Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 772

Settling Down (3)

“Marriage?”

Park Yoo-min’s mouth gaped open.

Such an unexpected statement had popped out so suddenly that she couldn’t figure out how to react for a moment.

“M-Marriage, you say?”

‘Huh.’

Unlike Park Yoo-min’s reaction, Joo Young-gi was completely nonchalant. It was as if he had said something obvious, and he didn’t understand what the problem was.

“Hey, how old are you? Why are you talking about marriage already?”

“Why does my age matter?”

“It just doesn’t seem like the right time to be talking about marriage yet.”

“Is there a specific time that’s right for marriage?”

“No, well, it’s not that, but…”

As Park Yoo-min mumbled, Joo Young-gi smiled gently.

“It’s a bit early, isn’t it?”

“I think it is, in my opinion…”

“If you think so, then it must be early. I don’t trust Kang Jin-ho’s words, but I’d believe you even if you said you could make meju [fermented soybean blocks] out of red beans, wouldn’t I?”

Kang Jin-ho’s face became uncomfortable.

“I wish you’d either praise Park Yoo-min or criticize me, just pick one.”

“Then I’ll criticize you, is that okay?”

“…Let’s think about it again.”

Joo Young-gi snorted and continued. As Kang Jin-ho watched Joo Young-gi’s expression turn gentle as he turned to Park Yoo-min, he began to wonder where his relationships had gone wrong.

“It does feel a bit early, but I’m seriously considering it.”

“Why?”

“I can’t be a person on my own.”

Kang Jin-ho and Park Yoo-min’s mouths dropped open again.

To think such profound words would come from Joo Young-gi’s mouth. It was hard enough to understand oneself so well. Joo Young-gi was doing something that even other ordinary people couldn’t do.

“Of course, I think I’m good at some things. But if you take away what I’m good at, I’m a complete mess. I can’t even wash a pair of socks properly, so it’s impossible for me to live alone.”

Park Yoo-min frowned slightly.

“I don’t think the reason for considering marriage should be because you need someone to do things for you.”

“Huh?”

“You should fill in the gaps in yourself. If you expect others to fill in your shortcomings, problems will eventually arise because those gaps won’t be filled.”

“Oh…”

Joo Young-gi said, as if impressed.

“You’re something else, Park Yoo-min.”

“Jin-ho, what did you do wrong to make him like this?”

“I committed a sin worthy of death.”

Truly a sin worthy of death.

Joo Young-gi looked at Kang Jin-ho and chuckled.

“You know it.”

“…Spare me.”

“Alright, I’ll forgive you since you’ve gone this far. But know that there won’t be a next time.”

“Thank you.”

As Kang Jin-ho bowed his head deeply, Joo Young-gi laughed lightly and continued.

“It’s a bit different. It’s like this. I’ve lived a bit rough, you know? So, I still have a lot of bravado left in me.”

“…I think you’ll carry that with you for life?”

“What’s left of Joo Young-gi if you take away the bravado?”

“Shut up, you guys. Anyway, that bravado doesn’t come out in front of her. So, when I do something with her, I think more carefully, and it feels like she makes me a more human person. That’s why I’m thinking about it. There are so many women in the world, but I don’t think there’s anyone I like more or who helps me more than her. So, I don’t see why I should waste time.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly.

‘He’s not wrong.’

Certainly, Joo Young-gi had changed a lot since meeting Jung Soo-yeon. And his business was thriving. It hadn’t been long since he opened his second store, but he was already planning a third. It seemed like too rapid an expansion, and it worried him, but seeing the second store full of customers, he understood why he wanted to open a third.

Joo Young-gi had always had business acumen. But his hot temper and macho style had held him back. Jung Soo-yeon had suppressed that part of him.

But there was another reason why Kang Jin-ho agreed with Joo Young-gi’s words.

‘He’s resolute.’

Joo Young-gi was accurately assessing his current situation and trying to find the best path for himself.

Wasn’t that enough?

In the end, life is about making your own decisions and living your own life. As humans, we can sometimes make wrong decisions, and sometimes we regret them. But if it’s a decision made after deep consideration, then that’s enough. You can’t always make the right choices in life.

The fact that Joo Young-gi was talking about marriage now probably wasn’t just about marriage itself. It was probably because he needed to consider marriage now to achieve the trajectory of life he had envisioned.

“Well, this isn’t that important anyway.”

“Why isn’t it important? Marriage is a very important thing in life.”

“It is important. But it’s something I can postpone. What could be more important than seeing our Park Yoo-min on TV? Man, I felt so proud watching that.”

“She’s always been on TV.”

Joo Young-gi had previously had no interest in e-sports. So, he didn’t even know that Park Yoo-min was a famous pro gamer. He had just accepted it as a fact because others said so, but now, seeing Park Yoo-min on TV again, he was more excited than she was.

