Devil’s Music

Contrary to Anna's expectations, Shizuka was sitting demurely across from Geon. Anna sat next to Geon with an excited expression, and Anthony sat next to Shizuka. Geon, after removing his hat and sunglasses which concealed his face, ordered beer and some snacks. Shizuka's eyes glazed over, likely because she had chosen a seat where she could get a good look at Geon's face. Anna, too, couldn't stop staring at Geon's handsome profile, so Anthony broke the silence to ventilate the room.

"Hey, Kay. You're with us, right? Haha, it feels surreal."

Geon smiled slightly and nodded.

"I guess everyone feels the same about group assignments; you can't choose your partners. I didn't even get your names, just the time and studio number."

"Ah, right. Anyway, we're lucky. Haha."

Seeing that Anna and Shizuka were still lost in Geon's face, Anthony continued the conversation.

"What song are we doing?"

Geon looked around at his group, tilting his head.

"We should decide that together?"

Anthony scratched his cheek, smiling.

"Ah... but it's kinda... hard to suggest something in front of Kay..."

"Haha, don't be like that. We're all students here, Anthony."

Snapping back to reality, Anna hastily added.

"Right, right! We're all students from the same school! So, we can speak informally with each other?"

Geon nodded as if it were obvious, then spoke first.

"Of course! Anna, Shizuka, Anthony. I'm counting on you all."

Anna raised her arms excitedly.

"Yes! Friends with Kay! Yay!!!"

Anthony tried not to show his excitement too much, but couldn't hide his smile, and Shizuka was still too captivated by Geon's face. Just then, as Anna was waving her hands around, the door opened, and a server came in with beer and snacks on a tray, nearly dropping it upon seeing Geon's face.

"Whoa, Kay?"

Geon greeted the server with a bright smile and a wave.

"Hello? Sorry, but we're having a meeting for a group assignment, so please keep it down."

The server quickly closed the door, saying,

"Of course! Thank you for choosing our place!"

After placing the food and beer on the table, the server approached Geon to whisper.

"Um... Sorry, but could I get a photo?"

"Ah, sure."

After taking a friendly photo with the server, who repeatedly thanked him, Geon raised his beer.

"Let's drink! To our group assignment! Cheers!"

After clinking glasses and drinking their beer, Anthony was surprised to see Geon's glass empty.

"Wow, Kay, you finished it in one go? You must be good at drinking."

Geon laughed awkwardly, remembering someone who used to pour bottles directly into their mouth.

"Ah... I spent a lot of time with someone who would finish their first drink in one gulp... Haha, just thinking about it makes me sweat."

Recalling the figure who used to look down at him with sunglasses, Geon straightened up as Anthony opened the VIP room door and called out,

"Another round here!"

After another beer was brought in, they finally started discussing the class in earnest. Anthony cautiously began,

"So, this mission is fundamentally a competition, not graded on an absolute but on a relative scale. If someone performs better than our group, we can't get an A+. You all know that, right?"

Everyone nodded, and Anthony glanced at Shizuka before speaking,

"Just hear me out. Hearing Shizuka is from the classical department, I thought maybe we should choose a piece with a bit of difficulty. With Kay here, we're set for guitar and piano, right?"

Anna nodded, looking at Shizuka,

"I think so too. Shizuka, you can play most classical pieces, right?"

Shizuka hesitated before nodding with a slightly gloomy expression,

"Yes, I can play most of them."

"How about we transform a classical performance into a band score?"

"I agree. Let's cover technical difficulties with our skills!"

"Wow!!"

While Anna and Anthony were excited, Geon quietly observed Shizuka's gloomy demeanor. Anna, quickly noticing Geon's gaze, discreetly checked on Shizuka. As Anthony also turned his attention to Shizuka, she looked around nervously, eyes wide and panicked. Geon spoke up,

"Shizuka, we're a team. If there's something you're not happy with, I wish you'd tell us."

Shizuka hurriedly denied any issues,

"No, no, it's not that. I'll do my best with whatever the team decides."

Geon exhaled, crossed his arms, and leaned back against the chair. Noticing the mood dipping, Anna stood up and took out

a cigarette from her guitar case,

"Ah... I need a smoke."

