Chapter 98
Chapter 98
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Turning the Tables
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Next, we invite candidate Kang Hyun. Please welcome him with a big round of applause.”
Clap.
Someone’s tactless clap echoed through the air.
Silence. Stillness.
The atmosphere hung heavy like that.
Yet Kang Hyun mounted the stage and boldly faced the audience.
Bright lights beamed down on the stage, and the occasional camera shutter clicked.
He clenched his fist tight, then let it go.
“...”
A familiar face appeared.
It was Yoon Haneul.
She wore a hoodie, her clothes unkempt. As if she had rushed over out of breath, her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Had she ever come running like this because Kang Hyun was up to something remarkable?
Yoon Haneul was worried for Kang Hyun.
For an instant, to steady his quivering heart, Kang Hyun closed his eyes again and opened them.
Right now, in this moment.
Just before the student council president election speech, with himself trapped in a snare, he calmly reined it in.
He couldn’t just take it lying down.
As he stood there delivering his speech, there was no opening for the power of “law” to intervene, but now he could see time crawling by.
The people hadn’t gathered here to denounce him.
Quite the opposite—they were waiting for Kang Hyun.
Like subjects awaiting a king’s return, or citizens watching a triumphant general stride through the gates.
They yearned for him to conquer this crisis and ascend even higher.
And so Kang Hyun could gaze steadily at Yoon Haneul and offer her a smile.
From the podium in this speech hall that seemed to promise no answers.
His mouth opened, resolved to overturn everything with his silver tongue.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m Kang Hyun.”
He gave a brief self-introduction and greeting. A smattering of applause echoed through the hall, but it died out quickly.
Kang Hyun, however, timed it perfectly, holding his breath until the claps fully ceased.
Then he scanned every single face in the crowd.
Yang Hee-chan smirking mockingly, Gong Hyun-jeong standing with arms crossed and expressionless. Even the alumni association members glaring daggers at him.
Kang Hyun understood.
They were all colluding to drive him out.
No single person could have pulled off something this massive—extracting a student’s personal information on such a scale and blasting out texts.
It had to be all of them.
He couldn’t even imagine the extent of their conspiracy.
Some had sacrificed a little flesh for cash, others played the pitiful victim to claim the right to condemn.
And some had pulled all the strings from the shadows, chuckling.
Even so, Kang Hyun gave them a nod of acknowledgment.
If they were all rigging the game together, that suited him just fine.
‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You’re not the only ones who can bite.’
Because now it was their turn to squirm.
“No need for pleasantries—let’s dive right in.”
Kang Hyun’s eyes sharpened.
With no ornate preamble, the hall went dead quiet, as if doused in ice water.
He unplugged the mic and strolled casually to the edge of the podium. He carried himself not like a mere candidate, but like the victor stepping up for his acceptance speech, brimming with confidence.
“Everyone got that text today, right?”
Murmurs.
His single remark set the whole room buzzing.
He pressed on, unperturbed.
“And everything in that text is true.”
-What?
-Really?
The murmurs swelled into a roar.
Kang Hyun had just confirmed the text’s explosive claim: that the entire school had formed a cartel, colluding illegally to shove him aside.
-No way!
-Then why run? Drop out!
Outraged shouts erupted everywhere.
It was as if Kang Hyun had marched right into the trap of his own accord.
Yoon Haneul watched him, her face unusually furrowed, but gradually her eyes began to gleam.
Eyes full of faith in him.
For a time, Kang Hyun stood there calmly, savoring the crowd’s shifting expressions as he gazed out from the stage.
The fierce protests that had seemed endless started to taper off. Then, the moment he raised a hand, every eye locked onto him.
Kang Hyun spoke with even greater resolve.
“Exactly as the text said. The Student Representative Council, the Student Autonomous Organization Emergency Committee, and the Korea University General Alumni Association all back me. And on top of that, thanks to an introduction from the Law Center director, I’ll be getting sponsorship from Daijin Group. Straight from the Daijin Public Interest Foundation.”
-What?
-But why’s he so bold?
-Guess it’s... legit.
Unlike the stunned audience, Kang Hyun spotted Gong Hyun-jeong looking mildly shocked, Yang Hee-chan’s face twisting, and assorted figures gaping in disbelief.
Grinning at them, Kang Hyun continued.
“I bet that caught you off guard. But I wanted to share this with you all as soon as possible. Every organization and person I named regrets their past errors and seeks forgiveness—which is why they’re entrusting the school’s future to me.”
-What’s he saying?
-What did he say?
Gong Hyun-jeong’s face contorted. Student council officers gawked in surprise; the alumni association recoiled in shock.
“First up: the Korea University General Alumni Association has pledged to ‘donate’ their entire development fund—originally for university land purchases—back to the school, phased in for this year’s freshmen and students from households under 30% median income. A full 10 billion won.”
-Wh-what...!
Alumni president Jeong Dae-cheol shot to his feet in horror.
“Alumni president and sunbae Jeong Dae-cheol will oversee the foundation’s establishment. Let’s give him a big round of applause.”
Clap clap clap!
