Chapter 6: I Shall Look Down Upon You

A famous photographer was receiving a complaint.

Since it happened right in front of the desk, the Demon God’s party could see the scene as well.

“Then, how about I compensate you like this?”

Judging by how the photographer suggested compensation following his apology, it didn’t seem to be a case of a malicious customer.

“Team Leader?”

The Demon God called out to the Team Leader.

“This isn’t right.”

Team Leader Oh Dae-ho tilted his head, pretending not to hear the Demon God’s words.

Just then, the photographer, who had finally managed to send the customer away with a free additional shoot, noticed the group.

“Ah! You’re from Origin, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Team Leader Oh Dae-ho. This is Sun-woo, who will be shooting today, and next to him is our member, Yoon-seo.”

“Hello, I’m photographer Maeng Young-jin. Nice to meet you, Sun-woo, Yoon-seo.”

Maeng Young-jin bowed slightly.

Sun-woo and Yoon-seo offered their greetings in return.

“Bow lower.”

“Hello, Photographer-nim.”

“?”

As Maeng Young-jin faltered, sensing something strange, the Team Leader quickly whispered.

“Sun-woo hasn’t been back from overseas for long, so his Korean is a bit awkward.”

“Ah, I see.”

Though there was little connection between the demand to bow lower and poor language skills, the photographer let it slide, perhaps due to the gods’ correction.

“Team Leader, I should probably get straight to the point.”

Maeng Young-jin spoke with a regretful face.

“I’m truly sorry, but as you can see, a shoot will be difficult right now. I’ll provide a full refund, of course, and if you’d like, I can connect you with another studio.”

“Another place?”

“Yes, or I can schedule a reservation for another day.”

At Maeng Young-jin’s words, Oh Dae-ho scratched the back of his head.

He couldn’t postpone the shoot since the idol fans were waiting for the official profile pictures. However, he couldn’t just leave it to any random photographer either.

“What exactly is the situation?”

“It’s not that there’s a specific situation.”

“Pardon?”

This time, Maeng Young-jin scratched the back of his head.

“My condition was fine until I took the reservation call, but it turned sharply for the worse afterward. My shoulders feel heavy, my hands are shaking, and most of all, I’m just not getting the right ‘feeling.'”

“You’re not getting the feeling.”

A photographer was also an artist.

If an artist wasn’t feeling it, there was nothing to be done.

“Sun-woo, we’ll have to move to a different studio for now.”

Oh Dae-ho finished his assessment and turned to the Demon God.

“Hmm? Why must we move?”

However, the Demon God questioned back.

“What do you mean why? You heard him. The photographer isn’t in a condition to shoot right now.”

“Can’t we simply resolve that?”

“Resolve it? How can you resolve a health condition? Should I go buy him some medicine?”

“Medicine?”

The Demon God looked puzzled for a moment before realizing.

I see.

It is invisible to human eyes.

The shadow clinging to that photographer’s shoulders right now.

“Hmm.”

There was no reason for a shadow to exist under the bright lights of the studio.

Just looking at the way it writhed and clung soggily was enough to guess. It was an unnatural existence steeped in darkness.

‘So, there are beings like that in this world too.’

The Demon God checked his own powers.

Most of the Authorities he used in war were completely sealed.

When he tried to manifest even a tiny bit of them, he heard the clink-clank of chains clashing, and his back felt a stiff pull.

This was expected anyway.

The Demon God checked the Authorities he could use immediately, other than the war ones.

‘There are only three Authorities I can use right now.’

[Aura], which revealed his status as a Demon God.

[Vassal], which allowed him to take in and use subordinates.

And [Spiritual Feast], which allowed him to absorb spiritual power after destroying beings similar to that shadow.

‘Setting Aura aside, why didn’t they seal Vassal and Feast?’

The Demon God harbored the question privately, but it wasn’t a question meant for anyone here.

Meanwhile, Maeng Young-jin, thinking the Demon God didn’t understand the situation well, added more words from the side.

“Sun-woo, I know you want to shoot, but it’s impossible right now. My hands are shaking as it is… Uh, they’re shaking even more?”

It wasn’t a minor tremor; his hands were shaking violently enough for anyone to see.

“Photographer-nim, are you okay?”

A studio staff member asked in a worried voice.

“Ugh… I have no strength in my whole body…”

He even seemed to be feeling a sense of lethargy.

