Devil’s Music

The producer was a professional.

After the recording ended, the producer, pushing away the panelists and staff members who gathered around Geon to ask for photos and autographs, looked straight into Geon's eyes and pointed towards the waiting room with his finger.

"You can't take pictures. Above all, security is important, so please move to the waiting room quickly. There! Put away your phone!"

The producer, having also checked the phones of the staff who seemed to have sneakily taken photos, deleted Geon's pictures and once again gestured towards Geon and Shihwa, shouting.

"Hurry inside!"

Byungjun took Geon and Shihwa by the hand and dragged them into the waiting room, then closed the door. The idol girls, not giving up, argued with Byungjun, but the steadfast Byungjun kept guard in front of the waiting room door until the idol girls seemed to give up and left. In the meantime, a man of average build and wearing glasses knocked on the waiting room door, looking around cautiously.

Knock knock

When Geon slightly opened the door, the man, upon seeing Geon's face, hesitated before speaking.

"Ex, excuse me. I, I am Rena's manager, Takashi Junichi."

After Geon peeked around to make sure no one was watching and confirmed it was safe, he opened the door wider to come out, protecting Shihwa inside by closing the door behind him. Geon slightly bowed his head and said.

"Yes, Rena? She was one of the panel members earlier, right?"

"Ye, yes, yes! Tha, that's correct. Talking about our Rena, she has appeared in four dramas on Fuji TV, not to mention various commercials and has even made her way into the movie industry. She's currently the most popular actress in Japan!"

Geon, with a puzzled expression, asked.

"Uh... yes, but what brings you here?"

Takashi hesitated, then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small post-it note and bowed.

"Ex, excuse me! Rena asked me to give this to you!"

Before Geon could even check the content, Takashi bowed once more and shouted.

"So, sorry for bothering you! Th, then!"

Before Geon could say anything, Takashi sprinted down the corridor and disappeared. Geon shrugged his shoulders, went back inside the waiting room, and sat across Shihwa, who was attentively listening to the conversation outside.

"What was it about? I heard something about Rena."

Geon, holding the paper, said.

"Don't know, he just gave this and left. Is this Rena person famous?"

Shihwa, clasping her hands, said.

"Of course! I was so surprised to see Rena among the panelists earlier. She's the protagonist of a drama my mother watches, and she hasn't been debuting for long but has appeared in many movies and commercials."

"Hmm~ I see."

Geon, after reading the note, smirked. As Shihwa tried to come closer out of curiosity, Geon crumpled the note and threw it into the trash bin, saying.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. The next schedule is for the radio, right? Then I'll have to stay holed up in the hotel. Until the performance tomorrow, it's a secret that I'm here."

Shihwa looked at the trash bin for a moment, then, with a sorry face, said.

"I'm sorry, it must be frustrating for you. You have to keep hiding because of me."

Geon, looking into the mirror installed in the waiting room and fixing his hair, said.

"No, I would have to hide away except for the schedule even if I was alone. Don't worry about it."

Just as Shihwa was about to say something, the waiting room door opened slightly, and Byungjun peeked in.

"Geon, could you come out for a sec?"

"Yes, Hyung."

As Geon went out to talk to the producer waiting outside, Shihwa, seeing the door half-closed, sneakily approached the trash bin and pulled out the piece of paper Geon had thrown away. With movements careful not to make a rustling sound, she unfolded the paper, and her eyes widened.

'Oakwood Apartment Roppongi Central, Room 1103, PM 09:30'

Although it wasn't specified who wrote it, it was obvious to anyone that it was a note directly given by Rena's manager. Clenching the paper tightly, Shihwa's face flushed red as she began to tear the note furiously. Even after shredding it into tiny pieces that no one could recognize, still not calming her anger, she was huffing when Geon reappeared at the door, quickly tapping her cheeks.

"Huh? Shihwa, are you hurt? Your face is all red."

"What? Let me see."

As Geon spoke, Byungjun also leaned in through the door, and Shihwa quickly regained her composure, laughing awkwardly.

"No, no, it's nothing! It, it's just the heater! The heater is too strong, so it's, it's, it's hot!"

Byungjun reached out to feel the air from the heater and looked up at the ceiling, then tilted his head in confusion.

"It doesn't feel that strong? Are you sure you're not sick?"

Shihwa stood up, waving her hands frantically.

"No! It's not that!"

Convinced, but still suspicious, Byungjun checked his wristwatch and then said.

"Alright, we have an hour left until the radio schedule. It might get crowded downtown, so let's head out quickly."

Seeing Shihwa quickly gather her things, Byungjun, still outside the waiting room door, said to Geon.

"I've informed the staff, so you can go through this way to the hotel. The hotel reservation is under the staff's name, there's no reservation under yours, so you can go in and rest instead of our staff. Just don't order room service in case you get caught, and if you need anything, ask the staff, got it?"

Geon nodded and was about to move when Byungjun put his hand on Geon's shoulder, saying.

