Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1048

“I’m home.”

“Oppa!”

As soon as the door opened, Kang Eun-young came running. Kang Jin-ho chuckled at the sight.

‘Treat your employees like family…’

It’s an easy thing to say, but a very difficult thing to do.

How could anyone treat an employee like this girl?

“Aren’t you too late?”

“I had some work to do.”

“Hmph, well, Jae-kyung is famous for working their employees hard!”

“…I told you, I’m not a Jae-kyung employee.”

“Let’s just go with that. It’s fun for a while.”

“What are you talking about?”

And no employee would be as impossible to talk to as this one. When talking to Kang Eun-young, you get dragged into her pace.

“By the way, Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeon-ha unnie…”

“Yeon-ha unnie?”

“Choi Yeon-ha.”

Kang Jin-ho flinched.

“Since when did you become so close to call her that?”

“Women can build a Great Wall in just one night!” [A Korean saying implying women can become close very quickly.]

“Is that the right time to use that saying?”

“Heh!”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“So, what is it?”

“They said the preparations will be done by next week, so I can transfer. Is it really okay for me to do this?”

“…Why are you asking me that?”

“You’re the one who plugged me into the code. I can’t move without talking to you. Isn’t this company you made for me to work comfortably?”

There’s a misunderstanding.

Kang Jin-ho had only asked Choi Yeon-ha to check what the code was like. After that, all the processes were done by Choi Yeon-ha alone, without any intervention from Kang Jin-ho.

“What do you think?”

“Me? I’d be happy to move.”

“Why?”

“You’re the boss, right?”

It’s a strange thing.

Kang Jin-ho is just living as he always has, but he keeps getting these strange titles. He becomes a president, then a chairman.

“It’s true that the code has been very supportive, but things have been a bit strange lately… I’d feel more comfortable working at a company where you are, and more than anything…”

“More than anything?”

“If I’m with Yeon-ha unnie, I can just sit back and get fed!”

Should he scold her for having no ambition, or praise her for being realistic?

“What about your aspirations as a singer?”

“Hahaha! Oppa, are you saying something like a teenager? We’re all doing this to make a living.”

That’s right.

We’re doing this to make a living.

But that’s not something you should be saying at your age.

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

“It’s easier to change companies as a singer too. I can do what I want.”

“Then do whatever is comfortable for you.”

“Oppa, the reactions lately seem a bit ambiguous. Have they lost their affection!”

“…I’ll reflect on that.”

Kang Jin-ho readily admitted, and Kang Eun-young stretched her arms out, looking bored.

“But…”

“Yeah?”

“Unnie said she’d text me today, but there’s no text.”

“Did she text me?”

“No.”

“She must be very busy. Hmmm, well, it’s a time when her schedule is crazy. She’s been on fire lately.”

“Why?”

“The Chinese drama she filmed was a huge hit. Don’t you know?”

Kang Eun-young chuckled.

“Well, of course, you wouldn’t be interested in that. It seems like it’s a big hit in China, and they’re importing it to Korea too? It’s a craze, a craze.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yeah. So, she seems to be incredibly busy. But she should have time to send a text.”

Cold sweat broke out on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead.

‘Come to think of it, there’s no contact…’

Normally, Choi Yeon-ha would call from time to time, or at least leave an emoticon on the chat, but there’s been no contact at all. Thinking about it, the time when Park Yu-min mentioned ‘that’ and the time when contact was cut off are the same.

“Oppa?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you tired?”

“…Why?”

“Your face doesn’t look good?”

When was the last time he heard that his face didn’t look good?

Kang Jin-ho realized once again that no matter how much martial arts he mastered, he couldn’t control his emotional turmoil.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

“Okay, Oppa. If you’re tired, rest quickly. You must be tired doing something you’re not used to.”

I wish that was the case, Eun-young.

After showering, Kang Jin-ho went into his room, stared at his phone, and then flopped onto the bed.

‘Han Se-yeon…’

It felt like taking out a faded photo from an old album.

It’s not that the memories are fresh.

It’s the feeling of looking at a very old photo and thinking, ‘When did I take this?’

But the others who saw that old photo were the ones who were agitated. Ironically.

Han Se-yeon.

Thinking about it…

It felt a bit strange.

The memory of the last cafe he sat with Han Se-yeon was still vivid. He still remembered muttering to himself after she left.

‘Was it sorry?’

That was probably the last thing she said… Kang Jin-ho sighed.

“Just because it’s ‘sorry’ doesn’t mean it’s the same ‘sorry.’”

At that time, the emotion Kang Jin-ho felt was closer to human pity. It was a time when he had not yet adapted to this world.

He still can’t say that he has completely adapted, but it was a time when he was more clumsy than now.

Kang Jin-ho was struggling to cope with the world that was pouring down on him.

That’s why he couldn’t properly distinguish between affection and favor, and he didn’t know what to prioritize. The last words Han Se-yeon said were still a question to him.

“Why now, out of the blue…”

What’s the point of a relationship that’s already over?

Kang Jin-ho turned on his phone and opened the chat. Looking at Choi Yeon-ha’s chat, where contact had been cut off, he felt a strange feeling.

‘Should I contact her first?’

Is it too late to do that now?

No, it doesn’t seem that late now?

Rather than waiting awkwardly…

— What are you doing?

