Devil Returns to School Days - Chapter 197: The Price of a Life Lived (7)

The day Kim Hyunsung met him.

Before leaving the chairman’s office, Kim Hyunsung paused and turned back to face Chairman Yoon Byeong-ho, saying:

“Chairman, you must have thoroughly investigated me, but when the Golden Circle first targeted me, I had no backing. Cheonil High School, Myungjin Construction, Jeongan Ilbo—those who now support me were once completely unrelated to me. It means that an ordinary high school student set a goal of ‘revenge’ and stood before you in less than three years. If you think you can crush all of this with power alone, I urge you to reconsider what I’ve accomplished.”

He smiled.

Even in front of the chairman of Taeyang Group, Kim Hyunsung showed not the slightest hint of intimidation.

“And let me make this clear—this is not a negotiation, but a threat. The Golden Circle has become the most fatal weakness of Taeyang Group, and the only way to survive is for you to abandon your son. I’ll give you just one week. If I don’t receive a definitive response to my demands within that time, consider the deal void.”

He turned to leave.

The heavy sound of the door closing left Yoon Byeong-ho visibly flustered.

Since elevating Taeyang Group to its current standing, he had never been so directly threatened.

Never.

At least not by anyone who wasn’t his equal in position or who hadn’t first bowed their head to him. Yet, Kim Hyunsung had boldly issued a one-sided ultimatum and vanished. The problem was that his words carried undeniable logic. The scenario of using the Golden Line for leverage, Kim Pan-ho’s election prospects, and the negative public sentiment swirling around Yoon Hyeon-min were all pressing issues. Having witnessed the rise and fall of countless companies, Chairman Yoon Byeong-ho was well aware that even the most stable corporation could be endangered by such a cascade of adversities.

Above all.

Kim Hyunsung’s parting words lingered in his mind.

A mere high school student had decided on revenge and, within three years, was now facing him directly.

Whatever else he was, he was a remarkable individual.

In the world’s hierarchy, it is far harder for someone with nothing to even reach the heels of those who have everything than it is for the privileged to build on their advantages. Yet Kim Hyunsung had broken that mold. If he had sought success or another goal instead of revenge, could he have failed? Yoon Byeong-ho was certain that such a relentless will and determination would never result in failure. Even if he fell short, by the time he reached the finish line, Kim Hyunsung would undoubtedly have achieved something meaningful.

But.

“…His demands are far too harsh.”

They were simply unacceptable.

It wasn’t just about a father abandoning his son. Kim Hyunsung’s demands sought something far crueler.

That’s why he called his son.

Hoping for a justification to protect him, hoping for even a shred of hope that he could defend him.

But when he saw his son return, having failed in every aspect, Yoon Byeong-ho severed the paternal bond within himself.

* * *

*The next day.*

Taeyang Group issued an official statement.

> “This is Chairman Yoon Byeong-ho. I am fully aware of the unpleasant rumors surrounding Taeyang Group. After cooperating fully with the investigation, it has been confirmed that my son, Director Yoon Hyeon-min, has no connection to any of the allegations. However, I do not believe that Kim Hyunsung, the representative of the victims, or CEO Im Cheol-hyung of Mirae Investment Securities made baseless accusations. Taeyang Group will actively clarify the misunderstandings and prove the allegations unfounded. Nevertheless, as the head of this company, I take full responsibility for the chaos we have caused and announce the resignation of Director Yoon Hyeon-min. I sincerely apologize for the trouble we have caused.”

His statement caused a massive uproar.

On the surface, it denied the allegations while announcing his son’s resignation. However, people saw the underlying message.

– “An official statement from Chairman Yoon Byeong-ho?”
– “If he claims there’s no connection but still removes him from his position, isn’t that as good as admitting guilt?”
– “For those familiar with Taeyang Group’s internal affairs, this is a smoking gun. Unlike other heirs, Yoon Hyeon-min is an only child who has proven himself as a competent successor. If the company still decided to remove him, there must be a compelling reason.”

Conspiracy theories emerged.

Speculations arose that Yoon Hyeon-min was indeed behind everything and that the company was trying to cover it up while quietly resolving the matter.

The theories weren’t wrong.

Chairman Yoon Byeong-ho had anticipated such conspiracy theories but chose to accept the consequences as per Kim Hyunsung’s proposal. Conspiracies would remain just that—speculations. With Kim Hyunsung and Im Cheol-hyung agreeing not to escalate the issue further, the matter would conclude with the company’s reputation taking a hit.

Naturally.

Taeyang Group’s actions became the center of attention.

As those investigating the Golden Line and searching for the culprits shifted their focus to Taeyang Group, Yoon Hyeon-min found himself isolated. Everyone else preserved their lives, while South Korea continued to boil with turmoil.

* * *

*Beyond the iron door.*

Yoon Hyeon-min had no idea what was happening on the other side.

Dragged out by bodyguards, he found himself locked in a windowless room after his blindfold was removed.

Bang, bang, bang—!

“Open the door! Open it!”

The door had a glass panel.

It allowed him to see the corridor, but the glass appeared reinforced and didn’t crack no matter how hard he pounded on it.

“Do you know who I am?! I’m Yoon Hyeon-min, heir to Taeyang Group!”

He screamed at the top of his lungs.

One day passed.

His voice was hoarse, and his body weakened from lack of proper food.

Then, he heard a voice outside the door.

“Young master.”

“You?!”

He leapt to his feet.

It was a familiar face—his father’s personal secretary. Desperation laced his voice as he spoke.

