The Malicious Member Returns! Episode 117
Right after the mood sampler upload and the teaser site update.
The debut album promotion for ToZ kicked off, spanning all SNS platforms, communities, messenger banner ads, and even WeTube advertisements.
[#ToZ_1st mini album_Hide and Seek]
[Find Xenia, bang bang bang! Hide well, it’s more fun to find you ♬]
With AG’s insane artist support firepower, uncompromising quality, and a concept that no other group could dare claim to overlap with anymore—
It was only natural that the mouths of those who had been slandering them were now firmly shut.
[Hey, mental case living like this and dying @mennnnheeriS2 Come out and say something ㅜㅜ Who was scared? Who was the survival boy group that would become morning dew on the charts?]
[⎿ That person’s followers who used to like them for their so-called refreshing remarks all dropped off, so they hurriedly locked their account. So ugly ㅉㅉ]
[Yeah, no matter what you say, ToZ is fucking successful~ ToZ Director Moon Yunha~ The concept and album effort are fucking insane~ This year’s boy group rookie award is already confirmed for ToZ~]
[⎿ Wiz teaser hasn’t even come out yet, so don’t bait like that ㄴㄴ]
[⎿⎿ Yeah, if you can’t put out a mood sampler on ToZ’s level first, you can’t even compare~]
Even when ToZ’s fandom, presumably called ‘Xenia,’ made slightly over-the-line remarks in their excitement, other fandoms had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.
Ah, after all that waiting, what a sweet reward this was.
‘So jealous, insane!’
Right now, no one could even be sure whether something better than this could come out or not.
Would any fan from another team really say something like, [Ahem, but please wait until the song and MV are out before running your mouths ㅠㅠ]?
And besides, in the current situation, ToZ’s fandom wasn’t the type to be fazed by such words anyway.
Their minds were already occupied with next steps—how many album versions there would be, how many copies they needed to buy for fan sign lottery entries, how high they could push the first-week sales.
“…
Crazy.”
And watching all of this unfold from start to finish—pausing intermittently to check SNS reactions—a woman cursed under her breath.
Her hands kept switching between the teaser site’s Zhang Shiu, the mood sampler, and SNS…
Finally, after some deliberation, she closed the WeTube app and began typing a message with a ferocity that threatened to break her fingers.
[Kim Nari: Hey hey hey hey hey Kim Chunyong]
[Kim Nari: Hey oppa, just tell me this one thing please please]
[Kim Nari: So is Xenia the fandom name? Or not? Is it just a dog’s name?]
[Kim Nari: My friends and I decided to print group name tags based on this. If it’s just a dog’s name, I’ll be the one with the dog name tag]
[Kim Nari: I’ll really keep my mouth shut, I swear on Shiu’s name, for real]
She directed this at the person who could answer her question the fastest.
* * *
And at the same moment.
Kim Chunyong, having received that message, was…
“As if I’d tell you that.”
Muttering and sighing at the music video location site, thick with flying dust.
The debut schedule was so tight that overseas locations were an impossible dream.
But thanks to Moon Yunha’s madness and the company’s wholehearted support of the artists’ opinions, the filming set had been decked out to its fullest.
“Hm? Chunyong, what’s going on?”
“Ah, nothing. Got a message from my sister…
She’s asking me to tell her if Xenia is really the fandom name.”
“What? Haha! She even knows that? Your sister really is our fan.”
And Bang Yuchan, who was standing next to Kim Chunyong, laughed heartily as if he’d heard something very amusing, slapping Kim Chunyong on the back.
With natural makeup emphasizing his features, and hair so black it shimmered with a hint of blue as if dyed.
Wearing a beret and long trousers unlike the other members, Bang Yuchan was exuding the charm of a boy standing on the cusp of youth and manhood.
‘Whoa, hyung really suits that look. A bit mature. Even though he’s still on the younger side, he’s got that vibe.’
