NOVPUBThe news of Kim Shin-rok’s death reached Seong Guk-eon, and he briefly contemplated whether he should pay his respects to Jeon Moo-young, but soon dismissed the thought.
‘I graduated after he was assigned as a teacher. The students who passed away weren’t yet Eungwang High students.’
Had a joint memorial been established, it might have been different, but as a politician with no direct connection, visiting the funeral could be perceived as trying to exploit the death for political purposes.
As an alumnus of Eungwang High, sending a wreath in memory of the deceased was the sensible choice.
Still, it weighed on him.
Perhaps it was because Jeon Moo-young, who had followed Kim Shin-rok so devotedly, was now being criticized for failing to protect the students and letting them die.
‘The incompetent ones aren’t the powerless teachers but the negligent ones above them.’
Ultimately, Seong Guk-eon decided to focus on preparations for the aftermath, rather than attending the funeral.
He closely observed the movements of the Wung tribe, checked the status of Eungwang High's protective barriers, and strengthened the security in other exam halls to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
After reviewing the events surrounding the incident, it seemed that the students and teachers were caught in the clash between the Hojok and Wung tribes and had died as a result.
Thinking this way, his anger toward the True Family intensified.
Amidst this, Jeon Moo-young, who had visited the funeral, shared an unexpected detail.
"I ran into a member of the Dragon Tribe at the funeral."
"Was there a connection with the Dragon Tribe? It's not strange since there are descendants among the students."
"But it wasn’t just one person who came to pay respects. Among them was the leader of the Dragon Tribe, Cheong-ryong."
"The leader of the Dragon Tribe?"
That remark gave Seong Guk-eon pause. Cheong-ryong, the leader of the Dragon Tribe, was ruthless toward anyone outside his family.
The world was rife with legends of dragon slayers, and in times of chaos, it was a natural attitude to protect those closely connected to the Dragon Tribe and its descendants.
While Seong Guk-eon didn't trust the True Family, he had faith in the Dragon Tribe’s actions and in Yeom Bang-yeol, who had strong ties with them. Therefore, he had no particular ill feelings toward the Dragon Tribe, except for one group.
"Was the chief mourner Teacher Yong Je-geon?"
"That dragon?"
When the name of the dragon Seong Guk-eon distrusted was mentioned, his tone lowered.
The memory of Yong Je-geon laughing at the funeral, even though he was the chief mourner, came to mind.
The thought that he might have laughed at the funeral again made it difficult to look at things positively.
"Yes. But unlike back then, Teacher Yong Je-geon..."
Jeon Moo-young hesitated and swallowed his words.
"It’s nothing. It might just have been my misunderstanding."
Seong Guk-eon chose not to press for more, feeling that any attempt to uncover the truth about Yong Je-geon’s actions at the funeral would yield an answer that didn’t sit right.
Even after that incident, problems continued to arise at Eungwang High.
Whenever Seong Guk-eon requested information, it either came late or with missing documents.
He wondered if the responsible individuals had changed and confirmed that they had.
‘So, the teacher who passed away was the one who had been preparing the documents I requested.’
With the disappearance of Kim Shin-rok, the teacher who had managed the paperwork, a new teacher, influenced by the corrupt teacher Choi Pyeon-deuk, had taken over the role.
Seong Guk-eon regretted not visiting the funeral and wished he had made an excuse to do so.
Since then, he occasionally thought about Kim Shin-rok, and each time, a sharp sting filled his eyes, as if a higher power that had given him guidance was trying to turn his attention elsewhere.
‘Does this mean that digging deeper into this matter could put me in danger?’
Regardless, it was difficult to focus on a teacher he had never met.
In mid-April, Seong Guk-eon participated in the general elections, running as an independent candidate. He won re-election smoothly, as he had been predicted to be the likely winner based on all the polls conducted by the media during the election period.
But what concerned Seong Guk-eon more than the results of the election was something else.
‘The order of the proportional representatives for the ruling party turned out differently than expected. There was an unfamiliar name.’
