Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 250

“Wow… There’s not a single kid smaller than you.”

That was Harang’s first remark upon arriving at the auditorium for the entrance ceremony.

He was looking around, checking out the new students.

The sight of this gigantic, rugged guy made him look like a thug scouting for fresh recruits for his gang.

“Shut up. Everyone’s staring because of you.”

“That’s because you’re so small.”

I clung to Sohee’s side, trying to avoid everyone’s gaze.

While the stares in Deron were nothing to worry about, the real people’s glances were a bit terrifying.

Here, I was just a powerless pretty girl.

“Let’s go, Hayun.”

“Ah. Okay.”

Sohee and I headed to our designated seats and sat down.

Harang naturally strode over to the area prepared for parents, taking a seat.

His presence was so out of place that the parents around him moved away, creating space.

He’d been going out more lately, and it felt like he had grown bigger.

I inspected Harang’s body with a peculiar gaze.

He was wearing a suit tailored for him long ago, but his shoulders, arms, and thighs felt tight.

“Hayun?”

“Yeah.”

“What are you staring at?”

“Harang’s body.”

“…Why are you…?”

“No, I was just thinking if he’s been doing some strange exercise or something.”

I trailed off and turned my head away.

Harang, who used to just play Deron at home, now had a different physique.

Could he seriously have gained muscle in just a few months?

I looked down at my own pale, slender fingers fiddling nervously.

Although obscured by my school uniform, I could feel the soft, white arms underneath.

Should I start exercising, too?

“You didn’t know…?”

“What’s that?”

I turned my head toward Sohee, making eye contact.

Sohee looked a bit surprised, peering down at me.

“Harang is preparing for the national team.”

“What…?”

National team? Country?

Hearing such unfamiliar and alien words made my head spin.

So, are you saying Harang is preparing for something as a national representative?

“Wh-what national team?”

“Shooting.”

“Shooting…?”

I frowned at her words.

Of course, I knew Harang was good at shooting in games.

But Deron and reality were different. Just because he’s good in Deron doesn’t mean he’s good in real life.

“Is that really true?”

“Yeah.”

How did Sohee know that Harang was preparing for the national team?

He hadn’t uttered a single word about it to me.

I looked at Sohee with suspicion.

Has she been bringing up meetings in reality more often lately because of Harang?

“Sohee.”

“Yeah?”

Just then, as I was about to voice this, the teachers started coming up to the podium to adjust the microphone.

Screech—

The microphone powered on, sending white noise throughout the auditorium.

I slowly and carefully opened my mouth to ask,

“Are you… dating Harang?”

Although I thought Sohee deserved better than him, I could understand if my friend wanted that.

After hearing my question, Sohee tilted her head and asked blankly,

“Harang… and me?”

“Yeah.”

When I nodded, Sohee fell silent.

I crossed my arms, nodding my head, watching her closely.

There was definitely something between them.

The idea of Harang taking Sohee away was a bit unsettling, but I couldn’t let that feeling show.

If my friend wanted it, I could support her.

[Ah-]

Just as someone on the podium was about to speak into the microphone, Sohee suddenly stood up and shouted loudly before the sound could fill the auditorium.

“No!!!”

“So, Sohee…?”

“It’s absolutely not what you’re imagining!!!”

“No… I get it now…”

“Hayun… it’s really not like that…”

“Okay, Sohee, I got it…”

I grabbed the trembling Sohee’s arm while looking around.

Thanks to Sohee shouting just before the entrance ceremony began, everyone in the auditorium was now looking at her and me.

Even the teachers on the podium looked down at Sohee with shocked expressions.

Sohee, who was trembling, soon looked like she was about to cry.

Oh no. It was my fault for not understanding the delicate feelings of a middle school girl, or rather, a high school girl.

I felt a cold sweat running down my back.

It wasn’t the time to worry about others’ gazes.

I reached out and hugged Sohee, lightly stroking her back.

“I believe you. I trust you…”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I knew it wasn’t true. You don’t need to shout anymore.”

Sohee finally seemed to calm down slowly.

It was surprising to see such an ordinarily quiet girl get so upset.

Honestly, it was quite shocking.

I watched the surroundings cautiously as I gently guided Sohee back to her seat.

“Uh, um…”

Then, a teacher standing at the podium cautiously spoke to us.

“C-can we start now…?”

Who are you asking?

Me and Sohee? Just as I was about to reflexively open my mouth, Sohee nodded and answered.

“Start. As quickly as you can.”

“Ah… understood…”

What’s going on?

What on earth is happening?

I furrowed my brow at the teacher’s response to Sohee.

The sight of Sohee issuing commands familiar to that teacher was all too familiar.

