Chapter 14
Although he had not yet officially taken office, Seonghan was overwhelmingly busy.
He arrived at work at six in the morning and shut himself inside the chairman’s office, reviewing every single document. Whatever task he took on had to remain under his control and be handled perfectly before he was satisfied—that was simply his nature.
“This is a mess.”
Seonghan abruptly closed the ledger he had been examining.
At a glance, it appeared flawless. But the more closely he looked, the more holes he found—far more than just one or two.
He had reviewed dozens upon dozens of books like this during his time in the corporate world.
From various circumstances, he had already determined that the principal, vice principal, head of administration, and department heads had been secretly pocketing money.
Submitting false overtime documents for days they hadn’t even worked. Processing receipts for school supplies and diverting the funds elsewhere.
The principal’s record was astonishing as well. He had previously committed corruption at another school and retired because of it. Yet the former chairman had appointed him as vice principal—and now he had risen to principal.
“What is this place, a garbage dump?”
Seonghan rubbed the back of his stiffening neck.
He needed to verify the ledger further. He called the principal’s office through the internal line, but there was no answer. Irritated, he left the chairman’s office and headed toward the principal’s office.
Then he saw it.
The principal was bowing and scraping in front of a woman outside his office. Seonghan recognized her. She had recently been appearing frequently at group banquets.
To secure political funds for her husband, a National Assembly member, she would show up at group or family events uninvited and busy herself with menial tasks. Seonghan had never acknowledged her directly, but he had heard things.
He had also heard that she was excessively devoted to her daughter—enough to draw subtle criticism.
“Please, go inside.”
Neither the principal nor the woman noticed Seonghan. He was about to approach but stopped.
Something interesting seemed about to happen.
Moments later, a delinquent-looking student entered the principal’s office, chewing gum loudly.
Then—
Se-ah came hurrying toward the office.
“Han Se—”
Seonghan started to call her name but stopped himself.
Se-ah didn’t know herself very well. Even back in those younger days, she must have thought she appeared strong.
She was straightforward. In student council meetings, she spoke her mind without hesitation.
Because of that, most people misunderstood Han Se-ah. They thought she was confident and fearless.
Only Seonghan knew that after meetings ended, she would hide in a corner, gasping to steady her breathing. Sometimes she cried alone in the restroom.
If you’re going to cry like that, you don’t have to do it. You could just stay quiet. But she never knew how to endure.
— The accessible restroom has been broken for over two months. The school says there’s no budget to fix it. A student in our class who can only use that restroom is having difficulties.
— But if the school lacks funds, what can we do? And that student can just use a regular stall, right?
— Some students with disabilities can’t use regular stalls. Shouldn’t we request the school to repair it quickly so they can use it?
Her face had been flushed red as she spoke. Yet no one supported her.
— What, do disabled people poop purple? They’re all the same anyway. Why make such a fuss? How many disabled students are even in this school?
While the other students laughed, Se-ah kept her chin lifted stiffly, her expression hardened. As soon as the meeting ended, she ran to the restroom.
Han Se-ah was that kind of girl.
She didn’t know how to fight back, didn’t know how to fight properly, didn’t even have the strength for it—yet she would speak without wisdom, thinking she was something when she was nothing.
Just like me.
That was why, on that rainy day, Seonghan knew she wanted to hide inside him—and he accepted her.
Even knowing it was a love he could not handle, he couldn’t reject it.
“What has she done this time?”
He could roughly picture the situation.
That forceful woman must have been flaunting her influence at school, just as she did everywhere else. She likely had numerous unspoken dealings with the principal.
Her daughter—dressed sloppily, behaving poorly—would be untouchable by any teacher.
Except foolish Han Se-ah.
He remained outside the principal’s office on purpose. The voices were loud enough that he could hear everything.
He should have stayed out of it. If he openly sided with Se-ah in front of everyone, it might put her in an even more difficult position. Especially if this involved secret dealings between parents and the principal.
“Principal.”
But Seonghan opened the door just as the vile woman was about to slap Se-ah—and grabbed her wrist midair.
He could not stand by any longer.
“C-Chairman?”
Startled by Seonghan’s sudden appearance, the principal flinched. Hwang Min-young’s mother, Pyo Se-jin, reacted the same way.
So did Se-ah.
When her eyes met Seonghan’s, they trembled violently.
Earlier, when the physical scuffle began, he had nearly stepped in. But when Pyo Se-jin froze upon noticing the Hermès, he had removed his hand from the doorknob.
He had planned to pretend he was merely passing by once she left.
But Se-ah stopped her—
And things nearly spiraled beyond recovery.
“Ah, Chairman? I was just speaking with the parent. Yes. Haha.”
The principal forced a twitching smile. His hands rubbed against his trousers, unsure where to go.
He couldn’t decide whether to continue fawning over the parent or grovel before the chairman, so he glanced back and forth between them.
Seonghan slowly released Pyo Se-jin’s arm.
“Oh my, you’re the chairman?”
The irritation on Pyo Se-jin’s face softened instantly.
She quickly changed her expression and gave him a coy smile, as if trying to seduce him.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hwang Min-young’s mother. I’m the head of the parent committee. I heard you haven’t officially taken office yet. I didn’t realize you were so young and handsome. You’re from the Jeongwoon Group, correct?”
Pyo Se-jin had heard that Jeongwoon had purchased the school, but she didn’t know the man’s exact background.
Young, already appointed chairman. Likely a well-recognized employee within the group.
His simple yet clearly expensive attire suggested a powerful background.
She extended her hand.
Seonghan glanced at it indifferently but did not take it.
Embarrassed, she lowered her hand and smiled again.
“I’m sorry. If I had known you were so diligent as to come in before officially taking office, I would have invited you sooner. My secretary will contact you soon. Let’s have a meal together.”
Seonghan looked at Se-ah.
Amid this absurd situation, she stood stiffly, startled.
“Rather than a meal right now,”
he said, turning back to Pyo Se-jin,
“I believe we need an explanation of what just happened.”
“An explanation? Of what situation?”
Pyo Se-jin asked innocently.
Se-ah merely bit her lip.
“Would you care to explain, Teacher Han Se-ah?”
Seonghan asked her directly.
There was only so much he could do himself. He had heard everything from outside—but he had not seen it firsthand.
“Nothing happened.”
That was all Se-ah said.
Seonghan closed his eyes tightly before opening them again.
He knew why she was doing this. That petty pride of hers.
She didn’t want to admit she had nearly been slapped by a parent.
“Are you certain nothing happened? I clearly heard something.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Ha ha, Chairman. At schools, differences in educational philosophy between parents and teachers often cause friction. Since you’re new here, you may not be familiar with that.”
The principal interjected into the tense silence.
“Mom, can I go now?”
Min-young finally spoke. After witnessing everything, she looked merely bored.
“Yes, go.”
With both the principal and a teacher present, Pyo Se-jin dismissed her daughter without a second thought.
As Min-young was about to leave the office—
“Wait.”
At Seonghan’s voice, she stopped instinctively.
He approached her.
She narrowed her eyes and stepped back cautiously, fiddling with the sleeve of her other hand.
Seonghan swiftly grabbed it.
“What are you doing?!”
“Hey—what are you—!”
Min-young screamed, and Se-jin rushed toward him.
Seonghan held out something long and white toward the furious Pyo Se-jin.
“It seems your daughter found it unbearably dull to sit quietly and was hoping to have a smoke.”
“What?”
It was a cigarette that had been hidden inside Min-young’s sleeve.
