Devil’s Music

Chapter 84: Visual shock (1)

Washington Dulles Airport.

As Geon Kim emerged from the airport exit, carrying a large suitcase with a guitar strapped over his shoulder, he spotted a tall African American man in his late thirties holding a placard that read 'Welcome, Mr. Kay.'

"Welcome, Mr. Kay," Geon remarked as he approached the man, extending his hand. "Are you sent by the director?"

The man, with courteous gestures, shook hands with Geon. "Yes, I am. I'm Allen. Please hand over your luggage and follow me."

Allen, who seemed to almost snatch the suitcase from Geon, pointed ahead, guiding him while Geon admired the grandeur of the airport on his first visit to Washington. They exited the airport to where a limousine awaited, and Allen, after placing the luggage, said, "Please wait here for a moment. I'll bring the car."

As Geon nodded, Allen swiftly returned within three minutes with a large limousine. Surprised by the grandeur and length of the limousine, Geon watched as Allen, who had stepped out of the driver's seat, opened the trunk and stowed Geon's belongings. When Allen offered to take the guitar as well, Geon politely declined, saying, "Oh, I'll keep the guitar with me. Thank you."

With a nod, Allen courteously opened the rear door. The limousine, a stretched model of Chrysler's popular 300C, gleamed in white, showcasing its elegant lines. Geon peeked inside as he entered through the open door, revealing a spacious interior unlike regular cars, with long seats along the sides instead of facing forward. A large TV was mounted where the driver sat, playing a muted music video.

While Geon marveled at the car, an intercom by his side buzzed. He hesitated for a moment before cautiously picking it up, hearing Ellen's voice from the receiver.

"On the left, there's a refrigerator. You can use it when you're thirsty, and you can control the TV channels or volume from the buttons on the car ceiling. We'll take about 15 minutes to reach the Reston National Golf Course, where Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are. If you need anything, just speak into the intercom."

"Ah, thanks, Allen," Geon replied.

"Not at all. Let's get going," Allen said, starting the car smoothly. As they exited the airport onto the smooth highways of Dulles Access Road, Geon examined the car's interior. He pushed a section of the wall, as Allen had mentioned, and a refrigerator full of various drinks smoothly slid open.

"Wow, there's a lot of drinks in here! The fridge is huge!" Geon exclaimed, taking a bottle of 'Stewart's Cream Soda,' unique to the United States, and sipped it. "Ah, this always tastes good. It'd be great if they sold this in Korea."

Distracted by exploring the car's interior, Geon hardly noticed the Washington scenery outside. He curiously touched and observed everything within reach. As he lifted the rear seat, he found there was even a restroom installed in the car, which astonished him. Amidst his exploration, he felt the car come to a gentle stop. Allen quickly descended from the driver's seat, opening the rear door, and as their eyes met, Geon stepped out of the car.

"Leave your luggage in the car. I'll take it to your place. Let's go meet the boss," Allen said, leading Geon into the golf course.

As they entered, Geon admired the luxurious interior of the golf course building. Allen made a call, "Allen here. We've arrived at the golf course with Mr. Kay. Where's the boss? Oh, I see."

Putting down his phone, Allen informed Geon, "The boss and Mr. Depp are at the 9th hole. Let's go together."

As they entered the golf course, a blonde woman dressed as a caddy drove a cart toward them. After a brief exchange of nods, Geon got onto the cart, and they drove across the golf course. The beautiful scenery eased Geon's chest.

"This is what golfing feels like? I never found it fun," Geon mumbled, watching a few people sporadically playing golf, perhaps due to his young age or simply not aligning with his interests.

Despite the immense golf course, it took a 10-minute cart ride to reach the 9th hole. Spotting Team Burton in the distance, Geon waved. Two men walking towards him, one smaller than the other, noticed Geon and greeted him. The smaller man shook hands while the taller one tossed away his golf club and rushed towards Geon.

Expecting it to be Director Tim Burton, Geon walked towards him to exchange greetings. However, as the person approached closer, Geon's expression turned puzzled. It wasn't Tim Burton; it was Johnny Depp. He swiftly embraced Geon.

"Kay! I've been waiting for you!"

Startled by the sudden hug from someone he had just met, Geon glanced around as Tim Burton, catching up, lightly jabbed Johnny Depp's back with his golf club.

"Johnny, he's taken aback. What's with the surprise greeting to someone you've just met? Especially between men."

While Johnny held onto Geon, Tim Burton interjected, offering a handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you, Kay. I'm Johnny Depp."

Geon shook his hand, smiling. "Nice to meet you. It's an honor to meet the great actor Johnny Depp."

Johnny chuckled, glancing at Tim Burton. "An honor? No, the honor is Johnny's."

Puzzled, Geon looked at Tim Burton, who explained, "Didn't you know? Johnny used to be in a rock group before becoming an actor. He was into music, and that's why he was surprised when he heard your music."

Glancing at Johnny Depp, Geon, with a curious look, asked, "Oh, really? A rock musician? That's news to me."

Johnny chuckled, "It was a band called 'Kids.' He got into movies thanks to Nicolas Cage, who was my wife at the time. If not for the rock band, I wouldn't be who I am today."

Geon smiled, "Ah, I see. He was a rock musician. That's a new piece of information. I do love rock music."

"Really? I'll introduce you to some musicians I'm close to!" Johnny offered cheerfully.

Watching them with a smile, Tim Burton suddenly raised his hand, gesturing to excuse himself for a moment to take a call. Getting Geon's nod of approval, Johnny answered the call that seemed important. Geon, curious, waited for Johnny to finish and asked, "Who's that? Who's coming?"

Tim Burton, lifting his hand while seated, said, "It's Brian. You called Brian?"

Putting his phone back into his pocket, Johnny nodded. "Yeah, I called him earlier."

"And what's with the girl? Another one? Really now?" Tim Burton added.

"Yeah, she... oh, wait. Hey, Kay. Remember the music director for my latest film? That's who I'm talking about."

"Oh, okay. Where are they?"

"Ah, they'll arrive soon. Want to meet them?"

Geon, overwhelmed by the rapid series of interactions and sudden events, nodded, his curiosity piqued by Johnny's network of musicians and the upcoming meeting with the music director. He wondered who this music director was and what kind of impact they would have on his music career.

>

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