Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 191

“What’s going on?”

PD Jang Hak-seon frowned at the person who had rushed in. Knowing his personality, the assistant directors wouldn’t make such a fuss over something trivial.

That meant something was wrong.

“We can’t reach Ji Min-ho.”

“Can’t reach him?”

Jang Hak-seon’s face contorted.

“What are you talking about? He said he was on his way here.”

“Yes, he did… but we can’t reach him now.”

PD Jang sighed as if to say, ‘What does that even mean?’

“Hey, isn’t it just that he’s on his way and his phone isn’t connecting?”

“Ah, no. The problem is a bit serious right now.”

The PD’s expression hardened at the assistant director’s words.

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Here?”

At the assistant director’s words, Jang Hak-seon turned his head and looked back.

‘I made a mistake.’

Judging by the assistant director’s reaction, it was obvious that a sensitive issue was about to come up. But it would be awkward to move the location now.

“Just tell me.”

Jang Hak-seon urged as the assistant director glanced at Kang Jin-ho.

“He’s Kang Se-ah’s brother. Just speak.”

“A scandal broke out.”

“A scandal?”

“Yes.”

Jang Hak-seon sighed.

“What’s the big deal about a scandal?”

“It’s not just any scandal, PD-nim [PD is short for Producer-nim, a Korean honorific]. The scandal involves a married woman.”

“What?”

“It’s an affair. The internet is going crazy right now.”

“And you can’t reach Ji Min-ho?”

“…Yes. He said he was on his way here just a little while ago, but now we can’t reach him.”

“He’s out.”

Jang Hak-seon jumped up from his seat.

“Wait a moment. Let me have a cigarette and figure out how things are going…”

Jang Hak-seon, who was rummaging through his pockets, suddenly yelled.

“Damn it! Where did my cigarettes go? Hey, do you have a cigarette?”

“I don’t smoke.”

“Does that mean it’s over? Go get them now!”

“I’ll go find them right away.”

As the assistant director ran out, Jang Hak-seon, feeling frustrated, started rummaging through his pockets again.

Kang Jin-ho silently offered his cigarettes and lighter to him.

“Huh?”

Jang Hak-seon, who was staring at the offered cigarettes, looked up at Kang Jin-ho and cautiously took the cigarettes.

“Thank you. I’ll smoke it quickly and give it back.”

“Yes.”

As the PD went out, the actress who had come with him also went outside.

“Wow, that’s crazy.”

As soon as the two people left, Kang Eun-young started making a fuss.

“Oppa [Older brother], did you hear? It’s an affair!”

“Yeah.”

Kang Jin-ho asked.

“Is that Ji Min-ho guy important?”

“Oppa, you don’t know Ji Min-ho? He’s a really popular actor these days. He’s so hand…”

Kang Eun-young trailed off, about to say ‘handsome.’ She realized that saying such things in front of this person was meaningless.

“Anyway, he was really popular these days.”

“So, that person is out. Isn’t that a problem?”

“As far as I know, he was only supposed to make a special appearance in the first episode, so it shouldn’t be a big problem. They originally wanted to use him as the lead actor, but his price went up too much recently, so they couldn’t.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Kang Jin-ho felt relieved that this incident seemed like it would be resolved without any major issues.

‘Still, it’s her first drama.’

Kang Jin-ho thought that being an actor was more promising than being an idol, which had clear limitations. So, he wanted this drama to do well.

“Was the person who came in just now the lead actress?”

“Wow… Oppa, you don’t know Choi Yeon-ha?”

“I don’t.”

“I knew that my brother wasn’t interested in the entertainment industry, but I didn’t know you wouldn’t even know Choi Yeon-ha.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned as Kang Eun-young looked at him with a truly dumbfounded expression.

“I might not know.”

“Yes, of course.”

Kang Eun-young looked at Kang Jin-ho as if she couldn’t understand him at all.

How could a man of Kang Jin-ho’s age not know Choi Yeon-ha?

Choi Yeon-ha had become a matter of common knowledge, not just a matter of interest in celebrities.

“Isn’t she really pretty?”

“Not really.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head as if he didn’t know.

“You can say that after seeing her in person?”

“I’m just saying what I really think.”

“Am I prettier, or is Choi Yeon-ha sunbaenim [senior/respected colleague] prettier?”

“Oppa? Why are you not answering and keep going back? Oppa?”

“I’m going crazy, really.”

Jang Hak-seon kept smoking cigarettes.

“PD-nim, what do we do?”

“What do you mean, what do we do? You can’t even get cigarettes properly, what kind of discussion are you trying to have? You, remember this cigarette brand and go buy a pack right away. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Jang Hak-seon scratched his head while smoking Kang Jin-ho’s cigarette.

“Ha, really. What a mess on the first day?”

“It’s still a relief, isn’t it? It would be a problem even if they said it was okay and went ahead with it. It’s easier to cut him since he went into hiding on his own.”

“That’s true…”

“It’s not a big role. We can just find a suitable replacement quickly. There are plenty of kids who would jump at the chance.”

“There are plenty of kids who would say they want to do it. It’s just that there isn’t anyone I feel like hiring.”

“But given the situation…”

“Hey, you! Did you even read the script properly? Why do you think I was trying to use Ji Min-ho, that arrogant bastard? It’s a role that’s impossible to pull off unless you’re incredibly handsome. Besides, the beginning is so bland that if someone like him doesn’t fill the screen, all the early viewers will leave! Don’t you know that?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“We’ve scheduled everything for today’s filming, and if that gets messed up, we’ll be chasing time and be ruined for the entire drama shoot, don’t you know that?”

