Devil’s Music

Chapter 147: The Stalker, the Orchestra, and the Zoo

Geon's brief guitar performance was enough to stir a change in the emotions of many in the audience. They gripped the hands of their loved ones tighter, not wanting to let go of the love they currently held. This mutual feeling grew as more people began to hold hands or link arms, driven by a vague fear of parting.

Norman was watching the audience's reactions, looking around.

"The audience is responding to the emotional shift! Ordinary people, not just experts!"

Norman glared at Geon, who had put down his guitar and was conducting on stage.

"Show me! Go on, show me more! I must see with my own eyes how far you can go!"

Geon's expression, as he made eye contact and conducted the musicians on stage, gradually became sadder. Though his hands led the performance faster, tears began to well up in his eyes, lost in the emotions conveyed by the music. This phenomenon quickly spread among the musicians, starting with the female violinists closely observing Geon. Tears from the closest female violinist fell onto her violin. The cellist's grip trembled slightly. When Sean looked up while playing the piano, a tear could be seen streaming down beneath his glasses. He was crying, yet there seemed to be a great joy, as he smiled brightly through his tears. Opening his eyes, Sean saw hallucinations among the few stars in the dark sky.

"Father!"

In Sean's eyes, the image of John Lennon, smiling and laughing brightly from the sky, appeared. Several audience members, seeing Sean laughing up at the sky, unwittingly looked up as well. Immersed in the melody and the emotions the music conveyed, many in the audience began to take out handkerchiefs to wipe their tears.

Norman, having stood up to scrutinize the stage, was surprised at himself.

Norman was startled as he wiped away a tear that had unknowingly fallen from one eye.

"How long has it been since I've been purely moved by music rather than analyzing it?"

Indeed, since starting his career as a critic, Norman, who used to seek out music simply because he liked it, had shifted to analyzing, dissecting, and listing the pros and cons, as well as the background and emotions expressed in the music. After learning an instrument, when he listened to music, he could hear each instrument separately. From the moment he started analyzing music, the emotional impact music itself could have diminished. Norman trembled his lips, looking at Geon, who had returned him to the emotions of a young man who simply loved music.

"I'll spend the rest of my life following you, Kay. You could be the second act of my life."

From the stage, where Sean was looking up and smiling, the last chorus flowed.

"Cause if I have to die tonight"

"I'd rather it was you"

As Geon grabbed the microphone and added harmony to Sean's song. The harmony, made up of simple "na na na" humming, maximized the sorrow conveyed by the song's emotions.

"Cut the parachute before the dive"

"Baby don't you cry"

"You have to bring me down"

"We had some fun before we hit the ground"

After Sean's last lyrics, all instruments ceased, leaving only the sound of Sean's piano resonating in the concert hall. As Sean's playing dwindled, he stopped and bowed his head. Tears fell onto the keys of the grand piano. Sean, trembling with satisfaction from the performance, stood up and approached Geon.

Geon looked at him and smiled brightly. Raising his hands, he reached out to Sean, who ran to him and hugged him. In the center of the stage, the two men hugged; the beautiful boy's face was filled with a happy smile, while the man with glasses on his pale face had tears of joy. The audience, perhaps too stunned to applaud at the music's end, just stared blankly at the two men.

As Geon hugged Sean, he saw Dr. Dre running towards him and smiled, extending his other hand. Dre hugged Geon's other shoulder and said,

"That was incredible! The best experience of my life, Kay!"

From behind the trio, Snoop, wearing sunglasses, peeked out and said,

"Hey, I was here too, even if my part was small. Include me too."

As Snoop reached out to back-hug Geon from behind, Geon's laughter grew larger. Damian Marley looked up at the sky from in front of his percussion, just as Sean had seen John Lennon in the sky, he too was thinking of his father.

"Father, I miss you terribly today. If only I could have shown this performance to you..."

The musicians gathered around Geon, putting down their instruments. Though it was customary to greet the audience first after a performance, nobody seemed to care about that now. The violinist with tear-stained face, the cellist with mascara sme

ared, all beamed with joy as they crowded around Geon. Dre, seeing the musicians gathering, shouted,

"Let's lift him up in celebration!"

At Dre's cue, the male musicians clung to Geon. A bit flustered, Geon, being lifted, exclaimed,

"Ah! Please, not too high!"

The musicians laughed mischievously and counted,

"One, two, three, up!"

