Discipline 12. The Disciplinary Committee Leader Gets the Best Grades (4)

Weeeing.

Disciplinary Committee executive office.

I was enjoying a leisurely morning time with my morning coffee when my smartphone vibrated.

"Kghup!"

I nearly fell out of my chair, spilling coffee everywhere. Thankfully, neither disaster came to pass.

Thank goodness no one else was in the office.

With the speed of the wind, I snatched up my phone and checked my messages. Sure enough, there it was — a notification telling me to check my grades.

Midterms.

Written exams, practical exams.

All finished.

Today was the day the comprehensive results came out.

I connected to the academy app immediately.

Please…!

My heart pounded like crazy.

Please, let me salvage the Leader's dignity…!

I closed my eyes briefly to say a prayer, then clutched my thrumming chest and opened the report.

My score was….

"Yes!!"

The shout burst out of me before I could stop it.

First place.

I was first place.

I wanted to throw open the window right that instant, yell "Take off your pants and scream!" at the top of my lungs, and do a triumphant Spider-Man dance on the windowsill.

Of course, if I actually did that, I'd have plummeted past the dignity of a Committee Leader straight down into the dignity of a human being. Restraint was the only option.

"Khah…!"

I could barely keep the corners of my mouth from trembling.

The joy that came with being first place carried enough destructive force to render even my hard-trained poker face utterly useless.

No.

Hold it in.

The moment Baek-seo walked in, I had to show the composure of a winner.

That was the greatest pleasure available to me, and only at this moment, was it not?

Baek-seo would be arriving soon.

I took a deep breath, gathered my emotions, and took a sip of coffee.

"Good morning, Leader."

At last, the Baek-seo I'd been waiting for entered the office.

"Oh, hey."

I kept my greeting simple.

By now, Baek-seo should have been seeing the relaxed confidence of a first-place finish written all over my face.

I shouldn't bring up grades first.

As naturally as possible, I would wait for her to mention it.

That, too, would be the composure of a winner.

Baek-seo began making tea in the break room.

"By the way, did you check your grades?"

There it was, right on schedule.

"Not yet. Did they come out well?"

I asked coolly, waiting for her answer.

"Mm, you were first."

?

"Tied with someone, though. Was that you, perhaps, Leader?"

What?

While Baek-seo was still in the break room, I frantically checked my smartphone.

Ah…!

I'd been so drunk on seeing 'Rank: 1' that I'd failed to properly read the 'Notes' section underneath.

Now I finally saw it.

"…I suppose."

A tie with Baek-seo.

Co-first place.

Should I be happy about this or not? My mind spiraled into confusion.

Studying had gone so well, probably thanks to the power of previewing, that I'd actually been looking forward to the results.

And yet here I was, no better than Baek-seo in any way…!

"Leader, want some tea?"

"No, I'm fine…."

I should have been rejoicing at placing first, but all I felt was a hollow deflation.

Baek-seo fixed herself a cup, sat down at the table, and sipped it leisurely while browsing the internet news on her phone. The composure and grace of a first-place finisher simply overflowed from her.

Meanwhile, I stared blankly at the black coffee in my cup.

If only I'd gotten one more question right….

I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut.

I had no desire to adopt the mindset of some unlucky study bug whining over a single missed question.

And yet the fact that I couldn't beat Baek-seo stirred up a bitter feeling deep in my chest all the same.

Urgh.

Again and again, I washed the disappointment down my throat with bitter coffee.

Just then, the office door opened.

"Hello…."

"Oh, hey."

"Good morning."

The one who came in was Park Min-hyuk, our Secretary.

His shoulders were hunched and his face clouded with distress. He was utterly deflated.

He looks drained.

He was like this most of the year, granted, but lately he'd seemed to be doing better.

"Min-hyuk, your grade—"

"Guuaagh…!"

"Sorry. I won't say it."

