Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 173: Head-on Breakthrough (5)

**Kim Hyunsung.**

As the realization struck, Kim Young-chul’s twisted expression became that of a demon consumed with rage.

“You insane bastard! What the hell are you thinking? You enjoyed everything because of me! No matter what mess you made, I cleaned it all up. And now it’s not even the Golden Circle—*you* are the one doing this? Why?! Why are you doing this to me?”

He couldn’t comprehend it.

The fact that Hyunsung didn’t protect him from the Golden Circle could have been chalked up to lack of ability.

But for him to go so far as to personally ruin his life—it made no sense.

After all, weren’t they on the same side?

The frustration welled up to the point that tears stung his eyes.

[Let me tell you a story about a certain student.]

“What kind of bullshit are you…”

[Just listen.]

The cold voice on the other end cut him off.

Without realizing it, Kim Young-chul fell silent, compelled to listen to every word.

[A 17-year-old student, still looking more like a middle schooler, was bullied relentlessly. Beaten, humiliated, forced to run errands after school—his days were a living hell. One day, unable to bear it any longer, he sought help. He knew it wasn’t the right answer, but he believed an adult could save him. To that boy, teachers were like superheroes who could solve any problem. But what do you think happened?]

“H-how would I know?”

[You should know. That student was ignored by the adults and ended up dead. The bullying continued, and one day, he was pushed off the roof. Now let me ask you something: if you were that student, and you were given the chance to take revenge, do you think you could forgive the teacher who let you fall to your death?]

Kim Young-chul’s eyes wavered.

It finally hit him.

Kim Hyunsung harbored an unimaginable hatred towards him.

Panic rising, Kim Young-chul stammered, “I-I’m sorry! I don’t know which student I drove to that point, but I’ll change! I’ll repent! Was it Min-seong? I heard rumors something happened to him after he transferred… Please, Hyunsung, give me a chance. If you help me fix this, I swear I’ll do whatever you want!”

It was absurd.

Kim Hyunsung had been referring to his past life, events that hadn’t occurred in this timeline. Yet, Kim Young-chul’s desperate plea revealed just how filthy his life had been—he could easily think of cases that fit Hyunsung’s description.

What a disgusting excuse for a human being.

That such a person had been a teacher guiding students spoke volumes about the rot that plagued the world.

If someone—anyone—had stepped in to correct the course of things, Kim Young-chul would never have remained a teacher for so long.

And that was exactly why Kim Hyunsung could never forget his past.

As long as scum like Kim Young-chul existed, the cycle of corruption and decay would continue.

[Thank you for being exactly as I remembered.]

Hyunsung meant it.

It was satisfying.

Kim Young-chul’s complete ruin was playing out exactly as planned.

—

**Click.**

Hyunsung ended the call.

Even as he heard Kim Young-chul screaming from the other end, there was no reason to prolong the conversation.

“…I’ve waited long enough.”

Since the moment he returned to the past—nearly two years ago—Hyunsung had been suppressing his rage every time he saw Kim Young-chul.

At the lowest point of his life, when he was desperate for anyone to help, Kim Young-chul had trampled on his last shred of hope.

At first, Hyunsung had wanted nothing more than to destroy him. There had been no thought of carefully manipulating him for future gains. But he held back for the sake of his grander plans.

Every time Young-chul smiled at him.
Every time he tried to curry favor.
Every time he flaunted the bribes he received from Myungjin Construction.

In every one of those moments, Hyunsung wanted to kill him.

But the only thing that kept him going was the certainty that, one day, Kim Young-chul would meet his downfall.

‘The Golden Circle probably thinks they’ve achieved something by taking down Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Young-chul. But it’s perfect for me. I used the most powerful force in South Korea to deal with the trash I’ve wanted to eliminate all along. And since it appears to be their doing, the people of Daesan will direct their fury at the Golden Circle.’

It’s like the saying ‘Borrowing a Knife to Kill’.

Hyunsung had achieved two victories with one stroke, using another’s hand to do the dirty work.

He delivered exactly what the Golden Circle wanted, while simultaneously disposing of Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Young-chul.

Though the Golden Circle’s power would ensure the two men’s ruin, Hyunsung had no intention of leaving everything to chance. Just as he had secretly sent the incriminating photos to Young-chul’s wife, he would continue to nudge their downfall along.

He would ensure they ended up in prison.

And even when they finished their sentences, they would never find happiness again.

He relished the thought of their long, miserable lives.

‘We live in an era where people can live to a hundred. I hope they live as long as possible, so they can experience the full extent of the pain I’ve planned for them.’

Tonight.

For once, he felt he wouldn’t be haunted by nightmares.

—

**In the following days.**

Events unfolded rapidly.

It was confirmed that both Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Young-chul would be dismissed from their positions. Internal sources suggested that prison time was all but certain. They had committed too many crimes within the walls of the school. Even with high-priced lawyers, there was no way out.

Of course, the Golden Circle’s influence played a role.

With the powerful organization labeling them as criminals, no sane lawyer dared to defend them.

**And then there was Go Chang-beom.**

Although he couldn’t fully escape the charges against him, he managed to avoid the most serious ones. His years of brushes with the law made it impossible to claim complete innocence.

He stood once more before the cameras, facing the press outside the prosecutor’s office.

“How do you feel about the investigation?”

“You’ve been cleared of sexual assault charges. Will you be filing defamation suits against the women involved?”

“As the heir to Myungjin Construction, you’ve still been charged with assault. Do you think your actions have damaged the company’s reputation?”

The barrage of questions from the reporters was relentless.

