Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 77

“There are so many people?”

“Because there are a lot of people enlisting.”

Kang Yu-hwan looked at Kang Jin-ho with a pathetic expression.

“I told you to go for a year, didn’t I? You won’t even get to be a winter sergeant. If you enlist now, you won’t be a sergeant during the winter.”

“Dad.”

“What?”

“The military service period is shorter now, so I’ll be discharged right after this winter.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Kang Yu-hwan stared at the distant mountains, which held no interest for him.

“Since it’s Gangwon-do [a province in South Korea known for its mountainous terrain], the mountains are nice.”

“Yeah, you should keep quiet if you don’t know anything.”

“Hehehehe!”

When Baek Hyun-jung embarrassed him, Kang Yu-hwan cleared his throat loudly.

Kang Jin-ho watched the scene and unconsciously smiled faintly.

‘This must be what family is like.’

The problem was that one of those family members had been in a terrible mood since earlier.

Kang Eun-young was glaring at Kang Jin-ho as if she wanted to devour him.

“…What’s wrong?”

“How could a human being do that?”

“Do what?”

“Even if you’re enlisting, you should have said something! Am I a stranger? How could you enlist without telling your only sibling? Other families make a big fuss about going to the military six months in advance, advertising it all over the neighborhood. Did you decide to join some special forces? Are you a North Korean spy? Or did you join the National Intelligence Service? How can I find out about my brother’s enlistment a day before he goes because Mom called? How little do you care about me…”

“S-stop. I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

Cold sweat broke out on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead.

He thought it was a relief that Kang Eun-young didn’t inherit Baek Hyun-jung’s nagging genes, but it seemed he was wrong. If he left her alone, she would probably nag for three or four days straight.

“Do you know how much trouble I went through to clear my schedule because of you? My agency is pushing me so hard because my debut is just around the corner. It’s so hard to take a whole day off. How hard do you think it was for me? I had to call the head manager to get my schedule cleared. If I go back after taking time off like this, do you know how angry the teachers will be that I’m slacking off? You made me an irresponsible trainee! Because of this, I might not be able to…”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Kang Jin-ho thought that facing a joint attack from the leaders of the Nine Great Sects [a reference to a common trope in martial arts novels] would be more comfortable.

Kang Eun-young pressured Kang Jin-ho with a ghostly face.

‘But when did we become so close?’

Even including his previous life, he didn’t think he had such a good relationship with Kang Eun-young.

“Anyway, you need to be more considerate. There’s a limit to how thoughtless a person can be.”

“Yeah! That’s right!”

Faced with the combined assault of Kang Eun-young and Baek Hyun-jung, Kang Jin-ho could only take it.

“No, that’s…”

Just as he was about to make an excuse, someone grabbed Kang Jin-ho’s shoulder.

“Dad?”

“Jin-ho.”

Kang Yu-hwan looked at Kang Jin-ho with serious eyes and whispered.

“Sometimes, a moment of silence is better than a thousand words.”

Listening to the advice that came from long experience, Kang Jin-ho silently nodded. He thought that making excuses now would only lead to trouble.

Objectively speaking, he was in the wrong.

Park Yu-min, who had been dragged to Chuncheon [a city in Gangwon-do], watched the scene with a pleased smile.

‘This is what family is like.’

It was a relationship he had never experienced. He had sisters at the orphanage, but he vaguely thought it would be different from a real family. Watching Kang Jin-ho’s family, he felt like he knew what the difference was.

Although their tone was a bit sharp, there was concern and consideration within it.

Moreover…

‘That nasty guy is keeping his mouth shut without resisting.’

Other people might think Kang Jin-ho was quiet and reserved, but Park Yu-min, who now knew Kang Jin-ho inside and out, knew how nasty his personality was.

He was polite to others to avoid troublesome situations, not because he respected them. There were probably less than ten people in the world that Kang Jin-ho considered his equals.

Seeing Kang Jin-ho being helpless like this made him realize the greatness of family.

“And why did you get your hair cut like that!”

“The only thing that was decent about you was your face!”

“Oh my? Look at this girl, what are you saying? What’s wrong with our son? He’s got a good body.”

“I guess so.”

While the two women were evaluating him, Kang Yu-hwan quietly pulled Kang Jin-ho aside and said.

“You know you have to endure things, right?”

“Don’t worry.”

“There will be many things that feel unreasonable and unfair. But everyone just endures it because they think they only have to last two years. I know it’s hard for you to turn a blind eye to such things with your personality. But remember that sometimes, it’s easier to just close your eyes.”

“Yes.”

Kang Yu-hwan sighed.

He knew he should teach his son not to tolerate injustice. If he saw something unfair, he should change the system, and if someone was being bullied, he should step in and help.

But the thought of his son getting hurt as a result made him unable to say that.

“Jin-ho.”

“Yes.”

“I believe in you.”

It was a word that contained many emotions. Kang Jin-ho felt an unknown tickle at the word filled with pity and affection, and he turned his head slightly.

“You’d think I was going on a deployment. It’s something everyone goes through.”

“You rascal, a parent’s heart isn’t like that.”

Kang Jin-ho clicked his tongue.

[Enlisting soldiers, please stand behind the sign that corresponds to your unit.]

