Chapter 1552 Nurturing (2)

“Wow, you’ve really moved up in the world, Choi Yeon-Ha. Being treated like a VIP by the Americans and all,” said Choi Yeon-Ha self-deprecatingly.

Han Eun-Sol furrowed his brow slightly. “Noona, I don’t think that’s because you’ve succeeded in life.”

“Eun-Sol?”

“Yes, noona?”

“I asked you this before, right? Do you know why people who speak only the truth don’t live for long?”

“...I’ll watch my mouth, noona.”

Choi Yeon-Ha tutted loudly. Still, her mood improved immediately from how wonderfully soft and comfy the seat cushions were.

“You know, my impression of Mister Jin-Ho keeps improving every day.”

Han Eun-Sol weightily nodded. “Yes, I know what you mean.”

“When we first met, he was merely a handsome uni student, though...”

“Do you prefer those days?”

“Of course not.”

She obviously preferred the present, although not because Kang Jin-Ho was doing so well for himself. No, the truth was that Choi Yeon-Ha enjoyed hanging out with the current-day Kang Jin-Ho much more, who was much mellower than his past stiff, unapproachable self.

I went through all that trouble to change him, you know!

Indeed, it took a very long time to train him properly. Even now, whenever she thought about all the effort she had poured into turning that utterly hopeless idiot into a proper human being, a chill of dread ran down her spine.

That’s the case for me, so what was that? Do I prefer those days? Eii, don’t be ridiculous!

“Well, I liked Mister Jin-Ho back then, and I still like him even now. But I don’t want all the history we share to be forgotten.”

Han Eun-Sol snickered. “But that history is as deep as a puddle, though.”

She shot a glare at her manager. “You. Get out of the car.”

“...Noona, we’re in America.”

“I know. So what?”

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Her icy glare stabbed even more painfully into Han Eun-Sol’s face. “Oh, Eun-Sol. Eun-Sol...”

“Yes, noona!”

“Has anyone ever told you about this?”

“Tell me what?”

“That when you’re nice to someone, they won’t repay you with gratitude but with attitude instead? And take you for granted?”

“...”

Han Eun-Sol clamped his mouth shut. Why? Because he knew he was guilty as charged, that was why!

“Eun-Sol, Eun-Sol... Listen. I’ve been trying really hard to suppress myself and turn over a new leaf now that I’m dating Mister Jin-Ho, okay?”

“Yes, I know. Good job, noona.”

Kang Jin-Ho had changed a lot? Sure, that much was undeniable. However, no matter how much he had changed, it’d still pale in comparison to how much Choi Yeon-Ha had transformed. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she had morphed into a completely different person now.

She growled at her manager. “There’s another saying you should remember, Eun-Sol.”

“What is it?”

“A person’s true nature will never change.”

“...”

“So, let’s be good neighbors and help each other out in life, okay? Okay?”

“Yes, noona. I will pay the utmost attention from now on.”

Han Eun-Sol inwardly swore to stop pushing his luck so much.

Choi Yeon-Ha gave him a pointed side-eye before shifting her gaze to the front. “Look. I need your help during our American trip, okay? Lots of help, in fact. Because I want to turn my Hollywood debut into a success story.”

“For MK, noona?”

“No, for me.”

“...”

“I’ve been feeling inferior to Mister Jin-Ho again lately, okay? My debut in China paid off handsomely, so I finally got the chance to hold my head high in his presence, but look at him now! He just can’t wait for other people to catch up to him, can he? Remember how those Americans were trembling in fear earlier?”

“Yes, I have,” Han Eun-Sol nodded.

“Geez! Trying to match his status is nearly killing me, Eun-Sol. And they say a crow-tit trying to imitate a stork’s gait will tear open its crotch...”

“Noona, an actress casually throwing around a word like ‘crotch’ is a bit...”

“Why is that a problem? I can’t even use Korean idioms anymore?”

“...No, ma’am.”

Choi Yeon-Ha harrumphed loudly. “In any case! You gotta be on a similar level not to feel inferior, know what I mean? I gotta become a global superstar, at the very least, so that I can hold my head high in his company.”

“Noona, this is just my opinion, okay?”

“Yeah?”

“If you keep trying to match the chairman’s rate of, uh, progress, you’ll eventually end up as Korea’s next President, you know?”

“...You think so?”

“Yup. I definitely do.”

Choi Yeon-Ha groaned loudly. Geez! Why does he have to be such an incredible man?!

She just couldn’t understand it. Of course, even she could tell that Kang Jin-Ho was easily one of the best boyfriend material anyone could ever hope for. Not only was he kind, but he was also considerate in his own funny way. On top of that, he was very pleasing to the eye, too! And... And...?

“...I’m sure he has other plus points,” Choi Yeon-Ha muttered.

