The Price of Arrogance
The hospital's private room was a scene of clinical misery. Kim Jong-su lay there, bandaged from head to toe, his arms and legs suspended by ropes tied to the ceiling. His teeth had been shattered so severely that he had to be fed through a tube. When his father, Kim Seong-pil, saw this state, he naturally lost his mind.
"Jong-su! Oh, my poor son!"
He had rushed to the hospital the moment he received the call from the dean of students, but the sight before him was so grotesque it was as if his son were better off dead.
Smack—!
"Ugh!"
Kim Seong-pil didn't even bother asking for the details; he immediately slapped the dean of students across the face. He struck with such force that one of the dean's teeth popped out and rolled across the floor, but Kim Seong-pil didn't care in the slightest. He snarled, "What the hell happened!"
"Ughhh..."
With a tooth freshly ripped from his gums, the dean curled up in agony, unable to answer as he clutched his swollen cheek. But to Kim Seong-pil, the dean's pain was irrelevant.
"Speak! What happened!"
Usually, he would have been 'careful' about such things to protect his image, but seeing his son in this state had stripped away every shred of his reason.
"Speak!"
Kim Seong-pil’s right foot slammed into the dean's side. There was a sickening crunch of something breaking, and the dean let out a shrill, piercing scream.
"I, I will explain!"
The vice-principal, who had been watching from outside the room, realized that if he didn't intervene, someone might actually die. He rushed in, desperate to get to the point. He feared that if he were even a second late, he would end up just like the dean.
"There is a student in the first year named Choi Yoon-gi. That student is the one who did this to Jong-su."
"Choi Yoon-gi? That Choi Yoon-gi, the figurehead owner of YK Department Store?"
As a member of the National Assembly, Kim Seong-pil was close enough to the centers of power to know the boy's identity, and the vice-principal confirmed it.
"Y-yes, that is correct."
"Why would that brat hit my son! They aren't even in the same class!"
"Well..."
The vice-principal hesitated, but seeing Kim Seong-pil’s hand rise into the air again, he quickly continued.
"According to other students, Jong-su was bullying a boy named Kim Jin-su, who is a friend of Yoon-gi. We heard that Yoon-gi was taking revenge. Other teachers are currently investigating the details, and we were planning to report it to the police according to your wishes, Assemblyman Kim!"
Thanks to his quick explanation, Kim Seong-pil’s arm lowered, but a roar erupted instead.
"You should have reported it to the police already! What are you doing! My Jong-su wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone bully someone!"
They say you can know a father by looking at his son; the true nature of Kim Jong-su was known to countless students, but Kim Seong-pil refused to acknowledge it.
"Understood. I will report it immediately!"
The vice-principal scrambled out of the room, terrified of giving Kim Seong-pil another reason to lash out, and reported Yoon-gi’s actions to the police—adding one specific, special detail.
Normally, JSD would never leave JD’s side, adhering to the principle of 'heart-guarding,' but today he had made an exception and returned to his home. The reason was Yoon-gi. However, JSD’s expression was devoid of anger; he looked perfectly peaceful. He sipped his coffee with a chuckle, his eyes filled with nothing but warmth as he looked at Yoon-gi.
"Haha, you’ve caused quite a massive scene, haven't you?"
"I apologize. I find that when it comes to these things, my rational control slips. I know it’s a problem."
It was both Yoon-gi’s greatest strength and his greatest weakness. When his kin or those he considered as such were harmed, he lost his composure. When he had power, it was a clear virtue that earned him the loyalty of those around him, but without power, it could lead to the situation of an egg striking a rock. Fortunately, Yoon-gi had been steadily building his strength and connections, so he could likely extinguish this fire through JSD.
"Hahaha, a man should have that side to him. If you see someone precious to you suffering, how can you just stand by and watch? Just as that boy Jin-su is precious to you, Yoon-gi, you are precious to me. I hear that Kim Jong-su fellow was bad news from the start?"
"Yes. Since he was young, he’s been leading around thugs like Park Dae-chan, acting like a school bully."
"Tsk tsk tsk, a truly useless fellow. Well, that makes him easier to deal with, at least."
JSD spoke to Yoon-gi with a subtle tone.
"You’re all grown up now, so I’ll tell you this: that boy is a fool. And a pathetic one at that."
As Yoon-gi listened intently, JSD continued.
"If you’re going to do something that obvious, you can never climb to the top. If you must do something that leaves a trail, you need the power and strategy to suppress the consequences. That boy lacked the strength to face you, and he lacked the strategy to keep his actions hidden. People like that are destined to be culled."
