NOVEL WEB Chapter 51
Of course, I protested. I even asked the kids, “What the heck? Why did you recommend me as vice class president when there’s Ageha and Maria?”
But how strange it was that the responses from everyone I asked were all pretty much the same.
“You’re strong enough to beat Im Changwon in mock battles and you were the first to step up when we were attacked.”
The reasons for not choosing me as class president varied a bit. It seemed that my usual behavior was slightly delinquent, and my attitude in class wasn’t all that great either.
Or maybe it was because they figured I just wouldn’t be able to handle such a position.
Then there was the reasoning that the role of class president was supposed to go to someone who deserved it, so they just stuck me as the vice class president—answered by Ageha and Im Changwon, no less. It was just a mess.
I even tried to pass on the vice class president spot to Ageha or Yeonhwa, but they refused, so inevitably, I ended up being the one stuck with it.
“Hey, don’t hate it too much! The reason the kids picked you as vice class president is that they trust you and think you’ll lead well!”
“Right, Blanca. Plus, having been class president at the Academy will count as experience later when you debut as a hero. So you should be grateful.”
“I-I can understand that, Blanca. But, um, I suppose I’ll have to take responsibility, and m-maybe that’s a bit scary…”
“Isn’t Blanca the type who wouldn’t really want to do something like vice class president?”
Minho asked curiously as I kicked the hat off my head.
“I don’t want to be in that kind of position. I have no interest in it. Well, it’s not like I completely hate it, but… of all people, it had to be that guy as class president. Ugh, I won, so why am I under him?”
So I laid out my honest thoughts. I didn’t want to be under Im Changwon.
When I said, “Why did that jerk get voted as president?” they had nothing to say.
But, well, a class president shouldn’t really be in a position to scold students, right? However, being a vice president somehow felt like being under the president, and that bugged me.
Besides, being in a spot where I had to do things under him felt kind of off.
I knew it. Vice president was supposed to be a cushy position. But I just couldn’t stand the idea of having that jerk above me.
If I’d been class president, I probably would’ve sulked and thought, “Ah, there’s nothing I can do about it.” After all, I had my own fantasies about that role.
“So that’s what the problem was…”
As I grumbled, the kids finally seemed to grasp where my concern lay.
“It was a pride thing, huh, Blanca? That’s unexpected. I didn’t think you’d care about that…”
“But still, it will be a part of your experience, right? I think kicking it away yourself isn’t the best idea.”
Ageha said I should at least think about keeping the vice class president spot, but I assured them I had no intention of kicking it away.
As I chatted with everyone, I surprisingly realized one thing that was oddly familiar yet strikingly obvious.
Minho was subtly, no, blatantly paying attention to me.
It made sense. For him, ignoring me would probably be harder than focusing on me.
In a story that wasn’t in the original, I somehow knew about the ambush on the day of the entrance ceremony and continued to mess with the original plot as a girl.
If I were in Minho’s shoes, I’d be paying close attention too. But it was the way he treated me that felt strangely like déjà vu, which made me uneasy.
If he was just being cautious, then it would be fine, right? That was a given position. But the fact that he was being somewhat kind felt weird.
Somehow, it seemed like he treated me like a heroine.
Of course, that couldn’t be right. No matter how much I fell into this novel, I wouldn’t actually be a heroine.
Yeah. I was just the girl near the protagonist. And I also happened to be pretty good-looking for an extra. I knew that, too.
But there was no way the betrayer would be listed as the heroine.
And besides, not all girls were heroines. There were thirteen girls in our class, and only five of them were considered heroines.
So, yeah, it couldn’t be. Pushing down the momentary wave of anxiety, I struggled to clear my mind.
If I were a heroine, I’d be off going somewhere to buy cakes or something, and Minho would be able to see my status window too.
…That couldn’t be, right? Probably.
Chasing away the ominous thoughts, I headed home.
– – – – – –
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Im Changwon hadn’t given me any trouble since he’d been class president.
At least, that was true until yesterday.
“Blanca. I need to talk to you for a minute. Come with me.”
The day for our practical training trip to the Hero Association was April 18th, Tuesday.
In other words, it was today. So maybe that’s why he sought me out, looking like he had something to say.
“Guess it’s not something you can say in front of everyone?”
Naturally, I had no intention of accommodating him in any way.
I replied nonchalantly, not even turning my head, and he stood there staring at me, apparently not anticipating that reaction.
