Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 392

“Hoo.”

Kang Jin-ho stared at his reflection in the mirror, his face gloomy.

‘What am I even doing?’

His master had told him that life doesn’t allow you to do only what you want, so if you have to do something, you should enjoy it without complaining to live a more comfortable life.

‘If it were something I could enjoy, I would, Master.’

Unfortunately, he had encountered too many things he couldn’t enjoy, and his life wasn’t short either. If his master had known that Kang Jin-ho would live such a long life, wouldn’t he have said something different?

“Huuuuuuuuu…”

After showering, Kang Jin-ho stared at the mirror for a moment before applying shaving cream to his face.

‘I’m getting used to it now.’

Ever since he came back from the military, his body had started sprouting hair. In the Central Plains [a fictional or historical region, often used in martial arts stories], he never shaved, so having to shave the hair on his body was something he couldn’t get used to, but now he was starting to feel like he was adapting.

Kang Jin-ho ran his fingers over his growing beard. As he did, the hairs began to fall away as if cut by a sharp razor. After shaving and washing his face, Kang Jin-ho finished washing up and came out.

“Heeeuuung?”

“……You startled me.”

Kang Eun-young was glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

“The store doesn’t open for a while, so why are you all dolled up and going out this early in the morning?”

“What do you mean ‘dolled up’?”

“It looks like it to me?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Kang Jin-ho gently pushed away the clinging Kang Eun-young and headed to his room. However, Kang Eun-young stubbornly followed him. He tried to close the door, but Kang Eun-young sat on the threshold, preventing him from closing it. Kang Jin-ho sighed and changed his clothes with the door open.

“Hey! Hey! Mommmmmmm!”

Kang Eun-young shrieked as she watched Kang Jin-ho. Then, Baek Hyun-jung, who was in the master bedroom, came out in a flurry.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Look at Oppa, look at Oppa!”

“What about Oppa?”

Baek Hyun-jung’s eyes widened as she looked at Kang Jin-ho at Kang Eun-young’s words.

“Are you going on a blind date?”

Kang Jin-ho lowered his head with a gloomy face.

What kind of life had he lived that he had to hear such things just for wearing jeans and a white t-shirt?

“Are those new jeans?”

“…Yes.”

“You’re really dating someone, aren’t you?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then why are you dressing up like this so early in the morning?”

Inner beauty is what’s important to a person.

But Kang Jin-ho was realizing that the way he dressed was also a big factor in defining him.

“I have something to do.”

“You’re all dressed up like this, and you’re not meeting a woman?”

“No, I’m not!”

Kang Jin-ho quickly left the room, deciding that there was no point in talking any further.

“He’s running away! Mom! Oppa’s running away!”

“Can’t you just stay still?”

“…I, I really am not.”

Kang Jin-ho started to sweat.

“You know that excuses without a reason only increase suspicion, right?”

“You be quiet.”

“Mom! Oppa’s changing the subject!”

Baek Hyun-jung raised her eyes slightly. Baek Hyun-jung, who had been looking at Kang Jin-ho suspiciously, smiled and patted him on the back.

“Go get ’em, son.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled and put on his shoes. Kang Eun-young couldn’t contain her anger and jumped up and down.

“Th-th-that… Look at that. I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to follow him and keep an eye on him…”

“You come here.”

Baek Hyun-jung grabbed Kang Eun-young’s head.

“Ouch! Mom, it hurts!”

“If I leave you alone, your brother will never get married. Don’t try to mess things up and come here.”

“Mom, you’re talking nonsense!”

“You’re the one talking nonsense!”

Kang Jin-ho sighed quietly as he watched the two bickering.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay, okay.”

Kang Jin-ho bowed his head and quickly left the house before Kang Eun-young could follow him.

“Hoo…”

It felt like he was wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

He knew it was necessary, but he couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t have to go this far.

‘This is so awkward…’

Just as he was about to open the car door, his messenger app rang.

“Huh?”

Who would be messaging him this early in the morning?

When he looked at his phone, it was a message from Choi Yeon-ha.

— Are you going out with that hair?

Kang Jin-ho looked at the gate with a stiff face, and he could see a slender figure through the bars.

Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply and opened the gate to go outside.

“What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I knew this would happen, so I came.”

“Huh?”

“Your hair, your hair.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face slightly contorted.

What’s wrong with his hair now?

“Hoo, I’d like to take you to a salon, but I guess you’d say no?”

“A salon?”

“I mean a hair salon.”

“Is there a hair salon open this early in the morning? Maybe a barbershop, but…”

“If I want it open, it’ll be open.”

Just as he was thinking that maybe this woman was living a very easy life, Choi Yeon-ha took out a small red container from her pocket and opened the lid.

“Come here.”

“…What is that?”

“It’s wax.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Choi Yeon-ha with an indescribable expression.

“Is this something we really have to do?”

“This is a matter of pride!”

Choi Yeon-ha said with a confident face.

“Of course, we don’t have to go this far, but you’re going out all dressed up, and it would be infuriating if people thought that this is all the potential you have.”

But why is that infuriating to you?

