Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 99

“This is amazing.”

Kang Eun-young looked around, her eyes wide with curiosity.

For her, who had never had a reason to enter a military base, the army was an unknown world.

“Should I park the car on the parade ground?”

Kang Ji-hwan hesitated for a moment before parking the car in a corner of the parade ground. There was a steep road leading to the barracks, but somehow, it didn’t feel right to drive up there.

After parking the car in a corner, away from the soldiers playing soccer, a guard sergeant approached them.

“I’ve been notified about your visit, so he’ll be down soon. After you meet him here, you can move to the visitor’s center with the guide. And please fill out this visitor’s log.”

“Thank you.”

Baek Hyun-jung bowed her head and picked up the pen that was handed to her, filling out the log. Then, she handed the completed log to the guard sergeant.

“Please wait a moment.”

The guard sergeant smiled gently and was about to turn around when he suddenly stopped.

“Huh?”

The guard sergeant’s eyes widened in surprise.

“H-hey, could it be?”

The guard sergeant’s eyes went back to the log.

‘Ah, no? The name is different?’

Since celebrities sometimes used stage names, he couldn’t be sure without asking directly.

“Are you perhaps, Kang Se-ah?”

“Wow, you know me?”

“Are you really Kang Se-ah?”

“Wow, someone recognizes me! Thank you.”

The guard sergeant clutched his chest.

‘What is going on?’

Why was Kang Se-ah here? An idol who was currently at the peak of her popularity had come to the base for a visit!

And for a visit!

“A-are you Private Kang Jin-ho’s sister?”

“Yes. Is my brother doing well?”

“He’s doing great!”

The guard sergeant’s commotion caught the attention of the soldiers playing soccer, and they began to slowly approach them.

“What’s going on?”

The guard sergeant shouted.

“I-it’s Kang Se-ah!”

“Huh?”

“Kang Jin-ho’s sister is Kang Se-ah!”

“Kang Se-ah?”

The impact of the words that spread instantly was enormous. A sergeant who was dribbling the ball on the other side kicked the ball away and started sprinting towards them.

“Really?”

“Is that really Kang Se-ah?”

“Aaaah! It’s really her! Please sign this for me!”

Kang Ji-hwan was overwhelmed by the soldiers who had surrounded them in an instant and were shouting.

“No, please calm down first…”

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m seeing Kang Se-ah here!”

“Did you come for a performance?”

“She said she came to visit Kang Jin-ho! No wonder Kang Jin-ho is so damn handsome.”

“They look alike.”

Kang Eun-young started to organize the situation.

“Hello, I’m Kang Se-ah.”

“Waaaaah!”

“I’m happy to meet you all, but I’m here to visit my brother right now, so I’ll see you again later.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers were full of regret, but they knew that even if she was a celebrity, if they made a visitor uncomfortable, the company commander might rain down fire and brimstone, so they slowly backed away.

“Hey, isn’t that Jin-ho?”

Kang Ji-hwan pointed to the top of the hill.

Sure enough, Kang Jin-ho, dressed in his Class A combat uniform [a formal military uniform] for going out, was slowly coming down the hill.

“Oh, my baby!”

Baek Hyun-jung reached out to Kang Jin-ho, her face looking like she was about to burst into tears, and Kang Ji-hwan nodded repeatedly, as if he was proud.

Kang Jin-ho walked up to them.

“Jin-ho!”

Kang Ji-hwan’s voice was slightly tearful as he tried to grab Kang Jin-ho’s shoulder.

Suddenly.

Kang Jin-ho reached out and grabbed the back of Kang Eun-young’s neck.

“Huh?”

Kang Eun-young was bewildered, not knowing what was going on, when Kang Jin-ho grabbed her and pulled her along.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

“Come on.”

“Oppa, let go of me!”

“Be quiet.”

Kang Ji-hwan stared in disbelief at Kang Jin-ho, who was dragging Kang Eun-young like he was walking a dog on a leash.

“S-should we follow them?”

“I think so?”

Baek Hyun-jung smiled awkwardly.

Kang Eun-young’s cheeks were puffed out.

“W-what is this, what is this?”

“Quiet.”

Kang Jin-ho lightly put his finger to his lips, and Kang Eun-young flinched and lowered her head.

The visitor’s center.

Kang Eun-young, who was making a name for herself as a sexy idol, was dressed in a gray tracksuit, her hair tied up in a ponytail, looking like a test-taker, and was full of complaints.

“Father.”

“Huh?”

Wrinkles formed around Kang Jin-ho’s eyes.

“Even if she’s a celebrity, I think it’s wrong for a kid who hasn’t even graduated high school to dress like that.”

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

“But these days, times are different, and Eun-young is a celebrity, so wouldn’t it be right for her to manage herself?”

“I believe that the role of parents is most important in helping a child grow up right. If you don’t correct a child who is going astray, how can the child grow up properly?”

“…Have you been watching too many historical dramas?”

In the military, no less.

Kang Ji-hwan sighed.

He was his son, but at times like this, he felt suffocated. How did he end up with such a rigid son?

“Mother too!”

Baek Hyun-jung flinched as the target changed in an instant.

“I… I tell her not to wear those clothes. But she doesn’t listen to me, so what can I do?”

“She doesn’t listen?”

Kang Eun-young desperately waved her hands as Kang Jin-ho glared at her fiercely.

“No! No!”

Kang Eun-young shouted in surprise.

“Mom! You said it was pretty earlier, why are you changing your words now?”

Baek Hyun-jung turned her head away, and Kang Eun-young hit her chest in frustration.

“Wow, everyone’s a liar!”

