Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 397

“So, like……””This is…….””Why!””Why is it working?!”Boys and girls alike were plunged into anguish. There was a sense of shame.Being part of this obvious scenario, having carried out this obvious scenario, was what frustrated them.Of course, most of the kids were just victims.This was less of a scenario and more of a hidden camera prank. A very blatant one at that.But……”Ah, why is it working?!””It’s shameful that it’s working.””I… the kids bought me bread today.””I got back the money I was extorted last time. It’s so absurd.””Uh-uh, uhh……”Han Jin-sung sighed deeply as he hugged a child who was happily approaching, oblivious to everything.”I almost died of embarrassment.””Me too.””But it’s going to be even more embarrassing. The kids are asking if they can visit the orphanage just once? They said they’ll clean diligently and work like dogs. They don’t even need volunteer hours.””……Before, they were told to make their own volunteer forms……””Exactly!”Han Jin-sung lay down, looking bewildered.”Isn’t this going too far?” He felt so empty.So empty. And beneath that emptiness was the fact that this whole thing had actually worked out quite well.Who would have thought that the thing they had been agonizing and suffering over so much would improve this much with just a simple skit?‘I’m really living life on easy mode.’ He even felt a sense of self-loathing.It was so painful for them, but the fact that Kang Jin-ho and Choi Yeon-ha could solve half of it just by showing their faces made him realize the unfairness of life once again.”Still, honestly, it was a bit……””What?””It was helpful, wasn’t it?””It’s a hundred times better than that harsh physical training……”At the mention of physical training, Han Jin-sung’s body trembled.‘I forgot.’It wasn’t all resolved. And what remained was probably the part they had to fill. Along with Bang Jin-hoon.Contrary to what he said about seeing hell, Bang Jin-hoon was surprisingly a very reasonable person. He explained the goals of the training, its effects, and the short-term and long-term goals based on each person’s current physical strength and abilities. He even gave them individual exercise methods and personal assignments to achieve them.And unlike Kang Jin-ho, he didn’t push them mindlessly to the point of death. After the workout, the first thought that came to mind was not that they were going to die, but that they felt refreshed.‘So, now it’s just us……’”Ah, it’s hot!”The door burst open, and Choi Yeon-ha, with an annoyed expression, came inside.”Bring me water! With ice, nice and cold! There’s no americano here anyway, right?”It was the same person.The Choi Yeon-ha who was throwing a tantrum there and the Choi Yeon-ha who visited his classroom yesterday were the same person.”There’s no air conditioner?””T-there is, but only in the living room inside……””What? This place is so big, and there’s only one air conditioner? What is Kang Jin-ho doing that he can’t even get one? He’s so rich. Anyway, nothing gets done unless I take care of it. How is anything supposed to work?”There are people in the world who can say ‘Since there’s no air conditioner, we need to install a new one’ in such an unpleasant way.‘Is she bad-tempered or good-tempered?’Just pick one, just one.Don’t confuse me, please just pick a direction. It’s enough to have characters change their acting like that in movies. So, here, let’s just go one way. Please.”Wait! Who even came up with this lunch box situation?””Me.”Choi Yeon-ha answered firmly as she plopped down on a chair.”Isn’t the scenario too old-fashioned?””Do you guys even know about scenarios?””In complex scenarios, the actors’ faces aren’t visible. That’s what they call cinematic exaggeration. It’s in scenarios that are too simple and a bit old-fashioned that the actors stand out. Which would you have preferred, a natural situation or this kind of situation?”Han Jin-sung was speechless.”You don’t know anything, but you pretend to. Do you think I couldn’t think of what you’re thinking? A little kid like you will get scolded if you pretend to know.””……Yes.”There was nothing to argue about. No, even if there was something to argue about, he couldn’t argue in front of that force.”And! Are you in a position to complain about the scenario right now?””Huh?”The kids’ eyes turned to him.”If you’re a real actor, you should give your best performance no matter what the scenario is. What was that? Huh? Huh? Do you know how stressed I was trying to carry it all by myself? How can the oldest one be worse at keeping up than the younger ones? You acted all friendly because I brought lunch boxes, and then you were like, ‘I’ve never heard of this? Who are you?’ What was I supposed to do?”The gazes that had been on him began to change into accusations, like LED lights changing color in an instant.”Ah, no!”How could there be anything more unfair in the world?”How am I supposed to keep up with that! You should have told me beforehand!””If I had told you, you would have become a robot. ‘Oh, you’ve arrived?’”There was no way to argue back.”P-please stop with the facts.””Shut up.”Choi Yeon-ha fanned herself, looking like she was about to die of annoyance.”Ah, look at my face getting flushed. I don’t even do this kind of intense schedule during the season because it’s bad for my skin, but I’ve been running around the whole school and suffering. If you guys are human, you shouldn’t forget my grace. Do you understand?””Yes, unnie!”The girls all chanted in unison.