Chapter 16: A Voice in the Clouds

The sun is setting.

After watching the Idol Gola-bogi video together, they went to see the new dorm, met a ghost in the mansion to resolve its grudge, and even inspired the CEO with a new song.

The Demon God summarized this entire sequence of events in a truly Demon-God-like fashion.

“As expected, it has to be me.”

Whether in front of people or before the camera, the Demon God remained the Demon God.

At first, he didn’t even know what the idol punishment was.

But now, about a week later, he had gained the confidence to carry it out.

Furthermore, there were secondary gains.

He learned that evil spirits existed in this world as well.

And his status as a Demon God worked on them.

The shadow and the specter had both tried to flee the moment they saw him.

That fact gave the Demon God something to look forward to.

What if a higher-ranking, truly wicked spiritual being appeared?

Could he not devour it entirely to help recover his strength?

Since his Authority, [Spiritual Feast], was active.

“I wonder where they might be. It would be grand if one appeared before me.”

The moment he thought this, Yoon-seo peeked his head in.

“Sun-woo hyung, what are you mumbling to yourself?”

They had become quite close now, so Yoon-seo no longer merely hovered around him.

To such a Yoon-seo, the Demon God spoke leisurely.

“I was envisioning a grand plan that humans could never dare to approach.”

It wasn’t actually that grand, but the Demon God was the type to speak first and think later.

Now, having finished a busy day, the group boarded the car heading back to the dorm.

The field manager was driving.

The Team Leader, whose workload had surged with the arrival of the investment funds, remained at the office.

“I don’t know what kind of plan it is, but just lie down and think. You can pull this and lie back.”

“Oh! I shall keep that in mind.”

Yoon-seo reclined Sun-woo’s seat so he could lie down comfortably.

“Sun-woo hyung, it would have been nice to buy your phone while we were out, but so many things happened today. I think it’s best if we just go back and rest.”

“I am fine. Maintaining the health of my subordinates is also the role of a leader.”

“Thank you!”

“And as for the phone, can I not simply requisition yours?”

“…….”

Tae-young spoke to Yoon-seo.

“The schedule is over, but Ha-gyeom will be arriving soon.”

“Ah! Ha-gyeom hyung arrives at night, right?”

The Demon God asked Tae-young.

“Who was Ha-gyeom again?”

“Sun-woo, you probably don’t remember him either, do you? He’s our main vocal, the kid who went to sing trot during the Guesan festival.”

A rough memory surfaced at that, but it was still blurry.

“I shall find out once we meet, anyway. But tell me. What is a ‘main vocal’?”

By now, Tae-young and Yoon-seo were no longer surprised by the Demon God’s lack of idol common sense.

“Right, Sun-woo, there’s a lot you don’t know.”

Accepting it naturally, they briefly explained the concepts of positions like main vocal, main dancer, and main rapper.

The Demon God understood the explanation well.

According to the concept, Ha-gyeom seemed to be quite excellent in the vocal department.

“When the melody I gave the CEO is transformed into an idol song, Ha-gyeom will have to sing it well.”

“Don’t worry. Ha-gyeom can handle any song well.”

On the other hand, the Demon God became curious.

The word ‘main’ was not attached to his own position. Didn’t they just say ‘center’?

“Is the center role I’ve been assigned one where vocals, dance, and rap are not very important?”

“Absolutely not.”

Tae-young shook his head immediately.

“The center goes beyond each area; it’s the face of the entire team. Since you stand out the most to the fans, it’s hard to endure without skill or presence.”

The face of the team.

The Demon God’s mood brightened instantly.

“As expected, I am the center.”

“Ah, well…”

Tae-young supplemented the explanation with a bit of reluctance.

Recently, the trend favored ‘all-rounders’ who were skilled in various fields, so many teams did not distinguish main positions.

All members sang, danced, and rapped, and the center and line distributions were handled evenly.

Since they didn’t know how the weight would be distributed for Pantheon in the future, they had to hone their skills.

“Hmm.”

“Sun-woo, don’t think too complicatedly. The fans will see you first, and the most. Just think of it as acquiring skills that you won’t be ashamed of in front of the fans.”

Not to be ashamed.

The Demon God accepted this.

What would it have been like if he had shown an inadequate appearance before his believers?

Would the believers have followed him with faith and thrown away their lives in war?

Although his view was blocked by the roof of the vehicle, the Demon God was looking at the world of stars beyond it.

One must climb the top to reach that sky.

“Vocals, dance, rap—”

And many other areas.

The Demon God’s new battlefield was unfolding here.

***

That evening.

The Demon God and the members were in the living room waiting for Ha-gyeom’s arrival.

“What kind of person is Ha-gyeom?”

The Demon God asked about the subordinate he was about to welcome.

“If you’re asking what he’s like—”

As Tae-young was organizing his thoughts, Yoon-seo chimed in from the side.

“There’s that biggest characteristic, isn’t there?”

“Ah, right.”

With Yoon-seo’s help, Tae-young was able to summarize Ha-gyeom’s personality in one phrase.

“He has ‘big-dog’ energy.”

“Hmm? What does that mean?”

