Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 192: The Price of a Life Lived (2)

The insider documents revealed by Im Cheol-hyung were circumstantial at best.

While there was some evidence of direct orders, most of it merely identified perpetrators and victims.

But even that was enough.

If fuel was provided, the flames would take care of the rest.

—

[Hello, I am Yoon Byung-hee, a victim of the Golden Circle. Until recently, I had no idea the suffering I endured was caused by them. I recall achieving improved grades and excelling in school-administered tests during my sophomore year of high school. It started then. Kang Kyung-ho, mentioned in the recently exposed documents, persistently bullied me. One day, he struck my face so severely that I had to have three teeth extracted. The trauma forced me to leave school. While psychiatric treatment over the years has helped me recover somewhat, learning that everything I experienced was connected to the Golden Circle has caused my anxiety to worsen significantly again. Please, I beg of you. Punish my attacker and the Golden Circle severely so I can finally escape this nightmare.]

—

Even without hard evidence, victims existed.

There was Yoon Byung-hee’s testimony about being bullied by Kang Kyung-ho and the suspicious money transfers highlighted by Im Cheol-hyung.

The fire had been ignited.

Following Yoon’s account, other victims mentioned in the “insider documents” began to share their experiences. Public outrage surged as people demanded justice for the victims and punishment for the perpetrators.

The authorities responded swiftly.

Courthouses and police stations were flooded with individuals summoned for investigation. In some cases, confessions confirmed the validity of the money-for-hire allegations.

But the issue didn’t end there.

People wanted to go beyond exposing perpetrators and victims to uncover who had ordered such acts in the first place.

—

[If there are perpetrators and victims, it means there were clients who initiated these incidents. Take the case of Kang Kyung-ho and Yoon Byung-hee as an example. Who would have had a reason to dislike Yoon Byung-hee’s academic performance? It must have been someone from the same school, likely a competitor with similar grades. Additionally, they’d need sufficient resources to make use of the Golden Circle. Considering these factors, the pool of suspects becomes…]

—

The hunt for culprits expanded.

Identifying the clients—the links between perpetrators and victims—became easier than anticipated.

This rapidly growing phenomenon was highly discomforting to some.

—

-Elsewhere

Park Junghak, a corporate executive and a member of the Golden Line, was meeting with a Golden Circle intermediary.

“From now on, no direct communication—whether by phone or in-person meetings—with ‘that individual’ will be possible. All opinions must go through me, and this meeting itself is only happening under conditions that eliminate any possibility of recordings. I hope you understand.”

“I see,” Park replied, his unease palpable.

The intermediary’s words reflected the heightened precautions of Yoon Hyeon-min, who was now more determined than ever to manage his exposure.

The precautions were understandable, but the situation was increasingly frustrating.

—

“This situation—how exactly do you plan to handle it? Using Assemblyman Lee Kyung-chul to quell public opinion wasn’t a bad move, but the problem lies with the insider documents. One of those requests is mine. If these amateur sleuths manage to trace it back to my son, I won’t be spared the public’s wrath.”

“I’ll do my best to resolve it,” the intermediary assured.

“And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?”

“Taking any proactive steps now could backfire. For now, it’s best to…”

“Excuse me!”

Bang!

Park slammed his fist on the table, his face reddening with anger.

“Do you think I came here to listen to vague reassurances? By the time such passive measures take effect, it will be too late. Once the rumor spreads that the client in this case is my son, no matter what we do afterward, it will leave a permanent stain. Have you forgotten the Golden Circle’s core principles? Absolute secrecy and complete prevention of risk. What exactly is the Golden Circle doing now? Ignoring promises just because the situation has turned dangerous?”

“My apologies. I’ll do everything in my power to resolve it.”

“Hah.”

It felt like talking to a wall.

No matter how much Park vented his frustrations, no concrete solutions came from the intermediary, who lacked any decision-making power.

“Tell ‘that individual’ this: we all share the same fate. If one falls, we all do.”

“Understood.”

The intermediary left.

Park’s irritation boiled over.

The conversation had been fruitless, leaving him with the sense that it might have been better not to meet at all.

—

Lee Kyung-chul was dead.

The Golden Line members who observed the fallout were more disturbed by Yoon Hyeon-min’s ruthlessness than reassured by the public’s pacified outrage.

He had forced a key ruling party member—a man of immense influence in the government—to take his own life.

If someone like Lee could be pushed to such an extreme, what assurance did the others have that they wouldn’t meet the same fate?

Their trust in Yoon Hyeon-min eroded entirely.

The mention of “shared destruction” now only prompted desperate efforts to protect their own lives.

—

Resting on a sofa to clear his head, Park’s thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his phone.

At first, he checked the screen with indifference.

But then his expression changed, and he sat up in alarm.

“What is this…?”

The message read:

[This is Kim Hyunsung.]

It was a name that should not have contacted him.

And the content of the message was even more shocking:

[I have evidence proving your position as a Golden Line member. Let’s meet. If you want to avoid the worst-case scenario, I suggest you start making an effort.]

—

The meeting was secretive.

Facing Kim Hyunsung, Park Junghak tried to maintain a calm demeanor.

“The reason I agreed to this meeting is not to acknowledge the contents of your message. I only want to hear why you sent it. That’s all.”

“Of course. A corporate executive like you wouldn’t respond to baseless claims. But if that’s what you’re saying, I’ll have to take your word for it.”

