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Chapter 17. The Youngest Grandson of a Chaebol Family (1)
“…Ha… Chairman Cheolgon Ha’s youngest grandson?”
“Ah…!”
“Hmm.”
Principal Ahn Jong-uk of Cheonghwa High School was the one most shocked.
Looking at Ha Tae-woong with disbelief, he asked again.
Not only the two parents but also the two teachers stared at him with wide eyes.
Haryun Group was one of South Korea’s top ten conglomerates.
Before the group had been split up, it had even ranked among the top five.
It was a chaebol with a history stretching into its fifth generation.
Its network of political, business, and family connections was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
A company on the level of the Cheonghwa Foundation was hardly in any position to challenge them.
Yet the grandson of such a massive conglomerate had enrolled through the social consideration admissions program?
It certainly didn’t sound like a lie.
The commanding aura and arrogance radiating from Ha Tae-woong…
It was no different from the presence carried by the children of extraordinary families.
Besides, no sane person would try to escape trouble by telling such an outrageous lie right in front of a school principal.
“Th-That’s impossible! You enrolled through the social consideration admission…”
Jo Hee-jung looked half out of her mind.
She desperately didn’t want to believe what Ha Tae-woong had said, even if it might actually be true.
If he really was the grandson of Haryun Group…
Her vision darkened, and her thoughts became a blur.
Our family… My daughter…
Her husband’s business could be ruined.
The future of the daughter she had cherished and supported so carefully could be destroyed.
“You’ve all heard how incredibly strict my grandfather is, right? Even my cousins studied abroad while washing dishes to support themselves.”
Everyone unconsciously nodded.
There wasn’t a single person who didn’t know Chairman Ha Cheolgon’s famous management philosophy.
People even called him a cold-blooded man without a drop of affection.
He was notorious for making his own children work on factory floors before ever allowing them into executive positions.
“Still don’t believe me? If you want, I can bring you my family registration certificate and resident record.”
Ha Tae-woong remained completely confident.
No further proof was necessary.
All they had to do was check the guardian’s name on the admission documents kept by the school.
“…T-Tae-woong. Let’s just pretend today’s unfortunate incident never happened. You should return to your classroom.”
The suddenly flustered principal hurriedly tried to send him away.
If everything turned out to be true, he might very well lose his job.
A terrible premonition had already filled his mind.
In the end, he was nothing more than a salaried employee.
He still had one year left before retirement.
He had no desire to be fired before then.
If he could simply hold out, he would naturally receive a position on the foundation’s board after retiring.
That was the usual path for Cheonghwa principals.
It was the very reason he had spent all these years keeping his head down.
“Never happened?”
Ha Tae-woong repeated.
Then—
Click. Click.
He switched his smartphone to selfie mode and photographed the left side of his face where Jo Hee-jung had slapped him.
“Ma’am, you’ve got quite the slap. I wonder what my grandfather would say if he found out. A parent called me into the principal’s office during class and slapped me across the face… Hahaha.”
There was something almost insane about Ha Tae-woong’s laughter.
Everyone inside the principal’s office silently shivered.
It felt as though they had provoked the mad dog of a chaebol family.
“Tae-woong, today’s incident was all just a misunderstanding…”
Lee Gyeong-ja, the vice president of the parents’ association, forced a stiff smile onto her face.
Only one thought filled her mind.
We’re screwed.
Even among chaebol families, there was an unspoken hierarchy.
The families belonging to the top ten conglomerates were untouchable.
As long as one lived in South Korea, they were people who simply could not be crossed.
Once such trouble started, peaceful sleep would become a thing of the past.
Of course, few people were foolish enough to create that kind of problem in the first place.
“I don’t want to.”
“…”
Ha Tae-woong’s gaze swept across everyone present.
“Ever since I came to school today, I’ve been getting slapped around. And now you’re telling me to endure it? For whose sake? Do I still look like some social consideration student to you?”
He struck directly at the heart of the issue.
The principal, Park Dong-geun, Jo Hee-jung, and Lee Gyeong-ja all turned pale.
Especially Lee Gyeong-ja, who shot Jo Hee-jung an icy glare.
That uncultured nouveau riche woman!
She had gotten herself mixed up with the wrong person and stepped into a pile of trouble.
If her husband ended up offending Haryun Group, his entire career could be shattered.
Her palms grew damp with sweat.
If her husband found out about today, she might be thrown out immediately.
She had to clean this up as quickly as possible.
“Th-Then… what do you want us to do, Tae-woong?”
Pretending to stay calm, Lee Gyeong-ja asked.
It was wise that she hadn’t dared speak to him informally.
This wasn’t merely a high school sophomore she was dealing with.
It felt as though she were facing a carefully educated heir hidden among ordinary people by a chaebol family.
From the very moment Ha Tae-woong had entered the principal’s office, his arrogance had unsettled her.
Now she understood why.
Gulp.
Though she tried to remain composed, her dry throat betrayed her.
The principal and Park Dong-geun, whose spirits had already broken, looked like mice standing before a cat.
“By the way… who are you, ma’am?”
His deliberately casual way of addressing her made Lee Gyeong-ja uncomfortable.
But she didn’t show it.
Instead, she accepted it as naturally as possible.
“…I’m with Ojeong Accounting Corporation…”
“The CEO’s wife?”
“Yes.”