Anthony quickly joined her, saying,

"Me too. Wow, a smoking buddy? That's great!"

As Anna and Anthony left the room, Shizuka looked down, feeling the awkward silence. Geon, observing her quietly, smiled warmly,

"Shizuka? You're in the classical department? I didn't catch the conversation earlier."

Shizuka, trembling slightly, nodded without looking up,

"Yes, yes. Right."

Geon interlocked his fingers and asked,

"Enjoying it?"

Shizuka froze. Seeing her eyes tremble, Geon sighed and leaned back,

"Not enjoying classical music, huh?"

Without waiting for her response, Geon spoke seriously,

"If you're not enjoying it, there are only two options: quit or make it enjoyable."

Shizuka looked at him with wide eyes, and Geon smiled slyly,

"Considering you've come all the way from Japan to study in the U.S., quitting should be your last resort. So, shall we start with making it enjoyable?"

"How... how do we do that?"

"Let's figure it out together."

When Anna and Anthony returned, Geon raised his beer glass,

"Let's have a drink and talk."

After another sip, everyone looked at Geon. He smiled and suggested,

"How about we start with music other than classical to see each other's skills?"

Anna nodded in agreement,

"What kind of music? Band music, right?"

Anthony rested his chin on his hand,

"Let's consider band music that includes keyboard. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles come to mind. Anna, any ideas?"

Anna thought for a moment,

"But those all have vocal lines. Of course, with Kay, vocals are no problem, but if we're showing our skills, maybe an instrumental piece would be better?"

"Good point. What do you think, Shizuka?"

Shizuka, having been quietly listening, was taken aback when called upon,

"I, I don't mind anything..."

"Why don't you have an opinion?"

"Come on, share your thoughts. You're a team member, Shizuka."

"I'm sorry. I haven't thought deeply about it."

Anna shook her head and asked Geon,

"What do you think, Kay?"

Geon, smiling softly, looked at Shizuka, then turned to Anna,

"Do you guys know Yukie Kouramoto?"

Anna looked puzzled, then smacked the table,

"Yeah, I've heard of him. Isn't he a pianist?"

"Right, a pianist from Japan, Shizuka's country."

"Was he a classical musician?"

"He started with classical but debuted as a New Age pianist."

"New Age? Like nature-worship music?"

"Yeah. There's a piece by Yukie Kouramoto from his 1986 album 'Lake Misty Blue' called 'Lake Louise'. Wanna listen?"

As Anna played the music on her phone, a beautiful melody that made you imagine playing a grand piano in the midst of nature flowed out. Anthony nodded, recognizing the violin and cello, suggesting,

"It's a beautiful piece, and the difficulty seems fine. The cello line could be played by the bass, and the violin by the guitar, right?"

Anna, amazed, looked at the phone playing the music,

"Wow... why am I hearing this for the first time? It's so beautiful. Shizuka, you knew this already, right?"

Shizuka nodded proudly,

"Of course. He's really famous in Japan."

"Sounds like it could be used in a beautiful anime."

"It has been used in games and anime."

"Ha! My ears are accurate."

As Shizuka seemed a bit more cheerful, Geon leaned forward and asked,

"Want to try playing it?"

Shizuka hesitated, then nodded slightly,

"Yes, sure. It's not too difficult."

Geon suggested, flicking his finger,

"Not on the piano."

"Pardon? Not on the piano?"

"Right. Not on the piano."

"What do you mean by that?"

As Anna and Anthony looked curiously at Geon, he smiled, holding his half-finished beer,

"Shizuka, try the drums."

"What??"

"Kay, what do you mean?"

"Drums? Where?"

As the three looked puzzled, Geon gave a sexy smile, captivating the two women despite their curiosity. Only Anthony seemed to keep his wits about him as Geon showed a teasing smile,

"Why not practice? Let's try different instruments from what we specialize in, but practice together and help each other. How about it?"

The room fell silent as the three looked at each other, surprised. Geon flicked his finger again,

"It's just a practice piece. Let's take it easy, and we'll discuss and decide on the piece for the competition later."

