Chapter 29: Photo Session

Pantheon, who were not yet a famous group, were incredibly busy once their comeback activities began.

They only stopped by their new dorm, commonly known as the ‘Mansion,’ long enough to sleep.

Still, they found a little bit of time on the evening the U-Gae-Dal video was released.

“Snacks.”

The Demon God spoke firmly.

“Snacks? Should I make something for you?”

Yoon-seo stood up to look for an apron, but Ji-ho cut in.

“No. We’re in the middle of promotions, so Yoon-seo needs to save his energy.”

Ji-ho was more sensitive about health management than anyone else. He usually lived on red ginseng and vitamins.

“Ji-ho’s opinion is correct. I simply wish to consume sugar.”

Yoon-seo thought for a moment and then spoke.

“So you want to eat sweets?”

“Yes.”

Since his first day as an idol, the Demon God had taken a liking to the sweets Yoon-seo provided. Since then, he never hesitated whenever there was an opportunity to indulge in snacks or desserts.

And there was a specific purpose behind his request this time.

“There is something I wish to try.”

“Huh? Then do you want to go to the convenience store with us, Sun-woo hyung?”

“A convenience store?”

Since coming here, the Demon God rarely had to buy things himself.

His casual clothes were mostly inside the suitcase that had appeared with him, and besides that, he had very little material desire.

So, whenever the members asked if they should buy him something while they were out, he would only shake his head.

He arrived at the end of August, and it was the same even now in mid-November.

“Exploration of human artifacts? Very well.”

“Artifacts… it’s not really an exploration.”

It was decided that he would go to the convenience store with Yoon-seo.

And one more person, Ji-ho, tagged along.

“Ji-ho, do you also like sweets?”

“Brain activity becomes smoother when you supply sugar.”

“This is not exactly a time where brain activity is required.”

“…….”

It seemed he just wanted to eat but was attaching a plausible reason to it.

The Demon God threw on a gray tracksuit and headed to the convenience store with the group.

“Welcome—ome?”

The part-timer who was offering a greeting froze.

An unrealistic visual had suddenly appeared in the middle of a mundane daily routine.

“Bring forth the ice cream.”

“Pardon?”

Strange speech followed the visuals.

“Hyung, you wanted ice cream? You have to pick that out yourself from the freezer over there.”

And the people who came with him treated him as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

The part-timer felt a sort of breakdown in common sense and stood there dazed.

And then.

The Demon God, who had gone outside to the ice cream freezer, was also experiencing a breakdown in common sense.

“Ice cream, it truly exists.”

It did not exist in the Demon God’s world.

Of course, they had things like eating fruit pulp over shaved ice, but such a blatantly sweet block of ice was new.

“To think of such an idea. Humans might be quite useful after all.”

The Demon God carefully investigated the ice cream.

Grape-flavored ice chips, chocolate-coated frozen cream, ice shaped like a shark, and so on.

And what he held in his hand was a pure white milk ice bar.

He was about to tear open the packaging when.

– Click.

“Hmm?”

A strange sound reached the Demon God’s beyond-human hearing.

Just then, Yoon-seo and Ji-ho came out of the convenience store.

“Ack! Are you planning to just eat it without paying?”

“No. That’s theft.”

However, the Demon God raised a hand to stop the two.

“That is not what is important.”

Yoon-seo and Ji-ho reconsidered.

“No, it is important.”

“It’s important. I can’t let a member get arrested for theft.”

Ji-ho took the ice cream, quickly went back in to pay, and came out; Yoon-seo then peeled the wrapper and placed it in the Demon God’s mouth.

Sweet, soft, and cold ice cream.

It was a taste that made one instinctively close their eyes and savor it.

“Mmm… Humans, you are magnificent.”

“What are you even talking about?”

– Click.

The Demon God opened his eyes.

“There is someone over there taking a photo of me with a camera.”

“What? Where?”

Ji-ho looked around, but saw nothing.

“They are in a position that cannot be confirmed visually.”

“You can’t see them? Then how do you know?”

“Through hearing. Trivial human, Ji-ho.”

“…….”

Holding the ice cream in one hand, the Demon God spoke.

“Shall we go capture them?”

***

At that moment, Kim Eun-shik briefly lowered his camera.

He had taken the photo as if possessed.

He was just walking down the street when he witnessed the subject that had been filling his mind for the past few days.

