Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 131: The Nuclear Bomb Dropped on Seoul (6)

Just as Kim Hyun-seong had expected.

Go Dong-soo and Jang Won-gi—they were acting under orders from the Golden Circle.

Specifically, Go Dong-soo was just a pawn, while Jang Won-gi had received instructions from a broker and understood the setup. Therefore, he saw no reason to hold back. With Go Dong-soo’s bruised face as evidence and his friends as witnesses, Jang Won-gi believed that, with no other eyewitnesses, even Kim Hyun-seong wouldn’t be able to contest the situation.

But then…

An audio recording?

He hadn’t anticipated this at all.

Jang Won-gi, sweating profusely, spoke.

“…An audio recording? What recording in a school setting? I need to check if this is a valid device.”

He reached out his hand.

He intended to break the pen. If the recording was real and they could just destroy this evidence, everything could be resolved.

Kim Hyun-seong calmly responded, “Go ahead, check it. Even if the pen is damaged, you don’t need to worry. The contents are automatically uploaded to the cloud.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Jang Won-gi forced an awkward smile.

Realizing his intentions had been exposed, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Jang Won-gi examined the pen from various angles but made no attempt to check its contents.

‘It’s certain. Kim Hyun-seong has a purpose for transferring here. Otherwise, why would a high school student carry around a recording device?’

He had heard from the broker.

He hadn’t been told the specifics, like the fact that the request had failed and the client had been harmed, but after years of connections with the Golden Circle, he knew the general story. That Kim Hyun-seong transferred knowing the identity of the Golden Circle. That he was a very dangerous person and needed to be handled with care.

It was obvious even with a brief glance.

He wasn’t fazed by the sudden situation at all; in fact, he had even brought a recording device as part of his preparations.

A chill ran down his spine.

Who was this kid, really?

What was his objective?

Surely, it wasn’t to bring down the Golden Circle, he couldn’t even imagine that. Jang Won-gi gently set the pen back down.

Thud.

“Since the police have already been called, they’ll reveal the truth and resolve this matter. If what you’re saying is true, then Dong-soo will have to explain himself.”

Subtly.

Jang Won-gi deflected the responsibility for what was about to happen.

* * *

The police station was nearby.

In less than ten minutes, the police arrived, and a senior officer played the recording to check its contents.

[“Seriously, he’s such an annoying jerk. Come on, it’s kind of messed up, right? Because of you, how many students are suffering right now? So at least stay quiet during class, or stop acting like such a jerk. Got it?”]

Go Dong-soo’s voice echoed in the room.

When his next words came, Go Dong-soo couldn’t lift his head, perhaps out of shame.

[“Whatever happens next, you brought it on yourself.”]

With that, the sound of slapping filled the air.

There was also a recorded exchange where Kim Hyun-seong asked what was happening and Go Dong-soo responded, making any further dispute unnecessary. With Go Dong-soo and his friends unable to lift their heads, the situation was clear just from looking at them.

The officer turned off the recording and spoke.

“The world’s gone mad. A nineteen-year-old faking his own assault, really? What were you thinking?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to tell me the truth or not?”

Go Dong-soo shut his eyes tightly.

He was completely cornered.

From the moment the recording had come out, there was nothing he could do.

However…

He absolutely couldn’t reveal the truth about the Golden Circle’s orders.

“I didn’t mean to from the start. It’s just… my recent test scores haven’t been good, and then to hear that a national first-place student was transferring in—it really pissed me off. You all know how sensitive we are about our grades. I just… I just wanted to let off some steam.”

“It’s still a crime, a crime!”

“I’m truly sorry. It won’t happen again.”

The officer’s gaze shifted sharply to Go Dong-soo’s friends.

“And you guys?”

“…We felt the same way as Dong-soo.”

“We’re sorry.”

The situation was practically resolved.

This time, the officer looked at Jang Won-gi and spoke.

“Hey—teacher, you shouldn’t have handled it this way either. According to Kim Hyun-seong, you only listened to this group’s story and unfairly accused him. As a teacher, you’re supposed to listen to every student’s side of the story, aren’t you? This isn’t a minor issue. The report has already been filed, and it’s my duty to resolve this situation.”

“…This is all my fault. Dong-soo’s face was in such bad shape that I lost my impartiality in the heat of the moment.”

It was a rational flow of events.

It was as if the officer was truly going to punish everyone involved.

The officer’s assertive stance seemed to prove that the world wasn’t completely corrupt just yet.

Then, unexpectedly…

“Let’s conclude this matter here.”

A new voice entered the room.

As heads turned, they saw a middle-aged woman with a gentle demeanor approaching.

* * *

The vice principal of Daesung Future High School.

With An Ik-soo’s position vacant due to an unfortunate incident, the highest authority in the school, Vice Principal Jin Kyung-hee, stepped in to calm the situation.

“None of the students or Mr. Jang Won-gi had any malicious intent. Gangnam is a place where all sorts of things happen because of grades, isn’t it? Especially in a time when everyone is on edge due to rankings, the arrival of a national first-place student must have overwhelmed the kids emotionally. And to be fair, as a teacher, Mr. Jang may have found the words of the students he’s already formed bonds with more credible than those of a student who just transferred.”

“Still, this isn’t something that can be brushed off. If there hadn’t been a recording, this student could have taken the full blame.”

