Chapter 80: The Prelude to Revenge

The Demon God’s yoga class.

It was not healing, but a thrill ride.

Ji-ho’s day passed in such a manner.

Through the Authority [Deep Sleep Inducement], the members of Pantheon fell into a profound slumber.

With the exception of one person.

The owner of the Authority himself, the Demon God, had little need for much sleep.

“Kang-yul, is it?”

It is a name that continues to haunt Pantheon’s side.

Like a lingering ghost.

The Demon God was currently looking through Pantheon’s meager past videos, specifically those featuring Kang-yul.

The Kang-yul in the videos welcomed the viewers with a smile devoid of any shadows.

While his features were all distinct, his overall impression was one of charm.

“He was indeed worthy of being the visual center before me.”

Furthermore, it was a face that humans would describe as ‘looking like a kind person.’

Those around him surely must have shown him favor and cherished him.

However, a traitor does not walk around with the word ‘traitor’ plastered on their forehead.

The Demon God, who had fought countless enemies, was well-accustomed to traitors with kind faces.

There were those who joined from the start with the intent to betray, and those who changed their minds while working together.

He had dealt with the former harshly, and the latter even more so.

That was the way of the Demon God.

As he recalled those faces—

“Hmm?”

The Demon God looked away from his phone and pricked up his ears.

Someone was wandering about.

Since no sound was coming from below, it was neither the CEO nor the Team Leader.

The Demon God rose from his bed and stepped out of his room.

As expected, one of the members was sitting on the living room sofa.

“Ji-ho.”

Under the subtle night light, Ji-ho’s bowed head cast a shadow upon the floor.

“To think you are awake despite my having put you to sleep—it seems you are indeed troubled.”

The Demon God sat down opposite Ji-ho.

To wake up by breaking through the Authority [Deep Sleep Inducement]. Just how much agony must he be engulfed in?

“Do you wish to speak?”

“…….”

There was no answer.

The Demon God was not one to force a conversation in such moments.

However, Ji-ho was the type to withdraw into himself.

If left alone, it was obvious his condition would become strange again.

“Wait here. I have prepared something.”

“Wh-what now?”

Ji-ho jerked his head up, but the Demon God had already entered his room.

As Ji-ho sat there trembling in anxiety, Sun-woo emerged from the room holding something.

It was a completely unexpected item.

What appeared in the sophisticated and cozy dorm was none other than a convenience store chair!

“Hmph. I saw it on the internet. I heard that when this is combined with the dawn, one will speak of anything. Hmph.”

Given that he added ‘Hmph’ before and after his words, he seemed quite pleased with himself.

“Sit and confess everything.”

“That’s something people say during interrogations.”

Was he perhaps misinterpreting the meaning of the convenience store chair?

Ji-ho, being the type to value factual accuracy, couldn’t help but speak up.

“That’s just a meme.”

“What?!”

Even so, it suddenly occurred to Ji-ho that Sun-woo must have gone to a convenience store alone, borrowed the chair, and secretly brought it into his room.

When did he find the time while being so busy with album preparations?

“Tsk.”

In the end, Ji-ho sat on the chair.

“But this is only effective when it’s actually in front of a convenience store.”

“Hmm?!”

Of course, even in this moment, he pointed out the facts.

Only then did he begin to speak.

Little by little.

“The thing is—”

“I guess I’m just confused.”

“He’s so different from the Kang-yul I knew.”

And the Demon God was a being like the deep night, capable of containing any story.

“Different?”

“Yeah. I definitely thought I knew him well.”

Ji-ho bowed his head again.

“What kind of person was he?”

“Should I say he was bright? That’s how he looked on the outside…. Honestly, I never thought he had a hidden side. I guess I just thought what I saw on the outside was everything.”

It seemed he wasn’t much different from the image the Demon God had seen in the videos.

Perhaps that was why Ji-ho, who had a personality that delved inward, liked Kang-yul more.

Ji-ho, who wasn’t the type to approach others or become close quickly, had said that Kang-yul was the only one he approached first.

And Kang-yul had welcomed Ji-ho’s approach warmly.

At least, that was how it appeared.

“There is no such thing as a person without a hidden side.”

“Right? But…, I didn’t know it would be to that extent.”

He had left for Izm, the company pressuring Origin.

While cutting off all contact with Pantheon.

While cutting off all contact even with Ji-ho.

“I still tried to understand him. But there was no answer…. I started feeling pathetic for believing in him….”

Ji-ho’s earnest heart had hit a wall.

Yet today, his debut teaser had appeared as if nothing had happened.

“Wait a moment.”

The Demon God cut him off first, seeing how Ji-ho was eating away at himself even while speaking.

There are times when talking makes one feel at ease, and there are times when talking causes one’s thoughts to spiral.

In such cases, it is good to cut it short.

And the Demon God realized which point Ji-ho was suffering from the most.

Since he said he felt pathetic for offering his trust—

“Ji-ho. I shall tell you clearly.”

“Hmm?”

The Demon God had also seen Kang-yul’s videos.

Even the Demon God, who had encountered numerous subordinates and executed traitors, found it difficult to grasp Kang-yul through a video.

Indeed.

There are simply those who cannot be known.

It is not something that can be understood no matter what one does.

Therefore—

“Ji-ho, it is not your fault.”

Ji-ho had merely trusted another.

“Whether you would have known if you had paid more attention, or if you had been wiser—such thoughts are meaningless.”

If people were beings that could be known that easily, the human world wouldn’t be so complicated.

“It is difficult to recognize betrayal in advance and avoid it all. Sometimes, it is bone-achingly painful.”

The same applied to the Demon God.

How could he have filtered out every single traitor in advance?

