Devil’s Music

Alisher Usmanov stared blankly into the mesmerizing blue eyes until he suddenly began to sweat profusely. Unlike his sweating body, Usmanov, trembling as if cold, screamed and twisted on the floor.

"Argh!!"

As Usmanov rolled on the floor, Pyemon slightly smiled and said,

"What you see now is your future."

Alisher Usmanov struggled on the sandy floor of a desolate desert filled with red sand. As a sandstorm blew, a heap of sand entered his gaping mouth as he gasped for breath.

"Ugh! Cough, cough! Ptooey, ptooey!!"

Trying to regain his balance on the sandy surface, Usmanov finally stood up just as a massive sand dune in front of him sank deeper, like water cascading down a waterfall into an abyss. Amidst the falling sand, pits of flame and lava bubbled up, and countless naked people endlessly screamed as they were burned by the lava.

"Argh! Save me!"

"My body! My hair!!!"

"You bastards! Just kill me instead!"

Despite the burning lava touching them, the screams continued relentlessly, indicating the intense pain they felt. Watching them, Usmanov saw his own reflection: fat, naked, and catching his breath on a small rock in the lava with a resigned look in his eyes. A red shadow whipped him.

"Zap! Zap!!"

"Uh-huh! Uh-huh!"

Seeing himself in pain, Usmanov screamed,

"No! This is a dream! This can't be happening!"

While pulling his hair in despair, he saw a red ant emerging from the red sandy desert. Unbelievably large, the ant was the size of a human thumb. Still clutching his hair, Usmanov's mouth dropped open as countless ants climbed over his body.

"Aaargh!!! Aaaargh!!"

Flailing his arms, Usmanov fell to the ground as a massive number of ants covered him. A particularly large ant climbed to his face. His screams ceased as he convulsed and locked eyes with the ant, whose black eyes mirrored the sinister smile of a blonde young boy.

"How about it? Is it tolerable?"

With the boy's voice, the ants, the sandy desert, and the screaming people all vanished. Usmanov found himself in a serene garden with a cool breeze, quickly checking his body for abnormalities.

As he looked up and still saw Pyemon standing in the same spot, Usmanov felt an involuntary reverence for this undeniable being and knelt down.

"How can I avoid this fate?"

Approaching Usmanov, Pyemon gestured for him to stroke the mane of a white horse beside him and smiled.

"You can't escape it. It's the price for what you've done."

Tears welled up as Usmanov clutched Pyemon's leg,

"How can I avoid it? Please tell me!"

Pyemon glanced down at his leg and shrugged him off with a disgusted look.

"Do you know why kings and rich men, when they die, put gold or money in their graves? It's all bribery. 

They knew better than anyone that they were going to hell and just wanted a slightly cooler place in the fires of hell."

Kneeling again, Usmanov pleaded,

"What kind of bribe should I prepare? Please tell me!"

Pyemon chuckled,

"Quick to surrender, good at shifting stances and quick to decide. You've got traits to succeed in the human world."

Usmanov, unable to lift his head from the overpowering aura of Pyemon, watched as Pyemon raised a finger.

"Make a deal."

Usmanov looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, as Pyemon snapped his fingers.

"I can't do anything about you going to hell, but I can tell you about a bribe that'll work there. You must make a promise with me."

Bowing deeply, Usmanov shouted,

"Anything! Just tell me!"

Pyemon looked up at a third-floor window, pointing towards the room where Geon was sleeping.

"The children you've brought, if they are harmed even slightly, this contract is void. And I will personally ensure you suffer the most in hell."

Usmanov bowed repeatedly,

"I understand, I understand!"

Pointing at the third floor, Pyemon continued,

"Another thing, there's someone up there so precious to someone much greater than you could ever fathom. Treat them with the utmost respect."

Glancing at the third floor, Usmanov asked,

"Exactly who..."

Pyemon smirked and pocketed his hands.

