Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1277. Cooperating (2)

“But, why...”

An airport would always be a bustling place, filled with people.

Even if the world economy was in the doldrums, the number of people seeking an overseas adventure continued to increase every day. As such, the Incheon International Airport was always filled with travelers. Like right now.

Even so, this particular farewell was a little more peculiar than usual.

“Oppa! Have a safe trip, okay!”

“Hyung! You gotta win for us!”

“You’re Seongsim’s pride! Seongsim’s flag bearer!”

Park Yu-Min could only smile very awkwardly at all the Seongsim Orphanage kids coming to see him off. Funnily enough, they seemed to outnumber the fans who had come to the airport to do the same!

Han Jin-Seong walked up to Park Yu-Min. “Hyung!”

“H-hey, Jin-Seong?” Park Yu-Min hurriedly called out to Han Jin-Seong in a fluster. “Why did you bring everyone here today?”

“Well, this wasn’t our original plan, but...”

Han Jin-Seong scratched his head while grinning sheepishly.

Park Yu-Min was leaving the country today for an overseas tournament. At the start of every year, winners of each country’s league would gather in one place and compete to become the world champion. Since Park Yu-Min’s team won the South Korean league, it was rather obvious they would compete in the tournament as the country’s representative.

Park Yu-Min told the orphanage kids that it was okay not to see him off. Still, he expected one or two, maybe a handful, to show up. After all, these naughty kids sometimes did exactly the opposite of what they were told. However, to think that most of the Seongsim family would show up like this!

“Whoooooaaa!”

Park Yu-Min stared at the kids enthusiastically flapping something in the air and lifelessly turned to Han Jin-Seong. “You guys... even made a banner for me?”

“Yeah... Mm, for the record? I was against it, hyung.”

Park Yu-Min dazedly stared at Han Jin-Seong, then at the banner again. Rather than entrusting a shop to produce one, it seemed the kids had made it themselves. When looking at the mismatched letters boldly shouting, ‘Let’s go, Park Yu-Min!’ on the banner... How should he describe this emotion?

Han Jin-Seong grimaced. “Sorry, hyung. This must be so embarrassing for you. Imma tell the kids to take the banner down.”

Park Yu-Min stopped the younger boy. “No, hold on.”

“Eh?”

Park Yu-Min took out his phone from his pocket and began snapping photos of the banner. After confirming that the photos came out well, he grinned in satisfaction and put the phone away.

Han Eun-Sol blinked his eyes. “Why take photos, though?”

“I figured I’d look at them whenever I’m nervous,” said Park Yu-Min.

“...Ehng?”

“There aren’t that many things more entertaining than this, you know?” Park Yu-Min explained as the corners of his lips curled up.

“Hyung, you also need help.”

Han Jin-Seong glanced back at the crowd behind him. The sight of a gaggle of kids even made him blush in embarrassment. If it were him, he might have blown his top by now, even though he knew that was wrong.

However, not Park Yu-Min. He was obviously happy to have all these kids show up today.

I’m ashamed... Han Jin-Seong sighed under his breath. Looking at Park Yu-Min helped him understand a little more about being an adult.

“Thanks, Jin-Seong. Even though you guys must’ve been busy and stuff. But I feel energized from all of you being here.”

Han Jin-Seong casually shrugged. “We weren’t busy, though. Besides, I didn’t bring them here, you know? That fella over there is responsible.”

Park Yu-Min turned his head to look when Han Jin-Seong pointed in a direction with his chin.

Sluuurp...

They could see Kang Jin-Ho sitting on one of the airport benches, nonchalantly slurping on a cup of Iced Americano.

Han Jin-Seong tutted. “Doesn’t he feel cold, drinking that in this weather?”

“Well, he’s always been like that,” Park Yu-Min chuckled, then walked over to the kids.

He thanked all the kids, one by one, then approached Kang Jin-Ho while waving his hand.

“You didn’t have to do this, you know? It’s annoying, after all,” said Park Yu-Min.

“To who? You or me?”

“You, of course.”

Kang Jin-Ho coolly shrugged. “Not really. I was coming here, anyway. So I just got two extra buses ready. That’s all.”

“And that’s what’s annoying, though.”

“No, it was fine,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He scanned his friend’s face and chuckled slightly. The previous tense, stiff expression on Park Yu-Min’s face was gone, replaced by a much gentler grin. “See? You’re not as tense as before.”

“I guess so.”

Park Yu-Min grinned wryly. Kang Jin-Ho had such a keen eye, didn’t he?

