Chapter 54: The Spirit Who Backed Away

The day of the live radio broadcast.

The Demon God arrived at the broadcasting station at 1 AM with the team leader and Ha-gyeom.

Pantheon had never been on public broadcast before, so it was their first time at M Station in Sangam-dong.

And their first visit was for a late-night radio show, of all things.

“So this is what a broadcasting station feels like at night.”

It was quiet.

There was no sign of anyone besides the security guards, and even the lighting was subdued.

For the Demon God, who had only experienced broadcasting stations through the bustling atmosphere of music shows, it was truly a novel sensation.

Team Leader Oh Dae-ho smiled and asked.

“Is it too unfamiliar?”

“No, I am quite accustomed to such an atmosphere.”

The Demon God inhaled deeply.

The noisy daytime was fine, but his time truly belonged to the night.

“For I was born alone in the heart of the night.”

The truth of the Demon God’s birth.

The team leader and Ha-gyeom reacted to this.

“Really? You spent a lot of time alone at night?”

“Sun-woo often wakes up at night even now.”

The truth passed quickly….

Without realizing what he had heard, the team leader began to give Sun-woo and Ha-gyeom instructions.

“We got the radio offer because you guys are good at live streams, but honestly, I’m nervous. The atmosphere here isn’t meant for jokes.”

“I never intended to be amusing.”

“Me neither!”

The team leader’s anxiety intensified further.

“Be careful with your words, okay? You promised, didn’t you?”

“How long shall you beg? It is displeasing.”

“Did I promise? Anyway, I won’t do it.”

The anxiety deepened, deepened even more.

“Let’s just go up….”

The Demon God’s group went up to the 10th floor, where the radio studio was located.

They received explanations about the broadcast flow and other details from the writer who came into the guest waiting room.

“DJ Ki So-eun specifically praised both of your voices.”

The writer gave them this little tip at the end.

Ha-gyeom’s eyes sparkled.

“Yes! I’ll sing the chosen songs well today!”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

After the writer left, Ha-gyeom grabbed the Demon God’s hand.

“Sun-woo, this is our chance!”

“?”

“I see a possibility of getting advice from DJ Ki!”

“Naturally. Should they not offer advice to this body?”

Perhaps it was one of the preparations for the next album.

After all, that’s why they even did the live stream and came here.

As the Demon God also nodded, Ha-gyeom held his hand even tighter.

“Right? Let’s do well.”

“Understood. But release my hand.”

“Sun-woo, Ha-gyeom, it’s good to meet you.”

A little before the broadcast, as they entered the studio,

The Demon God and Ha-gyeom met DJ Ki So-eun.

Long straight hair and long, monolid eyes.

Those eyes, which seemed to penetrate something when still, curved into a crescent shape as she smiled.

‘Many skilled alchemists had such an impression.’

It wasn’t just a simple impression.

Her gaze conveyed the unique depth of someone who had delved deeply into a single field.

“It is good to meet you, DJ.”

“Hm.”

Ki So-eun froze slightly, maintaining her smile.

Even that was exactly like the alchemists when he first met them.

When they met the Demon God, they froze.

“DJ Ki, hello! It’s so, so good to finally meet you!”

“Oh.”

On the other hand, Ha-gyeom’s five consecutive 120-degree bow, full of bright, positive energy, was enough to release Ki So-eun’s rigidity.

“Sun-woo really speaks in a historical drama tone. Ha-gyeom, you said you listened to our program a lot, right? Thank you.”

“Not at all! I’m the one who’s grateful.”

Thanks to them, the atmosphere became warm and friendly.

“Going live. 5, 4, 3–”

In no time, it was broadcast time.

“2 AM, the perfect time for us to meet. I’m DJ Ki So-eun.”

With DJ Ki’s opening remarks, the live broadcast began to air.

“Today, we’ll be with Sun-woo and Ha-gyeom, members of the idol group Pantheon. It’s been a while since we’ve had idol members at this hour.”

In this day and age, it was a truly classic broadcast, even without a real-time chat.

Leaving aside Pantheon’s fans who were listening to the radio, no one knew how the regular late-night listeners would receive the Demon God and Ha-gyeom.

“Hello, this is Ha-gyeom from Pantheon. I’m so happy to be on a program I enjoy listening to.”

Ha-gyeom’s greeting was passable.

“I am Sun-woo of Pantheon. May the listeners pay heed to my voice today.”

The Demon God, well—

“Are you surprised? Sun-woo has a unique way of speaking, doesn’t he? He’s from overseas and apparently learned Korean through historical dramas.”