However, the Demon God placed his subordinates by his side again.

Because he was the War Demon God.

Because a great war can never be fought alone.

And is the life of a human not the same?

“Do you not still trust the other members? Tae-young, Yoon-seo, Ha-gyeom, and above all, this body. Is that not so?”

“Y-yeah…. Though the ‘above all’ part bothers me a bit.”

“How insolent. But I shall let it slide.”

“You’re the one letting it slide?”

From what the Demon God had seen, what was needed to rise from betrayal was not distrust, but trust.

And Ji-ho still possessed that trust.

“Therefore, you have not been defeated by something as trivial as betrayal.”

“You are merely still fighting.”

“So, stand up.”

The Demon God activated his [Aura].

Of course, this was merely a temporary nudge.

What Ji-ho truly needed was right here.

“I shall fight alongside you. Stand up, Ji-ho.”

This body itself.

Therefore, feel reassured and rouse your heart.

At the moment the Demon God made that command.

Ji-ho jumped up from his chair.

Screech—the sound of the convenience store chair being pushed back echoed.

“No, I didn’t mean stand up literally like that; I meant you should make up your mind.”

“I know.”

“?”

Ji-ho looked at the Demon God.

“That’s why I stood up. Because I’ve made up my mind again.”

“Hmm.”

“I don’t know if I’m completely fine, but since you suddenly took on such a serious tone and said those things, Sun-woo, I feel like I’ve come to my senses a bit.”

Suddenly serious? I am always grave.

It was nonsense to the Demon God.

“That it’s not my fault and that I’m still fighting—I’ll keep that in mind, even if it feels a bit like a moral victory.”

“Moral victory? You dare use such a contemptible phrase?”

“But, Sun-woo.”

The Demon God glared with narrowed eyes at Ji-ho, who was resisting his teachings.

“You also said you’d fight alongside me, right?”

“Oh.”

“I do want revenge. Even if revenge just means becoming more successful than him.”

Ji-ho met the Demon God’s eyes and asked.

“You’ll help me, right?”

At that, the Demon God broke into a rare, wide grin.

Was it not obvious?

Revenge.

What a beautiful word.

That was precisely what he was best at.

“Naturally. I shall be with you, Ji-ho.”

Ji-ho nodded.

Vowing his revenge.

***

Pantheon and EXI.

Though they had declared revenge,

They thought the competition between the two groups would happen much later.

Pantheon didn’t even have a comeback date yet,

And they expected there would be a gap with EXI’s debut date.

So they thought the competition would occur much later, after each had made their comeback and debut.

In many ways, since there were uncomfortable aspects, they also had a desire to avoid overlapping promotion periods.

If they avoided each other’s promotion dates like that, it seemed they would eventually only compete through their results.

However.

The prelude battle broke out in an unexpected place.

And quite intensely at that.

It was on the idol-related communities.

└ Did the reaction to EXI’s reality show blow up this time?

└ Yeah, since ISM poured capital into it, the quality is on another level. The planning itself is fresh, so it’s fun to watch.

└ They actually outsourced it to the production company TEN.

It started as EXI’s reality show became a hit.

TEN was a production company founded by a famous variety show PD, and rumors were circulating that the PD himself was involved in the EXI reality show.

The quality was that good, and mentions exploded.

└ It’s not just the planning that’s fresh. Take a look at our kids’ visuals. Truly fresh (Yes, I’m promoting them).

└ Lol, Kang-yul is truly a member who attracts fans.

└ Usually, the member the company pushes or the official center is different from the member who brings in the fans lol. Here, it’s the holy trinity.

└ Holy Trinity Idol lol. This is perfect for Kang-yul.

Among the members, Kang-yul became a significant topic of interest.

Since his naturally handsome face was captured so well in the reality show, ‘stan-attracting’ clips were born multiple times within a single episode.

By the time a reality episode was over, it reached a point where it was almost a pattern for Kang-yul clips to sweep through various communities.

He was becoming the catalyst for increasing the number of EXI fans.

However.

Whenever there is a rookie who makes such a breakthrough, there are bound to be antis who follow.

└ Isn’t ISM’s money-flexing famous? If you pour that much in, anyone could be a top idol. Even Jeong-shik in my class could do it.

└ Are you a middle schooler?

└ You picking a fight?

└ The kid has an eye for things. I agree.

└ Lol, nice to meet you, Unnie.

There were antis who simply disliked ISM pouring capital into the reality show.

└ I’m telling you… the way Kang-yul smiles so brightly is a bit much…

└ ????

└ He escaped because Pantheon failed… isn’t that a bit off…?

└ Pantheon is doing well now too! Since everyone is doing well, shouldn’t he smile?

└ No, that’s not it… the fact that he discarded them shows his character…

└ Another character assassination attempt? He hasn’t even debuted yet.

└ There are tracks of his actions before debut, so is it really an assassination attempt? Are Kang-yul’s fans closing both eyes?

There were also antis who brought up Kang-yul’s past.

Up until this point, Origin did not react.

It wasn’t something they should step forward to address, nor would it do any good.

They simply felt that it was a karmic debt that ISM and Kang-yul had to handle on their own.

However.

An interview appeared in episode 6 of the reality show.

It was an interview where an ISM executive suddenly popped out of nowhere.

For a self-produced content piece, it was a strange interview where the camera was held below the chin so the face didn’t show.

A well-groomed beard moved up and down as it spoke.

— ISM recognizes talent. Even talent discarded by other companies can bloom here.

***

“Ho? They make the first move?”

An early prelude battle.

Is this not entertaining?

Moreover, to think the time for revenge is approaching so quickly.

The Demon God smiled with satisfaction.

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