When Min-hyuk buried his head in the desk and let out a groan, I dropped the subject. One more word and Min-hyuk would have been on a one-way trip to the school dumpster, where fallen leaves got swept.

Sinking deep into self-loathing, Min-hyuk moaned like a zombie — then suddenly dropped to his knees before me, wailing.

"Leader, I'm so sorry…! That a failure like me, who could only manage 45th in the whole school, should dare to serve someone as great as heaven itself — it's unthinkable! Please do not forgive this wretched creature…!"

Min-hyuk prostrated himself as if begging for forgiveness before a king.

45th in the school was a high rank, though.

Apparently, Min-hyuk's self-esteem refused to accept that rank.

"A worthless scrub trash like me deserves to perform seppuku…!"

"Good morning, Leader, Baek-seo-ching… And scrub trash Min-hyuk-ie too…."

The office door opened yet again, and Ha Ye-song, our public decency enforcer, trudged in with a listless greeting.

"Oh, hey."

"Welcome."

Not a trace of her usual boundless energy showed. She didn't make a beeline for Baek-seo either.

Instead, she radiated a desperate ask me why I'm like this, please energy so intense it was almost overwhelming. Talk about pressure.

I could guess the reason instantly, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠courtesy demanded I ask.

"Ye-song, something wrong?"

"Leadeeer…."

As if she'd been waiting for exactly that, Ye-song whipped her head toward me, eyes brimming with tears.

"I was just too arrogant, wasn't I…!?"

"Huh?"

Ye-song clenched her right fist and held it to her chest, her whole body trembling.

Pointless remorse came pouring out of her mouth like machine-gun fire.

"I let my guard down…! First year went fine, so I got careless. If I'd known second-year exams would be this hard, I never would've spent my days goofing off and things like thaaat. Why did I do it? Why was my past self so pathetic and complacent…!?"

"Unhappy with your score? How bad was it, exactly?"

Ye-song spread her hands to show the number with her fingers alone. There wasn't a shred of confidence in the gesture.

Five fingers on one hand, three on the other.

"53rd is still upper tier, though…."

"Two hands… which means 253rd… place."

"Ah."

Given how enormous the student body was, 253rd honestly wasn't bad….

But compared to Ye-song's first-year results, it was a serious drop.

"…."

Min-hyuk watched Ye-song quietly for a moment, then rose from his seat and walked over to her side.

Then he placed a hand on her shoulder and declared, with perfect clarity:

"Scrub trash."

Ye-song flinched hard.

Before long, she made her way to the sofa, hugged her knees, and buried her head in them.

"I'm a scrub trash… I'm sorry…."

"Puhahaha! Ha… ha…."

Min-hyuk gleefully leered at the now-dejected Ye-song….

But soon realizing his own circumstances hadn't changed one bit, he sat down across from her and hung his head low.

"I should have done better…. I have no face to show the Leader…."

"I will go on a diet…."

The two of them began a group soliloquy.

As Disciplinary Committee Leader, I did have a duty to strive for the peace and harmony of the Committee. But that particular brand of gloom seemed like something I could leave untouched.

Then, BAM! — the door flew open.

"I have arrived!"

"Oh, hey."

"Welcome."

The one who entered with that brimming confidence was Yoo Do-ha, our Treasurer.

There were only three possible reasons to be that bright on the day grades came out.

Either her score was good, she'd given up on the exams, or she'd given up on life.

"Do-ha, did your grades come out okay?"

"Hmph. Is that what matters? Truly, I cannot help but click my tongue at the academy's insolence, presuming to judge me by a mere examination!"

"Right. Good to see you staying positive."

The mistake was mine for bringing it up with a walking case of chuunibyou.

After school.

Cumulus clouds drifted lazily across the pond of the sky, backed by the glow of sunset.

Should I just wrap up the paperwork and head out.

There was no urgent business today.

Apparently, as long as nothing special happened, the period after exams brought a natural lull.

