Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1100. Taking Care of Things (5)

Han Se-Yeon subtly clenched her fists.

‘It’s Choi Yeon-Ha!’

She recognized who that was as soon as the door opened. How could she not recognize that face, though? When the name Choi Yeon-Ha was already branded deep into her brain? Sure, in any other situation, Han Se-Yeon might have needed a second or two to process what just happened, but not right now!

Choi Yeon-Ha approached the counter without sparing a single glance at THE table before slowly turning her head this way.

‘She’s beautiful.’

Han Se-Yeon thought that the description was a little lacking in this case. But finding a more suitable word proved impossible for her at the moment.

The Choi Yeon-Ha she saw in real life exuded a presence completely on another level compared to what was on TV or theater screens.

Choi Yeon-Ha was certainly a beautiful woman on screen, but when seen in real life... Her beauty could only be described as overwhelming and peerless.

So much so that Han Se-Yeon couldn’t feel any jealousy. Not even a sliver of it.

Humans tended to envy and even grow jealous of people enjoying attainable wealth. But that didn’t apply to the inconceivably wealthy elites. That was because humans could instinctively tell that no matter what they did, attaining that level of wealth would still be well out of their reach.

That was Han Se-Yeon’s sentiment toward Choi Yeon-Ha.

It wasn’t just Choi Yeon-Ha’s beauty, though. The way she walked or gestured, every single movement she made seemed at ease and overflowing with confidence.

‘That’s Jin-Ho’s girlfriend.’

The emotions hitting Han Se-Yeon were bizarre, to say the least.

She used to think she was a bad match for Kang Jin-Ho. There were various reasons for her to break their relationship off, but... The biggest part would have to be her lack of confidence when in Kang Jin-Ho's presence.

That was why these emotions felt so bizarre.

The spot she couldn’t occupy was now taken up by that woman. And the replacement seemed to lack nothing. Not a single thing.

Choi Yeon-Ha’s gaze casually scanned past Han Se-Yeon, prompting the latter to reflexively flinch. There was no doubt that the gaze was meant for her.

The corners of Choi Yeon-Ha’s lips curled up ever so slightly. It was a smile of pure confidence.

Han Se-Yeon could instinctively tell that that smile was not a sneer of ridicule. Indeed, it seemed Choi Yeon-Ha merely smiled because their eyes briefly met just now.

But that smile was still more impactful than any other type of sneer to Han Se-Yeon.

Ju Yeong-Gi narrowed his eyes. “Then, would you like to order something, Miss Choi?”

“Of course,” Choi Yeon-Ha coolly nodded.

“What would you like?”

“What is the best dish in this place?”

“All of our pizzas are delicious, Miss Choi. You already know this, though.”

“Nope, I don’t know.”

Ju Yeong-Gi’s expression soured like a man chewing on something disgusting.

Choi Yeon-Ha chuckled. “Eii~, that’s not the kind of face you should make in front of a customer.”

“It all depends on who the customer is, Miss customer. A famous celebrity will sometimes have to eat some humble pies in places like this. They don’t want headlines like ‘Choi Yeon-Ha, accused of causing a scene in a pizzeria,’ appearing online, after all.”

“Oh, really?” Choi Yeon-Ha smirked. “And here I was, thinking about saying nice things about this place in my socials.”

“Your order for today will be provided free of charge, Miss Choi. What would you like to have? We can even serve you pizzas not on our menu.”

“Oh, really? For free? When I was thinking of ordering thirty pizzas?”

“Were you planning to bankrupt our pizzeria?”

“Eii~, what are you saying? Of course I’ll pay,” Choi Yeon-Ha cheerily chuckled. “It’s not for me, so I can’t choose according to my preferences, you see? Give me thirty of your most popular pizzas.”

“Mm? Are you holding a company get-together or something?”

“Yes, something like that.”

“Got it, miss. I’ll take care of the rest. As for the payment...?”

“With this,” said Choi Yeon-Ha while presenting her bank card.

Ju Yeong-Gi didn’t say anything else and began swiping the card. However, he didn’t forget to stealthily gauge Kang Jin-Ho’s reaction.

‘I mean, it’s like I’m making the boss’s wife cough up, you know? Not a great feeling, this.’

Although Ju Yeong-Gi was the manager, this pizzeria still belonged to Kang Jin-Ho. A man who hadn't invested a dime in this place couldn't be seen as the boss even if he held important-sounding job titles.

This relationship dynamic would never change unless Ju Yeong-Gi worked his butt off to make enough money and buy Kang Jin-Ho's shares in this place.

Knowing Kang Jin-Ho, he'd probably hand over his shares and say it was fine to pay him back later if Ju Yeong-Gi whined and begged him for them. However! That was not what Ju Yeong-Gi wanted.

Friends shouldn’t be doing that. Precisely because they were friends, he should not accept such things from Kang Jin-Ho!

“We’ll prepare as quickly as possible. Do you mind, uh... waiting?”

“No, I don’t mind,” Choi Yeon-Ha nodded while grinning brightly.

