Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1821

Kang Jin-ho noticed Choi Yeon-ha staring intently at him, and he couldn’t help but wear an awkward expression.

“Why?” he asked.

“Hmm…” Choi Yeon-ha looked at him with a strange expression, then shrugged. “No, well…”

“Yes?”

“I was just thinking my man’s face is going to get wrinkles,” she said, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“It’s not like I have anything else to show but my face. If even that gets ruined, how am I supposed to live…” Kang Jin-ho replied, a hint of self-deprecation in his voice.

“Ahem,” Choi Yeon-ha coughed loudly, trying to suppress a laugh.

It was Choi Yeon-ha who was strangely twisting his words, making it sound like he was burdened with worries.

“Tsk, tsk, you’ve become half the man you were,” she said, shaking her head playfully.

“…No, I haven’t,” Kang Jin-ho retorted, a bit defensively.

‘If this face is half, how big was it originally?’ he wondered to himself.

“Come on, come to your noona’s [older sister] arms and rest a bit,” Choi Yeon-ha said, opening her arms in a mock embrace.

“Noona?” Kang Jin-ho repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“…I know very well that you’re an old man, so there’s no need to bring it up at times like this. It makes me want to jump out the window,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“…I’m sorry,” Kang Jin-ho mumbled, feeling a bit chastised.

Choi Yeon-ha sighed deeply and said, “They say that’s how life is, but Kang Jin-ho, you’re really something else. How do you manage to have problems every single day?”

“I didn’t say anything?” he replied, confused.

“It’s all over your face,” she said, pointing at him.

‘That’s quite a strange thing,’ Kang Jin-ho thought.

“Anyway,” Choi Yeon-ha said, flipping the well-cooked pork belly on the grill.

“When people have a lot of work, they need to fill their stomachs first. Eat up. You need to eat to have something left,” she said, gesturing towards the food.

“But why pork belly again…” Kang Jin-ho asked, a hint of weariness in his voice.

“You know…” Choi Yeon-ha said, rolling up a long slice of thinly sliced pork belly and popping it into her mouth.

“I’ve been to China, America, and Europe,” she continued.

“That’s right,” Kang Jin-ho acknowledged.

“So I’ve eaten a lot of things. Well, not just foreign food, I’ve had steak, premium beef, all the good stuff in Korea too… but the Korean soul living and breathing inside me always makes me come back to pork belly,” she declared, her eyes sparkling with delight.

“Koreans have to eat pork belly,” Kang Jin-ho said, a small smile playing on his lips.

It was the kind of thing that would make Korean cows cry tears of gratitude if they heard it.

Of course, it’s not like Kang Jin-ho disliked pork belly. He wasn’t picky and didn’t really dislike any food.

However…

“Why?” he asked again, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

“No, it’s nothing,” Choi Yeon-ha replied, waving her hand dismissively.

Still, it was a bit awkward to see someone who was supposed to be a top star rolling up their sleeves and grilling pork belly.

Kang Jin-ho, unable to watch any longer, offered to grill it himself, but he was met with, ‘How dare someone who doesn’t even know what meat is try to ruin the food by touching it.’

‘I’m pretty sure she wasn’t that good at cooking either…’ he thought to himself.

As proof, the color of the grilled pork belly was more yellow than it should be, almost black…

“Eat up,” Choi Yeon-ha said, pushing a plate towards him.

“…Yes,” Kang Jin-ho replied, closing his eyes tightly and putting the pork belly in his mouth.

It’s crispy.

It’s so crispy it’s like a cracker, a cracker.

“Is it good?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, her eyes full of anticipation.

“Yes,” Kang Jin-ho replied, forcing a smile.

“Of course. Who do you think cooked it?” she said, beaming with pride.

Kang Jin-ho smiled contentedly. He was slowly starting to learn how to live.

“Ah, I’m full,” Choi Yeon-ha said, patting her bulging belly.

“What? Why?” Kang Jin-ho asked, confused.

“No, it’s nothing,” she replied, waving her hand dismissively.

“Is it okay for an actress to eat like this with her belt undone?” he asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

Choi Yeon-ha proudly stuck out her belly. “The filming is over, okay? People need to breathe! How can people live if it’s season all year round? When there’s no filming, I eat until I’m stuffed, and when filming starts again, I eat like an ant!”

“…Isn’t it hard to maintain that normally?” Kang Jin-ho asked, genuinely curious.

“Jin-ho, you don’t have any friends, do you?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, her eyes narrowed slightly.

“I, you know I do,” Kang Jin-ho replied, a bit defensively.

“You really need to be grateful to your friends. They accept someone like you as a friend. If I were Yu-min, I would have hit you a few times,” she said, chuckling as she looked at Kang Jin-ho, who was hesitating.

