This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 71

Getting hit by an unexpected blow from my friend, Dogun was completely flustered, unaware that the rumors involving him and Baeksulhwa had already spread beyond the school walls.

And among those spreading rumors was… Yoonseo, who belonged to Huiseo High School.

Of course, if Dogun knew this, he would have been clutching his neck, wondering how such gossip spread so quickly… but honestly, the rapid dissemination was somewhat expected.

This was all because Baeksulhwa was quite a famous figure around these parts.

It wasn’t just her looks, but her unique trait of showcasing her talents without resorting to her martial arts during tournaments also played a role.

However, if it were merely due to her fame, the rumors wouldn’t have spread this fast.

If they were from the same school, it could be understandable, but Huiseo and Yeongang High were completely separate entities.

Still, the rumors starting at Yeongang High reached Huiseo in mere hours, thanks to the special relationship between the two schools.

In this neighborhood, while Huiseo had an overwhelming status, Yeongang wasn’t lacking in facilities or support.

In fact, the two schools were close enough to be considered part of the same area.

– “For now, let’s put Huiseo as my first choice and in case I don’t get in, I’ll write down Yeongang as my second choice.”

With that kind of mindset, it was common for teachers at the local middle schools to repeat these words during high school entrance exam season.

As this scenario played out repeatedly over the years, students from the same middle schools began to flock to both high schools.

Of course, many naturally distanced themselves after the split, stopping contact, but not everyone did, allowing certain connections to function as a network in this incident.

Honestly speaking, first-year students, who had just graduated from middle school and still had vivid memories of their time there, were more likely to stay in touch with their middle school friends.

Thus, the gossip spread much more rapidly among the first-years than the second or third years at Huiseo.

“Whoa…”

“What’s up?”

“No, Ji-yoon said their school’s Student Council President got caught in a relationship at school.”

Still, despite the speed of the gossip, their reactions were rather lukewarm.

Those in the second or third year, having been involved in many regular tournaments for years, wouldn’t be too surprised about any news related to Baeksulhwa, but first-years were still completely clueless.

They didn’t even know the candidates from their own school well, so how could they know a person from the neighboring school?

This meant that the first-years were more focused on the title of Student Council President rather than the name Baeksulhwa.

After all, it wasn’t just any club president; the Student Council President is the representative of the students, caught dating at school?

If it were just a rumor about the Student Council President having a boyfriend, it wouldn’t attract this much attention, but the combination of “caught” and “Student Council President” naturally drew more focus.

To top it off, it wasn’t even news from their own school but from a neighboring one.

This implied that even if they talked about it endlessly, the chance of facing repercussions was minimal, making it the perfect gossip for those starting to feel the boredom of adapting to high school life.

“What on Earth did she do to get our school involved in the rumor, anyway?”

“My thoughts exactly. Maybe she got caught kissing her boyfriend or something?”

“If that were the case, it would really stir up chaos…”

Though there’s no law against a Student Council President dating, the image that comes with that title suggests otherwise.

Given that, the two of them continued to chatter about the gossip until Yoonseo returned to her seat from her brief errand in the teacher’s office.

“What’s going on? What were you two talking about so excitedly?”

While usually the three of them were together, it was only natural for Yoonseo to be curious about what the other two were chattering about when she returned.

So, she asked, but it didn’t look like they were gossiping behind her back.

If that were the case, they wouldn’t be making such eager expressions.

So what was it?

Soon enough, she got to hear all about it.

With expressions that screamed, “I can’t hold it in any longer!”, both friends began to spill the beans.

“Guess what… that school next door?”

“Next door?”

“Yeongang High.”

Yoonseo had been somewhat disinterested until her friends’ chatter turned towards Yeongang High—because that’s where Dogun studied.

So it wasn’t entirely a foreign school to her.

Anyway, what had happened at Yeongang High?

The two were so animated that Yoonseo was even worried they might have uncovered some accident.

But observing their expressions closely, it didn’t seem like it was bad news.

So, she leaned back into a state of relief.

“Well, you see, the Student Council President is there.”

The mention of an unexpected name, which snagged her attention, caught her off guard.

Why was it that Dogun had casually dropped that name the other day?

Was it because she had seen him mention it when they were talking, making her more alert?

Whatever the reason, it was not a welcome topic.

How could it be, after Dogun had witnessed her being thoroughly trounced by that Baeksulhwa?

Of course, she knew that losing had much to do with her own mistakes too.

However, acknowledging that didn’t erase the fact that she had been utterly defeated before Dogun’s eyes.

So, even if time passed, getting over Baeksulhwa was looking pretty impossible.

It was strange how easily she found herself continuing to get distracted by thoughts of her.

There was just something… off-putting about that Baeksulhwa.

But if she were asked to describe why exactly she felt that way, she wouldn’t have an answer…

Anyway, what was that Baeksulhwa up to?

With increasing curiosity and a twinge of anxiety about her feelings, Yoonseo watched her friends’ lips move slowly.

Then, out came the line—

“Apparently, she got caught dating her boyfriend at school.”

That news hit her like a bolt from the blue.

And strangely enough, hearing it made that nagging feeling fade almost instantly, as if it had been a growing pain that had just eased up.

‘I see…’

So, she really had a boyfriend.

‘Well…’

Thinking about it, it would be weirder if such a beauty didn’t have one.

‘Honestly, as much as I hate to admit it…’

Didn’t Dogun always say it’s better to acknowledge the points worth recognizing, no matter who the opponent is?

Once she recognized that, it was clear; it would be strange if someone like her didn’t have a boyfriend.

Then, the rumors must be true.

So, what now?

She shouldn’t stress over it anymore.

There was no way she’d hit on another guy while she had a boyfriend, right?

Of course, the world was vast, and there were plenty of crazy folks out there who would mess around even while dating someone, but… that Baeksulhwa seemed too principled for such actions.

And naturally, this line of thinking wasn’t just a wild guess.

She wouldn’t be foolish enough to act without considering the potential backlash.

What if things took a weird turn, and she couldn’t turn back?

Therefore, she had faith in the impression she received from that Baeksulhwa, as well as the weight that came with her title as Student Council President.

Surely, a Student Council President wouldn’t do something so trashy, right?

I mean, if she was that kind of person, she’d never have made it to that position in the first place.

“Really? How did that happen?”

With that, she decided to leave the matter there.

“But…”

“Huh?”

“This just in from a friend at that school? That guy dating the President… he’s in our first-year class!”

“What…?”

If it hadn’t been for the last line, that would have been the end of it.