Chapter 288: In Conflict (3)

Chapter 288: In Conflict (3)

“Oh, hey? Am I finally getting a ride in Jin-Ho's car? Feels like it's been ages.” Park Yu-Min looked pumped up as he clenched his fists.

Ju Yeong-Gi shot him a fierce glare. “Hey, Park Yu-Min! Why is your reaction so different when I'm giving you a ride home?”

“That's because my bottom hurts like hell when riding in your car, Yeong-Gi.”

“Say what now, you bastard?! You dare badmouth my whip?!”

“No. I know your so-called 'whip' is nice and all, but the problem is with you. You can't drive to save your life, Yeong-Gi.”

“...Hah, this brat! Let's see if I'll ever give you a ride anywhere! Anyway, I'm leaving first!” Ju Yeong-Gi pouted and left in a huff.

Kang Jin-Ho guffawed at this sight. “Come on, Yu-Min. He might really get angry at this rate.”

“Nah, it's fine. Yeong-Gi is a lot more generous than he looks, you know.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded at that. Ju Yeong-Gi had gone through quite a rough experience in the army, which gave him plenty of empathy despite how he talked.

'And he has surprisingly good chemistry with Yu-Min, too.'

Kang Jin-Ho needed a fair bit of time to become friends with Ju Yeong-Gi, but Park Yu-Min mysteriously didn't need that much time to do so. Considering how badly Park Yu-Min lacked social skills in the past, the fact that he became friends with Ju Yeong-Gi so quickly was quite strange, to say the least.

“Anyway, let's get going, too,” said Park Yu-Min.

"Right. Let's go." Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then turned the pizzeria's lights off before exiting the store. He led Park Yu-Min to the underground parking lot nearby where his car was parked, then opened its door.

“Hey, Jin-Ho... This is a brand-new car, right?” Park Yu-Min cautiously asked. Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com.”

“Then... does that mean your old car is a total write-off now?”

“Yeah.”

Park Yu-Min shook his head as if he was fed up about something. “Parking a new car in a place like this...? Aren't you worried?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Worried? Why?”

“...Nah, it's nothing.”

Park Yu-Min was freshly reminded that Kang Jin-Ho belonged to a different race from him. An otherworldly race at that! If Park Yu-Min were to get a brand-spanking-new car like this Lamborghini, he would have broken out in buckets of nervous sweat as soon as the car was no longer within his eyesight!

Just a small nick would make him wail and lament as if the world was about to end, so Park Yu-Min couldn't figure out the size of Kang Jin-Ho's balls for him to park a car this expensive in a shady place such as this parking lot.

'Nope, I shouldn't even try to understand Jin-Ho.'

Didn't various experiences teach Park Yu-Min that trying to understand Kang Jin-Ho would only lead to a bout of migraine instead?

“Aren't you getting in?” Kang Jin-Ho asked from inside the car.

“Uh... Oh! Hold on!” Park Yu-Min sobered up and quickly climbed into the passenger seat. But then, when his back felt the tight bucket seat hugging him, his entire body started to shudder nonstop. 'Oh, no! I forgot!'

Park Yu-Min finally remembered what it meant to get a ride in Kang Jin-Ho's car. His complexion instantly went pale as he urgently looked at Kang Jin-Ho. “J-Jin-Ho? You must be tired, too, so... How about I just catch a taxi?”

“You're already in the car, so what taxi are you talking about, Yu-Min? Let's just get out of here.”

“N-no, hang on. The more I think about it, the sooner you gotta go home and get some rest, Jin-Ho! And me catching a taxi is a better idea, I think!”

“It's fine. I'll quickly drive you home.”

‘No, it's not fine! It's definitely not fine for me, you fool!’

Park Yu-Min cried out in despair in his head, but how unfortunate it was for him. It seemed Kang Jin-Ho still hadn't mastered the art of reading people's minds yet!

“Put on your seatbelt, Yu-Min.”

"S-sure..." Park Yu-Min put on his belt while inwardly praying, 'Dear Father in Heaven...!'

Of course, he knew that Kang Jin-Ho had never caused any accidents before. Never mind an accident, Kang Jin-Ho didn't even cause a single injury or scratch when driving. In that sense, the interior of Kang Jin-Ho's car could very well be the safest place on Earth.

However, at this very moment at least, Park Yu-Min was like a person with acrophobia who couldn't dare look below the cliff despite the double—no, triple layers of safety nets. Despite knowing full well that he wouldn’t get into a car accident, he just couldn't bear to look outside the windshield.

The only sign of resistance he could offer right now was to keep his head down and stare at his knees.

“Okay, we're setting off,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Vroooooom!

The massive engine roared into life, and the red supercar shot forward like a bullet.

'Yup, I must've lost my mind!'

Park Yu-Min shuddered at the familiar sensation of rapid acceleration.

