#3
The air in the third-floor corridor felt suffocating. Cha Dong-hyun's gaze lasted only a second, but it was enough to trigger a traumatic memory in Han Seo-jun's mind. In his previous life, that was the man who had stood behind the media podium, delivering a statement dripping with false empathy about how the foundation would “heal the victim's trauma” caused by Seo-jun's heinous actions.
“Ah, Mr. Han,” Principal Park's voice cut through the tension. The slightly stooped man smiled ingratiatingly as he gave Cha Dong-hyun a small bow. “The Foundation Chairman is conducting a surprise inspection of the learning facilities for the eleventh-grade classes.”
Cha Dong-hyun stepped closer. The sharp scent of expensive sandalwood cologne stung Seo-jun's nose. The middle-aged man extended his hand with the warm smile that so often appeared on billboards around the city.
“Good morning, Mr. Han,” Cha Dong-hyun said gently. “I've heard that you're one of the most dedicated part-time teachers at Haneul High School. Thank you for your hard work.”
Seo-jun stared at the outstretched hand. The same hand that, in the future, would control hired lawyers, bribe police officials, and sign his dismissal papers without a shred of pity. With extraordinary emotional control, Seo-jun extended his own hand and shook the Foundation Chairman's.
The grip was warm, but Seo-jun felt a chill crawl down his spine.
“It's an honor, Chairman Cha,” Seo-jun replied flatly, forcing himself to keep his voice from trembling. “I'm only doing my duty as I should.”
Beside Cha Dong-hyun, the long-haired student was still looking down. Her name was Yoon Chae-won. Her school uniform was immaculate, but she was gripping her bag strap so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
Seo-jun focused his gaze on Chae-won and activated his unique ability.
[Teacher's Eye Feature Activated.] [Name: Yoon Chae-won (17 years old)] [Status: Class 11-3 Student / Haneul Foundation scholarship recipient] [Mental Condition: Acute Anxiety / Under Pressure / Extreme Fear] [Trust in Teacher: 5%] [Hidden Problem Analysis:]
Her mother was caring for her father, who was in a coma at a hospital owned by a subsidiary of the Haneul Educational Foundation. All of the medical expenses and school tuition were being fully covered by Cha Dong-hyun. She had indirectly witnessed the foundation's management misappropriating scholarship funds.
Seo-jun's heart pounded. So that was why.
In his previous life, Seo-jun had always wondered why Chae-won, a relatively quiet student who had never interacted with him personally, had suddenly made that horrifying accusation. Now the answer was laid bare in the air before him. Chae-won wasn't merely a tool; she was a hostage. Cha Dong-hyun had his hand around the girl's family's throat through their hospital bills and education expenses.
“Mr. Han?” Cha Dong-hyun's voice cut into Seo-jun's reverie. The man's smile faded slightly, replaced by a probing glint in his eyes. “Is something wrong? You've been staring at this student for quite a while.”
“Nothing, Chairman Cha,” Seo-jun cut in quickly, averting his gaze without showing any panic. “I was just reminded that Yoon Chae-won is one of the top students in Sociology. Her raw scores are always perfect.”
That small bit of flattery loosened Cha Dong-hyun's expression again. “Ah, of course. Our scholarship students are expected to be the best. In that case, we'll be on our way. Carry on with your duties, Mr. Han.”
The group walked away down the corridor. Before disappearing around the stairwell, Chae-won glanced back for a moment. Her swollen eyes met Seo-jun's. There was no hatred in them, only a scream for help, tightly muffled.
Seo-jun drew a long breath and clenched his hand inside his pants pocket. I can't rush this, he thought. My enemy isn't just one man, but this entire foundation system.
The first break bell rang. The school bell shattered the silence in the corridor. Seo-jun sat in a small counseling room tucked into a corner of the second floor. The room was packed with stacks of old files and smelled of damp paper, but it was private enough for a one-on-one conversation.
The door opened slowly. Lee Min-jae stood in the doorway, looking around awkwardly before stepping inside and closing the door tightly behind him.
“Were you serious about calling me in earlier, sir?” Min-jae asked, trying to sound indifferent, though the tension was clear in the line of his shoulders.
“Have a seat, Min-jae.” Seo-jun pointed to the chair in front of his desk.
Min-jae sat down slowly. Seo-jun offered him a can of warm chocolate drink. Min-jae stared at the can, then looked at Seo-jun with a furrowed brow.
“I don't have money to pay for this,” Min-jae said defensively.
“This isn't merchandise,” Seo-jun replied with a faint smile. “Drink it. Your sleep-deprived brain needs sugar.”
