The Villainous Member Has Returned! Episode 101
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I had worried my family would be shocked by my sudden declaration of moving into the dormitory, but they were unexpectedly nonchalant.
No, it wasn't just that they were nonchalant.
"Oh my, the second child is really becoming independent now... Since tomorrow morning is our last meal together, I should make something delicious."
"Wait, wait! Mom. You're telling me to go tomorrow?"
"Of course. When you leave, you should leave quickly! Didn't you say the other kids already moved in? I'll pack you some side dishes, so take them with you. Okay."
They were actually happy about it.
Dad even patted my back, saying, "When you take your first step as a working adult, you have to do it quickly," practically pushing me out the door.
"I thought our hidden snacks were all going to be eaten up because of you. Good riddance. Disappear quickly."
"Yesss. Once Gim Chunyong leaves, the laptop is mine. The sofa spot is mine too."
And my problematic sisters' nonchalant yet cheerful reactions went without saying.
"...Is this right?"
The very next morning. Leaving the front door with a heavy suitcase in tow, I let out a bewildered voice without realizing it.
Right after returning, I couldn't see them much because I was preparing for the survival show mentor evaluation stage, and during survival, I was stuck in the trainee canned facility, so I couldn't see them much then either.
I had originally planned to spend a lot of time with my family before moving into the dormitory.
"Are they really just moving me in like this? Huh? Really?"
I was the one who said I'd move in, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something about this picture was strange.
"No, no. They should be more disappointed. This is a bit...."
Just as I was about to fall into deep contemplation over, 'Is it really okay for my family to be this carefree and open-hearted?'
*Bzzzt—*
X: lololol Ah, this is hilarious
- X: Hey, you're the one seeing your family after a long time. Your family has seen you every single day for 20 years!
- X: If you really want to treat your family well, don't try to show off with your paltry survival show appearance fee. Complete our contract instead :-D
As always, messages poured in from X.
However.
Unlike right after my return or when I was fully immersed in the survival show, there was a slight difference.
- X: I specially! Even included that option you wanted, right? Hmm?
- X: Sigh, contractors usually don't do things like this whether it's embarrassing or not. Damn, I'm really too nice.
The fact that that stupid *poing* sound in conversations with X had finally disappeared, and notifications were now silenced.
Right after achieving the first goal of '
The rewards X offered me were varied.
Rank-ups for desired skills, stat corrections, and even the choice of other high-rank skills.
Completing the goal was quite a big deal, so I could choose, or something like that. That kind of talk.
- X: Hurry up and choose, it's cheap cheap
- X: The first one is the best, right?? 'Idol's Aura' is one of the best passives.
- X: If you rank this up and debut? *shudder* Your starting line for dominating the stage changes completely.
- Gim Chunyong: That's all good, but
- Gim Chunyong: there's something else I want.
- X: Huh?
And so, the reward I asked for was to turn off the notification sound.
I didn't need anything else; first, let's turn off that stupid *poing* sound.
X's profile picture, who had been furious asking what that even meant, turned red, then blue, then yellow.
Eventually....
- X: Argh, you really are an incomprehensible bastard!!
- X: I'll just do that at my discretion, so pick another reward.
- X: Argh, so annoying annoying annoying.
- X: Hey, your face is scary so you should at least use something cute for notifications.
- X: That's why I deliberately didn't turn off the notifications!!
- Gim Chunyong: Stop talking nonsense, you brat.
Well, I would have been fine with just turning off the notifications. But that's how it happened.
Turning off that sound before debut was more important to me than I thought.
During survival, the notifications ringing occasionally could have become a problem if things went wrong, but now, a ridiculous notification sound ringing from a newly debuted rookie idol's phone?
"Just what makes that kind of sound," "Doesn't he have someone he's contacting," "Rookies these days have no discipline"—it was obvious I'd be bombarded with countless remarks like that.
Anyway, it was a necessary measure in the end.
For the debut, to move forward properly.
Keeping the reward on hold for that was all intentional.
"Hoo...."
Letting out a hollow laugh, I roughly stuffed my phone into my pocket and touched my cheek.
The red hair cascading before my eyes told me that I was once again facing a new beginning.
"......."
Nervousness, anticipation.
It was impossible not to feel anxiety.
I had to resolve the subtle awkwardness among the members right away after entering the dorm, and prepare for debut as a group with a new name.
Moreover, after debut, I would really start facing people from the time when I used to roam around in earnest.
Yeonu hyung is one of the most normal people I met in the past, but....
"Rex. Hey, Rex. Come out."
"...Manager hyung?"
"Yeah, punk. It's me, hyung. Rex, put on some nice clothes and come out. I prepared something to help you change your mood!"
"Right now... I don't feel like going out."
"Hey, this is exactly when you need to think about other things. The members are greenhouse flowers who only know practice... but hyung is different, right?"
'You've never been to a club, have you?'
The fact that there were people who weren't like that.
"......."
I snapped my eyes open and put strength into my slightly trembling legs.
I had no time to waste on useless self-pity, regret, or frustration.