It was about time to resume volunteering with Lee Se-ah. During exam season, Se-ah and I had both been too busy for it.

That purpose was, of course, keeping an eye on Se-ah.

Anomia — the mafia Dohwapa's rival — had been annihilated. The need for surveillance was rising all the more sharply.

I'd also asked my expressionless junior. Not to tail her like before, just to keep her ears and eyes open and report anything she saw or heard of Se-ah's activities.

Lee Se-ah…. The more time I spend around her, the less she seems like a bad kid….

A perception was settling in that was quite different from the impression I'd held back in my game days.

It was the sense that Se-ah simply didn't feel like someone destined to become a villain.

Suspicious on the surface only, but remarkably good-natured underneath — something like that?

That didn't mean I had any reason to stop watching her, of course.

Whatever the case, she was destined to become a magnate of the Black Market and run illegal operations. I had to be prepared for any contingency.

Besides, I wanted to know why Se-ah died in the original story.

That question had been growing on me ever since we took down Anomia.

There was surely something I didn't know.

If I couldn't dig even that up, then even after my term as Disciplinary Committee Leader ended, the unease would linger like a scrap of meat stuck between my teeth.

Come to think of it….

Investigating the Anomia case had netted us their backers and numerous business partners, piling up an enormous track record for the Disciplinary Committee.

One backer, however, remained unidentified — that mysterious villain who'd provided Anomia with Grey Star and funneled massive support into the organization's finances.

Anomia's own boss had testified that she never bothered to ask the backer's identity, so she didn't know. A polygraph confirmed the statement was true.

Sifting through ledgers, cash flows, transaction records, official correspondence — the result was the same every time.

Whether the design had been this way from the very beginning, or whether someone had meticulously covered their tracks… nothing was certain.

It was unexpected.

With that much money moving around, I'd assumed it would be easy to trace.

Just who is that backer….

One thing was certain, though.

To pull off such a fantastical maneuver — as if casting grand magic — one precondition had to hold: obscene levels of power.

Which meant the suspects narrowed down to the heart of Academy City itself: members of Hanyang Federal Academy.

At minimum, central student council executive level.

And they'd have to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be substantially wealthy as well.

But Hanyang Federal Academy was the nexus of the city's power.

Ahseong's Disciplinary Committee was in no position to touch it.

Short of securing hard evidence, going up against Hanyang Federal Academy was a tall order.

What am I supposed to do about this….

"Leader, having dirty thoughts again?"

"?"

A lovely, attentive voice pulled me out of my musings.

"Like that'd ever happen…."

"Here, tea."

"Thanks."

Vice Leader Oh Baek-seo set the tea on my desk with a soft smile, then pulled a chair over and sat down beside me.

"Hm?"

Baek-seo rested her chin on the desk and simply stared at me.

I don't know why, but the sunset light caught on her face, and I couldn't take my eyes off her. A halo effect, you could call it.

With just the two of us in the office, a subtle mood hung in the air. Heat crept up my head for no reason. Worried the moment might turn awkward, I quickly fired off a question.

"Planning a staring contest or something?"

"Just looking at you for a moment, that's all."

Her gaze was like the way you'd look at an adorable child — which made it rather uncomfortable.

If it had felt like the way you'd look at a boy you liked, I might have impulsively punished her with a confession.

Baek-seo was truly beautiful.

Thanks to that, every clear-skied evening, my happiness somehow multiplied.

The Vice Leader's face, illuminated in sunset hues, was beautiful enough that I wanted to photograph it and hang it in a frame.

Call it a feast for the eyes. She had the power to hold me entranced — so much so that even I sometimes lost all sense of myself and wanted to blurt out my feelings.

But I had to restrain myself.

A reckless confession or an overt display of affection risked breaking our relationship apart.

"A staring contest sounds nice, actually…."

Baek-seo murmured.

As if she were a conference hall, listening to an opinion and deliberating on it.

