Devil’s Music

Geon quickly changed his pace and approached Sharon and Eric Clapton. As Geon approached, Sharon moved a chair aside to make space for him.

"Kay, over here."

"Thank you, Professor."

Sharon indicated towards Eric and said,

"You know who this is without an introduction, right? We were just talking about you and Eric."

Surprised, Geon looked at Eric, who smiled and extended his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Kay. I've wanted to see you."

Geon cautiously took his hand, not daring to grip tightly or shake it. As Geon lightly held his hand, Eric, with a smile, gripped firmly and said,

"You're the young man who surprised me. After seeing the riffs you played at the Pantera concert, I was completely taken by you. Haha."

"No, I could never have imagined meeting you. I truly admire you, Mr. Clapton."

"Ha, just call me Eric. I'm calling you Kay on our first meeting, right?"

"Yes, yes. Okay, Eric."

"Good, ha. Isn't that nice?"

After the handshake, Geon sat down, and Sharon asked,

"What will you have? We ordered the B.B King’s Burger, do you want a burger too?"

"Yes, that sounds good."

"Do you want to add cheese or bacon?"

"No, just the original, please."

Sharon signaled a server to place the order, then Eric said,

"Kay, I heard you helped Sean? Sean was praising you a lot on the phone."

"You know Sean?"

"Of course. I'm friends with all The Beatles members. Naturally, I know Sean too."

"Oh, I didn't know. Sean never mentioned it."

"Yeah, he's an introvert, doesn't have many friends, but he seemed really happy talking about you."

"Ha, that's nice to hear. I like Sean too."

"Despite the age difference, you two seem like friends beyond age. I'm envious."

While they talked, the server brought the burgers and drinks and set the table. Eric took a big bite of his burger, wiped his mouth with a tissue, then said,

"Actually, we were talking about you even before you called Sharon. I was already impressed watching the live performance with Pantera, but hearing about you from Sean made me more curious. I hope I'm not intruding on your lunch with Sharon?"

Geon shook his head vigorously,

"Not at all, I'm the one who feels sorry for interrupting your conversation. But even though I feel sorry, after meeting Eric, I can't help but feel it's okay, ha."

Eric smiled and said,

"So, you're learning blues?"

"Yes, Professor Sharon gave me that mission."

"Hm, an easy yet hard task, blues. It's not easy to practice alone."

"Yes, actually, that's why I called the professor. It seems I need other instrumentalists to support me for improvisation."

"Right, that makes sense. If all else fails, practicing with a backing track is an option, but it won't capture the real joy of blues."

As Eric spoke, a passerby brushed against his back, causing him to wince. It wasn't just discomfort; it seemed like real pain, prompting Sharon to ask with concern,

"Eric, how's your peripheral neuropathy?"

Eric reached back to rub his spine, squinting one eye,

"Hm.. I've been continuing treatment. It's better if I'm prepared for it, but sudden bumps like this make the pain worse."

Geon asked with a worried look,

"Are you in pain? Peripheral neuropathy? What's that?"

Sharon answered for Eric,

"Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where there's either no sensation in parts of the body or even a slight touch can cause severe pain. Eric was diagnosed with it in 2013. It was very painful at first, and he was hospitalized, but it's much better now."

Hearing Sharon's explanation, Geon turned to Eric and said,

"If even a slight touch causes pain... it must be hard to go out. Are you okay when playing? It must hurt a lot to play the guitar with your left fingers.."

Eric chuckled and showed his left hand,

"It's strange. God gave me this condition, but this hand remains unaffected. If I sit and play the guitar for a long time, my thighs holding the guitar hurt more than my hand."

Geon looked at his hand in awe and said,

"Maybe that's because your left hand was also a gift from God."

"What? Hahaha! You really know how to compliment someone! Ha."

Sharon laughed along and asked,

"You're getting proper treatment, right?"

"Yes, coming to New York this time was for treatment."

"How long will you stay?"

"Probably about a month?"

"That's a long stay. Planning to stay in

a hotel?"

"Guess I have to, though I'm not fond of hotels."

Listening to their conversation, Geon cautiously said,

"If you're open to staying somewhere different, you're welcome to stay at my place..."

Sharon looked at Geon thoughtfully, then clapped her hands and said,

"Right! Eric, did you know Kay is currently living at a zoo?"

Eric looked puzzled,

"A zoo? There's a place for people to live there?"

Geon nodded and explained.

"Do you know the Bronx Zoo? There are accommodations there for the zookeepers. Due to certain circumstances, I ended up living there, and now I practically reside there. If it's alright with you, you're welcome to stay at my place."

