Descent of the Demon Master
Chapter 1102. Confrontation (2)

Chapter 1102. Confrontation (2)

Han Se-Yeon could only stare in stupefaction at Choi Yeon-Ha, unable to think of something to say.

What made this situation so much harder to endure was that even the sight of Choi Yeon-Ha spewing all these vulgar things still seemed like a scene straight out of a movie.

If Han Se-Yeon had acted this way, people might have viewed her as a vulgar lowlife, yet when Choi Yeon-Ha did it? She somehow came across as a confident and headstrong woman instead.

How could things be so unfair like this?

“Do you understand now?” Choi Yeon-Ha growled menacingly. When she heard nothing from Han Se-Yeon, she sneered again. “Whether you heard me or not, I don’t care. I’ve said my piece. So, let’s not run into each other again, okay?”

Choi Yeon-Ha turned around and reached for the exit.

However, Han Se-Yeon suddenly called out to her. “W-wait...”

“Huh?” Choi Yeon-Ha turned around, a hint of puzzlement appearing on her face. This little girl still had something left to say even after receiving all those body blows?

Han Se-Yeon quietly asked, “Why? Why do you have to go so far?”

“You really are dumb, aren’t you? You still can’t figure it out after everything I’ve said?”

“N-no, it’s not that, but...” Han Se-Yeon stammered. She was clearly intimidated by what happened, but something still compelled her to ask this question. “You... You don’t need to do this, right? So why?”

“What are you even saying?”

“I mean, I...” Han Se-Yeon mumbled meekly. Verbalizing her thoughts proved harder than she had bargained for. “You could have pretended to be a nice person. A saint. Since things won’t work out for me like you say, why not keep your facade on for longer? Wouldn't that have been better for everyone?”

“Hah...” Choi Yeon-Ha stared in sheer disappointment at Han Se-Yeon. “Listen, little girl.”

“Yes?”

“I usually ignore idiots like you and move on with my life. But in some twisted way, you could say we're acquaintances now, so here's a word of advice. Listen closely.”

“Okay?”

“You should learn to know your place.”

Han Se-Yeon stopped looking at the floor timidly and raised her head. What was Choi Yeon-Ha talking about now?

“You can lie on your back and wait for others to put things in your mouth. But you'll never get what you want till the day you die when you do that.”

“I’ve never done that, though?”

“Don’t make me laugh,” Choi Yeon-Ha sneered in contempt. “You probably had a cushy life, didn’t you? Since you’re somewhat pretty, other kids must’ve come to you on their own to fawn over you and act like your friends. You didn’t have to say anything for others to take the hint and dance around for your amusement.”

“What? No, that’s not...”

“But then, Mister Jin-Ho showed up. He must've seemed so unique to you. After all, even though everyone was trying so hard to butter up to you, he was the only one not interested in doing that. So, you must've been like, ‘Huh? Is this one of those TV drama storylines? He’s the first man to act this way to me.’ Am I right?”

“No, you’re not! It’s not...”

“Looks like I was right,” Choi Yeon-Ha curtly and resolutely cut Han Se-Yeon off. “Let me guess. You must’ve thought that even if you aren’t close now, once you get to know each other and become friends, then take things even further from there and start sleeping with each other... In the end, this man will also dance on my palm like everyone else. So, let me play the long game.”

“...”

“You must’ve asked yourself, why isn’t he changing? And that irritated you, didn’t it?”

“N-no, that’s not—”

“Stop trying to explain or justify it. In the end, it all boils down to this one thing. You grew unhappy because he didn’t do as you wanted and never prioritized your feelings. And you couldn’t stand that. Am I wrong?”

“No, I was—”

“Stop,” said Choi Yeon-Ha, her expression one of annoyance. “You are not as pretty as you think, okay?”

“...”

“Even someone with my looks has to keep her head down, go around flashing smiles at important people in the industry, and keep humoring directors’ whims to get parts she wants. And that's how I managed to get to where I am in my career. But what about you? What makes you so special?”

Han Se-Yeon couldn’t think of anything to say. Obviously, not everything Choi Yeon-Ha said applied to her. Even then, she couldn’t outright deny everything either.

“So, you asked me why I’m going this far. Because this is the safest route. Because this is the best for me. Sorry, but I’m not the type to endure humiliation because I worry about saving face or some other nonsense like that. I’d rather be petty and small-minded.

“Unlike you, I’m not gonna pretend I’m a saint or a nice person and cry foul at the injustice of it all just to protect my worthless pride, only to miss out on things I shouldn’t have and whine like a pathetic little kid. No, hold on!”

Choi Yeon-Ha sucked in a deep breath.

“This is how I protect my pride. I won’t let anyone take away what’s mine. And I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I want. And I’ll make damn sure no one can even think about drooling over my stuff!”

Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly smiled radiantly. That smile was so beautiful that Han Se-Yeon almost let out a chuckle of dismay.