Han Eun-Sol blinked his eyes. “Sorry? Who?”

“Don’t worry about it. I was talking to myself.”

In short, yes, Choi Yeon-Ha knew Kang Jin-Ho was one incredible man. But wasn’t her judgment a tiny bit clouded by love? After all, when judged as objectively as possible, even she had to admit that him being this successful made little sense.

“Seriously! I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

Choi Yeon-Ha slowly shook her head.

Sometimes, she’d get scared by the thought of Kang Jin-Ho surging forward until she couldn’t even see him anymore, never mind catching up to him. She asked him some time ago if he was interested in living an ordinary life. Her fear must’ve spurred her on to ask that question back then.

“You just wait and see...!”

Choi Yeon-Ha gritted her teeth.

If a train had become an unstoppable projectile, there were only two ways to keep up with it. One was to stop it somehow. But the other option was for one to charge forward madly as if their own brakes had failed!

If the first option didn’t work, one wouldn’t have a choice but to resort to the alternative.

“I mean, there’s nothing special about being a global superstar, right! I’ll prove it by becoming one!”

Han Eun-Sol winced slightly. “Noona... I applaud you for your mindset, but your endgame doesn’t seem so pure to me.”

“Who cares! It’s the outcome that matters, okay?”

“In that case, at least you could’ve worked on your English a bit more...”

“Listen here! My English has gotten pretty damn good now, okay?”

“...Uh-whew.” Han Eun-Sol groaned in defeat. I guess she has a point, though.

Even though her motivation was questionable, Choi Yeon-Ha’s passion and dedication were definitely not. Such was her dedication that even Han Eun-Sol would often wonder where she had found the extra stamina to continue on with this grueling rat race.

He was merely accompanying her from the sideline yet he still had trouble keeping up with her. But an actor maintaining peak physical and mental conditions for so long like this? That had to be one of the hardest things in the world in his opinion.

Gee whiz... I’m telling you, both of them are so bloody amazing!

Whether it was Kang Jin-Ho back in South Korea or this actress sitting next to him... They both were incredible individuals, that much was for sure.

Choi Yeon-Ha glanced outside at the passing scenery. “Besides all that. We’re in America, so how about getting some American burgers?”

“...Great idea, noona.”

Yup, let’s eat first. Thinking can wait.

***

“Assembly Master?”

Kang Jin-Ho scowled deeply when Lee Hyeon-Su cautiously approached him in his office.

What is he up to this time?

Hints of anxiety quickly filled Kang Jin-Ho’s face.

The recent wage reduction had been effective in straightening Lee Hyeon-Su up a bit, but he was still fully capable of causing another Kang Jin-Ho-troubling incident. In other words, letting one’s guard down near this man was absolutely forbidden!

“Sir, I’ve been thinking about something, and...”

Kang Jin-Ho grimaced. “Actually, I’d prefer it if you didn’t think too much?”

“I’m sorry?”

“No... don’t mind me.”

Kang Jin-Ho groaned deeply. This had to be some form of neurosis at this point!

The recent emoji incident had left a sizable scar on Kang Jin-Ho’s subconscious. He was even avoiding the internet lately, even though he used to surf the net occasionally out of boredom in the past! That was because when he logged into a certain community chat forum he was a member of, he bore witness to other members uploading screenshots of his emojis and laughing at them!

I don’t deserve this, you know! I haven’t done anything wrong!

...Eh?

Well, I did lots of wrong things in the past, didn’t I?

Even if that were true! Wasn’t this far too cruel and unusual for a punishment? Cutting an arm off would’ve been a better alternative at this point, or at least that was how it felt to him.

No place under the sun provided him with peace of mind.

In the Assembly, the insidiously cackling directors would shove their phones in his face. In MK, Hwang Min-Su and his trio of underlings would grin sheepishly and try to avoid him as sneakily as possible. Things weren’t any better at home, either, since Kang Eun-Yeong would let her hair down and misbehave despite the threat of heavy-handed reprisal. And his mother, with a gentle smile on her lips, printed the emojis of her son.

Worse still, even his father would look at him affectionately while obviously holding his laughter back!

Yup, this must be hell.

Hell on Earth, that was!

As if to prove the old adage of “once bitten, twice shy” in the most extreme sense, Kang Jin-Ho would flinch nastily and hurriedly check his phone whenever someone tried to engage him in a chat these days.

Lee Hyeon-Su’s expression cramped up. “Sir, you still haven’t recovered from the trauma?”

“...You don’t know anything because you haven’t gone through it yourself.”

Only those who had experienced this hell would sympathize with Kang Jin-Ho’s plight.

“But, sir. Our revenue has gone through the roof as a result.”

“...”

“Some franchisees even want to print out the life-sized versions of the most popular emojis and stick them to the front of their...”

