The first day of school was over. Prince walked the familiar streets, his steps slow and deliberate. His home was only fifteen minutes away, but he wasn't in a hurry. His mind was processing everything—faces, voices, habits, weaknesses.
The students were predictable. They clung to their social groups, hiding their insecurities behind confidence or silence. Some were genuinely kind, others were cruel in quiet ways. None of them were real threats.
But the teachers?
They were different.
One, in particular, caught his attention.
Mr. Jang.
Prince had noticed him immediately—middle-aged, slightly overweight, a forced smile that never reached his eyes. He smelled of cheap cologne and cigarettes, his shirt wrinkled despite the attempt to look professional. But what stood out the most was how the students reacted to him.
Fear.
Subtle, but there. Girls lowered their gazes when he walked past. Some students tensed slightly when he approached. And then there was Han Soyeon.
She hadn't flinched, hadn't looked away—but Prince caught the way she gripped her pen a little too tightly when Mr. Jang stood near her desk.
That was enough.
That night, he researched.
Mr. Jang had been a teacher for fifteen years. No major scandals, no complaints that went anywhere. He was respected—on paper.
But there were whispers. Old forum posts from anonymous students, vague accusations that never made it to the news. Parents brushed them aside. The school protected him. The system failed.
"This one is rotten."
The voice in his head was sharp, cold. His other self had already decided.
Prince exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. His room was dark, the only light coming from his laptop screen. He drummed his fingers against the desk, considering his next move.
"How do we handle this?"
There were options. Exposing him through evidence, setting a trap, making him afraid. Or removing him entirely.
The last option was the most efficient.
"No."
The voice in his head chuckled. "Sentiment?"
"Strategy."
Killing had consequences. He had to be careful. He needed information first.
The next day, Prince arrived early. He took his seat beside Soyeon, watching as students filed in. She barely acknowledged him at first, focused on her notes. But as the class settled, she leaned in slightly.
"You noticed, didn't you?"
Prince didn't react. "Noticed what?"
Her grip tightened on her pen. "Mr. Jang."
Interesting. She was direct.
"I notice a lot of things," he said calmly. "You don't like him."
"No one does," she muttered. "But it doesn't matter."
"Because no one listens?"
She hesitated, then nodded. "Exactly."
Prince tapped his fingers against the desk, already forming a plan.
"Do you want to stop him?"
Her eyes snapped to his. A flicker of hesitation, then something else—curiosity, maybe even hope.
"…What do you mean?"
"I mean," Prince said, voice soft but firm, "what if he suddenly lost everything? His job, his reputation, his freedom?"
Soyeon's lips parted slightly. She looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.
"You're serious."
Prince smiled. "Completely."
She exhaled, looking away. "It's impossible. People like him… they always get away with it."
Prince leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Not this time."
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded.
And just like that, the hunt began.