Descent of the Demon Master

"Oho…? It's like I've been way too forgiving lately, now isn't it?" Choi Yeon-Ha grinned suspiciously.

"…!" Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth after her subtle grin began pressuring him.

"I'll probably never go back even if I'm forced to," Choi Yeon-Ha animatedly shook her head. "Being a global superstar and whatnot sounds nice, but me? I think I'll forever be a Korean at heart. Getting famous would be nice, but I never knew being away from Korea would be this tough on me!"

"Could it be because you were in the remote rural backwoods?"

"I don't think it was. We took a different route on our way home, but the story didn't change for me. Actually? I did get a similar feeling when I was in the States, trying to break into Hollywood some time ago. Back then, I figured I was just not used to traveling overseas, but I guess that wasn't it." Choi Yeon-Ha casually shrugged. "When I thought about it… It was way too obvious, you know?"

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. "Sorry?"

"It's like, I was wearing something that didn't fit me."

Choi Yeon-Ha sounded refreshed while saying that. Although the contents of her confession didn't sound positive, her attitude indicated she didn't feel bummed out by them.

"There's that thing, right? I mean, uhm, the path you gotta go through if you want to become successful?"

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow but still nodded away. "Yes, there is."

"If it's an actor, you work as an extra for a bit until you catch the eye of some director, then move up the ladder to a supporting character. If you are a genetic lottery winner or just a kick-ass at acting, your status gets upgraded to the leading role. And then… You can guess what comes next, right? You debut as a protagonist in shows and movies and get offers for a ton of commercials."

Choi Yeon-Ha explained while scooping out another portion of kimchi stew for herself.

"And then? You naturally gravitate toward being an actor's actor or just being a pretty face to put on promos. Those aren't the only ways to get famous, but… The real problem comes afterward. Once you're as famous as you can get in South Korea, the only way to go from there is abroad, you see? I'm sure you've noticed how people who make it overseas are treated like national treasures in Korea. You know, like Hallyu stars?"

Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly covered her mouth and began laughing as if what she said was humorous to her, too.

"I thought I gotta follow those people's steps, you see? The overall safest bet is to go through Japan first, but their film industry isn't all that, so for actors like me? It might as well be China. If things go well there, it's gonna raise my international profile, and maybe even Hollywood might get interested in casting me. So, I figured, let's go for it! But the thing is…"

Choi Yeon-Ha stopped moving her utensils and stared intently at Kang Jin-Ho.

"Tell me, Mister Jin-Ho. Between being a great actor or a popular actor, which one do you think is worth more?"

That was a question Kang Jin-Ho could not answer. Only Choi Yeon-Ha was qualified for that. She most likely knew this already and didn't expect a clear-cut reply from him, to begin with.

"I guess I'm much shallower than I thought," Choi Yeon-Ha muttered quietly.

"You don't look that way to me, though?"

"I mean, you know… Do you remember what I said while leaving for China? That I wanted to be your equal? That I won't be an embarrassment to you?"

"...I never thought of you that way, Miss Yeon-Ha."

"And I told you that it's kinda like an inferiority complex."

"Yes, you did."

Choi Yeon-Ha tapped on her rice bowl with her spoon. Although it was difficult to say this out loud, she knew she had to say it.

"It was so weird, you know? When people realize they lack something, they usually think about how to fill that void, right? But the first thing I did was worry about how to become even more successful. It took me so long to figure out that can't be normal."

"Mm…" Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded. He thought he could understand what Choi Yeon-Ha meant.

"Of course, I'm not saying I regret my decision. I wouldn't have realized all this if I hadn't experienced filming in China, after all. I chose this path. The path I wished to tread. So, I really, really tried my best, you know? Don't you think I deserve some praise for that? Ng?"

Choi Yeon-Ha openly stared at Kang Jin-Ho. And he responded to this silent pressure by making a weird expression. "Miss Yeon-Ha, you did well over there."

"Eii… That feels so forced!" Choi Yeon-Ha laughed as if that reaction didn't meet her expectations. "Anyways… Yes, it's something like that. I got plenty of time to reflect on myself, and that's how I figured out that all this time, I was measuring my success with the level of my wealth and popularity. And that also exposed how shallow I am."

