Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 507

“……It’s absurd.”

As always, the world is full of absurdities.

The older I get, the more I realize it.

If it’s like this now, how many more absurdities will I experience later?

Han Jin-sung couldn’t help but agonize over the self-righteousness, arrogance, and terrible absurdities that filled the world.

“It’s absurd!”

Life is something you live alone.

Of course, you can receive help from someone, but life is always lonely. You have to bear the responsibility alone.

If that’s the case, shouldn’t freedom also be given according to the responsibility?

There are many freedoms in the world.

But among them, the most superior and noble freedom is how to spend your days off.

The weekend finally arrived.

After enduring a terrible Monday, a dull Tuesday, Wednesday, and a hellish Thursday, a hopeful Friday should be approaching…

“I understand that, I’m saying.”

Because he gave up his Saturday for studying, Friday also became hell. And he had to spend all of Saturday studying at the academy.

I understand. Yes, I understand.

I can understand that much. Because it was Han Jin-sung himself who decided to spend that golden Saturday studying. Choices come with responsibility, and Han Jin-sung was willing to take that responsibility.

But!

“Why can’t I rest on Sunday as I please! Why!”

Isn’t it too unfair to have to take responsibility for something you didn’t choose yourself? Han Jin-sung felt like he could shed tears of blood.

Since he had already wasted Saturday, Sunday, the only day off, became tens of times more precious. It had become a diamond-like Sunday, not just a golden weekend.

Han Jin-sung had vowed to spend this Sunday in a combative, truly fierce way, doing absolutely nothing… but that fierce vow was shattered by Park Yumin’s casual remark when he returned home.

“Let’s go to the baseball stadium.”

Baseball, my foot.

Who would be foolish enough to spend this golden weekend… no, this fiery Sunday on something like baseball?

If Park Yumin had any sense, he wouldn’t have made such a suggestion.

But it was him who was senseless.

“Whoaaaaaaa!”

“Call! I’ll go! I’ll go!”

“Baseball stadium! Baseball stadium!”

It seemed like everyone in this orphanage was crazy about baseball. Or maybe they were just happy to go outside, no matter what it was.

‘They’re like a bunch of prisoners.’

Did someone even stop them from going outside?

If they wanted to go out, they could just go out by themselves, why do they have to move as a group!

Han Jin-sung fiercely resisted, feeling like the last loyal subject of the Korean Empire trying to stop the Japanese occupation. He resisted fiercely with the determination to even give up his life! And he resisted firmly. But!

“You bastards, really.”

With all the children in the orphanage except Han Jin-sung agreeing to go to the baseball stadium, his position began to rapidly diminish. When he couldn’t even speak properly because of their glares, he resorted to the last measure of staying behind alone to protect this desolate orphanage…

“Why are you staying behind? The childcare teachers are here.”

Whether he was clueless, thoughtless, or burning with the determination to screw over Han Jin-sung, Park Yumin’s remark shattered everything.

So, this is the result.

“It’s absurd!”

“Ah! Oppa, you’re loud!”

Han Jin-sung sighed deeply at the pouring criticism.

‘Damn it, I wanted to go to the away seats!’

How absurd is group life?

How far should we tolerate this terrifying act of forcing even the away team’s fans to sit in the home team’s cheering section just because everyone has to sit in one place?

Han Jin-sung couldn’t help but feel powerless in the face of this merciless oppression where individual personality and choices disappear.

“Want a chicken leg?”

“Yeah. Give it to me.”

This isn’t surrender.

Chicken is always right. Always.

…Don’t look at me like that. Living with so many kids, it’s incredibly hard to eat a chicken leg.

“No, why are you looking at me like that…”

“Huh?”

“Ah, no, not you, hyung. Huh? But why are you looking at me like that, hyung?”

Han Jin-sung asked with a puzzled face, finally realizing that Park Yumin was staring at him with a subtle gaze.

Then Park Yumin chuckled.

“You don’t know how amazing you were, do you?”

“…Did I cause another accident?”

“No.”

“Ah, why do you stop talking? You’re making me crazy with curiosity! Tell me the rest! Tell me!”

Park Yumin smiled and turned his head.

‘Jin-ho’s personality is really unique.’

Being able to draw such a conclusion from looking at him was also a very unique thing. It’s something that a normal person would never even think of.

If a normal person saw Han Jin-sung, they would only feel that he was a slightly prickly high school student.

“Jin-sung-ah.”

“Huh?”

“Thank you for growing up prickly.”

“Are you messing with me?”

“No. It’s a compliment.”

“…It’s painful, it’s painful.” Park Yumin smiled as he watched Han Jin-sung slump onto the chair. Then, his gaze turned to Kang Jin-ho, who was surrounded by the little kids next to him.

‘It’s really not a good match, but…’

There’s still one thing that I don’t understand. It’s that Kang Jin-ho takes care of the children so well.

Even if it’s your own home, the moment you’re surrounded by three elementary school students, your soul would fly away, but Kang Jin-ho was maintaining his composure while being surrounded by about ten elementary school kids in this unfamiliar baseball stadium.

Moreover, it’s not just maintaining composure.

‘The details are different.’

Park Yumin can be said to be a pro at taking care of children. His life has always been with children, and he was a man who was sure that he had changed more diapers than the number of meals he had eaten.