There was someone in the top ranks of the ruling party's proportional representation list that Seong Guk-eon did not recognize. While it wasn’t uncommon to see new, promising politicians on such lists, Seong Guk-eon didn’t like the person for some reason. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
On the surface, the candidate seemed perfectly fine, but Seong Guk-eon decided to keep an eye on him.
However, he had no time to track the movements of other politicians, because another major incident unfolded in May.
"What’s the situation?"
"We are still counting. With many seriously injured being transported, the number of fatalities may rise."
On May 5th, Children’s Day, multiple rifts from other worlds occurred at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium, causing many casualties.
Coincidentally, there were large-scale rifts in Seoul that day, which delayed the response from the association and the professional player teams.
"Weren’t the Dragon Tribe supposed to be there for the ceremonial first pitch on Children’s Day?"
"Yes, but they left less than an hour after the pitch. Since Yeom Jun-yeol, the descendant, went abroad, the Dragon Tribe has rarely appeared in public events."
"I see."
In times like these, one always had to consider the possibility that the True Family could be the enemy.
The Dragon Tribe wasn’t the enemy, but neither could they be expected to help.
Seong Guk-eon reaffirmed this thought and began working on analyzing the situation, identifying the causes, handling the aftermath, and discussing compensation.
"Teacher’s Day is coming soon. Don’t overdo it with the rift attacks."
"Haha! I can’t show the teachers that I’m a coward."
"If the teacher you respect were here, I’m sure they’d want you to prioritize safety."
Despite the busy days, Seong Guk-eon adjusted his schedule to keep his promise to his teacher.
However, just before Teacher’s Day, Seong Guk-eon was injured during a rift attack while protecting Jeon Moo-young, resulting in a plaster cast on his arm.
This incident led to a major argument between him and Jeon Moo-young, but in the end, Jeon Moo-young relented.
"You always worried about students who didn’t get along. You can’t let the one watching from above be worried."
Jeon Moo-young spoke with a weary face.
Having followed and respected his teacher, who had died tragically, and then having to face public criticism afterward, it was no wonder that this would weigh heavily on him.
Seong Guk-eon raised his uninjured arm and tightly gripped Jeon Moo-young’s shoulder to comfort him.
‘I didn’t want to show my teacher that I was injured, but today, I have to go to Eungwang High with Moo-young.’
The two of them bought red carnations instead of chrysanthemums and headed toward Eungwang High.
While walking through the school, Jeon Moo-young stopped in front of a holographic wall and suddenly looked distressed.
"Teacher Kim Shin-rok preferred analog equipment. That’s why the bulletin boards with paper handouts remained at Eungwang High."
But now, with Kim Shin-rok gone, no one was using paper documents anymore, so the bulletin boards were taken down and replaced with holograms.
Since Kim Shin-rok had passed before the new semester began, there were no longer bulletin boards or paper attendance books at the school.
‘If the teacher had been here, the bulletin boards would still be around.’
When Seong Guk-eon was a student, devices hadn’t yet become as ubiquitous as they are now, and senior teachers preferred paper handouts.
It wasn’t surprising that his teacher had been different in this regard, but with senior teachers retiring one by one, those who preferred analog tools, like Kim Shin-rok, had become noticeable.
‘If that teacher had been here, the bulletin boards would still be here.’
Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Moo-young wandered the halls of Eungwang High, reminiscing about their teacher. Although the conversation didn’t continue for long, Jeon Moo-young occasionally spoke about memories of the past.
Each time, Seong Guk-eon felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
‘The way they describe Teacher Kim Shin-rok makes me think of my own teacher.’
It seemed Jeon Moo-young felt the same.
The teacher Seong Guk-eon spoke of had some similarities with Kim Shin-rok.
Good teachers, no matter how their forms may differ, all share the same heart for their students, so it wasn’t too strange to think that way.
But perhaps due to the place and time, Seong Guk-eon began to wonder whether there was more to the connection between the two teachers.
"Perhaps... Ah."
But Seong Guk-eon quickly closed his mouth.
In the distance, he saw the dreaded long hair approaching.
It was Yong Je-geon.
‘Is he still not done for the day?’
