Chapter 405

[Group Chat (6)]

[October 18, 2052, Friday]

– Did Jung So-hye come to school today?

– Wow, she’s absent without permission now, huh? Has So-hye grown a lot?

– You know, as students, we really should attend school properly.

– Let’s have an offline meeting at So-hye’s mom’s place, it’s been a while.

(…)

– Why is there no one at her house? It’s so cold here.

– Stop reading and chewing, answer me or your mom will hear about this.

– Hahaha

– Do you think hiding will change anything?

—

[October 19, 2052, Saturday]

-(Picture)

-Sohye, we rented your house successfully~

-I accidentally broke a flowerpot, sorry!

-I’ve broken about ten plates too! But it wasn’t a mistake though. Haha!

-(Picture)

-Hahaha these crazy chicks turned on the taps at the sink and the toilet!

-So-hye, if you don’t come back soon, there might be a flood!

-Your place is already like a garbage dump anyway— will you even be able to pay the water bill?

-It’s legendary how trashed your place is, like there’s nothing worth stealing anyway.

-Your dad seems like the kind who could handle this situation. Hahaha!

—

[October 20, 2052, Sunday]

-Not there either?

-Yeah, maybe even Ji-chan went with her?

-This girl has decided to run away.

-The orphanage smells so bad— it’s all over the clothes, like it’s soaked in.

-If I see this wretch in school tomorrow, I’ll kill her.

-Our So-hye just wanted to play fainting games? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Haha.

(…)

-Hey, Jung So-hye, where are you?

-Jung So-hye, answer the phone quickly!

-We should meet and talk first, alright?

-We’re sorry for teasing you. We were just joking around…

-Please take down the posts from social media; our faces are all over them. We’re begging you.

-Among friends, there’s nothing wrong with making jokes, right? Did we ever take your money or anything?

-Think it over. This is defamation of character. Let’s not escalate this too much.

—

[Stop ignoring our messages, Jung So-Hye! Look at our group chat already!]

The smartphone TTS function was reading each message from the chatroom one by one.

It was a heartfelt request from So-hye’s mother, whose eyesight was failing.

Every time the harsh words directed at her only daughter reached her ears, the feeling must have been unbearable—an impotent mother unable to do anything at all.

Through the tears of that rainy Sunday evening…

On the television at Korea University Hospital, a report related to the situation was airing.

“A video of a middle school student in Gangseo District, Seoul, experiencing years of bullying has gone viral, causing significant repercussions. The poster, identified as Girl A, has disclosed the real names and profile photos of five alleged bullies. Additionally, the parents of the accused have threatened legal action if the posts aren’t taken down, while A has publicly announced her refusal to confess unless the perpetrators turn themselves in to the police. Furthermore, the girl, who was only nine at the beginning, emphasized her intent to use her status as a minor to avoid criminal charges.”

Fifteen-year-old Jung So-hye was sobbing in her mother’s arms like a five-year-old child.

“Mom, I’m sorry you didn’t understand my pain… I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything useful for you, mom…”

“Sniff, sniff. No! Not at all! I’ve told you many times not to say that! Please don’t talk like that…”

—

In the meantime, I had mobilized every journalist I knew to make this school bullying public.

The content, received at 10 p.m., had already made headlines for the 11 p.m. news.

On social media, many people were threatening me anonymously.

They threatened me with defamation lawsuits, expulsion from the academy, and family pride that included National Assembly members, lawyers, police inspectors, clan leaders, and more.

Being so young has never felt stronger than it does right now.

“Go ahead and report me. I’m only nine years old.”

To those who wanted to handle things by the book, I responded in kind.

“Aunt, I’ve already made sure we’ve paid more than enough for one month of hospital stay. For now, it would be best for you, your daughter, and son to stay here together.”

“Thank you so much, Na-me. Without Na-me, So-hye might still be… *Sniff*…”

“Since So-hye doesn’t have to go to school tomorrow, she should stay here and take good care of her mother.”

“You…? When will you go home, Na-me?”

“I should go soon too.”

Professor Adele and Professor Chen keep calling me, asking when I’ll be coming back.

These days, I spend more time in the hospital than at home.

