episode_0009

In 1944, Han Seol-gun opened a small pot shop in Daegu. From pots to cauldrons and glass containers, there was no type of pot he didn’t sell.

Han Seol-gun’s shop quickly became a well-known general store in Daegu. Considering it all started with a meager amount of money, the growth was remarkably steep.

However, Han Seol-gun was not satisfied with this. He acquired nearby stores, expanding the size of his business, and invested the earnings into land and factories.

By 1954, as the war ended and American goods flooded in, Han Seol-gun used his savings and factories to gradually shape the company’s structure.

As Han Seol-gun gained momentum, he even ventured into banking, further expanding the company’s size.

Around this time, his company name changed to incorporate his surname, Hanseol.

Hanseol then delved into the risky businesses of electricity and electronics. Many failed in these ventures, but through either his foresight or sheer luck, electronics propelled Hanseol to a prominent position among conglomerates.

After Han Seol-gun passed away, a succession battle ensued. The eldest son, who failed at becoming president, and the youngest son, caught manipulating public opinion, were involved.

Before the youngest son could employ his cunning schemes, he ascended to the chairman position. This marked the rise of Han Soo-yong, the current chairman.

And Han Soo-yong’s daughter is Han Hyo-jin, the head of the student council at Garam High School.

She is a modern-day princess, and if there are no male heirs, she is poised to ascend without obstacles.

As you might have gathered from the lengthy introduction,

The crux of the matter is this:

If Han Hyo-jin wants to say something at Garam High School, there is nothing she cannot say, and there is no one to stop her from acting.

So, even if the content of Golden Bell seems strange, there is no room for argument…

First, I noted down the principal’s name and then looked at Park Ah-young, the host of Golden Bell.

While presenting the question, she showed no signs of being flustered. At least the first question seemed prearranged.

“Then, was the next question also agreed upon?”

Feeling uneasy, I shot a glance ahead. Just then, as Park Ah-young turned her head, our eyes met.

I hesitated before quietly asking, “Is the next question fair?”

She tilted her head, then nodded as if realizing something, her lips curving slightly.

“It’s fine! The chairman set the first question as an event! I prepared the rest of the questions! Now that only ordinary questions remain, don’t worry and enjoy!”

With such assurance, there should be no need to worry, yet for some reason, a chill ran down my spine. It felt like this wouldn’t end here.

“Sigh….”

I decided to swallow my breath and ignore it. After all, it wasn’t a problem that could be solved by writing.

Gathering my focus, I faced the screen, where the correct answer appeared.

“The correct answer is Principal Han Jin-chul. Those who guessed correctly, please circle it at the top.”

Around me, pens moved swiftly. Since it was just a question, most seemed to have answered easily.

Glancing at Lee Soo-bin beside me, she was proudly raising her chin.

“Ta-da! I got the answer right~ Senior, you didn’t get it wrong, did you? If you did, it would be embarrassing to sit together…”

“I’ll move to another seat.”

“Sorry, it was just a joke.”

“I’m joking too. I got the answer right.”

I showed her the correct answer with a smirk.

“As they say, after three years at a village school, one can recite poetry without error… You didn’t make a single mistake. It probably won’t happen, but if the Golden Bell rings, shall I teach you?”

“I’ll mention it during the interview. Focus on Golden Bell for now.”

“Sure thing.”

Turning away from Lee Soo-bin’s distraction, the next question appeared shortly after.

“I will present the second question. Recently, the 2nd-grade Korean teacher and the 3rd-grade English teacher… in an empty classroom…”

Park Ah-young’s voice faltered in surprise. The rest of her sentence trembled and never continued.

Turning my eyes in curiosity, the problem was truly absurd.

“In an empty classroom, please write down the number of positions two people engaged in for an hour.”

Ugh… Just ask what position they were in.

I glanced at Park Ayoung, who had lips that never seemed to part.

Her face was as red as an apple, and her trembling pupils made her look pitiful. Restless, she seemed like she wanted to get up from her seat immediately.

Judging by her appearance, the culprit wasn’t Park Ayoung.

Then who could it be?

Probably—

“Write down the number of positions performed.”

The person who confidently strode in said.

She spoke with a natural grace that complemented her bright blonde hair.

“I don’t really care about student relationships, but I hope no one is forming them at school. Unless they are immature students, if their hair is all grown out, they should start coming to their senses, shouldn’t they?”

“That’s correct!”

“Next time, I’ll make sure to strictly enforce the rules. Also, I’ll have them demonstrate in front of the class while circulating around the room.”

“Wow! Can students participate too!?”

“If they wish.”

Han Hyojin gestured towards me as she calmly listened to the students’ cheers.

Her gaze seemed to say, “Do you expect me to believe this nonsense about a guy like you?”

Although I hadn’t even imagined it, I felt oddly embarrassed under her gaze.

I nonchalantly lowered my head, thinking no one would notice. But being close to the podium, I heard Han Hyojin chuckle.

If I return to the student council room, I will be reprimanded…

I vowed silently, swallowing back tears.

Contrary to my frustration, Lee Subin diligently wrote down the correct answer.

“If it’s been an hour, even catching a lot would only be four times, right? And since the classroom is empty, there’s only desks… Maybe they changed positions twice, making a total of three positions?”

“Why do you know this so well?”

“I’ve been living with the president for three years~. Just sitting in the student council room has helped me accumulate random knowledge easily!”

“You’ve been influenced by the president. You used to be innocent and pure…”

“I wasn’t that innocent back then.”

“That’s even more surprising, hey.”

I followed Lee Subin’s answer, jotting it down.

“What’s up? Why are you copying me?”

“If you don’t know, ask. Even someone as pure as me couldn’t figure it out.”