The assistant director pursed his lips, looking a bit dissatisfied.

Who wouldn’t know that?

But where could they find someone as handsome as Ji Min-ho who would only appear in one episode? If they had that kind of face, they would all try to get a lead role, or at least a supporting role. Even if they were a rookie.

“If we hold auditions again… no, even if someone comes in a hurry, we can’t film today. Then the schedule will be pushed back a day, and then we won’t be able to sleep for the next two months until the drama ends.”

“Can’t we just film some of the later scenes?”

“Oh, is that so? There are no other scenes we need to film at the beach other than this one, so what can we film here? Should I just write a new scenario from now?”

Jang Hak-seon sighed and put a cigarette in his mouth, seeing the assistant director who couldn’t say anything.

“Damn bastard.”

Actually, it was a hundred times better than having a situation where they couldn’t air the drama because of a scandal after filming everything, or having to reshoot.

Compared to a situation where a scandal breaks out late after everything has been aired and the drama’s image plummets, this might even be a situation to celebrate.

But how can people’s hearts be like that?

“Ha… where do I find a replacement? The people I can think of are definitely not going to take that role.”

“Isn’t it enough if they’re just handsome? Ji Min-ho was handsome, but he wasn’t the type with acting skills. His acting was hard to watch, but he became popular because of his face.”

Jang Hak-seon smiled bitterly at Choi Yeon-ha’s words.

“That’s true, but it’s not like people with that kind of face are common.”

“There is someone.”

“Huh?”

“Someone who is more handsome than Ji Min-ho and suitable for a role that doesn’t require much acting.”

Jang Hak-seon’s eyes widened as he frowned, not understanding what Choi Yeon-ha was saying.

“Huh?”

There was someone.

And he was very close by.

“What’s going on now?”

Jo Gyu-min frowned as he looked at his phone.

An article about Ji Min-ho’s scandal was plastered all over the main page of the portal site. When he went into the entertainment section, articles were being posted almost like wallpaper.

There was no need to check real-time reactions.

He could tell how things were going just by looking at the portal comments.

“Ah, why now of all times!”

How much effort had he put in to get Kang Eun-young cast in a significant role in the drama?

It was a role that he had barely managed to get after persuading the PDs one by one, who wouldn’t even look at her because she was too young and her acting skills hadn’t been verified.

Of course, Jo Gyu-min hadn’t done it himself.

But for Ji Min-ho, who had a high proportion in the beginning, to drop out due to a scandal on the first day of filming.

“Misfortunes never come singly.”

Jo Gyu-min shook his head.

After quickly calling Kang Eun-young’s agency and instructing them to check the situation, his secretary called Jo Gyu-min.

“They’re asking you to come in.”

“Okay.”

Jo Gyu-min straightened his clothes and knocked on the chairman’s office door.

“Come in.”

As he carefully opened the door and went in, Hwang Jung-hoo, who was sitting at his desk, got up from his seat.

“So, have you checked the situation?”

“Yes.”

Jo Gyu-min nodded.

“Sit down.”

Hwang Jung-hoo gestured to the sofa, and Jo Gyu-min went and sat there. As Hwang Jung-hoo, who was sitting in the seat of honor, lit a cigarette, Jo Gyu-min began to explain.

“It has been determined that those who were targeting Kang Jin-ho were from China.”

“China?”

“Yes. There was a bit of a conflict when I went to China with him before. It seems they held a grudge and sent people.”

“Hmm…”

Hwang Jung-hoo sucked deeply on his cigarette with a stiff face, as if he couldn’t understand.

“Hoo.”

Hwang Jung-hoo, who exhaled a long puff of smoke, asked.

“The Chinese held a grudge? Which side is it? If they sent people, they must be involved in something bad. Is it the side that chased us with guns?”

“No, Chairman. That…”

Jo Gyu-min, who was about to explain, closed his mouth and seemed to ponder for a moment, then looked straight at Hwang Jung-hoo.

“Chairman.”

Hwang Jung-hoo straightened his back slightly as Jo Gyu-min’s voice changed.

“There’s something I want to ask first.”

“Go ahead.”

“I thought Kang Jin-ho was a special person.”

Hwang Jung-hoo nodded without answering.

“But I realized during this trip to China that Kang Jin-ho wasn’t the only special one. I realized that there are quite a few special people in the world. I even thought that maybe I didn’t know anything about the world.”

Hwang Jung-hoo looked at Jo Gyu-min with an extremely serious gaze.

“Am I thinking correctly? Did you know, Chairman?”

Hwang Jung-hoo closed his eyes silently.

Jo Gyu-min didn’t disturb Hwang Jung-hoo.

Soon, Hwang Jung-hoo, who had been quietly closing his eyes, opened them and took out a cigarette from the pack and offered it to Jo Gyu-min.

“Smoke.”

“Chairman.”

“I’ll answer you, so smoke.”

Jo Gyu-min took the cigarette that Hwang Jung-hoo gave him and put it in his mouth. As Hwang Jung-hoo lit it for him, he slowly inhaled the cigarette.

“When you were assigned to assist Kang Jin-ho, I thought this day would come. I also thought about how I should answer that question. But the conclusion was obvious. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Hwang Jung-hoo slowly opened his mouth.