Action and Reaction
After a dynamic lunch break, it was fifth period: science class.
Throughout the lesson, Go Chang-ho kept stealing glances at Chul-jun, who was sitting in the very front row.
Once this class ended, they would head to the counseling office to hear the full story. However, Chang-ho already knew that Chul-jun hadn't intentionally hit Gayoung.
While Si-woo and Arin had consistently and clearly stated that it wasn't Chul-jun's fault, Gayoung's friends had been evasive and contradictory. It was painfully obvious they were trying to align their stories on the fly.
Even so, the fact remained that Gayoung had collided with Chul-jun and gotten hurt.
Even if it felt unfair, the easiest way to resolve this without letting it blow up was to offer a proper apology and write a formal apology letter.
That was why Chang-ho planned to persuade Chul-jun before they met with Ms. Lee Hyun-ja after class.
But as he observed Chul-jun's expression throughout the lesson, his worries only grew.
The boy was clearly not focusing on the class. He was furrowing his brow, scrunching his nose, and pouting, looking thoroughly displeased.
How is that brilliant child processing this situation?
Judging by his face, he feels deeply wronged...
Chang-ho worried that this incident might cause Chul-jun to develop a resentment toward school.
Sighing inwardly, Chang-ho continued his lecture.
"Alright, I just explained how heated air moves, right? We can use that property to build hot air balloons. Now, when you think of a hot air balloon, what comes to mind?"
He pulled a balloon from his pocket.
He blew it up until it was large.
"When I hold the neck like this, nothing happens. But what if I let go?"
When Chang-ho released the balloon, the air rushed out, sending it flying in the opposite direction.
"Oh? Why did the balloon fly away?"
One student, who had already studied ahead, chuckled and muttered, "Action and reaction."
"Exactly! Action and reaction. You'll learn about this in middle school—it's Newton's third law. The two forces are always equal in magnitude. By that principle, as the air escapes, the balloon flies..."
Chang-ho often made these connections to things outside the textbook during his lessons.
He hoped they would subconsciously stick in the children's minds.
"Air that is heated rises, and when it cools, it sinks. But we can also move objects using the force of air expanding and expelling outward due to heat..."
Chang-ho tilted his head as he noticed Chul-jun suddenly scribbling something in his textbook.
He walked slowly over to Chul-jun's side and stole a glance at what he was writing.
F₁₂ = -F₂₁
Chang-ho's eyebrow twitched.
Action and reaction?
A = Me
B = Gayoung
C = Arin
A ∩ B = ∅
Set theory? No intersection?
C ⊂ A
C ∩ B ≠ ∅
Variables?
F_BA = -F_AB
F_BA → B
∴ Victim = B
Combining action-reaction with set theory...?
It was an attempt to derive a conclusion by forcing physics and mathematics together.
"So, we can move... I mean, when an object moves..."
After seeing Chul-jun's notes, Chang-ho began to stammer without realizing it.
What on earth is he writing in a fifth-grade science textbook?
Chang-ho swallowed hard.
Chul-jun was trying to mathematically comprehend his current, incomprehensible situation.
Set C overlapped with Set B. The moment I moved toward C, an intersection with B was created. Within that intersection, B exerted a force on me, and that force was returned to B. I never exerted any force, did I? But because I created that intersection, am I being viewed as the cause?
He had learned about Newton's third law while resolving a question about cars earlier.
It was related to technology where the suspension reduces the reaction force when tires pass over bumps. In any case, action and reaction were strictly a one-to-one relationship.
The law dictated that they were always equal in magnitude, only opposite in direction...
I only used words. But Gayoung was the one who tried to push me, and when I bowed my head to apologize, she came and collided with me. The action was 1, but it returned as 2, and that force was applied back to Gayoung herself. Is that my fault? Isn't it Gayoung's fault for mapping 1 to 2?
Something had occurred that could not be explained by either the laws of physics or mathematics.
