The Academy's Resident Delinquent — Episode 33
It had already been five days since the incident.
During that time, the results of the class placement exam applications had come out. Fortunately, Baek Iljin and the Hwangbo twins had passed into the Special Mission Class, and today was the first day of attending the new class.
‘If I go in now, I won’t be late.’
Baek Iljin, who had overslept again today, arrived in front of the door only five minutes before first period began.
The moment he was about to open the classroom door and enter, someone greeted him from behind.
“Huh……? Baek Iljin?”
‘Seol Hayun?’
If asked to name the most famous student at the Academy right now, it would be the current student council president, the fourth-year Sword Dragon, Ji Daehak.
But if asked to name the most famous student among the freshmen?
It was undoubtedly Seol Hayun, who possessed the looks of a devastating beauty. Baek Iljin agreed on that point as well.
‘So a person can actually look like this.’
However, his appreciation was neither more nor less—exactly that, and nothing more.
“Why did you call me?”
“……Huh?”
“You called me.”
Seol Hayun, her cheeks flushed red, stammered as if she had forgotten her words.
“Well…… uh, ah…… it’s just, since you’re in this class too.”
“Yeah, nice to see you.”
“Yeah.”
As they were exchanging light greetings, someone walked up with heavy steps and shoved him. The collision was quite strong, and Baek Iljin’s uniform jacket became disheveled.
“Ah, sorry. I have a habit of shoulder-checking every piece of trash I see.”
He was an extremely skinny man wearing rimless glasses, with snake-like eyes and sharp features.
“Young Master Ji Taegyeong……?”
“Oh, Lady Seol. Long time no see.”
Unlike the other freshmen, he was a repeating student.
As expected of someone from the Gongdong Faction, his martial arts skill was outstanding, but because he had bullied other students and accumulated penalty points, he had failed to advance to the second year and ended up taking classes with the first years.
“It has been a while.”
“But, Lady Seol. Who is this bastard?”
Ji Taegyeong, who had been talking with Seol Hayun, stared fixedly at Baek Iljin with eyes filled with killing intent. Baek Iljin brushed it off as if it were nothing and spoke.
“What are you staring at?”
“Well now, you go straight to a stern face and put me to shame. Are you trying to scare me out of the Academy?”
“…….”
“Did you piss yourself? No answer?”
As Ji Taegyeong thrust his face right up to Baek Iljin’s nose and provoked him, Seol Hayun, who had been watching from the side, gently pushed Ji Taegyeong’s arm.
“Young Master Ji Taegyeong, please stop. We are in front of the classroom.”
“Seol Hayun, who are you to interfere? Are you two already a thing?”
Ji Taegyeong, whose arm had been pushed, glared. Then he snickered and spat out words mixed with mockery.
“Man, that’s harsh. Not even greeting me.”
“It is not like that.”
Seol Hayun had almost reflexively raised her hand, but she could not afford to clash with Ji Taegyeong here and now.
At that moment, Baek Iljin, who had been straightening his disheveled clothes after being bumped by Ji Taegyeong, struck the shoulder of Ji Taegyeong—who was blocking the door—and pushed him aside.
“Class time.”
And with that, he went into the classroom. Seol Hayun immediately followed Baek Iljin inside, leaving Ji Taegyeong alone.
“Hoo? That bastard knows how to push people around.”
Just then, the front door of the classroom opened, and Dan Gyehong poked his head out and shouted.
“If you’re here, hurry up and come in. What are you doing in front of the door!”
“Geez, old man, try to stay healthy. I’m coming in. Going in.”
* * *
Inside the classroom, familiar faces and unfamiliar ones were mixed together. Based on the halfway point of the desks, the left side was freshmen, the right side was repeating students.
The Special Mission Class had 50 students total—30 freshmen and 20 repeating students. Roughly speaking, out of 30 freshmen, 20 failed to advance and repeated.
‘As I heard, advancement really is difficult.’
Baek Iljin turned his head toward where the freshmen were gathered to find a seat.
‘Even so, the Five Great Clans and the Six Great Sects are sitting separately.’
