The Top Student Hides Her Regression
Chapter 39
The one who nominated me was a classmate whose name I hadn’t memorized yet (sorry!).
Catching my wide-eyed stare, the boy stammered, his cheeks turning bright red.
“I mean… Kang Da-hye is the temporary class president right now anyway. And she always keeps us posted on homework notices…”
“You want to make her class president just because she tells us about homework?”
“A-And she takes good care of everyone, too.”
“When? I’ve never seen it.”
“Do Hajun, shut up already.”
“Yeah. Let Lee Seojun speak for himself.”
Gaeun and Su-a snapped in annoyance at Do Hajun’s persistent smirking and snark.
“T-That’s all.”
His face flushed red as a ripe tomato, Lee Seojun lowered his hand. Right then, Gaeun shot her hand up from the fourth row.
“I nominate Dahye, too.”
Glaring at Do Hajun seated diagonally in front of her, Gaeun spoke up.
“I’ve gotten a lot closer to Dahye over the past few days, and she really looks out for people. She catches things everyone else misses, too. She’s diligent and thorough. I’m sure she’ll make sure no one ever feels left out.”
“Right. I nominate Dahye too.”
“Me too!”
Su-a and Sein raised their hands as well.
“Me too.”
Even Doyeon.
What was more, Doyeon added an unusually long explanation.
“Keeping track of supplies and performance assessments for the whole class is a real chore that’s easier said than done, but Dahye took the initiative and did all of that for nearly a month without getting anything in return. I think that already proves she’ll do a great job as class president.”
“True. Honestly, that must’ve been a huge pain in the ass.”
“Yeah. Dahye really is meticulous.”
“Right. Teacher is very grateful for that too.”
Even the homeroom teacher chimed in.
I hadn’t done anything special, so this sudden shower of praise left me completely flustered.
‘All I did was send a quick one-liner to the group chat while checking my own stuff.’
I really hadn’t done anything impressive…
Was this a hidden camera prank?
No way.
I wasn’t important enough to be the target of a hidden camera show.
Then were they just messing with me?
How embarrassing.
Pretending to brush my hair back, I hid my face behind my strands. Just in time, Seo Jae-gyeom cut off the attention pouring over me.
“Teacher.”
Raising his hand, Seo Jae-gyeom asked.
“Can I run as a candidate again?”
“Huh? Ah, Jae-gyeom, you want to be class president too?”
“No. Vice president. If Kang Da-hye is president, I want to be vice president.”
“……”
I admired his sheer confidence that he’d be elected unconditionally if he ran, but still.
“What if I don’t get picked…?”
“Then I’m not doing it.”
“Jae-gyeom-ah, you can’t get a refund on the vice presidency…”
The homeroom teacher pressed a hand to his forehead.
“All right, anyway. Then we have Suhwan and Dahye. Anyone else you’d like to nominate? You can nominate yourself, too.”
After waiting a moment, the teacher clapped his hands together.
“Okay, now that the candidates are set, shall we hear your campaign speeches? Suhwan, come on up first and tell us your resolution! Your pledge! Why we should vote for you!”
“Ohh…”
I haven’t thought of anything to say.
I assumed I wouldn’t even be nominated, so I didn’t prepare a single word…!
While I panicked, Park Suhwan walked up to the front first. The boys, including Do Hajun, cheered loudly.
“Looking good, handsome!”
A few kids even drummed on their desks.
Standing behind the podium, Park Suhwan tossed his bangs back and spoke.
“Ah, come on, you didn’t have to.”
It was nothing special, but the boys laughed along anyway. Watching that made me even more nervous. Park Suhwan continued.
“To be honest, I didn’t even expect my name to be called… and as you all know, with my personality, I’m not great at fussing over the little details. It’s not like I’m dying to do it either. But if you give it to me, I’ll do my best.”
And to finish, a nonchalant brush of his side hair.
Giving a slight, crooked nod, Park Suhwan sauntered back to his seat.
From the seat in front of me, Su-a grumbled under her breath.
“Whatever. I saw him telling Do Hajun to nominate him earlier.”
“Ugh. Then why act like that?”
“Right? Would it hurt his pride that much to just admit he wants it?”
“Hmm.”
Seeing that spectacle made me realize exactly what I needed to say.
“All right, Dahye, your turn.”
“Yes.”
With a rattle of my chair, I stood up and walked over to the podium.
Seo Jae-gyeom, who had been resting his chin on his hand while staring out the window, lowered his arm to look at me. Catching my eye, Doyeon silently mouthed, ‘Do well.’ Sein and Su-a showed me their clenched fists. Gaeun made a mock choking gesture behind Do Hajun’s seat. Jung Eun-sung’s seat remained empty.