An action-reaction occurred within the intersection. The one who exerted the force was Gayoung, and the one who got hurt was also Gayoung. But because I created the intersection, does that make me the perpetrator?
The more he thought about it, the less logical sense it made.
He absolutely detested that.
He knew this wasn't a problem that could be solved with calculations, but the feeling of being wronged was so foreign to Chul-jun that it left him deeply confused.
He simply wanted to understand the situation by substituting variables.
He could apologize for his initial blunt comment about Gayoung's appearance.
To be fair, his intention to offend her had been clear.
However, he could not apologize for her slamming her own face into his head.
That was absolutely not his fault.
In fact, shouldn't I be the one receiving an apology?
After all, Gayoung had struck his head with her face.
He couldn't understand it at all.
So when her homeroom teacher told him to apologize for hitting her earlier, he had refused.
Because of that, the situation had escalated.
Even though her nosebleed had stopped on the way to the nurse's office, Gayoung had gone to the hospital, and her homeroom teacher had apparently called his uncle.
Chul-jun was fully aware that he was currently in an unfavorable position.
He also knew the fastest way to resolve this situation.
An apology letter and a sincere apology.
Chul-jun pouted.
He didn't want to do that.
Doing so would mean admitting he had actually hit her.
Besides, he knew too little.
He had heard the term "School Violence Committee" for the first time today, and he knew almost nothing about South Korean law.
It bothered him that he hadn't been able to give a proper response.
I need to study law too.
Above all, he disliked the authoritarian tone of Gayoung's homeroom teacher.
It was his first time encountering an adult who commanded rather than persuaded, using completely illogical arguments.
Chul-jun knew that adults weren't perfect.
But that teacher was being completely unreasonable simply because Gayoung was the one who got hurt.
This sparked a sense of defiance in him.
He wanted to prove that he wasn't wrong.
If he took the easy way out by apologizing for something he didn't do, he felt like he would have to live his life accepting that as the correct path.
Just the thought of that was utterly unacceptable.
After furrowing his brow throughout the fifth period, Chul-jun finally pouted and finished sorting through his cluttered thoughts.
He wasn't entirely sure if this was the right approach, but he had firmly decided how he would handle it.
Chul-jun recalled a phrase the other kids often used.
Time to shift gears!
It was just before the bell rang to signal the end of class.
"I don't think you realize how serious this situation is. How could you make a girl's nose bleed..."
Gayoung's homeroom teacher was repeating the exact same words she had said earlier.
Chul-jun admired the wood grain patterns on the counseling room desk, letting her useless words drift past him.
"First, write an apology letter, and then apologize to Gayoung tomorrow to wrap this up. If you do that, Gayoung's parents won't say anything more. I don't understand why you're being so stubborn. Even if it was an accident, she got hurt because of you. Do you know what 'bodily harm through negligence' means? Legally speaking..."
At that moment, Go Chang-ho intervened.
"Ms. Lee. You said you would gently guide him. Right now, you're threatening him."
"Sigh... Mr. Go. I'm saying this to end things amicably."
"Is it appropriate to bring up 'bodily harm through negligence' to a fifth grader? That's a conversation for adults."
"But the boy doesn't seem to understand his situation at all! He isn't even answering properly."
"Still, please watch your language."
Frowning, Lee Hyun-ja spoke again.
"Anyway, Chul-jun? If you keep being this stubborn and a School Violence Committee is convened..."
Chul-jun, who had been staring intently at the desk, twitched an eyebrow.
He had listened carefully, and it was exactly as he expected.
Negligence. School Violence Committee.
There was no logic here—only authority and threats.
Chul-jun raised his head.
Then, with an innocent face, he spoke.
"Teacher!"
"Yes?"
"Can only the victim request a School Violence Committee?"
"...Huh? Yes, that's right."
"If Gayoung struck my head with her face, wouldn't that make me the victim?"
"What?"
