Chapter 23: The Demon God Manufactures a Jinx

– I can feel the one and only you.

The CEO’s guide track continued to play.

Compared to the song, which gave off a mysterious feeling, the lyrics were very easy to understand.

[ When I saw you in the sky where light does not reach ]
[ I became a comet and headed toward you ]

[ Finally ]
[ Into the deeper darkness ]
[ I went to you, burning myself ]

[ Even if I am exhausted and struggling, there is no hesitation ]

[ For you will bloom from me, who has turned to ash ]

[ I set my path while ablaze ]
[ Leaving not a trace of fear ]
[ The moment I saw you, everything changed ]
[ For you, burn again ]

[ The moment you, who bloomed, called my name ]
[ All the shadows in the world whispered to me ]

[ That I became complete because you are here ]

[ I will call you ]
[ You, who became our god ]

[ Worship forever ]

Instead of seeking light, it was a development where one burns their own light to head into deeper darkness.

Meeting ‘you’ in that darkness and being resurrected.

“CEO, quite impressive.”

Honestly, it was exactly his taste.

The Demon God struggled to pull down the corners of his mouth, which were twitching upward.

“I knew you’d like it, Sun-woo, even if no one else did.”

The CEO nodded vigorously and handed over the lyric sheet.

“Now, for now, I’ve tried distributing the parts like this.”

The Demon God also accepted the lyric sheet.

Among the lyrics of the entire song, only four lines were marked with a line.

The very first line, the very last line, and two lines in the middle.

“Is this not too little?”

Yoon-seo poked his head in from the side.

“I wondered who took all the killing parts! It was Sun-woo hyung who took them all!”

“Killing? To kill? It sounds pleasant.”

The other members also peered at the Demon God’s lyric sheet.

Tae-young stepped forward and explained the meaning of the four lines Sun-woo received.

“Sun-woo, it’s not just about it sounding pleasant; with this, you are dominating the song.”

“Dominating? That also sounds good.”

It was a song that layered the Demon God’s color onto the team. The Demon God’s presence had to be clearly revealed.

Since the members also knew about and agreed to the concept change, they had no complaints at all.

“I’ll go first!”

Ha-gyeom stood up from his seat.

As the main vocalist, Ha-gyeom often started the recordings, so it was a natural action.

However, the CEO shook his head.

“Let’s go in a slightly different order this time.”

At those words, Tae-young stood up slightly.

“Is it me?”

“No, not Tae-young either.”

“?”

Then Yoon-seo? Or starting with the rapper, Ji-ho?

“Let’s start with Sun-woo.”

“?”

The members were puzzled.

This was Sun-woo’s first time entering a recording studio, let alone recording. Wouldn’t it be better for him to watch the other members do it first?

“This song has a strong color that originated from Sun-woo, so we have to establish that mood as the center first. So you guys, pay attention to Sun-woo first.”

“Is that so?”

In the recording studio today, the CEO was the producer.

The members more or less accepted the producer’s opinion and moved on.

‘Heh heh heh.’

The CEO was smiling inwardly with a secret plan.

‘I’m going to give Sun-woo a taste of how tough being an idol really is today.’

This was his underlying motive.

He became the center as soon as he was cast.

His first event video became a hot topic, and even the variety show he appeared on as a result was a huge hit.

Dorms, investment funds—everything was just rolling in.

Even the killing part of this song was naturally Sun-woo’s.

‘I can’t let this continue. If I leave him like this, he might become too idle. I must teach Sun-woo humility.’

Of course, there were various feelings involved, such as the fact that Sun-woo spoke down to the CEO himself, that he didn’t seem to have any intention of fixing that speech, and that he felt inwardly intimidated since Sun-woo brought in the investment money, and thus wanted to clearly establish the hierarchy.

‘This is all for Sun-woo’s sake.’

Thinking this, the CEO wore a thin smile.

“CEO? Are you harboring some misguided thoughts?”

“Huh? No? I’m only thinking about directing. Because I’m a professional.”

“Hmm.”

Startled, the CEO pushed the Demon God’s back toward the recording booth.

“Do not push me.”

Inside the booth he entered.

“Oh.”

All noise vanished.

The walls covered with soundproofing material perfectly blocked out sounds from both the outside and inside.

• How is it, Sun-woo?

The CEO spoke into the microphone.

The members also huddled around the microphone.

“It is fascinating. A space without sound.”

• Your voice resonates well, right? Doesn’t it feel awkward?

The CEO asked with inward anticipation.

People experiencing a recording booth for the first time often get nervous because their own voices sound unfamiliar.

He intended to give a stern warning if Sun-woo showed such nervousness.

“Why would it be awkward? It is a magnificent voice, as it has always been.”

• Uh… Is that so?

