Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 249

“A man?”

“Yes, a man.”

Kang Jin-ho was at a loss for words.

“Why are you acting like such a country bumpkin?”

“No…”

What was he supposed to say?

It was the first time Kang Jin-ho had ever been rendered speechless like this. Seeing his bewildered expression, Choi Yeon-ha burst into laughter.

“Seriously, what’s wrong with you?”

“No, it’s just…”

“You’re acting like you just received a confession. It’s not like that.”

“It’s just that I’m intrigued. I think you’re a better person than I initially thought?”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded. He was grateful that Choi Yeon-ha had backed off a little. In truth, Kang Jin-ho was probably just mistaken, but he was still relieved that she had created some distance.

“It’s more like, I wouldn’t mind seeing you a few more times. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Ah, well…”

Seeing Kang Jin-ho still unable to hide his confusion, Choi Yeon-ha’s eyes widened.

‘Why is this guy such a clueless dork?’ With his looks, he should have been swarmed by women, yet his reaction was like someone who had never received a confession before.

Choi Yeon-ha smiled slightly.

‘This is fun.’

Seeing his reaction made her want to tease him even more.

“But it’s a bit of a blow to my pride.”

“Huh?”

“Am I not pretty?”

“…You are pretty.”

“Then shouldn’t you be the one asking for a second date, not me?” Kang Jin-ho was unable to answer, his face blank.

‘Come to think of it…’

He thought they were meeting because of the movie, but today, Choi Yeon-ha hadn’t mentioned the movie even once. They had just eaten together, gone for a drive, and talked.

‘It was a date.’

Kang Jin-ho realized that the date Choi Yeon-ha had mentioned wasn’t just a figure of speech, and he began to understand what he had done.

“You know, I’m one of the top five most popular women in Korea.”

“I guess so.”

“And yet, I’m the one who has to ask when we’ll meet next?”

“Even if I were incredibly ugly and unpopular, that’s not how it should be. There should be basic manners towards women.”

Kang Jin-ho leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

Choi Yeon-ha understood his deflated reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just that lately, I feel like I’ve been getting nagged by other people a lot.”

“Oh my, nagging!”

“No, not nagging, but…”

Choi Yeon-ha smiled sweetly.

“Then it must mean that something is wrong with your current way of life.”

“Maybe so.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed, straightened his posture, and looked directly at Choi Yeon-ha.

Choi Yeon-ha, meeting Kang Jin-ho’s gaze, quietly asked,

“So, when will we see each other again?”

“Before that…” Kang Jin-ho firmly cut off Choi Yeon-ha and spoke.

“I don’t like things being ambiguous, so I want to make things clear.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’m not going to be an actor.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Just because you’re acting like this doesn’t mean I’ll change my mind.”

Choi Yeon-ha stirred her drink with a straw as she replied.

“I have an eye for people, too.”

Her voice was languid.

“I know that someone like Kang Jin-ho will never change his mind once he says no. The male lead for this movie has already been cast.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face slightly hardened.

Then why did Choi Yeon-ha go on a date with him?

“Stop looking at me with those strange eyes. Is it so weird that I had a meal and went for a drive with Kang Jin-ho?”

“Yes, it is weird.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re an actress.”

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled.

“Does that mean actresses can only date chaebol [conglomerate] heirs? I have a lot of money. I’m not interested in people who flaunt their wealth.”

That was her preference, but Kang Jin-ho couldn’t understand why that preference was directed at him.

“But I haven’t given up completely.”

“Huh?”

“I understand why you don’t want to be an actor. But I think it’s because you’ve only seen the downsides of being an actor. If you knew the charm of being an actor, I believe things would be different.”

“Hmm…”

“If being an actor was only as you imagine it, I don’t think Se-ah would be having so much fun filming, right? She seems like the type who gets bored easily?”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded. He understood what Choi Yeon-ha was trying to say. However, he just wasn’t interested.

“I’ll tell you in advance, that will never happen.”

“You’re a real iron wall.”

Choi Yeon-ha sighed and scratched her head.

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“Did you date her for a long time?”

“…Not really.”

“That’s a relief. I can only imagine how much your girlfriend must have suffered.”

Kang Jin-ho took a sip of his coffee without replying.

The mention of a girlfriend brought Han Se-yeon’s face to mind.

What was she doing now?

He hadn’t consciously looked for her, but after all this time since his discharge, he should have heard some news, but he hadn’t had any contact with Han Se-yeon since that day.

They had ended as a couple, but she had said she wanted to remain friends…

“Stop. No reminiscing.”

“Ah…”

“You shouldn’t be thinking about other women when you’re with someone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“…You’re really honest.”

Choi Yeon-ha burst into laughter without realizing it. The more she saw of Kang Jin-ho, the stranger he seemed.

