Devil’s Music

Lynn, having ridden with Geon in his car, entered Café Habana located at the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was Lynn who, hiding her face, went in first to secure a secluded spot behind a pillar before Geon entered. Only after Lynn had ordered and brought coffee to the table did Geon appear, noticing that Lynn had already secured a spot and even ordered coffee, which made him look apologetic.

"I'm sorry to have you run errands like this."

"No, please sit down."

Once seated, Geon sipped his coffee and asked,

"You mentioned it was about business, right? What's going on? I told Byung-joon not to involve me in anything related to broadcasting, but is there a performance scheduled?"

Lynn, leaning forward slightly with her elbows on the table, said,

"No, it's not a performance, and not broadcasting either. Actually, the EPL has contacted us."

"The EPL? You mean the English football league?"

"Yes, exactly. Liverpool Sound City has become quite a topic, so that's why they contacted us."

"What's the situation?"

"One of the clubs has asked to use 'Fury of Montana' as their club anthem. It's from 'Second Fury,' not an official album."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's a good opportunity for us. We don't have to do anything; just receive the royalties."

"Well, that sounds fine, but anthems are usually music that all fans can sing along to, right?"

"Usually, yes, but this track is designed to maximize the excitement of the spectators during a sports game. It's probably going to be used more like background music than something to sing along to."

"I see. Which club is it? EPL clubs are pretty big."

"Arsenal."

"Oh, the Arsenal that Henry played for!"

"I'm not interested in football, so I don't know the players, but I've heard it's a famous club."

"Yes, it's one of the top five clubs in the EPL and a club with a long history. It would be an honor to have them use my music."

"Then I assume you're okay with giving permission."

"Um, just a moment."

As Geon was happy to hear the team name, Lynn quietly waited while he suddenly frowned, deep in thought. After a while of pondering, Geon finally spoke.

"Can I give you an answer tomorrow?"

"That's fine. It's not as if we approached them. Is there a problem?"

"No, it's not a problem, but I'm currently working on something and wondering if this could be an opportunity to try something new."

"A new trial? You mean to change 'Fury' again?"

Geon waved his hand and smiled.

"No, I don't even know what the trial will be yet. I'll think it over and let you know."

"I'd prefer if you didn't tamper with 'Fury' again. It was fresh the first time, but repeated changes might not get a good response."

"Yes, Director. I'll keep that in mind."

After chatting about recent mundane events around Geon, Lynn asked cautiously,

"I heard from Director Byung-joon. Did Kiska call you?"

Geon's expression darkened slightly.

"Yes, she did."

After observing Geon's face for a moment, Lynn shook her head and stood up.

"I shouldn't have asked that. I trust you'll handle it well, Geon. Let's call it a day."

As Lynn stood up, Geon grinned and said,

"This is why I like you, Director. Ha ha."

After a cheerful Lynn took a taxi to the hotel, Geon boarded the car of an organization member waiting for him and returned to the Red Castle. Seeing the brightly lit annex, Geon opened the door to find Byung-joon sitting on the living room sofa, wearing only underwear, greeting him with a hand raise.

"Hey, you're here?"

"With Kiska gone, it must be comfortable to hang out in just your underwear."

"Ah, yes. That's one comfortable thing."

After removing his coat, Geon pulled an old-style mobile phone from his pocket, prompting Byung-joon to ask,

"Any calls since then?"

Geon, hanging up his coat, smirked and replied,

"No."

"You could just call her."

Geon, sitting heavily on the sofa, said,

"I want Kiska to call when she feels like it. She might be hating me now."

Byung-joon stretched his foot towards Geon's face and said,

"Man, you don't get it. Kiska, though young, is still a woman. Women are creatures who wait all night for a man to call but will never make the first move."

Geon frowned and pushed Byung-joon's foot away.

"Keep your foot to yourself and talk."

Byung-joon sat up and

 said,

"You don't try to understand women. Just accept it. Men and women are like Zerg and Protoss; they don't understand each other's language. They belong to species that understand the same words differently, you know?"

Geon, still frowning, replied,

"I don't know about that."

"Damn fool! Do as you wish!"

Geon chuckled as he headed to his room, with Byung-joon calling after him,

"Did you meet Director Lynn? Did you hear about the EPL?"

"Yes, I heard."

"Good, you're going to do it, right? We don't have to do anything else, and it's easy money."

"Yes, but I want to experiment with something, so I'll discuss it tomorrow."

"An experiment? What kind... Anyway, you're going to do it, right?"

"Yes, I will."

"Good. Rest up."

"Yes. You rest too."

After entering his room, Geon changed into comfortable clothes and washed up briefly. Returning to his room with a towel around his neck, he sat on the bed with a stack of research papers that Abigail had prepared for him when his phone vibrated.

