Chapter 70: A Composer, an Evil Spirit, and the Demon God

The production meeting room for Mystery Horror Commando.

“It’s not working out, as expected….”

When the writer, Yang I-ju, shook her head, PD Ko Myeong-seok looked at her with a despairing expression.

“Zion?”

“Yes. He said right from the first line that it would be difficult for him to appear.”

Yang I-ju replied, checking the text message on her phone.

“No…. Zion being an occult fan was our only hope. At this rate, we won’t even make it past the first reorganization.”

Talk of canceling Mystery Horror Commando was openly circulating.

The program started with the intention of digging into mysterious horror incidents and figures across the country, but most cases turned out to be nothing upon investigation.

Since the conclusions fizzled out, it wasn’t fun no matter how well they set the atmosphere in the beginning and middle.

Now that the occult maniacs who had joined at the start of the program had fallen away in droves, both viewership ratings and buzz were utterly dismal.

They were barely clinging to life thanks to one of the MCs, Jung Hee-gon, causing unexpected scenes every episode to draw attention—

“If we just get buzz from Zion once, just once, we could somehow pull through. But this isn’t working.”

Ko Myeong-seok, a fairly capable PD, was even considering changing the program format.

In fact, there was nothing to criticize about the direction.

Even among occult maniacs, the consensus was that Mystery Horror Commando was good at setting the atmosphere.

If only they could survive just one reorganization, he was confident.

“Just once! Can’t we even get that once!”

At Ko Myeong-seok’s shout, Yang I-ju replied.

“Maybe we can?”

“What?”

Ko Myeong-seok stared at the writer at her unexpected remark.

Yang I-ju held out her phone to the PD instead of speaking.

A text message from Ultranova declining the casting offer.

But in the latter part—

[Zion recommended Sun-woo from his junior group, Pantheon. Since they are close friends, he has already conveyed the situation. He says Origin Entertainment will accept if you just put in a casting call.]

Such content was included.

“Huh? Pantheon’s Sun-woo?”

They were also well aware of Demon God Sun-woo.

He was a character famous for being funny on variety shows and self-produced content.

Many variety PDs coveted him, but they heard Origin wasn’t sending him out often for some reason.

But Origin would accept just with a casting call?

“Writer Yang!”

Ko Myeong-seok looked at the writer’s face.

Yang I-ju was also overflowing with joy.

“Director, it’s here, it’s finally here!”

And, there was a slightly different emotion mixed in Yang I-ju’s joy.

“It was worth stanning Pantheon! He said if you worship him, things will work out well!”

“What did you say? Writer Yang, you liked Pantheon?”

“What are you saying. My phone background has been Pantheon from the start.”

When she scrolled down the message, a photo of Pantheon appeared.

It was that photo of the Demon God wearing a white suit, G-RED on his lips, frowning in the center.

“Ah, you’re right. I saw it all the time but didn’t know.”

Ko Myeong-seok brought the phone almost to his eyes, indulging in Sun-woo’s appearance.

He couldn’t help but look pretty to him.

“You mean this friend will appear on our program?”

“I’ll put in the casting call right away!”

Yang I-ju snatched the phone and immediately started contacting them.

Ko Myeong-seok could hear the words from Origin over the phone near his ear.

– Yes, Sun-woo requested it, so we were preparing.

– The filming is right this time? Just a moment—

His heart skipped a beat here.

– That day you mentioned, he’s free then. Sun-woo made such a fuss about prioritizing this program. We couldn’t schedule anything else.

“Haa-ugh.”

His heart, which had been tight, beat strongly again.

He asked to prioritize this program?

Our program that’s on the verge of being canceled?

Moved, Ko Myeong-seok uttered a phrase that was definitely not true.

“An angel who will revive the program is coming.”

***

“Sun-woo’s solo schedule?”

Tae-young asked back with deep concern.

Team Leader Oh Dae-ho’s face in front of him was also shadowed with worry.

“It’s not talk-centered. It’s about going to a psychic spot and getting reactions, so wouldn’t it be okay?”

The team leader held out a photo of an abandoned performance hall sent by the production team.

Something blurry was captured on the camera lens, perhaps a smudge. Like a human shadow.

“…This makes me worry more.”

“Ugh, actually, I think so too.”

Tae-young and the team leader turned their heads simultaneously.

