Chapter 130: Student Council
It had taken longer than I expected.
I'd tried my best to wrap things up quickly, but things hadn't gone as planned.
So fifteen minutes after receiving the text, I quickly threw on my clothes and sprinted to the student council room.
"Huff. Huff."
"Ah. You're here?"
I'd been worried she might be annoyed since I was so late. But Shin Eunah, who was alone in the student council room, welcomed me as I burst through the door, making me feel like an idiot for ever worrying.
"You could've come slower. Why'd you run all the way here?"
"I... thought I was late."
"Hmm... well, you are late. But it's fine."
She kept that pleasant smile on her face and gestured for me to sit. I instinctively started toward my usual seat in the back, then realized we were the only two here and sat down near her instead.
As it happened, I'd taken Choi Soeun's seat.
"What did you need?"
Why had she called only me? I thought about it, but no answer came to mind. I didn't think I'd done anything wrong.
"It's just... an interview, sort of."
"An interview?"
"Yeah. An interview."
Having never joined a student council before or after my regression, I had no idea such meetings existed. Or maybe it was just a procedure unique to this school—or rather, unique to Shin Eunah.
"It's only been three days since you joined the student council, but you've been coming to school for almost two weeks now, right?"
"That's right."
"Have you had any inconveniences in the student council during that time? Or anything you'd like to see changed?"
"Hmm... nothing specific. Though maybe I just haven't noticed anything yet, since it's only been three days."
"True. Was it too early to ask?"
Shin Eunah nodded as if she'd thought three days would be enough, then changed the subject.
"Well then... ah! Before that, you're not uncomfortable being alone with me, are you?"
She'd tossed out the question casually, like a joke, but her eyes were filled with anxiety. Though she'd supposedly overcome her complex about her appearance, the fact that she still looked exactly as she did when the complex formed meant it was still on her mind. Honestly, regardless of gender, her oversized face, the liver spots and acne scattered so densely across it that there was no empty space... She wasn't attractive to begin with, and the glasses she wore only added the final touch to a face no one would want to keep looking at. I wondered if she'd be better off ditching the glasses and wearing contacts. The way her glasses looked so tiny compared to her large face almost made me want to laugh.
"Why would I be uncomfortable?"
I looked her straight in the eye as I spoke, as if nothing was wrong. Whether a woman was ugly or pretty, they appreciated a man making direct eye contact more than looking anywhere else—especially their bodies. And the effect was even stronger for women who considered themselves hideous. Nayoung had been the same way, and so had Heera noona. Would Shin Eunah, in a similar situation, be any different?
"R-right... that's a relief."
When I held eye contact the entire time, Shin Eunah seemed both surprised and burdened, as if this was the first time someone had done that. Still, she couldn't hide the faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
"Ahem."
She composed her expression belatedly and continued.
"So then, how's school life in general?"
"School life, huh..."
"Even the smallest things are fine. They say everything starts small."
As she said, even if the beginning is trivial, the end can be grand. Even I, who'd returned to the past with a smartphone containing all future information and had created enormous wealth, had started with a mere 100,000 won. The same must be true for Shin Eunah. She probably harbored ambitions to change things starting from the small stuff and turn the school into a better, more impressive place. In fact, by the time she graduated, this school had transformed its image into a well-known local institution. Even now, its reputation had improved somewhat.
"Hmm."
Even without my help, she would lead things well on her own. Still, if I wanted to imprint myself in her mind, I should probably say at least one thing. But I'd never thought about such things before, so nothing suitable came to mind.
Let me reframe the question. What did I need most in my school life right now? As seriously as I thought about it, the only thing that came to mind was a small space with good soundproofing that I could use exclusively. Not for studying, of course. I just wanted a place where I could bring my women and comfortably fool around without any fear of getting caught.
"...Sigh."
It would be nice to have, but the feasibility was extremely low. Even if they could grant the request of the top-ranked student, there would definitely be backlash. Setting that aside, I tried to think of other things, but my mind was racing without producing any good suggestions.
"You don't have to say anything if nothing comes to mind."
Shin Eunah spoke with a soft smile after I'd been silent for a while. As if there was no need to force something out if I couldn't think of it.
"Sorry I couldn't be more helpful."
"Helpful? Actually, I'm happy. It means my efforts over the past year weren't in vain."