"Huh? Who's calling at this hour?"

Geon took out the phone and was surprised. The vibrating was not from his phone. He quickly picked up the old-style phone he had left on the desk, took a deep breath, and answered,

"Hello?"

"..."

"Kiska?"

"..."

After calling the silent caller, Geon buried his face in his knees on the bed.

"Hey, when Gregory said he was taking you away, I was really upset. I didn't want to send you away. But there was nothing I could do. Can't you understand?"

"..."

Geon sighed and just held the phone for a while. After a long pause, Kiska's tender voice sounded,

"Are you not coming to see me?"

Geon sighed again. After a moment of silence, recalling his conversation with Gregory, he hesitated before replying,

"I can't right now, sorry."

"..."

"Kiska, did you meet your grandmother?"

"..."

"Is she a good person?"

"..."

"My grandmother passed away recently. I miss her a lot."

"..."

"Today, I spent all day at the museum. I had some music research to do."

"..."

"I met Director Lynn and went to a café near the Ice Cream Factory for coffee."

"..."

"I'm at home now. Byung-joon is still lying in the living room in his underwear playing mobile games."

"..."

Whether Kiska responded or not, Geon rambled on about his day. Not just about today, but also about events in England and Kevin's foolish acts, laughing as he talked. After about ten minutes of talking alone, Geon whispered,

"Next time, I'll call first."

Still no response from the phone. Geon offered a farewell,

"Good night, Kiska."

"..."

"Don't hang up."

"Huh?"

"..."

"Don't hang up. Read me a book."

"A book?"

"I'm going to sleep. So read to me."

"Ah, okay! Just a minute!"

Geon quickly got up, rummaged through his study, and picked a random book. Sitting on the bed, he cleared his throat and began,

"Alright... I'll read to you. Good night, Kiska."

"..."

Perhaps because he had chosen the wrong book, it was a storybook with a lot of text. It took over 30 minutes for Geon to finish reading the entire book. After reading the last line, he quietly checked Kiska's mood. He wanted to hear her breathing and confirm she was asleep, but it was not easy without any sound.

"Good night, Kiska."

"Call me tomorrow."

As Geon was about to hang up, he heard Kiska's voice and smiled slightly.

"Okay."

"Hang up."

"Okay, good night."

After the call ended, Geon stared at the phone for a while, a smile forming on his face. Stretching his arms wide, he picked up the stack of research papers again.

"Alright! Tonight, I'm burning the midnight oil with research!"

For some reason, Geon was brimming with energy as he flipped through the pages of the research papers. Just then, the door burst open, revealing Byung-joon's shocked face, wearing only underwear.

"Geon!!"

Startled, Geon dropped the papers and stared wide-eyed as Byung-joon held up a phone in his hand and shouted,

"Kiska just called me!!"

"What?"

Geon's mouth dropped open as he asked,

"She called you? What did she say?"

Byung-joon grimaced, clutching the phone tightly.

"She told me to put on pants?"

"What? Hahaha!!!"

Geon burst into laughter, rolling around on the bed. Looking down at him,

 Byung-joon scratched his head and then began to laugh as well.

"It's not exactly the first thing I'd want to hear from Kiska, but it's the first time she called me! Hahaha! You see? I mean something to Kiska! Hahaha, hahaha!!!"

Tears were almost streaming down Geon's face from laughing so hard, his stomach heaving as he lay sprawled on the bed.

"Hahaha, hahaha!!"

Puffed up with a sense of superiority, Byung-joon asked, puzzled by Geon's reaction,

"What's this? Aren't you upset? What kind of reaction is this?"

"Hahaha, hahaha!!!"

"What is it, you brat! Speak!"

Byung-joon lunged at the bed and choked Geon, who was red-faced but continued to laugh without stopping. Geon tapped out,

"Hahaha! Okay, okay! I'll tell you if you let go, hahaha!"

Byung-joon slowly released his grip, but Geon's laughter did not stop. He staggered up from the bed and grabbed the door.

"Hahaha, guess who heard you were running around without pants?"

Confused, Byung-joon tilted his head as Geon quickly opened the door and left. After a moment of contemplation in Geon's room, Byung-joon's face twisted in realization.

"That son of a... Hey, come here!!"

In his underwear, Byung-joon chased after Geon, who had already dressed and was running out of the annex.

"You're dead if I catch you! Why would you say that to Kiska! Come here!!!"

As Byung-joon opened the door to the garden and ran out, he saw Geon laughing loudly under the full moon in the night sky.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

That night, the members of the Red Castle organization gathered in the garden, holding snacks and beer, to watch a spectacle of one wild boar running around in underwear and a human fleeing from it.

