Bab 158: Chapter 158: It's Okay to Go Slowly part 6
Geon had expected a traditional countryside house with tatami mats and a central fireplace, like something out of a Japanese historical drama, but was disappointed to find Shizuka's house was modern. However, thanks to Shizuka's mother, Midori, who had warmed the house with the boiler, Geon felt the warmth as he entered the living room, which had a view of a small garden after passing through a narrow hallway. Unlike Geon, who was familiar with Japanese houses from dramas and anime, Tim was quite unfamiliar and blinked at the sight of the cushions Midori had laid out. When Geon sat on a cushion, Tim awkwardly tried to sit in the same manner but soon grimaced in pain from his hips.
"Ha ha, it looks like the director will need a chair."
Shizuka, who had just thrown her luggage in her room and come running back, quickly fetched a chair from the dining table after hearing Geon's words. Tim expressed his gratitude and sat down, but felt odd being the only one on a chair while everyone else was on cushions, so he sheepishly returned to sitting on a cushion. While Midori went to the kitchen with Shizuka to prepare tea, Ryosuke scrutinized Geon and asked,
"Are you a friend of my daughter?"
Smiling, Geon looked towards the kitchen where Shizuka was busily preparing.
"Yes, sir. A friend."
Ryosuke looked a bit perplexed as he alternated his gaze between Tim and Lynn.
"Sir?"
"Yes, sir."
Ryosuke, with a blank expression, looked at the three of them when Byung-jun, who seemed to have been smoking, came in late, rubbing his arms from the cold, and asked,
"Wow, it's cold. Why is it so cold in this neighborhood? Is this gentleman Shizuka's father?"
Geon nodded, offering a cushion.
"Yes, brother."
As Byung-jun knelt on the cushion and looked at Ryosuke, he said,
"Geon, translate for me. You're good at Japanese."
"Go ahead, brother."
Sensing Byung-jun had something to say, Ryosuke intently looked at him. Byung-jun then lowered his head and said,
"Hello, sir. I'm Lee Byung-jun, a manager at Fantagio. I work at Fantagio, and I'll be working on entertainment activities with Shizuka. Treat me like your own son; please don't worry too much."
Ryosuke, after hearing Geon's translation of Byung-jun's slightly rude but polite greeting, nodded and smiled faintly.
"In Japan, it's unusual to call a friend's father 'sir.' It seems it's common to do so where you're from."
Realizing the misunderstanding, Geon looked at Byung-jun amusingly and then chuckled upon realizing he also had called Ryosuke 'sir.'
"Ahaha, I see there was a misunderstanding. In Korea, it's customary to address a friend's parents with that honorific."
"Ha ha, I see. Please tell him I'm actually the one who should be asking for his favor."
Geon relayed the message, and Byung-jun, gesturing no, bowed deeply again.
"No, sir! It's me who should be asking for your favor!"
Lynn, sitting on a cushion with Kiska on her lap, laughed and said,
"To an outsider, it might look like a son-in-law has come to meet his daughter. Ho ho."
Geon burst into laughter, and Byung-jun made an awkward face, while Tim, unable to understand the conversation, looked dissatisfied and said,
"Can we speak in Korean after Japanese? Isn't there anyone who can interpret for me in English?"
After Geon briefly explained the situation, Tim, showing little interest, tasted the warm tea Midori had brought and then asked Shizuka,
"What about our staff?"
Shizuka raised her hand and said,
"Oh, they're resting in the room."
Tim glanced around and then put down his teacup,
"Uhmm. It feels awkward for me to join the conversation here, so I guess it's better if I rest with the staff. Could you show me the way?"
"Yes, director. This way, please."
As Tim followed Shizuka to the room, Midori sat next to Geon where Tim had been sitting and grabbed his hand. Geon, puzzled by Midori's affectionate gaze, tilted his head, and Midori, rubbing his hand, said,
"Our daughter introducing someone as a friend, it's the second time."
Geon, a bit surprised, asked,
"What? Shizuka didn't have friends?"
Midori nodded and smiled, while Lynn asked in fluent Japanese,
"Who was the first friend?"
After looking down the narrow hallway where Shizuka had disappeared, Midori said,
"It
was the piano. She had trouble making friends when she was younger."
Looking out at the snow-covered window, Geon asked,
"Why? Were there no children of her age in the village?"
Midori teared up slightly and said,
"That's not it, when I was younger, I had an illness.."
"Hey! Honey!"
Ryosuke raised his voice, causing Midori to jump up startled.
"Oh, my, sorry, I only brought tea, I'll get some snacks."
Midori hurried back to the kitchen, while Lynn and Geon exchanged glances and shrugged their shoulders. After clearing his throat a few times, Ryosuke's face softened as he said,
"So, you'll be staying for two days? Make yourself at home."
