High School Girl Guild Leader

,Wow… there’s not even one kid smaller than you.”

That was the first thing Harang blurted out after arriving at the auditorium where the entrance ceremony was being held.

He was looking around, examining the new students.

With that lanky, menacing look, he looked like a gangster scouting potential recruits for his organization.

,Keep it down. Everyone’s staring because of you.”

,It’s because you’re so small.”

I stuck close to Sohee, trying to avoid people’s gazes.

I could brush off the attention in Deron without much thought, but the gazes of real people were a little scary.

Because here, I’m just a weak, pretty girl.

,Let’s go, Hayeon-a.”

,Ah. Okay.”

I went with Sohee and sat down in the prepared seats.

Harang, with an incredibly natural stride, went and sat in the seats prepared for the parents.

His appearance was so out of place that the parents around him kept their distance.

He’s been wandering around outside so much lately; I feel like he’s gotten even bigger.

I examined Harang’s body with a strange look.

He was wearing the suit he had tailored before, but his shoulders, arms, and thighs looked tight.

,Hayeon-a?”

,Yeah.”

,What are you looking at so intently?”

,Harang’s body.”

,…Why my oppa…?”

,No, I was just wondering if he’s been doing some weird exercise.”

I trailed off like that and turned my head.

Harang, who used to be cooped up at home playing only Deron, now had a different body than before.

Is it even possible to gain that much muscle in just a few months?

I lowered my gaze and fidgeted with my pale, slender fingers.

They were hidden by my school uniform jacket, but I could feel the soft, pale arms underneath.

Should I start exercising too?

,You didn’t know…?”

,Know what?”

I turned my head at Sohee’s words and met her eyes.

Sohee was looking down at me, seemingly a little surprised.

,Harang oppa is preparing for the national team.”

,What…?”

National team? National?

My head became complicated the moment I heard that unfamiliar and foreign word.

So, you’re saying Harang is preparing for something as a national representative?

,Wh-What national team?”

,Shooting.”

,Shooting…?”

I frowned at those words.

Of course, I know Harang is good at shooting guns in the game.

But Deron and reality are different. There was no guarantee that he would shoot as well in reality as he does in Deron.

,Really?”

,Yeah.”

How does Sohee know?

That Harang is preparing for the national team.

Harang is the type of guy who wouldn’t say a single word about it to me.

I looked at Sohee with suspicious eyes.

Could it be that the reason she hasn’t been suggesting we meet up in real life as often lately is because of Harang?

,Sohee-ya.”

,Yeah?”

That’s when it happened. Just as I was about to bring it up, the teachers of this school came up onto the stage and started adjusting the microphone.

Chi-i-i-ik-

The microphone was turned on, and white noise echoed throughout the auditorium.

I slowly and carefully opened my mouth.

,Are you… dating Harang?”

Sohee was too good for Harang, but if my friend wanted it, I could fully understand.

Sohee tilted her head at my question and asked back blankly.

,Harang… me and oppa?”

,Yeah.”

When I nodded, Sohee fell silent.

I crossed my arms and nodded as I watched her.

Yep, there was definitely something going on.

The fact that Harang was stealing Sohee away was a little unpleasant, but I couldn’t show that feeling on the outside.

If my friend wanted it, I could even cheer them on.

[Ah-]

It was the moment when the person who went up on the stage was about to speak using the microphone.

Sohee stood up abruptly before the sound of the microphone could spread throughout the auditorium and shouted loudly.

,NO!!!”

,S-Sohee-ya…?”

,Absolutely not. It’s definitely not what you’re imagining!”

,No… I understand, so…”

,Hayeon-a… it’s definitely not like that, so…”

,Okay Sohee-ya. I understand, so…”

I grabbed Sohee’s trembling arm and looked around.

Just before the entrance ceremony was about to begin, everyone in this auditorium was looking at Sohee and me, thanks to Sohee’s loud shout.

Even the teachers who had gone up on the stage were looking down at Sohee with surprised expressions.

Sohee, who had been trembling, suddenly looked like she was about to cry.

This is a big problem. It was my fault for not understanding the delicate heart of a middle school girl, no, a high school girl.

Of course, she would feel bad if I asked her if she was dating someone as ugly as Harang.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

This was not the time to worry about other people’s gazes.

I reached out and hugged Sohee, gently stroking her back.

,I’ll believe you. I’ll believe you, so…”

,Really?”

,Yeah. I know it’s absolutely not like that. You don’t have to shout anymore.”

Only then did Sohee slowly exhale, as if her excitement had subsided.

For a quiet child to get this excited.

I was really shocked.

I carefully led Sohee to a chair, watching the reactions of those around us.

,U-Um…”

That’s when it happened.

One of the teachers who was standing on the stage holding the microphone cautiously spoke to us.

,I-Is it okay to start now…?”

Who are you asking?

Me and Sohee? Just as I was about to open my mouth reflexively, Sohee, who was sitting next to me, nodded and answered.

,Start. As quickly as possible.”

,Ah… I understand…”

What is it?

What the hell is it?

I tilted my head, watching the teacher’s reaction to Sohee’s words.