“What’s going on?! Why am I locked up in a place like this?!”

“The situation has taken a difficult turn. With the Golden Line members staging a massive revolt, the chairman had no other choice to protect Taeyang Group. I’m sorry. The chairman said you must endure here for just three years. He promised to get you out by then… somehow.”

“You bastard! Three years? Are you insane?!”

The conversation ended abruptly.

The secretary sighed and walked away without another word.

Yoon Hyeon-min screamed after him, his throat tearing and a metallic taste of blood filling his mouth, but the secretary never returned.

Only then did he realize.

This place, where he was to spend the next three years.

It was a psychiatric hospital. (TL Note: Damn. I don’t know if this is fitting end to Hyeon-min, what do you think guys?)

* * *

He stared blankly at the door.

At first, he hadn’t realized where he was, but the sight of doctors and nurses passing by made it clear—this was a mental institution.

The shock was overwhelming.

Yoon Byeong-ho.

His father had loved him dearly.

He had seemed willing to pluck stars from the sky for his son, granting his every wish from childhood to adulthood. Yoon Hyeon-min had worked hard to never disappoint him, maintaining a polished public image, achieving stellar grades, and proving that he wasn’t chosen as an heir simply for lack of alternatives but because everyone acknowledged his abilities.

But.

He had been abandoned.

To be told to stay in a psychiatric hospital for three years, not just a day or two, was tantamount to being sentenced to death.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

He clawed at his skin.

His eyes trembled with unease.

Faced with a reality he couldn’t accept, he refused to touch the food shoved through the feeding slot.

*‘Why? Why? Why?!’*

His mind was consumed with questions.

How had it come to this?

Where had it all gone wrong?

The Golden Circle.

That organization had been revolutionary.

Since childhood, Yoon Hyeon-min had observed the powerful, witnessing firsthand the desires of those who could buy anything with money. Their cravings typically fell into three categories: the thirst for greater power, the lure of forbidden pleasures like drugs, or the joy of nurturing children to follow in their footsteps.

The Golden Circle was born out of this reality.

He knew how much the powerful clung to their children, having seen it in his own father. He understood from experience that if a convenient and reliable way to care for their offspring existed, they would pay any price for it. Was creating the Golden Circle the wrong decision? No. In a world driven by supply and demand, the Golden Circle’s success proved its necessity.

Then.

Was targeting Kim Hyunsung the mistake?

No, that wasn’t it either.

At the time, Kim Hyunsung was a nobody.

When his identity was confirmed, and his life scrutinized, it became clear that he came from a humble background. So insignificant was he that it felt absurd to even consider him a threat. Passing on such a target would have rendered the Golden Circle ineffective. If neither the creation of the Golden Circle nor the targeting of Kim Hyunsung was the problem, then what had led to the current situation?

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

His mind blurred.

As his time in the psychiatric hospital stretched on, Yoon Hyeon-min scratched at his skin as if to peel it off.

Those who haven’t experienced it wouldn’t understand.

An empty room.

So barren that even minimalists would be aghast—a single bed and a bathroom in an otherwise vacant space.

Occasionally, doctors passed by, observing him like a monkey in a zoo through the window.

The food slid through the slot seemed adequate, but for someone accustomed to a lavish life, Yoon Hyeon-min couldn’t bring himself to eat it like an animal in captivity. His eyes sank deep into his face. He grew thinner and thinner, the once-proud figure admired by all now unrecognizable. As days passed without a single visit from his secretary, the crushing realization dawned—he might truly have to endure three years here.

*Kim Hyunsung.*

He was a demon.

Kim Hyunsung had deliberately avoided sending Yoon Hyeon-min to prison.

Even if he were identified as the mastermind behind the Golden Circle and sentenced to life, the backing of Taeyang Group would ensure a luxurious prison life. With ample resources, he could buy his way into a life of comfort, and the other inmates would grovel for scraps. And when society’s memory faded, a pardon might bring him back under the most ludicrous pretexts.

Because of this.

Kim Hyunsung had excluded prison as an option.

Instinctively, Yoon Hyeon-min knew this.

When they met, Kim Hyunsung hadn’t even attempted to record their conversation. It was a signal that he had envisioned a different conclusion.

*‘I have to endure.’*

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

His bloodshot eyes flared.

He couldn’t die like this.

He couldn’t lose his mind like this.

If only to exact revenge on that bastard Kim Hyunsung.

He had to survive.

Despite the dire circumstances, his father had promised three years. Life in the psychiatric hospital wouldn’t last forever.

He crawled on the floor.

He devoured the food on his tray.

After eating, he scratched at his skin again.

In his mind, he conjured vivid fantasies of revenge against Kim Hyunsung.

Like those who had once sought vengeance against him.

There was nothing else he could do.

* * *

*How much time had passed?*

Time in this place felt different from the outside world.

It seemed to stand still, and as he stared blankly at the ceiling, a sensation like bugs crawling all over his body suddenly gripped him.

“Aaaaah! Aaagh!”

He screamed.

From then on, he needed sedatives.

The drugs coursing through his veins became the only way to endure, and every time he opened and closed his eyes, it felt like chunks of time disappeared. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed outside. Only the appearance of a freshly filled tray hinted at the passage of days.

Gradually.

His resolve weakened.

The fiery determination for revenge began to wane, dulled by drug-induced stupor.

Until one day.

When he opened his eyes in a groggy haze.

“It’s been a while.”

The demon who had orchestrated his downfall stood before him. (TL Notes: Wait, whattt?!)