Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 162: The Moment Evil Overflows (6)

Kim Hyunsung’s testimony.

It lacked credibility.

In a situation where it was impossible to predict when, where, or how many people would attack, Kim Hyunsung brushed everything off as a coincidence. Could this even make sense? Considering the distance between Seoul and Daesan, it was unreasonable to dismiss the movements of the Daesan students—who had skipped all their afternoon classes—as mere coincidence.

If the plan had been moved forward or delayed by just a day…

They would have been too late.

Convinced that there had to be intention behind this, the police officer stepped out of the interrogation room and contacted Cheonil High School separately.

And the response came back:

**[Yes, that’s correct. Recently, we’ve been conducting on-site training programs for employment preparation, targeting students at Cheonil and other Daesan high schools. It’s an official program in collaboration with a vocational school in Gangnam, and it’s a legitimate two-week course for students who applied. Officer, I was just briefed on this myself. Please don’t think too poorly of our students. They just happened to be in Seoul, and when they heard their friend was in danger, they reacted impulsively. They’re not bad kids who deserve harsh punishment. I can vouch for them as the principal.]**

It was absurd.

A conveniently timed training program.

An alibi had been secured.

The students of Daesan were conveniently in Seoul at the same time the “operation” was taking place. They were attending a vocational school near Kim Hyunsung’s residence and were able to reach the officetel within five minutes of receiving his call. The officer wanted to shout, “Does that even make sense?” but as someone bound by evidence, he couldn’t just dismiss the testimony.

“…Alright.”

He hung up the phone for now.

Then, he called other schools.

Everyone knew that Cheonil was aligned with Kim Hyunsung, so he tried to secure testimonies from other schools as well.

As expected.

They all said the same thing.

The Daesan cartel, without exception, gave the exact same story.

*Click.*

“Damn bastards.”

It was clear.

Kim Hyunsung had arranged for Daesan’s students to be in Seoul for two full weeks, providing an alibi in case the operation was unpredictable. The officer felt chills. How far ahead had Kim Hyunsung anticipated this? The message Kim Hyunsung had sent to Kim Si-woo directly countered the evidence submitted by Choi Myung-hoon.

In the end.

There was no evidence.

Whether it was Choi Myung-hoon’s text or Kim Si-woo’s, there was only circumstantial evidence. Now, Kim Hyunsung could claim he had nothing to do with the so-called “Gangnam conquest.” The officer was troubled. No matter how powerful the Golden Circle was, it wasn’t easy to accuse an opponent with such a strong background without concrete evidence. If they made the wrong move, Kim Hyunsung would attract public attention, and that would be a loss for the Golden Circle.

Unless there was a plausible justification that made Kim Hyunsung seem like the clear aggressor, this plan was as good as failed.

‘That leaves only one option.’

The officer turned back.

Kim Hyunsung was a dead end.

No matter how much they dug, nothing would come out.

But the others were different.

**[Interrogation Room 2]**

*Creak.*

The officer opened the door and walked in.

And there, sitting inside, was—

“You’re Baek Seong-ho, right?”

The last piece of the puzzle was waiting for the officer.

—

**Carrot and Stick.**

This time, the officer chose the stick first.

The officer sat across from Baek Seong-ho, his face grave as he spoke.

“I hear you keep denying the charges. Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. I’ve got a younger brother like you, so take this as advice from someone who cares. If you keep following the orders of the people who put you in this position, your life is going to get ruined.”

*Click.*

The officer turned off the recording.

He spoke bluntly, dropping all pretense.

“Nothing we discuss here will leave this room. There’s no record. Seong-ho, you’re an adult. The others have their alibis sorted out, and even if they get tangled up in this violence, at most they’ll end up in juvenile detention. But you? You’re headed for prison. You got involved in a violent crime with minors. Don’t think you’ll get off with just simple assault. Right now, multiple victims who were sent to the hospital are claiming that ‘you’ were the one who beat them up. Why are you risking all this for Kim Hyunsung? You know this isn’t just a school fight. The Golden Circle has enough power to make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your life. You may never see the outside world again.”

It was deliberate.

The officer revealed his connection to the Golden Circle as a threat.

“The reason I’m telling you this is because I want to give you the only way out. Testify for the Golden Circle. Say that it was Kim Hyunsung who started it. If you do that, the Golden Circle will compensate you far more than whatever small amount Kim Hyunsung gave you. Rumor has it you’ll do anything for money. Wouldn’t you rather have the Golden Circle reward you properly for your trouble?”

He dangled the bait.

Now, it was up to Baek Seong-ho.

As the officer skillfully tried to lure him in, Baek Seong-ho’s expression remained calm.

“Officer.”

“Yeah. Go ahead, speak freely.”

“I learned something important during my time at Cheonil. In this world, there are certain people you should never turn into enemies. The Golden Circle? Sure, they’re impressive. They’ve got powerful people backing them, so I’m sure it wouldn’t be difficult for them to take out someone like me. But to turn Kim Hyunsung into an enemy?”

He let out a small laugh.

Two years at Cheonil.

For Baek Seong-ho, Kim Hyunsung was absolute.

“There’s nothing more foolish than that. You should check up on all the guys who crossed paths with Kim Hyunsung. Not a single one of them is doing well. Word is that ‘Jung Min-ho’ ended up in a vegetative state because of Kim Hyunsung. What do you think would happen if I betrayed him? There’s no such thing as moderation with Kim Hyunsung. I guarantee that whatever punishment I imagine for betraying him, the reality will be far worse. So do what you want. I’m too dumb to even think about making a different choice.”

