Daddy-Long-Legs, Part 1
"HEAD CHEEEEEEF!!"
That voice! That godforsaken voice!
I was about to dive headfirst through the paper window and make a run for it, but I forced myself to stay put and sat back down. It was my very first time stepping inside the Student Council Room, but I didn't feel even a shred of excitement. If anything, I wanted to escape immediately. I felt like I had just wandered into R'lyeh, the lair of Cthulhu.
"...It's been a while."
"I heard you prepared an absolutely magnificent dish at the Beggar Sect's recent banquet! The legendary Beggar's Chicken, which brings tears to one's eyes with just a single bite...!"
With those words, Yang Seoran suddenly lunged forward and grabbed my hands. I subtly slipped them out of her grasp. I didn't expect her to be demure, but I really wished she would tone down the wildness.
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear. Rumors tend to exaggerate."
"Nonsense! My master, who attended the event, wrote in her letter that she thoroughly enjoyed herself, so the rumors must be true!"
"Your master... the Sword Queen?"
"Indeed! You remember well!"
I searched my memory of the banquet, but strangely, my recollection of the Sword Queen was close to zero. I knew she was there, but did we never actually meet face-to-face? Or maybe so much had happened that day that it simply slipped my mind. After all, I had spent more time talking to Tae Pal, the Beggar Sect's chef, than to the actual guests.
"I heard about what happened last night! To think such an unfortunate incident befell Young Master Man! What is this academy coming to for such a thing to happen? How dare they commit such blatant perjury in a sacred school!"
"I thought you'd know everything, Lady Yang. Guess not?"
"I am merely a fellow student myself, so I am not in a position to know everything! I simply strive to eradicate such evils!"
Yang Seoran clenched her fists tightly as she spoke.
"The moment they cross my sight, I want to exterminate the three generations of those wicked scoundrels who try to ostracize others! But unfortunately, the position of Student Council President doesn't hold that much power!"
...Isn't she way more dangerous than I thought? Exterminating three generations? She's not even the Emperor.
"If they have a grievance, they should challenge them to a fair duel! If they can't do that, they should come to the Discipline Hall or the Student Council to voice their complaints! How can a martial artist be so cowardly as to resort to underhanded tricks?!"
"I agree with that. As martial artists, they should voice their opinions through their own strength..."
"As expected, Head Chef Yoon agrees with me! What a benevolent way of thinking!"
When Yang Seoran lunged forward to grab my hands again, I flinched and recoiled.
"U-uh, it's hot, so please step back a bit..."
"How unfortunate! Very well!"
At my words, Yang Seoran promptly sat back. Ah, we've only exchanged a few words, and I'm already dizzy.
"How does the academy usually handle bullying?"
"Usually, the Discipline Hall handles it, but it's true their response is lukewarm! Unless it's verbal abuse or causes physical injury, they can't really punish them under academy rules!"
"So they can't do anything about simple harassment?"
"In a way, that lukewarm response might be intentional! It could mean 'if you have a problem, crush them in a duel'!"
Classic Murim academy approach. Don't rely on the school, carve your own path. Terrifying.
"Still, didn't Young Master Man handle it quite resolutely? Not only did he lose an unrecognizable amount of weight, but he also cracked the leg bone of that weakling! Ah!! Just thinking about it makes me think he'll ravage the hearts of many female students!"
Yang Seoran hugged herself with an ecstatic expression. Seriously, hearing her talk about 'ravaging' with that beautiful face of hers completely ruined the illusion. If I let her keep going, she'd derail the conversation completely. I needed to steer her back.
"That's going too far. Let's get back to the main topic... You know the Gongson Clan's situation isn't good, right?"
"I heard early on that the clan members did nothing wrong, yet they are suffering unjustly! Hearing that tore my heart into a thousand, ten thousand pieces!"
"But this isn't just happening to the clan. The problem is that it's also happening to the youngest daughter of the Gongson Clan, who attends this academy."
"What wicked scoundrel! How dare they oppress another in our sacred academy?!"
What are the Shaolin monks doing? There's someone here who can pull off a perfect Lion's Roar. They should headhunt her immediately.
