GBH 68

Song Yi-heon, summoned to the counseling room, was shaking his legs nervously. Though he was sitting in the counseling room unable to disobey the teacher’s instructions, his mind was entirely focused on what was happening beyond the door. If he were in the classroom, he could at least hear rumors from other students, but the soundproof walls of the counseling room blocked out all noise.

“This is driving me crazy.”

He had rushed out of the auditorium when he heard about the fight during the physical examination. He was about to intervene when he saw the boys fighting like madmen in the rain, but Kim Yeon-ji had stopped him. It was only after the PE teacher came out and dragged the two to the staff room that he was able to reassure the teary-eyed Kim Yeon-ji.

Song Yi-heon took out the phone he had just put in his pocket. Kim Deuk-pal usually gave up reading group messages, complaining it was too hectic to keep up with the high volume and fast pace of conversations. But this time, he was intently focused on the chat window updating in real-time.

It was a message group with the class students. Hong Jae-min wasn’t invited, so rumors about him were explicit. To summarize:

Previously, Hong Jae-min had fought alone with some students from another high school in Myeong-dong, and he had messed with someone troublesome. That person’s older brother was running a business and had agreed to hire one of Hong Jae-min’s gang, but when his younger brother came home beaten up, he canceled the employment. In the end, one of Hong Jae-min’s gang members betrayed him to the older brother for a job after graduation.

Hong Jae-min was beaten up, and mistakenly believing it was Choi Se-kyung’s doing, he came for revenge.

What surprised Kim Deuk-pal about living among teenagers was that even seemingly simple kids had intertwined interests and calculated gains and losses just like adults.

[Yi-heon, are you seeing the messages?]

[Where are you, Yi-heon?]

[Song Yi-heon, are you okay?]

[Song Yi-heon, we’re coming to find you, just hang in there and don’t fight with Hong Jae-min’s gang]

[Yi-heon went to the counseling room because the homeroom teacher called;; Hong Jae-min’s gang is all in the staff room;;; You’re overreacting, really;;]

[Song-song, are you okay? Wave a carrot if you’re safe ㅠㅠ]

Song Yi-heon was puzzled by the sudden messages looking for him and relaxed his eyes. Just as he was about to wave a carrot as Kim Yeon-ji instructed by searching for the carrot emoticon, Jung Eun-chae entered the counseling room. As Song Yi-heon hastily tried to put away his phone and stand up, Jung Eun-chae gestured for him to stay seated with a face full of fatigue, and sat down across from him.

The woman who had been cheerful during the morning assembly, unaffected by the gloomy weather, now looked noticeably older in just a few hours.

“Yi-heon, did you wait long?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Song Yi-heon had planned to fire questions like a machine gun about what was happening outside when Jung Eun-chae arrived, but seeing her evident fatigue, he couldn’t bring herself to rush her. He tried to remain composed but couldn’t help asking:

“Where are Choi Se-kyung and Hong Jae-min?”

“Se-kyung is in the infirmary, and Jae-min went to the hospital.”

“The hospital?”

Whether it was due to the primacy effect or not, Song Yi-heon had a strong image of Choi Se-kyung from the time when he didn’t know how to fight and couldn’t even properly make a fist. So, Yi-heon was certain that Se-kyung had lost. Since Hong Jae-min was always getting into fights, Yi-heon had been anxiously fidgeting, worried that Se-kyung might have been beaten badly and taken to the hospital. When he heard that Hong Jae-min had gone to the hospital instead, his big eyes widened in surprise.

“I heard he fought with some people outside school last night. He was badly hurt, so he went to the hospital with the librarian. Se-kyung only had minor scratches, so he went to the infirmary.”

“The librarian?”

“Yes, the grade head teacher was going to go, but something came up, so the librarian went instead.”

Although he didn’t understand why the librarian, who usually didn’t get involved in student affairs, had stepped in, it seemed the situation was resolved somehow. Song Yi-heon noticed Jung Eun-chae’s hands on the table. Jung Eun-chae repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, leaving her palms red with blood rush.

“Yi-heon.”

“Yes.”

As Jung Eun-chae called his name with a grave expression, as if she had made a big decision after hesitating, Song Yi-heon straightened his posture. He focused his attention on Jung Eun-chae, which had been scattered thinking about the situation outside.

“Jae-min…”

“What about Hong Jae-min?”

Song Yi-heon immediately asked, worried that Hong Jae-min might have bullied another innocent person. Grateful for the brave response, Jung Eun-chae smiled weakly with her eyes.

“Jae-min confessed everything.”

“Confessed what?”

“The bullying over the past two years.”

Although there was no subject specifying who was bullied, it was clear enough. Seeing that Song Yi-heon didn’t seem too shocked, Jung Eun-chae provided more details.

“I think that’s why he fought with Se-kyung too. After the fight, he cried and talked about it in the staff room. He confessed and admitted to everything he had done.”

Kim Deuk-pal didn’t expect Hong Jae-min to sincerely regret his actions. Having no expectations, he didn’t hope for anything and didn’t try to make Hong Jae-min repent or receive a sincere apology. Kim Deuk-pal had tried to stop him from living like himself, but he didn’t like how Hong Jae-min misinterpreted his kindness and tried to gloss over his past mistakes.

He wondered what change of heart had led Hong Jae-min to admit his wrongdoings, after acting like a victim when he was rejected for forcing his emotions without properly apologizing. As Song Yi-heon pondered this, Jung Eun-chae continued her explanation.

“Jae-min submitted his phone, and we called in his accomplices and confiscated their phones too.”

Their phones were also full of photos and videos taken for fun after violently abusing Song Yi-heon.