"I think I've given a lowly one like you enough information. Normally, I'd erase a human's memory after an encounter, but your rotten mind might as well keep this memory. Remember, breaking this contract turns your visions into immediate reality

."

As Pyemon faded away, dawn broke, and sunlight streamed in front of the horse stables. Stunned, Usmanov suddenly stood up and shouted,

"Butler! Butler!!!"

Startled by the early morning call, the half-dressed butler opened the window. Seeing Usmanov's distressed state, he rushed outside exclaiming,

"What on earth happened?"

Covered in sweat, Usmanov frantically waved his hands,

"Gold, buy gold, find a route to purchase it immediately!"

The butler stooped and asked,

"How much should we purchase?"

Clenching his fist, Usmanov responded,

"Convert all my assets. Sell off stocks later, but use all available cash to buy gold!"

The shocked butler bowed again and turned to return to the mansion, but Usmanov stopped him,

"Butler!"

As the butler turned back, Usmanov instructed,

"Make sure the purchase is through legal routes."

"But that will be more expensive, including taxes."

"Yes, pay all the taxes. Buy at the market rate."

"Uh… yes, understood."

"And, treat the guests on the third floor with state honors."

"State honors, sir? Aren't they just musicians…"

"Just do as I say!"

"Yes, yes!!! Oh, understood!"

Flustered by Usmanov's stern voice, the butler hurried back to the mansion to relay the frantic orders to the servants. Usmanov, watching a lone horse play, wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the third floor.

'I don't know who is up there, but I must treat everyone with the utmost respect to ensure I end up in the least hot part of hell!'

Two hours later.

Byungjun, having to report on today's soccer game performance at the company, got up a bit earlier than usual, scratching his bird's-nest hair as he stepped out of his room.

"Ah, it's a hassle finding the bathroom in such a big house."

Muttering softly and still groggy, Byungjun stumbled toward the bathroom but was startled by people standing next to him.

"Whoa! You scared me!"

Byungjun saw three maids standing demurely beside his room door. Surprised by their presence, none of the maids laughed but one calmly asked,

"Are you looking for the bathroom?"

After Byungjun nodded, the maid stepped forward and said,

"This way."

"Oh, thank… thank you."

Following the maid, Byungjun glanced back at the other two still waiting outside his room.

'What time is it that they are waiting outside the rooms? Ah, Kevin and Shizuka's rooms too?'

Byungjun noticed maids standing in groups of three outside the rooms of Kevin, Shizuka, and Geon, all bowing deeply as they made eye contact with him. Embarrassed, Byungjun returned their bows and arrived at the bathroom, where the maid opened the door for him,

"We'll wait outside if you need anything."

"Outside? But… the sound…"

"If it bothers you, we can stand further away."

"Ah… yes, please."

As the maid closed the bathroom door, Byungjun adjusted his hair in the mirror, puzzled,

"What's going on? It wasn't like this yesterday. How did everything change overnight?"

After using the bathroom, Byungjun walked back to his room with the waiting maid. Noticing Kevin's door ajar, he peeked inside to see Kevin, still sleepy, sitting up in bed while a maid held a basin of water for him and another wiped his face.

"Phew! Kevin, what are you doing?"

Enjoying the maid's assistance, Kevin turned to Byungjun and chuckled,

"I don't know, but it feels good. Kekeke."

It was only in the late morning that Geon Kim woke up and opened his room door to find the maids waiting. One maid approached him as soon as he got up.

"Would you like to wash up?"

"Yes, I'm going to wash. Where's the bathroom?"

The maid pointed to another maid carrying a basin of water and said, "It's all prepared for you."

Geon looked at the basin and the towels the maids were holding and shook his head.

"No, I'll take a shower."

"Would you like that? This way, please."

Following the maid, Geon noticed the exceptionally attentive treatment seemed burdensome as he passed by Byeong-jun running away, Kevin smiling cheekily while eating cookies fed by another maid, and Shizuka sitting at a vanity with a maid combing her hair. When Geon reached the shower room, he tilted his head in curiosity and entered. Inside was a spacious shower room equipped with a personal sauna. Whistling, he started to shower as the room quickly filled with steam.