A gentle smile formed on Kang Jin-Ho's face as he listened. Watching a person grow as a human being was one of the most fulfilling things in the world. Especially more so when that person was a close acquaintance!

Kang Jin-Ho sat forward a little and asked a question. "In short, you wish to distance yourself from materialistic things like that? Is that it?"

Choi Yeon-Ha smirked. "Nope, not really?"

"…?" Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes in confusion as his attempt to turn the conversation in a more heartwarming direction was thwarted even before it got going. What did she even mean by that? "Miss Yeon-Ha? What are you talking about?"

"I told you. I figured out how shallow I am."

"Y-yes, you did. But, uh…?"

Choi Yeon-Ha lightly waved her hands after figuring out what the misunderstanding was. "Ah, wait. Since I figured out how shallow I am, you thought I'd try to turn a new leaf? Is that it? That I get to become a better person? By doing meditation and yoga? Or Pilates?"

"…"

"I was born incapable of that, Mister Jin-Ho. Because, I've been shallow since birth, you see?"

Kang Jin-Ho was rendered completely speechless just then.

'Yup, I will never get used to her.'

He suddenly remembered that Choi Yeon-Ha had been this type of person since the very beginning of their interaction.

"Now that I know I'm shallow and have figured out what success is for me, I better go after it even harder, right? So, let's make a ton of moolah! And get as famous as humanly possible! As long as I'm happy, it's all good, right!"

Different people felt and learned different lessons from the same events. Even if that was the case, Choi Yeon-Ha had to be the only person in the entire world who would reach a conclusion like that from her experience!

Kang Jin-Ho worriedly asked, "In that case, shouldn't you be more careful now?"

"Nope. This is what I realized during my trip, Mister Jin-Ho. Do you know why all the Hollywood stars do whatever they want whether the fans are watching or not?"

"...Because that's the norm over there?"

"Mm, well, uh… Yes, you're not wrong about that. But there's something else more important to remember. Those people have full confidence that their fans won't abandon them regardless of what they do in private as long as they do their job to the best of their abilities. As proof! You can still appear in movies and TV shows in the States after your prison term for drug offenses ends, right?"

"Oh…"

"If I flip that around, it means I try to doll myself up while worrying about paparazzo and whatnot precisely because I'm scared of my product value falling to the pits after people figure out what I'm really like."

So, what she wanted to say in the end was…?

"So! I decided to stop caring about them. No matter how deeply I think about it, I'm like the greatest masterpiece in this industry. I'm irreplaceable, you see? In that case, why should I worry about how others perceive me? I'm going to do what I want from now on."

Although something about her reasons, goals, and experiences responsible for motivating her all sounded rather off, at least the conclusion suited Choi Yeon-Ha to a T!

Choi Yeon-Ha smirked. "Looks like you're having fun, Mister Jin-Ho."

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you were grinning just now."

"Oh, that. Rather than fun…" Kang Jin-Ho grinned again. "I thought this suits you better."

"I don't think you will have the time to grin like that, though?"

"Sorry?"

"I told you, didn't I? That I'll do whatever I want from now on? What do you think will happen if someone snaps a few photos of us right now?"

Kang Jin-Ho couldn't immediately reply to her. But that was fine as Choi Yeon-Ha smirked and replied with her own answer first.

"Choi Yeon-Ha, seen going on a date with an unidentified man! Exclusive images of their close relationship! I can already imagine your face plastered all over the front page of online celebrity gossip sites, Mister Jin-Ho."

Kang Jin-Ho flinched just then. He did not think of that possibility.

"I should be asking for your permission instead, Mister Jin-Ho. If you want to keep living under the radar, I think you should quickly run outside and buy a face mask from somewhere before putting it on my face."

"...I don't think it's necessary to go that far?"

"Really? Can't you see what's happening around us?"

"Sorry?" Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head before scanning his surroundings.

'…Ah!'

He realized that other people inside this diner were glancing in Kang Jin-Ho and Choi Yeon-Ha's direction.

There was a reason why he didn't notice this sooner. Since Kang Jin-Ho's looks were well above average, it was common for people to glance at him out of curiosity whenever he hung out with his friends. So he got more or less numb to this type of attention.

But now, the look in these people's eyes was clearly different from those times. The most noticeable "emotion" in their faces had to be puzzlement. As in…

"That's Choi Yeon-Ha, right? In that case, who is that dude she's with? Are they dating?"

