Chapter 4 – Rule 3: The Leader cares about new students

 

Every morning, a solemn atmosphere pervades the gates of Ahsung High School.

 

This is due to the disciplinary committee members standing by the gates, holding clipboards, during school hours.

 

Under the clear spring sky, cherry blossoms flutter around the first gate of Ahsung High School. Six disciplinary committee members, each wearing armbands, stood in their respective positions.

 

They scrutinize the students passing through the gate.

 

“Hold on there!”

 

“Me?”

 

“Wearing gym shorts under your skirt is a clear violation of school regulations. State your affiliation and grade.”

 

“Oh, oops, I forgot. Can’t I just take them off?”

 

“Of course, but since you’ve already violated the rules, you’ll receive demerit points.”

 

“Geez, that’s so petty….”

 

The girl grumbled, revealing her affiliation and grade to the committee member before leaving.

 

Every morning at Ahsung High’s four gates, hair and uniform inspections are conducted. The disciplinary committee members take turns overseeing each gate.

 

Naturally, the process isn’t always smooth.

 

“Hey! Where’s your school cap and name tag?”

 

“The cap’s in my bag, but I forgot the name tag…. Can’t you just let this one slide?”

 

“No, state your affiliation, grade, and name.”

 

“Just this once, please. I left my name tag in the classroom by mistake. I’ll wear it as soon as I get there.”

 

“No exceptions. Now hurry up and tell me.”

 

“Ugh, seriously. A first-year being this inflexible….”

 

“What was that…?”

 

“Hey, freshman. If you keep this uptight attitude, don’t you think it’ll suffocate the students….”

 

At that moment, a dark shadow loomed over the boy grumbling at the committee member.

 

Sensing the ominous presence, the boy immediately fell silent. His survival instinct screamed at him to shut up.

 

“Disciplinary Committee Leader….”

 

The first-year committee member’s voice trembled.

 

At Ahsung High, Ahn Woo-jin, the Disciplinary Committee Leader, stood behind the boy, exuding a chilling aura.

 

Woo-jin’s authority as the leader was supreme, and his personality was extremely strict and decisive. There was even an incredible story about how he single-handedly subdued an armed group that hijacked a subway on his first day as the committee leader.

 

He was practically a monster.

 

“I-I…”

 

The boy couldn’t imagine how his school life would be if he displeased Woo-jin.

 

Terrified, the boy glanced at Woo-jin’s menacing eyes and quickly lowered his head.

 

“Disgraceful.”

 

Woo-jin’s icy voice made the boy shudder.

 

“Affiliation, grade, and name.”

 

“Kukwha House, 2nd year, Cho Mansoo…!”

 

“Record it.”

 

At Woo-jin’s command, the committee member sharply replied, “Yes!” and recorded ‘Cho Mansoo, Kukwha House, 2nd year’ in the log.

 

“Cho Mansoo.”

 

“Yes…!”

 

“Abide by the school rules strictly. And.”

 

Woo-jin solemnly looked down at Mansoo, who couldn’t meet his eyes.

 

“If you display the same behavior to our members again, next time it won’t just be demerit points.”

 

Woo-jin’s sneer sent a chill down Mansoo’s spine.

 

“S-Sorry…. Excuse me….”

 

Mansoo quickly bowed and scurried away.

 

The committee member watched Mansoo leave while Woo-jin clicked his tongue.

 

The committee member then looked at Woo-jin with admiration.

 

“Thank you, sir…!”

 

Disciplinary Committee Leader Ahn Woo-jin.

 

Despite being just a year older than the new committee member, he seemed like someone from an entirely different world.

 

He was mature, handsome, strong, one of the top students in his grade, and overflowing with charisma. He was the most perfect person the committee member had ever seen.

 

“Good job.”

 

“Huh?”

 

The committee member was surprised. He didn’t expect Woo-jin to offer encouragement.

 

Woo-jin grabbed the brim of his cap, his turquoise eyes shining under the shadow of the brim.

 

“Guys like that show up quite often. They know the committee members can’t cross certain lines, and if the other person is a junior, a bit of intimidation usually makes them back off. Plus, you’re a new first-year member, so you must seem even easier to them.”

 

“I see….”

 

As he spoke, Woo-jin felt a strange sense of discomfort.

 

‘Wait a minute. Isn’t this too obvious?’

 

Seeing the new member dealing with a troublesome student made him want to teach them more, like an experienced gamer guiding a newbie.

 

He felt a bit of frustration.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Woo-jin cleared his throat lightly, thinking it was best to end the conversation here.

 

A faint, awkward smile crossed his lips.

 

“Anyway, you’ll get better with time. Hang in there.”

 

“……!”

