NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54
The student council of Hwayoung High School is famous for its high autonomy compared to other schools.
Of course, it doesn’t wield immense power like those in typical academy dramas. After all, the student council is merely a type of ‘club’ under the guidance of teachers. That said, it’s not like just anyone can join this club, and the tasks at hand are quite public in nature, so it’s not treated the same way as other clubs.
For example, the council gets to autonomously decide the destination for the school trip. Naturally, if it were purely the council’s unilateral decision, it would stir resentment among students, so typically, a vote is held among the students to make the decision. Still, since the council manages the details of the destination, schedule, and the all-important ‘candidates,’ it’s safe to say that the autonomy remains quite high.
Additionally, the council also has the authority to assign demerits to students. … Well, to be precise, they have the ‘authority’ to do so.
The lead committee members under the council can give demerits to Hwayoung High School students for violating rules, potentially reporting students who accumulate a certain number of demerits to school teachers for disciplinary action.
However, just because they have that ‘authority’ doesn’t mean they can always use it.
Hwayoung High School is a prestigious institution attended by kids from influential families.
Naturally, there are clear hierarchies among the students. They may seem equal and friendly on the surface, but many ignore each other after gauging the other’s financial background.
If all the lead committee members came from affluent families, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. But in this school, the wealthier the family, the less likely they are to engage in bothersome tasks like those of the student council.
Of course, among the first-years, if there’s an ‘external student’ who joins and has a somewhat blunt personality, they may not care much about such hierarchies.
“Chairwoman, are you really just going to watch this situation unfold?”
A girl wearing an armband with the word ‘Lead’ printed on it asked a boy with glasses.
As she tossed her long, flowing blue hair, the boy, referred to as the student council president, pushed his oval glasses back up his nose and replied, “If the teachers aren’t doing anything about it, what can we do?”
Though he said that, his tone sounded more like someone tired of the situation rather than someone who had given up. The girl, clearly frustrated by his indifferent tone, frowned.
“We’re not just talking about the teachers!”
“Hmm? Are you talking about the incident where the bald teacher got showered with mysterious weather phenomena during class?”
“Something so ridiculous couldn’t possibly happen!”
With a thud, the lead committee member slammed her hand on the council president’s desk, only to wince, “Ouch…” while cradling her hand.
“Even if it looks like that, it’s a solid mahogany desk! You’d need something harder and bigger than your hand to break it.”
“No, that’s not the point…!”
In response to the president’s leisurely advice, the lead committee member fervently yelled out her frustration.
“What are you going to do about the inappropriate relationships happening within the school?!”
“That term ‘inappropriate relationships’ is something from ten years ago… ‘Dating prohibited’ has been long removed from the rules. We’re not living in the Joseon Dynasty anymore, you know.”
With a heavy sigh, the student council president replied, while the lead committee member rubbed the back of her neck, frustrated.
“If students are sitting on each other’s laps during class! And that princess hugging her… face-to-face…”
“Face-to-face?”
At the council president’s question, the lead committee member’s face turned crimson.
“You know what I mean!”
“That’s not how I interpreted it at all,” the council president calmly answered, despite the panicked lead committee member in front of him.
“That student… was it Yoo Ha-neul? She’s the transfer student who got a full scholarship and entered this school, and she’s quite an exceptional student. She just sat there, answered all the problems the teacher wrote on the board, and got praised, right?”
“But there was another person on top of her!”
“……”
Staring quietly at the fuming committee member, the council president leaned back thoughtfully. After a moment of reddening and huffing, the committee member finally muttered, almost shyly,
“I’m sorry…”
“So, what are you trying to say? Do you want to punish the one ‘sitting on top’ of that ‘person’? And maybe even the student who participated in that ‘lewd act’?”
“……That’s right.”
With a deep breath, the lead committee member continued fervently, “It’s true I’m one of the ‘poorest’ in this school. But regardless, we’re all students here, right? Whether from a wealthy family, a poor one, or somewhere in between, we’re all students. I’m not here to argue about whether the rules are good or bad, but if there are rules, shouldn’t they apply equally to all students?”
“That’s a valid point.”
The council president replied, somewhat sighing, but still looking less than eager.
“However, still, don’t touch those three. While some rules are written, others are implicitly agreed upon among people.”
