Chapter 98: A Meeting of Ill-Fate

The Demon God approached the entrance of the waiting room.

Inhaaaale.

As he breathed in, the thick scent of ill-fate filled his lungs.
He went further and looked inside.

Pantheon members and Kang-yul stood facing each other amidst palpable tension.
Beside them were CEO Gu and the team leader who had come along for the first public broadcast, and the bearded director from the Izm side.

The Demon God decided to watch for a moment.
He could step in immediately, but that might be robbing them of the opportunity to sever the ill-fate.

Subduing his Aura and watching calmly.
At this point, the one who stepped forward was the CEO.

“Hey, Jang Young-bae. Don’t you manage your artists?”

Jang Young-bae looked relaxed even after being singled out by the CEO.
His gentle beard lifted fishily on one side.

“Gu Hu-shik. Don’t you see I, a Director, am here? That means I’m managing actively.”

The scent of ill-fate was emanating from here too.
Leaving aside that they were acquaintances, the two didn’t seem to have a good relationship.

“A Director. Sounds nice. You took the lead in cutting off people you worked with to attach that title of Director, is it sweet enough for that?”

“Sweet, it’s sweet. Anyway, I cut the throats of those who looked down on me and climbed up to Director. Is there any reason for it not to be sweet?”

The story of Izm’s new CEO cleaning up the company was famous.
Jang Young-bae actively cooperated in that purge and even got promoted.

On the other hand, CEO Gu was deceived by sweet talk and left the company.
Since then, he had been building up anger watching the internal situation of Izm and their behavior toward Origin.

“CEO-nim, I will handle this place.”

Team Leader Oh Dae-ho stepped forward, worried that the CEO might get swept up in a fight. As the reliable, square-jawed man with a good physique stepped up, the staff moved closer to Jang Young-bae’s side as well.

However.

“Stop right there! Love and Peace! Today is a happy day!”

Fwaaaah!
A tremendous radiance burst forth from a person.

As Kang-yul intervened with a bright smile, the people inside the waiting room literally flinched, blinded by the light.

‘What is that?’

The Demon God also slightly frowned at Kang-yul’s presence.
He was much more handsome, fresh, and lively than in the videos.
It was a tremendous ‘light’ that would make everyone turn their heads if he walked down the street.

He hadn’t thought such light would come from a human.

‘He is human…, but.’

If he were a spiritual being, he wouldn’t be able to do idol activities.
Yet, he doesn’t seem to have a separate spiritual identity like the Demon God either.

‘But that much light flows out? He is not a god of light nor their familiar?’

“Tae-young Hyung, guys, you try to stop them too. It’s a day we’re seeing each other again after a really long time, why are the adults fighting? Don’t you think so?”

Smiling brightly, he even gestured to the Pantheon members.

“Kang-yul, you. How can you say such things?”

Ha-gyeom opened his mouth quietly, unlike him.

“Hm? Why?”

“You, you disappeared like that.”

“Like that? Ah? Going to Izm? Or cutting off contact?”

Kang-yul tilted his head, then clap, brought his hands together in front of his face.

“Sorry, sorry. Sorry for both.”

Then.

“But you’ll understand, right?”

—he said nonchalantly.

“What?”

Whether at that attitude or the content of his words, Ha-gyeom was dumbfounded.

“You’ll understand, won’t you?”

“What did you say? Why should we?”

“Why should you?”

Everyone listened closely to hear the reason he expected understanding. It seemed there was absolutely no room for understanding.

“Ha.”

“?”

However, what came from Kang-yul wasn’t an explanation.

“You still don’t know? Really? Ahahaha.”

He just burst into laughter like that.

“Ah, you really don’t know. I thought you would know, though. You really don’t know.”

He even spread his arms wide and spun around on the spot. Funny enough, in the midst of this, that appearance was so refreshing and elegant.

“Such a world without understanding and empathy. How heartless. Even my members don’t know me.”

Tak, he stopped and tilted his head. At the end of his gaze was Ji-ho.

“Ji-ho, you too? Don’t know?”

Ji-ho had been enduring well until now.

He was clenching his teeth with a pale face. As if provoking him, Kang-yul threw a question.

‘This body must step in.’

The Demon God saw Ji-ho suffering from not knowing the reason for Kang-yul’s actions. To ask such a Ji-ho if he didn’t know. He might not be able to endure it.

The Demon God entered inside. The direction was between Kang-yul and Ji-ho. Moving to block the two—

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.”

