You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 60

You Have Been Defended – Episode 60

Seemingly caught off guard by the direct question, the homeroom teacher briefly glanced at the principal.

“Well… Mrs. Jin-cheol, I inquired with the class about the incident during dismissal. The children said Jin-cheol was playing around when his indoor shoes came off, and he fell while trying to catch them. So, I simply relayed that information.”

[Truth]

The word appeared above the teacher’s head.

I watched them in silence.

“Indoor shoes can be replaced, but do you honestly believe it’s reasonable that Jin-cheol would run to the window to catch them and then fall?”

The mother, who had been barely containing her emotions, finally snapped and shouted, her voice trembling.

“Mrs. Jin-cheol… please, calm down,” the principal said.

“How can I calm down? My child fell from that height because of such a ridiculous situation! If he had fallen headfirst, Jin-cheol, my child… *sob*.”

As the mother broke down in tears, the teacher and principal seemed at a loss, shifting uncomfortably.

I handed the mother a handkerchief.

Jin-cheol’s mother couldn’t compose herself for a while, so I eventually spoke.

“Teacher, I’ll ask a few questions on her behalf. It seems difficult for her to speak right now.”

The homeroom teacher, still looking at Jin-cheol’s mother, who hadn’t stopped crying, nodded.

“We don’t believe Jin-cheol fell because of something like that.”

“Is Jin-cheol saying something different about that day?” the teacher asked, looking genuinely surprised.

It was impossible to tell if he was asking because he truly didn’t know the truth or if he knew but was gauging how to respond.

“Teacher, we’re very surprised that you concluded the investigation by simply asking the children about what happened that day.”

“…….”

“Whether he really fell while playing around, whether someone pushed Jin-cheol, or whether there was a situation where Jin-cheol had no choice but to fall… It seems like you’ve dismissed so many possibilities in your investigation.”

At my words, the homeroom teacher’s expression hardened.

“So, are you suggesting there’s bullying going on in our class…? Are you implying that Jin-cheol was being bullied, and our class deliberately made Jin-cheol fall out of the window?”

“I’m saying we can’t rule out that possibility.”

“Did Jin-cheol perhaps say that he was being bullied?”

“Does something come to mind?”

“No, this is completely new to me… I’m very taken aback.”

[Lie]

The homeroom teacher spoke very firmly, but he couldn’t hide the truth from my ability.

Knowing that Jin-cheol was being bullied, yet stopping the investigation at that level was clearly a dereliction of duty.

Even though I’m pointing out the flawed investigation method, he’s planning to brazen it out until the end.

“But you also don’t have the confidence that such a possibility doesn’t exist, do you?”

“…….”

“We don’t think we’re asking the school for too much. Principal, what do you think? It’s possible that Jin-cheol really ran to catch his indoor shoes and fell, as the children said. But it might not be. Am I wrong?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, the principal cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

“Why can’t you answer! Principal, is Jin-cheol’s uncle wrong? What if we just let this go, and Jin-cheol was really being bullied! What kind of parent would trust and entrust their child to a school that doesn’t conduct a proper investigation even after an accident occurs, and doesn’t even try to find the perpetrator!”

Jin-cheol’s mother, who had stopped crying and was watching the situation, shouted.

Jangmyeong High School had already once turned a blind eye to a student who was trying to initiate a School Violence Committee [a committee to address bullying] to punish a perpetrator.

Perhaps that incident was weighing on their minds.

They must be thinking that if we try to start a School Violence Committee, they can just cover it up like they did before.

“Mrs. Jin-cheol, we were short-sighted. It was our mistake not to consider that possibility. As you said, we will conduct a more thorough investigation. We will have the children write down what happened that day anonymously. If bullying was going on, it will be revealed there, as you said. We will also check further to see if there were any students or faculty who witnessed the accident.”

The principal said, fidgeting.

In reality, there isn’t much investigation that the school can effectively do.

And even if Hyuk-min’s name is written on the paper given to the students, the school will likely pretend not to see it.

But it wasn’t entirely without meaning.

Jin-cheol’s mother and I concluded the conversation and left the school.

As soon as she got in the car, the mother burst into tears again.

“How can those so-called teachers… how can they be so brazen, *sob*, Jin-cheol, he told the homeroom teacher that he was having a hard time because he had a falling out with Hyuk-min, how, how can they be so…”

To the homeroom teacher’s question of whether he was being bullied, I asked if something came to mind.

