Chapter 37

<Chapter 38> Isn’t it common knowledge in our industry that the Class President’s the dirtiest?

As usual, Yu-jin headed toward the back of the school after arriving.

Naturally, it was to meet up with Soo-hyun for a chat.

He was genuinely enjoying these little gatherings that happened daily or every other day.

Maybe it’s because he hasn’t seen her for a while since Tae-jin Kim went off somewhere for training.

Today feels strangely more exciting than usual.

“You’ve arrived.”

Soo-hyun greeted him while sipping on her usual strawberry milkshake.

I wondered if her preferences had changed during their time apart…

But seeing her like this, she must really love it.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed. But don’t worry, I’m fully aware of what’s been going on.”

Soo-hyun’s one flaw? She always brings up “Jung-jeonbyeong” out of nowhere.

Well, considering her “setup” where she’s the possessed one and Yu-jin is the game’s villain… we can’t help it, right?

And wasn’t it mentioned before that this world is an NTR-style dating sim?

This gathering was originally created just for role-playing.

“I also heard that Chul-soo has been hospitalized.”

“Is that so?”

I found out thanks to Biseo Park.

Seems like Soo-hyun stays pretty well-informed.

Guess gathering intel is basic stuff for her hobbies.

“To be honest… I think this situation might have gone a bit too far. There was no need to go that far. But there must be something others don’t know about, right?”

“……”

“So, please be honest with me. Wasn’t all of this done to save Chul-soo?”

Yu-jin stared blankly at Soo-hyun for a moment.

What kind of setup is this?

What did I do for Chul-soo?

‘Wait… did they find out about my anonymous donation to his orphanage?!’

This can’t be. I specifically asked Biseo Park to keep it private!

How could Soo-hyun, who has nothing to do with this, even know?

‘Ah, that’s right. Yu-jin has been donating to orphanages regularly.’

From what Biseo Park said,

It seems Kim Yu-jin’s donations weren’t one-off things.

There probably wasn’t any reason for him to stay anonymous either.

So, assuming the person behind this latest donation was Yu-jin wouldn’t be hard.

‘Anyway, there’s no concrete evidence, right?’

Then pretending not to know should suffice.

Since I want to keep this donation to Chul-soo a secret,

Even if I tell others, rumors spread fast.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Upon hearing Yu-jin’s words, Soo-hyun gave a wry smile.

She nodded as if she already knew everything.

“Well, that’s true. You, as the successor of Hwagcheon, wouldn’t admit that easily.”

“99

“And I know your situation too. How precarious your position as heir is, how threatened you are by subordinates. That’s why you have to act strong and evil despite everything.”

Oh, some new setting has been added here.

Hmm, I’m secretly doing good deeds while hiding in the shadows, huh?

The Dark Knight indeed.

Somehow, it feels cool.

Does she understand me?

“So, I’ll go along with this setting.”

Since she’s participating in this role-play too.

A little immersion won’t hurt, right?

“Yes, making Chul-soo suffer like this was actually to prepare him for future threats. In the next storyline, a truly dangerous opponent will appear.”

“Hm.”

“That ‘Assistant Trainer Jigul’ will be our opponent. Be careful; we don’t know what tricks they might pull.”

Though Yu-jin didn’t fully understand, he nodded anyway.

Thanks to past experiences, he learned it’s better to stay quiet when unfamiliar terms pop up.

“What, I’m sure someone like you will handle it fine.”

With that, Soo-hyun handed over her strawberry milk.

Yu-jin accepted it.

“You like it, right?”

“……”

“It’s because of your taste that I started liking your character. A mafia heir with a tough image loving strawberry milk—it’s such a cute contrast.”

“Is that so?”

“You kept drinking it right in front of me without showing any hesitation. That alone shows you’re different from other villains.”

…Is she linking this together like this?

Yu-jin doesn’t even like strawberry milk.

If anything, he prefers chocolate, or maybe plain milk at best.

‘Why does she insist on portraying me as crazy about strawberry milk?’

Are girls into these kinds of settings?

Well, rejecting a gift would be rude.

Yu-jin inserted the straw and took a sip.

