Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Help Paper Backlash
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"I think Da-hye was spot on, no mistakes there. When you're aiming an arrow, you double-check the direction over and over, right? But..."
"No, Teacher Seo. You must not know yet since you're still new."
The geography teacher let out a hollow laugh, cutting off Seo Hee.
"Kids don't know much. Only a tiny fraction are as smart as us teachers—the vast majority are clueless idiots."
In your dreams. You calling us smart? Looking at you, sir, I doubt it.
"Guiding those kids onto the right path is our job. Not indulging every complaint or ignorance they have. Frankly, are we just going to ignore this? A serious issue like this?"
"Exactly. This is serious, but approaching it like this will just make the kid clam up even more. Then we can't help the student, can we?"
"......"
"I'm not saying to brush off a minor issue. I'm saying we should actually help the kids the right way. Rounding them up in the auditorium, handing out papers, and threatening expulsion if they don't confess? Even the kids who really need help will hide."
"When did we ever say..."
"You did. You said it yourself, Teacher."
Yi Mong-ryong, who had been listening, chimed in. Unfazed by the geography teacher's sharp glare, he smiled and added,
"The kids picked up on that vibe, so they're reacting this way, right?"
"Fine, let's be straight. This wasn't even about helping the kids—it was just to stir things up."
"Even if a random kid's name comes up on a Help Paper, that's a problem. How's that kid supposed to prove their innocence? Making the accused prove their own guilt violates the law."
"Right. Isn't that the presumption of innocence?"
Na Mun-gwa, the literature teacher, the music teacher, and others chimed in one by one.
The geography teacher, at a loss for words, huffed in frustration.
Sang-heon! See? Everyone's smarter than you!
Seo Hee smirked inwardly and held up a Help Paper. It was the one written by Jae-kyeom, the vice class president of her own class, the top Class 2-2.
"And sorry, but... if we investigate everything written here, you'll have to be investigated too, Teacher. There's a tip about you."
"What?! Ridiculous... Give that here!"
"That might be tricky. We have to protect the whistleblower."
Of course, Jae-kyeom's note wasn't about an affair with a minor, but who cares? No one could read the writing from this distance anyway.
As expected of Seo Hee. A merit subject of the Goryeo era. Master negotiator.
As Yoon Sang-heon found himself cornered, the homeroom teacher for Class 1-1 jumped in with support fire.
"But we've already passed out all the papers. We can't just pretend it never happened now..."
"If we make a mistake, even as teachers, we have to own up and fix it. That's what the kids need to see and learn from."
Yi Mong-ryong nailed it as a "mistake" with his signature kind smile.
"Hah! Unbelievable!"
Yoon Sang-heon scowled, grabbed his cigarette pack, and stormed out of the staff room. The Class 1-1 homeroom teacher glanced around awkwardly and followed.
Their grumbling carried back just loud enough to hear.
"These young teachers these days..."
"No better than the kids..."
"Thanks for treating me like one of the young ones too."
Na Mun-gwa leaned back in his chair and snorted.
"I've been holding the chalk longer than they have."
"Tell me about it."
The literature teacher shrugged and chimed in agreement.
Seo Hee and the literature teacher, who had known each other since university days before getting hired, exchanged glances.
Ugh, so stressful.
Making us hand out this cult-like paper to the kids? I'm too embarrassed to show my face.
After work, off to a cafe far from school with the literature teacher to trash-talk Sang-heon. Strawberry cream cake and the biggest caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream.
In the now Help Paper opposition-only staff room, the music teacher marveled.
"But Da-hye really showed some guts."
"Right? In the Joseon era, she'd have grabbed an axe and marched up with a memorial to the throne."
"Oh, I know that! Jibu Sangso~"
The PE teacher, who had been doing squats in the corner of the staff room regardless of the teachers' debate, jumped in.
"Choi Ik-hyeon, right!"
Na Mun-gwa, still fuming next to the knowledge-flexing PE teacher, kept huffing.
"What era does he think this is, passing out crap like this...? Yoon must be living in the '90s. Wonder how he hasn't gotten complaints from parents yet? The principal too—approving this?"
"No kidding."
"Who even is this parent who 'witnessed' it?"
"If I knew that, I wouldn't be so frustrated. If this were a drama, it'd get roasted for having a school like this in modern times."