The officer’s eyes narrowed with fury.

But whether he showed malice or not…

Baek Seong-ho’s expression remained calm.

“Oh, and as for the report, here’s what you should say: I was just a senior, hanging out nearby, and I stepped in to help a younger student. I’ll face the consequences for the violence, but you won’t get a single word from me to prove Kim Hyunsung’s intent.”

—

**A few hours later.**

Kim Hyunsung was released.

With the investigation wrapped up, there was no longer any justification to hold him.

As Kim Hyunsung and several other students exited the police station, reporters swarmed around them.

“Kim Hyunsung, can you explain what happened?”

“Did you really lead a group fight?”

“What was discussed inside?”

This incident.

It had drawn all eyes on him.

With Cho Jae-jin live-streaming the entire situation on YouTube, it had grown beyond the Golden Circle’s control. Reporters, who thrived on public interest, naturally gathered at the police station.

*Click, click, click.*

Flashes went off from all sides.

Since the time he ranked first nationwide in the mock exam, it had been a while since Kim Hyunsung had received this much attention.

Kim Hyunsung calmly met their gazes.

He wasn’t some criminal leaving the police station in shame. With clear eyes and a confident posture, he asserted his innocence.

“To be honest, I don’t really understand why I’ve been dragged into this.”

Now.

It was time to drop the bomb.

This was just the prelude, but the fire he was about to start would eventually become an inferno that would consume everything.

“One thing I can say for certain is that a similar incident occurred at Daeseong Mirae High School. Choi Myung-hoon, the perpetrator of this incident, also led that one. I was attacked by dozens of students back then and barely managed to survive. But that incident ended with the school covering up the corruption, and not a single news article was written about it. I’ve been targeted by someone’s malice. And as this incident proves, whoever is behind this clearly wants me dead.”

For a moment.

Murmurs erupted.

The crowd reacted strongly.

This wasn’t something that could be brushed off.

The idea that someone was using school violence as a cover to kill Kim Hyunsung was shocking and far beyond what anyone expected.

Not every reporter is corrupt.

One reporter, who wasn’t connected to the Golden Circle and was genuinely shocked by Kim Hyunsung’s statement, asked,

“Who is behind this malice?”

If necessary.

Kim Hyunsung could have directly mentioned the Golden Circle.

He could have exposed everything he had learned about their members and completely dismantled the Golden Circle.

But now wasn’t the time.

The right moment.

The perfect opportunity to annihilate the Golden Circle.

For that, all he needed now was to stir things up, just enough.

Kim Hyunsung smiled.

“That’s something I’d like you, the journalists, to find out. Isn’t that your job as reporters?”

With that remark.

The internet exploded.

(TL Note : Whooo! What a guy. What a freaking guy.)

—

The whole world was in an uproar.

The suspicions Kim Hyunsung had raised.

The articles spread rapidly, reaching the entire nation in no time.

**[Mass Brawl in the Middle of Seoul! What’s the Truth Behind It?!]**

**[Student Kim Claims There Was a Similar Incident Before!]**

**[Who Is the Mastermind Behind the Malice?]**

For now, they were just suspicions.

An unconfirmed conspiracy theory, but Park Hyung-joon couldn’t take it lightly.

**[One hour later, XX Korean Restaurant]**

A single text message.

Park Hyung-joon’s face turned pale.

It was a summons from his superior.

Knowing what it meant, he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

‘I’m done for.’

The plan had failed.

Not only had he blown his last chance, but Kim Hyunsung had also dropped a bomb that could implicate the Golden Circle.

How was this mess supposed to be cleaned up?

Two violent incidents caused by Choi Myung-hoon.

They were far too outrageous to be swept under the rug. The Golden Circle would have to accept severe losses to clean up the aftermath. Even then, it wouldn’t completely resolve the situation. There would now be skeptics, and with the Golden Circle’s growing size, it was only a matter of time before their tail got caught.

It was overwhelming.

His head felt like it was going to burst.

At that moment.

*Thud.*

“…I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry!”

It was Choi Myung-hoon.

He knelt, bowing his head to the floor.

Just like Park Hyung-joon, his face was pale with fear.

“There you are.”

Park Hyung-joon’s expression changed.

He stood up from his seat.

Then.

*Grab.*

“Ugh.”

He yanked Choi Myung-hoon up by the hair.

Glaring at him with eyes full of rage, Park Hyung-joon snarled.

“This is a real disappointment. This plan couldn’t fail. We mobilized so many people just to take out one person, bribed the officetel manager, and set up the perfect trap. So how on earth did Kim Hyunsung see it coming? We silenced anyone who could have leaked the plan, and yet Kim Hyunsung countered it as if he knew everything.”

“I…I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, you should be sorry. But here’s something really interesting. Some of the kids who got hauled in said they overheard the students from Cheonil talking. They said they were able to prepare because you tipped them off. So let me ask you—what do you think about that?”

“Ugh…”

Choi Myung-hoon hiccupped.

Before him.

A massive malice swirled.

As he looked into Park Hyung-joon’s eyes, which were filled with a murderous glare, Choi Myung-hoon realized just how badly things had gone wrong.

“You know, don’t you? This whole situation. It can’t be explained without betrayal.”

Instinctively, he knew.

Right now, Kim Hyunsung…

Had laid yet another trap, waiting to bury Choi Myung-hoon in it.

(TL Note: Hyunsung is such an evil bastard. lol. BTW, Im sorry guys for doing some TL notes in the middle. I was just too invested while translating/reading it. I’m sure we share the same feeling while reading it.)