Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Two Suckers
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Jin-hyuk sat alone in the principal's office.
He had no idea how to handle such an unsavory incident at school, nor any experience with it, so he had no choice but to follow orders.
'They never taught me what to do in a situation like this.'
No one had ever taught him. School violence was something he'd only seen on the news. He never dreamed he'd be involved. Jin-hyuk was just an ordinary person, after all.
He couldn't exactly go to the police station and turn himself in, and there wasn't even a police station in Taeyang-gun anyway. As far as he remembered, there were only two police substations in the township. The maritime police existed, but this wasn't their jurisdiction.
The war on crime was a city problem.
With security forces so short-staffed that the volunteer patrols handled all night watch duties, it was practically an island without the road connecting to the neighboring city. Taking advantage of that, murderers and violent criminals disguised themselves as seafarers to hide out, making some fishing villages tense with unrest. On the flip side, gang members fleeing arrests would flow in, temporarily boosting the villages with able-bodied workers.
In any case, Jin-hyuk felt deeply uncomfortable.
'Should I have held back?'
Was it hormones, or had something gone wrong with his personality after returning to the past?
He recalled Yun Seong-dong, who had barely managed to breathe after spitting out his teeth. With his nose smashed and teeth gone, his garbled words were hard to make out, but Jin-hyuk thought he heard "Dad." Calling for his father at seventeen—he was still just a kid.
'What happens to me now?'
Truthfully, worrying about himself wasn't important. He'd caused trouble, so he had to take responsibility. That's what he'd learned separated adults from kids. His body might be underage, but that was it.
'Still, I won't forgive anyone who insults my family.'
Jin-hyuk clenched his fist tightly.
Despite the chaos, not a single scratch on his knuckles.
Chae Gyu-ho must be worried. And Shin Woo-seong and Lee Seung-hoon—those guys were probably skipping class.
The fact that he was thinking of his friends amid all this made him realize how much he'd changed.
'Will I get expelled?'
He'd never tried the high school equivalency exam, but maybe this was his chance. A flicker of curiosity stirred despite the unease. His heart beat remarkably steadily.
But he couldn't shake the darkening thought of his parents.
'How do I face Mom and Dad?'
He was tugging at his nonexistent hair when—
Dr-r-r—
The door to the principal's office opened, and the vice principal entered.
Jin-hyuk, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood awkwardly and bowed his head.
"Oh, sit. Sit."
The vice principal sat across from him.
His expression was fairly serious, but not dark or angry.
"No injuries?"
"Yes. I'm sorry."
"No. The school bears responsibility for failing to prevent it despite knowing. So, how much did they take from you to set you off like that?"
The vice principal seemed to have misunderstood.
It wasn't about money.
After a brief hesitation, the vice principal nodded as if understanding.
"Those guys kept their mouths so shut, we didn't even get any reports. I, the vice principal, happened to stumble upon it, but we don't have the manpower."
It sounded like he was defending the school, but Jin-hyuk nodded in response. He could understand that much.
Over a thousand students, but absurdly few teachers.
The middle school didn't even have a discipline committee. Even if they did, expecting them to guide anyone was a stretch. They'd be lucky not to just strut around showing off their strength.
"Who threw the first punch matters too. With so few of them, I doubt you provoked it. We need to clarify why the fight started. It'd help if you told me, the vice principal."
That bastard kills Woo-seong twenty years from now! Jin-hyuk swallowed the urge to shout. This wasn't Minority Report; he couldn't say that.
Since the investigation would reveal it anyway, he decided to tell it straight.
"It started when they tried to mark Chae Gyu-ho for collections. He's our class deputy and my desk mate. I went to stop them, and the seniors—"
Jin-hyuk wet his lips briefly.
Even calling them "seniors" made bile rise; his stomach churned.
"I tried to intervene, but they grabbed my clothes like they'd been waiting and dragged me along."
"Hmm... Those punks only learned the bad stuff."
The vice principal's face grew somber.
Confirmation that it matched expectations lingered there too.
"Yun Seong-dong did tap my forehead first. But then he insulted my mom, and I just..."
"Insulted your mom?"