"Wouldn't we need permission from the zoo?"

"Sean stayed with me when he was in New York, so having one more person should be fine."

Eric nodded after a moment's thought, and Geon, delighted, exclaimed,

"Wow! I can't believe I'll be living with Eric! Ha!"

Eric, with his arms crossed, smiled and said,

"I'm the one staying for free, why are you so happy? Ha."

Seeing Geon laugh and look at Sharon, Eric proposed,

"How about this? While I stay at your place, I'll teach you the blues scale. How does that sound? Ah, Sharon, is this cheating?"

Sharon shrugged and replied,

"Kay and the other students are beyond the point of being compared and graded equally. If you take him under your wing, Kay can soar even higher."

Eric smiled and extended his hand to Geon,

"Okay! Deal!"

"Yes! Ha!"

Sharon then told Geon,

"Learn well, Kay. There's no one among the living guitarists who understands the blues better than Eric."

Eric flicked his finger and said,

"B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King would jump out of their graves if they heard that. Compared to them, I'm still just a fledgling."

Sharon waved her hands and clarified,

"I said among the living, not those who have passed. Being a living legend of the guitar along with Jimmy Page, you deserve such praise."

Geon nodded in agreement, causing Eric to change the subject, seemingly embarrassed,

"Geez, you're making me blush. So, Kay, what's this zoo like?"

"Um.. The Bronx Zoo is the second-largest zoo in the world, so there are a lot of animals. Ricky, a baby bear, and Py, a baby tiger, live in the quarters with us zookeepers, and there's also a baby gorilla that was recently born and will soon be coming out of the sterile room, which I'm excited about."

Eric's eyes widened as he asked,

"Bears? Tigers? Gorillas? Are you Tarzan or Mowgli?"

"Ha, I do like animals. What about you, Eric?"

"Well.. I like them too but haven't had much contact with the ones you mentioned. Isn't that normal?"

"Ha, then this is a chance to see them up close."

Eric raised his hands and said,

"I might manage touching them, but holding them is out of the question, as you can see, I'm in pain."

"Ah.. I'm sorry."

"What for? It's not your fault I'm in pain. Huh, shall we go now that we're done eating?"

As they left the club, a valet brought Eric's car, a bright red Ferrari, which surprised Geon. Seeing his reaction, Eric smirked and said,

"Sorry, Sharon, my car only seats two, so you'll have to take a taxi. Sorry I can't give you a ride."

Sharon laughed and shook her head,

"Please take good care of my student."

After waving goodbye to Sharon, Eric got into the car, rolled down the passenger window, and said,

"What are you waiting for? Let's go, Kay."

As Kay grasped the Ferrari's door handle, he thought,

"Wow! The feel of this door handle is amazing! I never imagined I'd ride in a Ferrari."

Geon and Eric headed to the Bronx Zoo in the Ferrari. From the entrance of the Bronx Zoo, Eric was constantly amazed. After showing his face to the guard and getting clearance for the vehicle, Geon signaled to go ahead, and Eric drove into the zoo. Throughout the ride to the lodging, Eric marveled at the beautiful scenery of the Bronx Zoo, laughing and smiling all the way.

After arriving at the lodging and unloading their luggage, the two rested for a bit before having dinner with Olivia, Alisa, and Taylor, who had returned from closing the zoo. They screamed in delight at seeing Eric Clapton, and he, in turn, was pleased to dine with three beautiful zookeepers and the two baby animals looking at him with round eyes. After finishing dinner and indulging in the women's chatter over tea until late, Eric sat on the couch with a satisfied smile,

"Phew~ This place is really nice. The air is fresh, it's quiet, and then there are three beautiful zookeepers and baby animals that heal you just by looking at them! Kay, you live in a great place."

Laughing, Geon picked up his J 200 and Eric asked,

"Are you planning to practice now, at night?"

Geon headed towards the door, saying,

"No, it's just my usual routine, please

rest first."

As Eric saw Geon about to leave for a walk, he stood up to join,

"If it's a walk, let's go together. It's my first time walking in an empty zoo."

Geon smiled and gestured for Eric to come along. As they stepped out, Py and Ricky excitedly jumped around inside their fence, as if asking to come along. Geon let them out, and the two baby animals happily followed, wiggling their tails.

Sitting on a bench in front of a large bird cage, Geon started playing his guitar. Eric, watching him, was puzzled. After clearing his throat, Geon began to sing softly, weaving beautiful vocals with the gentle guitar melody. The birds in the cage, flying around, soon settled on branches or the ground, nodding off as the song continued. Astonishment flickered in Eric's eyes.

'So this was what Sean was talking about!'

>

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