“You’re not that pure~, always talking about purity when teasing others, it’s embarrassing, seriously.”

“If you say that, people will misunderstand.”

Bickering, we faced each other head-on.

Han Hyojin was explaining the correct answer to the problem.

“The answer is three times. They alternated between the desk, the last desk, and the chair.”

“Oh… I thought it was two!”

“I only wrote down one…. Ah, our Korean teacher is so absent-minded, I thought it wouldn’t be too difficult…. It’s annoying, seriously.”

Complaints were heard here and there about the low accuracy rate. Most of them revolved around the Korean teacher’s behavior and stories related to the body.

Although it hurt to witness the teacher’s real-time reactions, I didn’t intervene or stop them.

“It’s a case of reaping what you sow.”

If you choose to engage in relationships happily at school, you must bear the risk of being caught.

So, endure it with grit and determination.

“Next question….”

At that moment, Han Hyojin’s voice pierced my ears, cutting off unnecessary thoughts. Having come this far, I wanted to answer all the questions correctly.

I widened my eyes.

Bring on any question, I’ll answer it.

***

My determination was overshadowed by the mundane nature of the questions.

“Explain and prove a math formula.”

“Which theory proposed by a scientist in the 18th century, still actively experimented on today, remains unproven?”

“As a result of King Huigyeom establishing the Qing Dynasty and demanding military relations with Joseon, what was the name of the war that ensued?”

“What is the warmest sea?”

From math to science, history, and nonsense.

Various questions were posed, but they weren’t as difficult as the first. Thanks to that, the whiteboard was filled with correct answers.

I solved the 9th question and looked around.

The number of people at the Golden Bell headquarters had decreased. The stimulation from the questions had dwindled, and snacks must have been distributed; hence, no one was keen on spending their remaining lunch break time trying to solve problems.

Now, only a few people remained: myself, Lee Soo-bin, and the question setters Han Hyo-jin and Park Ah-young.

Sighing, I spoke up.

“It seems like the Student Council workshop.”

“Yeah~ Now that there are no people left, I’m not feeling motivated. Should we wrap up quickly and head back to the classroom?”

“Hey, even though there are fewer people, as the President and Vice President worked hard to prepare these questions, we should check the final question, at least.”

“Aww~, how boring.”

Hyo-jin brushed off Soo-bin’s complaint.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. Since the next question is the last one.”

“Wow~, finally the last question. If I knew this was the case, I would have tried to keep those students who left just 2 minutes ago.”

“I agree. If possible, the last question should have been seen and solved by multiple people.”

“What? What kind of question is it?”

“You’ll see when you look at it.”

With those words, Hyo-jin revealed the question.

“The final tenth question is a multiple-choice question.”

Clicking the remote, a chest with a brown hue appeared on the screen. It wasn’t a metaphor; it was an actual chest.

“…”

My metacognitive abilities rapidly declined. Where am I, and who am I?

Is this some kind of temporal storm? Power Card Pack, 100% bonus on the back…?

Just before consciousness plunged into the storm of time, a touch on my side jolted me back to reality.

Soo-bin, the owner of that touch, glanced nonchalantly.

“Senior Mungmungi, Park Ah-young senior is staring at you menacingly from behind. Please don’t lose your mind over the chest. Otherwise, I’ll get scolded later!”

“It’s irresistible… somewhat similar… Thank you for confirming my research that men are all the same, evaluating women solely based on their bodies, Senior Doji.”

“That’s not it…”

Excuses echoed emptily.

My head was throbbing. As I sighed tiredly, Hyo-jin smiled as if finding it amusing.

“Haha, I thought there would be a reaction, but it seems quite intense. Watching it live and on screen does make a difference, doesn’t it?”

“You probably already know it’s a chest… Tell us the question quickly….”

“Even without saying it’s your chest, you probably know… Quickly tell us the question….”

“I won’t rush you. To give you a hint, if you write down what Senior Doji sees on the President’s chest, that will be the answer.”

“…”

“Too difficult? If I give you another hint, biting makes it soft and… squishy… and it smells like acacia flowers.”

“Don’t tarnish my memories and stay quiet.”

Should I adjust the dialogue to fit the situation…?

Tsk, clicking my tongue, I looked at Hyo-jin.

She crossed her arms, emphasizing her flesh.

I’d rather not mention it, but… It was truly an unbelievable size.

If Soo-bin’s words and eyes were honest, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

‘However… somehow, writing that down feels like giving up my identity…’

After closing my eyes briefly to contemplate,

As if to resolve that dilemma, Hyo-jin began a countdown.

“5, 4, 3, what are you even thinking about? 2.5 Be honest with yourself quickly. 2.1 It’s more comfortable that way.”

“Alright, then count properly!”

Not a push, but a push. I hastily scribbled the answer on the whiteboard.

Han Hyojin nodded satisfactorily.

“Sooner or later, that was bound to happen.”

And the revealed correct answer.

“Number 3, H-cup. Since it’s a 95, whoever will gift me a bra later should buy one that fits that size.”

“…”

“Oh, you’re in your prime growing years, so you might grow more. If needed, feel free to ask anytime, and I’ll gladly let you know.”

“Yes!”

With that story, Han Hyojin left. Meanwhile, Lee Subin, who had been complaining about how tough it was all along, got up from her seat and turned towards me.

“I’m off now~. Oh, but Dodger senior’s answer… um, yes. I asked for honesty, and you really wrote honestly. This person.”

“Shut up….”

She hastily erased the whiteboard.

“…Nothing!!! Happened…!!!”

“Yes, yes.”

“I swear nothing happened….”

As she mumbled and tried to leave, Park Ayoung, whose eyes had come alive as time passed, decided to take care of the still rigid body.

“…”

It was just another day in the student council.