Park Yu-Min’s teammates probably thought he was not worried. Then again, he pretended to be fine all this time, so they shouldn’t be blamed for it. However, one’s body could be more honest than one would’ve liked. Since a few days ago, Park Yu-Min had been suffering from a nasty stomach cramp.

When he was a pro gamer in the past, Park Yu-Min didn’t have the... awareness of the world tournament’s significance.

Of course, tournaments similar to this one were held every once in a while back then, too. But they were like a side event. Those tournaments never carried any official weight, and competing in those didn’t boost his career all that much. So Park Yu-Min treated them as a paid-for vacation.

But things were different now.

These days, being the best in the country wasn’t enough. A pro gamer’s renown would take a knock if they failed to put on a good show in the world tournament. Even to a veteran of this scene, Park Yu-Min, this situation was unfamiliar.

At first, he thought his nervousness would go away on its own. However, as the departure date loomed closer and closer, his stomach began cramping up. Other people might not realize this, but to an introvert like Park Yu-Min, the idea of representing his country on a global stage was unbearably stressful.

But that stress seemed to get more manageable after the kids came to see him off.

Kang Jin-Ho pointed at the kids. “Can you see?”

“Eh?”

“I meant the kids.”

“...?”

Park Yu-Min turned around to face the Seongsim Orphanage kids.

“Do you think they’ll be disappointed in you or get angry if you fail to win?”

“I... No, they won’t be.”

Those kids wouldn’t do that. The Seongsim kids only wanted to cheer Park Yu-Min on. And that wouldn’t change even if he wasn’t a part of the winning team or was a talentless pro gamer at the bottom of the heap.

“Isn’t that enough?” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled and asked.

Park Yu-Min nodded, the corners of his lips curling up. “Yeah, you’re right.”

He glanced back at his friend. The cramps were gone now.

Although it was too early to say the nervousness had disappeared for good, Park Yu-Min now knew what to think about in case his stress got too much to handle.

Still, wasn’t this surprising? To think Kang Jin-Ho would be the one saying all these things. What an amusing turn of events this was.

Kang Jin-Ho in the past wouldn’t have noticed Park Yu-Min’s nervousness. Or he'd tell his friend to tough it out.

Should that be chalked down to Kang Jin-Ho being more attuned these days?

When looking back to the beginning of their friendship, it was easy to see that Kang Jin-Ho had changed a lot.

“Yu-Min hyung! The team director wants us to gather up!”

“Ah, okay! Coming!”

When his teammate called out to him, Park Yu-Min shouted back, then looked at Kang Jin-Ho.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded coolly. “Go on. Be careful on your way. And do your best.”

“Jin-Ho, listen.”

“Yeah?”

“I know you’ll do a great job without me telling you this, but still. Look after the Seongsim kids while I’m gone.”

“Yeah, I will. Don’t worry.”

“And...” Park Yu-Min grinned softly. “Thanks. I can now leave without worrying about anything. Without you, this would’ve been so much harder.”

“Not true. You would’ve been fine.”

“Still. I thought I should thank you at least once,” said Park Yu-Min, then smiled gently at the Seongsim kids. “Although, it’s kind of a bummer that they seem to like you more than me lately.”

Kang Jin-Ho nonchalantly replied, “The difference is in all the effort I’ve put in.”

“Urgh... I can’t deny that. I better stop using the excuse of being busy and pay more visits in the future,” said Park Yu-Min with a bright grin. “Okay, I’m off. Next time you see me, we’ll be champions.”

“Good. Looking forward to it.”

Kang Jin-Ho waved goodbye as Park Yu-Min and his team headed toward the departure area. There was no hesitation whatsoever in Park Yu-Min’s steps now. A clear sign that his nervousness was gone.

Han Jin-Seong standing next to Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked, “Do you think he’ll be fine, hyung?”

“...? About what?”

“I mean, Yu-Min hyung can only stomach Korean food, right?”

“...”

For sure, Park Yu-Min could be stubborn in some weird things.

Han Jin-Seong helplessly shrugged. “Still, isn’t he amazing? Whatever his taste in food is, Yu-Min hyung is about to represent our country.”

“Yeah, true.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.

Even he was not used to this kind of feeling. To think that Park Yu-Min would be competing for the country... What a strangely amusing development this was.

Of course, Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t looking down on his friend. No, he was just amazed by how quickly Park Yu-Min had matured into an admirable person.

Time was like a flowing river. No matter how long one had been alive, the time they had lived through wouldn’t feel long at all. In fact, the memories of the time a twenty-something had lived through wouldn’t feel any longer or different from the memories of a seventy-something.