Keeping my mouth shut, I made eye contact with each student, one by one, sweeping from the right side of the classroom all the way to the left. Until even the kids daydreaming stopped and focused, thinking, ‘What? Why isn’t she talking?’
Once the room fell completely silent, with all eyes locked onto me, I broke into a grin.
“Guys. I can really do a great job. I’ll work so hard you won’t regret voting for me. Here’s specifically what I’m going to do for you…”
Honestly, I wanted to act cool like Park Suhwan, too.
Begging for votes like this would be humiliating if I ended up losing.
But.
‘I want to be class president! What can I do when I want it so badly!’
Isn’t society the one at fault for mocking people who try their best?!
“Naturally, I’ll keep announcing the class supplies, performance assessments, and homework like I’ve been doing. On top of that, I’ll share my notes for all major subjects every week. During exam periods, I’ll organize all the practice problems and hints the teachers give out and upload them to our Kotalk class chat. And…”
Um…
“Even if you ask me the exact same question a hundred times, I won’t get annoyed and will teach you until you get it, okay?”
“Whoa. Incredible.”
“Can I ask at two in the morning?”
“That’s a bit…”
No, wait.
“Sure. Ask away. But I won’t reply until after eight in the morning.”
Do I look too desperate right now? Am I being too clingy? I had asked with total sincerity, but the kids burst out laughing.
“Aren’t you worried someone else might take first place in the whole school if you show us all your notes?”
Giggling, Sein raised her hand and asked. I gave an arrogant wink.
“I know very well that even if I share everything, you’re all just going to download the files, let them pile up, and never actually read them.”
“Booo. That hits too close to home.”
“Aren’t you reading us a little too accurately?”
“As expected of rank one.”
Even Seo Jae-gyeom, who had both arms rested on his desk watching me, let out a chuckle.
“Please vote for me…”
I finished on a plea.
Looking at me with a proud face, the homeroom teacher patted my back.
“All right, Dahye, go ahead and sit down. Let’s begin the voting. I’ll hand out the ballots now.”
“Can’t we just vote by a show of hands? I’m pretty sure all the guys will vote for Park Suhwan and all the girls will vote for Kang Da-hye anyway.”
Do Hajun cut in again. Several boys chimed in with him.
“True. I’m voting for Park Suhwan no matter what.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
“A real man votes for Suhwan.”
“There are more guys in our class anyway. Park Suhwan already won.”
“Lee Seojun is a guy and he nominated Dahye, you know?”
“Ah, he’s a traitor.”
A boy easily dismissed the annoyed remark from a girl in the first row.
It had only been twenty minutes since fifth period started, but the homeroom teacher, looking like he’d aged twenty years in that span, stepped in to mediate.
“Hajun-ah, you never know the results of an election until the votes are counted. We cannot do a show of hands. That violates the principles of an election.”
“Sir, it’s not like we’re electing the president of the country.”
“Holding class elections and casting ballots like this is how you practice exercising your right to vote properly once you enter society. Of course we have to follow the principles.”
“Tch.”
“Everyone, what are the four basic principles of democratic elections?”
Never missing an educational opportunity, the teacher attempted a quick review, but…
“……”
“……”
“Class… you don’t know…?”
“Kang Da-hye says she’ll answer!”
“Ah, I’m not answering until I’m elected!”
Just then.
Rattle.
The back door slid open, and Jung Eun-sung walked in.
Glancing back and forth between the large words—Class President Election—written on the blackboard and me awkwardly sliding back into my seat, Jung Eun-sung raised his hand.
“I vote for Kang Da-hye.”
“Eun-sung-ah, it’s supposed to be a secret ballot…”
“Ah.”
Looking sheepish, Jung Eun-sung headed to his seat.
“Everyone, you know the four principles of elections, right? You remember, don’t you? We literally learned this last week, right?”
By now, the homeroom teacher was practically on the verge of tears.
“This is exactly why the top student in the school—me—should be class president!”
I jumped at every possible opening to promote myself.
“Universal, equal, direct, secret ballot! One vote per person, cast directly by you, and who you vote for is kept secret! Got it?!”
To the sound of our teacher’s desperate cries to cram even a single extra concept into our heads, we went up one by one to cast our votes.
“Suhwan, I voted for you!”
Ugh. I’m nervous.
Why am I so nervous over something like this?
Let’s fast-forward straight to the results.
==============
[Vote Count]
Kang Da-hye: 正
Park Suhwan: 正正正正正
==============
“……”
Ah, sorry.
My hands were shaking so much I must have misread it.
Let me rub my eyes and look again.
Right. But you know what? They say one of the best ways to piss someone off is to stop talking right in the middle of a sentence.
So the real result was…