Devil’s Music

After breakfast, the group gathered at the hotel lobby's cafe noticed Geon Kim coming down last. With a nonchalant expression, Geon quickly approached with an apologetic tone.

"Looks like I'm the last one. Sorry."

Byungjoon waved his hand dismissively.

"No, no. Shall we head out?"

Carlos glanced at Geon, who looked much better than the day before, and smiled broadly, extending his hand.

"Alright, hands in!"

Jose was the first to place his hand over Carlos's, followed by Kevin. As Geon placed his hand last, Carlos nodded toward Byungjoon and Lyn.

"We're all in this together, right?"

With a smile, Byungjoon and Lyn joined in, and Carlos lifted their hands up high, exclaiming,

"Go For It!!"

"Haah!!!"

As everyone raised their hands together, they laughed, grabbed their luggage, and boarded the van. After about five minutes, the van stopped, and music could be heard in the distance. Kevin, seeing a crowd at the entrance of a large building, turned to Byungjoon with an excited look.

"It's a daytime show. Where are we? It looks like we didn't even check out the venue beforehand."

After observing the scene outside, Byungjoon replied.

"It's the Liverpool One Shopping Center. It's a large mall, and the venue is outdoors. Don't worry, Director Lyn has already checked the route, and all the sound systems have been checked as well. But why aren't the staff coming out?"

Frowning, Jose, who was glued to the window, asked.

"What staff? Can't we just go in?"

Byungjoon raised his hand as if to say wait.

"Montana isn't just some indie band. How can we walk through all these people? The staff said they would control access so we can drive right up to the stage."

Soon after, a knock on the opposite window caught the group's attention, focusing on a man tapping on the window outside. Byungjoon leaned out and gestured for the man to come around to his side. As the man walked around to where Byungjoon was sitting, Byungjoon opened the window and asked,

"Are you from Liverpool Sound City?"

The staff member, wearing a red hat marked 'Staff,' peeked inside the window and responded.

"Yes, that's correct. Sorry for being late. I've confirmed it's Fantagio's vehicle. Are all the Montana members here?"

"Yes, we're all here," replied Byungjoon.

The staff member cautiously asked,

"Is... Kay here?"

Geon, who had been in the front seat, leaned back and stuck his head out.

"I'm here."

"Wow!"

The staff member, surprised to see Geon so close, stepped back and then extended his hand.

"What an honor to meet Kay up close! I really got the right part-time job, haha!"

As Geon shook his hand, the impressed staff member exclaimed,

"Thank you! I'll make sure you can safely get to the stage!"

The staff member headed to the front of the van, blowing a whistle and shouting at people shopping or heading to the venue,

"Please make way!"

As people turned around to the noise, they pointed and shouted at the sight of Fantagio's logo on the van.

"It's Montana!!!"

"Montana is here! For real!"

"Kyaaah!! Where's Kay? Kay!!"

"I don't know, the car windows are too tinted!"

"Try knocking on them!"

As people slowly passed by the van, tapping on the windows and pressing their faces against the glass, Kevin, who was witnessing such a scene for the first time, looked around curiously. The rest of the group, accustomed to such occurrences, calmly observed the people. Geon, too, watched the crowd screaming and cheering, then murmured softly.

"These people came to enjoy our music, right?"

Kevin, unable to hear well due to the noise, cupped his ear and yelled,

"What? Say that again."

Geon turned to Carlos, who had been watching him, and finally said,

"These people came to enjoy our music, right? They came to enjoy our performance together?"

Carlos, after a moment's pause, smiled and nodded. A smile slowly spread across Geon's face. Kevin, not understanding the conversation, looked dumbfounded as he watched the two laughing and looking at each other.

Geon bent over and stood up from his seat, prompting Byungjoon to say,

"What are you doing? Sit down, it's dangerous."

Ignoring him, Geon opened the sunroof and stood through it, causing the cheering from outside to flood into the van. Geon had thought it safe since people couldn't climb onto the van, and he looked at Carlos and Kevin, saying,

"Let's enjoy this together."

No answer was needed as Geon emerged through

 the sunroof, and hundreds of people around the van raised their hands, cheering.

"It's Kay!!!"

"Kyaaaaah!!! Kay!!!"

"I love you!! You're so handsome!!!"

As Geon appeared on the roof of the van, those clinging to the windows stepped back a few paces so they could see him on the roof. Contrary to concerns, this actually facilitated the vehicle's entry. Byungjoon, still uneasy, scanned the surroundings but saw no one engaging in dangerous behavior, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief, though he still grimaced.