As the announcement came on, the young men who had been mingling with their families began to gather in the middle of the parade ground.

“Then, I’ll be back.”

“Okay, come back safely!”

“Jin-ho, be careful.”

“Oppa! Don’t get hurt!”

Baek Hyun-jung kept wiping her eyes, and Kang Eun-young looked at Kang Jin-ho with tearful eyes.

‘This is a strange feeling.’

It felt like something was tickling him somewhere since earlier. Kang Jin-ho turned his body, feeling that not unpleasant sensation.

“Jin-ho!”

Park Yu-min limped over and patted Kang Jin-ho’s shoulder.

“Jin-ho!”

“Don’t worry.”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Huh?”

“If there’s something you need to kill, only kill half of it!”

When Kang Jin-ho looked at him with a bewildered face, Park Yu-min urged him again with a serious expression.

“If you cause trouble in there, you won’t be able to see your parents when you get out. Even if you really want to cause trouble, think about it one more time! If you really can’t take it, just desert!”

“What do you take me for?”

“I’m saying that because I don’t know what you’ll do when you lose it!”

“…Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

It was like he was being treated like a walking bomb. How much trouble had Kang Jin-ho caused for them to react like this? The problem was that his family was also agreeing with it.

“You have to endure it!”

“Oppa, don’t cause trouble!”

“Son! You know, right?”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

‘They don’t trust me, they don’t trust me.’

He thought he had been living a relatively exemplary life since returning to the modern world, but it seemed that others didn’t see it that way.

Perhaps it was because they were the closest to him that they reacted like this.

“Then, I’ll go.”

“Okay. Be careful!”

“Son, make sure to eat even if the food is bad!”

“I believe in you!”

Kang Jin-ho walked towards the place where the soldiers were, receiving a warm send-off.

[Your children will now be under the protection of the nation. Parents, please do not worry and look forward to the day your sons return, looking brave.]

“Damn it.”

Kang Yu-hwan, who had been showing a calm demeanor, cursed at the broadcast as Kang Jin-ho walked away.

“How many kids die in accidents every year, and they say that kind of thing!”

“Honey, don’t say such unlucky things!”

“Tsk.”

Kang Yu-hwan looked at Kang Jin-ho in the distance with a pitiful gaze.

The military was a place that people who knew more about it felt more frustrated about.

Kang Eun-young and Baek Hyun-jung were just sad, but Kang Yu-hwan, who knew what Kang Jin-ho would have to go through from now on, felt like he knew what it meant to have his heart rot.

“And his body is so damn healthy.”

It would be better if he was sick enough to get a public service assignment.

Kang Yu-hwan kicked the ground a few times and turned his body. Looking at his son standing in line made his heart ache.

“He’ll do well.”

Baek Hyun-jung held Kang Yu-hwan’s hand tightly.

“He will. Whose son is he?”

“But Mom.”

Kang Eun-young tilted her head.

“What is it?”

“When will he get his first leave if he goes in now?”

“When will he come out?”

When Baek Hyun-jung asked, Kang Yu-hwan seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.

“Originally, they come out for a 100-day leave, but do they still have 100-day leaves these days?”

“They do.”

Kang Yu-hwan nodded at Park Yu-min’s answer.

“Then he’ll come out in 100 days. It’ll take about three to four months.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But why?”

“It’s nothing.”

Kang Eun-young mumbled “100 days” to herself and nodded as if she had made a decision.

“Then, within 100 days!”

“…Why do you keep talking to yourself?”

“It’s not yet time for me to be filial, but I should give my brother some strength in his military life.”

“What does that mean?”

“There’s something.”

“You’re so silly.”

Kang Yu-hwan silently watched the soldiers salute as a group and disappear behind the parade ground.

“Huu…”

He had tried to think calmly, thinking that it was something that would happen someday, but watching his son enlist was a heartbreaking experience.

“Let’s go.”

“What about our Jin-ho?”

“It’s something everyone goes through.”

“But what if he gets into an accident?”

Park Yu-min smiled and said.

“Don’t worry.”

“Huh?”

“There won’t be any accidents for Jin-ho. He’s very sensible.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Park Yu-min didn’t say everything that was on his mind.

‘The unit that accepts Jin-ho is the one that will have an accident.’

Park Yu-min sighed deeply and followed the empty space where Kang Jin-ho was no longer visible.

‘It’s going to be lonely.’

At that moment, Kang Yu-hwan put his hand on Park Yu-min’s shoulder.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Now that Jin-ho is gone, it’ll be lonely, so you should come visit often.”

“Yes.”

Kang Eun-young smiled brightly.

“Dad, Yu-min oppa is busy.”

“Busy?”

“Yu-min oppa is a pro gamer. How busy do you think he is when the season starts? It must have been really hard for him to come all the way here to see oppa enlist.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Kang Yu-hwan smiled and ruffled Park Yu-min’s hair.

“This guy, how grateful. But you’ll have days off, right? Come to the cafe. I’ll show you what a properly brewed coffee is.”

“That darn coffee!”

Baek Hyun-jung yelled, and Kang Yu-hwan flinched and hid behind Park Yu-min.

Park Yu-min felt a strange warmth as he looked at the place where Kang Jin-ho would be.

‘Come back safely, my friend.’