They threw Geon up high with all their might. As Geon screamed from being tossed too high, Pai below growled uneasily. Hearing that, the audience began to wake from their trance. Surprised at themselves for being so absorbed, they looked at each other and opened their mouths wide.

Standing, Norman began to clap slowly until the end of the performance.

"Clap, clap, clap"

As the audience's attention focused on Norman clapping, more and more began to join in, and a wave of applause and cheers swept through the zoo concert hall.

"Wow~~~~~~~~~~ It was the best performance!"

"The best performance of my life!! Whew!!"

"Kyaaak!! I was so happy!"

As the audience erupted in cheers, the musicians gently lowered Geon back to the ground. While it would have been appropriate for him to acknowledge the applause, all the musicians silently watched Geon, adjusting his attire before stepping forward. As Geon stepped forward and raised his hand, a broad smile spread across the faces of the musicians as they finally bowed in gratitude to the audience's louder cheers and unending applause until the curtain slowly closed. Reluctant to disturb the rest of the animals despite wanting an encore, the audience simply applauded.

Even after the curtain had fully closed, the audience continued applauding for a while before starting to leave the zoo, with the animals, still awake from the night's performance, watching them. Cameras and reporters swarmed around Norman, who was staring blankly at the departing audience.

A reporter handed a microphone to Norman and asked, "Mr. Norman, could you share your thoughts on tonight's performance?"

As Norman continued to stare blankly at the closed curtain, the reporter prompted, "Mr. Norman?"

Glancing briefly at the reporters and cameras surrounding him, Norman said, "Didn't you all hear it? What more is there to say?"

The reporters hesitated, searching for words, but persisted in pushing the microphone closer to Norman, who frowned at the encroaching mics and declared, "Without a doubt, it was the best performance. This is Norman Lebrecht speaking. Dare I say, the best performance I have ever witnessed in my lifetime. That's all."

Handing off the microphone bundle to a nearby reporter, Norman quickly made his way backstage, where reporters were already filling the area, but were being held back by zoo security guards who were preventing them from entering. As the security guards loudly urged the reporters to leave for the animals' rest and stated that interview requests would not be accepted as they had been previously discussed with the performers, the reporters reluctantly began to disperse after being told to submit formal interview requests through their companies.

Approaching the security guard, Norman was stopped with an extended hand. The guard asked, "Did you not understand what was just said?"

Norman nodded calmly and asked, "Could you please relay just one message to Kay?"

After a moment of confusion, the guard inquired, "What message would that be?"

Norman, with a serious look, said, "Please tell him that Norman Lebrecht, whom he met in England, said, 'I will follow the future that the musician Kay will tread for the rest of my life.'"

The guard looked at Norman for a moment before slowly nodding, "I will make sure the message is delivered."

After thanking the guard with a handshake, Norman left the zoo. As the performers, still buzzing from the excitement, heard that the audience and reporters had all left the zoo, they began to pack up their instruments. Amid the hustle of clearing the stage, Snoop announced, "It's late today, but let's rent a club and have a party tomorrow! It's on me!"

"Wow!!!!"

"That's awesome! Wow, I'm going to a party hosted by Snoop Dogg! Can I bring my girlfriend?"

"If you're bringing your girlfriend, bring a friend too! Then you're welcome!"

"Hahahaha!!"

As Snoop laughed, he turned his gaze to Geon, who flinched upon noticing. Snoop approached and looked down at Geon, saying, "Don't disappear to Jamaica after the show like last time, or I'll load my private jet with machine guns and head to Jamaica."

Geon awkwardly stepped back with a nervous laugh, "Ah, ah, haha, okay, Snoop. I'll be there for sure."

After scrutinizing Geon for a while, Snoop finally left the stage with Dre. As most of the performers had departed, Sean, who had been standing by Geon, touched his shoulder.

"Kay, I'm sure you're an angel sent to me by my father. That's what I believe."

Geon smiled and shook his head, "Well, I'm not that good of a person, haha."

Sean hugged Geon again, whispering quietly, "Thank you, Kay. If there's anything you need, contact me anytime. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help."

Geon patted Sean's back, "Sure, Sean. And no pretending not to know me later, okay?"

After releasing his hug, Sean smiled at Geon before leaving. Left alone on the stage, Geon picked up Ricky and Pai, who were sitting at his feet looking up at him.

"Up we go! My little ones. It's late, isn't it? Let's go to bed, and since the other animals haven't slept yet, I'll sing for you first. Don't worry. I'll make sure you're asleep before I go. Let's go~"

Carrying Haku, Geon was the last to leave the now-empty stage.

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