After a vigorous chase in the garden with Byungjun, Geon lay down on his bed, feeling refreshed from the rare exercise. Feeling good, Geon was humming a tune with his hands behind his head and his legs flicking, when suddenly he sat up and grabbed a thesis he had been working on.

"Can't sleep, might as well do some more research before bed."

Geon was reviewing the thesis until dawn when he glanced at the dim light of dawn through the window and picked up a blank staff paper. As he was scribbling something, his hand suddenly went limp, and as Geon's head drooped in sleep, a sinister black light burst from the ceiling of his room. From the swirling black light, the face of Amdusias emerged. From face to neck, shoulders, and torso, Amdusias slid out of the ceiling, hanging upside down, and picked up the score Geon was drawing. After looking at the score for a moment, Amdusias glanced at the sleeping Geon and chuckled softly as he re-entered the ceiling in his upside-down stance.

"You haven't managed to leap over the walls yet. But I'll be watching."

As the swirling black light vanished and the room quieted down again, Geon snored softly, sleeping contentedly. The next day, late in the morning, Geon got up from his bed and immediately called Rin after washing his face. Rin, seemingly waiting for his call, answered the phone after just one ring.

"Yes, Mr. Geon, I've been waiting."

Startled by how quickly Rin answered, Geon said,

"Oh, you picked up quickly."

"I've been getting confirmation calls from Arsenal all morning, so I was waiting for your call."

"Oh, I see. Just agree to one condition, and it's a deal."

"What condition?"

Geon went to his room and picked up the score he wrote yesterday.

"Would you mind asking them to write one more song? No guarantee."

"No guarantee? Why would you..."

"I have a draft piece of music that I made as a study for a new song. I think it could be used in sports games, and I'd like to test it out."

"Do you have a music sample?"

"No, I just finished working on it this dawn. If the condition is accepted, I can make it right away."

"Okay, I'll check with them."

"Thank you. And when you propose the condition, please tell them to play the new music only when the team is losing."

"Play it when the team is losing?"

"Yes, that's my condition."

"Hmm... That's an unusual condition, but I'll convey it. What about the guarantee for using Fury?"

"That's up to the director to decide. But since Montana also has shares in Fury, please ensure they get a good deal."

"Okay, I'll call you back."

After hanging up with Rin, Geon felt a thick wrist choking him from behind.

"Got you, you bastard."

"Ugh! Byungjun hyung!"

"You gave me such a hard time chasing you around that I got a cramp in my thigh all night. Let's go say hi to King Yama today, shall we?"

"Hahaha... Hyung, I have something to say!"

"What is it? Say it in this state."

Holding the score in one hand, Geon said,

"It's a new song! This is a new song!"

"What? You wrote a new piece?"

Releasing Geon's neck, Byungjun grabbed the score, and Geon quickly stepped back. Watching Geon, Byungjun smirked and tilted his head while looking at the score.

"Where are the lyrics?"

Geon rolled his eyes, looking for a way to escape. But there was nowhere to run in his own room.

"Hahaha.. Well, the lyrics, I have to start making them now."

"Yeah, good job. Here's the score."

As Byungjun handed him the score, Geon quickly grabbed it, anticipating a twist to his wrist.

"Ugh!"

Geon bumped into Byungjun, who fell backward, and quickly ran out of the room, grabbing his coat from the hanger.

"Hyung! I have to go work, see you later!"

"You little rascal!!! Hey, hey. Stop right there."

Sitting on the ground, calling for him, Geon looked back at Byungjun, keeping his hand on the doorknob, ready to escape at any moment. Seeing this, Byungjun chuckled and said,

"Are you going to work on that new piece you just showed me?"

"Yes, I need to send the sample music."

"To Arsenal?"

"Yes, and also use it for Fury. This one is free."

"Again, doing something that doesn't pay off."

"It's actually a kind of research, and it's worth paying to test it."

"Really? Hmm... What about the recording?"

"I'm going to

 do it myself."

Byungjun pursed his lips, pondering for a moment, then asked,

"Are you including a keyboard?"

After looking at the score, Geon shook his head.

"No, why?"

"Can you include it?"

"I could if I wanted to, but why?"

As Byungjun stood up, Geon tensed up. Seeing this, Byungjun raised both hands to show he had no intention of attacking.

"Take care of Kiska. You should call your friend more often, you know. It's not like he has any friends."

Brushing off his body, Byungjun's words made Geon's expression change slightly.

"Why? What happened?"

Trudging to the sofa, Byungjun sat down heavily and sighed,

"He was always a friendless kid. Used to change his mood by walking in the city alone, or traveling alone, but since his debut, his face has been too well-known to do so. He always looks depressed at home. But he looks incredibly bright when you call him occasionally or when you pack him lunch. So I was hoping you could help him out. But no more using violence over Kiska's phone incidents, deal?"

Geon looked suspiciously at Byungjun.

"Really?"

