Chapter 8 – Rule 6. The Leader Excludes Attention Seekers (1)

 

“Subscribe, like, and turn on notifications! Please press the button~.”

 

As I roamed the campus, I occasionally spotted students either broadcasting or filming videos.

 

For instance, a male student sitting by the fountain, chatting with a selfie stick-connected smartphone, or a female student dancing in front of a smartphone near the central steps of the school plaza.

 

They continued their broadcasts or recordings, seemingly indifferent to the passing students’ stares.

 

“They’re probably shooting a JTube video.”

 

Ha Yesong, who was in charge of monitoring public morals, said while walking beside me. Oh Baek-seo was also with us.

 

“There seems to be more of them lately. It wasn’t this prevalent last year.”

 

“A student from our school caused a sensation. It’s the JTube era now, you know?”

 

“Really?”

 

JTube.

 

The name of the video platform popular among students.

 

Anyone could upload videos, and with enough popularity, they could earn revenue. Donations also brought in significant income.

 

However, I generally avoided JTube videos.

 

I was well aware of the risks of addictive videos.

 

To maintain my dignity as the Disciplinary Committee Leader, I needed to regulate my brain’s homeostasis. In simple terms, I prioritized maintaining a healthy dopamine system to maximize academic achievement.

 

Therefore, I didn’t know who the student that Yesong mentioned, who had sparked the JTube craze at Ahsung High, was.

 

“Our dear Vice President would make a fortune if she started a talk show….”

 

I agreed.

 

If a graceful and beautiful girl like our Vice-Leader started a talk show, even my wallet would open without resistance.

 

“I’m not interested, really,”

 

Baek-seo said with a smile, waving her hand.

 

“But who’s the one who started this craze?”

 

“ShinsoTV. The ‘Sindo-rim Swordmaster’!”

 

Yesong answered proudly, like a mother boasting about her child.

 

‘Sindo-rim Swordmaster?’

 

Isn’t that name… a bit tacky?

 

There are cool nicknames like Sword Saint or Sword Demon, so why that…?

 

“There’s also the second most popular, MushRoom. He’s called ‘MuBu.’”

 

“Oh, I see….”

 

Hearing the name of the second most popular person made me stop thinking about it.

 

For a while, Yesong joyfully talked about the Sindo-rim Swordmaster.

 

Apparently, he gained rapid popularity by showcasing high-level swordsmanship and sword dances to thrilling music alongside his comrades.

 

“You should check it out. It’s really cool. He’s recently become my top boyfriend candidate.”

 

It was just after lunch, a lazy time. We were taking a walk for this reason.

 

So, watching it out of boredom seemed fine.

 

“Alright, let’s have a look.”

 

We sat on a secluded bench.

 

Yesong played a video on her smartphone and showed it to me. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation of my reaction. I ignored her and watched the video.

 

The intro began with a male student wearing a goblin mask performing a sword dance to impressive music.

 

‘Is this the Sindo-rim Swordmaster?’

 

It was indeed cool.

 

Passed the first romantic test.

 

In the main video, the boy from the intro greeted the viewers.

 

─ Hello, viewers! This is the Sindo-rim Swordmaster, ShinsoTV!

 

His voice was altered.

 

Although he was wearing the Ahsung High uniform, his name tag was removed, so his identity was unknown.

 

He continued with light chit-chat after his broadcast greeting.

 

It wasn’t particularly entertaining, but his wit was decent, and his altered voice was likely appealing to the ladies.

 

Soon, Shinso began the main sword dance.

 

In a dimly lit room, with background music reminiscent of an anime battle scene.

 

Shinso wrapped his sword in magical energy.

 

Whoosh!

 

The magic transformed into ‘fire.’

 

Elemental transformation of magic.

 

A technique achievable only by those who had reached at least the fourth tier.

 

Abilities were categorized from tier 1 to tier 9, with tier 4 being considered at least upper-middle tier within the Academy City.

 

‘Oh.’

 

Performing a sword dance with a flaming sword.

 

Impressive.

 

Passed the second romantic test.

 

The fire-clad blade slashed through the darkness in sync with the music, creating a spectacular display.

 

Shinso’s movements were graceful and smooth, with a touch of discipline.

 

During highlight scenes, the sword dance dramatically slowed down. Using slow motion to enhance the impact of these moments.

 

Shinso’s sword dance was captivating. I could see why he was popular. Things that you can mindlessly watch and get hooked on are always the most addictive.

 

‘It looks flashy, but he seems to have a good sense of practical combat too.’

 

It was clear that Shinso was intentionally performing a flashy sword dance. His pre-moves in each moment suggested that he was skilled in real combat.

 

Eventually, the video ended.

 

“Hehe.”

 

Yesong eagerly awaited my reaction, as if she were showing off her boyfriend.

 

Well, she did say he was her top boyfriend candidate.

 

“…Not bad. It’s flashy.”

 

That was all I said.

 

Yesong, expecting more, showed her disappointment.

 

“Huh? That’s it?”

 

“What more do you want?”

 

“Aren’t you impressed?”

 

“I was impressed internally.”

 

“…Leader, please don’t ever start a reaction channel.”

 

Yesong pouted.

 

Why…?

 

After watching the Sindo-rim Swordmaster video Yesong showed me, I lost interest.

 

And then one day.

 

Something happened.

 

[Lee Se-ah: Senior! Did you see the latest Shinso video?]

 

[Lee Se-ah: It’s causing a stir!]

 

[Lee Se-ah: (laughing cat emoji)]

 

[Ahn Woo-jin: ?]

 

Lee Se-ah, the girl destined to become a Great Villain (Geoak), sent me a message on CoconutTalk.

 

‘Shinso?’

 

Shinso, as in Sindo-rim Swordmaster?