Lee Euishin stood up holding his tray. Kwon Yunsu didn’t grumble further. When he thought about it, attending such a meeting when he was neither class president nor anything else seemed pretty cool. Anyway, seeing movement at school made it feel real.
Preparations for the sports festival were just beginning.
“Hey, you need to prostrate more politely.”
“Right, do it politely.”
“No, do it submissively—the runner’s legs are short so they can’t get up in one go.”
“You crazy bastards!”
“A stepping stone has a lot to say!”
As expected, it was complete chaos. Even before the notdari runner climbed onto their backs, loud voices were already flying. The other kids just had to bend their waists, but the stepping stone had to kneel and prostrate flat to lift up the runner. It was natural to have complaints, but the problem was that there was no one to sympathize. Athletic director Baek Seunghyun was running around the playground like an unleashed dog, looking so happy, and who knows how many seconds a day Kim Wonwoo remembers he’s vice president. And Lee Euishin—this excellent class president bastard was still keeping his distance from everyone. Then I’ll have to step up, jeez.
“Why are you all fighting?”
The reaction was intense.
“It’s because of you, Kwon Yunsu!”
“You’re the one who suggested it!”
“Who in their right mind prepares for the sports festival a month in advance! We can do it during P.E. class!”
Kwon Yunsu froze in place as he gestured “whoa whoa” and stepped forward. But he wasn’t discouraged by the pouring reproaches. That was his personality to begin with.
“No, but still…”
As he pondered how to persuade these guys,
“But still—”
Unexpectedly, Lee Euishin stepped forward.
“Since we decided to do it anyway, we should do it well.”
“……”
The guy was already over 180cm tall. Kids these days are well-developed, but for someone not even in third year to be that tall, he’d be among the top in the grade. Even though it wasn’t particularly a soothing tone and looked even annoying with that expressionless face, the grumbling sounds were completely silenced. Since we decided to do it anyway, let’s do it well? Really, what’s so great about that statement?
“Let’s try it once first.”
“Right, it’ll probably get better if we try.”
Watching the guys resolve the situation on their own, Kwon Yunsu pursed his lips. These bastards sure know how to pick and choose people. While it was amazing how things turned out this way, he was also a bit annoyed.
At first, the kids didn’t even want to go out to the playground. Before the suggestion to stay and practice was even finished, academy talk came out first. Kids these days. Kwon Yunsu, who had to endure days close to a training camp all summer vacation to take two months off from the academy at the start of second semester, arrogantly thought while forgetting all his days of hardship. And he shamelessly pestered the class president.
‘Seunghyun is lazy so he won’t practice. You need to step up, Class President.’
‘With Seunghyun…’
‘Don’t discuss it with him, discuss it with me.’
‘Why?’
That was when Kwon Yunsu first saw the class president’s ‘annoyance.’ Thinking without context that he’d unexpectedly get along well with this guy, he answered energetically.
‘Because it wasn’t him but me who made you class president.’
‘……’
‘So you need to form a corrupt relationship with me. Class President, I really, really want to win. We absolutely must win. Excluding team events, soccer has the highest points. And the preliminary tournament starts before the sports festival. When you think about it that way, what’s a month? We have less than two weeks left.’
‘……’
‘Let’s hurry, Class President, hm? Let’s keep the kids after today. Huh?’
Only after Kwon Yunsu whined in a similar manner about fifteen times did Lee Euishin open his mouth. Eye corners folding into curves and lips rising at an angle. It was accompanied by a ‘sneer’ that Kwon Yunsu was seeing for the first time.
‘Fascinating.’
During math class, Lee Euishin, who had been staring at the teacher’s fingertips explaining permutations and combinations, turned his head, and
‘What is?’
Kwon Yunsu, who had seized the seat next to him with two pieces of ‘spicy fried chicken,’ was resting his chin on his hand and looking at Lee Euishin. That guy sure is good-looking.
‘Is that so important to you?’
‘……’
Lee Euishin glanced at him coldly and turned his head back to the blackboard.
It was a tone that really made you want to hit him just once. As if to say, why are you bothering people with such trivial things? As if there’s no reason at all to go along with such nonsense. Kwon Yunsu grabbed Lee Euishin’s arm and yanked it. He didn’t come easily, so he ended up getting pulled instead.
