[ Monday, 8:00 AM - Somyung High School, Main Gate ]
The morning commute at Somyung High was a parade of wealth. Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis lined up to drop off the children of Seoul's elite.
But the vehicle that turned the corner silenced them all.
It was a Maybach GLS 600. Two-tone black and silver, massive and imposing. It moved through the traffic like a shark swimming through a school of minnows.
It didn't stop two blocks away. It pulled right up to the main gate, blocking the path of the Principal's sedan.
The gathered students stared.
"Who is that?" "Is it a celebrity?" "That car costs 300 million won..."
The driver's door opened. A uniformed chauffeur stepped out. It wasn't an old man; it was a sharp-looking security specialist hired by Apex.
He walked around and opened the rear door.
Kang Jin-woo stepped out.
He wasn't wearing the ill-fitting, second-hand uniform from last week. He wore a custom-tailored Somyung uniform, the fabric visibly superior, fitted perfectly to his frame. His backpack wasn't the frayed canvas one; it was a sleek black leather Montblanc.
He adjusted his blazer, looking bored.
"Pick me up at 4:00," Jin-woo said to the driver.
"Yes, Chairman—uh, Young Master," the driver corrected himself, bowing 90 degrees.
Jin-woo turned and walked through the gates. The sea of students parted instantly. The whispers of "Gigolo" and "Sponsor" died in their throats. You didn't get a Maybach from a sponsor. That was old money. That was power.
Jin-woo walked straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the entrance. He wasn't hiding anymore.
[ 11:30 AM - P.E. Changing Room ]
The locker room smelled of sweat and deodorant.
Jin-woo was buttoning his shirt after gym class when a loud crash echoed off the metal lockers.
"IT'S GONE!"
Park Min-ho stood by his open locker, frantically throwing clothes onto the floor. He looked wild-eyed.
"My Rolex! My Submariner! It's gone!"
The room went quiet. The other boys looked at each other nervously. A Rolex Submariner was worth 15 million won. That was serious theft.
"Who took it?!" Min-ho screamed, his face red. He spun around, his eyes locking onto Jin-woo.
"It was you, wasn't it?"
Jin-woo didn't even look up from buttoning his cuffs. "I don't have time for your drama, Min-ho."
"You're the only one who needs money!" Min-ho shouted, marching over. "You're the charity case! You probably stole it to pay your sister's hospital bills!"
"That's enough," a deep voice barked.
Mr. Kim, the P.E. teacher, stepped into the room. He was a man who notoriously sucked up to the rich parents and despised the scholarship students.
"What is the meaning of this noise?"
"Teacher!" Min-ho pointed an accusing finger at Jin-woo. "Kang Jin-woo stole my watch! It was in my locker ten minutes ago!"
Mr. Kim sneered at Jin-woo. "Is this true, Kang?"
"No," Jin-woo said calmly.
"Then you won't mind if we search your bag," Mr. Kim said, snatching Jin-woo's leather backpack from the bench before Jin-woo could protest.
"Teacher, that is private property—"
Mr. Kim upended the bag. Books, pens, and a tablet crashed onto the floor.
And there, sliding out of the front pocket with a metallic clatter, was a silver Rolex Submariner.
The locker room gasped.
Min-ho's face twisted into a triumphant, ugly grin. "I knew it! Thief! You dirty thief!"
Mr. Kim picked up the watch. He looked at Jin-woo with disgust. "Expulsion. This is immediate expulsion. I'm calling the police."
Jin-woo looked at the watch in the teacher's hand. Then he looked at Min-ho.
[ Truth Eye: ACTIVATED ]
[ Target: Rolex Submariner ] [ Authenticity: FAKE (Grade A Replica from Shenzhen). ] [ Value: 200,000 KRW. ] [ Target: Park Min-ho ] [ Financial Status: Bankrupt. Assets frozen as of 9:00 AM. ]
Jin-woo started to laugh.
It started as a chuckle and grew into a loud, echoing laugh that unnerved the entire room.
"You think this is funny?" Mr. Kim roared. "You're going to jail, boy!"
"I'm laughing because you're an idiot, Min-ho," Jin-woo said, wiping a tear from his eye. "If you're going to frame me, at least use a real watch."
Min-ho froze. "W-what?"