Flustered!

Kang Jin-ho shuddered as the text suddenly popped up.

No, what kind of timing is this!

It was impossible to pretend he hadn’t seen it since he had opened the chat. The ‘1’ disappeared at light speed.

— Oh? You were looking at the chat?

And she’s quick-witted too. There was no room to escape.

‘Escape?’

But what am I escaping from?

What did I do wrong?

Kang Jin-ho took a deep breath.

Then, he began to type a message with his slow hands. His fingers could move a hundred times in a second if he wanted to, but this speed never seemed to improve.

— I was just about to contact you.

— Hmm? That’s commendable?

— Thank you.

— Do you have time tomorrow? My schedule is open?

— Ah, I have training tomorrow. I’m free on the weekend.

— Do you have time tomorrow?

Kang Jin-ho’s fingers trembled slightly.

— I’ll make time even if I don’t.

— Then let’s meet for lunch tomorrow. At my place at twelve.

— Okay.

— Okay. Then sleep well.

The text was…

Ah, words are really amazing.

It was amazing that you could feel emotions even in just a few lines of text.

Maybe Kang Jin-ho has developed a lot and can now feel the emotions hidden between the lines.

But what should I say…

‘It might be better not to know.’

It felt like a cold wind was blowing from the message.

Kang Jin-ho closed his eyes tightly and put down his phone.

It seems like he’ll have to take a day off tomorrow.

“You’re here?”

“Yes.”

When he opened the door and went inside, Choi Yeon-ha, dressed in casual clothes, greeted Kang Jin-ho.

‘Her expression isn’t bad?’

Seeing her smiling brightly, the message he received yesterday seemed like a lie. Or maybe Kang Jin-ho was too sensitive.

“I heard you were very busy.”

“You have no idea. I’m dying.”

Choi Yeon-ha walked inside, joking.

“Shouldn’t I offer you something to drink when someone visits my house? I don’t usually have people over.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’m not okay? Kang Jin-ho is picky about coffee, so I can’t give you coffee. Hmm, I have tea… Would you like tea?”

“Coffee.”

“…You have a very firm taste, a very firm taste.”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled and pointed to the sofa.

“Wait a moment. I’ll bring it right away.”

“Okay.”

As Choi Yeon-ha headed towards the refrigerator, Kang Jin-ho sat on the sofa.

The sofa was soft, like being poked in the butt with a needle… No, why is it uncomfortable when it’s soft?

Choi Yeon-ha quickly returned and placed a canned coffee in front of Kang Jin-ho.

“Is there a problem?”

“No.”

He briefly pondered what the correlation was between instant canned coffee and being picky.

“It’s hard to see your face.”

“Because I’m busy.”

“Me, or Kang Jin-ho?”

“I don’t think it’s me this time.”

“Hmph? What about before?”

“…It was because of me.”

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled.

“Well, it’s good that you’re sure about who’s responsible.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled awkwardly and subtly changed the subject.

“I heard the drama did well…”

“Wow, Kang Jin-ho knows about that. Who did you hear it from?”

“…Eun-young.”

“I knew it. You’re not someone who would look that up.”

She had already figured out that she shouldn’t expect that from Kang Jin-ho. And Choi Yeon-ha didn’t want Kang Jin-ho to be interested in her filmography either.

He should see Choi Yeon-ha as a person, not as the actress Choi Yeon-ha. It was good that he looked at her with the same eyes, whether she was a hit or not.

“I’m glad the results were good.”

“It should be good. After all that hard work.”

Choi Yeon-ha still gritted her teeth at the thought of filming in China.

It’s a success that can be called a blockbuster now, but it’s not over yet. The broadcast has just started, and the ratings are still rising.

“The reaction seems good.”

“It seems even better among the people involved. I keep getting scripts. There are many people who want to meet me.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yes, it’s a good thing. But I’m not going to do it. I’m done with location shooting in China. I don’t know if something really good comes along, but for a while, I don’t want to even look at China.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled lightly.

‘That’s a relief.’

He also didn’t like the idea of Choi Yeon-ha going to China again. The Hongwang Group might have already figured out the relationship between Choi Yeon-ha and Kang Jin-ho to some extent. In that situation, going into their territory was definitely a burden.

“But what brings you here?”

“Do I need a reason? I just called you because I wanted to see you?”

“I was just asking.”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled brightly.

Only then did Kang Jin-ho let out a slight sigh.

It’s the usual Choi Yeon-ha.

There doesn’t seem to be any particular problem. He was just feeling strange because he was feeling guilty.

“You’ve been very busy lately, right? How’s the training going?”

“It’s manageable.”

“Your expression is subtle?”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“Not everything can go my way. I have to adjust.”

“We feel the same way. If I could, I’d just throw everything away and roll around in my room for three days. But when the water comes in, you can’t help but row. It’s water that could stop at any time.”

“I agree.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

Well, Choi Yeon-ha must be as out of it as Kang Jin-ho. He felt a sense of camaraderie.

Just as he was about to say something to comfort her, Choi Yeon-ha beat him to it.

“Oh, right. There’s that thing.”

“Yes?”

“Who is Han Se-yeon?”

Choi Yeon-ha smiles.

Brightly.

Cold sweat began to trickle down Kang Jin-ho’s spine.