"Don't cause any trouble, okay? Please."

Geon chuckled and removed Byungjun's hand.

"I have to call Kiska at the hotel. I won't be going out today, so don't worry."

"Kiska? She's available to talk?"

"Need to do a video call through Gregory's phone. She called me this morning. She was okay until yesterday, distracted by Disneyland, but now she's looking for me again today. I have to lie that the hotel room is like home and talk to her."

"Ah, you really have it tough. It's not like you're raising a daughter."

"Ha, I miss Kiska too, so it's okay."

"So you're not going out today?"

"Yes, Hyung."

"I'll probably get back to the hotel around 10 PM after my schedule ends. You rest up. We're not in the same room, but Shizuka and my room are on the same floor, so call if you need anything."

"Sure, I heard from the staff earlier that my room is 2301."

"Oh, I'm in 2306, and Shizuka's in room 9."

"Got it. Have a safe trip. Shizuka! Take care!"

Shizuka, who had been listening intently, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, yes! Rest well!"

While Byung-jun was packing his luggage, Shizuka muttered to herself.

"Room 2301. The schedule ends at 10 PM. Lena called for 9:30 PM..."

As Shizuka kept checking her wristwatch on her way to record a radio program, Byung-jun, who was checking the schedule next to her, asked with a puzzled look.

"Why do you keep looking at your watch? There's still plenty of time."

Shizuka straightened up in surprise.

"Oh! No, it's nothing!"

Byung-jun asked with a skeptical look.

"Are you sure you're not sick?"

"Yes, yes!"

"If you're sick, tell me right away. Our company doesn't force sick entertainers to work. We'll go to the hospital even if it means missing a schedule, so don't hold back and speak up if you're feeling unwell."

"Yes, yes! Thank you, manager."

Byung-jun sighed and said.

"Shizuka, am I speaking informally to you? Do you know what that means? It means I'm trying to think of you like my own sibling. I don't usually speak informally to entertainers I manage. Why? Because it's a business relationship. But you're Geon's friend and someone I want to properly take care of, so I'm speaking informally. Don't make it awkward."

"Thank you... manager."

"Aish... Let's not talk about it."

Byung-jun gave up and looked back at the schedule, while Shizuka seemed a bit anxious and clenched her fist as she looked out the window.

'Ah, I can't think of anything! I must protect Kay!'

Contrary to Byung-jun's worry, after diligently recording the radio program, Shizuka immediately rushed to the car as soon as she finished greeting the staff.

"Driver! Please start quickly!"

Shizuka looked anxiously outside the window after checking her wristwatch.

'9:40 PM! I've finished as quickly as I could, but it's already past 9:30 PM! I need to hurry!'

Byung-jun, examining Shizuka's face with a puzzled look, sighed and muttered.

"I can't figure you out. Are you just tired?"

Upon arriving at the hotel, Shizuka didn't even wait to unload her luggage and ran to press the elevator button. The elevator seemed to take forever today, and as she anxiously watched the floor indicator, she frantically pressed for the 23rd floor. It felt like an eternity for Shizuka to reach the 23rd floor from the hotel lobby. As soon as the elevator stopped, she ran to room 2301 and quietly put her ear to the door. Not hearing any movement inside, she pressed the bell in desperation.

Ding-dong.

With no response from inside, Shizuka's face fell, and she frantically pressed the bell.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

Just before tears could fall from Shizuka's beautiful eyes, the door opened, revealing Geon with wet hair and a towel around his shoulders.

"Oh, Shizuka. Have you finished your schedule?"

Shizuka, nearly tearful, quickly rubbed her eyes and smiled brightly.

"Yes, yes!"

Geon peeked down the hallway and then said.

"Oh, I see. It's late, you should go rest. You must be tired."

Shizuka smiled broadly and nodded slightly.

"Yes! Have a good night, Kay!"

Geon looked at the unusually bright Shizuka with a puzzled look but nodded.

"Yeah... Have a good rest, Shizuka."

Shizuka watched Geon until he closed the door, and feeling a bit better, she hopped back to her room but then paused. After checking the time on her wristwatch, she looked conflicted for a moment but then tiptoed back to Geon's room and leaned against the wall, squatting down.

'I'll guard until 11 PM! Just in case.'

Eventually, Shizuka sat squatting in front of Geon's room until late at night, and not until 1 AM, when she felt a bit relieved, did she return to her room. Byung-jun, who had been watching Shizuka from a crack in his door, only closed his door quietly after seeing her return and sighed deeply.

"Phew... If Kiska finds out, she might just take her father's gun and shoot, Shizuka..."

Opening the fridge, Byung-jun took out a can of beer and, looking out at the night view of Japan through the window, fell into thought. Then, he hit the window with his fist and shouted.

"Why am I not popular!!!!!!!!! My next talent is definitely going to be an ugly comedian! Someone who makes me look better standing next to them!!!"

>

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