Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1082. Contemplating (2)

Park Yu-Min put on an expression he had prepared earlier. He knew this question would inevitably pop up during this meeting.

Obviously, Han Se-Yeong's intention wasn't to use Park Yu-Min. They were friends, after all. She would have still made time to see him even if Kang Jin-Ho wasn't in the picture. And the two of them would've hung out and had fun.

It was just that Kang Jin-Ho's shadow loomed large even though he wasn't here. And she had no choice but to ask about him.

‘In that case, why...’

Park Yu-Min had no idea how Kang Jin-Ho viewed this situation. Even then, he knew that Han Se-Yeon didn't end the relationship because she didn't like Kang Jin-Ho anymore. And her feelings probably hadn't changed much even now.

‘Don’t sigh in front of her, Yu-Min!’

Park Yu-Min steeled his resolve and told himself not to make weird expressions.

Han Se-Yeon didn’t know what Kang Jin-Ho was. Even though she had been so close to him, her understanding of what he was could only be described as poor.

Kang Jin-Ho was fundamentally a caring person. Other people might start hurling all sorts of unmentionable insults in Park Yu-Min’s way for thinking that way, but he knew that Kang Jin-Ho was a shockingly caring and meticulous person. Which was not what his everyday attitude might suggest.

That was precisely why he helped Park Yu-Min out.

Of course, it wasn’t only Park Yu-Min. If one wanted to gather all the people Kang Jin-Ho had helped out until now, even the largest truck wouldn't be big enough to contain them all!

On the other hand, Kang Jin-Ho could be very cold-hearted, too.

He would instinctively build a fence around him. And he treated people outside this fence to those within very differently.

Park Yu-Min could become Kang Jin-Ho’s friend for one simple reason: Kang Jin-Ho’s whims. He allowed Park Yu-Min inside the fence on a whim. That was all.

‘Although Jin-Ho will most likely deny it...’

This was what Park Yu-Min felt, anyway.

Han Se-Yeon’s story was the same but also unique.

Like Park Yu-Min, she was inside Kang Jin-Ho’s fence. However, for some unknown reason, she decided to leave this fence and distance herself.

Since that was the case, Park Yu-Min had a feeling that Kang Jin-Ho wouldn’t treat Han Se-Yeon the same as before.

Then again, Kang Jin-Ho was a caring dude, so he could have been more understanding had the situation been different, but...!

‘...Sorry, Se-Yeon. But your opponent this time is a bad match for you.’

Choi Yeon-Ha’s face popping up in Park Yu-Min’s head nearly caused a sigh to leak out, but he forced it back down his throat.

How should he describe Choi Yeon-Ha? In lots of ways, she could be seen as an overwhelming force of nature.

Obviously, that applied to her looks. But to Kang Jin-Ho, such a thing didn’t mean much. That idiot couldn’t rate a woman’s beauty even if his life depended on it, anyway.

What made Choi Yeon-Ha a true overwhelming force to be reckoned with was her absurd aggressiveness.

Kang Jin-Ho was fundamentally a rubber ball-like person. If something, or someone in this case, came at him, the first thing he'd do was push them away.

Most average people would give up after getting rebuffed a couple of times. Even those with tenacity would have second thoughts after experiencing the same result several times in a row.

But that didn't apply to Choi Yeon-Ha. If she had set her sights on something, she'd not let pesky little things like embarrassment or humiliation deter her and aggressively go after it like a bulldozer.

‘Right. She is pretty much unstoppable, no?’

The more Park Yu-Min thought about it, the more remarkable Choi Yeon-Ha seemed.

When she first met Kang Jin-Ho, Choi Yeon-Ha was at the top of her industry. A true megastar. Someone like that rushed to Kang Jin-Ho's pizzeria by herself at the end of the day and chewed on those pizzas with steely determination.

Logically speaking, that shouldn’t be possible. Because Kang Jin-Ho back then was literally a nobody.

He might have business interests in many different things these days, but back in his pizzeria days? He was nothing more than a university student fresh off his mandatory military service.

Sure, he did own that pizzeria, but would such a job title even mean anything to a top megastar like Choi Yeon-Ha? Of course not.

Park Yu-Min still didn’t know Kang Jin-Ho’s true wealth even now. In that case, Choi Yeon-Ha would have no way of knowing back then, too. So, in summary...

Even when Kang Jin-Ho was a broke-ass nobody, Choi Yeon-Ha still doggedly and aggressively pursued him like a woman possessed!

‘Yup, no one can win against her!’

Kang Jin-Ho was a human being, so he’d obviously not dislike someone who continued to be nice to him. As a result, Choi Yeon-Ha succeeded in making him her man.

That was the situation, so could Han Se-Yeon come in now and split the two of them apart? The outcome seemed pretty clear to Park Yu-Min.

Unfortunately, there was a small problem here. And that was...

Telling Han Se-Yeon all this would be almost pointless at this stage. Some things in this world had to be physically experienced first to understand its severity, after all!

