Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Demon (7)
“What were the results?”
“We don’t see any particular issues.”
Yu Yeon-seo’s tests were, of course, expedited, and the results came back without much of a wait.
“The scans show no problems... and the blood test results are good. His iron levels are a bit low, but it’s not serious.”
“...Is that so?”
“Is there some other problem? Perhaps some lingering aftereffects...”
The elderly doctor, sensing Im Seung-hyeon’s unusual demeanor, glanced at Yu Yeon-seo. He was well-acquainted with the physician who had been in charge of Yu Yeon-seo during his car accident.
He’d heard that when the grandson’s coma had dragged on, Chairman Yu had forgotten all decorum and roared, “Why isn’t he waking up?” The doctor who faced that wrath head-on had said his legs nearly gave out.
‘Surely that anger won’t be directed at me, right?’
What if something was wrong with his body and it was discovered later? The blame would undoubtedly fall on him, the one who conducted the most recent examination.
“Are there any symptoms that might be cause for concern...? You’ll have to tell me now so we can run more detailed tests...”
The flustered doctor glanced back and forth between Im Seung-hyeon and Yu Yeon-seo.
“Mr. Im.”
Yu Yeon-seo raised a hand to stop Im Seung-hyeon from saying anything unnecessary. The only reason he had readily agreed to the hospital visit was on the condition that if the tests showed no issues, Im Seung-hyeon would drop the matter.
“There are no problems.”
“I see. Understood.”
The doctor wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and breathed a sigh of relief.
Leaving the consultation room, Im Seung-hyeon and Yu Yeon-seo walked through the hospital lobby in silence. At the sight of Yu Yeon-seo, people pulled out their phones and started taking pictures.
“Are we done now?”
“But, Young Master.”
“It’s nothing. There’s no need to make a fuss.”
“Is coughing up blood not something to make a fuss about?”
At the raised voice, Yu Yeon-seo stopped and looked at Im Seung-hyeon in silence. His expression was as blank as usual, but his eyes held a clear warning to drop the subject. Im Seung-hyeon bowed his head slightly and stepped back.
“...I apologize. But please understand why I have to be this way.”
“Well, fine. I get that you’re worried. But you know the deal, right?”
“For now, we’ll keep it a secret from the rest of the family.”
Yu Yeon-seo nodded, satisfied. From now on, Im Seung-hyeon and Lee Tae-gyeom would handle things discreetly if anything came up.
‘It’s not that I don’t understand why he wants to keep it a secret, but…’
Im Seung-hyeon fell into thought as he silently followed behind Yu Yeon-seo. How can he be so calm? Is it because he’s that used to it? He stared at Yu Yeon-seo’s back with a grave expression.
“Wow! It’s the priest!”
“Excuse me... could you possibly take a picture with me?”
Though distracted by his thoughts, Im Seung-hyeon didn’t neglect his duties. He instinctively moved to block the person approaching Yu Yeon-seo.
“It’s fine. Let’s stay for... about ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.”
He took a step back and watched Yu Yeon-seo take a picture with a child.
‘The fact that there are no problems is even more unsettling…’
Earlier, Im Seung-hyeon had gone back to the spot where Yu Yeon-seo had coughed up blood. There were scuff marks, as if Yu Yeon-seo had tried to cover it with his foot, but the bloodstain remained. It was a considerable amount. It was a wonder he hadn’t collapsed on the spot.
‘Could it be some incurable disease unknown to the medical world?’
To have only noticed this now… Im Seung-hyeon inwardly cursed himself.
At the news of Yu Yeon-seo’s presence, the hospital corridor filled with people, and eventually, the head of the hospital’s security team had to come and escort him to the parking garage.
“What happened, sir?”
“...They said there are no problems.”
“What? How does that make any sense?”
Startled, Lee Tae-gyeom looked at Yu Yeon-seo in the back seat. He seemed far too unconcerned. It was natural to be worried, yet his annoyance made him seem detached from the ordinary. Did he lose something else along with his memories?