Although he was quite a distance away, Seong Guk-eon knew that Yong Je-geon would have sensed their presence by now and come over to make some spiteful comment. However, he remained silent, walking around the school in a tired and slow pace.
"What’s wrong with Yong Je-geon’s condition? He doesn’t look too good."
"He’s probably planning something."
Yong Je-geon was simply expending all his energy wishing for something unattainable, unaware of their presence.
But Seong Guk-eon believed that there was something more to his movements.
Not only Seong Guk-eon, but most of the students of Eungwang High shared that belief.
Only a few knew the real circumstances surrounding Yong Je-geon.
That’s why Seong Guk-eon let the harsh words slip.
"If he used the power of Yeobibujwi, Teacher Kim Shin-rok could be revived."
"Ugh..."
Jeon Moo-young raised his head sharply, as if Seong Guk-eon had read his mind.
Jeon Moo-young had once thought that maybe Yong Je-geon could grant the wish to bring their teacher back to life, after seeing the sad, gloomy look on his face at the funeral.
If Yong Je-geon’s whims could bring their teacher back, Jeon Moo-young might throw away his pride and cling to him.
But Seong Guk-eon spoke coldly.
"If Yong Je-geon had any intention of doing so, he would have tried earlier. But the teacher didn’t come back. Do you remember the conversation I had with that Dragon Tribe member at the teacher’s funeral?"
Jeon Moo-young nodded silently.
Back then, Seong Guk-eon, who had just graduated high school, had shown a rare, unguarded side and let his emotions pour out in front of Yong Je-geon.
– Even if the omnipotence of Yeobibujwi had disappeared from the human world, he could have at least healed the disease! But he just stood there, watching as the teacher died and then performed the mourning rites?
– You’re right. If the Dragon King allowed it, the power of Yeobibujwi could have been used. But he chose not to.
– Then why...!?
– Yeobibujwi only grants wishes that the person truly desires. A wish that isn't wanted can't be granted.
Now, compared to that fiery conversation, Seong Guk-eon’s heart had grown cold.
"This time, too, he’ll probably say that the wish you don’t want can’t be fulfilled."
Seong Guk-eon left those words with an emotionless voice and walked away from Eungwang High.
Yong Je-geon, unaware of their presence, continued to wander around the school.
Time passed, and summer came. Another major incident took place at Eungwang High.
On Children’s Day, the 1st-year students who had gone on a youth retreat were attacked by a massive energy monster army, caused by rifts from other worlds.
‘Looks like the True Family still hasn’t lifted a finger even after such an incident.’
Seong Guk-eon swallowed his sneer as he received the situation report.
None of the reports indicated that the chairman of Eungwang High had taken any action to resolve the situation.
‘Is this much death not enough to get the True Family to move?’
Seong Guk-eon worried about the students at Eungwang High, but there were limits to how much he could intervene in school matters.
His cousin, Seong Si-wan, had looked more exhausted each time they met since the start of the year.
With the school being embroiled in multiple incidents and the confrontation with Choi Pyeon-deuk, who had replaced Kim Shin-rok as the head teacher, the pressure on Seong Si-wan was mounting.
Choi Pyeon-deuk, having no issues with Seong Si-wan, turned his attention to the 1st and 2nd-year students of the Ji-ik Society, picking on them.
When the younger students made mistakes, he would create chaos, causing several of them to drop out of the Ji-ik Society.
"I’m worried about what’ll happen to Ji-ik Society after I graduate next year. Should I repeat the year?"
Seong Si-wan said it half-jokingly, but it seemed like he was half-serious.
Having seen how students who were held back were treated during the chaotic times when Ji-ik Society didn’t exist, Seong Guk-eon immediately stopped him.
"A student who’s held back will be an easy target. If you do that, you’ll just become a burden to Ji-ik Society."
Seong Si-wan nodded, reluctantly smiling.
While comforting the exhausted Seong Si-wan, Seong Guk-eon fell into thought.
‘I can’t entrust Si-wan with the task of dealing with the secret organization.’
Seong Guk-eon sighed as he thought of his late grandfather, the former branch manager of the Korean chapter.
