“I want to make those kids who bullied that child… truly taste the bitterness of this world. And also, the teachers who turned a blind eye after learning the truth, and even pushed the child into greater danger. And the parents of those children who failed to properly raise their kids… I want them to take responsibility. In my opinion, the teacher’s irresponsible attitude is probably because of some dealings or pressure from those parents.”
As Sang-woong Park finished telling his story, Director Na Hyunseok’s expression instantly hardened.
The evidence shown and the story told were far more severe than he’d expected.
“My goodness! This is… a pretty serious case.”
Na Hyunseok was genuinely outraged.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Park Sang-woong. I will… do my utmost to handle this matter.”
He immediately showed his readiness to start analyzing the case.
“Thank you. But, about the retainer… how much should I pay you?”
Sang-woong asked cautiously.
“No need. The Chairman sent me here on behalf of the company, so there’s no need for a retainer. Instead…”
Na Hyunseok trailed off, as if finding it hard to speak.
His gaze seemed to drift toward Sang-woong’s kitchen.
“Please, speak comfortably. Don’t be shy.”
Sang-woong encouraged him to be at ease.
“Ah… it’s just that… The Chairman, he hinted that if I resolve this case thoroughly, very cleanly… I might be able to get… that potion the Chairman takes.”
Na Hyunseok’s face was a mix of embarrassment and anticipation.
Now that he thought about it, Na Hyunseok’s hairline had receded quite a bit.
Between his carefully arranged bangs, thinning patches were faintly visible.
It looked like his hair loss was quite advanced.
“Hahaha.”
At Na Hyunseok’s words, Sang-woong laughed heartily in understanding.
If Chairman Kyung and Director Na Hyunseok shared such personal conversations, it spoke volumes about how much Chairman Kyung trusted and valued him.
In other words, Taeseong Group’s most capable and cherished attorney was now on the Kim Junsu case.
“Of course, Director Na. I’ll prepare one for you, the same as I gave the Chairman. It’s extremely effective for hair loss.”
At Sang-woong’s clear reply, Na Hyunseok’s eyes instantly blazed with excitement.
Hope to escape the agony of hair loss, and the chance to prove his competence to the Chairman.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Park Sang-woong! Truly, thank you! I’ll… I’ll pour my heart into this! I promise to resolve this matter perfectly!”
He clenched his fist and spoke with conviction.
Now that the promise of the Hair Loss Cure Potion was on the line, his motivation soared sky high.
He immediately headed to Kim Junsu’s school.
Na Hyunseok quickly organized the details of the case in his mind and began to plan his legal strategy.
***
“Is Ms. Lee Jinsook, Kim Junsu’s homeroom teacher, here?”
Arriving at the school’s staff office, Na Hyunseok asked a teacher.
“Yes, I am Junsu’s homeroom teacher, but… who are you?”
Hearing Na Hyunseok’s voice, Lee Jinsook approached and asked.
Na Hyunseok introduced himself politely but firmly.
“Ah, yes. This gentleman is Mr. Park Sang-woong, the guardian of Kim Junsu, and I am the attorney representing Kim Junsu.”
“Yes…?”
Lee Jinsook’s startled voice rang through the entire staff office.
Every other teacher in the office turned to look at her in an instant.
It was understandable. Kim Junsu, known to live with his grandmother, suddenly appeared with a strong-looking man claiming to be his guardian, along with an attorney—no one could hide their shock and surprise.
But for Lee Jinsook, the surprise… was just beginning.
“Here… this is my business card.”
Na Hyunseok handed over a neatly printed business card to Lee Jinsook.
The words “Taeseong Group Legal Team Leader Na Hyunseok, Attorney” were clearly embossed in gold leaf, and Lee Jinsook’s eyes widened in shock.
Her hand, accepting the card in disbelief, trembled slightly.
“No way… Is this really the Taeseong Group I know…?”
She managed to ask, her voice trembling badly.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Na Hyunseok replied calmly.
“But… how did the Taeseong Group’s Legal Team Leader… end up involved with Kim Junsu…?”
Lee Jinsook’s mind was thrown into chaos.
To think that Kim Junsu, the boy she only knew as a poor kid living with his grandmother, was connected to the Legal Team Leader of one of Korea’s top conglomerates—it was beyond comprehension.
“That’s… not something you need to know, Teacher.”
Na Hyunseok’s voice instantly turned cold.
There was no more kindness in his eyes.
“I’m sure you’ve already guessed, but I’ll state the purpose of my visit. My client… has been subjected to severe bullying.”
“My client.”
Hearing Na Hyunseok refer to Kim Junsu that way, Lee Jinsook was shocked once more.
“What? What are you talking about…?”
She tried to act as if this was the first she’d heard of it, but facing Na Hyunseok’s eyes that seemed to know everything, she couldn’t fully hide her awkwardness. A subtle twitch flickered across her face.
As Sang-woong and Na Hyunseok silently stared at her, Lee Jinsook realized she couldn’t feign ignorance any longer and spoke up with an uneasy expression.
Her eyes darted around, as if searching for an excuse.
“Well, it’s just… calling it bullying… The kids were just a bit rough, that’s all…”
Lee Jinsook openly sided with the children who had bullied Kim Junsu.
