Devil’s Music

"Anger towards oneself? Why are you angry at yourself? You went through a childhood exposed unilaterally to domestic violence, didn't you?"

Geon, looking out the window, responded to Carlos's puzzling question.

"At that time, I was angry about my own powerlessness to resist. Of course, I resented my father. I was not old enough to fight back, and he was strong."

Carlos felt the change in Geon's mood and listened quietly. As Geon saw the bare branches outside the window, he continued,

"I hate that my life and my thoughts are filled with resentment towards others. I won't resent anyone, even if circumstances force me to. It's nothing more than a vile and lowly emotion."

Carlos frowned and said,

"Is that really your honest feeling? If I were in your shoes, I might not have been able to do that."

Geon turned to look at Carlos.

"It's not my honest feeling. I wrote in my diary several times a day that I wanted to kill him. My diary still at our home in Korea says that when I grow up and become strong, I will surely kill him."

"But why? Your honest feelings are real, aren't they?"

Geon remembered the words of Birashi he met in Nepal.

'Sing of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the role of a king, while revenge is only the act of the lowly. And love. It's impossible to grow wise by loving someone and at the same time, but try loving the world instead of an individual. Loving only oneself makes society rough and desolate.'

Geon smiled faintly and said,

"Those who harbor resentment towards others ultimately resent themselves. Choosing resentment as a way to release one's inner anger is nothing but a lowly act."

Carlos briefly watched Geon and then smirked, though his worry did not disappear as he added,

"Well, you're right. But if you explode in self-anger as you say, it might turn into 'self-blame'. You know that self-blame is more foolish than resentment, right?"

Geon nodded with a deep smile,

"Of course, I understand. Blowing up in self-blame is different from anger. Don't worry, I'll make sure they are different."

Relieved, Carlos glanced at the crumpled scores Geon had and suddenly asked,

"You said you would change the performance for the live show? Are you planning to perform live? You said you wouldn't. You hadn't scheduled it for that song aside from the album, had you? If you suddenly schedule it, you'll need to rent a live hall. It'll be at least four months before it's available for a live show, what are you planning?"

Geon turned his head to look at the woman sleeping on the sofa across from Kevin, who was also asleep. Carlos followed Geon's gaze to the woman and Geon revealed his teeth in a grin,

"The person who can be most helpful is right here."

Relaxed from the tension, Lynn, who was dozing off in an uncharacteristic manner, half-opened her eyes and looked towards the bed upon noticing Geon and Carlos's gaze on her.

"Huh? What is it?"

Both Geon and Carlos burst into cheerful laughter at her reaction. Meanwhile, Gregory, who had heard the laughter of Geon and Carlos from outside the room, stood up.

"Can I come in now?"

As Gregory reached for the door handle, a man who seemed to be a member of the organization rushed up to Miroslav and said,

"The lady has just come out."

Gregory paused his action and turned his head.

"Where should I go?"

"She's coming up from the psychiatric ward on the second floor."

"Got it, thanks for your efforts."

Gregory, looking slightly tense, hurried to the elevator. In the general hospital with eight elevators, he hesitated where to wait before quickly approaching an elevator as it dinged and stopped. The door opened, and Kiska appeared in Byung-jun's arms, making Gregory smile brightly and reach out his hand.

"Kiska! Daddy's here!"

As Kiska heard her father's voice, her ears perked up and she quickly turned her head. Seeing Gregory's smiling face, Kiska let go of Byung-jun's neck and stretched out her arms to Gregory. Gregory, beaming with joy, picked up his daughter, pinched her cheeks, and checked her for any bruises.

Byung-jun, intimidated by Gregory, hesitated to step out of the elevator and fumbled until he quickly grabbed the door as it began to close. Realizing he was obstructing the door, Gregory stepped back apologetically.

"Oh, sorry."

"No, not at all!"

Byung-jun quickly moved to Miroslav's side. Having often chatted and smoked together, Byung-jun was a bit more comfortable with Miroslav. Gregory, feeling Kiska's tiny fingers,

 looked at Byung-jun and asked,

"Are the test results out?"

Byung-jun took a step forward, lifting one arm towards Geon's hospital room.

"Let's talk inside."

"Aright, let's do that."

As Byung-jun ran ahead to open the door, Geon, Carlos, and Lynn looked towards him. Seeing Byung-jun, Geon was about to ask about Kiska's well-being but changed his words when he saw Gregory following.