"I cannot tolerate this! I shall go smash those wicked bastards right this instant!"
As Yang Seoran bolted upright, preparing to storm out, I blocked her with my arm.
"I came to ask for your help precisely to avoid that. What are you doing invading them first?"
"...Then it can't be helped! I shall endure!"
She really was a whirlwind of a person, constantly shifting gears. I couldn't begin to imagine how the Sword Queen had raised her. Or was the Sword Queen the exact same way?
Yang Seoran sat back down, crossing her arms and huffing. To calm her down and get her to focus, I lowered my voice to a whisper.
"According to what I heard from Hanseok..."
As she listened to the method Man Hanseok had proposed, Yang Seoran nodded, deep in thought.
"Mmm...! I've never used it myself, but indeed, such a rule exists!"
Her expression shifted. She seemed to realize that this method could actually work.
SLAM!
Slamming the table, Yang Seoran looked up with a triumphant grin.
"But I wonder how Young Master Man knew about a rule even I didn't know!"
There it was—that crazy, searching look in her eyes. She was salivating over Hanseok as a potential recruit. I couldn't let that happen.
"If you're thinking of dragging him into the Student Council, give up."
"Oh, come on! Head Chef! Talented people are meant to be shared!"
"Working under you would turn the kid into a wreck. That's why."
"I'll cherish him as much as possible, so just let me borrow him a few times!"
"No."
"Not even if I act cute like this?!"
Yang Seoran tried to look alluring, winking and pouting, and while she was certainly pretty enough to pull it off, the sheer madness glinting in her eyes completely ruined the effect.
"Still no."
"How cold! This cute act has never failed me before!"
"Who on earth did you try it on?"
"My master and my grand-master!"
"Didn't they just give in because they were sick of your antics?"
"You are cruel, Head Chef! I've never lost to anyone in terms of beauty!"
On the outside, sure, you wouldn't lose... but it's the inside that's the problem.
"Fine, since acting cute doesn't work, I'll propose a condition! I must gain something from this as well!"
"Ah, is this going to be another weird condition?"
"It's a condition well within the bounds of Jianghu righteousness!"
"Let's hear it."
"Give me the chance to study you until the school break!"
That damn 'study' again... What was there to study about me?
"And if I refuse?"
"Then I won't help the youngest daughter of the Gongson Clan!"
Looking at Yang Seoran's smug face, which practically screamed, 'How's that? You can't avoid this!', made me want to refuse even more. But I was cornered. Besides, I wanted to get out of this room as quickly as possible.
"...Fine."
"It's a promise! Absolutely! Until the break starts, I will stick to you twenty-four hours a day to study you, so look forward to it!"
My head throbbed. Was it really okay to agree to this so carelessly?
First to third years were classified as lower grades, and there were several mandatory classes they had to take. For the Eastern Pavilion, Introduction to Swords and Sabers was a requirement.
However, by the standards of martial artists, the course was extremely basic. Most students with enough talent to enter the academy already knew the material before enrolling. Consequently, the students taking the class spent most of their time goofing off, and the instructor taught with very little enthusiasm.
Flick!
"..."
"Hehehe."
A small, pea-sized ball of crumpled paper bounced off her head. This was exactly why Gongson Yeongji hated this class. No one ever tried to stop them, and no one even spared her a glance.
Flick! Flick!
As the paper balls continued to fly, Gongson Yeongji hung her head low. Even after the lecture ended, they would probably bump into her on purpose or spill ink on her clothes. As those thoughts swirled in her mind, tears welled up in her eyes.
In times like this... I must attend the academy even more diligently.
Gongson Yeongji recalled her father, the head of the Gongson Clan, who had spoken to her with a haggard face the night before she entered the academy. She had thought that the family should stay together during such difficult times, but seeing her father's unusual state, she hadn't been able to say a word.
His eyes had been bloodshot, and he had hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. She couldn't ask why, nor could she argue.
Moreover, while she had been told countless times to take pride as the youngest daughter of the Gongson Clan, no one had ever taught her how to act when she was being bullied.
Unable to do anything, she simply hoped that this time would pass, desperately holding back her tears.
Creak!
Just then, the classroom door swung open.