I held So-hye’s hand one last time and told her this.

“There are natural disasters in this world that we can’t avoid. The calamity that happened to you was not due to you being flawed, just that you faced more misfortune than others. But guess what? Your misfortune ends today. Those who harassed you will vanish from sight. From this point on, live your life doing all the things you’ve dreamed of doing. Show people how happy you are. Will you make that promise to me?”

I extended my pinky finger.

“Will that really work…?”

“That is the best form of revenge.”

A single tear ran down So-hye’s face.

We promised each other by hooking our pinky fingers together.

Leaving the hospital, I caught a taxi going back home.

Some people might think I was meddling too much.

But watching children drift away from this beautiful world is something I simply can’t stand.

If I just reach out a little more, I might be able to catch them all.

I’ve cried far too many times because of my lack of ability.

Now that I have the strength, there’s no reason to hold back.

After coming home, I hastily threw off my coat and fell onto Adele’s bed.

“Hmm… What’s this? When did you come? Is it okay to sleep here?”

I curled up like a shrimp under the blankets.

“Ughh… My bed’s so cold. Can I just sleep here for tonight?”

I tightly hugged the covers warmed by body heat.

I suppose it’s natural to long for body warmth after encountering too many people near death.

As soon as I lay down, I felt lightheaded.

“Goodnight, Na-me.”

It seemed like Adele whispered those words into my ear just as I was falling asleep.

She really can’t stop calling me sister.

—

* * *

Every profession comes with a role society expects of them.

When there’s a fire, firefighters are expected to immediately respond and extinguish it.

When a patient comes, doctors are supposed to treat their illness or injury.

The principal is expected to swiftly separate school bullying perpetrators from the victims.

And then, the moment came when all trust shattered.

“Did you hear, Na-me? The bullies from Ara-byeol Junior High School came back to school today,” my manager, Eborum, said over the phone during lunch break.

Fortunately, Jung So-hye didn’t come to school that day due to psychological counseling, which allowed her to take a sick day.

If she had gone to school, she would have faced the bullies in class.

Is this right?

I could hardly focus on the fifth and sixth period classes, frequently checking my phone for any new articles.

It seemed like an infuriated journalist had already contacted the school.

The principal’s response was astonishing.

[Yesterday’s incident happened so suddenly that even the teachers in our school were caught off guard. It’s necessary for us to understand the exact nature of the situation by interviewing the students, so please allow us some time.]

[This is a case of school violence! Don’t you know that school violence perpetrators must be separated within seven days?]

[There has been no official report made to the school side, so we are not aware if this constitutes school violence. Actions will be taken accordingly once the facts are clearly established.]

Despite all media outlets labeling the issue as school violence, the school kept repeating the same rhetoric: no formal complaint had been lodged.

That was impossible since Jung So-hye had already discussed the matter with her homeroom teacher when explaining her absences for medical reasons.

After school ended, I picked up a simple formation generator from the teacher’s preparation office.

“Na-me! Wait a moment!”

3-A homeroom teacher Mr. Shim Hyo-chan called out to me urgently.

“Yes, teacher?”

“Where are you going? Aren’t you going home directly after school?”

“Why? Can’t I go somewhere else other than home?”

“… Na-me, you’re such a smart kid. You should remember everything we’ve learned during moral education: if you see someone doing something wrong, you should report it to the police. Hurting them in return makes us just as bad as they are.”

“No, I’m protected under the Juvenile Act and Criminal Law. While I might face moral criticism, I cannot become a criminal.”

“You know magic and aura are forbidden in the academy. I already warned you, No-name. If you use them, it won’t be let slide at the academy.”

Mr. Shim Hyo-chan, normally known for his gentle temper, shouted for the first time.

“If I must bear the consequences of my actions, I’m willing to accept them.”

To me, elementary students seem just like regular 30-somethings trying to intimidate me.

“Would you give up your dreams for such trivial people? You’ve longed so much to be selected for the National Exchange Competition. Surely, you don’t want all my work to go to waste. If you hurt anyone, it’ll be all over!”

It was impossible not to burst into laughter hearing such absurd reasoning.

