Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 166: Fracture (3)

Yoon Hyeon-min.

In truth, he had been a suspect for quite some time.

Hyunsung had investigated Im Cheol-hyeong and the members of Golden Line, identifying individuals who shared mutual benefits within their network. Yoon was among them. Born as the heir to the Taeyang Group, Yoon had led a privileged life, but to take over the group with full approval, he needed to prove himself.

That was when Yoon benefitted from the Golden Circle.

Specifically, his interests aligned with the members of Golden Line, and together they built the foundation that elevated them to higher positions.

Still, it wasn’t enough to be conclusive.

The Golden Circle was tangled with countless interests, and many others seemed more likely to be at the helm than Yoon. However, the situation changed during the tax investigation into Myungjin Construction. When the Golden Circle moved to target Myungjin Construction, certain figures emerged—such as Congressman Lee Kyung-chul—further strengthening Yoon’s candidacy. Information obtained through Kim Pan-ho revealed that, during Lee’s financial crisis as a politician, the Taeyang Group had intervened and resolved his financial troubles.

With no exceptions or outliers, Yoon began to stand out as one of the top five potential leaders.

‘The only reason I can’t yet confirm Yoon Hyeon-min as the mastermind is that he might not be the owner of the Golden Circle, but just another participant. The evidence so far isn’t definitive enough.’

Guesswork was unacceptable.

Hyunsung needed certainty.

If he misfired by attacking the wrong person, all his carefully laid plans would collapse. To predict his opponent’s retaliation, he had to identify the mastermind without a doubt. Even after narrowing down his suspects, Hyunsung had never once believed he had reached the final answer.

Complacency was poison.

Then, he finally found the decisive clue.

‘When the Golden Circle began to fracture, Im Cheol-hyeong sought out Yoon Hyeon-min.’

It was a flash of realization.

The true leader of the Golden Circle—

It was Yoon Hyeon-min.

—

The scattered pieces of the puzzle began falling into place.

Lee Kyung-chul, Im Cheol-hyeong, and others…

All the benefits Yoon had reaped through them aligned perfectly with the formation of the Golden Circle. Additionally, despite Yoon’s carefully controlled schedule, an article about his meeting with Im Cheol-hyeong was hastily published right after their encounter. In the industry, people found this meeting between two giants to be abrupt, causing ripples in the stock market.

But that wasn’t all.

The earliest known operations of the Golden Circle also pointed toward Yoon. These early cases, likely handled under his name, involved powerful figures associated with the Taeyang Group. Once Hyunsung focused on Yoon as the main suspect, evidence began to line up seamlessly—almost as if no one else could possibly be the mastermind.

It was clear now.

It had to be Yoon Hyeon-min.

Standing in front of the whiteboard, Hyunsung reflected on the long journey that led to this revelation. Though more steps were needed to confirm it, identifying this one person filled him with indescribable emotions.

“…It took so long just to find this one name.”

He had cursed for over a decade.

Ever since returning to the past, he had fought tooth and nail to uncover the Golden Circle’s mastermind.

His eyes reddened.

Because of this man…

He had been dragged through hell.

His family had been shackled to him, pulled down to the very depths of that same hell where no light existed.

Tears flowed.

But they weren’t tears of sadness.

They were tears of joy.

People had always asked why Hyunsung went to such extremes, but none of them had experienced over a decade trapped in a living nightmare. They couldn’t understand. One minute equals 60 seconds. One hour equals 3,600 seconds. One day equals 86,400 seconds. Hyunsung had spent every second in pitch-black darkness, fully conscious, unable to sleep or pass out. It was an indescribable torment, feeling time pass by in excruciating detail, even as his mind unraveled.

Now, Minho, Hyeji, and the others—the perpetrators of his suffering—might not have committed recent offenses as severe as those of the past.

But did that mean he should forgive them?

Should he act like a judge, weighing their sins and handing down appropriate punishments?

No.

It was impossible.

His suffering was real, seared into his memory, second by agonizing second. In his previous life, he had endured pain alone. In this life, he was determined to claim the right to inflict it. As his eyes brimmed with tears tinged with blood, Hyunsung felt an overwhelming urge to plunge a knife into Yoon’s gut. The malice that had built up over the years surged uncontrollably, desperate for release.

“…No, not yet. Not now.”

He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.

Killing Yoon would be the simplest form of revenge.

It might bring fleeting pain and regret, but it wouldn’t fully repay the torment Hyunsung had endured. Simple death wasn’t enough. Yoon needed to suffer—every minute and second of his life steeped in agony—until the man who had lived in luxury experienced the worst life imaginable.

‘How?’

A mere exposé wouldn’t suffice.

Even if Yoon’s involvement was revealed, he had too many resources and connections to escape unscathed.

For now, Hyunsung had to proceed slowly.

