Descent of the Demon Master

e couch and quickly ran up to Hwang Jeong-Hu.
Then, he took out another cigarette, cautiously handed it over to the Chairman, and then lit it up.

The old man still in the patient gown leisurely sucked in the cigarette's acrid smoke, then let it out of his lungs just as slowly.
And then…
he finally spoke up, “Three days.”

Jo Gyu-Min was puzzled at that monotone declaration and looked back at Hwang Jeong-Hu, only to notice that the old man's eyes were glaring somewhere else.
Somewhere far beyond the window, where Jo Gyu-Min's gaze couldn't even reach.

“I will be returning everything back to where they were in three days,” said Hwang Jeong-Hu.

Three days? That wasn't long at all…
However, it didn't sound impossible either since Hwang Jeong-Hu had said so.
Jo Gyu-Min was the proof—he called himself Hwang Min-Jae's right-hand man but could only submit meekly under the might of Hwang Jeong-Hu's name.
That simple-sounding name was capable of evoking so much awe and respect in those who knew the Jaegyeong Group and lived within its corporate structure.

Even though he had only taken a couple of puffs, Hwang Jeong-Hu chose to slowly stub out the cigarette, then leisurely turned around to look.
His glare was fixed on Jo Gyu-Min as he issued his next command. It would be the first order Jo Gyu-Min would have to complete regardless of what it would take.

“Go and call Baek Yeong-Gi here.”

A storm was about to be unleashed from this hospital room.

***

“Euh, euh…!” The chief director of the Dongmyeong Foundation, Choi Myeong-Gil, was making a crumpled expression as he stared at his grandson, Choi Yeong-Su.
“Dear lord, Yeong-Su?! What's happening to you!”

“G-grandpa…”

“Yeong-Su! What's gotten into you, my boy?!”

“T-that bastard, he…
he's coming!” Choi Yeong-Su hurriedly looked around him repeatedly as terror filled his face.

“Just who is coming?! My boy, tell me!” Choi Myeong-Gil's heart was burning to ashes at this sight that was chillingly reminiscent of a junkie from a movie he had watched a long time ago.
Just where did his once-bright grandson disappear to?! The frustration forced him to keep calling out the boy's name.
“Yeong-Su! Talk to me, my boy!”

“…Ho…
Kang Jin-Ho! That, that bastard is coming!”

“Why do you keep saying that! How can that bastard come here, my boy!” Choi Myeong-Gil pounded his chest in frustration.

He only had one grandson.
After his idiot son got a divorce, Choi Myeong-Gil sheltered his grandson as much as possible, hoping to shield the young boy from psychological pain.
Despite his sheltered upbringing, though, Choi Yeong-Su didn't go astray and grew up into a splendid young man.

But now…
such a kind and talented grandson was steadily breaking down—breaking down into a pitiful, wretched mess!

“Yeong-Su! Tell me, just who is coming?! Who is coming here for you, my grandson?! This is your home! No one can break into this place!” Choi Myeong-Gil pleaded, but his words weren’t good enough to calm his grandson.

Choi Yeong-Su continued to fearfully look around him.
“He, he's coming!”

“Oh, dear god! Yeong-Su! Who's coming?!”

Choi Yeong-Su suddenly glared at his grandfather with bloodshot eyes.
“But, but you'll never believe me, anyway!”

“Yeong-Su, please don't do this!”

“Ehe, ehehe! I don't need you anymore! You ain't gonna believe me, anyway! You think I'm too stupid to notice?!”

“Huh-uh…” Choi Myeong-Gil lost all strength in his legs and fell on the spot.

“Chief Director, sir!” The secretary watching from the side hurriedly rushed in to help Choi Myeong-Gil up.

The old man, swept in the emotions of rage and helplessness, stared at Choi Yeong-Su.
Everything started to go wrong after his grandson got into a fight with that bastard named Kang Jin-Ho.
No, that wasn’t quite right—things were still fine after Choi Yeong-Su was admitted to a hospital while that Kang Jin-Ho kid was suspended from school.
But then…
Sometime later on, Choi Yeong-Su began saying strange things.

Choi Myeong-Gil was incensed at the news of his grandson getting violently beaten up while out clubbing.
Even after Kang Jin-Ho presented a perfect alibi, the old man was convinced that it was all a lie.
Never once did he suspect that his grandson was the one lying.

However, Choi Yeong-Su ran up to him the next morning and cried out fearfully that Kang Jin-Ho had attacked him again…
in his own room! The CCTV footage was checked just in case, but there were no traces of someone breaking into the premises.
Choi Myeong-Gil started to wonder if his grandson's health had gotten weaker, causing the boy to see things.
But that was merely the beginning…

After that day, Choi Yeong-Su started saying strange things nonstop.
He said that Kang Jin-Ho was showing up in his room every single night and that he would really die at this rate, among many other crazy-sounding things.

Choi Myeong-Gil did his best to convince his grandson that such things couldn’t happen, but it was useless.
Choi Yeong-Su simply went crazier instead, saying that no one, not even his own grandfather, believed in him.

The chief director of the Dongmyeong Foundation didn't want to admit it, but he had no say in the matter—Choi Yeong-Su was really losing his mind.

Left with no choice, Choi Myeong-Gil took his grandson to a psychiatric hospital.
But the doctors there couldn't provide any clear-cut answers.
Other than mumbling about symptoms possibly resembling post-traumatic stress disorder, those useless doctors couldn't even think of a treatment that might work.

“You ain't gonna believe me, anyway! Only…
Only I…! Only I'm getting tortured like this! Only…
I…” Choi Yeong-Su screamed in a fit of madness before slowly turning into a sobbing wreck.

Choi Myeong-Gil witnessing this sight felt like his heart was being ripped apart into a million pieces.
“Y-Yeong-Su…
My boy…”

“Heuh… K-Kang Jin-Ho…
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry! I, I will never do it again, I swear…
I…”

Choi Yeong-Su’s sobbing sobered Choi Myeong-Gil up, the old man's eyes growing icy cold.
His one and only grandson was begging so pitifully at a person that wasn't even here.

Choi Myeong-Gil gritted his teeth.
“…Kang Jin-Ho!”

He didn't believe that the punk was responsible for this situation.
Kang Jin-Ho hitting Choi Yeong-Su was unforgivable, yes, but that boy had been punished enough for his transgression by now.

At any other time, Choi Myeong-Gil wouldn't have bothered with re-opening the already-closed case.
But he needed something, someone, to direct his rage at.
He angrily spun his head toward his secretary and began yelling, “Call the school principal, now!”

“Which principal, sir?”

“You moron! What do you mean, which principal?! The one at Dongmyeong High, obviously!”

The secretary made an expression akin to a scalded cat and hurriedly bowed his head at the yelling Choi Myeong-Gil.
“Y-yes, sir.
I'll call him immediately.”

While glaring at his secretary who was urgently making a call with his cellphone, Choi Myeong-Gil began muttering quietly, his expression distorting in rage, “I will make you pay for this, Kang Jin-Ho!”