Devil’s Music

A residential area on West 68th Street, adjacent to New York's Central Park.

Two teenage-looking girls lay on a bed, watching a video on a tablet PC.

The brown-haired girl, seemingly returning from the bathroom, approached the bed and asked, "Jennifer, Cloren, anything interesting? What are you watching so intently?"

Jennifer, with her head turned while lying down, replied, "Kayla, come here. Cloren found something really unusual in a video."

As Kayla joined Jennifer on the bed, Cloren operated the tablet and said, "This is a trending Hot Video Clip titled 'Girls meet Vampire Prince.' It's a reaction video series that's been steadily uploading."

Kayla, leaning on her elbow with her chin on her hand, inquired, "Reaction video? Isn't that where people react while watching K-pop music videos or something? I always found that silly."

Cloren nodded, explaining, "Yeah, it's about showing genuine facial reactions to something in a video, but this one isn't a music video or a movie."

Curious, Kayla propped her head on her arm, asking, "Really? Then what is it? A movie? A drama? 'Girls meet Vampire Prince' doesn't usually suggest that."

Cloren gestured while explaining, "No, look at this."

As Cloren tapped the start button, the video began playing. It showed a teenage girl sitting in a place with lots of trees and grass, looking around. Kayla, inspecting the video closely, remarked, "Huh? Isn't this Dante Park? The small one around the Lincoln Center."

Confirming, Cloren nodded and gestured with her finger to her lips, signaling Kayla to focus on the video again.

In the video, a girl presumed to be holding the camera started counting. "5... 4... 3... 2... 1!! Here it comes!"

The girl in the video suddenly widened her eyes, focusing intensely on something. Her eyes kept moving as if following a moving object, and involuntarily, she clasped her hands to her chest, mouth wide open, making giggling sounds. Tilting her head to the extent it almost wouldn't turn back, even for passing cars, she looked back at the screen and exclaimed, "What!!! Holy Shit!! This is real!!!"

Then, the tablet screen blacked out.

Kayla, puzzled by the video, shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "What's this all about?" Watching Jennifer, who had been silently observing, she asked, "Jennifer, they say this is a reaction shot of someone passing by."

Jennifer glanced up and explained, "Kayla, it's a reaction to someone passing by and capturing it."

Kayla, still puzzled, queried, "Someone? Oh, so that's why it seemed like she was watching something moving. But why such a reaction to a person?"

Cloren showed the YouTube screen and said, "Look at this. The number of videos titled 'Girls meet Vampire Prince' that have been uploaded. They started two days ago, and there are already over 30 clips, all filmed at Dante Park."

Kayla, examining the tablet with the searched video clips, commented, "Really? Is it some kind of monster or something? People must be startled for a reason. Looking at the setting, it seems like evening; it's a bit eerie."

This time, Jennifer pushed aside a blog post on her smartphone. Glancing at Jennifer and then examining the content, Kayla saw what appeared to be a diary entry.

<Dante Park's Vampire Prince>

December 11th, written by Natalie.

Today, a few friends asked me to film a reaction video. They showed me a video titled 'Girls meet Vampire Prince' on YouTube and suggested I film a similar reaction. I felt a bit scared watching the girls in the video reacting so intensely, but seeing many passersby at Dante Park in the evening made me feel safe with my friends.

They say this person passes through Dante Park every day at 8:40 PM. This information is known not only to my friends but also to high school students around Lincoln Center who often hang out there. Arriving around 8:20 PM, we noticed another team preparing to film; unlike us using smartphones, they had a DSLR for recording.

I saw my friends setting up the camera on the grass. They kept looking around while waiting for him to arrive. When he did, they gestured for me to look at him. Then, I blanked out. When I came to, he had disappeared, and checking my watch, it was just past 8:45 PM.

Reading the diary entry.

8:40 PM at Dante Park,

The Vampire Prince appears there.

If you go there,

Be careful not to lose your soul.

Because

He already took mine.

Kayla chuckled as she finished reading the bizarre diary, glancing at Cloren. Cloren giggled and looked at Jennifer, and together, they laughed and shouted, "Yay!! It'll be fun, let's go too!!!!"

At 8:15 PM,

Three girls got off the bus at Dante Park Station. They set up a picnic spot on the grass. Jennifer took out a tripod from her cute red backpack, and Cloren set up the camera on it. Being teenagers, they didn't have a DSLR yet, but they had a decent Nikon camera.

Cloren, looking at Kayla sitting on the grass, said, "Kayla, stay still for a moment. Turn your head a bit. Right, just like that. Let's shoot from this angle."

Kayla tilted her head and remarked, "Huh, are you shooting me? I'm not keen on my face being on YouTube."

Cloren gestured, shaking her hand, "No, not you."

