Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 248

Seeing Choi Yeon-ha glaring at him, Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but think that his day wasn’t going to be smooth.

“How can the person who made the appointment be late?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why were you late?”

“Well…”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek.

Normally, he would never be late, but his car had been totaled, and he didn’t have a car to drive until he bought a new one. So, he took the subway for the first time in a while…

‘There’s no way I can tell her I took the wrong line.’

Kang Jin-ho sighed quietly.

He’d seen politicians on TV clumsily shoving two ten-thousand-won bills into their transportation cards or thinking the bus fare was 70 won, and he realized he wasn’t much different. [Ten-thousand-won bills are a common denomination in South Korea, and transportation cards are used for public transit.]

Come to think of it, he hadn’t used public transportation much since high school. He had Geumdong back then. Why would he take public transportation when he had a bike that was faster than a car? [Geumdong is likely a reference to a specific type of bike or a nickname for his bike.]

“You know that’s really rude, right?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho readily admitted it.

He had no excuses to make.

“Just sit down.”

“Yes.”

Like a prisoner receiving a judge’s verdict, Kang Jin-ho bowed his head and sat down.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m fine.”

“Have something. You like Americano, don’t you?”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t that he particularly liked it, but he drank it because other sweet drinks didn’t suit his taste.

He could probably find the types of tea he enjoyed in the Murim world, but there was the problem that his tea-making skills couldn’t replicate the taste he remembered. [Murim refers to the martial arts world in Korean fantasy.]

Kang Jin-ho, who had ordered an Americano and brought it to the table, looked at Choi Yeon-ha sitting across from him.

‘Is she not trying to hide?’

Usually, celebrities try to cover themselves with hats or sunglasses when they go out. Even Kang Eun-young would wrap her face up like a mummy just to go to the department store.

Sometimes he thought it was excessive, but after filming a couple of zombie movies because people recognized Kang Se-ah in the downtown area, Kang Jin-ho was now the one who would wrap a scarf around Kang Eun-young’s face.

If Choi Yeon-ha, as Kang Eun-young had said, was an actress with a level of recognition and stardom that couldn’t be compared to hers, she would attract more than twice the number of fans they had experienced. So, he wondered if it was even possible for her to walk around with her face completely exposed like this.

“Am I pretty?”

“Pardon?”

“You keep staring at my face.”

“That’s not why I was looking.”

“…You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”

“Why are you bringing that up here?”

“I think I know why you don’t have a girlfriend. It’s hard not to have one with that face.”

‘This feels like an insult…’

Kang Jin-ho took a sip of his Americano with an uncomfortable expression.

“So, what do you think? Am I pretty?”

Kang Jin-ho sighed deeply. He had met many people, but Choi Yeon-ha was one of the most difficult people to deal with.

It wasn’t that her personality was bad, but she had the ability to precisely poke at the things that made Kang Jin-ho uncomfortable.

“Yes, you’re pretty.”

“Thank you. It feels like I’m forcing a compliment, so half the points are gone, but I’ll let you know that it’s still a point-earning statement.”

“…Thank you.”

Kang Jin-ho leaned back in his chair and thought.

‘Does she know I’m going through all this?’

He hoped that Kang Eun-young, who was probably lounging on the sofa and munching on snacks, would at least realize that her comfortable and peaceful time was made possible by Kang Jin-ho’s one-sided sacrifice. That way, he wouldn’t feel so wronged.

“Is Se-ah okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine.”

“Why did she suddenly get sick?”

“Her condition just broke down.”

“Hmm, that happens sometimes.”

Choi Yeon-ha didn’t delve any further. In fact, she didn’t care about Kang Eun-young’s well-being. She was only interested in Kang Jin-ho.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

As Kang Jin-ho spoke first, Choi Yeon-ha looked at him with an intrigued expression.

Kang Jin-ho cleared his throat quietly at Choi Yeon-ha’s gaze as she rested her chin on her hand and stared at him.

“Is Eun-young really talented in acting?”

“Can you trust my words?”

“From what Eun-young and others have said, I thought Choi Yeon-ha was a very reliable person when it comes to acting.”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled as if she was pleased.

“It’s a compliment I hear often, but it feels different coming from you, Kang Jin-ho. It’s an obvious flattery, but I like it. So, I’ll answer you. Well, Se-ah is more talented than you think. If there’s one thing that’s a bit of a shame…”

“A shame?”

Choi Yeon-ha nodded slowly.

“I’d say she’s lived a bit too easily?”

“Pardon?”

“Maybe it’s because she grew up without experiencing hardship, but she’s very bright. She has a sly side, but it’s not because she has a bad personality.”

Choi Yeon-ha stirred her latte in front of her and continued.

“She’s definitely strong when it comes to playing cheerful characters, but I think there would be a clear limit when she plays tragic characters. It’s a shame as an actress, but…”

Choi Yeon-ha looked up at Kang Jin-ho.

“It’s something to be envious of as a person. It means she grew up being loved that much. It means she doesn’t have any rough edges and hasn’t suffered much.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned slightly.

“We didn’t raise her by spoiling her. And she suffered quite a bit during her trainee days.”