“Jin-Ho, you say?” Park Yu-Min replied calmly.

Han Se-Yeon nodded. “Yeah, him.”

“I thought you two ran into each other in London?”

“Yeah, we did. But we couldn’t talk for long. I didn’t have a lot of time back then.”

“Didn’t you call him while you were in the UK?”

“Wouldn’t that be a bit, you know, too awkward?”

Park Yu-Min nodded in agreement. The person declaring the end of the relationship calling first would be a bit weird, now wouldn't it?

“Jin-Ho is, well...” Park Yu-Min muttered before scratching his head. “To tell you the truth, even I’m not sure what he’s doing these days. He’s always had this secret side to him, right? But it’s gotten a bit worse lately.”

“Aren’t you curious, though?”

“Curious, eh?” Park Yu-Min tilted his head while mumbling quietly. “Hmm, not really. I never thought about it until now. It’s Jin-Ho we’re talking about, after all. Whatever it is, I’m sure he’s doing a great job.”

“...You know, if a woman said that about her dude, it would have been so cringe and stuff.”

“Really? Was it better because I said it?”

“Nope. It’s worse!”

“...”

Han Se-Yeon frowned as if she saw something rather unsightly. “You two are just made for each other, aren't you? You know, I used to think that was so weird. I mean, let's be real. You and Jin-Ho are completely incompatible, personality-wise, right?”

“...You think so?”

“In that case, how is it possible that you two get along so well?”

“I guess it's because we're so different? And that's why we are so compatible. If we were the same type of people, things would've been pretty boring.”

“Yup, I’m telling you, you two are so weird.”

Park Yu-Min helplessly shrugged. He didn’t feel like chatting about this topic anymore. “Anyways... I don’t know what Jin-Ho’s doing right now, but one thing’s for sure. I don’t think he’s going back to studying. He’s about to do something big soon, you see?”

Han Se-Yeon tutted. “You're supposed to be close, but still don't know anything?”

“...My apologies, ma’am.”

That was when Han Se-Yeon sneakily gauged Park Yu-Min’s mood. Unfortunately for her, though, he was good at noticing such things.

His senses, honed from a young age, would never miss something like that. After all, people looking at him that way sometimes could make him uncomfortable depending on the situation.

“Yu-Min, uhm, Jin-Ho has a girlfriend now, right?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“From Jin-Ho.”

Park Yu-Min grimaced a little while licking his lips reflexively.

‘Holy cow, Jin-Ho. You’re something else, alright.’

According to Han Se-Yeon, she and Kang Jin-Ho didn’t have a lot of time to talk, yet he still decided to reveal that he was seeing someone. How much of a clueless chick magnet was he really?

“Is she someone you know?” Han Se-Yeon cautiously asked.

“Well, yeah... you could say that.”

Actually, that wasn't quite right. Park Yu-Min's relationship with Choi Yeon-Ha could be described as “people who ran into each other frequently” until recently. But it now had progressed into “acquaintances” after they shot that commercial together.

Or, alternatively, one could say he was the friend of her boyfriend.

“Who is she?”

Park Yu-Min narrowed his eyes a little while staring at Han Se-Yeon. “Why do you want to know?”

Han Se-Yeon tutted. “Hey, you. Aren’t we friends?”

“Yeah, we are.”

“Then, what about Jin-Ho and I?”

“Uh...?” Park Yu-Min tilted his head, unable to think of an answer.

Han Se-Yeon shook her head as if she expected this response. “I get it. I do. It must be a bit weird. That's what it's like for a couple to break up, after all. Even then, I still consider Jin-Ho a friend. Or you think I'm wrong?”

“...No, you're not wrong.”

“Then, isn’t it fine? Isn’t it okay for me to know who she is?”

“I guess so.”

Even if knowing wouldn’t benefit Han Se-Yeon in any shape or form!

“Is she someone I know, too?” Han Se-Yeon asked again.

“Eh?”

“So, I was right.”

Park Yu-Min’s eyes subtly quaked.

“Don’t look at me that way,” said Han Se-Yeon while waving her hand dismissively. “It’s not like I snooped around behind your back, you know? You wouldn’t be this tight-lipped if Jin-Ho’s girlfriend is someone I don’t know.”

“Huh. I haven’t thought that far.”

“In any case! So, it is someone I know.”

“...Well, sure. I guess you could say that.”

Of course Han Se-Yeon would know who it is. Then again, at least over half of the country would know who Choi Yeon-Ha was, anyway!

Han Se-Yeon asked while leaning forward. “So? Who is it?”

Park Yu-Min's expression grew a little sheepish. However, there was nothing to think about here. Han Se-Yeon was bound to find out anyway, so letting her know a bit sooner shouldn't make much of a difference.

“It’s Choi Yeon-Ha.”

“Okay. What does she do for a living?”

“She’s an actress.”

“...Actress?”

“Yeah.”

That was when Park Yu-Min spotted “it.”

