Lighthearted Daily Life (3)
Knock knock knock—
“Aww, if our Chaea is this cute and cool and pretty all by herself, what are the rest of us supposed to do!? Greedy Yoon Chaea, you’re seriously insane, insane!!”
“Eeeeh—”
Unable to hold back, I ruffled Chaea’s hair roughly, and her eyes went all dazed and glassy.
“…Stop tormenting Chaea already.”
Chae Yujeong sighed and said that while watching us.
“When did I ever torment her? Chaea likes it too, so what’s with the false accusations?”
“…Crazy bitch.”
I ignored Chae Yujeong’s snide remark and turned to Chaea.
“Right~ Chaea-ya~”
“……”
“…Chaea, Chaea. Why aren’t you answering?”
“U-uh, yeah….”
“See~ Chaea likes it too! Seriously, stop with the false accusations, Chae Yujeong!”
“Ha….”
While we were all playing around and teasing each other, Jin Soyoung soon walked into the classroom.
“Everyone, take your seats.”
At her words, I swallowed my disappointment and let Chaea out of my arms. The moment I released her, she scurried straight back to her seat.
“As I briefly announced last week, today we’ll be electing the class president and vice president.”
Ah, right. There had been talk about that last week.
At Jin Soyoung’s words, the original novel’s plot naturally came to mind. The class president was Han Yeoreum, and the vice president was Yeon Hajin. In reality, it probably wouldn’t be much different either. From what was described in the original, the vice president position was basically a cushy, low-responsibility role anyway….
I had no intention of taking it. Unlike the original, the academy was functioning normally now, so there would be plenty of variables, and besides, I wasn’t about to carelessly grab some position of authority. Plus, with my friend Yeoreum holding the class president power, why would I need to become vice president myself?
“Then let’s first receive nominations and recommendations for class president.”
At Jin Soyoung’s words, I shot my hand up and shouted.
“Yeoreum!”
I grinned at Han Yeoreum, who turned to look at me. She smiled back softly.
Under Jin Soyoung’s direction, Han Yeoreum’s name was added to the board. A moment later—
“Now for the vice president candidates.”
At Jin Soyoung’s words, Yeon Hajin raised his hand. I thought he was nominating himself like in the original, but—
“I recommend Yu Haneul.”
“…?”
Yeon Hajin’s sudden drift caught me completely off guard. Before I could even process it, my name was written on the board right alongside the others.
“Uh, wait a second!”
Despite my frantic protest, Jin Soyoung only smiled and left my name right where it was.
…This wasn’t right. I stared daggers at Yeon Hajin in disbelief, but he just took it shamelessly. Realizing this wouldn’t do, I raised my hand and shouted.
“I recommend Yeon Hajin!”
“Each person may only make one recommendation, Cadet Yu Haneul.”
“Ah.”
I should’ve known better than to recommend Han Yeoreum. She would’ve nominated herself anyway.
With my counterattack sunk, I looked around desperately for help and met Chaea’s eyes.
Chaea…! Help me…!
“…!”
Chaea took one look at my sparkling, pleading gaze and frantically shook her head.
Just once, please….
“……”
When I kept staring without giving up, Chaea slowly, hesitantly raised her hand.
“Oh, Cadet Yoon Chaea?”
Jin Soyoung called on her, and Chaea stammered out,
“…Y-Yeon Hajin Cadet, I r-recommend him…….”
“I couldn’t quite hear you. Could you say it a little louder?”
There was no way an Awakener of Jin Soyoung’s level hadn’t heard her. The mischievous smile on her lips was proof enough.
“Uh, um…….”
Chaea faltered under Jin Soyoung’s prompting. Her eyes were definitely getting very watery right now—I didn’t even need to look.
Just as Chaea’s humidity levels were steadily rising, Jin Soyoung chuckled and said,
“Alright, I’ll add Cadet Yeon Hajin as well.”
“…!”
Chaea immediately brightened and plopped back down in her seat. She shyly turned her head, met my eyes, and gave a tiny little giggle.
Really, you’re the only one, Chaea….
Seeing my moved expression, Chaea smiled proudly, and the urge to dote on her welled up inside me all over again.
***
But reality was cold.
Despite Chaea’s fighting spirit…
“I’ll announce the results. Class president: Han Yeoreum. Vice president: Yu Haneul. That’s all.”
“Ah.”
In the end, I became vice president.
Once Jin Soyoung declared break time and left, the kids crowded around my desk. I sighed at the sight of Chae Yujeong’s face loaded with mockery and struck first.
“Ha… Looks like my intellectual side can’t be hidden no matter how hard I try~ I ended up earning everyone’s trust without even meaning to…. Being a model student is tough, seriously~”
Chae Yujeong’s expression crumpled instantly at my words.
“…Bullshit. You only got elected because of your face.”
“You wouldn’t understand, Yujeong, the weight of being an elite…. Yeoreum, you understand me, right?”
I left the thoroughly annoyed Chae Yujeong behind and clung to Han Yeoreum, but—
“Ahaha…. Let’s do our best together this semester, Haneul.”
Han Yeoreum just brushed my words aside naturally and patted my back.
Meanwhile, Chae Yujeong’s eyes met mine over Han Yeoreum’s shoulder.
“…I can let everything else slide, but the fact that you’re more of a model student than me is really hard to accept.”
“No, hey. What are you even saying? Who are you to deny that I’m a model student?”
“Ha, then what about you? What are you? If you’re so confident, how about topping the midterms?”
“…Huh?”