In the dense steam, as he enjoyed a refreshing shower, Geon sensed someone's presence and turned his head.

"Who's there, Byeong-jun? I'm showering."

No response came, so Geon squinted through the steam and jumped, startled, quickly covering himself with a shower towel.

"What is it!"

He then saw two maids in swimsuit-like clothes carrying bath supplies, which made him shout in surprise, causing the maids to be even more embarrassed.

"We came to assist with your bath."

"I'm coming out! I don't need assistance!"

"No assistance needed?"

"No, please leave!"

Geon hunched his body, barely covering himself with the shower towel, and screamed. The maids backed out of the room. After they fully left, Geon quickly dried himself and searched for his clothes but only found a luxurious robe made of fine cloth. Putting on the robe, he looked for his clothes but they were nowhere to be found. Resigned to wearing just the robe, Geon stepped outside and asked the maid who had shown him to the shower.

"Where are my clothes?"

A maid in her thirties approached with a gentle smile.

"We took them to be laundered. If you need underwear, we can prepare it."

Geon waved his hands dismissively.

"No, it's fine. I have some."

"Alright, then I'll prepare breakfast."

"Ah… Okay."

Geon returned to his room, quickly grabbed underwear from his bag, and was dressing when there was a knock at the door.

"Just a moment!"

Hurriedly changing into a T-shirt and pants, Geon sat on the bed and wiped his sweat.

"Come in."

The door opened, and four maids came in, one after another, with trays of food and drinks, setting up a makeshift table on Geon's bed. Geon watched silently as they finished setting up, the maids still standing by. With a soft sigh, Geon sat on the bed, and a maid quickly approached with a spoon, offering him a spoonful of steaming soup to his lips. Surprised, Geon leaned back.

"What are you doing?"

The maid silently pushed the spoon closer, and Geon grabbed it, insisting.

"I can do it myself. I have hands. It's uncomfortable with you watching; I can't eat. Please leave."

The maids hesitated, not moving until an older maid directed them from the doorway.

"Please leave."

Only then did the maids leave Geon's room, and the older maid who entered said.

"I am the housekeeper, Vanessa. Please let me know if there's anything uncomfortable."

Looking up at Vanessa, who called herself the housekeeper, Geon cautiously asked.

"What's going on? It wasn't like this last night."

"It's per Mr. Alisher Usmanov's instructions."

"Instructions?"

"Yes, we were ordered to treat you with the courtesy due to a state guest."

"A state guest…"

"Please have your meal and then proceed immediately to the Emirates Stadium."

"Ah, yes! Understood."

Vanessa stayed until Geon finished his meal. Watching her nervously, Geon barely managed to eat. After changing into his outdoor clothes and being led by a maid to the mansion's ground floor entrance, his companions, looking relieved to escape the place, awaited him by the cars. The maid's attentive grooming resulted in everyone looking cleaner and prettier than usual. Geon approached them and asked.

"Did everyone else get ambushed by workers this morning?"

Byeong-jun, who had just kicked Kevin in the rear, sighed and adjusted his waistband.

"Don't even start. I was using the bathroom, and they were right outside. I thought they'd come in to wipe my behind too."

Shizuka, touching her neatly brushed black hair, added.

"It felt like I had a stylist with me. They did everything

 from dressing me to doing my makeup. It's the first time someone has dressed me since I was six."

Kevin, still flirting with the maids, said.

"This place is like a harem. Did you see that blonde? She fed me breakfast. Her hands were so soft, it was blissful."

Byeong-jun put Kevin in a chokehold from behind.

"Don't embarrass our company! You're a public figure, man!"

Kevin gasped, "Ah! Let's talk in the car. It's embarrassing to do this here!"

"What? Don't flirt with the workers!"

Kevin, gasping for air, managed to say, "Brother, I can't breathe!"