Kang Jin-Ho's expression stiffened.

"Yup, that's what they are all thinking," Choi Yeon-Ha grinned deeply as if this situation greatly amused her. "Isn't it ironic? Whenever I want to do something, I must consider how much I'll inconvenience people around me first, not how annoying things can get for me. Since this is the path I choose, it's my responsibility to deal with what comes my way. But it can get really frustrating sometimes, you know?"

Kang Jin-Ho definitely agreed with her on this one. After all, what she said just now could be applied to Kang Jin-Ho's recent situation, too.

The higher one climbed up the hierarchy, the more authority they would start to enjoy. In return, they must deal with a lot more responsibilities and also consider the effects of everything they did and said.

It was the same story for Choi Yeon-Ha. As her fame grew, and people remembered her name, even something trivial from her could become the hottest topic in town in the blink of an eye. No wonder she had no choice but to worry about her public behavior.

"Then… How about it? Are you okay with this?"

Kang Jin-Ho didn't immediately reply. He noticed that Choi Yeon-Ha had discarded her mischievous streak and became a little more serious now.

"Mm, well…" Kang Jin-Ho studied Choi Yeon-Ha for a little while before finally breaking his silence. "I'm not a fan of people recognizing my face or becoming the talk of the town."

"I thought so. You're not that type, after all." Choi Yeon-Ha nodded while sighing.

"However…"

Choi Yeon-Ha, who had been trying so hard to hide the subtle traces of disappointment from showing up on her face, hurriedly raised her head.

"If I'm not willing to deal with that, it'll become troublesome to hang out with you in the future, now won't it?"

"Things won't be too different from how it's always been, though."

"I see. Then…" Kang Jin-Ho nodded. "I can handle getting a bit famous myself."

Choi Yeon-Ha's eyes quaked ever so slightly just then.

She thought Kang Jin-Ho would never agree to this. When she took her time recalling all that had happened since they first met, it seemed like Kang Jin-Ho was extremely averse to the idea of getting famous.

"Oh, of course, I'm not saying I'll actively advertise myself out there," said Kang Jin-Ho. "I'll utilize all the resources at my disposal to stop that from happening as much as possible. However… Mm, let me put it this way. I don't want to constantly worry about our surroundings while hanging out with you."

Choi Yeon-Ha stared wide-eyed at Kang Jin-Ho. Her expression contained a hint of fluster, but most of it was indescribable joy.

"You know, your reply… I didn't expect that," Choi Yeon-Ha sheepishly scratched her cheek a couple of times, then smiled brightly. "Still, thank you. I'm happy to hear that."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Kang Jin-Ho also smiled back at her. But then…

"Before we go any further, though. Mister Jin-Ho? We gotta clear something up first."

"Sorry? Like what?"

"All these things must have a prerequisite first, right?"

"Huh? I don't understand?"

"Until now, I never tried to get clarity from you because, well, your personality is just a bit wishy-washy and stuff. Now that we're here, though! I need to hear a definite answer from you. Wouldn't you say now is a good time?"

Kang Jin-Ho became somewhat confused just then.

Unfortunately for him, Choi Yeon-Ha was not the type to let go once she grabbed hold of something.

"Mister Jin-Ho, what are we exactly?"

"…?"

"Yes, I know. I know what our relationship is. Technically. But I'm not cool with us tacitly agreeing and moving on to the next stage without explicitly stating where we stand. That is why I want to make sure what we are right now. So? What are we, Mister Kang Jin-Ho?"

Choi Yeon-Ha went on the offensive while smiling brightly.

Maybe she picked up some martial arts during her stay in China? Because her offensive strength proved to be no joke. Even the one and only Kang Jin-Ho found himself on the back foot, trying to inch slowly away!

Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly yelled at him. "Sit up straight, will you!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Now, please answer me. What is our relationship, Mister Jin-Ho?"

"U-uh, well, uh, that is… Well…" Kang Jin-Ho hesitated and fidgeted helplessly, but neither was effective in altering Choi Yeon-Ha's expression or posture!

Still, she decided to change her tactic when he proved so indecisive.

"I get it now. My question was too vague, now wasn't it! Let me rephrase it, then."

...And then, Choi Yeon-Ha went in for the kill.

"Do you like me, Mister Jin-Ho?"