I Don’t Want to be a Villainess – Chapter 54

The student council of Hwayoung High School is famous for its high level of autonomy compared to other high schools.

Of course, they don’t wield overwhelming power like the student councils in school dramas.

In the end, the student council was still a kind of “club” that received guidance from teachers.

However, it wasn’t a club that just anyone could join, and the tasks they handled were quite public, so they weren’t treated the same as other clubs.

One example of Hwayoung High School’s student council autonomy, which is somewhat different from other schools, is that they could decide the destination for the school trip.

Of course, if the student council arbitrarily decided the destination, it would often cause discontent among the students, so the final decision was usually made through a student vote.

Still, since the student council selected the specific locations, schedule, and most importantly, the ‘candidates’, their autonomy was undeniably high.

Additionally, the student council also had the authority to assign demerit points to students.

…More precisely, they had that ‘right’.

The student council’s disciplinary committee could give demerit points to students who violated the school’s rules, which could negatively impact their records or, if the points accumulated to a certain level, lead to a report to the teachers for further disciplinary action.

However, just because they had that ‘right’ didn’t mean it was always used.

Hwayoung High School was a place where the children of prominent families in the business world attended.

Naturally, a clear hierarchy existed among the students.

Outwardly, they acted as if they were equals and friends, but they often looked down on others based on their wealth.

If all the members of the disciplinary committee came from wealthy families, it wouldn’t be a big problem.

But the wealthier students at this school were less likely to take on annoying tasks like being in the student council.

Of course, for a first-year ‘external student’ who had just entered the school, and if their personality was firm, such things might not matter much.

“President, are you just going to let this situation slide?”

A female student wearing an armband with the large word ‘Discipline’ on her left arm asked the boy with glasses.

As her long blue hair swayed, she questioned him sharply.

The boy, who was called the student council president, casually pushed up his oval glasses with his finger and responded.

“All the teachers who were involved are staying quiet, so what exactly are we supposed to do?”

Though he said that, his tone was more one of annoyance than resignation.

His reaction seemed to irritate the female disciplinary committee member, who had a look of rising frustration.

“We’re not just talking about the teachers right now!”

“Hmm? You’re not talking about the incident where the bald teacher got rained on indoors due to some mysterious weather phenomenon during class?”

“There’s no way such an absurd incident happened!”

The disciplinary committee member slammed her hand on the student council president’s desk, then winced and grabbed her hand in pain.

“This may not look like it, but that’s a solid mahogany desk. You’ll need something bigger and sturdier than your hand if you want to break it.”

“No, that’s not the point…!”

The disciplinary committee member shouted in frustration at the president’s leisurely advice.

“Then what about the inappropriate relationships happening on campus!”

“That’s a phrase from ten years ago. The rule against dating was abolished a long time ago. This isn’t the Joseon Dynasty, you know.”

The student council president sighed deeply, and the disciplinary committee member held the back of her neck in exasperation.

“Sitting on someone’s lap during class! And then being carried in a princess hold! Face to face…”

“Face to face?”

At the student council president’s question, the disciplinary committee member’s face turned bright red.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

“What I heard was different.”

Despite the disciplinary committee member’s outburst, the president calmly responded.

“That student… Yoo Ha-neul, wasn’t it? Like you, she’s an external student who entered the school on a full scholarship. She’s an excellent student. That day, she simply sat in her seat, answered all the questions the teacher wrote on the board, and even got praised by the teacher.”

“There was someone on top of her!”

“…”

The student council president quietly observed the fuming disciplinary committee member with his chin resting on his hand.

After a moment, as the committee member’s face turned red with rage, she lowered her head slightly and mumbled in an embarrassed voice,

“I’m sorry…”

“So, what exactly are you trying to say? Do you want to punish the ‘person on top’ of her? And, if possible, the student who participated in the ‘obscene act’ with them?”

“…Yes.”

The disciplinary committee member answered.

Then, after taking a deep breath, she continued as if expelling the words.

“I admit that I’m one of the ‘poorest’ students at this school. But still, aren’t we all the same students here? Whether someone is rich or poor, or in between, we’re all students. I won’t say whether the rules are well-made or not, but if there’s a rule, it should apply equally to all students, right?”

“You’re absolutely right.”

The president responded with a sigh.

But there was still no motivation in his expression.

“Still, don’t touch those three. Rules are written in books, yes, but there are also unspoken agreements between people.”

