Descent of the Demon Master

t through till the end, right? You have to pour your whole being into it and give it your best shot, so when it still fails, you can then say that lady luck wasn ’t with you.”

“Okay.
I got it…” Kang Jin-Ho nodded in agreement, a look of satisfaction forming on his face.
Maybe because she started her career fairly early in life, but Kang Eun-Yeong ’s mindset as a professional seemed to have reached a level not even Kang Jin-Ho could dare to approach.

“Even if it ’s just a pizzeria, you still gotta make it succeed! That is your role, orabi!”

“Roger that.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded again.

Kang Eun-Yeong got up from the chair as soon as her makeup was finished.
“Sound team! Are your preparations finished?”

“Yes, Miss Se-Ah.
They finished not too long ago.”

“Okay… What about the dance team?”

“The dancers are on standby.”

Kang Eun-Yeong scanned her team with a determined look on her face.
“Please tell the sound team to adjust the audio volume when I ’m engaging with the fans between the sets.”

“Yes, Miss Se-Ah…”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn ’t help but be impressed by the sight of his little sister working with her support team to take control of the situation.
He had no idea that something as simple as singing on stage could involve so many people working in unison.
He had gained a renewed appreciation of how amazing the work Kang Eun-Yeong had been doing.

’

“What about the fan club members?” Kang Eun-Yeong continued to ask for updates.

“We have deployed them to the front of the crowd.
Don ’t worry, they will properly cheer you on.”

“Fuu-woo…!” Kang Eun-Yeong sucked in a deep breath.
Kang Jin-Ho didn ’t miss his sister ’s legs faintly trembling.

It had been over two years since her professional debut, and she had stood on countless stages since then.
However, she was still faintly trembling at the prospect of standing on this small stage.
Despite all that, her face was full of spunk and confidence.
No one knew how much she was trembling inside, and she was also too professional to show it on the outside.

’She ’s indeed a pro. ’

How amusing.
Kang Jin-Ho had already seen Kang Eun-Yeong sing on many massive stages and be showered with adulation many times before.
Even then, Kang Jin-Ho always saw her as a little kid.
But now, she seemed all grown up as she got ready to perform on this small stage.

’I guess I should nag her a little less than before. ’

Kang Eun-Yeong was already carving out her destiny in her chosen profession.
Kang Jin-Ho decided to stop treating his little sister like a kid and interfere less in her matters from now on.
Of course, no one knew if it would work out that way or not.

Kang Eun-Yeong suddenly called out to Kang Jin-Ho.
“Orabi!”

“Yeah?”

“In a short while, people will flood your pizzeria.
So, you gotta do your job properly, okay? This is as far as I can go for you.”

“Got it,” Kang Jin-Ho replied with a brief nod.

But then, Kang Eun-Yeong smirked back at him.
“So, how does it feel to ride on the coattails of your super-duper successful little sister?”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly.
“…”

“With a little sister like me by your side, who needs ten older sisters?!”

“Yes, yes.
Get out of here and do your thing.”

“Okay!”

Kang Eun-Yeong smiled brightly and strode outside the pizzeria.
And a cacophony of camera flashes burst into a dazzle as soon as she stepped outside the door.
It looked as if she had stepped into an ocean of light.

“…She ’s all grown up.” Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his nose.

Kang Eun-Yeong had always been like a little kid to him.
During his first life, she also wanted to become a singer, but her dream never became a reality.
Even if the car accident didn ’t take her life, Kang Jin-Ho thought that she would still not make it as a singer.
Since that thought had always been sitting in a corner of his mind, he had been paying more attention to her affairs and was especially worried about her.
After all, what if she fell in with the wrong crowd and strayed, for instance?

After seeing her now, though, he began thinking that all his worries might have been overblown.
Kang Jin-Ho ’s little sister was doing a lot better than he had expected.
So much so that she could shine brightly without him hanging around to help.

’…It ’s not just her.
Everyone else has grown up, too. ’

Kang Eun-Yeong had grown up.
And so did Park Yu-Min, as well as even Ju Yeong-Gi.
It seemed that the people Kang Jin-Ho knew were shining brighter and brighter with every passing day.
The only person still stuck to his spot was Kang Jin-Ho.

’

When he thought about it, only he had not achieved anything noteworthy.
He was simply relying on what he had achieved during his previous life to make his current life a little more convenient, that was all.

’I ’m not going to fall behind, though. ’

Rather than trying to do something grandiose, he decided to begin his journey by focusing on the matter at hand first.
Kang Jin-Ho firmly clamped his mouth shut and stepped inside the kitchen.

***

“Hi, everyone!” Kang Eun-Yeong stepped up to the stage and energetically waved her hand.
The crowd roared right back at her.
She scanned all the people tightly packing the stage ’s surroundings and smiled in satisfaction.

’Yup, this is what I ’m talking about. ’

One didn ’t really need to advertise anything nowadays.
Summoning the fan club and posting a couple of messages on popular social media sites about Kang Se-Ah ’s impromptu performance in this area would be more than enough to materialize a sizable crowd in an instant.

And the initial crowd didn ’t even have to be that large.
Those loitering the streets with nothing better to do would fill the surroundings up on their own soon enough, anyway.
As long as a small crowd was attracted at the beginning of the performance, the Human Wave would form all on its own.

“My orabeoni has opened a pizzeria recently, you see! But then, he just~! Can ’t~! Attract~ any customers!”

A round of raucous laughter went around the crowd.

“So, I ’m here to rescue him! When you buy a pizza and bring the check, you can take a selfie with me, so please buy lots and lots of pizza, guys! Okay!”

“Yes, ma ’am!”

A round of loud replies greeted her back.

Kang Eun-Yeong smiled radiantly at the crowd.
“Well, then! Let ’s start with a song, everyone!”

She began to match the rhythm of the music recorded[2]coming from the speakers behind her.
But then…
her expression began to stiffen.
Only now did she finally remember a fundamentally important question.

A truly, undoubtedly important question she had failed to even think about while directing the stage ’s construction and shifting around her busy schedule finally entered her mind!

’By the way…
Does my orabi even know how to bake pizza? ’

***

Rumble, fwhoooosh!

The flames roared vigorously inside the stone oven as if it were a miniature gas station on fire.
While staring at this specially-manufactured oven, Kang Jin-Ho ’s expression grew determined and heroic.

“J-Jin-Ho! Orders are coming in fast! And lots of them, too! We… we don ’t have any empty tables!” Park Yu-Min cried out in alarm.

However, Kang Jin-Ho responded with a light nod, then confirmed the order sheets.
“Shall I get going, then?”

A grin floated up on his lips.
For some reason, he was getting excited.
Kang Jin-Ho grabbed the dough and tossed it into the air.

1.
Cheonghakdong village is located in Jiri Mountain, south of South Korea.
The villagers here still adhere to Joseon-era customs.
☜

2.
It basically means instrumental accompaniment.
In karaoke, it’s like music without the singer’s voice.
However, it’s more complicated when it comes to idols, they don’t just erase all voices, apparently.
☜