Recalling that moment, Jin-hyuk clamped his teeth. His jaw and cheek muscles bulged.
The vice principal sighed. It seemed like understanding.
"Do you know anyone at the police?"
Jin-hyuk shook his head while watching the vice principal's expression.
The vice principal nodded as if to say "I see," but distrust flickered in his eyes.
To Jin-hyuk, the question itself felt odd. It didn't sound like just asking if he had an acquaintance in the police.
'How would the police even know?'
Rumors spread to the high school classrooms too.
Class 3-7, where Choi Tae-yang was, was no exception.
"Hey, hey! Heard the rumor? Big fight at the middle school!"
"Fight? How many on how many?"
"Man, speak of the devils. Young bucks full of energy!"
"Ah, shoulda gone to watch. Regret not going—past perfect subjunctive!"
"In English, you psycho!"
No era's straight-A students had perfectly sound minds.
Choi Tae-yang and Park Man-su, who had been dozing side by side at their desks, scowled irritably. The classroom had erupted in noise instantly, after all.
Nineteen-year-old athletes got far less rest than their training demanded. Up before dawn to run the track and do hardcore sessions, then attend classes on top.
Undeterred, the nineteen-year-old boys' chatter continued.
"Seven-on-one or eight-on-one."
"One guy? Oof, he must be wrecked."
"Total chaos. One ambulance wasn't enough. Detectives showed up too?"
"One guy and ambulances run short?"
One guy? That's not a fight.
Feeling a stab in his temples, Choi Tae-yang lifted his head.
His brow furrowed sharply.
He called to a friend in a gentle, subtle tone.
"Hey, you there."
"Yeah? Oh—sorry, Tae-yang. Noisy, huh?"
His classmate shrank back at the sight of Choi Tae-yang's bulging biceps, even under his uniform.
As Choi Tae-yang searched for words, Park Man-su spoke up, head heavy as he merely turned sideways, face still on his arm.
"What's the one guy's name?"
"Dunno the name, but middle school first-year..."
Then, another friend shouted like he'd made a huge discovery.
"Son some-thin'!"
Park Man-su patted Choi Tae-yang's shoulder to calm him.
Meaning: ignore it and sleep.
Choi Tae-yang nodded and growled affectionately.
"Hey, ease up on the Seo Taiji. No Shin Seung-hoon?"
Ballads are best for sleeping.
The two giants slumped back down to sleep.
Makes sense the ambulances fell short. He mumbled.
Choi Tae-yang murmured in his sleep.
"Even with seven Park Man-sus, Jin-hyuk wouldn't lose."
"With seven Choi Tae-yangs, possible?"
"Hmm, wrestling-wise... no."
Height would catch up soon, age-wise he'd win. Heh-heh—Choi Tae-yang grinned like Binggu.
Their massive shoulders shook with giggles.
Lee Byung-se couldn't go to the hospital.
Defying his wishes, a detective from the police station arrived—not a substation, but from the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency's mobile unit. And it wasn't to question victims or perpetrators; they wanted to see students present and questioned Park Yong-seok.
"You're Park Yong-seok?"
"Y-yes? Y-yes."
Park Yong-seok trembled as he answered.
In the student counseling room, Inspector Kang Jun-seong sat across from Park Yong-seok.
Lee Byung-se attended as the student's temporary guardian.
"Tell me what you know."
Park Yong-seok, eyes darting anxiously, spilled everything at the question like he'd been waiting.
"Those hyungs are from the circle, they gather juniors two or three times a week to toughen them up by beating them. I even had a busted eardrum once. Gotta pay a carton of smokes and ten bottles of soju weekly. Circle's called Sixteen—means the number sixteen, y'know? Like the sixteen caresses in military basic. Anyway, seven of 'em. Class 1's class rep's house is filthy rich, so they're working him, prepping or whatever? Made his desk mate a mark and had me snitch. Promised 20,000 won, still haven't paid up. But Seong-dong hyung's a year senior, three years older than me? Says his dad's a gangster who's killed people, threatens if you don't listen he'll have dad kill you. Euuugh—."
Park Yong-seok spoke without breathing, like some nonstop organism.