“Of course, she probably did. But…”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled brightly and said,

“She always had her brother and family behind her. No matter how hard or painful it was, she had a reliable support system that would come running to solve the situation whenever she asked. So, she probably hasn’t experienced the kind of despair where she can’t do anything.”

“Is that kind of experience necessary for acting?”

“Not necessarily. It’s not like I can play a doctor just because I’ve been one. However, if you have that kind of experience, your spectrum will be a bit wider.”

“Hmm…”

As Kang Jin-ho seemed to be pondering, Choi Yeon-ha waved her hand.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not like she needs that kind of experience now. She’s talented enough at her age, and she’s doing well enough. Her looks are good too. Not as good as her brother, though.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

If Choi Yeon-ha said that, it meant that Kang Eun-young was somewhat competitive as an actress.

“Have you asked everything you wanted to ask?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get up. I’m hungry.”

“…Okay.”

“I’m going to eat something expensive, so be prepared.”

“Yes.”

As Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly, Choi Yeon-ha chuckled.

“You said you had a lot of money, and it seems like it’s true? You’re not even flinching when I say I’m going to eat something expensive.”

“How expensive can a meal be?”

“Have you ever had a two-million-won set meal?”

“…Do they make rice with gold instead of rice?”

Choi Yeon-ha covered her mouth and laughed loudly.

“Let’s go see what they make it with. Did you bring your car?”

“No. I don’t have a car.”

“What happened to that red one?”

“It was totaled.”

“…You have a knack for surprising people in strange ways, Kang Jin-ho.”

Kang Jin-ho shuddered. It felt like he could hear Joo Young-gi’s nagging again.

“Then let’s go in my car.”

“Yes.”

When they went outside the cafe, a black SIAM was parked in the parking lot behind the cafe. [SIAM is likely a car brand or model.]

‘Hmm…’

Sometimes, the owner’s personality can be seen in the type of car they drive. In that sense, it was both unexpected and natural that Choi Yeon-ha drove an SUV.

Considering her fame, her profession as an actress, and her stardom, a sports car would seem to suit her better than an SUV, but considering her practical personality, this car suited her better.

“Get in.”

“Yes.”

As Kang Jin-ho got into the car, Choi Yeon-ha stepped on the accelerator without hesitation and started the car.

‘Scratch that.’

A sports car suits this woman after all. A large SUV doesn’t suit someone who accelerates so aggressively.

The way Choi Yeon-ha held the large steering wheel with both hands and turned it was a different kind of charm than what he had seen so far.

“Have you thought about it?”

“About what?”

“About being an actor, an actor.”

“…I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I’m not interested.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho cut off Choi Yeon-ha’s words firmly.

“Well, fine. Instead, you have to dedicate yourself completely to me today. And you can’t get annoyed if I keep talking about acting.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head to look out the car window.

It seemed like it was going to be a difficult day.

The meal was surprisingly not that expensive. After giving him a lot of scare, Choi Yeon-ha seemed to have lost her enthusiasm when Kang Jin-ho didn’t react much, and she took him to an ordinary family restaurant.

After that, he only remembered being dragged around mindlessly.

He carried shopping bags while wandering around shops he didn’t even know, watched a play to show him the true taste of acting, went for a drive to the outskirts of the city, had dinner there, and returned, and it was already late at night.

‘I can’t do this.’

Kang Jin-ho, who had returned to the cafe where they first met, slumped into a chair, exhausted.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Kang Jin-ho, you have amazing stamina. Usually, everyone, men and women alike, gets exhausted after spending a day with me. My managers beg me to stop wandering around.”

Seeing Choi Yeon-ha chuckling made him feel a little better.

What should he say?

It was like the relief of finishing all the piled-up summer vacation homework in one day of hard work?

It was a sense of accomplishment, like he had cleared a task that he had to face someday.

“Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome.”

He expressed his gratitude once again.

In fact, he had seen the filming set, and he could fully imagine how much Choi Yeon-ha had struggled to give Eun-young three days.

On top of that, she had even ruined her own image by demanding that her own filming be done first so that there wouldn’t be any complaints from the PDs or writers. [PDs refers to the production directors.]

He hadn’t even asked her to do that, but the PDs had contacted Kang Eun-young first to apologize for the filming being delayed. So, Choi Yeon-ha had done everything she could.

It wasn’t fair to repay that much favor with a day of dating. Choi Yeon-ha could call Kang Jin-ho a scammer, and he wouldn’t have anything to say.

“You’ll be busy for a while, right?”

“…Actually, I’m free these days.”

“No. You’ll be busy now.”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled brightly.

“Tomorrow? Maybe from tomorrow, you’ll be really busy.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Well, you can experience it yourself if you don’t know. That’s that, so when are we meeting next?”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head.

“Do we have to meet again?”

“Oh my, look at this guy? You’re really rude.”

Choi Yeon-ha looked at Kang Jin-ho quietly and then opened her mouth.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

“Yes?”

“Am I not pretty?”

“You are pretty.”

Objectively speaking, she was beautiful enough. Objectively speaking.

“Then we’ll see each other again. Men like to hang out with pretty girls. And it’ll be hard to find someone as pretty as me, right?”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled and winked.

“I like you. Not as an actor, but as a man.”

Kang Jin-ho was speechless and stared blankly at Choi Yeon-ha.