Chapter 52: The First Rank of Concern

Late at night.

Even at this hour when everyone was asleep, the Demon God remained wide awake.

Thanks to his extraordinary physical body, he had no issues even with an extreme lack of sleep.

Even when the other members fell asleep as if they had fainted, chased by their hectic schedules, the Demon God remained active.

Of course, being awake didn’t mean he was doing anything grand; usually, he just enjoyed various contents on his phone.

But today, he wasn’t even holding his phone.

In fact, he had just opened his eyes wide in a sudden start.

‘Is something not strange?’

The Demon God spoke to himself involuntarily.

Before trying to sleep, he had been organizing the current situation alone.

First, he had joined the comeback preparation process and led a successful comeback.

And he was immediately preparing for the next activity.

Pressuring the CEO to squeeze out a masterpiece,

Practicing singing and dancing to aim for a better performance,

Providing fan service to the fans who would join the official fan club soon to be created—he was picturing all of these things.

Then he was startled.

Originally, becoming an idol was an unavoidable choice to regain his power.

It was merely a harsh punishment.

Therefore, even when imagining the future, he should have been doing so while feeling resentment and a competitive spirit toward the gods.

Had he not just forgotten those feelings and planned quite diligently?

‘In this way, do I not seem like a real idol?’

A current human idol full of sincerity.

What kind of harmony was this?

The Demon God fell silent in bewilderment.

But after a moment, he let out a smirk.

‘There is no way that is the case. Is it sleep deprivation? If so, my judgment would naturally decline.’

Muttering that, he laid his body down on the comfortable bed.

After a good sleep, this unpleasant mood would likely improve.

The Demon God sought sleep with his brow heavily furrowed.

However, the next morning, his unpleasant mood was destined to worsen.

***

While the CEO was immersing himself in song production with a fresh mind,

Pantheon was also busily carrying out their schedule.

Team Leader Oh Dae-ho announced a schedule to the members gathered at the dorm.

“A radio program has come in.”

““…….””

“Why is everyone silent? Do you not like radio? You shouldn’t be picking and choosing schedules already. You’ve only succeeded with one album—”

There was no way that was the case.

Every single schedule was precious.

The members had a different reason for their silence.

“Team Leader.”

“Hmm?”

“What is with that appearance?”

The Demon God asked with a frown.

Oh Dae-ho was currently wearing comfortable shorts used at home, a white undershirt, and a towel draped over his wet hair.

“It can’t be helped. I slept here last night too.”

Even after becoming a Team Leader, Oh Dae-ho stayed close to Pantheon.

Whenever work was busy, he slept over at the mansion, which had many empty rooms, and those days increased as Pantheon’s schedule became busier.

Eventually, Oh Dae-ho’s belongings began to pile up slowly in a room on the lower floor.

“How unpleasant.”

“What’s with you? Men can be comfortable around each other.”

“I find myself searching for the original intention I had when I started being an idol.”

“?”

He had felt refreshed after waking up, but thanks to Oh Dae-ho, his unpleasant mood returned in an instant.

‘Being an idol is indeed a punishment.’

To think this Demon God has to witness the comfortable daily life of a human ahjussi. If only he could summon lightning, he felt like bestowing it upon him right now.

“Whew…. Team Leader. We were discussing a radio program. Continue thy explanation.”

Let us postpone the lightning until after all power is recovered.

The Demon God pushed aside the creeping sense of self-loathing and changed the subject.

“Hmm. Do you guys know [2 AM with Ki So-eun]?”

The Demon God had no idea, but the other members nodded.

In particular, Ha-gyeom nodded vigorously.

“Yes! I know it! I listened to it all the time when I was a trainee, heading home after practicing until dawn.”

The Demon God asked Ha-gyeom.

“Ha-gyeom. What kind of program is it?”

“It’s an incredibly calm music broadcast that airs at 2 AM.”

Incredibly calm.

In such an atmosphere, it seemed possible to plunge people into a demonic charm with just his voice. A voice filled with a demonic aura.

The Demon God hummed softly, testing his voice.

‘Wor— wor— wor— worship— me—’

“The offer came for Ha-gyeom.”

“…?”

“They were scouting for a main vocal.”

Individual schedules were starting to come in for Pantheon as well.

Even group schedules had been sparse before, so an individual schedule was quite a moving event.

“I! I! I’ll do it!”

Ha-gyeom was already a fan of the program, and since they called for a main vocal, he was dying to go.

“And if things go well…. I might be able to get some advice.”

A single word caught the Demon God’s ear.

“Advice?”

“DJ Ki So-eun is a composer. She’s famous for giving boal advice occasionally, and it’s known to be truly helpful.”

Advice given to young guests who still have room to grow in their vocal skills.

Guests who listened and implemented the advice often saw their vocal skills improve by leaps and bounds.

“I really want to go!”

“Right, I knew Ha-gyeom would like it.”

Since the offer came for Ha-gyeom and he wanted to go, there seemed to be no problem.

However.

“Team Leader, is Ha-gyeom really going alone?”

Tae-young asked quietly.

His tone was far from jealousy or greed.

Rather, it was concern and worry?

“He can’t.”

The Team Leader also shook his head firmly.

“Hmm? Why can Ha-gyeom not go alone?”

At the Demon God’s question, the Team Leader and Tae-young looked at him simultaneously.

Their gazes were filled with many emotions.

“…Wh-what is it.”

The Demon God questioned back unenthusiastically.

“The thing is. Ha-gyeom is bright, but he can be a bit clumsy.”

“Before you arrived, Sun-woo, he was the number one member we had to worry about for slips of the tongue.”