As expected, it was a phrase the Demon God didn’t know, so Tae-young provided a supplementary explanation.

“It’s a characteristic idol fans give to idols. It refers to someone who is reliable like a big dog, but has a friendly and somewhat clumsy personality. Someone like that.”

“Ho, it is easy to understand, so I like it.”

“Right? It’s easy for even Sun-woo to understand, isn’t it?”

The Demon God nodded.

‘It means he is easy to manage as a subordinate.’

Making his own interpretation, the Demon God lay back down on the floor and rolled around.

“I just got a message from Ha-gyeom.”

Tae-young picked up his phone and read the content.

“Hmm.”

However, Tae-young, who had read the content, suddenly narrowed his eyes and showed it to Yoon-seo without a word.

“Hmm.”

Then even Yoon-seo narrowed his eyes.

“What is the matter? Is Ha-gyeom’s arrival delayed?”

The Demon God, who was rolling on the floor, felt something strange and asked, but there was no answer.

Tae-young and Yoon-seo just stared at the Demon God with narrowed eyes.

“What is it, Yoon-seo?”

“I wonder—.”

“?”

Only the Demon God was bewildered.

In truth, the message Tae-young received from Ha-gyeom was a single question.

[In your opinion, is Sun-woo an E or an I?]

E and I.

Extrovert and Introvert.

Among the criteria for classifying humans, it was a simple yet popular dichotomy.

Ha-gyeom was also curious about the member he was about to meet.

One might easily think that idols who stand before the public would be extroverts, but because it was an artistic field, there were actually many introverts.

Some groups even had entirely introverted members.

In Pantheon, to be specific, Yoon-seo was an extreme I, and Tae-young was also close to being an I.

“Since only Ha-gyeom hyung is an E among us.”

“Right, Ha-gyeom said he wished he had someone to go out and play with.”

As someone with ‘big-dog’ energy who was active and liked outdoor activities, Ha-gyeom hoped the new member would be an E.

Thus, Tae-young and Yoon-seo were lost in thought over whether Sun-woo was an E or an I.

“Hmm—”

“I wonder—”

“Why are you making such expressions while looking at me! It is unpleasant!”

Hearing the Demon God’s shout, Tae-young nodded as if he realized something.

Tap, tap, tap. He quickly typed what he wanted to say in the chat.

When he showed it to Yoon-seo, the boy nodded vigorously.

“You’re right, hyung. This is it.”

The content entered was:

[The thing is, whether he’s an E or an I doesn’t seem to be that important]

Extrovert or introvert, that wasn’t the problem.

Whether he was at home or out playing, Sun-woo was just Sun-woo.

That was the problem.

This guy Sun-woo is just a bit…

It was certain he was a kind kid, but on the other hand, it was a bit difficult, so to speak.

[You’ll need time to adjust once you get here]

[Adjust?]

[Just hurry up. It’s hard to explain in words]

[Hyung? I’m practically at the door]

Tae-young took his eyes off his phone.

“Ha-gyeom is here. Let’s open the door.”

“Yes.”

Tae-young and Yoon-seo stood up.

“Have him presented before me.”

The Demon God rolled his body over.

Click.

Following the sound of the door opening, Ha-gyeom’s greeting was heard.

“Tae-young hyung, Yoon-seo.”

Originally, along with Tae-young, he was part of Pantheon’s ‘tall line.’

However, unlike Tae-young, who had sharp lines, he gave off a soft feeling.

And above all, he was holding something in both hands.

“Ha-gyeom, did they pack things for you again?”

“Hyung, you must have struggled to carry all that. Why didn’t you call us?”

The members immediately took the bags as if they were used to Ha-gyeom’s heavy luggage.

“Why would I call? It wasn’t hard at all. Tae-young hyung, take that to the fridge. Yoon-seo, this goes on the balcony.”

Ha-gyeom designated where the luggage should go with a smile.

Then he turned his head left and right and discovered the Demon God.

“Oh! Hello! Sun-woo, we saw each other during the Guesan festival, do you remember me?”

“No.”

“Really? Well, we can get to know each other starting now!”

Looking at Ha-gyeom, the Demon God realized that was indeed what a ‘big dog’ felt like.

“Ha-gyeom.”

“Hmm?”

Ha-gyeom looked at him with expectant eyes.

“You are indeed like a dog.”

“?!”

Tae-young hurriedly explained from the side.

“I told him you have big-dog energy. That’s why.”

The Demon God also nodded.

“What did Tae-young call it? A Saint…?”

“Saint Bernard. A Swiss rescue dog.”

“To be called a ‘Saint’ is unpleasant. The only dogs I know are the Hellhound breed. Cute little fellows who smell of sulfur and breathe fire from their mouths.”

“There’s no way such a dog exists?”

The Demon God frowned.

Those kids were so cute.

When he took them out hunting, they would show off by breathing fire on the caught prey to roast it.

Barking woof woof woof woof while chasing after prey…

Well, it wasn’t important.

More than that, he was curious about Ha-gyeom’s vocal skills.

Was he not the one to sing the worship song for him?

