Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1971

Two pairs of strange eyes scrutinized Kang Jin-ho’s face.

Kang Jin-ho, who usually didn’t react much to other people’s stares, found these particular looks unsettling.

The usually composed Kang Jin-ho slightly lowered his gaze.

“Hmm…?”

“Uh…?”

A subtle sigh was followed by mumbled words.

“Right?”

“Isn’t it?”

The persistent gazes were incredibly intense. He hadn’t particularly tried to hide it, but denying it was impossible with those eyes already so full of certainty.

“Yeah.”

“I knew it.”

“I told you. It looked like it.”

Park Yu-min and Joo Young-gi finally looked relieved, exchanging glances and nodding.

“Yeah. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.”

“I was worried you might say no.”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head at their odd reaction.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“About what?”

“That I’m… a martial artist.”

“Why should we be surprised?”

Joo Young-gi retorted, leaving Kang Jin-ho speechless.

“It’s better this way. If you were just an ordinary person, we’d feel so inadequate.”

“That’s right.”

Even Park Yu-min nodded in agreement with Joo Young-gi.

“You do well even when we do the same things, but I can’t, so I’ve been so frustrated.”

“Yeah.”

“Damn it, now that I think about it, it’s unfair. Hey, you bastard. You should have told us sooner. Do you know how much I’ve been wondering if I was just a moron because of you?”

“Well… Young-gi, that’s… um…”

Joo Young-gi glared at Park Yu-min. Park Yu-min quickly turned his head away, avoiding Joo Young-gi’s gaze.

“…Regardless, I’m a moron?”

“I didn’t say it that way.”

“This bastard…”

Park Yu-min quickly changed the subject.

“Young-gi is right. It’s not like we’d go around telling everyone if you told us, and it’s a bit much for friends to keep secrets.”

“Yeah, man!”

“Sorry.”

“Sorry is…”

“Okay, then.”

Joo Young-gi, who was speaking, stopped and looked back at Park Yu-min.

“…If you do that, what am I supposed to do?”

“I’m apologizing.”

“If apologizing was enough, why would there be prisons?”

“Friends shouldn’t be so harsh with each other.”

Joo Young-gi pounded his chest as if he was frustrated.

This good-natured guy was about to turn him into a bad person.

“Hey! A friend has been deceiving us until now.”

“It wasn’t intentional, probably.”

“If it wasn’t intentional, is it okay to deceive us?”

“Isn’t it a friend’s job to understand that?”

“…Wow!”

This was a complete wall. It was so solid that there didn’t seem to be any room for a toothpick to get in.

“Aish, damn it!”

Joo Young-gi snorted and raised his voice for no reason.

“Anyway, you must have had a hard time, Jin-ho.”

“Huh? No, what do you mean?”

Park Yu-min looked at Kang Jin-ho with worried eyes.

“There’s been a lot of news lately, and people are talking a lot. Are you okay? Don’t worry too much. You’ll get sick.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Park Yu-min with a slightly bewildered expression.

He had already expected that the two would realize he was a martial artist.

Therefore, he thought this would be a place for him to make excuses. But Park Yu-min was not questioning him; instead, he was comforting him.

“Are you okay?”

“About what?”

At Kang Jin-ho’s question, Park Yu-min tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“That…”

Kang Jin-ho trailed off, as if he was at a loss for words for the first time in a while.

“That I’m a martial artist…”

“Yeah.”

“…Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

“About what?”

Park Yu-min tilted his head again as if he really didn’t understand.

“Martial artists are different from ordinary people. Aren’t you scared or anything to be with people like that?”

“Ah, that? Of course, I’m scared. Honestly, I’m a bit afraid.”

“Me too.”

Joo Young-gi said, sounding annoyed.

“Yesterday, some guy was causing trouble at the store, and if it were the old days, I would have cursed him out without asking any questions, but yesterday, I was a bit scared. I wondered if this person was actually a scary person, unlike how he looks.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

This was a natural reaction. Ordinary people would probably feel like they were walking on a path full of landmines.

“I understand.”

“What are you talking about since earlier?”

“…Huh?”

Park Yu-min frowned.

“I’m scared of that martial artist or whatever, and you’re Jin-ho.”

“Why would I be scared of you?”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t say anything and just stared blankly at Park Yu-min.

“I can kill someone if I want to?”

“You’ve always been like that.”

“Huh?”

“Even if you weren’t a martial artist, you would have done it if you wanted to. If you set your mind to it.”

Oh….

As Kang Jin-ho was trying to find something to say, Joo Young-gi scoffed.

“You were already strong enough to beat a cow with your bare hands. Is a person a problem? That’s why I’ve never even tried to make a fist in front of that bastard.”

Park Yu-min smiled and said,

“But does it really change anything now that it’s confirmed? It’s not just martial artists who can kill people if they want to, right? Even MMA fighters can kill people with their bare hands if they want to. But the friends of MMA fighters don’t live in fear of being beaten to death, do they? Right?”

“Wow… When did Park Yu-min become so good at talking?”

Joo Young-gi chuckled.

“That’s right. Why, you bastard? Are you going to beat us to death?”

“Even if I say something…”

“Okay, then.”

Joo Young-gi waved his hand.