Born in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, Japan, Shizuka was first introduced to the piano at a small local music school when she was dragged there by her farming parents at the age of four. The black piano, massive and gleaming, caught young Shizuka's eye. Initially frightened, she burst into tears just sitting at the piano bench, yet was captivated by the beautiful sounds produced by the teacher's fingers on the piano.

Growing up in the countryside, catching insects and playing with the family's Akita dog amidst the fields was Shizuka's whole world of fun. Her first encounter with the piano was something special. Every day after kindergarten, she would eagerly hold her mother's rough hands from farm work and run to the piano school, spending hours at the piano until exhaustion.

Noticing Shizuka's rapidly improving skills, the school principal recommended studying abroad. Eventually, when Shizuka turned ten, her parents sent her to live with her aunt in Tokyo. Her uncle owned a small Sukiyaki restaurant with living quarters upstairs. Delighted as if having their child, the aunt set up a small piano practice room on the rooftop for Shizuka, and the uncle managed to acquire a good piano at a bargain price from a failed music school.

Being separated from her parents and living in the big city was terrifying for young Shizuka. Instead of familiar countryside sounds, the roar of cars filled the air, and instead of friendly dogs, she saw foreign breeds with shiny leashes. Shizuka hardly left the house except for school, finding solace only in the piano on the rooftop, which became her only friend.

Shizuka received expensive lessons funded by her parents' hard-earned money from farming, setting her apart from other children in practice hours. She had no peers to match her dedication to the piano, naturally dominating competitions within Japan. Initially perceived as a newcomer who won by luck, the accumulating awards drew media attention.

When she reached high school, Tokyo University of the Arts showed interest in her, but Shizuka chose to study in the United States. With financial support due to land sold for a military base expansion, her parents backed her decision, and she was admitted to Juilliard, the school for prodigies. However, amidst her excitement, Juilliard quickly revealed her limitations compared to other "geniuses" from around the world, placing her in the mid-tier, unnoticed.

Not one to give up, Shizuka dedicated herself even more to practice, but the resulting frustration from exams only grew. The piano, once a reliable companion, seemed to no longer follow her lead, leading her to eventually stop practicing. Fortunately, New York offered plenty of distractions, and she spent her vacations exploring art exhibitions, dreading the return to school.

Hence, she opted for a band class, seeking a departure from classical music. Arriving at the studio with a nervous expression, she met Anthony, who seemed more like a hip-hop rapper, and Anna, who was direct but seemed honest. The appearance of a dreamily handsome man waving at her made the first class of her junior year seem potentially enjoyable.

"Hello, am I late? Sorry."

**

After a drink and the departure of her friends, Shizuka found herself alone on the sidewalk, watching cars zoom by on the dark evening road, pondering Geon's words to her.

"Shizuka, try playing the drums."

Looking up at the sky and recalling Geon's face made her blush, then shake her head.

"Drums? That's so random. I've never played before; how could I suddenly do it?"

After sitting for a while, she stood up and headed home. Entering her lonely, cold house, Shizuka fell onto her bed and quickly fell asleep, still under the influence of alcohol. The next morning, she was awoken by birds chirping at her window, and she jolted up in shock.

"Yikes! Practice is in an hour!"

After a quick shower and partially drying her hair, Shizuka hurriedly shook her still-damp hair a few times, grabbed her bag, and left the house. Luckily, living not far from the school, she arrived at the practice room on time, which seemed empty. A sigh of relief escaped her as her eyes caught the golden Yamaha drum set to one side. She cautiously sat at the drum set, feeling its imposing presence even more than the piano she first encountered.

Tentatively touching the snare drum with a stick held above the bass drum, she was startled by the unexpectedly loud sound, making her flinch.

"What? That's so loud! Are drums always this noisy?"

In performances, microphones are used to equalize the volume of instruments, so those unfamiliar with drums might be surprised by the sound in a small practice room. Shizuka's reaction was understandable, given her lack of experience. Just as she was about to try the snare drum quietly, Geon burst through the

door.

"Ah! Hello!"

Seeing Shizuka at the drums, Geon smiled and put down his guitar case.