Lynn bowed slightly and said,
"Thank you. It's a short schedule, and we'll be busy filming, so we'll probably only come back late to sleep. Please don't go out of your way for us."
"Not at all. You're looking after our Shizuka, so how could we not offer our hospitality? If there's anything you need, just let us know. We'll do our best to assist."
"Ho ho, thank you. It seems our little one is a bit sleepy; may we go to the room?"
Ryosuke, seeing Kiska yawning in Lynn's arms, got up with a smile briefly crossing his face at the sight of the angelic-looking child.
"Ha ha, such an angelic child. Come, I'll show you to the room."
As soon as Rin disappeared with Kiska and Ryosuke, only Geon and Byungjun were left in the living room. Since they were sharing a room anyway, they decided to head to their room later and spent time admiring the view outside from the living room. Soon, Midori approached with a tray of traditional Japanese sweets and handed it over to Geon, who thanked her politely.
"Thank you, mother."
Midori, seemingly pleased with everything about Geon, smiled continuously as she sat next to him and watched him eat the sweets.
"My, how handsome you are!"
"Ha, mother, you'll bore a hole through my face looking like that."
"Even with a few scars, you'd still look much better than ordinary folks."
"Is that so? Ha, thank you, mother."
"I do love hearing that 'mother' from you."
"Feel free to ask me to say it as much as you like, ha."
Byungjun, who couldn't speak Japanese, tried to join the conversation by poking Geon's side but eventually left to smoke a cigarette, defeated by the language barrier. As Byungjun left through the front door and Shizuka returned to the living room, sitting down on the floor cushion left only with Geon and Midori, Midori took Geon's hand.
"It's so nice to meet a friend of Shizuka. Please take good care of our daughter."
Geon smiled warmly, holding Midori's hand, which made Shizuka blush slightly and speak up quietly.
"Mom, please stop."
"What do you mean stop? I'm just asking him to take good care of you."
"Mom! You're making it awkward."
"It's fine. She's a friend's mom, so it's okay. Don't worry about it, Shizuka."
"But still..."
"Don't worry about it, really."
Shizuka blushed, looking away slightly, and Midori suddenly stood up as if she remembered something urgent.
"Oh dear, look at my mind. I left the fruits I bought for the guests outside. What if they've frozen? Oh my!"
As she ran towards the front door, Geon watched her with a smile before turning to Shizuka, who was still watching him carefully.
"Your parents are really nice."
"Yes, they are good people," Shizuka agreed with a blush, nodding slightly.
As Geon picked up a sweet to eat, he asked, "Earlier, your mom mentioned something about an illness?"
Shizuka seemed startled for a moment before sighing deeply. She looked towards the front door Midori had exited through, then dropped her gaze to the floor.
"Actually, my mom was sick with a spiritual illness before she met my dad."
"Spiritual illness? Like the ones shamans suffer from?"
"Yes. Fortunately, she overcame it and then met my dad and got married. There hasn't been an incident since, but because we've lived in this village all our lives, everyone knows her as the woman who refused to become a shaman."
"Is that what overcoming it means?"
"It seems so. You think the same as the villagers. Because of that, nobody would play with me, calling me the shaman's daughter. I had a friend once, but suddenly they stopped playing with me. When I asked, they said their parents warned them that playing with me would bring trouble."
Geon looked at Shizuka, surprised.
"Did that happen? So that's why you had no friends?"
"Not exactly. When I was attending middle school in Tokyo at my aunt's place, nobody knew about it. I preferred being alone. I liked the piano that would just listen to me without saying a word more than anything. There were people who approached me, but I chose to keep my distance."
"That's a bit strange. When I first saw you at the Juilliard practice room, you didn't seem like someone with social phobia."
Shizuka glanced at Geon with her head down, doodling something on the floor with her finger.
"That, that's because, uh, Anna and Anthony are so, so easygoing..."
After thinking for a moment, Geon nodded.
"Yeah, both of them do have good personalities. Especially Anthony, he's quite thoughtful."
"Yes, yes! Exactly!"
"I see. You must have had a hard time. But it's okay now. I'm here, and so are Anna and Anthony, and dependable Byungjun too."
Shizuka saw Geon thumping his chest reassuringly and swallowed the words she had in her heart with a bright smile.
'It's because you were there, Kay. I was a fan of yours.'
The living room was filled with a warm atmosphere.
Despite the cold world outside, the house was filled with warmth, as warm as the temperature inside.
On a snow-covered hill overlooking Shizuka's house, two figures stood. The blond young man, not seeming to feel the cold in his
black suit and dress shirt, spoke without moving.
"Doesn't that girl, Shizuka, look familiar to you, Lord Gamagin?"
