Min-ah stood before the main bulletin board.
URGENT NOTICE
Subject: Perpetrators of Faculty Rights Violation and Defamation
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Na Bo-hyun (3rd Year Ph.D.) – Expulsion
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Seo Min-ah (Master’s Program) – Indefinite Suspension
The same posters were everywhere—at the entrance of the Central Library, in front of the student cafeteria, and lining the hallways of the College of Engineering. As Min-ah walked down the hall, students began to whisper.
"Is that her?" "I heard she filed a false report against the Professor."
Senior Tae-soo saw Min-ah from a distance. He hesitated for a brief second before turning his head and disappearing into another corridor. The colleagues who had called themselves "lab family" only yesterday now hugged the walls to avoid her.
[The Lab]
Min-ah opened her drawer. Notes, textbooks, and experimental records collected over three years—she packed them into boxes one by one. A small slip of paper sat on her desk.
“Please clear your belongings by January 20th. – Office of Student Affairs”
The sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. It was Bo-hyun. He, too, was carrying a box.
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"Min-ah. I'm sorry." "For what?" "I... I should have been stronger."
Min-ah shook her head. "You told the truth until the end, Senior." "But we lost."
Silence fell between them. Carrying their boxes, the two walked out of the lab without looking back. As they stepped through the main entrance, a cold winter wind bit at them.
"Min-ah, what will you do now?" "I don't know. What about you?"
Bo-hyun didn't answer. They parted ways at the campus main gate, heading toward their separate paths.
[January 19, 2004, Monday, 10:00 AM / The Lab]
Yu-jin sat at the desk Min-ah used to occupy. A first-year Master’s student. Today was her first day in the lab.
When she opened the drawer, she found only empty space. It seemed her predecessor had taken everything. However, tucked deep inside the drawer, there was a small memo secured with tape.
Yu-jin peeled it off slowly.
"Record everything. Because that is our only weapon. – Seo Min-ah"
At 3:00 PM, the Professor entered the room. "Yu-jin, are you settling in okay?" "Yes, Professor." "About Bo-hyun and Min-ah... it’s unfortunate, but it couldn't be helped. You shouldn't file false reports against your teacher, after all."
Yu-jin nodded. "I understand." "You have to be more careful from now on. Understood?" "Yes, Professor."
After the Professor left, Yu-jin pulled a brand-new notebook from her bag. She opened the first page and picked up her pen.
January 19, 2004. First day in Professor Han Do-yoon’s lab. Professor’s statement: "Bo-hyun and Min-ah filed a false report." Note: The public notice says "Defamation through false information." The Professor is telling a different version to the students.
Yu-jin set down her pen and looked out the window. The memo Min-ah had left felt heavy in her pocket.
‘Record everything.’
Yu-jin tucked the notebook deep into her bag. Then, she taped a new, hidden memo deep inside the desk drawer.
For the next person.
[Same Day, Evening / The Professor’s Residence]
Professor Han sat on his living room sofa, phone in hand. "Brother, it's Do-yoon. I have a great business item... want to take a look?"
From across the line, the voice of Yoon Seong-min—Ha-jeong’s older brother—responded. "...Shall we hear the details?"
The Professor smiled. Outside, in the darkness, only the streetlights glowed faintly.
[Next Episode Preview] Bo-hyun backs up three years' worth of evidence onto an external hard drive. Min-ah receives a business card from an investigator in front of the Prosecutor's Office.
And... The Professor invites Yoon Seong-min to the lab.
Discussion Point: What did you think of the "hidden memo"? Do you think Yu-jin will be the key to bringing Professor Han down, or is she in over her head?
Follow the story for the upcoming legal battle!
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