Chapter 109 : Volunteer Work
Flop—
As soon as Ak Simin entered the room, he sat comfortably on the bed as if it were his own room.
"What, you've been surprisingly quiet?"
"..."
"I thought you would definitely be wandering around outside."
"...What are you here for?"
Namgung Il asked with a displeased face.
Although Ak Simin's tone was usually like that, hearing it in this situation, it sounded as if he were teasing him.
"As a senior, I came because I was worried about whether my junior was okay."
"..."
"As expected, you caused a huge incident."
The rumor about that incident had already spread to most of the students.
However, the detailed content had been slightly altered.
Not a fight between Namgung Il and Hwang Dong-jae's gang, but just a brawl that had occurred within the Vermilion Bird Class.
Most of the students were also unaware of the kidnapping of Dang Wol-yeong, which had been the starting point of the fight.
"I didn't know you would make Senior Hwang like that all by yourself."
"..."
"You... were a much more amazing brat than I thought."
Ak Simin was aware of the detailed circumstances.
That was understandable, because he was the class president of the Vermilion Bird Class.
Since it was an incident that had occurred within the Vermilion Bird Class, it was natural that Ak Simin, as the class president, would also have to take responsibility.
"Because of what you did, I got an earful from the head teacher... I got another earful this morning."
"..."
"The other class presidents seem to be attending the academy peacefully. I don't know why I'm so busy from the beginning of the semester."
Ak Simin said and lightly massaged his own shoulder as if he had a frozen shoulder.
Namgung Il, who could not answer, seeing that.
Although there was a part that was unfair to say that it was all his fault, he had no choice but to admit that Ak Simin had been harmed because of him.
"...I'm sorry."
"Really?"
"...Yes."
"..."
Smirk—
A laugh burst out of Ak Simin's mouth.
After that, Ak Simin laughed for a long time, holding his stomach with both hands.
"...?"
Namgung Il couldn't help but be bewildered, seeing that.
Why on earth was his reaction like that when a person had apologized?
Since Namgung Il had apologized sincerely, Ak Simin's reaction was just absurd.
"S-sorry."
"..."
"I was just joking a little, but I didn't think you would apologize so seriously."
Ak Simin said, wiping his tears, to Namgung Il, who was sitting with a dumbfounded face.
At that moment, his brow twitched as if he were annoyed.
As Namgung Il's expression changed, Ak Simin finally stopped laughing.
"Are you angry?"
"...No."
"You're angry."
"..."
"A senior can joke a little with a junior. Why are you getting angry over something like that?"
Grind—
This time, he was really annoyed.
Since it seemed he would get genuinely angry if it went on a little longer, Namgung Il looked at Ak Simin and said bluntly.
"Can you please leave now?"
"Huh?"
"Isn't your business finished now? Since I'm under house arrest here, I'm politely asking you to get lost quickly."
Namgung Il said with a smiling face.
As if a sense of crisis was felt in that tone, Ak Simin decided to stop joking with Namgung Il.
"Still, to tell a senior to get lost. And I still have something to say."
"Speak quickly, senior."
"What's with that title? Just like usual..."
"What is it, senior."
"..."
This brat, he has a surprisingly petty side.
Ak Simin thought so inwardly and cleared his throat.
"Ahem... anyway, the previous thing was a joke. Actually, I'm grateful to you."
"Why? Because I made you busy?"
"No, that's not what I mean..."
I should never joke with Namgung Il carelessly again.
Ak Simin said to Namgung Il with a rather serious face.
"As you know, the Vermilion Bird Class was largely divided into two factions."
"..."
"Me, the class president, and Senior Hwang. The factions were united around these two people."
Noticing that Ak Simin's atmosphere had changed, Namgung Il did not interrupt anymore.
Hwang Dong-jae and Ak Simin. As he had said, Namgung Il had already realized that these two were in opposition to each other.
"Senior Hwang didn't like the fact that I became the class president. Well, if I had had the class presidency taken away by a brat younger than me, I would have been the same."
"..."
"But anyway, I became the class president of the Vermilion Bird Class. This is not something I can undo at will, and moreover, it's not something I can transfer to someone else."
Hearing that, Namgung Il became curious as to how Ak Simin had become the class president.
'With Ak Simin's personality, it doesn't seem like he would have stepped up to become the class president on his own.'
He didn't seem like a person who had a desire for a position.
For such a person to become the class president, surpassing a senior a year above him, he was a little curious.
"Since I've become the class president, I plan to do my duty. Furthermore, I have the ambition to make the Vermilion Bird Class, where I am the class president, the best class."
"..."
"The first thing that got in the way of that ambition was Senior Hwang."
The position of class president needed a certain amount of authority.
Especially when a third-year, not a fourth-year, became the class president like Ak Simin, authority became even more important.
Although it didn't matter with his classmates or the juniors below him, even if he became the class president, the fact that the fourth-years were his seniors did not change.
