Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: 1. Evil's Regression (4)
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Park Min-cheol incident.
In his previous life, Kim Hyun-seong spent hellish days after that incident.
Every day, he was dragged off by Park Min-cheol's gang and beaten to a pulp, and even after school, their errands like fetching games kept him from sleeping. There was no way to describe it other than hell. Kim Hyun-seong somehow endured it all, but he eventually decided he couldn't continue his studies like this.
He went to see his teacher.
He knew it wasn't the best solution, but he thought he needed an adult's help right now.
But.
"Yeah, so that happened?"
Kim Young-cheol's reaction was indifferent.
He didn't ask for details about Kim Hyun-seong's situation and half-listened with a disinterested attitude. If it had ended there, Kim Hyun-seong wouldn't have resented his homeroom teacher. But seeing Kim Hyun-seong speak in a desperate voice about his plight, Kim Young-cheol did something he absolutely shouldn't have, claiming it would solve the problem.
"Hey, Park Min-cheol. Is what Hyun-seong said true?"
"Come on, sir. Why would I bully a friend like that? I was just messing around, but since I'm a bit big, Hyun-seong probably thinks it's bullying."
"You punk. Whatever it is, don't bully your friends. No reason for classmates to turn against each other. Got it, the rest of you?"
"Yes."
"Loyalty, we'll keep it in mind!"
Kim Young-cheol and Park Min-cheol's gang.
For Kim Hyun-seong, this was a life-or-death serious matter, but they laughed and joked it off, resolving the issue without the victim. As Kim Hyun-seong left the teachers' office, he couldn't stop his trembling hands. He knew what was coming next, and sure enough, as soon as they exited, Park Min-cheol's face twisted viciously.
"Follow me."
"You idiot. You thought snitching to the teacher would fix everything?"
He was dragged away.
To the incinerator area, a spot used by school bullies. There, Kim Hyun-seong was beaten insanely as payback for tattling to the homeroom teacher that day. Normally, they'd stop when blood flowed, but even as his nose bled and his face swelled, they kept slapping him and tripping him. Not satisfied, they stomped on his face. Kim Hyun-seong gritted his teeth, curled up, and endured desperately.
It was unfair.
He was furious.
How had he ended up like this?
And shouldn't a teacher sincerely resolve a student's troubles—that was their role, right?
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
"Die!"
"I'll really kill you today."
That was when it happened.
As Kim Hyun-seong struggled to shield his face, he happened to glance at a school building window.
Beyond the window.
There was a familiar face.
It was definitely Kim Young-cheol. Knowing his homeroom teacher had witnessed him getting beaten made Kim Hyun-seong want to shout for joy. It couldn't be dismissed as friends joking around now. With clear evidence, the bulldozer-like Kim Young-cheol would surely impose harsh punishment.
At that moment.
He turned away smoothly.
Even though he'd clearly seen it, he slipped back inside the building as if it had nothing to do with him.
Kim Hyun-seong couldn't believe it.
He wanted to deny reality.
He learned later.
Kim Young-cheol was trash who took bribes from parents, and Jeong Min-ho's parents—one of Park Min-cheol's gang—were his money source. He never intended to solve Kim Hyun-seong's problem from the start.
* * *
Kim Young-cheol's eyes twitched.
Fearing other teachers had heard Kim Hyun-seong's exposé, he hurriedly scanned the surroundings.
Fortunately, no one was watching.
Letting out a silent sigh of relief, Kim Young-cheol glared at Kim Hyun-seong murderously, his face contorted.
"You little shit, spouting nonsense..."
"Teacher."
Kim Hyun-seong cut him off.
Having anticipated the reaction, Kim Hyun-seong spoke in a calm, composed voice.
"From now on, think carefully before you speak to me. You were introduced to Jeong Min-ho's parents through a college senior, right? You've been looking out for him since before enrollment, getting backdoor payments monthly. And with three kids, you're cheating with the married English teacher, using M Motel often. Want me to say more? Teacher, you've lived filthily. This isn't even all your dirt—if I dig everything up, school life will be tough for you from now on."
Creak.
He leaned back in his chair.
Spitting out the blood pooled in his mouth, he looked up at the stunned Kim Young-cheol.
"Don't dismiss it as nonsense. Depending on how you act, I could ruin your life, even if it means quitting this school."
"......"
He was speechless.
He had no idea how Kim Hyun-seong knew.
In his previous life.
When Kim Hyun-seong reached his senior year, Kim Young-cheol's scandals all came out, and his wife slapped him in front of the school before they divorced. Turns out, Kim Young-cheol's wife came from a good family. All his assets were hers, so in his previous life, he feared exposure desperately.
Thus.
The blackmail worked.
His shaking eyes proved it. After a brief silence, Kim Young-cheol forced his mouth open.
"...What do you want me to do?"
He grasped the situation roughly.
Realizing messing with Kim Hyun-seong could spell disaster, even bulldozer Kim Young-cheol backed down.
Kim Hyun-seong smiled.
