Chapter 145. < Friend. (1) >

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Translator: thursdays Editor: Yahiko

1.

Youre going to help me?

Yeah. Well, dont say it like Im being nice

The cla.s.s president smiled wryly.

Did this kid always have such diverse expressions?

It felt a little unnerving. Thinking about it, we had been in the same cla.s.s since first year, but we never talked much.

Im running for student council this time, remember? So that I could get college recommendations But anyway, the student council president should act like it. I should at least be able to handle a problem in my cla.s.s. I dont know how to resolve this, but Ill try asking Kim Yul. Do you know his number?

Yeah Just a moment.

While I was looking for his number, I realized something. The cla.s.s president didnt know Kim Yuls number, but all of my cla.s.smates who watched the video would know that fact. Therefore:

Cla.s.s Pres isnt the culprit.

Though, there was still a chance that this was all an act

That cant be. Hes such a square, and he had no way of getting hold of the recording.

The cla.s.s president was safe. I was sure of it.

While I was nodding my head, the cla.s.s president exclaimed in surprise and said, Nevermind. Its kind of rude to talk about this sort of thing over the phone. Ill just secretly talk to Kim Yul after school tomorrow. That should be fine, right?

Oh, right. Calling might be bad. Well, thanks for trying to help.

If youre grateful, vote for me instead of your girlfriend, please.

Sure.

My girlfriend broke up with me today, anyway. The cla.s.s president didnt seem to know about it, which was another reason he wasnt on the suspect list.

Thats right.

I had hope.

Its not over yet. Nothing has ended! As long as at least one person supports me, I can make a new plan using him. This atmosphere will only last a short time After a while, my friends will come back to me and everything will be back to normal.

From that day, the cla.s.s president really started to act. I didnt know what exactly he was doing, but he seemed to be taking advantage of the [model student] image he had built up.

All right. Ive heard what Kim Yul had to say, the cla.s.s president said the next day.

It was during lunchtime. I didnt go to the cafeteria today, either. My cla.s.smates continued to scorn me, and I didnt want to get caught up in the atmosphere. So the two of us were speaking secretly in the empty cla.s.sroom.

Really? What did he say?

He wants you to apologize in front of your friends. Hell never accept your apology if its just you two. If you apologize sincerely about what you did and how bad it was in front of your friends, hell forgive you.

That crazy guy.

Apology? Forgiveness? Who is he kidding?

He simply wanted to humiliate me. There was no difference between my cla.s.smates and Kim Yul. They were acting up for a little taste of power.

He said three times that he wouldnt forgive you if he couldnt feel sincerity from the apology. Mm. His face was expressionless, but I think hes really angry at you.

Im gonna go nuts.

Couldnt I just give him a million won and call it done? He would accept it since he was poor.

What is sincerity? What do I have to do for him to feel it?

Who knows? I dont really get it either Anyway, the important part is apologizing in front of the other kids. Why dont you try writing out the apology beforehand?

The cla.s.s president sounded a bit irritated. He may finally have realized the situation was more complicated than he expected.

Dammit. My school life and future were at stake here. My life depended on this. If he was pretending to be good, he should take responsibility till the end!

Yeah, Ill write an apology. Haa

I sighed, making the most pitiful expression I could.

Hw.a.n.g Eunseo, its time for the performance of your lifetime.

Really, why did I stupidly torment Kim Yul? I thoughtlessly joined in since all the kids were doing it. Dammit. I shouldnt have done that.

Cmon, hurry up and pity me. Sympathize with me. I was a human being. I could feel regret and repent my mistakes. But it wasnt that big of a sin! So hurry up and feel sorry for me!

Its natural Kim Yul is angry at me. I could have stopped the others, but Now, Im sorry. If I could, Id apologize in front of the whole school. Really.

The cla.s.s president stared at me with his eyes, deep as a well. His face was hard to read, but there was no mistaking that he was listening to me.

I have an idea.

The cla.s.s president suddenly got to his feet.

Huh?

It just occurred to me how you can get Kim Yuls forgiveness. Wait a moment. I need to go to the teachers office.

The cla.s.s president sprinted out of the cla.s.sroom. I was dumbfounded. What was that guy doing? I absentmindedly chewed on the Gstly bread in the barren cla.s.sroom.[1] I had gnawed off about half of the bread when the cla.s.s president returned.

All right! I received permission from the teacher.

For what?

The student council election speech. I asked if a non-candidate can go up to the podium. Nothing in the rules says you cant.

The cla.s.s president smiled confidently.

Maybe he dropped by the bathroom on the way back, but there was moisture around his mouth.

You said it. If you could, you would apologize in front of the whole school. I was already pondering what to write in my speech to beat your girlfriend, so this is great.

Uh

Listen carefully.

The cla.s.s president sat down and took out a notebook. Swish, swis.h.!.+ An old-timey cursive danced on the page.

Hw.a.n.g Eunseo, youll apologize to Kim Yul. Then, Ill take over the microphone and continue the speech, saying [The type of school I want to create as student council president is one where you admit your mistakes and grant forgiveness]. Got it?

I didnt get it.

Well decorate it as a story. The speech wont just be a boring pledge of what Ill accomplis.h.!.+

I dont know what your girlfriends speech will say, but shes uber-rich. I can imagine it clearly. Shell offer her own money to put perfume in the bathrooms, make sure we dont run out of tissues, stuff like that to coax the students. If I make simple campaign promises, my odds are zero Yes, lets fight with a story.