"Ah, Gregory! You've come?"

Holding Kiska, Gregory smiled.

"Yes, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but what did the doctor say? Is Kiska alright?"

Geon looked worriedly at the girl, and Gregory, with a gentle smile, turned to Byung-jun,

"I should hear it now too. Oh dear, our Kiska has gotten quite heavy. Is there somewhere to sit···"

Gregory looked around and saw Kevin lying on a three-seater sofa. Miroslav approached Kevin and shook him awake. Kevin, who seemed exhausted, turned over but did not wake up, prompting Miroslav's brow to furrow as his large hand moved over Kevin's face. Seeing this, Byung-jun quickly whispered,

"Mi, Miroslav! It's better not to touch him."

Miroslav paused his hand, ready to punch, and looked at Byung-jun, who was sweating coldly.

"Touching him might bring missiles from Red Castle."

Miroslav twitched his eyebrows and looked at Kevin again before slowly getting up, feeling the sweat on his back. Byung-jun, feeling the sweat, squeezed between Miroslav and the lying Kevin and sat directly on him.

"Uh!!! Wh, what?!"

Startled Kevin flailed his arms as he saw Byung-jun sitting on his stomach and looking down at him and exclaimed,

"Manager! What are you doing?"

Byung-jun stealthily stood up as Kevin got up and looked at him with an annoyed expression. Gregory, who had just taken a seat next to Kevin, said,

"Now a seat is available."

Kevin, unsure what to say to a stranger, touched his face trying to regain his composure as Byung-jun whispered into his ear,

"I just prevented a war between America and Russia."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Such things happen."

Kevin stared at Byung-jun, who was talking nonsense, and then suddenly noticed Geon and ran towards the bed. Holding Geon's hand, Kevin, with tears welling up, exclaimed,

"Kay! Are you alright? Do you know how worried I was?"

Geon gently pulled his hand back and smiled,

"You were worrying but you were sleeping rather well?"

Kevin sweated and made excuses,

"Ah.. no, that's because I had been practicing all night yesterday···"

"Ha ha, alright. We have important things to discuss now, so let's talk later."

"Huh? Oh··· alright."

As Kevin stepped aside, Byung-jun stood up and said,

"First, to satisfy everyone's curiosity about what Kiska said, after that one sentence in the hospital room, she just shut her mouth again. The psychiatrist tried to engage her in conversation for a whole hour but she didn't respond except through gestures."

Gregory, patting Kiska's buttocks while holding her, asked,

"How is the examination result?"

Byung-jun, holding Kiska's neck close to him, glanced at her and said,

"They found nothing abnormal. The doctor said it's not that she can't speak, but that she chooses not to for psychological reasons."

A flash of guilt crossed Gregory's face as he stroked Kiska's little head, knowing the story of Kiska's mother. Everyone who knew looked at Gregory's expression and felt pity, falling silent. After a brief silence in the room, Gregory lifted Kiska to meet his eyes. He looked into her large eyes for a while and said weakly with a smile,

"Daddy will always wait. Someday you'll speak to me. Don't rush, just wait."

Kiska blinked her large eyes and looked into Gregory's eyes. Gregory, observing his unresponsive daughter for a while, hugged her again and said,

"So there's nothing wrong, and she doesn't need to be hospitalized?"

"Yes, that's right. She wasn't originally brought in for being sick."

Gregory turned to Geon and asked,

"What about Kay?"

Byung-jun, with his hands on his hips, said,

"He needs to be hospitalized for a few more days. Nothing abnormal was found, but if there's an impact to the brain, it should be monitored for at least three days."

Gregory nodded and spoke to Geon,

"That's probably best. Take a good rest. I'll be going now."

As Geon tried to get up, Gregory shook his head vigorously and raised a hand

,

"Just lie down. I'll see you when I get back home."

Gregory, holding Kiska, stood up from his seat, and as Kiska squirmed, Gregory looked down at his daughter and chuckled before placing Kiska on Geon's bed and speaking to Miroslav,

"Ha ha, Kiska seems to want to stay. Miroslav, could you please take care of her?"

Miroslav nodded,

"Leave it to me."

"Alright, then I'll be going."

Gregory left the room somewhat forlornly, followed by Miroslav who was seeing him off. Kevin, watching their backs with displeasure, asked Byung-jun,

"Who are these people? One of them looks pretty fierce."

