Chapter 172: A Club Like No Other (4)

Chapter 172: A Club Like No Other (4)

TL: FoodieMonster007

"What did you just say?" Seonwoo Jin repeated, his mouth twitching.

Haha, he can't control his expression at all. Watching Seonwoo Jin's half smiling, half frowning face, Hyonwon Kang felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him.

"Shall I repeat myself? I asked how I can run for Club Union President," he said, grinning smugly.

"......" Seonwoo Jin clamped his mouth shut, eyes fixed on Hyonwon Kang as if trying to decipher his real intentions.

Before he could respond though, someone else burst out in anger.

"Stop spouting nonsense! You, running for Club Union President? You clueless imbecile!" Oh Jinyang shouted, his face turning crimson as he rudely pointed at Hyonwon Kang.

The other students kept quiet, but their displeased expressions mirrored Oh Jinyang's.

You ought to read this at northbladetldotcom.

"What's the big deal? Can't I even ask a simple question?" Hyonwon Kang casually dug into his ear and flicked some yellow earwax at Oh Jinyang's shirt.

"EWWW! You filthy thug!" Oh Jinyang shrieked.

Hyonwon Kang retorted, "You wanna fight again? Although I have to warn you, since I've already apologized and started my new club, I have no reason to just stand here and take your crap anymore."

"Keuk...!" For a moment, Oh Jinyang clenched his fists, but he soon swallowed his rage, unable to bring himself to strike an unrestrained Hyonwon Kang.

Smirking, Hyonwon Kang turned back to Seonwoo Jin. "Hey, Seonwoo Jin."

If you′re seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

"......"

"I'm pretty sensitive to qi, you know? I noticed you watching from the sidelines while I was getting beat up."

Looking flustered, Seonwoo Jin began, "There seems to be a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding, my ass," Hyonwon Kang cut him off with a sly grin. "I know you stepped in late on purpose so you could play the hero. You've always loved doing that, haven't you?"

"......" Seonwoo Jin bit his lip. He, Hyonwon Kang, and Peng Sahyuk had known each other for a long time. After all, as families renowned for their blade techniques, the Hebei Peng Clan, the Hyonwon Clan, and the Seonwoo Clan frequently held gatherings.

This was also why Hyonwon Kang understood Seonwoo Jin's true nature better than most. Beneath the surface, Seonwoo Jin was anything but the nice guy everyone believed him to be.

Why aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

Hyonwon Kang snorted, "Now that Peng Sahyuk's gone, you're aiming to take over the Club Union, aren't you? You opportunist bastard."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Seonwoo Jin replied, forcing a smile.

Unfortunately, once Hyonwon Kang started talking, there was no stopping him. He hadn't really meant to run for Club Union President; he only said it to annoy Seonwoo Jin. However, now that it was out in the open, he wasn't about to back down.

"Harsh, my ass. You're just that annoying. I'd rather be the Club Union President myself than see someone like you take the position. So, how do I apply? Do I just fill out a form here?"

Hyonwon Kang glanced around at the Club Union members nearby.

"As for you lot. When Peng Sahyuk was throwing his weight around, you were the foxes borrowing the tiger's might, basking in his authority. Now that he's gone, aren't you quick to cozy up to Seonwoo Jin? Don't you have any pride?" he scoffed.

"Peng Sahyuk was a tyrant."

"We were forced to do what we did!"

Hyonwon Kang chuckled derisively, "Oh, really? So you agree that Peng Sahyuk was a tyrant, but still chose to suck up to him, licking his boots and feeding off his scraps instead of standing up to him, right?"

"Shut up!"

Y aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

Insults flew at Hyonwon Kang from all sides, but he didn't care. Shrugging nonchalantly, he remarked, "When I become Club Union President, the first thing I'll do is get rid of all you sycophants. Just giving you a heads-up."

After venting his frustrations, Hyonwon Kang felt completely refreshed.

Suddenly, amid the angry shouts, a clear voice, sharp as a blade, cut through the noise.

"Fine, go ahead and try," Seonwoo Jin said. "I was getting bored without any real competition, and people might start whispering about unfairness if there was a walkover. If I win the election fair and square, though, no one can say a thing, so this actually works out pretty well for me."

"What?"

Seonwoo Jin's gentle smile vanished, replaced by an icy glare. "Someone bring me the election application form," he snapped.

