Became a Dark Merchant in the Academy - Chapter 231



230 – Student Council President Election_34

The last speaker of the three-event speech was Yukina Ishihara.

She began her speech with the same innocent smile as she had during the previous events 1 and 2.

However, her speech was just an ordinary speech that had no impact compared to the words and speeches of the speakers before her.

“…I promise to create a fair and happy academy with the vision above. Thank you for listening.”

“go for it!”

“Cheer up, Yukina!!”

After the speech, the only sounds in the auditorium were ceremonial applause and cheers from those who had supported her from the beginning, telling her not to lose heart.

“Then where should we talk? I’d like to go somewhere quiet.”

So, it would be natural for an ordinary person to feel a little disappointed.

Yukina, who returned to the candidate waiting area, smiled faintly at Lee Seong-hyeon, who was approaching her as if he had never even considered such a thing.

“That wouldn’t be bad either.”

Lee Seong-hyeon’s expression was the complete opposite of hers.

I felt as if even a piece of paper would be cut if I held it up to it.

“Pupu, you won’t be able to win a girl’s heart with such an indifferent answer. I’m sure you have a lot to ask me. If I do this, I might be so sad that my mouth won’t open.”

“…What do you want?”

“Then, um… first, please hold my hand!”

Lee Seong-hyeon looked at the white hand extended in front of him.

It was a suspicious look, as if there was some intention behind it.

“There’s nothing, I said we’ll just hold hands and go to the cafe. Senior… Do you trust me?”

“well?”

“How could you… say such harsh words… I… was just… the opponent for… my senior’s… one-night stand…”

Yukina took out a handkerchief from somewhere and wiped her eyes, pretending to sob.

If someone who didn’t know about their relationship saw this scene, it was acting that would make Lee Sung Hyun look like the world’s trash.

“Huh? What’s going on over there?”

“I can’t hear you very well. Are you…kidding?”

“The one with pink hair is probably the one who spoke earlier, and the one across from you is Lee Seong-hyeon, right?”

And the performance was remarkably effective.

After the speech, the cadets who were leaving the auditorium to attend the upcoming election looked at the two with curious eyes and began to whisper among themselves.

“Stop it.”

“I also…”

“stop.”

“If you hold my hand…”

“under.”

“It doesn’t even wear out…”

That’s why I tried to stop Yukina’s actions.

She just held out her hand absentmindedly.

“I bet you were prepared. You’re a coward. A wimp. So…”

“Tsk.”

In that situation, Lee Seong-hyeon had no choice but to hold hands.

“Hehehe. Then shall we go?”

Then, Yukina, who had been sobbing until just now, simply smiled brightly.

**

Laplace Academy 7 Cafe was a famous place.

What is the reason for having a store or cafe within the academy?

Wasn’t it to make a profit by selling things, food, or drinks to the academy students and their associates?

Therefore, it was right to locate it in a place where guests could easily access it.

That is why most stores and cafes adhere to this principle and are located near several buildings or dormitories.

But 7 Cafe was different.

It is located at the southernmost part of the academy grounds.

It was located at least 20 to 30 minutes away from the main building and dormitory.

Then you might think that it is not a place for cadets, but rather aimed at people outside the academy.

7 Behind the cafe, there was only a mountain covered with trees and no walking paths.

Moreover, Cafe 7 had only one menu.

Iced Americano, also known as Aagada.

There’s nothing wrong with a store or restaurant focusing on one type of food.

If you can make even one menu better than anyone else, that becomes your identity.

But Cafe 7, as the name suggests, was a cafe.

Moreover, the only menu item tasted and smelled so bad that even a passing dog wouldn’t eat it.

The cadets came once out of curiosity after hearing the story of their freshman year, but never came back again.

That’s why Cafe 7 was famous.

A mysterious cafe that doesn’t go out of business even though there aren’t any customers.

The second floor of that 7 cafe.

Yukina Ishihara took a sip of coffee through a straw, and soon made a colorful expression as if she had eaten something inedible.

“Senior, this doesn’t seem like coffee! It tastes like lemon in the coffee? No, it tastes like rotten eggs. What is this!!?”

Then, he shook his head at the Aah he was holding in his hand, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Lee Seong-hyeon, who was sitting across from him, as if he didn’t even want to look at it.

“So what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

Whether or not, Lee Seong-hyeon’s eyes were only directed at Ishihara Yukina.

“Oh, that? What is that… My mouth hurts, so do I really need to explain it? You already guessed it, Senior.”

“Because guessing and being certain are different.”

At those eyes, Yukina Ishihara hesitated for a moment before moving her lips away.

“…Well, then. I’ll put it simply. As you’ve guessed, I’m a regressor. No, to be exact, I’m both a possessed and a regressor. Borrowing from Future Senior, I guess you could call it a multi-category?”

“Multi-category…”

“I still don’t know why you call me that, but I like it. More than that, are you curious as to why I’ve been interfering with you up until now? It’s simple. You’re a villain who shouldn’t exist in this world. The academy terrorism, the 17th Federation of China, Sky Island, devouring the country… Ah, is that it yet? Anyway, as a hero, I burned this body to interfere in order to stop the great evil called you, Senpai.”

“…”

“Do you like it?”

“What if you don’t like it?”