Kang Jun-seong gritted his teeth to hold back a laugh.
"No one's killing you. Don't cry. So how'd the fight start?"
"Went to collect from class 1 class rep's desk mate—urk! Urk! Seong-dong hyung insulted the class rep's mom and got wrecked—urk! Urk! Even if he deserved it! Euk! Urk! Urk! Am I going to jail? Urk! Urk!"
Park Yong-seok lost composure, mixing sobs and words.
"Hahaha! Why jail, kid?"
"Gotta go to jail! Euheong—."
"Why?"
"That grim reaper—gonna kill me, euwoong—euheong—."
He looked in bad shape.
Unable to watch, Lee Byung-se stepped in.
"Officer, sorry, but the student's pretty shocked. Could we reschedule after he rests—."
"Yes. Got all I need. Can I see records on the other students?"
"Sure, this way."
Lee Byung-se had another teacher look after Park Yong-seok and led the way to the office.
But something was off.
Why the mobile unit? Even in the war on crime, Taeyang-gun was quiet.
Lee Byung-se, who once aspired to be a cop, couldn't understand but didn't pry.
He just hoped Kang Jun-seong hadn't tipped off the education office.
'But how'd they know so fast? Here in under two hours?'
Fancy term: daily living sphere?
No one at school reported it, yet too quick.
At Jin-hyuk's house, Hong Gi-jun was struggling valiantly.
Kids' fights often escalated into adult battles, and while adult issues could be settled legally, juvenile problems were a headache.
'I'll be company president soon, yet playing errand boy in this backwater.'
Not even the neighborhood sucker. He sighed repeatedly.
Still, couldn't ignore a friend's plight. I'll help.
If Son Jin-hyuk had been the victim, he'd have taught those punks a lesson somehow.
"Sister-in-law, have some water first."
After trembling like an aspen and downing two glasses of ice water, Han Yu-young finally spoke.
"Looks like our Jin-hyuk got beat up by some kids. The homeroom teacher called crying—. Euuuhuk—."
Chicken-shit tears fell again.
"Calm down, sister-in-law. What exactly did they say—. Hey! Son Gwang-yeon! What's with the knife!"
"If I don't shove it in their eyes for hurting my baby! These damn mongrels, I'll—!"
What the hell's he saying! Had to calm Son Gwang-yeon first, who was sobbing and rummaging for a knife in the kitchen. Then Hong Gi-jun called the school to get the full story.
And made a few other calls.
'Son Jin-hyuk, you punk. What're you up to?'
He'd thought assault since Han Yu-young was collapsing, but it was the opposite.
Hong Gi-jun even checked Son Gwang-yeon's pockets for weapons.
"Why pebbles in your pocket, man!"
"For skipping stones when bored—."
"Ridiculous!"
What man carries fist-sized pebbles in his pants pocket?
Hong Gi-jun tossed the pebbles in the pond, soothed Han Yu-young, and got her in the car. Holding her daughter helped calm her.
Hong Gi-jun focused on driving and said,
"Sister-in-law, Jin-hyuk's unhurt and in the principal's office. Let's head to school."
"Yes. Thank you."
"These damn mongrels went after our son—. Aigoo-huk—."
"He ain't hurt, man!"
His own kid involved, so somewhat understandable, but this guy was overly emotional. Softer than his wife. When the injured were the others.
Hong Gi-jun pulled over briefly and turned to his friend, friend's wife, and daughter in the back. Son Yu-jin sat grinning on her mom's lap; Son Gwang-yeon slyly looked away. Avoiding Hong Gi-jun's gaze—he seemed to have snapped out of it. Embarrassed to show his ugly side to a friend.
Before starting again, Hong Gi-jun glanced at the passenger seat and gritted his teeth.
'Ah, annoying.'
When did the dog get in?
General sat in Yu Se-ra's dedicated seat.
The great Hong Gi-jun suffered all sorts for a chicken.
Heh-hek—
General beamed innocently, oblivious.
The car was a Benz, after all.
Son Yu-jin, denser than the dog, pointed ahead and shouted vigorously.
"Go-ooo!"