Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 6

Everyone thinks about rushing in.

The important thing was whether they could actually do it.

It was natural for most people to freeze at the last moment.

‘It’s not as deep as I thought. It doesn’t look like the muscles are badly damaged either.’

The doctor finished stitching and wrapped a bandage around it.

‘Come to think of it, a patient got hurt inside the hospital… I wonder how the responsibility for this will be determined? Are you going to sue?’

‘Sue?’

‘Well… we can’t say the hospital has no responsibility.’

‘Responsibility…’

It was a strange thing to say.

Kang Jin-ho was the one who stepped in and got hurt, but the hospital was also responsible?

‘Never mind. Can I ask you a favor? The hospital’s atmosphere isn’t good these days, and if we get sued, we’re done for.’

‘Yes.’

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t understand.

Having lived in an era where it was natural for him to take responsibility for his own actions, the modern legal system was full of things he couldn’t comprehend.

And not understanding it was also strange.

No matter how long he had lived in the Murim [a martial arts world], he was basically born and lived in this world for decades.

But feeling alienated from this world was ridiculous.

‘I’ll get used to it eventually.’

He just needed a little more time.

It hadn’t been long since he returned to this place.

‘Okay, all done. I’ve told the surgery department. From tomorrow, the surgeon will check on you during rounds.’

‘Thank you.’

As he came out of the emergency room, Detective Lee Jong-in was waiting.

‘Did you finish your treatment?’

‘Yes.’

Detective Lee Jong-in sighed softly and patted Kang Jin-ho on the back.

‘There are a few things I need you to fill out. But with your hand like that, it’ll be hard to write anything now. I’ll come back tomorrow or the day after, and you can fill out the paperwork then.’

‘Yes.’

‘And…’

The detective hesitated for a moment before speaking.

‘Anyway, thank you.’

‘Thanks to you, we caught the criminal, and the hostage is safe. We know we should do that, but there are many times when we can’t move because of procedures or responsibility issues. I was about to go crazy, but you saved me. Thank you.’

Lee Jong-in bowed his head, genuinely grateful.

‘It was nothing.’

When Kang Jin-ho tried to stop him, Lee Jong-in raised his head, his expression stern as he began to lecture him.

‘But don’t do that next time. If you get hurt, it’s all your fault. It would be nice if good people benefited from living in a good world, but… reality isn’t like that.’

It was a lecture, but it didn’t sound unpleasant, perhaps because it was sincere.

‘Yes.’

‘Then take care of yourself. Oh, I’m Lee Jong-in, by the way.’

‘I’m Kang Jin-ho.’

‘Okay then.’

Detective Lee Jong-in patted Kang Jin-ho’s shoulder a couple of times and then left the hospital.

Kang Jin-ho turned and headed to the lobby as Detective Lee Jong-in walked out through the automatic doors.

In the lobby, doctors, nurses, staff, and several detectives were busily moving around to handle the aftermath of the incident.

‘Excuse me, patient!’

Then, someone ran up to Kang Jin-ho.

‘Yes?’

‘You’re the one who fought with the criminal earlier, right?’

‘Yes.’

The person who approached him was the nurse who had taken the child away earlier.

‘Ji-eun is looking for you. She has a heart condition and needs to be stable, but she’s not calming down after what happened. Her parents are on their way, but it’ll take some time… I’m sorry, but could you please see her?’

‘Sure.’

There was no reason to refuse.

After all, there wasn’t much to do in this hospital other than watch TV.

His arm was treated, and he was about to go back to his room to kill time, but now he had something to do, so it wasn’t bad.

The nurse bowed her head in thanks and led Kang Jin-ho upstairs. Kang Jin-ho followed the nurse without a word.

As they went up to the floor marked ‘Pediatrics,’ Kang Jin-ho’s face twitched slightly.

‘Waaaaaah!’

‘Hey, stop that!’

‘I’m going home!’

Sharp, ear-splitting voices echoed from all directions.

‘Almost like sonic attacks.’

Kang Jin-ho’s hand trembled.

There were so many things that were harder to adapt to in the modern world compared to the past. The children of Murim didn’t not cry, but the crying of the children here was on a different level.

Even though it was the same crying, it was somehow louder and sharper.

‘It’s a bit noisy, right? It’s because they’re kids. Come this way.’

They went to the innermost room, and when they opened the door, a child was lying on the bed. Something was dangling inside the child’s patient gown, and a machine was running next to the bed.

‘Alien oppa [an affectionate term for older brother]!’

‘Hmm!’

The child, who didn’t look well, was delighted to see Kang Jin-ho.

But even that delight felt somehow weak.

‘Are you in pain?’

The child shook her head at Kang Jin-ho’s words.

‘No, I’m okay now.’

She said she was okay, but her face didn’t look okay at all.

‘Ji-eun, here, this!’

‘Okay! Thank you, nurse!’

The nurse took out a red object from her pocket and handed it to the child.

The child took it and held it out to Kang Jin-ho.

‘Here!’

Kang Jin-ho looked at the red cylindrical object in front of him.

Cola.

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but smile.

‘Does this kid think I like cola that much?’

‘Why cola?’

