Betrayal (1)
"Right now?"
I tilted my head at the sudden request from the students who had appeared out of nowhere. They introduced themselves as student council members and asked if I could spare some time to help with an important matter the council needed to resolve.
But…
…Hmm. The student council…
I’ve never been fond of the student council. I don’t know how things are now, but back when I attended the Academy in my previous life, it was a group I couldn’t stand. Because it held real authority, the council was mostly comprised of children from “good families.” In other words, it was full of insufferable brats.
During my first year, my wife had also received an invitation from them. She was a controversial figure at the time, but they likely approached her because of her solid background, extraordinary talent, and the buzz surrounding her. Of course, she turned them down, saying she needed to look after Soyeon. The resentful council members then turned their attention to me—an easier target.
Looking back, their methods were ridiculously childish, but at the time it felt like a serious ordeal. In the end, they met a horrific fate after running into my wife in one of her unhinged states. There were other incidents after that, but the point is, I’ve carried a deep aversion to the student council ever since.
On top of that, these two had shown up without explanation and immediately asked me to make time. It seemed the current council wasn’t much different from the old one. Whatever their reason for seeking me out so abruptly, refusing here was probably the smart move.
"Um…"
I was about to politely say I was busy when the female student who had introduced herself as an executive spoke first, as if she’d just remembered something.
"Ah! Have you heard that the Sword Empress recommended you?"
…Ju Yeonhee?
"The Sword Empress?"
When I blinked in surprise at the unexpected name, the male executive chimed in.
"We only heard it secondhand, so we’re not entirely sure, but she apparently recommended you herself."
What the hell is that woman scheming behind my back again…?
Slightly thrown by the news of my wife’s involvement, I finally asked what exactly they needed me for. Their expressions turned awkward.
"…Um, well…"
They said it was difficult to explain here.
…What is this?
I had a bad feeling, but since my wife’s name had come up, I couldn’t just brush them off. It wouldn’t hurt to hear them out first and refuse afterward.
"…All right."
After agreeing to follow them, I returned to the classroom to let Soyeon know I’d be late.
"Sorry! Did you wait long?"
When I called out to her, she was fiddling with her phone, looking distinctly displeased. She quickly gathered her things.
"…What did they want?"
"They said there’s some urgent matter and asked for my help."
"…What? What kind of matter? Will it take long?"
"I’m not sure. They wouldn’t tell me because it’s apparently important… I think I should go hear them out. Want to head home first?"
Soyeon gave me a look of pure confusion.
"…Go? By myself?"
She seemed genuinely shocked. Was she that upset?
Reading her sensitive reaction, I chose my words carefully.
"…I was going to refuse, but they said your mother recommended me. It felt wrong to turn them down after that."
"…Mom did? Just what… …Haah… Fine."
She opened her mouth as if to complain, then let out a heavy sigh and answered weakly, as though she’d given up.
A pang of guilt hit me.
"…Sorry."
After seeing her off, I followed the waiting students. On the way to the student council room—
"…Huh?"
"…Jihwan…?"
I ran into Gong Haeseon, who was following a different group of students. The two groups recognized each other and naturally merged.
"Found her fast."
"Ran into her while waiting by the gate."
…What?
Sensing something strange in their exchange, I quietly asked the girl now walking beside me.
"Haeseon. Did the student council call you too?"
"…Y-yes…! The chairman… recommended me…."
Jeon Nando?
Why would that old man—?
Yet another sudden name left me slightly flustered. My wife had recommended me. Jeon Nando had recommended Gong Haeseon.
…No way.
Their intentions were becoming clear. My wife probably wanted me to build a reputation through the council, while Jeon Nando was trying to keep Gong Haeseon close to me. In short, both of them already knew about this mysterious matter the student council was dealing with, and they’d handed it off to me because they believed I could handle it.
As I followed the students ahead, piecing together their schemes—
Student Council Room
"This is the place."
The students stopped before an ornate door. The male student who had guided me stepped forward, knocked twice, then opened the door and gestured for us to enter.
When Gong Haeseon and I stepped inside—
"Welcome, both of you!"
The girl with striking golden-blonde hair sitting at the head of the room smiled brightly, as if she had been waiting for us.
It feels disgusting.
Like something pitch-black had filled my chest. It was suffocating, as if I couldn’t breathe, and anger boiled beneath my skin.
I knew it wasn’t true. I knew it wasn’t like that. But it still felt like Jihwan had abandoned me.
"…Haah…"
Why had the student council called him? To take him away?
From what I knew, the student council only accepted the most promising students. It was incredibly difficult to join, but the benefits were enormous—your hunter rank could be decided by whether or not you were a council alumnus.
Jihwan was a genius. He was more than qualified.
…But what about me?
If—if, by some one-in-a-million chance—Jihwan actually joined the student council… what would I do?
It wasn’t that I particularly wanted to join. I just hated the idea of him belonging somewhere I knew nothing about.
Yet I hadn’t been chosen, while he had even received a recommendation from Mom. Why had Mom recommended him? And why hadn’t she done the same for me? Did she think I didn’t need to enter a place like that?
…I didn’t know.
"…Haah…"
I let out another heavy, frustrated sigh as I stepped through the school gate. Then a thought struck me.
Couldn’t I just ask Mom?
"Ah!"
We’d been apart for so long that I’d somehow forgotten I could simply ask her.
I hurriedly pulled out my phone, scrolled through my limited contacts, and called her.
"...Hello?"
"Mom! Where are you right now?!"
I’d accidentally raised my voice. I felt people glancing at me, but I didn’t care.
"...What's wrong? I'm still at the office...."
The office! The moment I knew where she was, I spun on my heel and headed back into the school.
"…I’m coming right now! Just wait a little!!"
"...Okay, come quickly."
Even though I had been pushy, Mom answered calmly and said she would wait. After hanging up, I headed toward her office with a small spark of hope in my chest.
"All right, everyone, please take a seat!"
The blonde girl rose from the head seat and naturally guided us toward the sofa.
"It’s wonderful that both of you could come together! I was worried what I’d do if even one of you couldn’t make it…."
She chattered nonstop. She seemed like a very energetic girl. Once Gong Haeseon and I sat side by side on the sofa, she returned to the head seat and greeted us again with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you!! I’m Han Gageong, president of this year’s student council!"
Han Gageong. Even though I didn’t pay much attention to school life, the name sounded familiar. Her brooch indicated she was a second-year.
"Ah, so you’re the president…! It’s nice to meet you…! I’m Gong Haeseon…!"
Gong Haeseon greeted her politely.
"I’m Yu Jihwan."
When I followed with my own greeting, Han Gageong smiled as if she liked what she saw and waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, come on. You don’t have to be so stiff! We’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so let’s be comfortable!"
While we finished our brief introductions, the other executives prepared drinks for us.
"…Thank you…!"
"…It’s hot, so please blow on it first…."
The male student blushed shyly at Gong Haeseon’s bright thanks. He was part of the student council and fairly good-looking. Maybe she should date someone like him.
With that pointless thought in mind, I took a sip of tea and casually asked Han Gageong,
"So, why did you call us here?"
She raised a finger as if to say wait, carefully set her cup down, and spoke.
"Recently, a rather unpleasant rumor has been circulating inside the Academy. Have you heard anything about it?"
An unpleasant rumor? I glanced at Gong Haeseon. She looked back at me at the same moment. We both blinked, equally clueless.
"Ah, it seems neither of you knows yet! Hmm… how should I explain this…."
She fiddled with her tightly bound twin tails, then looked at us and spoke clearly.
"There are drugs circulating in the Academy."
…What?
An incident far larger than I had expected had just been dropped in our laps.