The circumstances and Baek Seo’s sultry whisper were making my heart race.

“Wa-wait a minute….”

My words stumbled out, unbidden.

‘Why is she being so aggressive?’

I had occasionally fantasized about taking charge and kissing Baek Seo passionately.

But in reality, doing so without being in a relationship was out of the question.

If I acted impulsively, I, the president of the disciplinary committee, could end up being accused of a crime.

Moreover, I still had responsibilities as a reincarnator and the president. I didn’t want to create a distracting element (a romantic relationship) at this point.

Relationships should be built step by step for the excitement to last.

‘What am I even thinking right now?’

I was lost in sudden turmoil, my usual poker face on the verge of breaking in this intense atmosphere.

Had I always been this weak…?

“Is the president weaker than me?”

Her unexpected question, as if reading my mind, made me swallow my breath.

Of course, I didn’t show it.

“Of course not….”

“Then the choice lies with the stronger one, which is me, right?”

What nonsense was this?

Seeing her predatory, relaxed smile, my heart pounded wildly for various reasons.

‘This is driving me crazy….’

No matter how much I controlled my expression, I couldn’t stop my face from flushing.

Pushing Baek Seo away or escaping wasn’t an option. I was still just a man.

In the end, I covered my mouth with my hand and looked away, not wanting to show my discomposed face.

For some reason, Baek Seo stopped moving as if she was holding her breath, her lips twitching.

‘Calm down….’

Clear mind.

I organized my jumbled thoughts and tried to calm my raging emotions, managing to compose my expression again. Then I looked at Baek Seo, trying to appear natural.

“Vice President.”

To maintain my authority, I used her official title. My voice trembled slightly.

“You’re not planning to engage in any behavior that would undermine our discipline, right?”

“Like what?”

What a sly fox.

Was she trying to make me say it directly?

“Things like… those behaviors between a man and a woman.”

“Hmm.”

“Such things should be done at least after you get a boyfriend, don’t you think?”

“A boyfriend….”

“It’s natural to feel desires as a human, and it’s also natural to feel strong urges after seeing those Myunghyeon guys. But it wouldn’t be wise to let that ruin our relationship.”

‘Once’ is a harsh rule.

If my relationship with Baek Seo reached the point of fulfilling our desires even once, the psychological barriers would collapse. Then I wouldn’t trust myself to restrain anymore.

That’s why I desperately suppressed my desires, not falling for Baek Seo’s suggestive jokes.

‘I don’t have the luxury.’

To capture all the six criminals and lead a peaceful life.

At least during my term as president, it was best to eliminate any factors that might cause me to lose focus.

‘Am I rambling right now?’

But the structure of my words made sense, so I should consider myself fortunate.

Yeah, it’s still okay.

Calm down.

I won’t falter.

I am the president of the disciplinary committee.

Besides, Baek Seo had her usual playful expression, just like when she was joking.

I could push her away like this.

“We’re the president and vice president of the disciplinary committee. We shouldn’t behave like this.”

“What would you do if I got a boyfriend?”

“……!”

Suddenly, an unpleasant image flashed in my mind, making my eyes widen.

“Yes, that’s it.”

Baek Seo, seeing my reaction, smiled contentedly and began to rise on her toes.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head towards me.

Time seemed to slow down, and a whirlwind of thoughts spun in my head.

My body froze like a malfunctioning machine.

And then.

Baek Seo’s head veered to the side of mine.

“Huh?”

Crack!

Suddenly, I heard a crackling sound. I turned my head towards it.

“Sorry, President.”

Baek Seo, with her head beside mine, extended her finger out the window. A trace of electricity lingered at her fingertip.

It was the power of her unique elemental magic, different from basic elemental mana.

She had lightly swung it, so there was no need to worry about penalties.

I quickly turned my head in the direction she was looking and enhanced my vision with magic.

The other log cabin.

The place where I had seen Ha Yesong earlier, near the window.

There was a hole in the fluttering curtain caused by the wind.

