Palpable tension filled the principal's office, contrasting sharply with the chilly autumn air in the early morning. Minjin and Tae-sung sat anxiously in front of the teachers. The atmosphere was heavy, and Minjin felt her heart racing; her hands quivered slightly in her lap.
Without warning, Tae-sung rose and bowed profoundly. "I wish to express my sincerest apologies. It was my fault; I failed to provide her with the right guidance."
The principal let out a deep sigh. "Mr. Park, Minjin's actions constitute a serious offense. While I recognize her brilliance, she solicited money from the students."
"Please, I urge you to reconsider and give her another chance," Tae-sung pleaded. "Minjin is incredibly smart; she might be one of the top students in this school. She has a talent for mathematics and speaks English, Korean, and Chinese fluently. Moreover, she is skilled in Chinese calligraphy. She also won a championship in physics at a competition in America, outperforming many of the country's best students. I promise I will mentor her effectively and ensure she stays focused."
The teachers looked at each other, contemplating what he said.
Tae-sung said, "Minjin has struggled emotionally since our father's passing, affecting her studies. Please give her a chance."
A group of students anxiously waited in front of the principal's office: Choi Ye-joon, Kim Aecha, Mun Sara, Bang Eun-kyung, and Heo Yeong-hwan.
"Where is unnie?" Kim Aecha inquired of Choi Ye-joon.
"I have no idea," Choi Ye-joon replied, uncertainly raising his hands.
Just then, they noticed Minjun coming towards them.
"You! You jerk! This is entirely your fault!" Heo Yeong-hwan yelled, charging at Minjun and seizing his collar.
Bang Eun-kyung swiftly pulled Heo Yeong-hwan back, causing him to let go. "Take it easy; he's here to help her," he said gently.
"Help her? He's the one who reported her!" Heo Yeong-hwan scoffed.
Minjun calmly knocked on the door before entering the office, disregarding the commotion. Everyone looked in surprise when he entered.
"Minjun-ah? What brings you here?" Mr. Yu inquired.
"I've come to plead for her," Minjun asserted.
Minjin's eyes widened in shock.
Minjun approached the teachers and presented the papers he had gathered. "Kindly review these. They demonstrate Park Minjin's potential as a student," he stated.
One of the teachers looked over the papers, his eyes widening in surprise. "You… you have an IQ exceeding Einstein?" he stuttered.
Another teacher noticed the Mensa result and was just as astonished. The principal's gaze caught a newspaper article from a Korean publication showcasing a young Park Minjin with the headline, "The Next Einstein?"
The teachers shared astonished looks.
"Is this for real?" the principal queried, facing Tae-sung.
"Indeed," Tae-sung replied. "My sister's IQ exceeds Einstein's."
"Minjin was also recognized as the top performer in physics at a competition in America, outperforming some of the country's brightest," Minjun contributed.
He said, "I recognize that Park Minjin's actions are serious, but expelling her would mean losing a valuable student. If she transfers elsewhere and becomes the next Einstein, it will reflect poorly on our school for having expelled her. However, if she remains and graduates here, our institution will gain international recognition for helping her reach her potential."
The room quieted as the teachers considered his statement. "I'll guide her personally to ensure she becomes a more dedicated student, just like I am."
Minjin listened closely, her mouth slightly agape in shock. She whispered, "He must be crazy."
Tae-sung gave her a disapproving glare.
Suddenly, a knock broke the silence. Lee Deji bowed as she addressed the teachers. "I'm here to support Minjin," she said, motioning for the others waiting outside the door to enter. To everyone's surprise, a large group of seniors Minjin had assisted filled the room.
"We are here to ask you not to expel Park Minjin," Lee Deji stated, bowing deeply.
The students followed suit, bowing in unison and chanting their support for Minjin.
Lee Deji then stood upright. "We made a mistake, too. Minjin never requested money; we offered it out of gratitude for all she has done for us," she admitted.
Minjin's eyes grew wider as she noticed the immense support from her peers. Tae-sung appeared surprised yet relieved. The principal looked taken aback by this surprising display of solidarity. The teachers whispered among themselves, weighing their choices. Minjin observed them intently for the first time, hope flickering in her eyes.
###
The group waited anxiously outside as the students left the principal's office and returned to their classrooms. When Lee De-ji and Minjun joined them, Mun Sara immediately turned to Minjun, curious.
"Minjun-ah, what did you do in there?" she asked.
"I showed them how brilliant she is. It would be the school's loss if they expelled her," Minjun replied.
"Hypocrite," Lee Deji muttered under her breath, barely audible.