It felt like encountering a legendary Pocket Monster in an unexpected place, so he had just grabbed his camera first.

He had taken it instinctively, but he supposed he should go and tell them he filmed them? They wouldn’t tell him to delete it, would they?

“Who are you?”

A cold voice cut through Kim Eun-shik’s thoughts.

“Gasp!”

Startled by the question coming from behind, he almost dropped his lens.

Barely managing to secure the lens, he turned around.

“I asked who you are.”

The somewhat chilly air of mid-November, the streetlights flickering dimly because he was in hiding, and above all, the ominous aura Kim Eun-shik had witnessed before.

“Hi-hi-hiiiiiek!!”

Kim Eun-shik’s scream rang out.

“Sun-woo hyung, don’t!”

“Sun-woo, no assault!”

Yoon-seo and Ji-ho, who had rushed over late, shouted desperately.

“I have done nothing though?”

“Huh? You did?”

“Then what was that scream?”

The Demon God pointed at Kim Eun-shik, who was sitting on the ground after falling on his backside.

“Ask the one who screamed.”

The members looked at him.

“I-I just… I was too scared…”

“Ah.”

“Well, that’s understandable.”

Seeing the members accept the explanation, Kim Eun-shik felt comforted that his reaction wasn’t weird.

Then he flinched again under the Demon God’s gaze, which was still looking down at him.

It was time for him to explain himself.

“I-I’m not a strange person. I’m just a Homma who was hiding to take photos. Ah, wait. That sounds weird when explained like that.”

Kim Eun-shik seemed to be out of his wits.

Ji-ho stepped forward on the Demon God’s behalf. His pale face and sharp eyes were perfect for interrogating a culprit.

“You said you’re a Homma. But you shouldn’t be coming all the way to their house. This isn’t an official schedule either.”

Kim Eun-shik waved his hands frantically.

“It’s not like that! I live near here. I just happened to run into you. The first time I saw you was at Music Trouble.”

Kim Eun-shik had been waiting at the Music Trouble commute walk.

And then he had seen Demon God Sun-woo.

“I’m the ‘livelihood type,’ so I’m usually objective even when I photograph idols. I think about taking good shots to sell them; I don’t get obsessed myself. But my god, to think such a subject existed…”

Kim Eun-shik looked up at the Demon God.

Look, even now, the dim lighting of the streetlight was providing an effect like fog. The lighting and the space were naturally adjusting themselves to Sun-woo.

The Demon God was darkness itself, suddenly appearing within distorted light.

“I felt possessed ever since then. I was just walking along when I suddenly saw you all at the convenience store.”

Just as the convenience store employee had received a visual shock while going about their day, Kim Eun-shik had also encountered the perfect subject while walking.

“I’m sorry. I thought this was destiny, and I just ended up picking up my camera.”

In summary, after seeing the Demon God on the music show and falling deeply for his perfection as a subject, he had mindlessly pressed the shutter as soon as the real person appeared before his eyes.

Ji-ho, who was crouching in front of Kim Eun-shik, turned his head back.

“Sun-woo, what do you want to do?”

“Do what?”

The Demon God tilted his head, and Yoon-seo whispered beside him.

“Ask him to show you the photos.”

“Oh, a good idea. Did you hear? Hand over the photos.”

“Eh? Yes, yes.”

Kim Eun-shik showed them the photos he had taken.

Yoon-seo and Ji-ho huddled their heads together to check them.

“Wow! Homma hyung, you take really good photos!”

“I agree. This is better than commercial photography?”

Kim Eun-shik’s photography skills had reached a certain peak.

And these were the photos he had taken while being possessed for the first time.

In particular, the photo of the Demon God biting the ice cream was high-quality enough to be used as a pictorial.

Beneath black hair that contained the night, an ice-sculpture-like face, and pure white ice cream.

The Demon God, after looking at the photos, was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

“You who are called a Homma.”

“Yes?”

The Demon God’s senses told him that not just anyone could take photos like these.

While excellent photography skills are a given, there must be a heart deeply infatuated with the subject.

And the Demon God knew the name given to that heart.

Worship.

Fan love.

Thus, he asked.

“Are you my fan?”

“Pardon?”

Kim Eun-shik was already flustered, but he became even more so.

Because he had never imagined himself being anyone’s fan.

