Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Clash Over the Summons
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6.
Park Hyuk-su, acting as if he'd accomplished something monumental as a teacher, kept excitedly spewing words.
“...”
Kang Hyun silently watched to see how far Park Hyuk-su would go.
It was astounding that a teacher who was supposed to educate students could be so ignorant and reckless.
“I looked into it a long time ago! Vice Principal, this punk is a real piece of work. Looking at his mock exam scores this time, it seems like he cheated big time.”
“Is that true?”
The Vice Principal asked Kang Hyun again, even more shocked by this new story.
“Explain yourself, Kang Hyun.”
“He just sleeps in class and hangs out with trash kids doing worthless crap, that's why stuff like this happens! You punk, your mother must be so pitiful.”
When his mother was brought up, Kang Hyun couldn't hold back any longer and opened his mouth.
“Teacher.”
“This punk, holding his head up like...”
“Teacher, you don't have the qualifications to be one.”
“W-What... What?”
“If a teacher knows less than the student they're teaching, don't they lack the right to teach?”
“You crazy bastard!”
“Kang Hyun!”
Kang Hyun alternated between their dumbfounded expressions, sneering fully before pointing at the summons with his finger.
“Criminal Procedure Act Article 146: The court may examine any person as a witness unless otherwise provided by law. Likewise, Article 150-2: The court summons witnesses by delivery of summons, telephone, email, or other appropriate means.”
“...?”
“...!”
The Vice Principal and Park Hyuk-su gaped, their mouths hanging open at the torrent of legal terms pouring out.
Kang Hyun pointed at the document and said,
“Don't know what a witness is? This is a witness summons that's been served. I'm the reporter and eyewitness for the incident. The judge from that court panel called me.”
“W-What?”
Park Hyuk-su snatched up the paper, his face turning red and blue with rage as he raised his voice unreasonably.
“Y-You wandering around outside is why...”“Stop talking. The more you speak, the more my respect for you plummets. This happened while I was riding the subway home, and I witnessed and reported the person who committed the crime listed on this 'witness summons.' What does that have to do with wandering around outside?”
Suddenly, the Vice Principal, who had been silent, seemed to grasp the situation and stood up, inserting himself between them.
“Ahem, P-Park Teacher! What on earth are you doing! Kang Hyun, I'm sorry. We were just so startled...”
“No. Since my house is in a shanty town without a proper address, the mail ended up at this prejudiced school that assumes top scorers must have cheated, so it's my fault.”
“T-This punk, sassing in front of the Vice Principal?”
Refusing to admit his mistake, Park Hyuk-su yelled as if trying to suppress Kang Hyun even more.
Kang Hyun shot back at the shouting man with eyes full of murderous intent.
“Park Hyuk-su Teacher.”
As Kang Hyun enunciated his name and title clearly, Park Hyuk-su finally faltered, his momentum crushed, and shut his mouth.
“There are rumors that you nearly got fired from school over a similar incident.”
“W-What, what did you say!”
“Do you know about the sexual scandal making the rounds?”
Park Hyuk-su's pupils dilated hugely at Kang Hyun's words.
“If you truly care about the students, instead of rushing to tattle to the Vice Principal here without even checking, it'd be better to just explain yourself and quit to avoid this embarrassment.”
“Y-You little...”
“Besides, if you don't rein in what you're doing these days and keep playing king of the back alleys, it's going to blow up eventually. I'm telling you this out of genuine concern.”
Kang Hyun coldly wrapped up as Park Hyuk-su clutched the back of his neck and the Vice Principal floundered in bewilderment at his rapid-fire words.
“Oh, that was just my opinion. If it offended you, I apologize.”
“W-What... such insolence...”
Whether he recognized his own fault or not, Park Hyuk-su could only stammer without continuing.
Kang Hyun shrugged as if his business was done, then bowed politely.
“Then, assuming the misunderstanding is cleared up, I'll be going.”
The Vice Principal glanced at Park Hyuk-su and gestured for him to leave.
“Y-You! That little bastard...”
Leaving Park Hyuk-su trembling and unable to find words to protest, Kang Hyun quickly left the room.
As soon as he returned to the classroom, Kang Hyun fell into thought.
He wouldn't be able to study anymore today. It seemed like a problem had arisen in the case he'd thought was progressing smoothly.
‘This clear-cut case...’
He stared at the white paper labeled 'summons' with a puzzled expression.
‘It's gotten so complicated they need to call a witness for examination?’