More than anything, what I needed to focus on now was doing what I could do right away.
Because there was no way a dream-like event would happen where X appears again after failure and gives me a second chance.
Just as I finished controlling my mindset and was heading to the elevator to catch the taxi I had called in advance.
*Slam—*
"Hey, hey! Gim Chunyong!"
"...Huh? Nuna?"
Opening the front door, my nuna, who had almost finished getting ready for work, burst out.
"Damn, I thought you'd left. I left this on the table for you to take, and you were just going to leave without it? Are you stupid?"
The small object my nuna handed me while grumbling.
Thanks to that, my slightly sinking and nearly sensitive mood dissipated in an instant.
"...Thanks. I really almost left it behind."
"Stop spacing out, really! Don't be a nuisance to the other kids you'll be living with, okay?"
Do well, little brother.
The words my nuna left me with remained deep inside me for a long time, both in the taxi and in the elevator going up to the dorm.
Yeah, I'll do well.
This time, I'll really do well.
Making me renew that resolve over and over again.
"...Hoo."
Carefully placing the family photo taken for Nari's high school entrance into my wallet, I stood in front of the dormitory and composed myself.
[Unit 812]
I pressed my ear against the door quietly and listened, but there were no voices coming from inside.
There were definitely five men packed inside, yet strangely, the place felt devoid of any human presence.
If they were close, I might think they were just comfortable and quiet, but our members weren't at that level of closeness yet.
You could call it circumstantial evidence that something was wrong.
*Beep, beep, beep... beep.*
Putting on a light smile, I slowly entered the password I had received from Logan yesterday.
With a *click*, the familiar entrance came into view, bringing me back to reality.
I had received my family's support, pulled myself together, and finished preparing. So of course....
It was time to do what needed to be done, right?
* * *
The dormitory where the members of ZENON would live together from now on had four rooms.
Two toward the interior of the living room, one in front of the kitchen, and one across from the bathroom.
However, since one of the interior living room spaces was a clothing room, AG's original intention was for the members to share the other three rooms, two per room.
Since having roommates was practically the unwritten rule of idol broadcasts for reality filming anyway, and it would also make it easier for the still-awkward members to grow closer.
So, naturally, before Gim Chunyong moved in, there should have been only one person using a room alone...
"Huh? Yongyong hyung came early?"
But. 'Good grief.'
Gim Chunyong set his suitcase down with a *thud* in the entrance, clicking his tongue and scratching his head.
"...Ji Hwaseong. Did you sleep there? That place, yesterday it didn't look like a bedroom."
Ji Hwaseong, who had just burst out of the clothing room, kept his mouth tightly shut with a sheepish face.
His blonde hair, which had somehow already been dyed at the roots, was disheveled as if to prove he had just woken up.
"...Well, we'll be sharing a room anyway once reality filming starts. So until then, it's best to use one alone if I can, right?"
"What are you talking about? During your
"Ah, it's consideration, consideration! Siu and Jae... ha hyung have sensitive ears when sleeping. I'm helping them rest properly while they can, that's all."
"—God, Chunyong hyung? You're here now."
"Yeah, Logan."
Gim Chunyong patted Logan's shoulder as he hurried out of the kitchen, carefully observing Ji Hwaseong, who had a somewhat strange air about him.
Ji Hwaseong went into the kitchen, pretending to be nonchalant, and began gulping down water....
"You're spilling water everywhere, man."
"Pffhahk! Ah, sh, ah. Towel, towel...."
Seeing his mental state so scattered that you couldn't tell if the water was going into his mouth or just being poured on the floor, well.
However favorably you looked at it, he wasn't in a normal state.
"Logan, are you sleeping alone too?"
"No. I'm sleeping with Yuchan hyung right now! He's probably asleep, should I go in and tell him Chunyong hyung is here?"
"No. He must be tired, let him sleep more. Once we debut, we won't even have time to sleep...."
"But you should sleep at least four hours a day for your health! I'm worried."
Gim Chunyong brushed off Logan's concern, stroking his chin and scanning the closed doors with his eyes.
With this, he could roughly picture the situation in the other rooms too.
One room for Son Jaeha, one room for Jang Siu, one room for Logan and Bang Yuchan.
And Ji Hwaseong, who had voluntarily gone into the clothing room.
'Since Jaeha hyung, who he usually follows around, isn't rooming with him, and suddenly saying he'd share with Siu would look strange, he chose to go into the clothing room instead.'
It was the result of some thinking on his part.
But the problem was that choosing the clothing room specifically wasn't a very plausible option either.
In the case of Bang Yuchan or Logan, it was still understandable.
They honestly hadn't been that close throughout survival, and during
But what about Jang Siu, who had been eating from the same pot for a while now, or Son Jaeha himself?
They were sensitive enough that Ji Hwaseong claimed they had 'light sleepers,' so there was no way they wouldn't notice the subtle atmosphere.
If the three who should be close were seen acting distant and awkward, it was only a matter of time before the other two noticed.
'This is a problem.'
So, this was also something that Gim Chunyong, who had returned and was subtly straddling that boundary, needed to intervene in.