Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1392. Being Hostile (2)

Jo Mi-Hye loudly yelled.

“I keep telling you to wash up first when you get home! Why don’t you ever listen to me?!”

Han Jin-Seong groaned deeply. “Look, washing up later won’t kill anyone, okay? I’m telling you, it’s fine! I’ll do it later.”

“Oh? You want me to help you find out if anyone will really die or not?! Namely, you!”

“Nope. I think I’ll pass.”

“Then, what are you waiting for?! Off to the bathroom, now!”

Han Jin-Seong groaned again. “Listen, Mi-Hye.”

“What?”

“Can’t I, like, come back to the orphanage and stay on my own in the adult wing or something? I mean, I don’t even live here anymore, so I don’t understand why I gotta come back here to eat and wash up...”

“What are you even saying?!” Jo Mi-Hye shot a glare at Han Jin-Seong as flames lit up in her eyes. “You want me to look after all these kids?! By myself?”

Han Jin-Seong almost retorted with, Hold on, now. You are not the one looking after the kids here, alright? Caregiver aunties do that. Besides, who put you in charge?

Why did it feel like something was not right with this orphanage’s operation?

“Look, I get that there’s no reason for you to do everything on your own. But I also don’t see why I should help out, either... Let’s think about this rationally, okay? Rationally.”

“No, you can’t stay in the adult wing by yourself,” said Jo Mi-Hye curtly.

Hang Jin-Seong tutted at her. “Sure, we can have a difference in opinion. But to oppose one viewpoint, you gotta have a sound reason. And a solid foundation for your counter argument.”

“You stay alone in the wing, and your second attempt at the National Exams will fail. It’s so obvious.”

“...That’s a sound reason, alright,” Han Jin-Seong muttered meekly. He couldn’t find a counterpoint to such a perfectly logical argument! “S-still, don’t you think that’s how a man is supposed to grow up?”

“Oppa. I’ve been watching you for the last ten years, okay? And I know for a fact that you and the idea of growing up don’t even exist in the same reality. Training a puppy might make it a better behaved dog than you, oppa!”

Life could be filled with such sorrow. Such indescribable sorrow!

Han Jin-Seong sighed deeply. If only he didn’t fail the National Entrance Exams the first time! He would’ve been spared from all this nagging.

At first, Han Jin-Seong was so happy about getting a second chance with the Exams. Now that he had started studying for it, though... He quickly realized this whole shebang was not fit for human consumption, so to speak!

A few months ago, he gleefully thought that this second stab would be pretty much a painless endeavor, as no one would nag him or boss him around, but now? He oh-so wished to travel back in time and gleefully punch his younger self in the mouth for thinking that way!

Jo Mi-Hye harrumphed. “Hurry and wash up, oppa. I’ve prepared your dinner.”

Han Jin-Seong sighed. “Well, at least you care about my nutritional needs. That’s nice.”

“I’m giving you leftovers from the kids’ dinner.”

“...Thanks, I guess.”

While sneakily wiping away a hint of moisture from the corner of his eye, Han Jin-Seong leisurely headed to the bathroom.

Despite saying all those spicy things, Jo Mi-Hye was doing her best to help Han Jin-Seong out so that he could focus on his studies. He wasn’t stupid enough to not recognize that.

Thanks, Mi-Hye.

He had so many people cheering him on. So, it wouldn’t do for him to let his attention wander off to elsewhere instead of focusing on his studies.

Just before he could enter the bathroom, however...

“Oppa!”

Jo Mi-Hye urgently yelled at him again.

Han Jin-Seong groaned softly. “Look, I’m going to wash up, okay? I’m about to enter the bloody bathroom!”

“No, that’s not it! Come here! Quick!”

“I said, I’m going to wash up.”

“I’m not joking this time! Hurry up and come here!”

Only then did Han Jin-Seong notice the urgency in Jo Mi-Hye’s voice. He tilted his head, wondering what it could be.

He rushed back inside the living room, but couldn’t see anything amiss inside.

“I knew it. You were prankin...”

Jo Mi-Hye urgently pointed at something. “Look!”

“Eh?”

“Isn’t that Jin-Ho oppa?!”

Han Jin-Seong’s gaze followed her pointing finger and eventually landed on the living room’s TV.

This TV, mounted on one of the living room walls, was busy playing a late-night news broadcast. And this particular news segment was showing a grainy photo of a person taken from a considerable distance away.

Such was the distance that the person’s face was not easily identifiable, but Han Jin-Seong could still instantly recognize who that was. It was unmistakably Kang Jin-Ho!

“What news is this?”

Han Jin-Seong asked reflexively, but didn’t need Jo Mi-Hye to answer him. The news anchor’s voice coming from the TV speakers dug into his hearing soon afterward, after all!

---The police are currently investigating Mister K’s activities. Their focus is on establishing the motives for the suspect entering North Korea. And they also are searching for any collaborators who might have assisted the suspect. Currently, Mister K has strenuously denied all allegations, and his company has...

