Unexpectedly Becoming the Student Council President

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The ominous signs appeared immediately upon waking. As soon as I got out of bed, my head felt like it was going to explode. My diaphragm tightened, and I felt nauseous. After urgently dealing with my bladder, I returned to bed like a soldier retreating to a safe zone. The ceiling filled my line of sight for a longer time than usual.

I spent the time blankly, swallowing nasal mucus. Hunger and thirst gnawed at me, but I couldn't move an inch from the bed. My throat was swollen. Swallowing the lukewarm saliva that constantly lingered in my mouth had become painful.

I managed to use the thermometer I had brought with me. 39.4°C. It had been a while since I had the flu.

Recently, my stock of medicine had run out. Neglecting to replenish it left me with a lingering regret.

At least it was the weekend. I couldn't let the members see their leader unable to take care of himself. Even if I had somehow made it to school in this state, it would have only damaged my image. In the first place, attending school would have been difficult.

I didn't expect the members to understand. Perception and understanding are separate issues. I couldn't let them imprint a weak image of me in their minds.

I had to be an unyielding iron man. I had to reign as the perfect Disciplinary Committee Leader.

Only then would I not be overshadowed by the genius Oh Baek-seo.

'I hope… I'll be okay by tomorrow.'

I had to get better before the next day.

"Cough! Cough!"

Even putting a cold wet towel on my head would have been a relief, but in this condition, soaking the towel in water was a high-level task.

Bzzz.

The smartphone on the desk vibrated. A single vibration. A text message.

Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to reply.

Bzzzz.

The vibration lengthened. This time, it was a call. 'I can't take it.' I decided to call back once I felt better. I didn't even have the strength to lift a finger now.

Click.

The vibration continued for a long time before it stopped. Silence returned.

"..."

Maybe it was because I had been buried in work since becoming the Disciplinary Committee Leader. Spending time endlessly in pain brought back various forgotten memories.

I was reincarnated as a nameless extra in a game. I was one of the many beings born through artificial insemination, with genes randomly selected by AI from a factory's storage. The amniotic sac I was in was an incubator, and my mother was a nurturing robot.

When I reached the age to perceive objects, I completed the common educational process everyone underwent. During that time, the AI instilled the mission, 'You must rejuvenate humanity,' into our minds through rote learning. This mandate was established as the value pursued by Academy City. If it weren't for my game knowledge, I might have regarded that mandate as the ultimate ideology.

Besides that, I learned how to live and was given a house to live in when I reached the age of an elementary school student. It was the beginning of independent living.

Children at that age received excessive protection from security robots roaming the streets. In Academy City, where the social system was still imperfect, young children often became targets of crime.

The security robots, usually performing the functions of cleaning robots, also had combat capabilities. They had a rather endearing appearance. I, too, was overprotected by them.

However, I couldn't feel human warmth from these unfeeling robots. I wished for anyone to be a friend or at least a neighbor. Then I met a girl. One day, when white snow covered Academy City, her light pink hair fluttered in the winter wind.

The girl introduced herself as Kim Eun-ha. It was an alias. I later learned that she was Kim Dalbi, one of the Six Sinners. At that time, knowing nothing, I was just happy to have a human friend.

Whether Dalbi felt the same as I did or was just killing time, she treated me kindly. We quickly became close. She was the first person to be on my side since I was reincarnated in this world.

Just the fact that she was the first person on my side made Dalbi a special existence to me. Shielded by the excuse of being a child, I frequently expressed my affection, often saying I liked her and giving her flowers and handwritten letters. I wanted Dalbi to stay by my side.

Perhaps grateful for my sincerity, Dalbi often visited my house and took care of many things for me.

She made delicious dishes with hands covered in bandages, claiming to have learned from the internet, and brought new toys and cool robots, saying she had found them by chance on her way.

Dalbi loved being held. Whenever she got a chance, she would stretch her arms sideways, signaling for a hug.

While we hugged each other tightly like penguins in the winter wind, it was natural to envision a future together with that child. It was a dream that lasted only three years.

