Chapter 134: Evil Begets Evil (2)
The student who threw the eraser was named **Yoo Yeon-ho**.
He wasn’t a skilled fighter but belonged to the so-called “1.5-tier” group—those who hung around the delinquents, throwing in their two cents whenever they could. He had received a direct order from **Choi Myung-hoon**.
“You take the lead and get under Kim Hyun-seong’s skin. He won’t be able to do anything to you. The teachers are watching him like hawks, waiting for him to slip up. If you get into a fight with him, Kim Hyun-seong will be the one to suffer. You can handle it, right, Yeon-ho?”
It wasn’t a suggestion he could refuse.
Despite being called a friend, Yoo Yeon-ho knew all too well that his relationship with Choi Myung-hoon was one-sided. Even when they were joking around, one stern look from Choi would shut him up. There was even a time when Yoo crossed a line, thinking they were close, and got dragged into a bathroom for it. Choi Myung-hoon was terrifying to him. But despite that, he didn’t mind their relationship. Just being Choi Myung-hoon’s “friend” gave him more power than he could ever ask for outside of school.
However, what was happening now was far beyond what he had anticipated.
*Crash!*
“Ahh!”
Yoo Yeon-ho screamed as he fell to the ground, clutching his bloodied nose in panic.
“Why the hell did you hit me?!”
He was stunned.
A little provocation, and Kim Hyun-seong had punched him in the face without hesitation.
Yoo had thought he’d be safe as long as they stayed out in the open where teachers and students were present. But the current situation had completely thrown his plan into chaos. Kim Hyun-seong was now walking toward him, showing no sign of stopping. Frantic, Yoo Yeon-ho shouted again.
“Do you even know what you’ve done?! This is clearly school violence! You hit me first!”
“I know.”
“…What?”
Kim Hyun-seong smirked.
It was all too predictable.
Just like how **Go Dong-su** had tried to frame him with false accusations, they were now eagerly looking for any slip-up he made. Ever since Kim Hyun-seong had revealed the **recorder**, there was no need to fall into these traps. He had already turned the tables on Go Dong-su’s lies. But this time, it was different—now, he was willingly walking into the fire.
However, there was a clear difference between the two incidents.
This time, Kim Hyun-seong was acting according to plan.
He grabbed a fistful of Yoo Yeon-ho’s hair.
Yoo squirmed and thrashed, trying desperately to free himself, but his attempts were futile.
All eyes were on them.
His classmates inside the room.
Students gathering in the hallway, whispering as they watched the scene unfold.
Could he possibly avoid punishment for this?
No.
There was no way he would get out unscathed.
Without the protection of his background from **Dae-san**, the consequences would surely come back to bite him.
And yet.
This was a necessary action.
“I know exactly what you meant.”
*Slap!*
He slapped Yoo Yeon-ho across the face.
Then he slapped him again.
Over and over, until Yoo Yeon-ho’s face was covered in blood, Kim Hyun-seong’s hand never wavered.
* * *
*Tap, tap, tap.*
**Jang Won-gi** hurried down the hallway.
His face was lit with glee.
“Things are finally falling into place on their own!”
Just moments ago, he had been informed about Kim Hyun-seong’s latest incident.
This time, there were clear witnesses to an undeniable act of violence. Jang had immediately jumped up from his seat, barely able to contain his excitement.
It was perfect.
Even though the witnesses mentioned that Yoo Yeon-ho had provoked Kim Hyun-seong, the fact remained that as soon as class ended, Kim had assaulted him without mercy. Seeing Yoo Yeon-ho’s bloodied face had nearly made Jang laugh out loud. He had tried to maintain a serious expression, but this was the perfect opportunity to bring Kim down.
There was just one thing that didn’t sit right with him.
‘Why would someone as meticulous as Kim Hyun-seong, who even carried a recorder around, explode so early?’
It didn’t make sense.
The situation with **Go Dong-su** and **Yoo Yeon-ho** wasn’t all that different.
Go Dong-su had been falsely accusing Kim, but both cases revolved around the same claim—Kim Hyun-seong attacking his classmates.
Yet, in Go Dong-su’s case, Kim had exposed the false accusation and secured a suspension for him. But now, he had attacked Yoo Yeon-ho in front of everyone. Why? It was hard to grasp his intentions. His every move seemed illogical, even when viewed from a rational perspective.
‘Whatever his reasons, the facts don’t change. From now on, he’ll have to defend his actions.’
Jang couldn’t wait to break the news.
He finally reached the vice principal’s office.
Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door opened, as if on cue.
*Creak.*
“Mr. Jang?”
It was **Jin Kyung-hee**.
Before Jang could speak, Jin beat him to it.
“Gather everyone involved in Kim Hyun-seong’s case right away. You know we can’t let this slide, right?”
“Of course, I do.”
Jin Kyung-hee felt the same way.
She, too, saw this as an opportunity.
* * *
It was a scene Kim Hyun-seong was all too familiar with.
The only difference from last time was that it wasn’t his second semester of his first year of high school. Other than that, the situation was eerily similar.
Two students.
Multiple teachers.
Hostile eyes were all fixed on him.
Jin Kyung-hee spoke for the group.
“Yeon-ho, can you explain what happened?”
“Well…”
He hesitated for a moment.
Then, with calculated sadness, he recited the story he had rehearsed in his mind.
“Honestly, I was upset that my friend Dong-su hasn’t been able to come to school because of Kim Hyun-seong. So, out of anger, I threw an eraser at his head during class. But right after class ended, he walked up to me and punched me in the face. I admit that I did something wrong. But do you think it was right for him to beat me like this?”
He cast a quick glance toward **Jang Won-gi**.
