Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 52

The high school seniors who had finished the college entrance exam had a lot of free time. Some took part-time jobs, and some tried to get various certifications in advance. However, most of the kids were enjoying the freedom they had gained after 12 years of schooling.

Originally, Kang Jin-ho should have been like that too.

However, Kang Jin-ho had a serious problem.

Jung In-gyu had started his repeat year [a year of extra study to retake the college entrance exam], and Park Yu-min was busy preparing for a competition.

Tae-ho and Min-jae had gone on a trip for the vacation. Because of that, Kang Jin-ho, who had no friends and nothing to do, was left to his own devices.

Because of that, Kang Jin-ho was stuck at the Seongsim Orphanage.

“Sit down.”

“Don’t make noise.”

“Yes.”

Park Yu-min, who always took on the hard work at the orphanage, was often away, and the workload had increased. Even though the Jae-kyung Group provided support and the workforce had become more abundant, there was always a lot of work to do at an orphanage with many children. Especially since there was a lot of heavy lifting to do, Kang Jin-ho always had more work than he could handle.

“Jin-ho.”

“Yes, Director.”

“This time, some kind people sent us rice, and the delivery driver left the rice at the front door. There’s so much that it’s hard to move, so could you help me?”

“I will do it.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat and walked to the front door.

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho smacked his lips as he looked at the rice sacks piled up at the front door.

If he had bought rice at the supermarket, there would have been rice packaged in 20kg units, but the rice sacks were very large and beautiful, as if someone had grown the rice themselves and sent it.

“They sent it in straw bags.”

“Yes.”

Was this called a straw bag?

Kang Jin-ho smiled as he looked at the rice straw bags stacked in several layers. It was rough.

But it felt warm.

The price of this much rice would not be cheap, but there were people who sent it without even revealing their names. The world was still a good place to live because there were people who helped others in unseen places.

‘There were people like that in the past too.’ People who looked for those who were having a harder time, even though they themselves were struggling.

When he thought about it, there were more people like that in the past.

“Can you move it? I’ll call someone, so let’s lift it together. I think we can lift it if three or four people work together.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, this heavy thing?”

“Where should I move it?”

“To the back…”

Kang Jin-ho wrapped his arms around a rice straw bag and shouldered it.

He could have grabbed one corner and lifted it, but it seemed like the rice sack would burst if he did that.

“Oh, my! He’s doing that alone!”

The director was surprised and shouted. It would be hard for anyone who wasn’t a professional worker to lift it, but he was lifting it so easily.

Kang Jin-ho bent down and put another rice straw bag on his shoulder.

“Isn’t it heavy?”

Kang Jin-ho nodded silently.

“Where should I move it?”

“T-this way.”

Kang Jin-ho moved all the rice to the back warehouse.

The director was dumbfounded to see Kang Jin-ho, who showed no signs of difficulty even after putting one rice straw bag on each shoulder, which would be difficult for two strong men to lift.

“You’re really strong.”

“I’m average.”

“That’s why they say there should be a man in the house. If we had tried to move that ourselves, it would have taken a long time…”

Kang Jin-ho smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“The other kids are busy going out to play because it’s vacation, but you came all the way here to help.”

Kang Jin-ho hesitated whether to honestly say that he had nowhere to go. But it didn’t seem necessary to say that.

There was no need to emphasize his sadness by saying unnecessary things.

“You could have rested at home.”

Kang Jin-ho hesitated whether to say that there was no one at home.

His mother didn’t stop working, saying that people get sick if they don’t work, and his father was busy with his store. His only younger sibling was about to debut recently, so it was like trying to catch a star in the sky to see their face, and because of that, Kang Jin-ho was left alone in the large house.

And Kang Jin-ho hated that situation very much.

The spacious living room and rooms might give a cool feeling to others, but to Kang Jin-ho, it reminded him of the desolate office of the Demonic Cult in the past.

A place that was decorated with all sorts of luxurious things and was spacious and comfortable, but could never be comfortable.

It was a memory that Kang Jin-ho didn’t want to recall.

Maybe that’s why he ran away from the empty house.

“Is there anything else to do?”

“Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Yes.”

“Actually, there are things to organize in that warehouse, but they’re too heavy, so I haven’t been able to touch them. As you know, Yu-min isn’t feeling well.”

“Where is it?”

“Thank you, Jin-ho. Come this way.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho went into the warehouse. He could taste the old dust.

“There were things like this.”

Inside the warehouse, there were old furniture, various appliances, and things that seemed to be carefully packed.

“These are things that we stopped using when we moved to this building.”

“Yes.”

“Thankfully, they replaced all the appliances with new ones. The kids like it, and it’s all good, but…”

The director trailed off.

“But?”

The director smiled at Kang Jin-ho’s question and continued.

“They’re not old and unusable. But these things contain memories of the times when we lived so hard. So, even though we know we have to throw them away, we haven’t been able to throw them away.”

“Then shouldn’t we leave them?”

The director shook her head.

