The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess

“How is it possible that your abilities include both Leap and Emotion? They’re completely different properties. How did this even happen to you?”

A man with a balding head asked me.

What happened?

He must be curious.

In reality, these people didn’t know that my second ability, Emotion, wasn’t something I awakened myself but was given to me by Seo Ga-eul.

Isn’t it an incredible ability?

I really wanted to praise Seo Ga-eul right then and there, but I recalled that she told me to keep the fact that she could transfer her abilities to others a secret.

‘There was a reason for that.’

In this world, there was someone who betrayed humanity, someone who inflicted a massive scar on Seo Ga-eul’s stomach, almost killing her.

If I revealed the truth, I might end up being targeted by that traitor.

So, I decided to come up with an excuse for now.

“Seems like the balding manager only knows half the story.”

“B-balding what? And what don’t I know?”

“Leap isn’t just about jumping. Doesn’t it also feel like you’re advancing to a new level? Since I’ve grasped the concept of Leap, it’s only natural that I can jump to levels that no one’s seen before.”

There’s a saying about a carp leaping over the dragon’s gate.

It’s a story about a fish that leaps up treacherous cliffs to eventually ascend and become a dragon.

Leap, in essence, implies not just jumping but embracing a complete transformation.

“If you think of it that way, it makes sense, right?”

“Well, it’s not entirely impossible…”

The manager’s expression grew more worried.

With the few strands of hair he had left, he might lose even more soon.

There was a bit of commotion, but the admission process ended like that.

“So, where should I go now?”

“Classes A to C are general education. And students like you, who have awakened a concept, are usually placed in the special classes D or F. You’ll probably be placed in Class D. Third-year, Class D.”

At the mention of Class D, everyone had a knowing smile.

# # #

The Class D I was assigned to was apparently a special class.

It must be something like an elite or honors class.

In other words, it was a place only for the chosen ones.

“Not surprising at all.”

Even though I looked like a high school senior on the outside, inside, I was a young man well past his twenties.

It was only natural that I was better than my peers.

At 8:40 AM.

Entering the Class D classroom before the first class started at 9, I felt everyone’s gaze turn toward me.

Their eyes moved over my uniform and face, and it felt slightly piercing.

“Who’s that?”

“That uniform… I think I’ve seen it before.”

“Is he the transfer student in Class D?”

Maybe it was thanks to my Emotion ability, but I could sense curiosity and interest in their stares.

At least it wasn’t rejection or disgust, so that was something.

Now, where’s an empty seat?

Should I just sit anywhere?

As I was scanning the room, I locked eyes with someone.

“Ah! You!”

A girl seemed deeply shocked.

I was surprised too.

It was almost unfair.

“What the… It’s ‘Butt girl’. This is seriously bad luck. Are you stalking me or something?”

“Butt girl? Stalker?”

“What’s he talking about now?”

The other students murmured.

As for Baek Yeoul, her face flushed red, and she didn’t seem to know what to do.

“Butt girl….”

At that moment, I noticed that the seat next to Baek Yeoul was empty, so I quickly sat there.

The back seat.

Lucky me.

Less chance of getting caught if I doze off during class.

The only downside was that I couldn’t see Seo Ga-eul.

I’d assumed she’d be in this special class, but it seemed she was in Class F instead of D.

“Hey, my name’s not Butt girl, it’s Baek Yeoul!”

“Baek Yeoul?”

“Not ‘winter’, ‘Yeoul’. Anyway, Han Nam-jin! How are you even here? This is the special class!”

Baek Yeoul asked me.

There was a big bandage stuck to her forehead, probably from bumping into something hard.

I decided to answer before she got any louder.

“Well, I must be special if I’m in the special class, right?”

“…”

Baek Yeoul shut her mouth like a mute with a mouthful of honey.

My statement was so obviously the truth that she couldn’t argue against it.

In fact, I was the one with the questions.

Why was this Butt girl in the special class?

“Butt girl, turns out you have a concept too, huh?”

“Of course!”

“So, what’s your ability?”

“Me? I’m, um…”

Baek Yeoul stammered as if she was malfunctioning like a broken robot.

She twirled her short bobbed hair with her fingers, showing clear signs of nervous tics.

「Name: Baek Yeoul
Status: 《Embarrassed》 – Extremely embarrassed!」

A concept holder is supposed to be special, so what’s there to be embarrassed about?

Maybe she’s hiding some concept she can’t tell others about?

“Why are you hesitating? Is it because you awakened some weird concept, like ‘Hairlessness’, because you couldn’t stand having armpit hair after puberty?”

“…N-no!”

Swoosh-.

Just then, someone approached me.

“I heard from the homeroom teacher that a transfer student would be joining us. It’s you, right? I’m Jeong Ui-seon, the class president of Class D. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”

He was tall and handsome.

Damn, why is he so good-looking?

He extended his hand, and I grabbed it firmly in return.

“I’m Han Nam-jin.”

“I have a question. Isn’t that uniform from Yeongmun High?”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“I thought so. If I hadn’t come to this school, I was planning on attending Yeongmun High. Both my parents are Yeongmun alumni. You must have been an excellent student, right?”

“Hehe, I was probably the smartest middle school graduate.”

“A middle school graduate… Aren’t we all middle school graduates? High school students are all middle school graduates by default.”

As the class president laughed heartily, the girls watching us giggled too.

If I wanted to make girls laugh, I’d have to pull off ridiculous stunts, and even then, they’d barely crack a smile.

But a handsome guy’s laughter alone was enough to make them laugh.

Life is so unfair.

Screw this miserable world.

I hope it burns.