Ju Yeong-Gi saw how bright that smile was and hurriedly turned around to leave.

‘I gotta get out of here, pronto!’

That smile proved that this woman was a ticking time bomb. A bomb that could go off at any second! Stupidly lingering around here could result in him getting swept up in the deadly explosion.

What a pity it was for his friends stuck in the dining area, but a man must look after himself first, no?!

‘I’m sorry, fellas. This big bro is outta here.’

So, you guys handle this crisis on your own, okay!

Once Ju Yeong-Gi slipped inside the kitchen, Choi Yeon-Ha leisurely turned around and strode toward Kang Jin-Ho's table as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Click, clack...!

The pizzeria should be a hubbub of noise, yet the only thing deafening the diners was the stunned silence.

Park Yu-Min dazedly scanned the silent surroundings.

‘Why is it so quiet in here?’

Shouldn’t the appearance of a super celebrity in a crowded place like this lead to a breakout of massive chaos? Yet this pizzeria had gotten much quieter than before Choi Yeon-Ha’s entrance.

Park Yu-Min nervously stammered. “I-isn’t this place weirdly quiet?”

But that was the trigger. One of the diners at the nearby table shot up to his feet and addressed Choi Yeon-Ha. “E-excuse me! A-are you Miss Choi Yeon-Ha?”

“Oh. Yes, I am. Hello!”

“H-holy cow! It’s really her! Ah! Autograph! C-can you give us an autograph?”

“Of course. In return, do you mind telling your friends and followers in your socials that you got my autograph in this pizzeria? My friend owns this place, you see? Wait, how about photos instead of autographs? I think that might be better, don't you agree?”

The diner excitedly nodded. “Yes, miss! Of course!”

“But I need to chat to my friends over here first, so do you mind waiting a little? I’ll drop by at your table afterward.”

“Thank you very much!”

The floodgates opened for real at the end of that exchange. Other diners almost simultaneously raised their voices, asking and begging for photos and autographs from her.

“Mm, this won’t do...” Choi Yeon-Ha cutely frowned before looking at Kang Jin-Ho. “I’ll be back after taking a few photos with everyone. Do you mind?”

Kang Jin-Ho, who had been staring at Choi Yeon-Ha in confusion, nodded in silence. Choi Yeon-Ha smiled back at him, then began greeting and talking to diners at other tables.

“She’s a star, alright,” Park Yu-Min dazedly muttered. Han Se-Yeon nodded unconsciously.

The atmosphere in the pizzeria was transformed in an instant when Choi Yeon-Ha graciously accepted the requests for her autograph. Park Yu-Min's jaw fell slightly at how energetic and noisy the place had become.

‘Geez. I keep getting reminded like this once in a while.’

What reminder was he talking about? Of course it was the fact that Choi Yeon-Ha was one of the most famous people in this country, which was something Park Yu-Min often forgot because they could converse without pretense and greet each other like old neighbors. Being too familiar and friendly sometimes had that kind of effect.

Park Yu-Min sneakily glanced at Han Se-Yeon. Even she couldn't take her eyes off Choi Yeon-Ha. In fact, she seemed mesmerized by the sight of one of Korea's top female stars taking selfies and signing autographs with the excited diners at each table.

‘Yup, she is a babe.’

Maybe thinking about Choi Yeon-Ha in that manner was rude and sacrilegious. However, watching her taking photos with regular people reminded Park Yu-Min of how devastatingly beautiful Choi Yeon-Ha actually was.

‘That’s because her companion is a bit extraordinary, too.’

Park Yu-Min never really got this awestruck feeling when Choi Yeon-Ha was next to Kang Jin-Ho. Why? Because the two of them seemed like a perfect match, looks-wise!

Only by standing next to ordinary people could Choi Yeon-Ha’s extraordinary beauty announce itself properly!

‘Yup, I better back away if she tries to stand next to me.’

Park Yu-Min swore to avoid getting labeled as a squid from now on. But then...

‘Eh?’

A sudden realization washed over him.

“Wait a minute... Do I look like them too whenever I stand next to Jin-Ho?!”

Han Se-Yeon sneakily glanced at Park Yu-Min, her eyes conveying pity for her unfortunate friend.

‘N-no, don’t look at me like that!’

Choi Yeon-Ha finished her rounds, then asked the diners not to announce her presence in this pizzeria. After getting everyone’s promise, she leisurely returned to Kang Jin-Ho’s table.

After a brief nod as a greeting, Choi Yeon-Ha sat next to Kang Jin-Ho matter-of-factly.

Han Se-Yeon subtly furrowed her brow at how Choi Yeon-Ha casually and naturally took up that seat.

“Hello there,” Choi Yeon-Ha relaxedly greeted Han Se-Yeon.

Han Se-Yeon faltered a little. “Oh, uh, hello...”

“It’s my first time meeting you. Although I do run into Mister Yu-Min pretty often lately. Mm? Mister Yu-Min, did you lose some weight in the last few days?”

Park Yu-Min blinked his eyes. “I’m sorry? Uh... I guess so?”