He would verify Yoon’s role once more, beyond any shadow of doubt. Then, just as he had endured endless suffering to reach this moment, he would methodically lay the groundwork to destroy Yoon piece by piece. No mistakes could be allowed. No matter how Yoon retaliated, the final outcome would be his utter ruin.

“Don’t rush. Don’t rush. Don’t…”

He repeated the words like a mantra.

And so, for a long time, he remained rooted in front of the whiteboard.

—

Somewhere in Busan.

A man, his hood pulled low over his face, stepped out of a convenience store.

*Ding-ding.*

He walked through the dimly lit streets.

The area was poorly maintained, the crumbling buildings on either side adding to the eerie atmosphere. The man turned down a narrow alley inaccessible to cars. After several more turns, he arrived at a motel marked by a glowing red sign.

He went inside.

The building had no elevator, so he climbed the stairs to room 302 and opened the door.

Thunk.

“…Damn it.”

The room was a dump.

Staring at the mold spreading across the walls, Jeong Chan-su couldn’t help but curse.

He still couldn’t get used to this.

Not long ago, he had been living in a luxurious Gangnam apartment, enjoying the nightlife to its fullest. Now, he was hiding out in this run-down motel, boiling water for instant noodles.

*Slurp, slurp.*

He finished eating quickly, tossed the trash aside, and flopped down on the bed.

“How long do I have to live like this?”

His downfall was all because of Kim Hyunsung.

The moment Hyunsung coerced him into leaking information, disaster became inevitable.

At first, things had gone well. Managing Golden Line had earned him plenty of money, and he had thought he could retire soon. But then everything fell apart. When the crisis Hyunsung warned about came to pass, Chan-su liquidated his assets and fled. He had planned to escape overseas, but the Golden Circle’s response had been swifter than expected.

A travel ban blocked his departure.

He had tried to leave by boat from a port in Busan, but even that plan was foiled. Pursued relentlessly, he had been forced to abandon his cash-filled bag just to escape. Now, he had nothing left. His remaining cash had been spent on instant noodles, and soon, even this shabby motel would throw him out.

*Sigh.*

He let out a deep breath.

He had no idea how to survive.

Then—

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Someone knocked on the door.

Chan-su tensed.

If it was the landlord, they would announce themselves. And no one else should know he was here.

He crept to the window.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

The knocking persisted, and his heart pounded in his chest.

Then—

*Bang!*

“Damn it!”

The door was kicked open.

There was no doubt—his pursuers had found him.

Without hesitation, Chan-su flung open the window and jumped.

—

At an abandoned factory.

Jeong Chan-su knelt on the ground, his face bloodied.

Once they had tracked him to the motel, escape had been impossible.

“…Ugh.”

He stifled a groan.

Hours of bleeding had left him lightheaded, and his parched lips stuck together. His captors hadn’t given him a chance to explain. They had beaten him mercilessly, and the stench of dried blood was now nauseatingly familiar.

*Step, step.*

He heard someone approaching.

Lifting his head, he saw a tall man flanked by several others.

The man sat down in a chair.

In that instant, Chan-su recognized him.

‘Yoon Hyeon-min, the heir to the Taeyang Group.’

A powerful figure.

Why had someone like him shown up here?

The answer was obvious.

The man he had unknowingly served all along—the true leader of the Golden Circle—had to be Yoon Hyeon-min.

Yoon spoke.

“Explain yourself.”

Chan-su’s heart sank.

This was his last chance to survive. Desperately, he poured out his words.

“I… I was blackmailed by Kim Hyunsung! After I failed the mission, he exploited my failure to force me into cooperating. I was scared, so I gave in to his demands. I… I made a terrible mistake. But if you give me one more chance, I’ll do anything. If you want me to kill Hyunsung, I’ll do it!”

Yoon’s eyes narrowed.

“Tell me—why does Kim Hyunsung hate the Golden Circle so much?”

“I… I don’t know.”

But there was one thing Chan-su was sure of.

“From the way he talked, it seemed like he views the Golden Circle as his mortal enemy. He kept pressuring me to find out who its leader was.”

Yoon gave a faint sigh, as if disappointed.

“If he feels that strongly, persuading him is out of the question.”

He leaned in, close enough for Chan-su to feel his breath.

“This crisis isn’t all bad. It made everyone realize that we’re in this together—my secrets are now everyone’s secrets. To strengthen our unity, I’ve decided to make an example of betrayal.”

Chan-su’s eyes widened in terror.

Before he could scream for mercy, Yoon straightened up and gave a silent signal.

“Aaah! No! Please!”

Men in caps dragged Chan-su away.

His desperate struggles were useless against their overwhelming strength.

Yoon turned to his secretary.

“Spread the word.”

This incident would send a clear message:

Everyone in the Golden Circle was under his control.

“Tell them—Jeong Chan-su was found, and I chose execution, not punishment.”

Now, only one task remained.

It was time to decide what to do with Kim Hyunsung.