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Chapter : 8
At those words, Baek Seoyeon’s expression stiffened, and for a brief moment she even found it hard to breathe properly.
The way he said something so shamelessly made it strangely convincing, to the point she almost accepted it without realizing.
Could it be… he had done all this just to get her attention?
“You’re quite bold to say something like that. Are you even interested in any male student who comes near me now?”
“I’m just stating what I know. You probably don’t intend to date any other man anyway.”
“What do you mean by that? What do you think you know about me, President…?”
“You carry heavy responsibility as vice president. On top of that, you train nonstop to defeat me, don’t you? For someone like you, romance is practically a luxury. So naturally, you wouldn’t even spare another man a glance.”
Seo Hyun-woo recited everything he knew without a single lie.
He understood Baek Seoyeon’s beliefs and goals very well.
Moreover, Baek Seoyeon had a very clear ideal type, so an ordinary man would never satisfy her standards.
“I… I’m a woman too. Of course I have some interest in men…”
“Shall I guess your ideal type? You wouldn’t even try to talk to a man weaker than you. And you absolutely despise men who are rude, domineering, or lack proper manners. Am I wrong?”
“You speak as if you know me very well. Since when have you been so interested in me?”
Baek Seoyeon was inwardly surprised, but she didn’t show it.
How could he possibly know her so well?
They had only spoken a few times recently.
And yet, he was already seeing through her thoughts and tendencies.
“I can’t help but be interested. The vice president is a comrade who helps me lead the student council. Unlike the other department heads, you assist me directly and share major responsibilities. Am I wrong?”
“…That’s not wrong.”
At this unexpected answer, Baek Seoyeon became serious and listened closely.
Had Seo Hyun-woo ever shown any thoughts or emotions about her before?
It didn’t seem like he was joking.
“I heard there are quite a few male students trying to approach you…”
“It’s not that many. Just a few here and there.”
“You probably find them annoying. Constantly rejecting them must be bothersome too. But if I’m around, things change. No one will be able to approach you. Not unless they think lightly of me.”
Seo Hyun-woo said this while pouring hot water into a teacup with a tea bag inside.
To be honest, he had already anticipated that Baek Seoyeon would get entangled in rumors because of his claim that he had a girlfriend.
Of course, it was partially intentional.
It was also a way to block other female students from approaching him.
If rumors spread that the vice president was his girlfriend, no one would casually ask for her contact information.
“You mean you did all this thinking about me?”
“It’s for my benefit as well. I apologize for not asking for your opinion, but it couldn’t be helped. I needed a situation where rumors would spread easily. The timing just happened to come, so I acted first and decided to apologize later.”
Seo Hyun-woo casually adjusted his words to fit the situation as he sat down on the sofa.
Avoiding troublesome situations for both himself and Baek Seoyeon was only a secondary reason.
In reality, he had simply started the rumor that was inevitably going to spread anyway.
And because of that rumor, the protagonist Kang Jin-ha and Baek Seoyeon would end up encountering the first incident.
“This is a bit unexpected. Quite… yes, it is.”
Baek Seoyeon fell into thought, looking at Seo Hyun-woo’s back.
She couldn’t accept the idea that he had done something for her.
Hadn’t he always focused only on efficiency and looked down on incompetent people?
Perhaps this was related to his recent change in behavior.
“Do you understand now? If you’re done being angry, come drink some tea. Even if you stay angry, I’ll listen.”
“…Pfft.”
Baek Seoyeon let out a small laugh and immediately sat on the sofa.
Seo Hyun-woo sipped his tea and turned his gaze toward her.
Baek Seoyeon was looking at him with a faint, mysterious smile.
“Then that must be a lie.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About having a girlfriend… that was a lie, wasn’t it?”
“Why are you turning a perfectly fine girlfriend into someone who doesn’t exist?”
“Then you should be able to show a photo with your girlfriend. Surely that’s not difficult, is it?”
“…?”
At this unexpected reaction, Seo Hyun-woo was momentarily speechless.
Of course, since he didn’t have a girlfriend, there was no way he had photos with one.
And since such photos would normally be on a smartphone, even claiming they were stored elsewhere wouldn’t work as an excuse.
“Ah, if you’re going to say there are no photos on your phone, then you should at least show something else. For example, a couple ring or messages exchanged with your girlfriend, don’t you think?”
“I don’t really want to show my private information to others.”
“I see. Understood. Your excuse would’ve been better if it sounded more convincing.”
“……”
Baek Seoyeon smiled faintly and brought her teacup to her lips.
No further conversation followed between them.
Only the sound of tea being sipped filled the student council president’s office.
Knock knock.
“Oh? Looks like the rumor’s main characters are all gathered here. Shall we get answers now?”
As soon as the knock was heard, the door opened immediately.
A girl with black hair and striking red eyes stood there.