Kiska stared at Kevin as he heard her. Kevin shrank his neck and stammered,

"I mean···.just···"

Geon chuckled and said,

"Are we just··· a choir of angels, Cyril? Ha ha ha"

Kevin, looking sheepish and watching Kiska's reaction, laughed awkwardly.

 In the suite of the Grand Hyatt Hotel on East 42nd Street in Manhattan.

Geon regained his consciousness and saw Lynn, who had returned to the hotel, sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee, and tapping her fingernails on the table. Lynn murmured softly,

"We're making a new version of 'Fury,' and Mr. Geon wants to share it with as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. But even if we start planning now, the only available time due to booking issues at live venues would be after Mr. Geon's vacation ends, huh..."

Lynn turned her head and looked at the calendar on the hotel wall. After staring at it for a moment, she suddenly jumped up and grabbed her phone from the bed. She made a call with the experienced demeanor of a businesswoman.

"It's me. Connect me with the event planner at Liverpool Sound City as soon as possible."

After hanging up, Lynn placed her phone on the table and stared at its darkened screen. It wasn't long before the phone lit up and vibrated. Taking a deep breath, Lynn picked it up.

"Hello, this is Son Lynn."

"Yes, Director. This is Ryu Wei from the Strategic Planning Office. I'll connect you with Joe Allen, the team leader of the Public Relations Team at Liverpool Sound City."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

After a moment, a British-accented male voice came through.

"This is Joe Allen from the Public Relations Team."

"Nice to meet you, this is Son Lynn from Fantagio."

"Yes, Director. I've been informed in advance. What can I do for you?"

"Has the lineup for Liverpool Sound City been finalized?"

"Of course, the festival is just two weeks away. We've finished the location and are now setting up the equipment."

"Is there any chance you could spare one performance slot?"

"Well... if it's Fantagio... Are the musicians from China?"

"No, it's Montana."

Crash!

There was a sound of something falling over on the other side of the phone. It seemed Joe had dropped the handset as a loud noise came through, causing Lynn to pull the phone away from her ear. After a moment of rustling, Joe's voice returned.

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Sorry about that. Did you just say Montana?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Joe Allen, the team leader, fell silent again. Liverpool Sound City, while an international event, was not a stage typically sought after by major musicians. It was a large music festival in Liverpool, a city known for three days of performances that had begun the career of bands like The Beatles, but the venues were small, including shopping malls, parking lots, warehouses, and clubs. However, the clubs in Liverpool included the Cavern Club where The Beatles actually performed, but they were small. If Joe could secure Montana's performance, his promotion was practically guaranteed.

"Hold on! Please wait a moment, I'll check the schedule."

"Alright, I'll wait."

The sound of papers shuffling came through the phone for a while before Joe Allen's voice came through loudly.

"Who set up such a tight schedule!?"

Fortunately, he had put down the handset before yelling, so Lynn's expression didn't sour, but his voice of despair wrinkled her face. After a bit more shuffling, Joe's voice continued.

"I'm sorry, but the schedule is too tight to fit in Montana's performance. They would need to perform at least three songs."

Lynn tapped the table with her free hand and spoke.

"What about just one song?"

There was a pause on the other end. Joe Allen, seemingly baffled, spoke after a moment.

"You mean, Montana would come all the way to the UK to perform just one song?"

"If it's just one song, would that be possible?"

"Well... if it's just one song, we could squeeze it into the intermissions between musicians..."

"Good, if you can meet our conditions, let's proceed with that."

"Conditions? You aren't going to ask for a guarantee, are you? We don't have the budget to offer a substantial guarantee for a major musician like Montana..."

"No, our conditions are to promote Montana's participation in the festival to as many people as possible from today until the start of the festival, to have multiple stages for one song, and to perform on an open outdoor stage rather than in a formal club, these three things. Can you do that?"

"The first one is also in our interest. And the second, if it's just one song, we can manage several times. But the third, I don't understand. There are plenty of clubs in Liverpool that can produce the right sound. Why would you want an outdoor stage where the sound disperses?"

Lynn took a moment to catch her breath before responding.

"It's the musician's desire to connect with as many people as possible."

"Ah, I see. Montana

 is really something different, haha."

"So, it's possible?"

"Yes, of course. But please send an official participation document by today. If we start marketing and then the participation is canceled, the loss will be great."

"I'll send it within an hour."

"That's very decisive of you, haha. Then I'll prepare the posters and website listings right away. Oh, by the way, what song will they be performing?"