She tried her best to appear nonchalant, but cowardice and a desire to ignore the truth colored her voice.
At that moment, Sang-woong’s expression twisted with anger as he listened.
A cold fury flashed in his eyes.
Na Hyunseok, used to situations like this, stepped forward calmly.
His voice was gentle, yet as firm as steel.
“Do you really see this as just a bit of rough play, Teacher?”
He took evidence out of the envelope he’d brought and laid it in front of Lee Jinsook.
Recordings of the children’s verbal abuse and threats, audio files secretly captured by Kim Junsu, screenshots of threatening text messages, and… even a horrifying photo of the burn scar left by a cigarette on Kim Junsu’s forearm.
Seeing the shocking evidence with her own eyes, hearing the children’s voices and Kim Junsu’s desperate pleas from the recordings, Lee Jinsook’s face instantly turned pale.
Her lips trembled, and fear and confusion filled her eyes.
She’d vaguely known that Kim Junsu was being bullied… but she had never imagined it was so severe and cruel.
Only now did the gravity of the situation sink in.
Looking at Lee Jinsook’s shaken eyes, Na Hyunseok spoke firmly.
“Mr. Park Sang-woong and my client… will never let this matter pass. This is a clear criminal act, and not only are the perpetrators responsible… but your handling of this case is also severely problematic. We intend to see this through thoroughly.”
“N-no… Attorney, I… why are you…?”
When Lee Jinsook found herself held accountable, she hastily protested.
Desperate denial—‘I did nothing wrong’—rose on her face.
“Are you trying to avoid responsibility, Teacher? You knew about this incident.”
Na Hyunseok’s voice grew even colder.
“No, that’s not it! I… I gave them plenty of warnings…”
Lee Jinsook tried to make excuses, but at that moment, Sang-woong, unable to hold back any longer, raised his voice.
His voice shook with anger.
“You stood in front of all the children… and just gave a single, formal warning… and now you claim you handled it well, Teacher?”
Sang-woong stared Lee Jinsook straight in the eyes and spoke coldly.
“The terrible scar burned into Kim Junsu’s arm with a cigarette… That happened because of your irresponsible response. That day, Junsu was dragged away by the other kids… all because he complained to you about his phone… and you let such a brutal assault happen!”
At Sang-woong’s direct accusation, Lee Jinsook’s face went as white as a sheet.
There was no denying his words.
Her irresponsibility had led to this horrifying outcome.
“No, I… I didn’t… I never meant… I really…”
Lee Jinsook stammered in her panic, but it was already too late.
Sang-woong curtly cut her off, as if her excuses were no longer worth hearing.
“Intentions don’t matter… Teacher, you… will have to take responsibility for this.”
His voice was cold as ice.
***
That afternoon.
The parents of the children who bullied Kim Junsu were urgently contacted and gathered in the principal’s office.
The Principal himself could not hide his discomfort as he took his seat.
Across a large table, Sang-woong and Na Hyunseok sat on one side, while the parents of the children sat on the other.
City Councilman Nam Hoseok, the father of Nam Sungmin; Dr. Jang Seunghyun, director of the Dungeon Disease Specialty Hospital and father of Jang Taegun; and Hunter Myung Donghun, an S-rank hunter and the father of Myung Wonwoo.
They were people with formidable backgrounds, both socially and physically.
All of them sat with their arms crossed or fists clenched, looking deeply angry and displeased.
Their blatant hostility toward Sang-woong and his party, who had shown up accompanied by an attorney, was palpable.
Amid the tense atmosphere, the Principal spoke up first.
“Is there really a need to convene a Disciplinary Committee over this? The children went a bit too far, but… they’re still young, aren’t they? Can’t you find it in your hearts to be lenient?”
The Principal looked pleadingly at Sang-woong and Na Hyunseok.
It was obvious he wanted to quietly sweep the incident under the rug.
Na Hyunseok retorted in a cold, sharp voice.
“A colleague of mine handled a similar case a year ago. Back then, too, the school insisted that the perpetrators were young, with bright futures ahead, and pushed for a settlement. In the end, they settled and moved on. As a result, the kids realized they could get away with it, and committed a second round of bullying. In the end, the victim attempted suicide.”
That alone was more than enough to show he would not let this slide.
“And later, we learned that even after the settlement, the bullies continued tormenting other children. What if the school had dealt with it properly back then? At the very least… those perpetrators wouldn’t have become so shameless and done such dreadful things again, would they?”
His voice carried a sharp criticism.
The Principal couldn’t raise his head.
“We’ll… take responsibility and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
The Principal bowed his head and spoke earnestly.
“That’s what that school said too. But when the incident blew up even bigger later, they simply said, ‘the kids transferred, what do you expect us to do now?’ Let me ask you: will you take lifelong responsibility for those children? If they cause trouble again, will the Principal and every teacher here take responsibility and compensate the next victim?”
“Well…”
The Principal was at a loss for words.
Na Hyunseok spoke up resolutely.
“So stop trying to protect the school’s image. No, the school’s reputation has already hit rock bottom. We have no intention of ending this quietly. This is a crime. And convening the Disciplinary Committee is only natural… We’ll also be filing a formal complaint with the police.”
At Na Hyunseok’s words, the one who reacted was City Councilman Nam Hoseok, father of Nam Sungmin.