Han Jin-Seong’s eyes opened wider. “What are they even talking about here?! Jin-Ho hyung went to North Korea?”

Jo Mi-Hye frowned deeply. “That... sounds like it?”

“And Jin-Ho hyung’s been arrested for being a spy from North Korea?!”

“...” Jo Mi-Hye bit her lip while clasping her hands as if to offer a prayer. “Jin-Seong oppa, what... what should we do?”

“...!” Han Jin-Seong was momentarily lost for words. Of course he wouldn’t know what to do here. “For now... Turn off the TV.”

“Right.”

Jo Mi-Hye hurriedly turned the TV off.

Han Jin-Seong took out his phone and tried to dial Kang Jin-Ho’s number. However, after holding the phone near his ear for a while, he grimaced and ended the call.

“His phone is off.”

“Jin-Seong oppa...! What should we do if Jin-Ho oppa is really behind bars?”

Han Jin-Seong bit down on his lip. “For now... Don’t tell the kids. Stop them from watching TV as much as possible. Got that?”

“Y-yeah. But they will find out sooner or later while browsing on their phones, you know?”

“Tell them it’s not true. Besides, his face isn’t clear in that photo, right? So it should be fine.”

Jo Mi-Hye faltered. “Y-yeah...”

“As for Yu-Min hyung... No, wait. We mustn’t tell him.”

Han Jin-Seong hurriedly rubbed his face with both hands. Since Park Yu-Min never had been much of a consumer of the latest news, it should be fine for now. Besides, he was still overseas to compete in that super-important tournament, anyway. His attention should be razor-focused on practice and not much else.

Han Jin-Seong gripped the phone tightly. “I’m going to call Chief Lee.”

“O-oppa...” Jo Mi-Hye anxiously called out.

“Don’t stress out, okay? You know Jin-Ho hyung’s not a spy, anyway. He’s clueless most of the time and can’t even lie to save himself. No freaking way he’s a North Korea spy.”

“W-well, that’s true, but...”

“It’ll be fine. There must’ve been some kinda misunderstanding. It has to be. Jin-Ho hyung wouldn’t do what they said he did!”

Han Jin-Seong bit his lip again. Even as he tried to reassure Jo Mi-Hye, his mind couldn’t stop replaying that grainy photo of Kang Jin-Ho from the news.

“Just what... the heck is going on here?”

He eventually relented and let out that sigh of lamentation.

***

“Just what the f*ck is going on here?!”

The fearless reporter, Ha Gwang-Sik, angrily kicked his desk. The computer monitor on the desk precariously teetered about before settling down again.

His glare was locked on the news articles appearing on the screen.

His partner and the junior reporter, Bak Gyu-Yeon, replied gruffly, “What do you mean what? You got screwed out of your story, that’s what.”

Despite his tone, his expression was not all that great, either. Then again, why would he feel great when all the effort they had put into this story had now gone down the toilet?

They had rejected all the other assignments and focused solely on exposing the corrupt relationship between Kang Jin-Ho and the current administration all this time. So, to learn that Kang Jin-Ho got arrested for being a spy working for North Korea?!

How absurd was that!

“What the f*ck was that? The National Security Act?” Ha Gwang-Sik gnashed his teeth noisily. “Hey, Gyu-Yeon!”

“Yes?”

“How long have we been investigating that punk, Kang Jin-Ho?”

“It’s been several months.”

“We’re supposed to be reporters, right? So, do you think we can’t even figure out that a punk we’ve been investigating for several months was a bloody spy?! Do you think that makes any goddamn sense?!”

“Well, that...” Bak Gyu-Yeon roughly scratched his head. “You know things like this happen sometimes, right? Maybe Kang Jin-Ho was incredibly good at subterfuge or something.”

“Subterfuge? Are you messing with me right now?!”

“Senior...” Bak Gyu-Yeon sighed deeply. “Let’s continue this outside. Come with me.”

***

The two reporters exited their office and headed to a place with no other people. They mouthed cigarettes and wordlessly lit them up.

Bak Gyu-Yeon sighed deeply again. “Senior, what are you trying to pull here?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What will you do even if Kang Jin-Ho isn’t a spy?”

Ha Gwang-Sik clamped his mouth shut and sucked on his cigarette. He could see how graver-than-usual Bak Gyu-Yeon’s expression was.

“...Look, Gyu-Yeon. I gotta be honest with you here. I don’t believe this crap about that punk being a spy. How can a North Korean spy be so... so sloppy like that!”

“...”

“Besides! A spy getting the government backing to start a business in the middle of Gangnam? How does that even make any sense? Unless every bastard in the government is also a North Korean spy, it doesn’t!”

“Senior...” Bak Gyu-Yeon stared in pity at his senior reporter. “You know that’s not important right now.”