"That watch," Jin-woo pointed. "It's a fake. The bezel alignment is off. The second hand ticks instead of sweeps. It's a 200,000 won toy."
"It is not!" Min-ho shrieked, panic rising in his voice. "My father gave that to me!"
"Your father?" Jin-woo stepped closer. The "Predator" aura flared, making the air in the room feel heavy. "Your father, whose logistics company filed for bankruptcy protection this morning? Your father, who has negative 4 billion won in his account?"
Min-ho turned pale. "Shut up..."
"You planted a fake watch to get me expelled because you blame me for your family's failure," Jin-woo said coldly. "But you forgot one thing."
Jin-woo pulled out his phone. He pressed a single button.
"I don't rely on teachers to solve my problems. I rely on lawyers."
[ 12:00 PM - The Principal's Office ]
The door burst open.
Three men in sharp navy suits walked in. They didn't knock. They didn't bow. They carried briefcases that looked like weapons.
Apex Legal Team.
The Principal stood up, startled. "Who are you? You can't just barge in here!"
"We represent Mr. Kang Jin-woo," the lead lawyer said, slamming a document onto the desk. "We are here to file a formal complaint for defamation, illegal search and seizure, and emotional distress caused by your staff member, Mr. Kim, and the student Park Min-ho."
Mr. Kim, standing in the corner holding the fake watch, looked like he was about to vomit.
"My client has been accused of stealing a counterfeit item," the lawyer continued, his voice icy. "We have already contacted the police regarding Park Min-ho's attempt to file a false report. We will also be suing the school board if Mr. Kim is not terminated immediately for violating student privacy laws."
Min-ho was trembling in the chair next to Jin-woo. "I... I didn't..."
Jin-woo sat comfortably in the guest chair, legs crossed. He looked at the Principal.
"I want him gone," Jin-woo said softly, pointing at Min-ho. "And I want him gone," pointing at Mr. Kim.
"Mr. Kang," the Principal stammered, looking at the aggressive lawyers. "Expulsion is a serious matter..."
"So is a lawsuit from Apex Investment," Jin-woo countered. "Choose. Do you want to protect a bankrupt liar and a corrupt teacher? Or do you want to keep your job?"
The Principal looked at the terrified Min-ho. Then at the powerful legal team surrounding Jin-woo.
"Park Min-ho," the Principal sighed. "Pack your things."
Min-ho burst into tears.
[ 4:00 PM - Outside the School Gates ]
Jin-woo walked out of the school gates.
He was alone. The students gave him a wide berth, looking at him with a mixture of awe and terror. The rumor had already spread: Jin-woo destroyed the Class President and got the PE teacher fired in one hour.
The King had ascended.
He checked his phone. The Maybach was two minutes away.
He decided to walk to the corner to wait.
He turned into the quiet alleyway that led to the main road. The sun was setting, casting long shadows against the brick walls.
Jin-woo stopped.
At the end of the alley, a black sedan was parked sideways, blocking the exit.
Three men were leaning against it. They wore cheap suits that bulged around the shoulders—not from muscle, but from concealed weapons. They were smoking cigarettes.
One of them, a man with a jagged scar running down his neck, flicked his cigarette onto the ground and crushed it with his heel.
[ Truth Eye: ACTIVATED ]
[ Target: Viper (Choi-su) ] [ Affiliation: Seven Star Gang (Enforcer) ] [ Threat Level: High ] [ Objective: Abduction / Intimidation ]
"Kang Jin-woo?" Viper asked, his voice like gravel.
Jin-woo didn't flinch. He adjusted his backpack strap.
"Who's asking?"
"Someone who wants to know how a high school kid bought a subway station," Viper grinned, revealing gold-capped teeth. "Get in the car, kid. The Chairman wants to have a chat."
Jin-woo sighed. He looked at his sleek new watch.
"I'm going to be late for dinner," he muttered. "Eun-ji is going to be annoyed."
He dropped his backpack to the ground.
"You have one chance to walk away," Jin-woo said, looking up at the three gangsters. "Because if I have to get my hands dirty, you won't be walking at all."
Viper laughed, pulling a collapsible steel baton from his jacket. Click-Clack.
"Cute," Viper sneered. "Grab him."