"Ah, that damn kid!"

Just as he exclaimed this, the lower half of Geon's body disappeared from view, causing Byungjoon, who had been staring blankly, to lean out and shout towards the sunroof.

"Hey! It's dangerous on top of the car!"

The crowd outside cheered even louder as they saw Geon climbing onto the roof.

"Kay! Kay! Kay! Kay! Kay!"

As strangers began to link arms and chant Geon's name, Geon rolled his feet on the roof of the 11-seater van. Seeing enough space for him to run around, Byungjoon shouted at the driver,

"Hey, hey! Drive slowly!"

The driver, already moving at a crawl, turned back and laughed,

"We're already going slow, there's no way to speed through these people, hehe."

Byungjoon, holding his head as if it were about to split, looked at the open sunroof and said,

"Oh my, that kid, really! Hey! It's dangerous!"

As Geon's footsteps thudded on the roof, Carlos's lips curled into a smile, then he suddenly stood up and climbed out through the sunroof, joining Geon. As they bounced around on the roof, the crowd shouted,

"Montana! Montana! Montana! Montana!"

Carlos, laughing, waved at them and then touched Geon's shoulder as he jumped around on the roof. As their eyes met, the people in the crowded shopping center slowly followed the van, and a fully smiling Geon placed his hand on Carlos's shoulder and shouted,

"Hello Liverpool!!!"

"Kyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Kay! Kay! Kay! Kay! Kay!"

Geon turned to Carlos with a grin.

"Let's jump, Carlos!"

As Geon initiated a shoulder-bump and began jumping, thousands of people following the van started jumping and rolling their feet too.

Thump thump thump thump

The sound of thousands of feet pounding the ground resonated like a heartbeat, shaking Liverpool. People who were watching other bands or shopping far away craned their necks to see what was happening and, upon spotting Geon and Carlos jumping on the roof, ran out screaming.

"Aaaahhhhh!!! It's Montana!! It's Kay!!"

"Kyah! They're really here!!"

As Geon and Carlos made themselves sufficiently visible, the fans, excited and happy, made room for the van to pass more easily. The men in the crowd yelled excitedly, and the women, unable to take their eyes off Geon and Carlos, covered their mouths in awe. Geon, still shoulder-bumping with Carlos, looked up at the sky. Seeing this side of Geon, Carlos smiled.

"Having fun?"

Looking at the sky and smiling, Geon then looked down at Carlos and playfully winked.

"Not yet, the real fun is on stage. Okay?"

"Phahaha!!! Great!!!"

Soon after, the van arrived in front of the stage. As Geon, still on the roof, saw the previous performers still on stage collecting their instruments with a dazed expression, he jumped down onto the stage. Extending his hand to one of the indie musicians, who was frozen in place, Geon smiled and said,

"We'll take it from here."

The musician, momentarily stunned, then grinned widely and high-fived Geon, shouting,

"Handing it over!"

"Haha! Alright!"

As Geon looked at the members and staff struggling to unload their instruments, he gestured for them to hurry up.

"Quick, quick!"

Byungjoon, carrying Jose's bass drum and red-faced, yelled,

"You only sing and don't even bring your guitar! Help with this!"

The idea of making major musicians carry gear seemed absurd to the Liverpool Sound City staff, who rushed to assist, allowing Byungjoon a moment to breathe before he attempted to reprimand Geon for his dangerous antics. Instead, seeing the stage set up and Geon already syncing with everyone, he smirked. Standing beside Byungjoon, Carlos also watched Geon and remarked,

"Looks like he's ready to enjoy the stage."

Byungjoon wiggled his eyebrows at Carlos then laughed again, nodding,

"Yeah, not bad at all. Haha."

Kevin quickly helped Jose set

 up the drums and connect the bass guitar, checking the sound. As Carlos, the last to arrive on stage, finished connecting the equipment, Geon, seeing all the members ready, smiled and placed his hand on the microphone stand. As the fans screamed, they gradually quieted down at the sight of Geon waiting quietly above the mic. The shopping center's stage, now silent, awaited his performance. Geon scanned the crowd and then, staring straight ahead, shouted,

"Here we go! Second Fury!!!"

As Geon's cry rang out, Kevin's bass, which he had lowered his posture for, revealed its claws. The heavy bass notes began to play rhythmically, and as the sound of a giant tiger's footsteps climbing a high mountain peak filled the venue, the crowd murmured.