I’d been half-jokingly poking at Chae Yujeong when she suddenly said that, and I froze, glancing at Lee Hayun. In the original, Lee Hayun’s background had been tied up with gambling in a bad way.
“Pfft.”
Fortunately, Lee Hayun just snickered like she didn’t care much. Maybe she didn’t mind light bets as long as it wasn’t actual gambling with money…?
Still—
“…That’s a bit much.”
Topping the class wasn’t really my thing. In the original, Chae Yujeong had been in the top ranks of the entire school. Of course, back then a lot of cadets had died, so the overall pool was smaller.
Chae Yujeong immediately sneered at my response.
“Puh, you’re scared.”
“No, it’s not that I’m scared—”
“Yeah, yeah~ Whatever~ So the self-proclaimed model student Yu Haneul actually isn’t very confident in studying~ I, the real elite, will just have to put up with it~”
Unable to take Chae Yujeong’s mocking tone any longer, I finally snapped back.
“…Hey, fine. Let’s do it. Top of the class.”
I stepped out of Han Yeoreum’s arms and said that, and Chae Yujeong’s lips curled up in a nasty little smirk.
“Really? There are plenty of witnesses here. Once you agree, you can’t take it back?”
“Let’s do it. Let’s do it. What are we betting? Huh? What do you want to bet?”
“Hmm, a wish? How about a wish?”
“……”
I hesitated for a second at Chae Yujeong’s suggestion of a wish bet, but—
“Yeah~ Just apologize and back out now while this big sis is still being generous. What’s the point of a top-of-the-class bet anyway—”
“Hey, let’s do it. Let’s do it. A wish bet is fine.”
Chae Yujeong was just too irritating to let slide.
At my words, she brightened and looked around.
“Yeoreum, you heard that, right? Hayun, Chaea, you all heard it too? You’re all witnesses?”
“…Are you sure about this, Haneul?”
Han Yeoreum looked at me with concern.
“What? Yeoreum, what did that question just mean? Why are you asking if I’m okay? Not Chae Yujeong?”
“…If you need help studying, just tell me.”
Even after my retort, Han Yeoreum didn’t lose her worried expression.
“Hey, Han Yeoreum. Why are you only helping her? That’s cheating.”
Chae Yujeong protested while watching us.
“Then we can all study together later.”
Lee Hayun, who had been watching and laughing, wrapped it up.
With the matter settled for now, my eyes met Chaea’s.
“……”
She was looking at me with genuine worry. That look made the reality of the situation hit me hard.
Maybe I shouldn’t have made that bet…?
…Honestly, I wasn’t confident. Studying.
***
“Hey, Yeon Hajin.”
I went to find Yeon Hajin, the root cause of all this, partly to vent my piled-up irritation.
“You’ve lost it. Repaying kindness with betrayal, huh?”
Smack smack!
I whacked his back hard while saying that, and Yeon Hajin replied,
“You recommended me too….”
“That was Chaea, not me.”
“……”
At my words, Yeon Hajin sighed and said with a hint of pity,
“Well, what can you do? You’re more popular than me.”
…He had a point. I had nothing to say to that.
“But didn’t you want to be vice president?”
“…Not really?”
“Eh? Why?”
“…I’m more curious why you thought that.”
Because in the original, he had nominated himself and gotten elected vice president?
“You just seemed interested in that kind of thing. Was I wrong?”
Yeon Hajin gave a small, honest laugh and said,
“At first, it wasn’t like I had zero interest…. But as time passed, I realized that a position where you have to lead people and take responsibility suits you more than me.”
Even without him saying it outright, I could guess what had changed his mind. It had to be because of the dungeon training incident.
“That’s actually why I recommended you. For the vice president nomination.”
Yeon Hajin smiled faintly as he said that. In that moment, he looked mentally healthier than I’d been worried about.
…So it wasn’t because of some mental health issue, but just a normal, healthy thought process?
“No, I get what you mean…. But the vice president position isn’t really that big of a deal, is it?”
Still, even so, being vice president wasn’t exactly a grand role that required leading people or taking on heavy responsibility.
“Even so, I just thought you’d hate being class president.”
“I never wanted to be vice president either, you know?”
“Still, it might be pretty comfortable if you do it with Han Yeoreum?”
“Ha….”
He wasn’t wrong, but…
…Ah, whatever.
Yeoreum would handle everything anyway.
Smack!
“Ow!”
I gave his back one solid whack to settle the vice president matter once and for all. What was done was done, after all.
Yeon Hajin rubbed his back dramatically even though it probably didn’t even hurt. I sighed and changed the subject.
“…Anyway, do you have time after school?”
“Huh? Time? Why?”
“I was thinking we could go shopping together.”
“…Shopping?”
Yeon Hajin gave me a dubious look at my words.
“What? Why’s that face?”
“No….”
“Ha, hey. Did you think I was gonna take you clothes shopping or something?”
“……”
Even after I said that, Yeon Hajin kept eyeing me suspiciously.
…This guy was nuts.
“Forget it. If I wanted to buy clothes, I’d take the girls, not you. I meant the Hunter Shopping Mall.”
“…The Hunter Shopping Mall?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some stuff to sell.”
Yeon Hajin thought for a moment, then agreed.
“…Alright, let’s go.”
***
After school, once we finished our special training, Yeon Hajin and I headed out.
“You’re paying for the portal, right?”
“…Is that why you brought me along?”
“Think of it as payment for selling my name in the vice president election earlier.”
“……”
With no response from Yeon Hajin, I smacked his back a few times as we made our way to the portal facility.
That’s what you get for not behaving better normally.