“If that’s the case, then just say it here. If it’s something like that, I obviously don’t want to hear it. If you really want to talk, you could send Talaria or something.”
“…That’s exactly the attitude I’m talking about. You’re the vice class president now, you should behave a bit more maturely and with the dignity that comes with the position. Show the right caliber of a student from Class A at the Heros Academy.”
Understanding that I didn’t plan to take him seriously, he pointed out my attitude, not caring that the others were watching.
“That’s something I already know how to handle, so just do your own thing.”
I felt like I was doing better than the idiot who was sitting in the back of the class chatting lazily.
Of course, it was also true that I was a bit prickly toward him because I didn’t like him. I despised Changwon for similar reasons as Jinhyeon.
How could I not hate someone who pretended to be a victim while they were perfectly fine, whining, “I suffer too”? That would drive anyone insane.
Never mind that I hadn’t said it yet? I would say it soon enough. Even if I didn’t, I knew he would say something like that.
That’s why I was reacting so intensely. There was no reason to force myself to get along, nor had he been particularly polite.
“…You might’ve been better off with Ageha.”
“Yeah, maybe. But I have absolutely no desire to be under you.”
With no intention of giving him even a sliver of respect, the atmosphere turned cold, and soon after, Justitia walked in.
“Attention. Greet the teacher.”
Even Im Changwon, despite his lack of social skills, didn’t seem inclined to bicker in front of Justitia, so he returned to his seat.
“Good morning, everyone. And it’s a day for fun, too. I won’t waste your time with long words. Please line up in this ten-row formation behind the class president and vice president, and follow me to the parking lot.”
She seemed to have sensed that the atmosphere was a bit chilly, so instead of dragging it out with lengthy words, she immediately tried to switch the mood.
Since none of us wanted to hang around in a miserable atmosphere, everyone obediently followed her lead.
Standing next to Im Changwon as I led the others to the parking lot, the kids naturally started warming the atmosphere back up. I supposed they were excited.
It was a day for practical training, and we were also going to receive our suits, plus we’d get to meet Invictus, the idol of all in the Hero course.
To be fair, I wasn’t really a fan of Invictus. And neither was Im Changwon. He idolized his uncle instead.
The problem was that his family wanted him to inherit the family business instead of becoming a hero.
Because of that, there was some serious discord brewing within his family, which is why Im Changwon was such a jerk.
In the original story, his family problems got resolved around the later parts and he turned back into a decent human, probably.
“I-Invictus… that’s the person who chased off all the villains just by showing up, right?”
“Yes, Lapiz. He’s a symbol of hope and a true apostle of justice.”
“Rank one… I wonder how strong he really is.”
“I have no idea. But I’ve seen a video of him smashing an A-rank monster with just a punch.”
“With just a punch…”
Regardless of what Im Changwon was up to, the kids were completely absorbed in talking about Invictus. However, since none of them were die-hard fans, the conversation didn’t last long before it waned.
As soon as it did, their topic naturally shifted to suits.
“Jinhyeon, how did you end up designing your suit?”
“I went for a gray coat with different patterns on it.”
“Ugh, boring. Still, I guess that might just suit you best. What about you, Lapiz?”
“M-Mine? I mean, I-I’m going for something like my grandma’s, black armor…”
“Armor? That’s pretty unique. But isn’t it heavy?”
“Uh… not really?”
“Well, during the limit test, you were already strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Morgan, so I guess it makes sense.”
“Ageha, what’s your design like?”
“A black bodysuit, over which I’ll wear a white leotard and a jacket that resembles a magician’s cape—with a little magic wand to top it off.”
Most of the designs were pretty much just as they were in the original story. I also knew that Seolhwa wore a sky-blue dress over a white cape, which matched perfectly with what I had seen.
Thinking about actually seeing that in person felt a bit uplifting. After all, there was a pretty big difference between seeing it in an illustration and seeing it with my own eyes.
“What about you, Blanca? Hmm, I feel nervous about what I’m about to hear before I even ask… but I still want to know.”
The conversation shifted toward me as the kids were chatting away.
“Isn’t your expectation a bit too low? I have a discerning eye, you know.”
I mentioned what I had actually ordered for my design with a bit of indignation, and the kids stared at me, all looking like they were questioning what I had said.
“You want… um, isn’t that too much?”
Hmm.
Was it really that much?