Executing the plan wasn’t that difficult.
After all, my ultimate goal wasn’t to make all the students in this school experience the hammer of justice, but to make it so that they had no choice but to acknowledge my presence here.
Of course, it would be nice if they received the appropriate punishment, but for now, I thought it was most ideal to resolve things one step at a time. If I tried to handle too many things at once and messed it up, it would be a total disaster.
That’s why, honestly, Sohee’s attitude towards the other kids didn’t really matter.
The important thing was just that ‘the other kids end up having charges against them.’
“But how should we do this?”
Even in the middle of class, Sohee boldly asked that question.
“If we just say ‘They did it first!’ with the same expression as usual, it won’t look convincing.”
There was some merit to Sohee’s argument.
Even if the claim wasn’t fully accepted and the offenders weren’t punished, the more realistic the situation appeared, the better.
The teacher glanced our way after hearing Sohee’s words.
The classroom was unusually quiet, like a mouse had died.
Everyone was clearly watching.
Yeah, this was indeed a change.
This school usually had students who barely concentrated on classes. Most had private extracurricular studies and expensive tutoring. There might even be some who manage their grades with money if needed.
So usually, during class, students would chat with those sitting next to them or kill time on their smartphones with the internet or games. Naturally, the classroom was not particularly quiet.
But now, things were different.
Everyone was staring at their desks, many looking towards the teacher.
And there were times they threw glances our way too.
Even the teacher, who was supposed to be conducting the class, would occasionally glance our way while speaking.
Thanks to this, the classroom atmosphere had completely quieted down, and we could hear our conversation very clearly.
It was as if everyone was attentively watching what we were plotting.
Well, I didn’t mind too much.
“Can you act like you’re crying?”
“……”
When I asked, Sohee frowned slightly. It was as if she was questioning why I was asking that.
“What do you think?”
No, it wasn’t so much a look of question; it seemed she was trying her best to emulate a crying expression.
“You can’t act.”
I thought she could at least manage minimal acting since she had been hiding her sexual inclinations consistently, but upon reflection, everyone can do that much. The real challenge is ‘creating nonexistent feelings.’
Well, if everyone could do it, actors wouldn’t be paid to perform.
“Or how about getting angry?”
From the side, Ha-neul, who had been watching our banter, suggested seriously.
“If it’s hard to look like you’re crying, you could get really mad, asking why you had to be treated this way, and where did all the money you guys took go… That might be pretty persuasive too.”
At Ha-neul’s words, the teacher’s shoulders shook. The chalk she was writing with let out a nervous squeak sound against the board.
But she didn’t stop the class.
Honestly, I doubt she had any idea what we were talking about. Our conversation during lunch was the only thing, after all. Just because we were at the cafeteria didn’t mean we were quiet. We were sitting across the table, so it wouldn’t have been easy to eavesdrop.
Being isolated is actually great for plotting.
“Show me an angry face.”
“Uh…….”
Upon my request, Sohee pondered for a moment, then strained her face to mimic an angry expression.
But seriously, last time when intimidating the kids, she was really fierce; what happened this time?
Is she the type to struggle if she’s conscious about it?
“Well, it’s a bit better.”
Though it was more fitting than a ‘crying face,’ it still looked more like an ‘absurd expression.’ But getting angry, you just have to frown and make noise, and it should pass well enough.
If it still feels lacking, smashing a couple of items would do the trick.
With over a billion won in hand, she’ll probably manage well.
“You don’t need to worry too much. We’ll all help as best as we can.”
Ha-neul said.
“Yeah, we gotta stick together as ‘victims.’”
Sohee emphasized the word ‘victims’ on purpose.
Clears throat!
The teacher let out a loud cough as if to make sure we were listening. If it was that loud, it must’ve hurt her throat.
“… Yoo Ha-neul, come forward and explain this.”
Her voice, as she spoke in an attempt to interrupt us, was definitely shaky. It was hard not to notice.
“Yes, teacher.”
Ha-neul got up from her seat as if nothing had happened and responded.
*
“……”
The Student Council President’s mouth hung open as she stared at the pile of papers stacked on her desk. It seemed to consist of hundreds of sheets, and while the content was simple, going through each one would likely take hours.
“What is all this?”
As she pushed up her glasses and looked up, she saw Son Ah-reum sitting across the desk.
“That’s the list of students to be submitted to the Disciplinary Committee.”