“That is why I'd like you to stop wasting both of our time, okay? Because I'm going to stick to Mister Jin-Ho like a leech and never let go. Some little kid worried too much about her damn pride and ended up as a moron, so why would I try to emulate her?

“Don't you worry about a thing, okay? I promise to take good care of your ex, and we'll have a happily ever after, too. So, bye-bye now.”

Choi Yeon-Ha unhesitantly turned around, opened the bathroom door, and exited.

All Han Se-Yeon could do was stand there in stupefaction and stare at the closed doorway.

“Just what... is up with her? Seriously?”

It seemed that woman had a talent for making other people utterly speechless.

***

By the time Han Se-Yeon barely recovered her wits and emerged from the bathroom, Choi Yeon-Ha was already gone.

She looked around before quietly asking, “Where is Miss Choi?”

Park Yu-Min replied with a grimace on his face. “She left.”

“Didn’t she order pizzas?”

“Yeah. After loading all those pizzas in the van, she left while waving goodbye through the window.”

Did that mean Choi Yeon-Ha had said everything she wanted to say?

Han Se-Yeon stared at the pizzeria’s exit as melancholy washed over her.

To think that that woman would leave seemingly without a care in the world after crushing someone like this. It could only mean Choi Yeon-Ha wasn't interested in listening to whatever Han Se-Yeon had to say.

Han Se-Yeon couldn’t quite figure out if Choi Yeon-Ha was a gutsy go-getter or an incredibly petty b*tch who refused to play nice.

One thing was for certain, however. That woman was too much to handle for the current Han Se-Yeon.

Park Yu-Min noticed Han Se-Yeon's expression and urged her on. “H-how about some pizza, Se-Yeon? C'mon, let's eat.”

“Y-yeah, sure...”

Han Se-Yeon took a slice of pizza and put it on her plate. However, putting this slice into her mouth was the last thing on her mind at the moment.

Trying to power through this get-together was already causing an imaginary ulcer in her, and that brutal one-sided boxing match with Choi Yeon-Ha pretty much obliterated Han Se-Yeon’s appetite for good.

She toyed with the pizza slice with her fork for a while before sneakily raising her head to glance at Kang Jin-Ho. And he was, well...

...Strands of cheese were stretching out of his mouth.

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly frowned a little, then tried to get up.

“H-hey, wait a sec!” Park Yu-Min hurriedly reached out and grabbed Kang Jin-Ho’s shoulder to push him down. “Later, dude! Later! Don’t act like a mother-in-law, okay? We came here to hang out and have fun, right?”

“But the temperature in the oven wasn’t...”

“Yes, yes, I get it, so do it later! Whenever I come here with you, I keep forgetting if it’s to monitor the food’s quality or to hang out with my friends! So, please stop!”

“Mm...!” Kang Jin-Ho nodded in dissatisfaction.

Han Se-Yeon sighed inwardly at this scene.

‘He hasn’t changed at all.’

No, that didn’t seem right. Maybe he had changed a lot, after all? She couldn’t tell.

She couldn’t understand anything about the current Kang Jin-Ho. And for some reason, she couldn’t even be sure of what the past Kang Jin-Ho used to be like, too.

She thought she knew a lot about him, but now? She wasn’t so sure anymore.

Everything seemed so uncertain now. Did her old self really know what or who Kang Jin-Ho was?

Han Se-Yeon cautiously called out, “Hey, Jin-Ho...?”

Kang Jin-Ho looked back at her. “Mm?”

“What kind of person is Miss Choi?”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “I’m not sure what you want to know.”

“I'm just curious, you know? She's really crazily beautiful, so I was wondering what she's like.”

“What she’s like...?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow a little as if he was pondering something.

Defining a person through mere words was never an easy task. And since it was Kang Jin-Ho, the difficulty of this challenge seemed even worse.

When his thoughts deepened, Han Se-Yeon quickly added a new quantifier to make things easier.

“How about this? What is she to you, Jin-Ho?”

“To me?”

“Yeah, you.”

To a question like that, Kang Jin-Ho could think of only one answer. “Well, I feel at ease around her.”

“Ah!”

He casually reclined against the chair. “Not sure how to explain it, but I feel at ease. Being around her feels comfortable to me.”

Park Yu-Min narrowed his eyes and stared gravely at his friend.

‘You feel at ease around that woman?’

Around Choi Yeon-Ha? Really now?

Park Yu-Min recalled Choi Yeon-Ha.

‘What the hell, that can’t be right...?’

Maybe the most ill-suited sentiment to associate Choi Yeon-Ha with had to be “At ease.” No matter how seriously he thought about it, the two didn’t match up. Like, none at all!

“At ease, you say?!” Park Yu-Min asked first even before Han Se-Yeon could respond.

Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded. “Yeah.”

“But, how? In what way?”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly tilted his head while thinking.

