Devil’s Music

After seeing off Kevin and Carlos, who had left for Mexico from Seattle, Geon took Kiska with him and immediately flew to Washington, heading straight for the White House. Since it wasn't possible to go further inside with a member's car, Geon switched to a White House vehicle at the entrance.

Holding Kiska's hand while waiting for guidance, they were soon approached by Graham Howard, the security chief whom they had met previously.

"Kay, nice to see you again after a few days."

Geon switched the hand holding Kiska's from his right to his left to offer a handshake.

"Haha, Mr. Howard. How have you been?"

As Graham shook Geon's hand, he looked down at the petite Kiska and said,

"This cute little girl must be Miss Kiska Miočić. Nice to meet you."

Though Graham was tall and heavily built, Kiska, used to seeing even larger figures at Red Castle, didn't seem intimidated and just looked up at him quietly. Watching Kiska's reaction, Graham lifted one arm inward and chuckled.

"It's been a while since I've seen a child who doesn't cry at my sight, haha. Please, come inside."

Guided by Graham, they reached the front of the Oval Office where a red-haired female secretary wearing glasses stood up from her seat.

"Welcome. The President has been expecting you. I'm sorry, but Miss Kiska will need to wait here with me."

Lifting Kiska to sit on the sofa, Geon knelt down to meet her eyes.

"Kiska, just wait here a little while for me, okay? I'll be right back."

Kiska, feeling a bit wary of the unfamiliar space, watched as the secretary approached with a cup of vanilla ice cream, smiling.

"Miss, stay with me. We have your favorite vanilla ice cream here."

The secretary spoke in a friendly tone and sat opposite Kiska, but Geon slightly frowned at the implication that they had investigated even Kiska's tastes.

"It's okay, Kiska, we'll go to the Ice Cream Factory later for something even tastier, okay?"

Kiska looked back and forth between the ice cream cup and Geon before nodding, and Geon stood up, saying,

"Please take good care of her."

The alert assistant quickly approached and whispered.

"We didn't investigate Miss Kiska. The President is just very interested in Kay and curious about his surroundings, so please don't take it personally."

Geon grimaced at the assistant but soon nodded in acknowledgment that she was not at fault.

"Thank you, could you please show us the way?"

As the assistant saw Geon's expression soften, she used the intercom to announce his visit, and soon, loud hurried footsteps and clattering noises came from inside the Oval Office. It wasn't long before the door burst open, and a beaming Harold Winston rushed out to greet them.

"Kay!!"

Geon looked down at their joined hands and gave an awkward smile.

"Seems like Kevin got his habits from someone. Haha."

"What do you mean.."

"Haha, never mind. Let's go inside."

Harold Winston grabbed Geon's hand and slung his other arm around his shoulder as they walked into the office and sat down on the couch. As soon as Geon was seated, Harold clasped his hands together and said,

"My goodness! Carlos Montana! I only asked for an introduction to a talented student band from Juilliard, but this was beyond an overwhelming favor. I'm grateful, but at the same time, I feel a bit sorry."

Geon just smiled at Harold, who tilted his head slightly, asking cautiously,

"Is there... a problem?"

Taking a moment before responding, Geon finally spoke,

"You might need to take a better look at your own son."

"What do you mean.."

"Didn't the First Lady attend a music college? Wasn't there anything else mentioned? About Kevin?"

Harold pondered for a moment before replying,

"Well... Aside from being musically talented and doing well in school, there's nothing much about music. Actually, he's been quite a handful since his high school days, dealing with incidents and keeping me on my toes."

Geon widened his eyes and asked,

"Incidents? What kind of incidents?"

Harold sighed deeply and said,

"Phew, I hate to say this, but the boy dislikes that I'm the President. In fact, he hated politics even when I was a Senator. After becoming President, it only worsened."

"Why is that? Being the son of the President of the United States should be something to be proud of."

"Well... He's been hurt before by friends who approached him because of my status."

"Really?"

Harold stood up and picked up the intercom on his desk.

"Could we get two coffees here, please?"

After putting down the intercom, Harold leaned against the desk and crossed

 his arms.

