Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 484

“Why are there more people?”

Jo Gyu-min looked around, dumbfounded. He had thought that everyone staying was a rare but possible scenario. Realistically, he expected about half of them to leave.

But if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, the number of people in the living room had clearly increased.

“This is….”

Park Yu-min cleared up his confusion.

“Hey, aren’t you guys from vocational school?”

“Can’t vocational students go to college?”

“No… well, that’s not it, but…”

Park Yu-min hesitated, and they immediately countered.

“If we can go to college, you should let us study. Isn’t it discrimination to only help the humanities students like this?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Park Yu-min chuckled in disbelief.

Seriously, when did they become so desperate to study? They used to ignore all the nagging, even when he was practically begging them to study!

The vocational students were grumbling as well.

“At least make the building soundproof. We can hear everything you say inside, so we can’t just stay quiet.”

“Someone was cursing a lot, calling us parasites who only take money.”

Jo Mi-hye’s face turned red.

“I didn’t say it like that!”

“It’s not wrong, though.”

Some of the kids looked bitter.

“It’s fine to take what the country gives us, but we should spit out what’s not ours.”

“We’d spit it out if there was anything to spit out.”

“That’s why we’re here, to make something to spit out. To fill our bellies.”

Jo Gyu-min chuckled at the sly faces of the kids.

‘Kids will be kids.’

How many of them were truly serious about studying hard and improving their grades?

Most of them were probably caught up in the herd mentality or just wanted to join in because others were doing it.

This wasn’t what Jo Gyu-min had wanted.

“I have something to say…”

Jo Gyu-min began in a low voice.

“Honestly, while studying is a student’s duty, it’s not everything in life.”

Jo Gyu-min’s voice had a captivating power.

The way people perceive words can change depending on who says them. In that sense, Jo Gyu-min was a master at delivering messages.

To borrow Ju Young-gi’s words, he was the kind of person who would have become a con artist if he hadn’t been good at studying.

“Academic credentials only make the path to success a little smoother, but they don’t guarantee success. Sometimes, you might feel the unfairness of thinking, ‘I studied so hard to get here, but why is that person more successful than me when they didn’t study as much?’”

Jo Gyu-min smiled, seeing that everyone was watching him.

“Maybe choosing to study now might block other paths to success. So, I only want those who are determined to succeed through studying to stay. If you jump in with half-hearted resolve, you’ll end up with nothing.”

There was a brief silence.

Usually, people would praise you for wanting to study. That’s why Jo Gyu-min’s statement—that studying could block other paths, so they should think carefully—was realistic yet difficult to accept.

They were at an age where they wanted to find a set answer.

But now, Jo Gyu-min was saying there was no set answer.

“So… are you really going to study?”

Jo Gyu-min’s gaze landed on Han Jin-sung.

Han Jin-sung flinched.

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because you look like the least likely to study.”

“Wow.”

Han Jin-sung was dumbfounded, but the others reacted differently.

“Oh, he’s got an eye for people.”

“I trust him.”

“Hoo, my trust is rising.”

“I feel like I can trust him with anything.”

Han Jin-sung gritted his teeth.

“You dirty traitors.”

“Calm down, bro. We’ve never been on your side.”

“That’s a very appropriate fact. Very appropriate.”

Han Jin-sung sighed deeply. Who called this place a family-like orphanage? This was a jungle. No, a savanna. Full of hyenas.

“Are you asking if I’m going to study?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, I’m a bit conflicted…”

Han Jin-sung scratched his head.

“But I understood one thing. After listening, I get it.”

“What?”

“That you have to study to succeed.”

“Huh?”

Jo Gyu-min looked bewildered.

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“No. That’s what you said. You said there are kids who succeed more without studying.”

“I did.”

“There aren’t any of those kids here.”

Han Jin-sung was also a fine hyena.

“Those are the talented ones. The ones who are exceptionally good at something, have a knack for things, or are quick-witted… The ones who could build a castle out of sand and live well even if you threw them in the desert. Those kinds of kids can succeed without studying. But in my opinion, objectively speaking, there aren’t any of those kids here. They’re all pathetic.”

“What are you saying? You’re the most pathetic one.”

“Shut up, you guys!”

Han Jin-sung spat fire.

“It’s easier to understand when you put it that way. I understand that I’ll never succeed if I don’t study. So, I have to do it. I’d be so jealous if I didn’t study and they did, and I ended up living like trash.”

Jo Gyu-min said gloomily.

“But Jin-sung, there’s no guarantee that you’ll succeed more than them even if you study…”

“……Are you doing this on purpose?”

Jo Gyu-min chuckled and said,

“I don’t know how to fix this. There are so many of you. Maybe the time I gave you was too short. Think about it a bit more until tomorrow. But in the end, I’ll only take those who want to study. I don’t want to force you to study.”