Watching him, Soo-hyun smiled faintly.

“No one else knows, but I know you’re actually a good person. And that you’re faking being cruel because of the burden of your organization.”

“……”

“I’ll be the one who truly understands you. If you ever feel overwhelmed, you can rely on me.”

With that, she turned around and left.

Still sipping the milk, Yu-jin watched her retreating figure.

‘…She’s taken quite a liking to this setup today, hasn’t she?’

Until now, Soo-hyun kept a distance even while playing along with the settings.

Today, she acted like a real close friend.

Did the few days apart finally make her realize the value of her only Jung-jeonbyeong friend?!

“…Hmph, what an annoying girl.”

For some reason, Rime chimed in.

Her tone sounded sharp.

“What’s wrong with Soo-hyun?”

“Exactly, she doesn’t even know you properly. Claiming to be your confidant, understanding your inner thoughts—ugh, it’s unbearable.”

Saying that, she muttered softly.

“…Only I truly understand you.”

‘Eh? What did you say? It was too soft to hear properly.’

“That wasn’t meant for you!”

Scratching his head, Yu-jin glanced at Rime.

Anyway, feeling closer to Soo-hyun isn’t bad.

‘Right now, the only people I’ve gotten close to are Young-hee and Soo-hyun.’

And both approached him first.

Time has passed, yet it’s still like this.

Can I really make new friends like this?

Surprisingly, the next opportunity came sooner than expected.

“Meeting each other like this is the first time, right? Say hello!”

Their homeroom teacher grinned widely.

For some reason, her face flushed slightly upon seeing him, but that’s beside the point.

“Class President, right?”

Yu-jin mumbled, glancing at the girl sitting beside him.

Of course, this girl was the class president of his class.

Though as a loner, he’s never talked to her directly.

He recognizes her face since he sees her often.

“…What exactly is happening here, Teacher?”

The class president asked without even looking at him.

Her tone was polite but carried a hint of sharpness.

Clearly, she wasn’t happy with the current situation.

“Well, the class president usually helped Chul-soo with his training, right?”

In the academy, the class president was a rare buffer.

Not just a simple buffer who gives buffs.

Her ability specialized in enhancing others’ skills.

She analyzed their abilities and guided them towards the most efficient magic power adjustments.

Finding the best training methods.

That was her unique ability.

“Hmm, if that’s true, it’s impressive.”

“Eh? Is it?”

Lime, residing within his soul, murmured.

Yu-jin slightly raised an eyebrow in surprise.

It’s not that the class president wasn’t impressive.

It’s just that Lime rarely praised anyone.

She basically disliked humans.

“There are many ways to temporarily boost stats, like potions or buffs.”

“Hooh.”

“But helping someone train to permanently improve their skills? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Apparently, it’s a truly remarkable ability.

Our class president is a prodigy.

While pondering this, the conversation continued.

“As you know, Chul-soo has been hospitalized and can’t come to school for a while.”

“…Yes.”

The class president glanced at Yu-jin as if blaming him.

Yu-jin blinked, unsure why.

“I helped Chul-soo because he had talent, and above all, his circumstances were pitiful.”

“Hehe, of course I understand. Our class president is the most exemplary student in the academy. Even I learn from you.”

The class president originally assisted talented students with their training.

But Chul-soo stood out among them.

His talent was top-notch, the best she’d ever seen.

Plus, Chul-soo himself approached her first.

Thus, the class president helped refine his swordsmanship.

Chul-soo’s rapid growth owed much to her efforts.

“But now that Chul-soo is absent, isn’t it a waste to let such amazing skills go unused?”

The class president couldn’t respond.

She indeed wanted to help other students train.

Meeting various strong individuals and aiding their growth was fulfilling.

However, what does that have to do with sitting next to Kim Yu-jin?

No, the teacher’s intentions are somewhat predictable.

And as expected, the next words confirmed it perfectly.

“So, if the class president doesn’t mind, could you assist in Yu-jin’s training from now on?”

…Wait, what?

Yu-jin’s eyes widened as he sat silently.

You’re asking me to train with a girl I barely know?

Isn’t that pushing it for a lonely shut-in like me?

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