"Who's the bass player?"

"I know! It said Kevin on the album I bought!"

"Kevin? Never heard of him before, but his skills are killer! Can you feel this groove?"

"The tone is awesome too, wonder what pickups he's using?"

"Why does the album cover with the tiger come to mind? It's my first time associating the sound of a bass guitar with a tiger."

"Who composed this song? Montana? Kay?"

"Haven't you seen the album? Oh, you couldn't buy it because it was sold out? Hahaha!"

"Damn! I told you I had it pre-ordered!"

"Wait, wait! Isn't it a bit strange?"

"What is?"

"I've listened to the album hundreds of times, but the intro sounds a bit different?"

"Oh! It is different, maybe because it's live?"

"Who cares! The bass alone is enough to make my heart burst!"

As the crowd began to get excited, José's drums thundered powerfully.

Bang bang!!

José, who had banged the snare and bass drum twice, differently from the original album, bent his head and moved his hands faster, conveying the escalating atmosphere of a battlefield, prompting the audience to start stomping their feet. As José's drumming sped up, the increasingly fast stomping of the audience finally turned into them rhythmically jumping and shouting.

"Aaaah!!! Killing it!!"

"Feels like I've swallowed a bowl of cocaine!! Aaah!!"

"Aaaah!! Amazing!!!"

Carlos stepped forward, placing one foot on the amp, and grinned at the audience. As the audience saw a majestic tiger looking down from a mountain peak through the clouds, a dragon with a huge head emerged. Carlos's guitar emitted sharp riffs as the dragon breathed fire, and lightning struck among the dark clouds above. The cheering crowd stopped stomping and watched in awe as Carlos and Kevin engaged in a fierce battle.

"What the...! It's even more intense than the album!"

"How combative! Such a performance is unbelievable!"

"Kay is truly a genius! If not a genius, such music could not exist! Aaaah!!!"

"Can you see the goosebumps on my arm? Look!"

"Damn, move! Can't see it!"

As the fire-breathing dragon faced the tiger perched on the cliff, the tiger opened its blood-red mouth dripping with potential blood and swiped through the flames with its sharp claws. The tiger then leaped up the cliff and attempted to bite the dragon's tail, which smoothly evaded and bared its long fangs, bulging its eyes as both monsters stared each other down, ready to tear each other apart. Amidst this, Geon leaned back and roared fiercely.

"Kraaaaaaaaah!!!"

"Kyaaaaah!!!"

"Chills!!!"

"Ugh, I'm so pumped I'm going crazy!!"

As Geon roared, most of the audience felt chills on their skin, looking at their arms or shrinking into themselves. After Geon had screamed for longer than the original album version, all music suddenly stopped. The abrupt silence after the heated excitement made the audience freeze; thousands watched silently at the Liverpool One shopping center. Geon slowly lowered his head and spoke into the microphone with a deep, low voice.

"I exist because I am angry. Go! Fury!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Following Geon's final shout, the bass, guitar, and drums burst into play simultaneously, and the audience launched into the air, screaming.

"Aaaah!!!!"

Geon leaned the microphone stand to the side and spat out sounds while glaring at the audience.

Calculated Release

The heavy burden of anger

Thoroughly abandoned to shed

Permitting the eruption of rage, vague but perceptible pressure

A dam bursts, a process of purification

While most of the audience jumped around excitedly, some with a professional level of musical appreciation soon noticed the lyrics of "Fury" had completely changed and listened intently.

"What? The lyrics are different!"

"New lyrics?"

Geon's deep, low voice turned into an advancing army, targeting the dragon and tiger intent on tearing each other apart.

A target for anger

Blindly targeted by rage

A silent passage of fury

Passionate anger forgets or eases itself

As the dragon and tiger, locked in a battle in the sky, both looked down, a commander at the forefront of tens of thousands of troops raised his sword, his red eyes glaring through the helmet visor, as if to split both sides with his shout.

Pain! Pain caused by anger and hatred within!

Rage! Rage caused by anger and hatred within!

Hatred! Hat

red caused by anger and hatred within!

"Aaaah I'm going crazy!!!"

"Pain!! Pain caused by anger and hatred within!!"

People tried to sing along to the changed climax of the song but were too late and shouted afterwards. Even in the middle of winter, people began to sweat and started removing their coats. One man completely removed his top and swung it around his hand, while a woman took off her top, leaving only her underwear, and jumped around. As Geon, with bloodshot eyes, raised his hand, the music stopped again, and people startled by the abrupt silence looked at the stage as Geon jumped up smiling. The other members jumped along with Geon, and as they landed, a tremendous sound exploded again.