‘Ji-ho?’

“Ji-ho?”

The Demon God’s inner thoughts and Kang-yul’s words coincided.

“I don’t want to solve such a quiz, so if you want to tell me, say it and leave. If not, get out right now.”

Ji-ho’s voice was firm.

“It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. If you disappeared like that, you disappear from my life too. Nothing changes just because you show up again and hover around.”

It didn’t feel like the Ji-ho who had been agonizing until just a while ago. He looked straight at Kang-yul and declared.

“You’re just a competitor. Like Izm and Origin.”

The Demon God couldn’t help but be greatly impressed. Our Ji-ho has changed. Our member has changed. Our friend—, subordinate has changed.

“Ahem.”

The Demon God, clearing his throat needlessly, hadn’t drawn people’s attention yet.

“Ji-ho? You’re really saying that right now?”

Kang-yul widened his eyes and looked at Ji-ho—

“There’s no need to talk to Ji-ho anymore. Kang-yul, I’d like you to leave now. We’re busy too.”

Tae-young blocked his path.

“Hyung too?”

Kang-yul said quietly, but,

“That’s right! Please leave. There’s no one here who wants to see you, Hyung. I don’t even want to call you Hyung.”

Yoon-seo too.

“Go. Don’t hear any worse things. Don’t disturb us.”

Ha-gyeom too, they all spoke firmly.

“Even you, Yoon-seo? Even you, Ha-gyeom?”

Kang-yul looked at Pantheon with a face wondering what on earth was happening.

Blink, blink, he just blinked his eyes.

Tilting his head as if he couldn’t understand, he looked around. It was a gaze wondering if there was something strange here.

And, that gaze stopped upon reaching the Demon God.

“…….”

“…….”

The Demon God and Kang-yul looked at each other. The Demon God, darker than the deepest night, and Kang-yul, brighter than the sunshine pouring down on a summer day, looked at each other for a long time.

It was Kang-yul who broke the silence.

“Our kind members have changed strangely. Is it you?”

Is it you, the existence who led the members’ change?

“It is I.”

Of course it is I. The Demon God smiled contentedly. Look, do they not become strong when they follow me? Tears almost come to my eyes at the growth of my subordinates. Of course, I have never actually cried.

Anyway, the Demon God organized his impression of Kang-yul.

‘In the end, living beings are the scariest. He is a human, yet one who surpasses evil spirits.’

At that moment, Kang-yul also brought out his impression of the Demon God.

“You. You have an atmosphere like you’re somewhat not human.”

Ha-gyeom frowned from behind.

“Are you going to speak recklessly to Sun-woo too?”

However, Kang-yul waved his hand.

“It’s a misunderstanding. It’s not a bad meaning. Rather, isn’t it too cool? Just, really, hmm—”

Thinking for a moment.

“Should I say it feels like transcending humans?”

The Demon God laughed inwardly.

Did he feel the existence of a transcendent and lofty status?

Even so, Kang-yul didn’t seem to be a type with particularly outstanding spiritual sensitivity. Is it not spiritual sense, but just good intuition as a human?

“I’m going.”

Kang-yul said suddenly. And then suddenly headed outside.

“I still love all our members here. Know that.”

Dropping a story no one really wanted to know, he brushed past the Demon God and went out the door—

“Foolish.”

“What?”

Kang-yul’s feet stopped inadvertently.

“Do not be mistaken. Your members are not here.”

To the Demon God, Kang-yul’s words were generally absurd, but that part was the most absurd of all.

Our members? Not really?

“They are my members, forming Pantheon with me.”

They are this body’s members. Members who share the demonic Aura with this Demon God.

“Hah?”

Kang-yul tilted his head to the side. Indeed, it seems the Demon God’s last words served as a provocation.

“So what I mean is—”

“Get lost.”

Bam!

The Demon God quickly shut the door….

Jang Young-bae and the Izm staff hadn’t managed to get out yet and looked flustered, but he didn’t care at all.

“Stand over there for 3 minutes and then leave.”

“?!”

Thus, the meeting between Pantheon and EXI’s Kang-yul ended.

***

Hum hum hum—

Humming a tune, Kang-yul entered the waiting room.

Behind him followed Jang Young-bae, who had been confined for 3 minutes and then chased after Kang-yul.

Inside the waiting room was only EXI.

Thanks to Izm’s influence, they received a private waiting room despite being rookies.