“Then why…”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you associating with such a vulgar nouveau riche woman? Doesn’t it lower your dignity?”
While pretending to compliment Lee Gyeong-ja, Ha Tae-woong mercilessly stomped all over Jo Hee-jung.
Standing beside them, Jo Hee-jung couldn’t utter a single word.
Her face had gone deathly pale as she clenched her teeth.
Every insult, every curse she had shouted since entering the principal’s office…
Every conversation up until now…
The chaebol grandson had probably recorded all of it.
If that recording were ever released, she would be utterly finished.
“I regret it too.”
With those short words, Lee Gyeong-ja quietly glared at Jo Hee-jung.
After today, she intended not only to remove her from the parents’ association but also make sure she was excluded from every social gathering.
She would make certain she could never again show her face in upper-class circles.
“Um… if there’s… anything you want…”
Looking down while tightly clasping both hands together, Jo Hee-jung spoke in a trembling voice.
Her temper was boiling inside, but she understood the situation well enough.
If she mishandled this now, not only would everything she had worked for be destroyed, but countless other things would unravel as well.
“What I want… Heh.”
Having completely seized control of the situation, Ha Tae-woong leaned back comfortably in his chair with a cold smile.
“Tell us. We’ll accept whatever conditions you want.”
Lee Gyeong-ja quickly found a faint glimmer of hope.
No matter how powerful a chaebol grandson he was, he was still only a second-year high school student.
Socially speaking, he was still just a kid.
She wanted to settle everything before Haryun Group found out.
“What should we do? It’s already out of my hands.”
“…?”
“What do you mean by that…?”
As everyone exchanged confused glances—
Tap. Tap.
The sound of leather shoes echoed together with the steady tapping of a cane.
Beyond Teacher Kim Chang-yong, through the still-open office door…
The footsteps drew closer.
Then—
The cold-looking middle-aged gentleman stepped into the principal’s office.
“Ah! M-Mr. Kim…”
Lee Gyeong-ja recognized him first and gasped.
He was the managing partner of a law firm whom she had met several times while accompanying her husband.
A former high-ranking prosecutor, he was famous for his meticulous handling of cases.
He also had many respected juniors who followed him, making him highly influential.
She had never expected to see him here.
Standing at the doorway, the lawyer slowly surveyed the office.
His eyes stopped on Ha Tae-woong.
Then—
“Young Master, did you call for me?”
The moment their eyes met, he immediately lowered his head and greeted him respectfully.
Young Master?
Attorney Kim Jeong-ryul had answered my call.
The moment he saw me, he addressed me as “Young Master.”
I almost burst out laughing.
His acting skills were incredible.
I had expected something to happen this afternoon.
Since I was back at this school again, I had wanted to settle everything quietly.
But now that things had escalated, I intended to finish it today.
It was something I had learned during special forces tactical doctrine training.
Once you decide to eliminate an enemy, keep attacking until they’re finished.
A half-hearted attack or misplaced sympathy only gives them an opportunity to strike back—and then you might be the one who dies.
That’s why I called him.
A former prosecutor specializing in assault and violent crime cases.
Just one look in his eyes was enough to make even gangsters lose their nerve.
I had already sent him the audio recording.
Along with the exact time and location.
Naturally, he replied that he would come.
A loyal attorney introduced to me by my grandmother.
I hadn’t expected to meet him again so soon.
“Attorney, you’ve reviewed everything I sent you, right?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“I’d like them to pay an appropriate price.”
“Understood.”
There was no need for a long conversation.
Everything necessary had already been discussed through text messages.
I had instructed him to pursue the maximum financial compensation possible.
“I’ll be looking forward to the price of this slap.”
I left the rest to my legal representative and stood up.
From this point onward, legal expertise was required.
There was no reason for me to remain seated.
Borrowing the tiger’s authority.
Grandfather…
I’m going to make good use of your reputation this time.
Today is only the beginning.
I’m looking forward to everything that’s coming next.
“And don’t forget to include the fact that they bullied my friend for an entire year. I wonder how much the damages will amount to.”
Looking at Oh Seora’s trembling mother, I spoke as though I were genuinely concerned.
The sword was completely in my hands now.
And since I was holding it, I intended to swing it without mercy.
“Attorney.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“If we can’t reach a satisfactory settlement… report it to the media. A good headline would be something like: School Bullying Against a Social Consideration Student at One of South Korea’s Elite Private High Schools.”
I drove the point home to stop anyone from trying any tricks midway through.
“They’ll all come running. Times are changing…”
I paused.
At the mention of the media, the principal’s face instantly turned pale.
The Cheonghwa Foundation valued its reputation above all else.
If an article about school violence appeared in the news, the principal would lose his position on the spot.
“I’ll handle everything properly.”
“…”
A heavy silence filled the principal’s office.
I looked directly at Park Dong-geun.
He immediately avoided my gaze.
“As an educator, someone lacking basic character and professionalism would do students a favor by taking a few months off.”
I fixed my eyes on Park Dong-geun.
He instantly lowered his head.
The man who had been shouting and clenching his fists only moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
“Everyone, watch what you say. If my grandfather finds out…”
I deliberately left the rest unsaid.
“The rest… you can imagine.”
Then—
I gave a slight bow, maintaining the appearance of a polite student.
Step by step,
I walked out of the principal’s office with light, refreshed footsteps.
“Heh heh.”