"Sorry, didn't hear any sound, thought it was empty. Should've knocked."

"No, it's fine."

"Why are you just sitting at the drums without playing? Give it a try. It's liberating."

"I.. don't know how. Just wanted to sit here."

As Shizuka attempted to get up, Geon gestured for her to stay and came over, showing her how to cross her arms.

"Stay there. I'll show you some basics. Now, cross your arms like this."

Following Geon's instruction, she crossed her arms, and he guided her right hand holding a stick above two cymbals on the left.

"This is called a hi-hat. See the pedal underneath? Press it down."

As Shizuka followed Geon's instruction and pressed down on the hi-hat pedal, the cymbals clamped together. Geon, watching Shizuka's foot, shook his head and advised, "Lift your heel. Press with the tip of your foot. Pressing with your heel down can lead to cramps, and it doesn't produce a good sound."

When Shizuka lifted her heel, the cymbals clamped tighter. Geon, satisfied, motioned with his right arm. "Now, hit the hi-hat with the stick in your right hand, and as you hit, count '1,2,3,4' out loud. Try hitting it four times."

As Shizuka quietly counted and hit the hi-hat four times, Geon, with his arms crossed, said, "Now, hit the hi-hat for '1,2' and on '3', hit the snare drum with your left hand. The snare drum is the one closest to you, between your legs. Want to give it a try?"

Chick-chick-thud-chick!

"Like this?"

"Yes, exactly. Now, let's add the foot. Look under your right foot; you'll find the bass drum, the biggest drum. See the pedal in front of the drum? Lift your heel just like with the hi-hat."

As Shizuka lifted her heel, the bass drum boomed. Startled, she tensed her thigh, lifting her heel without pressing down on the pedal. Geon laughed, "When you're not hitting the bass drum, keep the pedal down. It keeps the pedal attached to the drum. Just move your foot to play it."

"Oh, I see."

"Alright, let's do a sequence. On '1', hit the bass drum, and on '3', hit the snare drum. Easy, right? Shall we try?"

Boom-chick-thud-chick! Boom-chick-thud-chick!

"Wow, you're doing great! Let's link it twice now."

As Shizuka played the basic drum beat, she looked up at Geon with a sense of wonder and joy. Geon, hands on his hips, laughed and said, "That's the basic 4/4 rhythm. If you can string it together, you can play any song in 4/4 time. Shizuka! You've just learned the skills to easily play hundreds of songs!"

"Ahaha! That's funny."

"Ha, keep going."

"Okay~"

In less than five minutes under Geon's instruction, Shizuka was playing proper rhythms and was thoroughly enjoying herself, not even noticing the sweat on her nose. Geon, smiling at her progress, said, "See those two small drums above the snare? They're called toms. The large one on the right end is the floor tom. Ever seen drummers on TV wildly hitting the toms?"

After Shizuka lightly ran her sticks over the toms and nodded with a bright smile, "Yes! It looks so cool!"

"Right! You can do it too. Start by hitting the snare drum four times. Then in order, hit tom 1 four times, tom 2 four times, and the floor tom four times. Wanna try?"

"Yes!"

Shizuka, a bit tense, started with the snare drum.

Drumming in succession, Geon shouted, "Now, hit the cymbal on top!"

Crash!!

After playing the climax of her drum session, Shizuka beamed with joy, and Geon nodded in approval, sharing her happiness. "Now, how about playing that 4/4 rhythm and then adding what you just did?"

"Yes, yes!"

Boom-chick-thud-chick! Boom-chick-thud-chick! Drumming, drumming, drumming, crash!!

Shizuka, not typically one for loud expressions, let out a huge cheer.

"Wow! Amazing!!"

"Haha, yeah, it is cool. Shizuka, you've got talent."

"Hehe, thank you."

"Keep practicing."

"Okay, Geon!"

While Shizuka was deeply engrossed in her practice, Geon opened his guitar case and took out Hak. Connecting the jack to the amp and pulling up a chair, he watched Shizuka, now gleefully engrossed in drumming, with a small smile.

'Yes, it should be fun. It has to be enjoyable. That's how you make good music, Shizuka. And that will be the strength that supports you.'