Chapter 8: The Choreography is Very Easy

The Team Leader came straight to the dorm after informing them about the variety show scout over the phone.

The appearance on Agola was just two days away.

No matter how much it was a variety show, they would have to show at least Pantheon’s representative song.

Even if the other members handled the vocals, the choreography had to be learned starting today.

In fact, there were many other things to prepare, so the Team Leader headed to Origin Ent with the Demon God and Yoon-seo.

“We’ve arrived. Sun-woo, you remember the company building, right?”

“No.”

The Demon God looked up at the company building.

The building Origin had acquired with its initial capital was quite decent.

Recently, they had been considering leaving this place due to financial issues, but there was no way the Demon God knew about those circumstances.

“You and I had our first greeting here, didn’t we? Why can’t you remember anything?”

At the Team Leader’s reasonable question, the Demon God felt the need for an excuse.

“I tend not to pay attention to trivial matters.”

Thinking he had answered most skillfully in his own way, the Demon God wore a satisfied smile.

“…….”

Oh Dae-ho was momentarily silent, at a loss for words.

Just then, Yoon-seo pointed to someone outside the car window.

“Isn’t that the CEO?”

At Yoon-seo’s words, the Demon God also turned his head.

A middle-aged man with a somewhat stout build, wearing a colorful shirt and clean beige pants.

He was a man who reminded one of a businessman from Hawaii.

Of course, in the eyes of the Demon God, who knew nothing of Hawaii, it was just a flashy human looking this way.

“Oh? I thought I told you I’d bring them to the CEO’s office?”

The Team Leader, who quickly parked the car in the first-floor parking lot, led the Demon God and Yoon-seo to the CEO.

“CEO? Why are you out here?”

“I was so anxious I couldn’t wait.”

Oh Dae-ho suddenly noticed the CEO’s excited face.

He was so thrilled about the variety show scout after such a long time that he couldn’t wait patiently and had come out in front of the company.

“So, you’re Sun-woo?”

The CEO examined the Demon God anew.

He seemed to stare intently at the face, then circled around him to check his physical condition.

Oh Dae-ho tilted his head at the sight.

“Why are you acting like you’re seeing him for the first time? Sun-woo, even if you can’t remember everything, you remember the CEO, right?”

Anyway, the person who cast him was the CEO.

This was something he couldn’t not know.

“No.”

“Huh?”

He still didn’t know.

It was only natural.

Until the moment the Demon God opened his eyes inside the van, the existence named Sun-woo was merely a puppet, and the CEO’s memories had also been manipulated.

Oh Dae-ho and Yoon-seo looked back and forth between the CEO and the Demon God.

Yet, those two didn’t seem even slightly uncomfortable.

“What does it matter where and how you and I met? What’s truly important is the future.”

“Indeed, CEO. You understand.”

The CEO, whose ‘gods’ correction’ was particularly strong, felt no offense at all at the Demon God’s way of speaking.

“He’s full of personality, just like someone from overseas.”

“Because I am a one-of-a-kind existence.”

“It’ll be good for making an impression on the variety show.”

“An impression? Am I not the one who should be leaving a mark?”

Oh Dae-ho stared blankly at the two.

A conversation was going back and forth, and it was unclear if they were actually communicating or not.

“Yoon-seo, do you understand this?”

“No…”

And there was no time for Oh Dae-ho and Yoon-seo to adapt to the situation.

“Team Leader Oh, let’s head to the dance practice room. Tae-young is here.”

“Really? The timing is perfect.”

Right, what did it matter?

The variety show appearance was urgent, and the choreography practice was important.

***

As they all moved together, the Demon God asked Yoon-seo.

“Yoon-seo, who is this Tae-young?”

“Ah… you still don’t remember well, do you? He’s our leader hyung.”

“Leader? The chieftain?”

“Uh, it’s not really that kind of feeling. It’s more like… he’s like a big brother. Tae-young hyung takes good care of us.”

Of course, it wasn’t the case for every team.

There were leaders who were truly like chieftains, and some who were leaders in name only. Everyone was different.

“Ah, I see.”

He had thought he could just seize the chieftain’s position from Tae-young.

To think the man was just in a kind hyung role.

The Demon God quickly lost interest and moved his steps quietly.

They went down the stairs and reached the front of the basement dance practice room.

“Oh? I hear music.”

“Tae-young must be practicing again already.”

Yoon-seo and the Team Leader spoke as they slightly opened the door.

Music flowing slowly without lyrics.

Lighting kept somewhat dim.

There was a young man slowly moving his body within the music and lights.

‘Ho?’

Even the Demon God could see it.

The young man’s body was completely at one with the music.

