Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 491

“As far as I know, Ms. Choi Yeon-ha is quite a top actress even in Korea.”

[That ‘quite’ is really getting on my nerves. I’m openly the best, you know?]

“……Ah, yes.”

Usually, people wouldn’t nitpick over something like that. Having a conversation with Choi Yeon-ha was incredibly difficult for the average person.

“Anyway, you’ve achieved everything you could in Korea, so why go all the way to China and suffer like that? You could have just been content in Korea…”

[Kang Jin-ho, are you an idiot?]

“Huh?”

[Are you seriously asking me that right now? Are you?]

It seemed like he had done something wrong.

Cold sweat trickled down Kang Jin-ho’s spine. That dumbfounded voice was piercing his lungs sharply.

Even when the Great Master Hyein of Shaolin, known as the best in the world, had unleashed the Vajra Subduing Demon Palm [a powerful martial arts technique] right in front of him, he didn’t feel this tense….

[I swear, this guy!]

[Ugh.]

A loud crash came from the other side of the line. Kang Jin-ho closed his eyes without a word. He felt like he had made a mistake, but he wasn’t sure what he had done wrong.

However, from years of experience, he knew that the best thing to do in these situations was to just play dead.

“First, I’m sorry…”

[What are you sorry for?]

“No, I…”

[Don’t apologize without even knowing what you did wrong. You’re not someone who should bow your head so easily. It hurts my pride when you go around bowing like that. Do you understand what I’m saying?]

“Ah, yes.”

Why would she feel hurt when Kang Jin-ho bowed his head?

The more he talked to her, the more mysterious she became.

[Even with all my bad luck, how can I be this unlucky? It’s not like I sold my country in my past life, so how did I end up with someone like this….]

“Huh?”

[Never mind. So, what did you want to ask?]

“Ah…”

What was he talking about again?

Kang Jin-ho refocused on what he wanted to say. But this time, he felt he needed to explain in a bit more detail.

“I heard something recently. They asked me what I really wanted to do.”

[Yeah. Some busybody was running their mouth again.]

In an instant, Jo Gyu-min, the director who was on the path to social success, was demoted to a busybody who couldn’t distinguish between what should and shouldn’t be said.

Kang Jin-ho burst out laughing at the strange sense of satisfaction.

“Anyway, after hearing that, I realized that I don’t really have anything I want to do. So, I looked around, and it seemed like you were really doing what you wanted to do, so I wanted to ask you. How are you able to do that?”

[Heeeee.]

Choi Yeon-ha made a strange nasal sound. The sound itself wasn’t strange, but the meaning behind it made him shrink back.

[So, you asked me?]

“Yes.”

[Hmm….]

It felt like he could see Choi Yeon-ha with a pleased expression on her face through the phone.

[Well, I’ll forgive you for what happened a little while ago. It’s a well-known fact that Kang Jin-ho is insensitive, and at least you’ve earned some points just by sharing your worries with me. Congratulations.]

“Huh?”

[In these situations, you just say ‘thank you’!]

“……Thank you.”

[You’re welcome.]

This was like being forced to bow and then receiving the bow in return….

Was this a case of forcing someone’s head down to make them bow?

Anyway, it was a strange sight in many ways.

[Anyway, since I received a question, I guess I should answer it. So… there’s no one around Kang Jin-ho who lives as passionately as I do, right?]

It wasn’t quite like that….

It didn’t seem necessary to correct her exactly. Besides, if you considered not just the ‘passion’ aspect, but also ‘how much they invested in their dreams,’ it was true that no one was as passionate as Choi Yeon-ha.

“Yes, you could say that.”

[Hee.]

It felt like her nasal sound was getting higher and higher. Maybe her high nose was pointing up to the sky right now?

[Since Kang Jin-ho is asking me so nicely, I guess I should tell you.]

He hadn’t asked that nicely….

He felt like the focus of the conversation was slightly off.

[The secret to how I can be so passionate is….]

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho was slightly nervous.

After all, this person had reached the top in her field. And she was someone who didn’t settle for that and worked tirelessly to climb even higher. There was definitely something to learn from someone like her.

At that moment, Choi Yeon-ha’s answer came.

[There isn’t one.]

“……Huh?”

[There’s no such thing.]

Was this what it meant to feel deflated?

Kang Jin-ho felt like all the strength in his body had drained away in an instant.

“No…”

Just as he was about to say something, Choi Yeon-ha rattled off a string of words.

[Sometimes, I see this kind of perception. That people who have achieved some level of success in a certain field have something different from others, right? That ‘they must have worked harder, been more passionate, and had a different way of thinking than ordinary people’?]

“Hmm….”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but agree with that. Kang Jin-ho himself tended to think that way.

[But since my job is my job, I’ve seen many people who are at the top, and they’re not really that different. They all just live their lives. To be frank, can you even call what I’m doing in China right now suffering? There are people in Korea who work overtime ten times a month and go home at dawn. Aren’t they suffering much more than I am?]