“But sometimes there are things that need to be organized. The important thing is how we live with the kids here, not the memories of the past. Even if we have regrets, we can’t live with them forever, can we?”

“…Yes.”

It felt like she was talking to Kang Jin-ho. She was just telling her own story, but it was as if she was telling Kang Jin-ho to forget the past memories now.

“Should I take them outside?”

“Then, would you help me, Jin-ho?” First, Kang Jin-ho organized the things as the director said.

He took the old things outside and gathered the usable things in one place to send them elsewhere.

And the remaining appliances….

“Can we sell them?”

“We can get scrap metal prices, right?”

“Right?”

They could get scrap metal prices, but they had no value as used appliances. Each of the products was so old that it was amazing that they were still being used. It seemed like they could make more money if they sold them as antiques rather than scrap metal.

“…Yes.”

“Jin-ho.”

“Yes?”

“I’m really sorry, but can I ask you for one more difficult favor? This is a really difficult request, but I think you can do it.”

“Tell me.”

“If you go around the corner over there, you’ll see a red door house.”

“Yes.”

“There’s an old woman who lives alone there. She collects scrap metal and waste paper every morning to make a living. If you take this to her, she might be able to make some money.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to sell this and give her the money?” The director shook her head.

“She doesn’t accept that kind of money.”

“Really?”

“She has a lot of scars…” Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“I will do it.”

“But there’s so much stuff… Oh, right. There’s a handcart behind the building. It’ll be a little easier if you load it there.”

“I understand.”

Kang Jin-ho brought the handcart from behind the orphanage and started loading the refrigerator and TV.

At that time, someone approached Kang Jin-ho.

“Hey!”

“Huh?”

When he turned his head, Han Se-yeon was standing there.

“What brings you here?”

“Why do you carry your phone around?”

“Well…”

When he took out his phone, there were several missed calls.

“Why do you carry it around?”

“To make calls.”

“But you don’t answer them?”

“I didn’t know.”

He had changed it to silent mode because he was worried that the kids would be surprised, but it seemed like he had forgotten to change it back to ring mode.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t been able to be contacted, but strangely, Han Se-yeon had come all the way here.

How did she know he was here?

“Did you come?”

The director greeted Han Se-yeon happily.

“Director, it’s been a while!”

“It hasn’t been long. You came last week.”

The director and Han Se-yeon exchanged friendly words. It was Han Se-yeon’s incredible sociability that Kang Jin-ho found hard to follow.

“You came so quickly? It hasn’t been long since I got the call.”

“I was nearby.”

“Okay, you worked hard to come here.”

“But what are you doing now?” Han Se-yeon, who had heard a rough explanation of the situation from the director, burst into laughter as she looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“Hey, so you’re loading all that like that?”

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you stupid? These days, they all come and pick it up if you call.”

“I know.”

“Huh?”

“Because I have to take it to her.”

Kang Jin-ho silently loaded the things onto the handcart.

Han Se-yeon, who had been quietly watching the scene, followed Kang Jin-ho as he pulled the handcart.

“Director, I’ll go with him and come back.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned.

“Why are you?”

“Which house did the director tell you to go to?”

“The red door.”

“Where would that red door house be?”

Kang Jin-ho closed his mouth.

“I’ll see it if I walk around.”

“I saw a lot of red door houses around here on the way. Are you going to go into each one and ask? ‘Is this the house that our director told me to go to?'”

He had nothing to say, even if he had ten mouths.

“The director should go herself. She must have a lot of work to do, but what if she just wastes time?”

“Let’s go.”

“Why don’t you ask?”

“Let’s… go.”

“I’ll let it slide. Follow me.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed and followed Han Se-yeon, who was walking ahead.

Squeak, squeak.

The sound of the cartwheels rubbing echoed.

Whether the cart was old or the load was heavy, it felt like the cart couldn’t handle the load properly.

Kang Jin-ho started going uphill while pulling the cart.

They had moved down the hill when they built the new orphanage, but they didn’t leave this neighborhood, following the director’s opinion. He wanted to move to a better environment, but it wasn’t realistic because of the children’s school issues.

“Isn’t it heavy?”

“Not really.”

“I feel this every time, but you’re really strong. Are you the strongest in school?”

“Maybe?”

“That’s amazing. But that’s not something to be proud of, right? They say strong people are ignorant.”

“What was your score on the college entrance exam this time?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Kang Jin-ho, who had neatly defeated Han Se-yeon’s provocation, silently pulled the cart. Han Se-yeon looked around and found a red door in the corner and called Kang Jin-ho.

“Here!”

“Ugh..”

Kang Jin-ho stopped the cart in front of the door and looked inside the open gate.

“Hmm…”

“Hello?”

Han Se-yeon called out for someone, but no one came out from inside.

“I guess no one’s here?”

“Let’s just leave it.”

“I guess we should?” That’s when it happened.

“Who is it!”

Along with a sharp voice, an old woman with wrinkles all over her face opened the door and came out.

The room inside, which was visible at a glance, was as shabby as the Seongsim Orphanage before they moved the old building.