Descent of the Demon Master

“It's not something monumental, actually. However, you could say it is crucial.”

That was enough to give him a pretty good idea of what they were discussing here.

After putting his cup down, Jo Gyu-Min stared at Lee Hyeon-Su. “I can't help but wonder if it's necessary to ask me for this, Mister Lee. Surely, Mister Jin-Ho trusts you far more than me at this point in time?”

“Let's say there is this very expensive car in your driveway. A car that your chairman might drive. A model that costs around seven hundred million won.”

“I'm sorry?”

“Are you willing to swap your friend or family with such a vehicle?”

“...No, I wouldn't.”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded. “That car is me. Of course, I'm not saying I'm as valuable as that hypothetical car. What I'm trying to say, though, is 'limitation'. No matter how much I help Mister Jin-Ho and display outstanding competency, I'll always be that car. Meanwhile, you are a friend... No, a family, to Mister Jin-Ho. Our standing is totally different, Mister Jo.”

“E-eii, it's not that bad as...” Jo Gyu-Min tried to deny that by waving his hand away.

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled awkwardly. “You've been with him since the beginning, and that's why you can't see it. I've never met anyone as strict about differentiating his close acquaintances from his allies as Mister Jin-Ho. And it's nearly impossible to break into the ranks of close acquaintances through normal means.”

Jo Gyu-Min frowned slightly, not knowing what to say here. “But... I don't think the hurdles are that high...?”

“Let me give you an example...” Lee Hyeon-Su sighed under his breath. “Mister Jin-Ho has never worked together with the Assembly-affiliated people on his private matters until now.”

“When you say his private matters...?”

“I'm not talking about anything important. Something like... dropping by our premises because he has nothing better to do, calling us first, or even things like simply hanging around the office to drink free coffee. Stuff like that. I'm not even asking for something as grand as him buying us dinner or a boys' night out.”

“R-really?” Jo Gyu-Min grew dazed.

Even after hearing the truth, he could hardly believe it. After all, Kang Jin-Ho would often crash into Jo Gyu-Min's office frequently, often without a good reason, too! He'd show up unannounced, hang around doing nothing while drinking all the coffee Jo Gyu-Min had brewed, then go home.

Just how many times did Jo Gyu-Min feel his anger level shoot up while watching Kang Jin-Ho lounge around right in front of his nose? Especially when he was being swarmed with work?!

So, to hear that... Kang Jin-Ho did that only to him and no one else!

“Now that I heard that...” Jo Gyu-Min grimaced and revealed his honest impression of this situation. “...Mister Jin-Ho is considerably more rotten than I thought.”

“...Indeed.”

When nicely put, one could say Kang Jin-Ho had drawn a clear line between his private and work lives. However, wasn't this going overboard a bit? As far as Jo Gyu-Min could tell, Lee Hyeon-Su managed almost the entirety of the Martial Assembly. To think Kang Jin-Ho still didn't even bother to build some kind of a friendly relationship with such a man! Just... what made him do that?

“I see. I think I understand.” Jo Gyu-Min smiled wryly. “However, there's something you don't fully understand about Mister Jin-Ho, just like I haven't fully figured him out yet.”

“Sorry?” Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head.

“That man won't do anything even if you wait forever.”

“I don't follow?”

Jo Gyu-Min's wry grin deepened. “He's a very passive man. Doesn't match the times he lives in, really. Have you ever invited Mister Jin-Ho for a meal before?”

“Mm? I can't do that.”

“Why not? Because he's your superior?”

“Mm, well...” Lee Hyeon-Su scratched his head. How was he supposed to explain his unique situation to Jo Gyu-Min? The one about how he had been trying to kill Kang Jin-Ho until not too long ago?

Jo Gyu-Min noticed the hesitation in Lee Hyeon-Su's expression. “I see. Looks like there's a history there. However, that won't matter much to Mister Jin-Ho.”

Lee Hyeon-Su looked curiously at Jo Gyu-Min.

“You see, Mister Jin-Ho's not the type of a man to leave something alone if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Please don't think that Mister Jin-Ho has picked me because of how competent I am. Countless people more competent than me can be found in Jaegyeong, you know?” Jo Gyu-Min chuckled self-deprecatingly. “It's just that I happened to be noticed by him. That's all. Since he's keeping you by his side, it could only mean all the other matters regarding you don't matter anymore. So, you don't have to worry about those things.”

“Really?” Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes in surprise.