‘Wait! We guys were the ones who were humiliated, why are you guys answering!’There were many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them. He didn’t want to get bombarded by the girls for saying something unnecessary.In that short amount of time, Choi Yeon-ha had completely integrated the girls and turned them into her own limbs.”The water?””……M-me?”Choi Yeon-ha’s eyebrows twitched.”Do you want to boss around kids when you’re old? Why are you already so corrupted by such a tiny bit of power?”I’m a sophomore in high school, you know?I’m not old, you know?And…… I’ve never abused power, you know?”What are you doing, not bringing the water?””……I’m going.”Han Jin-sung’s shoulders slumped, and he listlessly poured the ice water.‘Should I spit in it?’He was serious. This was a really serious dilemma. If it had been a darker color, he would have spat in it without hesitation.When he returned from the kitchen and opened the door, a bizarre scene unfolded.Choi Yeon-ha, who had been sitting on the chair acting all high and mighty, was now sitting on the floor, stroking the girls’ hair.”Aren’t you going to say that my style looks good?””……You look pretty.””Right? Right? Yeah, yeah. Our Sumin is so pretty that she looks amazing even with just a little touch-up. Yeah.When the original is so bright and pretty, how could it not be?”Her words were full of tenderness.Every gesture was filled with care.‘What is this?’What is this? Did the person change, or does that woman have a hatred for men…….”Ah!”Kang Jin-ho was standing by the door.‘That sly fox……’Just 1 minute ago, she had thrown a tantrum and pushed him to the brink of mental breakdown!And now she’s acting all sweet!‘How can one who sees injustice remain silent!’I’m going to expose all of this…….At that moment, all the girls glared at him with ghostly eyes. Kang Jin-ho was behind him, so he couldn’t see the glares. Only he was seeing those gazes.Imagine being showered with gazes from all directions that seemed to say they would tear you apart if you said the wrong thing.His mouth was zipped shut.‘If I open my mouth, I’ll die.’The girls. No, the pro-Choi Yeon-ha faction was clearly expressing their determination to boil you alive if any unnecessary words reached Kang Jin-ho.When he even spotted the sharp eyes of Min-joo, the third-grader who had said she would marry him when she grew up, his eyes started to sting.‘She’s a witch, that woman is a witch.’Is there a separate witch?She’s as black as coal on the inside, but she pretends to be nice on the outside, and she manipulates and controls people.That’s a witch! That’s it!But unfortunately, this era is not the Middle Ages, and witches are not burned at the stake. Instead, they appear on TV and become idols. A wave of sadness washed over him, but what could he do?At that moment, Choi Yeon-ha jumped up and approached Han Jin-sung to take the water.‘Now she’ll say thank you, right?’That deceitful woman, I know your patterns…….But Choi Yeon-ha didn’t say a word. She turned around and handed the cold water to Kang Jin-ho.”Here, have some.””Me?””Yes. I thought you might be thirsty.””Ah, thank you.”I didn’t see that.Wow, I didn’t see that.Han Jin-sung, admitting that he had underestimated Choi Yeon-ha, sat weakly in a corner, hugging his knees.‘I strangely want to be alone today.’An uncontrollable sadness was washing over him.”……I don’t know what went well.”Kang Jin-ho awkwardly started.”I tried my best, but I don’t know how much this will help……””It helped a lot.””Thank you for caring.”Kang Jin-ho shook his head.”If I was going to make a fuss about caring and end it there, I wouldn’t have started in the first place. Let’s find a way to get better together. Maybe I’m lacking in this area…… Actually, I was thinking today, and I think what we really lacked was communication.””Instead of us solving it, we should have listened to you first, but I think we tried to solve it right away. That was…… um, yeah. I’m sorry.”It was a day of much reflection.If it had been the head nun, she would have listened to all of their words and cried with them before starting anything. Kang Jin-ho couldn’t replace the head nun, but at least he should have made that effort.The atmosphere became solemn at Kang Jin-ho’s words. There were even kids in the corner wiping their eyes.Kang Jin-ho, who was about to say something more, was stopped by the words of a man who violently opened the door and came inside.”It’s too early to get sentimental!”Jo Gyu-min, who had burst through the door, said in a firm tone.”The main event hasn’t even started yet. Now is the time to really sort things out. Let’s have the reflection meeting later!””……What are we doing again?””Hey! Do you think this is such a big deal that it’s all solved with this? You’re too confident in your own face.”You told me to do it!Kang Jin-ho, expressing his unfairness on his face for the first time in his life, was about to protest when Jo Gyu-min raised his finger to stop him.”Do you know what high school freshmen fear the most?””……Exams?””Tsk, tsk.”Jo Gyu-min wagged his finger and said.”No. The answer is sophomores.””……Huh?””You’ll understand from now on.”As soon as he finished speaking, a man with a massive build walked through the door.”Is it my turn now?”Bang Jin-hoon smiled wickedly.Kang Jin-ho and the kids felt a chill run down their spines as they saw that smile.