Everyone has a line that cannot be crossed. To me, who had been given a new life, revenge was important, but Grandma was the most precious. I was angry at Bald Eagle for crossing the line.
Still, because of the unavoidable gap between a teacher and a student, I clenched my teeth and retorted with logic.
“What? Ha! This bastard, really.”
“Are you not confident?”
My homeroom teacher, Viper Teacher, anxiously looked back and forth between Bald Eagle and me. The other teachers also watched the situation, wary that it could explode at any moment.
“Hey! Kim Mu-hyeok! Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am confident.”
“Teacher Kim.”
It was not Bald Eagle, nor was it me. A heavy, elderly voice was heard. It was the vice principal.
“Go on. It seems Mu-hyeok is confident. Are you not, Teacher Kim? Did you call a student in to berate him and insult his grandmother without even having any confidence in your own judgment?”
“Vice principal!”
“Don't shout. This is the teacher's office. You're not the only one who uses this space, Teacher Kim. We called Mu-hyeok to hear his side of the story, not to bully him, didn't we? If a teacher doesn't trust his student, who can he trust? So, will you do the retest or not? You decide, Teacher Kim.”
“...”
He spoke softly, but the biggest piece of trash in this office was the vice principal who was speaking now. I know the face behind that man's mask. Soon, Bald Eagle turned to me, his face filled with killing intent.
“Alright, Kim Mu-hyeok. Let's do it. You're confident, right? If your scores aren't similar, you're dropping out of school, understand?”
“Yes, and if my scores are similar, you will apologize politely, Teacher.”
I ended up taking a retest in the teacher's office with all the teachers watching. The first test paper given to me was English. A small laugh escaped me.
English in my second life... It's rote-learning English, different from practical English, but my skills from back then couldn't have just disappeared. In less than 30 minutes, I had written down all the answers.
When I raised my head, the faces of the teachers who were watching were half in amazement, half in bewilderment.
“I'm finished.”
The English teacher took the paper and began to grade it. A moment later... the English teacher looked at the test paper and me with a face of disbelief. Then, his mouth opened.
“They are all correct.”
“...”
The reactions of the teachers, who looked back and forth between me and the English teacher with disbelief, were not unfamiliar.
“Please give me the other subjects.”
Math, Korean, and National History, it took exactly 2 hours to complete all four subjects. And I got a perfect score, even on the math and history questions I had gotten wrong before.
“...Is this for real?”
The words that came from some unknown teacher's mouth must have been what all the teachers in the office were thinking. Dongseong Technical High's biggest troublemaker, the blockhead Kim Mu-hyeok. That was the me imprinted in the teachers' minds.
“Give me the next subject.”
At my calm tone, the vice principal stepped forward.
“That's enough. This should confirm everything, don't you think? Isn't that right, Teacher Lee.”
“...Yes.”
“Hurry up and apologize. What are you doing?”
“...”
“If you made a promise, you must keep it, Teacher Lee! A teacher should set an example for his students. Isn't that so?”
Bald Eagle's face turned red as a beet. And then his mouth carefully opened.
“Mu-hyeok, I'm sorry. Your teacher really misunderstood. I won't do it again. And bringing up your grandmother was a mistake. I'm sorry.”
I had told him to apologize to my grandmother, but honestly, I couldn't call Grandma, who didn't even know this had happened, to receive an apology. In the end, I let out a deep sigh and said.
“Teacher, I know I've caused a lot of trouble. I also know you don't like me. But I am still a student under your care. And my grandmother is my only family. I ask you one more time. Please do not speak carelessly about my Grandma.”
“I understand.”
“May I go now?”
“...Yes. Go back to your classroom.”
I bowed to all the teachers and left the office.
Fuck...
I should be feeling good, but I felt like shit.
“Hoo... this is annoying.”
Memories from before my return and events from the past overlapped in my mind, making me uncontrollably confused.
“Hey! Mu-hyeok!”
Hearing my name called, I turned my head to see Myeong-soo and Hyeon-seong running toward me.
“What happened?”
“It was resolved well.”
“Did Bald Eagle throw a fit again? Wait here. I'll go give him a piece of my mind. Hey! Don't hold me back. Hyeon-seong, I said don't hold me back.”