Luckily, this world was doomed to end in just one year.

This Jeong Ui-seon guy was probably no more than a nobody in that ruined future.

After all, I’d never heard his name among the “Supernovas” or heroes.

He must have fallen behind somewhere.

Thinking about it that way, I felt a bit sorry for him.

“Anyway, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

The handsome guy smiled brightly at me.

Honestly, he was nice to look at because he was so good-looking.

He seemed like a good person.

In many ways, he reminded me of myself.

Maybe he was a kindred spirit.

“You’re the class president, right? I have one question. Is Seo Ga-eul in this school? She’s not in this class, is she?”

“Seo Ga-eul?”

The president’s brows furrowed slightly.

Normally, it would have been hard to notice such a tiny change, but thanks to my Emotion ability, I could read the faint wrinkle between his brows.

Understanding its meaning was another matter.

Just then, the school bell rang.

“Everyone, settle down. Open the windows for some fresh air.”

Soon, a man with an eyepatch entered the classroom, tapping the podium.

He seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties.

There were three diamond insignias on his uniform, resembling the rank of a captain.

“There’s a new transfer student today, but since it seems like you’ve already talked to him, let’s skip the introduction. You know we have a debate class this morning, right? Move your desks into a circle.”

Debate class?

The thought of having to study here suddenly felt so tiresome.

What am I even doing here?

I need to meet Seo Ga-eul as soon as possible.

While I was thinking about that, someone nudged my side.

It was Baek Yeoul.

“Hey, do you really think you can meet Seo Ga-eul? Dream on!”

“Why not?”

“You really know nothing, huh? Did you see the brooch on the class president’s chest? The one shaped like a chess knight. That’s the Knight’s insignia.”

Now that she mentioned it, I remembered seeing a gold brooch resembling a knight’s head pinned to the president’s left chest like a medal.

I thought it was just an ornament, but it seemed to hold significance.

“Only the best students who excel in both academics and performance can earn that insignia. It’s like being knighted in medieval times. You have to accumulate merit points to get one.”

Ah, so that knight brooch signifies an outstanding student.

Suddenly, I got curious about Baek Yeoul’s chest.

Swoosh-.

Though it wasn’t obvious due to the uniform, Baek Yeoul’s chest was fairly large.

She also had a cute face.

If most boys had a girl like her sitting next to them, they’d probably be thrilled with a racing heart.

If the light of ‘Seo Ga-eul’ didn’t shine so brightly in my heart, I might have been excited too.

“Yeah, I’m just a Pawn.”

Swoosh-.

Baek Yeoul proudly stuck out her chest.

Pawn?

Is she still harping on about that broken phone incident?

No, it must be that the brooch on her chest resembled a pawn from a chessboard.

“A pawn? Isn’t that the weakest piece? Why brag about that?”

“Hey, it’s hard to earn a ‘Pawn’ insignia too, okay? Only students in the special classes can get one!”

“So, I’m a pawn too?”

“Obviously. You’re the same lowly rank as me. Pawns, Knights, Queens… Even though we’re on the same chessboard, not all pieces are the same. There’s a big difference between you and Seo Ga-eul. Didn’t I mention merit points earlier?”

“You mean those points you can use to buy that knight brooch?”

“Yeah. But you can also use them to get assigned to premium dorm rooms or receive gourmet meals. You can even enroll in special lectures. Seo Ga-eul only attends those special lectures.”

“Hey! Stop talking!”

Gulp-.

Baek Yeoul shut her mouth and buried her head in her book, but from our conversation, I realized why this school was called a “Stage”.

This place was like a chessboard.

It might seem flat and equal, but there were clear statuses and hierarchies.

The more merit points you had, the more power you held.

If you considered merit points as money, status, or power, it was like a microcosm of society.

“So what?”

“What?”

“Hey, Butt girl. You must not know this, but in the end, even a pawn can take down a queen if they’re on the same board.”

“No way, pawns are from Korean chess, and queens are from Western chess, so they can’t capture each other…”

“Hey! I said stop talking! Hah, Han Nam-jin. You’re really enjoying yourself, aren’t you? Come out! You’re one of the participants for this debate. The topic is written on the board, so check it out!”

「Regarding the Retention of the Death Penalty」

“Well, this is a heavy and profound topic.”

“You all are special. Soon, you’ll take on important roles as leaders in this country. That’s why it’s essential to debate and discuss complex and sensitive topics. Now, Han Nam-jin, choose your debate opponent.”

As I stepped to the podium and looked out at the classroom, I saw unfamiliar faces.

When I locked eyes with Baek Yeoul, she let out a tiny squeak and lowered her head.

I thought about picking her but decided against it since it would feel like I was bullying her.

“Well, I’ve only just transferred here, so the only person I know is the class president.”

“The class president?”

“You’re debating with Ui-seon?”

“Debating against the president?”

The classroom buzzed with murmurs.

Did I pick someone I wasn’t supposed to?

The teacher with the eyepatch laughed heartily, as if genuinely amused.

“Han Nam-jin. If you can debate against the class president and win votes during the final tally, I’ll give you ten thousand merit points for each vote. You know that accumulating merit points increases your benefits, right? One merit point equals one won in cash value.”

An opportunity to earn merit points already?

And ten thousand won per vote?

This was my lucky day.

If I could earn those points, I’d be able to take the special lectures that Seo Ga-eul attended and make it easier to approach her.

“Why not? Let’s give it a shot.”

After all, no matter how high school students debated, it was within the realm of middle school knowledge.

Meanwhile, I was an adult who had experienced everything.

Sorry, class president, but I’ll have you roasted in five minutes flat.