Bok-Il Pi

Bok-Il Pi (in Korean: 피복일) is a major antagonist and a villain in Korean webcomic The Children's Teacher, Mr. Kwon. He is the root of all evils that occurred in the said webcomic. Before his appearance, the webcomic is about a comical slice of life and focused on the relationship between Gwon Ha who is a substitute teacher and the protagonist of the webcomic, and his students (5 total) in a small rural school. When Bok-Il entered the story, the mood of the story changed drastically from light-hearted to very dark. Through Bok-Il Gwon's true identity is revealed.

Story

Bok-Il Pi's past here is written chronologically and not in the order of chapters.

Past, Part 1

Bok-Il is a thuggish loan shark who charges interests tens of times the initial loan. His criminal past is revealed in chapter 42; before he became a gangster he was an executive of Jaewoo Construction Corporation found and run by chairman named Kang. Freshly out of university, he and his friend got hired by the influential megacorporation. Both of them worked hard for the corporation and earned the chairman's respect.

It became clear that the difference between the two men was obvious: Bok-Il was very shrewd, competent and it is said by chairman's maid who met Bok-Il that Bok-Il is the man for the corporation's future. Bok-Il's friend, although very hardworking and good-natured, was not as competent as Bok-Il and therefore he is not suited for the world of business, especially in the upper echelon. Then came an event that would change the lives of Bok-Il, his friend, and the chairman.

The chairman Kang had a daughter (only child) named Ha-Young. Both Bok-Il and his friend loved the same woman (Ha-Young also attended the university where Bok-Il and his friend attended, so the three knew each other before). And through the narration of chairman's maid Bok-Il's true nature is revealed: Bok-Il was in charge of land/urban developmental department that aided Jaewoo Corporation to expand. Under the name of development and pacification, he hired goons, thugs to ruthlessly force out homeless people and evicted residents in areas his company is involved to expand. Very often he actively participated in such brutal turf disputes. Knowing Bok-Il's merciless nature, chairman Kang chose Bok-Il's gentler friend as his son-in-law, but elevated Bok-Il to higher position, believing that this would appease Bok-Il. It did not. Infuriated by the rejection, Bok-Il became vengeful and attempted to embezzle the corporation revenue in a bid to carry out company's biggest project for himself. But Bok-Il was caught and got fired. To make matters worse for Bok-Il, the project he placed all his hopes in with the embezzled monies went under due to flood. Because his records has been permanently smeared with his criminal act, he was unable to get a decent job so he became a loan shark. He managed his newly found gang just as viciously as he managed his company department in his life as an executive.

Still obsessed over the woman he once loved and vindictive over the man he once called friend, he constantly, periodically, tenaciously, persistently, repeatedly harassed and stalked family of his former friend. Going to police was not considered to be a wise option, knowing Bok-Il's psychotically wrathful tendencies and potential skill to run things even behind bars. Bok-Il's former friend, a man of gentle nature, gave into Bok-Il's threats and attempted to appease Bok-Il through means of monetary accession. But Bok-Il's constant harassment everywhere the family goes did not stop, and Bok-Il's evil proved to be too much for Ha-Young physically and psychologically: she died shortly after giving birth to her son San Kang, who unfortunately inherited the same heart problem as his birth mother. San's father became emotional wreckage, was reduced to alcoholic and the disappointed chairman/father-in-law sent him off to branch in a foreign country, warning him not to even think of seeing his own son ever again (hence the chairman had changed his grandson's surname to his). But Bok-Il's harassment (when not attempting to kidnap the young toddler outright) of Kang family continued even after the family was shattered, and child San's heart problem became worsened as Bok-Il now threatened chairman Kang, using his grandson San as a leverage.

Chairman Kang sent his grandson San and his maid to seek a refugee in a rural area thought to be safe from Bok-Il's thugs, coincidentally Gwon Ha also sought refugee in that same rural town after being framed for a murder he did not commit.

Past, Part 2

He is first seen in Gwon Ha's flashback (chapter 31), and is also an owner of a 'private money lending company' (typical euphemism for usurers). When Gwon's father (called Mr. Ha) was in desperate need of money for livelihood and for his son's further college education after being cheated of several months' wages by an unscrupulous shop owner who ran off, he came to Bok-Il's office after seeing an advertisement flyer. Restraining his secretary who tried to kick out the old man, Bok-Il asked what the problem is for Mr. Ha and lent the needed money without further ado. At first Mr. Ha managed to pay lent monies on time in spite of his difficult physical conditions. Sensing that he is not going to leech much out of Mr. Ha due to the old man paying loans on time, Bok-Il deliberately made the situation difficult for Mr. Ha to pay his loan on time in order to leech as much interests as possible from the hapless old man. Eventually Mr. Ha began to have problems with repaying monies at all, so Bok-Il, after leeching as much out of Mr. Ha, sent his secretary, named Sang-Jae Park, to kill the old man. But when Sang-Jae cornered Mr. Ha to a cliff, he was moved by the old man's plight and couldn't bring himself to kill Gwon's father. But then Bok-Il showed up, slicing Sang-Jae's arm that was holding Mr. Ha, rendering Sang-Jae to drop the old man as Mr. Ha plunged to his death. Then Bok-Il kicked his wounded former secretary in the face and fired him.