“…So you’re saying not touching ‘Ye Sara’ is one of those unspoken agreements?”

“Exactly. As the only current disciplinary committee member, I thought you should know.”

“I know that Ye Sara is the heir to the world’s largest conglomerate.”

The disciplinary committee member clenched her fists tightly.

“But even someone with that kind of power shouldn’t be allowed to harm other students and openly defy school authority without consequences! There are rules that must be followed!”

“…Hmm?”

Upon hearing this, the student council president finally sensed something odd.

“Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you think that Ye Sara—”

“Yes! A student who faces no consequences for anything they do! I know what she looks like! Last time, she barged into a class, disrupted it, and left! Walking around looking at the faces of all the students…!”

To be honest, she had been a little scared at the time.

Ye Sara’s expressionless face and sharp gaze seemed capable of piercing someone with just her eyes.

In hindsight, it was likely a warning.

An unspoken threat: “Defy me, and I’ll crush you.”

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered to glare at each student as she passed.

The fact that she, a disciplinary committee member, had been unable to say anything in the face of such a delinquent, especially during class, was a humiliation.

If only it hadn’t been during class…!

“If that’s your stance, I understand! I’ll handle this myself!”

With that, she spun around and headed for the door.

“Wait, hey, hold on a second!”

The student council president, who had been lounging in his chair just a moment ago, jumped up in alarm, hitting his knee on the desk in the process.

Then, while trying to pull back his leg in surprise, his foot awkwardly slipped forward, causing him to stub his pinky toe against the desk corner.

“…!”

The president silently screamed as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his throbbing toe.

By the time he was rolling around in pain, the school’s only disciplinary committee member had already run out the door.

*

The disciplinary committee member, now standing at the school gate, found herself face-to-face with Ye Sara, who had just arrived at school.

As usual, Ye Sara had a girl on each side of her.

One was an external student who had entered with excellent grades.

The other was a young lady from Class 6.

Seeing how closely the two girls clung to her, it seemed the rumors were true.

That these three people were… well, in some kind of scandalous relationship.

Not just any relationship, but one where one person was dating two others simultaneously—behavior that could undoubtedly disrupt the school’s atmosphere!

“Stop!”

The disciplinary committee member shouted.

Ye Sara, looking surprised as if she hadn’t known anyone could call out to her like that, halted her steps and widened her eyes.

“Improper relationships are prohibited!”

While dating wasn’t strictly prohibited,

If the relationship could be seen as ‘improper’ within the school, it was indeed against the rules.

No matter how open-minded society had become and how tolerant people were of romantic displays, there were still boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.

As the disciplinary committee member strode confidently toward the three of them, the closer she got to Ye Sara, the slower her steps became.

The closer she got, the more brightly Ye Sara smiled at her.

…It was a carefree, radiant smile with no hint of hesitation.

For a moment, the disciplinary committee member wondered, ‘Can someone with such an innocent smile really be involved in an improper, scandalous relationship?’

Though, to be honest, the chill running down her spine took precedence over that thought.

Anyone who could smile so nonchalantly even after seeing her disciplinary armband must have had something to rely on.

“…”

The disciplinary committee member swallowed dryly.

But even so, she knew she was in the right.

Resolving herself, she quickened her pace once more.

*

I watched the approaching disciplinary committee member, who seemed quite angry, and thought.

Ah, this is an opportunity.

I don’t know how she reached such a conclusion about me.

Maybe she didn’t know anything about my situation.

Perhaps, like Ha-neul, she was also an external student.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Now that she was part of the student council, and under their authority, the mere act of speaking to me was essentially an ‘official’ action of the student council.

“You’ve been violating the school rules since yesterday—”

“Yes, I have!”

I raised my hand high and shouted.

The disciplinary committee member, who had been walking toward me, froze in surprise at my voice.

In fact, not only she but the other students walking with me also stopped.

For a moment, it was as if time had frozen, and silence filled the air.

Ah, this reminds me of that scene from John Wick.

Well, anyway.

“So, what’s the punishment? Demerits? Disciplinary action? Whatever it is, I’ll accept it!”

The disciplinary committee member had a blank expression.

The other students on their way to school, who had been watching us, now stared in shock.

Lee Soo-ah looked a little concerned, while Ha-neul seemed on the verge of bursting into laughter.

And, of course, I—who had finally found the perfect opportunity—was probably smiling brightly.