“So, you’re saying not touching that ‘Ye Sara’ is one of those implicitly agreed-upon rules?”
“Well, yes. I figured you, as the only lead committee member at this school, should know.”
“……I know that Ye Sara is the successor to the largest… no, the world’s largest conglomerate.”
The lead committee member clenched her fists tightly.
“But no matter how powerful someone is, they can’t just trample on the students and blatantly disregard the authority of the school while still being forgiven by everyone! There are rules in this world that must be upheld!”
“……Huh?”
Hearing that, the student council president finally felt something strange.
“Oh, wait a second. You don’t mean that Ye Sara—”
“Yes, a student granted privileges that ensures she suffers no consequences for her grades whatsoever! I know this from seeing her face! She barged into class the other day and interrupted, remember? Just wandering around, inspecting every student’s face…!”
Honestly, at that time, it was a little scary. Ye Sara had an expressionless face, and her piercing gaze felt lethal. It seemed like a warning. ‘If you defy me, I’ll kill you all,’ a silent threat.
If not, she wouldn’t have casually glared at each student one by one.
That day… no, yesterday, not saying anything to that unruly student felt like disgraceful as a committee member.
Even if it was just her during class…!
“If that’s what the chairwoman has decided, I understand! I’ll handle it myself!”
With that, she abruptly turned towards the door.
“Hey? Wait a minute!”
Moments earlier, the laid-back student council president sprang up at her frantic realization, crashing into his desk and, in a moment of surprise, unexpectedly knocked his little toe against the corner.
“……!”
He silently screamed as he collapsed sideways, cradling his throbbing toe while the only lead committee member had already dashed out the door.
*
Upon reaching the school gate, the lead committee member encountered Ye Sara, who was just coming in.
Ye Sara was flanked by two girls again today.
One was a brilliant transfer student from outside the school, and the other was a young lady from Class 6.
Seeing the closeness from both sides, it seemed the rumors were indeed true.
So, those three are really… whatever the rumors say about the situation.
This wasn’t merely dating but having two partners at once! Anyone could see this was disruptive to the school’s atmosphere!
“Wait!”
The lead committee member shouted, catching Ye Sara’s attention.
Ye Sara, seemingly unaware that someone would call out to her, stopped, wide-eyed, staring back.
“There! Inappropriate relationships are prohibited!”
Their relationship itself isn’t prohibited.
But if that relationship appears ‘inappropriate’ on school grounds, it’s definitely against the rules.
No matter how open and accepting the world becomes, there are lines you must not cross.
As the committee member approached the trio, she noticed their faces had gone completely frozen, and her strides slowed as she approached Ye Sara.
With each step, as she drew nearer, Ye Sara was smiling brightly in her direction.
……An innocent smile that seemed to convey, ‘Could someone who smiles so purely really engage in lewd and inappropriate relationships?’
Of course, her first feeling was the chill running down her spine.
Anyone who could smile nonchalantly after seeing her armband must have a solid case of confidence.
“……”
The lead committee member swallowed nervously.
But even so, she convinced herself that what was right was on her side.
So, gathering her resolve, the lead committee member quickened her pace again.
*
As I glared at the lead committee member storming towards me, anger bubbling inside me, I thought: Ah, this is my opportunity.
I have no idea why that person could make such a judgment about me, but she probably knows nothing about my situation. Maybe she doesn’t even realize I’m an external student like Ha Neul.
But, honestly, none of that matters anymore.
Once you’re in this school, being part of the student council, and under the governance of the council, speaking to me is officially equivalent to ‘making an official statement on behalf of the student council.’
“You’ve been breaking the rules since yesterday—”
“Yes, I have!”
I raised my hand high, shouting.
The lead committee member who was approaching me stopped dead in her tracks, looking bewildered.
In fact, it wasn’t just her; the other students walking nearby halted as well.
Silence fell, almost as if time had stopped.
Ah, this felt like something out of John Wick.
Well, whatever.
“So, what’s the punishment going to be? A demerit? Disciplinary action? Whatever’s fine by me!”
The lead committee member wore a blank expression.
Students heading to school gazed at us in shock.
Lee Soo-ah looked a bit worried, while Ha Neul seemed like she might burst out laughing at any moment.
And of course, I, seizing the opportunity, was definitely smiling as widely as possible.