Reality's worse than drama. Ugh. Na Mun-gwa waved it off and rolled her hair into curlers at the back.
"Anyway, we trash all these, right?"
"Yeah. I'll take responsibility. Straight into the shredder, all of them."
"Got it."
Seo Hee swiftly got to work.
School life might get annoying with the petty geography teacher Yoon Sang-heon and the grade head from Class 1-1, but whatever. At least it felt good inside.
Seo Hee, having locked eyes with the literature teacher to confirm their cake plans, fed the Help Papers into the shredder one by one.
"Uh...?"
What was this? Who wrote this garbage?
"This one..."
Ha-jun's handwriting.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "What the heck? From the first day back."
"No kidding."
The kids started buzzing the moment the homeroom teacher stepped out.
"Hey, did you write anything?"
"You think I did?"
"Didn't know anything, so I left it blank."
"If I knew, I would've."
"Nah. Felt fishy, so I didn't unless I had solid proof."
"Nice."
"Kang Da-hye."
Ignoring the chatter, Jeong Eun-seong from the back called my name and held out a workbook.
"Don't get this."
"Oh, I do."
"Without even looking?"
"Doesn't matter. I know it."
I peeked at the problem and casually asked,
"What'd you write, Jeong Eun-seong?"
"'Wasting paper like this is a shame. Please protect the environment.'"
"That politely?"
"Yeah."
"Nice."
Weird. With his personality, I figured it'd be something like "Save the environment☆ Keep our rivers green."
"What about Yeon-hee and Lee Seo-jun?"
"I turned in a blank one."
"Me too..."
"Seo Jae-kyeom, you?"
"Something similar."
Before long, the kids were taking turns revealing what they'd written.
"It's kinda funny. Calling us to the auditorium like this to catch someone."
"Right? They didn't go this hard when those kids got busted watching BJ streams in class, hunting for accomplices."
"They got off with school service, and now it's expulsion? Come on."
Then Gyeong Se-in, with her apple hairpin pinning back her bangs, spoke up.
"I wrote something."
"For real?"
"Yeah. I said I'm dating our baby. Since I'm the culprit, come take me away."
"......"
Gyeong Se-in's "baby": A rookie male idol who marries a woman seven years younger than her in the future.
"Was that not okay?"
"No. It's perfect. Too perfect."
Sometimes Gyeong Se-in seems like the biggest genius among us.
"Geography teacher was hyped."
"Yeah. Shouldn't he be upset? Why's he so thrilled?"
"He doesn't even know who it is or care. Just send us home."
While the kids grumbled, Jeong Eun-seong pored over the problem I'd just solved.
"So this is sarcasm, not paradox?"
"Yeah. Paradox has to sound impossible right away. 'Silent uproar.' Stuff like that. An uproar can't be silent."
"Sarcasm makes sense?"
"Yeah. 'Well~ done! The country's running so~ well!' Or 'If someone asks about the nation's future, have them look up and see Park Su-hwan!' The sentence works on the surface. The meaning's the opposite."
"Ah."
Jeong Eun-seong rolled his pen and stared straight at me.
"You're such an idiot. Ugly as hell."
"......"
This guy suddenly attacking?
"Seeing you just ruins my mood."
"Uh..."
Wait. But this is sarcasm.
"Kang Da-hye, I hate you the most in the world."
"......"
"Let's cut contact after graduation."
"......"
"Like this?"
"Ah..."
Scraaaape.
If the homeroom teacher hadn't walked in at that perfect timing, my face might've burst into flames...
What the...
What...
What...
My heart was a silent uproar right now. Eeeeee.
By the time I reined in my pounding heart, homeroom was over.
"Da-hye, mind helping Teacher? Gotta sort these flyers."
"Sure."
"Da-hye, we'll wait at the canteen then!"
My friends, who'd planned to grab shaved ice together, grabbed their bags and said so. I nodded and followed the teacher.
Thought we'd go to the staff room, but she headed to the counseling office.
"Sit."
The teacher pointed to a chair and placed one of those Help Papers in front of me.
Gasp. Was I busted for writing one under my real name?
But the paper in front of me wasn't mine.
I read it quickly.
"Muk."
And freaked out.
No, what the hell is this?!