The New Devil [The Devil Judge]

Eleven Months Gone

"... the president's approval ratings, have once again, taken a dip as the fourth chief judge of the live show resigns amidst scandal and shame. Sources reveal, that the ministry of justice has reached out to the two remaining judges from the original court, Kim Gaon and Oh Jinjoo. No word on what their responses were, but given that they have both distanced themselves from the live show for the last eleven months, we expect another set of rejections."

Gaon stood, arms folded as he watched the news while a group of preteen kids potted some new plants around him. He was dressed in a yellow shirt, green boots and green overalls that he tied at his waist. He wasn't in his freshest state, but at least, he was more presentable than the woman standing beside him.

Jinjoo was a mess. Her hair was outside the hair net, her face had dirt, her shirt was torn and she'd taken off her overalls hours ago, so the slacks she was wearing had received permanent damage. And in all that, she refused to accept the fact that plants and farming were not just for her.

"They're really desperate," she said sniffing and wiping at her nose with her dirty hand that only added more dirt to her face.

"It's a complete shit show."

"Maybe you should say yes, this time."

Gaon bit his upper lip to keep from responding because, yes. He had been considering it for a while now. The judges didn't seem to know what they were doing, allowing themselves to be moved around by the president and his goons. They'd gotten rid of the live voting and replaced it with a "central collective" that was said to calculate the votes, out of the view of the audience and then portray the percentage difference for everyone to see. It was so obvious what they were doing.

There was no way Gaon was ever going to put his name on all that. He knew that if he went up there, he'd get in serious trouble from day one because he'd announce his own thing, seek justice and step on every toe without remorse.

"Why don't you do it?" he asked Jinjoo.

"Because this shelter is my life now. I want to be here."

"Are you saying I don't want to be here?"

"Come on, we both know you were meant for that job. Judge Kang was grooming you for it. I could tell."

"He was not."

Yohan was trying to get in Gaon's head. He was trying to manipulate Gaon. He may have tried to get in Gaon's bed a time or two. But he was definitely not grooming Gaon to take over.

"Are you kidding me?" Jinjoo asked, hands on her hips in frustration. "He was mentoring you. How do you not known that? He spent all that time with you on the job, always trying to teach you something. Always looking at you to gage your reactions. "Oh, I did this flashy thing and got a reaction from the president, but Gaon dear what did you think of it?""

"Urgh, don't say it like that."

"He was teaching you, Gaon. Maybe it wasn't obvious to you but it was obvious to everyone else that he seemed to have a vested interest in you."

"He had a vested interest but not for the reasons you think."

Jinjoo smacked Gaon upside the head.

"Ow!"

"You know, us multicellular organisms are capable of multitasking, Gaon. The fact that he wanted to sleep with you doesn't negate the fact that he wanted to teach you."

Gaon's jaw dropped. He looked around at the children and was pleased to note that none of them were listening. Satisfied, he dragged Jinjoo out of the playroom, to the front of the building.

"Oh my god."

"Don't even deny it. You two were plain as day."

"We weren't doing anything," at the time, he refrained from adding.

Yohan had visited a total of nine times since Yohan faked his death a year ago. And he definitely wasn't visiting Gaon to talk about the live court show or mentor him. But Gaon couldn't exactly tell Jinjoo that without revealing the fact that Yohan was still alive.

"You were living in his house."

"Doesn't mean-"

"And the standing at each other's hip?"

"Coincidence."

"Two times is a coincidence. Fifty is a lifestyle."

Gaon was trying not freak out. If Jinjoo had noticed, who else had noticed? They were in fron5 of the country, three hours a week. What did people see? Lawyer Ko... oh god. And Elijah... Gaon sighed in agony, letting go of Jinjoo as he cringed inwardly.

"You two weren't very subtle."

"Ironically, there was nothing to hide."

At the time, Yohan was careful. Didn't push too many boundaries. He never said the wrong thing. Some days, Gaon was convinced it was all in his head. But then Yohan would get all up in Gaon's space, patting his chest, touching his shoulders, staring in Gaon's eyes like he was some interesting TV show. Messed with Gaon's head but he at least knew he wasn't imagining that.

He sat on the curb and rested his hands on his knees.

"None of that matters now, Gaon." She sat beside him. "I have my shelter and I'm satisfied. You? You always seem like you want more. You don't have to do it forever. If it doesn't work out, you can always quit and come back here."

"Thanks for the confidence boost."

"I mean it. I know you want to do it. I can see it in your eyes every time you watch the show."

"Am I supposed to just leave you here alone?"

"I won't be alone. I have my secret donor and those two."

She nodded in the direction of the field where Dongsik-hyung was leading a bunch of teenagers in some late evening exercise while Juwon-hyung tinkered with something under the shelter bus.

There was a lot of truth to what she was saying. Gaon could try it out. See what was left for him in the live court. Maybe help out a community or two. And if that didn't work out, he'd still be Gaon. And he'd still have a place to return to in Munju.