Alone with her
Shuo Hero Academy.
Chairman’s Room.
As expected of the space where the head of Shuo Hero Academy, Yoshizaki Seira, resides, the office is spacious and luxurious.
Seira is swinging her legs, not reaching the floor, while admiring herself in an ornate mirror.
“Hum hum hum♪”
Seira hums a tune.
She takes out her makeup tools to touch up her face.
Her eyes glance at the cellphone placed on the desk.
[Chairman.]
[I hope to have a private meeting after school today.]
[Of course, that’s possible! My schedule is open anytime, so just come on over (灬♥️ω♥️灬)]
[Understood.]
[I’ll be waiting for you, little one. ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡]
The messages exchanged between Kim Deok-Sung and Seira appear on the phone screen.
Thump.
Seira’s heart races.
Her face turns a bright shade of red.
‘Just the two of us······. Just the two of us······. How long has it been since…?’
She didn’t have many memories of being alone with Kim Deok-Sung.
Most of the time they spent together was with others around.
It’s true that as the chairman, she couldn’t meet ordinary students frequently.
‘But still, it’s a bit disappointing······.’
Disappointment swells inside her.
Seira pouts her lips.
‘While you get along well with others······.’
Images of the other female students around Kim Deok-Sung flash in and out of her mind.
The rising disappointment in her heart grows a bit more.
‘I want to meet that boy a little more······.’
As she thinks this, Seira covers her flushed cheeks with her hands.
Thump, thump.
Her heart rate skyrockets.
“What, what is this foolishness······?”
To Seira, Kim Deok-Sung is a boy much younger than her.
She shouldn’t develop feelings for a kid like him.
She shouldn’t feel jealous of girls who are younger than her.
Her mind tells her this.
But her heart begs to differ.
Bump, bump.
As her heart pounds harder, Seira bites her lip.
“Ugh······.”
A sound of distress escapes her lips.
“Right. This is nothing but the feeling of pride of being the chairman of Shuo Academy and a senior hero—clearly nothing more than that! There’s no ulterior motive or anything!”
Clap, clap.
Seira lightly slaps her cheeks, forcing herself to suppress her feelings.
Yes, it was just that he resembles the Sword Saint so much.
That’s why she felt proud and warm; it was only a fleeting feeling.
Definitely nothing like that······.
Just then, as she was lost in her thoughts.
Knock, knock.
A knocking sound echoes in her ears.
Suddenly.
Seira’s eyes widen.
“Chairman, may I come in?”
Kim Deok-Sung’s voice pierces her ears.
She startles, hastily tidying up her desk and putting away her makeup.
Once finished, Seira adopts a serious expression, spreading her fan.
The ends of her fan quiver slightly.
‘Hoo.’
Seira takes a deep breath.
Taking a deep breath.
Her chest swells with anticipation.
“······Come in.”
Creeeak.
The door opens.
Seira’s face lights up at the sight of him.
Black hair, black eyes.
A boy with a slightly delinquent vibe.
Kim Deok-Sung.
The moment Seira sees him, her heart rate skyrockets.
Clunk.
The Chairman’s Room door closes.
Thump, thump, thump.
Seira bites her lip, trying to hide her trembling as she speaks.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Understood.”
Kim Deok-Sung takes a seat.
As usual, his expression is unreadable, his face devoid of emotion.
Seira’s eyes tremble.
‘What should I say······?’
A long-awaited one-on-one meeting.
She’s confused about what to bring up.
Seira fidgets with her lips.
She hesitates before speaking.
“Would you like a snack? I have some yokan if you’d like····.”
“I’m good, thank you.”
“Got it.”
Slump.
Seira’s shoulders droop.
Her lips protrude slightly.
‘I should have prepared ginseng candy instead of yokan····.’
Kim Deok-Sung is Korean.
Koreans might prefer Korean ginseng candy.
Next time, I’ll definitely prepare ginseng candy.
Thinking something that would make Kim Deok-Sung faint, Seira fans herself with the fan she holds.
“Ahem. So, kid, what brings you to see me?”
Seira’s gaze fixes on Kim Deok-Sung.
Her red eyes narrow.
