Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1089

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you trembling like that?”

Turning his head, Joo Young-gi looked at Park Yu-min with a disdainful expression.

“Is something wrong?”

“What’s wrong, you ask?”

Joo Young-gi let out a hollow laugh.

It would be faster to list what wasn’t wrong. His legs were shaking uncontrollably, and his eyes darted around, unable to focus on anything.

Well, he could let that slide.

But staring at the menu for twenty minutes was definitely not normal.

Joo Young-gi was trying his best to offer a diverse menu, but he knew better than anyone that his menu wasn’t worth spending 20 minutes on.

“Jin-ho is coming, right?”

“Yeah…”

“Then why don’t you just order what you usually do?”

“Ah, no, someone else is coming today.”

“Someone else?”

“Yeah. An old… friend.”

Park Yu-min licked his lips slightly.

The word ‘friend’ seemed to catch on his lips, not quite making it out.

Friend, a friend…

It was a vague term.

“Friend? What kind of friend?”

“You know. A friend from high school who went abroad to study and came back recently.”

“Global, huh?”

Joo Young-gi’s lips twitched.

“But why are you shaking so much when you’re meeting a friend? Anyone would think you’re waiting for a loan shark.”

“That’s actually…”

Park Yu-min sighed.

‘It’s okay to tell him, right?’

Kang Jin-ho didn’t really hide anything from Joo Young-gi, so it should be fine.

‘It’s okay to whine a little, right?’

Park Yu-min slightly raised his head to look at the clock. There were still about twenty minutes left until the appointment time.

“Can you sit for a bit?”

“Well…”

Joo Young-gi glanced at the kitchen, asked for permission, and then sat down.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, it’s like this…”

After hearing the whole story, Joo Young-gi looked up at the ceiling with a sulky face.

“…What do you think?”

At Park Yu-min’s question, Joo Young-gi didn’t answer, but instead gulped down the cola in front of him.

“Ah!”

Joo Young-gi put down the cola glass, grimaced, and opened his mouth.

“No, I just can’t understand it!”

“Huh?”

“What’s so great about Kang Jin-ho that everyone is like that?”

“Why, what about Jin-ho?”

“No, it’s just…”

Joo Young-gi sighed deeply.

“Hey, he’s good as a friend. He’s good as a guy. But that’s just how guys see him. Honestly, does Jin-ho have any humor, or any manners? Why do women keep falling for a guy who’s not even fun? I’d be better!”

“Jin-ho is handsome.”

Joo Young-gi clutched his chest.

The fact pierced his chest and came out his back.

“Oh, are you living off your face?”

“These days, it’s an era where you can live off your face. If Jin-ho tried to make a living as a model or celebrity, he could do it easily, right? He’d make a ton of money, wouldn’t he?”

Joo Young-gi couldn’t say anything back.

Even for a guy, Kang Jin-ho was handsome. The only one who didn’t think much of Kang Jin-ho’s face was Kang Jin-ho himself.

“Hey, man! Would Choi Yeon-ha be like that because of Kang Jin-ho’s face?”

“Why? Choi Yeon-ha is a woman too. Isn’t it the same? It’s better to be handsome if possible.”

“Ha?”

Joo Young-gi trembled.

“He’s handsome, but he’s not fun.”

“That’s true.”

“Then they’ll get bored quickly!”

“They say he’s always new? They say being handsome is the best.”

“Ugh, this dirty world.”

Damn looks-based society.

The more he thought about it, the more unfair it felt.

“So, that’s all you have to say?”

“Then what do you expect from me?”

“…I’m an idiot for telling you.”

“Oh? Park Yu-min has grown up a lot?”

Joo Young-gi chuckled as Park Yu-min sighed.

“Why are you even worrying about that?”

“Huh?”

Joo Young-gi clicked his tongue.

“You and Kang Jin-ho are both too nosy. Hey, no one knows about relationships, not even divorce lawyers. I know a brother who’s a divorce lawyer, and he gives all sorts of advice, but even he got divorced.”

“No one who thinks they know about relationships and how you can do something about it is ever right. Only the couple knows the couple’s situation. And no one knows why a person likes another person.”

“That’s right.”

“So, don’t think about anything else and just step back. Why are you in the middle worrying about it? They’ll figure it out themselves.”

“It’s because they’re both my friends.”

“Then you can just be friends with both of them.”

“Huh?”

Joo Young-gi looked at Park Yu-min with a pathetic look.

“Hey, are you going to cut ties with one of them if something happens between them?”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Then what’s the problem? They’ll fight and make up on their own. Then you can just meet them separately when you see how things are going. Will the earth explode if you meet them separately? Will the KOSPI [Korean stock market index] crash?”

“Your expressions are vivid.”

“Let it be, let it be. Yu-min, life is tough. It’s hard enough to live your own life. If you worry about what others are doing, your head will explode. And…”

Joo Young-gi leaned closer to the table. Then, with a meaningful look, he continued.

“Do you think Kang Jin-ho will listen to you even if you come up with some plan?”

Joo Young-gi leaned back and crossed his arms.

“That’s called making trouble for yourself. Don’t do meaningless things, just let it be. It’ll only make you annoyed. You should focus on preparing for your performance, man. Don’t whine later that you didn’t do well because you were worried about this.”

“I won’t.”

“Man, I’m worried, I’m worried. Anyway, at that age, whether it’s a woman who studied in England, Choi Yeon-ha, or Kang Jin-ho, they’re all on the fast track of their lives. Who are we to worry about? Yu-min, let’s worry about our own lives. I can’t sleep these days because business is bad, bad.”