Because Sohee’s appearance of giving orders to the teacher and the teacher’s appearance of moving at her command looked so familiar.

Sohee returned to her quiet self as if everything that had just happened was all a dream.

While the entrance ceremony was proceeding.

Sohee grabbed my hand that was placed on my lap and said.

,Hayeon-a.”

,Yeah.”

,My dad is sponsoring the Korea Shooting Federation.”

,Sponsoring…?”

,That’s how I knew. It’s definitely not what you’re imagining.”

,Ah, I see…”

I nodded, saying I understood, but Sohee didn’t let go of my hand throughout the entrance ceremony, as if her anxiety hadn’t disappeared.

Was it thanks to that? My hand was sweaty and damp.

I tried to rub my hand on my clothes to loosen it, but Sohee wouldn’t let go.

The entrance ceremony proceeded very normally.

The prepared video and school song were played, and the teachers in charge of each class gave brief explanations.

Immediately after the entrance ceremony ended, the students moved to their assigned classes.

,Let’s go too.”

Sohee still didn’t let go of my hand.

I watched her carefully and gently pulled my hand away.

Because I felt awkward about the sensation of flesh sticking together damply with sweat.

,U-Um, Sohee-ya…”

,Why?”

,Just my hand for a second…”

Sohee silently lowered her gaze at my words and looked at our clasped hands.

The gaze that was fixed on the back of my hand felt stinging.

I smiled awkwardly and said.

,Just to wipe off the sweat…”

,I’ll wipe it for you.”

I can wipe off sweat on my own…

But Sohee didn’t wait for my answer.

She just took out a luxurious-looking handkerchief from her pocket and carefully wiped my hand.

But did she really have to do the act of wiping my hand on the stairs?

Thanks to me and Sohee who suddenly stopped, the students who were having trouble passing started to split to the left and right and go up the stairs.

The glances they gave as they passed were quite stinging.

,I wiped it all off. Are you okay now?”

,Ah, yeah.”

Sohee gripped my hand tightly again when she heard my answer.

It’s going to get sweaty again if we stay like this…

I looked at my hand worriedly, but Sohee didn’t let go until we arrived at the classroom.

The classroom we arrived at.

Sohee walked confidently as if she knew where her seat was.

I, who was holding her hand, had no choice but to be dragged along.

The place Sohee arrived at was a window seat in the very back.

,Hayeon should sit here.”

,Ah, okay.”

Sohee naturally sat next to the seat where she had seated me.

I wondered if it was okay to just sit down like this, but there were stickers with each student’s name on the desks.

[Seo Hayeon] [Lee Sohee]

Sohee smiled lightly as she looked down at the desks, as if she liked the name tags that were attached side by side.

As time passed and all the students began to sit down, I was able to discover one strange thing.

,What…?”

The kid sitting in the front right seat is a girl.

The kid sitting next to her is also a girl.

Not only that. The kid sitting behind her is also a girl.

Even the kid in front of me was a girl.

Isn’t this a co-ed school?

For some reason, the entire class was made up of only female students.

I wasn’t the only one who was embarrassed by this situation.

The other kids also looked around with puzzled expressions and started to murmur.

There was only one person who was calm in this place.

That was Sohee, who was sitting next to me.

,Hey, Sohee-ya.”

,Yeah?”

,Is this a girls’ high school…?”

It was a question I asked just in case.

But I knew that this wasn’t a girls’ high school.

The students who had just held the entrance ceremony in the auditorium were definitely mixed.

,No? This is co-ed.”

,But… why are there only girls…?

,That’s true?”

,Hmm…”

,How strange.”

Sohee said that and smiled lightly.

I felt a little awkward at that sight.

She doesn’t look surprised at all.

It was as if she knew about this situation in advance.

How long has it been?

The closed door of the class opened and a female teacher dressed in a neat suit came in.

She looked at her class with a gentle gaze and opened her mouth.

,Everyone, nice to meet you~”

A light greeting.

The slightly stiff atmosphere was loosened, and the conversation between the students and the teacher began.

I stared blankly at the scene, resting my chin on my desk.

It wasn’t the scene I had imagined.

I was expecting some kind of strange atmosphere because it was a co-ed school, but looking at the state of the class, it seemed like it would be difficult to see that kind of situation often.

The innocent love stories of young children always made my heart flutter.

I sighed with regret and turned my gaze away.

There was no conversation with the teacher.

Because she just had a short introduction time and then left.

Dismissal.

It was time to go home.

I got up from my seat and went out into the hallway with Sohee.

While walking down the hallway like that.

I heard the sound of small footsteps, todo-todo-todo-, from behind.

,Blood Demon King!”

There is only one person who calls me by this nickname even in reality.

A small Western beauty with white hair.

The nickname I use in Deron is Jupiter.

Her real name is.

,Ellie…?”

,Hek… Hek…”

Ellie, who had arrived in front of me, bent over and started panting.

How far did she run to be panting like this?

I looked at the uniform Ellie was wearing with a sullen expression.

A uniform made up of black tones overall.

The large ribbon decorated on the black jacket was the charm point of this uniform.

,You go to this school…?”

,Ye, Yes… that’s right…!”