Chapter 252

It was time to exercise, and while still tousling Yoo Jin’s messy hair, they headed to the gym. The small, round, and firm head felt in the palm of his hand helped calm his mood.

‘Hehe, so round and fun.’

It wasn’t fear or embarrassment.

That’s why he avoids private interviews.

‘Records are everything.’

It’s a good thing portal news and SNS aren’t developed yet.

The records of Jin-hyuk’s life aren’t narratives assigned by journalists to suit the public’s taste but are enough as memories kept by family and friends.

He wouldn’t make a mistake in front of reporters, but even if he did, it wouldn’t last forever. Taxidermy is harder and more eternal than diamonds.

He didn’t want to leave behind mistakes that could become a dark history.

There was also a reminder from Hong Ki-jun.

It was in a reply that arrived right after he announced the conversation with the shadow and the news that the gangsters Hong Ki-jun had dismantled had infiltrated various redevelopment projects.

「Now that you’ve found your center, hold your weight. It doesn’t mean to act arrogantly or haughtily. It means to choose whether to remain a clown for the public or to be remembered as someone faithful to their duties.」

There was no longer a command to read and delete.

But Jin-hyuk deleted it on his own. It was enough to keep it in his head and heart.

“A documentary is enough. There’s no lie in it.”

Although he didn’t know what kind of direction would be inserted during the editing process, there were no interviews that could cause misunderstandings.

It was a bit unique in that it captured the trivial daily life that ordinary people experience every day, waking and sleeping.

“Oppa! I want to be in a documentary too!”

“Do you want to be an athlete, Yoo Jin?”

“Nooo? That’s too hard.”

Yeah, he didn’t want to recommend the path of an athlete to his younger sibling either.

In the end, it’s a fight with oneself, a path where loneliness is extreme, and the temptation to deviate is more than the stars.

Even Son Jin-hyuk, who enjoys overworking his body, feels primal loneliness when exercising.

“Then what do you want to be?”

“You don’t have to be something specific, right?”

Wow, that’s true.

“But if I had to choose one, I’d be the chairman of an engineering company.”

What kind of chairman is that?

“Umm-. Like-, like-. Umm-.”

It seems the expression isn’t coming to mind right away. He flailed his arms but couldn’t open his mouth.

“There is-. Umm-. Make computers-, make cars and boats-, make spaceships. Make bugs too-. Make clothes and food. Umm-. But I have a lot of money-. This much-!”

What a bizarre hybrid.

“If I become the chairman, I’ll give you a really big salary, oppa.”

“Wow, really?”

Yoo Jin, fighting!

***

Notices were posted in the school lobby and hallways.

「Notice for Candidate Registration for the 34th Student Council President of Taeyang High School」

「Eligibility: Current 2nd-year students, within the top 50% in academic ranking since 1st year, regardless of gender

Candidate Registration: Submit a list of candidates for student council president, vice president, and department heads (running mate system)

Registration Deadline: After notice ~ 00.00.00

Campaign Period: From the day after registration ~ until election day.」

The lobby and hallways buzzed with the voices of students checking the notices.

It was as if a heavy rain was pouring, and the sound unable to escape outside shook the indoors.

“Hey! Should we give it a try?”

“Ah, damn, my grades aren’t good enough. I was going to study this year-.”

“Wouldn’t they pick someone like me?”

“Ha-, I lost favor because of the disciplinary committee activities last year, what a waste.”

“If I run for president, who will be my vice president?!”

It’s common for people to get excited during election season, and school is no different.

To Lee Seung-hoon, it was an unusual sight.

Middle school was all boys, so the atmosphere was stifling, and no one got excited about elections, but high school seemed lively and everyone looked excited, almost like a festival atmosphere.

He tried to analyze the reason.

‘It must be because our Mi-kyung is at this core school-.’

Lee Seung-hoon nodded his head, coming to a strange conclusion.

He was well aware of Choi Mi-kyung’s ambitions.

She would surely run for president, and he intended to help her with all his might.

To do that, he had to eliminate the strongest competitor.

“Sorry, president. For Mi-kyung’s sake, you’ll have to remain as the former president now.”

Jin-hyuk, who was watching Lee Seung-hoon mutter to himself from behind, gritted his teeth.

‘This damn bastard…’

The curses he learned from the rough people in the neighborhood who needed them in certain situations naturally swirled in his mouth.

Ungrateful bastard.

After all I’ve done for you.

‘Is there no helping black-haired beasts?’

Was it a black-haired beast?

*

Hong Ki-jun promised Jin-hyuk, who was worried about his family’s safety.

「I’ll make sure no one touches you.」

Well.