The cla.s.s president wrote in his notebook.

+

A student council that solves problems!

A council that helps you speak!

We will become all students emergency mediators!

+

Uhhh

The cla.s.s presidents eyes were gleaming.

What do you think?

It was really sappy.

This is the era of storytelling! Bathroom fragrances, tissuesall that is overused. Students have heard those promises since elementary school. Theyll eat this up. Lets use a story!

Um.

Well, student council elections were supposed to be cheesy. Candidates would slap on whatever to their speeches, mediating or communication and whatnot. The cla.s.s presidents idea didnt seem bad.

But holy s.h.i.+t, this b.a.s.t.a.r.d

I looked at the cla.s.s president with fresh eyes.

He has no interest in anything but his election, huh?

Even though he was the cla.s.s president, I was wondering why he was going so far to help. This selfish b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He was thinking about how to use me to get elected from the start.

The cla.s.s president didnt care about what was happening in cla.s.s. He had no interest in what happened to Kim Yul or why my life was falling apart. He only got involved because he could use this for the race. And even his desire to be student council president was so he could get into a good college!

Thats right.

But as I looked at the cla.s.s president, I now had no suspicions.

I can work with this kind of a.s.shole.

The cla.s.s president and I were one of a kind. He looked toward the future. He was concerned about his prospects. He intended to enter a good university and live a good life. How many people went so far to become student council president just to get a letter of recommendation to Seoul National University?

Hes just like me.

The cla.s.s president was much more trustworthy than someone who acted nice for no reason. He was someone who would definitely succeed once we entered society.

But theres only a few days left before the election. Are you sure you dont mind changing your speech because of me?

Its fine. Winning is all that matters.

The cla.s.s president smiled.

Counting the time I used making posters and such, Ive spent 20 hours on this election. I gave up 20 hours of studying for this election, so I cant lose.

This b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Really, we think on the same lines.

I trusted him even more now. I felt a sense of camaraderie with him.

All right, Cla.s.s Pres. Ill help with what I can, for sure. In exchange, you have to help me too. Tell our cla.s.smates that I want to make up with them. In the meantime, Im sorry, and I want to be friends again if we can.

Sure. Sounds good. Weve got to scratch each others backs.

We shook hands.

Ill be in your care.

The same to you!

I helped with the cla.s.s presidents election. I couldnt help him out in the open, but I looked over and coordinated his speech with my apology.

My cla.s.smates ostracization didnt change, but the fact I had [something to do at school] stabilized me a lot.

Oh? Its not half bad.

The cla.s.s president was satisfied when he read over my apology and speech. It was after school. Only the two of us remained in the sunset-tinged Grade 2, Cla.s.s 5 room.

Now, if you just act it out well here, well win.

Act?

I tilted my head.

What acting?

Huh? Hw.a.n.g Eunseo, you arent actually sorry to Kim Yul at all.

Oh, dont worry. Im not accusing you. Its not the mindset of apologizing thats important but the att.i.tude, in my opinion. In the first place, I dont even know what it means to have a sorry mindset.

The cla.s.s president flipped through my written apology.

Youre risking humiliation by apologizing in front of the whole school. What apology can be more sincere than that? It doesnt matter how many times you say youre sorry or feel bad. You have to prove it with actions. In that regard, youre a thousand times better than the other kids, Hw.a.n.g Eunseo.

Hm.

Hmm

I slyly asked Kim Yul yesterday whether anyone properly apologized to him. But n.o.bodys done it, you know? Youre the only one who even asked how you can be forgiven. Seriously, our cla.s.smates have no shame.

Cla.s.s Pres You

He really got me. I was a bit touched.

Ah, of course, its good from my position. If you went around saying, [Vote for my girlfriend! No matter what, vote for her!] then Id have lost dozens of points. While I feel bad that youre being ostracized, truthfully, its advantageous for me.

Wow. Youre a piece of s.h.i.+t

Yup. Thanks. Arent humans s.h.i.+tty to begin with?

I laughed. He was right. I hadnt laughed this much since my girlfriend broke up with me.

This guy really knows how to talk.

People were trash. They were beasts. If a human being looked tame, it was only because they had degenerated into livestock. Only those who quickly realize this survive.

[Currently, your immersion rate is 100%.]

Then, instead of being livestock, they could be a wolf. If theyre lucky, they could even become a lion.

They could succeed.

Those who complained that relations.h.i.+ps were difficult did so because they saw people as people. It was simple if you saw them as beasts.

You have no friends? Its because theres nothing to gain from being beside you. If you cant do anything else, you should at least be able to relieve someones stress while hanging out. You have many friends? Its because theres a lot to be gained from being with you.

That was all.

True friends.h.i.+p only came from quid pro quo.

If I stick with this guy, I dont think Ill lose anything, at least.

I smirked.

Cla.s.s Pres. You wanna be friends?

The cla.s.s president snorted.

First, I need to be elected student council president. The speech is fine now, but theres room for improvement. Im working hard to talk you up to our cla.s.smates, you know? Itll all be for naught if I dont win.

Fine, fine! Okay. Ill write you a great speech! Itll make you cry and tear up when you recite it! I, Hw.a.n.g Eunseo, will give my all to make our cla.s.s president into s.h.i.+nseo Highs president!

Yes, yes, I hear you. Im counting on you, Eunseo.

We snickered.