‘Hey, Class President, you’re really annoying.’
‘Thank you.’
When he muttered fiercely up close, Lee Euishin actually smiled brightly instead. It was such a clean, pretty smile that Kwon Yunsu was dumbfounded.
‘…A-anyway, you have to do something. You’re the class president.’
‘……’
‘You need to set an example, Class President.’
Haa, Lee Euishin let out a small sigh and muttered. ‘Until then I…’ Something like that, but he couldn’t hear it well.
‘Don’t forget. You’re the class president I chose with my own hands.’
Kwon Yunsu, who had chattered with emphasis until the end, got punishment cleaning that day. The reason was that he infringed on the class president’s right to learn. When he protested asking why only he got caught when they were talking together, even before the math teacher could open their mouth, snitching burst out from behind. Kwon Yunsu was the one talking! The class president was annoyed! This isn’t his seat! Kwon Yunsu believed he was popular with a friendly feeling, not that he looked like an easy target.
“Hey, you need to hold hands tightly, raise your arms high! The runner’s posture is awkward.”
“Just step on it firmly and go, why are you hesitating so much?”
“I’m soft-hearted…”
“Ah, what are you saying.”
As he stretched his neck waiting for when he’d be stepped on and passed over, there seemed to be progress at a snail’s pace. In the distance, he could see Lee Euishin holding the right hand of the girl chosen as runner. The well-shaped lips pressed tightly together in an expressionless face looked bored somehow. No, it surely must be. The guy never had a good personality. He was a guy who treated sports festival practice like some neighborhood mutt gathering. Even while badmouthing him, Kwon Yunsu smiled slightly. Anyway, he was the one who had beaten a guy like that.
The dramatic conclusion of negotiations was yesterday after school. Kwon Yunsu stuck right to the back door and blocked the class president’s path.
‘Move!’
‘Ah, what are you doing, Kwon Yunsu!’
Encouraged by the explosive reaction, he quickly dragged Lee Euishin to a corner of the hallway.
‘Should I buy you ramen?’
‘I have a lot of money.’
‘You look like it. Then buy me ramen.’
‘…I need to leave quickly.’
‘I know you haven’t quit the academy yet. Song Eunkyung is waiting to transfer if you register at an academy, but she said there’s been no news yet.’
‘I do private tutoring.’
‘What if you text them that you’ll just be late today?’
Lee Euishin sighed.
‘Why don’t you seduce the athletic director instead of me?’
‘No way, Baek Seunghyun can’t speak well so the kids don’t listen to him. I don’t mean you speak harshly, but first of all, you have a face that can’t be refused.’
‘……’
‘I just praised you a ton, right? Huh? Lee Euishin-ah, I discovered the seed of leadership in you when you transferred and appointed you as class president, but you can’t even do this much for me? I checked with the class 1 president and they said they’re starting practice next week too. Every single day is urgent right now.’
Lee Euishin looked at Kwon Yunsu incredulously as he dressed up what had been a purely impulsive prank as a carefully intended matter. What does this thing the size of a rat’s ass rely on to act like this? Face? Really, and he calls that a face?
Kwon Yunsu, who had been stretching his neck looking at the non-responsive Lee Euishin, eventually sighed. His brow furrowed deeply and he chewed his lips, mumbling, then finally spat out words after a long while.
‘No, if possible I want to lead… but I don’t have that ability.’
The kids don’t really listen to me… I really want to win.
Perhaps it was a statement that hurt his pride, as his ears had turned red.
‘Won’t you help me?’
‘……’
A week after absurdly becoming class president and being blackmailed by a country puppy. It was the moment when the scheme that didn’t even warrant a snort transformed into an interesting power game. This clueless country puppy lowering his perked ears and asking for help became a little, just a little bit amusing.
‘…Hm? Class President, help me out a bit.’
He stared down at Kwon Yunsu intently. Until that guy, who had been glaring fiercely into space, finally flushed his cheeks. Seeing that humiliated face made him feel good. Lee Euishin finally opened his mouth.
