Chapter 5: What is an Idol?

A short while before the Demon God’s decision was made.

The dorm of the group Pantheon.

“Ha?”

The Demon God opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

His body was on a bed.

Sunlight was streaming in through the gaps in the curtains.

“To think I actually fell asleep.”

The memory of exercising his authority at the event called Nanta came back to him.

Even though he had manifested it in an extremely minute way, drowsiness had immediately washed over him.

“Tsk.”

The Demon God focused his mind and looked behind him.

Translucent chains extending from the sky above passed through all matter and connected to his back.

The gods’ shackles, which were utterly unpleasant.

They were chains that only the Demon God, the subject of the bondage, could see.

The chains varied in size, though their specific meanings were unknown. Some were as thin as thread.

One thing was certain: he could not fully use his authority while he remained unable to break these shackles.

He had to recover his strength.

Whether he endured ten thousand years of imprisonment or performed this punishment called being an idol, he had to recover his power somehow.

The Demon God reflected on that fact once again.

And just then.

“Um, Sun-woo hyung, are you awake?”

A cautious voice reached his ears.

Lying on the bed, the Demon God shifted only his gaze toward the foot of the bed.

Through the crack of the slightly open door, the owner of the voice was looking in.

“Reveal yourself at once. I do not like being peeped at.”

“Eh? N-no, it’s not that…”

The door opened the rest of the way, and a young man walked hesitantly into the room.

“Who are you?”

The young man was much smaller than the Demon God and had delicate features.

His most distinctive trait was perhaps his uniquely plump lips.

His hair was golden and curly, for whatever reason.

He remembered seeing him before he fell asleep.

One of the four young men performing the idol punishment together.

The young man replied shyly.

“You’re still confused about the members’ names, right? I’m Yoon-seo. Han Yoon-seo.”

“Yoon-seo.”

He committed the name to memory for now, but the boy looked far too timid.

He wondered if such a person could even answer his questions properly.

“Where are the others?”

The Demon God checked for the other young men, wondering if there were any better subordinates.

“As expected, you’re looking out for the members first.”

“?”

What was he talking about?

He couldn’t hear any sign of the other youths.

From the Demon God’s perspective, the word ‘desertion’ naturally came to mind, but…

“The other members are gone because they’re on vacation.”

“Vacation?”

“Yes, right after the festival yesterday. So, in the dorm…”

“?”

“It’s just you and me, Sun-woo hyung.”

Yoon-seo squeezed his eyes shut after saying that.

Between his shyness earlier and the look of difficulty on his face now, the Demon God could roughly guess what type of person Yoon-seo was.

“Yoon-seo.”

“Yes.”

“You are severely shy around strangers. Correct?”

“?”

“And you like being alone.”

“Eh?”

“Conversely, you are reluctant to go outside.”

“How did you know? Is it that obvious?”

“Very.”

The Demon God had commanded various kinds of subordinates.

There were many who preferred leafing through dark grimoires in their rooms over hunting.

And because the Demon God was a Demon God, he could be quite harsh.

If an introverted subordinate committed a sin, he used to send them on a journey alone with four extroverted subordinates. The duration? Until they repented.

To think his first subordinate was this type.

“Very well, leave now.”

The Demon God intended to send Yoon-seo out and organize the situation further, but…

“…….”

Yoon-seo, who he thought would dash out, surprisingly remained in place.

“What business do you have left?”

“T-that—”

Yoon-seo hesitated before bowing his head slightly.

“Thank you, hyung.”

“Thank you?”

“Yes, at the festival yesterday… making those quips, and working so hard at the event…”

The Demon God’s words and actions had left a deep impression on the Pantheon members.

Yoon-seo, who had remained at the dorm, was honestly expressing the gratitude he felt then.

At that sight, the Demon God stroked his chin.

Perhaps he was a more useful subordinate than first impressions suggested.

“And, please have this.”

“Hmm?”

Yoon-seo held out a plate and a cup.

“I thought you’d be hungry since you’ve been sleeping since the festival yesterday. It’s milk and snacks.”

“Give it here.”