The crowd erupted into applause, staring at the man who’d risen so unexpectedly.
“...”
As the absurdly standing Jeong Dae-cheol soaked it in, Kang Hyun went on.
“I’d planned this as a post-election surprise, but a text glitch forced an early reveal. I know it’s startling, but since it’s for the school, he deserves the applause—so I made sure to set the stage.”
Kang Hyun flashed a sly smile, and sure enough, a few people edged toward the exits.
They’d caught his drift.
This was a drowning-man’s ploy—a trap rigged so he alone might swim free while dragging everyone else under.
Of course, Kang Hyun didn’t let up.
“The Student Representative Council’s no different. In support of me, they’ll scrap this year’s forced student council fees and revise at least five bylaws and rules to beef up the audit office’s expertise.”
-What kind of nonsense...!
“Council president—your policy fulfillment rate’s under 15%, and you’ve taken heat for botching promise and project audits. You even shed tears over it with me. Let’s applaud that heartfelt concern.”
Clap clap clap, clap clap.
-I get it now.
-Yeah, news to me.
Kang Hyun’s words flowed like water; one by one, heads in the crowd began to nod.
If this wasn’t some shady backroom deal but a sincere gathering born of fair debate and policy swaps, what reason would the public have to hate it?
In short, Kang Hyun was rewriting the texts’ spin right there on stage.
“The Emergency Committee fully owns the Yang Bo-hyun fiasco. They’re convening a policy proposal session in days to roll out fixes like unfair election reporting and ballot observation rules. Right here, I thank them for their rightful, steadfast support.”
They couldn’t claim support outright. Nor could they deny it.
The sole “proof”? Texts blasted to countless students.
Everyone in the room knew the score.
No excuse would fly. No fool would out their own trap to chain themselves. And no one dared spin conspiracy theories trashing the school itself.
Now thoroughly at ease, Kang Hyun spoke—and a halo seemed to glow behind him.
“Finally, a heartfelt thanks to one key backer who tied it all together: Korea University Law Center director Gong Hyun-jeong. Daijin Group reps may be here, but we’ll hash out support details through her later. I’ll cover student council policies and promises in detail at the press conference and Q&A. Thank you.”
He bowed deeply.
Clap, clap.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!
Kang Hyun leaped off the stage with flair. Camera shutters snapped wildly amid shocked screams, cheers, jeers, gasps of dismay, and stunned exclamations—the venue dissolved into pandemonium, like hell breaking loose.
Yet Kang Hyun remained utterly composed, without a bead of sweat.
It was his triumph.
Not one soul who’d targeted him could squeak or twitch a finger.
Kang Hyun had flipped the script and cowed them all in a single stroke.
“You messed up.”
Backstage.
Gong Hyun-jeong’s lips quivered as she spoke.
“You spread false information! Who’s backing you? Who’s setting up a foundation? Ha!”
“Go ahead and refute it.”
“What?”
“First, though—you’d better hunt down that text culprit if you want to refute anything. The one I’m dying to nail.”
Tremble.
Her body shook.
The power dynamic had flipped; she was cornered too badly to even focus on Kang Hyun.
Daijin Group was a behemoth—immensely rich and risky.
She’d poked the bear, so now she had to expose the text mastermind herself and clear her name. Small wonder her head spun.
Kang Hyun, who knew this inside out, had milked the moment masterfully in his speech.
Dead simple.
He’d just turned their trap against them.
“I doubt the director sent that ridiculous text herself... but sooner or later, the mask has to come off on who targeted me, right?”
“...”
“Public Official Election Act, Article 250(1): For purposes of election, publishing false statements about support from one’s organization, specific persons, or groups? Up to five years in prison or a 30 million won fine.”
“...Drowning to catch a fish.”
“No rod handy—but if you can swim, you snag ’em quicker. And if you’re an Olympian swimmer? Even better.”
Kang Hyun stared at her stone-faced. She couldn’t even meet his eyes.
An oppressive aura, a chilling intimidation cloaked him.
Who in their right mind would bait false-fact charges on themselves just to drag the texter to court?
“Cover my lawyer fees.”
“Wh-what...?”
“Then I won’t make an enemy of you. Never planned to. I’ll limit the hired counsel to paperwork on this case—won’t run up much bill.”
“Ha... unbelievable.”
“Unbelievable?”
Kang Hyun’s gaze turned razor-sharp.
Gong staggered back, face ashen.
“Let me spell it out. Justice Ministry Vice Minister Gong Hyun-jeong.”
“...”
“I can’t stand by while you meddle at Korea University like this, but I’ll call it harmony and let it slide. So stick to your role. Your station.”
“...H-how dare you...”
“Listen up.”
Step. Step.
“Break one of my fingers? I snap both arms and legs. Break my limbs? I wreck the whole body. Crystal clear—so choose your next moves wisely.”
He shoved his face inches from hers. Overwhelmed, she could barely breathe, let alone glare.
“Then I’m out.”
Kang Hyun whipped around, shouldered the door open, and stormed from the conference room.
Bang!
Gong Hyun-jeong, pallid as a ghost, could only stare at the creaking door in numb silence.