“……”
Upon hearing that, the Student Council President looked back down at the paperwork. Sure enough, each document had the names of students written on it. Notably, there were even identification photos included. She couldn’t imagine how long it took to compile this, but there probably wouldn’t be any mistakes in the documents. After all, Son Ah-reum had prepared them.
Although she sometimes appeared dazed and had a tendency to be straightforward in odd directions, she was meticulous at work.
The President pulled the heavy pile of documents towards herself and flipped through a few pages.
… Most of the names belonged to first-year female students and were arranged in alphabetical order.
The reasons for the reports were all quite simple.
[Involved in Group Bullying]
“……”
The Student Council President took off her glasses and rubbed her nose. Her head was starting to ache.
Not too long ago, she had been tailing Ye Sara, attempting to uncover her misdeeds. Not believing the truth when she heard it, it seemed her perspective had changed after experiencing the absurdity personally.
And upon realizing that she had misidentified the victims and offenders, she took immediate action.
…Even though she had handpicked the Lead Committee Member, she had no clue how rigid-minded this kid was.
“You know, even if you do all this, the teachers will still ignore it. No matter how you switch the positions, the ones in the classroom are the same.”
“No, I believe it won’t go that way this time.”
“Eh?”
Son Ah-reum, who usually would get overly excited and raise her voice upon hearing such things, didn’t show any signs of that this time.
Instead, she smiled and pulled another document from her papers.
The name on the sheet placed next to the pile was ‘Shin So-hee.’
She was the transfer student who had been the talk of the town recently.
Word was she was incredibly wealthy and had bribed the school… and other stories, naturally floated around—
“There’s this incredibly beautiful new girl in the first-year who walks around showing off,” was the chatter mostly found in the boys’ classrooms. Initially, the conversation would revolve around money, but it would typically end with, “She’s pretty!”
When Ye Sara came up in those conversations, most would say she was prettier, but still, the consensus was that So-hee couldn’t be compared in terms of figure.
And usually, such conversations would quickly fizzle out without any substance, before shifting to movies, dramas, or funny incidents that happened recently.
If Ye Sara had been a guy, the atmosphere might have been different, but in this school, where classes are divided by gender, discussions about other years’ girls were just entertainment during breaks.
That’s why the Student Council President wondered why Son Ah-reum was showing her this document.
Was So-hee involved in this incident too?
“She’s a victim in this situation.”
Son Ah-reum stepped forward slightly, leaning over and pointing to the reason for the charges.
[Victim of Group Bullying]
It was written there.
“……”
The Student Council President stared down at that portion, then looked up at Son Ah-reum. Perhaps because she felt a little relaxed now, Son Ah-reum appeared much more comfortable than usual.
“What are you thinking?”
To that question, Son Ah-reum replied.
“Whatever I think, the incident itself actually happened. You know that.”
“The victim is Ye Sara.”
“No, it’s not just Sara.”
Son Ah-reum said with a slightly tense expression.
“The other kids next to Sara and a few pushing students from outside are all being ‘ignored.’”
“……”
That wasn’t incorrect.
Although she hadn’t heard of any extreme means of bullying that still occasionally make the news, it was a fact that those kids were being neglected and treated like they didn’t exist.
To escape that situation, they had to throw away their pride and act servile. Only then would they be evaluated as having ‘useful’ value.
However, outright bullying was never done. That method came with too high a risk.
“But there’s no evidence to punish those incidents.”
There was no physical violence. There were no noticeable disadvantages. Naturally, there was no concrete evidence left behind either.
Moreover, the opposing side was composed of wealthy kids. Even if it somehow went to court, the chances of getting a good lawyer and being found not guilty were high.
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
For the first time during this discussion, Son Ah-reum showed a slightly displeased expression.
And with an attitude as if she was about to touch on something objectionable, she continued.
“This girl reportedly spent over 2 billion won just to get into this school.”
“……”
The Student Council President’s mouth dropped slightly.
She had heard it as a rumor. But it was just a level of ‘They said she bribed.’ She hadn’t known the sum. Of course, even if she had tried to guess, she couldn’t have anticipated such an amount. It was too much for a bribe to teachers.
No, not just for teachers; it was an amount that would be received by anyone.
“So… you see? This time, there won’t be a need for any evidence. The teachers won’t be able to ‘ignore’ it in the first place.”
“……”
The Student Council President was left speechless for a long time, not able to close her gaping mouth.
