The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess

“It’s totally like the Colosseum.”

Standing in the middle of the desks arranged in a circle made me feel like a Roman gladiator.

The way the kids sitting in a ring around me stared was similar to how the audience gazes at a famous gladiator in a movie.

The only uncomfortable thing was that the girls’ eyes weren’t on me, but on the class president.

Jeong Ui-seon, the class president, casually looked around as if he was used to this and stood relaxed in his place.

“For the death penalty debate, the ‘retain’ side will likely have to make more sensitive arguments. I can’t ask Nam-jin, who just transferred, to handle that, so I’ll take the ‘retain the death penalty’ side. Is that okay?”

It was quite considerate of him to say he’d shoulder the burden of the sensitive topic himself.

Did that mean he was confident?

He did say he was preparing for the English entrance exam, so he must be used to debates.

“Fine. Then I’ll take the ‘abolish’ side. Don’t change your mind later.”

Since I wasn’t one to reject goodwill, I nodded.

Starting off in a favorable position to gain points?

There was no reason to refuse since it might lead me to meet Seo Ga-eul.

“Then, I’ll start. First of all, there are currently 35 countries that retain the death penalty constitutionally. Among these, well-known advanced countries include the United States and Japan—.”

Jeong Ui-seon looked around as he continued speaking without hesitation.

Honestly, I was surprised.

Why would a high school student know how many countries retain the death penalty?

“Four out of ten violent criminals reoffend. This means that every time they’re released after serving a sentence, at least four innocent victims appear.”

Even if I didn’t understand the content, his voice carried undeniable force, and he had a charisma that captured the audience.

I had expected there would be something remarkable about him since he was class president even in this special class, and indeed, he was impressive.

Did he have a trait related to ‘eloquence’ or something?

“Moreover, the cost of managing and monitoring a single heinous criminal reaches 80 million won per year, so we can’t ignore the financial aspect either.”

Money.

That seemed to hit the kids, as sighs of “Whoa” spread around.

This wasn’t good.

At this rate, there might be fewer kids who would vote in favor of my opinion during the final vote!

“So, you’re saying we should retain the death penalty because of money?”

Do we kill people because of money?

At my heartless question, Ui-seon paused for a moment and looked around.

“It’s not just about the money. Haven’t you heard? For some victims of horrific crimes, the best thing the perpetrator can do is disappear from the world.”

“I have heard that.”

“Some people don’t even want a sincere apology from the perpetrator. They just want them to vanish, to disappear from the world. You know the Kim Gwang-ji case from a year ago?”

“……”

“A child molester named Kim Gwang-ji, who was sentenced to 15 years, was killed by a stab to the heart by an unknown assailant after his release. When that happened, people cheered.”

I also knew about that case.

The world had been noisy, portraying the avenger who dealt with the heinous criminal let go by the justice system as a righteous judge.

What’s more, the ‘judge’ started killing other criminals like Kim Gwang-ji in a serial spree and even threw down the gauntlet to the police, mocking the existing justice system, so there was no way I wouldn’t know.

“There are even research results showing that as criminals were more brutally punished by this ‘judge’, crime rates went down. I see this judge’s actions as similar to the death penalty. It instills fear.”

“I did hear that when the death penalty was reinstated, criminals became more docile.”

“Even death row inmates who acted recklessly in prison straightened up.”

I could feel public opinion leaning more towards Ui-seon.

With my keen senses, I could tell that out of the 28 people here, nearly 20 were siding with him.

Honestly, how could I refute the argument that a villain who delivers cathartic justice by killing heinous criminals pleases people in this dopamine-addicted era?

If I say, “Murder is still wrong, no matter the reason!” I’d just come across as a principled, old-fashioned guy to these thrill-seeking seniors.

So, here’s the kick.

“The death penalty is too simple, don’t you think?”

# # #

There’s a phrase, “The chef’s kick.”

It’s like a chef’s signature move, something that defines their dish.

A kick that no one else could have thought of.

And I, Han Nam-jin, who’s confident in my legs, have a kick, too.

“The death penalty is an overly simple solution that causes problems. Do you think the 106 countries that abolished the death penalty are just stupid and sentimental for keeping criminals alive?”

“Too simple? I’m interested to hear more about why you think that.”

To be honest, I thought heinous criminals deserved to die.

But just killing them and ending it seemed too simple.

“I believe everyone deserves a second chance. Even if someone seems like trash, depending on how they’re used, they can become valuable recyclable.”

I deeply respected Seo Ga-eul, who had given me a second chance at life when I was rolling around in a slum.

The lifeline of my life.

The goddess of luck who gave me my second chance.

In a way, this debate was my confession to her.

“Recycle?”

“What’s he trying to say?”

When the expressions of everyone, full of anticipation, showed that my emotional appeal had struck a chord, I opened my mouth to deliver the decisive kick.

“So, we should give criminals a second chance. We could set up a beryllium factory in some remote place with high radiation exposure and use them as labor!”

“…Labor?”

“…What…!?”

“What is he talking about?”

“Or, we could take away only the bare minimum they need to survive and have them donate organs to sick people. We could also have them regularly donate blood to help with the blood supply shortage.”

The economic value of a human body.

At least 200 million won.

No one knew better than me, who had been pressured by loan sharks to sell my organs.

“If we just execute them, we lose 200 million! 200 million! Do you know how many packets of ramen that is? According to UNICEF, that’s enough to vaccinate 3,960,000 people!”

My emotional appeal to the crowd and the realistic financial benefit!