Min-jae hesitated for a moment, then took the can and opened it. His first gulp was substantial, proving that his body really did need the energy.
Seo-jun opened an empty folder and placed it on the desk, then picked up Min-jae's perspective-line notebook, which he had briefly seen that morning.
“I read your notes,” Seo-jun began. “You drew a reconstruction plan of the foundation structure of this school's main building. The lighting lines, your estimates for the material load... this isn't just the doodling of a bored high school student in class.”
Min-jae clenched his hands on his thighs. “Are you going to report me for damaging a schoolbook?”
“I want to ask you something,” Seo-jun interrupted, firm but gentle. “Why don't you go into engineering or architecture after you graduate?”
Min-jae let out a bitter laugh, a dry sound devoid of humor. “Graduate? Mr. Han, you saw it yourself this morning, didn't you? Mr. Choi and the other teachers are just waiting for me to make another mistake so they can kick me out. Besides... people like me don't have the luxury of dreaming about college.”
“Because of your rent and your job at the convenience store?” Seo-jun asked, getting straight to the point.
Min-jae froze. His gaze locked onto Seo-jun. “Who... who are you, really? How did you know about my night shifts? About my home?”
Seo-jun leaned back in his chair. “As a teacher, I have eyes that can see more than what students choose to show. I know you got into a fight this morning not because you hate school, but because you were too exhausted to pretend you cared about trivial things while your family was on the verge of eviction.”
Min-jae's eyes began to glisten, but he held the tears back with all his strength. The anger he had built as a defensive wall slowly crumbled in front of a teacher who didn't judge him.
“I just need money, sir,” Min-jae said, his voice trembling and hoarse with pent-up emotion. “My dad went bankrupt and ran away. My mom's always sick. If I don't work until three in the morning, we can't eat. This school... this place is just wasting my time. What's the point of studying Sociology or Math when I don't even know where I'll be living tomorrow?”
Seo-jun looked at the student before him with deep sympathy. In the past, he had let this boy fall apart because he had been too busy protecting his own position as a contract teacher. This time, he wouldn't let it happen.
“This school is unfair, Min-jae,” Seo-jun said quietly. “The system often protects the strong and crushes the weak. But if you drop out now without a diploma, you're giving them exactly what they want: proof that you're the piece of trash they claim you are.”
Min-jae lowered his head, and his tears fell onto the surface of the wooden desk.
“I can help you,” Seo-jun continued. “I know someone who needs freelance help designing basic graphics for a small renovation project. It pays much better than your convenience-store job, and the hours can be adjusted so you can sleep at night.”
Min-jae looked up, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Y-You're serious? Why would you do this for me? I'm not even your homeroom student!”
“Because you're my student,” Seo-jun answered firmly. “And a teacher's job isn't just to teach inside the classroom. It's also to make sure their students have a way to survive.”
A blue system screen suddenly appeared in Seo-jun's field of vision, flashing brightly. [Tutorial Quest: FIRST STUDENT] [Progress: 100%] [Subject Response: Complete Trust Achieved (15% -> 85%)] [Status: Quest Complete!] [Calculating Reward...] [+100 Teacher Points Acquired.] [Passive Ability Activated: Teacher's Eye Level 2 (Can see the connections between characters).] [Bonus Reward: Access to the “Confidential 2026 Scholarship Fund Allocation Document.”]
Seo-jun held his breath as he read the system notification. The bonus reward wasn't merely a way to help Min-jae. It was the first weapon he needed to strike at Cha Dong-hyun.
“Mr. Han?” Min-jae called softly, bringing Seo-jun's attention back from the system screen.
Seo-jun smiled warmly. “Starting tomorrow, I want you to wear your tie, arrive before the bell, and sit in the front row of Sociology class. Show Mr. Choi and everyone else that they were wrong about you. Can you do that?”
Min-jae wiped his tears away with his sleeve, then nodded firmly. “I can, sir. I promise.”
After Min-jae left the counseling room with a much lighter step, Seo-jun leaned back in his chair. He opened the system interface and tapped the [Confidential Documents] menu.
A digital file opened immediately, displaying rows of financial transactions from the Haneul Educational Foundation. At the bottom of the document was Yoon Chae-won's name, listed as a fictitious scholarship recipient whose funds had been diverted into a personal account under Cha Dong-hyun's name.
Seo-jun smiled coldly.
“Two birds with one stone,” Seo-jun murmured to the empty room. “I just saved one student, and now I hold the key to saving the next.”