Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 284

Kang Jin-ho paused for a moment before speaking.

“I think a few things are wrong.”

Kang Eun-young lowered her head at Kang Jin-ho’s firm tone.

“If your entertainment career is something you can’t manage without my help, it’s better to quit early. Don’t you think?”

Kang Eun-young couldn’t meet Kang Jin-ho’s eyes.

Her brother was usually like an easygoing friend, but he never compromised on things he thought were wrong. Once he drew a line, Kang Jin-ho was more difficult than their father.

“I think I said something similar before, didn’t I?”

“……You did, Oppa.”

“I don’t know if I didn’t make myself clear enough, or if you didn’t understand me……”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head slightly, as if displeased.

“I don’t like repeating myself. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho, after gently stroking his nose, looked around at the others.

Choi Yeon-ha and Jung Seok-soo also couldn’t bring themselves to meet his gaze.

“It’s the same for you two.”

Choi Yeon-ha pouted slightly.

‘This isn’t something to get so worked up about.’

She was dissatisfied, but it wasn’t the right atmosphere to say anything.

“If I said no, then it’s no.”

“But……”

“It seems you didn’t understand me properly. I’m not a nice person who moves according to other people’s circumstances.”

“……Yes.”

“What I can’t understand the most is why I have to hear about this through you.”

“Pardon?”

“If you wanted me to appear, the PD [Production Director] should have come. They should have come and talked to me directly. The person responsible for the project isn’t moving, so why would I decide to appear? Don’t you think?”

Choi Yeon-ha was speechless.

Kang Jin-ho looked at Jung Seok-soo and said,

“I hope there won’t be any more talk like this. To be clear, I will not set foot in the entertainment industry again. It’s not for me.”

“……Yes.”

“If you need to release a press statement, say that I will have nothing to do with that world anymore. I won’t sign with Code, and I won’t appear in dramas again.”

Kang Jin-ho finished speaking and got up from his seat.

“I have to go back to take care of the shop. Then.”

Kang Eun-young sighed deeply as she watched Kang Jin-ho push Choi Yeon-ha aside and leave without hesitation.

“See? I told you it wouldn’t work.”

Choi Yeon-ha didn’t even acknowledge Kang Eun-young’s words and started biting her nails.

“I thought it was almost a done deal……”

Kang Eun-young grabbed her thigh in frustration.

“I told you it wouldn’t work. My brother is the type who bounces back even harder when you push him.”

“That’s why I was being polite.”

“It still doesn’t work. Ugh, how am I going to face my brother at home now? He won’t even talk to me for a while.”

Kang Eun-young looked like she was about to cry.

She was annoyed that her relationship with her brother seemed to be strained, more than about the drama.

Jung Seok-soo, on the other hand, seemed relieved as he gulped down cold water.

“……At least this clears things up, so I feel better.”

“Is this something to feel good about? I lost a lead actor, and you lost an actor who could have made you a fortune for at least ten years?”

“Even the Pyongyang magistrate can quit if he doesn’t like it. What can we do if someone doesn’t want to do it?”

“No guts! No guts!”

Choi Yeon-ha stood up abruptly, as if nothing was to her liking.

“Give up if you want. I’m not going to back down like this.”

“You should give up.”

Kang Eun-young said firmly.

“From what I see, my brother drew a line today.”

“A line?”

“Yes. That’s the kind of person my brother is.”

Kang Eun-young sighed deeply before speaking.

“The reason he came here today to listen to you is because he didn’t know where to draw the line, with so many people and situations involved. My brother is kind as long as you don’t cross the line he sets, but he’s ruthless if you cross it.”

“……Are you saying that if I push him further, Kang Jin-ho will be ruthless to me?”

“Yes.”

“To me? I’m Choi Yeon-ha?”

Kang Eun-young looked at Choi Yeon-ha with a blank expression and said,

“Try it if you’re confident. Just don’t come crying to me later.”

Choi Yeon-ha glared at Kang Eun-young as if she could devour her, then sighed and sat back down.

She knew it wasn’t Kang Eun-young’s fault. She was just frustrated and looking for someone to vent her anger on.

‘I need to calm down.’

If she got angry here for no reason, she would only ruin her relationship with Kang Eun-young. If that happened, it would really be the end with Kang Jin-ho.

“You know, Se-ah’s brother is really unique, right?”

“I know.”

“Why is he so reluctant to come to this side?”

Kang Eun-young said with a sulky face.

“Actually, it’s not that my brother doesn’t want to come to this side.”

“Huh?”

“It’s just that there’s a more interesting place for him.”

“……What does that mean?”

Kang Eun-young didn’t answer and just sighed quietly.

“I’m back.”

“Huh? Already?”

Park Yu-min tilted his head, seeing Kang Jin-ho open the shop door and walk in. He had gone out to talk about something, and now he was back, strolling in. Park Yu-min could roughly guess what had happened.

“You didn’t even listen properly and just came back, huh?”

“It just happened.”

“You really have a strange personality.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled lightly.

“You’re just realizing that now?”

“I always knew, always. I just realized it again. Your personality is really weird.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Kang Jin-ho headed to the pantry. Then, Joo Young-gi and Jung Soo-yeon, who were in the kitchen, saw Kang Jin-ho and came out in surprise.