"There are five witnesses in total. Three of them pointed to me as the perpetrator, and two said otherwise. Are witness statements usually decided by a majority vote?"
"That..."
Chul-jun stared straight at Lee Hyun-ja.
At first, her eyes widened.
Then, her brow furrowed.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Her ears flushed red, and her lips trembled slightly.
She then stared blankly at Go Chang-ho.
But Go Chang-ho was in no position to help her.
His own homeroom teacher was simply blinking his widened eyes in astonishment.
In any case, Chul-jun remained polite.
After all, he was asking out of pure curiosity.
"Teacher, what happens if the witnesses change their statements later? In that case, what kind of responsibility falls on the adult who forced an apology without properly understanding the situation?"
"Y-You, right now..."
Chul-jun blinked his round eyes innocently.
"Oh, are you angry? I was just curious..."
"Hey!"
"Yes?"
Go Chang-ho bit back a laugh and shook his head.
"If that teacher answers all of my questions, I'll write the apology letter and apologize."
That was what Chul-jun had said before coming to the counseling room.
Chang-ho had wondered what the boy was planning to ask, and indeed...
In truth, Lee Hyun-ja was quite experienced.
She was usually good at handling children.
Since she had always resolved situations easily by pressuring children with things they feared, this must be her first time facing such a response.
Go Chang-ho looked at Lee Hyun-ja, whose face was burning red.
He felt it was time for him to step in.
"Ms. Lee. I think we should convene the School Violence Committee."
"...What?"
"Since Chul-jun is raising these points..."
"..."
"We should clarify the facts. You claim Gayoung's words are absolutely true, right? Well, I believe Chul-jun. I think we need to listen to the children's statements again tomorrow and make a proper judgment."
Lee Hyun-ja's eyes wavered.
To be honest, she wasn't entirely certain.
Children often made up stories that favored themselves.
Yet, the bold child sitting before her looked absolutely certain.
Now that she thought about it, the attitude of Gayoung's friends earlier did seem a bit suspicious.
If they actually went to the School Violence Committee, would the kids who took Gayoung's side today be able to maintain their stories?
She couldn't be sure of that either.
What if they had made up the story just to back up their friend?
It was best for her to back out at this point.
She was furious, but continuing this conversation would only make her look foolish.
Since it had come to this, Gayoung's parents would handle it themselves anyway.
She had done all she could.
"Sigh... Fine. So, you're saying you won't apologize?"
"Yes. No matter how much I think about it, I didn't do anything wrong."
"Ha..."
How is this little kid so incredibly articulate?
Lee Hyun-ja shook her head and continued.
"Fine. I understand. But this is going to escalate."
She stared intently at Chul-jun.
"Thanks to you, your guardian is going to have a hard time. This is going to turn into a fight between adults."
Go Chang-ho's eyebrow twitched.
She had used the term "guardian" instead of "parents."
She had looked into Chul-jun's background in the meantime.
She knew he was an orphan.
Chang-ho found himself gritting his teeth.
If Lee Hyun-ja simply explained to Gayoung's parents that there had been a misunderstanding, the issue wouldn't escalate. Yet, she was acting out of spite just to avoid taking any blame.
Unable to hold back any longer, Go Chang-ho was about to speak when—
"It's fine."
"...What?"
"My uncle has plenty of time."
Chul-jun grinned.
His dad had told him.
That his uncle was someone he could rely on completely without ever having to walk on eggshells.
As for the legal aspects, he could contact Uncle Seok-hyun later, and the legal fees could be deducted from his notarized funds.
Chul-jun had thought things through to this extent.
"If you let unfair situations slide, it becomes a habit. Stand up when you need to. And once you start, make sure you see it through to the end."
Recalling his father Jaegang's advice, Chul-jun had steeled his resolve.
This was the first conflict he had been embroiled in since coming to South Korea.
He felt an unprecedented sense of solemn determination.