“Did you greet them well? You look like you’re in a good mood?”

Lee Hee-woo, who was practicing dance moves, asked Kang-yul.
With a tall height and somewhat vacant eyes, a visual that EXI fans called ‘ditzy charm’ or ‘clumsy charm’.

“Yeah, like Hee-woo said, I feel good. Everyone was the same. They still welcomed me.”

Kang-yul smiled brightly.

“But Hee-woo.”

“Hm?”

“Can you stand here for a sec?”

“Ugh, why again, alright.”

Kang-yul speaking nonchalantly and Hee-woo standing in place while grumbling.
And the next moment.

With a slap sound, Lee Hee-woo’s head turned to the side.
If there were a witness, it was a scene worth reporting as violence within an idol team—

“Ouch, today is spicier?”

“Really? Sorry, should I blow on it?”

“Ay…. Forget it.”

“Hee-woo, you know I love you, right?”

“I know that.”

It seemed like a familiar routine for the two.
Lee Hee-woo, whose cheek was slightly red, returned to his original spot to practice dancing, and Kang-yul hummed a tune again.

Even the other members showed no particular reaction.

‘Is this really okay, this?’

Only Jang Young-bae, who entered the waiting room with Kang-yul, was dumbfounded inwardly.

‘Where on earth did the CEO gather only kids like this? The kids he brought, the kids he cast, why is there no one normal?’

Jang Young-bae scanned the members in the waiting room.
Setting aside Kang-yul and Hee-woo.

Over there, Do Seong-jin, a guy supposed to be an idol, has his eyes glued to a laptop with a flushed face. He didn’t even want to know what he was watching.

‘Whatever he’s watching, there’s a time and place. In a music show waiting room? Isn’t it addiction?’

Woo Ji-chan and Jin Yi-hyung were nowhere to be seen.
Kwak Su-eon was watching Lee Hee-woo’s choreography practice with suppressed eyes as always.

Jang Young-bae sighed deeply and thought of Origin’s CEO Gu.
Surely he must be living more happily than Jang Young-bae himself.

Feeling cross, Jang Young-bae called out to Kwak Su-eon.

“Su-eon, don’t just stare like that, practice with Hee-woo. Why do you just stare blankly?”

Su-eon stared at Jang Young-bae for 3 seconds, then opened his mouth as if he couldn’t help it.

“How can I keep pace with Hee-woo?”

“Why can’t you? You have enough skill to be picked for EXI too. are you a newbie trainee?”

However, Su-eon sullenly lowered his head to the side.

“Haa.”

A sigh comes out naturally.

He still couldn’t figure out how this team operated. He knew the CEO had a grip on the members, but he didn’t know with what or how.

“Damn, I don’t know.”

At Jang Young-bae’s mutter, Kang-yul turned his head from over there.

“You shouldn’t use bad words.”

Jang Young-bae raised a hand to cover his eyes.

“Forget it. Do the stage properly today. Absolutely do not be pushed back by Pantheon.”

***

Meanwhile, Pantheon’s waiting room.

Kang-yul’s visit was a huge event if one considers it huge.
There must be aftereffects left in each heart, but there was no time to share that.

SBC did not extend the kindness of giving Pantheon a private waiting room.

The fact that the teams sharing the waiting room were away for rehearsal or challenges was truly a coincidence.

Those teams came in.
And,

“It’s our turn. Everyone snap out of it. You know well, right?”

Pantheon’s rehearsal turn came around.

Tae-young looked around at the members standing in a circle one by one.

“Let’s do well starting from rehearsal. What do you think will happen if we ruin the stage today?”

It was a terrifying question.

Pantheon and EXI.

Today was the first time the two teams performed on one music show.

Since EXI doesn’t come to cable, and Pantheon only appears on SBC among public broadcasts, next week would be the same.

Today and next week.
Only two times their stages cross.

But, ruin it?

“Hyung, don’t say such things. I don’t even want to imagine.”

“Izm and EXI will laugh at us tremendously. If they don’t laugh, I hate that too. Really hate it.”

“I will definitely get revenge.”

Yoon-seo, Ha-gyeom, and Ji-ho clenched their fists simultaneously. Passion overflowed.

“Ruin it? This body? Such a thing shall not happen.”

The Demon God was the Demon God as always. His confidence pierced the gods of the heavens.

“Everyone’s good.”

Tae-young smiled calmly. Well, there were twists and turns, but with these members now, we won’t lose.

“Let’s go.”