The snacks were a variety of muffins, brownies, and cookies.

“I’m glad. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just brought everything. Tell me what suits your taste, and I’ll bring you more.”

The Demon God tried the snacks one by one.

They were sweet and soft, with no need to choose between them.

Munch munch.

Delicious.

The Demon God was certain.

He was a useful subordinate. He would discard his first impression.

“Yoon-seo.”

“Yes.”

“Answer my question. You would speak the truth without falsehood, wouldn’t you?”

Since he had acknowledged Yoon-seo, the Demon God decided to obtain the necessary information.

Specifically.

“What exactly is an ‘idol’?”

“Pardon?”

Yoon-seo tilted his head.

“We are idols, and you’re asking what an idol is?”

“Indeed. Answer me.”

Faced with the Demon God’s incomprehensible question, Yoon-seo provided a standard answer.

“Stars representing K-pop and shining beings on stage?”

“More specifically.”

“Yes, idols aren’t just singers who only sing. They captivate the audience with perfect choreography and convey emotions through music.”

Of course, the Demon God asked because he truly didn’t know what an idol was, and there were many concepts in Yoon-seo’s answer that he didn’t understand.

So, he filled in the gaps by asking Yoon-seo about the things he didn’t know.

“I see. If that is the case, an idol is—”

And he defined the image of an idol formed in his mind with a single word.

“A clown?”

“Excuse me?”

A rather strange definition popped out.

“Giving joy to others through dance and song; if that is not a clown, what is it?”

Having thought of clowns, the Demon God sprang to his feet.

It was truly an insult.

To tell him, who had roamed the battlefields, to become a clown. The gods’ mockery was truly endless.

The Demon God made a decision.

“I will not be an idol.”

“Eh?”

“I cannot accept this. Tell them to lock me up for ten thousand years instead. I will find another way to escape. I can never be a clown.”

At that, Yoon-seo was extremely flustered.

It was because Sun-woo’s words about not being an idol sounded genuine.

‘What? Did he not like my explanation? Which part?’

However, the Demon God, who had stood up, sat back down on the bed.

“?”

“I shall eat this.”

The Demon God put a cookie in his mouth.

“It is quite delicious. Even if I leave, I shall finish all the snacks before I go.”

“…….”

Yoon-seo was dumbfounded by the munching Demon God.

To say he would leave after only eating the snacks. That was a ‘dine and dash’…

“Ah! The contract!”

Yoon-seo clapped his hands.

“Hyung! I heard you already signed the contract!”

“Contract? Sign?”

Once again, the Demon God filled in the concepts one by one by asking Yoon-seo.

A contract period of seven years.

And a massive penalty fee if it was violated.

The Demon God remembered what the God of the Throne had said.

– I can release you in just seven years.

So that was why it was seven years.

“So if you break this, the penalty fee—”

Yoon-seo continued his explanation of the contract, unaware of the Demon God’s inner thoughts.

After listening to the whole story, the Demon God defined an idol with yet another word.

“A s*ave?”

Working for a company for seven years.

The company taking a portion of the profits.

If no profit is made, one leaves the company penniless.

“You are saying I am not even a commoner among humans?”

“Well… it could be seen that way.”

Even Yoon-seo didn’t strongly deny it.

Because an idol’s contract was not something to be taken lightly.

There are many idols who spend their golden years from their teens to their twenties at an agency, only to be thrown back into society with nothing.

If they have even a little recognition, they try being an influencer or a Youtuber based on that, but the majority don’t even have that.

A failed idol was someone who could easily be sucked into a dark world.

“Still, our company is on the better side. The CEO is a former producer and he listens to the artists’ perspectives a lot.”

“Is that so? Then if I say I want to quit, will he let me go?”

“No.”

“How much is this ‘penalty fee’ you speak of?”

It felt large, but he couldn’t gauge it exactly.

“Hmm… look at this.”

Yoon-seo brought up a calculator on his phone and explained slowly while showing it.

“If we calculate simply based on the minimum wage… to pay off the penalty fee with this… um… it would take a little over ten years?”

And that was assuming every single penny was saved without spending anything. It would take even longer if any was spent.