In that sense, Hwang Dong-jae's existence could not help but be a decisive factor that lowered Ak Simin's authority.
"I had realized early on that nothing would work with the factions divided like this."
"..."
"So in the near future, I was planning to have a showdown with Senior Hwang in some way."
But now, there was no need to do that.
Because with this incident, Hwang Dong-jae was as good as gone.
As long as the leader was gone, the faction under him would also naturally be dismantled and could be absorbed by Ak Simin.
And the reason why all this was possible was, as expected.
"Namgung Il, it's thanks to you."
"..."
"With this, I can proceed with things faster than planned."
Ak Simin said and got up from his seat.
At the same time, the head that was bowing to Namgung Il.
In that action, not a single bit of the previous playfulness was felt.
"It's alright. Why are you even bowing your head?"
"..."
"I just moved for my own sake. There's no reason for me to receive such thanks from you."
After all, the one who had started it first was Hwang Dong-jae.
Namgung Il mentioned that and continued to speak to Ak Simin.
"And didn't you intend for it to be like this from the beginning?"
"..."
"It's a little annoying that I moved according to your intentions, but well, I'll just let it go this time."
At those words, Ak Simin quietly smiled with his head bowed.
As he said, Ak Simin had intended to use Namgung Il as a means to check Hwang Dong-jae.
Namgung Il had a considerable amount of spirit, not less than a first-year, and he also seemed to have the skill and popularity to match.
Of course, Ak Simin had not expected him to do this much.
"Instead, I will also use you without hesitation in the future."
"...?"
"Be prepared. Because I'm the type to get back as much as I've given."
A junior who could not be careless.
Ak Simin thought so inwardly and raised his head.
"Yes. It's the request of my most cherished junior, so I have to grant it all."
"Since when did I become your most cherished junior?"
"Just now."
"...Well, it's not bad."
Whether those words were empty or not, it didn't really matter to Namgung Il.
What was important was that the person who had become the top power in the Vermilion Bird Class had become his backer.
If he kept him by his side, it would be helpful in many ways when he attended the academy.
"Right? In that sense, how about making me the senior you follow the most?"
"I'll have to think about that a little."
"You're thinking about this?"
"Because I'm a rather expensive junior."
Namgung Il said playfully.
Although he knew that those words were a joke, a strange tension arose in Ak Simin because of those words.
'An expensive junior... it's not wrong.'
With this incident, Namgung Il had proven his own strength.
Wouldn't it be beneficial for a senior to have such a junior by his side?
In fact, Ak Simin had already received considerable help from Namgung Il.
"..."
To become the senior he followed the most, he would have to show a value that was appropriate for that.
Ak Simin was taking Namgung Il's words just now in that way.
"It seems I'll have to work quite hard to get to that position."
"It won't be enough with just quite a lot of effort."
"Then I'll try to work very hard."
"Good. I hope you will surely become the senior I follow the most."
The two looked at each other and smiled lightly.
Just then, as if something had come to mind, Ak Simin's expression changed slightly, and he said to Namgung Il.
"Come to think of it, I had something else to say to you."
"...?"
Wasn't what he had said until now the main point?
As Namgung Il looked with a puzzled expression, Ak Simin continued to speak.
"The president told you to do volunteer work during your suspension, right?"
"Ah... that's right."
"The president told the head teacher what to have you do, and I heard it from the head teacher this morning."
Come to think of it, Ak Simin had said that he had gotten an earful from the head teacher from the morning.
Was what he had heard at that time about his volunteer work?
Hearing that, it seemed that the story had been passed down in the order of Seo Shin-won, Ho Jeong-won, and Ak Simin.
'That brat, Seo Saeng-won, what is he planning to have me do?'
Still, it would be much better to do something rather than just stay in the room.
Namgung Il asked Ak Simin as if it were a good thing.
"So what should I do?"
"It's simple."
"..."
"Go to the teachers and help them."
Help?
Namgung Il still could not properly understand those words.
"What specifically should I help with?"
"I don't know that either."
"..."
"If you go to the teacher, they will have you do something. It could be helping with the class, or it could just be the teacher's personal work."
So in a word, it was just telling him to become a servant.
'It's really volunteer work, just as the name suggests.'
Well, good.
Still, it seemed it would be much less boring than being here.
Although he had been in a position to receive classes until now, it seemed it would be quite fun to be in a position to help with the class instead.
"I understand. Then which teacher should I go to?"
"Wait, who did he say to go to first..."
"..."
"...Ah, I remember."
At that moment, Ak Simin's face was full of his usual playfulness.
"Cha Yul-ryeong."
"...!"
"Do well."
Ak Simin said and waved his hand at Namgung Il with a smiling face.
On the contrary, Namgung Il's face, which had darkened.
Of all the many teachers, to be Cha Yul-ryeong... Namgung Il couldn't help but have a bad complexion, as if he had stepped on poop.
(End of Chapter)