Why Are You Here?
The door to the student council room clicked shut behind me, leaving Cha Yeri alone inside. She picked up the documents I had finished handling and began looking through them. They were organized with a level of neatness that far exceeded her expectations.
“Just who… is that man, really?”
Cha Yeri hated two types of people more than anything: delinquents and those who lacked seriousness. Even though Kang Ijin possessed both qualities she despised, he kept making her think, ‘He’s better than I expected…’
“Maybe I’ve been judging him too harshly.”
She shook her head. That didn’t seem right. From the information she had received through Yena, he was undeniably a delinquent. He frequently jumped over walls just because the distance was shorter, often slept during class or in the infirmary, and had been spotted dozens of times hanging around with the school’s troublemakers.
There was one other notable detail. Kang Ijin had a younger brother who was a first-year at this very school. ‘I was worried another delinquent just like him would enroll…’ But the younger brother turned out to be surprisingly well-behaved, so she had quickly lost interest. It was a relief that no clone of Kang Ijin had appeared.
Anyway, information about his brother wasn’t important. The real issue was why she kept thinking Kang Ijin was better than expected. Thanks to him, the paperwork was finished early. She sat down calmly in her chair, intending to think about the reason behind it, when—
Knock, knock.
Someone rapped on the student council room door.
“Come in.”
At the familiar voice, Cha Yeri’s tone softened. Yet when the door opened, Lee Yena entered hesitantly, like a criminal walking to her execution.
“What’s wrong, Yena?”
“Um, Master… could you… give me some laundry money?”
“Laundry money? Why?”
“Well… I accidentally dirtied Kang I— I mean, a friend’s clothes, and he keeps pestering me for the cleaning fee… I-I’m sorry!”
That “friend” was obviously Kang Ijin. Yena was deliberately hiding his name from her. Was it because she had passed out because of him yesterday? It seemed she didn’t want to trouble her master with anything involving him again.
‘I already know everything, but Yena really is cute in moments like this.’
Cha Yeri wasn’t the type to get angry over something as trivial as laundry money. Yena was not only her exclusive maid but also a precious younger sister. For someone who had grown up by her side since childhood, she wouldn’t hesitate to spend any amount.
The only slightly annoying part was… that Yena had called him a “friend.” She had probably just grabbed the first word that came to mind while trying to avoid saying his name. They couldn’t possibly be close. They had better not be.
She had no intention of handing over her cherished maid and only friend to Kang Ijin.
“I’ll cover the laundry fee.”
“Thank you, Master. Shall I brew you a cup of black tea?”
“Yes, please.”
True to her life spent entirely as a maid, Yena skillfully steeped the tea leaves using only the tea set kept in the student council room.
“Here you are.”
“Thanks.”
Glug, glug, glug. The tea poured in a perfectly steady stream. Even though it flowed from a high position, not a single drop splashed outside the cup. It was hard to imagine how someone as competent a maid as Yena could have made such a disgraceful scene twice. Actually… she had a vague idea why.
Probably anyone who spent time around Kang Ijin would get swept up in his pace.
“By the way, how’s your hangover from yesterday? You looked pretty rough this morning.”
“I’m fine now. It’s all thanks to the hangover remedy you bought for me, Master.”
“Hangover remedy? I never bought you any.”
“Huh? I thought for sure it was from you, Master… Then who could have… Ah, no way…”
“Yeah. It has to be that guy.”
Both women thought of the same person. Yena recalled gratefully drinking what she had believed was a gift from her master, only to fall into despair. Watching her, Cha Yeri let out a small chuckle.
“That man… I can never tell if he’s good or bad.”
Leaving a drunk woman behind like that made him seem terrible, but taking care of Yena when she was suffering from a hangover made him seem not entirely evil…
“Master, while we’re at it, should I tail Kang Ijin and keep an eye on him?”
“Why?”
“That guy isn’t your average punk. I’m certain he joined the student council with his sights set on you, President. If you give me permission, I’ll monitor his every move and thoroughly investigate what kind of person he really is.”
“He joined the student council to target me… Hehe, that’s quite an interesting theory.”
But that couldn’t be true. The student council election at Gangan High School was restricted to students with top academic grades. Had he studied hard, dismantled the school’s biggest headache—the Ilbi-hoe—and won the students’ favor just to get close to her?
‘If that were really the case, I’d have to applaud him.’
At the very least, it meant Kang Ijin wasn’t the type to spout empty words. He was someone who showed results through action rather than talk. That was exactly the kind of person she respected.
“Kang Ijin probably joined the student council… simply because it looked fun. Once it becomes a hassle, he’ll quit on his own. Hehe.”
Besides, the idea that he was after her made no sense. They had had zero contact until he became vice president. There was no reason for him to target her.
Come to think of it, Yena had been receiving money under the pretext of studying how to become a popular “insider” in class, which she used to buy manga. Looking at the stacks of books filling her room, it was obvious personal interest played a big part, but since Yena had spent her entire life serving by her side, Cha Yeri had never interfered with her hobbies.