“Yes. So, don't mull over it and just invite him to a hearty meal. He'll probably say yes while looking a bit bewildered.”

“...You know, I can already picture that bewildered expression.” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled wryly.

“Don't forget that I didn't start off as Mister Jin-Ho's close acquaintance, either. Isn't that how you build your relationship with someone? You keep meeting the other person and chatting about this and that to create friendships and relationships. Sure, it gets harder to create new relationships as you get older, but 'harder' doesn't equal impossible, wouldn't you say?”

Lee Hyeon-Su deeply bowed his head. “I've learned something valuable today. Thank you.”

“Eii, don't be like that now,” Jo Gyu-Min chuckled gently. “Still, I understand what you've been trying to say. For now, you find it difficult to speak directly and unreservedly to Mister Jin-Ho.”

“Yes, that's correct.”

“In that case, talk to me if you need something. Then, I'll try to speak to Mister Jin-Ho separately. However, please don't expect to see great results. Mister Jin-Ho might not look it, but he's got some mean stubborn streaks in him, you see? If he sets his mind on something, his inclination is to reach his goal regardless of his methods. Although he might be willing to adjust the details, Mister Jin-Ho will never change the direction,” Jo Gyu-Min loudly groaned, then shook his head. “At least he's more willing to listen, unlike the OG bulldozer, so that's something. However, a mini bulldozer is still a bulldozer, you know?”

“Eh? Who's the OG bulldozer?” Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head again.

“...Well, it's someone I know.” Jo Gyu-Min sighed softly. At least the two men resembled each other when it came to their bad points. The two men being Kang Jin-Ho and Hwang Jeong-Hu, of course! “In any case... I'll try to assist you if it's within my power. That's why I'd like you to help me as much as you can in return.”

“Of course. You don't need to worry about that.”

“Hah... Mister Jin-Ho sure is a tough person to assist, isn't he?”

“Totally agree, Mister Jo. At first, I thought things would get easier for me since he's surprisingly low-maintenance. But, to think I'd be maintaining so many other things instead...!”

“Yup. He creates all these insanely huge events. And it hasn't been all that long since he got discharged from his army service, too…”

“Indeed, indeed. Honestly, it feels like several years worth of work has been compressed into the last few months for me. If things like this keep happening, I wonder how I'll survive in the near future...”

The two men groaned in perfect sync, again.

“Even so, how should I put this…” Jo Gyu-Min suddenly smiled contentedly. “I don't remember the last time I chatted with someone on the same wavelength as me.”

“I agree. I was thinking of bringing that point up, as well!”

Lee Hyeon-Su and Jo Gyu-Min were bonding real fast. There was the bond of comradeship formed by going through hell under the same boss, but another factor played just as big a role here, too. And that was the fact that their inclinations matched each other's rather well.

It felt like they'd understand each other without explicitly saying anything! At their age, it was not common to find another person like that.

“It seems we will be frequently calling each other and collaborating over matters involving Mister Jin-Ho from now on,” said Jo Gyu-Min.

Lee Hyeon-Su weightily nodded. “It seems that way. I'll try to give you a call first next time. At least, if I can find enough free time, that is…”

“Well, isn't our ultimate goal trying to create that free time?”

“...I have to say, I'd like to sticky-note that goal near my bedside to remind myself every night.”

“Hahaha. Even though we both know we won't get many opportunities to sleep in our beds...”

The two men chuckled jovially at each other.ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt

Despite the jovial chuckle, however, they knew the time to end this meeting was fast approaching. After all, they were busy men. Even if all the urgent fires had been brought under control, they still have a crap ton of things left to deal with. If they spent half a day chatting like this, another round of Hell would be waiting for them tomorrow!

Even though they knew this, the two men were still reluctant to part ways. If a man was buried up to his nose in work all the time, he'd start craving the company of another human being. Since they had finally found someone sharing their wavelength, it was no surprise that they didn't want to end this meeting so soon.

“Mm, well... I know it's a bit early, but…” Jo Gyu-Min scratched his head. “I know we should meet up a few more times before reaching this stage. However, I fear we'd never get the chance if we try to stick to the rules. I mean... It might get incredibly difficult for us to set up another meeting like this in the future.”

“Yes, unfortunately...” Lee Hyeon-Su ruefully nodded. They were not in a position to make concrete promises. Every second and minute counted in their lives, after all!

“That was why... I was thinking...” Jo Gyu-Min frowned slightly in awkwardness. “How about we drop polite speech and call each other bros? Like, hyung and dongsaeng? It seems we have lots of things in common.”

