Ch 81
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 81
After the graduation ceremony ended, I approached Se-jin together with the kids.
While presenting her with a bouquet and congratulating her, Se-jin's mother who had accompanied us to London and her soldier brother whom we met in Jeju Island during summer vacation were there, but that bastard Kim Dae-chan was nowhere to be seen.
He went as far as kicking her out of the house, so it seems he didn't even come to the graduation ceremony.
Her mother thanked us and said she would treat everyone to a meal, so we all ate together at a nearby Chinese restaurant.
After the meal, her mother and brother went home first, and Se-jin said the kids were pestering her to show them around the building, so she was going to Gangnam with the kids and then meet friends in the evening.
"Teacher, are you really not coming with us?"
"Teacher has plans, I told you. What's there to see by going sightseeing?"
"Sister said she'd buy us clothes at the clothing store in the building."
"Senior said she'd buy me shoes."
"Se-jin, you can't spend money so freely just because you have a lot."
"We didn't ask her to buy them for us first."
"Everyone took time out of their vacation to come congratulate me, so I'm grateful. Oh, of course you too, Teacher. Should I buy something for you too, Teacher?"
"No need. Don't bother Se-jin too much, you guys, just look around moderately and go."
"Yes."
"Teacher, don't forget we're going to the ski resort together next Wednesday."
"It's almost mid-February now, is there even snow? It hasn't snowed lately."
"Seoul maybe, but Gangwon Province got a lot."
"That's right. They say it snows there even in March."
"The website said they're operating until the end of February."
I tried to find a way out, but it's no use.
"Got it. Everyone, be careful going."
I parted with the kids and got in the car.
The destination is school.
On the way here, I saw cars parked densely even outside the school earlier, but now there are only a few cars.
I parked and headed to the middle school building, not the dormitory.
It's my first time at the middle school, but fortunately the structure isn't much different from the high school, so I could find the administrative office right away without getting lost.
When I opened the door and entered, the administrative office was completely identical to the high school's.
"How may I help... Oh? Aren't you Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok?"
Since I've been in the media so much, they recognized me at a glance, so I gave a simple greeting and said I came to make a donation.
"A donation?"
"Yes. Since Se-jin donated to the high school, I thought it would be good if I donated to the middle school."
A good idea occurred to me after seeing Se-jin receive an award for her donation earlier.
I possessed this body 2 years before the original story began, and now 1 year has passed, so the protagonists are still middle school students this year.
While it's possible to rotate between high school and middle school duties, new teachers with less than 2 years can't apply.
Therefore, I'd have to wait another year to meet the protagonist, but there's a way for me to approach first.
Of course, Lee Ji-sung will be possessed and his core will change at the high school entrance ceremony a year later, so building a relationship beforehand would be completely meaningless.
But the other protagonist, Kim Do-hyun, has been a person of this world from the beginning.
As it happens, Kim Do-hyun's family situation is very poor, unlike Lee Ji-sung who's a third-generation chaebol.
His father died when he was young, so his mother is raising Ji-sung and his younger sibling alone as a single-parent household, and when his father died, he left behind quite a lot of debt.
Originally, even family members don't have to take over a dead person's debts through limited acceptance or inheritance refusal, but in the original work, the protagonist's mother didn't know about such things and ended up taking it all on.
Of course, Kim Do-hyun will also be well off later since he's as active as Lee Ji-sung, but right now he's poor.
"Usually the director handles donation work directly, but today the director took annual leave and didn't come to work..."
'Just my luck, going on the wrong day.'
"Supervisor Shim, I helped the director with this before, so I think I can do it. I have the forms too."
"Really? Then Supervisor Yeon will help you."
I thought I'd have to come back another time, but fortunately not.
"Please sit here. I'll print out the donation form right away."
"Yes."
"Um, would you like a drink? We have coffee, green tea and black tea too."
"Anything is fine. Thank you."
After waiting briefly, they brought green tea and even cookies that weren't mentioned before.
It's my first time donating, so it's my first time writing a donation form, but they explained it very thoroughly so I could fill it out quickly.
"I've finished writing it."
I wrote 500 million for the amount, and for usage, I wrote the same as Se-jin - to support students from poor family backgrounds with school supplies and other materials needed for classes, and to support cases where personal expenses occur like training camps and school trips.
