Devil’s Music

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."

"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.

>

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