It sizzled and cooled off in the breeze. It seemed to have been damaged by Baek Seo’s lightning strike.

Ha Yesong, who had fallen, looked at us in surprise. Soon, Park Minhyuk and Yoo Do-ha, who came to her aid, entered my view.

“They were watching us closely. I set a trap for them. And I played a little prank. Though… it might have been a bit much.”

Baek Seo said as she stood beside me.

The cold splash of reality brought clarity. Then came the rush of shame.

At that moment when Baek Seo approached, I had nearly lost myself in a flood of thoughts. I almost leaned in to kiss her.

The atmosphere Baek Seo created just now was that lethal.

Ahem.

Clearing my throat, I silently collected myself.

“Yeah…. I had a feeling that was the case.”

“Did you?”

At least you could have given me a heads-up….

Don’t make me feel so embarrassed.

“?”

Baek Seo, who had tucked her hair behind her ear, let it fall back, covering her ear again.

She seemed to show a hint of disappointment on her face.

‘Was it just a joke…?’

I couldn’t bring myself to ask.

Anyway, the sultry atmosphere dissipated, and naturally, the air became awkward.

“…Shall we go fetch them?”

“Yes, let’s.”

As I led the way down the stairs.

“President.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t worry about me getting a boyfriend.”

“?”

I stopped in my tracks.

I turned to look at Baek Seo, puzzled. She smiled her usual gentle smile.

“As the vice president of the disciplinary committee, I wouldn’t date anyone else while you’re around.”

Her response carried a double meaning.

“…Is that so.”

I decided to respond as the president of the disciplinary committee.

“Then that’s a relief for me.”

I was relieved.

When the thought of Baek Seo getting a boyfriend crossed my mind, it felt like my insides were twisting.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at her.

Since she said it was a joke, as the president, I needed to scold her properly.

“And don’t do that again. I’m a guy too.”

Embarrassment crept in, almost making me stutter. In the end, my tone remained calm, unlike when I scolded her.

There was a sense of incongruity, so I couldn’t even get angry.

“Yeah…. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

Baek Seo’s eyebrows drooped.

A humble smile spread across her face.

She seemed genuinely sorry. Understandably so, given that she had used her beauty to create a situation that would shake my heart greatly.

Of course, I had to apologize too.

“…I’m sorry too. I didn’t handle it well. I’ll be more careful next time.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize….”

She trailed off and chuckled.

I couldn’t bear to look at her face any longer and quickly turned my head forward.

“Yes.”

She responded with a voice tinged with laughter.

“I’ll be more careful next time.”

“Alright.”

“About the surroundings….”

“Yes?”

“Nothing.”

……

“President, we’re sorry!! We were just worried about your relationship with Baek Seo and…!!”

“We committed a grave sin!!”

Ha Yesong and Park Minhyuk bowed deeply and begged.

Meanwhile, Yoo Do-ha stood with her arms crossed, looking at them disdainfully.

“…It’s fine. It’s good we’re all together like this.”

I sighed and sat on Yesong’s back, crossing my legs.

“President, you’re heavy…. This is school violence….”

“Park Minhyuk, Yoo Do-ha. Who’s the ringleader?”

Minhyuk and Do-ha pointed at Yesong.

“You traitors! Don’t you have any camaraderie!?”

Yesong screamed.

“Enough. Prepare some snacks.”

Minhyuk jumped up and saluted, “Yes, sir!” while Do-ha asked, “What kind?”

“You make bibim noodles with whelks.”

“Right away.”

Do-ha licked her lips.

She was crazy about ramen. Eating cool whelk bibim noodles on a summer day would put her in a good mood.

“What about me, President…?”

“The ringleader stays put.”

Yesong let out a small sound of resignation.

“Heeey…. Baek Seo, help me…!”

“Hang in there.”

Baek Seo’s smile was firm.

“The night is long. Since we’re all here, let’s start a proper committee retreat.”

The committee members responded positively.

That night, we played games similar to drinking games I’d only done in college in my past life.