It was a clear mockery.

Kim’s sarcastic tone made Park’s expression stiffen.

Kim Hyunsung casually scanned his surroundings.

“By now, I imagine you’re quite accustomed to these secretive locations. Spaces where confidentiality is assured, and no possibility of recordings exists. That’s likely why you chose this spot. I understand. Until my objectives are made clear, you won’t risk making any statement that could serve as evidence. So, I’ll get straight to the point and tell you my purpose,” Kim Hyunsung said.

“…”

There was no response.

Anticipating the silence, Kim continued.

“The Golden Circle is a group that thrives on absolute secrecy. Initially, many doubted this claim, but over the years, trust was built as the organization sustained itself. However, the recent insider exposé has proven that this secrecy isn’t eternal. It’s now clear that, apart from Yoon Hyeon-min, no one within the Golden Circle is truly safe.”

Tap, tap.

His fingers drummed lightly on the table, the rhythm striking a nerve in Park Junghak.

“The documents revealed to the world clearly identify both perpetrators and victims. With just those two pieces of information, it’s not difficult to determine who the clients are. Victims become victims for specific reasons, and given the structure of the Golden Circle, where clients often come from the same schools, it’s nearly impossible for them to avoid suspicion entirely. This means that the circumstances strongly implicate your son, who utilized Golden Circle member Song Jae-ryong to drive a victim into despair. Fascinating structure, wouldn’t you agree?”

Kim smiled.

His sharp gaze seemed to cut through Park, leaving him visibly rattled.

“The Golden Circle’s structure ensures no one can touch Yoon Hyeon-min. And yet, it serves only him.”

—

Ten years as a vegetative patient.

Several more years after returning.

Throughout, Kim Hyunsung had doggedly investigated the Golden Circle, only to face a frustrating truth:

‘I can’t expose the mastermind.’

He was certain it was Yoon Hyeon-min.

But there was no evidence that Yoon had created the Golden Circle or directly orchestrated its activities.

It was maddening.

Despite his relentless efforts uncovering Yoon’s identity, Kim couldn’t bring him down without proof. As the situation dragged on, Kim found himself spiraling into exhaustion.

One day, he stood blankly in front of a whiteboard.

At the top was Yoon Hyeon-min’s name.

Beneath it was a web labeled “Cheonsang” (the golden line members):

[Lee Kyung-chul] [Im Cheol-hyung] [Park Junghak] [Jeon Sang-cheol] [Hong Dong-young]…

A list of nauseating names.

Kim stared at them for a long time before drawing a long line between Yoon and the others.

Swish.

“A structure that ensures no one can reach Yoon Hyeon-min.”

Stepping back, he looked at the board from a distance.

“That also means their connection can be severed at any time.”

Finally, Kim began to see the tangled web of the Golden Circle from a new perspective.

—

Kim spoke again.

“By now, I’m sure you understand, Mr. Park. I have no intention of stopping. I’ve spent years preparing to dismantle the Golden Circle. The Golden Gate wasn’t a mere coincidence; it was the product of my meticulous planning. And as planned, the golden line members will meet their demise. From the moment the insider documents started identifying clients, the flames became unstoppable and will soon consume the heavens entirely.”

“…So, you came here just to tell me that?”

“Of course not.”

The balance of power had shifted.

Park Junghak, trying hard not to appear weak, cautiously questioned Kim’s intentions—proof enough that Kim had seized control.

Division had begun.

If the Golden Circle were truly solid, the variable that was Im Cheol-hyung wouldn’t have emerged in the first place.

“In truth, each of the golden line members individually holds power comparable to or greater than Yoon Hyeon-min’s. Take Lee Kyung-chul, for example. Even he, a key ruling party figure, couldn’t escape Yoon’s manipulation. Why? Because Yoon has always been their Achilles’ heel. Over the years, as he managed the Golden Circle, Yoon has collected evidence of corruption against all its members. His downfall would mean everyone’s ruin.

“But think about this: if the golden line members are eventually judged by public opinion, what good is preserving Yoon’s secrets? Sometimes, a change in perspective is needed. If the only way to avoid the worst-case scenario is to protect Yoon Hyeon-min’s existence, then what is the ‘lesser evil’ now, with the worst-case scenario at our doorstep?”

Slowly, Kim tightened the pressure.

His reasoning wrapped around Park like a serpent, suffocating him.

“Yoon Hyeon-min threw Lee Kyung-chul under the bus to save himself. In this ruthless reality, where loyalty means nothing, if survival is all that matters, the answer is simple. Just as he sacrificed Lee Kyung-chul to quell public outrage, sacrificing Yoon Hyeon-min could redirect the flames elsewhere.”

Yoon and the golden line members.

Their relationship was symbiotic.

Though they had operated without a hierarchy, Yoon’s merciless actions and unilateral sacrifices had cracked their foundation.

It was Yoon’s delusion to believe he could control the Golden Circle completely.

His authority only held weight as long as mutual safety was assured.

The real goal of Kim’s maneuvers—beginning with Im Cheol-hyung’s revelations—wasn’t to take down Yoon directly but to sow distrust within the group.

Tap.

Kim threw a spark.

The tiny flame of his words ignited a wildfire in Park’s heart.

“Make your choice. Will you face destruction as things are? Or will you fight to survive at all costs?”