‘This cluelessness is Kang Jin-ho’s charm,’ she thought to herself.

“I’ll let it slide since I’m in a good mood because filming is all done,” she said, a smile playing on her lips.

“Is it completely over?” Kang Jin-ho asked.

“Yes. Unless the internal screening is a complete disaster, there won’t be any additional filming,” she replied.

“How does it feel?” he asked, curious about her experience.

“Well, this is…” Choi Yeon-ha scratched her cheek slightly.

“Actually, sometimes you get a feel for it while filming,” she admitted.

“This movie was a success?” Kang Jin-ho asked, his eyes full of hope.

“No. This movie is a complete flop,” she said, her face falling.

“I don’t really know about good movies. But I can tell right away when a movie is a flop, and this time, the filming environment was a bit different…” Choi Yeon-ha’s face crumpled.

“Since everyone was speaking and filming in English, I don’t know how the other parts are going, except for my own. And in Korean filming sets, there’s a culture of going to see other people’s parts, but here, it’s basically just sitting in a container and killing time, so I can’t get a feel for it,” she explained, her voice tinged with frustration.

“Ah…” Kang Jin-ho replied, understanding dawning on him.

So, the filming there is individualistic.

“But there should be some kind of atmosphere,” he said, trying to offer some comfort.

“There needs to be something to compare it to. It feels like I’ve gone back to my rookie days. I don’t really know what’s going on, and I just go out and act hard when they tell me to,” Choi Yeon-ha said, shrugging.

“I’m so nervous that I can’t even hear the other person’s lines properly,” she admitted, her voice laced with anxiety.

“That’s because you’re old…” Kang Jin-ho said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Do you really want to die?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, glaring at him.

Kang Jin-ho turned his head away as Choi Yeon-ha glared at him. For Choi Yeon-ha, jokes about age are taboo.

“If you were really young, I wouldn’t say anything! No, this old man is acting young even though he’s getting older!” she exclaimed, her voice rising in mock anger.

“I’m sorry,” Kang Jin-ho said, lowering his head as Choi Yeon-ha breathed out.

“I bought the food, so you buy the coffee,” she said, her tone softening.

“Yes. As much as you want,” Kang Jin-ho replied, relieved.

Choi Yeon-ha went to a nearby cafe and sat down at an outdoor table.

“Here?” Kang Jin-ho asked, a bit surprised.

“Why?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, there are a lot of people watching,” he said, gesturing towards the crowd.

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled at those words. “Do I need to try to hide that I’m on a date with you now? Everyone in the country knows about it anyway, right?”

“…Until recently, you were still trying to hide it a little,” Kang Jin-ho pointed out, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Choi Yeon-ha smiled and winked. “That’s because of my image. But well, we’re not going to break up anyway, and we’ll have to announce our marriage soon, so what’s the point of thinking about my image now?”

“It’s not like there aren’t any seniors who are doing well even after getting married, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll just go to Hollywood completely,” she added, her voice full of confidence.

‘As expected,’ Kang Jin-ho thought to himself.

Young female students who recognized Choi Yeon-ha started glancing this way. Choi Yeon-ha, who would have quickly covered her face in the past, puffed out her chest and turned her head.

“A picture?” she asked, her voice loud enough for them to hear.

“…Yes?” one of the students replied, surprised.

“Or an autograph? Or both?” Choi Yeon-ha continued, a playful smile on her lips.

“A, a picture! And an autograph if possible!” the student replied, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Come here. I’ll take a picture with you,” Choi Yeon-ha said, gesturing towards them.

“Yes!” the students exclaimed, rushing over.

As the female students rushed over, Choi Yeon-ha turned her head to Kang Jin-ho. “Do you want to take a picture together?”

“…I’ll pass,” Kang Jin-ho replied, shaking his head.

“Then I’ll have an iced Americano!” Choi Yeon-ha said, turning her attention back to the students.

Kang Jin-ho sighed and trudged into the cafe.

Choi Yeon-ha, left alone, took selfies with each of the female students’ phones.

“Hey, girls,” she said, her voice full of energy.

“Yes!” the students replied, their eyes fixed on her.

“These days, I’ve heard that when you take pictures together, you only edit your faces and post on social media that the celebrities are uglier than you thought?” she asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“No, unnie [older sister]. We don’t do that,” one of the students replied, shaking her head vigorously.

“Don’t do that. I’m the kind of person who will chase you to the ends of hell for that. Got it?” Choi Yeon-ha said, her voice laced with mock threat.

“Yes!” the students replied, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and excitement.

“And make sure to write that I was nicer than you thought. I need to manage my image too,” she added, winking at them.

“Yes, unnie!” the students replied, nodding enthusiastically.

‘It’s not like the image will be restored by doing that, but it was a hundred times better than not managing it at all,’ Choi Yeon-ha thought to herself.