She was half-convinced.
That Kim Deok-Sung must be hiding something.
“Do you perhaps have something urgent to say that you can’t share with others? Feel free to speak; I’m all ears. After all, I am the Chairman.”
A confident smile appears on Seira’s face.
Hope swells in her chest.
‘Hehe. After all, I am the only one who can take the kid’s worries seriously and be someone they can rely on.’
Not something little kids can manage.
Only the Chairman and adult like her can take care of it.
Just as Seira was thinking this, with great anticipation,
“It’s about the school trip.”
Kim Deok-Sung’s words pierce Seira’s mind.
The hope that had filled her heart melts away like snow.
“Uh, yeah····. Sure.”
Seira pouts her lips, hiding her expression with the fan.
A school trip, huh.
‘Doesn’t that make me look foolish for getting my hopes up like a child····?’
As Seira thinks that, she shakes her head slightly.
No, no.
For a boy around Kim Deok-Sung’s age, a school trip is a serious matter.
It’s not something trivial at all.
‘Maybe I was too hopeful.’
It’s my fault for being too optimistic.
Seira reflected on that and said, “A school trip····. So, is there anything I can help you with?”
“Recently, there have been a lot of incidents, right? I would like you to request the association to strengthen the security for the students during the upcoming school trip for their safety.”
The words that popped out of Kim Deok-Sung’s mouth were incredibly formal.
Hearing him think of everyone rather than for his own gain made Seira chuckle lightly.
‘Yeah, the kid was like this.’
He looked too much like that person she had held in her heart in the past.
Someone foolishly thinking only of others without any clue.
Seira’s heart started to beat again.
“Hmm. Understood. The safety of the students is indeed a priority. Alright then, I’ll speak directly with Ichiro.”
Kim Deok-Sung’s request wasn’t unreasonable.
This year, unlike last year where nothing significant happened, there had been incidents every time an academy event was held.
His request to strengthen security for the sake of the students’ safety was perfectly rational, even without self-interest.
His request to strengthen security, even excluding personal motives, was quite reasonable.
“Thank you.”
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“I’d like to eat something other than yugwa next time.”
That was Kim Deok-Sung’s response.
Upon hearing that, Seira’s eyes widened.
‘N-next?! Could this be a, an after-date proposal? Is this the roundabout speech style typical of young people these days?’
Color rushed to her face.
Thump.
Her heart raced wildly.
All sorts of thoughts flashed through Seira’s mind.
‘B-but going on a date with a little kid… No, maybe just a casual outing could work… To strengthen my bond with a cherished student, I could go out…’
Sure.
If it’s just a casual outing, that’s totally within the acceptable range.
Seira decided that unilaterally.
“Y-yeah. I get it. If the kid wants…”
Seira trailed off, unable to contain her excitement at the thought of going out just the two of them, the smile creeping across her face.
Seira ultimately could not put down her fan until the meeting ended.
*
Secret city in Siberia, Soviet Union.
New World League headquarters.
A stunning chapel adorned with colorful stained glass.
There stood a kind-looking man in a white suit, with black hair and black eyes: the Messiah.
Before the Messiah, four villains knelt in formation.
They were the Four Horsemen, the highest-ranking faction in the League and his closest aides.
“I heard that the Shuo Hero Academy is going on a field trip soon.”
A gentle and soft voice flowed from the Messiah.
“Recently, school security has tightened, and the League’s resources have focused on the philosopher’s stone manufacturing plan, which meant we couldn’t pay proper attention to the academy… But we can’t miss this opportunity.”
“That’s a valid point,” chimed in the Professor as soon as the Messiah finished speaking.
Hearing this, a warm smile appeared on the Messiah’s face.
“I’ll relay a new order.”
The Messiah’s black eyes scanned the Four Horsemen.
After the cultural festival, all previous plans were discarded.
By disposing of the other 13 apostles, he also blocked the possibility of information leaks.
The new order he would issue now would be absolutely unguessed or thwarted, even by Kim Deok-Sung.
The Messiah thought to himself with a bright smile.
“Berserk.”
“Yes, Master.”