During the investigation, the key issue Kim Hyunsung focused on was the **sexual assault charges**. Such allegations would have completely destroyed Go Chang-beom’s reputation, so Hyunsung made it his priority to ensure that those charges were dropped. Fortunately, Go Chang-beom, despite his rough exterior, turned out to be quite the romantic. Evidence showed that he had actually dated the women accusing him, and thus it was impossible to pin the sexual assault charges on him, no matter how maliciously they tried.

As for the **assault charges**, Go Chang-beom was able to minimize the damage. Most of the incidents had already been prosecuted in the past, so he received a lighter punishment. However, it wasn’t something that could be brushed off entirely. Despite the fights being mutual, both parties had been involved in physical altercations. Still, the fact that the incidents had occurred years ago, the clear evidence of mutual involvement, and the fact that some of the altercations involved people trying to extort Go due to his status as the eldest son of Myungjin Construction worked in his favor.

This outcome was the result of meticulous preparation.

From the moment Kim Hyunsung hired Park Jong-soo, he had prepared for situations where those close to him, especially people like Go Chang-beom with many vulnerabilities, would be targeted. That preparation allowed them to respond swiftly to the sudden lawsuits. As a result, the prosecution’s investigation was leaning toward a **suspended sentence**. While a suspended sentence was a significant burden for the average person, the Golden Circle was less than satisfied with this result.

Had the public opinion been more negative toward Go Chang-beom, or had he not built such a favorable image through projects like **Myungjin Apartments**, the situation could have been much worse.

In front of the reporters, Go Chang-beom spoke cautiously.

“I do not deny the mistakes of my past. I will live my life with a repentant heart, ensuring that I never repeat those same mistakes. No longer as the foolish Go Chang-beom of the past, but as the future leader of Myungjin Construction, I promise to show you a better version of myself and to never disappoint the public again.”

**Flash, flash, flash.**

The cameras clicked furiously.

By now, Go Chang-beom had become a significant public figure, evidenced by the large number of reporters following his every move. He left the scene, wearing a practiced smile that had become second nature.

—

As soon as Go Chang-beom could, he called Kim Hyunsung.

[What’s your plan from here? We barely avoided prison, but now I’m also restricted in what I can do.]

During the investigation, **Kim Young-chul** had tried to drag Go Chang-beom down with him, but thanks to Myungjin Construction’s sponsorship and the absence of clear evidence of personal bribes, Go managed to escape. Though there were some private transactions, nothing concrete could be linked directly to Go. In the end, Kim Young-chul’s efforts to implicate him yielded no results.

That was the nature of the law.

Just as the powerful had always wriggled out of tight spots, Go Chang-beom leveraged Myungjin Construction’s influence to downplay his involvement, attributing everything to mere coincidences and circumstances.

[Honestly, I still don’t get it. Wouldn’t it have been better to let Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Young-chul live? Now that their crimes are out in the open, you can’t dodge the lawsuits connected to Park Min-cheol anymore.]

Go Chang-beom had a point.

With Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Young-chul punished by the Golden Circle, Kim Hyunsung now had no way to solve the lawsuit involving Park Min-cheol. The only remaining option was to discredit the testimonies of the witnesses. Without doing so, resolving the issue would be impossible. Yet Hyunsung had made no effort to save Oh and Kim, only creating the illusion that he was trying.

In reality, it was all part of the plan.

Kim Hyunsung had only pretended to care, ensuring that the Golden Circle was satisfied with their results.

“Do you know why I was so desperate to stay in school for so long?” Hyunsung asked.

[Well, it was so they wouldn’t be able to touch you recklessly, and also to deal a blow to the Golden Circle’s influence, right?]

“That’s half right. Staying at school did serve those purposes, but the real reason was that I needed to remain a thorn in the Golden Circle’s side long enough to identify who was behind it all. Now that we know it’s Yoon Hyeon-min, do you really think I still need to stay in school?”

A moment of silence followed.

Go Chang-beom now understood the situation.

Leaving school would be akin to stepping directly into the jaws of danger for Kim Hyunsung.

[What exactly are you planning?]

—

**Taeyang Group.**

In an office considered the future of South Korea, Yoon Hyun-min listened as his secretary delivered a report.

“We’ve effectively severed all of Kim Hyunsung’s support. By dealing with Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Young-chul, Cheonil High and Daesan are no longer involved, and Go Chang-beom is in no position to act freely due to the pressure on Myungjin Construction. He may have narrowly avoided prison this time, but if any further scandals arise, public opinion will turn against him, and Myungjin will be abandoned. The recent events have also served as a clear warning to anyone thinking of helping Kim Hyunsung.”

The most important supports—**Cheonil High School** and **Daesan**, along with **Myungjin Construction**—had all lost their strength.

No matter how strong Kim Hyunsung was individually, from this point on, he had no way to fight back socially.

Yoon Hyun-min spoke coldly.

“Proceed with the plan. Once Kim Hyunsung steps outside of school, even if there are whispers, deal with him.”

“Understood.”

The secretary bowed and turned to leave.

Just as he was about to step out, his phone buzzed with a sudden message. He checked it, and his expression froze.

He turned back toward Yoon Hyun-min, speaking with urgency.

“I’ve just received a report that Congressman Lee Kyung-chul’s third son has been rushed to the hospital.”

“What?” Yoon Hyun-min’s eyes narrowed.

Congressman Lee Kyung-chul’s youngest son was famously doted on, the late-born child who was his father’s treasure.

Yoon Hyun-min’s expression darkened as he stared at his secretary.

“Could it be… Kim Hyunsung?”

It was an instinctual reaction.

In this moment, Kim Hyunsung’s face flashed in his mind.

As expected, the secretary nodded.

“…Yes, it’s confirmed. It was Kim Hyunsung’s doing.”