Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 126: The Nuclear Bomb Dropped on Seoul (1)

**A building in Gangnam.**

Inside a lavishly decorated office, a woman dressed in a suit was speaking loudly to a group of housewives.

“There’s not much time left. Just one more year, just endure for one more year. You’ve worked so hard to achieve the current grades, wouldn’t it be a waste of all the money and time you’ve invested if it all goes to ruin just because you couldn’t hang in there for a year?”

She was a specialist in Gangnam.

An admissions coordinator.

Earning an annual salary in the billions of won, she specialized in helping the children of Gangnam’s wealthy families get into their desired universities. She had successfully placed dozens of students in Korea University. Attracted by her reputation, the housewives of Gangnam eagerly handed over wads of cash, and now, they were in the final stages of a project that had been carefully cultivated over the last two years.

Click-clack, click-clack, she walked.

Her upright posture, stiff neck, and unwavering gaze instilled trust in the housewives who watched her.

“I’ll now explain the plan for the mothers of Daesung Future High School who are here today. We plan to establish a special class for the third-year high school students, specifically for the final stage. We’ve already invited a renowned instructor from Gangnam as a specialist teacher, and I’ll provide you with the schedules for volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and the external competitions that each student must participate in to earn extra points. Since this is the schedule for the last year, it’s crucial to follow it strictly. No matter how good the plan I present, it’s useless if it’s not followed properly.”

There was no response.

They all simply nodded, haughtily.

The women in the room were indeed the parents of Daesung Future High School students in Gangnam, and they had already built considerable trust in the coordinator after two years of fruitful results. Outstanding grades and academic records. The admissions coordinator had paved the way for both the regular and early admissions, creating a roadmap that would yield the best possible results.

In reality, a stellar performance on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) could secure a spot at Korea University without such cumbersome processes, but the coordinator’s principle was to achieve the best results using the safest methods possible. If they could cross the “early admission” threshold with the impressive resumes they had painstakingly built over time, these parents’ children would face the CSAT day with peace of mind.

One thing was clear.

Admission to a prestigious university.

It was the shared goal of everyone present.

“Remember, the next year will determine your children’s futures. With that, I’ll conclude this session…”

Knock, knock.

“… Excuse me for a moment.”

A secretary carefully opened the door and stepped in.

The admissions coordinator’s eyes flashed with irritation.

She had strictly warned not to interrupt during her explanations, so what could be the reason for this?

Then, the secretary approached and whispered something in her ear.

At first, the coordinator’s expression showed she was about to scold her, but as she listened to the whisper, her face grew increasingly tense.

After finishing, the secretary immediately left.

All eyes were on the coordinator.

Their gazes seemed to ask what had happened, and the coordinator, now looking quite troubled, spoke.

“… This is a rather difficult situation.”

* * *

Daesung Future High School.

Although it was still vacation time and the school was relatively quiet, the sound of high heels echoed through the entire hallway.

Click-clack, click-clack.

A group of women.

Dressed in luxury brands from head to toe, it was evident to anyone that they were the quintessential Gangnam mothers, quickly making their way down the corridor. Their hurried steps were filled with agitation. Having just heard something shocking from the admissions coordinator, they had immediately left their seats, called their drivers, and headed straight for the school.

Screech.

Bang!

They forcefully opened the principal’s office door.

Upon seeing a familiar face, a woman who seemed to be their representative shouted.

“What on earth is going on here?!”

“Mothers, please calm down…”

“Calm down? Principal, our children are 19 years old. They’re in their third year of high school, right before the college entrance exams! This is a crucial time when even falling leaves should be avoided, and yet, you’re telling us that a student who ranked first in the national mock exams is suddenly transferring to this school? Do you think that’s reasonable? Transferring isn’t a simple matter, and how do you expect us to accept such an unreasonable decision at this prestigious school, where every rank counts?”

“Exactly.”

“Explain yourself, Principal!”

Just a while ago.

The information the admissions coordinator received was shocking.

There was a student who had consistently ranked first in the national mock exams for the past two years, and the news was that this student was suddenly transferring to Daesung Future High School. It was truly an unprecedented event. A transfer in the third year of high school wasn’t an easy issue procedurally, and schools in Gangnam would never allow such a thing. If it were for a student with lower grades, that might be a different story, but a transfer of the nation’s top student meant everyone else’s rank would be pushed down by one.

The situation was explosive.

The mothers had no choice but to rush to the school.

Principal Ahn Ik-soo of Daesung Future High School spoke hastily.

“Well, the situation turned out this way. Since it has already been decided, there’s nothing I can do…”

“Are you saying you’re just going to accept this?”

The parent representative, Jo Hye-joo, who was the wife of a hospital director, frowned deeply.

“Think carefully about what you’re going to say next. You know very well what we’ve done as ‘parent representatives’ even before our children entered this school. Not only have we solved numerous problems for Daesung Future High School, but I also distinctly remember addressing your personal issues, Principal. If you think you can just brush this off with an excuse, don’t expect us to sit idly by.”

“…Yes, you’re absolutely right.”

Ahn Ik-soo appeared troubled.

He understood the parents’ reactions.

How could they accept a transfer of a student who might become a stumbling block for their children, especially after investing so much in this school? And given the circumstances, Ahn Ik-soo should naturally show an appropriate attitude, but there was a reason he couldn’t act that way.