Dalbi left my side, leaving behind only the words that she loved my innocence.

I still don't understand the true meaning behind those words.

On the cabinet beside my bed, a peony flower talisman was framed. Even a slight turn of my head brings that talisman into view.

Why did Dalbi, after leaving my side, leave a letter at my house years later? Why did she congratulate me on getting into Ahsung High School with a peony flower?

I still couldn't understand that.

I thought I had let go of Dalbi, but when I reminisced alone, she still lingered in my mind.

Was it because she was the first person to be on my side, because she was someone I invested my emotions in, or because my body was so young at that time that even my mind naively clung to her?

The memories with Dalbi, which I thought had burnt out, quietly rekindled at some point, leaving an afterglow.

Drowsiness welled up amidst the pain. I quietly closed my eyes.

"..."

I must have been in a deep sleep.

As I opened my eyes slightly, I vaguely saw a woman with flowing pale pink hair.

I couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality. I felt incredibly dazed, so I closed my eyes again.

Something damp was placed on my forehead. It was cold. The faint smell of porridge filled my senses.

I felt someone holding my hand tightly and stroking my hair. Suddenly, I realized I wasn't alone.

Soon, a gentle voice resonated in my ears.

"Sorry for coming over."

For some reason, she left an apology. I opened my eyes slightly again.

The warmth that I had felt in my hand was gone. Her gaze lingered on the nightstand next to the bed for a while. When I closed my eyes again, I heard the sound of her footsteps gradually fade away.

Immediately after, I sank into a deeper sleep.

...

When I regained consciousness, I heard the sound of something being dipped in water nearby. Soon, a cool towel was placed on my forehead.

As I slowly opened my eyes, a familiar face came into view.

"You're awake?"

A kind smile. It was Baek-seo.

"?"

Why was Baek-seo here? At that moment, an instinctive thought flashed through my mind: the folder of bush warblers on my computer's hard drive. I was relieved, remembering that I had set a password on my computer just in case.

"Baek-seo…? How did you get here?"

My voice was hoarse and wouldn't come out properly.

Baek-seo was sitting in a chair next to the bed. She was wearing an off-shoulder top and a flowy skirt that reached her knees. Her coat was hanging on the clothes rack.

"I came because I couldn't reach you."

I remembered my smartphone ringing several times. It must have been Baekseo calling.

"How did you know my house's password?"

"Last year, I had to come to the department head's house to pick something up, and you gave me the password over the phone. Don't you remember?"

"Oh… right."

She still remembered that.

"..."

I didn't have the energy to maintain my usual poker face. I didn't want to show such a weakened state.

Still, I felt at ease with Baekseo here. It must have been tough dealing with the flu.

"Should I bring you some porridge?"

Porridge? Did she buy it? Or did she make it? Now that I think about it, I remembered smelling porridge in my dream. Had I smelled it while Baekseo was making it?

'I am pretty hungry.'

Just hearing about the porridge made me feel extremely hungry.

I turned my head towards the window. The sky was turning a deep navy blue. It was evening.

Only then did I realize that I hadn't eaten anything all day.

I looked back at Baek-seo.

"Uh… I'd like that."

"Wait a moment."

Baek-seo brought a bowl of fluffy porridge made from soaked rice and a stainless steel spoon from the kitchen. She also brought small dishes of soy sauce and sesame oil.

"Ugh…"

I carefully sat up. A headache hit me, but I could feel that my body had improved slightly thanks to the care I received while I was asleep.

"Leader."

Baek-seo scooped a spoonful of the white porridge and blew on it to cool it down.

"Ah~"

"..."

Baek-seo held the spoon out to me as if she were feeding a child.

For a moment, I almost opened my mouth, but then the words Baekseo had recently said to me flashed through my mind.

─ 'I've come to realize that I need to take care of the department head myself.'

No. This isn't right…!

"…I'll feed myself."

"Will you?"

