Devil’s Music

Chapter 208: Ready For First Edition

In the silence of the night, when everyone else was asleep, the faint sound of Byungjoon's snoring from another room could be heard. Unable to sleep, Geon got up to drink some cold water from the fridge.

Suddenly, after drinking the cold water, Geon felt a pain in the back of his throat, shivering as he held the water bottle in one hand and his throat with the other, grimacing in discomfort before closing the fridge.

Even without the lights on, Gregory's house, always vigilant, was sufficiently illuminated by the garden lights filtering through the window. Sitting on the sofa, Geon absentmindedly stared at a sketchbook lying there.

"But now I understand, it was all just a fantasy... Kiska probably kept thinking her mother would come back. But now she knows... that her mother won't return," Geon reflected as he looked down at the sketchbook.

"Lyrics for the bridge section should be enough. But the verse needs more. Eight lines can't fully express Kiska's feelings. It would have been better if Kiska had written more," Geon mused, slapping his cheeks with his palms in thought.

"Lyrics written in haste can't be truthful. Let's wait until Kiska writes something. I'll do what I can in the meantime. Once Kiska writes the lyrics, we can immediately turn them into a song. Let's start with the guitar interlude first, and work on the bass and guitar sheets later," Geon decided as he spent the night creating an interlude on his guitar connected to an amp with headphones.

"This song is different from the others. It suits having no riff. Let's make it with the idea of an interlude from start to finish. Then, let the emotions explode in the real solo part," Geon thought, finally falling asleep on the sofa with the guitar in his arms as dawn approached.

The next morning, Byungjoon, yawning in his underwear, didn't wake Geon as he carried him from the sofa to the bed after seeing him sleep deeply due to focusing for a long time.

Early in the morning, Byungjoon called Lynn in China, stepping out quietly to avoid waking Geon, and spoke in a low voice in the garden.

"Ah, Manager. Have you arrived safely in the US?"

"Ha, I was quite surprised yesterday. Did you know Geon is staying at the house of a Red Mafia boss?"

"What? What are you talking about? Red Mafia, as in the Russian Mafia?"

"Ah... You didn't know. Geon is staying at Gregory Miočić's, the Red Mafia boss's house. Because of that, I also stayed here last night. Looks like we'll be staying here for a while."

"I had no idea. Is it a dangerous situation?"

"Ha, not at all. It's safer here than most private security companies could ever manage."

"Well, that's a relief, but I'm still worried. Please, keep in touch daily."

"Sure, Director. The reason I called is that the song Geon created here is extraordinary."

"Extraordinary? Do you mean it shows signs of being a hit? I trust your judgment, Manager."

"Ha, thank you for your trust. It's not just good; it shows signs of being platinum-level."

"Is that so? If it's Geon's music, it'll be popular even if it's just average... Do you have a demo?"

"Not yet. He said it was a song he made yesterday."

"Ah... I see. Well, send me the demo once it's finished."

"Will do, Director."

After hanging up, Byungjoon, exhausted from the long flight and early morning call due to the time difference, thought to himself, "Ah, I need more sleep... Oh?"

Stepping outside in his underwear, Byungjoon saw Kiska running towards him, dressed prettily in a light pink dress, white shoes, and holding onto her straw hat to prevent it from flying away in the wind.

Remembering he was in his underwear, Byungjoon hurried back into his room, feeling awkward since Kiska was still a girl, and he was a guest in the house.

Kiska, noticing the open door, ran into Byungjoon's room with a flushed face, catching Byungjoon by surprise as he was putting on his pants, causing him to fall.

"Ouch, my goodness!"

Seeing Byungjoon rolling on the floor, Kiska ran to another room, opening the door wide. Finding Geon asleep, she bounced onto the sofa and began drawing in the sketchbook.

Struggling with his pants, Byungjoon eventually tore them and had to put on a new pair before coming out to see Kiska with a baffled look, wondering why she was playing alone after checking on Geon's sleep, not realizing that it was her daily routine to ensure Geon was still in the guesthouse.

Heading to the kitchen, Byungjoon decided to cook spicy Korean ramen he had brought for Geon, asking Kiska if she wanted breakfast.

Noticing her indifferent reaction, Byungjoon shook the ramen seasoning packet, saying, "This is ramen. It's really spicy! You might not be able to eat it, so I'll put only half of the seasoning. How does that sound?"

Kiska, curious, looked at the bubbling noodles inside the ramen package. Byungjoon, amused by her fascination, took out the noodles and shook them, saying, "Geon, or Kay, loves these."

Kiska reacted at the mention of Geon's name. Seeing her expression change, Byungjoon teased, "Kay."

Kiska's reaction made Byungjoon chuckle as he began dancing oddly, singing about Kay's favorite ramen, making her look even more puzzled but slightly amused.

Remembering that Kiska was actually the daughter of the Red Mafia boss, Gregory, Byungjoon coughed awkwardly, saying, "Ahem, I got carried away... So, you're eating this, right? I'm making two servings, no complaints."

Kiska remained silent but stayed beside Byungjoon as he prepared the ramen, eventually adding eggs to the boiling water.

Once the ramen was ready, Byungjoon, wearing oven gloves, placed the pot on the table. Kiska, still standing there awkwardly, was seated across from him as he handed her a fork with a grin, urging her to try it.

Unfamiliar with how to eat it, Kiska tried to wrap the noodles around her fork like spaghetti, prompting Byungjoon to exclaim, "No! It's really hot, blow on it like this."

Following Byungjoon's example, Kiska cautiously blew on the noodles before taking a bite. Her expression suddenly changed as her face turned red and sweat formed on her nose from the spiciness. Byungjoon couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.

"Ha! I told you it's spicy. Here, drink some water," he said, offering her a cup. Kiska grabbed it with both hands, drinking hastily as if reviving herself, then slammed the fork down, indicating she couldn't eat any more.

Feeling a bit guilty, Byungjoon tried to console her, "I wasn't teasing. It's just initially spicy. See, I can eat it just fine."

Despite Byungjoon's enthusiastic eating display, Kiska watched him with a neutral face, unsure about the spicy ramen.

The aroma of the ramen or perhaps Byungjoon's voice awakened Geon, who emerged from his room, intrigued by the smell.

"Hey, is that the smell of ramen?" Geon asked, smiling as he saw Byungjoon and Kiska with the noodles.

"Yeah, Korean ramen. Bought it for you," Byungjoon responded with a grin.

Geon, joining them at the table, patted Kiska on the head, asking if she slept well and acknowledging her attempt at breakfast.

Preferring chopsticks, Geon fetched them from the kitchen, and they all began eating together. Kiska, encouraged by Geon's presence, cautiously resumed eating the ramen.

Byungjoon watched, amused and a bit perplexed by Kiska's behavior, wondering if there was more to her actions than met the eye but dismissing the thought as silly.

The cozy guesthouse was filled with warmth and laughter that morning, an unexpected but pleasant start to the day, bringing a gentle warmth to Kiska's heart amidst the spicy challenge of Korean ramen.

>

Unlock exclusive early access to more than 100 Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.

As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:

For just $5:

• Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
• Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
• The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
• You Get Ad-free Chapters.

For $10:

• You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
• Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).

For $20:

• You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
• Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).

Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!