Park Yu-Min stopped rubbing his chin. "...I think I roughly get what you're saying, Jin-Ho. But, uh,?isn't that weirder when you think about it?"

“What do you mean?” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow.

“Isn't the idea of shooting a movie or TV show and becoming a famous actor more important than, say, running a small pizzeria with a group of friends like you're playing house or something?”

“Hmm. I wonder...” Kang Jin-Ho shrugged his shoulders. “...No, I disagree with that. At least, to me, running a pizzeria is more important.”

“You... You know how weird you are, right?”

“...Am I? Really?”

Park Yu-Min powerfully nodded. “Yes, definitely weird! Most people would think that shooting a movie with a top actress in the country is much more important than three stinky men butting heads and agonizing over pizzas, you know! But you believe it's the other way around, and that's why you're weird. No question about it.”

“Is that how it is?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

Park Yu-Min could only chuckle at how nonchalant Kang Jin-Ho was responding.

?'Well, I shouldn't be surprised here...'

This was what Kang Jin-Ho was like, after all!

"What's the point of me saying this, though?" Park Yu-Min helplessly shook his head. No matter what he said, Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't change his mind anyway. Besides, when he thought about it some more, Park Yu-Min found the idea of Kang Jin-Ho suddenly shooting movies and TV shows in a bid to become the next big celebrity even crazier to behold!

The 'Kang Jin-Ho' Park Yu-Min knew wasn’t that type of a person, after all!

“Anyway... So, you're really dead-set on never acting in front of a camera?”

“Mm? Who knows? I might change my mind one day. At least, that's not today, that's for sure.” Kang Jin-Ho coolly shrugged his shoulders.

“That's kinda fickle, isn't it?”

“Maybe...”

The two of them glanced at each other and chuckled away.

Park Yu-Min shook his head while chuckling. “It's getting late, though. Hurry and go home now. I'm gonna turn in for the night.”

Kang Jin-Ho got up from the bench. “Hmm, should I pop inside and say hello before going home?”

"No way. The kids should be fast asleep by now. And the employees looking after them need their sleep, too. Don't you dare wake them up and just go home, Jin-Ho."

“But it's been a while since I last came here. Going home just like this is a bit... You know?”

"Speaking of which... The kids wanted to see you, too. I'm not talking about the high school-age kids since they take turns working part-time at the pizzeria, but the little ones. They’re whining all the time about wanting to see you, Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho grimly nodded. “...Sounds like I better find time in my schedule soon.”

Park Yu-Min leered at him. "If you bring as many presents as the last time, I'm gonna lock the doors and won't let you inside."

"Mm? I can just break the door down, though? Then, I can just buy a new one afterward."

Park Yu-Min spat out a lengthy groan at that. He just recalled that Kang Jin-Ho was fully capable of doing exactly that. “Okay. Good night.”

“Mm.” Kang Jin-Ho watched his friend wave at him before entering the orphanage building, then slowly turned around toward his car.

'Because it's important, is it...?'

While chatting with Park Yu-Min, Kang Jin-Ho got to organize his thoughts. From that, he realized he didn't have a particular reason for refusing to reappear in the TV show... Although he did see a far higher worth in hanging out with Park Yu-Min and Ju Yeong-Gi than being surrounded by strangers while shooting some random TV show.

'And what's truly important isn't how other people perceive that...'

What Kang Jin-Ho considered important was how much satisfaction and fulfillment he felt from his current life. And now, he thought he had finally found a solid direction for him to focus on.

To achieve his goal, though, there were some things he had to sort out first. Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly climbed back inside the Lamborghini, then lit up a cigarette.

It had been two days. The time limit he had granted to Lee Jung-Geol was over. However, neither Lee Hyeon-Ju nor Lee Jung-Geol had contacted him even now, and it meant only one thing.

Kang Jin-Ho smiled faintly. He could be craving this. Deep inside his heart, perhaps he wanted to keep watching the scene of his scared opponents giving up on everything they had and retreating to survive. Perhaps he had never wished for such a scene to end!

'Looks like I'll have to stop by at home first.'

It was time to bring out the duo he had kept 'hidden' under his bed. Everything should be over before sunrise tomorrow morning.

Kang Jin-Ho slowly closed his eyes. His goals had been set, so he needed to be true to them now throughout the rest of this life. After all, he didn't want to be filled with regrets once this life came to an end.

That was why...!

He had to eliminate any and all hindrances daring to interfere and complicate his life. Tonight would mark his first step toward this goal.

Vrrrrr...

Kang Jin-Ho scanned his vibrating phone, then answered the call as his expression became cold and withdrawn. “Preparations on your side?”

- It's complete. We're waiting for your arrival, Mister Kang.

“I see. I'm on my way.” Kang Jin-Ho ended the call right there as if he didn't have to listen any longer. After turning on the ignition, he stomped on the accelerator.

As the rumble of the engines intensified, the cold and dangerous gleam from Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes reflected the cold moonlight.