Devil’s Music

Jihyun AD was bustling among the staff preparing the rehearsal site, carrying a green plastic basket, and shouted.

"Per the instructions of PD Seokjin, all staff participating in the rehearsal, please put your cell phones and tablet PCs in this basket!"

Although the staff reluctantly placed their cell phones in the basket, having never encountered such a directive during the slightly less than a year the program had been running, the experienced and older camera directors showed minor resistance.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

A camera director in his fifties, wearing a beige hunting cap and a goose down vest, stepped away from the main camera he was setting up and frowned.

"Jihyun AD, what are you talking about! You call us here at dawn, and now what? You're taking our cell phones too? Who is coming that requires this much fuss? Honestly, it’s almost been a year since we started working together, and it's enough that you don't disclose the security details about the performers, but now you're taking our phones too? No matter how famous the person is, this is too much.

Last year, Seongsik and I did concerts with Maroon 5 and Elton John, but we've never been treated like this before."

Jihyun, with a regretful expression, still couldn't disobey Seokjin's instructions and held out the basket, saying,

"I'm sorry, Director Gwangho. Please try to understand just this once. And you know Maroon 5 and Elton John had proper promotions, and everyone knew the location and timing of the concerts. It’s different this time, so please understand a little."

The small and cute Jihyun massaged his shoulders, coaxing a slight softening of Gwangho's expression, but he still seemed upset and muttered under his breath.

"Jihyun AD, it’s not your fault. I'm just upset with PD Seokjin. What can we do if we can’t trust each other among the staff?"

"Hehe, Director, you’ve got tense shoulders. You must have been very tired recently."

"Ah, that’s refreshing. Little Jihyun AD, you're surprisingly strong. Ah, that feels good."

"Hehe, you'll understand, right, Director? The rehearsal is about to start soon, you’ll find out then."

"Haha, alright. But I met Chaeeun yesterday, and even the main MC doesn't know who's coming. How is this supposed to work?"

"Yes, Chaeeun unnie doesn’t know either. The cue sheet only goes up to reading viewer comments and questions before the musician appears."

“Hmm... I see. But Chaeeun was under the impression that the rehearsal was at two in the afternoon. Are we not doing a full rehearsal including the musicians?”

"No, after the musicians' rehearsal is over, Chaeeun unnie will only rehearse her part, as the audience is entering starting at three, so please finish by half past two."

While Jihyun was soothing Gwangho's mood by massaging his shoulders, a burly man approached them, grumbling loudly.

"Hey, Jihyun AD!"

Jihyun flinched while massaging Gwangho’s shoulders.

"Yes… Yes? Audio Director."

A man twice as big as the other men threw his red hat on the ground in anger.

"What is this I hear about you telling my assistants to start the audio check all over again? I clearly said it was finished, didn’t I? Are you ignoring me now?"

The already fierce-looking man shouted, causing Jihyun to respond in a submissive tone.

"It's just that… PD Seokjin…"

"So PD Seokjin is gone and the AD is here telling us to recheck audio equipment that’s already been checked? What is this nonsense!"

As the Audio Director became agitated, Gwangho raised his hand to calm him down.

"Hey, there's no need to shout at little Jihyun AD like that, act educated! Calm down and speak properly."

"No, brother! Does this make any sense? It's usual for us to gather after ten if the live show is at four, but what time did we come here today? The stage setup team has been working overnight since yesterday, and we gathered at five in the morning to prepare.

We've gone through all this trouble to finish the audio check, and now you're saying to check everything again from the beginning? Stop joking and bring me to PD Seokjin right now!"

Furious, the Audio Director pushed Jihyun ahead to lead him to the waiting room where Seokjin was.

Everyone was dissatisfied, and while some found the situation gratifying, others worried that the Audio Director was overreacting.

Gwangho, who had been fuming, began muttering to himself as he wiped the main camera after someone else took Jihyun away.

"Damn, what kind of trouble is this

at dawn? If it were some insignificant musician, I'd turn everything upside down today."

Despite being young and kind, Jihyun was the AD. The staff knew that defying her instructions would lead to a reprimand from the PD. They hurriedly began rechecking the equipment, and about fifteen minutes later, the Audio Director, who had just burst into the rehearsal hall, was approached by Gwangho, who asked loudly,

"Hey, Director Lee. Did you meet the PD? What did he say?"

Director Lee, the Audio Director, ran past without responding to Gwangho’s question and began searching for his assistant.

"Jinwoo! Where’s Jinwoo!!"

A young audio technician in his twenties ran towards him breathlessly.

"Yes, Director!"

Director Lee, standing by the audio controller and wearing headphones, hurriedly instructed him.

"Check the speakers again, from number 1 to number 12. And go to the PD control box to check all the broadcast speakers as well."

"But... I already did that."

"Do it again! From the beginning! It has to be perfect! Run, man!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

As Jinwoo sprinted away in response to Director Lee's shout, the staff murmured among themselves.

