The Evil Member Has Returned! Episode 113
After a long while, seeing the trainees of
Now an idol group, Tioje—Lee Hyunjung clicked her tongue as she scrutinized each of their faces, one by one.
From Bang Yuchan, the eldest, to the youngest, Jang Siu, without missing a single one.
“Next, which Tioje member has a sister? …
That’s too easy! It’s Yongyong hyung!”
Beeeep— “Huh? Why!”
“Hwaseong hyung. You have to read carefully… Down there, it says to say your name first and then shout the correct answer.”
“Oh, what? Really? I’ve never done a Golden Bell challenge before, so I don’t know. Siu, when did you even see that?”
“I just… Isn’t hyung just being careless…”
“Wahaha! This kid, seriously!”
The casual school uniforms prepared by the reality show crew were blending in naturally without any awkwardness on them.
Whether it was Jang Siu, neatly dressed in a full set of tie, vest, and trousers, or Ji Hwaseong, who had simply thrown on a shirt and pants.
Everyone was truly shining, perfectly fitting their own characters, you could say. ‘So camera massage is a real thing, seriously.’ Back when they first appeared on
But after the long months of filming for
“…Whew.”
Lee Hyunjung clicked her tongue as she watched two Tioje members, their eyes round as they raised their hands to shout the answer.
Both had the sleeves of their uniform shirts rolled up, but the vibe was completely different.
“Logan, the answer! I mean, huh, wait. What this is called in Korean is, hmm.”
If Logan felt a bit more lively…
“Wait, production team? Is he allowed to stall for time by using English like that? Isn’t that cheating?”
Bang Yuchan had that healthy aura of an athlete, plus a strange maturity that comes with being an adult.
“Why not? I definitely know the answer, Yuchan hyung. Um, anyway! Chunyong hyung has one sister! Right?!”
Beeeep— “What?! Wrong answer? I’m sure I met her back then!”
“Yuchan, the answer! Two! Chunyong has one older sister and one younger sister!”
Ding-dong-dang— “Yes!”
“No way! Really?”
And on top of that, even those two no longer gave off the slightest trace of feeling like ordinary people. ‘They’re full-fledged idols now, really.’ The gazes of others watching them on set were not much different.
The camera crew staff holding their cameras, and the production team who had to hold up sketchbooks for occasional direction despite it being a reality show.
“…….”
Their eyes were full of goodwill. ‘Of course. There’s no way expectations aren’t high.’ The album preparations were going perfectly, teasers had already started, and soon after their concept photo shoot wrapped up, only the full-scale promotions would await them.
“Hmm….”
Lee Hyunjung stepped back one pace and quietly mused.
Right now, the male idol market was almost a two-top system.
Sladix for casual concepts, Leopold for world-building.
Because those two teams had built their images so solidly, other rookies debuting later had to split into two paths and fight for the leftover scraps.
But Tioje, who had just appeared like a comet, was taking a totally different route from the start.
They had already proven that their survival show background allowed them to pull off casual stages…
“For Son Jaeha, make him hold the fountain pen in his left hand no matter what. Get a bit of ink on his cheek and hand. Understood? And make sure his hair doesn’t cover his eyelashes, touch it up. If you guys can’t do it, I’ll come over and do it myself. Do it properly.”
“Yes!”
“And Ji Hwaseong. That kid’s right profile looks good. Weaken the light a bit on that side so his freckles stand out… Huh? Didn’t I tell you to bring him over with his double eyelids undone?”
“He said they won’t undo unless he’s tired? We can’t just force him to get tired…”
“Are your hands just for decoration? Are they? Go press his eyelids and undo them. Quickly!”
Thanks to the insane micro-managing by the aesthetics maniac Mun Yunha, the concept was also solid.
Recalling the footage brought by the camera crew assigned for the reality show shoot, Lee Hyunjung quietly smiled bitterly to herself. ‘Well, if the results were bad after all that grilling, it would be one thing, but they turn out so damn well that we can’t help it.’ Anyway, this was the current reality for Tioje, on the verge of their debut.
Holding the high expectations of many, and showing a form that had reached its peak. ‘Now, if we can just finish the stage preparations and wrap up the reality show we’re filming together nicely…’ Just as Lee Hyunjung was feeling more and more pleased, a familiar voice drilled into her ear.
“Tsk, it feels a bit iffy today. Not terrible. Just iffy.”
That voice, picking out flaws in a picture that was already very good.
There was only one person on this set who could say something like that out loud. ‘There he goes again, pouring cold water on a good mood!’ Lee Hyunjung tried to hold back the fed-up expression that was instinctively creeping out and calmly turned toward where the voice had come from, muttering.
“I think it looks really good. Why do you think that way?”
…Director.
And over on that side.
“Ah, well. I know the atmosphere is good too. They’ve all become full-fledged idols, right? Hah, just yesterday they were talking nonsense without direction.”
The person Lee Hyunjung referred to as ‘someone fully prepared to pour cold water,’ PD Joo Cheolyoung, was lightly rubbing his cheek with a puzzled, ambiguous expression.
“Not to mention Logan and Bang Yuchan, and Jang Siu. Now even that kid doesn’t seem socially awkward, just shy. Ji Hwaseong is… the same as ever.” His cheeks, which had been quite gaunt during the filming of
“But you know. The one who was originally good is off today. Writer Lee, can’t you see it?”
“Uh….”