“I understand. I’ll discuss this separately with Hyun-seong. It’s a very complicated issue, you see. Normally, Hyun-seong’s transfer to this school would have been impossible, but the former Principal An Ik-soo handled it unilaterally. We’re currently conducting an internal audit because of this. Ideally, those responsible would face severe punishment, but our school also has its own circumstances. These kids are still young and growing, aren’t they? Please don’t be too harsh.”

“Ah, this isn’t right…”

The officer looked troubled.

His earlier display of righteous anger seemed almost awkward now, calming down so easily.

Jin Kyung-hee immediately added.

“That’s not to say we’re going to just let this go completely. We will issue strict internal disciplinary action. Punishment that will ensure they reflect on and regret their actions.”

“Well, if you put it that way… But only if the victim is okay with it. We’ll conclude it appropriately.”

The officer turned his gaze to Kim Hyun-seong.

He spoke in a subtle tone.

“Hyun-seong, what do you think? They are your classmates, after all. Why not settle this as the vice principal suggests?”

Seeing this.

Kim Hyun-seong felt an all-too-familiar sensation.

* * *

The students.

The teachers.

Even the police.

It all felt like a well-rehearsed play, with everyone reciting their lines from a script, trying to bring about the conclusion they desired. In this life, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. In the past, he had always manipulated situations by turning the authorities to his advantage, but this felt strangely familiar, like déjà vu.

In a moment from his previous life.

Even though he was clearly the victim of school violence, the disciplinary committee had reached an utterly absurd conclusion.

“Look at these children’s faces. Their noses are broken, bruises everywhere. This is the result of Kim Hyun-seong’s actions—how can we not hold him accountable? This incident clearly stems from Kim Hyun-seong’s school violence.”

Oh Dae-hwan.

Kim Young-chul.

Those who now stood by Kim Hyun-seong in this life had once pushed him to the brink.

It was the same back then.

Kim Hyun-seong had strained his voice claiming his innocence, and his grandmother had pleaded with tears, saying her grandson could never do such a thing. But did anyone listen? Not a single person paid heed. The people who should have correctly judged the cause and sided with the true victim recited predetermined lines like NPCs, affirming Kim Hyun-seong’s guilt.

It was a harsh reality.

That’s why.

That’s why he carried the pen-shaped recorder.

To be prepared for any unexpected situation, he needed undeniable evidence to prove the truth—not just words.

‘Nothing deviates from my expectations.’

He felt it keenly once again.

This space was.

The stronghold of the Golden Circle.

He knew it would be dangerous from the moment he stepped outside the Daesan safe zone, but they blatantly showed their malice from day one. Watching Go Dong-soo slap himself. Observing Jang Won-gi take Go Dong-soo’s side without question. Kim Hyun-seong hadn’t immediately revealed his weapon, the recorder. He waited to see their full reaction

—to witness firsthand just how dirty they would play.

And now.

The stage was set.

From the moment he presented the recorder, they were in checkmate.

But even the police officer, called to resolve the issue, was now subtly trying to cover it up.

The situation was clear.

The police officer had been bought.

If most of the teachers at Daesung Future High School were corrupt, it meant the nearby police station, responsible for handling criminal cases, wasn’t any different. Since the formation of the Golden Circle, over the past several years, numerous requests had been completed at this school. That history formed a different kind of cartel from the Daesan Cartel—the Gangnam Cartel.

He looked ahead.

At Go Dong-soo and his friends.

At Jang Won-gi and Jin Kyung-hee.

And even the police officers.

It was all too clear.

Their eyes, urging Kim Hyun-seong to end this quietly, made him smile instead.

“Interesting.”

“…Interesting?”

Jin Kyung-hee frowned.

Kim Hyun-seong’s remark.

It felt like he was mocking everyone.

Kim Hyun-seong said.

“Of course it’s interesting. Not once did I say I would forgive the trash that slandered me. Yet here we are, with the police officer speaking for my anger, and the vice principal stepping in to negotiate my anger. And here we are with a perfect compromise. From my perspective, if I don’t accept this deal, I look like I’m causing trouble—like someone ruining what could be a well-resolved issue.”

“…That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? We only said what we did because we considered your position as well. If your classmates were to face criminal charges because of you… How would other students feel? They already think this transfer is unfair; it wouldn’t improve your standing.”

“The vice principal is right. Don’t you want to have a smooth year at school?”

Jang Won-gi chimed in.

Kim Hyun-seong smirked.

There was no need to listen any further.

He glanced at his watch.

“They should be here soon.”

“What do you mean?”

A moment ago.

Kim Hyun-seong had sent a text.

He had done it right when he called the police, and the recipient had been waiting in a nearby café just in case.

Then, suddenly.

Click.

Thud.

The door to the teachers’ office opened.

Everyone except those involved in the incident had been asked to leave.

And no one was supposed to come in, yet a face none of them had seen before appeared.

A towering figure.

A bulldog-like face.

Despite his appearance, which suggested a hard life, the middle-aged man was dressed in a neat suit, carrying a briefcase.

He addressed everyone’s curious stares.

“Ah, everyone’s here. I am Park Jong-su, attorney for Kim Hyun-seong.”

Kim Hyun-seong had no intention of letting them get away with their mistake.