Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 114

“Stomach cancer?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Reporting on Kang Jin-ho’s situation to Hwang Jung-hoo was one of Cho Kyu-min’s duties.

“You moved someone with stomach cancer to a VIP room… and they’re paying for it themselves?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

Hwang Jung-hoo frowned as if he had a headache. Cho Kyu-min tensed up and shrank back, thinking it was just a minor report, but Hwang Jung-hoo seemed to be taking it seriously.

“What’s the patient’s condition?”

“…It’s difficult.”

“Hmm.”

Hwang Jung-hoo kept making sounds of contemplation.

“Keep a close watch. If the patient’s condition changes rapidly, let me know.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cho Kyu-min bowed his head.

As Cho Kyu-min was about to leave, he couldn’t contain his curiosity and opened his mouth.

“But, Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

“Is something bad happening?”

“Well…”

When Hwang Jung-hoo didn’t answer, Cho Kyu-min spoke his mind first.

“The nun who was hospitalized was the one taking care of Park Yu-min, Mr. Kang Jin-ho’s friend. I think it’s something he could do out of personal friendship. Of course, the VIP room isn’t cheap, but Mr. Kang Jin-ho has the financial means to think of it easily now.”

“That’s true.”

“But I’m curious why you seem to see the situation negatively.”

In the past, Cho Kyu-min would never have dared to ask Hwang Jung-hoo such a thing.

However, after working as Hwang Jung-hoo’s right-hand man for several years, they had become close enough that he could now ask such questions without hesitation.

“So that’s the problem.”

“…Yes?”

“Have you ever seen Jin-ho feel close to anyone?”

“Well…”

“Except for Park Yu-min, Kang Jin-ho is a person who is completely indifferent to anyone who isn’t family.”

Cho Kyu-min had to agree with that. He had been watching Kang Jin-ho for several years, but Kang Jin-ho had rarely sought him out first.

Over those years, the only people Kang Jin-ho had shown interest in were Park Yu-min, Han Se-yeon, and Choi Young-soo.

He hadn’t gone to Choi Young-soo with good intentions, so there were only two people he cared about. Even Hwang Jung-hoo, who he didn’t even care how he was doing, wasn’t someone Kang Jin-ho paid attention to.

“Then isn’t it a good thing?”

“It’s not a bad thing. But the problem is that she has no chance of recovery.”

Cho Kyu-min couldn’t understand Hwang Jung-hoo’s words.

Wasn’t that something Kang Jin-ho also knew?

“What do you think of Jin-ho?”

“Yes?”

Cho Kyu-min was hesitant to answer the sudden question.

“Aside from his superficial impression, I sometimes feel like Jin-ho is an alien.”

“Ah…”

“How should I put it? It’s like someone from another planet wearing a human skin. He’s learning about the world one thing at a time, and at the same time, establishing his relationship with the world.”

“That’s right.”

“But what do you think will happen when he sees someone he cares about facing death?”

Only then did Cho Kyu-min understand what Hwang Jung-hoo was saying, and he nodded heavily.

“He’ll be prepared for it, but death is a heavy thing. So, no one knows how Jin-ho will change.”

“I understand.”

“It would be good if there was something we could do for Jin-ho, but if not…”

Hwang Jung-hoo trailed off.

‘There’s no way there is a solution.’

If there was a way to save a terminal cancer patient, it would be worthy of a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Not only that, but it would also make a fortune. How could they solve an incurable disease that numerous medical researchers around the world have failed to find a solution for?

“Keep an eye on things for now.”

“Support him with whatever he needs. That’s the least we can do to make Jin-ho feel at ease.”

“…Yes, sir.”

“Um, and…”

“Yes?”

“Collect all the CCTV footage around the VIP room at Jae Kyung Hospital.”

Cho Kyu-min blinked at the sudden order.

“You mean collect it?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, I understand.”

He didn’t know what it meant, but since it was something Hwang Jung-hoo ordered, there must be a reason.

“Then, please take care.”

Cho Kyu-min got up from his seat, bowed deeply, and went outside. Hwang Jung-hoo, left alone in his office, took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

“I hope nothing bad happens.”

Life is not easy. Hwang Jung-hoo felt a strange bitterness as he thought about Kang Jin-ho learning that fact.

* * *

It is said that alcohol has the effect of relieving sorrow.

However, Kang Jin-ho denied that fact. The reason alcohol relieves sorrow is because it makes you drunk. But if you don’t get drunk no matter how much you drink, then alcohol can never relieve sorrow.

Pouur.

His glass was refilled with alcohol.

“Jin-ho, stop drinking.”

“The problem is that I’m not drinking because I’m particularly distressed.”

“Do you know how many bottles you’ve had?”

“The problem is that I’m not getting drunk, just full.”

“That’s why you should stop drinking.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho put down the bottle. It was clear that this method wasn’t very effective.

“If you’ve drunk that much, you should at least show some signs of being drunk so I can say it’s nothing. Don’t drink your tenth bottle with the same expression as usual.”

