“Team Leader, you’re not planning to sell me to a human trafficking ring, are you?”

“You’ve got quite the sense of humor, Reporter.”

Lee Moon-Ik pushed his glasses up nervously, his expression tense.

The shirt he had changed into that morning was already drenched in sweat.

“I’m not joking. To be honest, it’s my first time in District 12 since the upheaval. You hear some unsettling rumors about this place.”

Still on edge, Lee Moon-Ik kept darting his eyes around, causing Choi Sungkyun to chuckle lightly.

“Well, that’s not entirely untrue.”

“Last year, I even did some investigative reporting on human trafficking. It was shocking, really.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. While District 12 has a lower human trafficking rate due to its smaller population, instead—”

Bang!

The sudden sound of gunfire interrupted his words. Lee Moon-Ik flinched violently and pressed close to Choi Sungkyun.

“The murder rate here is the highest in the country when adjusted for population. And someone like me, an outsider… it’s all too easy to become a target.”

“Do you want to call off the investigation and head back now?”

“No, I can’t do that. My career is riding on this story.”

“Hahaha.”

Choi Sungkyun burst out laughing. The reporter was amusing—clearly terrified, but his passion for his work was undeniable.

“A story on slums, huh…”

Lee Moon-Ik had approached him, seeking to highlight the neglected District 12 in his reporting.

Having received help from Choi Sungkyun in the past, the team leader had readily agreed to assist. But seeing him so on edge made him shake his head.

“Let’s grab some food first.”

“Food?”

“Yeah, I skipped dinner.”

“Sure, I’m feeling hungry too. Do you know a good place around here?”

“That place over there is great.”

Lee Moon-Ik looked in the direction Choi Sungkyun indicated.

“‘One Drink’? The name feels cozy, but… isn’t it just a bar?”

“Bars don’t only serve alcohol.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“Come on. Their food is excellent.”

Crimes in slums often began in bars, so Lee Moon-Ik hesitated.

‘Still, with the team leader around, nothing bad should happen.’

As they entered the bar, Lee Moon-Ik relaxed upon surveying the interior. It didn’t seem like a gang hideout.

“Welcome.”

“Been a while since you stopped by.”

“Haha, yeah. Work’s been keeping me busy.”

“Sit wherever you like.”

Choi Sungkyun chose a table with a clear view of the kitchen. As he scanned the menu, Lee Moon-Ik whispered to him.

“Doesn’t look like anything special.”

Fried eggs, assorted sausages, fish cake soup, spicy whelk salad…

It was a typical bar menu.

In response, Choi Sungkyun pointed to the spicy gochujang pork belly.

“That’s their specialty.”

“Twenty-five thousand won? For pork belly?”

“It’s a good price, as you can see.”

“Sounds interesting. Should we order that?”

“Let’s do it. Two orders of spicy pork belly and some rice, please.”

“Coming right up.”

Seo-Jun, the owner, promptly retrieved the pre-marinated pork belly.

The sweet and savory aroma wafted toward their table as he began to cook.

A short while later, Seo-Jun brought the dish over and set it down.

“So, did you end up talking to your mother that day?”

“Ah… About that, I apologize for my behavior. I drank too much.”

“No need to apologize.”

“Oddly enough, she appeared in my dreams that night.”

“Did you get to say what you wanted to?”

“Yes. I did. But the dream felt so vivid, almost real. Maybe that’s why I feel so much lighter now.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

As Seo-Jun returned to the kitchen, Lee Moon-Ik tilted his head.

“What was that about?”

“Oh, just something personal. Haha. Try the pork belly.”

“The smell alone is amazing.”

“You’ll be even more amazed when you taste it. I was so moved, I cried the first time I had it.”

Choi Sungkyun refrained from mentioning that it was because it reminded him of his late mother.

“Let’s see…”

When Lee Moon-Ik took a bite, his eyes widened.

“Wow!”

As a reporter, he often dined out at restaurants, meeting sources and informants.

But he had never tasted anything like this.

The sweetness and spiciness of the gochujang marinade perfectly complemented the rich, fatty flavor of the pork belly, without being overwhelming.

And the smoky, charred flavor? It was as if it had been grilled over charcoal.

“How is it? Delicious, right?”

“Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s a whole new flavor. Wow…”

Lee Moon-Ik kept reaching for more. Soon, the pork belly was gone before he had even finished his rice.

“Two more orders of pork belly, please!”

Seo-Jun quickly prepared another serving.

After filling himself up, Lee Moon-Ik patted his now-full stomach.

“I can’t remember the last time I ate this well.”

“Haha, glad you enjoyed it.”

A heartfelt compliment like that was the best reward for a chef.

As Seo-Jun fried an egg for another table, he smiled contentedly.

“What kind of story are you looking for exactly?”

“Well, I haven’t nailed it down yet. Like I said, something unique to slums like District 12. Do you have any good leads?”

“Leads, huh… There’s been talk about the gangs in District 12 stirring up trouble lately.”

“That’s already taken.”

“Taken?”

“A junior reporter scooped it first and already got it approved by the desk.”

Seo-Jun, plating the fried egg, nodded slightly.