The colossus of a man, the Knight of War, Berserk, bowed his head as his name was called by the Messiah.
“Head to the destination of the field trip, eliminate the Son of the Sword Master, Kurosawa Yuji, and capture Kim Deok-Sung alive.”
The Messiah’s eyes darkened heavily.
Kim Deok-Sung was presumed to be a figure connected to a utopia.
He must be captured at all costs.
For the establishment of the New World.
The same goes for Kurosawa Yuji.
He should not be allowed to live as one who inherited the Sword Master’s power and skills that left a scar on his body.
It stung.
The wound still hurt.
If not for this scar left by the Sword Master ten years ago, he would have long broken out of hiding and stepped into the world.
“I will obey your command!”
Berserk bowed his head.
The sight made the Messiah smile.
He fiddled with the globe placed on the altar, murmuring to himself.
“Normally, my instructions would end here…”
The Four Horsemen were a monstrous group of villains possessing power that could rival the legendary heroes of the past, the Five Crowns, who saved the world from past catastrophes.
Even one of them would be sufficient to achieve their goals.
That’s how he would have thought.
“…But indeed, having only Berserk is insufficient.”
But that’s no longer the case.
Kim Deok-Sung.
Messiah was beginning to guess his strategy to some extent now.
He didn’t know how, but knowing the League’s plans, he pretended to live normally while secretly keeping his support forces ready, avoiding the League’s surveillance.
The moment the League’s forces, unaware of this fact, appeared, he would call upon the support troops he had held back to gain a temporary advantage in power on the scene.
Because of the unexpected support from the enemy, appearing at a crucial moment, the League would inevitably face defeat.
That was his strategy.
“I can no longer play in the clutches of the Black Beast.”
Messiah chuckled.
Swish.
A globe spun in his hand.
“Undertaker.”
At Messiah’s words, a pale-faced man wearing a black hood silently bowed his head.
The Knight of Death, Undertaker.
“While Berserk executes the plan, block any enemy support trying to intervene if needed.”
“Understood… I will comply…”
The Undertaker’s voice was as unpleasant and chilling as grinding metal.
Hearing the response, a smile spread across Messiah’s face.
“Please assist with the Philosopher’s Stone production plan, you two.”
“Understood.”
“I shall follow, Master.”
The remaining two villains bowed their heads at Messiah’s words.
“I’m already excited about what kind of future you’ll show me this time… Black Beast.”
Whirr.
The globe he touched spun wildly.
*
The meeting with Seira ended successfully.
Since Seira said she would directly request security enhancements from the Association, at the very least, they would be able to receive support from an EX rank hero in case of emergencies.
However, he couldn’t shake off an inexplicable sense of unease.
The situation had already deviated significantly from the original story.
It was necessary to reinforce his own power just in case.
So, he decided to continue the special training with Aris.
As time flowed with training, one week before the school trip.
Shuo Hero Academy Classroom.
HR time.
Tap.
Mayuzumi Mayu struck the blackboard with her pointer.
“Today is the day of the drawing for school trip group assignments! Yayyyy!”
Mayuzumi Mayu clapped her hands alone.
But no students responded.
Everyone was staring intently at the drawing box on the podium.
A tension filled the classroom as they waited to see who would be paired with whom.
I know that feeling.
Back in college, when a professor randomly assigned groups for projects during lectures, an air of tension filled the room.
I always hoped to be in a group with someone I knew, but I ended up in a group with all Chinese international students, leaving me doing all the research, PPT preparation, script writing, and presentation alone. Those horrible memories resurfaced.
Damn group projects.
She said, “Group assignments for the school trip will consist of 4 people! Students who draw the same number will be in the same group!”
Four people per group.
The number of students in the school trip group was the same as in the original story.
The issue was whether the group assignments would follow the original story or not.
In the original, the protagonist’s group consisted of Yuji, Ishihara, Olivia, and Evangelin.
But now, since Beatrice was added as an exchange student, it had become unpredictable.
At that moment, while I was thinking about this.
“Okay! Then I will start the drawing! When I call your name, come up in order to draw!”
With Mayuzumi Mayu’s voice, the drawing that would determine the fate of the school trip began.