“No. That’s not the important thing. You’re doing pretty well over there, right?”

“…Huh?”

“The mighty Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t be doing grunt work there, and at least you’d be a middle boss. Right?”

“…Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Send some guys to protect the store. Man, I feel like my heart is going to drop these days.”

Kang Jin-ho covered his face.

Was this Joo Young-gi’s fault, or his own?

“Those guys aren’t the type to cause trouble in the first place.”

If they were, they would have already been crushed by Kang Jin-ho. No, even without Kang Jin-ho stepping in, Bang Jin-hoon and Lee Hyun-soo would have ground those who caused trouble into dust.

‘Come to think of it, Lee Hyun-soo is quiet.’

He thought he would go crazy when he returned to Korea, but it seems he has left the work to Bang Jin-hoon and is quietly staying put.

Whether he was taking a break to think or preparing something else.

‘I don’t need to worry.’

Lee Hyun-soo would take care of things on his own.

There might be some ups and downs, but Lee Hyun-soo would be able to overcome them.

“Hey, I’m still worried, okay? What if those guys suddenly go crazy? We’d be screwed.”

“…Still, your store is okay.”

“Why?”

Kang Jin-ho hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“There are those guys who are learning how to make pizza at your store.”

“The guys your company sent for training?”

“Yeah.”

“Why them?”

“…They’re from that side.”

Joo Young-gi’s pupils shook.

“Those guys?”

“Yeah.”

“Those… martial artists?”

“Yeah.”

Joo Young-gi stared at the ceiling with a blank expression.

“No, what’s wrong with this bastard’s head that he can’t understand what I’m saying? Hey, you bastard! Don’t use force, use your brain!”

“Has this bastard only eaten expensive things? He’s even baking pizza well-done! Don’t leave any of the burnt ones, eat them all yourself! Got it?”

“Does business look easy? Does business look easy? Oh my, you’re the type of person who would starve no matter what you do. Don’t even try to learn this, go out and learn how to beg. You’d make more money that way.”

“You morons!”

How many times had he crossed the threshold of death without realizing it?

He even stuck his chin out at the trainee, whose face was almost as red as a strawberry from being scolded, and told him to hit him if he was so angry.

‘Oh, Mom…

Your son is alive, Mom.’

“Those… no, those people are martial artists?”

“Yeah.”

“…You son of a bitch…”

You should have told me! You should have told me!

Are you trying to assassinate me?

Oh my god, how many times have I stepped into the Sanzu River [a river in Japanese Buddhist tradition that the dead must cross]….

“The guys will be coming and going to the store often, so there won’t be any problems.”

“…Hey, Mr. Kang Jin-ho. I think your thinking is a bit strange. I’m saying that I’m scared of people who are martial artists, okay?”

“But you’re saying it’s okay because martial artists are coming and going?”

“They’re okay.”

Joo Young-gi smiled.

‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’

He was a moron for thinking he could have a conversation with this guy.

“More than that…”

“More than that, you bastard! What could be more important than this!”

Park Yu-min sighed deeply at Joo Young-gi’s extreme reaction.

“Stop whining like a kid. You’re not the important one right now.”

“Then what’s important?”

“How frustrated Jin-ho must be right now. You’re supposed to be his friend…”

“Yeah… I’m the only bad guy.”

Joo Young-gi looked dejected as if he was hurt, but Park Yu-min coldly ignored him.

“Jin-ho, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

Park Yu-min looked at Kang Jin-ho with worried eyes.

“Knowing your personality, I don’t think you’d just sit back and do nothing, and I’m worried you might try to do something reckless.”

He was like a ghost.

Sometimes, Kang Jin-ho thought that the person who understood him the best wasn’t his family, Choi Yeon-ha, or Lee Hyun-soo, but Park Yu-min.

“No, that’s not…”

“Jin-ho.”

Park Yu-min said firmly.

“I hope you don’t.”

“The things happening around you aren’t all your responsibility.”

“I’m not that nosy.”

“You are!”

“You’re too nosy!”

Kang Jin-ho flinched at the shouts that came from the two almost simultaneously.

“What? You’re the nosiest bastard I know.”

“Yeah, Jin-ho. That’s honestly ridiculous.”

These two were the direct victims (?) of Kang Jin-ho’s meddling. So it wasn’t strange that they were reacting like this.

“Hey, didn’t you hear what Tess said? Know thyself!”

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you’re just too nosy.”

He had heard these words a few times before, but this was the first time he had seen such a fierce reaction.

“So, Jin-ho.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Joo Young-gi snorted at Park Yu-min’s words.

“Hey, hey, you might as well read the Bible to a cow.”

“…It’s just a scripture.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“…Young-gi, please.”

“Anyway, that bastard won’t listen to anyone. He’ll nod and say he understands, but he’ll do whatever he wants.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Joo Young-gi with a dumbfounded expression.

“Me?”

“Look at him pretending he’s not. Man, you’re the nosiest person I know, and at the same time, you’re the person who listens to others the least!”

“I agree with that.”

“…You guys, are you worried about me right now?”

“Of course!”

“Absolutely.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed in disbelief.

‘Nice.’

It was so messy and nice.

You bastards.