‘So, he’s a journalist.’

No wonder he had an air of intellectual curiosity about him.

But a journalist, huh.

Seo-Jun approached their table.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“Ah! Of course! That was an absolutely delightful meal. I can’t remember the last time I had something this delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear it was to your taste. By the way, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it seems you’re looking for a story.”

Moon-Ik’s eyes sparkled.

“Do you happen to know something?”

“Rather than hearing about it, it seems the practice of ‘envelopes’ is still alive these days.”

With his reporter’s instinct for an exclusive, Moon-Ik hastily pulled out his notebook.

“Could you tell me more about it?”

As Choi Sung-gyun and Moon-Ik left the restaurant, Choi commented,

“It seems you’ve found your story.”

“Haha. Yes, thanks to you. But I wish the owner had told me everything instead of just giving me hints.”

“Well, the owner probably has his own considerations. The rest is for you to dig up, isn’t it?”

“True enough. A reporter’s work is all about footwork! Nothing but footwork.”

From that day on, Moon-Ik started pounding the pavement.

The hint from Seo-jun was related to public schools in District 12. As a result, he meticulously investigated all the public schools in the district.

Not stopping there, he even infiltrated the cram school zones in both Districts 12 and 13.

One day, after countless dead ends, he happened to interview a student named Ki Sun-hye. Moon-Ik immediately sought out her father.

“Nothing of the sort has happened.”

Ki Seok-tae flatly rejected Moon-Ik’s request for an interview, fearing his daughter might suffer repercussions.

But Moon-Ik was persistent.

“Sir, turning a blind eye to such unjust practices isn’t a good example for the children either. If you let it slide now, do you think the homeroom teacher will ignore it next year?”

“……”

“Sun-hye is only in her first year, isn’t she? For the next two years, that same teacher will likely demand bribes again when she becomes the homeroom teacher. And the amounts will undoubtedly increase. After all, grades are critical.”

“……”

“Don’t you think this needs to be uprooted? Please, muster the courage for the greater good.”

The word "courage" reminded Ki Seok-tae of his conversation with Seo-jun at a bar a few days ago.

-“I’d like to think I would’ve found the courage.”
-“Courage?”
-“The courage to defy the system.”

Ki Seok-tae hesitated for a long while before finally speaking.

“... Will my child be safe?”

“Absolutely! I will make sure neither you nor Sun-hye face any harm.”

“Then... I’ll do it.”

“Thank you! This is truly a significant decision.”

Following Moon-Ik’s advice, Ki Seok-tae began gathering evidence. Collecting the proof wasn’t too difficult.

“Who is this?”
“Teacher, this is Sun-hye’s father.”
“Ah, yes... What brings you to call me?”
“It’s about the envelope I handed over the other day.”

First, he recorded their conversation.

Next, he sought out other victims.

“Having more people involved will make a bigger impact than just one person speaking out.”

“But what if the children face repercussions...?”

“I’ve looked into it, and the reporter seems to have a solid reputation in this field. He wrote the article on the District 13 mother-and-child incident and last year’s piece on civilian abuse by hunters.”

“As long as the kids won’t be harmed, I’ll help.”

Since it was a public school, he suspected other parents in similar situations, and with some inquiries, he found two more.

Though hesitant at first, the others also provided evidence to Moon-Ik and Ki Seok-tae. Finally, the day arrived.

“This should deal a significant blow to the other side.”

“There won’t be any harm to the kids, right?”

“Of course. Just as you worried, neither Sun-hye nor the other children will face any unfair treatment.”

“Thank you.”

“No, I should be thanking you. Thanks to your courage, we can start eradicating corruption in education.”

Ki Seok-tae smiled brightly.

The past two weeks of gathering evidence with Moon-Ik felt like a hundred years to Ki Seok-tae, who had never lived a life of courage before.

But once it was done, he felt a great sense of relief.

“Oh, and one more thing, sir.”

“Yes?”

“The perpetrators might come looking for you.”

“You mean the school?”

“Yes. When the issue blows up, they’ll figure out you’re behind it. This is something for when that happens.”

Moon-Ik handed him a pen.

“What is this?”

“This is...”

A few days later, the newspaper was printed.

Ki Seok-tae’s courage had made it to the front page of a major daily.

[How Far Has Public Education Fallen?] [Corruption Stains the Education System] [Teachers Demanding Bribes from Parents: How Long Will It Be Tolerated?] [A School Without Ethics: What Are Children Learning?]

Just as Moon-Ik’s instincts predicted, it was an exclusive. For days, South Korea buzzed with outrage over corruption in the education system, and follow-up articles kept coming.

Ki Seok-tae’s courage had burst open the abscess of long-standing malpractice that had been normalized in education for over a decade.

But where there’s light, there’s also shadow.

The school was plunged into a state of mourning.

Especially the principal’s office.

The principal flung the curtains open. The sight of the swarm of reporters gathered at the school gate sent his blood pressure skyrocketing.

“Damn it!”

His expletive made the teachers hang their heads.

Eventually, the principal’s sharp gaze landed on Park Sung-jun, the teacher who had set the whole ordeal in motion.