Ki So-eun naturally brushed it off.

A veteran DJ who maintained composure in any situation and had never caused a broadcasting mishap.

According to the writer, if a difficult situation arose, they just needed to look at DJ Ki.

She would take care of everything.

The team leader, who was practically glued to the studio window, felt a slight relief at DJ Ki’s smooth hosting.

“Shall we read today’s first story?”

The broadcast flowed like the dawn.

The first story of the day was,

“These days, my days feel so long, and time just doesn’t pass. When I think a lot of time has gone by, only a few minutes have passed. When I come home, I just lie down. I’ve been lying down until this hour, but still, listening to your voice, DJ Ki, makes me feel a little more at ease. I guess I need to cheer up?”

It was a story about lethargy.

Indeed, the stories on late-night radio were more serious.

The responses to the stories were the same.

“I feel that way too. When I’m alone, time itself can feel overwhelming. Just when I wonder how I’ll manage it, I leave the house thinking that someone is waiting to hear my voice. The person who sent the story said my voice makes them feel at ease, so I guess we’re connected.”

Ki So-eun’s voice flowed out, as if caressing them.

“Mm, what do you think, Ha-gyeom?”

“For me….”

Ha-gyeom, like a loyal listener, did not rush his answer.

He made full use of the silence that late-night radio allowed.

“The time I listened to this program the most was when I was a trainee. I was so busy with practice, constantly pushing myself, but somehow, there were times when I felt a similar way to the person who sent the story. So, it’s okay to cheer up, and it’s okay if you don’t.”

Ha-gyeom’s bright energy spread gently, like the warmth of a stove heating up a January night.

Late-night radio doesn’t try to give answers to the listener’s stories.

The connection that people on the other side of the radio were seriously contemplating and responding to the listener’s story, that was the gift late-night radio aimed to provide.

From that perspective, Ha-gyeom’s answer earned a passing grade once again.

Ki So-eun smiled sweetly at Ha-gyeom, then.

“How about you, Sun-woo?”

She asked the Demon God, a little nervously.

If Ha-gyeom was good, Sun-woo was peculiar.

The evaluations of their voices directly led to evaluations of their characters.

It was impossible to predict what his answer would be.

“Do you dwell alone in the night? Yet, you are not solitary.”

Unexpectedly, the Demon God’s quietly spoken answer perfectly captured the sense of connection that late-night radio offered.

“It is merely dark, thus you cannot see, but within that night reside countless others. Will it be useless if they cannot be seen? Nay, remember this. I, too, am within that night.”

The Demon God’s voice, imbued with his [Aura], drew in the listeners.

“Recall me. When you are lost in your own night, I shall be beside you.”

A somewhat ominous voice, yet the words themselves spoke of being by one’s side.

Should this also be called a gap moe?

It was certain that the listeners were deeply captivated.

“Oh.”

“Oh.”

Both DJ Ki inside the studio and the team leader outside breathed a sigh of relief, albeit for different reasons.

Even though Sun-woo seemed headstrong, he knew how to pick his moments.

“Should you require it, I recommend hanging a picture of Pantheon by your bedside. Each time you feel alone, gaze upon me and worship—”

He knows how to pick his moments… or maybe not? Is this another one of his charms?

Anyway, they couldn’t just let him speak freely.

“Shall we listen to a short commercial break?”

– Coffee that accompanies your rest. A friend by your side, anytime, anywhere…

“Have I not finished speaking yet?”

DJ Ki cautioned the Demon God, who was puzzled by being cut off mid-sentence.

“That was a really natural team promotion, but we can’t do that here.”

“Is that so?”

The Demon God seemed to concede, yet he couldn’t help but add under his breath.

“Worshipping someone makes the feeling of being alone vanish.”

Given the nature of late-night radio, the commercial break passed quickly.

The subsequent segments also flowed smoothly.

When the topic of music came up, Ha-gyeom, who was proficient in various types of music and instruments, not just idol music, led the conversation.

This atmosphere continued for almost an hour and a half.

“You’re doing well. Ha-gyeom, Sun-woo.”

The team leader, watching from outside the studio, murmured to himself.

They hadn’t made any verbal mistakes.

Sun-woo and Ha-gyeom could pull this off too!

“How about this song for today? ‘Beyond a Dawn,’ it’s a pop song.”

Naturally, it was a pre-arranged song.

They had received it three days before the appearance.

So.

“Of course, we can do that.”

Ha-gyeom stepped forward first.

“I have been awaiting this.”

