Although Lady Demon made a bold declaration, she didn’t seem to take any specific actions.
She simply continued her mundane office life as if nothing had changed.
However, everything was not exactly the same as before.
“Try following this here.”
“Huh? This is a bit different from before, isn’t it?”
“It’s an advanced process.”
“…Ugh, this is insanely tough, isn’t it?”
“It will all turn into bl**d and flesh.”
“…Hmm, wouldn’t it be troubling if it turned into flesh?”
“That’s just a metaphor. This movement is extremely effective in enhancing the elasticity of your chest.”
“…Oh, that actually sounds fine.”
Firstly, the difficulty level of Moon Suyeon’s morning exercises had been significantly upgraded.
She started teaching Moon Suyeon a strange form of gymnastics that I had never seen before. Later, I learned it was a secret tradition from her maternal side, or more specifically, the Demon Queen’s side.
Apparently, it was especially effective for beauty enhancement.
When I asked why she was teaching this to Moon Suyeon, who was ostensibly a rival, she gave a peculiar response.
“It’s a kind of penance. Since you will inevitably end up being mine.”
“…You’re quite confident, aren’t you?”
“Well, even if that’s not the case, I’m not unhappy about Yeon-i. That girl, though mischievous, does have her own charm.”
‘Yeon-i’…
In the Martial Forest, known as Wolyeon, and here, known as Su-yeon.
Anyway, Moon Suyeon is still Yeon-i.
I don’t know what Lady Demon is thinking by doing this, but it isn’t something I should concern myself with, so I merely observed. After all, I had more pressing issues on my side than dealing with Moon Suyeon’s situation.
“Why do you still retain your memories?”
“…Well? Actually, I’m not entirely sure about this either…”
“Hmm, I see. Did you perhaps avoid my contact on purpose in the beginning because you had these memories?”
“…Of course not.”
“Indeed.”
Things like these.
While it’s true I did avoid her intentionally, it wouldn’t be prudent to admit that here.
Even in a world without martial arts, Lady Demon isn’t exactly someone who’s easy to deal with.
In any case, she still holds a position akin to the owner of the company I work for now.
So, I evaded the question as best as possible.
“That Yahui is really something here too.”
“Yahui… Ah, Ms. Yang, the writer? Why are you mentioning her?”
“That one, she seems to have latched onto Yeon-i.”
“Su-yeon’s senior?”
“She appears quite sincere about attaching Yeon-i to you. It seems Yahui is still Yahui here as well.”
“…Did that happen?”
Marina Yahui was one of the senior members of the New Religion who argued that I didn’t have the qualifications to be part of the Heavenly Demon Army.
Although she wasn’t part of the faction that was trying to assassinate me, she was simply trying to change Lady Demon’s mind, which made her quite uncomfortable to me.
Thus, we weren’t close companions,
However, she often plotted against me from behind as well, with the most representative plot being sending me to the Hao Moon organization.
In fact, my encounter with Wolyeon during my assignment to Hao Moon could be attributed to Marina Yahui’s actions.
“Come to think of it, Ms. Yang strongly recommended Su-yeon too.”
“She’s a very vexing person. Although, I do understand her intentions.”
Looking at it this way, isn’t it amusing?
Ms. Yang, who seems to favor Heavenly Yuah, is opposing my connection with her here as well.
After all, a fan wouldn’t welcome her star falling in love, especially when they are still young and don’t want any unnecessary scandals.
It seems interesting that Yang Yuli contacted Moon Suyeon to establish a new political faction.
Moon Suyeon’s ability to assess people appears to be better than I anticipated based on her understanding of Ms. Yang’s mindset.
However, this would only remain unproblematic if Heavenly Yuah remains unaware. If she finds out about everything, it could create difficulties for Yang Yuli.
Interfering with the romantic pursuits of her favorite star would only result in self-inflicted resentment if she discovers she’s the one causing trouble.
Indeed, Marina Yahui, who venerates Lady Demon, gradually drifted away from her.
“Well, things will work out themselves. At least the current Yuah Senior seems to be more subdued compared to Lady Demon’s times.”
On a different note, Nam Hyun-ho’s presence in my company seemed quite intriguing from Lady Demon’s perspective.
“Jade Faced Foolish Sword… Quite an unexpected character, isn’t he? This world indeed isn’t the Martial Forest.”
“Right?”
“What a fascinating event. It seems Nam Hyun-ho is doing exceptionally well. Palace Sword King would probably rise from his grave in envy.”
“What, could that be possible?”
“However, being a Nam Gong and pulling off such a cowardly stunt in the end is very Nam Gong-like.”
“Ahh, the bet.”
“Too Nam Gong-esque that there’s nothing to criticize, isn’t it?”
Indeed, Lady Demon seems to share similar thoughts with me.
When Nam Hyun-ho initially announced his intention to join our company, I had similar thoughts.
However, labeling his victory in the bet as simply a Nam Gong trait seems a bit narrow-minded.
Of course, from Lady Demon’s perspective, it was undoubtedly a shocking twist.
Apart from these tiny details, there wasn’t anything too special happening.
Considering her grand declaration towards me, the lack of follow-up actions is noticeable.
Given her assertion that she won’t sit idly by, her moves seem rather mild.
“But that’s all the more frightening.”
Unlike the world of Martial Forest where she kept her feelings hidden, Lady Demon expresses her feelings clearly but does not rush into anything, which seems to be her intent.