 

The committee member saw it. The slight curl of Woo-jin’s lips, which usually held nothing but coldness.

 

That subtle warmth moved the committee member’s heart.

 

“Sir, I’ll do my best…!”

 

Suddenly filled with determination, the committee member saluted sharply, his voice brimming with passion.

 

“Oh? Oh, alright….”

 

Woo-jin nodded and left the scene, unaware that he had just become a role model for the new committee member.

 

* * *

 

Woo-jin had checked on the new members because he was concerned about them. The troublesome students were still up to their usual antics, but it was a relief to see the new members brimming with energy.

 

‘I need to treat them well. They’re the ones who’ll help me catch the villains.’

 

Not only did he need to maintain his charisma and authority, but he also had to make it clear that he cared about each member. It was all for his own goals.

 

In the year he became the disciplinary committee leader, the application rate for the committee had reached an all-time high.

 

It was always high since serving on the committee was important for school records, but the sudden spike in applications was due to the increased number of students who had heard of his reputation. He wasn’t sure what the rumors were, but it seemed his efforts to build a good image had paid off.

 

This increased the chances of selecting even one more good talent, so he got actively involved in the recruitment process.

 

To catch villains, he needed to select capable individuals.

 

At the time, the personnel in charge of recruitment were overwhelmed with work. They had dark circles under their eyes and looked like zombies.

 

‘You’re going to review all these? Sir?’

 

‘There’s no need! We can handle it somehow! We’ve only had four sleepless nights! Energy drinks will keep us going!’

 

‘You’re taking over…! Doing this much for us…?’

 

‘Sir, I’ll follow you forever…!’

 

He thought they’d be uncomfortable if he helped, even prepared for them to dislike it. But instead, they were moved to tears.

 

He still didn’t understand what they meant by following him forever since he only had a year as the leader.

 

Regardless, he diligently narrowed down the list to the most promising candidates.

 

He focused on indicators of physical strength. To catch villains, strong members were crucial. Additionally, the stronger the disciplinary committee, the greater his authority would be.

 

‘It was quite tough….’

 

The sheer number of applicants made the task much harder than expected, to the point where he regretted taking it on.

 

Later, the vice leader offered to help, and her lightning-fast work pace was a huge relief.

 

Without her, he might have been buried under paperwork.

 

“Do you have something to say?”

 

“!”

 

In the disciplinary committee office, while reminiscing about the past at his desk, he looked at Oh Baek-seo, who was reviewing documents on the couch.

 

Baek-seo, seemingly with eyes on the back of her head, asked without turning around.

 

She turned to him with her usual gentle smile.

 

“No, I was just looking. But how did you know I was watching you?”

 

“Want to guess?”
“…There’s a mirror.”

 

“Correct.”

 

A small mirror was on the table in front of Baek-seo, hidden by her body until now.

 

‘I thought she was just looking at the documents….’

 

Was she sneakily watching him through the mirror?

 

…Nah, that’s probably just my imagination.

 

She must’ve just noticed by chance.

 

Suddenly, Baek-seo moved to the opposite couch, facing him.

 

“Why did you change seats?”

 

“You seemed to want to see my face. It’s easier to see me here, right?”

 

That playful smile again. She’s teasing him.

 

“Stop joking around…. Just get back to work.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The office returned to its quiet atmosphere.

 

Soon, the silence was broken by a loud bang as the door swung open.

 

“Yesong, reporting as summoned~.”

 

A languid voice filled the office.

 

“You’re here.”

 

“Welcome.”

 

Both Woo-jin and Baek-seo greeted the new girl in her school uniform.

 

Her cap was precariously perched on her head, as if it would fall off at any moment. She yawned long, appearing sleepy.

 

“Ahh…. Leader, can I take a nap before the meeting? I’m so sleepy….”

 

“If you don’t stop referring to yourself in the third person, I’ll double your workload.”

 

“That’s an abuse of power!”

 

Listening to her bizarre manner of speaking in Korean made him willing to abuse his power.

 

It was crossing a line.

 

This was Ha Yesong, a second-year student in charge of the disciplinary inspections. She was summoned for an unofficial meeting today.

 

“Baek-seo…! Leader is too scary…!”

 

Feigning tears, Yesong put down her cap and documents and sat next to Baek-seo, clinging to her arm.

 

“Don’t worry. He wouldn’t really do that.”
Baek-seo, smiling kindly like a saint, patted Yesong’s head, accepting her antics gracefully.

 

“Baek-seo’s touch is so soothing….”

 

Yesong enjoyed Baek-seo’s gentle touch, looking like a melting puppy.

 

……

 

“Here. Proof that I worked hard!”

 

The three of them started the meeting.