"Apologies for interrupting the lecture, Instructor. Is there a student named Gongson Yeongji here?"
The person who entered was Namgung Mun, the Vice President of the Student Council.
When an unexpected person—and an upperclassman at that—called for Gongson Yeongji, the students who had been throwing paper balls from behind her froze. But the most bewildered person in the room was Yeongji herself. She knew Namgung Mun was the Vice President, but she had no idea why a senior from the Student Council would be looking for her.
"...M-me?"
"Instructor, may I take this student for a moment?"
When the instructor nodded, Namgung Mun gestured for her to come forward.
"Pack your writing tools and books and come out."
"Y-yes..."
Completely clueless, Gongson Yeongji hurriedly packed her things and stepped out of the classroom. Namgung Mun walked ahead in silence, and Yeongji followed timidly behind him.
"Um, excuse me... Vice President? I mean, Vice President senior? Ah, is that not it..."
"You can just call me senior."
"Senior, did I... did I do something wrong...?"
"I don't know."
"Pardon?"
"Lady Yang ordered me to bring you, so I'm just bringing you."
S-Senior Little Sword Queen?
Even though she hadn't even finished her first semester, rumors about who to avoid were widespread. The most dangerous person to watch out for was Student Council President Yang Seoran. The first-years didn't even know the exact reason, but because the seniors feared her, they feared her too.
With an expressionless Namgung Mun leading the way and a trembling Gongson Yeongji following, they arrived at the first floor of the Student Council Hall.
Student Council Room
Seeing the plaque next to the door, Gongson Yeongji gulped. What kind of battlefield lay inside? As soon as Namgung Mun opened the door, Yeongji squeezed her eyes shut.
"Oh! Our dear junior! You're taller than I thought!"
"...Huh?"
At the cheerful voice welcoming her, Yeongji opened her eyes to see a tall, striking Yang Seoran smiling warmly at her.
"I heard from him that you were extremely short, so I thought you'd be about this high!"
Yang Seoran pointed to her own knee. Namgung Mun replied flatly.
"Even a five- or six-year-old is taller than that."
"Is that so? I'm not close with kids, so I wouldn't know! Anyway! Junior Gongson Yeongji, please have a seat here!"
As Yang Seoran pointed to a chair, Gongson Yeongji, still trembling, sat down and asked,
"U-um, but why did you..."
"Hahaha! You're trembling like a little kitten! Mun! Go brew some honey water! We need to calm her down!"
As Namgung Mun quietly left the room, Yang Seoran lowered her voice and spoke.
"I hear that our dear junior is being bullied by other students!"
"...!"
Even though she had lowered her voice, it was still loud enough to echo throughout the room. However, Gongson Yeongji was too focused on the content of her words to care about the volume.
How did she know...?
A shiver ran down Yeongji's spine, but Yang Seoran continued, completely unbothered.
"As the Student Council President responsible for the students, I find it regrettable that I didn't know a first-year junior was being bullied! I apologize for this!"
"N-no, it's fine. I didn't tell anyone, so it's only natural you didn't know..."
"What a kind-hearted junior!"
"Ah...!"
Yang Seoran vigorously patted Gongson Yeongji's head as if she were a puppy, then continued.
"First, regarding the bullying! There is a minor issue: under the academy's bylaws, the faculty and the Student Council cannot actively intervene in 'minor disputes' between students!"
"Minor disputes..."
"A clear-cut method where most disputes are resolved through duels! Simple, yet highly effective!"
This meant that even if Gongson Yeongji reported her bullying to the instructors or assistant instructors, it wouldn't be properly resolved. Gongson Yeongji's shoulders slumped, her mouth forming a small triangle as she asked,
"T-then, why did you call me...?"
While she possessed enough martial talent to enter the academy, Gongson Yeongji was not bold enough to suddenly challenge her bullies to a duel. Finding her reaction adorable, Yang Seoran laughed softly.
"Don't worry, my dear junior!"
"...Yes?"
"Because we can solve this with a very simple method!"
Yang Seoran stated flatly with a grin.
"It will be resolved if you join the Student Council!"
"Y-yes?"
Gongson Yeongji tilted her head, genuinely wondering if that was actually a solution.