Furthermore, since the contract is only released if the money is paid first, even this calculation was meaningless.

“Hyung, do you have a lot of money?”

Of course, the Demon God couldn’t possibly have money.

The gods had cast only the Demon God’s physical body into this world.

Thus, the Demon God, who inspired terror, ended up feeling terror himself.

The terror served up by capitalism.

“Just what kind of… terrifying world have you created in the meantime?”

It was absurd.

The human world wasn’t like this originally. What on earth had the humans done?

“Hyung. Let’s just try our best together.”

“As a clown and a s*ave?”

Yoon-seo hurriedly pulled in another factor.

“What about the fans? The fans who are happy seeing you.”

“Fans?”

“Yes, fans who love me; those fans increase one by one, and a fan club is formed. That’s good too, isn’t it?”

“Fan club?”

Fan, and fan club.

Predicting from the context, it felt similar to something the Demon God already knew.

“Are you referring to a cult and its believers?”

“A cult?”

The Demon God and Yoon-seo stared blankly at each other for a moment.

“You should acquire more culture. I shall explain it to you.”

“…….”

Yoon-seo wondered if now was really the time for anyone to be talking about ‘culture,’ but he kept his mouth shut.

“Listen. A cult spends most of its time blindly worshiping me. When they see me, they scream and run wild with madness, and they even offer up their wealth.

Well, there’s more besides that. In return, I give the humans what they want. However, I do not give them everything. Only enough to keep them constantly thirsty so they cannot help but seek me out.”

The Demon God’s explanation ended, and Yoon-seo wore a strange expression.

“Uh… the expression is too violent, but since you’re from overseas, hyung, if I think about it by changing it into appropriate terms…”

Fans love the artist.

They come to concerts, shouting and singing and dancing together.

They buy albums and merchandise with a heart of love.

Idols do their best for such fans, but it’s never enough, so they keep seeking each other out.

“That’s right. An idol gets to have a cult.”

Suddenly, the Demon God sprang to his feet.

Yoon-seo was startled because the plate and cup tipped over, but it was fine since the snacks and milk were already finished.

“You ate it all…”

Regardless of Yoon-seo.

The Demon God was looking at the idol punishment from a new angle.

Believers are essential to a god.

The same applied to a Demon God.

If the number of believers increased and a cult was established, he could recover his strength much faster.

– I can release you in just seven years.

So that was also the meaning of the seven years.

Was he telling him to give people happiness and recover his strength as an idol for seven years?

“Ha.”

It felt like mockery, but at the same time, it was a challenge.

A challenge where the Demon God could end the punishment early if he endured the humiliation and gave people enough happiness.

And the Demon God did not fear enduring humiliation.

Because humiliation was nothing more than an appetizer that made the time of revenge that followed even sweeter.

Once he recovered his strength, he would break out on his own even if they didn’t release him.

“I will surely accomplish it.”

“Pardon?”

“I shall do it, being an idol. No, a top idol.”

“Hyung!”

Yoon-seo clasped his hands together beside him.

This hyung is a bit strange, but he’s really sincere about the fans.

“But what must I do to become a top idol?”

And at that moment.

A call came from the Team Leader.

– Yoon-seo, is Sun-woo with you? Let’s take Sun-woo’s photo first! I’m coming to pick you up, so tell him to wait!

There was no need to worry.

***

“Sun-woo, Yoon-seo, let’s go!”

Just as they were starting to find it strange since more time had passed than expected since the call saying he was coming to pick them up.

The Team Leader appeared, driving a vehicle himself.

“What is this? The means of transport has changed?”

The Demon God tilted his head.

It was an ordinary passenger car, not the van they had taken to the festival.

However, more striking than the type of vehicle was its unsightly appearance. Dirt and dust were caked on it here and there, and there was a clear, long scratch on the side.

“It looks rather shabby.”

The Demon God critiqued the vehicle with a dissatisfied look.

“Well, it is my car. I haven’t been able to take care of it because I’ve been busy.”

The Team Leader replied with sad eyes.

“The Team Leader’s means of transport? Then it is fitting.”

