In the corner of the busking area.
A suspicious woman holding a guitar case quietly takes her seat.
She is undoubtedly suspicious.
Even in a place like this, where all sorts of attention-seeking antics are performed to grab the crowd’s interest, it’s rare to see someone wearing such an odd puppet mask when the purpose is to sing.
Unless it were the overly dedicated Pink Horse Head herself, Heavenly Yuah, it’s unlikely anyone would go so far as to install such mechanical devices on a puppet mask.
After the undeniably suspicious Moon Suyeon took her place.
We, perfectly disguised, were the first ones there.
In readiness for any situation, I and Heavenly Yuah had been dispatched to this spot. Our plan was to enjoy her performance while directly examining the local situation.
-AAAHHH~~~♬
Her song began with a gentle strum of the acoustic guitar.
Starting with her debut song, “I’m Eighteen.”
Her sweet voice, harmonizing perfectly with the cheerful guitar melody, began to softly embrace the busking spot.
Even the various distant noises seemed to fade away as her voice filled the space.
“…She sings well.”
“She does, doesn’t she? Top singer isn’t top singer for nothing, and Senior Yuah is no exception.”
“That… is true. Did she perform like this even back then?”
“…Of course.”
Indeed, she did. She was the top entertainer of Hangzhou, after all.
Skilled in singing (歌), dancing (舞), calligraphy (書), painting (畵), poetry (詩), and blessed with unparalleled beauty, Wolyeon was the epitome of a six-tool entertainer.
Such was her caliber that she was even invited to perform at the Yongbong Conference—a truly unprecedented event.
Of course, it was due to the necessity of cooperating with heterodox groups in order to halt the rise of the New Religion. Additionally, there was some reason to improve the strained relations with the Hao Moon Organization.
Regardless, the fact that no scandal arose from this incident speaks to the overwhelming dominance of her performance. If it hadn’t been universally acknowledged, there would’ve been chaos within the Martial Forest Alliance itself.
And it was during that event that I first met Yeon-i.
She had infiltrated as a musician playing the seven-stringed zither upon Yahui Lee’s orders.
As someone who witnessed that performance from the closest possible vantage point, I can confidently say that it was nothing short of legendary.
The kind of performance that could make a person like me lose my mind instantly.
“Her technique and skills are definitely better now. It’s inevitable, considering the lack of systematic training at that point. But…”
“But?”
“Her intricate and rich expression of emotion is hard to compare to how it is now. While she sings the same songs, there’s a certain depth missing. Her dancing is still beautiful now, but back then, there was… something different. It’s hard to explain.”
“Still, she’s tops in all aspects of singing and dancing, isn’t she? Now too. And she’s the kind of artist who gets praised for her details. No one denies that she’s the best.”
“True. It’s hard to say who’s superior between then and now.”
Of all the performances, the one that felt closest to her old self was likely during an award ceremony. At that time, it felt like the old her had reappeared.
Moreover, the event itself had a similar vibe to her performance at the Yongbong Conference, which excited me so much that it led to that unplanned performance.
That performance will surely leave a good memory.
“Hey, isn’t that… Luna?”
“What? Busking without an amp… Flame, aren’t you doing your job properly?”
“Hey, hey. This must be some kind of event. It’s absolutely Luna.”
“But… how is this really her?”
“Oh my goodness, I’ve seen her live… though this strange thing she’s wearing feels a bit off, doesn’t it?”
People were gathering one by one, attracted by the quiet melody from the corner.
She’s quite amusing, isn’t she? What is there to not know?
Anyone who listens would instantly recognize her.
Had she used an amplifier and unleashed her full potential, this place would’ve turned into a chaotic mess in seconds.
But that wouldn’t have awakened her passion.
A calm, natural communication, earnest and delicate.
That is what she sought, which is why she chose the most secluded spot.
It was practically guaranteed that people would recognize her as soon as they heard her sweet voice.
Already, about twenty people gathered to enjoy her performance, and it felt absolutely wonderful.
Mouths tightly closed, the audience was entirely focused on her voice.
Several people were recording her with their smartphones, but there was no need to stop them.
Surely, even the devoted followers of the Moon Goddess would find this to be an interesting event.
The only issue is the horde of fans that would descend immediately after word spreads.
“Should we spread the word?”
“Why would we? Just because I caught a bit of an adrenaline rush, should I make everything chaotic?”
“…Huh?”
“Hey, hey, just shut up and enjoy it. Do you think this kind of opportunity will come again?”
“…Oh?”
Surprisingly, the true fans of Luna decided to keep quiet instead of spreading the word.
It seems they judged that letting the crowd in would only end the event prematurely.
I think that shows some truly wise judgment befitting passionate fans.
In fact, the moment a large crowd would have gathered, the guards from Black Whale would have been ready to secure her.
“Woah, Luna? Damn… hey, let’s at least see her pretty face through all that weird stuff she’s wearing!”