Kang Jin-ho was so meticulous that even Park Yumin was impressed.

Look at him now.

While listening to each of the children’s words, he was taking out a wet wipe with one hand to wipe the drool off a child, catching an ice cream that was about to fall with the other hand, and simultaneously pulling back a child who was trying to stray from the group by stretching out his leg.

‘He would have done well even if he had opened a kindergarten.’

Then a legendary childcare teacher would have been born.

The children also seemed to know this, as they followed Kang Jin-ho more than Park Yumin. Even though they used to follow Park Yumin slightly more because they had grown up together, the situation has completely reversed these days.

The children now are the ones who have seen Kang Jin-ho and Park Yumin at the same time since they were walking. As the merit he had before disappeared, the difference widened.

When he went to take care of a child who was playing with Kang Jin-ho, the child would turn his head and look at him with eyes that said, ‘Who is this old man? Annoying?’ This was happening more and more often.

It was a heartbreakingly sad thing for Park Yumin.

But, what should I say…

“Hyung! Hyung! Can I go over there?”

“No.”

“I want to eat ice cream. I finished it.”

“If you eat two, you’ll get a stomachache. No.”

“Hyung!”

“No.”

He’s firm.

It was also amazing that the children followed him even though he was so firm. Since Kang Jin-ho was controlling and leading the children single-handedly, the childcare teachers, who couldn’t relax for a moment, also felt like they were resting for the first time in a while.

“How can he take care of children so well?”

“He’ll be a good father. And he’s so handsome.”

“Oh my! We have to take a picture, a picture. Look at the scene!”

…It seems like they’re resting in a slightly different sense, but what does it matter? As long as we get to Seoul, it’s fine.

“Hyung, but why did you suddenly say we should come to the baseball stadium?”

Park Yumin answered casually to Han Jin-sung’s question.

“I just wanted everyone to play together in a lively place.”

“…That’s the reason?”

“Why? Can’t I?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Han Jin-sung muttered in a small voice, ‘Why does it have to be everyone together! I should be going out and playing a game!’ but Park Yumin completely ignored Han Jin-sung’s words.

‘Because he’ll probably get busy in the future.’

Watching from the side and jumping in directly are different. It’s unlikely, but there might be a wall between Kang Jin-ho and the children. A change in position is like that.

So, I wanted to create a little more time to spend together.

It was because of the hope that this time would erase any walls that might arise, and the thought that even if a wall did arise and they became distant, at least they would have good memories.

‘It’s probably an unnecessary worry, though.’

His friend is not that kind of person.

Maybe it was just Park Yumin’s desire to play with everyone. Thanks to that, what should I say…

Grumbling, grumbling.

“Ah, stop chattering! Before I send you flying with a full swing!”

When Jo Mi-hye growled, Han Jin-sung cowered and sank into his chair.

‘Jin-sung is having a hard time, but oh well.’ There should be days like this too.

“Oh my, Jin-ho student. You’ve worked hard. We’ll take care of the kids now.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, no. Jin-ho student, you came to have fun, so you should play a little. We’ll take care of it now, so go watch some baseball and rest.”

“It’s really okay.”

“Go on, go on!”

Park Yumin watched the scene with awe.

Kang Jin-ho was expressing strong refusal, but the childcare teachers were pushing Kang Jin-ho away with faces that didn’t care at all, patting him on the back.

Even the mighty Kang Jin-ho was pushed back hesitantly, and eventually moved away from the children, staring blankly at the scene.

‘You can’t win against the aunties.’

There are people in the world that even Kang Jin-ho can’t handle.

“C-come sit here.”

Kang Jin-ho sat next to Park Yumin with a slightly dazed face.

“You probably didn’t get to watch the baseball properly.”

“No, well, I didn’t come to watch baseball anyway.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head as if it was okay. A fierce match was unfolding in front of them. And the cheerleaders were shaking their bodies cheerfully, as if trying to raise the excitement.

“Wow, that noona’s [older sister] legs are amazing!”

“Ah, please shut up, you pervert! Who brought this guy!”

A mix of thumping sounds and screams came from the back.

‘I shouldn’t have brought Han Jin-sung.’

Park Yumin sighed.

Well, it looks fun, so that’s good, right?

“Everyone seems to be having fun?”

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced back.

Except for one who was particularly upset, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It’s inevitable that the little kids are always scattered everywhere, but even those guys were having fun.

‘It would be good to have times like this occasionally.’

It was a peaceful feeling after a long time.

Kang Jin-ho hates noisy places like this, but it was okay if he was with them. It was even a little enjoyable.

‘Next time too…’

At that moment, Kang Jin-ho jumped up from his seat.

Park Yumin was about to ask Kang Jin-ho why, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t ask.

Kang Jin-ho’s face was strange.

It wasn’t the Kang Jin-ho he had known until now. Kang Jin-ho was looking at something with a face that had hardened like iron, as if he had become a different person.

Park Yumin naturally turned his head, following Kang Jin-ho’s gaze.

‘Is there a problem?’

Park Yumin could see it.

Across the way.

Something strange caught his eye across the baseball stadium.

‘A person?’

A huge person that he had never imagined appeared in his eyes. Although his face was not visible at all due to the distance, he could intuitively tell.

That person is looking this way.

Across this long distance, Kang Jin-ho and that huge man were facing each other.

As if only the two of them existed in this place.