Even though the freshmen and repeaters sat divided, the freshmen were further split into the Five Great Clans, the Six Great Sects, and the mages.
The Six Great Sects members, who had already dwindled to just a few upon entering the Special Mission Class, were huddled tightly together as if to further strengthen their cohesion.
‘But why are they sitting around Namgung Jongsu?’
Although Namgung Jongsu was also from the Five Great Clans, everyone—the Six Great Sects members and the Five Great Clans students alike—was divided around him as if he alone were the exception.
‘He’s popular.’
“Iljin! Over here!”
Looking toward the voice, Hwangbo Cheolsu was raising his hand and pointing to the seat next to him.
“Cheolsu, are you all right?”
“Yeah, my body is fine. Though I think I might develop a needle phobia…….”
A chill ran down Hwangbo Cheolsu’s neck as he recalled Cheonsusin’s Bangbaek-tong silver needle, thicker than chopsticks.
When it seemed that roughly everyone had gathered, Dan Gyehong handed out flyers to the students sitting at the very front of each row.
“Take one and pass the rest back; bring whatever is left to the front.”
“Yes.”
The flyers had the class curriculum written on them.
Unlike other classes, where students could apply for courses aside from required major subjects and make their own schedules, the Academy set every schedule for the Special Mission Class.
This was also a source of complaint for the Special Mission Class students. Because unlike students in other classes, they could not create a sweet schedule of connecting weekends and empty periods.
But it was not all downsides; by nature, the Special Mission Class had noticeably fewer class hours and more free time than other classes.
To the extent that there were students who utilized that advantage to occasionally take on part-time jobs like demonic beast subjugation or bounty hunting.
Dan Gyehong, having received all the leftover flyers, returned to the lectern.
“Nice to meet you. I am Dan Gyehong, who will be serving as the homeroom teacher of the Special Mission Class. As you all know, my specialty is Auxiliary Martial Arts.”
Having said that, Dan Gyehong pointed to the student at the very front.
“Stand up and introduce yourselves in order.”
Namgung Jongsu, who was sitting at the very center, stood up. He turned his head, taking in his classmates at a glance, then raised his hand as if greeting them.
“Nice to meet you; I am Namgung Jongsu. I entered through the Martial Arts Specialty, ranked second. I look forward to working with you.”
Clap, clap, clap—
The freshmen sent enthusiastic applause toward Namgung Jongsu. But the repeaters sat with their legs crossed, not moving a muscle, whispering among themselves.
Students in white uniforms spoke to Ji Taegyeong, pointing at Namgung Jongsu.
“That bastard greeted us informally?”
“Damn, look at his modified uniform. He’s out of his mind.”
“Taegyeong, he’s also a Martial Arts Specialty student; shouldn’t you educate him?”
“Tsk, that bastard’s from the Five Great Clans, so he won’t listen to me. And despite how he looks, he’s the young master of the Namgung Clan.”
“Hmm, then it can’t be helped.”
“Come to think of it, the freshmen are mostly Five Great Clan bastards, huh?”
“Right. Even among the top ranks, except for Won Gak and Seol Hayun, they’re all from the Five Great Clans.”
As they said, unlike the second-year Special Mission Class students who were mostly from the Six Great Sects, most of the freshmen were from the Five Great Clans.
Ji Taegyeong rested his chin on his hand and nodded.
‘So that’s why the Martial Arts Specialty students were gathered around Namgung Jongsu.’
It was only natural for people to flock around the young master of the Namgung Clan, which was called the leader among the Five Great Clans.
Ji Taegyeong, with his hands shoved in his pockets and his legs crossed, tilted his head as he took in the area around Namgung Jongsu.
‘But why are only sweaty bastards gathered around him?’
The repeaters, who had kept chattering, finally shut their mouths when they met Dan Gyehong’s sharp, raised-eyebrow glare.
The introductions continued, and before long, it was Baek Iljin’s turn.
“Written Exam Specialty, number 200, Baek Iljin.”
It was the shortest and most concise introduction of anyone. Yet the words contained within were hard to believe.
“Written exam?”