“From now on, you both keep your mouths shut. Got it?”
With that, Yu Yeon-seo closed his eyes. His phone, held in his hand, vibrated repeatedly.
(Brother) Heard you went to the hospital
(Father) Son, are you sick?
(♥My Beloved Cousin Seon-woo♥) Hyung, I heard you went to the hospital? There are a ton of witness posts online
When did Park Seon-woo get ahold of my phone and change his name? He changed Park Seon-woo’s contact name back to normal.
(Me) It’s nothing, just a check-up
After a brief reply, he reclined his car seat.
After Yu Yeon-seo’s hospital visit, the wrap party for ‘Demon’ was held that evening. For ‘Dreaming,’ it had been difficult to gather everyone due to Jin Su-ho’s schedule, so the party was held after the show had already finished airing. But today, everyone was gathered to watch the final episode together and celebrate.
“He’s here!”
As always, Yu Yeon-seo was the last to walk the wrap party’s red carpet.
Yu Yeon-seo, the last to arrive at the ‘Demon’ wrap party
[☆Photo] Yu Yeon-seo, ‘The Aloof and Chic Father~’ (Demon Wrap Party)
“Yeon-seo is here!”
“Hello.”
Yu Yeon-seo walked to the empty seat between Hong Min-a and Seo Ha-jun. The chair was laden with gifts, not just for him but also from Seo Ha-jun’s fandom. He handed them off to Lee Tae-gyeom and sat down.
“The traffic was bad.”
“Still, you came at the perfect time. It’s starting now.”
Just then, after a long commercial break, the final episode of ‘Demon’ began.
-June 6, 1992-
-Final Episode-
The first scene shifted to the past. Raphael’s father, sacrificed in a devil-worshipping ritual. Reflected in the lifeless eyes of the man bleeding on the altar was a young Raphael.
(Dad! Daaad!)
Raphael tried to run to his father but was stopped by Leo’s biological mother.
(It’s a failure.)
As she fled with the child, the high priest prodded Raphael’s father’s motionless body with his index finger.
(Bring back the woman who escaped.)
(Yes.)
Leo’s mother, who had acted as a decoy, died from the strain of demonic possession. The relentlessly tense horror had Yu Yeon-seo propping his chin on his hand, captivated by the screen.
And beneath the altar, from the hastily discarded body of Raphael’s father, blood slowly rose, forming the shape of a demon. For a rush job, the CG was decent.
(Do not be afraid. I have come.)
And he became the cult leader.
-1995-
-2002-
-2007-
Subtitles at the bottom of the screen showed time moving closer to the present.
(The serial murder case that occurred in Nosang-gu last month...)
(...The culprit who murdered a family in their home has been arrested.)
The audio played news anchors reporting various incidents, and newspaper articles about spontaneous combustion cases appeared. Symbols of Catholicism and devil worship were juxtaposed throughout, creating a stark contrast.
‘Now that I see it, Director Choi makes great use of mise-en-scène.’
Of course, the art director’s efforts were also a factor, but producing such aesthetically pleasing scenes on a drama set, where they had to shoot and edit for the next episode immediately, was no easy feat. In fact, the show had received much praise for its cinematic quality.
(Don’t you want revenge? On those kids who tormented you.)
(How about living by your instincts? You only live once... don’t you want to have some fun?)
Then came a scene of the cult leader whispering the devil’s temptations. Black smoke escaped his lips and was absorbed by the people Raphael and Kim Leo had exorcised.
Brainwashed by the leader, they sought out their school bullies and took brutal revenge, gave in to their instincts, assaulting people and stealing. They became the center of the bizarre incidents reported in the news.
(Who is the real demon?)
The drama built to its climax, and finally, the scene where Father Raphael confronted the cult leader appeared. A single tear rolled down Father Raphael’s cheek, and Yu Yeon-seo’s face, veins bulging in his neck as if in genuine agony, filled the screen.
“Man, I really thought he was possessed by a demon back then,” one of the staff members muttered.
Watching it, Yu Yeon-seo had a different thought.
