Devil’s Music

Chapter 285: Fury

Geon, absorbed in composing music with his headphones on, didn't notice three people outside watching him. After pressing the stop button on the recording track, he sighed deeply. Upon opening his eyes, his gaze fell upon the floor littered with crumpled and torn sheet music. Picking up a piece, he frowned as he smoothed it out.

"Phew, this is harder than I thought."

The sheet music Geon was looking at was filled with red notes. After examining it briefly, he picked up another piece that was half-torn from the floor. This one was filled with black notes. Alternating his gaze between the two, Geon sighed, placed the music on his thigh, and crossed his arms.

"The challenge is how to interpret this. Should I go with the anger-filled red, or with the black that represents anxiety, darkness, despair, and silence..."

Lost in thought, Geon was scratching his head and pulling at his hair, which made Byung-jun, watching from outside, look baffled.

"What is he even doing right now?"

As Geon seemed almost mad, tearing and then smoothing out the sheets before tossing them into the air, Kiska laughed amusedly, while Byung-jun, concerned, tried to enter the recording booth. Just as he grabbed the doorknob, Shizuka's pale hand landed on his dark one. Turning to Shizuka, she shook her head slightly.

"Creativity comes with pain, you know that, Manager."

Byung-jun, trying to detach Shizuka's delicate hand from his wrist, pointed at the door.

Shizuka’s eyes hardened as she shook her head decisively.

"No, it's better to leave him alone. I can assure you that."

Seeing the determination in Shizuka's eyes, Byung-jun hesitated for a moment before stepping back with a resigned lick of his lips. Fortunately, music started playing again from the recording booth, and Byung-jun, checking his watch as he heard Geon's playing, was relieved.

"Wow, time really flies. Kiska, let's go home. I need to drop you off and take Shizuka to her schedule."

Byung-jun, putting on his coat, called for Kiska, who sulkily hid behind the couch, clearly reluctant to leave. After a chase around, Shizuka finally caught her. Kneeling down with a serious expression, she held onto Kiska’s shoulder firmly.

"Kiska, you don't want to disturb Kei, do you?"

At the mention of Kei, Kiska stopped struggling. Shizuka quickly pointed towards the recording booth, where Geon was visible through the window.

"Kei needs to concentrate right now. Your presence would disrupt that, and so would mine. That’s why I'm still here, but Manager will take you home while I step outside. There’s only one reason for that. I don’t want to be a disturbance to Kei. You feel the same, don’t you?"

Kiska stopped writhing and stared at Shizuka’s face before turning her head toward Geon in the recording booth. After a moment, she resumed struggling and pushed Shizuka away, running to grasp Byung-jun’s hand. Shizuka laughed as she watched.

"See, our Kiska is such a good girl."

Byung-jun looked down at Kiska, who was scoffing elsewhere, and chuckled as he checked his watch.

"Let’s hurry. We might be late."

With a longing look towards Geon in the recording booth, Shizuka quietly closed the door, making sure no sound was heard, and exited. Unaware of their visit, Geon continued to fill the music sheets, tearing them up and starting anew. He vigorously scratched the back of his head and mumbled to himself.

"What are my feelings right now? Do I hate my father? Am I still unable to escape from this hatred? It seems a bit faded now. So, should I cling to this faint emotion? No, that would make this music meaningless. It would be better to express the anger I felt at that time."

Geon picked up a sheet filled with red notes from the floor and smoothed it out again.

"From the beginning of the verse, I will express anger. Not only to highlight Kevin's performance, but also to maintain the tension of the song, the guitar and bass must constantly clash. In that clash, they must find harmony again."

Clearing the chair away, Geon propped his guitar up and lay on the studio floor, continuing to write notes on the sheet music. As Geon was obscured by his position, the studio door quietly opened. A blonde young man with a cold expression entered first, sitting on the couch where Kiska had been. Soon after, a man with long

black hair, dressed in a stylish suit and wearing black leather gloves, entered. After a moment of observing the recording booth where Geon was, he sat next to the blonde youth.

"Should we just leave him be, Gamagin?"

Gamagin, stroking his chin, looked through the window at Geon with a complicated expression.

"Hmm... What do you think, Pyemon?"

Pyemon, not taking his eyes off the recording studio window, responded.