"Ah!!! Amazing!! Wowowow!!!"

"Man, I would have regretted it for life if I hadn't come to see this! Damn!! It's incredible!"

As verse 1 ended, the rhythm changed suddenly, and the drum and bass began a rhythmic play, and Carlos's riffs also transformed into a club beat. Geon, who had placed the microphone stand down, stood in the center of the stage and started dancing. While not exactly skilled at dancing, he moved rhythmically to the beat, causing the audience to start dancing along to the rhythmic music.

As thousands of spectators began to wave and dance, the stage at Liverpool One shopping center became a spectacle. The employee who had directed Geon's car murmured from behind as he watched people dance.

"Was there ever such a response during a Liverpool Sound City show...?"

The typically reserved British audience, who fundamentally approached music with the attitude of 'let's see you try and impress', were mannerly enough to cheer for good music, but it was rare to see them truly enjoy a performance with such sincerity. As the employee looked up, he could see people dancing at the windows and rooftops of the shopping center's tall buildings.

"Uh... but what about those cameras?"

His eyes caught about twenty cameramen filming the dancing people and the stage from the shopping center windows, rooftops, and sides of the stage. They seemed excited, constantly smiling as they filmed, but their professional demeanor kept them from bouncing too much, making them stand out.

"Was there a mention of filming? Who are these people?"

His questioning gaze caught Siya, who stood with her arms crossed, maintaining her composure while giving directions.

"We need to capture the whole stage. This atmosphere must be conveyed! Keep moving! Film dynamically while moving!"

Following Siya's instructions, the cameramen raised their cameras high and captured the dancing crowd. One cameraman, knowing the timing, turned the camera angle to the stage, where Geon, with bloodshot eyes from dancing, raised his hand to the microphone stand and bellowed out in a deep voice.

Eventually, I die

Fighting with a sick body, I finally die

In a hollow world, fighting for more possession

What is the meaning of fighting?

In the end, dying without owning anything

Crying and raging in front of happiness that cannot be achieved by possession

Suffering from the vain struggle of clinging to possession

Crying and raging in front of a brutal reality that can never change

The thought and rage make me think

As Geon flew into the air again, all the members of Montana leaped together. Having seen the move once before, thousands of fans simultaneously took to the air. Thousands landed simultaneously, and along with Geon's voice, thousands of voices resounded through Liverpool City.

Pain! Pain caused by anger and hatred within!

Rage! Rage caused by anger and hatred within!

Hatred! Hatred caused by anger and hatred within!

The simultaneous roar of thousands made Kevin laugh heartily. Carlos, sweating profusely as he played, was amazed by the experience, showing surprise at the fans' reaction. José, who didn't seem to be struggling, drummed energetically using his entire body, and people, energized by his performance, rolled their bodies even more energetically.

As Geon breathed with the people while jumping, he looked at the cloudy Liverpool sky. Far away, a dragon, having spewed its remaining flames, concealed its massive form, and a blood-covered tiger, bleeding from its mouth, glared at the sky. The lone commander standing on the battlefield roared triumphantly toward the sky.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

As Geon shouted, thousands of spectators raised their hands high and screamed together.

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

"The best!! Absolutely thrilling!!!"

"Hahaha!! Glad I came!! This is fun!! Hahaha!!"

"Really! Kay wasn't originally a musician of this genre! Incredible!! Incredible!! What genre can't he do!"

"Yeah! He does hip-hop, orchestra, opera! Truly a genius of our time! Hurry up and graduate and just do music!!"

"Aaah!! Kay! Kay! Kay! Kay!"

As José

's drums sounded the emptiness of the battle's end and the retreat, the still-jumping crowd continued to shout, seemingly unable to stop their excitement. Although the music had completely stopped, the spectators, still hearing music in their ears, continued their dance moves. As Geon leaned over the microphone stand, Carlos, drenched in sweat, tapped Geon's back and smiled.

"How's that?"

As Geon turned his head, his bright face revealed a grin.

"Feels great! Hahaha!!!"

Carlos slapped Geon's back hard again and said.

"That's it! That's it! As a musician, you express your emotions through music and enjoy it for what it is!"

Geon, still watching the audience who hadn't stopped dancing, spread his arms and looked up at the sky, laughing loudly.

"Hahahahaha!!!"