The homeroom teacher should have naturally remembered that Jin-cheol said he was having a hard time because he had a falling out with Hyuk-min.

But if he had mentioned that story, the focus would naturally shift to Hyuk-min, so he couldn’t do that.

“Mrs. Jin-cheol, please contact me immediately if the homeroom teacher investigates and contacts you.”

“Yes, I will.”

“He said he would deliver handouts so that he can keep up with the curriculum, so ask him to come to Jin-cheol’s hospital room. Then I’ll go to the hospital room and meet the homeroom teacher naturally.”

“Do you have more questions to ask the homeroom teacher? He’s brazenly denying everything right now…”

“That’s not it.”

In any case, the teacher’s narrative for that day is already decided.

Whether there is a child who wrote the truth or not, he will unconditionally say that there isn’t.

But I was planning to use my ability there.

With that, I can confirm whether there are any students who can side with Jin-cheol.

* * *

“Ah, damn, I can’t get them there anymore.”

“Someone must have snitched. It was nice that the grandpa at that supermarket would just give them to you even if you went to buy them in your school uniform. Where are we going to get them from now on?”

In the neighborhood alley after school, Hyuk-min and his group of four were gathered, smoking cigarettes.

Sang-gil, who had been assigned an important mission by Tae-shik, subtly moved the recorder closer to the corner so that their voices could be clearly recorded.

Sang-gil had been loitering in front of Jangmyeong High School and followed Hyuk-min’s group when he saw them leaving.

Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t noticed his presence yet.

“Wasn’t there a kid in class 6 who works part-time at a convenience store? The kids in that class would ask him to buy cigarettes for them.”

“Ah, him? I was in the same class as him last year.”

“Then let’s ask him.”

“But it’s been a long time since we talked, so I don’t know if he’ll do it.”

“If we give him 3,500 won [approximately $3 USD, the price of cigarettes] and ask him to buy them, he’ll do it because he’ll make a thousand won profit, right?”

Hyuk-min, who had been silently smoking, added a word, and the others chuckled.

“Oooooh~ Hyuk-min~ You’re rich~”

“I’ll ask him, and I’ll give you guys more money for yours too. Go ask him tomorrow.”

“Oooooh~ Hyuk-min~”

Sang-gil clicked his tongue.

To think that those whose names haven’t even dried on the family register [meaning they are still very young] are talking about cigarettes.

Sang-gil himself had smoked since middle school, but the past wasn’t important now.

At least he didn’t bully his classmates!

Since he didn’t go to school, he couldn’t bully anyone!

“But the final exams are already coming up soon. Time goes by so damn fast, really.”

“They said the internal exam prep class opens today, right?”

“Yeah. Ah, damn, I want to live in a country where you don’t have to take exams.”

To worry about internal exams while puffing on cigarettes.

Such an ironic scene wouldn’t be common.

“Hey, tell your father to get rid of the midterms and finals.”

One of the group threw a joke at Hyuk-min.

Then Hyuk-min put out his cigarette on the wall and replied.

“Crazy, how can my father get rid of that.”

“Why, he’s the superintendent of education. Isn’t that something he can do? Hehe.”

At those words, Sang-gil took out a notebook from his pocket.

One of the things the boss had told him to find out had been revealed.

[Lee Hyuk-min’s bastard’s dad’s job: Superintendent of Education.]

After writing it down in crooked handwriting, Sang-gil tilted his head.

‘What’s a Superintendent of Education? Is that even a job?’

Maybe he misheard.

While he was pondering, Hyuk-min’s voice came from inside the alley.

“Let’s go now.”

As they put out their cigarettes and started to leave the alley, Sang-gil quickly hid himself.

And as they moved a little further away, he slowly started to follow them.

Hyuk-min’s group, who came out onto the main street, hailed a taxi.

‘Those young punks are taking taxis too. Living the good life, damn it.’

Sang-gil quickly caught a taxi coming behind and told the driver to follow the taxi in front.

After a while, the taxi stopped.

Sang-gil paid the taxi fare and hurriedly got out.

‘I should have gotten the activity expenses from the boss in advance.’

He only had five thousand won in his wallet, so it almost wasn’t enough.

Sang-gil quickly checked where Hyuk-min’s group was heading.

