Seo-jun's small victories in thwarting Ms. Kim Soo-jin's dismissal and saving Kang Ji-ho had apparently triggered panic at the upper levels of the Haneul Educational Foundation's leadership. On the top floor of the administration building, Cha Dong-hyun finally realized that Han Seo-jun wasn't just some ordinary part-time teacher who could be cowed with pay cuts, verbal intimidation, or threats of contract termination.
The foundation's propaganda machine, used for years to crush defiant teachers, began moving underground.
That morning, the atmosphere in Haneul High School's main corridor was heavy with tension. On the physical bulletin board near the main entrance and the school's Internal Digital Bulletin portal, an opinion article bearing the official stamp of Student Affairs Management and the Public Relations Division was prominently displayed.
[TEACHING STAFF ETHICS AND STABILITY EVALUATION] Based on internal reports and the results of periodic evaluations, indications have been found of unprofessional conduct by a certain contract Sociology teacher (Mr. Han Seo-jun). The individual in question is suspected of frequently provoking students, causing disturbances in the workplace, and displaying emotional instability that could disrupt the teaching and learning process…
That official announcement wasn't the only thing posted. Dirty rumors began spreading systematically and methodically through Mr. Kang and the faction of senior teachers under his control. In the online chat groups belonging to the Parents' Committee, baseless rumors circulated claiming that Seo-jun had a history of severe mental illness at his previous school, liked extorting upperclassmen, and posed a physical threat to student safety.
As Seo-jun walked down the first-floor corridor toward the teachers' room, the looks around him had completely changed. Several parents who had come to drop off their children suddenly pulled them away as Seo-jun passed, eyeing him suspiciously and whispering behind his back.
Inside the teachers' room, Mr. Kang sat back in his office chair, sipping coffee. A victorious smile spread across the middle-aged man's face when he saw Seo-jun arrive. Mr. Kang savored the sight of Seo-jun being judged and isolated by the entire school ecosystem, with not a single teacher daring to greet him.
Seo-jun stood beside his desk for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the corridor buzzing with vicious whispers.
The exact same pattern, Seo-jun thought coldly. Burn my reputation in public, destroy my credibility as a teacher, then throw me out before anyone is willing to hear my defense.
In his previous life, this very character-assassination method had destroyed his entire life, until society at large regarded him as a despicable human being. But this time, Seo-jun was no longer the naive man who could only surrender to fate.
Seo-jun walked to a secluded corner near the second-floor emergency stairs, made sure no security cameras were pointed at him, and summoned his system interface.
[Accessing System Store...] [Searching for Reputation & Opinion Management Ability...]
A gold-framed panel shimmered captivatingly in his field of vision, offering the instant solution he had needed all along.
[Special Ability: Public Narrative Control] [Description: Enables the Host to reverse the oppression of the public narrative, neutralize dirty rumors instantly, and precisely direct mass opinion in crisis situations.] [Price: 500 Teacher Points.] [Current Teacher Points: 350 Points.] [Insufficient Points to Purchase!]
Seo-jun clenched his hand inside his suit pocket. Five hundred points. The price was too high, and the points he'd collected from saving Kang Ji-ho and handling Ms. Kim's files left him 150 points short. The foundation had moved far faster than he'd anticipated to restrict his movements and isolate his position before he had time to accumulate more points.
Just as Seo-jun racked his brain for an alternative strategy, his blue screen suddenly shook violently, flashing a vivid red-gold light accompanied by a sharp visual warning siren.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
[WARNING! EMERGENCY QUEST ACTIVATED!] [Quest Name: SAVE THE TEACHER'S GOOD NAME] [Description: Cha Dong-hyun's faction and Foundation Management have launched a large-scale character-assassination campaign to fire the Host within the next 24 hours through an Extraordinary Parent-Teacher Committee Meeting.] [Quest Objectives:]
Survive the onslaught of false narratives and the foundation's mass intimidation. Completely overturn the public accusations before the School Grand Committee Meeting. Expose Mr. Kang and Mr. Choi's involvement as the primary rumor spreaders. [Quest Reward: +500 Teacher Points & Unlock System Store Level Up Feature!]
Seo-jun carefully read every word displayed on the system notification screen. His tightly sealed lips slowly formed a thin smile laden with danger.
The foundation thought they were herding Seo-jun toward an expedited execution stage. They believed that by gathering all the parent committee officials, senior teachers, and representatives of the foundation board of trustees in one large meeting room the next day, they could humiliate him and legally throw him out to the applause of the public.
They failed to realize one thing: by gathering all the stakeholders and school leaders in one place, they were actually providing Seo-jun with the perfect stage for a massacre.
"You're the ones who set the stage," Seo-jun whispered to himself as he shut off his system screen. "So I'll decide how this show ends."
Seo-jun turned and walked confidently toward the library. Three people who had now become the foundation of his strength at Haneul High School were waiting in a secluded corner: Lee Min-jae, Yoon Chae-won, and Ms. Kim Soo-jin.
As Seo-jun approached, all three looked anxious. Min-jae was holding up his phone, which displayed a class chat group filled with slanderous rumors about Seo-jun, while Ms. Kim nervously clenched her fists.
"Mr. Han," Ms. Kim began anxiously. "Mr. Kang and Principal Park just announced that the School Grand Committee Meeting will be held in the main auditorium tomorrow morning. They've invited parent representatives and the alumni board. It's a trap, sir. They intend to cancel your contract unilaterally in front of everyone."
"That's right, Mr. Han," Chae-won cut in. "They deliberately circulated that defamatory article so the parents would pressure the foundation to fire you."
Seo-jun looked at the three people before him with such calm confidence that the anxiety slowly faded from their faces.
"Let them spread those slanders to their peak tonight," Seo-jun said firmly. "The more certain they are that I've been cornered, the more reckless they'll be tomorrow morning."
Seo-jun looked at Min-jae. "Min-jae, prepare all the records of Haneul Tech's fictitious transactions and the video of Seung-woo's bullying that we've secured. Make sure the files are ready to display on the auditorium's main projector."
Then he turned to Chae-won and Ms. Kim. "Chae-won, Ms. Kim... tonight, we'll put together written testimony documents. Tomorrow morning, when the School Grand Committee Meeting begins, we won't just clear my name. We'll launch the first counterattack to bring down Mr. Kang's faction in front of the entire school."
The three exchanged glances, then nodded in unison, their determination burning bright. The open war against the tyranny of the Haneul Foundation had reached its climax, and the school auditorium's stage tomorrow morning would bear witness to the fate of them all.