Although Hong Ki-jun made a bold statement, Jin-hyuk didn’t particularly feel like someone who needed help. He had so much energy that he lived without even needing mysterious auras, so what kind of protection was needed?

But he later realized that the protection Hong Ki-jun spoke of wasn’t just physical.

Hong Ki-jun, as someone who monopolized immense power and privatized it, used money to sway the media and pressured the regime with information and force. However, he didn’t act recklessly or indiscriminately but used it appropriately and only as much as needed.

His personnel placement and organizational structure sense were excellent and sharp.

‘That must be political sense.’

That’s why curiosity arises.

Jin-hyuk, who judged everything based on right and wrong before discussing practical benefits, lacked such qualities.

「I’ll teach you. That’s my task.」

Hong Ki-jun began to unravel facts that no longer needed to be hidden, like Cheon Gil-ryong’s story bundle.

In Hong Ki-jun’s words, Jin-hyuk’s real education had begun.

「No matter what the other side says, you don’t need to listen. What’s important is achieving my goal. That’s the strategy to lead the war of business according to my intentions.」

A tone quite different from what he learned from Cheon Gil-ryong or his father. It was a statement devoid of humanity. But he couldn’t judge such an attitude as right or wrong. The same words can have different meanings depending on who says them. Who in this world would dare to take Hong Ki-jun’s words lightly? There’s not a single person who could show such confidence.

「A team leader I knew was a strict principled person and a perfectionist. He had many realistic and feasible plans. But did I, as a buyer, feel interested? The answer is ‘no.’ Business starts with fulfilling the other party’s fantasies. If it’s too realistic, it gives a sense of stability and trust, but plans that don’t excite people lack charm as products. I’m not undervaluing planning ability, but that team leader was more suited to be a manager.」

Ouch, my bones are breaking.

The attack power was considerable, to the point where one might think it necessary to fill up with meditative energy before reading. To maintain composure and prevent internal injuries.

‘I did lack ideas.’

No argument there.

A life lived boringly couldn’t have had plausible delusions.

「Pointing out that something is nonsense is nothing more than intellectual vanity, intellectual show-off, nothing more, nothing less. Mostly fools point out inconsistencies with ignorance and irrationality. Trying to include everyone, even those closet philosophers, leads to missing the timing and turning products into trash. This principle applies to any world, any product.」

As if determined to really break bones, Hong Ki-jun beat up Jin-hyuk’s past.

But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a club aimed at Jin-hyuk.

It was a statement reminiscent of executives who made nonsensical remarks during strategy meetings, albeit somewhat vague. There might have been a purpose for fighting over rice bowls and performance, but those with low intelligence or shallow enlightenment compared to their experience showed such behavior. Some had personally received something through backdoors. Buyers trying to undervalue and slash prices could also fall into this category.

「In that regard, I evaluate the senses of ordinary people as the most refined. They know how to see phenomena as they are.

Those who spout criticism like old men’s phlegm, isn’t their purpose or greed clearly visible? Such people live in the arrogance of leading the world. But their behavior is nothing more than what’s called attention-seeking.

The consciousness that sustains the world is ordinary people who know how to see events, accidents, and objects as they are in daily life. They are the ones who are value-neutral and truly productive.

Such people are gradually decreasing.」

While receiving Hong Ki-jun’s education, Jin-hyuk realized that the world he needed to stay in was gradually expanding. It was something he couldn’t learn from teachers or friends at school.

「You need to know the background of how absurd stories like the five loaves and two fish or pinecone grenades were born. Those with purchasing power are more interested in the story and halo than the person’s true self. Of course, actual history would be more powerful and lasting than such fakes. You can’t equate dead or hidden idols with living idols breathing beside you. Become a living idol, the only one. At least to stand alongside Hong Ki-jun in this world, that level of achievement is necessary.」

You’re expecting too much.

For a first-year high school student, some of this might be confusing. But for the current Jin-hyuk, it was an education he could understand and ponder without difficulty.

‘Understood, master.’

There was a hint of desolation when he mentioned how much of the future he had recorded from the shadows had become useless.

「About Chechnya, ······ it turns out these guys were supposed to start a war the year before last but didn’t. I don’t know what the money I spread in America and Europe did, but history has changed too much. Now I don’t even know.」

Reading the text of the email Hong Ki-jun sent, sometimes it felt like talking to a shadow. When he asked about it, Hong Ki-jun pretended to be hurt, saying old men’s tones are all the same.

「My sins are too great. From any perspective, that doesn’t change.」

The fatigue accumulated from eliminating countless enemies while living again sometimes seeped out from the monitor.

