Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1132. Getting Some Rest (2)

“Hello?”

Kang Jin-Ho grew puzzled while answering the phone. Why was Park Yu-Min suddenly calling him at this hour?

Although Kang Jin-Ho’s life had become unnecessarily busy these days, he still tried to catch up on Park Yu-Min’s gaming career if he could.

Even if he couldn’t watch the match broadcasts, he’d still try to find out the match results on the same day, at the very least.

Since today was the fifth playoff match, the match must’ve finished later than usual. And Park Yu-Min’s team should have arrived at their residence not too long ago.

Seeing how Park Yu-Min decided to phone Kang Jin-Ho so soon after that, it could only mean something must've happened on his end.

-Jin-Ho, it’s me!

Unsurprisingly, Park Yu-Min sounded urgent on the phone.

Kang Jin-Ho reflexively sat up on the edge of his seat. “Yu-Min? What happened?”

-Jin-Ho, I...!

Park Yu-Min took his time without saying anything. Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but frown slightly at that.

He suddenly realized that he hadn't been paying a lot of attention to Park Yu-Min. Nothing could excuse this slip-up, even though he had been quite busy lately.

No one would accept the excuse of not focusing on crucial matters because he was taking care of things of lesser importance.

“Okay, Yu-Min, calm down first and start from the beginning. Did something happen?"

-Jin-Ho, I have a favor to ask you.

“What kind of favor?”

-Gimme your word that you’ll do it for me! 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

“Let’s hear it first, okay?”

Did something happen with the orphanage? Park Yu-Min would never ask for a favor unless the matter was serious.

Kang Jin-Ho’s face stiffened after realizing he also had not stopped by at the orphanage recently.

Although he had no idea what happened, Kang Jin-Ho was no longer an incompetent, clueless social idiot from the past. He now held the power to make things happen, rather easily too, without lifting a finger.

He had absolutely no problem utilizing his financial muscle and political connections for the sake of his acquaintances.

“Whatever it is, I will help you, so don’t worry and tell me.”

-My bad for asking this, but, Jin-Ho?

“Yeah? I’m listening.”

Whatever it was, Kang Jin-Ho was prepared to do...

-Can you play some games with me?

“Sure, I can... Huh?”

-For two days!

“...”

-Computer games! Two days only! Please!

“...Huh? Eh?”

For the first time in a while, Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t think of something to say.

***

“It’s great to see you again! Sorry for intruding when it’s so late in the day!”

Park Yu-Min bowed ninety degrees while standing in the foyer of the Kang residence.

“Ohh! Yu-Min! It’s good to see you!”

“Oh, my gosh! It’s been so long, Yu-Min! You look so great now!”

...And Kang Jin-Ho’s father and mother sincerely welcomed Park Yu-Min into their home.

They weren’t faking it, either. As far as Kang Jin-Ho could tell, they were being genuine here. Especially his mother, she...!

“Yu-Min, why aren’t you hanging out with my son lately?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong playfully asked.

Park Yu-Min blinked his eyes in confusion. “I’m sorry?”

She tightly clasped his hand and began lamenting her son's latest conduct. “Without his old friends around, my son has started hanging out with the questionable crowd these days, you see? And he keeps coming home late, too! And he used to be such an upstanding person when you guys were still hanging out together...

“I was wondering if you don’t mind hanging out with Jin-Ho again. The truth is, Jin-Ho’s got no friends, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho’s brows subtly rose up. “Mother, that is not...”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong shot her son a sharp glare. “Oh? You have friends now?”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho faltered momentarily since he knew he didn’t have any friends. “...! W-wait, Yu-Min’s my friend, though?”

“And that’s exactly what I’m saying, son! You only have one friend, and when he can’t hang out with you anymore, you genuinely have no one to call on! And that’s why you’ve been doing all these weird things with questionable crowds!”

Why? Why couldn't Kang Jin-Ho deny his mother's accusation?

Just before he could desperately think of an excuse, Kang Eun-Yeong trudged out of her room while yawning grandly. She spotted Park Yu-Min and smiled brightly. “Yu-Min oppa! Been a while!”

“Oh, hey, Eun-Yeong. Yeah, it’s been a while,” Park Yu-Min replied dazedly with a wave. The way he smiled made him look like a dummy, though!

Kang Eun-Yeong looked at her mother. “Mom, I told you Yu-Min oppa is super busy these days. He should be at least twice as busy as orabeoni, you know? It’s uncool to ask someone like that to hang out.”

Park Yu-Min hurriedly responded, “A-ah, no. I’m not that busy.”

“Yeah, right,” Kang Eun-Yeong chuckled.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong beamed and patted Park Yu-Min on the shoulder. “Well, it can't be helped if you're too busy, Yu-Min. In any case! Have you had dinner yet? Should I prepare you something to eat?”

Park Yu-Min hurriedly waved both hands. “Ah, no, it's fine, auntie. I've already had dinner, you see? Intruding your home so late in the day is already being rude of me, so I can't impose on you like that.”