Han Se-Yeon's expression, which had been more or less maintaining some level of composure, began distorting subtly. In the blink of an eye, her expression shifted several times.

“Choi Yeon-Ha the actress?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean, that Choi Yeon-Ha? The one who appears in all those TV shows?”

“Yeah. Her.”

“...That Choi Yeon-Ha?”

Park Yu-Min couldn’t keep it in and sighed grandly. “There’s no need to keep asking. Yes, it is that Choi Yeon-Ha, the one you know from countless movies and TV shows. The one who went to China to film that period drama recently. That one.”

“Seriously?!”

“Yeah,” Park Yu-Min nodded, then stared sympathetically at Han Se-Yeon.

She looked beyond surprised right now. In fact, she looked completely stupefied by this revelation.

‘Which shouldn’t be surprising, really.’ freёweɓnovel.com

Kang Jin-Ho’s girlfriend being the top actress in the country was not a big deal since he didn’t care about stuff like that. So, Park Yu-Min chose to view Choi Yeon-Ha’s situation the same.

However, what about in Han Se-Yeon’s view?

‘I’m sure it must feel hopeless.’

She was not facing some ordinary opponent here. Anyone with a sane mind would think snatching Choi Yeon-Ha’s boyfriend away from her was impossible, after all!

While feeling sorry for Han Se-Yeon, Park Yu-Min said something else.

“The two of them are dating. And yes, their relationship is progressing nicely.”

So, you better give up now.

“Jin-Ho isn’t the type, but even he still makes time in his busy schedule to go on dates with her.”

So, there isn’t any room for you to butt in.

“I also met her several times, too.”

They are close enough for him to introduce her to his friends.

After beating around the bush for a bit, Park Yu-Min rested his chin on his hand and quietly observed Han Se-Yeon.

‘That’s why you should just let it go...’

If he was being honest, what Park Yu-Min wanted to say was something else.

The real problem wasn't with Choi Yeon-Ha. No, it was the fact that Han Se-Yeon had effectively nuked her own chances of getting back together with Kang Jin-Ho when she broke up with him.

Kang Jin-Ho's style could be described as never-regretter. He might be rueful about stuff in the past but never regretted his decisions. He viewed the past as that, past, and moved on.

In that sense, Han Se-Yeon stood no chance here.

“...Wow, that’s a shocker,” said Han Se-Yeon.

“I guess so.”

“But how did that happen? How did Jin-Ho even run into a super celebrity like her in the first place?”

“It’s kinda convoluted, but you know Jin-Ho’s little sister is an idol, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard Jin-Ho met Miss Choi Yeon-Ha when he went to his sister’s TV show filming location.”

“Really? Even then, how did this happen? Jin-Ho’s not the type to try his luck just because a girl is pretty, you know?”

“Actually, it was Miss Choi Yeon-Ha.”

“...Huh?”

“Miss Choi Yeon-Ha was the one. She went after Jin-Ho.”

Han Se-Yeon’s jaw fell slightly in stupefaction.

‘Yup, I’m sure it’s difficult to understand.’

Park Yu-Min sagely nodded. Back then, he also couldn’t understand it, didn’t he! Han Se-Yeon’s reaction was how normal people should react to such news!

‘It’s about time I end it here.’

Park Yu-Min was fully aware of Han Se-Yeon’s true intentions for seeking him out. Now that she was back home, Han Se-Yeon probably wanted to get close to Kang Jin-Ho again.

Unfortunately for her, though, Kang Jin-Ho and his situation had evolved far too much during her absence.

So, before the pain could get worse, Park Yu-Min should...

Han Se-Yeon suddenly raised her head. “This is good.”

“...Mm?” Park Yu-Min blinked at that unexpected response, then flinched slightly at the expression etched on Han Se-Yeon’s face.

A regular woman would never try to pick a fight with Choi Yeon-Ha. No one with a functioning mind would want to compete with an opponent way beyond their league, after all.

However, Park Yu-Min belatedly remembered something important just now.

“Sounds like Jin-Ho’s life is going great, then? With a pretty girlfriend and all. In that case, how about us three hanging out again, just like the old times? With no strings attached, of course. Hey, Yu-Min? Can you ask Jin-Ho to join us?”

“...”

He remembered that this girl was no ordinary woman, either! And that Han Se-Yeon had always been a never-give-up sort of person... and a bit of a nutjob, too!

Park Yu-Min ungainly stammered. “U-us three, you say?”

“Yeah.”

“I, uh, why...”

“What’s the matter? Is there a reason why we shouldn’t?”

“Well, no. Not really, but...”

“Then, it's all good, right? Confirm with Jin-Ho and ask him to hang out with us sometime. I have all the free time in the world, you see? Okay?”

“Uh, mm...”

Park Yu-Min recalled Choi Yeon-Ha's expressionless face from when she was grilling him. Which happened to be the scariest face in the world, in his honest opinion!

‘What the heck?! What do you guys want from me!’

Park Yu-Min was beginning to regret his decision to meet Han Se-Yeon today.