Right after that, Sohee returned to her previously calm demeanor as if what had just happened was all a dream.

As the entrance ceremony proceeded, she held my hand resting on my knee and said,

“Hayun.”

“Yeah.”

“My dad is a sponsor for the Korean Shooting Federation.”

“Sponsor…?”

“Yeah, that’s how I knew. It’s definitely not what you’re thinking.”

“Ah, I understand…”

I nodded in understanding, but Sohee’s unease still loomed, as she clung to my hand throughout the ceremony.

Maybe that’s why my palm had grown sweaty and damp.

I even tried to loosen my hand to wipe it on my clothes, but Sohee never let go.

The entrance ceremony went very normally.

The prepared video played, and the school anthem flowed, followed by brief descriptions from the teachers of each class.

After the ceremony ended, students moved to their assigned classrooms.

“Let’s go.”

Sohee still wouldn’t let go of my hand.

I looked around and gently tugged on it.

It felt awkward, the dampness of her warm grip was odd.

“So, Sohee…”

“What is it?”

“For a sec, can we…”

Sohee silently looked down at our linked hands as if considering my words.

The glare of her gaze was sharp as if it could pierce through.

I awkwardly smiled and said,

“Just drying my hands…”

“I’ll wipe it for you.”

Wiping my hands is something I could do alone…

But Sohee didn’t wait for my reply.

She pulled out a luxurious-looking handkerchief from her pocket and carefully began to wipe my hands.

But did we really need to do all this right on the stairs?

Suddenly halting, we blocked the way for other students coming up the stairs, who began to separate left and right.

Their curious glances made me feel quite exposed.

“All done. Is it okay now?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Upon hearing my response, Sohee tightened her grip again.

If we continued like this, my palms would get sweaty again…

I glanced worriedly at my hand, but Sohee didn’t let go until we reached the classroom.

Finally arriving in the classroom.

Sohee walked confidently, as if she already knew where her seat was.

Pulling me along almost against my will, we arrived at the window seat in the back.

“Hayun, sit here.”

“Ah, okay.”

Sohee naturally sat next to me in the seat she had designated.

I wondered if this was okay to just sit anywhere, but each desk had stickers with students’ names on them.

[서하연] [이소희]

Seemed like Sohee liked how our names were side by side, as she looked down at the desk and smiled lightly.

Time passed, and as all the students began to settle in, I noticed something odd.

“What the…?”

The girl in front of me was a student.

The kid sitting next to her was a girl too.

That’s not all. The ones behind were girls as well.

Even the kid in front of me was a girl.

Isn’t this a co-educational school?

For some reason, the entire class was made up of girls.

I wasn’t the only one flabbergasted by this situation.

The other kids began to murmur, looking around with puzzled expressions.

The only person unfazed by it all was Sohee sitting next to me.

“Sohee, hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Is this school a girls’ high school…?”

It was a question thrown out just in case, but I knew this wasn’t a girls’ school.

The students who had just done the entrance ceremony in the auditorium were definitely a mix of boys and girls.

“No, it’s co-ed.”

“Then… why are there only girls?”

“Good question…?”

“Um…”

“Interesting.”

Sohee said with a light laugh.

I felt a bit awkward seeing her expression, which looked far from surprised.

It was as if she had already known this situation would happen.

I wondered how much time passed before the door to our classroom opened, and a neatly dressed female teacher walked in.

With a soft gaze, she looked at her students and began to speak.

“Hello, everyone~”

A light greeting.

The atmosphere loosened, and conversations between students and teacher started flowing.

I rested my chin on the desk, watching the scene.

This wasn’t the image I had imagined.

I expected there to be some odd air in a co-ed school, but looking at the classroom, it felt like that wouldn’t be a common occurrence.

The innocent love stories of children always made my heart race.

With a sigh of disappointment, I turned my gaze away.

The conversation with the teacher was brief.

After a short introduction, she exited the classroom.

Dismissed.

Time to head home.

I stood up from my seat and headed out into the corridor with Sohee.

As we walked through the corridor,

I heard small footsteps pattering behind me.

“Blood Demon King!”

In reality, there’s only one person who calls me by that nickname.

A small Western girl with white hair.

Her nickname in Deron is Jupiter.

Her real name is…

“Ellie…?”

“Haah… haah…”

Ellie arrived in front of me, hunched over, gasping for breath.

How far did she run to be out of breath like this?

I looked at the school uniform she was wearing with a puzzled expression.

Her entire outfit was in a dark color.

The big ribbon decorating her black blouse was the charm point of her uniform.

“You go to this school…?”

“Y-yeah…!”