The boys who showed no remorse for bullying Song Yi-heon had kept the photos and videos like trophies. They were called to the staff room without knowing that Hong Jae-min had confessed to school violence, so they had no chance to delete anything when their phones were confiscated.

The teachers secured evidence from the phones by figuring out lock patterns under fluorescent lights or threatening to reduce punishment if they unlocked their phones. The teachers’ expressions hardened as they looked through the photo galleries.

Unknown to Song Yi-heon, classes weren’t being held outside the counseling room. An emergency faculty meeting had been called, and the third-year students were having a self-study period. That’s why his classmates were able to send messages actively despite it being class time, worrying about Song Yi-heon.

“Yi-heon, I’m sorry.”

Jung Eun-chae reached across the table and grasped Song Yi-heon’s hands. Her hands were cold after seeing the photos and videos stored on Hong Jae-min’s phone, and her palms were hot from digging her nails into them out of guilt.

“I’m sorry for making you endure this alone, and for not noticing.”

This time, she won’t leave Song Yi-heon, who has such a pitiful situation, alone.

“It’s late, but from now on, I want to protect you.”

Jung Eun-chae squeezed the hands she was holding. In contrast, Song Yi-heon lowered his gaze heavily.

Kim Deuk-pal can handle this sufficiently on his own, even without outside help. With a confession and evidence, hiring a lawyer and going through a criminal trial would be a clean and certain revenge. The school, which had already neglected Song Yi-heon once, wasn’t very trustworthy, and the passion of the new teacher conveyed through their clasped hands was enough to just appreciate the sentiment.

However, contrary to reason, his subdued voice chose a long and complicated method of revenge.

“…Yes, please help me.”

This time, he had to decide solely for Song Yi-heon’s sake. Firming his resolve, he looked straight into Jung Eun-chae’s eyes and declared:

“Please make sure those bullies are punished.”

He couldn’t reject the protection that Song Yi-heon’s wandering soul should have received.

* * *

Jung Eun-chae kept her promise to protect. Song Yi-heon did nothing except express his wish to maintain her school life as usual, and Jung Eun-chae actively stepped up to protect him. Lee Mi-kyung must have been contacted too, as phone calls poured in. But this time, Song Yi-heon didn’t answer them.

After confirming the bullying Song Yi-heon endured through photos and messages from the phones confiscated from Hong Jae-min’s gang, Jung Eun-chae recommended filing a lawsuit, separate from the school violence resolution by the education office. Punishment through the school violence committee would only result in suspension, transfer, or expulsion. But if the case went to the prosecutor’s office, there would be a trial, and the perpetrators would face legal punishment.

The issue was that legal punishment required Song Yi-heon’s guardian. Leaving aside Lee Mi-kyung, who couldn’t bear to see anything good for Song Yi-heon, Jung Eun-chae searched for a guardian other than the half-insane Song Min-seo.

And in that persistent process, she managed to contact Song Yi-heon’s biological father, the chairman.

Called out during class, Song Yi-heon wasn’t surprised when told to come to the principal’s office. He felt nothing but sarcasm, thinking, “So, it’s finally the day to meet the esteemed chairman in person.” Given the purpose of the visit, he was indifferent even though he was going to the principal’s office he had only heard about.

“Oh my, student Song Yi-heon is here.”

The principal and the head teacher, who had been sweating profusely, brightened up as if they’d met a savior when Song Yi-heon arrived. They had been sweating, not knowing that Song Yi-heon’s biological father was the chairman of a large construction company.

The chairman naturally occupied the seat of honor. He reclined comfortably in a single armchair placed outside the two sofas facing the table, as if it was his own. Behind the chairman’s sofa, Lee Mi-kyung was glaring at Song Yi-heon as if she wanted to kill him. A secretary in a black suit quietly suggested to the chairman and the head teacher:

“Would you mind giving us some privacy?”

“But you’re here about your child, and given the gravity of the matter, we should all talk together-“

The chairman cut off the words as he set down his teacup. In contrast to his faded white hair, his tiger-like sharp eyes, unmarred by time, intimidated those who met his gaze.

“I’d like to have a private conversation since it’s been a long time, so please.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Have a comfortable conversation.”

Realizing it was a demand rather than a request when the chairman personally intervened, the principal and headteacher left.

Song Yi-heon lightly greeted the principal and head teacher as they left the office and sat down on the sofa they had occupied. The chairman’s frown deepened as he sat down without permission. However, Song Yi-heon alternated his gaze between the empty table in front of him and the chairman’s teacup, signaling to the secretary.

“…?”

It was a clear gesture. The secretary, unable to believe that Song Yi-heon was ordering him to serve tea, pointed at himself with his index finger, but his confident and sharp gaze criticized him for dawdling instead of bringing the tea quickly. Though it felt wrong, the secretary brought tea in the unfamiliar principal’s office.

The chairman reproachfully scolded Song Yi-heon as he moistened his lips with the green tea the secretary had brought.

“What have you done right to hold your head up high?”

“I should hold it up high when I’ve done nothing wrong. Did you expect me to tremble in fear?”

The chairman’s eyes narrowed at this behavior, so different from the Song Yi-heon he knew.

“Why would I need anything from you?”

Kim Deuk-pal sneered and crossed his legs. The leather of the sofa against his back felt quite nice. Meeting him in person, the chairman wasn’t such a great figure that he couldn’t enjoy a spacious leather sofa.

“Where did you learn such insolent manners?”

Song Yi-heon’s lips, touching the teacup, curved into a long smile. The chairman’s interest was piqued by his provocative eyes.

“I apologize. I haven’t had any parents to learn from.”