"'Fury.' They will perform this one song on all stages."

"What? Fury... is the vocalist..."

"Yes, that's right. Kay will participate."

Crash!

Again, something fell over on the other end, and Joe Allen's shout burst out.

"Are you serious?! Kay is coming?"

The shouts of other employees who overheard the call were combined with Joe's loud voice, which Lynn heard as she pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Did I hear that correctly? Director! Director!"

Lynn put the phone back to her ear and spoke in a calm, business-like tone.

"Yes, you heard correctly. Kay will perform at Liverpool Sound City."

"That's... oh, I understand! I'll start a massive advertising campaign right away! Actually, I'll pour all the auxiliary budgets into marketing! Please send the official documents, Director!"

"Yes, I will send them soon, thank you for your efforts."

"Thank you! Thank you, Director!"

As Joe Allen continued to express his thanks endlessly, Lynn hung up first. Rubbing her ear, which seemed sore, she relaxed and smiled as she drank her coffee.

**

Late at night.

Having reassured everyone, Geon argued that there was no need to spend the night in the uncomfortable hospital and sent everyone home. Shizuka, who had come to the hospital with homemade food for Kiska and Geon, was the last to leave the spacious VIP room, leaving just Kiska and Geon. As Shizuka exited the room, sending regretful glances back, Geon sat on the bed and quietly looked at Kiska.

After staring at Kiska's cute face for a while, Geon, looking into the girl's eyes, said,

"Kiska, I was really surprised earlier by your voice?"

Kiska blinked her large eyes and tilted her head as Geon laughed and said,

"Your voice is so pretty and cute, that's why I was surprised."

As Kiska stared up at him, Geon stroked her bangs and said,

"I didn't know you had such a pretty voice. It's the prettiest voice I've ever heard."

Geon, just looking at the girl, hugged Kiska and said,

"Aren't you sleepy? It's time to sleep."

As Geon was about to leave for the bathroom, Kiska, who seemed to be getting up to go to the toilet, whispered quietly,

"Is my voice... pretty?"

Geon's body froze, and turning around, his eyes met Kiska's as she lay blinking her large eyes under the blanket.

"Did you... speak again?"

Geon approached the bed, leaned close to Kiska with wide eyes, and asked,

"Kiska! Say it again, what did you say just now?"

Geon urged Kiska, but her mouth did not open again. After trying to talk to Kiska for a while, Geon shook his head in disappointment and got off the bed. Scratching his head as he headed to the bathroom, he glanced back at Kiska and muttered,

"Ah, has your head not healed yet? I'm sure I heard you say something."

Watching Geon enter the bathroom, Kiska pulled the blanket over her head and chuckled quietly.

"My voice is... pretty."

Kiska, with the blanket pulled over her head, rolled around on the bed, seemingly pleased. After returning from the bathroom, Geon saw Kiska rolled up like a ghost under the blanket and chuckled.

The next day, ignoring the doctor's objections, Geon prepared to leave the hospital. Byungjoon rushed into the room as he received a call from the hospital administration office and burst through the door, yelling at Geon, who was sitting on the bed buttoning his shirt.

"Hey!! You're not supposed to leave yet, where are you going!?"

Geon turned around on the bed and smiled.

"I'm fine, bro. It was just a severe headache."

Byungjoon stomped over to the bed, about to yell, but upon catching Kiska's gaze as she sat quietly on the sofa, he shook his head in disapproval.

"Kiska, I brought you ice cream."

Kiska's eyes lit up as she received the bag of ice cream from Byungjoon. After handing the ice cream to the girl, Byungjoon spoke in a slightly calmer tone.

"You asked Director Lynn to let you perform, right? What performance are you planning with that body? You're leaving the hospital now to tweak the music, aren't you!"

Fully

 dressed, Geon smiled and approached Kiska, who was struggling to open the ice cream by herself.

"Bro, how can you just hand it over like that?"

Geon opened the ice cream lid and handed a spoon to Kiska before standing up. Smiling at Byungjoon, who was glaring at him, Geon took a coat from the wardrobe and put it on, saying,

"'Fury' and all the music I create are like my children. I don't want to be a father who just throws things together and doesn't take responsibility. I have to correct what is wrong."

Byungjoon frowned and asked,

"What? What did you throw together? What are you talking about?"

After lifting Kiska's face and wiping her mouth smeared with ice cream, Geon grinned.

"I have to stay by the side of my still imperfect child. That's what a father does."