Chapter 8 - Jindy

Demon Appraiser

I assumed that my methods were wrong and I got my inspiration from watching movies. I recalled seeing Priest using talisman to subdue evil and so I rummaged my house to look for those type of papers. I recalled discovering a stack of golden paper hidden in a secured drawer.

I used a marker pen and started scribbling talisman look alike words and symbols on the papers. 

The next day, I came to school very early and I pasted my talisman all over Andy's desk and chair before I sneaked out of the classroom to eat my breakfast.

When I returned to the classroom, it was chaotic. Some classmates saw the eerie scene ans reported to the teacher. Even the teacher was spooked by it till she reported to the Principal.

I saw Andy looking at me and I could never describe that looks. At most, I would say it was a rather helpless expression.

The teacher was certain that I was the culprit of the talisman incident. I did not deny it and I even shouted at the class that Andy was a Demon! Whatever I had done was my way of trying to protect their lives.

No 10 years old kids would believe me. Even the teacher also scolded me to stop my nonsense as there was no such thing as Demons which existed in this world!

No one believed me and all treated me like a lunatic.

It was the first time that I felt despair. I came to my senses that there were things that was beyond my limit. Since then, my determination started to crumple.

Eventually, my parents came to know of this incident and they were called to the Principal's office. I cried into my morher's embrace and whimpered that there was a Demon in my class but no one believed me. I recalled seeing the shockness on my parents' faces.

It was on the same night that my parents had a long heart-to-heart talk with me. They told me about my clan, Demon slayer.

Demons existed in this world. The reason why I was able to see Demons because I inherited the Kim's ability :The sight.

My parents advised me," Dongwan, no others can see Demons and are not aware of their existence. Just forget it and let the matter rest."

My parents were of the view that since Andy transformed into a human to attend school, he was kind in nature. Since Andy was a kind Demon, he meant no harm to anyone. So long I did not provoke Andy, he would not attack human.

However, I did not believe that. I suspected Andy had an ulterior motive.

I led a unbearable life in school and I was the target of bully. Everyone think that I was a lunatic. The boys would dump rubbish on me while the girls would lock me inside the toilet. My school bag, textbooks and stationery would alway ended up in the rubbish bin. There would be insulting remarks scribbled on my desk and chair.

I was a strong headed 10 years old kid. I gritted my teeth and endured everything. I did not report the bullyings to anyone or sought help from anyone. I would prove to everyone using my way that I was right! Whenever, I felt like giving up; I would look at Andy to fuel up my determination.

A few times, Andy tried to talk to me but I avoided him.

I started to hate Andy and naively believed that whatever I did was right, I was upholding justice.

The turning point came the following year when I was in 4th grade. It was also 2 years prior to the millennium war which made me lost my parents.

Some senior level staffs from the Internal Security Department came to my house. My parents would told me to call them ahjussi or ahjuma. They would tell me to study in my room while they held meeting in the dining hall area.

If they spoke a bit loudly, I would be able to hear something like 'Demons', 'The realms' etc.

My chance came when I met an ahjussi who was a researcher in Demons. I spoke to the balding ahjussi secretly, telling him that there was a Demon in my class.

The ahjussi was surprised," There is Demon in your class?" He instructed me to draw out Andy's look and his Demon form and I agreed happily.

I spent the whole period of a lesson to observe Andy and drew him and his Demon form inside my excerise book. I passed the exercise book to the ahjussi.

At that time, I only thought that the Ahjussi could prove to my classmates that I was right and that Andy was a Demon. I did not have any ill intention at all.

I was too naive.

A few weeks later, the ahjussi came to my class and there was a few other ahjussi with him. They brought Andy out of the class. I called out to the ahjussi and followed him out of the classroom. I saw Andy struggling violently and the ahjussi was bounding Andy with something I had never seen before.

I looked confused at ahjussi and he smiled at me. He praised me for the useful information and even complimented me that I would be a great Demon slayer one day.