No one was holding Myeong-soo back.
“Why are you stopping me?”
“...Let's go.”
I left Myeong-soo behind and walked away with Hyeon-seong.
“Hey! Let's go together!”
Myeong-soo ran after us. After returning to the classroom and sitting down, Viper entered a short while later.
“Those I call, come up and get your report cards. Don't forget to get your parents' seal.”
“Yes!”
Viper, who was calling out names one by one and handing out report cards, hesitated for a moment when he called my name.
“Kim Mu-hyeok.”
“Yes.”
“I'm sorry about earlier. This time, Mu-hyeok ranked first in the entire first year. Everyone, a round of applause!”
“Teacher. It's not April Fools' Day, is it?”
Myeong-soo's words spoke for all the students. But when Viper Teacher's expression didn't change, everyone began to look at me with bewildered faces.
“None of you can believe it, right? The teachers couldn't believe it either, so we even did a retest. But he got everything right, even the problems he'd missed before.”
It was such a shock that no one could say a word.
“Bring your parents' seals tomorrow, and those of you whose grades dropped, be prepared. That's all! Class president!”
We bowed to the teacher, and the end-of-day meeting was over. The other kids didn't approach, but Myeong-soo came right up to my side.
“Hey, is it for real?”
“Yeah.”
“...Who are you?”
The other kids were also stealing glances at me. I flicked Myeong-soo's forehead.
“What do you mean, who am I? I'm your friend, Kim Mu-hyeok.”
“Right? You're my friend Mu-hyeok, right? But you're first in the year? If you were me, would you believe it?”
“I'd believe it. We're friends, aren't we?”
I picked up my schoolbag and stood up from my seat. As I walked, the other kids' eyes followed me.
“You guys should study hard too. What are you going to do if your grades are worse than a blockhead like me? I'm leaving.”
“Hey! Let's go together.”
Myeong-soo hurriedly packed his bag and followed me. On the way home. Myeong-soo turned the report card over and over before he finally nodded his head.
“Shit... I lost to someone like Mu-hyeok in grades?”
“...”
“Hyeon-seong. This can't be happening. This is a dream. It must be a dream. Why aren't you saying anything?”
“...Starting tomorrow, I'm going to study too.”
“Both of you, stop it. Myeong-soo, you study, and Hyeon-seong, you focus on sports. Get into college with an athletic scholarship. I'm going to a university in Seoul. From now on, let's all go to school and work hard together.”
A cool autumn breeze brushed past my face. And it brushed past the faces of Myeong-soo and Hyeon-seong as well.
At that moment, in Seoul.
“I heard the old man went down to Busan and came back.”
“I know, right. Brother, have you heard anything?”
“Have you ever seen the old man tell us anything? What could it be... The people we planted around him, have they said anything?”
“Yeah, they said no one knows except for Manager Ha.”
“Hmph, is there really a reason for that old man to go all the way to Busan himself?”
Two men were talking in an office. Just then, the door opened and a young woman entered.
“President, you have a visitor.”
“Tell him to come in.”
“Yes.”
The man who entered the office had a fine build. The two of them stood up to greet him.
“Aigo, President Cheon. It's been a while. The younger President Cheon is here too?”
“Secretary Park, welcome.”
“Is Chairman Cheon doing well?”
“Yes, he is hale and hearty. Please, have a seat.”
The man called Secretary Park sat confidently in the seat of honor, even though the owner of the office was Cheon Su-man. Neither Cheon Su-man nor Cheon Su-han said anything about it and simply moved to other seats.
“My boss told me to prepare two big ones. You can do that, right?”
“Yes, we'll launder it cleanly so there won't be any problems.”
“Good. And younger President Cheon, is your father-in-law well?”
“Yes.”
The two brothers called President Cheon. They were none other than the sons of Cheon Tae-san, Old Man Cheon. The eldest son, Cheon Su-man, was the son-in-law of the eldest daughter of the Ilseong Group, one of Korea's top five conglomerates.
And the second son, Cheon Su-han, had married the youngest daughter of a five-term congressman from the National Party and was living as a live-in son-in-law. And Secretary Park, sitting in the seat of honor, was the aide to Lee Hak-soo, a powerful ruling party congressman known as the president's right-hand man.
