SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Secret Recruitment & The Underground Anti-Bullying Network
Chapter 9: The Secret Recruitment & The Underground Anti-Bullying Network
The sky over Seoul that night was gray, as if hiding the grand plan being formed by a young man who once died because of bullying. In a quiet room inside the old library of Daehan International School—on the third floor, east wing, rarely visited—Gevran sat with a few new faces who had joined him in silence.
They weren't the popular students. Some were victims of bullying; others were kids from ordinary families, often deemed insignificant in this school of heirs and elites. But that night, they all shared one thing in common: the will to change the system.
Gevran looked at each of them and spoke in a low but steady voice.
"I don't want you to become thugs. We're not a gang. We are the voices that have been silenced for too long."
Everyone stayed quiet, listening.
"I know what it feels like to be mocked, torn down, made to feel like you're just a number. But I won't let it keep happening. If this school is a place where the rich crush the weak, then we'll create a space where the crushed can survive… and rise."
One student raised a hand. Her name was Soo-bin. She had once been hospitalized after being tricked into a cruel game by her seniors.
"What if they come after us?"
"We're not here to attack," Gevran replied. "But we can protect those who are attacked."
And so, that night, the Silent Defenders Network was born—a small group that began mapping out the school's social structure: who the bullies were, who the victims were, and who silently knew but did nothing. They started taking notes, sharing secret codes in the hallways, and even hiding coded messages inside textbooks spread across the library.
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At the same time, Min Hyuk began to sense strange movements around the school. He ordered his "followers" to investigate.
"We need to know what that Gevran kid is planning. I don't like his quiet style," he told the Vice President of the student council—a mayor's son from Busan.
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Outside of school, Gevran's influence began to ripple. A YouTube channel called Daehan Unmasked released an investigative video about school violence. Unexpectedly, the video went viral.
> "There's a network of students helping bullying victims from the inside. They call themselves the Silent Defenders."
The public grew curious. Who were they? Who was behind it all?
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Meanwhile, Gevran found a small letter in his classroom locker.
> "You think you can save everyone? Just wait. One day, the one you protect the most… will become your downfall."
He clenched the note, his jaw tightening. He knew this was just the beginning. But he also knew one thing: his movement was starting to shake the system.
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At home, Jido watched the news about the viral underground anti-bullying movement in Korea's elite schools.
"Is this… Gevran's doing?" he murmured, caught between pride and concern.
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Late that night, Gevran returned to their secret room. He opened his journal:
> They say I'm crazy for trying to change the world from within a school. But they forget—today's students… are tomorrow's leaders. If I can change how they think—I can change the future.
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The very next day, Daehan International School buzzed with a strange mix of tension and excitement. Whispers about the Silent Defenders spread like wildfire—no one knew who they were, only that they were watching.
Some students felt safer. Others felt exposed.
And those in power?
They were growing restless.
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In the old library's east wing, the secret base of the Silent Defenders had evolved. Notebooks filled with names, arrows, and relationships were pinned onto cork boards. A color system marked the school's unspoken hierarchy—red for aggressors, blue for victims, gray for observers.
"Class 2-A's got three ongoing bullying cases," said Daeho, a former loner who now served as the network's 'Data Eye'. "One of them… your junior, Yoon Jae-won. He's been skipping meals. Spotted eating behind the gym."
"Let's move quietly," Gevran instructed. "If we're obvious, they'll isolate him even more."
Soo-bin nodded. "I'll go during club hours. I can leave a snack and a coded card."
The card, designed by the network's artistic member Nari, bore the image of a phoenix rising behind the school's silhouette, with a single message:
> You're not alone. We're watching. We'll protect you.
— Silent Defenders
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Elsewhere, Min Hyuk's faction began its counterattack.
"Leak rumors," he ordered. "Make it seem like the Silent Defenders are targeting the innocent. Flip the narrative."
Soon, social media accounts with suspiciously similar usernames began to spread posts:
> "Not all bullies are real. Some people just want attention."
"What if the Defenders are actually the new bullies?"
The media picked it up. Journalists started hounding Daehan. School officials called an emergency PR meeting.
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Meanwhile, Gevran received a call from an unknown number.
A voice spoke—rough, deep, disguised.
> "We've been watching you, kid. You're stirring something big. Keep your eyes open. Not everyone likes hope."
Before he could reply, the line went dead.
Gevran exhaled slowly. The room was quiet, but his heart thudded with clarity.
Someone bigger was now involved.
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The next day, a mysterious teacher named Mr. Ryu, who had always kept a low profile in the school, pulled Gevran aside after class.
He closed the door quietly.
"I know what you're doing," Mr. Ryu said calmly. "And I want in."
Gevran raised an eyebrow.
"I was once like you," the teacher added. "Only I failed. But maybe this time… with you leading it… the students will actually win."
Gevran stared into the man's eyes—and nodded.
"Then welcome to the network."
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That night, Gevran updated his journal again:
> The system is cracking. That means we're getting closer.
But cracks can also collapse the walls if we're not careful.
We need allies. We need truth.
And we need courage.
The Silent Defenders are no longer just a network.
We're a movement.
And we've just begun.
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