“Let us listen to Ha-gyeom bark.”

“Sun-woo?”

“What?”

“The expression ‘barking’ isn’t used for people.”

“Did you not say he was a big dog?”

“I meant his impression is like that! You shouldn’t actually treat him as one!”

When Tae-young gave a strong warning, only then did the Demon God nod.

“Understood. Since I know how to accept the opinions of my subordinates. I shall only think of him as a dog in my mind.”

“…….”

Tae-young and Yoon-seo looked at Ha-gyeom and spoke with their eyes.

– [Now you understand why I said you’d need time to adjust, right?]

Ha-gyeom, who had become a dog in an instant, naturally understood instantly.

The feeling of wanting to go back home as soon as he returned to the dorm after vacation.

However.

“Sing, Ha-gyeom.”

The Demon God was not about to let him go.

“The comeback song is my self-composed song.”

“What?”

Yoon-seo chimed in from the side to provide a supplementary explanation.

“To be precise, the CEO is working on a self-composed melody from Sun-woo hyung.”

Ha-gyeom widened his eyes in surprise.

“Are you surprised? But I am the one destined to be a top idol. That much is nothing special.”

Ha-gyeom gulped.

There was a reason why the CEO had suddenly cast him.

Visuals, aura, confidence, and musical talent.

The situation of being told to sing out of the blue became understandable.

“You—it’s because you’re sincere about the song, right?”

Yoon-seo and Tae-young exchanged looks.

‘Because Ha-gyeom hyung is… pure…’

‘Right, he’s not exactly smart…’

Extroverted, bright, friendly, and clumsy.

It meant he wasn’t exactly the smart type.

“Alright! I’ll try singing it!”

Ha-gyeom shouted with passion, and Tae-young and Yoon-seo let it slide, thinking a good thing was a good thing.

Ha-gyeom began the previous title track, <Season of Light>.

An atmosphere as light and heart-fluttering as a spring breeze under the warm sunlight.

Ha-gyeom’s unique sensibility added a sense of yearning to the song.

Ha-gyeom confidently finished the first verse and checked Sun-woo’s face.

That face had its lips pouted out.

“Why, why? Did I not just sing well?”

Tae-young and Yoon-seo were holding both thumbs up.

“That song is not to my taste.”

“…….”

Ha-gyeom was momentarily at a loss for words before asking.

“Then what is your taste? What was the self-composed melody like?”

At those words, Tae-young also asked the Demon God.

“Come to think of it, Sun-woo. You haven’t let us hear the melody either. Do you want to try singing what you let the CEO hear today?”

“It is not singing, but humming.”

“It’s okay. Let us hear it too.”

Ha-gyeom and Yoon-seo also looked at the Demon God in agreement.

“Understood.”

The Demon God nodded.

It was the basic melody for the song they would sing together.

He thought it would be good to let them hear it in advance.

This time, the Demon God cleared his throat and hummed the song of worship directed at himself.

“Sun-woo, this…”

“Hyung, this is so good…”

Tae-young and Yoon-seo spoke with dazed eyes.

The reaction of the three members was no different from the CEO or the Team Leader.

No, rather, it was even more intense.

At an age where their sensibilities were sensitive, they were even immersed since it was a song they would sing themselves, so they had no choice but to fall into it completely.

“What is this? It feels like… someone is being worshiped?”

And Ha-gyeom’s impression was slightly closer to the essence of the song.

“Oh? You understood that.”

The Demon God said with a smile.

“Can you do it? If you cannot accomplish this, you will not be able to be called the main vocal of the team in the future.”

The Demon God was shrewdly using the position concepts he had just learned today.

However.

“I’m going for it right now.”

Ha-gyeom did not hesitate.

Just as the CEO had immediately obtained inspiration for creation upon hearing the song, Ha-gyeom also seemed to have felt an unknown sensation.

Humming flowed from Ha-gyeom.

“Oh.”

The Demon God listened intently.

It was similar to his own humming, yet slightly different.

A more sophisticated humming that could be called an idol song.

‘Is this what they call song interpretation?’

Even with the same song, the feeling changes depending on the person singing it.

It was the same no matter how much they followed the composer’s intention.

That was because the person singing was also contained within the song.

‘Hmm. This is what Ha-gyeom feels like.’

The Demon God’s ears felt the Ha-gyeom beyond the voice.

Of delicate sensibility, yet never losing optimism.

The Demon God recalled his old subordinates.

These types cried a lot and had many fears, but in the end, they remained by his side until the very end.

They moved forward without breaking, just like him.

While the Demon God was having these thoughts, Ha-gyeom’s humming ended.

“How was it? Is it a pass?”

At Ha-gyeom’s question, asked with a bit of tension, the Demon God smiled.

“Of course, it is a pass.”

Ha-gyeom also smiled broadly.

He had now been recognized as the main vocal for Sun-woo’s song.

However, a remark from the Demon God followed.

“You have passed as my subordinate.”

Ha-gyeom squeezed his eyes shut.

Tae-young was right.

This guy Sun-woo… whether he was an E or an I didn’t seem to be the important thing.

Would they be able to get along well in the future?