Devil’s Music

Everyone in the village and the family members watching the ritual, along with the musicians, saw the shaman's eyes roll back as she trembled and shook.

Those around Geon looked back momentarily as Hakdu pointed tremblingly in Geon's direction, but they were more fascinated by the shaman receiving the spirit and focused their attention on the ritual.

The shaman bowed her head deeply and then suddenly raised it. With a sharp look around, she opened her mouth with a voice sharp as an ajeng.

"Which scoundrel has dared to invade a home blessed for generations? Who dares to sit by the pond in the dead of night? Come out this instant!"

As the shaman shook her bells and glared at each person, a grandmother stood up, presenting Hakdu in her arms, causing the shaman to gasp and fall backward.

"Good heavens!"

The shaman suddenly fell backward, crawling away from Hakdu, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"I am sorry! I am so sorry! I was blind not to recognize you, sir! I will leave immediately, please spare my life!"

As the shaman crawled around, weeping and sniffling, the crowd murmured among themselves.

"Looks like she's really possessed by a powerful spirit. Even that renowned shaman is shaking in fear."

"Isn't she the famous shaman from the south? To see her scared like that, it must not be an ordinary malevolent spirit. Oh dear, look at her crawling this way! Mom!"

The shaman crawled quickly towards the gate and tumbled down the stairs.

"Oh no! I'm going to die!"

After rolling on the ground, the shaman cautiously looked around inside the gate and then scampered off. The musicians hurriedly gathered their instruments, looking around at the crowd before retreating. The mother, who had been kneeling on the mat praying, screamed and collapsed.

"Hakdu, what's going to happen to our Hakdu? Ah!"

As the mother collapsed, the grandmother holding Hakdu rushed over.

"Dear! Hakdu's mother, snap out of it, dear!"

The grandfather, sitting on the main floor, struggled to his feet and shouted with a hoarse voice.

"Father! Hakdu's father, come out quickly!"

A large man in a dress shirt and khakis hurried out from behind the house.

"What's happened? Oh! Dear! Hakdu's mother!"

The man carried the collapsed mother into the house. The crowd's murmuring grew louder, but as the shaman had left and the mother was taken inside, the onlookers began to disperse, whispering among themselves.

The grandmother, sitting on the mat with Hakdu trembling like he had a fever, wept and wailed.

"Oh, my poor baby! What misfortune has befallen you, Hakdu! Hakdu, look at grandma!"

Hakdu, held in his grandmother's arms, kept trying to look at Geon, ignoring her. Geon, intending to leave with the dispersing crowd, found himself unable to move, captivated by the child's gaze.

Only the grandmother holding Hakdu and the grandfather sitting despondently on the main floor were left in the wide yard.

As Geon stood in front of the gate, his and Hakdu's eyes met once again.

Upon making eye contact with Geon, Hakdu hesitated, rolling his eyes as if pondering something, then mustered the strength to wriggle out of his grandmother's grasp.

The grandmother watched in surprise as Hakdu crawled out of her arms, stood up, and hurried towards the gate. The shocked grandfather and grandmother watched as Hakdu bowed 90 degrees in greeting.

"I'm sorry! I was just playing a prank… it went too far, I dared to be rude."

Geon looked at the child in disbelief. The child, who seemed on the brink of death moments ago, was now briskly walking up and apologizing in a mature tone, leaving Geon confused.

"Huh? Kid, what are you talking about?"

Hakdu bowed deeper, as if trying not to show his face to Geon.

'A kid? I'm over a thousand years old, and he calls me a kid? How powerful must he be to address me so casually? I've really stepped in it this time; my recklessness could cost me my head!'

Though invisible to others, Hakdu could see the power emanating from Geon, signaling the presence of Gamagin. Hakdu broke out in a cold sweat.

"This is bad. He must be among the top 72 demons! I'm nothing compared to him! I've faced the greatest crisis of my demonic life today!"

As Hakdu trembled and crouched down, the grandmother ran out to hold him, looking up at Geon.

"Who are you? You don't seem to be from around here."

Geon, scratching the back of his head, replied awkwardly.

"Oh , I was just passing by and heard the commotion, so I came to have a look. I apologize if I've caused any disturbance, ma'am."

Hakdu, still bowing his head, listened intently to Geon's words.

'Caused a disturbance? He's saying that for me to hear! Or is it that if I had just passed by intending to play a prank, he would let me go? Is that what he means?!'

The grandmother, stroking Hakdu's trembling body, reassured him.

"Hakdu, what's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"

The grandfather made his way down from the main floor and approached the gate, asking with concern,

"Cough, Hakdu, are you alright?"

He patted Hakdu's back while looking at Geon.

"Passing by, you say? Normally, we would invite you to stay the night, but as you can see, our household is facing troubles, so we must send you away with apologies, young man."