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t understand her way of thinking at all, but Choi Yeon-ha was radiating a strong determination that she wouldn’t let him go like this, blocking his way back.

“Don’t even dream about it. I knew this would happen, so I rushed over here this morning.”

“…Why?”

“It’s a matter of pride, I tell you!”

So, why is your pride hurt when my hair is weird?

He had so much to say, but Choi Yeon-ha didn’t seem to be listening at all.

Kang Jin-ho, judging that the only way to resolve this situation smoothly was to give in and let her do his hair, lowered his head with a defeated look.

“That’s right, good boy.”

Kang Jin-ho’s forehead creased as Choi Yeon-ha patted his head.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

“Okay, okay.”

Even though she said okay, Choi Yeon-ha kept patting his head, so Kang Jin-ho raised his head sharply.

“I, I was going to apply it. Really.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed and lowered his head again. Choi Yeon-ha put some wax on her hands, rubbed them together, and then started styling Kang Jin-ho’s hair with professional-looking movements.

“All done.”

“…Is it over?”

Kang Jin-ho raised his head, and Choi Yeon-ha looked him over with a dissatisfied expression.

“You look a little too handsome, should I nerf you a bit? If I add a little bit of baby hair, it’ll make you look more greasy and less attractive, right?”

“I’ll pass.”

“So you do want to look handsome? Hehe.”

Kang Jin-ho turned away abruptly.

“Do well today!”

Choi Yeon-ha waved her hand, not seeming to have any regrets.

Kang Jin-ho rubbed his eyes as he watched Choi Yeon-ha shouting encouragement from behind.

‘Stress… stress.’

Kang Jin-ho, who usually didn’t get stressed easily, was feeling a throbbing pain in the back of his head this morning.

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho!”

“Yes?”

Choi Yeon-ha shouted through the bars.

“Smile. You’re not going out with that face, are you?”

He couldn’t see her expression clearly through the bars, but he could imagine what kind of face Choi Yeon-ha was making.

She was probably having the time of her life. She definitely was.

‘Ugh.’

Kang Jin-ho wiped his moist eyes and got into the car.

‘How did things get this far?’

It was all Jo Gyu-min’s doing.

“Spend money?”

“Yes, yes, spending money is good. And while we’re at it, let’s include using your face… no, your looks to our advantage.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean…”

Jo Gyu-min grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s hand.

“Why are you doing this…”

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho, listen to me carefully,” Jo Gyu-min said firmly.

“This is a more serious matter than you think.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned at Jo Gyu-min’s attempt to create a tense atmosphere.

“There are problems in the world that are simple to solve but difficult to implement, and there are problems that are difficult to solve in themselves. This is clearly the latter. The former is something that Mr. Kang Jin-ho can do very easily. But this is not. So we need everyone’s help.”

“I understand, but…”

“That’s why we’re trying to help the kids in our respective fields. Don’t you see? Everyone is doing their best in their own field. Choi Yeon-ha is in charge of the appearance, Park Yu-min is in charge of the psychological aspect, and Bang Jin-hoon is in charge of the physical aspect. Of course… of course!”

Jo Gyu-min was starting to get fired up.

“It’s not that Mr. Kang Jin-ho can’t do other things. Of course, Mr. Kang Jin-ho is good at it too. However, there are people who can replace other things, but there is something that only Mr. Kang Jin-ho can do. That’s money and your looks!”

“My, my looks?”

“You can think of it as your face. I can’t use my face to charm people.”

“…Why is charming people even coming up here? What does that have to do with bullying!”

“Aha, you’re being naive again!”

“You sound like you’re trying to sell me something!”

“Sell you something? I, Jo Gyu-min! I’ve lived my whole life honestly!”

“…Are you going into politics?”

“Okay, okay, just listen to me for now,” Jo Gyu-min said with a grin.

“Of course, I know that Mr. Kang Jin-ho doesn’t like this method.”

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that I don’t see what effect it will have.”

“Let’s say Mr. Kang Jin-ho saw someone.”

“Yes.”

“And let’s say that person is talking casually with the former president, the Minister of National Defense, and even the US president over a cup of coffee.”

“…Why are you being so extreme?”

“Then would Mr. Kang Jin-ho think that person is ordinary?”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t answer.

Because he wouldn’t.

“One of the criteria for judging a person is who they associate with. You can’t say it’s absolutely not true. If a person seems to be associating with someone who is very high level, then that person also seems to have something special about them. This is just a fact. If you don’t understand, just memorize it.”

“And for kids that age, looks are definitely more effective than money. This is 100% true.”

“No, Director Jo…”

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho!”

Jo Gyu-min said earnestly, calling out to Kang Jin-ho.

“This is something that will help the kids. You can do it, right?”

“You can do it, right?”

“…Yes.”

Jo Gyu-min grinned.

“As expected of Mr. Kang Jin-ho. Then let’s start with my part right away. But don’t ever wear a tracksuit. Jeans and a white shirt are enough.”

“Ah, no…”

“Then come to the orphanage in your car tomorrow morning. Make sure you bring your car.”

Kang Jin-ho felt like he had been getting played by Jo Gyu-min lately.