“What do you mean, impose on me! You are doing no such thing, Yu-Min. You saying that is making me sad, you know!”

Kang Yu-Hwan also chimed in. “She’s right, Yu-Min. Do stop by more often. We might forget what you look like at this rate, son.”

Park Yu-Min deeply bowed to Kang Yu-Hwan and Baek Hyeon-Jeong. “Thank you. But it’s true that I had supper before coming here.”

“Got it. Then, let me peel some fruits for you. That should be fine, right?”

Park Yu-Min figured rejecting their kindness any further would be rude and nodded with a bright grin. “Thank you, auntie.”

As if he didn’t want to lose, Kang Yu-Hwan also headed to the kitchen. “Let me get you a cup of the best coffee you’ve ever had.”

“A-ah? N-no, I’m really fine, though...?”

“Nah, allow me. You know I can brew one mean coffee, don’t you? Actually, I asked Jin-Ho a few times in the past to deliver my specially brewed coffee to your team’s residence, but that son of mine became a bit too full of himself and didn’t want to run errands anymore.”

Kang Jin-Ho faltered ungainly. “But, I did that to avoid disrupting their practice sessions...”

“You see?” Kang Yu-Hwan theatrically pointed at his son. “You see how he’s quick to make excuses and talk back to us? Eiii~! If only my son was Yu-Min! I’d still proudly carry you on my shoulders even now.”

Kang Jin-Ho stared at the ceiling in sorrow. As it turned out, no one in this house was on his side!

Thankfully, though, he had Park Yu-Min to cast a protective shield over him.

“Uncle, Jin-Ho is also busy, you know?”

Unfortunately, Kang Yu-Hwan's attack stat was too high for Park Yu-Min to defend against.

“Yes, it’s good to be occupied with something. Definitely so. However, if you neglect what must be done under the excuse of being occupied, that no longer qualifies as a good thing, Yu-Min. You should remember this, too. A man has got to get his priorities straight. You mustn’t get too obsessed with what you can see right before your nose. You might miss something bigger and more meaningful that way.”

“I’ll definitely remember that, uncle.”

“Good. So, I was saying...”

Before Kang Yu-Hwan could say something else, Kang Eun-Yeong loudly clapped her hands.

Clap!

“Okay! That’s enough lecture for today, everyone! Yu-Min oppa is here to chat with orabeoni, so how about we let them be?”

“Ah, that's right,” Kang Yu-Hwan nodded. “Since you couldn't wait until tomorrow and had to come here so late at night, it must be something important. Okay, we won't interrupt you two anymore. Go on.”

“Thank you, uncle!”

Kang Jin-Ho took the lead and headed to his room first, while Park Yu-Min followed him from behind.

Once they entered the room, Kang Jin-Ho closed the door while grumbling unhappily. “That’s why I told you we should meet outside.”

Park Yu-Min smiled apologetically. “I wanted to say hello to auntie and uncle, you see. It's been too long since I last came here, after all. I can't find time during the day to stop by because of my job, and it's kinda weird to set up an appointment for a visit ahead of time, too.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly while nodding.

Most people who found themselves in that kind of situation would just stop caring altogether and not come. That was why it was rare to see adults remaining on friendly terms with the parents of their friends.

However, that wasn't what Park Yu-Min was like. No, his style was to stop by and say hello even if things felt awkward.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded again. “Yeah, got it. Thanks.”

It was obvious that both Kang Yu-Hwan and Baek Hyeon-Jeong were happy with Park Yu-Min’s visit. Even Kang Eun-Yeong seemed pleased, although she didn’t show it on the surface.

“Okay, take a seat.”

“Okay,” Park Yu-Min nodded while sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kang Jin-Ho crossed his arms. “Okay, so? What were you talking about earlier?”

“Oh, that. Jin-Ho, I was...”

“Hold on a sec,” said Kang Jin-Ho while raising his hand to cut Park Yu-Min off. Then, he got up without saying anything else before heading toward the doorway.

Park Yu-Min tilted his head. “Eh?”

Kang Jin-Ho unhesitantly yanked the door open. Behind the speedily opened door was Kang Jin-Ho’s mother holding a plate of neatly sliced fruits, and his father carrying two cups of coffee. And they were obviously craning their heads toward the doorway, their ears as perked as humanly possible.

“...”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply at his parents. Which led the two of them to panic slightly.

“N-no, it’s not what you think, son! I only wanted to, uh, give you this! Yes, the fruits!”

“A-and I’ve brought you the coffee. We’re definitely not curious about what you two were talking about!”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “Mother, father? If you’re thinking of doing this, we’ll leave and go somewhere else.”

“N-no, no need to, son! We’ll just watch the TV in the living room. H-hurry and take the coffee.”

“And the fruits, too.”

“...Of course.”

After receiving the plate of fruits and the coffee, Kang Jin-Ho returned to the room while sighing again. The door was meekly closed behind him.

Park Yu-Min chuckled genially at this sight. “Your parents are the same as always.”

“Nah. I think it’s gotten worse lately.”