Claiming he was after her was such a cute, manga-addled guess—very much like Yena.
“President, this isn’t the time to be smiling! You could really be in danger—”
“Yena, do you have a lot of interest in Kang Ijin?”
“What?”
“It’s just that this is the first time you’ve spoken about someone like this. For Kang Ijin… he is quite handsome, I suppose. It’s very like you—ever since you were little, you’ve always gone weak at the knees for good-looking guys.”
“W-what are you saying! President, really… I’m not joking right now, I’m being serious!”
When Yena frowned and puffed up in anger, Cha Yeri covered her mouth and giggled. Yena was the only friend she ever teased first. They had grown up together since childhood, with only a year’s age difference, making her like a real younger sister. Although physically, the taller Yena with the larger chest looked more like the older sister… Anyway, her reactions were so entertaining that whenever the strict family environment became suffocating, Cha Yeri would often regain her energy by teasing her.
“I’ve decided to stop the background investigation.”
“R-really? Then… since I no longer have any duties, I should proceed with the withdrawal procedures so I can focus entirely on my maid work.”
Yena spoke as if it were obvious, but a faint trace of disappointment showed on her face. She had expected that. After spending a year at school, she must have made new friends. Above all, for someone who had been raised as her maid from birth, school life must have been a fresh, exciting experience.
Cha Yeri understood Yena’s feelings better than anyone and respected them.
“No. There’s no need for that. Keep attending school. Since you’ve already enrolled, you should graduate properly.”
“But my maid duties…”
“There’s no need for a maid at school. It’s enough if you attend to me briefly in the evenings. You’ve already been doing that for a year, and I’ve grown quite used to it. You worked so hard gathering information all this time, didn’t you? There’s no need for that anymore, so enjoy your school life as much as you want.”
“Thank you, Master!”
With Yena who wanted to continue school life, and Kang Ijin who wanted her to remain at school, Cha Yeri had caught two rabbits with one stone. Although it felt like she was doing Kang Ijin a favor, she was already looking forward to the surprised look on his face when he saw that Yena was still around.
…Just a tiny bit.
I was on my way home when I got caught up in something annoying. It wasn’t anything major—just that my friends grabbed me before I could leave.
“Jin! Jin!”
The short guy with sharp, slit-like eyes who always called me “Jin! Jin!” whenever he saw me. It was Kim Gicheol, the one who constantly pestered me to hang out. Despite how he looked, he was also an executive of the Ijin-hoe. He was close to me and also close to Ha Seongjin. He probably got close to Ha Seongjin the same way he did with me—by persistently sticking to him without getting tired. His ability to bow when necessary while still maintaining great sociability was his strong point.
“Call me once, damn it. It’s annoying.”
“I can’t help but make a fuss. The guy who always refused when I invited him finally showed up today. What wind blew you into a drinking party?”
“Just… didn’t feel like going home.”
If I went home, Kang Suho would be there, and of course Jeong Sua would be too. I couldn’t run into her yet. Not until I planted the idea that I was deliberately avoiding her. The goal was to make Jeong Sua burn with longing.
“Pfft. Look at you. Saying you don’t want to go home. Well, whatever the reason, I’m happy. Since you said you’d come, I told a bunch of girls with nice bodies from school to show up.”
He had used my name to lure in the female students. This guy really hadn’t changed his old habits. Whether it was back then or now, Kim Gicheol was the type to call over the handsome guys among his friends and then slip in among them to hang out with women. He was really something. Even though I rejected him every time, he never got tired and kept asking me to come hang out. If he had put that effort somewhere else, his life might have turned out differently, like mine.
‘But that’s exactly why he remains nothing but an extra.’
Unlike me, who had recognized my given role and grown accordingly, these guys didn’t even know what role they played in this world. The very idea of escaping fate was impossible for them.
“I’m just going to drink and leave once time’s up. I’m not singing either.”
“Do whatever. I didn’t expect anything from you anyway. You’re like a flashy signboard that draws the girls in.”
“Oh, is that so? I’ll play the signboard role perfectly then. Hurry up and order some drinks. The expensive stuff.”
“Okay, wait here. I’m super close with the auntie who runs this place. I’ll bring something you’ll like.”
Kim Gicheol, who had gone outside, personally brought back the alcohol, glasses, and snack trays. He really must be close with the owner. This was exactly why I liked Kim Gicheol. His sociability meant he knew a lot of people, and watching him act without pointless pride or pretense always put me in a good mood.
“You’re sucking up way too hard today.”
“It’s because a ton of pretty girls are coming thanks to you, so I’m giving you special treatment, you bastard.”
“Even so, they’ll all be the same type.”
The girls he lured using my name to a karaoke bar full of obvious delinquents like us were bound to be a certain kind. Loose, trashy bitches who enjoyed hanging around guys, or members of the Ijin-hoe. Either way, they weren’t my type.