“Mm...?” Lee Hyeon-Su quietly stared at Jo Gyu-Min before breaking his silence. “I don't really enjoy blurring the line between work and personal life, you see...”

“Ah, I see. Not much we can do about that, then. My apologies. I shouldn't have brought it up.”

“No, wait. That's not what I meant... That's how I usually operate, but I figured it'd be fine to bend the rules a bit if it's you, Mister Jo. For a while now, this meeting stopped feeling like an official one, you see?”

“Oh, really?” Jo Gyu-Min smiled in satisfaction.

After getting tangled up in Kang Jin-Ho's business, Jo Gyu-Min had been buried in work practically all the time. That naturally led to desolate, nay, devastated personal relationships for Jo Gyu-Min. His once-close friends grew distant after he failed to call them or even meet up with them for a get-together. And no one around his age held a similar post as him in Jaegyeong, so creating new relationships there proved frustratingly difficult.

Of course, his peers subtly resenting him or feeling uncomfortable around him played a major factor in that difficulty, too!

With how desolate his human relationships had become, Jo Gyu-Min had no one to share booze with even if he somehow found some free time for himself. So, finding a perfect match to himself today and forming a bond of brotherhood was like the sweet, sweet rain pouring down on the withered and cracked lake that was his heart!

“Great! Then, I won't rely on polite speech anymore. After all, I'm the hyung between us. By the way, how old are you, Hyeon-Su?”

A bright smirk suddenly floated up on Lee Hyeon-Su's face. “I'm thirty-seven.”

“...Eh?”

“I'm thirty-seven,” Lee Hyeon-Sy repeated himself, the light in his eyes sharpening.

Jo Gyu-Min's lips twitched unsteadily. “W-with a face as young-looking as yours?”

He couldn't help but blink his eyes nonstop. No matter how hard he looked, Lee Hyeon-Su didn't look older than thirty. At most, he must've been in his late twenties! So, how old was he again? Thirty what?!

Lee Hyeon-Su shrugged his shoulders. “Well, people often tell me about my baby face, so I'm not surprised at all by your reaction. The thing with us martial artists is that we all look far younger than our actual age. We age slower, you see? Although, I'm especially more of a baby-face than others. I'll give you that.”

Jo Gyu-Min's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Obviously, he'd heard about baby faces before. However, Lee Hyeon-Su's case was already beyond the level of a mere baby face, now wasn't it?! With some simple touch-up here and there, he could still pass off as a university student, so to say he was already thirty-seven years old?!

“...Well, uh, that's one extreme baby face, if you ask me.”

That was all Jo Gyu-Min could think of in this situation.

Lee Hyeon-Su casually shrugged his shoulders. “I don't consider it a praise anymore. Honestly? I think a man should have a face that matches their real age. With a young-looking face, it's easy to get into a misunderstanding or find yourself in unintended trouble, you see?”

“I... Yes, I can see that.” Jo Gyu-Min slowly nodded. Even he had to concede that such a thing was more than probable. And then, he quickly changed the topic. “In that case, I better learn the secrets to managing your looks during our next meeting!”

“Hahaha...” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled slowly.

“Well, then! Looks like this is where we part ways, so I...”

“Please wait,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while grinning brightly away. Even though Jo Gyu-Min was in a hurry to end things here, Lee Hyeon-Su didn't seem to be in the mood to humor him. “Soooo, what should I call you with? Is it... Gyu-Min 'hyung'?”

“N-no, wait. Please, hold on...”

“Mm? Didn't you say we should drop polite speech?”

“W-when I thought about it, I feared that might be a bit too casual between us, you see? And there's the thing about, uh, mm, being too personal in official things could create problems later down the line, too. So, like, I was saying, eh...”

Jo Gyu-Min hurriedly tried to get up and leave, but all Lee Hyeon-Su had to do to put a stop to that was lightly drumming his fingers on the cafe's table.

Jo Gyu-Min froze up on the spot.

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked. “Why don't you sit down for a sec?”

“...”

“Please, Chief Jo.”

“Y-yes?”

“Why don't we begin by flashing our IDs first?”

“...Ahaha. Y-yes, why not...”

When Jo Gyu-Min's hands faltered and didn't go anywhere, creases began burrowing into Lee Hyeon-Su's forehead. Jo Gyu-Min instantly resigned himself after noticing that look and took his wallet out.

Jo Gyu-Min's attempt at finding a younger brother netted him a hyung, instead!