"Um, excuse me... Did you write the amount correctly?"
Is it too little?
Student Se-jin also donated 2 billion, so I think it might be a bit little, but 500 million is definitely not a small amount of money...
I think it's a bit much.
"Besides donations, I'm also thinking of helping students who need personal help..."
"Yes? Um, I think you misunderstood... I didn't mean it was too little, but it's such a large amount that I asked again."
"Ah, this much is fine. Then should I transfer the money now?"
"Yes? Oh, yes."
I immediately sent the money through the bank app.
"I've sent it."
"Yes. Just a moment. Oh, it's confirmed. I'll issue the donation receipt right away."
"I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you send it by fax?"
I remembered that when I contracted with a tax office for tax processing when buying a building, the tax accountant told me to definitely send receipts for things like donations.
"Yes. It's no trouble at all."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I think your heart for thinking of students is really wonderful."
Maybe it's because I'm a donor, but the administrative office teachers here seem as kind as our school's administrative office teachers.
"Um, and as I mentioned earlier, I'd like to help students with difficult family situations personally... Could I get some help?"
"Personal help, what kind..."
"I heard briefly from an acquaintance who works at the middle school that there's a student named Kim Do-hyun who has good class attitude and grades but a very poor family environment... Could I get that student's parents' contact information or address?"
"Ah... That's, since that's personal information, it's a bit difficult..."
Personal information... Ah, I didn't think of that at all.
Damn, I even made a donation but it's all for nothing?
"As it happens, that student also learns swordsmanship, so with no other intention, I genuinely want to help... Isn't there any way?"
"Then could you give us your contact information?"
"My contact information?"
"We can't tell you directly, but we could call Kim Do-hyun's mother, explain the situation, and if she's okay with it, ask her to contact Teacher Kang at your phone number."
Thinking it's fortunate, I gave them my number and left the administrative office.
I hope they contact me soon.
***
"Mi-jeong, the team leader said to come to the office?"
"The team leader? Do you know why...?"
"How would I know? He didn't look happy, anyway I've delivered the message."
I changed clothes and went up to the office, where the team leader was frowning.
"Ms. Yoon Mi-jeong. We got a complaint from the building you cleaned today."
"Yes? What kind of complaint..."
"Are you pretending now? Mrs. Park saw it too, Mi-jeong arguing with a woman in the women's restroom during the day."
"Um... That was because some young lady fell by herself but kept insisting she fell because it was slippery from my cleaning..."
"No, Mi-jeong, when someone falls, shouldn't you check if they're okay first? And even if the person who fell is being a bit unreasonable, you just apologize and move on. You're old enough to know better."
"I'm really wronged. At that time, I hadn't even started floor cleaning yet and was sorting recyclables, but she kept saying it was because of me and even cursed, so I just told her not to..."
"So now you're saying you did nothing wrong? Sigh... Mi-jeong, do you know who that woman was? The building owner's daughter."
"I, I didn't know."
"Today the building owner called saying his daughter fell but there wasn't a single word asking if she was okay, just staring blankly and not even apologizing, asking if we employ such rude staff and threatening to change companies. How are you going to take responsibility?"
"I'm... I'm sorry."
"Sorry my ass, how are you going to take responsibility?"
"I'll go and apologize..."
"SCOFF, where are you going to go and how will you meet them? Do you think people like that will even meet someone like you? Forget it, just don't come to work from tomorrow."
"No, Team Leader..."
"If I don't fire Mi-jeong, they'll change companies, so I have no choice. What you worked for will go into next month's pay, so know that and just leave."
"T-Team Leader, please overlook it just once. I'll make sure nothing like this happens again..."
"Why are you being like this? I said I have no choice either. Hurry up and leave. I need to get off work."
Even though I knelt down and begged, the team leader sighed deeply and left the office.
I'm really wronged.
I found this job with such difficulty too, and now I don't know how I'll find work again. I feel like I'm going to cry.
The kids are growing up and I haven't even paid back half the debt...
THUD!
"Ah, Mi-jeong... Really, doing this here won't change anything, you know? You know our company is a small business too. Hurry up and leave."