"No, I brought the tripod so all three of us could take a photo together. Jennifer, come and sit here."

When Jennifer sat next to Kayla, Cloren quickly pressed the start button for the recording and swiftly moved to the opposite side. After about ten seconds, Cloren checked the captured video through the camera and said, "Alright, the focus is good. Looks like we can start shooting. Jennifer, what time is it now?"

Waving her wrist as if to show her watch, Jennifer replied, "It's 8:34. Six minutes ago."

Glancing around, Kayla noticed several other groups of girls preparing for filming.

"It seems like they're here to shoot too. This should be fun. Hehe."

The three girls sat in a row in front of the camera, facing the direction of the Lincoln Center, playfully nudging each other with their feet. Amidst their laughter and teasing, Kayla asked, "By the way, Cloren, who is this person exactly? Why are we even shooting a reaction video?"

Tying Kayla's legs together with her own, Cloren replied, "I don't really know for sure. Filming without consent is illegal, so nobody actually captures that person. Rumor has it they're Asian."

This time, Jennifer chimed in, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Asian? I heard they don't look like one, just dark-haired. Not typically Asian."

The three girls exchanged glances, then looked at their watches together and exclaimed, "It's been a minute!"

"Cloren, quickly hit the camera's record button and come back!"

Cloren swiftly pressed the record button and took her prearranged seat, focusing on the path toward the Lincoln Center.

A little while later, around 8:40, about 20 seconds passed by.

They spotted a black figure emerging from a Broadway alley across from the Lincoln Center.

The figure, a tall Asian man in his late 180s, with a somewhat lean build, appeared with black hair. As he approached and passed by the girls, they stared, turning their heads to match his strides. Moments later, as the man completely disappeared down the path beside Dante Park, the stunned girls snapped back to reality.

Wide-eyed, they looked at each other.

"T-That was... real?"

"Oh my God! He totally looked like a vampire prince!"

"What do we do? I feel like my soul was snatched!"

Jennifer pounded the grass with her fist, while Cloren hastily wiped away drool, and Kayla, with a bewildered look, stared at the disappearing figure. The three couldn't leave the grassy area for a while.

Similar reactions echoed from the other teams filming in Dante Park, creating quite a ruckus for some time.

The black-clad man exited Dante Park, heading towards a small bakery adjacent to the Rosa Mexicano, a large Mexican cuisine restaurant. A small bell rang as he opened and closed the bakery door. A middle-aged Black man, who seemed to be the bakery owner, greeted him warmly as he turned.

"Back again today, Geon."

Geon grinned and raised his hand. "Are sales going well today, Logan?"

Logan, arranging the bread on display, replied, "Thanks to you, there might be plenty of bread left. It's been nine years running this bakery, and I've never sold out of the day's baking. It's about how little is left."

Geon picked up two avocado sandwiches from the display. "But you have delicious bread in this bakery. Still, you seem to do well in this neighborhood."

Logan, displaying his teeth that looked even whiter against his dark skin, chuckled. "I do have some skill, haha. So, another avocado sandwich today? Why do you always choose that? If you're going for something cheap because you're a broke student, that's one thing, but this isn't it. Also, why do you always come at the same time? Can't you come during lunch?"

Geon laughed while placing the sandwiches on the counter for payment. "I need to practice. You know, I'm going to Juilliard soon. I've rented the rehearsal room across from the Lincoln Center. I have to practice from 10 in the morning until 8 at night."

As Logan wrapped the sandwiches and handed them over, he asked, "Not having lunch? I know Juilliard students are practice bugs, but you should eat before."

Geon took out bills from his pocket and handed them over. "It's $8 for the two. I often skip lunch; I get so into practice that I lose track of time."

As Geon received the bag, Logan smiled and said, "I'll give you an extra service today. Take this for your next practice session. You've been a regular customer for a few days, and if you're going to be a Juilliard student, consider this my treat. Try it and if you like it, get this next time too."

Geon smiled back, looking at the croissant sandwich. "A croissant sandwich! This looks delicious. Especially if you made it, Logan. Thank you, I'll enjoy it."

As Logan handed the bag, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, by the way, do you pass by Dante Park on your way here?"

Geon nodded in confirmation, and Logan warned, "Be careful. There are strange rumors lately. They say a vampire prince or something appears there."

Geon shrugged as if to ask what he meant and grinned, shaking his head slightly.

Geon shrugged as if to ask what he meant and grinned, shaking his head slightly.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Logan."

With a wave, Geon left the bakery and continued on his way.

As he walked, Geon hummed a tune from one of his favorite songs, lost in his thoughts about the day's practice and the mysterious rumors circulating about the park.

The encounter at the park lingered in his mind, but he brushed it off, focusing instead on the delightful anticipation of enjoying the croissant sandwich he received as a treat from Logan.

>

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