“Number 200?”
“No way, how did Written Exam number 200 get into the Special Mission Class?”
“Look at his name tag; it has the character for Special on it. He’s that special written exam admittee.”
Unlike the other repeaters, Ji Taegyeong stared fixedly at Baek Iljin.
‘That ill-mannered bastard who hit my shoulder earlier. Baek Iljin? You’re dead.’
The whispers continued, but Baek Iljin did not pay any attention to whatever they were saying.
In fact, he did not have the leisure to care about other things. He was extremely hungry, and nothing except food entered his mind.
‘Because I overslept, I skipped breakfast…… I was told it’s rude to eat during class.’
Perhaps because he had memories of being scolded by Dang Jain for chewing gum last time, this time he did not commit the ignorant act of eating food during class.
The last turn was Ji Taegyeong’s.
Ji Taegyeong stood up, dragging his chair against the floor.
With a screeching sound, all the students’ attention focused on Ji Taegyeong.
Having stood up, Ji Taegyeong adjusted his rimless glasses once and flicked his tongue. Then he turned his head toward the female students.
“Nice to meet you; I’m your oppa Ji Taegyeong. I was number two in the Martial Arts Specialty last year. If you have any trouble, just say the word.”
Having said that, Ji Taegyeong shifted his gaze to the male students.
“I’ll just say one last thing: just mind your manners with your hyungs and noonas. Then you won’t get scolded, got it?”
Having finished speaking, Ji Taegyeong plopped back down onto his chair.
After Ji Taegyeong’s self-introduction, the class atmosphere sank like ice. Dan Gyehong was the one who broke that silence.
“Since the self-introductions are finished, we will now hold the class president election. I shall write a letter of recommendation for the person who becomes class president.”
Dan Gyehong, who had written “Class President Election” in large letters on the blackboard, spoke to the students.
“Recommend someone among your classmates you would like to see as class president. The class president election will be conducted through democratic procedures.”
Several students raised their hands. But Dan Gyehong ignored those hands and continued.
“Or so I would say. In other classes, that is.”
“……?”
“But our Special Mission Class was created, as the name implies, for special missions. I believe that someone lacking in ability cannot be class president.”
Bang—Dan Gyehong slammed the lectern and shouted.
“Therefore! We will elect the class president based on ability!”
Jegal Muhyeok, hearing Dan Gyehong’s words, raised his hand and spoke.
“May I ask what kind of ability you are referring to?”
“Martial might.”
Bustle, bustle—
This was a first even for the repeating students. Last year, the Special Mission Class had elected their class president through a vote.
“Wow, this year is intense.”
“I’ll abstain. They’re basically handing the class president position to Ji Taegyeong or Wonjin.”
“You should try challenging them; you’re from Magic Specialty rank twelve, after all.”
“Alright, I’ll be the class president this time!”
The students’ reactions were mixed. Some liked it, and some suspected it was rigged for certain students.
Dan Gyehong had made this decision after the recent student kidnapping incident.
Believing that such an incident would not have happened if the students’ abilities had been outstanding, he had resolved to change everything to be ability-oriented.
‘Nothing is as effective as fostering competition to rapidly raise one’s abilities.’
As Dan Gyehong expected, the students burned with fighting spirit.
Namgung Jongsu was one of them.
‘With what I obtained this time, it is entirely possible. The problem is that guy……’
Namgung Jongsu’s eyes turned toward Baek Iljin. Baek Iljin was spacing out with his characteristic indifferent expression.
‘That guy wouldn’t want something like a hat of authority, so the class president is me!’
After the break ended, Dan Gyehong told them to change into gym clothes and come to the training ground, then left.
During the break, the students chatted noisily with one another, arguing about who would be class president.
At that moment, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor rang out.
“Ah, fuck, it’s loud!”
Ji Taegyeong stood up from his seat.
The students did not even dare breathe at the strange tension he exuded. And they watched Ji Taegyeong’s next move.
Snicker—
Receiving their gazes, Ji Taegyeong raised one corner of his mouth and approached Baek Iljin.
“You, see me next period?”