Chapter 52 – Rule 21. The Leader Provides a Real Education (2)
Min Hana.
First-year student at Ahsung High School.
Known for her timid personality, lack of presence, and fearfulness.
Despite her significant earnings as a virtual streamer, she has never revealed her identity.
As the first semester was coming to an end, Hana still hadn’t made any proper friends.
Although Lee Se-Ah’s group occasionally hung out with her, Hana never fully integrated with them because she found it difficult to socialize.
The root of her troubles traced back to middle school.
While carrying her lunch tray, she was jostled by a group of girls led by Han So-Jeong. With her small frame and weak strength, Hana was pushed, spilling her kimchi stew all over So-Jeong’s uniform.
From that day, the bullying by So-Jeong’s group began. They started with dirtying her locker and textbooks, gradually escalating their harassment.
Eventually, they began secretly beating her after school. So-Jeong knew all the school’s blind spots, ensuring Hana often bore bruises all over her body.
One day, So-Jeong discovered Hana’s success as a virtual streamer after checking her phone.
─ “What would happen if you reported me? Your identity would be all over the internet, along with those embarrassing photos I took of you. And then, I’d kill you. Got it, Hana?”
So-Jeong’s innocent-seeming threats forced Hana to hand over her earnings.
Hana’s days were a living hell.
Eventually, So-Jeong received a disciplinary transfer to another school after being caught bullying another student.
Though Hana feared So-Jeong might come back for her or expose her identity online, nothing happened.
However, the constant anxiety wore down Hana’s mental state. Unable to maintain even a fake cheerful demeanor, she lost many of her virtual streamer followers.
Despite all her efforts in studying and training to get into Ahsung High School, Hana couldn’t escape the lingering effects.
One day, Hana discovered that So-Jeong had also enrolled at Ahsung High. She had secretly gotten a boyfriend and formed a new clique.
So-Jeong had always been an elite, regardless of her personality. This was another reason why Hana couldn’t fight back against her.
Hana was terrified but decided she couldn’t live like this anymore.
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Rather than fearing the exposure of her virtual streamer identity, reclaiming her life became more important.
Hana secretly monitored So-Jeong, discovering that she and her clique might be bullying innocent students again, evading the Disciplinary Committee’s watch.
‘I need to gather evidence.’
Only with evidence could she bring So-Jeong down.
Today, Hana found a student being beaten by So-Jeong’s group in an abandoned classroom.
Despite the enjoyment they seemed to get from their vile actions, they found ways to avoid school security.
‘You haven’t changed at all, you piece of trash.’
So-Jeong hadn’t changed at all, despite being disciplined and transferred.
This realization was somewhat comforting. If So-Jeong was still irredeemable, Hana had no reason to hesitate in standing up to her.
In the dark hallway outside the abandoned classroom, Hana secretly set her smartphone to record and placed it on the window ledge.
‘This is the surest way, considering So-Jeong’s tactics.’
Expecting the currently beaten student to help wasn’t realistic. Hana decided to take matters into her own hands.
Hana barged into the abandoned classroom.
“Who’s she?”
The male student beating the girl looked startled. He was So-Jeong’s boyfriend.
“Oh? You... Hana, right? It’s you!”
So-Jeong was momentarily surprised, then impressed.
“You know her?”
“A middle school classmate. I’ve told you about her, right? The virtual girl.”
“Virtual? Ah.”
Seemed like So-Jeong had already mentioned Hana to her boyfriend, who seemed to understand.
“You go to the same school?”
“I didn’t know either.”
As an instinctive fear surged, cold sweat dripped down Hana’s forehead. Even though she mustered the courage to confront So-Jeong, her legs trembled as she spoke, making her feel pathetic.
The days of bullying flashed before her eyes. Hana closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Long time no see, Hana! I didn’t know we’d go to the same school! It’s almost like fate. But have you been following me? You’ve gotten brave!”
“How can you still be doing this...?”
Hana, who usually struggled to speak casually with classmates, couldn’t help but address So-Jeong formally.
“It’s fun.”
So-Jeong grabbed the hair of the trembling girl she was beating and lifted her head.
The girl’s face was unscathed, but her body must have taken the brunt of the abuse, given her pained expression.
Despite her shaking voice, Hana managed to speak with courage.
“A student of Ahsung High School behaving like this... Do you have no intelligence? Don’t you realize that this behavior will ruin your future...?”
“So you’ve grown, Hana. Talking back to me now! I’ve been so busy, I let you off. Now you think I’m easy?”
So-Jeong sneered.
“Of course, I’ve learned. I was too careless. I should’ve had more fun, more meticulously.”
Criminals know they’ll be caught and punished. They know their actions aren’t socially acceptable. Yet, recidivism rates are high.
There are many reasons, but the main issue is the difficulty in breaking away from criminal behavior.
So-Jeong took pleasure in school violence. The process of standing superior to classmates, controlling and tormenting them, brought her satisfaction. Even with Ahsung High’s prestigious status and the Disciplinary Committee Leader’s remarkable efforts, So-Jeong couldn’t suppress this urge.
It was the realm of beasts acting on instinct alone.
Hana’s resolve hardened.
“You really are irredeemable trash.”
Hana’s eyes grew cold.
Having been bullied by So-Jeong before, Hana knew.
So-Jeong must have made countless terrible threats to ensure the beaten girl wouldn’t speak out about their torment.
“Haha! Time really is a healer, huh? You’re actually saying this to me. Hana~, since we’re tied by fate, we should play together again.”
So-Jeong and her boyfriend chuckled, as if they had found a new toy.
“Come here, Hana. This place is the perfect spot we recently discovered as a school security blind spot. It’s great for fun.”
Whack!
“Ah!”
Suddenly, Hana was kicked from behind and rolled across the floor of the abandoned classroom.
“Who’s this kid?”
“Just in time.”
A male student from So-Jeong’s group had just returned from the restroom.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
So-Jeong’s boyfriend stepped on Hana and slapped her with a magic-infused hand.
Slap! Hana screamed.
As the pain hit her, past memories vividly resurfaced. Despite her determination, her body began to tremble defensively.
“You annoying brat. Talking back to our So-Jeong like that.”
Slap!
“Fight back a little. This is boring.”
Whack!
“Don’t hit the face too much. She’s cute. Go for somewhere else.”
“Is she your type?”
The male students chuckled as they kicked Hana’s body as she rolled on the floor.
“Friend, transform into chair mode.”
“C-chair mode...!”
The girl who had initially been beaten quickly crawled behind So-Jeong and lay on the floor. So-Jeong sat on her back.
“Let’s have some fun, babe.”
“Wanna do ‘that’?”
So-Jeong had just taken out her smartphone.
“Look here. Hey, look here.”
Clap! Clap!
So-Jeong’s boyfriend lifted Hana’s head, slapped her cheeks with moderate force, and made her look at the smartphone.
Hana bit her lip.
She had to endure.
Her recording smartphone was hidden out of sight. It would certainly serve as solid evidence.
The girl who had been beaten might not help due to the threats. She might even deny wanting So-Jeong’s group punished or say she was just playing along.
Hana believed that the surest way to socially ruin So-Jeong’s group was to do it herself. It might be a foolish method, but Hana harbored a deep resentment towards So-Jeong.
So, she had to endure.
“Ugh...”