Lion's Roar Training #1
Lion's Roar Training #1
"Pre-si-dent!"
"Pre-si-dent!"
"Pre-si-dent!"
My classmates were chanting at me to run for student council president. At first it was just people riding the energy, but once Yu-ri and Brian—that blond bastard—started hyping the crowd, the atmosphere got way too intense.
Somebody save me, please!
I'm seriously gonna lose it!
"Ugh! Hey! Shut up! What president, man! I don't care if you suddenly start shouting that, I didn't agree to anything! Hoo-wee! Hoo-wee!"
If this keeps going I might actually end up as president...! I don't really know what the president does, but I'm not the type for that stuff. Just make Leona president instead!
I ignored the Mage Class kids who were raising a ruckus and got down from the podium. Once I made it back to the Warrior Class group.
"Ooooooh! You are student president! Kim Geun-cheol-desu-kaaaaaa! Oh yes! Very very freedom! Defeated the Mage Class rep and leveled up to President!"
"Scream Man! You're finally running! I knew it all along! That you're a big-shot!"
"If a guy like Kim Geun-cheol becomes student council president, what the hell happens to this school? Should I look into a transfer?"
The BKM Trio started chiming right in and making a whole damn spectacle of themselves. Especially Brian, who was carrying on like he'd taken something. Is this bastard on hallucinogens or what? And Mun Min, you son of a bitch, I'll see you later.
"Ugh, you jackasses. Quiet. Quiet."
I'm not the type to blush easily, but right now I'm so goddamn embarrassed I'm burning up. My back's heating up and I'm flustered. What am I, sous-vide Kim Geun-cheol? Feels like broth's simmering out of my spine.
All this shoulder-shoving really makes a guy cringe, seriously.
—Thud.
But then.
Some guy blocked my path.
"This is preposterous."
"You're Ryu brat?!"
"You are not president material! Stop spouting nonsense! To think you'd become student council president, a fool who doesn't know his place! The worst declaration to run in human history!"
"I said I'm not interested, you idiot! And you lunatic, I never said a single word about running, got it?!"
"Silence!"
"You're the noisy one, man!"
This Ryu bastard's just making fun of me now, like he finally found a good angle to mess with me!
If I ever do become student council president, I'm making this guy the official school janitor. I settled on that while walking back to my spot, and Si-hoo shouted at me all worked up.
"Geun-cheol! What the hell happened!"
"Haa... man. You heard everything. That's it. I handled some kids for 'em... but how it turned into this, I dunno. I don't get it even when I do."
"More importantly, are you really going to be student council president, Kim Geun-cheol?!"
And Leona jumped in and started shaking my shoulders.
"Ugh, hey! I said I'm not interested!"
"Truly!"
"That's what I'm saying!"
Leona looked like she genuinely, desperately wants to be student council president. Honestly, Leona fits the position way better than me. Just the classic president type.
"Let go, quick! Let go, quick!"
But she kept shaking my shoulders so I had to tickle her side to peel her off.
"H-heok?!"
Leona's tickle defense must be low, because she let go immediately and curled up like a shrimp.
"How dare Kim Geun-cheol touch my side...!"
—Screech.
Right then, the instructor came in.
"Alright, everyone quiet. Break's over. All of you, head to the training ground."
The instructor gave out orders while calming everyone's excitement.
"Geun-cheol!"
"Hey!"
"Ah, see you at lunch! At lunch!"
My friends were still worked up, but I couldn't do anything about it now. So, as the instructor took control, we split into squads and entered the VR training room, but with this mood, there was no way class was going to proceed normally.
"Impressive. Dishing out correction to Ahn Do-min."
"Y-yeah... I think you did good."
"You have the qualities. Of a student council president."
"You'd be... better than someone like Ahn Do-min."
Even Ma O-hun and Park Ha-yul couldn't focus and just kept talking about it.
"No, did you guys hate Ahn Do-min that much?"
"I hate him. Obviously. Because he's the kind of guy who subtly looks down on people."
"It's not like he ever did anything directly... but his attitude's always like that. And the kids who hang around him tend to toss out cutting remarks too."
Since he was that kind of bastard, the dislike they felt probably swung in my favor. Though it's a bit surprising—a guy who was that blatant to my face was only subtly shitty inside his own class.
Did he lose his mind when he saw Leona?
"But fuck, student council president."
Me?
They're goddamn insane, seriously.
* * *
"No, you son of a bitch! You went and did something that fucking fun all by yourself, huh! You deserve to get hit!"
Yu-ri shouted that while stabbing a fried chicken piece with her fork. This is the reaction I get when I properly explain what happened during the lunch break while sitting down.
Anyway, she absolutely loves a fight, that one.
"Hey! Leona! If something like that happens, call me! So we can go together!"
"Noo... But the insult was only aimed at me and Kim Geun-cheol."
To Yu-ri's words, Leona answered while tucking her hair behind her ear.
"It's a matter of personal honor, so calling your friends to swarm in hurts your swagger. That's just how superhuman society works! That's why, right? We went a little quietly."
"Well I get that, but! Ugh, what's the point of having good friends then!"
"No, Yu-ri. Were you that eager to watch a fight?"
"You said you beat the fuck out of like five guys! Why am I the only one who didn't see it!"
Si-hoo didn't see it either.
"And fuck, that bullshit about being sick last time was a total lie too! You should've just fucking gotten beaten! I lost out because I worried, you shithead!"
About midway through, Yu-ri's eyes turned grim and she shouted that.
"Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Since I straight-up lied about it, all I can do is apologize. Knowing she was worried makes me feel even worse about it.
"Yu-ri, I'm genuinely sorry!"
"Sorry to me?"
"Yeah!"
"Then show me some sincerity, man. Sincerity."
Only then did Yu-ri's expression loosen up and she spoke like she was negotiating.
"Sincerity?"
"Think hard about it."
"If I put my head together with every person I know and think hard, will that do?"
"That's overdoing it, jackass. Just shove this in your mouth."
Yu-ri grinned, then pawned off every single vegetable she'd brought right onto my tray.
"Si-hoo, eat this."
"Shut it!"
Si-hoo has a seizure.
"Haah, anyway, Geun-cheol. This got resolved properly, right? No complications after?"
"Yeah. Looks like it got resolved well. In the first place, it wasn't even me who worked; the instructor and the Chairwoman handled it, so what's there to worry about. I heard that Chairman Ahn guy got beat up and kicked out too."
It honestly got resolved as well as possible.
Like Si-hoo said, I thought about any potential complications for a second, but in superhuman society, that stuff doesn't seem like it'd be allowed. No need to stress about it.
"It's the guy's own fault for raising his bastard without manners, so he got punished. Hey, Kim Geun-cheol. If something like that happens again, just fucking smack 'em. Gotta fix their bad attitude."
"Obviously, man. You think I wouldn't?"
"Still, I like that this bastard Kim Geun-cheol's got fire. Whatever happens, the loudmouth jackasses always end up fucking destroyed anyway. Acts like this happen all the time in the world. They just acted dumb."
Yu-ri had a superhuman way of thinking too. Retaliation and violence are just completely natural. A true exemplar of a superhuman. I almost want to follow her example.
"Anyway, they said it was Jade Inside. Let's see..."
Yu-ri pulled out her phone and started searching.
"He's the chairman of a major corporation. Looks like they make all sorts of stuff. Retired decades ago already, was active after the Sovereign Commander Coup. Nothing special. Dunno what guts he had; major corp or not, that stuff doesn't work on superhumans."
"Right. In the end, you're bound to get wrecked if you screw up. Mere civilian titles are of no help at all."
Leona folded her arms and nodded.
"I do wish Europe would strengthen this kind of trend. There certainly are things to learn from Korea."
They said it's a bit different because it's a superhuman oligarchy and not a superhuman monarchy. But it's still kinda cool that Leona's showing this kind of reaction.
"Kyah. Nationalist Hype."
"Leona. Introduce this to all of Europe someday. The Jjamppong recipe too. Let's burn every European's tongue off."
"That's a good idea! But, Kim Geun-cheol? Are you really not going to be student council president?"
"No, not this again! I said I'm not interested!"
As I answered, Leona's expression grew solemn. She clenched her fists and said.
"Well, still, if this age truly demands Kim Geun-cheol... Kkhk! I'd have to swallow my tears and give up! If that happens, I'll support you! Make the academy greater!"
What is she talking about!
"I honestly think the school would crumble if Geun-cheol becomes student council president."
"Si-hoo. What do you take me for?"
"Someone who should absolutely never be student council president!"
This bastard?!
"That's what I'm saying. Hey, man. You think just anyone can be student council president? Huh?"
"Yu-ri here was egging it on herself, too!"
It's just a goddamn sight!
Anyway, these Mage Class bastards are trying to push the student council president job onto me like it's a joke... But what does the Ares Academy student council president even do?
"No, guys. But do they even elect a student council president? When do they hold the election?"
"Ah, there'll probably be an announcement for that soon. When I looked into it, I heard they pick one after a festival event around the beginning of second year."
Seeing how well-informed Lee Si-hoo is, that's kinda suspicious.
Was this guy aiming for the power all along, honestly?
"But what'd you say? A festival event? Si-hoo. Our school has that?"
"Look at the academic calendar a little, Geun-cheol."
Si-hoo said, letting out a sigh.
"Hey, man. Even if I looked, things have changed more than once or twice. Anyway, a festival and elections, huh... What do they do at the festival here?"
"Won't they just show off their skills or something? Sing songs like crazy too."
Yu-ri said it like she had zero interest.
Honestly, school festivals are basically just you gathering in class in the morning, standing by while doing dumb pointless stuff, then watching a talent show in the auditorium in the afternoon, aren't they?
"Kim Geun-cheol? Will you take part in stuff like a talent show at the festival?"
Right then, Leona asked with sparkling eyes.
"Me? No, I dunno what I'd even do. Let guys like Mun Min or Brian do that kind of thing."
"This Kim Geun-cheol bastard in a talent show...? Hey. I think that'd be pretty good?"
"Right! Let's just push Kim Geun-cheol up on stage! What do you say!"
"No, hey! What the hell are you talking about!"
First they try to make me student council president and now they're trying to make me some talent show contestant?
At this rate I'm seriously gonna get dragged up!
Absolutely not!
"Guys, hey, guys. Calm down. Geun-cheol sings really weird!"
"What's this bastard going on about now! Hey! I'm an amazing singer!"
This Si-hoo bastard dares to say something I can never condone!
Everything else I can let slide, but saying I can't sing is something I just can't stand!
"What do you mean I sing weird! I absolutely cannot condone those words!"
"Hoh... Seems Kim Geun-cheol's feeling confident? Hey. We've absolutely gotta do this."
"I really like that attitude! Kim Geun-cheol! When the festival comes, head out for the talent show and show us those skills!"
Why is this kind of thing happening again!
"Just go ahead and make me do everything, all of it!"