“Hmm...” He sighed a little as deep creases formed on his forehead. “Well, she nags me for not calling her often, threatens me to make time to hang out with her or else, and even told me this one time that she’d yank my eyes out if I dare look at other women, and... I guess there are various inconveniences like that, but...”

Park Yu-Min’s jaw fell slightly.

‘Oii, oii. That doesn't sound like you’re at ease? In fact, isn’t that more like you’re walking on eggshells? It must have been very uncomfortable instead, Jin-Ho.’

“Even then, being with her makes me feel at ease,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Park Yu-Min’s expression cramped up ever so slightly. However, Han Se-Yeon thought she knew what Kang Jin-Ho was talking about.

‘So that was the difference between us.’

Choi Yeon-Ha adjusted herself to match Kang Jin-Ho. She thought about his mindset and tried to change herself accordingly. Just like she had alluded to earlier with the example of lying down and waiting.

However, Han Se-Yeon couldn’t do that. She believed Kang Jin-Ho would eventually come around and change for her.

Even though he was dull, witless, and seemingly had no idea what affection was, she still believed he'd prioritize her over all else once they went past being friends and into something more intimate. She naively believed that time would eventually bring them together.

But that did not happen. And she couldn’t stand that.

She couldn’t stand the thought of something else being more important to him than her. She couldn’t stand the thought of him having a friend that meant more to him than her. And...

‘I can’t win against her.’

Han Se-Yeon finally realized why Choi Yeon-Ha was so confident.

Her looks? That didn’t mean anything in this situation.

Choi Yeon-Ha's beauty could have worked a treat with other men, but not with Kang Jin-Ho. He didn't care much about stuff like that, after all.

Even if Han Se-Yeon was much more beautiful than Choi Yeon-Ha, nothing would have changed.

That was what Kang Jin-Ho was like, after all!

Choi Yeon-Ha knew what she did and all the effort she had put in to make this relationship work. That was why she was so confident about her relationship with Kang Jin-Ho being unbreakable.

Which was in stark contrast with Han Se-Yeon, who had been waiting and hoping for something to happen.

There was no room to squeeze herself in here.

‘That kinda stings.’

Han Se-Yeon wasn’t expecting a miracle. She never expected Kang Jin-Ho to view her differently overnight either.

But she did want to find a small gap. A hint of an opening. A single chance to reconnect the thread that got severed through a silly mistake... As long as she could find that, enough effort from her should repair everything. That was what she thought.

But now, she could see the truth. There was no gap here. No opening whatsoever.

She couldn't tell if the opening never existed, to begin with, or if Choi Yeon-Ha had swooped in at the last second to block the gaps before any of them could be exploited. Whatever the truth was, it didn't change the fact that weakening the relationship between Kang Jin-Ho and Choi Yeon-Ha would be impossible for the current Han Se-Yeon.

That might be the case, but...!

“Hey, Jin-Ho?”

Kang Jin-Ho looked back at Han Se-Yeon. “Yeah?”

“I’ll try to stay in touch from now on, okay?”

“Mm?”

“I won’t ask you to call me first since we all know that’s not gonna happen. That’s what you’re like, after all.”

Park Yu-Min nodded. “Yup, Jin-Ho’s not gonna call you first. Definitely. He will never.”

Kang Jin-Ho ruefully licked his lips in silence.

Han Se-Yeon grinned brightly. “However, promise me that you’ll answer whenever I call you. If you can’t for some reason, at least message me later.”

“Mm... Got it.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.

And that was what Han Se-Yeon wanted to hear.

She grinned brightly.

‘Thanks, Yeon-Ha unnie. I learned something from you.’

Choi Yeon-Ha was right. Lying still and waiting with an open mouth was a pointless exercise. After all, the only reward you'd get by doing that was a half-ripe or half-rotten fruit falling on your face.

If you wanted a ripe fruit, you had to climb the tree yourself. Even if that meant you’d slip and fall numerous times!

‘I might not be able to find an opening now, but...!’

Flames began burning brightly within Han Se-Yeon’s eyes.

‘No one knows what will happen in the future, Yeon-Ha unnie. Even if a couple seems to be doing okay, don't you know that they can go their separate ways in the blink of an eye? So, I'll be waiting. I'll wait for as long as it takes!'

Park Yu-Min frowned slightly. “Se-Yeon, you... looked kinda scary just now.”

“Ah, really? Sorry. Something got in my eye.”

Han Se-Yeon rubbed her eyes before replying in a far more lively voice than before.

“Okay, let’s eat! The pizza here is more delicious than I thought, though.”

Park Yu-Min tutted. “...How would you know that? When you haven't touched anything yet?”

“You’re being noisy! Now, eat!”

As she gallantly picked up the pizza slice to take a large bite, Han Se-Yeon's eyes gleamed sharply.

‘Nothing will change if I back off now.’

Han Se-Yeon grinned after realizing that she had learned something valuable today.

The war was not over yet.