“If you prepare it well and send it without any problems, my boss will take care of you and pay you back later. You know what I mean, right?”
“Of course.”
“Let's see each other again.”
Having delivered his message as if giving a notice, Secretary Park quickly left the office. Not long after the door closed, the brothers began to curse out Secretary Park.
“That damn bastard, he must think he's some kind of elder. It's annoying every time I see him.”
“Endure it. We're doing this to get into the Blue Wind Association, so we can't be stingy now, can we? We can get back at him later. Let's just endure it until then.”
“I know, I know, but it's just so frustrating. Your father-in-law hasn't even gotten a sniff of the Blue Wind Association yet, right? And he's a five-term congressman.”
“He's not of the inner circle. If I had known, I wouldn't have married her. The old man forced me to do it.”
Cheon Su-man, who had been spewing curses, narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“Why would the old man have gone down to Busan? Let's find out.”
“Yeah, I'll look into it too.”
Grandma shed tears when she saw Mu-hyeok's report card. After crying for a long while, she came over with her small body and hugged Mu-hyeok. Her body was very frail, but Mu-hyeok thought it was more dependable and warmer than anyone else's. “My child...
You've worked so hard.”
“Hahaha, I'll study hard from now on. Grandma, just wait for three years.”
“Alright, I have to see my baby get into college before I die. Of course! I have to.”
“Don't talk about dying.”
On the TV, the president was making a special announcement. - I declare a war on the crime and violence that destroy our national community, and I will mobilize all the authority granted to the president by the constitution to eradicate it...
With a stern expression, the president declared the War on Crime, also known as the 'October 13 Special Declaration'. The War on Crime had finally begun. The joint investigation task force, which had launched a massive operation to arrest the heads of all organized crime syndicates in Busan, soon arrested Lee Sa-seong, the boss of the Sa-seong faction.
“Shit, what is going on? What that kid said was true, wasn't it?”
“I know. Thankfully, we avoided the downpour... but they say the big boss has been caught.”
Park Dong-soo bit his lip, his face dark.
“...For now, don't cause any trouble and everyone just lay low. Absolutely no going out drinking.”
“Yes, boss.”
Even though it was the word of a high school student, Park Dong-soo, who felt uneasy about the story Mu-hyeok had told him, had gone into hiding in the countryside with five of his most trusted men. They too had witnessed the president's declaration on TV. And just like that, Kim Mu-hyeok changed the future.
Not a future where Park Dong-soo was arrested and Lee Sa-seong survived, but a future where Lee Sa-seong took all the responsibility and was caught.
Time passed quickly after that. I once again ranked first in the school on the next exam. The teachers no longer raised any objections.
It was now winter break. When I came out of the school, a car was waiting. The car door opened, and Manager Ha got out and greeted me.
“Mu-hyeok. It's been a while.”
“Yes, Manager Ha.”
“The Chairman is calling for you. He says that since it is now winter break, you must keep your promise.”
“...Yes, I'll tell my grandmother and we can go up together.”
“We have already gone and spoken to her.”
Manager Ha opened the car door for me. I got into the back seat.
“It will be quite a long drive, so please sleep if you are tired. We will depart now.”
“Yes.”
During the long drive up to Seoul, Manager Ha never opened his mouth first. He would only answer the occasional question I threw at him simply, without saying much. Steadfast and stoic.
These were Manager Ha's strengths. I recalled the end Manager Ha met because he got involved with me at Old Man Cheon's request.
‘This time, I will definitely protect you, Manager Ha.’
Pyeongchang District, Jongno-gu. Pyeongchang District, nestled at the southern foot of Bukhansan Mountain, is mostly a restricted development zone. Because of that, it was a neighborhood with many single-family homes with more trees and plants compared to other areas.
Along with Hannam District, it was a neighborhood where many of the country's rich lived. This was the location of Old Man Cheon's castle. We arrived at the house, opened the door, and went inside.
In the living room, where Manager Ha had guided me, Old Man Cheon was waiting for me.
“You've come?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
I quietly swallowed dryly. It all begins now...