“I-is that so?”

The Team Leader’s eyes became even sadder.

“But the problem has not been solved. What of the original transport? Why must I ride in such an unsightly car?”

Following the Demon God’s misplaced question, Yoon-seo also asked with wide eyes.

“What about our van?”

“The thing is, the car suddenly broke down on the way here. It’s a relief it didn’t happen on the road yesterday.”

“That car hasn’t been used for very long.”

“Exactly. The mechanic said the parts are heavily damaged, but I have no idea what’s what. Anyway, my house is close by, so I just came in my car.”

The Demon God had an inkling.

The place where he had woken up as Lee Sun-woo was inside that van.

The place where this world and the Demon God’s soul first came into contact.

It was bound to take a massive hit. It was impressive that it held out until they returned. It was likely a consideration from the gods.

Anyway, it was his fault.

Having guessed that much, the Demon God decided to forget the trivial matter.

“I shall overlook it with generosity. There will probably not be another case like this.”

“?”

The Team Leader didn’t understand, but since Sun-woo said he would ride, he didn’t think too deeply.

“Right, Sun-woo. There isn’t much time left for the shoot. Let’s go quickly.”

The Demon God naturally got into the back seat and closed the door.

It was so that he could sit alone in the back while the Team Leader and Yoon-seo served him in the front.

“No, no. Sun-woo, in the passenger seat.”

“I have never been anyone’s assistant.”

“Sigh, the seat next to me?”

“I have never been a mere sidekick to anyone either.”

The Team Leader squeezed his eyes shut.

Was it really okay to push a kid like this?

His ego was monstrously large—

“Ah, is he a natural-born artist?”

Types with strong egos were common among celebrities.

The entertainment industry was a place where people close to being narcissists, or who actually were narcissists, ran rampant.

Being an idol wasn’t particularly different.

And the Team Leader was someone who had literally reached the position of Team Leader as a manager.

“I have something to teach you on the way. S-p-e-c-i-a-l t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g for Sun-woo.”

“Is that so?”

The Demon God obediently moved to the front.

It was a satisfactory journey for both the Demon God and the Team Leader. Only Yoon-seo sighed softly and sat in the back seat.

The car departed hurriedly.

The Team Leader glanced at the Demon God through the rearview mirror and brought up a new topic.

“Today is the official profile shoot. Let’s prepare with a good mood.”

The Demon God frowned slightly.

‘Official profile shoot?’

As if noticing his question, the Team Leader continued the explanation.

“The official profile photos are the faces that represent you. They’re used for album jackets, and I’m talking about the main images that go up on the agency’s website or official social media.”

They are extremely important because they are the first photos fans encounter.

Everything must be perfect, from the atmosphere that fits the concept to the expressions and outfits.

In this cutthroat idol market, even that was barely enough to leave an impression.

“Even if we take the group photo later. Right now, there’s only one photo of Sun-woo.”

“I see. But one would need considerable skill to capture me properly, wouldn’t they?”

Even if he was in a human body, he was a Demon God.

If one handled a camera carelessly, only the camera would end up malfunctioning. Just like the agency’s vehicle.

Contrary to the Demon God’s thoughts, the Team Leader grinned, baring his teeth.

“The studio we’re going to now is run by a truly talented photographer. Even I, who have worked as a manager for a long time, am going for the first time. Apparently, it’s usually hard to make a reservation and the waiting period is long, but they accepted us because of a connection with our CEO.”

“Is that so?”

In fact, the Demon God had not yet met the CEO.

He just assumed the man had some ability in his own way.

“Understood. I shall look forward to it.”

“Hehe, don’t be surprised. Seeing yourself through the photos of a talented photographer is different.”

.

.

“To be honest, it’s below expectations.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I came here after hearing your reputation, but if the quality is at this level, I’m disappointed.”

“I apologize once again.”

The studio’s reception desk.

The first scene the Demon God’s group saw as they entered was the photographer groveling before a complaint.

“…….”

The Demon God quietly turned to the Team Leader.

The Team Leader muttered to himself while breaking into a cold sweat.

“What… what is going on?”