“Y-yes, that’s true.”

When he thought about it, that was true.

[There’s no special secret to my success. There’s just one thing that’s different from others.]

“What is it?”

[My beauty.]

Kang Jin-ho looked out the window at the sky, at her confident words. The dark, gloomy sky seemed to be representing Kang Jin-ho’s feelings right now.

‘I chose the wrong person to confide in.’

Kang Jin-ho was realizing once again how foolish it was to talk to this person about this.

How many people were there who could give him practical advice, and yet he had chosen Choi Yeon-ha of all people.

No wonder he was betrayed by the people he trusted, with such a poor eye for people.

A sharp response came back to Kang Jin-ho, who was feeling pathetic.

[Why are you so quiet?]

“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”

[You were thinking I was pathetic just now, weren’t you?]

[You should at least say ‘no’ out of courtesy!]

“Ah, no, I wasn’t.”

He could hear her huffing on the other end of the line. But soon, the huffing turned into laughter.

[Well, it can’t be helped if you think that way. Because it’s true. Let’s be honest, shall we? I’m really good at acting. Let’s say I’m twice as good as I am now. Let’s say I’m so good at acting that people get goosebumps just by watching me. But if my face was half as ugly as it is now, would I have been as successful as I am now?]

“……Probably not.”

[That’s how it is. Success isn’t just about trying hard. Edison said it too. That he had 1% of inspiration that others didn’t have. That’s something you’re born with.]

Was that what he said?

It felt like common sense was flowing in the opposite direction, but who cared?

‘How can you be so passionate?’ isn’t the question you should be asking. There are more than half the people in the world who live more passionately than I do. It’s just that they don’t realize it. I get up tired to go to work on time, and then I get swamped with work and work overtime. I think people who live that kind of life live several times more passionately than I do. And I respect them for that. Compared to people who live with all that stress, I’m just making money while playing around. So, how can I say that I’m putting in effort?]

“……It seems like I asked the wrong question.”

[Everyone puts in effort. It’s just a matter of where that effort goes. What Kang Jin-ho should have asked me is why I wanted to become an actress, right?]

“Ah!”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

That was definitely the right question to hear the answer he was looking for right now. Kang Jin-ho hadn’t decided where to put in effort yet. It was a matter of direction before effort.

[Of course, the reason I decided to become an actress is….]

“I’d rather not hear the word ‘beauty’.”

[You’re sharp….]

Choi Yeon-ha clicked her tongue as if she was disappointed that she couldn’t make a joke.

[The reason I decided to become an actress is simple. Because I liked it.]

“You liked it?”

[Yes. I used to be a drama junkie. So, I thought I wanted to be like that too.]

[Why? Were you expecting some grand vision or reason?]

“I thought there would be a little more thought since it’s a decision that determines the direction of your life.”

[When Kang Jin-ho went to college, did you think a lot about your life path and future and choose your school?]

I went because it was close.

[If you give it a grand meaning, it’s all like that. But in reality, choices aren’t like that. You just do it because you want to, because you want to try it. That’s how you decide. Of course, there are people on TV who say, ‘I thought a lot about my life path and chose this path, and I succeeded.’ But those people are special, so they appear on TV, publish books, and give lectures. That means that ordinary people aren’t like that.

People become doctors because it’s a good job and their grades are good enough, not because they have a grand mission to save lives. How many people go to medical school with that kind of mission?]

“Hmm…”

It was a slightly different way of thinking from Kang Jin-ho, but one thing was clear.

Just because you want to.

Those words were etched into Kang Jin-ho’s heart.

Right after that, Choi Yeon-ha delivered the final blow.

[Kang Jin-ho, didn’t you have anything you just wanted to do?]

It was the same words.

It was the same meaning as what Jo Gyu-min had said, but with a different tone. But to Kang Jin-ho, these two words sounded completely different.

Because the feeling was different, his answer was different too.

When Jo Gyu-min had asked him that question, Kang Jin-ho couldn’t answer at all. It was because he couldn’t find the words to answer.

But now, one thought was coming to his mind.

“……I did.”

[Right?]

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly. Choi Yeon-ha couldn’t see his face, but if she could, she would have seen how seriously Kang Jin-ho was taking these words.

[That’s how it is. It’s hard to find a grand goal in life. But everyone has at least one thing they wanted to do. It’s strange if you don’t.]

“Choi Yeon-ha.”

[Yes?]

Kang Jin-ho answered in a very serious voice.

“Thank you. Thanks to you…”

Thanks to you, I think I saw something. I won’t forget this favor.

[W-what are you saying… calling this a favor. You’re making me embarrassed.]

He could hear Choi Yeon-ha’s flustered voice.

“I need to organize my thoughts a bit. I’ll call you again later.”

[Okay, do that.]

Kang Jin-ho quietly ended the call and got up from his seat, walking towards the window.

Kang Jin-ho, who was looking at the dark sky with no stars, quietly closed his eyes.