Devil’s Music

Geon returned to the annex and, after seeing Byung-jun and Kiska playing through the window, stood at the door lost in thought. He seemed unable to move forward, scratching the floor with his foot, before turning to sit on a white swing in the garden. Sitting there, he dropped his gaze to the ground, and the conversation he had just had with Gregory came to mind.

"What do you mean, 'he won't come back'?"

Up until then, Geon had thought Gregory was just making a cruel joke. However, seeing his serious expression, Geon adjusted his posture and asked, "Tell me, Gregory. What happened?"

Gregory detached himself from leaning on the window and approached Geon. He briefly sat on the sofa, looking up at Geon, who was now looking down at him, and said with a bowed head, "You see, I was born under my father who was raising horses in Georgia. At that time, our village was very peaceful but also a place with clear limitations on what a boy full of dreams could do. I could only follow in my father's footsteps, raising horses or farming."

Gregory picked up a cigar from the table.

"I was fifteen. I heard on the radio that there was a big demand for workers at a car factory in Voronezh. There were no cars in our village back then, it was too rural. But I had seen cars pass by occasionally. It was fascinating. I secretly left home with a vague dream of working at a car factory."

Gregory put the cigar in his mouth and picked up a lighter.

"My parents probably looked for me a lot. But I never returned home, not even when I heard that my father had passed away. Of course, I did send some money to my mother."

Gregory lit his cigar. He puffed on it for a moment and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.

"I just walked. I looked at the map and walked through the night, even hitching rides on passing carts. It took a week just to reach a train station, something I had never seen before. With the money I had stolen, I took a train to Voronezh. But there was no one willing to hire a young kid like me.

Being fifteen, I didn't realize how much economic depression the Soviet Union was going through at that time."

Removing the cigar from his mouth and twirling it, Gregory continued, "There was no money and no job for me. But I had to survive stubbornly, even if it meant doing bad things. Working in the back alleys taught me that once you look weak to others, it's over. I became colder and more ruthless than anyone else."

Geon, listening intently with a serious expression, saw Gregory come back to the sofa.

"You might guess, but I've walked a rough path all this time. I've killed over a hundred people with my own hands, haha."

Gregory spread his hands and looked at them with a self-deprecating smile. Turning his palm over, he examined his hand and clenched his fist.

"There was only once in my life that I regretted walking this path. Otherwise, I've always been proud that a street urchin like me became the boss of the Red Mafia, one of the natural gas mafias."

Geon nodded as if he understood.

"It must have been the day Kiska's mother passed away."

Gregory nodded weakly and smiled.

"Yes, that's right. After she died, I painfully killed those who had harmed her one by one. But I couldn't escape the emptiness of losing her. Days passed where I couldn't live without alcohol. For over a year, I lived with alcohol every day. Then one day, I saw my daughter Kiska playing alone, drawing pictures."

Gregory put the cigar back in his mouth and took a deep inhale.

"From that day, I swore to give everything to my daughter instead of my wife. I tried to provide whatever Kiska wanted, but she never asked for anything and just treated me with indifferent silence. No matter what I tried, there was no improvement, and soon after, I met you."

Gregory placed his hand on Geon's shoulder and smiled.

"Now Kiska can express herself, she often laughs and cries. She's different from before meeting you, and I deeply appreciate how much her condition has improved because of you."

"It's nothing, Gregory. I really haven't done much."

Gregory chuckled and patted Geon's shoulder.

"Even if you deny it, the truth is the truth."

As Gregory walked away, Geon grabbed his wrist.

"What do you mean by 'he might not return'?"

Gregory looked down at Geon's hand on his wrist, then turned away. As Gregory naturally walked away, Geon let go of his wrist and watched his retreating figure. Gregory's usually proud shoulders seemed somehow drooped. He went to the window and looked down at the lit annex.

"I recently had my second big regret about my job," Gregory said as he gazed down at the illuminated annex.

Geon looked at him with a sympathetic expression.

"Is it because it mustn't be revealed that you're Kiska’s father?"

"Haha, yes, that’s it. It’s already becoming an obstacle to my daughter's future. Can you imagine? A father who can't even properly greet the doctor taking care of his hospitalized daughter."

Geon's eyes welled up, touched by Gregory's heartfelt pain. Gregory smiled seeing Geon’s saddened face.

"Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m not leaving to block my daughter’s future. That's not my intention at all."

"I never thought that, but why are you planning to leave for so long?"

Gregory opened a desk drawer and took out a dusty frame, blowing off the dust.

"Haha, I have a mother too. Would you like to see?"

Gregory handed him the frame which contained a photo of a weathered, elderly country woman smiling brightly. After dusting off the old frame, Gregory couldn't take his eyes off the photo.

"This is the only picture of my mother that I have. I haven't seen her since I was fifteen."

Placing the photo on the desk, Gregory continued.

"I've come to realize it’s wrong to expect from your offspring the respect of a parent if you haven't fulfilled your duty as a child yourself. That’s why I'm going. To show her granddaughter and to spend whatever time she has left with her."

"I see..."

Gregory stood up, smiling.

"I’ll just tell Kiska that I’m going on a trip to see her grandmother. Will you tell her the same?"

Geon looked out the window for a moment and then nodded.

"Understood."

"Ah, even if we're not here, keep staying at this place. I’ll speak to Miroslav about it. You'll be able to receive the same security as before."

"Alright, I’ll think about it and let you know."

"Right, it’s the day of your discharge and here we are discussing such heavy matters. Go rest now; Kiska is waiting for you."

Geon stood up to leave the room, then suddenly turned around.

"Was my song in any way the reason for your decision?"

Gregory looked intently at Geon, then chuckled and shook his head.

"No."

Sitting on the swing, Geon recalled his conversation with Gregory and heard Kiska laughing uproariously, playing with Byung-jun. He sighed.

'Maybe I’ll never see her again?'

For some reason, his legs felt wobbly. Wanting to spend even a minute more with Kiska, whom he might never see again soon, he struggled to get up from the swing. After a long effort, he finally stood and opened the door to the annex. There, he saw Kiska sitting on Byung-jun's belly on the sofa, pushing Byung-jun's face away with her feet and laughing.

A happy expression crossed Geon’s face as Kiska tightly hugged his legs. Looking down at Kiska, who was looking up at him, he quickly averted his gaze and spoke without making eye contact.

"Kiska, having fun?"

Feeling the nod from the little girl holding his legs, but unable to meet her eyes, Geon took off his coat and said,

"Yeah, I’ll go take a quick wash."

As Geon started walking with some effort, Kiska released his legs and watched his retreating back with her big eyes. Entering the bathroom, Kiska followed him and stood in front of the closed bathroom door, her head bowed. Watching this, Byung-jun rushed over and scooped up Kiska, then yelled toward the closed door.

"You damn kid! Kiska has been waiting all day for you, you should have hugged her at least once!"

Seeing Kiska’s disappointed face, Byung-jun cursed more but then remembered Geon had been discharged today and patted Kiska’s back as they sat down on the sofa.

"Kay was discharged today, he's been really sick, you understand, right?"

Although they sat together, Kiska leaned backward on the sofa backrest, staring only at the closed bathroom door. When the door opened and Geon emerged with a bright smile, Kiska's face lit up.

"Ah! Washing my face feels like being reborn! Come here, Kiska! Let’s play!"

Her face brightened, Kiska kicked Byung-jun’s face as she leaped from the sofa.

"Ouch!!!"

Byung-jun collapsed, but Kiska, paying him no mind, ran to Geon and beamed with joy.

"Phew! My Kiska! Did you have dinner?"

Geon smiled, making eye contact with the little girl. Kiska looked puzzled for a moment and reached out her small hand to touch Geon's cheek, then glanced

at the open bathroom. Geon turned his head to see what Kiska was looking at and asked curiously.

"Why? Do you want to go to the bathroom?"

Kiska looked back at Geon without responding. Just as her mouth began to move, Byung-jun, clutching his face, came over and said,

"Kiska! Even though I played with you all day when he wasn't here, kicking his face is too much. Geez, oh? Geon, what's with your face?"

Geon, holding Kiska, looked surprised as he felt his own face.

"What’s wrong, is something on it? I just washed my face."

Byung-jun put his hand, large as a pot lid, on Geon's cheek with a serious look.

"Maybe you really should go back to the hospital? You've been crying in the bathroom, haven't you? Look at how swollen your eyes are. Are you in a lot of pain? Should we go back to the hospital now?"

>

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