Gamagin, with his long black hair and black leather gloves, brushed his hair back as he looked into the window at Geon and Shizuka.
"Perhaps... she resembles Nanael."
Paimon narrowed his eyes, looking closely at Shizuka and stroking his chin.
"Hmm... A child resembling Nanael... Now that you mention it, she does seem familiar."
Gamagin stood on a hill of dark snow, arms crossed, watching a house intently.
"But you know, to say that she's under the protection of Nanael, the signs are too faint. She looks the part, though."
Pyemon stroked his sleek jawline and nodded.
"I heard earlier that the mother suffered from an illness. I wonder what kind it was?"
Gamagin glanced at Pyemon and then let out a chuckle.
"Hah, as if one of the 72 demons would stoop to afflict humans with such lowly acts. Must've been some lesser, trivial demon. Trash that wouldn't even be recognized by name."
"Ah, right. Perhaps Nanael took pity on the ill mother and drove the demon away? Even with her modest strength, it would've been possible, and if the mother conceived while some of that power lingered, it would explain why the child resembles Nanael, within a realm of reason."
"Mm, perhaps so. Otherwise, she wouldn't bear such a resemblance. It must've been too weak of a force to be considered under Nanael's protection then?"
"Indeed. If there were protection, we would've felt it."
Gamagin looked around the dark night's hill.
"If Nanael's protection was present, she would've appeared before we got this close."
Pyemon smiled wickedly.
"That's the way of angels. Spreading their wings to help but only scattering seeds here and there, neglecting to tend them. And when humans falter, they brazenly blame it on a misinterpretation of God's will."
Gamagin smiled back at Pyemon.
"It's not always so, Pyemon. We, as demons, have no choice but to observe humans since their lives amass magical power. But angels are different. There are many among humans who are weak and need saving, and they expect nothing in return from them. Therefore, angels act differently from us."
Pyemon pouted.
"You sound as if you've turned into an angel yourself."
"Ha, have I?"
"How much sacred power have you gathered?"
Gamagin unfolded his arms and looked up at the sky. Amidst the cold breath of the brilliantly shining stars in the black sky, Gamagin turned back to Pyemon.
"Not enough yet. Actually, I haven't even begun to absorb it, just hidden it away."
Pyemon, as if expecting the response, crossed his arms.
"If you absorb it now, you'll lose that much power. Losing power means drifting further from the throne of the 72 demons. So, you plan to absorb it all at once later?"
"Mm, seems like it. If the power weakens, it'll become harder to conceal."
Pyemon nodded at Gamagin, who was watching the house intently again.
"Do you really think Lucifer himself doesn't know, Lord Gamagin?"
Gamagin, looking at Pyemon's profile, smirked and turned his head towards the house.
"He knows."
Pyemon glanced at Gamagin's side profile and said,
"He pretends not to know. How could he not?"
"Well, I'm thankful he turns a blind eye."
Pyemon unfolded his arms and stepped closer to Gamagin.
"Just be wary of Baal and Gusion, alright? You know that, right?"
Gamagin narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin.
"Baal might be the better of the two. He's at least the type to confront you directly. The problem is Gusion. That monkey despises me."
Pyemon nodded.
"I feel the same. Gusion envies and resents anyone above him in rank, and I receive as much jealousy and envy from him as you do. No, perhaps even more, since the difference in our ranks is just two steps, making him all the more eager to climb."
"Yes, but luckily he's quite forgetful. If he hears something and doesn't find it interesting, he tends to forget about it easily. The moment he takes interest is when it becomes dangerous, so Pyemon, keep your ears open and stay informed."
"Understood, Lord. I'll be careful and listen closely."
After a brief silence between them, as they saw Midori carrying fruit into the house from the window, Pyemon sighed.
"About that child's mother. Nanael's power is nearly depleted. In this state, it's uncertain when demons might steal her soul again. Hm? What are you doing, Lord?"
Pyemon caught sight of Gamagin, who had placed his hand on the snowy ground of the hill and was murmuring something with his eyes closed. Gamagin, bending over, said,
"I leave behind my power in this land. Let no petty spirit feel my power and dare to come near."
Seeing a purple light emanating from Gamagin's hand and seeping into the ground, Pyemon asked,
"Did you plant your power?"
Gamagin
stood up and nodded.
"That girl might be around my child in the future, and if anything unfortunate were to happen to her family, it could affect my child. It's a precautionary measure."
"Mm, I see."
"Let's hide now. We've been here too long. But keep an eye on this land until the child leaves. This place has always been rife with demons."
With a slight bow, Gamagin's form blurred and vanished as he watched the house. The dark hill enveloped in a quiet silence as if nothing had ever been there.
***
The shoot in Japan went smoothly.