The CEO clenched his fist.

Then, this time.

• Stand in front of the microphone in the middle and put on the headphones.

“I have put them on.”

• How about that? Isn’t that awkward?

The awkwardness of one’s own voice was even worse when using headphones.

Ordinary people have no reason to record or hear their own voices through a device. A voice heard that way is different from the voice heard in one’s own ears, giving a severe sense of disparity.

“What do you keep talking about? I said it is a magnificent voice.”

• I-I see.

What this proved was that Sun-woo was far from awkwardness or nervousness.

It was just things they already knew well.

The CEO took a deep breath.

Rather, it was better this way.

It was better than him being scared ahead of the recording.

Because the real thing was the recording itself.

This was the part where many idols truly learned humility.

• I’m telling you in advance, I’m the Spartan type. Right, guys?

• That’s right, Sun-woo. The regular CEO and the Producer CEO are different.

The Demon God nodded and spoke.

“What is a Spartan?”

• …….

Let’s start directing before my anger rises any further.

With this resolve, the CEO ordered the first line.

• Start.

A quiet and focused recording studio.

Even inside the booth, the Demon God was revealing his presence.

And the moment he opened his mouth, that presence was maximized.

“Uh, ah, huh?”

The CEO couldn’t take his eyes off Sun-woo inside the booth.

Something was blooming from his entire body.

Something black, and even blacker.

Every time Sun-woo spat out a syllable, darkness swirled and filled the booth.

If the booth door were opened right now, it felt as if everyone here would be swallowed by that darkness.

In that way, the first part ended.

“How was it?”

Only after the Demon God’s question dropped did the CEO regain his senses.

• Uh, how was it? Wait a second, before that.

The CEO turned off the microphone and looked back at the members.

“Did you guys see that too?”

““Of course.””

“Are you okay after seeing that?”

Ji-ho replied coldly.

“And if we aren’t okay?”

Ji-ho was returning to his original self, not long after having received a major shock.

“If you aren’t okay?”

The CEO thought for a moment and then turned his head back to Sun-woo.

“Then we have to be okay.”

Then he listened to the recorded part again.

Since it was the first recording, it couldn’t be perfect, and he intended to correct Sun-woo’s attitude by strictly pointing out the parts to be revised.

“…….”

There were none.

It was clean.

Surprisingly, there was absolutely nothing to revise.

“How can this be possible…?”

Having worked as a producer for a long time, he had encountered various singers, but the cases where they passed in one go were few and far between.

The CEO was speechless and stared blankly at Sun-woo.

“How was it?”

There, the Demon God was smiling.

The master of the song.

A Demon God who had been worshiped for a long time and possessed top-tier vocal cords and ears to realize that experience.

Finally, the CEO replied.

• Yeah, it’s good. It’s perfect.

He, who had been a famous producer, once again learned humility.

***

Sun-woo’s part ended incredibly quickly.

Ha-gyeom’s lyrical voice sang of worship.

As the main vocalist, he was a perfectionist regarding vocals, and seeing Sun-woo succeed seemed to make it impossible for him to stay still.

“Wait a moment, CEO. Let me try this part again.”

Unlike Sun-woo, Ha-gyeom went through revisions himself even without the CEO’s direction.

“You are diligent. That is the correct attitude for dealing with my song.”

“Ack, Sun-woo hyung… Do I have to sing like that too?”

“No. You just need to do your best.”

“Phew,” a sigh of relief escaped Yoon-seo’s lips.

But at that moment, the recording studio door opened slightly from behind and the Team Leader appeared.

“CEO.”

He quietly approached the CEO and called him.

“A very important contact has come in.”

“Important? We’re in the middle of working right now.”

“You know the broadcast writer they met when the kids went to get Ji-ho. Writer Song Hwi-na of Music Trouble.”

“Hmm?”

Ji-ho flinched with a sense of guilt, and the rest of the members pricked up their ears at the Team Leader’s words.

The CEO also told Ha-gyeom to wait for a moment and turned his body.

“A call came from the writer.”

“From them first?”

“Yes, she called the company and asked if something was wrong with Sun-woo, and why there was no contact.”

There were other young men in the thatched house of the Great Sage General where Ji-ho was caught. Song Hwi-na, the older sister of one of them, had handed her business card to Sun-woo and asked him to make sure to contact her.

Two days had passed since then.

“I was going to contact her when we were setting the music show schedule and ask for a favor then.”

“Then she won’t be able to refuse, I thought. What should we do? Should I say we’ll contact her again later?”

“No, if she reached out first, we have to take it.”

The CEO looked at the Demon God.

“Sun-woo!”

“Speak.”

After Sun-woo’s recording, the CEO gave up on his intention to do something about the informal speech and spoke comfortably.