“Do that, and I’ll slaughter them myself.”

“...”

“I’m not joking here. I will kill them all!”

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned wryly. “Please calm down, sir. They have their reasons for being this desperate, after all. For one, they need to save up as much money as possible so that one day, they can get married and start a family.”

“Urgh...!”

“If this was at the beginning of the promotion, sure. But... You’ve already halfway given up by now, haven’t you? Sir?”

“...!”

“Please grant them your permission.”

Kang Jin-Ho covered his face with his trembling hands. Why! Why were the heavens bestowing him with a trial this cruel?!

“In any case... Getting back to my original topic, sir, I’ve been thinking about something.”

Kang Jin-Ho cautiously looked through the gaps of his fingers. “Is it about the franchise?”

“No, sir. It’s about the Assembly.”

“Oh, really?” Kang Jin-Ho sat upright while nodding in relief. “What is it?”

“Sir, we’re about to welcome American soldiers into our midst.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You’ve accepted them because you thought they could serve as a valuable combat force in the upcoming war if nurtured right, didn’t you?”

Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded.

He had no desire to benefit others at his expense.

America would receive Kang Jin-Ho’s know-how. In return, she would provide him with useful combatants in the upcoming war. This arrangement fulfilled the most basic requirement of a fair trade.

With this, he had gained useful soldiers against the Three Kings and their factions. Ones he’d nurture personally, no less!

From the perspective of the American government, this was not a bad deal at all. A large-scale war between martial artists was incredibly rare. No country or its entire martial society would haphazardly start a war with other nations, after all.

Simply participating in such a war would be enough to acquire a lot of invaluable data. Considering the American government historically waged wars just to test their new weapons and to acquire on-field experience, the upcoming war against the Three Kings must’ve been a must-attend event for them, even if the cost of admittance was on the steeper side.

“In other words, if we want to acquire extra soldiers, it’ll be faster to train them by ourselves rather than leaving it up to the Americans?”

“That’s right,” said Kang Jin-Ho while looking at Lee Hyeon-Su in puzzlement. Why was he asking such obvious questions?

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked deeply. “In regards to that... Sir, how about expanding the scope of that idea?”

“Expanding it?”

“Yes, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su cleared his throat with a fake cough. “Don’t we already have useless freeloaders parading around as a combat force even now? Since you’re planning to guide the Americans, how about bringing them all here and guiding them as well?”

“Freeloaders? Who are you talking about?”

“First of all, the Europeans, sir.”

“Europeans? But aren’t they under the Round Table’s jurisdiction?”

“Of course. But I’m certain that many European martial artists would kill for a chance to polish their martial arts in Korea. The Master is currently ruling over the Round Table, but that’s all he can do, sir. He can’t improve their combat strength at all. In fact, isn’t he having a tough time while trying to hold on to power?”

“Mm...!”

“That’s why! If we accept volunteers, we could kill two birds with one stone. The first bird is the improvement of the alliance’s overall combat strength, and...”

Kang Jin-Ho leaned back against his chair while rubbing his chin. “...And it’d increase our indirect control over the Round Table?”

“Yes, sir. Those receiving training in Korea are bound to become pro-Korea, after all.”

“Pro-Korea, huh? That doesn’t have a nice connotation, if I’m being honest.”

“We should blame the stinking pro-Japanese bastards for that, sir. But being pro-Korea is a good thing.”

Kang Jin-Ho scratched his head. When he thought about it, this suggestion sounded more and more like a good idea. For one, hadn’t they already accepted the Chevaliers as a part of this organization when they chose to abandon Europe? And now, they had become a dependable pillar of the Assembly.

“Hmm. I think the Assembly is already multinational enough?”

“Having allied forces won’t be enough against China, sir. Being a multinational organization is a small price to pay if we can repel them successfully. Besides, being multicultural isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but agree with Lee Hyeon-Su on this one. After pondering for a little while, he slowly nodded.

“Very well. That shouldn’t change the difficulty too much. But you said ‘first of all’, didn’t you? Does that mean there are other combat forces worthy of nurturing?”

“Yes, sir. And they are right next to us.”

“Huh?”

“Next to us, as in right across the ocean.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “You mean... Japan?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You want us to nurture the Japanese martial artists, too?”

“No, no. I wouldn’t suggest something that insane. I still have a lot of resentment toward the Japanese for what they have done, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Then, what?”

“One of the greatest pleasures in life is getting even, sir. With interest on top. You said the term ‘pro-Korea’ had this negative connotation, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“In that case... How about nurturing pro-Korea forces in Japan? I’m sure they will be very displeased by that.”

Kang Jin-Ho dazedly stared at Lee Hyeon-Su.

What are you scheming this time, dude?!