With a heightened sense of patience and self-restraint, Lady Demon has evolved into someone who no longer hides her feelings.
At this point, it seems like she might become an adversary too challenging to overcome.
“Suyen Senior… Hmm, this is also…”
At this stage, it wouldn’t feel strange if she were to side with Lady Demon.
As Tian You-a has grown stronger through her Heavenly Demon awakening, why Moon Suyeon catches the eye feels puzzling.
Moon Suyeon, she always seems… pitiable in a way?
It’s just saddening that she hasn’t yet settled her feelings.
If that’s the case, cutting things off outright is possibly a viable option, though there might be some hesitations.
Of course, it’s not because of the misguided notion that she’s too good for others.
Actually, if I were to act too decisively, it might stir more problems.
Moreover, I don’t outright dislike Moon Suyeon, making it difficult to determine what the best course of action is.
Frankly, even I don’t fully grasp what I feel at this point.
*
Lady Demon’s arrival was rather uneventful so far.
However, an unexpected issue arose from a completely different quarter.
Moon Suyeon’s album plans encountered unforeseen obstacles.
“So, Su-yeon Senior stopped preparing for her album?”
“That’s what I heard. Her staff reported this.”
“That’s strange. Until recently, she was quite enthusiastic about it, wasn’t she?”
While on hiatus from her singing career to focus on two drama projects, Luna and Moon Suyeon saw great success with “Mother’s Song,” firmly establishing her acting career, though her primary focus remained in the music industry.
Her awareness of shining on stage was more prominent than anyone else’s, and she was eager to return.
With the company’s proper management, fan conflicts have mostly been resolved, allowing her regular engagement with the fans.
Through direct communication, her passion for her singing revived over time.
Naturally, singers are inclined this way.
Artists who genuinely love the stage are reluctant to leave it, especially top-tier ones like Moon Suyeon, who might feel itchy feet after a break.
Though the special stage at the awards ceremony temporarily quenched her thirst, it must have heightened her longing.
In this manner, Moon Suyeon was overcoming her setbacks in the bet and was highly motivated for album preparation. Suddenly hearing that it has been halted raises some concerns.
Clearly, something is off.
And our Lady Demon was already in the know after assessing the situation.
“I found it strange and investigated a bit, and it seems her mental state is a bit shaken.”
“Mental state?”
“Yes. Didn’t the company recently report all of Yeon’s cyberbullies? Recent developments have revealed something unusual.”
“Unusual?”
“It seems one of the administrators of Yeon’s fan club, The Goddess of the Moon, was one of her harassers, known for posting bizarre, obscene comments.”
“…Is that so?”
Fan club administrators involving themselves in harassment is concerning indeed.
This side’s world seems to keep revealing eerie stories.
It’s no wonder that…
“That’s enough to hurt her feelings.”
“In any case, it seems she needs some cheering up. Her fandom has reached a threshold, and it’s time she resumes activities.”
“That’s true. After all, starring in two dramas is a significant deal. I suppose I need to have a chat.”
Moon Suyeon usually kept her distance from the fan community due to rampant harassment.
The situation improved after Flame started thorough cleaning operations.
While it slightly reduced the scale of phantom fans, removing problematic individuals has improved the fan community’s atmosphere.
It seemed she began engaging with fans feeling somewhat assured in this improved environment.
“How surprising that an administrator turned out to be a cyberbully. Her motivation must have taken a hit.”
To comfort her, I quietly called her over and arranged a coffee break in the lounge.
The first step was, of course, lending her an ear.
As soon as I subtly prompted her, she began venting nonstop, likely due to her lack of someone to confide in.
Both Heavenly Yuah and Moon Suyeon shared this similarity of lacking close friends.
That said, her tale seemed a bit…
“Seriously, this guy was ridiculous.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, this guy had stored a pornographic video synthesized with my image.”
“Huh? A synthesis? Umm… That’s a bit unsettling.”
“And the worst part? He made my figure look worse than it actually is. I mean, if he was going to do it, why not make it better than the original?”
“…What exactly upset you the most, Senior?”
“Are you serious, Siwoo? If you want, I can show you.”
“No thanks. I’d rather not see it.”
I can’t believe I’m dealing with such an insane woman. What exactly should I be looking at here?
By the end of the venting, it felt a bit off-key, but her anger seemed genuine.
The level of absurdity was evident to me, as the fact that someone held such synthesized videos and this whole situation were revealed was baffling.
Based on the atmosphere, it seemed not related to any leaks.
What exactly happened here?
No, the crucial issue isn’t that right now.
Right now, the urgent task is consoling her heart.
I calmed myself and attentively listened to her next words.
“That person was someone I knew.”
“Logical, given they’re an organizer.”
“I met this person at one of my fan meet-and-greets. I remember them as a very gentle human.”
“Hmm…”
“Going through this experience has made me question things.”
Definitely, she seemed to have hit rock bottom.
Perhaps, because of her exposure to various adversities, she appeared mentally stronger. Seeing her like this shows she had experienced a substantial psychological shock.
Still, even amidst this state, complaining about the synthesized image being worse than her original was pretty characteristic of her.
What can be done about this?
Given it’s not exactly in my area of expertise, I’m unsure how to offer meaningful help.
In such cases, perhaps consulting a professional would be better?
I’ll definitely need to contemplate some solutions.
