Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2027

The next morning, Kang Jin-ho received a visit from Jo Gyu-min.

“From now on, I will brief you on why Mr. Kang Jin-ho shouldn’t be driving that car.”

“Wait, what is this…”

“Just listen!” Jo Gyu-min’s eyes lit up.

“Did you perhaps stay up all night?”

Jo Gyu-min didn’t answer. Kang Jin-ho was speechless when he saw the report and briefing materials in his hands.

“The company isn’t run for fun.”

It was the planning department, working overtime, that helped him out of his despair. A company is a place where, once a car is developed, the board of directors, packed like sardines in a dragon’s lair, asks, ‘Why not put wings on it so it can fly in the sky?’ [This is a metaphor for unrealistic demands]. When working at a company, you might find yourself struggling to explain ‘why you shouldn’t do something’ instead of ‘why you should do it’.

There were masters of persuasion in the finance department, and when they saw Jo Gyu-min’s distraught state, they rolled up their sleeves and started helping him. The result was this briefing material.

“Why! Why on earth! Shouldn’t I buy that car!” Jo Gyu-min connected his laptop to a projector and displayed the screen on the wall of the store. Then, he began his explanation.

Efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and numerous other reasons were listed. His efforts were commendable, but Kang Jin-ho remained as firm as a rock.

“So, are you saying you can’t get it?” After explaining all the reasons, Kang Jin-ho didn’t budge, like a stubborn old boss who asks, ‘So, you can’t do it?’

Most office workers would give up at this point and say, ‘I’ll make it,’ but Jo Gyu-min was no ordinary office worker. He was a seasoned veteran and a capable employee who had crossed the line with Kang Jin-ho countless times.

As if he had expected it, Jo Gyu-min pulled out his secret weapon.

“It’s possible! I can get that car. If I can’t get it, I’ll make it and get it approved by the Ministry of Environment. If I slip a little money to those old guys, they’ll even make a law to get it passed. But!” Jo Gyu-min presented his trump card.

“Then that car will be the only one of its kind in the country. Everyone will know where Mr. Kang Jin-ho goes and moves. Is that okay with you?”

“…Absolutely not.” It was the moment Jo Gyu-min’s logic moved Kang Jin-ho’s heart.

Thanks to Jo Gyu-min’s desperate persuasion, Kang Jin-ho decided to buy another car. Jo Gyu-min’s earnest persuasion that he could buy a sports car when he needed sports and drive a sedan when going to the grocery store eventually moved Kang Jin-ho’s heart.

“Then, I’ll leave the sedan purchase to you as well.”

“…What kind of car are you looking for?”

“Something not too heavy, not too old-man-like, not too light, and something that responds well when driving, please.”

Only then did Jo Gyu-min realize. ‘My workload just increased.’ He had averted the worst-case scenario, but thanks to that, he now had the heavy responsibility of selecting two cars that suited Kang Jin-ho’s taste.

“…I’ll contact you again.” Joo Young-gi clicked his tongue as he watched Jo Gyu-min trudge away.

“He’s having a hard time with a tough guy.”

“I know.” Park Yu-min also shook his head, looking fed up.

“He used to ride any car or bike, but he’s getting more and more picky.”

“It seems like he became like that after going to the military. What happened in there?”

“It would be easier to explain what didn’t happen in the military.” The military is a place where you experience all sorts of things. Especially Kang Jin-ho’s military life was eventful itself.

“Look at him, look at him, isn’t he just tormenting Director Jo? He never did that to his juniors in the military, but he’s doing it in society. He’s really a ruthless guy.”

“…No, I’m not.” Kang Jin-ho waved his hand as if he was wronged by Joo Young-gi’s malicious slander.

“I have to choose something I’ll be using for a long time.”

“You’ll probably break it again.”

“I think so too.” Kang Jin-ho was speechless at Joo Young-gi and Park Yu-min’s collaboration. More than anything, the sad part was that he couldn’t even be sure that it wouldn’t happen again.

“Didn’t they say the chef was coming today?”

“Yeah. She’ll be here soon. She’s supposed to arrive by ten.”

“Hmm…” He was a little worried, to be honest. It was awkward to have a new person enter their space, and beyond just being a chef, they would also be in charge of the menu, which meant they would be overseeing the kitchen.

“It’s a bit awkward, but…”

“But we can’t just keep playing house here forever.”

“…I guess not.” There was an unspoken agreement. At first, they had planned to do it lightly until they went back to school, but after getting involved, they had grown attached to it, and they didn’t want to close the store. If they could leave it to someone else, they wanted to keep the store running. It seemed like everyone had similar thoughts.

‘It’s probably unrealistic.’ It would be difficult to maintain the store unless someone stayed here to work. If Kang Jin-ho wasn’t there, sales would decrease, and even if they hired a manager, it would be difficult to manage it consistently. It was just a wish that the store would do a little better because of their memories.

At that moment. As if the devil appears when you speak of him, someone knocked on the door that was not yet open.

“Looks like she’s here?” Joo Young-gi grinned and got up from his seat, then went to open the door. Then he didn’t move.

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head, watching Joo Young-gi standing still for a long time.

“Why is he like that?”

“I don’t know?” Park Yu-min got up from his seat and approached Joo Young-gi.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Joo Young-gi turned around, looking flustered, then wrapped his arm around Park Yu-min’s neck and dragged him away.

