Chapter 5 (Continued)

 

Kim Deok-Soo drew his baton and pointed it at Lee Se-Ah.

 

“Where did you get those bikes!? What’s with all that cargo!? Are you planning to make illegal deals in the black market? Or are you transporting prohibited items?”

 

Kim Deok-Soo’s juniors took a tense combat stance, ready to subdue Lee Se-Ah’s group if necessary.

 

“Hmm, this is quite a misunderstanding.”

 

Lee Se-Ah glanced at a muscular girl riding a bike beside her.

 

“Captain, could you help us out?”

 

“Hmph!”

 

At Lee Se-Ah’s request, the muscular girl glared menacingly at Kim Deok-Soo. She was the captain of the Volunteer Club, one of the strongest at Ahsung High.

 

“We are from the Volunteer Club. We are delivering rice and other food supplies to help the needy. If you don’t want to get hurt, clear the way immediately.”

 

“Kikik…”

 

“Kekeke… if you block our way, we’ll turn you into meat chunks…!”

 

The Volunteer Club members laughed sinisterly.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous! Why would people like you, who ride bikes fit for gangsters…!”

 

“Gangsters? These are precious bikes donated by members of Do-hwa Group, for our new member Lee Se-Ah’s family, to help the needy. If you insult our sponsors, we won’t stand by as the Volunteer Club.”

 

“Keke…!”

 

The Volunteer Club members seemed ready for a fight.

 

Lee Se-Ah twirled her sunglasses between her fingers, wearing a fox-like grin.

 

Despite the disciplinary committee’s top rank in force, Kim Deok-Soo and his two junior members couldn’t take on these girls. They might need to call for backup.

 

“You guys…”

 

Kim Deok-Soo felt humiliated and furious. His pride was hurt.

 

However, the disciplinary committee had significant authority.

 

“Then, under the authority of the disciplinary committee, we will control the road and conduct an inspection! We need to check what’s in those bags. Unpack everything here!”

 

At that moment, the atmosphere grew tense, and the Volunteer Club members’ expressions stiffened.

 

‘As expected, they’re not innocent.’

 

It was already widely known that Lee Se-Ah was involved with the mafia. Her organization was a potential threat, having even clashed with the illegal armed group, Anomia.

 

No matter what her organization was, who wouldn’t know that ‘mafia’ refers to a criminal organization?

 

Therefore, it was possible that Lee Se-Ah had swayed the Volunteer Club.

 

The fact that the Volunteer Club’s captain mentioned ‘sponsorship’ suggested they were playing the role of couriers for Do-hwa Group’s illegal goods.

 

“This is troublesome…”

 

Lee Se-Ah sighed, resting her sunglasses on her chin.

 

“Then all the beautifully wrapped gifts we prepared for everyone’s happiness would be ruined? Disciplinary committee members, can’t you overlook it just this once?”

 

“I said stop joking around.”

 

“Oh dear, oh dear…”

 

Lee Se-Ah pondered for a moment before slyly smiling as if she had thought of something.

 

‘What trick is she planning now?’

 

Kim Deok-Soo broke into a cold sweat.

 

“Disciplinary committee members, were you on an off-campus patrol?”

 

“And?”

 

Lee Se-Ah tilted her head to the side, pointing at herself with a sly smile.

 

“How about joining us?”

 

“What?”

 

Kim Deok-Soo couldn’t understand.

 

Afterwards, the Volunteer Club members carried the disciplinary committee team on their bikes, strictly adhering to the speed limit as they rode.

 

Lee Se-Ah’s proposal was this:

 

Since the disciplinary committee’s patrol area includes the jurisdiction, why not ride along with the Volunteer Club to keep an eye on them? Meanwhile, the Volunteer Club would continue their mission.

 

‘Just try anything suspicious.’

 

Kim Deok-Soo was determined to uncover their wrongdoings.

 

‘Huh?’

 

However, Kim Deok-Soo’s determination proved futile.

 

The Volunteer Club, like Santa Claus, actually distributed the gift boxes to citizens facing difficult lives.

 

To students with disabilities who couldn’t engage in proper economic activities due to accidents.

 

To dropouts or students on leave due to various hardships, who were in financial distress.

 

They all opened their gifts and thanked the Volunteer Club.

 

Occasionally, some people received the gifts with a sense of entitlement, but the Volunteer Club didn’t mind.

 

During this process, the disciplinary committee patrol team sampled a small portion of the rice or other food supplies with the citizens’ consent.

 

‘It’s real…?’

 

It was all ordinary food.