“Being on TV is a big deal.”

“It’s, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“No, it is a big deal. TV is only for people who have made it.”

“What year are you living in?”

Park Yoo-min kept interrupting, but Joo Young-gi didn’t seem to hear her at all. It was like a father who was endlessly proud that his child had been accepted into a prestigious university.

“And her interviews are so good.”

“Stop it! Please stop!” Park Yoo-min was almost screaming.

Kang Jin-ho laughed lightly and helped Park Yoo-min.

“It seems like you’re doing well in the rankings?”

“…Yeah. Well, I’m doing okay. But it’s still difficult.”

Park Yoo-min scratched her head vigorously.

“I’m still nervous, still shaking, and while I’m playing, I don’t even know what I’m doing. I just play mindlessly, and then I either win or lose… I still have a long way to go.”

“Wasn’t it always like that?”

“Huh?”

“…Yeah. It was always like that, always.”

Park Yoo-min said with an uncharacteristic, sulky expression.

“Then it’s fine, isn’t it?”

“I have to do better than before, how old am I? At my age in this scene, I’m a total veteran. If I play like I used to, I’ll never be able to do as well as I used to.”

Park Yoo-min said firmly.

“I have to work harder than before. I have to do better, and even then, I’ll barely be able to keep up.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek.

‘Everyone’s working hard.’

Park Yoo-min was no different, living with a clear goal. Park Yoo-min must also have her own clear plan. She was working hard now to follow that plan.

‘A clear plan…’

Kang Jin-ho didn’t have one.

He had a goal.

But the clear process of how to achieve that goal did not exist in Kang Jin-ho’s mind.

“And why do you have that expression on your face?”

“Huh?”

“You look like you’re carrying all the world’s complaints on your face.”

“My face?”

Kang Jin-ho raised his hand and rubbed his face.

It was a very strange thing to say. Kang Jin-ho was not someone who easily showed his emotions through his expressions. It was rare for someone to react this way just by looking at his expression.

Only Cheongma could guess his state by looking at his subtle changes in expression.

But…

“Look at you rubbing your face just because I said ‘face.’ Man, I’m not just talking about your expression. It’s your overall vibe.”

Kang Jin-ho awkwardly took his hand off his face.

“Tsk.”

Joo Young-gi looked at Kang Jin-ho, as if he didn’t like something, and then opened his mouth.

“Tell me. Our friend, who travels overseas and goes scuba diving, what kind of worries do you have? This older brother will listen.”

“No, well, not really…”

Joo Young-gi’s head turned to Park Yoo-min.

“Yoo-min.”

“Yeah?”

“Our friend doesn’t want to share his worries with us. He must not trust us very much.”

“Hmm, well, I guess that’s understandable.”

Park Yoo-min nodded.

“Jin-ho always does well on his own. He can do well without us helping him, so what good would it do to talk about his worries?”

“Right? I was just being overly worried. What kind of advice could I give to someone who always does well on his own? I guess I was overdoing it. I was overdoing it.”

“Yeah. You went a bit too far.”

Kang Jin-ho stared blankly at Park Yoo-min.

Joo Young-gi was one thing, but to think that even Park Yoo-min could team up with him like this to pressure someone. Where had the pure and kind Park Yoo-min of the past gone, and what kind of sly fox was sitting here now?

“No, that’s…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Ahem~ It’s okay, it’s okay! Why are you trying to say something else, making it awkward?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“It’s okay, I’m telling you. We’re not petty people who would get upset over something like that. Just let it go, let it go.”

“Yeah, Jin-ho. It’s really okay.”

“No, that’s not it!”

As Kang Jin-ho’s voice rose, Joo Young-gi and Park Yoo-min flinched and pretended to back away.

“If we asked twice, we’d kill someone.”

“Young-gi, Jin-ho seems very angry. Why did you ask him that?”

“I was just worried.”

A vein popped out on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead.

It seemed that while he had been out of contact, these two had been working together endlessly. They were perfectly in sync.

“It’s not that… It’s just that it’s a bit difficult to explain in words.”

Upon hearing those words, Park Yoo-min adjusted her posture.

Although it had started as a joke, the conclusion that Kang Jin-ho had some worries had been reached, and it seemed like she was going to get a little serious.

“Is it serious?”

“I don’t know.”

Kang Jin-ho also sighed.

“It’s a matter of direction, but I don’t know what to do about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I told you, it’s hard to explain in words.”

The atmosphere became a little heavy.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but if I try to break it down, it’s like this.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t continue right away. He needed time to organize his thoughts. The two of them didn’t rush Kang Jin-ho and waited quietly for him.

After some time had passed, Kang Jin-ho finally opened his mouth.

“There’s something I can’t do. So, should I change myself?”

The story began with words that seemed a bit vague.