What mattered in the end wasn’t the time already spent.

“There goes Yu-Min hyung,” Han Jin-Seong muttered to no one in particular.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded contemplatively at the sight of Park Yu-Min disappearing through the gate. “We should get going, too.”

“Yeah.”

Han Jin-Seong went to fetch the Seongsim kids. But Kang Jin-Ho remained, his gaze still lingering at the departure gate.

Going to another country, was it? Being in an airport made him feel strange. Ever since he remembered the Crimson King’s existence, that man was the only thing Kang Jin-Ho could think about.

Was this because of his desire to win? Or was it more like Kang Jin-Ho merely wanted to fight someone strong?

If none of the above, maybe he was simply being greedy about getting his revenge for their prior fight, which was undoubtedly Kang Jin-Ho’s loss.

Whatever his reason was, though... The shadow of the Crimson King had Kang Jin-Ho in its grip, not letting him go.

But it was fine. Kang Jin-Ho unhesitantly discarded his lingering ruefulness and turned around to leave. Why? Because he and the Crimson King were destined for another showdown in the future, anyway.

This wasn’t related to the friction between the Martial Assembly and the Crimson King’s faction. No, it was more like a personal problem the Crimson King and Kang Jin-Ho must resolve by themselves.

As long as the Crimson King knew of Kang Jin-Ho’s existence, and vice versa, the two men would forever share blows. That was the nature of the martial artists, after all, where they simply could not accept anyone stronger than them existing under the same sky!

However, just how much stronger would the Crimson King have gotten since their last battle?

What Kang Jin-Ho noticed during his fight against the Crimson King while putting his life on the line was that... The Crimson King was surprisingly clumsy. That might sound a little funny, but it was true.

If the Crimson King was clumsy, then didn’t that mean Kang Jin-Ho lost to a clumsy fool?

The reason for Kang Jin-Ho arriving at that conclusion was simple enough. The Crimson King wouldn’t have fought anyone on his level until that fateful day.

His martial prowess would’ve been enough for him to aim for the top in Zhongyuan, but too bad, he lived in modern day China.

Even if the Chinese martial society preserved its inheritances for the future generations, someone as strong as the Crimson King still wouldn’t have had many opportunities to fight at his full power. His potential opponents, the other Two Kings, wouldn’t readily avail themselves for a fight, since they would have to take care of their own factions. Even if a fight did break out between them, it’d not be a life-or-death all-out war, either.

That meant Kang Jin-Ho was probably the first and only enemy the Crimson King had fought with his full power.

While lesser fighters would need several more intense battles for an enlightenment, someone on the Crimson King’s caliber would only need one to learn so many new things. Without a doubt, he must’ve realized how a powerful expert should fight in a real battle from that experience.

He must’ve overcome his wall, too. And become much stronger than before. That Crimson King was now...

“Jin-Ho hyung?” Han Jin-Seong asked weirdly.

“...Mm?”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

Kang Jin-Ho touched his face, wondering what Han Jin-Seong meant. After all, he didn’t think he was smiling at all.

“Did something good happen?”

“No, it’s nothing,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a casual head shake.

“That’s weird...” Han Jin-Seong tilted his head before pointing at the group of Seongsim kids. “Everyone’s ready to go now. Are you coming with us on the bus?”

“Yeah.”

“Then, let’s go. Oh, and it’s about time everyone starts getting hungry, too. Can we get something to eat before going home?”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned affably. “Sure. Ask them if they want something. I’ll buy.”

“Kuh~heuh! This is why I looove hanging out with you, hyung! Wait here for a sec!”

Kang Jin-Ho continued grinning as Han Jin-Seong rushed up to the kids.

Things were different now. Unlike Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor who had nothing to lose even if he died in a battle, Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t afford to die these days. Maybe the days of enjoying pure combat where nothing else mattered like in the past were long gone. Even if that were true...

It doesn’t matter. I’ve acquired a lot more than what I’ve lost, after all.

While grinning, Kang Jin-Ho walked up to the Seongsim kids. He picked up one of the smaller boys and announced to the rest. “Let’s go eat something.”

“I want pizza!”

“Beef!”

“Me, ramen!”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “Ramen is... a no.”

“But I like ramen.” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

“How about next time? Let’s try something else today.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled, then glanced behind him before leaving. One day...!

He left the airport while being surrounded by the energetic children. However, at this time... He had no idea how soon he’d have his reunion with the Crimson King.