Sangjin Academy.

It was a large academy [private tutoring center] that occupied an entire building in the middle of this expensive neighborhood.

After confirming that Hyuk-min’s group was taking the elevator up through the large window, Sang-gil looked around and entered the academy.

“Excuse me.”

The employee who was answering the phone at the desk looked at Sang-gil.

“Yes?”

“Is this the academy that Lee Hyuk-min attends?”

“Ah, yes… But who are you?”

The employee looked up at Sang-gil with a somewhat fearful expression.

He was wearing a suit, but there was no tie.

The shirt button was also undone.

He seemed to have tried to look neat, but his closely shaved head and the scars on his face only created a sense of fear.

“Ah, I’m the older brother of a student who goes to Jangmyeong High School. I’m thinking of sending him to an academy.”

Even so, the employee’s wary gaze didn’t disappear.

Sang-gil pondered for a moment and added a little more.

“I may live like this, but I hope my younger brother does well in school… *sob*, *sob*.”

“Ah, ah! I see. Oh my, I see…”

The employee who had been wary of Sang-gil felt sorry, perhaps, and handed Sang-gil, who was covering his face with his arm, a tissue.

Sang-gil blew his nose loudly into the tissue, then sighed deeply and said.

“He said that the kid named Hyuk-min at his school is the best at studying, so he told me to send him to the academy that Hyuk-min attends. Sigh, my younger brother is the hope of our family…”

“Ah, yes… Lee Hyuk-min, a second-year student at Jangmyeong High School, is attending our academy. He has been maintaining first place in the entire school even though he only attends our academy. If your younger brother also attends our academy, I’m sure he will get good grades.”

The employee said with a bright smile.

Sang-gil nodded.

“If you have any brochures or anything like that, please give me one.”

“Ah, you’re curious about our curriculum. Here, we have a pamphlet.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m uneducated, so I don’t know how to read it, but I’ll show it to my younger brother when I get home and come for a consultation together later.”

“Yes, please do.”

Hugging the pamphlet that the employee had kindly handed him to his chest, Sang-gil left the academy.

And he took out his notebook again and wrote.

[The academy that Lee Hyuk-min’s bastard attends: Sangjin Academy. (He only attends here)]

After that, Sang-gil sat in a cafe where he could see the entrance of the academy clearly and waited.

He had already confirmed that there were no other entrances to the academy, so they were like rats in a trap.

The several hours of waiting were so boring that he almost played the Bungeoppang Tycoon game [a popular mobile game] he had downloaded on his phone, but he barely managed to resist.

And at ten o’clock at night, the students started to come out in droves.

“When are you coming out, you bastard.”

Perhaps it was because he usually took his vitamins well.

His dynamic visual acuity wasn’t bad.

Among the pouring out children, Sang-gil, who spotted Hyuk-min’s group going to catch a taxi, quickly chased after them.

“Damn it, they’re taking a taxi again.”

There’s some balance left on his T-money card [a rechargeable transit card], so he can pay with that.

The taxi carrying Hyuk-min’s group stopped in front of a magnificent luxury mansion.

After stopping the taxi at the entrance of the alley, Sang-gil subtly got out and surveyed them.

As they rang the doorbell, he quickly hid behind a utility pole.

“I’m so hungry. Should I ask the housekeeper to make tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes]?”

Hyuk-min giggled and went into the house with the others.

‘You nasty bastard. Living in a nice house. How much is this place worth?’

As Hyuk-min’s group completely disappeared, Sang-gil quietly approached the gate and took a picture of the address plate.

And he hid behind the utility pole again for an hour.

‘Huh?’

A black taxi smoothly stopped in front of the mansion.

The man who got out of it also naturally rang the doorbell of the mansion.

‘That person……’

He looked like someone he had seen before.

Sang-gil strained his eyes and didn’t take his eyes off the man until he entered the mansion.

‘Hmm, is he the eldest son of that house?’

Just as he was tilting his head and falling into thought, he suddenly remembered the pamphlet he had received from the academy earlier.

When he quickly opened the pamphlet, the man’s face was printed on the inside in large letters.

‘That’s the academy instructor?’

[Sangjin Academy Instructor: Lee Hyuk-min’s brother? Brother-in-law? Uncle? Dad? Ah, Dad was the Superintendent of Education… Sorry]