The Devil lives in the Music of Top Star

Episode 14

The three of us arrived at a Western-style restaurant in Yeonhui-dong.

It was a place famous for being a favorite of some well-known rappers.

During the car ride, we introduced ourselves and chatted about various things.

The person involved in music was named Han Seol-hee.

The other person was Kim Tae-hoon, who turned out not to be involved in music.

Seol-hee was a pretty boy with a neutral name that suited him well.

Tae-hoon was cheerful and talkative, matching the attitude he had when he first spoke to me.

I was worried it might be awkward, but thanks to Tae-hoon, the car ride to Yeonhui-dong was lively.

“Ah, hyung, great choice with the menu. How did you think of having tonkatsu! Hahaha!”

“Tonkatsu and stir-fried pork are a pretty good combination”

Tae-hoon exaggeratedly boosted the mood.

It seemed he wasn’t doing it on purpose; it was just his natural personality.

He fits well with the busy atmosphere of the restaurant during lunchtime.

“By the way, when did you start making music?”

Seol-hee asked me.

“Well… I can’t really remember exactly, but I started at a pretty young age.”

[I can help. I started playing piano at 4, became interested in composing in April of my first year of middle school, and began composing in September of that year.]

‘Sh, shhh… There’s no need to be that detailed…’

“Oh, so you’ve been doing it since you were very young, huh?”

“Yeah, thinking about it, I guess it was around middle school.”

Although I was flustered because of the demon, I could answer accurately thanks to the information provided.

“By the way, Seol-hee, you also do music, right?”

“Yes, I’m currently a vocalist in a band.”

“Oh, so you sing too?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

When I asked, Tae-hoon answered for Seol-hee.

“He was originally preparing to be an idol, but it didn’t work out, so now he’s a band vocalist.”

“Hey, why do you have to say that?”

“Eh, did I make a huge mistake just now?”

“No, it’s not that, but it’s a bit embarrassing…”

“An idol?”

[Oh, an idol.]

The thought of idols intrigued me, having worked in the industry before.

“Yeah, I was a trainee at Crown Entertainment during middle school, but ended up leaving.”

“Crown is a major agency. Isn’t it hard to become a trainee there?”

“I was too young to remember much.”

“Were you a Rookie?”

“No, if I were a Rookie, I’d have debuted.”

“Oh… well, that’s still impressive. Crown was doing really well back then.”

Considering when Seol-hee was a trainee, Crown Entertainment was at its peak.

“Still, it might be better to be doing your own music now than to debut from there.”

“Yeah, but being an idol means more popularity and money, doesn’t it?”

Of course, Taehoon’s ignorant answers continued.

“Well, it might not be like that.”

The glamorous image of idols on camera.

Of course, there are differences between groups and companies.

Having worked in the industry, I knew the struggles they faced when the cameras were off.

I was also aware that Crown Entertainment was falling from grace due to an invisible war between an idol and the company’s CEO.

But there was no need to discuss these things in detail, and I didn’t want to come off as showing off.

However, their curiosity made me speak.

“What do you mean it might not be like that?”

“Since you’re also into music, you probably know something about the entertainment industry.”

“Well, not really. I just happened to learn about it. Maybe Seol-hee, who was a trainee, knows more.”

“…….”

I tried to brush it off, but Seol-hee’s expression was signaling something to me.

“Hyung, what did you do before you came back to school?”

Seol-hee’s tone seemed to imply more than just a casual question.

Thinking about it, it made sense for him to ask that, so I decided to answer honestly.

“I was working in music. I worked as a composer at an entertainment company, and somehow ended up coming back to university. Haha!”

[You’re laughing too.]

It was an awkward laugh, but it was still a laugh.

Thinking about it, it was probably the first time I had laughed today.

In fact, I couldn’t even remember the last time I laughed out loud in front of people.

“Yeah, I thought so…”

Seol-hee seemed to have anticipated this.

“Yeah, what do you mean, ‘thought so’? I knew you came back to music.”

The word “thought so” from Seol-hee made both Tae-hoon and me exchange puzzled looks.

“It’s just a feeling. I was a trainee and went back to school too. You just had that vibe.”

Seol-hee appeared to have a perceptive insight for a 21-year-old.

[This kid’s got some audacity.]

‘Can you keep it down… I’m getting confused with our conversation.’

“I just thought you weren’t doing it as a hobby.”

“Ah… Thanks. Actually, it was my first performance, so I was a bit out of it.”

“Wow, really? For a first-time performance, you did amazingly well.”

[It was not your first time…]

“Ah, please stop…”

“Yes.”

Talking with them and arguing with the demon in my head had tangled up the conversation.

“Uh, no. Um… Ah, yes! I tend to malfunction a bit when I get complimented. Hahaha!”

[Kiki kikik. This is what I wanted!]

If I could physically interact with the demon, I’d want to punch it.

“Hyung, by the way, would you be able to find time to visit our rehearsal room?”

“Rehearsal room? Oh, you mean the practice room you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes, actually, all of us in the band watched your performance. The keyboardist thought it would be great if you could help with some songwriting.”

‘…….’

I wondered if today’s friends were always this proactive.

