Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 276

The ingredients arrived sooner than expected.

Perhaps because Jung Su-yeon had mentioned it beforehand, the ingredients and tools arrived before lunchtime.

“Let’s just shove this stuff in for now and organize it during the break. There’s no hope of organizing it now,” said Joo Young-gi. Jung Su-yeon shook her head.

“Since I don’t seem to be much help in the hall anyway, I’ll organize the tools in the corner for now. I’ll be careful not to get in the way of you making pizza.”

“Hmm, would you do that?”

“Yes, I’ll give it a try.”

“Okay, then.”

Joo Young-gi nodded, and Park Yu-min frowned.

“Why? What is it?”

“No, it’s just that it’s the first time I’ve seen you listen to someone so willingly. Usually, when opinions are divided like that, you’d be yelling, ‘I’m right, why don’t you listen to me?’ and making a fuss.”

“When did I ever do that, you jerk!”

Joo Young-gi’s face turned bright red.

“Why are you blushing?”

Park Yu-min tilted her head, and Joo Young-gi grabbed Park Yu-min by the back of the neck and dragged her out into the hall.

“We’re so busy, and you’re not even working!”

“You were goofing off too!”

“Shut up!”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the order slip that Park Yu-min had left behind and began to take out the dough.

‘I can’t get used to it, really.’

It was a sight she had seen several times already, but it was still amazing every time she saw it.

What should she say… it was like he had eliminated all unnecessary steps in the pizza-making process?

If you added a little magic to that, you could make pizza like that. Of course, that magic was Kang Jin-ho’s know-how, which Jung Su-yeon couldn’t understand.

‘I have to learn it.’

The moment she thought it would just be a temporary part-time job, it was promoted to a full-time position in her mind.

“Ah, today was tough too.”

Park Yu-min finished cleaning the last table and stretched her shoulders. After dealing with the rush of customers, it was already close to midnight.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

Joo Young-gi was holding onto Jung Su-yeon and apologizing.

“I should have told you to leave in the middle, but we were so out of it. You came in earlier than your usual start time, and now you’re staying until this late.”

“No, it’s okay. If everyone works like this, I should work like this too.”

“Hey, that’s not right. We’re doing this because it’s our friend’s place, but if you make someone who you pay work like this, you’ll get reported to the labor board [a government agency that protects workers’ rights].”

“Would I ever do that?”

Jung Su-yeon smiled gently, and Joo Young-gi’s face brightened up.

“Anyway, I’m really sorry for keeping you here until this late. You must need to go home, and it won’t be easy to get a ride. If you wait a little bit, I’ll clean up and drive you home.”

“No, you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s too late at night…”

“Um, I might sound a bit presumptuous saying this…”

“Yes?”

Joo Young-gi blinked.

What was she about to say?

“I’d like you to see me not as a female colleague, but just as a co-worker. I really appreciate your consideration, but I want to work the same and be recognized the same way.”

“Ah…”

Joo Young-gi was speechless and stammering, so Park Yu-min nonchalantly took over Jung Su-yeon’s words.

“Then you can ride with Young-gi.”

“Yes?”

“He would have done the same even if you were a guy. Even though Young-gi doesn’t seem like it, he’s the type to take care of people. The way he talks might be different, but he would have done the same thing.”

“Ah, I see…”

Jung Su-yeon nodded as if she understood what he meant.

“Okay, I understand. Then, I’ll shamelessly take a ride.”

“That’s a good decision.”

“And more than that…”

Jung Su-yeon’s head snapped around.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho, who was wiping the glass with a rag, turned his head with an awkward expression.

“I’d like to discuss the menu composition with you.”

“…With me?”

“Then who else would I do it with? You’re the boss and the head chef.”

“Me?”

Seeing Kang Jin-ho pointing at himself dumbly, she felt a fire burning inside.

‘Why is he like that when he looks so normal?’

Actually, he wasn’t just normal-looking, he was handsome.

…No, he was incredibly handsome. The girls in the hall were squealing about some drama, and she wondered what they were talking about…

‘I should have watched some dramas.’

She looked up the scene online and was shocked. She had never thought a person could look so handsome and charismatic.

But…

‘Why is his usual style like that?’

His bangs were hanging down, awkwardly covering his face, and his clothes looked like they were just picked up at a market.

Looking at Kang Jin-ho, she could feel the importance of self-care. To exaggerate a bit, his current appearance and his appearance in the drama could be used as a before-and-after advertisement for a plastic surgery clinic.

“I can’t decide everything by myself.”

“I gave you full authority.”

“But I can’t do it alone. This isn’t my place, it’s your place, boss. At least to avoid any issues later, I need to discuss it with you.”

“…I don’t know anything.”

“Oh, come on!”

Jung Su-yeon strode over and grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s arm. When Kang Jin-ho seemed to resist subtly, she now outright hugged his arm and pulled him.

“Come here! Come here!”

“Ah, no, I…”

That’s when it happened.

Slam!

The door opened violently, and a person entered the store. They froze in the position they opened the door.

Jung Su-yeon, who was pulling Kang Jin-ho’s arm, also recognized the person who had entered and slightly opened her mouth.

A moment of subtle silence passed…

The person who opened the door, Choi Yeon-ha, stared at Jung Su-yeon and opened her mouth.

“Who is that woman?”

The air in the store began to cool down.

“A chef?”

“Yes. Choi Yeon-ha said that we need to serve pasta and salads to keep the business going…”

Park Yu-min mumbled, and Joo Young-gi took over.