On the sofa over there, the Demon God was lying down.

“Evil spirit, evil spirit, delicious evil spirit.”

He looked quite excited, singing an unknown song.

For some reason, that fueled the anxiety around him….

“Sun-woo?”

“Why do you call?”

“Can you come here for a moment?”

“No? You come here. My back has become attached to the sofa.”

Tae-young and the team leader sighed and headed towards the sofa.

“If you have come, state your business.”

“……”

The team leader squeezed his eyes shut and opened them.

“Sun-woo. I can’t go that day either. You’ll be going with one on-site manager.”

“I have already heard and know.”

“So you have to be careful.”

“……”

The Demon God fell into thought for a moment.

After pondering deeply in his own way, he opened his mouth.

“About what?”

He had absolutely no idea.

As a Demon God, what does he have to be careful about? Being careful is for other beings to do.

“That—, image, etiquette, things like that.”

The team leader, whose will to explain was already half broken, barely answered.

“Ah.”

Unexpectedly, the Demon God nodded coolly.

“Oh? Sun-woo, did you understand?”

Hope dawned on the team leader’s face.

“No, I ignored it.”

It didn’t even take a second to turn into despair.

“To try and inject trivial human images or etiquette into me. Team Leader, would you like to learn true etiquette from me?”

“No.”

With an immediate answer, the team leader let go of everything.

“Yeah, well, it’ll work out somehow. Sun-woo has done well so far.”

Ignoring Tae-young’s gaze staring at him, the team leader tried hard to justify himself.

“Sun-woo.”

“Tae-young, speak.”

Tae-young wasn’t any more confident in persuading Sun-woo than the team leader.

However, even if he gave up on persuasion, he had something to say.

“You know not to disappoint the fans, right? Including how you appear on the broadcast.”

What Sun-woo considers important.

Fans.

And he was sincere about idol activities.

Indeed, the Demon God sat up on the sofa.

“Hmm, Tae-young. Excellent advice.”

The Demon God stroked his chin, thinking about what kind of image he should project for the fans.

“I shall implant an intense impression they will never forget eternally.”

““No, not that.””

Tae-young and the team leader shouted in unison.

One thing became certain.

Let’s continue to send Sun-woo out on broadcasts cautiously.

***

And on the day of filming.

The Demon God arrived at a certain place in Chungnam with one on-site manager.

Getting off at an empty lot where only the roof of the performance hall was visible in the distance, the Demon God looked around.

“It is not right in front of the performance hall?”

“They say cars can’t enter because of poor management there.”

The on-site manager answered.

The Demon God looked up at the roof of the performance hall and.

“Hmph.”

—laughed softly.

“What is it?”

“It is nothing.”

Just because something enjoyable had arisen.

While the Demon God and the on-site manager conversed briefly.

“Pantheon’s Sun-woo? Wow, you’re really handsome.”

“Sun-woo? Nice to meet you! This is Director Ko, and I’m Writer Yang who spoke with you on the phone. You really are handsome!”

Ko Myeong-seok and Yang I-ju approached and welcomed the Demon God.

“Worship is welcome.”

Since the Demon God answered the humans with satisfaction.

“Hahaha! To think you really use that tone?”

“Kyah! It’s even funnier hearing it in person!”

“I did not say anything funny, however?”

With the gods’ correction, idol settings, and existing content mixed in, the Demon God’s tone was naturally accepted.

“What about the MC and panelists? Isn’t Jung Hee-gon in this program?”

He had contributed to making the Demon God known through Idol Pick.

He had intended to meet him today and commend him.

“Starting from this episode, we decided that only the guest goes to the psychic spot, and the MC and panelists only film reactions in the studio. There were many comments that the broadcast was too distracted because there were too many people on site.”

PD Ko Myeong-seok applied the concept change he intended to try after the reorganization to coincide with Sun-woo’s appearance.

“So the evaluation of the existing concept was not good. Then there is no need to hesitate. Excellent, Director.”

The Demon God was familiar with concept changes.

Thanks to that, the commendation went to Ko Myeong-seok, not Jung Hee-gon.

“Hahaha, really? I don’t know the result yet, but it feels good to be praised.”

Yang I-ju chimed in from the side.

“It will go well. Since Sun-woo said so. Worship him.”

At her words, the Demon God tilted his head.