This situation.

It had occurred a month ago.

* * *

A dozen documents were placed on the table.

A chilling sensation ran down his spine.

As Ahn Ik-soo looked with trembling eyes at the man sitting across from him, a man with a cold, mask-like expression spoke.

“As you can see, these documents pertain to the misconduct you’ve committed while running Daesung Future High School. Don’t think about denying it. We have plenty of evidence to prove your wrongdoings, beyond what I’ve just shown. This isn’t just a matter that will end with your retirement; you could face criminal charges.”

The man’s identity.

He was a messenger for Go Chang-beom.

At Kim Hyun-seong’s request, he had come to this meeting.

“And please take a look at this as well.”

He pulled out another document.

This time, it was photographs.

“It seems you frequent a certain bar in Gangnam. The fact that the money came from the parents’ pockets is obvious, but the issue isn’t just about drinking. How can an educator frequently go to the second rounds? And with a family, no less. But the most interesting part is this picture.” [1]

Tap, tap.

He tapped his finger on one of the photos.

Ahn Ik-soo instinctively knew what it meant.

“This girl. She’s a minor. The bar might have concealed this, and you might not have known, but the fact remains that she’s underage. If all this were to be exposed, what do you think would happen? A school principal involved in corruption, frequenting bars, and taking minors to second rounds? Wouldn’t that make for an interesting scandal?”

“What… What do you want from me?!”

He shouted in a desperate voice.

His leash had already been pulled tight.

From the moment the evidence was presented, Ahn Ik-soo had no choice but to be submissive to the man in front of him.

The man smirked.

This was why dealing with such scum was gratifying.

Instead of repenting or apologizing when a problem was exposed, they immediately tried to bury the truth through “negotiation.”

That was their way of life.

The man said.

“You just need to do one thing. A student is going to transfer to your school. We’ll take care of all the administrative issues from the current school. All you need to do is accept the transfer. Of course, I’m aware of the problems this might cause. A top-performing third-year student transferring would cause quite a commotion among the parents, but what can we do? Your life is probably more valuable, isn’t it?”

“…But, but even as a principal, it’s not an easy matter to handle. The pressure from the parents at a Gangnam school is more than you can imagine.”

“Yes, yes, I’m sure.”

Having been a messenger, the man had done many things.

But this was, without a doubt, an unprecedentedly interesting situation.

“You don’t need to worry about that. As long as you stand firm, we’ll support you.”

* * *

Ahn Ik-soo glanced at his watch.

It hadn’t even been five minutes.

After receiving the call from the parents, he had immediately contacted “him,” but he was nervous, unsure when they would arrive.

For now.

He needed to buy time.

Sweating profusely, Ahn Ik-soo spoke.

“I, of course, tried to block this transfer. But how can I stop something that has no administrative issues? Regardless of the student’s top ranking, since they’ve moved their address nearby and followed the proper procedures, we have no choice but to accept the transfer. If we refuse, we could get into trouble ourselves.”

“That’s your problem, Principal. But what about the damages we’ll suffer? How are you going to compensate us for that?”

“Mothers, please, let’s think logically here. This isn’t something that can be resolved just by being stubborn, is it?”

“What? Stubborn?”

“Principal, you’re really something!”

It was utter chaos.

One side was in a position to accept the transfer.

The other side was determined to block it.

There was no way they could communicate.

Jo Hye-joo screamed at the top of her lungs.

“I always thought the Principal was a reasonable person, but I guess I was very mistaken. Reasonable means handling things reasonably, not just doing things your way. If you’ve taken the money and received enough compensation, then you should act accordingly. This matter… I’m going to make it public. I’m going to show everyone what a big mistake the Principal has made.”

“Mothers! Please, calm down…”

“Hey, you bastard! Do I look like I’m in a state to calm down? Because of you, our children’s futures might be in jeopardy!”

Bam!

She threw her handbag on the floor.

A handbag worth tens of millions of won was tossed carelessly, and to Ahn Ik-soo, it felt like a cold warning.

This was why.

This was why the messenger’s proposal was so troubling.

Ahn Ik-soo was not the only one holding his leash.

The mothers in front of him.

They were just as influential.

As he was at a loss, not knowing what to do, suddenly another group entered the principal’s office.

“Ah, you’ve arrived!”

Ahn Ik-soo’s face brightened.

A seemingly impossible plan.

A plan that was bound to face numerous difficulties.

The reason why Ahn Ik-soo finally accepted the proposal, despite showing a reluctant response, was because of the identity of the supporters the messenger had mentioned.

Click-clack.

A woman walked in, followed by several others.

As the noise of high heels caught Jo Hye-joo and the other mothers’ attention, they turned their heads, and the woman leading the group naturally met their gazes.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“…Min-woo’s mother?”

Everyone recognized her.

And for good reason.

The Sky Moms Cafe, which had recently grown rapidly to become the largest mom cafe in Gangnam.

Its operator, Lee Mi-so.

She had appeared, bringing along her members.

***

Footnotes:
[1] “Second rounds” (이차, i-cha) in Korean culture refers to the practice of moving a social gathering to a second location after the initial venue, often continuing late into the night. It is common in Korean business and social culture to have multiple “rounds” of gatherings, each at different places.