Gwon Ha, upon discovering his father ran afoul with loan sharks through his neighbors, rushed to save him only to arrive in time to witness his father's death (who did not die on the spot. He was later taken to hospital but was too late to save him), mistakenly believed that Sang-Jae killed his father (his father was clutching the torn sleeve of Sang-Jae and Gwon saw Sang-Jae bleeding in arm from knife wounds made by Bok-Il while rushing to place where Mr. Ha died). Realizing the system cannot and would not help him, Gwon, who was a meek college graduate with a lover and had aspiration to be a teacher, gave up his dream and took the path of gangster in order to avenge his father by killing Sang-Jae, the man Gwon thought (albeit mistakenly) who ruined his once happy life.

Sang-Jae, after being fired by Bok-Il, eventually established his own gang. He hired Gwon, unaware of his intention of taking vengeance. But as Gwon worked with and spent more time with Sang-Jae, he began to have a doubt that Sang-Jae might not be the real killer of his father. Sang-Jae, gangster as he was, had a personal code of conduct, encouraged his men not to pass down the wretched life of gangster to their next generation. Also Sang-Jae dreamed of one day that his group become a proud and legitimate business corporation. With intelligent Gwon at his side (Gwon also happened to possess knowledge of legal matters), Sang-Jae's group began to grew. At Gwon's urging, Sang-Jae temporarily surrendered what he considered 'a gold land' to Bok-Il, who eagerly accepted and thought Sang-Jae was a fool to give up such a worthy territory. Soon after however, Bok-Il faction was embroiled in a turf dispute with another rival gang that drained and exhausted both gangs. With both gangs weakened, Sang-Jae group reclaimed the property that was theirs. Also much to Bok-Il's rage, Sang-Jae had a big success over the project which Bok-Il previously failed, allowing Sang-Jae group to finally going legitimate as Sang-Jae always dreamed of. Blaming his former secretary and his newfound gang over Bok-Il gang's financial, territorial and manpower losses (Bok-Il minions at this point began deserting Bok-Il in droves), Bok-Il had Sang-Jae assassinated. Gwon stumbled upon the murder of his boss and was witnessed by a woman who erroneously accused that Gwon killed Sang-Jae. Gwon was forced to hide and lay low in a rural town where San Kang also sought refugee, all the while believing himself that Sang-Jae got his just karma. Fortunately for Gwon, the teaching license which he obtained before he became a gangster was still valid, enabling him to pose as a substitute teacher.

Main

In chapter 39 Bok-Il, discovering San Kang's hideout after tenacious search, orders his thugs to go to the school where San was attending and to kidnap him, but they were thwarted by combined efforts of other kids, Gwon and Yujin-Kim, the main teacher of the rural school who also happens to be a martial artist (also whose fiancee, Sung-Pyo Baek, is a police officer). But during the brawl, Bok-Il's goons cut Gwon's shirt from behind, revealing his huge tattoo of a black tiger on the back, exposing Gwon's true occupation as a gangster. Realizing Gwons' true identity San (who understandably detests everything relate to gangs) begins to have a heart problem and had to be taken to the hospital. This new exposure would cause lots of problems for Gwon subsequently and forces him to leave the town. While Gwon was returning to the city Bok-Il sends his thugs to have San kidnapped. Seeing Bok-Il's goons going to the direction he was leaving from, Gwon hastily rushes back to the town and to the hospital, But Bok-Il's thugs invade the hospital where San is taken and succeeds in kidnapping the child before Gwon arrives. Yujin, in spite of her martial arts skills, Bok-Il's goons had San hostage so there was little she could do. Bok-Il, through his minion's report, realizes that Gwon is the current boss of the group that his former late secretary Sang-Jae once run. While happy with the realization that he is now able to catch two birds with one stone, he mildly regrets that he should have killed Gwon along with Sang-Jae when the opportunity presented to him.

Gwon arrives onto the hospital moments later where San is in a bid to reclaim his student, but it turns out to be a trap set by Bok-Il. Bok-Il and his men surround and gang up on Gwon, batter him badly and takes his seemingly lifeless body to a hillside to be left for dead. Before roughing up Gwon Bok-Il tells Gwon that he is the true culprit of his father's murder, Gwon having knowing the truth at last. Soon after Bok-Il and his men were surrounded by police and he attempted to escape but Gwon returns from the hillside to kill Bok-Il. Just as Gwon was about to kill Bok-Il, San in spite of his heart problem, desperately pleaded Gwon to stop. Bok-Il took this opening as an opportunity to escape.