His toes slowly swept the floor, and his fingertips caressed the air.

Movements that seemed to be searching for how he should exist within this space.

After moving for a long time, exploring the space itself in all directions.

Suddenly, at some point, he stopped.

The tempo of the music quickened.

The young man remained still with his back arched, then his whole body trembled as if he had only just noticed the change in tempo.

The movement that began with trembling led to rotations, leaps, and flexions, becoming even more intense.

Gestures that sought escape within a tightening space.

In the Demon God’s life, there was no such thing as a choreographer.

To the word ‘dance,’ the Demon God only associated primitive writhing. Otherwise, it was a clown.

However, the Demon God could feel what Tae-young’s choreography was expressing. It was that intuitive.

That was why, when the music eventually stopped, the Demon God clapped his hands vigorously.

“?”

Tae-young caught his breath and looked toward the door.

“CEO, you’re here. Team Leader, I’m back from vacation. Yoon-seo, have you been well?”

Tae-young, who calmly offered his greetings to each person, looked at the Demon God.

“Sun-woo, thanks for the applause.”

“It was excellent.”

The Demon God also observed Tae-young.

Tae-young was as tall as the Demon God and had long limbs.

His short-cropped hair looked active.

However, the aura he emitted was the complete opposite.

His attitude was calm.

His gaze was profound.

‘These types were always reliable. They did their part no matter what was assigned to them.’

Having commanded numerous subordinates, the Demon God could judge instantly.

He made his decision.

He would acknowledge Tae-young as a subordinate.

He would let the man assist him in the realm of choreography.

“Good. Try teaching me the choreography.”

“…….”

Tae-young briefly exchanged looks with Yoon-seo.

‘He’s always like this, right?’

‘Yes.’

Nod.

Even during the vacation, Tae-young had exchanged updates on the dorm situation with Yoon-seo.

Thanks to that, he was not severely flustered by the Demon God’s way of speaking.

“Now! You guys are greeting each other well on your own. I wish we had more time, but we have no choice since it’s so urgent.”

With a clap from the Team Leader, the topic of conversation immediately shifted to the choreography.

The plan was for Tae-young, who was exceptionally skilled as a main dancer, to stay by his side and teach him.

The Demon God asked Tae-young.

“Tae-young, must I dance the way you were dancing?”

“No. You have to learn the choreography for our title track, <Season of Light>.”

“The song title is far too cringy.”

“Cringy?”

Tae-young played the song on a pad placed on the floor and began the choreography.

Like a soft spring breeze approaching, he leaped with light movements and stood gently before an imaginary partner.

Following that, hand gestures that seemed to carefully caress or invite the partner.

Overall, bright, heart-fluttering, and lively movements continued.

“How is it?”

“Urgh.”

The Demon God almost gagged.

It was bright. Too bright. It was a choreography the Demon God couldn’t even imagine.

“Are you telling me to perform such a lively dance?”

Yoon-seo asked from the side.

“Hyung, didn’t you do songs like this during dance practice?”

“Practice? I have never practiced such a thing as choreography.”

“What?!”

Yoon-seo’s eyes widened.

Since the situation had progressed so quickly, they hadn’t been able to confirm, but to think he had never practiced.

Tae-young also widened his eyes slightly.

“You’ve never practiced?”

“Correct.”

In that moment, everyone except the Demon God looked at the CEO.

“Did you sign him based only on his visuals?”

“Maybe?”

Everyone was dumbfounded by the CEO’s vague answer.

“What if Sun-woo is a bad dancer?”

“Hmm? Surely not?”

It was even more of a spectacle.

A sudden sense of crisis rushed over the Team Leader and the members.

In particular, Tae-young, the main dancer, put his hand to his head.

A person who has taken dance lessons versus a person who hasn’t at all.

Even if you teach them the same choreography they’re seeing for the first time, it’s completely different.

With a long sigh, Tae-young spoke to the Demon God.

“Sun-woo, do you want to at least try following the choreography you just saw? Let’s just see the vibe. Or should I show you one more time?”

He didn’t have high expectations.

It was a request just to see if the ‘dance lines’ would even come out.

“Ugh, it’s not like seeing it one more time will make it possible. Such a dance.”

Everyone watched the Demon God with worried eyes.

Even the Demon God himself thought there was no way he could do such bright and lively movements, yet he began the first move.

Still, the first move remained in his memory, and he mimicked it.

He managed the next move fairly well.

The move after that, too.

And the move after that.

And the next—

“Oh? It’s working?”

He could do it all.

“Oh? Sun-woo?”

“Sun-woo hyung?”

Tae-young and Yoon-seo cried out in surprise.

“I knew it! There’s no way I just cast him for no reason!”