“You’re back already?”

Did they expect him to come back after closing the shop to not be surprised?

Kang Jin-ho nodded with a sullen face.

“So, are you going to be in the drama?”

“……Did you plant a bug?”

“Everyone knows except you. Anyone who isn’t as clueless as you would have expected it. Why else would those busy people come all the way here to waste their time? They all have their reasons.”

Kang Jin-ho felt a renewed sense of gloom, realizing that even Joo Young-gi knew what was going on.

“I can’t believe I was more clueless than you.”

“Wow, this…… you’re looking down on me! Dude, even in the army, you were known for being clueless. Do you know how much the guys talked behind your back?”

“……That’s enough.”

He felt like he would get hurt if he heard any more. Kang Jin-ho went into the pantry with a gloomy expression.

“He looks so decent, but I don’t know why he’s like that sometimes.”

“That’s his charm.”

“Charm, my foot. If that’s charm, then who in the world doesn’t have charm?”

Joo Young-gi chuckled.

They were guarding the front of the pantry, and as soon as Kang Jin-ho came out after changing, they asked him like a machine gun.

“So, what happened? Are you going to be in it?”

“No.”

Joo Young-gi’s eyes widened at Kang Jin-ho’s answer.

“Why?”

“Just because.”

“What do you mean ‘just because’? If you’re not doing it, there must be a reason.”

Kang Jin-ho asked back, as if he couldn’t understand.

“Isn’t it that there should be a reason to do it, not a reason not to do it?”

“……Huh?”

“If you don’t want to do something, there should be a reason to do it. But if there’s no reason to want to do it, why would you do it?”

Joo Young-gi stared blankly at Kang Jin-ho before speaking.

“This guy wasn’t such a smooth talker…… He used to just say ‘uh, um’ all the time. When did his mouth become so smooth?”

“……Is that a compliment?”

“It’s a compliment, you jerk.”

Joo Young-gi let out a hollow laugh.

The top actor in Korea came to him, begging him to act, saying they would make him a great actor if he just acted, and he says there’s no reason to do it.

“No matter how I think about it, you don’t need that face. Give me that face, you jerk. If you’re going to waste it like that, give it to me.”

“……What are you going to do with it?”

“It’s a waste, a waste! What are you doing with that face! You’re not an actor, you don’t have a girlfriend. Dude, that’s being unfilial to your parents who gave you that face. I’d be grateful to my mom if I was born with that face!”

Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly.

It wouldn’t be easy to convince them that he wasn’t born with this face in the first place.

“Anyway, I decided not to do it.”

Park Yu-min clicked his tongue, as if disappointed.

“So, does that mean Choi Yeon-ha won’t be coming anymore?”

“Probably?”

“……Aww, that’s a shame.”

“Did you have feelings for her?”

“Feelings, my foot. Just looking at that face makes people feel energized. It’s amazing to have one of the prettiest people in Korea around.”

“I don’t know about that.”

Park Yu-min and Joo Young-gi looked at Kang Jin-ho with faces of disappointment.

‘A hopeless romantic.’

‘A hopeless case.’

Suddenly, Joo Young-gi looked at Kang Jin-ho as if he had a great realization.

“No, Jin-ho. You keep that face.”

“……What are you talking about again, all of a sudden?”

Kang Jin-ho, feeling uneasy about what he might say next, looked at him cautiously. Joo Young-gi clicked his tongue and said,

“Now that I think about it, if you didn’t have that face with your personality, would you even get married? I’ll take care of myself, so you should at least sell your face and get married.”

“Come on.”

“No way. I know I’ll lose if we fight, so why would I be crazy enough to fight?”

Kang Jin-ho smiled quietly as he watched Joo Young-gi chuckle and go into the kitchen.

‘It’s comfortable here.’

He heard all the good words over there. Here, he was getting more criticism and insults than good words, but Kang Jin-ho felt much more comfortable here.

Not that he felt the words of Choi Yeon-ha and the others who needed him were insincere.

“Let’s get to work.”

“You were just playing around by yourself, and now you’re acting all diligent.”

Kang Jin-ho, who was speechless, trudged into the kitchen.

“……Why can’t I get used to this?”

Joo Young-gi sat down on a chair, looking exhausted.

It was almost midnight when they finished work.

“Isn’t our working time basically too long? We’re supposed to open at ten in the morning and close at ten at night, but we keep working until midnight. We’re working fourteen hours a day. It would be weirder if we weren’t tired.”

“Hey! In the army, we worked even after sleeping for four hours!”

“That’s the army.”

Joo Young-gi, who hadn’t fully adapted to civilian life, scratched his head.

“No…… There’s no way the manly Joo Young-gi would be this tired……”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled as he watched Joo Young-gi sigh.

“Just wait a bit. Now that we’ve got a system in place, we’ll either reduce the opening hours or take turns so we can reduce our working hours.”

“Really? You have to do it. Or else I’ll report you to the labor board. For being a ruthless boss who overworks his employees.”

“……Sure.”

“Did you hear that, Yu-min?”

“Why are you dragging me into this?”

“Aww, you jerk.”

Joo Young-gi stretched and got up.