067 – The Thrashing of Love
The day after the absurd incident.
After school.
Prince Juhyun headed toward the main house with a heavy heart.
In the courtyard of the main house, his older brothers and sisters were already present. As soon as they saw Prince Juhyun, they didn’t hide their sneers and blatant jeers.
“Oh, our superstar has arrived.”
“Family background can’t be deceived. The way you keep causing trouble every day—”
“The seat you got by pure luck won’t last long.”
Prince Juhyun’s anger flared.
Who were they, mere mortals incapable of being Awakened Ones, to judge him?
But he couldn’t cause trouble at the main house, not when he himself was in the wrong. Besides, they were no better than dogs or pigs who were kept outside the house, unable to step foot inside.
“You’ve arrived.”
The eldest son, Wang Jagyun, greeted Prince Juhyun in the living room. His face was filled with undisguised reproach.
Though Juhyun detested his much older brother, he made an effort to remain calm. He then entered his father’s study, where the sound of contempt—”tsk tsk”—came from behind him as the eldest son spoke.
Wafting smoke filled the study. A man sat lazily on a chair, a thick cigar in his mouth, with his legs propped up on the desk. This was Wang Jiseok, chairman of the Imperial Group.
“Juhyun, this father is greatly disappointed.”
“…”
Prince Juhyun clenched his eyes shut and bowed his head. He had prepared many words in his mind, but not a single one escaped his lips. Finally, after much effort, he managed to say this:
“The public opinion has been handled well by Eun-byul, who asked Grandfather for help. As for Hanamjin, I will take care of it properly, so please don’t worry too much.”
“Tsk. What disappoints me isn’t that. I had hoped for more from you. Hanamjin should not have been the one making such bold moves—it should have been you.”
“…”
“I’ve always taught you to be the one who commands attention. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. In this world, the ones who get attention are the winners. You lost to Hanamjin.”
The chairman of the Imperial Group, Wang Jiseok, closed his eyes. He could forgive his children for causing trouble and creating incidents, but he could not tolerate defeat. A child’s failure was a reflection of his own. Wang Jiseok hated losing more than anything else.
“Prince Juhyun, you resemble your mother, always stepping back at critical moments. Leave now, and tell your elder brother to come in.”
“…”
Clenching his teeth tightly, Prince Juhyun left the study and the living room, stepping out of the courtyard. Despite the mocking sounds from his siblings, Juhyun didn’t pay them any attention. He, Prince Juhyun, was the “star,” and this was his chance to prove it.
“Ha, Hanamjin, do you think you’re the only one who knows how to act recklessly? I can play dirty too. I’ll show you methods you’ve never even imagined.”
Just as Juhyun was thinking of ways to retaliate, his phone suddenly rang furiously.
“Hey, Juhyun! Check the internet! Check the internet right now!” his elder brother shouted as he came running out barefoot.
The internet?
Curious, Prince Juhyun turned it on.
“Team Tainted No-Meat Day’s Demon Exorcism Broadcast”
“…What the hell is this?”
Prince Juhyun tensed, thinking Hanamjin was up to some new antics. His heart raced, but for some reason, he couldn’t look away from the phone.
“It’s me, brats. Haters, pay attention. I am the one and only ‘Bread Pitt’ Hanamjin. The reason I’ve started this emergency broadcast is—”
The place shown in the live stream was familiar. The streets, the buildings—it was clear what Hanamjin was targeting. Realizing the implications, Juhyun started running furiously.
“Hanamjin, you crazy son of a…!”
###
“Great! Everything’s set.”
Model Jeon Somi announced the emergency live-stream. Being popular on MiTube ensured over a thousand viewers tuned in immediately. Even Bangdaengi, who had initially been skeptical, froze in place like a raccoon caught red-handed raiding a kitchen when the broadcast began. Chang-sik and Deoksun weren’t any less nervous in front of the camera.
Finally, Somi whispered, “Hey! You need to say something! The stream has started!”
“Ah, yeah? Alright, it’s me, brats. Haters, pay attention. I am the one and only ‘Bread Pitt’ Hanamjin. The reason I’ve started this emergency broadcast is the same as the title.”
Chats filled the screen so fast they were hard to read. The number of viewers kept climbing.
[Donator HornedMan: 1,000 won donated.]
[Viewer Misun: If you reveal the scoop of Jin Eun-byul’s breast-touching incident, I’ll donate 50,000 won. 😄]
What the hell?
50,000 won?
How many bowls of ramen is that?
Just thinking about it made his tailbone tingle and his heart race.
“Jin Eun-byul’s breast is an A cup.”
DING!
50,000 won deposited!
d*mn, it’s so easy to make money!
More challenges kept rolling in.
[Mission: Breakdance for 100,000 won.]
[Mission: Introductions from the friends as blockers. 10,000 won each.]
sh*t, the money is flowing in like crazy…!
Capitalism is the best!
Caught up in the excitement, Somi spoke up.
“Hey! We’ve hit 10,000 viewers! It’s time to get to the main point!”
“Ah, the main point. Right.”
Overwhelmed by the unprecedented attention, Juhyun had momentarily spaced out. Anyway, there was a single task he needed to accomplish.
“I’m about to play a video next. It’s titled ‘6,’ so enjoy it. Parents, watch with your kids, and the elderly: watch with caution.”
Click.
Skillful Deoksun streamed the video live on the broadcast.
“Reveal your name!”
“Reveal your name!”
“What is your name?”
“Your name!”
“Heeheehee…”
The chat scrolled non-stop.