‘I should help.’

How lonely he must be.

It’s fortunate that they can rely on each other from afar and communicate daily via email.

But making phone calls is a bit awkward. Men listening to each other’s voices isn’t each other’s preference.

“President.”

“Yeah?”

Oh, you scared me.

Jin-hyuk carefully folded the printed email from Hong Ki-jun to prevent it from crumpling.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

“Ah, this······.”

He showed another paper.

It was the list of student council officer candidates.

“······Are you running for student council president?”

Lee Seung-hoon, who had been wondering when to bring it up, finally spoke.

Jin-hyuk had prepared early to run for student council president.

From running mates to pledges, nothing was left out.

Thanks to his father, who had exerted political influence by meeting people and working hard for regional development, Jin-hyuk’s pledges were flawless.

Anyway, knowing what Lee Seung-hoon, the icon of betrayal, was aiming for, it was necessary to preempt. Receive my attack, no, my proposal, black-haired betrayer.

“Seung-hoon, you should take on the role of sports department head.”

“Huh? What······.”

Lee Seung-hoon avoided Jin-hyuk’s eyes and mumbled.

I knew it, you sly bear.

“It’s a running mate system. You have to prepare all student council officers to run.”

“Uh······, I don’t know about that-.”

“Mi-kyung is running for vice president.”

“Gasp!”

Lee Seung-hoon can’t lie.

Beyond being unable to hide it, he’s the type to confess to Jin-hyuk first, so he has no secrets from Jin-hyuk. After lying as a child and getting beaten badly by his father, he became unable to lie.

Indeed, the whip is the medicine to make people honest. No, not that.

“I’ve already talked to Mi-kyung.”

“When?”

He wanted to say, when you were muttering about stabbing me in the back, but he held back. There are things you shouldn’t say directly.

Jin-hyuk is a smart student, so he knows that too.

“I met her before this class started. Will you do it? Sports department head.”

“Well, there’s not much to do, right? Then I’ll do it.”

Not much to do······.

There’s nothing at all.

Just leading the national gymnastics and student oath at sports events.

‘Okay, betrayer elimination complete.’

He wrote Lee Seung-hoon’s name on the student council officer candidate list. This must be what it feels like to write a Death Note.

Lee Seung-hoon, looking at the list, couldn’t hide his smile.

“Woo-sung is the cafeteria department head?”

“Can you think of anyone else?”

“Oof-.”

Hehe-.

It’s a position created with the establishment of the cafeteria. Superficially, it’s to monitor the quality of meals and ensure high-quality service, but······.

“Woo-sung gets excited about eating first-.”

······Reality is like this.

Due to the election notice, friends interested in positions started coming to Jin-hyuk. Those he thought were close were casual, and those he thought were distant were shy, but their requests were the same.

“Can you give me something to do?”

“Make me the choir department head.”

Well. Our school doesn’t have such a position.

He couldn’t give false hope, so he told the truth.

“The running mates are all filled.”

“Someone might transfer or something.”

“Then I’ll put you on the waiting list.”

Better than cutting them off too harshly.

It was a change from before. His personality, which would have coldly cut them off, now refused in a way that didn’t hurt them.

“Huh? The disciplinary committee is empty?”

A friend looking at Jin-hyuk’s list pointed out.

“That’s my first pledge.”

He had decided on the first day of high school to abolish the disciplinary committee.

It was an unnecessary power and violence that hindered autonomy and violated equality.

Such an organization is more suited to Jang Gun-i.

“Jin-hyuk, you haven’t forgotten our secret and sticky contract, right?”

Damn, someone might misunderstand.

Kim Eun-jung suddenly made her presence known like this.

Jin-hyuk silently handed her the list.

“Hmm-. Good. Literature department head. With my writing skills, I’ll touch the aliens’ hearts and make them invade Earth-.”

Okay, that’s enough.

Listening to your ordinary nonsense is making me age. That’s probably why wrinkles are forming on Josul’s forehead.

“This Saturday after school, let’s work on the election campaign posters at my house.”

“I promised Josul to watch a movie. Two Cops Two-.”

What a useless guy.

But it’s impressive that he’s going to the theater in the next town to watch that boring movie. It must be to have some time alone with Josul.

It’s a good thing for Josul.

“Eun-jung, if anyone gives you trouble, call me right away.”

“Got it. If 114 is dialed, know it’s an emergency.”

Is 114 the number for emergencies?

Wiping Kim Eun-jung’s spit off his cheek, Jin-hyuk made another suggestion.

“How about Sunday then?”

“I guess I have no choice. For you, I can make that concession.”

Oh, how generous of you.