He openly showed that he was annoyed with her, and while he seemed clueless, he was firm about what he didn’t agree with.

“Is your shop doing well?”

“I took a day off today.”

“I mean, is business good?”

“It’s okay.”

Choi Yeon-ha chuckled lightly.

“Things will probably be completely different tomorrow, so you should prepare yourself.”

“You’ve been saying that since before, but I have no idea what you mean.”

“You don’t have to understand. You’ll know when you experience it.”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head, and Choi Yeon-ha smiled lightly.

“It’s time for me to go now.”

“Okay.”

“Should I give you a ride?”

“I can’t impose on you like that.”

“Hmm, well, it would be too much if I gave you a ride on our first date. I need to maintain at least some pride.”

When talking to Choi Yeon-ha, Kang Jin-ho often found himself at a loss for words.

It felt like it was because Choi Yeon-ha didn’t beat around the bush and kept throwing straight punches.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t really like me, do you?”

“It’s not that.”

“Your expression says otherwise. You find me really annoying, don’t you?”

When Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer, Choi Yeon-ha let out a dumbfounded laugh.

“Is that really it? Wow, this guy…”

She didn’t expect him to be head over heels for her, but she thought he should at least show some interest, considering she was Choi Yeon-ha. But instead of interest, he was annoyed by her.

‘Is this how it’s going to end up?’

She thought the line ‘You’re the first man to treat me like this’ was a very cliché trope, but she was experiencing it in real life, not in a drama.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Choi Yeon-ha regained her composure.

The order was reversed.

It wasn’t that Kang Jin-ho was interested because he wasn’t interested in her, but that she was interested in him even though he wasn’t interested in her.

‘I should use this in a drama later.’

It might even become a reinterpretation of a classic.

“Well, fine. I’ll drop the mindset that I should be treated well just because I’m me.”

“But instead!” Choi Yeon-ha slammed the table.

“Next time we meet, come with the mindset of meeting a woman, not doing homework. You still need to uphold my pride a little.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly nodded. He knew that his mindset today was rude.

Choi Yeon-ha seemed like she was about to say something more, but she took a deep breath.

“Listen carefully, Kang Jin-ho. This is a declaration of war.”

“Huh?”

Choi Yeon-ha looked at Kang Jin-ho with a meaningful smile.

“I’m going to seduce you.”

“You’re late?”

Kang Eun-young’s eyes flared up.

“My brother’s not doing well, and his brother is not home at this hour!”

“Don’t you have a shoot?”

“Mom!” Kang Eun-young yelled, and Baek Hyun-jung sighed as she peeled fruit.

“When you were always out of the house, filming and performing, do you know how worried I was?”

“…Mom.”

“But now that you’re home like this…”

Kang Eun-young clenched her fist and looked at Baek Hyun-jung. She had achieved some success in pursuing her dreams, but she always felt sorry towards her parents.

“I don’t know how fortunate it is that you became a celebrity. If you hadn’t, you would have been loafing around like this.”

“When my friends sighed about their daughters just eating rice at home, I thought, ‘How nice it is to see my daughter’s face every day,’ but I have to apologize. I didn’t know that even good things aren’t good when you see them every day.”

Kang Eun-young’s mouth slightly opened.

“Wow… Mom, are you dissing me right now?”

“I’m just saying.”

“Mom, how can you say that to your daughter? That’s crazy.”

Baek Hyun-jung sighed as she watched her daughter squawk.

‘I wonder who will take her.’

She was worried if the people who worked with Kang Eun-young outside knew that she was like this. It was a worry even if they knew, and a worry if they didn’t.

“Mom, my brother went on a date and isn’t home yet, aren’t you worried?”

“Eun-young.”

“Yes?”

“I’m worried about you, but not about Jin-ho. The most useless worry in the world is worrying about your brother.”

“Mom is too carefree! What if my brother suddenly brings home a grandson! It’s a man and a woman together at this late hour!”

Baek Hyun-jung openly scoffed.

“That’s my wish.”

“Do you think your brother can get married living like that? He’s like that, and he doesn’t even have a girlfriend. I’m worried that he’ll still be going to PC rooms [internet cafes] with Yoo-min when he’s forty.”

“That’s highly possible.”

Kang Eun-young also nodded with a stiff face.

Unless there was a special occasion, Kang Jin-ho was unlikely to try to meet a woman. And that occasion…

“You have to look at the sky to pick a star. He’s always hanging out with his friends and not meeting women, how is he going to find a girlfriend?”

“That’s right.”

Kang Eun-young was also starting to feel uneasy.

She didn’t like the idea of her brother having a girlfriend, but she also didn’t want him to grow old alone.

‘This is confusing, so confusing.’

The moment Kang Eun-young was tearing at her hair, the sound of the door lock opening was heard, and Kang Jin-ho entered.

“I’m home.”