As Jeong Ui-seon, my debate opponent, began to show a strange expression, the other kids also looked at each other in confusion.

「Name: Geum Tae-seong」

Status: 《Shocked》 – Stunned by an opinion he never expected!

「Name: Cheon Yoo-ra」

Status: 《In disbelief》 – Doubting her ears at such a radical idea.

Good, just as I expected, their minds are full of gaps now.

Here’s where I pull out my ultimate move!

“Everyone, please vote for me. Just one vote! I really want to earn some points! I’ll even take off my pants right here! Please, see my sincerity!”

# # #

“The results of the vote: Ui-seon got 19 votes. Let’s give him a round of applause.”

Clap clap clap.

Following the teacher’s words, the students applauded.

Jeong Ui-seon got 19 votes. With 30 students in class D, that meant he had more than half.

“The students must’ve voted for me because we’re closer. Still, it was refreshing to hear your perspective. Saving four million lives with one death row inmate—that was quite creative.”

Ui-seon offered me his hand with a bright smile, showing his white teeth.

He was good-looking, had a great personality, and was eloquent.

It seemed we were kindred spirits.

“If only I’d taken off my pants, I would’ve gotten 10 more votes. What a shame.”

I swear, if I had shown everyone my ‘sincerity’ in my pants, no one could have predicted how the voting would’ve turned out.

It was really a shame my ultimate move was blocked by the teacher.

So, my vote count was…

“Teacher, 11 votes means 110,000 points, right? You said you’d give 10,000 points per vote, didn’t you?”

I earned a whopping 110,000 won just from this debate!

Honestly, I thought getting five votes would be a success, but with 11 votes, this was a major victory!

“Wow, Han Nam-jin, it’s amazing you managed to get 11 votes with such an absurd opinion!”

That’s right.

11 votes!

If I count my own vote, the other 10… who gave them to me?

As I wondered, I returned to my seat, and Baek Yeoul, whose face was flushed, looked at me with lips twitching as if she had a lot to say.

“Hey! I was so embarrassed for you! What kind of debate was that? Why did you talk about taking off your pants?!”

「Name: Baek Yeoul」

「Status: 《Overwhelmed》 – Deeply sympathizing with your situation due to her own experiences of public humiliation.」

“Yeoul, did you vote for me?”

“…I’m not Yeoul.”

Baek Yeoul muttered softly.

Then, with a snort, she added.

“I only voted for you because I thought you wouldn’t get a single vote otherwise. Do you know how embarrassing and humiliating that would’ve been? You’d be kicking your blankets in frustration every night.”

“So, you’ve had a moment like that before? What was the topic?”

“…Ugh….”

Baek Yeoul, her face bright red, glared at me.

It looked like she was having a flashback to a memory she didn’t want to recall.

But it didn’t matter!

What mattered was that I’d earned 110,000 points!

“Yeoul, do you think 110,000 points is enough for me to take that special class with Seo Ga-eul?”

“I’m not Yeoul! And no, 110,000 points aren’t enough to take that special class. If you really want to meet Seo Ga-eul, go to ‘Noble’ during lunch today.”

“Noble?”

“There’s a hierarchy even for the meals here at Yeongsa High School Academy. Noble is like a high-end restaurant where you have to pay 50,000 points for a meal ticket. Michelin-star chefs cook there, and the pudding is especially delicious!”

50,000 points for one meal?

Honestly, it seemed crazy, but if I could meet Seo Ga-eul there, and if I could receive two soft ‘malang malang’ from her, it seemed like a worthwhile investment.

Seo Ga-eul, my light.

Seo Ga-eul.

Me.

From now on, Seo Ga-eul and I would no longer be separated but become one.

Fusion.

Hehehe.

As I loosened my lips, lost in all these happy thoughts, Baek Yeoul lightly poked my side.

“Why are you so eager to meet Seo Ga-eul? Do you like her?”

“Yeah.”

“…What….”

At my unhesitant answer, Baek Yeoul’s expression became very serious.

She parted her lips and let out an unusually long sigh.

“Huuu, I don’t know what you like about her, but she’s probably not the girl you think she is. Earlier, you asked me about my debate, right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“My debate opponent was Seo Ga-eul. I was in the same class as her in first year. Because of her, I…”

“Hey! Nam-jin! You were really funny! I’ve never seen anyone debate like you!”

Pop-.

Just then, someone came up and grabbed my shoulder.

It was a tall guy with a scar slashing through his eyebrow, giving him the look of a delinquent who seemed good at riding motorcycles.

“Let’s have lunch together! I’ll show you the way to the cafeteria! By the way, my name’s Geum Tae-seong.”

He approached me so casually that it showed his maxed-out social skills.

However, Baek Yeoul, who had been about to say something, fell silent and slumped over her desk, seemingly overwhelmed by the boy’s commanding presence.

Maybe she wasn’t hungry?

Grrrrr-.

Just then, a bizarre sound echoed loudly.

Hmph-.

Baek Yeoul, still slumped over, flinched noticeably.

「Name: Baek Yeoul」

Status: 《Flustered》 – Extremely embarrassed by the loud noise her stomach made!

What a strange girl.

If she’s hungry, she should just eat.

“Hey, Yeoul. Come eat with us.”

“…I’m not hungry! I ate a big breakfast!”

She replied without even getting up.

Baek Yeoul’s smartphone, still shattered on the desk, remained in pieces.

But whatever!

Just thinking about meeting Seo Ga-eul at the cafeteria made my tailbone tingle with excitement!

My love, Seo Ga-eul, wait for me…!