She never told me in which direction it sounded nice.

"So, was there something you wanted to say?"

"There is."

"What is it?"

I asked, hiding the faint disappointment that had crept over me.

"How should we settle the bet?"

Oh, right. The bet.

I'd been too busy lamenting my failure to beat Baek-seo academically, so the thought had come late.

"Well. I suppose we'll have to decide."

Our original bet was supposed to be settled by exam scores.

Now that we'd tied for first, there was nothing to do but come to a mutual agreement.

"May I propose something?"

"Go ahead."

"I think we should each state our wish and then negotiate a middle ground. If we can't reach a compromise, we each grant the other's wish. How does that sound?"

That seemed the better route.

"Fine by me."

Though I'd have to hear the terms first, of course.

"Then… what wish were you planning to make, Leader?"

I had nothing to hold back.

"My Platinum Mileage came through. I'm heading out to spend it this weekend — I'd like you to come with me."

Right after the midterms ended, I'd confirmed the Platinum Mileage deposit in the student app on my phone.

This time, two people had been selected as Platinum Mileage recipients: me and one Kim Yeon-hee. No idea who Kim Yeon-hee was, of course.

Either way, I could finally commission a weapon forge from a Platinum-grade blacksmith.

Baek-seo tilted her head slightly and shot me a meaningful smile.

"Oh? Do you want to go with me?"

"Two's better than one. Improving my combat strength boosts the Committee's operational efficiency, and you're good moral support. So I figured, if anyone should come along, it'd be you, Vice Leader."

I brushed it off casually.

Of course, the truth was I just wanted to go with Baek-seo. It was practically a date.

"Then why don't we just settle it as your wish granted?"

"Hm?"

Baek-seo rose from her seat with a playful grin.

Hold on. Huh?

Glad as I was, I couldn't let it end just like this.

"What was your wish, then?"

"It's already been decided that your wish gets granted. Is there really any need for me to say it?"

Isn't that just unfair?

"No — no, it's not. Tell me. What was it?"

Baek-seo shook her head, went to the break room to drop off her cup, and gathered her school bag.

"Baek-seo?"

"Let's head home now. It's been a while since we had this much free time, hasn't it? Days like this call for going home early."

"Doesn't it seem a bit unfair that only I say mine and we call it done…?"

"Your wish has been agreed upon. I don't see anything left to discuss."

Something about it felt awfully suspicious.

"…Were you about to say some awkward wish and then changed your mind?"

"Who knows."

Baek-seo dodged the question with a faint smile.

"…."

There was no way she was going to answer.

Pushing further here would only make me look pathetic, I felt.

"Fine…, let's go."

Forcing down my curiosity, I stood up.

We grabbed our bags, switched off the office lights, and walked out together into the sunset.

"Baek-seo."

"Yes?"

"My pride won't let this go. Say your wish sometime too. I'll grant it."

"Will you, now?"

"If I just let this slide, all I'll be left with is a sense of debt. You have to tell me."

"Hehe, so forceful. All right."

The sky, awash in sunset glow, was familiar and beautiful.

For Oh Baek-seo, it was an endlessly tranquil scene.

Cars passed sparsely along the road. Walking past the aging bookstore, she imagined she could smell the scent of paper. Past the small shops with their pretty signs, delicious aromas drifted through the air, and whenever her eyes fell on the lovely cake models arranged in the café's display window, she found herself wanting to savor that taste together with the man beside her.

And with only the smallest turn of her gaze, the hand of the person she liked came into view.

The cat they'd passed on the street had been pretty, or the food at that newly opened restaurant had been delicious.

Walking home from school with Leader Ahn Woo-jin, listing off this and that meaningless little thing — for Baek-seo, moments like these were simply, unreservedly happy.

A wish….

Baek-seo thought.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Whenever the backs of their hands brushed now and then and she felt the touch of his skin, a desperate longing stirred within her. The wish to hold his hand.