“…Then, goodbye. I’d like to pay for what you drank, but it’s prepaid here, so I can’t help it,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.

“It’s okay! Thank you so much for the autograph,” one of the students replied, her voice full of gratitude.

“Okay,” Choi Yeon-ha said, smiling and waving her hand.

“And also…” she said, looking around to see if there was anyone else to give an autograph to, but there was no one in sight.

“Aww, I should have given out a lot when I had the chance,” she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Choi Yeon-ha was trying to soothe her disappointment when it happened.

“May I have an autograph?” a voice asked.

“Huh?” Choi Yeon-ha turned her head at the Chinese words she heard from the side.

“Are you Chinese?” she asked, her brow furrowed slightly.

“Yes. I’m Chinese. I’ve been a fan since I watched your drama a long time ago, so I’d like to ask for an autograph,” the man replied, his voice polite.

“Could you speak a little slower? My Chinese isn’t that fluent. I can’t understand the end of your sentences properly,” Choi Yeon-ha said, her voice laced with a hint of frustration.

“May I ask for an autograph?” the man repeated, speaking slowly and clearly.

“Yes, of course. But… where should I sign?” she asked, looking around for a piece of paper.

She had a pen ready, but no paper to sign on.

“Please, here,” the man said, turning his body and showing his back.

The back of the man wearing a pure white suit was spread out in front of Choi Yeon-ha.

“H, here? Your clothes look expensive?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“It’s nothing. It’s not as valuable as Choi Yeon-ha’s autograph,” the man replied, a smile playing on his lips.

“Um, then,” Choi Yeon-ha said, taking the pen and signing on the man’s back.

“It’s done,” she said, handing the pen back to him.

“Thank you very much,” the man said, bowing to Choi Yeon-ha, who had gotten up from her seat.

“I never thought I’d meet Choi Yeon-ha in Korea. I’m lucky,” he said, his voice full of admiration.

“It makes me feel good just hearing that. You must have enjoyed the drama?” she asked, her voice softening.

“Yes. There’s that, and…” the man said, smiling.

“You are a top actress, after all. Those who are capable deserve that kind of recognition,” he added, his eyes fixed on her.

“Hmm,” Choi Yeon-ha replied, a strange feeling creeping into her heart.

It was a strangely grating remark, but Choi Yeon-ha didn’t want to create an uncomfortable situation with a fan. She just tried to brush it off with a smile.

But the man seemed to have accurately caught Choi Yeon-ha’s mood.

“Oh, it seems my words were delivered ambiguously,” he said, his smile widening.

“No, it’s probably because my Chinese is weak, so don’t worry about it,” she replied, trying to defuse the situation.

The man shrugged and looked around. “But…”

“Yes?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, her brow furrowed slightly.

“Where is your boyfriend?” he asked, his eyes fixed on her.

“…Why my boyfriend?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

The man smiled. “He’s someone I’d like to meet. Since he’s a celebrity.”

Choi Yeon-ha’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘This bastard is so sly,’ she thought to herself.

She didn’t want to fight with a fan, but there was a limit to that. If this person were Korean, she wouldn’t be saying nice things right now. Since he wasn’t Korean and she couldn’t understand his tone properly, she was trying her best to hold back.

“Ah, it seems there’s another misunderstanding,” the man said, his smile widening.

“Yes?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, her voice sharp.

“I don’t want to meet Choi Yeon-ha’s boyfriend. The one I’m interested in is actually him. So…” the man said, his smile deepening.

“It’s about the human Kang Jin-ho,” he finished, his eyes gleaming with an unknown intent.

“Who are you?” Choi Yeon-ha asked, getting up from her seat with a menacing look.

The man then stepped back with both hands slightly raised. “I didn’t mean to start a fight. So…”

“What are you saying? Speak clearly,” Choi Yeon-ha demanded, her voice full of anger.

“Your personality seems stronger than I thought…” the man said, his eyes fixed on her.

At that moment, a low voice was heard from behind the man. “She is.”

The man, Baek Yeon-hong, slowly turned his body and looked behind him.

“And I have an even worse personality,” Kang Jin-ho said, his eyes fixed on the man.

“Hmm,” a smile appeared on Baek Yeon-hong’s lips as he faced Kang Jin-ho.

“You’re Kang Jin-ho?” he asked, his voice calm and collected.

“Yes,” Kang Jin-ho replied, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Baek Yeon-hong, who had scanned Kang Jin-ho from head to toe, smiled broadly, showing his teeth. “It’s so nice to meet you. Can I ask for a cup of coffee too?”

“You can,” Kang Jin-ho replied, his voice cold.

“But the coffee will be a bit expensive,” he added, his eyes fixed on Baek Yeon-hong.

A cold air settled between the two of them.