"Now that she's officially a Choi, how do you plan on saving yourself and the school, Mr. Hong Dae-jun?" Minjae called his full name, her tone cutting through the room. He remained silent.
She sighed, clearly tired of his existence. With just a flick of her hand, one of the senior police officers stepped forward and cuffed him.
"The likes of you aren't the type to reason with. Your actions make it clear you don't use your brain," she said simply, watching as two junior officers escorted him out.
"Take all the staff," the other senior officer commanded. The rest of the police moved in, rounding up the teachers. Murmurs rippled through the students as they watched their own teachers being dragged out. Those outside stood in shock as more and more people were led away in cuffs.
"What's really going on?" voices whispered in confusion.
Minjae turned her gaze to the parents, now frozen in silence. Olivia and Sunny clutched their mothers' hands, terrified of what might come next. Jongin, however, remained calm as always, staring directly at Minjae. Throughout the videos, he had never laid a hand on anyone—yet he was always there, always watching.
"So, my fellow guardians," Minjae began, her voice laced with disdain, "what do we do about your bully children? It's obvious Mina was the victim all along. Tell me, how do we console her pure soul?"
Silence.
The parents lowered their eyes, not only because they had been wrong, but because they had just seen their children's true faces. Mrs. Jane knew Olivia could be wild, but the cruelty she witnessed left her speechless. Jaemin, who only ever showed his family a soft side, turned out to be part of the torment. And Mrs. Sung—though she knew Sunny bullied the weaker ones—had ignored it, blinded by her own arrogance. Now, all of it was exposed.
"No ideas? Good. I've got one or two," Minjae said, parting her lips to continue.
But before she could, Olivia suddenly dropped to her knees. Gasps filled the hall. No one expected this—the girl they thought would see Mina kneel had instead fallen herself.
"Olivia!" her mother screamed. "What the hell are you doing?" She reached to pull her up, but Olivia shoved her hand away.
"I'm sorry," Olivia whispered.
"Olivia…"
"Mum, just let me!!" Olivia shouted, tears spilling down her face.
She admired Minjae, but more than that—she feared her. Everything she'd read about Minjae told her this woman would not stop with her; she would destroy her entire family if pushed. Her father had died years ago, leaving her mother to rebuild their crumbling company alone. If Minjae targeted them now, they'd lose everything.
"Please," Olivia begged, tears streaming, "don't touch my mum. You can punish me as much as you want."
Her mother's own tears fell—because Olivia's fear was real. She knew her daughter was terrified of returning to those days of poverty and struggle, right after her husband had died.
Minjae tilted her head, watching Olivia.
"Punish you, you say?" she smiled coldly. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
Olivia hesitated, then nodded.
"Hmm. Too bad. Kids are an exception in my list of cruelties. But still, someone has to face consequences, don't you think? If there's to be punishment, it should come from none other than Mina."
Olivia lifted her head, eyes trembling, then turned to Mina—who stared back at her, unflinching, eyes sharp and merciless.
Minjae shifted her focus to the rest of the students.
"Everyone except the bullies, leave," she ordered. The students rushed to obey, but before they could step out, she spoke again, freezing them in their tracks.
"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook. I made you stay and watch that video so you'd remember it. When you face hardship in the future, don't call it bad luck. Don't call it karma. Just know someone out there carries a long memory—and happen to remember you that day."
The words sent chills through the air. The students hurried out.
Mrs. Sung broke the silence, her voice sharp. "So what if your niece was bullied? You'd go this far—threatening all these kids—just for her?"
"You all went through all this dramatic length just for your little ones, what makes Mina any different? She is that special to me, I guess," she tilted her head, " Shes family after all" She added, calm and nonchalant, Meanwhile Mina couldnt stop staring at her, she had tears in her eyes, for a very long time she havent felt this warmth___ like her mother was right here with her.
Minjae turned to the students who had stayed. "Glad to see you're being truthful with yourselves." She said "Jongin," she called, eyes narrowing at him.
"Thanks to your advice, I was able to witness everything. Although, you could've just told me what I asked. From what I see, you're the perfect eyewitness."
"I guess your request wasn't worth my saliva," Jongin replied smoothly.
"Just like your presence isn't worth being here," Mina snapped, stepping forward. "You should have just quietly walked away with the rest of the students, like the loser you are. No matter how cool you act, the title of 'bully' doesn't suit you. You don't do anything. You just watch, scared of getting into actual trouble, like a scared little brat. In the end, my aunt is right—you're the perfect eyewitness. Absolutely nothing more."
Jongin's jaw tightened, his glare sharp.
"What? You want to send your guys at me already?" Mina pressed, smirking. "At least wait until this case is over." she mocked
Sang Tae smiled faintly, proud of Mina's growing confidence.
Minjae only watched, quietly enjoying the exchange. She loved that Mina was finding her own voice.
When the tension cooled, Minjae drew a long breath, commanding everyone's attention again.
"Even with my packed schedule, I made time to be here for my niece. I won't waste words on the lack of ethics and justice in this place. I'm simply disappointed."
She turned to Olivia's mother.
"Mrs. Jane—you didn't start as a rich woman. You were poor before marrying your late husband. Mrs. Sung, Mrs. Kwon—even if you came from well-off families, you were never above middle-class. You all had humble beginnings. So why bully Mina for being what you once were? You all know the tragedy that struck my family, especially Mina's mother. Tell me—where has your empathy gone?"
Her words were heavy, but her face remained cold and expressionless. She glanced at her watch, then exhaled.
"I have more important matters to attend to. All I came here to do was ensure my niece receives the justice she cried for. From here on, her fate rests in her own hands. I've done my part as her guardian."
She turned to Mina, whose eyes shone with admiration.
"You can all leave now," Minjae said, her tone dismissive, tired. To her, they were beneath notice. If not for Mina, she would never have wasted her time in such a place. Coming to this school was Minjae lowering herself from her high seat, but she had done it for her niece.
"Who says you're the one to decide who leaves and who stays?"
The voice was sharp, cutting through the air.
Minjae, who had turned to leave, paused. At the entrance stood a woman dressed in red, flanked by her own bodyguards. She glared at Minjae, her presence radiating wealth and authority.
Minjae regarded her coolly, scanning her from head to toe. She didn't recognize her face. Normally, Minjae knew everyone worth knowing, their stories and their secrets—but only if they were necessary. The woman before her clearly had status, but to Minjae, she was a stranger.
"And you are?" Minjae asked, voice flat, eyes tired. The woman's intimidating aura rolled off her like mist. Minjae was scared of nobody.
Jongin casually stepped beside the woman, hands in his pockets. He turned to Mina, tilting his head with a smug look that made her glare harder.
"You must be his mother," Minjae said at last, noticing the resemblance.