“Hm? Writer, are you perhaps…”

“Yes, yes!”

“Do you worship me?”

“Kyaaah! I heard it directly! Yes, I worship you!”

It’s fan devotion.

The Demon God smiled.

“Hmph. Then I, too, shall worship you.”

“Kiiiyaaaah!”

Staff around them shook their heads laughing at the fuss of an idol and fan, not a cast member and writer.

However, to the Demon God, it wasn’t just fuss or fan service.

Because he could hear faint but clear cracking sounds from the chains behind his back.

‘So many fans’ devotion is confirmed coincidentally like this.’

The Demon God felt renewed determination to continue activities quickly.

To that end, didn’t he come here to obtain the title track for the next album?

“Sun-woo, I’ll give you a brief briefing.”

Yang I-ju, having fully enjoyed the joy of a successful fan, returned to being a broadcast writer and began explaining today’s filming.

As the Demon God focused.

– Director!

The voice of the assistant director, sent ahead to the performance hall, came from the walkie-talkie Ko Myeong-seok was holding.

The tone was quite flustered, so people’s gazes naturally turned to the walkie-talkie.

But then, a beat of doom-doom- was heard in the background from somewhere.

“What is it?”

– Here. They say there’s someone who entered the performance hall first? (Doom- Doom-)

“What?”

– There was a car, so I asked, and they said one person went inside. (Du-doom- Doom-)

Ko Myeong-seok frowned.

If they overlap on camera for no reason, they have to reshoot.

“Is that side broadcasting too? Must be YouTube. Since there are many YouTubers filming psychic spots like abandoned houses. I’ll have to go ask for cooperation and ask them to leave.”

While filming Mystery Horror Commando, he had seen many such YouTubers.

– No, not a YouTuber, they said he was some composer? (Du-du-doom- Doom-)

“Composer?”

“What?”

Ko Myeong-seok and the Demon God spoke simultaneously.

– Yes. Lucio? Lucio? Something like that. (Doom- Doom-)

Ko Myeong-seok tilted his head at the unfamiliar name, but.

“Hoh?”

The Demon God made a sound full of interest.

“Was it not Lucio Moreira?”

– Ah, that’s right! (Doom- Doom-)

The assistant director answered the Demon God’s question.

“Ha.”

The Demon God burst into joyous laughter.

Composer.

Lucio Moreira.

The possibility of a Brazilian composer with the same name being in Korea is slim.

Then hasn’t this so-called composer rolled right into my grasp?

“Why are you suddenly laughing with your eyes shining like that? Is he someone you know, Sun-woo?”

“Ah, I know him indeed.”

The Demon God found a justification to block the production team in Yang I-ju’s question.

“He is a composer I know well. So I shall go alone and request cooperation.”

“Sun-woo alone? Why don’t we just go together?”

“No. He is an artist and sensitive. It would be better for me, an acquaintance, to do it.”

In fact, from the production team’s perspective, it was a welcome situation.

They thought filming would be delayed due to an unforeseen situation, but the performer’s acquaintance said he would solve it directly.

“Then please do.”

Ko Myeong-seok fell for the Demon God’s ploy and agreed.

Then he asked the assistant director what he had been curious about.

“Seung-hun, but what’s that beat I keep hearing? Did those people turn on music?”

Doom- Doom-

– No? I don’t hear anything here? I’m alone?

And at that moment.

Snap.

The beat stopped.

“……”

– Director? Director?

When Ko Myeong-seok looked at Yang I-ju, she nodded, meaning she also heard the beat.

Not just her, everyone here heard it.

The beat that rang repeatedly to the point of being annoying.

A chilling atmosphere swept through the production team.

And—

“Hmph.”

The Demon God’s smile deepened.

Behold.

The roof of the performance hall.

From the moment he arrived here, it was visible to the Demon God’s eyes.

A massive and evil energy, tinged with dark red, was surging over the roof.

To the Demon God’s ears, it flares up in time with the doom-doom- beat that is still audible.

With that much energy, it’s an evil spirit stronger than the ‘Miser’ he met at the amusement park.

“Variety shows are truly amusing.”

“Yes? Sun-woo? Before filming even started?”

No, it is amusing.

The Demon God strode towards the performance hall without hesitation.

Composer, surely you aren’t dead already?