The reason was simple.

The shadow on Maeng Young-jin’s shoulders was fluctuating wildly.

Apparently, it had taken a liking to the photographer. it was playing its own kind of prank.

However, from a human perspective, it was merely distressing, and from the Demon God’s perspective—since he had to take photos immediately—it wasn’t a pleasant situation either.

“Team Leader, step aside.”

“Huh?”

The Demon God, who had been behind Oh Dae-ho, stepped forward.

The Demon God of high status.

He revealed himself through the Authority, [Aura].

“Don’t you recognize me?”

The shadow suddenly leaped up.

It didn’t even have a proper mouth, so it let out a shriek in its death throes.

– Kyuu!

Zwoop.

The will to stay attached to Maeng Young-jin vanished completely, and the shadow fled in a hurry.

And then.

“Huh? My hands stopped shaking?”

Maeng Young-jin stared at his hands.

The shaking that had persisted until just now had vanished without a trace.

The Demon God spoke to the photographer.

“Hmph. It should be fine now. Is it not?”

“Uh, yeah… It seems so.”

The photographer checked his condition.

the lethargy that had come along with the tremors had also disappeared.

Above all, his eyes, which had been dim until now, cleared up. As he looked at the Demon God…

“Oh?”

Where did this kind of model come from?

I want to shoot him right now.

Inspiration is welling up.

“Let’s proceed with the shoot immediately!”

Oh Dae-ho’s face brightened instantly, and Yoon-seo looked at the Demon God with a bright expression as well.

“Sun-woo hyung, the photographer’s condition seems to have returned.”

“Of course. But it is not over yet.”

“Pardon?”

The Demon God approached the reception desk and picked up a doll.

It was a ghost doll that looked like it was covered in black cloth.

– Kyuuu.

The entity hiding inside the doll, the shadow, was now completely paralyzed with fear.

“Where did this doll come from?”

“I picked it up from the street yesterday.”

At Maeng Young-jin’s answer, the Demon God shook his head.

“Do not pick up malice so carelessly.”

He then put the doll in his pocket.

A black doll small enough to fit perfectly in his pocket.

With a shadow added to it.

“Cute.”

Satisfied, the Demon God finally granted permission for the shoot.

“Photographer, capture me now.”

A faint, satisfied smile appeared on his cold and ruthless face.

Overwhelmed by the charisma of an idol much younger than him, the photographer somehow found himself moving toward the camera.

***

The shoot should have finished quickly after that—

Or so one would hope.

But things weren’t that easy.

Once he held the camera, Maeng Young-jin revealed his professional side.

After observing the Demon God from all angles, he firmly shook his head when the Team Leader requested photos matching Pantheon’s existing concept.

“That concept won’t work.”

“It won’t work?”

“No.”

To say it wouldn’t work when the customer requested it?

The Team Leader was at a loss for what to say.

“The photographer is right. You cannot capture me in such a manner.”

The Demon God even chimed in from the side.

“Sun-woo? You think so too?”

“Indeed. Are you blind, Team Leader?”

“Urgh.”

The Demon God even dragged Yoon-seo into it.

“Yoon-seo, what do you think? Are you as blind as the Team Leader?”

“Huh? Me?”

Yoon-seo was startled.

He was the type to stay quiet when opinions differed, but the Demon God had pointedly asked him.

“Well, that is…”

“Speak.”

“But…”

“Speak!”

“Ugh…”

Unable to watch the scene of him being pressured any longer, the Team Leader soothed Yoon-seo.

“It’s okay, Yoon-seo. It’s better to gather opinions and shoot it right from the start. Tell us.”

Only then did Yoon-seo reply while reading the room.

“Well, then… I also think ‘fresh and refreshing’ really doesn’t suit Sun-woo hyung at all…”

The Demon God nodded, and the Team Leader sighed.

Pantheon meant a temple for all the gods.

And the concept they had pushed until now was: The Gods Have Arrived with Spring.

A concept that was fresh, refreshing, bright, heart-fluttering, and energetic—implying that the gods descending to the human world would breathe in heart-fluttering feelings like a spring breeze.

Makeup that was clear and clean.

Outfits in pastel tones that were light and airy.

Fresh and refreshing.

“You intended to make me look like that? You have a large dream for someone of your standing, Team Leader.”

“…….”

In fact, Oh Dae-ho was also feeling that the photographer and the Demon God were right.