Andy shot a deadly glance at me when was unable to move. He shrieked at me," Why? Why? Kim Dongwan, why are you doing this to me? What have I did to you to deserve all this?"

I could never forget Andy, that expression and his sorrowful outcry....

That day I perched on my desk the whole day. I only walked out of school when the sun was setting.

When I reached the school gate, a tall man with glasses stopped me. I was scared to death because he was also a Demon! He was a tree Demon and he was emitting an eerie green glow.

"Hey little boy, do you know Andy from class 4F?"

I ran away, screaming at the top of my voice.

Since then, I did not see Andy again and I never seen that tree Demon again. They seemed to have disappeared.

My teacher told us that Andy transferred to another school but only I knew the truth. Andy did not transfer to other school but he was gone due to me.

I tried to find out from ahjussi about Andy but he merely told me that I was too young to know anything and so he was unable to tell me much.

Later in my life, I heard that Andy was a rare bird Demon and he was kept away in the laboratory for experiments. Andy was there for 5 years? On the 6th year, the Special Force was formed and Andy was certified as Demon. Andy was sent to the battle field.

I was the one who certified Andy!

At that time, I just entered High School and I was the only one left in my clan. There was no one else who possessed the same ability as me: to be able to see the Demon's true form. 

That ahjussi came to look for me and told me that I would just need to write in the certification report about the true form of the Demon. It would not affect my studies and normal life plus I would receive salary for helping with them with the report.

When I saw Andy again, I had the greatest shock of my life. He was not the Andy that I known 6 years ago. Andy seemed to have been out of his life form. He was so skinny and he was balding. His Demon form was just as worse, the shinny feathers had lost it's lustre and a lot had dropped off.

 Andy charged at me when he saw me. Luckily, the Demon trainers were fast to restraint him from attacking me.

Andy stared at me with his blood shot and bulging eyes and cracked lips," Kim Dongwan, I hate you. You made me to become like this! I just want to die then rather to carry on leading such a miserable life! I will curse you till my last breathe!"

I quickly wrote and signed on the certification report, wanting to leave the place.

If only I knew what the certification meant and it's impact on Andy, I would never had done it. Because, it was the worst thing that could happen to a Demon and I done it to Andy!

Due to this incident, I was very relunctant to work anymore until the Top man of Nation Internal Security Department, Mr Choi, requested me to have a coffee session with him at his office. Oh my god, I have never encountered such a high ranked official in my life and I was scared out of my wits when I received the invitation.

It turned out to be a true coffee session with me drinking the top graded coffee and the delicious snacks that Mr Choi brought back from one of his overseas conference but I was still feeling very scared. Mr Choi pushed more of the snacks to me and I could not refused or accept.

Till I was less nervous, Mr Choi spoke slowly," We do not want to exert any pressue on you. However, you are aware that not many of you, Demon slayers, were left. Plus you inherited the only gift of Sight. We will ensure your safety at all cost."

I choked on a piece of biscuit and coughed violently. Mr Choi quickly patted my back and offered me some water which made me flabbergasted.

" I do not wish to hide from you, Dongwan. After the Millennium battle, the National is extremely grateful towards your kind. The next day, a top secret file was drafted and it would be for eternity. All the surviving Demon slayers and their descendants are listed as top class group to be under the Nation's protection. Everyone of you are guarded by at least 4 secret agents throughout. Any mishaps to anyone of you, I will be stripped of my post here. The Nation has specially crafted out the future path for each of you from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health to Ministry of Defence.... Once we knew of the jobs interest from any one of you, arrangement will be made by the state. If anyone of you are sick, even though you seek medical treatment at any clinic or hospital, the top medical practitioners will be deployed immediately to oversee and converse with the doctors that are treating you. In short, we will be forever in debt to your kind."

I was totally shocked. I recalled that I scored miserably in my entrance examination but I was accepted into my first choice of the prestiguous High School. And the reason was that there is vacancy. Thereafter, I checked online and saw that there was a candidate who did not make it as he had missed by 1 point. I had assumed that I was very lucky back then. So now, it seemed that it was all pre-arranged.