“There’s nothing I can do.”

Yukina Ishihara smiled playfully.

“Please don’t worry about how to kill me. I’m joking, I’m joking. There’s no way I could stop you, Senpai. I did want to try playing the role of the heroine of the Justice League once… No, as you can guess, the reason I’ve been interfering with you up until now was to show off. I’ve promoted myself by saying that I have these abilities in order to become your colleague. Otherwise, no matter how much I suggested a partnership, you’d just treat me like a tool. In other words, I did it to become your true colleague.”

However, as Lee Seong-hyeon’s eyes grew darker, Yukina waved her hand slightly.

“How much do you know?”

“It’s a trade secret. Of course, I can tell you if you accept me as a true colleague!”

“You’re too greedy.”

“I think he has that much ability. That’s because I also know that my senior is secretly using the shadows to send Sara and Ines behind me, waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.”

“…”

“yap!”

Yukina pointed to the coffee she was drinking earlier with her index finger.

-!

Then coffee appeared on the table next to me.

“Besides, you can run away at any time.”

Then he opened his palm and showed it to Lee Seong-hyeon.

“This is also possible.”

Contrary to what was said, there was no change.

However, Lee Seong-hyeon frowned.

“Teleportation nullifies the ability…”

It was because I couldn’t help but understand the meaning of the actions that were unfolding before my eyes.

That would be the case, because those were Lee Seong-hyeon’s own things.

“It’s not a trick of the eye… then it must be a clone.”

“That’s correct.”

“Is the activation condition contact?”

“That’s correct too. In addition, I can do everything my senior can do, from healing to electricity and handling blood. I’m the so-called Lee Sung-hyun MK2. No, maybe even greater than that? Because I’m full of mysterious powers that are unknown beyond what I’ve shown you. After all, I’ve come back from the end. Because I’m a returner. I’m fully prepared and confident! Of course, I don’t have 1 quadrillion 2858 trillion 519 billion 6763 million 3865 abilities like some fraudulent character. But I do have enough that I’ll never run out of things to use.”

Yukina Ishihara opened her palm and held it out so that Lee Seong-hyeon could see it clearly.

Then, small lightning flashed on the palm of his hand, fire appeared, water appeared, iron took shape, the wind blew, and other incomprehensible phenomena occurred one after another, and then soon disappeared.

It wasn’t magic or a trick of the eye.

Each and every one of them was either a supernatural ability or a skill comparable to it.

“What is the reason?”

“Yes? For what reason? If it’s because you disturbed your senior…”

“except.”

“Why do you want to become your true colleague? It’s simple. My purpose and yours are the same. Opening the door and going back. Just like you, I have people who are important to me. I was convinced that being by your side was the fastest way to do that. That’s why I’m trying to cooperate.”

“Since you said you’re a regressor, you must have knowledge of the future. In that case, the abilities you’ve shown me just now should be enough, right?”

“I told you, it’s the fastest way. It would take at least a billion mana to open the door, and even I can’t do it alone.”

“…That’s a lie.”

“No, I always tell the truth!”

Yukina Ishihara puffed out her cheeks slightly and protested as if it was unfair.

And then the snowball fight followed.

“…Why me? You know better than that.”

It was Lee Seong-hyeon who broke up the eye fight.

“I know. That’s because I’ve been addicted to drugs by my senior, had my eyes, hands, and legs cut off, been thrown into a trap and executed in various ways, including hanging, been buried deep in the sea or underground and only had air pumped in so I wouldn’t die by teleportation, been eaten by bugs until I died while still alive, and been electrocuted, killed by a verb, a participle, a preposition, asphyxiation, falling to death, explosion, starvation, brain death, and many other methods. Oh, and I’ve even attempted suicide. It wasn’t a particularly good memory, though.”

“…”

“Why did you ask? Because I know very well, and I have no worries anymore. But please don’t misunderstand. I was hurt, but this time, my senior didn’t do anything, so I don’t really hold a grudge. You can’t hold me guilty for something that didn’t even happen here, right?”

Yukina Ishihara smiled brightly.

However, there was an indescribable aura in her eyes.

There was a madness beyond madness.

“So, will you accept my offer to become my partner? If you reject it… I guess I will have no choice but to pressure you with the information I have. Election fraud, public opinion manipulation, vote rigging. There are things like that, you know.”

“Let’s give it a try.”

“I know, I know there’s a way for you to cover it up, but think about it. You don’t have much time, do you? You know very well that if you’re late, you might not even be able to see my face, right?”

“…”

“I don’t intend to ask for much from you. We’re not in a superior-subordinate relationship, but rather a partnership. So, just give me the position of Vice President. And you can pat me on the back like you usually do, and work with me. Oh, and if you’re anxious, you can sign a contract with me based on my skills.”

Lee Seong-hyeon looked at Yukina for a long time after she finished speaking.

And how much time passed?

[Exit poll results are as follows: 1st place….]

The speaker placed in a corner of the second floor cafe stopped blasting music and began to announce the results of the exit polls for the upcoming election.

**

3 The day after the event.

The election results that Laplace Academy cadets have been waiting for have come out.

The result was a complete reversal.

[…The student council president is none other than 2-A Lee Seong-Hyeon!!]

No, it was a predetermined outcome.