“Is that my dream? Teacher, you seem to know nothing about me, really.”

“My dreams aren’t defined by titles or accomplishments imposed by others.”

What I now aspire to achieve is the complete destruction of Falphurgis.

As long as it doesn’t directly conflict with this goal, I will continue to live according to my personal beliefs.

“I’ll act sensibly, don’t worry. I’m equipped with common sense, after all.”

Throughout my life, I’ve encountered countless people who I wanted to brutally murder, yet I’ve patiently endured.

The stalker who set fire to Kariri’s house, the bomber who tried to kill me, the foreigner in Germany who insulted my mother due to racial prejudice, and the drunkard causing mayhem with a soju bottle in the alley—none of them have I killed.

Not a single one.

—

* * *

—

“Teacher Bon-gu, I didn’t bully her that seriously, alright? You know Jung So-hye has some kind of skin disease. She might have something contagious, so how could I hit her?”

“Kim Se-bin, does it sound like I’m joking? Breaking a student’s leg with a baseball bat, pouring disinfectant and lighting them on fire, stabbing them with a cutter, choking them unconscious, and even stealing from her residence—that’s textbook bullying, Kim!”

“Geez, there’s not much time till we graduate middle school… Okay. Okay! Let’s file for the school bullying committee. But, teacher, you must brace yourself too. My dad says he’ll sue you for false accusations when the committee convenes.”

“What did you just say?”

“Anyway, I’m not going to school starting tomorrow. It’s gonna be so sweet.”

“Kim Se-bin! Kim Se-bin!”

The process of establishing the school bullying committee at Ara-byeol Junior High wasn’t smooth either.

If dual lawsuits are filed, teachers could easily lose their jobs.

Kim Se-bin waited in the hallway outside the classroom for her friends instead of entering the class.

She was irritated by the whispers of her classmates who didn’t even know her well.

Four middle school girls, sporting shorts skirts, approached in single file.

“Are you done with the consultation? What did Teacher Bon-gu say?”

“Whatever! Looks like a bullying committee might be held. Damn it, how did Jung So-hye figure out to involve No-name? It’s annoying!”

“Se-bi, you’ve become famous on Instagram. Cool, huh?”

“Can you even laugh in this situation? We’re all in deep trouble.”

“So, let’s leave. To the land of freedom—free Africa.”

“You go bother someone else.”

“No-name is weird. Why would Jung So-hye care so much about us? Is there some kind of charm attracting her?”

“Isn’t that how geniuses or people with Asperger’s get obsessive? You messed with a psycho.”

“Bad luck.”

“But anyway, academy students lose interest quickly, right? Fighting regular people gets them buried immediately.”

“Haha, yeah, even among alumni, they eye each other like crazy. They take their reputation really seriously. Such a pain.”

“Such a pain, wanna smoke?”

“My dad took it yesterday.”

“I’ll lend you mine, let’s go.”

Since they won’t be able to attend school starting tomorrow, there was no point in continuing classes.

Younger middle school students passed by, glancing at them.

The rumors had clearly spread through the school.

“Shut up, bitches!”

“Oops, I left my bag in the classroom. Wait here.”

“We’ve always avoided you guys, right? Come over here.”

After the school bell rang, the junior high students slowly vanished from the hallway.

Kim Se-bin’s group relocated to the back of the recycling station.

The stench of garbage was masked quickly by the smoke.

Tick-

“My lighter’s not working. Looking for a saint who can share fire.”

[Activation: Spark]

Whoosh!

A small flame ignited at the end of the cigarette.

The unexpected appearance of the magical array startled Jo Eun-seo, forcing her to cough out some smoke.

“Who’s casting magic out of nowhere? Die already!”

“Eun-seo, what’s wrong? What is it?”

“It wasn’t you, Kim Se-bin, right? Then who else…”

“Need some more fire?”

The gruff voice startled everyone.

Rustle–

A small girl emerged from the bushes behind them.

She must’ve crossed through a small forest from the direction of Ara-byeol Elementary School.

But the sight of the girl left the junior high schoolers speechless.

She had a cigarette dangling from her lips, just like theirs.

“Hoohoo… Do you want to die? Who taught you brats to smoke?”