To him, a livelihood-type Homma until today, idols were simple subjects.

Of course, he had admired idols, but if asked if he was a fan, he always shook his head.

But the Demon God’s question made him ask himself.

‘Why did I take these photos as if I were possessed?’

“Yes, that’s right. I think I am a fan.”

Kim Eun-shik had finally found his favorite group.

“It is not ‘I think,’ but ‘I am’ a fan.”

“Eh?”

The Demon God laughed.

“Because I heard it.”

Creeeeak—

The sound from the chains behind his back.

An extremely minute cracking sound.

“So one can obtain fans through the medium of photography as well. Of course, I would not have accepted you if you had hidden and filmed intentionally.”

“I’m sorry!”

“It is fine. It was a matter of coincidence piling upon coincidence. And occasionally, those with developed senses like yours make mistakes without even realizing it. However, I shall warn you, so do not let this happen again.”

“Yes!”

As Kim Eun-shik clumsily tried to pack up his equipment.

“Homma.”

“Yes?”

“I shall permit one more photograph.”

This was a reward for his fan love.

Kim Eun-shik shivered at the Demon God’s grace.

He slowly raised his camera.

Ji-ho noticed and stepped aside.

From his sitting position, Kim Eun-shik looked straight up and focused the camera on the Demon God.

Exactly as he saw it, he captured the darkness emerging through the white fog.

***

[ Photos have been posted? ]

└ [ They’re super high quality. I guess Origin put in some effort again. ]

└ [ It’s not the official account. Someone just posted them. ]

└ [ Oh? But the quality is this good? Especially the ice cream and fog photos are unreal? ]

└ [ Is it possible they were actually taken by an ice cream company? Maybe a couple of shots leaked out. ]

└ [ Oh? Is that so? They do have an ad-cut feel. ]

[ I don’t know the story. It’s just beautiful. ]

└ [ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ]

└ [ They did turn out well lol ]

└ [ What’s Pantheon’s schedule for next week? ]

└ [ When is the next music show for Sun-woo and Pantheon? ]

Hommas are indispensable beings in the idol industry.

The high-quality photos and fancams they post on social media spread quickly, creating a natural promotional effect.

From the perspective of a small-to-medium agency, it was something to be incredibly grateful for.

Kim Eun-shik’s photos were the same.

Because the quality was so high, they were quickly shared among idol fans and even appeared on several entertainment communities and blogs.

Even some trending YouTube channels introduced them separately.

***

There were those who did not like this.

“I thought we had completely trampled them. CEO Gu of Origin is persistent.”

The place where these words were spoken was the headquarters of Izm Entertainment.

Specifically, it was the office of Director Jang Young-bae, the Managing Director.

A well-groomed beard and a dandy suit.

Looking only at his appearance, he was the picture of a gentle middle-aged man, but those who knew Jang Young-bae well said he dressed like that precisely because he wasn’t gentle at all.

He was currently stroking his beard while looking at the photos of Sun-woo.

“Indeed. I thought it was over after we took Kang-yul.”

The Team Leader sitting across from Director Jang replied immediately.

It was his team that was preparing a new boy group including Kang-yul.

“How tedious. They keep crawling back up, bit by bit.”

The Director clicked on a vertical fancam from Music Trouble this time.

The comment section was full of positive reactions toward Pantheon. In particular, Sun-woo had the most comments.

Along with the rise in fancam views, the variety shows Sun-woo appeared in—whether the full versions or edits—were also seeing a continuous rise in views.

“Tsk.”

The Director clicked his tongue in displeasure.

The Team Leader, who was watching his mood, didn’t miss the chance to add a word.

“It seems CEO Gu still thinks he can try something against our Izm.”

And those words took effect.

“Our CEO doesn’t like that sort of thing. If you’ve been stepped on, you should stay stepped on; how dare he raise his head again. I suppose I should send a warning to CEO Gu.”

Jang Young-bae hardened his heart.

Looking out through the bright floor-to-ceiling window, he recalled the face of Origin’s CEO Gu.

How distorted would his face become upon receiving the warning? At the moment he realized his place before Izm.

“Heh heh heh heh.”

However.

Jang Young-bae did not know.

That unlike the face he was imagining, CEO Gu had regained a sharp jawline.

And that in truth, CEO Gu was not the problem.

Jang Young-bae was attempting to send a warning to a Demon God.