JSD’s words, accompanied by a clicking of his tongue, perfectly captured the reality of the era. The reality of the 80s. The media of the 2010s often spoke of the increasingly rampant misdeeds of chaebol heirs. But was that really true? Did the chaebols of the 80s live quietly without ever touching the common people? Not at all. They simply never got caught. Unlike the 2010s, where information spread easily among the public, it was virtually impossible for commoners to spread information in the 80s. Even if someone in power committed a crime, they could manufacture rumors, and it was easy to force a victim to sign a settlement by tossing them a few pennies. The trend of the 'ignorant bully' who used his fists changing into the 'rich bully' who used his head? That never happened. It was just never revealed; the bully who used his fists was always a subordinate to the rich bully.
In this sense, JSD was devaluing Kim Jong-su. He had attacked without properly assessing his opponent, and he couldn't take responsibility for his own actions. To JSD, this was the kind of pathetic behavior he despised. That was why JSD openly declared he would help Yoon-gi.
"Anyway, you don't need to worry, Yoon-gi. A National Assemblyman? It’s laughable."
Indeed, JSD burst into laughter and didn't even bother to meet with Kim Seong-pil.
"No, how can you treat me like this?!"
Kim Seong-pil was rampaging, glaring at JSD’s aide standing before him. The aide, a man in his early 40s with a gaunt frame, a sharp chin, and square-rimmed glasses, looked at Kim Seong-pil with a cold, expressionless face.
"Say something!"
"Should I take this as you refusing to listen to the Chief of the Presidential Security Service?"
In Kim Seong-pil’s office, the aide sat on the sofa with his legs neatly crossed, yet he uttered truly terrifying words.
"No, that’s not what I meant..."
Kim Seong-pil felt as if a blade had just grazed his spine. He regained his composure in an instant and tried to speak, but the aide cut him off.
"It has been confirmed that your son, Kim Jong-su, bullied Kim Jin-su."
"Do you have any proof that my Jong-su did that!"
The aide quietly pushed his glasses up with his index finger before replying.
"There is no proof that Yoon-gi hit your son, either."
"W-what?"
Kim Seong-pil was stunned for a moment before he erupted in anger, shouting, "No proof! Isn't my son currently hovering between life and death in the hospital proof enough!"
"Even so, that doesn't prove Yoon-gi was the one who did it. You know that better than anyone, Assemblyman Kim, don't you?"
"W-what is that supposed to mean!"
Kim Seong-pil, blinded by his son's situation, was in no state to grasp reality. The aide let out a sigh.
"Haa."
"How dare you, in front of me...!"
As Kim Seong-pil trembled, the aide spoke again with a blank face.
"Do you want to end up like the Daehan Group?"
The aide’s words pierced Kim Seong-pil’s heart, as if he had added, 'for a mere proportional representation assemblyman.'
"Do not overestimate your power. I believe you understand what this means. Because you are a... 'distinguished' proportional representative."
The aide stood up.
"The next person to visit you will not be me."
That was the final word the aide left behind. Kim Seong-pil stared at the closed office door, his body shaking. 'H-how dare he...! How dare he...!'
The bitter rage of a loser surged within him. Kim Seong-pil had always stood in the position of the victor and the perpetrator, so this fury was overwhelming. But after a few hours, that rage turned into a cold, calculated flame.
'Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!'
If he ignored JSD’s warning and took matters into his own hands, he would surely be dragged to Namyeong-dong. Rumors were already circulating that even directly elected assemblymen were being dragged there; what chance did a mere proportional representative have? Of course, he enjoyed near-absolute power with his title, but in the face of 'true power,' he was nothing.
'That guy will definitely help me. It’s been a while, but I need to put on a good performance.'
Gritting his teeth, Kim Seong-pil went to find his childhood friend.
"Jang-hwan! Please, help me!"
Kang Jang-hwan was startled by Kim Seong-pil’s behavior as he bowed his head, tears streaming down his face, and helped his friend up.
"Seong-pil, what is it? You’re even crying. What’s wrong?"
"My son... my son..."
In the chairman's office of the Shin-sang Group, the 8th largest conglomerate in the country, Kim Seong-pil began to tell the story of his son, Kim Jong-su, to his childhood friend and in-law.
"Wait, what? Jong-su suffered something like that?!"
Since he had known nothing of it, Kang Jang-hwan’s anger soared to the heavens.
"Yes. I tried to take revenge, but JSD’s aide warned me that if I did, I’d be in big trouble. I have no way to avenge my son on my own. Please... please help me..."
Seeing his friend kneeling and clutching his knees, Kang Jang-hwan was filled with fury, and eventually, he nodded.
"If I don't help you, who will? Trust me. I will find a way to land a direct hit on that Choi Yoon-gi brat, no matter what it takes."