Unconsciously clicking his tongue, Kim Chunyong scratched his cheek carefully so as not to disturb the makeup on his face.
“…
Ahem. To be precise, she’s probably a fan of the other members, not me. Never heard a sister call herself my fan.”
“Why not? With a handsome brother like you, she could become a fan and all.”
“Handsome brother… ugh.”
Kim Chunyong briefly imagined Kim Nari holding a slogan like ‘Spring Day’s Yongyong Fighting’ and shook his head with a gag reflex.
Between siblings, that was absolutely, definitively impossible.
“Yuchan hyung. That’s something only people without siblings can say. Please be careful in the future. For the sake of our friendship.”
“Huh? Oh, I’m not sure what I need to be careful about… but okay, got it!”
“Yep, great. Sounds good.”
Giving a thumbs up to the tilting-his-head Bang Yuchan, Kim Chunyong looked at his own reflection in the mirror attached to the waiting van.
“…….”
The effect of Moon Yunha’s micromanaging was truly incredible.
To think she had transformed Kim Chunyong—who was handsome, if somewhat polarizing due to his overly strong delinquent vibe—this much.
Red hair subtly mixed with black streaks. And a yellow scout uniform that complemented his skin tone.
The bandage on his knee and his hair, styled to look roughly tied yet meticulously done, further emphasized his thuggish aura…
But the finishing touch was the black piercing in his ear.
“Right. Chunyong, was that a real piercing? I was so surprised!”
“Ah, yes. The director suggested it would look better pierced.”
“Phew, it’s really cool! Man, maybe I should’ve gotten one when I was in college. But it seems like it’d hurt…”
“Aw, hyung, you’re cool without one, so it’s fine.”
After tossing out a few sincere compliments, Kim Chunyong fell into thought as he studied himself in the mirror again.
Moon Yunha hadn’t yet told the members who ‘the one who stole Xenia’ was in the concept.
She said they wouldn’t know even during the MV shoot, and might only figure it out when filming the final MV reaction self-content later, or something.
‘…
Honestly, based on looks alone, I seem like the culprit.’
Would they think he’d shake them down for money just by meeting eyes? Kim Chunyong clicked his tongue and turned his head away to avoid making eye contact with his reflection.
“Look at the map, and now the camera! Close your eyes a third of the way, then open them again! No, not like that! Like you’re about to close them but not quite, then—! Ugh, cut, cut!”
“Huh? What does closing my eyes a third of the way even mean?!”
“Mr. Huhseng. You still don’t know me that well? Ugh, I’m going crazy… Someone go get some artificial tears. Let’s make the eyes look a bit dewy.”
Currently, the music video shoot for ToZ’s debut song, ‘Hide and Seek,’ was in full swing.
“The fingers look awkward. Touch your hair, then trace down to the tip of your nose. That’s it. Director, I’ll go with this pose.”
“Ms. Yunha. This is just my personal opinion, but I think adding a small braid next to Mr. Huhseng’s hair would look pretty. His features are so clean, a little seasoning like that could…”
“No, it’s too much. Regular 19-year-old boys don’t braid their hair or anything like that. It has to be naturally straight. The kind washed with shampoo, not bar soap, and skipped conditioner. It’s more important because it’s blonde. Director, have you lost your touch? No, right?”
“Uh, uh. Okay. Alright! Let’s go with that!”
Even though the command of aesthetic fanatic Moon Yunha seemed to cause slight delays, meeting her needs resulted in stunningly beautiful shots.
Now, let’s assess the current state of ToZ at this point.
Song? Good, as expected from the collaboration between AG and genius boy Logan.
Dance? Jin Dasol and Kim Chunyong poured their souls into it.
Promotion? Need I say more?
Relationships with members? Still a bit uncertain, but… enough to debut safely now.
In other words.
‘Finally, something… is going right.’
For the first time in a long while, Kim Chunyong felt strongly that things were properly on track, but he couldn’t relax his guard.