“We quickly gave feedback.”

“Ah, a chef?”

Her tone was a bit subtle.

The slightly raised tone at the end had a clear meaning: ‘So, she’s just a chef. It’s nothing special, so why did I care? You’re a chef. Know your place.’

‘And I understand that?’

Good job, Park Yu-min. Excellent, Park Yu-min.

After rolling around in the harsh world, Park Yu-min, who had never learned this ability during her time in the orphanage, was now naturally developing the ability to interpret women’s language while being with Kang Jin-ho.

‘I’m a born solo [someone who is not good at relationships].’

Kang Jin-ho was the one dating, but why was Park Yu-min the one growing?

Park Yu-min was confused by this strange situation, which she couldn’t be happy or sad about.

“But why is it a woman?”

“I didn’t really care about the gender…”

“I wonder if a female chef can do well.”

“Isn’t that gender discrimination?”

Choi Yeon-ha scoffed.

“I’m a woman, so how can I be discriminating against women? When I was filming a drama before, I played a chef, and flipping the pan over the fire was a killer. Even though it was just a few scenes, I felt like my soul was leaving my body. I understand why all the famous chefs are men. It’s not about taste, but because they usually can’t work in the kitchen all day.”

“Ah…”

Park Yu-min nodded as if she understood.

“You.”

And at that moment, Choi Yeon-ha’s offensive began.

“…Yes?”

“Can you do it?”

“…What do you mean?”

“The turnover here is fast, and things move very quickly. You saw it today, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then the people who work together need to have the stamina to keep up. Looking at you now, you’re so thin, and I don’t think you can even flip a pan with those arms… If you’re just going to do it half-heartedly for a few days and quit, you should quit now. So we can find a new person quickly.”

Jung Su-yeon stared blankly at Choi Yeon-ha and took out a diary from her bag.

“Huh?”

The slightly worn diary was filled with recipes.

‘Is she protesting with that?’

Just as Choi Yeon-ha was about to sneer, ‘Who writes recipes by hand in this day and age?’, Jung Su-yeon opened the last clean page and handed the diary to Choi Yeon-ha.

“Could you please sign this for me?”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been a fan since I was a kid. The way you act seems to give people hope.”

“Ah…”

Choi Yeon-ha’s face turned slightly red.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes.”

Jung Su-yeon nodded quietly and said.

“I jumped into this industry right after graduating from high school.”

“Yes.”

“So I got a lot of criticism and went through a lot of hardships. Like you said, I was told that I was just a burden because I didn’t have the stamina, and I was told to leave because I couldn’t even hold a pan properly and was just annoying people.”

Choi Yeon-ha looked at Jung Su-yeon with a pitiful expression.

‘This atmosphere is getting strange?’

Park Yu-min, who was watching from the side, felt like she was watching Choi Yeon-ha’s stiff claws slowly retracting.

“But the female protagonists you play are always like that. The female protagonists in other dramas try to turn their lives around by meeting rich and handsome men, but you always play characters who succeed through their own efforts.”

“Ah, you know that.”

“Yes. I was so comforted by that.”

“Ah…”

Choi Yeon-ha reached out and held Jung Su-yeon’s hand tightly.

“Thank you. Hearing this in front of me makes me feel so rewarded that I could cry.”

“Yes, I’m glad to meet you too, unnie [an affectionate term for an older sister or female friend].”

It was starting to feel like a reunion of separated families.

“You asked for a signature, right? Is it okay to do it here?”

“Yes, yes, unnie.”

“What’s your name?”

“Jung Su-yeon.”

Choi Yeon-ha began to sign with care. Even Park Yu-min, who didn’t know much about signatures, could tell that Choi Yeon-ha was putting a lot of effort into this signature.

“Here, here you go. Never lose your strength.”

“Yes, unnie. But…”

“Why? Is there something you’re curious about?”

“It’s just that, what’s your relationship with this place?”

“Ah…”

Choi Yeon-ha covered her mouth and laughed.

“It’s nothing special. I just have some friendship with Kang Jin-ho and gave him some advice. I came to see if the place was going to go under.”

“Ah, so you’re not related at all?”

“That’s right.”

“Ah…”

Jung Su-yeon smiled and turned her head to look at Kang Jin-ho.

“Then, boss, shall we go inside and talk?”

“…Yes?”

“We need to talk about the menu and consult, but it’s a bit awkward to do it with an outsider here.”

“…Yes?”

Choi Yeon-ha’s eyes went blank.

What was she talking about all of a sudden?

“Ah, and…”

Jung Su-yeon looked at Choi Yeon-ha with a very apologetic expression and opened her mouth.

“I really appreciate your advice, but I’m an employee here now, and I’m in charge of the kitchen now, so the boss and I will take care of those issues. So you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“…You.”

“Then, please take care. It seems like it will take some time for the boss and me.”

Jung Su-yeon jumped up from her seat, grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s arm, and dragged him into the pantry.

Choi Yeon-ha, who was watching the scene, began to tremble.

‘Wow, Choi Yeon-ha lost.’

She wondered if there was a character stronger than that woman, but the strong Choi Yeon-ha was completely defeated without even being able to counterattack.

‘Su-yeon is no joke either.’

At that moment, Joo Young-gi, who was sitting far away and watching the situation, got up from his seat. Joo Young-gi, who went outside, put a cigarette in his mouth, lit it, and said with a sigh.

“What a show, what a show.”

It’s a mess, just a mess.