We took many pictures, vented, and shared funny stories.

I tried to maintain my image by holding back laughter, but occasionally my lips twitched up. Every time that happened, Yesong reacted excessively, as if seeking revenge.

It was quite enjoyable.

The forest at night was pitch dark.

As a result, the orange lights illuminating the campsite stood out even more.

Kim Dalbi couldn’t stand in the light. Her current relationship with Ahn Woojin was like the stark contrast between the brightly lit campsite and the dark forest.

She could only watch Woojin’s daily life while leaning against a tree in the darkness.

“……”

Dalbi watched as Woojin and Baek Seo spent time together.

Whether they realized it or not, the two were already feeling tender emotions towards each other.

It was a dazzling sight to Dalbi.

She couldn’t tell if the sensation of being pricked in the chest by needles came from a sense of loss or jealousy.

She could only watch their happiness, unable to do anything else.

She could hear the raucous voices of the Aseong High School disciplinary committee members from the log cabin. She didn’t know what they were saying, but it wasn’t important.

“President, you laughed, didn’t you!? You laughed!? Wow! Park Minhyuk, take a picture!! It’s a chance to capture the president’s relaxed face!!”

A female student’s loud voice rang out clearly. They seemed to be having fun.

Dalbi looked at the moon shining between the trees and imagined Woojin’s smiling face. The only smile she remembered was from their childhood.

It was a lovely smile.

“Today seems fine.”

Dalbi quietly muttered to herself and walked deeper into the forest.

……

Late at night.

“Cough…!”

Principal Lee Doo-hee covered his mouth and repeated a phlegmy cough.

He looked down at his hand.

There was blood on it.

“Shall I call a doctor?”

A female student, Son Ye-seo, wearing a nun’s habit over her school uniform, asked with a bright smile.

“What day is it today…?”

“Today is….”

“No, don’t tell me. I’ll remember….”

His ailing brain often lost track of time.

“Never mind…. Put me in the wheelchair.”

“Yes.”

Ye-seo helped Doo-hee into the wheelchair.

Whirr. The wheelchair moved with a mechanical sound and stopped in front of the glass wall.

Doo-hee took a quiet breath as he looked out at the view of Neo Seoul.

He had an IV in his arm.

His already frail body struggled with breathing.

For a while, he organized his thoughts.

As his lips, dry like a parched land, barely parted, he let out a labored breath and slowly spoke.

“The more I think about it, the stranger it seems….”

“What do you mean?”

Ye-seo responded from behind Doo-hee.

“Kim Dalbi, Oh Baek Seo, and… ‘that girl’ are all intertwined with one boy.”

Ye-seo clapped her hands lightly.

“You mean the president of Aseong High School?”

“Yes…. All those kids are snarling over Ahn Woojin. Do you think this is just a coincidence?”

“He must be a man of many sins. I saw him before; he was quite handsome.”

Ye-seo answered nonchalantly.

“By the way, do you know you’ve said that five times now?”

“…I see.”

Doo-hee stopped speaking and took a deep breath.

Looking at Neo Seoul, his thoughts finally came together.

“Bring me Ahn Woojin.”

“What?”

Ye-seo was startled by the unexpected order.

“‘The Elder’ told us not to touch him, remember? You’ll get in trouble.”

“The priorities have changed. Ahn Woojin, that boy… is no ordinary person. This kind of feeling is rarely wrong.”

Doo-hee tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his finger.

“So we need to confirm it.”

Ye-seo nodded.

“Then who should we send? If he’s the president, we’ll need to handle quite a bit of trouble.”

“There’s a saying, ‘Use the right tool for the job.’”

“Then I’ll choose someone appropriate.”

“Exclude Kim Dalbi. She’ll only get in the way.”

“Understood.”

Kim Dalbi would surely protect Ahn Woojin.

“I don’t have much time left….”

Doo-hee looked up at the ceiling, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

“I need to do what I can before I go. Understanding Ahn Woojin is part of that.”

“I know.”

The night deepened.