Chapter 138: Evil Begets Evil (6)
A few years later.
There was a case that shook South Korea.
The voice from the TV revealed just how unjust life could be.
“[Dear viewers, do you remember the XX High School suicide attempt case? It was a shocking incident where a student slashed their wrists in front of a police station after enduring horrendous bullying since middle school. Despite clear evidence of violence, the offender, instead of facing harsh punishment, has now been admitted to Korea University. How could this happen?]”
It was an appalling situation.
The bully who drove a student to the brink of suicide was now enjoying a bright future at a prestigious university.
Investigations revealed the grim reality.
A lawyer on TV explained:
“[This is a textbook case of exploiting loopholes in the law. The school issued a severe punishment against the offender, but a request for an injunction was filed to delay the punishment. Typically, one might argue that the delay doesn’t erase the crime, but during this postponement, the punishment loses its effect. In essence, the offender can continue attending school until the court makes a final ruling. Now, let me ask you, what happens if the offender drags out the trial as long as possible and graduates in the meantime?]”
As a comatose **Kim Hyun-seong** couldn’t watch the video, his caretakers cursed in frustration at the lawyer’s grim expression.
“[This is what happens. The offender, despite their actions, can pose as a model student and graduate, moving on to a prestigious university. Justice is not equally distributed among everyone.]”
**Kim Hyun-seong** remembered it vividly.
That’s why, after returning to the past, after securing **Jung Chan-su’s** cooperation, he confirmed whether **Golden Circle** used this method. As expected, **Golden Circle’s** clients, while not always directly involved, sometimes led the bullying themselves. When things got too serious, they used this method — filing for an injunction to finish their high school life untouched.
The lawyer who initially came up with this tactic was handsomely rewarded by **Golden Circle**, as **Jung Chan-su** had shown **Kim Hyun-seong** with past examples.
His plan stemmed from the evil deeds of the past.
The day **Kim Hyun-seong** explained his plan to **Park Jong-su**, he said this:
“As long as I continue attending **Daeseong Mirae High School**, and as long as I remain a thorn in their side, they’ll keep trying to drag me into the disciplinary committee. That’s why I willingly walked into the fire. If I receive a punishment in a situation that leaves room for debate, and if I use **Golden Circle’s** own tactics to prove that the school can’t touch me, it will become just as hard for them as it is for me. From that point, this isolated space called school will be a ‘trap’ not just for me, but for **Golden Circle** as well.”
That was the reason.
That was why **Kim Hyun-seong** accepted the punishment.
**Park Jong-su** didn’t appear at the disciplinary hearing.
From the moment **Kim Hyun-seong** responded directly to **Yoo Yeon-ho’s** provocation, the outcome had already been decided from start to finish.
* * *
**Park Jong-su** spoke as he boldly presented the evidence to **Jin Kyung-hee**.
“Name: **Lee Ju-won**. Father: CEO of a major conglomerate’s subsidiary. He was caught harassing and bullying a female classmate but managed to finish his school life without incident thanks to an injunction. He’s now attending a prestigious university in Seoul, having thoroughly scrubbed his record.”
Inside the documents, the name **Lee Ju-won** was clearly visible.
**Park** presented another document.
“Name: **Shin Min-hee**. Mother: a professor at a university hospital. She slashed a classmate’s face with a knife simply because she didn’t like her. Again, this was postponed with an injunction, allowing her to graduate without issue. She’s currently abroad, flaunting her glamorous lifestyle on social media.”
“Name: **Kwon Ji-hoon**. Father: a prominent real estate mogul in Gangnam. This one’s more extreme. Assault, sexual harassment — he’s committed every possible crime a student, or rather a human, could commit. Yet, he too faced no consequences, thanks to an injunction. Naturally, he’s now attending a top-tier university. Fascinating, isn’t it?”
As **Park** continued explaining, **Jin Kyung-hee**’s expression darkened.
“…So, what do you expect me to do about it?”
“It’s not about what you can do. Do you see the common thread? All these people were clients of **Golden Circle**. If **Golden Circle** chooses to target my client, I’ll present these precedents in court to justify our actions. If **Lee Ju-won**, **Shin Min-hee**, and **Kwon Ji-hoon** could finish school with an injunction, how is my client any different? The court would find it difficult to argue otherwise.”
**Jin Kyung-hee** was speechless.
She hadn’t expected him to use such a tactic.
As **Park Jong-su** pointed out, if they resorted to dragging **Kim Hyun-seong** down, they would risk significant losses.
Yet, she couldn’t back down.
Her voice turned vicious.
“…You must be under some huge delusion. Even if protecting the clients is important, in a case like this, we’ll push forward to take care of **Kim Hyun-seong** no matter what. It’s worth the risk. Even if you try to drag us down with you, we have the power to protect our clients. If necessary, we can sacrifice a single judge to settle the matter. What can you do then? What can you, with no power or influence, possibly achieve?”