The door opened and the team leader came back in, so I had hopes for a moment...
"Yes... I understand."
I packed my things and headed to the bus stop.
There's no point thinking about it and it only weakens my heart, so I tried not to think about it, but I remember my husband who left first.
If he was going to leave so emptily with just debt, he shouldn't have said he'd take responsibility for everything.
If I hadn't dropped out after giving birth to Do-hyun and had at least finished college, things would be better than now...
"Lady, if you're not getting on, move aside."
"Ah, I'm sorry."
I sat on the bus seat and was about to enter a job search site when my phone rang.
"Yes, Yeon-ji."
—Mom, I'm home, when are you coming?
"Mom just got on the bus. Where's your brother? He's not home?"
—No. Brother's not here.
"Okay. I'll arrive in about an hour and a half, so watch the house well."
—Okay, come quickly.
I can't have weak thoughts even for the kids' sake...
I was about to access the job search site when I felt a vibration in my pocket again.
"Yeon-ji, Mom already got on the bus."
—Um, is this Kim Do-hyun's mother's number by any chance?
I answered without checking, thinking Yeon-ji called again, but now I see it's an unknown number.
"You've mistaken me for someone else. Yes, that's correct. Where are you calling from?"
—I'm Yeon Ji-hye working at the administrative office of 1st Hunter School Middle School where your son is attending. Could we talk for a moment?
"The school? Yes, that's fine. What is this about?"
—It's nothing serious, but there's a teacher named Kang Shin-hyeok in our school's high school division, and he inquired about personally helping Do-hyun, asking for Do-hyun's address or the parent's phone number.
"Our Do-hyun is a middle schooler, but why would a high school teacher... Is this voice phishing?"
—Oh, ma'am, it's not that. If you're worried, you can call the administrative office number on the school homepage to confirm.
Saying something like this, it doesn't seem like voice phishing...
"I'm sorry for being suspicious."
—It's okay. I should have explained in more detail from the beginning, I'm sorry. Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok has a junior colleague working at our school and heard about Do-hyun from that junior.
"Ah... I see."
—But now legally, home addresses and parents' phone numbers are personal information, so we can't tell you directly from our side, that's why I called you, ma'am.
"Ah, yes. Um, but what kind of help...?"
—Well, I'm not the person himself so I don't know the details, but I think it would help you and Do-hyun, and definitely won't harm you. Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok is a good person. He was also the instructor for Se-jin who won WHCU this time and was often on the news. Haven't you heard the name?
"I don't watch TV much..."
—Ah... There were many articles too, they'll come up right away if you search on the portal. Today he donated 500 million to our middle school. He cares a lot about students and is capable and rich and very handsome... Oh, I talked too long. How about it, would you like to have a phone call?
"Um... So are you transferring me right now?"
—No. Teacher Kang isn't here and we got Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok's number. We could tell you, or if you feel a bit awkward calling first, we could give Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok your number. How should we do it?
"Um, then please tell me that Kang Shin-hyeok person's number and I'll call."
—Yes. Then I'll send a text to the number you're calling from now.
"Yes. Thank you."
I hung up and received a text shortly after.
I said I'd contact him directly, but honestly I'm worried if it's really okay to do so.
Of course, it's not because of pride or anything.
I threw away all such feelings when I was left with the kids.
The school staff said Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok who's going to help is really a good person, but I can't understand why someone would help us when we've never met, just because he heard about our difficult situation from a junior colleague.
Actually, after the kids' father passed away, quite a few people approached saying they'd help.
At first, they all approached saying they purely wanted to help, but they all had other thoughts.
My husband's relatives who told me to depend on them cut off contact telling me not to visit after they found out the debt my husband left was much more than the insurance money.
A friend who even came to the funeral also visited the house several times after the funeral, bringing fruit and chicken and even playing with the kids, so I thought really well of him, but not long after, he suggested I send the kids to an orphanage and live with him.
Through such experiences, I realized.
That pure goodwill doesn't exist in this world.
I worried for nearly an hour until I got home and finally entered the number and saved it.
[Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok 010-6XXX-8XXX]
This person might also have other intentions like the people I experienced before, but having lost my job, thinking of the kids, I can't not even try.
With the feeling of grasping at straws, I pressed the call button.