“Let’s take a short break. Sun-woo, you, the Team Leader, and I will go to the office next door and call the writer.”

The Demon God tilted his head.

“Why must I share my call with you two?”

Then, the Team Leader approached and placed a hand on the Demon God’s shoulder.

“There is no way we can let you talk alone.”

The words were oddly firm.

The Demon God decided to go along with it simply because it was a bother.

Eventually, the CEO, the Team Leader, and the Demon God moved to the office next door.

The call followed.

“Writer, did you crave my voice?”

““Gasp.””

The CEO placed his hand over his eyes.

The Team Leader spoke urgently with mouth shapes.

‘What happened to ‘Hello, Writer-nim. This is Sun-woo from Pantheon. I heard you called’!’

They had practiced in advance, but he started in a way that wasn’t even close.

It was just the usual Sun-woo.

The Demon God laughed.

“The company is trying to instill human etiquette in me. However, I have no intention of doing so, so consider yourself informed.”

Even the Team Leader placed his hand over his eyes.

Staring at the CEO and the Team Leader in the same posture, the Demon God continued the conversation with Song Hwi-na over the phone.

• Ahahaha! Your way of speaking is exactly the same as on the variety show? But the way you speak isn’t the problem; isn’t your personality just unique?

“It would be different from an ordinary human.”

• Ahahat!

Song Hwi-na seemed to have regained her bright laughter.

• Why didn’t you call?

“What stories do you wish to tell?”

• Naturally, I wanted to say thank you.

“Writer, then should you not be the one calling?”

The person who wants to be thankful should call.

He had spoken in a misguided way, but the content was correct.

• Th-that’s right, isn’t it? It’s correct for me to be the one calling.

“Indeed. Now, I shall give you the opportunity to be thankful. Speak.”

The flustered Song Hwi-na soon cleared her throat and spoke.

• Thank you, Sun-woo. Thanks to you, I was able to save my youngest brother. My brother has come to his senses and is regretting it now.

It was hard not to regain one’s senses after hearing the confession of fraud and seeing the soaking wet pink pants.

However, the Demon God wasn’t particularly interested.

“It is nothing to me.”

• My, even such modesty.

The CEO, who was barely lowering his hand from his eyes, covered them again at the word ‘modesty’ that leaked from the phone.

• Well, anyway. I will never forget this incident.

“You may forget it.”

The CEO and the Team Leader jumped in their seats.

They spoke desperately with mouth shapes.

‘Why should she forget! She said she won’t forget!’

‘She shouldn’t forget! She shouldn’t! Only then can we appear on Music Trouble!’

Fortunately, Song Hwi-na had a plan of her own.

• Hehe, I’ll discuss my repayment of the favor with the company people. Sun-woo, if there’s anything you want to consult regarding music shows, contact me anytime!

“If it is that, I understand. I still have much to learn about this world.”

• I know you’re from overseas, Sun-woo. Then, stay in touch!

A broadcast writer is an incredibly busy job when there is work. Song Hwi-na couldn’t talk for long and ended the call.

However, the faces of the CEO and the Team Leader looked incredibly happy.

“Team Leader Oh, did you hear? She said she’d repay the favor.”

“I heard. She said she’d discuss the repayment with the company people. What a truly well-mannered writer.”

The CEO and the Team Leader had already checked Song Hwi-na’s standing at Music Trouble.

She was the main writer of Music Trouble and had considerable power.

If she helped, they could appear on Music Trouble without any interference.

The CEO and the Team Leader looked at the Demon God.

Warmly, with welling affection.

Very warmly.

“Wh-what is this. I decline that kind of gaze.”

The Demon God was unenthusiastic.

***

The recording continued.

Ha-gyeom put effort into his recording again.

After finishing his own part, the Demon God spent a long time appreciating Ha-gyeom’s singing, and it was about time he started looking for some dopamine.

“Sun-woo hyung, do you know about this?”

“Hmm?”

Fortunately, Yoon-seo brought up something interesting.

“There are cameras running here for promotional purposes. There’s also the recording studio’s own CCTV.”

Yoon-seo pointed to the camera on one side of the studio and the CCTV on the ceiling.

“And?”

“Sometimes ghosts are captured during recording, you know?”

Come to think of it, songs contain emotions.

A space like a recording studio could be said to be a place where human emotions surge. It was a place where minor ghosts might gather.

But then.

“They say it’ll be a huge hit then.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s a jinx. If a ghost is caught in the recording studio or the MV, that song will be a huge hit.”

Yoon-seo had said it without much thought.

He couldn’t understand why the Demon God suddenly burst into a wide smile.

“Hyung?”

“You should have told me earlier.”

“????”

The Demon God rose from the sofa.

While throwing out incomprehensible words.

“I shall go catch one right in front of us.”