 

Sitting next to Baek-seo, Woo-jin received the documents from Yesong. It was a report she had prepared.

 

“I’ve singled out the key individuals among the new students.”

 

The meeting’s topic was to identify those who required attention and decide the level of monitoring necessary.

 

Though not in violation of school regulations, this unofficial meeting was ethically questionable and needed to remain confidential. It had become a tradition due to its tangible results.

 

‘How they verified the effectiveness remains a mystery.’

 

I acknowledged the reasoning behind it.

 

Managing all the students at Ahsung High School was a daunting task, considering that over 2,000 students enroll each year. It was necessary to identify and focus on students who required intensive monitoring.

 

Moreover, in this world, students could wield the mysterious power of ‘magic.’ The danger posed by someone with malicious intent was incomparable to my previous life.

 

Statistics also showed that repeat offenders had a high recidivism rate. This is why we decided to continue this tradition.

 

‘The report is neatly done.’

 

I reviewed the report Yesong handed over.

 

It recorded students among the new enrollees at Ahsung High School who had noteworthy characteristics that warranted attention from the disciplinary committee.

 

‘I heard there were 54 last year, but this year… there are only about ten?’

 

I had expected a thick file but was surprised to find it so thin.

 

What was going on?

 

“There are fewer than expected? Much fewer…”

 

Yesong responded confidently.

 

“There were initially 60 candidates, but I’ve already investigated them. The rest only require a moderate level of attention. I’ll show you those later! Anyway, these are the ones we should focus on, so I, Yesong, dug deep into them!”

 

The reason I placed Ha Yesong in an executive position when I became the disciplinary committee leader was because, despite her appearance, she was diligent and competent.

 

The information on the ten students Yesong had selected was detailed and well-organized.

 

Among them were some troublemakers I recognized from the game. While they weren’t Great Villain level threats, they were definitely individuals the disciplinary committee needed to keep an eye on.

 

As expected, it was a trustworthy report. It saved me a lot of trouble.

 

“You did well.”

 

“Hehe.”

 

I looked over the list of individuals to watch. One name immediately caught my eye.

 

Someone related to the recent subway incident.

 

‘Lee Se-Ah. She’s on the list too.’

 

The student’s ID photo showed a girl with a gentle smile and closed eyes.

 

‘The future Leader of the mafia… I didn’t expect her to be a student at our school.’

 

Lee Se-Ah was destined to lead the Do-hwa Group, a mafia organization, in the future. That’s why the mafia cherished her.

 

Eventually, she would become a Great Villain in the black market, but she was also fated to meet a mysterious death.

 

‘It’s already publicly known that she’s affiliated with the mafia.’

 

Interrogating Anomia revealed that the target of the subway incident was Lee Se-Ah.

 

Thus, the disciplinary committee summoned Lee Se-Ah and received her confession, “I am affiliated with the mafia.”

 

Lee Se-Ah hadn’t even tried to hide it. She must have concluded that there was no issue with revealing it.

 

And indeed, there wasn’t.

 

‘The mafia doesn’t have any overt problems right now.’

 

At this point, the mafia’s shady dealings hadn’t come to light.

 

The investigation concluded that the subway incident was a power struggle between two organizations that escalated into a violent clash.

 

The captured members of Anomia were handed over to the judicial academy on charges of committing a terror attack on public transportation.

 

In any case.

 

Being affiliated with a suspicious group that labeled itself as a ‘mafia’ and engaged in criminal activities was notable. Additionally, several students who secretly bullied or badmouthed Lee Se-Ah during middle school had suddenly dropped out, further solidifying her place on the watch list.

 

‘A veiled presence with many suspicious circumstances….’

 

That’s what was written in the report. Yesong evaluated Lee Se-Ah in such a manner.

 

‘Even if she becomes a villain later, she isn’t one yet. It’s best to monitor her for any suspicious activity.’

 

Whether she was preparing to become a villain, already engaged in villainous activities secretly, or doing nothing at all, we decided to keep an eye on Lee Se-Ah.

 

If we detected any signs of her plotting a crime, it would be advantageous. We could preemptively strike and prevent any crimes.

 

“Sir?”

 

“What?”

 

Yesong suddenly called out to me. She was looking at me with a suspicious gaze.

 

“Why are you staring at that girl’s photo? Did you fall for her at first sight? Is she your type, sir?”

 

Clatter!

 

Baek-seo, who had been reading her report without any change in expression, swiftly flipped to the page with Lee Se-Ah’s information. Her hand moved so fast it was almost imperceptible.

 

She seemed curious.

 

“…….”

 

I glared at Yesong silently, narrowing my eyes.

 

“It was a joke. Hehe. …I’m sorry.”

 

Yesong quickly apologized, sensing the mood.