As the group squabbled, Alisher Usmanov appeared, fully dressed in a gray suit, black luxury shoes, and even a vest.

"Heh, you're quite lively this morning. Youth is great, isn't it?"

Byeong-jun quickly pushed Kevin aside and greeted.

"Ah, good morning Mr. Alisher Usmanov. The treatment was so extravagant it was embarrassing."

Alisher Usmanov patted Byeong-jun's shoulder, chuckling.

"Heh, you are esteemed guests, after all. Was everything comfortable?"

"Ah…well…"

Byeong-jun glanced at the nervous maids and Vanessa, seeing more than ten maids swallowing nervously and just staring at his mouth, he broke out in a cold sweat and forced a laugh.

"Uh…no problems at all. Haha."

"Heh, that's good to hear. Shall we go then? The game starts in two hours, so we should head out."

The group boarded the Rolls-Royce limousine they had used the previous day and soon entered the streets of London. As they approached the stadium, Kevin exclaimed upon seeing the fans in colorful clothes walking along, singing and cheering loudly.

"Wow, it's really the EPL! The EPL!"

Geon, slightly excited, fixed his gaze outside the window. Shizuka, also looking out, wondered.

"Everyone's wearing red or white. I don't see the opposing team's fans. Why is that?"

Kevin, with a look of disbelief, responded.

"We're in London. Today is a Champions League match against FC Barcelona, a team from Spain's La Liga. It's natural there are many supporters for a British club here, but FC Barcelona is popular worldwide. Once we get to the stadium, you'll see plenty of their fans too."

As they got closer to the stadium, more fans of the opposing team became visible, though they were far fewer compared to the sea of white and red. Upon arriving at the Emirates Stadium, Kevin pressed his face against the window and shouted.

"We're here!! Look at the size of the stadium! It seats 60,000 people; it's huge and the facilities are amazing!"

Alisher Usmanov, with a proud smile, said.

"Not many clubs in the EPL have facilities like Arsenal. We'll be watching from the VIP seats, not from the general entrance but from a special entrance at the back."

Kevin, eyes wide, asked.

"VIP? Like those booths at the top of the stadium with windows we see on TV?"

"That's right, attached to the roof. It's where you get the best overall view of the game."

"Wow! To think I'd get to see a game from there! Kei, aren't you excited?"

Kevin elbowed Geon, who looked somewhat discontent. Alisher Usmanov, noticing Geon's expression, cautiously asked.

"Is there something bothering you?"

Geon, changing his expression slightly, bowed his head a bit.

"No, it's nothing."

Alisher Usmanov, bouncing slightly in his seat, insisted.

"If there's anything at all, please tell me. I'll see to it."

After a moment, Geon spoke up softly, noticing Kevin's excited look.

"I…well, is it possible to see the players up close and cheer along with the other fans? It might be hard to get to that area since the tickets are probably sold out?"

Kevin started to respond but then seemed to think cheering along with the crowd would also be a good experience and stopped himself. Alisher Usmanov responded.

"Well, it is possible. The VIP seats in front of the central advertising stand are usually empty. But it's a difficult spot to leave if you need the restroom. Would that be alright?"

Geon nodded brightly.

"That would be perfect. The reason I'm here is to test my music and observe the crowd's reaction while cheering with them."

Alisher Usmanov nodded and picked up his phone.

"It's me, change the seating. We're going to the VIP seats in the center of the stadium."

Soon, the group disembarked at a private VIP entrance, empty of any crowds, and were

 escorted by security into the stadium. As they passed through dark corridors and approached the bright entrance leading to the first floor of the stadium, Shizuka's face lit up with emotion at the thunderous sound of the crowd.

Upon stepping out, the sight of 60,000 spectators filling the Emirates Stadium, the bursting fireworks, giant flags, and the loud cheers nearly deafening, overwhelmed them. Kevin, bursting with excitement, clutched his heart and yelled.

"Yes! This is the EPL! Wow, wow, wow!! So exciting!"