“Oh man, she’s just chilling in some jeans, but she’s looking fine anyway. That’s why everyone loves Luna.”
“Is this a broadcast? Not bad actually.”
The tranquil busking session was interrupted by unwelcome visitors.
Yep, it never lasts, does it?
Among five people, one is inevitably silly—it’s law. Here, we have twenty people, so mathematically, this is a spot for five silly ones.
Thus, three silly ones are nothing out of the ordinary.
In fact, the density of silliness here is surprisingly lower than usual.
Either they think this is some kind of broadcast and are going all out, or maybe they’re just living brainlessly.
Or, perhaps they’re drunk out of their minds.
Whatever the reason, they are extremely irritating.
“Urgh…”
As I considered what to do with these individuals, Heavenly Yuah frowned.
It was clearly the moment before action.
Wait, wait. So, if Heavenly Yuah acts now…
“Those guys might end up half-dead.”
Think about it.
This is Heavenly Yuah, who once delivered a Heavenly Demon Punch during filming trouble with an actress (Yoo-Yeon Hui).
This Heavenly Yuah has also undergone a Heavenly Demon Awakening.
And this Heavenly Yuah is perfectly disguised, so it’s only natural for her to dive right into action.
That would mean… Hmm. No, I must intervene first.
“Chk!!”
“What the…?”
As soon as I made my judgment, I immediately rushed in, delivering a Pascal Kick from the New Religion to the abdomen of Blob #1, approaching Moon Suyeon.
I then delivered Retribution Punches from the New Religion to Blob #2 and Blob #3.
Predictably unconscious, the unwelcome blobs fell to the ground without a sound.
Of course, the ambush was aimed at knocking them out, so this outcome was quite natural.
My skill level is at this level, and this vibration is basic.
These guys have no clue that I just saved their lives.
No, it absolutely wasn’t because the lewd stares at her annoyed me and I just lashed out.
I moved first, purely to save these guys’ lives.
Yeah, really.
“Wow, are they filming a movie? Or a drama?”
“What is it, what is it?”
Leaving the startled audience behind, the best course of action was a swift escape.
There’s no point in escalating the chaos.
*
After saving the morons, I quickly changed my disguise nearby.
Predictably prepared, I met up with the guards discreetly, swapped clothes, and adjusted my appearance in the restroom, then returned to Black Whale.
To disguise yourself to this extent in a simple assault case ensures anonymity.
The cops have their hands full, you know.
Even the CCTV won’t provide any useful clues.
Back at Black Whale, the team had all returned.
We completed the busking session successfully despite a small mishap.
Seeing me, Moon Suyeon burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“HAHAHA! Oh, I’m losing it. What are you, Siwoo? Did you have to hit them like that?”
“What can I say? The ones hit are the fools. It was a total crime.”
“Man, this is funny. Still, thanks. It felt refreshing.”
“Well, if it works for you, that’s good.”
From today’s events, it’s clear that there are many gentle fans among her supporters.
But normal people just don’t stand out as much.
Whenever strange individuals start causing trouble, they tend to leave an imprint.
Like before—those three started trouble, ruining the atmosphere.
Twenty people were present, and three of them messed it all up.
Due to the sheer number of Luna’s fans, naturally, the number of idiots also increases, leading people to feel like all her fans are idiots.
Why? Because idiots make noise while normal people stay quiet.
Even one idiot can make a hundred well-behaved fans look foolish.
“So, how was it today?”
“It was good, much better than expected. This is how it’s supposed to be. I used to think poorly of this.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, especially those two in the front. I remember them from the fan meeting. They were really enthusiastic, holding their hands tightly and listening so attentively. It touched me a little.”
“Well, it’s good that you recognized that.”
Well, aside from the interruption from the troublemakers, the result seems positive.
That’s enough, right?
…I thought so, until Heavenly Yuah raised an objection.
“What were you thinking?”
“Excuse me?”
“What were you thinking, doing such a thing?”
“Come on, Senior Yuah, don’t make this difficult. You were about to act too, right?”
“Of course. I was going to contact the guards to handle it quietly.”
“…The guards?”
“Yes, the guards.”
“Instead of rushing in and giving them combat training?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Huh? What kind of talk is that?
Perfect disguise + infuriating fools + Heavenly Demon mode, and Heavenly Yuah restrains herself from delivering a Heavenly Demon Punch?
Is this woman trying to sell me something?
You’re asking me to believe this?
“Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
Goodness. She’s serious.
Could it be? Could our Heavenly Demon have reached such a high level of civilization?
The combination of Heavenly Yuah + Heavenly Demon reveals a level of development unimaginable to me.
Of course, the reason she couldn’t restrain the Heavenly Demon Punch for actress U-Yeon Hui remains a mystery—perhaps U-Yeon Hui was even more formidable than I thought.