Jang stepped forward.
“As Yeon-ho said, Kim Hyun-seong suddenly attacked him out of nowhere. It happened right after class, so all of the students witnessed it, and Yeon-ho didn’t even try to fight back.”
“In other words…”
Jin Kyung-hee’s eyebrow twitched.
On the inside, she wanted to cheer, but outwardly, she maintained a stern expression.
“Kim Hyun-seong retaliated with violence over a classmate’s prank. We can all agree that what Yeon-ho did was wrong. Dong-su’s suspension was deserved, and provoking Kim Hyun-seong wasn’t the right thing to do. However, responding with violence makes Kim Hyun-seong no better than Go Dong-su. False accusations or not, Kim Hyun-seong’s brutal response is just as reprehensible.”
The room began to sway in her favor.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
It was clear.
There was no way out for Kim.
Back during the **Park Min-cheol** gang incident, Kim Hyun-seong had been the victim, and **Go Chang-beom** had provided the power to resolve the issue. But now, things were different. No one in this room would be swayed by Kim Hyun-seong’s connections. The malice in their eyes reflected the joy of finding a weak spot in his defense.
Jin Kyung-hee turned to Kim.
“Kim Hyun-seong, if you’re innocent, why don’t you present one of those precious recordings of yours?”
“I admit it.”
“…What?”
“I hit him. But I have my reasons for what I did, and I’ll explain them during the disciplinary committee. This isn’t something we can resolve by talking here, is it?”
Jin Kyung-hee’s face flashed with surprise.
He had admitted it so easily.
This wasn’t how she had expected things to go.
She grew suspicious.
But no matter how much she thought about it, there was no way Kim Hyun-seong could avoid punishment once the disciplinary committee convened.
Kim added.
“I’ll accept whatever punishment is given. But I’d appreciate it if you stick to the facts without embellishing the story. How does that sound? It seems like a fair offer to everyone here.”
For some reason, Jin Kyung-hee felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
* * *
Kim Hyun-seong was suspended, just like **Go Dong-su**.
He wouldn’t be attending school for the time being, and his future would be determined after the disciplinary committee reached its decision.
Jang Won-gi frowned in confusion.
“…This is strange. We didn’t even force him into a corner, and yet he’s willingly going to the disciplinary committee. There’s nothing for him to gain from this—so why is he digging his own grave?”
“There must be some plan to get around the committee.”
They had reviewed Kim Hyun-seong’s past.
They knew how he had managed to overturn the disciplinary committee before.
Just like how **Go Chang-beom** had stepped in to resolve things, Kim Hyun-seong might have someone in the school capable of pulling strings for him.
But.
That wouldn’t work this time.
Jin Kyung-hee smirked.
“If this were any ordinary school, his plan might work. But it doesn’t matter what kind of connections he has, or how powerful his backer might be. The outcome will be the same.”
Kim Hyun-seong was still young.
Though his rebellion against the **Golden Circle** was unprecedented and impressive, he was still just a 19-year-old boy. The tactics he had used in **Dae-san** wouldn’t work here in Seoul. What a naïve mistake it was to think they would. From the moment he threw that punch, or even when the disciplinary committee was first called, he had already fallen into a deep pit.
Connections?
They don’t matter.
This is **Gangnam**, the heart of power.
The **Golden Circle** had proven its strength time and time again, handling countless requests.
At least in Korea.
The Golden Circle was untouchable.
Kim Hyun-seong had simply made a childish mistake.
“Relax. Soon enough, Kim Hyun-seong will be expelled from Daeseong Mirae High School.”
* * *
After leaving school, Kim Hyun-seong met with **Park Jong-su**.
The moment Jong-su heard the situation, his face twisted in frustration.
“…This isn’t what we discussed. You clearly told me you wouldn’t ask me to defend anything that goes against my principles. You said you’d only need me when you were an obvious victim. But this? You just beat a kid to a pulp because he threw something at you. This is a crime.”
Kim Hyun-seong explained the situation honestly.
He left out nothing, describing how Yoo Yeon-ho had provoked him and how he had chosen to respond.
Jong-su was understandably furious.
He was genuinely disappointed.
“Let’s set aside our attorney-client relationship for a second. Since that first incident, I haven’t been able to sleep. What’s going on here? What kind of situation is this where everything unfolds exactly the way you predicted? I saw it with my own eyes—the kids falsely accusing you, the teachers pushing you, even the police siding against you. I genuinely wanted to help you. If you were truly innocent, I wanted to be your shield, to protect you from whatever came. But now…”
Jong-su’s face hardened.
He couldn’t wrap his head around what Kim Hyun-seong was asking him to do.
“You want me to defend you in front of the disciplinary committee? Even though this wasn’t a case of self-defense? You just beat the kid senseless. What do you take me for? If you think I’m some lackey you can buy with a little cash, then let’s just end this contract now. I’m sure there are plenty of lowlifes out there who would take your money without hesitation.”
Jong-su couldn’t have known.
This was exactly what Kim Hyun-seong had intended.
He had anticipated this reaction, laying the groundwork with the **recorder** as part of his plan.
He had always known how to bring out Park Jong-su’s true nature.
Because there was a specific role Jong-su needed to play.
Kim Hyun-seong spoke.
“I stand by what I said. If at any point you feel like I’m in the wrong, if you no longer think I’m the victim, I’ll terminate the contract without any penalty. But before you decide, can you hear me out?”
His eyes darkened.
They were the eyes of someone staring into the abyss, as he locked eyes with Jong-su.
“Will you listen to what I have to say?”
The dice had already been thrown.
Whether the opponent died.
Or he did.
Kim Hyun-seong had no intention of stopping.