I felt a bit pressured and wasn’t used to this kind of kindness yet.

But the overwhelming feeling was gratitude.

The suggestion of including me in their world was as sweet as the power I received from the demon.

“Oh, I know you worked as a professional, so of course, we’ll cover the cost of the production!”

“Oh, no. It’s not about the money. I’m just thinking about my schedule.”

In reality, there wasn’t much of a schedule to consider.

My life had been university, home, university, home, so I was just making up an excuse, worried that Seol-hee might feel uncomfortable.

“Well then…”

“Alright. First, let’s meet the band friends and get to know each other. As for writing a song, we should talk about it slowly.”

“Wow! Thank you, hyung!”

Seolhee, who was quieter compared to Taehoon, expressed her gratitude with a heartfelt voice.

[Hey… You do have something special about you, but in the end, you’re still human.]

‘What are you talking about?’

[You’re already excited to brag about your composing skills.]

‘That’s just part of it.’

[Hehe… The desire to show off isn’t huge, but it’s still there. Oh, humans… just…]

‘Be quiet. I haven’t had any attention for a long time, so if I’m a bit happy now, it’s not like I’m doing anything wrong.’

[It’s good to see you changing, you bastard. Anyway… do you always argue with everything I say?]

‘Your tone sounds kind of sarcastic.’

[Oh, does it?]

‘…’

Although the demon seemed to be mocking me, but that wasn’t the case. He was just expressing his approval of my change in his usual blunt manner.

“If someone with your skills writes a song for us, I really think we can succeed.”

“Haha, well… hearing that puts a bit of pressure on me.”

“You’re good enough to receive such compliments.”

“Hey, stop with the praise. What if I break down again?”

“Hahaha! No, no. It’s fine. I’ll talk to the band members and do my best to write a good song.”

For a moment, I wondered if the reason they approached me was indeed because of the songs.

But so what.

They needed me, and I had the ability to fulfill that need.

Even if the connection started through a deal, it wasn’t bad if it later developed into genuine friendship.

And….

“Excuse me. Here’s the food you ordered.”

While eating tonkatsu so unguardedly, I didn’t think these people would use me for their own goals and then discard me.

* * *

After the meal, I returned to school for the next class.

Unlike usual, talking a lot during lunch made me tired.

But the excitement kept me awake and alert.

Thanks to that, I found it hard to concentrate in the afternoon class.

Later, I heard that the demon said I was smiling throughout the lecture.

Would I have been happier, or would the pressure have been too much?

Well, it was already a thing of the past, so I decided not to worry about it.

Just like Han Seolhee and Kim Taehoon talked to me, today was different from usual.

Some students occasionally spoke to me, and some greeted me, saying they enjoyed the performance yesterday.

Both men and women asked for my number.

Among them was the class representative who was most active, even though he had disappeared without a word when I rejected his suggestion for a class gathering last time.

I thought I heard someone refer to me as “the loser” somewhere, but I didn’t pay much attention.

After classes ended and I was on my way home, 

The sun, which had been illuminating the world from a low altitude, was not satisfied, as it came all the way to the driver’s seat, making me frown.

While waiting for the left turn signal, I rested my arm on the steering wheel and sighed lightly.

[Excuse me, I’m just asking just in case…]

“What”

[When I have a lot of thoughts, I can’t turn on things like the blinkers]

I think he was talking about something that happened at the last festival.

When I think a lot, the devil complains of suffering.

What on earth is the correlation?

But the devil was actually suffering.

“Oh, sorry. That’s not something I can do on my own… … But why is it so hard all of a sudden?”

[Yeah, I thought I was going to die on the day of the launch.]

“Really? Can you actually die from that?”

[Does it make sense?]

Then what about demons? Hmm.

“Well, I guess…”

[No. Anyway, it can’t be helped. I’ll try to avoid it by timing it right.]

“But you’re not the only demon, right? It can’t be the same for all.”

[Of course not. There are a lot of them. Why do you ask?]

“Do all demons suffer like you do?”

[Hmm… Pain from thoughts might be unique to me. It feels like a punishment I received.]

“Punishment? The demon doesn’t give the punishment; it receives it?”

[Punishment is given by gods, you fool.]

“Oh, right, I forgot that.”

For a moment, I was confused, thinking of demons as evil beings.

[Anyway… How do you feel?]

“How do I feel?”

[Half the popularity. You’ve experienced the beginning of it.]

“Uh… Honestly… Hmm…”

[Come on, you’re so excited about it.]

“Ah! Don’t read my mind like that!”

[What can I do if it’s all visible? Then you should think a little less deeply!]

“Do you think thinking less deeply is something I can just do? How do I do that?”

[Oh, humans really can’t do anything like that….]

“Ugh, demons can’t understand that either…”

[What? Are you disregarding demons?]

“Hey.”

[What! How dare you! How dare a lowly human be so insolent!]

“Well then, should I start thinking about something complicated?”

[Ah, sorry! Sorry! I got it! I won’t do it anymore. I’m really sorry.]

“Good. Stay quiet.”

[Yes!]

This was the glorious moment when Yoo Jaehee finally scored a win over the demon.