Bok-Il later returned to his office to call chairman Kang on phone, to protest that he called police (chairman did not and denied the accusation) in spite of knowing what Bok-Il is capable of and so he intends to "go all the way" with San. Then Bok-Il made tirades against the chairman that all of these happened because chairman did not reward him with what Bok-Il truly yearned: the late Ha-Young. Bok-Il angrily ranted that he served the company to his best, that he was more intelligent and better worker than the other suitor ever was, promotion given to him was not even his priority, before concluding that all Bok-Il truly wanted was Ha-Young. The chairman retorts that he made his choice because that was what the chairman thought to be the best for his daughter at the time. The chairman also reminds that Bok-Il's ruthlessness and excessive ambition would have been too much for his gentle daughter to bear. Bok-Il, too obsessed with hatred and vengeance to listen to reason, declares the chairman that he would give the chairman the same despair of loss he experienced when he was rejected of being Ha-Young's suitor and hangs up the phone.

Bok-Il later returns to where San is hiding, and the security has gotten amplified. In spite of heavy security once again Bok-Il's men succeed in kidnapping San... Except that it was not San but one of his classmate named Daam Seo. Too pressed for time to harm Daam Bok-Il dumps the imposter kid and flees with his remaining men.

Bok-Il, after a third attempt, succeeds in kidnapping San, once again attempts to use the sick child as a leverage against his former employer. Bok-Il calls the chairman to make a 'deal' with him, and the chairman demands that he speak to his grandson. San defiantly shouts to his grandfather not to give into Bok-Il's wicked demands, and Bok-Il responds by grabbing San in the throat. But before he can harm the child, both police and Gwon crashes into his base of operation. Gwon reaches to Bok-Il and San first, and during the fight Bok-Il stabs Gwon with his knife in the hand. Undaunted, Gwon snatches the knife away from Bok-Il and once again attempts to kill Bok-Il, but San pleads Gwon not to become a murderer and ruin his life. Respecting his student's wish, Gwon punches Bok-Il, saying that he pay his crimes while being alive.

Bok-Il, now on the run and wanted man, could only gather a small fragment of his minions much to his fury. His minions urge Bok-Il to stop with his obsession and lay low but Bok-Il lashes out on them, declaring that he has absolutely no intention of seeing his former employer happy, that himself has nothing more to lose and if he is to die he is not going to die alone. Bok-Il returns to the rural school where 5 students and 3 faculties (including a principal who is only mentioned not not seen) are gathered for a final special event before the small, run-down school where Gwon and Yujin taught their 5 students is to be closed down. Gwon returns to school to participate in the final school bazaar after 3 days of brief recuperation. Bok-Il's men complains of handicapped conditions to carry out the kidnapping attempt, but Bok-Il threatens them that if they fail to kidnap San the ground which they stand will be their graves.

Bok-Il infiltrates into the school bazaar, abducts San again and flees with the ailing child. His escape was cut short by an unexpected landslide, and San uses the distraction to escape, with Bok-Il (and Gwon) in pursuit. Bok-Il, being an adult, soon catches up to San who linked up with Shiru-Cha, another of San's classmate. Shiru attempts to defend his friend with his wood but Bok-Il easily subdues and kicks Shiru off to the side. Just as Bok-Il was about to strike Shiru with the wood stump, Gwon catches up to Bok-Il. Bok-Il takes San to the edge of cliff, deliriously blabbering that "it's over" threat would not work on him, and he will die along with San. He tells Gwon to give his message to the chairman: "experience the feeling of being f-ed up after losing everything he wished for". With that word, he pushes San off the cliff, but Gwon, in spite of horrible physical condition due to his repeated battles against Bok-Il's minions, quickly dashes to the child and grabs his arm.

Seeing that Gwon will not let go of San, Bok-Il begins to beat Gwon savagely. But Gwon manages to hurl up San to safety, knocking down Bok-Il. Realizing that Gwon is completely exhausted and is in no condition to fight back, Bok-Il proceeds to pummel Gwon. San desperately grabs onto Bok-Il's leg, futilely trying to stop Bok-Il from killing his substitute teacher, only to get badly beaten by Bok-Il while having a heart spasm. Picking up wood to kill San, he is blocked by Shiru, who shields his ailing buddy. Irritated by Shiru's angry provocation that his ugly look is the manifestation of his ugly heart, Bok-Il strikes down on Shiru, but Gwon shields both San and Shiru, taking the brunt of the strike. Bok-Il madly laughs that Gwon is still alive after all the beatings he took.

Taking unconscious San to even higher cliff, all the while conversing with desperate San's grandfather that he and San would die together. Gwon, with superhuman effort, brings himself up and ambushes Bok-Il from behind. But Bok-Il quickly gains the upper hand. Before Bok-Il can deliver the final lethal blow to Gwon, Bok-Il was shot in the arm by detective Sung-Pyo Baek. At this point, Bok-Il was the only man on the loose; all his remaining men were apprehended and his gang fell apart. Far from conceding defeat, Bok-Il takes San hostage, resulting in a stand-off. The stand-off is broken by Daam, who throws a stone onto Bok-Il's eye. Officer Baek then shoots Bok-Il on the side, making Bok-Il lose his balance, falling off to cliff, cackling insanely as he plunges down to his demise.

His body was never found, indicating that he is likely still alive.