Mr Choi continued," By right, we should not bother you since your kind had contributed tremendous to the Nation. You should be enjoying your life as a carefree student but the current situation is not very good and I do not believe that 4 agents could ensure your safety anymore. Do you know how fast a lowly Level 4E Demon could kill you? It is 2 seconds! And this applied to a very low level Demons. Human can't defense against the Demons and you are the only one in the Nation to be able to see through the Demons when they disguised in human form. Can you imagine how many Demons will try to claim your life if this fact was known? Yes, there is the barrier shield but who can guarantee there you will never leave the barrier shield one day? Also, what if the certified Demons decided to upstage a mutiny?"

I gulped.

"But if you become our 'Eyes' and I promise you, while I am still in my post, that I will be able to ensure your safety and to hide you away. You will continue to be under the Nation's protection and you will not experience any disturbance to your daily life. Actually all these years, you never discovered the 4 agents right?"

After I graduated from the top University, I became a Demon Appraiser. It was not because of Mr Choi's promise of my personal safety but it was because of a request he made.

"Are you willing to become one of us and to lend us your strength to protect the Mankind?"

I agreed. I am willing to work for the Nation Internal Security Department just like my late parents. I wanted to work side by side with my other siblings whom were the descendants of Demon slayers even though I did not know their names or had seen them before. I am willing to offer my little strength to contribute to the Nation. Even though I might be limited in my power but I held onto the pride of a Demon slayer and their noble vision of protecting Mankind.

My character was bad and I alway skive in my work. I had my fair share of breaking the rules and regulations. Mr Choi was tolerance towards me just like a caring father towards a son who was constantly getting into troubles. The only time that Mr Choi punished me harshly was when I sneaked to the battle field without seeking approval. Mr Choi was afraid that I would be in danger and met with mishaps. Mr Choi also mentioned that if he had a child, his child would be around my age. When he mentioned this, I saw loneliness and guilt in his eyes. Mr Choi patted my head gently," Wan, you missed your parents? Don't you?"

My nose sniffed and my eyes were like a flowing tap. It was the second time that I cried so hard after my parents' furneral.

I am a conflicting person. I could not forsake the hatred towards the Demons but I was also unable to be hard hearted to deal with the Demons. I did not know if there was anyone who behaved like me? I am trying to find a balance point somewhere, somehow.

The 2 dreams that I had previously were caused by Andy. Dreams creation was part of Andy's ability. All these years, the thoughts about Andy was like a thorn stuck in my heart. It reminded me how cruel I had ever treated the Demon and how ruthless my actions had caused upon his future. I dared not check on Andy because I did not want to relive the guilt. If only I had the ability of Time Travel, I will stop myself back then.

I knew in my subscious that Andy would seek revenge on me. The day had came because I could feel Andy's presence here!

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
molla90
#1
Chapter 19: wow the ending of chapter 18 is lovely. author-nim, may i ask you something. i wander when will you do some story like with the minwoo and dongwan? here i only see ricsyung, jindy,eunhae and kangtuek couple only. hopefully i can see this couple in action. hehhhe. ^_^
molla90
#2
Chapter 6: authour-nim,.... i don't know how to say this but I only read until chapter 6, and my tear flow like waterfall. I don't know if i can read for the next chapter. it to heartbreaking. How can you wrote this excellent story as I can feel and see all the character do their part respectively.
Anyway continue update cause I will read it until this story finish. Thank you for this story ^_^
molla90
#3
Chapter 4: the first 3 chapter really make me cry so much TT_TT. thank you author-nim for this story.
lunanegra #4
Chapter 19: Omg wookieee... you scared minwoo awayy..
lunanegra #5
Chapter 18: Minwoo!!!❤
puking
#6
Chapter 17: Ooh this sounds scary, especially when dw smell the burning flesh!!
lunanegra #7
Chapter 17: I... i... wish he went on vacation with minwoo instead.. *sorry, cant help it.. major woodong fan here*