[HornedMan: Is that Jin Eun-byul? She looks like a young Jin Eun-byul.]
[DangSquirrel: Some sort of confinement and bondage scene? 😏]
[GollGollGollWater: What the hell is that trick where her head rotates 360 degrees?]
[Hanamjin: Bullshit, right?]
The short video, only about three minutes long, had already left a big impression.
“Friend, do you really think this is the right way?”
“Trust me. As you saw, Jin Eun-byul’s body is possessed by an extremely malevolent spirit or demon. The men in the video failed to perform an exorcism. They’re all dead now.”
“Is that really—”
“It’s false.”
Bangdaengi asked with confusion, and Hanamjin quietly replied.
Who knows if they’re dead or alive?
But it sounds better if we say they were cursed.
“Jin Eun-byul was a girl possessed by Satan. She was praised as a great fortune teller by everyone, from members of the National Assembly to ministers, ruining the state. So, we are now going to perform an exorcism.”
Standing before Jin Eun-byul’s villa, the iron gate seemed sturdy, but it didn’t matter.
“Open sesame!”
BOOM!
With one mighty kick of his leg, the iron gate shattered.
[ChurleyChurleyMeChurlet: Open sesame. 😂]
[CandyLover: Way too blatant of illegal trespassing! 😆]
[GoldHanjin: Crazy… Is it possible for an Awakened One to break an iron gate with just their leg?]
[Graduate2nd: Must be the power of Hanamjin’s concept leap enhancement. 😂]
While the chat was alive with comments, the atmosphere around the villa, devoid of people, was eerily unsettling. Very different from the lively scene of yesterday.
“…Friend, look at that!”
Chang-sik pointed at the villa roof. Countless crows perched there, watching with black eyes, evoking the image of a famous haunted or abandoned house.
“It’s currently 7 PM.”
A bit late for dinner given the approaching summer, the sky was a tangerine hue, casting the villa building below in deep shadow. This made Deoksun, Chang-sik, and Bangdaengi hesitant, their steps faltering as they lingered.
[What’s up with the vibe? Those d*mn crows, what?]
[Is all of this fake?]
[Crows vs. fake… Both birds tho! 😂]
[Ghost will appear for real 😳]
[DoomHwancha!]
This cold and eerie atmosphere seemed to be felt even through the camera as the viewers commented.
CLUNK, CREEAK!
Suddenly, the villa door opened by itself without a sign of human presence.
“Fancy homes are pretty great.”
Hanamjin marveled at the luxury of the home and strode in without hesitation.
The others hesitated and slowly trailed behind him. The villa interior was multi-leveled and disturbingly dark.
Somewhere within, Jin Eun-byul awaited.
It seemed that she hadn’t moved from the villa since yesterday. As they wandered about, looking for any sign of her:
Click!
The lights on the third floor flicked on. It seemed to be guiding them, as they ascended the stairs and reached the open door at the end of a long corridor. Without hesitation, Hanamjin stepped inside.
“Namjin! Come with me!”
“Please don’t leave me behind, brother!”
The room was spacious, containing a bed, dressing table, and neatly arranged wardrobe. The peculiar feature was the numerous crucifixes on the walls. Jin Eun-byul sat in front of the dressing table, grooming her hair, completely unfazed by their presence.
“Hey, Eun-byul.”
“…”
Jin Eun-byul continued combing her hair, ignoring him. Her strokes grew more violent, hair tangling in the comb with no signs of stopping.
[What the heck, is Jin Eun-byul really possessed by Satan?]
[What the hell is she saying? In which language is she talking?]
[It sounds like Latin…d*mn.]
“Eun-byul.”
Hanamjin called her name again, but Eun-byul merely muttered to herself in front of the mirror.
Perfect!
“Found a weakness!”
He grabbed Jin Eun-byul’s hair and yanked her to the floor. She screeched and fell, making a loud thudding sound.
“AAAAH! You mad b*stard!”
Her response was sharp and venomous, fitting for someone possessed by Satan. Compared to Seugal’s usual trouble-making, it wasn’t much of a challenge. In fact, it might even be considered good in some ways.
“Hahaha! I love it when sassy women yell at me!”
Hanamjin quickly bound Jin Eun-byul to the bed with an iron chain he had brought. Originally, he had intended to bring her to his basement, but there seemed to be no real need for it now. Just when Chaen-sik regained his senses after being dazed and gathered his courage, he shouted out in exasperation:
“Who… What is your name!?”
“…Hehehehe-.”
Jin Eun-byul laughed malevolently, clearly not intending to respond.
But no matter, it didn’t bother Hanamjin since he hadn’t come here to simply hear her name.
He pulled out his trusted “Love’s Mattock” from his bag and struck the soles of Eun-byul’s feet.
“YAAAAAH!”
As a result, Jin Eun-byul screamed in an odd voice, jumping up as if she had no idea what was happening.
[Name: Jin Eun-byul]
[Details: ▶ Click to expand
The Demon Level 3: As malevolent as in folktales.
Precognition Level 2: Possesses prophetic abilities like ancient shamans.
Condition: Shocked – Too much pain caused shock!]
“Even Seugal, known to be the most vicious, couldn’t withstand the ‘Love’s Mattock.’ Do you think you could endure it?”
“Hahahaha, I don’t care what your name is. Your name from now on will be Dae-sik.”
In truth, exorcism was not his goal.
Forcing Jin Eun-byul to spill her secrets was.
And he was going to do it right in front of the broadcast camera.