“You do look a bit leaner than when I saw you the last time. Were you under a lot of stress recently? Did something happen?”

“Oh, that’s because I’m busy preparing for my next tournament.”

“You can only compete when you’re healthy, you know? Please don’t skip on your meals, okay? And get plenty of sleep, too.”

“Ahaha... haha...” Park Yu-Min awkwardly laughed.

Ju Yeong-Gi emerged from the kitchen to receive payment from other diners and saw that scene. All he could do was shake his head slowly.

‘Damn. She’s the devil, man. The devil!’

It was plainly obvious why Choi Yeon-Ha was here. She must’ve heard about Han Se-Yeon from someone and came here to crush the poor girl.

She would have had second thoughts about doing this had her boyfriend been someone else since it'd only make him doubt their relationship. However, that shouldn't be a problem this time. After all, the boyfriend in this situation was none other than Kang Jin-Ho!

That dummy probably had no clue why Choi Yeon-Ha suddenly barged in here. He could be shockingly slow in this kind of thing, after all!

The reason for Choi Yeon-Ha worrying about Park Yu-Min could have been her way of expressing her familiarity with him. But in reality? It had more to do with her boasting that “Kang Jin-Ho’s friend is closer to me than you!”

Of course, that was strictly Ju Yeong-Gi’s opinion. Nothing more!

‘Only Jin-Ho can handle the stress. And I'm not Jin-Ho. That sh*t's too much for me!'

Ju Yeong-Gi shook his head while trotting back to the counter. The dining area was rather noisy with the excited chatter, but for some weird reason, he could clearly hear the voices of Kang Jin-Ho and Choi Yeon-Ha.

Kang Jin-Ho asked first. “What brings you here today, Miss Yeon-Ha?”

“Of course, it’s to buy pizzas. I wouldn’t have come to a pizzeria otherwise, you know?”

“Yes, I get that. You seemed to be buying a lot, though?” fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

“Yes, I am. They are for other people, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t ask any further and nodded in silence.

Choi Yeon-Ha asked him instead, her glance briefly landing on Han Se-Yeon. “By the way, this lady is...?”

“She’s a friend.”

“Aha, a friend, you say? That's strange, though. Mister Jin-Ho, your circle of acquaintances is pretty small, isn't it? But I had no idea you knew someone this pretty as an acquaintance.”

“Mm...” Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded without saying anything else.

Choi Yeon-Ha smiled brightly while addressing Han Se-Yeon. “In that case, let us be friends as well. Mister Jin-Ho’s friends are my friends, too.”

“Ah, of course,” Han Se-Yeon muttered quietly, her lips twitching. Then, she cautiously got up. “Excuse me. I’m going to the ladies’ room for a bit.”

“Okay,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Han Se-Yeon quickly headed to the pizzeria’s bathroom. Meanwhile, Choi Yeon-Ha’s gaze remained locked firmly on Han Se-Yeon’s back.

***

Splaaaash...

Han Se-Yeon wordlessly turned the tab on and washed her hands in the cold water before staring at her own reflection in the mirror in slight irritation.

‘So, this is how you wanna play? Is that it?’

Choi Yeon-Ha was openly picking a fight here. Her brightly smiling face was burned into Han Se-Yeon’s retina at this point.

Whether it was Choi Yeon-Ha picking a fight, Park Yu-Min not coming to Han Se-Yeon’s defense despite knowing on some level what was happening here, or Kang Jin-Ho seemingly remaining oblivious to everything... Han Se-Yeon was irritated by them all.

But those were sundry excuses. She already knew the true culprit of her irritation was something else.

The fact that she was too awkward to sit next to Kang Jin-Ho yet that woman had no problem doing so; the fact that she found this sight not awkward or out of place at all; and finally...

...The fact that she even thought the two of them looked good together!

Those were the real reasons for her irritation.

“Fuu-woo...!”

Han Se-Yeon dunked her hands into the cold water before clenching her fists.

‘So, you want a fight? Is that it?’

She didn’t have any thoughts of doing something today.

It seemed Park Yu-Min thought this meeting was a useless waste of time. And Han Se-Yeon sort of agreed that a few meetings with Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't change anything.

Just as Park Yu-Min knew how Kang Jin-Ho operated, so did Han Se-Yeon.

So, she was thinking of doing nothing more than saying hello and catching up before going home. However, that story would now have to change with Choi Yeon-Ha coming out swinging like this.

Just as the stiff-faced Han Se-Yeon stood up straight, the bathroom door was pushed open, and a person she didn’t expect to see stepped inside. And Han Se-Yeon’s expression stiffened even more.

Clack, click...!

It was none other than Choi Yeon-Ha!

As the sound of high heels that seemed to have become familiar to Han Se-Yeon's senses echoed in the bathroom, Choi Yeon-Ha stepped inside before blocking the exit and staring coldly at the only other person in this confined space.

“Excuse me, can you...” Han Se-Yeon was about to say something, only to clamp her mouth shut.

Unlike a few minutes ago, Choi Yeon-Ha’s gaze was now openly hostile. Cold.

It was as if she had transformed into a different person altogether.