Since most of the shooting took place in the forests of Akita Prefecture, it did not attract people's attention, and every day, until late at night, the shooting continued, with Midori sharing warm bento boxes she brought from home, making the staff smile through the cold weather marathon for two days. Three days passed in a flash, and the couple who came to pick them up at the airport shed tears as they held Shizuka's hand and said their goodbyes for a long time. Ryosuke and Midori repeatedly took Geon and Byungjun's hands, asking them to take good care of Shizuka. Geon reassured the worried couple and finally boarded the plane, ending the short trip to Japan. Back at school, Shizuka and Geon returned to their usual routines, but Fantagio did not. The production team stayed up several nights to finish the editing at the level Lin wanted, and after several requests for re-edits, the teaser for Shizuka's music video was finally released on Fantagio's website five days after returning from Japan.
Japan's Asahi Newspaper.
It was late at night, but the reporters who hadn't finished the morning edition's editing were busily moving around the office, signaling the urgency of the deadline. Yuuna, a female reporter in her fourth year at the newspaper, was editing her article on Japan's nuclear issue until the deadline when she saw her friend Momoko, who had transferred to the entertainment section last year, staring intently at her laptop screen without having found an article to write yet.
"Momoko, haven't you found anything to write yet? It's an hour until the deadline."
Momoko didn't seem to hear Yuuna and kept staring at the laptop screen. Frustrated, Yuuna reached out and touched Momoko's shoulder, causing Momoko to startle, pushing up her round glasses and shouting.
"Huh? What?"
The loud voice made the other working reporters look up, and Yuuna, feeling sorry, slightly bowed her head and whispered.
"Why are you talking so loudly!"
Momoko took out one earphone, giving an awkward smile, as Yuuna asked incredulously.
"What were you so focused on that you didn't even hear me calling?"
Momoko handed one earphone to Yuuna and pulled up a chair next to her.
"Sit down. It's Fantagio's homepage. Looks like a rookie is debuting."
Yuuna, sitting down and plugging in the earphone, said nonchalantly.
"Fantagio is nothing special except for Kay. They seem to have some popular singers in China, but it's not for international markets. If we write about this, the chief will scold us."
"It's strange. The video starts with a snow-covered mountain, and it feels more like Japan than China."
"So, they filmed it in Japan, then."
"Anyway, I was just about to watch it when you called me. Let's watch it together."
"Ah, I'm also pressed for deadline. I'm busy!"
"It's just a teaser video, a little over 1 minute. Let's just watch this."
"Fine, start it quickly."
Momoko pressed the spacebar on the laptop, and the paused video started. Yuuna, not hearing any sound from her earphone, tilted her head and said.
"I think this earphone is broken?"
Momoko, putting her index finger to her lips, said.
"Shh, listen carefully."
Yuuna focused on the faint sound coming through the earphone.
"Is this.. the sound of stepping on snow?"
The video showed a woman's bare feet walking on a snow-covered mountain. The camera, showcasing the beautiful feet stepping on the cold snow, gradually moved up to the white, milky calves. From the knees, a white dress with lace appeared, and as it continued to rise, the camera captured a woman with long hair and a pale face with minimal makeup. The woman was smiling as she climbed the mountain filled with snow. The atmosphere of the mountain, with heavy snow hanging on the bare branches, was very mysterious. The woman, seeming to enjoy the vibrant sprouts emerging from the snow, looked at a dark space framed by two large branches as if it was an entrance.
The woman paused her steps and looked into the dark beyond before crunching through the snow, pushing aside the hanging branches, and stepping into the forest. Watching the mysterious scene, Yuuna whispered to Momoko, who was intently watching.
"It kills the atmosphere. But doesn't this woman look Japanese?"
"Yeah, she's definitely Japanese. If she's Chinese, she must be of Japanese descent."
The two then saw the woman walk through a dark cave and arrive in a vast space with a hole in the ceiling letting in light, looking around the mysterious area with a bright expression. In the center of this enchanting space, surrounded by forest moss and small birds flying around, stood a black piano. The light coming through the hole in the ceiling reflected off the black piano, making it sparkle. The woman, with a bright smile, ran to the piano and caressed its shiny body. The camera closed up on her face as she touched the piano's cold surface with her eyes closed, smiling. The screen then moved away from her twinkling eyes.
When she opened her eyes, the black piano had disappeared, and instead, a man in a black shirt and suit with black wings on his back was seen turning around. The woman, surprised by the sudden appearance of the man, was captured by the camera, and her eyes were zoomed in on.
In the reflection of the woman's eyes, the man was smiling brightly, turning towards her and reaching out his hand. Yuuna and Momoko simultaneously removed their earphones and stood up, exclaiming.
"Oh my goodness!! It's Kay!!!"
All the reporters, previously focused on their deadlines, turned their attention to the two suddenly standing up.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone