Chapter 62: The Cookie Tyrant and Gochujang Red’s Gifts

The expectation for the mysterious fan event was soaring.

Inside Pantheon’s dorm, however, a chill wind was blowing fiercely.

It was not the winter wind of February, but rather one caused by the ruthless dictatorship of a certain member.

Was it a dictatorship by the Demon God, then?

“Sun-woo hyung, this way will absolutely not do. If you’re going to be like this, just drop out.”

It was not.

Surprisingly, the Demon God was being ‘oppressed.’

This too was a new experience for him.

“Yoon-seo….”

The dictator was none other than the one person who called the Demon God ‘hyung,’ Yoon-seo.

His usually mumbling or trailing-off speech was replaced by a resolute tone. And his strictness went as far as not hesitating to say he would cut him out.

“Drop out, you say? How can I alone drop out?”

The dictator Yoon-seo was not the Yoon-seo the Demon God knew.

What had transformed Yoon-seo in such a way was—

“If you can’t do it properly, Sun-woo hyung’s cookies will be removed from the reverse-tribute. We can’t give tasteless cookies to our fans!”

In other words, it was because of the cookies for the reverse-tribute.

When the idea came up for members to put something made with sincerity into the gift boxes for fans, everyone exclaimed that it was a good idea.

In the process of winnowing down what was possible within the limited time, origami and cross-stitch were eliminated.

After reviewing the items, cookies, which could be made in large quantities at once, were finally decided upon.

One of the reasons for this was that they could learn directly from Yoon-seo, who usually enjoyed baking.

“I shall never learn from Yoon-seo again! Has not his personality changed since the baking class began?!”

As soon as the class started, Yoon-seo became consumed by the responsibility of ensuring the members could bake cookies within the set period.

Yoon-seo had transformed into something other than Yoon-seo—.

“For sweet and soft cookies! I, Yoon-seo, can be an angel or a demon to the members!”

“Will no one stop him! How utterly engrossed has he become?!”

Under the ruthless training, accompanied by threats of being cut out, the members could not slack off for even a moment.

“This wasn’t the original plan.”

Tae-young glanced at the vlog camera and muttered to himself.

A heartwarming Pantheon making cookies together seemed to be a lost cause.

Would the fans like a video of Pantheon crying and baking cookies under a harsh instructor?

It was uncertain if they could even release this footage.

Ha-gyeom and Ji-ho also trembled at Yoon-seo’s charisma.

“I think we’ve awakened the Cookie Demon. To say he’ll cut us out if we don’t follow the class properly. It’s too scary!”

“To think he was this serious. It’s a good thing we have Sun-woo.”

It was fortunate, as Ji-ho said.

It was truly fortunate that the Demon God absorbed all the scolding.

“Aren’t you holding the measuring cup straight? If you tilt it like that, there’ll be a difference from the actual amount!”

“Let everyone behold. How can you treat me so harshly? Say something.”

He was a tanker without equal.

If this were a game, while the tanker took damage, other team members should launch an attack.

“……”

The members lowered their eyes at the Demon God’s request for support and focused on their own dough.

“No, well. Yoon-seo isn’t wrong.”

“Gotta work hard.”

“My name can’t be missing from the cookies.”

“…You all?”

The moment the Demon God shuddered at a betrayal he had never faced even before coming to the human realm.

“Everyone gather around. We’re going to have a taste test of Sun-woo hyung’s cookies together.”

The instructor, Cookie Demon, dictator Yoon-seo, demanded collective responsibility from the members.

And, there was a reason Yoon-seo had threatened the Demon God with being cut out.

The cookie that had just come out of the oven was distorted and ominous….

“I clearly explained it thoroughly and even watched him closely, yet he produced something like this!”

Thus, it was not surprising that Yoon-seo felt more rigorous training was necessary.

“Ugh. That thing?”

“Can that even be called a cookie? No matter how positively you look at it, isn’t it just burnt?”

“Even objectively, it’s burnt dough, isn’t it?”

The members protested but reluctantly gathered near the Demon God.

“Traitors, I shall not forget this—.”

The members heard the Demon God’s resentful words in their ears, and saw the black, ominous, grotesque ‘cookie’ on the dining table with their eyes.

“It feels like revenge is happening immediately.”

“Won’t we get seriously sick if we eat this?”

“We have schedules to keep, right? This isn’t just about baking cookies.”

As the members said, if they got sick from eating the Demon God’s cookie, it would disrupt their subsequent schedules.

Even Yoon-seo couldn’t ignore that fact.

“That’s right. So just take a small bite.”

“Bite?”

“Not ‘let’s try’ or ‘shall we try’?”

“What about you, Yoon-seo?”

Then Yoon-seo said with an arrogant expression.

“Even me?”

An expression reminiscent of someone, and a line reminiscent of someone.

“Yoon-seo, is that, by any chance?”

“Is that something you’ve always wanted to try?”

“Don’t make Sun-woo your role model!”

With only a slightly different tone, he was a copy-paste of the Demon God.

“Do I act like that?”

The Demon God also flinched and asked.

““No.””

He felt relieved when the members said no.

“No matter what, Sun-woo, you’re still more arrogant and insufferable.”

“Right.”

“……”

The Demon God was engulfed in the unfamiliar emotion of self-reflection. If he continued to learn emotions like this, there would be no song he couldn’t sing.

“Just a moment, Yoon-seo.”

However, the Demon God was still the Demon God.

Even amidst this, he plotted a counterattack.

“Why, hyung?”

“Yoon-seo, you anticipate this cookie to be tasteless, do you not?”

“Yes!”

It was an utterly resolute answer….

“But what if it is delicious? What then?”

“What? Delicious, you say?”

Yoon-seo looked down at the monstrous object on the table and gave a small laugh.

“Hmph.”

“S-stop it. Stop imitating me.”

Yoon-seo replied confidently to the trembling Demon God.

“If it’s delicious, I’ll acknowledge Sun-woo hyung as superior to me.”

“Hm?”

Yoon-seo, who was so serious about cookies, acknowledging his student, the Demon God, as superior?

The Demon God’s eyes gleamed.

As always, they literally gleamed.

“I shall not forgive empty boasts, Yoon-seo.”

“Hmph, it’s not an empty boast.”

“Don’t laugh like that—.”

This situation needed to be calmed down quickly.

The Demon God offered his cookie.

“Yoon-seo, taste it. Let the others taste it as well.”

The four members reached for the Demon God’s cookie and carefully picked it up.

The cookie, which was originally supposed to be a snowman, was not only black but also had limbs growing out of it. And they weren’t just docile limbs. It perfectly resembled a person screaming and running away.

Just looking at it was ominous enough.

Crunch.

The four of them bravely took a bite of the end simultaneously.

From a very small piece, the Demon God’s taste was conveyed to their tongues.

““Hm?””

The taste was surprisingly good.

“What is this?”

“Is it because we only ate a little?”

The members, gripped by doubt, took a bigger bite this time.

““Oh?””

But this time, it was the same.

Even though they took a bite large enough for the taste to register, it was fine.

No, it wasn’t just fine.

The first taste was ordinary sweetness. But the more they chewed, they felt something special.

A warmth transmitted beyond the sweetness of sugar.

It felt as if the Demon God’s touch, clumsy but made with sincerity as he kneaded the dough, was conveyed as warmth on their tongues.

“What is it….”

“The taste is peculiar….”

“It’s strange, but… um, an alluring taste….”

“Sun-woo, you didn’t put anything you shouldn’t have in it, did you? Like secretly growing some plant in your room.”

“What nonsense are you speaking? The secret to that taste lies elsewhere.”

The Demon God, seeing the members’ reactions, immediately regained his composure.

Once again, he lifted his chin, pointed his nose towards the sky, and wore an arrogant smirk on his lips.

““Ugh.””

No one wanted to ask the Demon God with such an expression, but a bet was at stake, so they had no choice.

Yoon-seo asked.

“What’s the secret?”

The Demon God let out a small laugh.

“Hmph.”

As Yoon-seo’s face stiffened, he revealed the answer.

“Sincerity.”

It was a gift for the fans.

***

February 20th, Guesan Station.

Far more people disembarked than usual.

Naturally, these were Pantheon’s fans.

“This is the right place, right?”

“Is it really here? My heart is pounding so much….”

“Mine too! We’re not the only ones who came, are we?”

“Look over there! People holding Pantheon merchandise! Others came besides us too!”

They had almost certainty, so they bought train tickets and came all the way here.

However, there was a shred of anxiety.

What if they misinterpreted it, or if the prepared event was not as good as expected?

“No. They must know how the mood is among the fans. If it wasn’t here, they would have given some kind of sign.”

Origin Entertainment was different from other agencies, where poor communication was the norm.

The Pantheon members themselves were not the type to let fans go through unnecessary trouble.

“Let’s go.”

“Taxi?”

It was only a few minutes’ drive from the station to the plaza where the Chili Pepper Festival was held.

Still, it was their first time here, so they might hesitate.

“Shall we walk?”

“Yeah, since it’s our first time here, maybe we can look around as we go?”

Pantheon’s fans, for some reason, let go of their hesitation and started walking down the street.

One by one, in small groups.

Although it was an unfamiliar path, everyone walked in one direction. This made it no different from walking together.

“Everyone here is a fan who joined the fan club, right?”

“That’s right. Because they had us apply with the number we received when we signed up.”

So, it meant they all belonged to one gathering.

This might be why they weren’t too worried about walking an unfamiliar path.

“I see it!”

Eventually, the fans arrived at the plaza.

The first thing that caught their eye was the stage set up in the center of the plaza.

“A stage! It’s a stage, isn’t it?!”

“Aaaah! It’s real! There’s really a stage!”

When one fan screamed, the surrounding fans also cheered in a chain reaction.

“We did it! We got the hint right!”

“Gotta take photos! No, video! Video first!”

Fans holding hands and jumping with joy.

But the joy prepared by Origin’s Pantheon was only just beginning.

“Is that a waiting tent?”

A plaza concert in February.

The weather was still cold.

Fans were prepared to spend time anywhere nearby until the start, but Pantheon would not leave their fans like that.

Large tents were installed in a row, distanced from the stage. Of course, they were waiting areas complete with heaters.

“Pantheon….”

“How did they think of all this? Even heaters….”

“They really prepared this with the fans in mind. I think I’m going to cry.”

An event conducted solely by an agency clearly reveals how the company views its fans.

Looking at the event’s execution, it’s very easy to see if they tried to save money wherever possible, or if they were generous with their fans.

Origin and Pantheon spared no effort in caring for their fans.

Of course, this was thanks to the support of their investors.

Samkang, whose theme park was thriving after the disappearance incident, generously provided support out of joy.

“See the food trucks on both sides?”

“Oh, looks delicious!”

“What does it say?”

Several food trucks were lined up, as if for a world food festival.

One identical phrase was written on all the trucks.

[Thank you, Pantheon fans. This is our small token of sincerity.]

The plainly written phrase informed them that the food trucks were free.

“So we can just grab some food and hang out in the tent, right?”

“Wow! I prepared hot packs and everything because I thought I’d be waiting outside. I can just relax now?”

This was the kind of concert the members, CEO, and team leader had brainstormed together.

A determination to ensure that fans who had intentionally taken time out of their weekend to come all the way to Guesan would not feel even the slightest inconvenience.

“A box?”

“It’s huge!!!!”

It continued inside the tents as well.

Gift boxes were greeting the fans.

“What should I do? They’re giving it to us right when we arrive, not when we leave?”

“They must be confident in what they’ve prepared.”

“Did the kids choose these themselves? They must have, right?”

“Aaah! I’m going to open it!”

When one fan opened a box, a trend followed.

Inside the box was the intention to ensure fans returned with more than the time and money they had spent.

It contained not only items from companies that Pantheon endorsed but also gifts carefully selected by the members.

The quality of each item was uniformly high.

Of course, there were products like lip balm and perfume.

Even the candy, included so they wouldn’t run out of energy while enjoying themselves, was a luxury British brand.

“Did they prepare all this just for us? This is crazy….”

“Yoon-seo personally chose this lip balm? How did he know? That I like this color?”

“Oh, seriously, can I even accept this? Isn’t it too expensive?”

Fans bent over the large boxes, almost diving into them.

A gift beneath a gift, and another gift beneath that.

Finally, the fan who delved all the way to the bottom.

“This is what?”

Discovered a cookie bag.

Inside it was ‘that very cookie’….

“There’s a strange one among the cookies? It looks a bit… scary.”

“Wait, read this! The members baked them themselves!”

“The strange one… Sun-woo made it.”

“They say it’s not burnt! Sun-woo’s cookies are this shape!”

“Why would it be this shape? I shouldn’t think like that, right?”

Its appearance was enough to make fans initially hesitant.

But if it wasn’t burnt after all.

“Eat it? It’s too precious.”

Fans held it in their hands, pondering, not knowing what taste they would experience if they ate it.