“…Why! Why?” Joo Young-gi, dragging Park Yu-min to where Kang Jin-ho was, said in a hurried voice.

“Why didn’t you say she was a woman?”

“Is that important?”

“It’s important, you crazy bastard! What do we do if we bring a woman when there are only men here?”

“What does it matter?” Joo Young-gi looked at Park Yu-min with a dumbfounded expression.

‘Ah…’ Come to think of it, Park Yu-min had grown up in an orphanage since he was a child. Park Yu-min, who had always grown up in an environment where men and women were mixed, would not have any aversion to living in the same space as a woman.

“I should have done it.”

“That’s gender discrimination.”

“Ugh.” While Joo Young-gi and Park Yu-min were bickering, the new chef was standing awkwardly at the entrance, unable to come in or leave. Having no other choice, Kang Jin-ho stepped forward to greet her.

“Welcome.”

“Yes, hello. I’m Jung Soo-yeon, and I’m here to start working today.”

“Yes.” Kang Jin-ho led the newcomer inside. The image of a chef that was stuck in his head was a man wearing a large baker’s hat, but Jung Soo-yeon was a beauty who could be described as slender.

‘It’s going to be tough.’ Looking at her delicate hands and arms, he doubted whether she could actually cook properly. The kitchen work that Kang Jin-ho had experienced was harder than he thought. You had to be exposed to heat all day and swing heavy pans, and he wondered if that frail body could do such work. It was only natural to be worried.

“Welcome. I’m Kang Jin-ho.”

“Ah… Are you the one who hired me?”

“That’s him over there.” Park Yu-min raised his hand at Kang Jin-ho’s gesture.

“I’m Park Yu-min. I’m in charge of the hall for now.” At Park Yu-min’s signal, Joo Young-gi cleared his throat and introduced himself.

“I’m Joo Young-gi. I also look after the hall and the kitchen from time to time.”

“Ah, I see. Then, who is the one who originally cooks?”

“Yes. That’s me.”

“What about the owner?”

“That guy.” Jung Soo-yeon looked at Kang Jin-ho for a moment, then nodded.

“You’re the owner chef.”

“Huh?” Kang Jin-ho tilted his head, not understanding what she meant.

“There are many advantages to having the owner directly in charge of the kitchen.”

“Ah…”

“I know it’s polite to introduce myself, but before that…” Jung Soo-yeon looked at Kang Jin-ho with a slightly different look than before. Her soft impression had become a bit serious.

“Can I take a look at the kitchen?” ‘What is this?’ Jung Soo-yeon was in a state of confusion. It was clear that this store was a pizza place that had opened a month ago, and three men who were no better than beginners were taking turns in the kitchen. With just that information, she could guess what the state of the kitchen would be like. It was usually a place you would want to avoid, but she had come to see the state of the kitchen because they said they would give her full control over it.

The gentle voice she had heard on the phone didn’t feel like they were trying to bully her, and it felt more like they were looking for a savior than someone to boss around. She had decided to come to work thinking that she could endure it as long as she had full control of the kitchen and could do things the way she wanted. And when she saw Joo Young-gi’s burly impression at the entrance, she thought, ‘Ah, it’s not going to be easy here either.’

“Oh my god.” The kitchen was in a state she had never imagined. That’s how kitchens usually are. No matter how much you wipe and clean, it’s hard to keep it clean. Especially in a place that handles greasy cheese like a pizza place, grease tends to settle everywhere, and it’s hard to keep it clean unless you use harsh detergents. She had imagined a kitchen in complete chaos since three men were running it, but…

‘A fly would slip on this floor.’ The floor was dazzling. It wasn’t just a figure of speech, the floor was actually shining. She was amazed at what they used to clean the floor to make it shine like that. To make it shine that much, you would have to use harsh chemicals, and then the smell of chemicals would inevitably rise from the floor, but now there was no other smell in the kitchen other than the smell of cheese.

Her eyes began to shake as she looked up at the sink. Even the sinks on display in kitchen supply stores wouldn’t shine as cleanly as that.

‘How did they clean it?’ Her feet stopped as she was about to enter the kitchen with a slightly trembling heart. ‘What if I leave a footprint on the floor if I step in like this?’ she thought. When you see a place covered in pure white snow, everyone wants to leave the first footprint on it, but at the same time, you hesitate because you’re afraid that this perfect scene will be ruined by your footprint. That was the feeling she had.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the kitchen and headed straight for the refrigerator.

‘Let’s not be surprised.’ You can tell how clean a kitchen is by looking at the refrigerator. The thought that the inside of the refrigerator would be dirty had already disappeared. There was no way the refrigerator in a place where the floor was cleaned like this could be dirty. If it was, then he was a madman.

Jung Soo-yeon slowly grabbed the refrigerator handle and opened the door, her mouth slowly opening. Her eyes began to tremble as she checked the ingredients, neatly arranged by type. Looking closely, they weren’t just lined up, they were arranged by expiration date.

“…Who organizes the kitchen?” The two people who had been watching the situation pointed to Kang Jin-ho as if to say it wasn’t them. Jung Soo-yeon looked at Kang Jin-ho and asked in a trembling voice.

“D-Do you perhaps have a disease?” And so, a new relationship was beginning from an insult.