The kids nodded, and Jo Gyu-min pointed to Kang Jin-ho.

“Then, let’s have a word from our real power, Kang.”

The kids looked at Kang Jin-ho with anticipation.

Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth hesitantly.

“Well, um…”

Kang Jin-ho seemed to be pondering something, then sighed and spoke.

“Actually, I don’t know much about studying, so I don’t have much to say to you. But one thing…”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes gleamed slightly.

“In any field, it’s difficult for those who don’t try to achieve results. You might get lucky and do well for a while, but those who don’t try will eventually show their true colors. Effort doesn’t solve everything, but those who don’t try don’t even get a chance.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled awkwardly, feeling the pressure of their gazes.

“Actually, I don’t really understand studying, so I don’t know what to say. So, try hard. Director Jo will help you.”

Han Jin-sung asked in a blunt tone.

“So, where did you go to college?”

“Jae… Jae-kyung University.”

“Hypocrite.”

“Wow… his class is killing people.”

“A Jae-kyung University student says he doesn’t know much about studying. What are you doing, you study-illiterates? Aren’t you reflecting?”

“We trash like us don’t deserve to live.”

Kang Jin-ho shut his mouth at the barrage of facts. What excuse could he possibly make?

Clap!

Park Yu-min clapped his hands to settle the situation.

“Then, let’s all go back to our rooms. There’s nothing to discuss, and no need to read anyone’s mind. You just need to think for yourselves. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”

Han Jin-sung said slyly.

“That’s the kind of person who succeeds even without studying. A natural talent.”

“……”

Jo Mi-hye glared at him.

“Oppa, aren’t you being too harsh?”

“……Why?”

“Yu-min oppa is even a Jae-kyung University student! He’s good at studying.”

“Oh, my! I didn’t know that. This dirty world.”

Park Yu-min, watching the kids grumbling as they went to their rooms, asked Jo Gyu-min.

“D-did I do something wrong?”

Jo Gyu-min smiled and patted Park Yu-min’s shoulder.

“There’s a world of commoners that natural talents can’t understand.”

“……”

“Well, it seems like the kids are settled for now…”

Jo Gyu-min took the coffee that Park Yu-min had brought.

“Cough.”

“……No, why are you doing that?”

Park Yu-min asked, flustered, seeing Jo Gyu-min wiping his eyes after receiving the coffee.

“No. It’s just that, after about ten years, I’ve finally reached a point where I’m receiving coffee made by someone else, and I feel proud of myself, you know?”

“……”

Park Yu-min looked at Jo Gyu-min with pity.

This person was also amazing, but because the people around him were Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo and Kang Jin-ho, he seemed to be doing only the grunt work.

If he had gone to another company, wouldn’t he be in a much higher position?

‘Although, he’s in a high position now too…’

The position of the head of the secretary’s office at Daejae Group was not something anyone could get. Especially since, unlike other companies, Jae-kyung’s secretary’s office had immense power.

The stronger the chairman’s office, the stronger the secretary’s office. And Jae-kyung had the most powerful chairman’s office in Korea.

That’s why there were even rumors that Jo Gyu-min was Chairman Hwang’s hidden son.

“It’s a relief that they seem motivated.”

“I wonder how long that motivation will last…”

Park Yu-min sighed.

Then, Ju Young-gi chuckled.

“Hey, you’re the one who cares about the kids the most, but how can you not trust them the most?”

“It’s because I’ve experienced a lot.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I loved games so much that I became a pro gamer.”

“Right?”

“But once I made it my job, gaming wasn’t fun anymore. It was nice to win, but I couldn’t enjoy it as freely as before.”

“……Well, that makes sense.”

“So, even things I liked became things I hated. Before, I would try to play one more game during breaks, but later, I didn’t even want to look at the computer.”

Ju Young-gi nodded quietly.

That’s how people are, right?

“I lost my passion even though I started because I loved games, so how much more would kids who don’t even like studying lose it? They’ll be passionate and try hard at first. But this is a problem that takes a lot of time…”

“Hmm…”

That was definitely true.

In the end, studying was a marathon. Having passion for a moment wouldn’t solve anything. Studying required long-term patience.

“There’s no need to be scared from the start. Kids are always more mature than they seem.”

Jo Gyu-min said with a smile.

“What we need to do is not to push and nag them, but to show them the way and create an environment for them.”

“That’s true, but…”

Instead of Park Yu-min, who was hesitating, Kang Jin-ho spoke up.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Huh?”

“Looking at the situation, they already seem a bit behind their peers. How are you going to…”

“That’s a very obvious thing to say.”