Just then, there was a knock on the counseling room door.
The door opened.
It was the homeroom teacher of Class 1.
"Uh, Ms. Lee."
"Yes?"
"We just received a call from the Kang Seok-hyun Law Firm requesting cooperation regarding today's incident..."
Chul-jun blinked his round eyes.
Huh?
I haven't even asked him yet.
"The patent lawsuit involving Daehyun Group seems to be wrapping up like this. The high-ranking Chinese officials involved are also feeling pressured by the growing conflict in the US, so if Huamein loses this lawsuit, they will likely back down. Daehyun Group believes this is more than enough..."
"Good work. It wrapped up much more cleanly than I expected."
"Not at all. It ended easily because your strategy of pressuring the Chinese side worked perfectly, Representative."
"No, credit goes to your skills, Attorney Yoon. Well done."
"Thank you."
Kang Seok-hyun closed the file, cocked an eyebrow, and stared at his associate attorney, Yoon Dae-sung.
"What happened with the matter we discussed earlier?"
Attorney Yoon Dae-sung shrugged.
"We requested cooperation from the school and informed the other parent of our intention to take active legal action."
"That was fast."
"Back when I was a partner at Jang & Jang, I did my fair share of cleaning up after the children of high society."
"I heard the opposing parent is a lawyer?"
"They only handle minor divorce consultations or bankruptcy cases."
"So, what did they say?"
"Well, before I revealed my identity and just explained the outline of the incident, they were making a huge fuss, demanding an immediate apology. But the moment I mentioned our firm's name and told them to speak directly with us from now on, their attitude completely flipped. They suggested we just forget about the apology and let it slide amicably..."
Kang Seok-hyun chuckled.
"Amicably? She tripped on her own and struck our kid's head with her face. Who should be apologizing to whom? If they can't grasp the reality of the situation, tell them we're prepared to take this all the way to court."
Attorney Yoon Dae-sung tilted his head.
"Do you really want to go that far? We could just leave it at this..."
Kang Seok-hyun narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Attorney Yoon."
"Yes?"
"If your own son were put in such an unfair position, what would you do?"
Attorney Yoon Dae-sung wiped the smile from his face and spoke.
"I would use every single resource at my disposal to crush them."
Kang Seok-hyun grinned.
"Exactly."
"Yes, sir."
There were tiers even among lawyers.
When it came to disputes involving Chinese corporations, even the top three law firms in South Korea sought counsel from this office.
If the opposing parents were lawyers, they would undoubtedly have heard the name Kang Seok-hyun. There could be no greater pressure than that.
"Go and contact them again."
"Yes, sir!"
Kang Seok-hyun smiled with satisfaction.
He looked forward to puffing his chest out a bit the next time he saw Chul-jun.
Incheon International Airport was buzzing with reporters.
It was the day K-Max, the K-pop idol group that had shattered the record for the highest total audience for a single European tour, was returning to the country.
Before passing through the arrival gate, the members of K-Max came to a halt.
They turned toward Director Choi Yeon-mi, who was walking over with clicking heels.
Yeon-mi stopped and swept her gaze over the members.
The members bowed in unison.
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Yeon-mi chuckled softly and spoke.
"Yes, you all did great. Don't let it get to your heads and slack off. It only takes a single mistake to ruin your life in an instant."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Alright, I'll see you at the company later. Come out five minutes after I leave."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Yeon-mi walked toward the gate first.
She absolutely detested being caught in the background of reporters' cameras.
As the arrival gate opened, Yeon-mi offered a graceful smile and waved, prompting flashes to erupt from all directions.
Once dubbed the "Nation's Fairy," she had transitioned into acting and was treated like a state guest in China, standing at the very center of Hallyu stars. Now, as the major shareholder of Playground Music, she had personally raised K-Max, the group rewriting K-pop history. Choi Yeon-mi walked out with elegant, clicking steps.
Basking fully in the shower of camera flashes.