Geon waved his hands dismissively.

"No, no, sir. Troubles in the household can indeed be distressing. I hope your grandson recovers quickly."

Hakdu shivered with the thought,

'He says our troubles distress him! If the grandson doesn't recover quickly, he means to kill me!'

Geon, maintaining his politeness, bid farewell to the grandfather.

"I'll be taking my leave then, elder."

"Alright, sorry for the inconvenience. If you come by again, we'll make sure to serve you a warm meal. Cough."

Geon smiled at the grandfather and glanced at the worried-looking grandmother. Seeing her neatly done hair and traditional dress reminded Geon of his own grandmother, causing him to hesitate for a moment.

Hakdu, who had been staring at Geon's feet, began to tremble again as Geon didn't immediately leave.

'I knew it! My suspicions were correct! He says he's leaving but he isn't! He's planning to kill me!'

Suddenly, Hakdu knelt down, crawled to Geon, grabbed his legs, and began to beg, tears streaming down his face.

"Please! I'll leave immediately! Taking my life wouldn't grant you even a sliver of power! Please, show mercy just this once, elder! I beg of you, I have a family of thirty at home, including an ogre-like wife and goblin-like children! I'll leave right away, just spare me this once!! Please!!"

Geon looked down at Hakdu, who was clinging to his legs and crying, with a bewildered expression.

"What? No, kid. What are you talking about?"

Despite the tears and snot, Hakdu continued to think desperately.

'He's pretending not to know! No, that's not it! He doesn't want humans to know of his presence, so he's telling me to leave quietly, right? Or not? Argh, I can't tell, one wrong word or action today and I could be annihilated. Focus, focus, Mephistopheles!'

The grandmother tried to pull Hakdu away from Geon's legs, but Hakdu clung on even tighter.

"No, let go! If you don't, and I can't get forgiveness because of you, it's straight to the grave for me, let go!"

The grandmother burst into tears upon hearing her grandson's harsh words.

"Hakdu~ my precious grandson, how did it come to this?"

The grandfather, observing Hakdu and Geon, looked solemn. Seeing Geon's baffled expression caused by Hakdu's refusal to let go, the grandfather gestured to Geon and spoke softly,

"Would you mind doing as I say, just once?"

"Yes? Oh, yes, elder. What would you like me to do?"

The grandfather looked down at Hakdu, who was smearing his snot on Geon's pants, and said,

"Just tell him to leave, would you?"

Geon, puzzled, asked,

"Tell who to leave, sir?"

The grandfather nodded towards Hakdu and explained,

"Tell our Hakdu to leave. Just a word from you."

Though bewildered, Geon realized it wasn't a difficult task and decided to comply with the elder's request, looking down at Hakdu to say,

"Go ahead and leave."

Hakdu lifted his head sharply to look at Geon, tears welling up as he asked,

"If I leave now, will you spare me, elder? Promise you won't come after my family and harm them later! If you intend to harm my family, better to kill me now. Elder~~ ugh."

Geon, utterly confused by Hakdu's nonsensical plea, looked up at the grandfather who slowly nodded. After staring at the grandfather intently, Geon sighed and assured Hakdu,

"I won't cause any harm. Just leave. I promise."

Hakdu's face lit up with relief. He hastily pulled up his T-shirt to wipe the tears and snot from his face, then stood up, stepped back a few paces, and deeply bowed to Geon.

"Thank you, elder. I will never forget this kindness."

After bowing deeply, Hakdu lay prostrate on the ground and then suddenly collapsed to the side. The grandmother screamed and shook the unconscious Hakdu.

"Aah! Hakdu! Hakdu! Wake up, please!"

Hakdu, lying in his grandmother's arms, slowly opened his eyes and saw his grandmother shaking him awake.

"Umm... Grandmother? I'm thirsty."

The grandmother burst into tears of joy.

"Hakdu! My baby! You've come back to us! Dear, dear! Call Hakdu's father over!"

The grandfather, beaming with happiness, turned back and shouted.

"Father! Father! Hakdu has come to his senses! Come quick!"

Shortly afterward, a large man rushed out like a madman, took the babbling Hakdu into his arms, and burst into tears, holding the grandmother's hand tightly as they went inside the house.

Geon, left with the grandfather at the gate and unsure what to do next, awkwardly stood there. The grandfather, having watched his grandson's back until he disappeared into the house, turned to Geon with a broad smile and said,

"Now that the trouble has passed, heh. Would you like to stay for a meal? Have you eaten?"

This exchange, filled with misunderstandings and peculiar interactions, highlighted the complex dynamics of human (and perhaps non-human) relationships, empathy, and the power of words and actions in resolving situations, even those as bizarre and misunderstood as this one.

>

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