This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 61

“I found it, but…”

What should I do now?

Just moments ago, or rather, right before spotting a familiar face among the new students lined up to enter, I had a flurry of thoughts running through my head.

Now, it’s just… white as snow up there.

Is there anything else that could be whiter than this… it’s been completely blank.

That realization feels confusing yet oddly fascinating.

If I had just been slacking off until now, maybe I could understand it better, but I had been preparing seriously for today and even simulated the meeting that could happen soon, which makes it feel even more absurd.

It felt like… studying hard for an exam only to find out on the day of the test that the syllabus had changed.

All the preparations I had made, focusing solely on today, felt like they crumbled in an instant.

Thanks to that, I felt utterly lost… but at the same time, it also made me more excited.

It was said that even other instructors, known for producing several heroes, expressed difficulty with this talent.

Of course, there were a few who speculated with a ‘What if…’ kind of thinking, but even that was merely a futile assumption with no certainty whatsoever.

In comparison, what about that Dogun kid?

He had a strong belief in this talent.

What could have made him feel that way?

I doubted my own talent even at this moment… so what on earth did he see in me?

Of course… I know.

There is a possibility that what I said at that time might have just been a comment to warn a friend who could have been careless.

But… somehow, I didn’t think that was the case.

…I wanted to believe that.

What if this last shred of possibility crumbled as well? Then, I really would… feel like I had lost my way.

Like I would crumble and be unable to hold on any longer.

“So… how should I start talking?”

The more I thought, the more I felt suffocated instead of relieved, and I was secretly letting out deep sighs during this time.

“…Chairman?”

“Uh, y-yeah?!”

I heard a voice calling out to me, and my startled heart thumped loudly as I hurriedly turned to the direction of the voice.

What flew toward my face was a slightly puzzled gaze.

“You should start getting ready to go out soon…”

“Ah.”

Right, I should probably deal with what’s right in front of me first.

And who knows what might happen?

If I show a good image as the Student Council President at the entrance ceremony, it might somehow help in future conversations.

At the very least, I should appear trustworthy.

I sat up straight as that thought prompted me to correct my posture.

“Have all the new students been counted?”

“All done. We’re contacting the absentees to check on their situations.”

After confirming everything that needed to be checked before starting, I slowly ascended the platform.

*

“Ah, hello everyone.”

As that captivating voice flowed through the speakers, I slightly felt dizzy in the midst of what could only be described as a market scene.

Miraculously, once that voice resonated through the auditorium, the place, which had been like a marketplace, quieted down in an instant.

Then, all the eyes of the students sitting around turned towards the stage… to be honest, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

Because I was beginning to realize this is what leadership and charisma look like.

So, who could it be?

Who is able to pull off something like this so effortlessly?

Curiosity compelled me to gaze towards the platform.

As I threw my eyes that way—

“…Hmm?”

There was a woman I recognized, a familiar face that I had seen a few times before.

“Let’s see… what was her name again? Baek…”

Ah, it was Baeksulhwa, right?

“Nice to meet you. New students, I’m Baeksulhwa, the 32nd Student Council President of Yeongang High School.”

Ah, right. It’s not Baeksulha, but Baeksulhwa.

“By the way…”

So, she’s the Student Council President.

To be honest, the fact that this person is actually the Student Council President of the school I would be attending wasn’t that surprising.

After all, if she’s that popular outside of school, how much more so inside?

Listening to her talk, I could understand why the students chose her as their president.

In other words… she looked like a picture-perfect leader.

Just watching her made me feel reassured in some strange way.

Maybe that’s why, despite the earlier commotion, the entrance ceremony proceeded efficiently.

“Now, we’ll have a time to tour the school facilities led by the Student Council members.”

Thanks to that, I quickly realized it was time for that part.

“Will the council members include you, Chairman?”

“Well… I guess so?”

Ah, by the way, the person I was chatting so casually with was, surprisingly, someone I had just met today.

We happened to sit side by side during the entrance ceremony and decided to become friends from now on, but I couldn’t help but recall Jinho, who was probably sitting in another school’s auditorium, battling sleepiness.

So, I felt somewhat comfortable.

“I really hope you come to our class. Please!”

Was I that desperate?

I wasn’t just stopping at words; I was even folding my hands in prayer, and seeing that made me smile bitterly, while I caught the gaze of someone around as if to say, “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing? Hurry and wish for it too.”

“…Me?”

“Come on, you do want the Chairman to lead our class, right? Am I wrong?”

“Well, not to that extent…”

“Really? Hand on your heart?”

Why do I need to go to such lengths for this?

“When you first saw the Chairman, didn’t your heart race?”

“Well, you know… if a person’s heart doesn’t race, they might as well be dead…”

“Right! So, when you first saw the Chairman, were you in awe or not?”

“…I can’t deny that.”

Out of everything else, I had to admit that much.

When I replied that way, he looked as if he had expected it all along, grinning smugly like he was Jinho himself.

‘What is going on…?’

Is he my doppelgänger?

If the two meet, would they argue over who is the real one until one of them dies?

I was genuinely curious how things would unfold, considering how strikingly similar their behaviors were.

As I contemplated Dogun’s chance encounter with Jinho Mk.2, I couldn’t help but wonder if Jinho Mk.2’s wish had somehow reached the heavens.

His wish was about to come true.

*

“Now, it’s time to guide the new students around the school… Chairman?”

“…Yes?”

“You should choose first. We’ll pick after you.”

That made me think.

This is an opportunity.

“So… which class was she in again?”

If I remembered correctly, it should be either Class 3 or Class 4…

“What class are you going to choose?”

“Um… Could I see the list?”

To be sure, I requested the list.

“Here it is.”

After receiving the list, I went through it quickly, and finally, I could decide.

“I’ll take Class 3.”

“…Huh? Oh, okay. So you mean Class 3, right?”

Choosing Class 3 specifically seemed to raise some eyebrows among others.

Looks of confusion were directed at me from various angles, but I couldn’t help it.

Since nothing was set in stone yet, I felt I couldn’t miss out on this opportunity.

It might really lead to something.

If I took charge of guiding her class, I might actually get the chance to have a conversation with her.

After we sorted out which class each of us would guide, we dispersed, and the closer I got to Class 3, the more my heart started racing.

This… felt so strange.

Even during the Regular Tournament that happens monthly, I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous… and it’s not even a fight!

Why on Earth was I feeling this anxious and sweaty?

I struggled to keep my hands from fidgeting with my skirt while making my way forward.

Eventually, I spotted the face I had been looking for.

“Ah…”

There she is.

She… is right there.

Even then, my heart was still pounding like crazy.