Eventually, unable to contain his curiosity, Gwangho stepped forward on behalf of the staff and asked,

"Hey, Director Lee. You stormed off as if you were going to flip everything over. What’s going on?"

Director Lee, with one ear free from the headphones and continuously adjusting the amp with his hand, replied,

"Brother, you should start your camera check from the beginning too. If we don’t do it right today, we're all going to be in big trouble."

Gwangho, with a furrowed brow, approached and asked in a low voice,

"Why? What did PD Seokjin say?"

Director Lee, sweating just from the thought, wiped his forehead and said,

"It’s… it’s going out to sixty countries."

"What? What is?"

"This broadcast. The rights have been sold to sixty countries."

"What?? Who is coming that it's like this?"

Director Lee looked around and pursed his lips, prompting Gwangho to lean in quickly to hear what he whispered. His eyes widened to the size of saucers upon hearing it.

"What did you say!!!!!!!"

As Gwangho shouted, all the staff’s attention focused on him, and Director Lee pressed down on his shoulder, repeatedly raising his index finger to his lips.

"Shh! Shh! Jihyun AD hasn’t collected all the cell phones yet. Quiet!"

"Is… is it really?"

"Yes, I went and saw it myself."

"Damn... Hey!! All camera staff, gather around!"

Following Director Lee, Gwangho also started making a fuss, and the quick-witted lighting director, even without hearing the explanation, began rechecking the equipment on his own.

*

Half-past one in the afternoon.

Chaeeun, worried about the absence of a cue sheet, opened the door to the MC's waiting room a bit earlier than usual.

The makeup artist and hair designer who were already waiting began working on her hair and makeup as she sat down. Chaeeun turned to her manager who was behind her and asked,

"Manager oppa. There’s no cue sheet today, who is coming that it’s like this?"

The manager shrugged as if he didn’t know, just as the door opened and Jihyun entered.

"Oh, Chaeeun unnie. You're here early."

"AD-nim! If we’re not even doing a musician's rehearsal, is this really okay?"

"The musician's rehearsal is over, unnie only needs to do yours."

"But, who exactly is it, AD-nim? I’m the main MC. How can I not know who the guest is?"

"Ha... I'm sorry, unnie. It's PD-nim's instructions, there’s nothing I can do."

"Sigh... I’m really worried. So, the opening and the introduction of viewer stories are the only parts of the script we have?"

"Yes, here it is."

Chaeeun sighed as she flipped through the cue sheet handed to her by Jihyun.

"Sigh, since Geon announced his regular album, the viewer opinions are filled with talk about Geon. I haven’t even had a phone call with Geon since I returned from Nepal…"

Jihyun smiled and grabbed her shoulder, about to say something but then closed her mouth.

"Hehe, see you later, unnie."

Exactly at two o'clock, Chaeeun's rehearsal began and ended in less than twenty minutes.

It was a program that usually involved a lot of time talking with musicians, but since there were no musicians and no questions, all they had to rehearse were the opening, viewer comments, and closing.

From three o'clock, the audience began entering, unaware of who the blind guest was, simply hoping

their favorite musician would appear.

Soon, the youngest writer went up to capture the wind and draw laughter from the audience, raising the atmosphere.

As the mood lifted appropriately, Seokjin, the main PD, gave directions from the control box.

"Okay, live broadcast starts in 20 seconds. The last commercial is on, Chaeeun-ssi, stand by."

As always, live broadcasts were a sequence of tensions, and the staff were prepared well in advance for their turns.

Chaeeun, too, had been waiting backstage with earphones on ten minutes before her turn.

As Seokjin’s voice came through the earphones, the curtain opened, and applause poured from the audience. Chaeeun, wearing a dazzling dress adorned with jewels on silver silk fabric, smiled beautifully as she descended the stairs from backstage to the stage.

Chaeeun, who started with a program in Nepal with Geon and now an MC of a music program, had built a significant reputation.

Waving at the people, she reached the center of the stage and picked up the microphone, as the youngest writer outside the camera signaled for the audience's applause and cheers to subside.

"Hello, everyone. Welcome to Chaeeun's Music Academy."

Her lovely voice spread at just the right volume, soothing the ears of the audience.

"Even though today's guest was listed as a blind entry on our viewer board, so many of you have come, thank you very much. You must be very curious, right?"

The audience collectively shouted,

"Yes~~~"

Chaeeun covered her mouth with a graceful laugh.

"Hehe, unfortunately, I don’t know either. The rehearsal was separately held under strict security. Before we introduce today's guest, let's first go through the stories and questions you've posted on the viewer board."

She sat on a red sofa set against a heart-shaped backdrop as the background music played. Waiting for the music to quiet down, Chaeeun looked at the cue sheet and laughed.

"The first question comes from Jeong Hosuk in Seoul's Bangbae-dong. MC Chaeeun, with all the buzz around Kay's regular album release, could you possibly connect us with Kay by phone?"

As she mentioned Geon's name, the audience erupted in excitement.

>

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