The Demon God also smiled.

Ki So-eun also smiled at the two of them and shared a behind-the-scenes anecdote about the requested song.

“It’s said that the composer, during a period of depression, became deeply immersed in the occult and created this song. Among singers who’ve performed it alone, there have occasionally been reports of seeing spirits.”

Suddenly, the Demon God, Ha-gyeom, and the team leader outside the window stirred.

During the pre-agreement, detailed information about the song wasn’t mentioned. Although they looked up various things while practicing the unfamiliar song, such information didn’t come up.

DJ Ki, true to a music DJ, brought out a behind-the-scenes anecdote.

“Oh?”

The Demon God was intrigued,

“Uh.”

Ha-gyeom was slightly uneasy,

“No!!!!”

And the team leader was extremely anxious.

When the occult and Sun-woo met, things never ended smoothly.

The program was almost over, and now such a challenge at the very end.

Look, look over there. Isn’t Sun-woo’s eyes shining? Why are they actually shining?!

However, the team leader couldn’t just rush inside.

“Uh, DJ Ki?”

Ha-gyeom opened his mouth inside the studio.

“Yes?”

But what should he say?

That when our member Sun-woo meets the occult, interesting things happen?

If he did that, it would likely attach a strange image to Pantheon.

But what if he just said he didn’t want to sing this song?

A short video titled ‘Group firmly afflicted with celebrity disease after winning Rookie of the Year’ clearly popped into his mind—

Ha-gyeom squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them.

“Shall we sing it?”

“Of course.”

With Ki So-eun’s warm smile, the intro music gently began to flow through the speakers—.

‘I don’t know what happens next. Whatever occurs, DJ Ki will handle it.’

With this thought, Ha-gyeom began to sing.

“I`m in a dawn—”

As the song progressed, Sun-woo also joined in.

“beyond a dawn—”

And amidst all this.

The two voices were creating a synergy.

The problem was that the Demon God’s ominous vocal tone was added to the song, which was carried by Ha-gyeom’s bright and warm voice.

The theme of the song, hope piercing through the dark dawn, was brought to life too vividly.

At this moment, a small light for the next day was being born in the hearts of the listeners.

Before long, the first verse ended.

“Nothing’s happening?”

The team leader was slightly surprised.

“?”

Ha-gyeom also looked around while singing.

‘Was it just a baseless rumor?’

Only DJ Ki, listening contentedly, met his gaze.

And the Demon God—

‘This is exceedingly amusing. To think that spiritual power varies with vocal range.’

He was marveling at a human song.

Since it wasn’t a song specifically made for summoning spirits, they wouldn’t appear just like that. However, if the timing and vocal range were just right, spiritual power would increase, much like a radio frequency tuning in perfectly.

If that was the case?

‘I cannot possibly not try.’

If nothing interesting happened, he would simply create something interesting.

“I`m in a dawn—”

The Demon God sang his part in an unusually ominous voice.

“?”

DJ Ki, with her keen ears, suddenly looked up.

It wasn’t because of the Demon God’s voice. A static noise was coming from somewhere.

‘What is it?’

The studio was perfectly soundproofed, wasn’t it?

At this moment.

– Zzzzt, shhhk, zzt

Static noise was heard.

Radio interference, like when a radio frequency isn’t quite right.

As the Demon God continued his part, raising his spiritual power, the static grew worse.

The writer, Ha-gyeom, the technical director, and the team leader outside the studio all looked serious.

Surprisingly, this noise was not being broadcast at all.

‘Excellent.’

The Demon God was pleased with the song’s power and also admired Ki So-eun, who maintained her composure in this situation.

Now, beyond the noise, the lights began to flicker.

In the escalating fear, Ki So-eun, with her sensitive ears, finally pinpointed the source of the static and looked—

“!!!!”

Swoosh—

A faint human figure appeared.

However, its facial features and limbs were collapsed, literally just a translucent form of something.

Not only was its form terrifying.

The air also grew chillingly cold, causing visible breaths to escape.

“I`m in a dawn—”

In this terrifying situation, Ha-gyeom’s vocals were, yet again, stable.

‘He can summon a spirit of this caliber?’

The Demon God, having completed all his parts, focused on the spirit.

It was truly fortunate that it wasn’t a visible radio broadcast.

If it were visible, it would be a huge broadcasting accident.

While everyone’s eyes were fixed on the spirit.

The spirit slowly passed by DJ Ki, then Ha-gyeom, moving towards the Demon God’s side—

—then it recoiled backward.

““?””