“Then what is?! Someone who is clearly not a spy got falsely accused of being one, you dumbass!”

“Senior, you don’t even like Kang Jin-Ho, so why do you care?”

“This and that are separate, okay!” Ha Gwang-Sik raised his voice. “I hate knowing that criminals and the guilty can sleep soundly at night, okay? But I don’t want to see a thief taken to the gallows for a murder he didn’t commit!”

After shouting that, Ha Gwang-Sik urgently puffed away at his cigarette.

“Dammit! Even a blind man can see that Kang Jin-Ho isn’t a spy! So why was he arrested for being one?! The only evidence there is one grainy photo! And you can’t even see his face properly on it!”

Bak Gyu-Yeon shook his head. “The evidence doesn’t matter, senior.”

“Why not?!”

“Because they also know he’s not a spy!”

“...!”

Bak Gyu-Yeon chewed his words out next. “Don’t you get it, senior? That punk, Kang Jin-Ho? He’s gotten himself into some kinda deep sh*t, and the higher-ups of this country are trying to bury him to cover up the truth! And their chosen method is accusing him of being a spy!”

“Then, we gotta expose the truth!”

“I didn’t know you had nine lives, senior. You want to expose the government’s wrongdoings in a country where trying to expose important people committing sex crimes in their villas can get you killed? I didn’t know you wanted to buy a farm that badly, one that’s been paid for by the government!”

“What? Listen here, you punk! This is...”

“No, you listen, senior! You need to wake up, hyung! Or they’ll kill you for real this time!”

“What? But...”

Ha Gwang-Sik gritted his teeth. However, he couldn’t think of anything to refute his junior’s claims. Even he had to admit this situation was dangerous. Incredibly so.

The Korean government was obviously going out of its way to destroy Kang Jin-Ho. All the articles and news broadcasts slandering him overflowed with the naked malice. They really intended to bury that man completely this time.

That made this situation dangerous for a mere reporter like Ha Gwang-Sik. He hadn’t seen the government try this hard to hurt someone before, at least not in recent years.

A great power and a unified desire to inflict harm coming together was undoubtedly a source of terror, a deadly threat. Especially to people who handled information and tried to get as close to the truth as possible... like reporters.

Bak Gyu-Yeon continued with his rebuke. “What obligation do we have to that punk that we gotta risk our necks to uncover the truth?! Do you think he’d care about us if we die during the investigation? Besides, so what if he cares? Nothing will change even if he does, hyung!”

“...”

“It’s over, hyung. Yes, it’s too bad we’ve spent all this time investigating Kang Jin-Ho, but it’s time we close the book on this case. Dig in any further, and we might really lose our heads. Literally.”

Ha Gwang-Sik bit his lower lip. “Come on! We are supposed to be reporters!”

“Since when did being a reporter make you an immortal?!”

“But this is...”

“Hyung!” Bak Gyu-Yeon suddenly yelled. “Do you honestly think all the reporters busy reporting about that punk being a spy don’t realize this is all bullsh*t?!”

“...”

“Being a good, nay, excellent reporter is great. And being an honest media personality is also nice. But everyone else is looking the other way or playing along here. Why should you be the only one risking his life?”

Bak Gyu-Yeon groaned deeply.

“Hyung, this one is definitely off limits. Don’t even think about touching it, okay? However, if you can’t endure it and simply have to do this... Don’t expect me to help you out this time. You’re on your own.”

“...”

“I’m going back in.”

“W-wait, Gyu-Yeon!”

“Hyung.” Bak Gyu-Yeon turned around and stared openly at Ha Gwang-Sik. “I know you’re a good person. And a great journalist. I also know someone as dedicated to the truth as you is a rare thing these days when everybody thinks of journalists as opportunistic, lying sacks of sh*t. That’s why...”

Bak Gyu-Yeon reached out and powerfully grabbed Ha Gwang-Sik’s shoulders.

“Please, please! Don’t make me tell our future juniors many years from now how you were pursuing the truth, only to die in a suicide-that’s-not-a-suicide! I beg you, hyung! Please!”

“...”

Bak Gyu-Yeon tossed his cigarette to the floor and stubbed it out with his shoe. Then, he hurriedly headed back to the office without waiting for Ha Gwang-Sik’s response. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Ha Gwang-Sik stared at his junior’s back, an expression of annoyance still etched on his face. However, he eventually groaned deeply.

“Dammit, you brat. At least pick up your damn cigarette...”

He squatted to pick up the cigarette butt, only to flinch and stop. He suddenly thought that his current situation resembled that discarded cigarette butt on the ground.

“You think I’m not scared of death? Bloody hell...”

Of course Ha Gwang-Sik wanted to live. Wasn’t that obvious?

It was just that he didn’t want to live like a damn dog.

After picking up the cigarette butt, Ha Gwang-Sik headed back to the office.

The light in his eyes burned colder and sharper than ever before.