“You said you couldn’t even remember! But still, you did well, CEO!”

It was the same for the CEO and Oh Dae-ho.

The Sun-woo of Pantheon was a boy who could mimic a dance exactly after seeing it once—in other words, he could ‘pick up’ choreography.

Everyone focused on the Demon God’s choreography.

In particular, Tae-young, who wanted to check the dance lines, watched the Demon God even more intently.

Even if the song wasn’t long, the choreography difficulty wasn’t low.

Yet, while the members watched, the Demon God continued through to the very last movement.

The Demon God ended up being impressed with himself.

‘As expected, I am myself.’

He could pull off even a bright and lively dance that his body rejected.

With this momentum, he would be able to conquer idol choreography in an instant!

“How was it?”

The Demon God requested confirmation with high spirits.

“Huh?”

The reaction was strange.

“What is it? Did I not do well?”

““Uh, well, you did it well, but.””

Everyone’s impression was similar.

First, they were impressed by Sun-woo, who handled every movement.

At the same time, there was another impression.

““Isn’t it scary?””

It was scary.

It was clearly a choreography set to a fresh and lively song, but it was somehow scary.

The soft footsteps approaching were like someone sneaking in for an assassination.

The hand gestures carefully caressing the partner felt like he was checking for signs of life.

“Ah.”

The Demon God realized it too.

He was a Demon God.

An aura of terror was bound to seep into his movements.

“What should we do? Tae-young, is it possible to correct this in two days?”

At the CEO’s question, Tae-young shook his head.

“He’ll have to practice a lot. It’s because it’s not a matter of him being unable to dance.”

There are dances that work through practice, and dances performed with innate sense.

In Tae-young’s eyes, Sun-woo’s dance was the latter.

Because it was actually superior, it was difficult to correct in a short period.

Everyone wore serious expressions.

Even so, Tae-young and Yoon-seo checked the Demon God’s face, fearing he might be discouraged.

“Hmph.”

“?”

The Demon God was far too confident.

“You are harboring trivial worries.”

“Um, Sun-woo hyung… this isn’t the time for that. You have to perform on stage for the variety show, and you stand out way too much. The concept and the feeling are also different.”

Even the timid Yoon-seo spoke up once it became a matter of work.

Since those words were so utterly correct, others thought the Demon God wouldn’t be able to provide any answer.

But he wouldn’t be the Demon God then.

The Demon God’s thoughts were completely different.

“Then should you all not be the ones putting in the effort?”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t you say you have been practicing continuously? Such as you should be able to match me, should you not?”

“Eh?”

“Concept or whatever, match it to me.”

And he didn’t stop there.

“And must we necessarily dance together? I do not like having someone in my way beside me.”

“E-eh?”

At a judgment that was natural for the Demon God, Yoon-seo’s face turned pale.

‘He’s telling us to handle it on our own.’

To Yoon-seo’s ears, it sounded almost like that.

Suddenly, Tae-young spoke in a low voice.

“Is it reverse thinking?”

Tae-young, who listened carefully to the members’ words as a leader.

As a result, he had veered off once more from the Demon God’s already veered-off words.

“You’re telling us to use the scary feeling instead?”

And then.

“Ah, is that it?”

“It seems so, CEO. It’s just because Sun-woo’s speech is a bit awkward.”

“Whew… Sun-woo hyung was also worrying about it.”

Everyone accepted Tae-young’s misinterpreted explanation.

Lee Sun-woo is a guy who seems like his personality isn’t great, but is actually alright.

Everyone nodded with that subtle evaluation.

“?”

Except for the Demon God, who alone didn’t know what was going on, everyone huddled together.

“Is it possible to utilize that scary atmosphere?”

“Shall we see?”

They had veered off so much that they somehow ended up back in the right place.

Tae-young requested the Demon God.

“Sun-woo.”

“What is it?”

“Can you just try dancing anything, utilizing your own feeling?”

That was easy.

The Demon God smiled.

“Do not faint.”

And then he moved his body.

The dance he performed on the eve of war, after beating the drums and leaping among the believers.

Something that had to be called a dance move or gesture, too crude to be expressed by the words ‘choreography’ or ‘dance.’

Yet, it contained a primitive power.

Demonstrating his strength before his believers ahead of a decisive battle where he would throw away everything.

That dance captivated everyone watching.

Instantly.

“How was it?”

The Demon God asked after finishing the dance.

Unlike before, it wasn’t a question seeking evaluation or impressions.

Now, this was a question to confirm worship.

While no one could answer that arrogant question, Tae-young finally opened his mouth after a moment.

“– —-.”

It was a single phrase that would solve the problem.