Though he had only known him for two days, Sun-woo was not the ‘fresh and refreshing’ type.

His visuals were cold yet eye-catching.

Trying to deck him out in a fresh and refreshing style might lead to a mediocre result.

Maybe later, after he had received enough ‘camera massages’ and it was time for an image transformation, it might work, but not today.

“Team Leader, trust me as a photographer. I’ll shoot Sun-woo in a way that reveals his… what should I call it? Demonic charm? Yes, his demonic charm.”

“The photographer’s eyes are far superior to the Team Leader’s. Leave it to him. He will do well.”

Persuaded by the photographer and the Demon God, the Team Leader finally nodded.

“The CEO said he’d leave the judgment on-site to me. Fine, Photographer-nim. Please shoot it like that.”

“Great decision!”

Photographer Maeng immediately took the lead and guided the Demon God.

“Sun-woo, come this way. Let’s do a quick test shoot before styling.”

Exceptionally black and lustrous hair.

Pure white skin that needed no whitening.

And eyes that seemed to have a hint of a red glow depending on the angle.

The Demon God was perfectly optimized for the concept of ‘demonic charm.’

Maeng Young-jin pointed to an angular wooden chair.

“Just like that. Don’t do anything else, just sit on that chair and look at the camera. In a comfortable posture, as you usually would.”

In truth, it was a prop he rarely used.

When he told other artists to sit there, they unconsciously took a formal posture, and the chair never really enhanced the atmosphere.

But for some reason, he felt the chair would suit him. He just had that feeling.

Of course, the feeling he wanted from the idol Sun-woo wasn’t a formal posture, so he intended to give posing directions once the boy sat down comfortably.

“Ah…”

There was no need for that.

A small exclamation escaped the photographer’s mouth.

The same was true for the Team Leader, Yoon-seo, and all the studio staff.

The Demon God simply sat down comfortably.

Just as he usually did.

Just as he did when receiving audiences from his vassals.

His body leaned languidly back, and his legs were stretched out and crossed.

His right arm rested on the back of the chair to support his head, while his left arm dangled toward the floor.

His indifferent gaze—one couldn’t tell if he was looking at the camera or not—even looked somewhat dreamy.

It was natural.

Because while the Demon God listened to the audiences of his vassals.

His gaze was always fixed beyond, toward the sea of stars.

Toward the world he would dye with his own demonic charm.

In that way, the Demon God who had become an idol gazed at the universe.

Click.

Along with the small sound from the camera, the Demon God was captured in a single photograph.

***

“Huh? Yeon-hee, Yeon-hee! Wait a second!”

During the club activity hour at Guesan Girls’ Middle School.

Lee Yeon-hee, who was pounding the drums with an intense beat in the band club, stopped her sticks.

The very girl who had participated in the Chili Pepper Nanta with her grandmother, Kim Myung-ja.

“Why? I was feeling the vibe just now.”

Yeon-hee asked somewhat dissatisfied.

Two days ago, at the festival site, people had experienced strange phenomena.

Most of them were physical. For instance, Kim Myung-ja could still easily lift her shoulders even today.

However, in the case of her granddaughter, Yeon-hee, the aspect was a bit different.

The strange phenomenon had manifested in her sense of rhythm.

Something was different.

She realized it the moment she played the drums today.

The sticks felt more attached to her hands than before, and she could vividly feel the sound and beat every time she struck down.

Yeon-hee was falling into the music as if possessed.

In such a situation, it was only natural for Yeon-hee to be dissatisfied that her friend had made her stop—

However, the friend laughed as she firmly grabbed Yeon-hee’s pouting lips.

“The Chili Pepper Male God! You’re the one who even gave him that nickname. A photo was posted on the official account, you’re not going to look?”

In that moment, Yeon-hee’s eyes widened.

“Look! Look! Look! Look!”

At the rhythmic shout that sounded like a drum beat, her friend thrust the phone forward.

“Is that person the Chili Pepper Male God Yeon-hee was talking about?”

“It’s on the official account?”

“How is it?”

Yeon-hee and her friends huddled together.

Curious about how the idol Yeon-hee mentioned looked, they all checked the photo.

And they met the Demon God’s dreamy gaze.

After a moment of silence, Yeon-hee spoke as if representing her friends.

“The Male God is looking at me.”

Indeed.

For the Demon God is always watching over you.