"Sir, it's different from your goal. Those who listen to the boy's music will likely emit negative energy. We must stop it."

Gamagin sighed deeply with a troubled look.

"Huh... I see."

Pyemon turned his head towards Gamagin, his expression serious.

"You know why you're hesitating, but we must do it, sir."

"Uh-huh..."

As Gamagin continued to look troubled, Pyemon continued.

"If it were just about achieving your goal, you would have attacked his mind already. Turning him into your puppet would have been quicker."

"I know you consider the boy as more than just a proxy. I understand this, as I have been watching over the child with you for over twenty years."

Pyemon stretched his hand into the air, and golden musical staff lines appeared. He reached into the recording booth with his hand, seemingly absorbing something, then sprinkled it over the golden staff lines, where the red notes embedded themselves.

"Every note is red, and the instruments are clashing. This kind of music will surely be well received by professional musicians, and it could become a new form of rock for those who enjoy it. However, those who listen to it will emit negative energy."

Gamagin pressed his lips tightly together, just looking out the window. Pyemon, seemingly frustrated, spoke out.

"Are you going to leave it like this? The child is already loved by many in the human world. If he releases this music, many will listen, and the negative energy they emit could blow away all the positive energy you've gathered, sir."

Gamagin closed his eyes.

"Call Amdusias."

"Yes, sir."

"Not now."

"Pardon?"

"When the child's manager goes to Mexico to make a deal, he'll bring the music sheets with him. That's when you act."

"Ah... I see."

Gamagin got up from his seat.

"Before you act, report to me."

Pyemon also stood up, asking,

"Do you have something to say, sir?"

Gamagin, putting his hands in his trouser pockets, responded.

"Tell him not to change all of the child's music."

"Pardon? What do you mean, sir?"

Gamagin briefly looked down at the floor before answering.

"Just ten notes from the child's music sheets. That's all. Minimally interfere."

"Is that sufficient?"

"Don't underestimate the demon of music, Amdusias. He may be lower in rank than us, but there's no one who can match him in music."

Pyemon chuckled, raising his hands.

"Haha, I often forget he's one of the 72 demons because he's so frivolous. Understood, I will do as you say."

Gamagin nodded and was about to leave when Pyemon, attempting to erase the embroidered music sheets, stopped him.

"Sir, may I ask one thing?"

Turning around, Gamagin asked,

"What is it?"

Pointing at the music sheets hanging in the air, Pyemon crossed his arms and touched his lips with a finger before pointing from the eighth bar to the end of the sheet.

"Looking at this sheet music, can you feel the guitar and bass fighting to devour each other? It's like two beasts battling. Does this make music?"

Gamagin smiled at the section he pointed out.

"Do you know about a sea creature called a squid among the things humans eat?"

Pyemon tilted his head and moved his fingers toward the ground.

"Is it the flimsy thing with a hat?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"Sure, I know of it, but why bring it up now?"

Gamagin approached Pyemon in front of the music sheet.

"Squids are temperamental and die shortly after being caught in the sea. The price of a live squid versus a dead one is vastly different. Humans go to great lengths to keep them alive until they sell."

Pyemon quietly listened to Gamagin's words, then he continued.

"Do you know how they keep squids alive to the shore?"

"Um... Do they create an environment like the sea?"

"Haha, they couldn't possibly have such a facility on a small fishing boat."

"Then what do they do?"

Gamagin pointed at the part where the guitar and bass were clashing, causing the embroidered music sheets to disperse like wind.

"They put the squids in a tank under the boat and throw in a couple of their predators."

Pyemon looked shocked.

"Really

? Wouldn't the predators just eat all of them?"

"Haha, I said just a couple, didn't I? They can't eat all the numerous squids."

"Ah... How does that method help keep the squids alive?"

"Haha, seeing the fish, the squids struggle desperately to escape. It gives them a will to live. They constantly fight for survival until they are brought to shore, maintaining their freshness."

Pyemon quietly watched Gamagin and then nodded deeply.

"If you just replace the word 'squid' with 'music,' you can easily infer what it means."

Gamagin walked towards the door, adding,

"Exactly, it’s profound. That's also why I chose music to return to being an angel. When they fight each other like that, those listening to the music cannot let go of the tension until the end. Finding harmony in that is up to the child."

>

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