In most trials, calling witnesses is discretionary. Especially in criminal cases, if the evidence is clear and there's no dispute between the prosecutor and defendant, judgments can come surprisingly fast.
“What could be the issue...”
Yet in this case, the judge had summoned Kang Hyun himself, the reporter and eyewitness.
“First, I should go to the court and check the assigned panel and judge...”
He wouldn't get detailed trial records, but knowing the judge's tendencies and panel would let him gauge the flow.
Just from seeing one document, tasks were piling up—another surprise at himself.
‘If you're a genius, do these things come naturally?’
Thanks to the 'rules on inspection and copying,' he recalled what forms to fill out at court for record access, or the limits without applying.
That made sense; it was learnable from books.
But as a non-party—neither victim nor defendant—he could only view his own submitted documents under regulations, which was almost nothing.
So this shortcut idea: check the panel and judge to at least see progress.
Where had he picked that up?
Ideas flashing through his mind organized themselves neatly—it was astounding even to him.
‘It's weird, but whatever.’
But Kang Hyun soon shook his head to stop thinking.
‘Whatever.’
The real issue now wasn't how he knew; it was how to handle what lay ahead.
A few days passed until the witness appearance date, and Kang Hyun's days were ordinary.
He studied diligently, morning chats with Yoon Haneul asking for simple solutions to tough principle problems, making the time productive.
Spending time together, he learned more about her incidentally—she really loved cooking. She explained with as much passion as studying, and Kang Hyun even tried some recipes for his mother occasionally from their talks.
The morning of the witness date.
His mother called him over.
“Kang Hyun.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Is something... going on?”
He shook his head since truly nothing was, but his mother sat with a slightly tense expression.
“The homeroom teacher called. Said you're... having a hard time at school.”
“Huh?”
She said Park Hyuk-su had called claiming Kang Hyun was struggling. Maybe hoping for a transfer?
Either way, for a mother second to none in worrying about her child, it was bound to cause distress.
“Are the kids bullying you? Study stress getting to you?”
“Oh, no! I'm doing great.”
“...Really? That's a relief then. Mom trusts you, so I won't say more. But if... if anything happens, tell me right away, okay?”
Seeing his worried mother, Kang Hyun felt a mix of absurdity and anger.
Had he ever been doing this well lately? What hardship?
This was clearly Park Hyuk-su messing with his mother.
‘He wants a fight?’
Kang Hyun soothed her with a gentle expression while grinding his teeth inside.
Anyway, he had to go, so he said goodbye, took the subway, and arrived at the court.
Standing before the court, he read the plaque on the towering building.
“Seoul District Court...”
People in suits bustled by with documents, stern-faced but vibrant.
“Oh...”
For his first time there, Kang Hyun strangely felt familiarity and a bubbling excitement.
‘First, stick to the plan.’
He should've gone to the trial office, but headed to the criminal case inquiries desk first.
“Hello,”
“Yes, what is it?”
The bored clerk responded curtly, but Kang Hyun stayed polite.
His aim: gather info before entering the trial room. This was at the clerk's discretion.
“I have a question about a case.”
“For inspection or copying? Give me the case number, relation, and ID.”
“No, not that. There's a first-instance single-judge criminal case, 'Seoul District Court 2015Godan4531.' I want to ask about the trial progress.”
The clerk, who hadn't even looked up, suddenly scanned Kang Hyun up and down.
“We can't know that...”“I know the details. I just want the trial progress from the assigned panel.”
“Can't tell you.”
Sensing Kang Hyun's youth, the clerk brushed it off and returned to his work.
As expected, Kang Hyun calmly said,
“It's not about viewing trial minutes or records under the Court Rules on Inspection and Copying of Trial Records, so it doesn't violate Article 4's provisions.”
“Huh?”
“Asking about trial status isn't restricted by law. Plus, the inquiries desk handles court schedules and public responses—surely you know what I'm asking?”
“That's true, but...”
The clerk straightened up and looked at Kang Hyun. Early 20s at most, yet so versed in court procedures—it was odd.
“W-What was it you wanted to know?”
“The trial progress from the assigned panel, the presiding judge, and the prosecutor too.”
“...Yes, one moment. But...”
Flipping through today's trial papers, he asked,
“Have you worked at the court?”
“Huh? Oh, no?”
“Police then?”
“Just a student.”
After glaring like he wanted to devour him, Kang Hyun suddenly replied with innocent eyes, leaving the clerk tilting his head.
“A student?”
“Yes.”
At Kang Hyun's confident expression, the clerk blinked, then hurriedly searched the documents.