 

Though the quality didn’t look great, the recipients were grateful nonetheless.

 

Occasionally, Lee Se-Ah’s brows furrowed, seemingly annoyed, but the patrol team didn’t mind.

 

Lastly, the Volunteer Club provided substantial food support to a united volunteer club leading the efforts to help the underprivileged.

 

That day, Kim Deok-Soo’s patrol team concluded their mission with a warm realization in their hearts: ‘The world is still a kind place.’

 

This account was recorded in the report after the expressionless junior covertly learned about the Volunteer Club’s activities and heard the details of the situation from Kim Deok-Soo.

 

—

 

“……”

 

Apart from this, the report contained only heartwarming stories about Lee Se-Ah.

 

Like how she carried an injured girl to the infirmary during P.E. class, helped a lost child find their home, and volunteered at a free meal service three times a week.

 

‘What is this? Why are there only heartwarming stories…?’

 

It couldn’t be true.

 

Lee Se-Ah was destined to become a Great Villain!

 

‘Could it be that she discovered she was being watched?’

 

Although I didn’t know Lee Se-Ah well, I knew she had a sly side.

 

If I continued to have the expressionless junior monitor her, it would likely only add more heartwarming stories.

 

This wouldn’t do.

 

“From today, you can stop the surveillance.”

 

“Were you dissatisfied with my work?”

 

“No. It’s just that I will handle it myself from now on.”

 

With the expressionless junior, it’s already game over.

 

I must personally monitor Lee Se-Ah.

 

—

 

**Midnight.**

 

In a building located in the Black Market within the neutral zone.

 

In the dim light of a lamp, a man was trembling on the floor. He was a dropout student turned businessman active in the Black Market.

 

Around him, his bodyguards lay bleeding, remnants of a fierce battle.

 

Thunk.

 

“Urgh…”

 

A female student in a black school uniform stepped on the man’s head.

 

Slowly, she pressed his head down until his nose almost touched the marble floor.

 

“Maintaining business ethics is crucial, even in the Black Market. Yet, here you are, manipulating prices, inflating costs, and selling substandard goods disguised as quality products. You’ve really overstepped. Did you think we were fools?”

 

Her narrow eyes curved into a cruel smile as she looked down at him.

 

She was Lee Se-Ah, a first-year student at Ahsung High School.

 

Two other students in black attire stood by her, both capable of converting their mana into elemental power, marking them as formidable opponents.

 

“No, I was wrong! Please forgive me! I’ll do anything, anything you want…!”

 

The man, who had been arrogant during their deal, was now begging for his life, feeling the overwhelming disparity in power after his bodyguards were easily defeated.

 

Lee Se-Ah chuckled.

 

“Such a cliché line. Well, should I spare you then?”

 

Hope lit up the man’s face.

 

As Lee Se-Ah lifted her foot, he looked up at her with a face covered in a bloody nose, like he had found a lifeline.

 

“Thank you for giving me a chance! I will truly do anything…!”

 

Lee Se-Ah crouched down, looking at him with a sweet smile while resting her chin on her hand.

 

“Then, how about this? Walk around the bustling area of the Black Market naked, proclaiming, ‘I am a pig, oink oink’ every five seconds. For… a week?”

 

“…What?”

 

Confusion spread across the man’s face.

 

He had expected her to demand money. This command was a blow to his dignity as a human.

 

Despite her upper hand, her refusal to gain any profit from the situation implied one thing: ‘You’re no longer of use.’

 

Lee Se-Ah chuckled.

 

“You might get charged with public indecency, but it should be fine. This is a neutral zone, so enforcement is lax.”

 

“Lee Se-Ah, please!”

 

“If you’re just a pig, at least entertain me, won’t you?”

 

The man was speechless.

 

“This is me being lenient. Or do you not want it?”

 

“That… that’s…”

 

“I’ve already let you go once. If you do nothing, there won’t be a second chance.”

 

The man bowed his head, tears streaming down his face.

 

“I’ll do it…”

 

“Good decision. I’ll be looking forward to it for the next week, starting tonight.”

 

Lee Se-Ah smiled brightly as she stood up.

 

At that moment, her smartphone vibrated in her uniform pocket. She checked the caller ID.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Lee Se-Ah led her two companions dressed in black away from the scene.

 

—

 

A deserted factory in the Black Market district.

 

Contrary to the dilapidated surroundings, a woman in a neat uniform of navy and gold leaned against a pillar. It was the uniform of Hanyang Federal Academy, with a coat draped over her shoulders.

 

As the sound of footsteps echoed, she stepped away from the pillar.

