This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 119

Each class has roughly 40 students.

With five classes per grade, the number of students participating in today’s training camp is about 600.

Adding in the number of teachers accompanying the students for supervision, it becomes even more.

Imagine being the one responsible for managing an event of that size.

Not busy? Not at all!

The reason I left the house early this morning with everything packed was definitely because I thought it would be like this.

“Lately, it’s been pretty intense…”

If the training camp preparations were hectic, it would be reasonable to reduce the training load. But for some reason, the senior didn’t do that.

Even when I cautiously suggested reducing the training load for just a few days, it was of no use.

She would nod and say she’d consider it, but the next day, she trained exactly the same as before.

And that wasn’t all.

For the past few days, the senior hadn’t shown a smile.

Of course… she wasn’t the type to laugh much.

When she did, it was more of a faint smile with just the corners of her mouth slightly lifted.

But recently, even that had disappeared.

As if it were forbidden.

Naturally, it made me curious.

What on earth was pushing her so hard?

Initially?

I thought it was because there were about six months left until the qualification exams.

The anxiety that she might fail could have been pushing her to the limit, I thought.

But upon further reflection, it didn’t seem to be solely that reason.

I felt there were other overlapping reasons too.

Anyway, due to the way the senior had been lately, I was filled with concern as her manager and friend, which is why I sought her out early this morning… but unexpectedly, she seemed okay.

The fact that she was just sitting still said it all.

With so much luggage still left to move, was she perhaps just taking a short break?

If I had known this, I would have come later to give her some comfort.

With that regret lingering in my mind, I tried to continue the conversation as naturally as possible.

“Oh, were you resting?”

“Nope, just slacking off.”

What I heard back from her was a response I didn’t expect from the senior.

“…What?”

The senior, of all people, was slacking off.

Did I really hear that right?

As I stared at her with genuine curiosity, the expression on her face was one of embarrassment.

“Um… I thought it was a clever joke, but seeing your expression, I guess I was wrong.”

“Oh…”

“It was just a joke; I was resting for a bit. Now, we have to get moving again.”

With that, she made a sound and got up from her seat, and I quickly came over and gently pressed down on her shoulders to make her sit back down.

Perhaps she was flustered by the unexpected approach and touch.

But I couldn’t help it.

If I didn’t do this, knowing her personality, she would stubbornly insist on doing everything herself.

“From this angle, we seem different yet similar…”

Yoonseo was also pretty stubborn in her own right.

Anyway, having successfully sat the senior back down, it was now time to take control of the work.

“Don’t be like that; take a longer break. I’ll manage the remaining tasks somehow.”

“No, but still…”

“Hey, that’s what a manager is for! You need to take advantage of me in situations like this.”

Saying that, I swiftly grabbed something next to where the senior was sitting for that very purpose.

“Do I just need to check the count?”

“Huh? Oh… that’s true, but…”

“Then, it’s fine if I take care of it, right?”

After securing my reason, I pulled out something from my bag that would serve as an added bonus.

I portioned some into a paper cup I had brought along, and then poured hot water from my thermos over it, instantly creating a cup of yuzu tea.

Then I handed it over to the senior.

“Here, drink this while you take a break. I’ll finish this up as quickly as I can.”

“Uh, okay… but why yuzu tea all of a sudden?”

“Ah…”

The reason I brought yuzu tea to the training camp?

To be honest, it was nothing special.

“Uh… it helps with fatigue, right?”

As I was packing everything to bring to the camp, the senior’s fatigued expression from these past few days suddenly came to mind, and then I saw the homemade yuzu syrup I had prepared.

That was the only reason I brought it; there was no other reason at all.

“Anyway, just relax. Got it?”

—

When Dogun began to take action on behalf of Baeksulhwa, she was forced to rest suddenly and quietly gazed at his back.

“It’s warm…”

The warmth felt at her fingertips was comforting.

So… it was curious.

Thinking back, Dogun was always the first.

When she couldn’t find her way and began to lose faith in herself, he was the one who recognized her.

When she felt she was thrown alone into the world and pushed herself harder than usual, he was the one who asked if it was tough and suggested she take a break.

How could he be like that?

It felt almost like a question was brewing in her mind regarding Dogun, who was different from others.

For others?

No matter what she did, they took it for granted.

“You’re Baeksulhwa; you’re the Chairman.”

People thought it was natural for someone like Baeksulhwa, or someone in a position like the Chairman, to handle such things effortlessly.

While it was indeed appreciated that people trusted her so much, at times, it also felt burdensome.

No, it was more than just burdensome; it felt scary sometimes.

What if she couldn’t maintain that perfect image?

What if she couldn’t meet the expectations of those who believed in her?

What would happen then?

Such thoughts had been lingering in her mind all along.

Especially at times like this.

I’m a person too; I’m just as human as all of you… so it’s tough for me… what if I show any signs of struggle? Would that shatter the fragile trust and belief people have in me?

And included in that was Dogun’s trust.

Because of that fear, she couldn’t stop pushing herself.

But… now that she experienced Dogun’s caring nature, it felt as if the tension that had built up on her shoulders was finally starting to melt away.

And so, she grew more curious.

Why was Dogun different?

Why was he… special?

Perhaps that thought lingered because he truly felt like someone from another world.

In that way, Dogun was indeed special.

And if she didn’t want to lose him…

What should she do?

Watching Dogun busily move about, lost in such thoughts, she must have been in that daze.

“One, two, three… okay, this is done.”

As Dogun’s gaze, fixed on the boxes filling one side of the student council room, returned to her.

“Senior?”

“…Uh, yeah?”

“I’ve finished checking the count; can we go outside now?”

“Uh, um… technically yes, but…”

There was no way she was going to let Dogun handle all those boxes by himself.

“Uh…! If we wait a bit, the student council kids will come up, and then we can move everything together.”

I quickly stopped Dogun, who was about to start moving luggage as if he could do it all alone.

There were so many boxes. What if he got hurt trying to move them by himself?

Sure, he could use a hand truck and the elevator, but it’s still difficult work.

“Ah, is that so? Then I guess we will just wait.”

Luckily, Dogun listened and quietly sat back down.

The problem arose next.

“But by the way… do you not like sweets very much?”

“Huh…?”

I looked at him, puzzled, as he stared at me fixedly, suddenly asking that.

Asking what on earth he meant by that…

“I don’t think the quantity has gone down at all since before.”

“Ah…”

“If you don’t particularly like sweets, there’s no need to force yourself…”

“Ah, no…! I like them.”

Saying that, I quickly dodged Dogun’s eager hand reaching for the cup, and downed the contents.

The taste of the yuzu tea was—

“Hot—!”

So hot it almost made my tears leak out, yet… it was sweet like sugar.