Lee Hyunjung, who had been mentally going over the Tioje members Joo Cheolyoung hadn’t mentioned, very carefully spoke a name.
“…Kim Chunyong?”
“What? Writer Lee, what are you talking about?”
“No, it’s just that he didn’t seem to be talking as much today…”
“Is talking a lot necessarily important? Well, it could be important.”
With a dumbfounded expression, Joo Cheolyoung pointed his finger somewhere in the studio and whispered.
“But if he does what he needs to do at important moments like that, he doesn’t have to talk much.”
Sure enough. As soon as the question
Kim Chunyong jumped up from his seat, flung his arm around Logan’s neck next to him, and shouted.
“Chunyong! Logan probably doesn’t know anyway, but since he hasn’t gotten a single answer right so far, I’ll take him as a tag-along! Give us half points each!”
The natural teamwork of taking care of a teammate, as if drawn in a picture.
“No! Chunyong hyung, if only I had time, I could get them all right!”
“Alright, setting aside Logan’s bluff… The answer is Hanguk University! Specifically, the Practical Music Department!”
His casually worn uniform, matching well with his red hair and tough image.
Ding-dong-dang— “See? This is what a hyung is like.”
Even the canine tooth that showed slightly when he laughed brightly.
“…Yes. He’s doing great. Absolutely perfectly.”
“Right, that’s what I’m saying. The one I’m talking about is someone else.”
PD Joo Cheolyoung’s gaze landed somewhere.
“Yuchan hyung, I heard indirectly that you were the top student when you entered Hanguk University’s Practical Music Department.”
“Ah, where did you hear that? It’s embarrassing, man.”
“Haha….”
One person, sitting next to Bang Yuchan, naturally making conversation and smiling.
“…Son Jaeha. That kid is weirdly fading out of the camera today. He’s never usually like that.”
“He said he came from choreography practice, so maybe he’s just tired. He’s still a rookie, isn’t he?”
At Lee Hyunjung’s dismissive tone, Joo Cheolyoung clicked his tongue and wagged his finger.
“Was he not tired during all of
“Something? Oh, come on, you’re always talking in vague assumptions…”
“Wait and see. Whether I’m right or not. I can see everything, I tell you. How many years have I been filming broadcasts?”
“Yes, yes.”
With only the final mini-game remaining, PD Joo Cheolyoung subtly winked at the youngest writer and continued in a low voice.
“Well, anyway…”
“We’ll take a short break and then continue!”
As the youngest writer, Lee Hajun, who had been roped into the reality show filming under duress, shouted out, the set instantly buzzed.
And thanks to that.
“…It’ll probably be resolved soon.”
PD Joo Cheolyoung muttered these words in a somewhat pleased voice, which no one heard except Lee Hyunjung right beside him.
“Idols, drink some water!”
“No, I’m not really thirsty right now…”
“Don’t order your manager around later saying you’re thirsty, drink now! Replenish your fluids in advance! It’s troublesome if you make them use their hands multiple times!”
“Yes, yes…!”
The sight of Gao Yan, acting as a temporary daily manager, running over with water, and the Tioje members giggling at him, was captured on the still-running camera.
And what came after that was set to be caught by another’s eyes.
* * *
“Good work, everyone!”
Even when we stuttered a little or didn’t know something about each other, there were no retakes.
Since our debut was already confirmed, there was no chance of malicious subtitles being slapped on, like [It’s a bit much not to know the other person this well…].
Well, it is true that it still took a while because of the phrase ‘You cannot return to the dorm until you know everything about each other!’
Late at night, back at the dorm, the Tioje members each tried to shake off their fatigue in their own ways.
- Ugh, so, so tired…
“Yuchan hyung! Come out quickly, I want to wash up too!”
Like quickly washing up and going straight to bed.
“Mate, are you not going to sleep yet? Oh, you’re going to check the choreography?”
“Yes, I won’t be sleeping right away either. Logan hyung… too. It’s okay if you play the guitar.”
“Okay. Then I’ll do it with my headphones on!”
Or trying to stick to their usual routines, even if their eyes were half-closed.
And the person sharing a room with me.
“…….”
Today, he was just standing there, blinking his eyes blankly.
Originally, Jaeha hyung would have had to stop by the company after filming ended, hear about tomorrow’s schedule, and have a quick meeting with other staff.
But there was no need for that today.
“I heard this kind of thing is the manager’s job! Leave it to the manager, Idol!”
“Hmm. I appreciate the thought, Gao Yan, but this is directly related to our debut…”
“I am also genuinely interested in Tioje’s debut! So I plan to handle it properly, not just treat it as content!”
Thanks to the joker I’d called up.
Without even taking off my outer clothes yet, I lightly snapped my fingers at Jaeha hyung, who was pacing in front of the mirror.
“—Jaeha hyung.”
“Uh, huh?”
Startled, Jaeha hyung met my eyes and fell silent for a moment.
Right, hyung had been so out of it, he must have only just remembered now. What I had said about how ‘I’ll watch everything you do just until today, and let’s talk for a bit at night.’
I patted Jaeha hyung’s shoulder and gave a light nod toward outside.
Jaeha hyung.
“…Can you spare me a little time?”
Even though so many unexpected things had happened today, Jaeha hyung had shown almost no agitation.
I had a rough idea of what a hyung like that would say to me outside…
Still, now, I absolutely had something I needed to tell him.