“Quiet!”

“Oppa, it’s really not like that.”

“Shhh.”

Kang Eun-young pouted as Kang Jin-ho gestured for her to be quiet.

“Even if Mother and Father have allowed it, you must take the initiative to take care of your behavior.”

“…Yes, young master.”

“Again!”

“I’m sorry.”

Kang Eun-young lowered her head.

‘Why does my brother seem like someone from a historical drama?’

Who else in this day and age would be so upset about someone wearing hot pants? It’s not like it’s the Joseon era [a Korean dynasty from 1392-1897], it’s the 21st century.

“It’s a problem that you’re walking around like this, but it’s even more incomprehensible that you’re dancing on TV like this.”

“Oppa, it’s not something I can control. The concepts and costumes are all decided by the agency. It’s true.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“So I contacted the agency. They said they would change the concept and costumes and promote with a follow-up song, so keep that in mind.”

“No! Absolutely not! Oppa, I’m just starting to gain recognition!”

“It’s fine.”

“I said it’s not fine!”

“It’s fine.”

Kang Eun-young thought it would be easier to talk to a wall and grabbed her parents.

“Mom! Dad! Please say something. Oppa is trying to ruin my life.”

“…What Jin-ho is saying makes sense.”

“Dad!”

“I told you to be careful!”

“Mom!”

Kang Ji-hwan avoided Kang Eun-young’s gaze. He had learned many times that he couldn’t win against his son in matters like this.

Kang Jin-ho usually lived his life following orders, but when he really thought he had to do something and started expressing his opinion, he wouldn’t listen to them.

“It’s really not okay…”

Kang Jin-ho drove the final nail in the coffin as Kang Eun-young started to whine, looking like she was about to cry.

“Dye your hair black again too.”

“H-hair too?”

“What kind of student is walking around with bright yellow hair? You can do that after you graduate. You can do it when you go to college.”

“Oppa, I’m a celebrity! Are you trying to cut off my livelihood?”

Kang Jin-ho smiled faintly.

“Is being a celebrity the problem?”

“…Wait a minute, Oppa.”

“Then you don’t have to be a celebrity. It seems like your debut was too early.”

Kang Eun-young, realizing the situation, jumped into Kang Jin-ho’s arms.

“Brother, this little sister was short-sighted. I will do as you say, please forgive me.”

“Let go.”

“Oppa! Just once! I’m really sorry! I’ll dye my hair right away and tie it up tightly.”

Only then did Kang Jin-ho nod.

“That’s how it should be.”

Kang Eun-young felt like she wanted to shed tears of blood, but she knew that Kang Jin-ho was the reason she was able to debut as a celebrity, and that if he wanted to, he could nullify everything she was enjoying right now.

‘W-would a pure concept suit me?’

A very bleak outlook was expected, but it was a hundred times better than going back to being a test-taker.

“I shouldn’t have come for a visit.”

Kang Eun-young buried her face between her knees.

She had deliberately cleared her schedule to show him her celebrity self, but her brother was pouring cold water on her instead of congratulating her, which was driving her crazy.

“…My brother’s seniors all liked it. If I look pretty and appear on TV, wouldn’t my brother’s military life be a little easier?”

“I don’t need that.”

Kang Eun-young sharpened her nails at Kang Jin-ho’s firm words.

“You’re a heartless man!”

“It’s not going to happen no matter what you say. I’ll talk to Jo Gyu-min and change the concept, so if you don’t like it, quit.”

“I will work hard.”

Kang Eun-young, who had been knocked down, slumped in her chair.

“Okay. Eun-young, listen to your brother, and Jin-ho, eat these first.”

Baek Hyun-jung started to take out the food she had packed in the icebox.

“You didn’t have to bring all this.”

“It’s for my son, of course, a mother has to pack it.”

Kang Ji-hwan asked worriedly.

“Is the food in the military okay for you?”

“It’s fine.”

“It can’t be fine. There’s no way it’s fine.”

“It’s really fine. It’s delicious.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Baek Hyun-jung nodded without realizing it.

“Well, you don’t really know the taste of food.”

“Really?”

“Yes. There was a time when you poured a whole salt shaker into the soup and made it so salty, but you ate it all without saying anything. I was shocked when I tasted it later.”

“I guess your tongue is dull.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled lightly.

It wasn’t that his tongue was dull, but that he knew the value of food.

In his past life, Kang Jin-ho had lived on instant food for over ten years when he didn’t have his family. When he went to the Central Plains, he even lived by rummaging through trash cans.

Whether it was salty soup or anything else, if it was food that could be eaten, it shouldn’t be thrown away, and especially if it was food made by his mother, he had the mindset that it should be cherished even more.

“It’s really edible.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“But, didn’t Yu-min come with you?”

Kang Eun-young said, as if she was dumbfounded at Kang Jin-ho’s words.

“Is Yu-min oppa [an honorific term for older brother or male friend] family? This is a place for family to come, why would Yu-min oppa come? Oppa, are you dating Yu-min oppa?”

Kang Eun-young hid her head inside her tracksuit as Kang Jin-ho stared at her with a blank expression.

“Shut your mouth.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Kang Ji-hwan scratched his cheek and said.

“I did try to contact him this time, but he said he couldn’t come because he had something to do.”

“Is that so?”

Kang Jin-ho nodded. If that was the case, there was nothing he could do.

“Um, but Jin-ho…”

“Yes?”

“I was wondering whether I should say this or not, but… I think I should tell you. Yu-min’s voice on the phone sounded a bit strange.”

“Please tell me in detail.”

“His voice was trembling, like something was wrong.”