In this industry, no one knew what might suddenly happen. Until right before stepping onto the stage, nothing would be strange if it changed.
Plus.
‘…
I heard something.’
Kim Chunyong dragged his long fingertips across the van mirror, murmuring.
“I’m truly sorry about everything so far. It’ll be Load going to pick you up after today’s MV shoot. How can we even apologize for this…”
“Ah, no. What can you do about someone who ran away after an interview? Haha, it’s really okay.”
“No, it’s not. We should blacklist them and make sure they can’t be hired by any other company. Social life isn’t a joke.”
“W, whoa…”
“We stomp on anyone who messes with our company until the very end. That’s AG’s way.”
Most likely, the manager who would come to pick up ToZ later was the same ‘that’ manager who enjoyed parties and nightlife with Lexx Trash.
“Sigh…”
Recalling his deceptively friendly face with its easygoing smile, Kim Chunyong let out a soft groan.
‘…
This time, I can’t go along with him at all. It’s laughable for someone like me to say this, but a taste for alcohol and women doesn’t change easily. That hyung will do the same this time.’
The reason Kim Chunyong—the blackout drunk, Lexx Trash, alcoholic malicious member—could completely avoid drinking in this life was simple.
The previous Kim Chunyong had wanted to forget everything by getting drunk; he hadn’t actually enjoyed the drinking sessions themselves.
But the manager was different.
The cheerfulness of drinking parties. The languor felt as muscles and blood beneath the skin heated up with alcohol.
And a person who enjoyed the very sight of the female celebrities he could meet by bringing Kim Chunyong along.
That was the characteristic of the manager who had led Kim Chunyong into alcoholism.
‘…
Back then, I didn’t know that. I thought he was taking care of me.’
However, making a sudden physiognomy-based statement to the company like ‘This man seems likely to just take the members out drinking’ wouldn’t work.
‘I need to either create an incident or catch one. Ugh, seriously!’
And just as Kim Chunyong was about to furrow his brow and bury his face between his knees—
Poke—
“Whoa, can’t do that, Chunyong. Lift your head. Haha, if you do that later, the director will scold you.”
Bang Yuchan, who had been watching Kim Chunyong’s entire state from beside him, tapped his forehead with a splendid smile.
“…
You’ve got a lot on your mind, huh?”
“Uh, um. That is… yes.”
As Kim Chunyong stumbled over his words, momentarily flustered, Bang Yuchan lightly rolled his eyes and licked his lips.
He could have easily thought, ‘Why is he like that at such a good moment?’
But Bang Yuchan, who had gained both social skills and boldness through experiencing society outside, instead lifted Kim Chunyong’s mood another way rather than prying.
“Well, it feels a bit off to pry into your business, but! That look doesn’t suit your face, and also…”
Doesn’t suit the filming we have later, you know?
“So let’s cheer up together. Whatever it is, tell me, and I’ll help. Hey, even if I’m not the leader, I’m still your hyung, right?”
“…
Yuchan hyung.”
At Bang Yuchan’s picture-perfect consideration and kind words, Kim Chunyong blinked, then quickly calmed his heart.
Right.
Worrying endlessly about things that hadn’t happened yet only caused stress.
So, for now, the important thing was to do what he could.
“Thanks, hyung. Seriously, is this why people should go to university…”
“What? Hahaha, you really…!”
Using Bang Yuchan’s high laughter as background music, Kim Chunyong leaned against the car seat and slowly closed his eyes.
Yes. For now, he just needed to prepare for the task right in front of him.
For example, his own music video shoot, scheduled to come up next after next.
And…
[The final shoot to cap off ToZ members’ reality show! Let’s enjoy the last trip before debut with the members \\( ˆoˆ )/]
Before debut.
Something like a noisy, bumbling reality camping trip where they’d hear ToZ members’ innermost thoughts and cook together, however poorly.