“You seem confident. I suppose you’re not worried about recordings?”
“People like you always think that recording something will change anything. You’re a lawyer, so you should know better.”
She was unshaken.
As long as they stood their ground, **Kim Hyun-seong’s** plan would fail.
**Park Jong-su** couldn’t help but be impressed with **Kim Hyun-seong’s** plan even more.
He turned his gaze outside.
Through the window, a crowd had gathered near the school gates.
“Do you know what **Golden Circle** clients hate the most? Being exposed publicly. A simple recording may not destroy the entire system, but if you push forward with punishing my client, we have another card to play. We can make this situation as ugly as possible.”
**Jin Kyung-hee** followed his gaze.
Then she saw it.
She finally understood the other weapon **Park Jong-su** and **Kim Hyun-seong** had prepared.
* * *
There was a group of about twenty adults.
At the front, a man held a megaphone and shouted.
“Hello, everyone. I am **Choi Seung-pil**, president of the School Violence Prevention Committee, and I lost my child to school violence. I’m here to let anyone who’s suffering know that there are adults like me who will reach out and help.”
**Choi Seung-pil** was **Choi Sun-ah’s** father.
As he raised his voice, members of the School Violence Prevention Committee handed out pamphlets to passersby. The materials explained what to do in cases of school violence and how to seek help, along with the group’s contact information. It was a warm gesture.
**Choi Seung-pil** continued.
“Your children, the precious ones you would never want to see hurt, will send out clear signals if they are struggling with school violence. Dark expressions, uncharacteristic behavior, suddenly wanting to transfer schools. Don’t miss these signs. If you sense something is wrong, step in and help. Young, fragile souls are more likely to give up on life than to fight back. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Please.”
He pleaded earnestly.
Standing right outside the school gates.
Normally, such an event required school approval, but **Choi Seung-pil** bypassed that, spurred by **Kim Hyun-seong’s** request.
**Kim Hyun-seong** had asked him to be his megaphone when necessary.
No matter how powerful **Golden Circle** was, no one liked facing a civic group loudly exposing injustices. If chaos erupted, it would quickly become a major issue. Passersby were already recording the scene on their phones.
Soon, school officials rushed out.
They spoke nervously.
“You can’t do this here.”
“Did you even get permission for this?”
It was chaotic.
The entrance to the school was in complete disarray.
Just as **Kim Hyun-seong** had planned.
Looking down from her office window, **Jin Kyung-hee** was left speechless.
* * *
That evening.
**Jin Kyung-hee** met with **Park Hyung-jun**, the broker.
Ignoring the steaming cup of tea before him, **Hyung-jun** openly displayed his frustration.
“So, you’re saying there’s nothing we can do?”
“…We’re out of options. The school can issue the punishment, but if they drag this out with an injunction, it’ll cause us too much damage. **Choi Seung-pil’s** group is substantial, and if **Golden Circle’s** past cases are dragged into a public fight, it’ll draw too much attention. The clients won’t be happy with that.”
“That’s true. But still…”
**Hyung-jun** scowled.
He had expected **Kim Hyun-seong** to take the bait when he moved **Choi Myung-hoon** into action. He had thought the situation would be resolved easily, but he hadn’t anticipated this kind of counterattack.
An injunction.
A civic group led by **Choi Seung-pil**.
It felt like a thorn had lodged itself in his throat.
There were ways to forcefully deal with **Kim Hyun-seong**, but doing so would drag **Golden Circle** into the public eye. Given **Jung Chan-su’s** betrayal, **Kim Hyun-seong** likely had related documents and recordings. Once exposed, pulling **Golden Circle** into the spotlight wouldn’t be difficult.
Yet, **Kim Hyun-seong** hadn’t gone all the way.
He was toying with them, leaving some things unexposed.
He wanted to punish not just the parts of **Golden Circle** already visible, but to bring down the whole beast.
Just like in the distant future **Kim Hyun-seong** had experienced.
Back then, too, it hadn’t been enough to destroy everything.
**Jin Kyung-hee** asked cautiously.
“…What do we do now?”
“Just sit tight. **Kim Hyun-seong** can no longer be controlled by the school’s rules.”
He sipped his tea.
The warm liquid momentarily eased the irritation in his throat.
“Do you know how **Golden Circle** came to power?”
“…Not really.”
“Conflicts inside a school are uncontrollable because they involve unstable adolescents. You can’t solve them by talking about rules or laws. If these students had the foresight to think about the future, none of this would happen.”
**Hyung-jun** gritted his teeth.
**Kim Hyun-seong** had crossed the line.
The veins in his eyes popped as his gaze darkened with malice.
“If **Kim Hyun-seong** insists on this path, we’ll have no choice but to deal with him swiftly. Tell the teachers at **Daeseong Mirae High School** that starting tomorrow…”
He met **Jin Kyung-hee’s** gaze, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
“They should turn a blind eye and deaf ear to everything that happens. As they’ve always done.”