I took the spoon and the bowl of porridge from Baek-seo and began eating it myself.

Despite the plain taste of the porridge, it felt incredibly delicious.

I added some soy sauce and sesame oil to it, then took another spoonful. The seasoning was just right, which made my appetite even stronger.

Baek-seo watched me eat with a satisfied look. Was she my mom or something?

"Baek-seo."

Still, I had to say this.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For coming over."

It wasn't just a polite gesture. I meant it sincerely.

I am not a superhuman. I just need to appear as one in the Disciplinary Committee, but in reality, I am an ordinary person. I was reminded of how lonely one can feel when they are sick. I suppose that's why I was so fond of Dalbi, my first friend.

Even though it hurt my pride to show such a vulnerable side to Baekseo, I was deeply moved by her coming to take care of me when I was suffering alone.

Baek-seo smiled and shook her head.

"No, if the department head is sick, of course I should come. Besides, it's nice to visit your place again after so long."

"Why my place?"

"Isn't it fun to visit a friend's house?"

I chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"If you want to come over, you're always welcome."

"Huh?"

"You're always welcome. Anytime."

As I said this while eating the porridge, Baekseo suddenly fell silent.

'…Why isn't she saying anything?'

Why so quiet? Did I say something wrong?

I glanced at Baek-seo. For some reason, she looked contemplative.

"Anytime?"

Baekseo asked again, her expression becoming serious.

I nodded.

"Is that strange?"

"Well, that's practically living together…"

"?"

Maybe it was because my head wasn't working properly due to the flu, but I couldn't understand why she came to that conclusion.

...

After taking some new medicine Baekseo brought and lying down again, she continued to take care of me diligently as the night wore on. I lost count of how many times I imagined how happy I would be if I married someone like her.

She even placed her hand on my abdomen over the blanket and gently patted it. I could tell she was trying to alleviate my discomfort.

It was past midnight. Baekseo was reading a book she had brought from my room.

"Baek-seo."

"Yes, Leader?"

Baekseo looked up from her book immediately upon hearing my call, responding with a gentle smile. She repeatedly tapped the book quietly with her index finger.

"You can go home now. It's late."

"I'll stay until you're better. We need to go to school together tomorrow."

Really. She's such a kind person.

But this was burdensome for me. She needed to go home before the last train.

Sleepiness was coming over me again, so I had to send Baekseo off before I fell asleep.

"It's okay. I think I'll get better if I sleep now…. I owe you a lot today. You gave me a wet towel and made porridge…."

Baekseo's finger stopped tapping the book.

For a brief moment, her eyes seemed to widen slightly.

She quickly returned to her usual expression, but I didn't miss that subtle change. It was too dramatic to ignore.

"What's wrong?"

"…Nothing."

Baekseo shook her head and closed the book. Was her reaction just a coincidence?

"Are you sleepy?"

Baekseo asked, placing her hand on the blanket again and gently patting me.

"Yeah, sorry, but I need to sleep. You should head home…."

"Don't worry about me."

"Go home before the last train. I feel bad for keeping you here."

I had shown enough of my disheveled self. I didn't want her to see me falling asleep in this condition.

"…Okay. I'll stay until you fall asleep."

"Alright…."

"Should I sing you a lullaby?"

"Don't do that."

Hearing a lullaby would make me feel even more pathetic.

Baekseo seemed to be joking and smiled warmly.

I closed my eyes. Thanks to Baekseo's gentle patting, I soon drifted off to sleep.

  *

"...."

Oh Baekseo quietly watched Ahn Woo-jin as he fell asleep. After a few minutes, Woo-jin was completely asleep.

The gentle smile on Baek-seo's face gradually faded. She headed straight to the kitchen.

She opened the lid of the silver pot on the gas stove, revealing the white porridge inside. It was perfectly cooked, with no issues at all.

"It wasn't Woo-jin who made it…."

Baek-seo muttered softly.

Her eyes gradually darkened.

To read until the final chapter. p atreon.com/casca02