“But it’s a good thing, though.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “You... think so?”

“Yeah, definitely. It is.”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded. Park Yu-Min was right on this one.

Being able to joke around with one’s parents was a blessing in itself. Park Yu-Min should know, since he never had parents. And even Kang Jin-Ho could appreciate it, having already experienced what it felt like to lose his entire family.

Even though his family members could get annoying and even awkward at times, they were undoubtedly the most precious people in his life.

“Right. It is a good thing. I forgot,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a genuine grin.

This was why he enjoyed hanging out with Park Yu-Min. His friend had this amazing power to remind Kang Jin-Ho of important things he had forgotten about.

“Okay, now that we’re alone, can you explain what’s going on?”

“Oh, that, well...” Park Yu-Min scratched his head. “It’s as I said on the phone. Play games with me for the next two days.”

“...Why so suddenly, though?”

“You don't have to force yourself if you're too busy, though. If you have the time, then great, but if not, it's also fine. It's not that important, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. It wasn’t that important?

‘That’s obviously a lie.’

If this matter wasn’t really important, Park Yu-Min wouldn’t have raised a fuss like this in the first place.

In summary, this must be what Park Yu-Min was thinking. Kang Jin-Ho would undoubtedly try to humor his friend if he heard the explanation. Even if that meant taking time out of his incredibly busy schedule.

Knowing this, Park Yu-Min deliberately tried to make his reasons as vague as possible to create an illusion that the situation wasn't as hectic as it sounded. That way, he'd get to see if Kang Jin-Ho was free enough to do it without forcing himself.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled hollowly.

‘We’ve grown apart so much already.’

The closeness of a friendship could be determined by how much you were willing to humor your friends’ requests.

Park Yu-Min didn’t seem conscious of it, but it looked like he subconsciously believed that Kang Jin-Ho prioritized his work over his friendship. And that was the reason for this roundabout way to confirm if Kang Jin-Ho had enough free time.

Kang Jin-Ho felt anger well up a little inside his heart.

No, it wasn’t aimed at Park Yu-Min, but at himself. Just how badly had he been neglecting his relationships recently that his closest friend viewed him this way?

Kang Jin-Ho agreed with his father. A man should get his priorities straight.

Sacrificing his acquaintances to acquire something even grander, something more epic, in life? What a laughable notion that was.

Kang Jin-Ho had already acquired something like that in the past. However, did that make him happy? Did that make him enjoy life more?

One's happiness did not depend on the scale of achievements. No, it came from how precious the things you've acquired were to you.

“Two days, you say?”

“Yeah,” Park Yu-Min nodded.

Two days, two days...

Although Kang Jin-Ho needed to be present at the official opening ceremony of the Assembly's business venture, he should still be able to eke out two days of free time. As for his duties, he could get Lee Hyeon-Su to sub for him in the meantime.

Even though Lee Hyeon-Su got a few days off in commemoration of surviving the whole kidnapping ordeal and successfully wrapping up the adventure in England, it should be fine, no?

Kang Jin-Ho got up. “Okay, let’s go.”

Park Yu-Min blinked his eyes. “Ng? Go? Wait, like right now?”

“Yeah. Sounds like you’re pressed for time, so let’s not waste it. Let’s get to it right away.”

“Uh, but...”

Park Yu-Min was about to say something, but Kang Jin-Ho cut his friend off. “Oh, before we start, though...”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be staying out for two days, so I better get permission from my parents. My mother hates the idea of me sleeping elsewhere, you see.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll speak to her, then.”

“Let’s go.”

Kang Jin-Ho led the way to the living room, his expression stiff.

***

“Sure, son. Go ahead.”

“...?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong didn't even bother to look away from the TV screen while dismissively waving her hand at Kang Jin-Ho.

“Mother, you... are okay with this?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“...?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. This response was a bit different from what he expected. Even though he would be absent for two days? “Mother, maybe I haven’t explained properly...?”

“No, no need, son. I don’t need a long-winded explanation, anyway,” Baek Hyeon-Jeong replied, her voice lacking much enthusiasm. “I only told you not to stay out late because you might do something dumb, son. Besides, you often don’t tell us when you’re planning to stay out for an extended period, too.

“However! If it’s with Yu-Min, I don’t mind you staying out for two months, never mind two days. I mean, you won’t do anything dumb when you’re with him, after all!”

Kang Jin-Ho nearly blurted out, Mother, why does it sound like you trust your son’s friend more than your own flesh and blood?!

“Go on, son. However, promise me that you'll stop by every now and then to get a change of clothes. I can’t stand the thought of my son walking around while smelling like a hobo, you know! And you too, Yu-Min!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Okay. Now get out of here.”

Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min deeply bowed at Baek Hyeon-Jeong before escaping from the Kang residence.

Park Yu-Min asked while sounding encouraged, “Wow. That was simpler than I thought?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t say anything while mouthing a cigarette.

Inwardly, though, he swore to regain his parents’ trust no matter what once the upcoming events were taken care of!