Choi Ye-joon nudged her, giving her a stern look to stop.
Soon after, Minjin and Tae-sung stepped out of the office. Instantly, everyone became attentive, their eyes locked on Minjin, and they promptly bowed to show respect to Tae-sung.
"Are you all friends with Minjin?" Tae-sung inquired.
They nodded enthusiastically, responding, "Ne."
Tae-sung beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Park Tae-sung, Minjin's older brother."
The students returned his greeting with respectful bows and smiles.
Tae-sung next addressed Minjun. "You must be Kang Minjun?" he asked.
"Ne. That's me," Minjun answered.
"I think this is our first encounter," Tae-sung noted.
"Ne, Mr. Park," Minjun replied respectfully.
"Just call me Hyung. You can all call me Hyung or Oppa," Tae-sung said with a friendly, welcoming tone. He then focused on Minjun again. "I've heard much about you. Minjin-ah and our late father often spoke of you."
Minjun glanced at Minjin. They made eye contact, but she just rolled her eyes. When Tae-sung mentioned their "late father," he hesitated, and a brief look of understanding crossed his face.
"Minjun-ah, I'm entrusting my sister to you as you promised," Tae-sung said earnestly.
Finally, understanding what happened to Minjin, he became more eager to guide her through her studies. He looked back at Tae-sung. "Ne, Hyung, I will," Minjun replied with sincerity.
Tae-sung turned to the rest of the group. "Please, everyone, take care of Minjin-ah," he urged.
The group nodded in agreement.
"Minjun, what do you think about us exchanging numbers?" Tae-sung proposed.
"Oppa!" Minjin shouted, nearly raising her voice. "He's the one who reported me!"
Tae-sung remained unfazed by her reaction, keeping his composure.
"Sure, Hyung," Minjun responded cheerfully.
Minjin huffed in irritation while the others shared uncomfortable looks.
Mun Sara watched the interaction between Tae-sung and Minjun, trying to stay steady on her feet. Hearing Tae-sung mention Minjin and her father, who often spoke of Minjun, she realized their friendship ran deeper than she had anticipated. Witnessing Tae-sung trust Minjun with Minjin only heightened her anxiety. At the same time, Heo Yeong-hwan was also observing them. His eyes widened in disbelief upon hearing Tae-sung's comments about Minjin and her father's discussions about Minjun, which caught him off guard. The sight of Tae-sung being comfortable and trusted by Minjun stirred an ache in his chest, though he attempted to dismiss it mentally.
"Be patient with Minjin-ah; she has a quick temper and a tendency to be impatient," Tae-sung warned.
"I think I can manage her, Hyung," Minjun replied, a playful grin spreading across his face as he looked at Minjin.
Minjin rolled her eyes again, visibly unimpressed. Nearby, Bang Eun-kyung stifled a laugh, quickly covering his mouth to contain it.
Kim Aecha, noticing his reaction, whispered, "What's funny?"
Bang Eun-kyung shook his head, grinning. "Nothing," he said, trying to suppress another laugh.
Tae-sung gave Minjun a friendly pat on the back.
###
Following the intense morning, Minjun attempted to concentrate on the discussion at hand. But he couldn't shake off the truth he had uncovered earlier with Tae-sung. He felt foolish for reporting Minjin, but it helped him grasp her situation better. He had also met her older brother for the first time; they hadn't crossed paths since childhood when he had been studying in college in America. A slight smile appeared on Minjun's face as he recalled that Tae-sung had entrusted Minjin to his care.
Even after their initial meeting, he appreciated that Tae-sung felt at ease with him. He assumed it was due to his father discussing him. Now that he had discovered what had happened to Minjin's family, he contemplated how to keep Minjin by his side so he could take responsibility for her. He realized that Minjin did not deserve to be in Section 7.
He let out a deep sigh and turned to gaze out the window. He recognized, deep down, that Minjin was more intelligent and had greater potential than he did. However, noticing she was in section 7 instead of his, he worried that Minjin may have lost her motivation to study after the loss of her father, who had always been there to support her.
He smirked to himself, remembering Minjin's closeness to Heo Yeong-hwan. He feared that Minjin might have lost direction and would be unable to showcase her genius if she stayed in that section with Heo Yeong-hwan, which would lead her to become even more rebellious than she already was.
He became resolute in his desire to support Minjin, believing she could thrive even further with his encouragement and guidance. A playful grin appeared on his face as he thought of persuading the teachers to allow her to be with him. He looked ahead, keeping a confident smile. At that moment, he made up his mind to stay by her side and help her shine just as she had in their childhood.