Devil’s Music

On the 4th floor of Fantagio, specifically on the Kay Floor.

The space, with its walls and floor made of bright white marble, appeared very luminous.

Geon was sitting alone on a beige leather sofa by the window, cross-legged on the large sofa, gazing outside.

Music titled "Song of Water" flowed from a Bluetooth speaker connected to his phone, but unlike the speaker at the hospital, it filled every corner of the room seamlessly through speakers installed throughout the area.

Recalling his conversation with Sharon at school, Geon started to hum softly, experimenting with his voice.

“Ah~~~ Aah, Aaah~~~”

In some parts he hummed low and comfortably, mixing rich mid-tones and bass, and at the climax, he used high notes that were comfortable enough not to be disturbing.

Suddenly, a jarring sound broke his concentration.

“Sssssssss!!! Haaaaaah!!!”

Knowing that this sound was a cat’s unique growling of warning, Geon stopped humming and reached out to Lucy, who promptly licked his hand with an angelic expression.

“Lucy, what's wrong?”

Lucy had lived in Geon’s house until right before Gamagin and Pyemon came, following Lin’s instructions, and Byungjun had taken her out. But once the Fantagio building was completed, she began to live here. Although Lucy freely roamed the office, she oddly never strayed far from Geon whenever he was there.

Rubbing her side against his hand, seemingly asking him to play, Geon looked down at Lucy and smiled.

“Why, do you also dislike music with humming like Professor Sharon?”

Lucy rolled onto her back on the floor, grabbing and lightly biting Geon’s hand.

“Ouch, that hurts, you little rascal.”

It seemed Lucy understood Geon, as she opened her pretty eyes wide and gazed at him.

Amused by Lucy’s reaction, Geon resumed playing the music and observed her. As he hummed along, Lucy quickly changed back to a stern expression and resumed growling.

Geon, puzzled, stopped the "Song of Water" and switched to the music from "Edward Scissorhands." Despite the humming tune playing through the speakers, Lucy, lifting her back leg and licking her belly, seemed uninterested.

“Do I need to hum directly for you to react? I mean, there are dogs that sing along when their owners sing.”

No matter how much Geon hummed the melancholic, low tune, Lucy, who was tapping her tail on the floor and looking outside, showed no reaction.

“Is this song not the right one?”

Geon then played a piano-only piece from Shizuka's album and tried humming again, but Lucy just dropped her head to the floor and lay on her side, appearing sleepy.

“What's the deal? Only react to the 'Song of Water'?”

When Geon played the "Song of Water" again and resumed humming, Lucy sprang up, straightened her back, and started growling again.

“Sssssssss!!! Haaah! Haaaaah!!!”

Geon stopped humming and watched Lucy, who after a while of growling, relaxed and pressed her bottom to the floor.

Although the music continued to play, the once-again serene white cat locked eyes with Geon.

As Geon was about to hum again, Lucy lifted her bottom off the floor, her expression turning fierce again. Amused by Lucy’s response, Geon repeated the action several times, laughing and picking up Lucy.

“Hehe, this is fun.”

Lying on the sofa, Geon held Lucy high and looked into her eyes.

“Do you dislike humming? Is that why you react this way?”

Cat’s eyes are different from humans and dogs. Staring into Lucy's vertically slit pupils, Geon stroked her head and back as she climbed up to his neck and kneaded him affectionately. Geon, interlocking his fingers behind his neck, looked up at the ceiling in contemplation.

At that moment, just one floor above, in the executive office, Lin stood alone by the window, arms crossed, muttering to herself as she looked outside.

“The 'Song of Water' is not safe. It’s still a very dangerous tune, Geon.”

There were no CCTVs in Geon’s floor, nor could any sound from the well-soundproofed 4th floor be heard, but Lin seemed to know exactly what was happening downstairs.

With a heavy expression, Lin murmured again.

“Just leave it. Adding anything to it is not about exceeding limits; it ruins the tune. And it could lead to very frightening consequences.”

As Lin spotted two men packing something hurriedly in front of the Fantagio building,

she nodded slightly and pressed the intercom to connect to the lobby.

“It’s Lin. The floors for Snap and Neminem are not completed yet; guide them to Kay’s room.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After a brief response from the security guard, who then went out to speak to Snap and Neminem, Lin sighed in relief.

Back on the 4th floor, Geon, unaware of anyone entering due to the music, lay holding Lucy until she suddenly leapt towards the windowsill, alerting him to the entrance.

“Ah! You’re here?”

Turning off the music on his phone, Snap, apparently dissatisfied, dropped the luggage he was carrying on the floor.

“What’s this, you said it would be done by today, why is it delayed another day?”

Neminem, pulling out some snacks from a paper bag, placed them on the table, saying,

“Well, interior work can be like that. Look, Kay, let’s just hang out here for another day.”