"Yeah, for real."

"Does Kiska have a schedule today?"

"No, he's off for about three days; he's been looking quite down lately."

"Alright, I'll stop by his place and pick him up on the way."

"Really? Alright then, let's go together."

As Byungjun stood up, Geon took a few steps back and shouted,

"Don't come any closer!"

"I said I won't do it, you rascal!"

"Still, don't suddenly come near me!"

"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll get dressed and come back."

As Byungjun went to his room to dress, Geon kept a watchful eye on him until he was completely out of sight, then he sighed in relief and smiled. Exiting the annex, Geon asked a nearby associate for a car and sat on the annex stairs, then called Kiska. Kiska was busy with something else, as it took a while for him to answer the phone with a frantic voice,

"Hello! Ke, Kev?"

"Yeah, Kiska. What are you doing?"

"I, I was just.. reading a book at home."

"Is that really true?"

"Yikes! How, how did you..."

"Hahahahaha, it's fun to tease Kiska because he's so naive, haha."

"Don't tease me."

"Haha, okay. I'm coming over with Byungjun hyung to your place today. You don't have a schedule, right?"

"Ah... no, I don't..."

"Yeah, so help me out. I have a recording job."

"Oh! Okay! I'll be ready."

"Yeah, I'll be there in about 30 minutes."

"Okay!!"

Before the phone hung up, the sound of crashing and rustling could be heard, indicating that Kiska would be moving faster than Flashman to shower and put on makeup in the next 30 minutes. Geon smiled at the thought, then picked up the phone again. After two rings, the person on the other end, still half-asleep, answered the phone,

"Mmm... Hello?"

"Kevin, it's me, Kay."

"Oh, yeah. What's up?"

"Got any plans today?"

"I'm free today, why?"

"Can you help me out?"

"Uh? Hold on."

There was some rustling on the other side of the phone before a much more alert voice came through,

"Say that again, what did you need help with?"

"Yeah, I have a song I need to record a sample for."

"Jesus, you scared me. Mention the subject next time! Thought something was wrong. Alright, where should I go?"

"Lincoln Center basement."

"Got it, but I drank with Jose last night, so I have a bit of a hangover. Need to eat something to settle my stomach, might take about two hours."

"Haha, okay."

"See you later then."

"Ah!! Wait, Kevin!"

"What?"

"You asked me to introduce you to Kiska last time."

"Yikes! Oh! Oh yeah, I did!"

"Kiska and I will meet in 30 minutes and go together. You'll meet him today."

Crash!! Bang!!

With a loud noise from the other side, Geon pulled the phone away from his ear, then said,

"What was that noise?"

"I'll be there in 30 minutes!"

"Huh?"

"I said I'll be there in 30 minutes!! Hang up!!"

After the phone call ended, Geon chuckled as he looked down. A short while later, after dressing, Geon went to Kiska's apartment and saw him, fully made up and ready for a picnic, packing some simple food. Seeing Ge

on, Kiska sent him a blushing smile, which Byungjun noticed and tapped Geon's shoulder, whispering,

"The last time he smiled was when you packed him a lunch for the museum visit. And today is the first time he's smiled since then. If he's your friend, take care of him."

Glancing at Byungjun, Geon nodded slightly and extended his arm,

"Shall we go?"

With a shy smile, Kiska linked arms with Geon, displaying a happy expression as they left the apartment. As the three of them headed from Kiska's apartment to Lincoln Center, they saw Kevin, greased hair slicked back, wearing a tuxedo under a black coat and holding a guitar, leaning against a pillar and striking a pose. Byungjun and Geon burst out laughing upon seeing him, and Kevin, embarrassed yet sneakily glancing at Kiska, was also there.

Descending to the rehearsal room, they greeted each other, and Kevin and Kiska agreed to become friends. Although still awkward, they exchanged phone numbers, so Geon thought the two young people would soon become good friends. He distributed the scores he had copied earlier,

"We haven't prepared a band score yet, so we need to work on it today. Let's finish it by today."

Kevin sat down on the floor and looked over the score, asking,

"There are no lyrics? Are they added at the end? Then at least tell us the feeling we need to convey to construct the framework."

Kiska also looked at Geon, agreeing. Geon looked down at them and grinned,

"Kevin, you should play with the feeling of sending a message of support to the weak Kiska today, and Kiska, you play with the feeling of when you pack lunch for me."

Kevin looked at Kiska, and their eyes met before he blushed and said,

"A message of support? Lunch? What does that mean?"

Geon, switching his gaze between the two, placed his hand on his waist and smiled brightly,

"Think of it as the spirit of encouragement you wish to convey to a loved one or a friend; build the framework based on that."

The purple notes on the scores Kevin and Kiska were holding emitted an orange glow that filled the rehearsal room.