"It seems he played a bit of a leader role at school because of the kids who followed him around, though he wasn't into fighting. He believed he had some mysterious power over them. Then one day, he overheard a conversation behind the school and got hurt."

Geon nodded seriously.

"I see. It sounds like something out of a drama, but such experiences can deeply wound a young mind."

As the coffees arrived, the secretary, sensing the serious mood, glanced over cautiously, perhaps to see if the investigation into Kiska had been mentioned. Seeing her, Geon smiled and shook his head as if to reassure her, and the secretary, grateful, winked and left the office. Watching her leave, Harold made sure the door was closed before speaking,

"Did you notice anything unusual when you met him?"

Geon thought for a moment before responding,

"Not really. He seemed a bit surprised when he heard that I knew his father was the President, but nothing else stood out."

"Hmm, think about it carefully. He's the direct family of the current President of the United States. Have you ever seen a bodyguard around him? All direct family members of the President are under Secret Service protection."

"Oh, now that you mention it, that's true."

Harold rubbed his temple, seeming troubled.

"He's the kind of kid who would swing a guitar at a bodyguard if they got too close. Even if they watched from a distance, he somehow always knew and would throw rocks at the car. Eventually, we had to pull the bodyguards off him. His disdain for politics is that deep."

"Was there a particular reason?"

Harold crossed his arms and slightly bowed his head.

"Probably my fault."

Geon looked at him curiously, prompting Harold to continue,

"Politicians don't have much time. As a result, I couldn't spend as much time with my family as others might. But I tried my best. Yet, it seems the careless words of children stuck in his mind as if they were the truth."

**

Seven years before Harold Winston's inauguration.

In the city of Alexandria, Washington, at the Jorge Washington Middle School, the end-of-class bell rang, and the doors burst open as the younger students streamed out excitedly. After a bunch of students had left, others followed at a more leisurely pace. When it seemed like all the students had left, a young Kevin, a bit late and alone, walked out with a red backpack, looking around.

"What, did everyone leave already?"

Disappointed, Kevin kicked at the dirt before heading towards the school's back parking lot, a shortcut to the usual hangout spot. As he passed through the narrow alley, he heard his friends' voices from the parking lot, which brightened his expression. Kevin quickened his steps, but paused when he heard their conversation.

"Damn, I was planning to play the new PlayStation game that got delivered today! Why isn't Kevin coming out?"

"Just wait. If we go home early and he gets upset, our parents will scold us and we won't even get dinner."

"Damn it!"

"Stuart, didn't your dad just become a Congressman? Congratulations."

"What's there to congratulate? He's just another lackey for Kevin's dad."

"Haha, can't help it."

Kevin quietly peeked around the corner and saw three boys squatting on the parking lot floor, stealthily smoking. Kevin listened intently as one of the boys, after taking a deep drag, passed the cigarette to another.

"Remember when I fought with Kevin and went to apologize the next day? I almost got kicked out of my house. Damn."

The boy who took the cigarette put it to his lips, and as the smoke stung his eyes, he dabbed away a tear.

"Why? How did your parents know? Did Kevin's mom say something?"

"No, she's not that type. You know, those guys always following around, the bodyguards. They must've reported it to my dad. Of course, my dad asked them to keep an eye on me."

"And then? How much did you get scolded?"

The blond boy spat out in annoyance.

"I almost got hit by my dad. I'm not even in politics, so why should I care what others think? After dad left in anger, my mom came and told me."

"What did she say?"

"That Kevin's family is just a prop for his dad. They're like accessories advertised to show a harmonious family for political gains. Told me not to fight with the poor kid. So although I was annoyed, I apologized thinking I was doing charity, and he just grinned."

"Haha, that's funny. My mom said something similar."

"Ah, forget it, damn. It's uncomfortable being a politician's kid."

"Yeah, but dude, at least all our dads' wealth will be ours. Just bear with it."

"Right. Damn! But why isn't Kevin

 coming out?!"

As Kevin listened from the narrow alley, he slowly backed away. His fists clenched, trembling, he turned around and left the alley alone. After that day, Kevin's friends never saw him again.