance really the problem?
Maybe I misjudged, but I got a bit annoyed.
I feel competitive.
Even if I'm not the protagonist, I should be enough for a supporting role, but that girl is an extra who isn't even mentioned in the novel.
I'll make her cry with regret later.
Even though I'm not the protagonist and I'm a pathetic villain and I don't know why I came to this world, none of that matters.
I have knowledge of the original story.
***
After the entrance ceremony ended and we came to class for another attendance check, when my name is called, the atmosphere somehow becomes cold.
All the students have bad expressions - since we're the same grade, they all seem to know my bad reputation well.
Some of the kids were in the same class last year, so when I see their faces, their names come to mind and I remember the terrible things I did.
Even the homeroom teacher looks at me with a quite unpleasant expression.
That makes sense since my homeroom teacher was also my homeroom teacher last year.
They said they moved up from middle school to high school this year, but they ended up with a problem student like me again, so how annoying must that be.
If I were a teacher, I'd honestly be annoyed too, but it's unfair.
It's not even misconduct that I committed...
It's really hopeless, but it's not like there's no answer.
The kids are still young, so if I treat them well and show them cool sides of me, they'll change, and I can just get rid of that teacher over there.
Choi Seo-ra.
That woman who is our class homeroom teacher is an Antas organization member.
Looking at the contemptuous gaze she's giving me, this year seems like it'll be quite tough.
Honestly, it would be easier to get rid of her right now, but there's no evidence.
If it goes according to the original, an attack incident will happen during this year's festival, so I have to wait until then.
First, I need to change this damn scoundrel image...
What incident was there in the beginning?
No wait. In case I forget, I should write down everything I remember first. I tried to take out a notebook and writing materials from my bag, but surprisingly, there's nothing.
No matter how much of a scoundrel he is, to have nothing in a high school student's bag... It's ridiculous.
I have no choice but to borrow from the kid sitting next to me.
Fortunately, according to my memory, this guy was in the same class in third year of middle school.
"Hey."
"Why... Why, Ji-sung?"
It's awkward to borrow with just words, so I search my body and find a wallet. Opening it, it's packed with 50,000 won bills.
Being a chaebol is nice - lots of money.
"Here."
"To buy bread? Um... Ji-sung, the teacher hasn't finished talking yet and the store wouldn't be open at this hour..."
"What store? Not bread, lend me a notebook and something to write with."
"I'll... I'll just give it to you. But why this money?"
"Am I a beggar? I feel bad just taking it for free."
"Feel... Bad?"
"Hey there, why so noisy! Lee Ji-sung, are you bothering your deskmate from the entrance ceremony?"
"I'm not though."
Really... Annoying.
Anyway, I got a notebook and pen and started writing down what I remember, and I remember better than expected.
Did my brain get better from being possessed?
Since Lee Ji-sung is a magician, that could be possible. While I was thinking that and taking notes, the classroom front door opened.
A burly, muscular build. A giant who looks about three times bigger than an ordinary person at first glance.
Kim Man-dong?
First Hunter School vice principal Kim Man-dong.
One of only 10 S-rank hunters in the country, and he looks exactly as described in the novel... No, even bigger.
And next to him stands an ordinary-looking male student.
"Vice principal? What brings you here?"
"This student is the one I talked about before."
"Ah, the one who was lying down for a long time and miraculously woke up last month..."
"That's right. He went to the hospital for tests this morning too, so he just arrived and I brought him. Please take good care of him."
"Understood."
"Isn't that Min Chan-seong?"
"I think Chan-seong is right?"
As soon as I hear the name Min Chan-seong, memories start coming back... Sigh, I'm really going crazy.