“…Hmm? Before I arrived?”

The Demon God tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

In any case, Ha-gyeom had simply been hidden by the overwhelming new number one.

Last time, he confused the fans by saying he mimicked the contestants while watching “I Am Single.”

What would he have mimicked from the contestants while watching a dating show? Flirting, perhaps?

It turned out he had misspoke while trying to say he tried out the hobbies or cooking while watching “I Live Alone.”

Of course, the fans just found it cute, but it was natural to feel anxious about sending him to a radio show alone.

“So, I said I’d send one more person with him.”

“As expected of the Team Leader.”

The Team Leader and Tae-young were in agreement.

“Individual schedules are being set for you guys too, but that day is fine. Tae-young, you should do the work.”

“It’s no trouble.”

As expected, cleaning up was the role of the leader, Tae-young. Just as the conversation was wrapping up—

“Oh? Speak of the devil? I’m getting a call from them.”

Contact had come from the “2 AM Ki So-eun” side.

The Team Leader answered the phone comfortably in front of the members.

“Yes, Writer-nim. Ha-gyeom? Of course, he’d love to. We’ll participate.”

Laughter from the writer and a long conversation echoed from the other end. They seemed happy that the scout was successful.

“Pardon?”

That wasn’t the end.

“Ah, a schedule change? Yes, to when? Ah—, could I check and get back to you?”

The program side was calling to change the appearance date.

After hanging up, the Team Leader immediately opened his tablet to check the schedule.

“Then—, on this day—, the person who is free is—”

And his face turned the color of ash.

“Oh.”

“Ugh.”

Tae-young, who was checking beside him, also frowned.

“Why?”

“What is it?”

Yoon-seo and Ji-ho also poked their heads in to check the dense and complicated schedule.

“Ah.”

“Oh?”

Just as the Demon God was about to poke his head in last.

Thump.

The Team Leader flipped the tablet over.

“No. Never mind.”

“What?”

“Let’s just pretend this never happened.”

The Demon God, feeling his displeasure rise, reached for the tablet.

“Hand it over. I shall check as well.”

“Sun-woo, shall we let go?”

“I refuse.”

The Team Leader could not win against the Demon God’s powerful strength.

Inside the schedule on the tablet that finally went to the Demon God.

“I am the one who is free.”

Only the Demon God had a gap.

While many individual schedules were coming in, that day just happened to be empty.

The overwhelming number one for worrying about slips of the tongue.

Furthermore, what if Tae-young, the master of Transcendental Translation, couldn’t be by his side?

“It is good to be free.”

“No! It’s not good!”

While the Team Leader shook his head in denial.

“No! This is exactly when I need vocal advice!”

Ha-gyeom thrust forward a pitiful face.

In any field, when one is about to leap over a certain level, proper advice exerts great power.

Advice given too early is not understood and vanishes into memory, and advice given too late is useless.

If Ki So-eun was to give advice, right now was the perfect time for Ha-gyeom.

“Then, should Ha-gyeom go alone?”

The Team Leader understood what Ha-gyeom was saying and suggested an alternative.

“No.”

A point of contention flew in from the Demon God.

“Why… again?”

The Team Leader, his heart sinking with an ominous feeling, asked cautiously.

“I shall go as well.”

The Team Leader’s head spun.

“Sun-woo? Why don’t you think about it again?”

“Hyung…. We barely managed to make a comeback…….”

“Sun-woo, the probability of a slip of the tongue is about 200%.”

The members also tried to stop him, but the Demon God was firm.

“Trust me. I also wish to improve my vocals.”

Since he had to carry out this punishment called an idol anyway.

Not that he liked doing it.

““Eh?””

The Team Leader and the members paused.

They knew Sun-woo had a desire for self-improvement, but for him to personally bring up a specific area.

“…Is that so?”

Should he say no to this?

Even the Team Leader began to hesitate slightly.

But the Demon God and Ha-gyeom were already burning with motivation.

“Let us go, Ha-gyeom! I shall discover the true meaning of vocals through this opportunity!”

“Good! That’s the spirit!”

The number one and number two ranks for worrying about slips of the tongue had joined forces.

.

.

Of course, the fans, unaware of these internal circumstances, were still excited by the joy of the win.

My idol won the Rookie Award at MAMA.

There was nothing more breathless than this for an idol fan, especially a debut idol fan.

In particular, the anecdote of the Demon God helping the lost audience members was being passed down with increasing exaggeration.

– [ He really helped hundreds of people! ]

– [ Sun-woo was a total angel ㅠㅠ ]

Praise that would make the Demon God furious if he heard it was pouring in.

But it was true that he had actually helped.

If it looked that way to the fans, then that was that.

Even if they each had their own favorite, Pantheon fans all acknowledged Demon God Sun-woo’s role in the group’s resurrection.

They were ready to look upon the Demon God’s words and actions with nothing but love and gratitude.

In this way, the notifications on the fans’ social media did not know how to rest.

– Oh?

– A notification now?

– Crazy!!!! It said they started!!!!

– What, what! Was there an announcement for this?

– What does it matter if there wasn’t. Just get in there.

A certain notification popped up, making the fans even happier.

[ Pantheon official has started a live broadcast. ]

It was this very notification.

– Then, let’s practice a bit.

The final alternative the Team Leader came up with.

The condition was that he and the other members would be on standby, ready to cut the camera and sound at any time.

The Demon God and Ha-gyeom were already sitting in front of the camera, and the number of real-time viewers was rising rapidly.

‘How will it be… will these guys be able to do well?’

Along with the Team Leader’s question, the live broadcast began.