She wore a black uniform with gold insignias and epaulets, clearly marking her as a department head.
“So it really is true that the president has a girlfriend. Of course, it’s not me.”
Seo Hyun-woo, while puzzled by Baek Seoyeon’s response, quickly understood her intention.
She had already confirmed through a few questions that he had no girlfriend.
But since she had her own reason for lying, she was going along with him.
Above all, the rumor had already spread, so even if the truth came out, students wouldn’t easily believe it.
“What? So the only true part is that he has a girlfriend? Boring. You’re not lying, right?”
Min Ha-young, the head of the transformation department, sat on the sofa opposite Baek Seoyeon with a blatantly disappointed expression.
Of course, she didn’t fully believe the rumor.
She was simply disappointed that it might have been true.
“Are you Scarlet Road?”
“So who else would it be? …Ah, the president only communicates with other department heads via messages, right?”
“That’s right.”
“How old-fashioned… you should try using Chocolate Talk. Everyone else uses it, so why don’t you?”
“That’s part of my strength. Being strict means I do my job well.”
At Seo Hyun-woo’s reply, Min Ha-young quickly shut her mouth and looked at Baek Seoyeon.
Baek Seoyeon simply sipped her tea, as if asking why she was being looked at.
“No, why are you answering like that? Normally you’d say something like ‘What nonsense are you talking about,’ and act all arrogant.”
“I’ve grown. From now on, I intend to act more humble.”
“Who would’ve thought the president would change this much… he’s completely gone crazy.”
“Is that a compliment? I’ll take it as such. And as you said, I’ll try using Chocolate Talk as well. Being too rigid isn’t fun.”
“Ah, this isn’t fun at all. Now I can’t mess with the president anymore.”
Min Ha-young leaned back into the sofa with a tired expression.
The once fierce, hostile student council president was nowhere to be seen.
Now there was only a strangely gentle man making casual jokes.
“Ah, is this the power of love? His girlfriend turned him into this weird version of himself. I’m curious what she looks like.”
“She’s not someone you can meet easily. She’s working somewhere far away.”
“Oh? So you like older women? Is she prettier than our vice president?”
Min Ha-young deliberately brought up Baek Seoyeon, observing their reactions.
There was no way Seo Hyun-woo truly had a girlfriend.
And if they rarely met, it made even less sense.
The Seo Hyun-woo she knew prioritized student council work above all else.
She really is obvious, but still unexpected. I never thought they’d secretly be dating without anyone knowing. The recent change in his personality must be because of the vice president. Of course he’d want to look good in front of someone he loves.
Min Ha-young found it strange that Seo Hyun-woo himself admitted to having a girlfriend.
There was no reason to say something unnecessary like that, and he couldn’t possibly be unaware of how rumors spread.
Most likely, this was an indirect confession of his relationship with the vice president.
They were probably annoyed by all those students trying to flirt with them without knowing their place. But they can’t openly admit they’re dating either—it would hurt their reputation and might even get them reprimanded by the chairman or dean.
Min Ha-young looked between them with a faint smile.
What should she do with this precarious, obvious relationship?
It was interesting to observe, but interfering felt meaningless.
This is kind of annoying. It makes me want to take her away. Even if I’m not better than the vice president, I’m not worse either…
Meanwhile
Inside the Security Office of Miterich.
Unlike usual, the Security Office was quite noisy.
This was due to special directives issued by the Miterich Chancellor, which had caused major changes.
The head of security and most senior officials had been dismissed or demoted.
As a result, people were shifting positions and taking over duties.
“Hm… Chief Kim, do you have a moment?”
“Yes, sir.”
The two quietly slipped out of the office, checking their surroundings.
Both were indirectly involved in the incident, yet had not yet been disciplined.
They didn’t know when they would be exposed, but they needed to prepare in advance.
“The Chancellor realized it sooner than expected. How did he find out about the surveillance function embedded in the Security Division’s Battle Watch?”
“It might not be that simple. Three months is already quite a long time. If not for the former head of security, it would’ve been exposed much sooner.”
“If a full investigation begins, we’ll be caught too. Then none of our people will remain in the Security Office.”
They exchanged opinions in low voices, constantly looking around.
What they were discussing was something that must not be heard by others—something tied to their survival.
Even if it cost them their lives, the mission could not fail.
“There’s no choice. We already expected this. The only difference is that it came earlier than planned.”
“And now the Security Division is being transferred to the Student Council. If that happens, it’s over for us, isn’t it?”
“That might actually be good. If it quietly transitions to the Student Council, the Security Division might avoid punishment.”
“…That’s true. Even if only the head of the division remains, we can still extract some information from the Security Office.”
“But the bigger problem is elsewhere. I heard the Student Council President has noticed one of our people recently. If we act carelessly here, he might uncover the identity of the Security Division’s infiltrator.”