Geon, with a welcoming expression, said,

“I’d like that. It’s too quiet here alone, hehe. Can I have some of that?”

Casually, Neminem had taken out a sausage, which Geon put in his mouth, then looked at Snap searching around his room.

“What are you looking at?”

Snap pressed a button next to the liquor storage near the kitchen, his expression serious.

“If my room isn’t like this when it’s finished, I’ll launch a missile here.”

At Snap’s words, Geon, pausing from eating the sausage, started sweating.

“You don’t have a missile, you fool.”

“It’s just my way of expressing my anger, kiddo.”

“Stop the nonsense and let’s start working quickly.”

As Snap walked back to the sofa, the elevator made a sound again.

Geon’s floor was private, only making noise inside when the elevator stopped at his level, so the three men turned their heads towards the entrance.

Hearing someone pass through the corridor and the automatic door opening, Shizuka entered with a bright face carrying something, but froze upon seeing Snap and Neminem.

Unlike the familiar Geon, Shizuka felt intimidated by the gangster-like presence of Snap and Neminem, shrugging her shoulders and looking apprehensive.

“Shizuka! You came?”

Geon quickly went over and grabbed Shizuka’s arm, pulling her in. Otherwise, she might have cried just from the sight of the menacing Snap. Shizuka hesitated to approach the sofa where Snap was, instead settling in the spot farthest from him.

Snap, Neminem, and Geon gathered in one corner to eat, while Shizuka sat awkwardly far away, creating a strange scene.

“Come closer.”

Geon patted the seat next to him, and Shizuka slowly moved closer, still wary of Snap. Snap, accustomed to such scenes, nonchalantly ate his bread and crossed his legs.

“Shizuka Miyawaki? Nice to meet you. Now that we’re all family, let’s get comfortable with each other.”

Shizuka suddenly hiccupped as Snap introduced himself.

“Yes! Gulp! Ah, yes hic!”

Neminem, finding Shizuka’s reaction cute, smiled, making him seem less frightening than Snap.

Snap lowered his sunglasses and pointed at Neminem, saying,

“Listen, this guy is much scarier than me, you know?”

Shizuka turned her head to Neminem in surprise, who frowned and threw an empty bread bag at Snap.

“I’m not a gangster, kid.”

Snap swatted away the flying bread bag, retorting,

“You have a devil’s tongue, man. Honestly, even our late stepmother didn’t nag like you do!”

“Do you really have to say that in front of a new girl? I’m handsome, you know.”

“Handsome my foot, crying out loud. How old are you, trying to look good in front of such a young lady? Where’s Ailee’s phone number?”

“Stop!! Enough!”

Watching the two start to argue again, Shizuka couldn’t help but laugh, perhaps realizing they were no different from ordinary people or simply finding their quarrel amusing.

Noticing her relaxed expression, Geon finally looked at the luggage she had brought.

“What’s all this stuff?”

“Ah! It’s lunchboxes. Let’s eat together.”

As Shizuka began to unpack the lunchboxes, the two men stopped their fight and stared dumbfounded at the several tiers of food containers she placed on the table.

Opening each tier of the five-tiered lunchbox and placing them on the table, Shizuka took out another lunchbox as Neminem, staring at the bread in his hand, suddenly threw it away and rushed towards the lunchboxes.

Snap also joined in, eagerly starting to eat the lunchboxes, competing to see who could eat more. Shizuka watched them with amusement,

finally handing Geon a pair of chopsticks.

“Kay, eat too.”

“Yeah, thanks as always, Shizuka.”

“Hehe, I’m always grateful that you enjoy it.”

After a frenzy of eating, Snap, his belly bulging, lay down on the sofa. Neminem, also stuffed, gasped for breath as he sprawled out on the sofa, and Shizuka laughed brightly as she began to clean up the lunchboxes.

Geon joined her in cleaning up, while the still-reclining Snap asked,

“What was that music you were listening to when I came in?”

Neminem, the music still lingering in his mind, lifted his head as Geon, putting the lunchbox containers into a shopping bag, said,

“It’s called 'Song of Water,' a bit of a long piece. It’s going to be on this album.”

Snap, removing his sunglasses and tilting his head back, asked,

“Is it just an instrumental? There were no lyrics, or is it unfinished?”

After packing up the lunchboxes, Geon crossed his arms and sat down, looking thoughtful.

“I’m not sure yet. People around me say that the piece is most beautiful just as an instrumental.”

“Do you think so too, Neminem?”

Snap also raised a hand, twirling his index finger.

“I agree. I don’t like agreeing with this guy, but yeah.”

The only one who hadn’t yet heard the music, Shizuka, looked at the three men with wide eyes, trying to gauge their reactions.

>

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