It was a command, not a request. A Club Union member hurriedly complied and handed the application form to Hyonwon Kang.

"Senior Wonkang for Club Union President? Does that make us his campaign team?"

"I wish I'd secretly followed him. That must have been one amazing spectacle..."

Covering his flushed face with one hand, Hyonwon Kang moaned, "Fuck. This is why I didn't want to tell anyone..."

Before he could finish his line though, a large hand landed on his head.

Geo Sangwoong laughed as he ruffled his junior's hair. "Election or not, I should congratulate you for a job well done! I can't believe you actually held back the whole time they were beating you up."

"Stop! What are you doing? That's gross," Hyonwon Kang complained, pushing away Geo Sangwoong's hand.

Y aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

However, it wasn't just Geo Sangwoong. When he looked up, he realized that everyone was looking at him with proud smiles.

His ears turned beetroot red. "You guys are embarrassing... go train or something!" he grumbled.

"What about you, Senior?"

"I should too. I'm not going to be able to change anything if I keep drowning in my regrets," Hyonwon Kang declared resolutely, getting up and shaking himself off.

Seeing that, the others nodded and stood up as well. Having faced life and death together in the Valley of Evil, they had grown extremely close.

Why aren′t you reading this at northbladetldotcom?

Back to his usual self, Hyonwon Kang smirked. "Right, I'm feeling stiff. Anyone want to spar with me?"

"...By the way, how are you going to tell this to Mr. Baek?" Wiji Cheon suddenly asked casually.

"Don't any of you dare tell him," Hyonwon Kang warned sternly, shuddering at the very thought of Baek Suryong discovering what he'd done. "I'll handle it myself. If he finds out, he'll definitely make a big deal out of it..."

"Um, I'm sorry, but I think it's too late for that..." Wiji Cheon interrupted apologetically, glancing furtively behind Hyonwon Kang.

Hyonwon Kang blinked in confusion. "What?"

"What's this about an election?" a voice right behind Hyonwon Kang asked.

"HIEEEEEEEK!" Hyonwon Kang shrieked, startled.

Slowly, he turned around, dreading what he might see. Sure enough, Baek Suryong stood there. Somehow, the tall teacher had snuck up behind him like a ghost, without alerting anyone to his presence.

Gasping, he spat, "You! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"That's because you're being strangely absentminded. Normally, you'd have noticed me a long time ago," Baek Suryong rebuked, folding his arms and grinning peculiarly. "Anyway, I overheard most of your conversation. So, Wonkang, you decided to run for Club Union President?"

"I, uh... haaa..." Hyonwon Kang sighed, defeated. "Yes, I did. Now all that's left is for me to make a complete fool of myself."

If you′re seeing this, you are at the wrong place.

"Why would you be humiliated? That won't happen if you win the election," Baek Suryong argued.

Hyonwon Kang's jaw dropped. "What? Me? Win the election...? Mr. Baek, I'm Hyonwon Kang."

He emphasized his name, as if saying it alone was enough to explain everything.

THWACK!

"That's not something worth bragging about, you stupid brat," Baek Suryong retorted, smacking Hyonwon Kang on the head with the Black Dragon Pointer and sending him sprawling for the umpteenth time.

Then, squatting down in front of the groaning Hyonwon Kang, he continued, "Listen carefully, Hyonwon Kang. As you said to Seonwoo Jin, this is a war. A war in which we are at an overwhelming disadvantage."

"I know that..." Hyonwon Kang mumbled, slumping his shoulders.

Seeing that, Baek Suryong chuckled, "Still, there's no need for you to feel discouraged. Think of this as a war where we have nothing to lose. If we win, great; if we lose, we're right back where we started."

"That's true, but..."

"Not that I intend to lose in the first place," Baek Suryong declared, eyes gleaming.

I didn't expect this, but what a windfall, he thought.

The Club Union, along with the Student Council, was not only one of the two major student organizations at the Azure Dragon Academy, it was by far the larger one in terms of headcount. This meant that by taking control of the Club Union, he and his students would be able to exert considerable influence over the general student body.

"When I first thought about starting a club, I did consider the Club Union election. However, I realized there was no way you delinquents would ever qualify, so I dropped the idea... but now you're telling me they actually approved your candidacy?"

A wild grin spread across Baek Suryong's face, the kind that sent a shiver down his students' spines.

"Let's take over the Club Union," he announced, his mind swirling as he began to line up the cards he could play.