“…It’s inconvenient.”

At times like this, it was extremely inconvenient that he had mastered martial arts. Even without using his energy to expel the alcohol, his extremely enhanced physical functions would break down the alcohol as soon as it entered his body.

He might be able to get drunk if he poured it in by the drum, but he would die from a burst stomach before that.

“You should have been better at it!”

“…I don’t think I did anything particularly wrong.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Park Yu-min sighed deeply.

In fact, the problem between Kang Jin-ho and Han Se-yeon wasn’t about who was at fault. It was just that they didn’t fit well together.

Han Se-yeon wanted Kang Jin-ho to treat her like other men, and Kang Jin-ho wasn’t used to that. Han Se-yeon’s one-sided waiting was based on the premise of the other person changing, but Kang Jin-ho was someone who didn’t change.

It was just that the seed of discord that had been there from the beginning had been revealed.

What was unexpected was Kang Jin-ho’s reaction.

“Are you really sad?”

“Sad?”

“Yeah.”

Kang Jin-ho seemed to think for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I think it’s more of a feeling of regret than sadness.”

“I guess so.”

Park Yu-min clicked her tongue.

She had felt it when she talked to Han Se-yeon before, but Kang Jin-ho was basically an indifferent person. He doesn’t give his heart to others, and he doesn’t expect others to do anything for him.

He just accepts and acknowledges others as they are.

But normal dating is about wanting the other person to change to suit you.

‘So, she couldn’t take it.’

If she had known it would turn out like this, she might have stopped it sooner.

‘No, that’s not right.’

It’s funny to stop people from being together just because you think they don’t match when they like each other. It was better to think that it was bound to happen sooner or later.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Hmm…”

It was difficult to answer.

If someone else had done the same thing, she could confidently say it was their fault, but Kang Jin-ho’s case was a bit special.

Kang Jin-ho was originally like that, and Han Se-yeon knew that Kang Jin-ho was originally like that. She started thinking she could handle it herself, and she got tired and gave up, so she couldn’t blame the person who didn’t move.

“You just didn’t match.”

“That’s an abstract statement.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed softly.

Looking back now, if he were asked if he had any special feelings for Han Se-yeon, he couldn’t answer clearly.

For him, Han Se-yeon was the only special woman besides his family, but if he were asked if that specialness was romantic love?

‘It’s subtle.’

He couldn’t say no, but he couldn’t say yes either.

He just wanted her to be a good person and have a good relationship, but he didn’t feel any special attachment or possessiveness towards her. People say that when you like someone, you care about them more than your family, but he always prioritized his family over Han Se-yeon.

Then what should he call this feeling?

“Jin-ho.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s not just a saying, you really didn’t match.”

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

But he felt like something was not adding up. Among the women he knew, he was closest to Han Se-yeon. But if the two of them didn’t match, it was almost like saying that there was no woman who would match Kang Jin-ho.

“Tell me honestly.”

“Huh?”

“Was it my fault?”

Park Yu-min stared at Kang Jin-ho for a moment before opening her mouth.

“When a new child comes to the orphanage…”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head and looked at Park Yu-min.

Why was she suddenly talking about the orphanage?

“At first, all the children feel uncomfortable. It’s even worse if they share a room.”

“I guess so.”

“But after a while, they all become friends. Do you know why?”

“No.”

“Because they adjust to each other.”

“…”

Park Yu-min sighed and continued.

“People adjust to each other. If you put a child who likes toys and another child who likes toys in the same room, they’ll fight over the toys at first, but after a while, they’ll learn to share. That’s how people meet and give up a little of themselves to adjust to others.”

“Hmm…”

“I think you were a bit lacking in that area. Have you ever given up something or been considerate of Han Se-yeon?”

“I don’t think so.”

He had taken her home a few times, but other than that, he had done almost nothing for Han Se-yeon.

“It’s true that you didn’t match. But it’s also true that no one matches perfectly from the first moment they meet. Se-yeon showed you that she could adjust to you, and you didn’t adjust to her. So, Se-yeon was unilaterally adjusting to you until she realized she couldn’t adjust anymore.”

“…Is it wrong that I didn’t change?”

“It’s not wrong, but…”

Park Yu-min picked up the soju glass in front of her and drank it.

“Kuh…”

Park Yu-min put down the glass and looked at Kang Jin-ho before opening her mouth.

“Maybe it’s better for you that way. It’s not bad to stay where you are and wait for someone to adjust to you. The Kang Jin-ho I know is someone who deserves that. But there are also people who can’t come to you unless you reach out first.”

“…It’s difficult.”

“It is.”

Kang Jin-ho, who thought that relationships between people were too difficult, quietly took a sip of soju.

The clear liquid looked forlorn today, probably because of Kang Jin-ho’s heart.

‘It’s difficult.’

Getting pushed around, getting cut, suffering, and agonizing… Kang Jin-ho was learning about the world today as well.