‘Because you like it, I’m giving it to you as a reward.’

Her thoughtfulness was lovely.

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome.’

Kang Jin-ho took the cola and opened the lid.

*Tsss.*

The sound of carbonation escaping filled the air with the scent of cola. Kang Jin-ho stared at the cola with a slightly tense look, then, as if making up his mind, he lifted the can and took a sip.

‘Keuh.’

The carbonation, which he still wasn’t used to, bothered Kang Jin-ho.

‘Hahahaha!’

The child laughed hysterically at Kang Jin-ho.

She was said to laugh a lot, and she kept laughing at the smallest things.

‘Ji-eun, you can’t keep laughing like that. Your heart will be shocked!’

At the nurse’s words, the child pouted.

‘Don’t tell me not to laugh.’

‘If your heart gets shocked, you’ll be in pain. Are you not going to listen to the doctor?’

‘Okay.’

Kang Jin-ho sighed lightly as he listened to the conversation between the child and the nurse.

Don’t laugh.

He understood that she was sick, but did that mean she had to suppress her emotions?

If you tell a child not to express their emotions, what are they supposed to do?

A child should grow up like a child.

They should laugh when they want to laugh, and cry when they want to cry.

Kang Jin-ho knew well how unhappy a child who couldn’t do that would be.

‘He just suddenly jumped out and grabbed me. I was so surprised, my chest was throbbing.’

‘I see.’

‘When alien oppa suddenly came forward, I felt strangely relieved.’

‘That’s good.’

‘Umm…’

The child, who had been looking at Kang Jin-ho as if something was bothering her, suddenly burst into laughter.

‘Oh, right! Oppa is not good at Korean, right?’

‘Huh?’

‘Because you’re an alien. That’s why you only answer like that.’

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head, looking at the laughing child.

What was so funny?

Why was she laughing?

He didn’t know the reason, but it was good that she was laughing.

‘Ji-eun, I told you not to laugh!’

‘Unnie [an affectionate term for older sister], you’re so naggy, that’s why you’re still single.’

‘…I am not?’

The nurse seemed to be trembling, but she desperately held back, unable to get angry at the child.

Kang Jin-ho avoided her gaze, worried that he might get caught in the crossfire, and only looked at the child.

As they were spending time like that, the door burst open, and the child’s mother, whom he had seen before, came in.

‘Ji-eun!’

‘Mommy!’

‘Ji-eun! Ji-eun! Are you okay?’

The child, who had been holding up until now, burst into tears as soon as she saw her mother.

She had pretended to be okay, but she was still a child. Even adults couldn’t be okay after experiencing something that made their hearts race.

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat.

His work was done now. There was no reason for him to stay here and listen to the conversation between the mother and daughter.

Kang Jin-ho left without any regrets.

Then, the child’s mother ran out after Kang Jin-ho.

‘Wait a minute.’

‘Yes?’

‘I heard the story. You saved my child.’

‘It was nothing.’

‘Thank you so much. I was so worried about her because she has a disease…’

‘Is it very serious?’

‘Yes?’

For a moment, the child’s mother, not understanding the meaning of his words, looked bewildered as Kang Jin-ho asked again.

‘The disease.’

‘Ah… the disease. It’s not that serious. It doesn’t greatly affect her daily life yet, but we don’t know when the situation might get worse.’

Kang Jin-ho listened to her words without answering.

‘It would be good if she could have surgery, but they say she can’t. I’ve been to many other hospitals, but no one will do the surgery.’

‘I see.’

‘They say she has to grow a little more to have surgery, but I don’t know if she can hold on until then.’

Kang Jin-ho quietly looked at her. He had asked a simple question, but judging by how much she was talking, it seemed like she had a lot bottled up inside.

‘Anyway, thank you.’

She realized she had said too much and wrapped up the conversation.

‘If she gets healthy…’

‘Yes?’

‘If your child gets healthy, what do you want to do?’

The child’s mother stared at Kang Jin-ho with a blank face.

Why was he asking such a cruel question?

‘I want to send her to school.’

But she couldn’t get angry since she was the one who had received help.

‘I also want her to make friends.’

‘I understand.’

Kang Jin-ho nodded and turned around.

‘Then take care of yourself.’

He could feel the child’s mother bowing her head behind him.

Kang Jin-ho owed the child a debt. No, he should say ‘owed a debt.’

Strictly speaking, the debt had already been repaid. By saving the child, he had given an excessive reward for the price of a can of cola.

So, was there no need to help the child now?

Or…

Kang Jin-ho was the type to be precise about debts and favors. He had received something, so he had repaid it. So now, there was no debt or favor between him and the child.

So, there was nothing to repay.

But…

Kang Jin-ho’s gaze went down.

He saw the can of cola in his hand.

‘I’ve incurred another debt.’

It was obvious, but if he received a favor, he had to repay it.

Kang Jin-ho thought he had to repay the new favor he had received.

It was absurd to anyone else, but Kang Jin-ho had decided so.

He didn’t like receiving favors unnecessarily, and he also didn’t like giving favors to others without meaning.

So, he had to receive a favor to repay it.

A can of cola.

That was the favor he had received.