Proud that she'd created a school satisfying enough that new students didn't feel inconvenienced or lacking anything, she wore an even brighter smile than usual.
"I suppose that's true."
"Right?"
Shin Eunah broke into a gentle laugh. The school was like a first step. The path she still had to walk was rougher and more dangerous.
"Oh, I guess I kept you too long. You can go now."
"That's it?"
"Haha. Ended pretty quickly, didn't it? That's why you could've come late."
"Still, when you call, I should come right away."
"Oh. I really like that attitude. Ah... I mean... I like it in a non-romantic way, just simply..."
"Yes. I know what you mean."
The way she said "like" seemed to carry some baggage. I could guess—she'd probably been teased as a kid when she casually said she liked someone, and they'd used it against her. Those kids were truly pathetic. Though it wasn't much different from what I'd done to Nayoung in the past.
"Should I call Nayoung or Cheolyong?"
"Huh? No, no. I'll call them separately later, so you can go."
"Yes, understood. Take care."
"Yeah~ See you~!"
I left the student council room. If possible, I wanted to stay a little longer and earn some favorability, but being too forward from the start wouldn't look good. Unlike Nayoung and Heera noona, she wasn't isolated. Slowly. Taking it slow was enough. There was no way Cheolyong would take Shin Eunah from me anyway.
Thinking complacently, I pulled out the smartphone I'd put in my pocket. Checking the time, cleaning would end soon, and it would be time for homeroom dismissal. A message in the student council group chat said the day's work was done and everyone should return to their homerooms. Nayoung had also personally texted me saying she'd head back to class first, so I turned my steps toward our classroom.
Passing by students noisily finishing their cleaning, I returned to our classroom. When I arrived, my girls had apparently finished cleaning quickly and were gathered at the back of the room, chatting.
"Ah. You're here?"
Nayoung, who spotted me first, approached with a bright smile.
"What did you two do?"
"Just an interview."
"Interview?"
"Yeah. She asked how school life was, if there were any inconveniences. Things like that."
"Huh... She's really dedicated to the school. The student council president."
Chaeyeon, who'd been eavesdropping on our conversation, sounded impressed. She thought it was admirable that Shin Eunah was taking the lead to actively change the school, rather than just quietly doing the minimum required for her records and leaving.
"Chaeyeon, you should show some dedication too."
Mijin said with a hint of mockery.
"Huh? For what?"
Chaeyeon looked puzzled at the sudden remark.
"Your grades are in the gutter."
"Ugh...!"
She choked at Mijin's follow-up.
"You barely got into this school. What about university?"
Though we still had nearly three years left, we'd already decided which universities we wanted to attend. Of course, me, Nayoung, Mijin, and Eunbi all had sufficient grades, but Chaeyeon was still falling short. That meant she might not get in, or could end up at a different school. Fully aware of this, Chaeyeon pouted.
"I am trying, you know..."
Even though her head wasn't the sharpest—taking three times as long to memorize what others learned in one go—she was making an effort in her own way. The problem was that she had a major disadvantage: she couldn't sit at a desk for long, and her concentration didn't last.
"That's right...! Chaeyeon is trying!"
Eunbi hugged her tightly to comfort the deflated Chaeyeon.
"Eunbi. Didn't your grades drop a bit in the finals too?"
"Eek?!"
Ever since she'd fully given her body and heart to me, Eunbi's grades had been on a downward trend.
"At this rate, you're in danger too."
"Ugh!"
Having tried to help and ended up getting hit with facts too, Eunbi clutched her chest and leaned against me.
"Ooh... Wallet-ssi. Comfort me too..."
Chaeyeon pressed herself against me as well.
"Honestly..."
Mijin, who'd been watching them, clicked her tongue, but there was envy in her eyes. With a smile on my lips, I pushed away the girls clinging to me and approached Mijin.
"Don't be too harsh. I'm sure we'll all get into the same university. All of us."
I wrapped my arm around Mijin's waist as I said it. Of course, Han Seohyun, Kim Jia, and Kwon Doa, who had no intention of studying at all, would probably be impossible. As for them, I'd just make them maids like Chaerin. Come to think of it, would Chaerin be able to manage? That was the question. Well, we still had nearly three years. Why worry about it now? I'd just focus on the present.
"Alright, everyone, take your seats!"
The teacher entered the classroom. And then homeroom dismissal began.