Park Yu-min slightly turned his head.

The tables were full of people. When he looked back with a sulky face, Joo Young-gi cleared his throat.

“It’s just a bit busy because it’s dinner time.”

It’s rare for a business owner to say that business is good.

“When are they coming?”

Joo Young-gi subtly changed the subject, but Park Yu-min didn’t question it and responded.

“They’ll be here soon.”

“Then I should get up. Hey, Yu-min.”

“Yeah?”

“Please don’t overdo it and just let it be. If it’s too annoying, just leave them alone and go away.”

“…Okay.”

“Yeah, right.”

Joo Young-gi snorted and got up from his seat.

‘That’s a disease, a disease.’

Joo Young-gi shook his head and headed to the counter.

Park Yu-min was too much in that regard. He thought and worried about things that weren’t his own as if they were his own. Well, that was also one of Park Yu-min’s good points.

Joo Young-gi sat at the counter and looked at the entrance.

‘Isn’t it about time they came?’

As if on cue.

The door opened, and a young woman walked in. Joo Young-gi instinctively knew that the woman was Han Se-yeon, the one Park Yu-min had mentioned.

‘Kang Jin-ho, that bastard.’

As soon as he saw Han Se-yeon’s face, he felt a surge of anger.

She was pretty.

It was a feeling that clearly stood out.

‘That bastard since high school!’

He was already angry because Kang Jin-ho’s girlfriend was Choi Yeon-ha, but now that even his ex-girlfriend was pretty, his trembling doubled.

‘Definitely…’

Even for Joo Young-gi, who had raised his standards after seeing Choi Yeon-ha in person, Han Se-yeon was pretty. You could say she had a striking appearance? She had the kind of face that would make you turn around without realizing it if you passed her on the street.

“Here.”

Park Yu-min raised his hand, and Han Se-yeon smiled brightly and waved back. Then, she went to the table where Park Yu-min was sitting.

“What did you order?”

“No, not yet. I was just having a drink.”

“Isn’t this a pizza place? Is that okay?”

“It’s a friend’s place.”

“Oh?”

Han Se-yeon slightly turned her head and looked at the counter. Joo Young-gi subtly avoided her gaze.

“Wow, if he’s your friend, is he the same age as us?”

“…Uh, uh?”

“That’s amazing. To be the owner of this big pizza place at such a young age.”

‘Jin-ho is the owner here.’

But those words didn’t come out of his mouth. Park Yu-min didn’t know why they didn’t come out.

“Yeah, well.”

He just passed it off with an awkward smile.

“Where’s Jin-ho?”

“Oh. He’s not here yet. He’ll be here soon.”

Park Yu-min slightly turned his head to look at the clock. There were still about five minutes left. Kang Jin-ho was rarely late for appointments, so he would arrive soon.

“Ah, is that so?”

Han Se-yeon smiled slightly and nodded.

“By any chance.”

“Yeah?”

“Is Jin-ho uncomfortable or anything?”

“Hmm…”

Park Yu-min shook his head.

“I didn’t really get that feeling? He seemed nonchalant.”

“I see.”

Han Se-yeon slightly pursed her lips.

She didn’t know which was better. Whether it was better for Kang Jin-ho to be concerned or to be nonchalant.

She wouldn’t know anything until she met him in person.

As Han Se-yeon was lost in thought, Park Yu-min quietly looked at her face.

‘To have such a lingering look and say you’ll be friends.’

You should at least make a believable lie.

Well, Park Yu-min was the one who arranged this meeting after hearing that lie. Who could he blame?

‘I’m doing something I shouldn’t be doing.’

Park Yu-min sighed inwardly.

“You must be busy with practice these days, I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

“No, I’m not that busy.”

Of course, it was a lie.

He didn’t know how much he had struggled to make time for this. He had even been scolded by the director, who had always trusted and supported him without question.

‘But this is better.’

It was better for Park Yu-min to sort things out like this. If the ambiguous situation continued, his stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it.

That was when it happened.

Clang.

At the sound of the door opening, both of them turned their heads at the same time.

“Ah!”

Kang Jin-ho opened the door and walked in with a blank face. Both of them couldn’t say anything and just looked at Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho, who was looking around, found Park Yu-min and Han Se-yeon and walked over.

“Am I a bit late?”

“No. You’re not late yet.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho checked his watch and sat next to Park Yu-min.

Han Se-yeon, who had been keeping her mouth shut, opened her mouth reflexively when she met Kang Jin-ho’s gaze.

“It’s been a while.”

“It feels like we saw each other recently?”

“Yeah. But we didn’t get to talk properly then.”

Han Se-yeon slightly turned her head to look at Park Yu-min.

“Let’s order pizza first.”

“Oh? Okay. What should we eat? What’s on the menu? What do you want?”

“I don’t know this place well. Yu-min, you know it best.”

“Then I’ll choose?”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Park Yu-min picked up the menu and called for Joo Young-gi.

Joo Young-gi came to the table with a sulky face.

“…Hey, there’s a waiter.”

“You’re more comfortable.”

“Aish.”

After taking the order, Joo Young-gi headed towards the kitchen with the menu, and Han Se-yeon took a low breath.

Han Se-yeon, who had slowly taken a deep breath, smiled and asked Kang Jin-ho.

“How have you been?”

Park Yu-min inhaled without realizing it.