"Simple. To shut my mouth, keep living like you always have."
"What does that..."
"Keep living like trash. Ignore student issues, cover up wrongs even knowing they're wrong. Just change the target. From now on, do a lot for me. Block this from becoming an incident by any means, and I won't touch your secrets until graduation day."
He leaned forward.
To the anxious Kim Young-cheol, fearing other teachers might hear, he said louder and clearer.
"Got the meaning?"
* * *
He left the teachers' office.
Walking the hallway, Kim Hyun-seong recalled Kim Young-cheol's final look.
"...I'll try for now."
A face of despair.
A forced voice.
Kim Young-cheol had knelt to reality.
Even though it was just some student blackmailing him, he had no way to resist. Having sent Park Min-cheol's gang to the hospital, Kim Hyun-seong proved his resolve. Knowing touching this viper would mean mutual destruction, Kim Young-cheol—who had a stable life—could only fear.
In his previous life.
After Kim Young-cheol's scandal, Kim Hyun-seong tried solving it alone.
He confronted Park Min-cheol's gang head-on.
Knowing he couldn't win fights, he swung fists to escape hellish reality.
Especially that day was intense.
He knocked down Park Min-cheol and broke Jeong Min-ho's nose, but Kang Chang-seok fireman's-carried him, landing Kim Hyun-seong in the hospital. It was clearly mutual combat. It should have been about the gang's bullying, but post-incident reality was brutally harsh for Kim Hyun-seong.
"Hyun-seong started it."
"Is this even fair? My precious child's nose is broken."
"We can't let this slide."
Park Min-cheol's gang playing victim.
And adults intervening.
The situation flipped.
Orphaned Kim Hyun-seong couldn't fight it, and welfare grandma couldn't handle the luxury-clad moms' booming voices. She bowed her head. Facing threats to crush Kim Hyun-seong's life, even fiery grandma had to bow.
The School Violence Committee convened.
Result: Kim Hyun-seong's discipline.
As Park Min-cheol's gang continued school life unscathed, vegetative-state Kim Hyun-seong thought belatedly.
If.
He could turn back time.
To revenge Park Min-cheol's gang, raw strength alone wasn't enough.
He needed to perfectly handle adult interference too—for true revenge.
Kim Young-cheol.
He was just the first card planned.
Arriving at his destination, Kim Hyun-seong set aside cluttering thoughts.
First things first.
Creak.
Thud.
He opened the door.
Class 1-8's door swung wide; students stared at Kim Hyun-seong in shock.
And among them.
"Jeong Min-ho. Finish what you started."
Gang member Jeong Min-ho froze, face pale.
* * *
While Kim Hyun-seong was called to the teachers' office.
Jeong Min-ho raged as if he'd never been scared.
"That fucking psycho's lost it. I'll tear him apart when he gets back."
Bang!
He kicked a desk upon entering class.
His classmates couldn't dare speak amid his fury.
Jeong Min-ho knew the score.
With Kim Young-cheol tight with his mom via bribes, he wouldn't let Kim Hyun-seong—who pulped three friends—off easy. Expulsion at minimum. No more seeing Kim Hyun-seong, no fight worries.
He'd been scared honestly.
But fearing classmates saw, he overacted.
"Argh, fuck!"
Bang!
Crash!
He trashed the surroundings.
Kicking desks, flipping chairs— the lively classroom fell silent like doused in cold water. Exactly what Jeong Min-ho wanted. He had to be the predator here. He couldn't tolerate his status plummeting over some Kim Hyun-seong.
Thud.
He sat.
Swallowed his rage.
Back then, he really thought he'd smash Kim Hyun-seong if they met again.
But.
Thwack!
"Guhk."
His head snapped.
Jeong Min-ho took Kim Hyun-seong's charging punch without resisting. Spotting him froze his body. He was decent at fights—should've reacted—but Kim Hyun-seong returning from the office looked ghostly.
Natural predator.
Mouse before a cat.
Fallen Jeong Min-ho looked up to see a knee filling his view.
Crack!
"Gh."
His vision spun.
He lost awareness after.
His face yanked powerlessly, then cheeks slapped repeatedly as he sat crumpled.
Slap!
Slap, slap, slap!
Blood sprayed.
Face mangled.
The raging Jeong Min-ho vanished; he wanted to beg like a dog. Kim Hyun-seong was a real psycho. Desperately writhing to survive, Jeong Min-ho spotted a familiar face beyond the classroom window.
'Bulldozer!'
Kim Young-cheol.
Hope surged.
Bribe-taking Kim Young-cheol wouldn't watch him get beaten idly.
But.
"...Fuck."
Kim Young-cheol grimaced.
Eyes met, yet he averted gaze like blind, turned away.
A despairing voice pierced his ear.
"Don't expect any help. No one in this school will ever help you."
Then he knew.
Something was wrong.
As Kim Hyun-seong's palm filled his sight, Jeong Min-ho squeezed eyes shut.
Slap-!