She'd considered making it her wish. She agonized for the longest time over whether to muster the courage — but as she'd expected, the words wouldn't leave her mouth readily. That would be crossing the line.

Buried in such thoughts, she felt a feather gently tickling her heart, and she found herself more conscious of Woo-jin than usual.

As if it had been waiting for this moment, the optimist in her head — angel or devil, who could say — whispered temptingly in Baek-seo's ear: go on, take his hand right now. Why worry about tomorrow, it reasoned.

But because she knew this moment would end someday, Baek-seo contented herself with the occasional brush of hand against hand.

"Baek-seo."

"Mm?"

It was just as Baek-seo, without thinking, stepped ahead toward the crosswalk.

Whoosh. Woo-jin grabbed her hand and pulled her swiftly back.

The sound of cars rushing past.

With Woo-jin's chest right before her eyes, Baek-seo stood for a brief moment, hand in his, dazed.

"The light's still red. What are you doing, not watching?"

Woo-jin looked down at her and chided her.

"I guess not…."

Baek-seo stole a glance at their joined hands. His grip wrapped around her, covering her wrist.

A warm heat enveloped her soft, delicate hand.

She realized anew that Woo-jin's hand was bigger than she'd thought.

It was a hopelessly clichéd sentiment, the kind you'd find in the romance novels she'd read as a child.

But why that phrase had been used so often — in this very moment, Baek-seo felt she finally understood.

"So… did you have dirty thoughts?"

As if he'd been lying in wait for exactly this moment, Woo-jin curled the corner of his mouth into a smirk and tossed out the joke. It was his revenge.

Baek-seo recognized the joke for what it was at once. Still, it wasn't a question she could simply laugh off — at least, for Baek-seo, it happened to be the truth.

Skilled as she was at composing herself, Baek-seo let no trace of flusteredness show. Instead, she smiled back, slyly, as if launching a counterattack.

"My, how lewd of you, Leader?"

"?"

Caught off guard by her unexpected reaction, Woo-jin faltered.

He worked hard to keep his poker face, but to Baek-seo, every shift in his expression was plainly visible. To her, it was simply adorable.

"Thank you. Let's go."

The light turned green.

Baek-seo drew Woo-jin's hand down, gave that lovely hand one firm squeeze, then let go naturally.

The two of them started walking across the crosswalk once more.

─ Your Platinum Mileage should have arrived. Go and confirm it.

The voice of an elderly woman on the phone cut beneath her ears like a chill draft of cold air.

In front of the phone, Kim Dal-bi took out her smartphone and connected to the student app. The Platinum Mileage had been deposited under the name 'Kim Yeon-hee'.

"Yeah, it's here."

─ Use that to acquire that thing, then. There is no way to obtain it anywhere but the Platinum Shop.

"Understood. …Oh, by the way?"

Dal-bi beamed brightly as she asked into the receiver.

"You sent a strange girl into my school district? Without a word of warning, no less."

Dal-bi narrowed her eyes.

A murderous voice leaked out from her smiling face.

─ Yes. Your boyfriend cut off the necks of my precious children. I was prepared to overlook it at a reasonable level, but he went far beyond that.

The elderly woman spoke calmly, her voice tinged with a sigh.

"Isn't the real mistake hiring useless brats like Anomia in the first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠place, you senile old hag? I respectfully submit my opinion."

Dal-bi grinned ear to ear.

─ …You insolent child.

The elderly woman said, like a warning.

─ A dog should behave like a dog. Do nothing you will come to regret.

Click.

The call ended, and silence settled in.

The corners of Dal-bi's mouth slowly sank. She lowered her eyes and kept her mouth shut tight for a long while. At last, she closed her eyes, lifted her head, and drew a deep breath.

"Whew…."

Dal-bi recovered her composure and opened her eyes again.

"That cursed old hag."

Dal-bi muttered it quietly, in a level voice — and then walked away.