 

“Oh dear, I made you wait, Jung-Mi!”

 

Lee Se-Ah’s voice resonated through the abandoned factory. She approached Lee Jung-Mi, the student from Hanyang Federal Academy, with a sly smile.

 

This was their agreed meeting spot.

 

“No problem, Se-Ah.”

 

Jung-Mi greeted her with a slight bow.

 

Lee Se-Ah dragged over a worn-out chair, sitting with her legs straddling the backrest and resting her arms on it.

 

“By the way, did you find it? The means by which the Disciplinary Committee Leader is monitoring the organizations?”

 

Lee Se-Ah asked, resting her chin on her folded arms.

 

Anomia’s subway terror incident.

 

Back then, Ahn Woo-Jin had preemptively countered Anomia’s plan. Moreover, he had a way to monitor multiple organizations in real-time.

 

Thus, Lee Se-Ah had instructed Jung-Mi to discover Ahn Woo-Jin’s surveillance methods.

 

If Ahn Woo-Jin was still watching her, she would have to remain cautious.

 

“…I have nothing to report.”

 

Lee Se-Ah raised one eyebrow.

 

“Whether the Disciplinary Committee Leader has pulled back or is mocking us by knowing our every move, I couldn’t uncover his surveillance methods.”

 

“This is troubling.”

 

Lee Se-Ah straightened her back, lowered her head, and sighed deeply.

 

Her slitted eyes gradually opened, revealing vivid red pupils.

 

“I underestimated him. To think he is this capable…”

 

Ahn Woo-Jin’s abilities far exceeded Lee Se-Ah’s expectations.

 

He became the Disciplinary Committee Leader by surpassing Oh Baek-Seo, a genius in Neo Seoul. Naturally, he possessed extraordinary skills.

 

Even so, to wage such an information war against multiple organizations was beyond belief. It felt almost fictitious, making her question her perception.

 

Yet, the undeniable evidence of the Anomia subway hijacking left her mind in turmoil.

 

Lee Se-Ah felt like a clown dancing on Ahn Woo-Jin’s palm.

 

“This delays my plan to take over the Black Market.”

 

The Black Market was a hidden facet of the academy city, where illegal trades frequently occurred. It was a gold mine for black money.

 

Lee Se-Ah had planned to seize control of the Black Market as soon as she became the boss of the Do-hwa Group. Her goal was to rule the underworld.

 

Her ideology was to use the underworld to pursue good deeds, making the academy city a better place.

 

Although she couldn’t create a utopia for everyone, she wanted to make the world less miserable for at least one person.

 

“It’s a headache. Anomia isn’t a problem, but the Disciplinary Committee Leader is too troublesome.”

 

Despite clashing with Anomia over the Black Market, they weren’t a major issue.

 

The real problem was Woo-Jin’s intelligence network. Unless Lee Se-Ah could identify his hidden surveillance methods woven like a spider web throughout the academy city, she couldn’t proceed with her plan.

 

The Black Market, being a neutral zone, wasn’t under anyone’s jurisdiction. However, this also meant that any disciplinary committee could intervene there. Since it was a place where students committed crimes, various academy’s disciplinary committees were eager to crack down on it. Thus, if Lee Se-Ah displayed any suspicious behavior, she would become a target for the disciplinary committee.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

As she pondered, a smile gradually spread across Lee Se-Ah’s face.

 

A thought that had sparked like a small flame after the subway incident had now kindled into a full blaze, spreading throughout her mind.

 

“Se-Ah…?”

 

“Should we postpone our plans for a while?”

 

Lee Se-Ah returned to her slitted-eye look, her smile charming like that of a fox.

 

“I just thought of something I want to do.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Lee Se-Ah accessed the Ahsung High School Disciplinary Committee’s social media on her smartphone.

 

She zoomed in on the profile picture of the 45th Disciplinary Committee Leader, Ahn Woo-Jin, and showed it to Jung-Mi. Then she pointed at her phone with her index finger.

 

“I want this person.”

 

Lee Se-Ah grinned slyly.

 

“I need to have him.”

 

At this moment, Lee Se-Ah’s desire became concrete.

 

Her interest in the Disciplinary Committee Leader deepened into a desire for possession.

 

Facing a monster like Ahn Woo-Jin, with his authority and exceptional skills, it would be foolish to regard him as an enemy. Instead, it would be much more beneficial to recruit him as an ally.

 

“…What?”

 

Jung-Mi needed a moment to grasp Lee Se-Ah’s words.

 

Then.

 

“What!?”

 

Her voice echoed through the abandoned factory.