‘It was only for a moment, but I was able to control my body.’
Normally, the vision of Lee Hui-seo would have paralyzed him, but at that moment, he somehow didn’t want to lose. To be swept away by a trauma left by the original owner felt like admitting his own weakness.
“What were you thinking when you acted in that scene?”
“What’s there to think about? You just do it.”
“You were possessed.”
The truth was quite different, but it looked good on screen, so that was all that mattered. Yu Yeon-seo silently took a sip of water.
(Father!)
It was Kim Leo who saved Father Raphael from the devil’s whispers. The reason the cult leader’s possession was incomplete was because the ritual had been performed on Kim Leo’s pregnant mother.
During childbirth, a part of the demon had flowed not into his mother, but into Kim Leo.
And the only things that could harm the demon were the exorcism ritual and the demon itself.
(H-How.)
(I don’t know. Just take this.)
With a crack in his spirit, Father Raphael could no longer perform his duties as an exorcist. Kim Leo, wrapping Father Peter’s keepsake rosary around his fist, took the lead in exorcising the cult leader.
-LMAO Exorcism (Physical)
└ This joke broke my immersion lol
└ Weirdly it doesn’t look cheesy though lol
└ The directing covers for it
└ I’m a little disappointed it turned into an action scene at the end
└ But the cult leader was way too strong
-Father Raphael’s blood, sweat, and tears are so good ㅠㅠ
└ Honestly, Yu Yeon-seo in a priest’s cassock made Demon
└ They’re taking pre-orders for the Blu-ray now ㅠㅠ Please join ㅠㅠ
-Seo Ha-jun has great body control, what’s his position in NV?
└ He’s the main dancer
└ Guess that’s why he’s so good lol
Father Raphael didn’t back down, splashing holy water and chanting hymns. After a fierce battle, the demon dissipated into black smoke, and Father Raphael silently looked down at his father’s body.
(Father, I left Su-ah outside. We need to go, quickly.)
(Ah, yes.)
And he left without a second thought.
Left on the altar was Raphael’s father. His eyes, unable to close, reflected the back of the grown-up Raphael. A drop of water fell from the ceiling, tracing a path beside his eye like a tear.
The scene changed. Park Su-a, taken to the hospital, quickly wrote an article despite her pain. The shocking photos she revealed exposed the Black Night Cult’s true nature.
The devil-worshipping rituals orchestrated by the pseudo-religion and the dozens of bodies they left behind sent the entire nation into an uproar.
And in the early morning, after everything was over, Father Raphael quietly slipped out of St. Peter’s Church.
(Are you leaving?)
At Kim Leo’s words, Father Raphael stopped and turned his head.
(Yes, I have to. I have things to report to the Vatican...)
(...)
(Father Leo... what will you do now?)
(What do you mean?)
Kim Leo turned to look at the small church. It had been a home for him and Father Peter.
(I guess I’ll try to live well in this church. Serve some free meals, try to put up with the strange characters who show up, maybe take in a few parentless kids now and then...)
(...)
(And I’ll have to be more careful when deciding to suddenly send kids for overseas adoption due to financial hardship.)
Kim Leo’s last words were laced with meaning. Father Raphael let out a small laugh. So he knew how to smile… Kim Leo called out again to Raphael, who had resumed his path.
(Don’t resent our Father too much.)
(...I don’t. I know now that as Father Peter, it was the best he could do.)
Raphael turned to face Father Kim Leo, his expression relieved. It was a bright smile, one never seen before.
(Father Leo, let’s not see each other again.)
Seeing each other again would mean another person in this land needed an exorcism. Catching the meaning, Kim Leo grinned and waved.
(Alright, let’s not see each other again.)
The two priests smiled at each other. Soon, the theme song of ‘Demon’ began to play as the production and sponsorship banners appeared. Instead of a preview, the screen showed heartwarming behind-the-scenes photos of the actors.
“It’s over!”
“Great work, everyone!”
As the commercials began, the staff, who had been watching in hushed silence, jumped to their feet and applauded.