The Villainous Member Has Returned! Episode 121
* * *
From the moment the grocery shopping team returned, those who had been helping the Tioje members from behind had to step back out of the camera’s view again.
[Choe Gaon: Really? Kim Chunyong-ssi’s noona is my fan?]
[Choe Gaon: Ah~~ㅠ If that’s the case, I should’ve taken special care of her when she came to the live broadcast of *Targeting Star* back then ㅠ]
[Choe Gaon: I’ll set aside a signed album, so please tell her to come empty-handed ^^]
[Choe Gaon: Hobin-hyung, fighting for your first on-site work in a while too!]
“…….”
As such, a faint relief rose on Yu Hobin’s face as he moved back to the spot where he had been waiting earlier.
*Thank goodness. I don’t know about another singer, but since I have some acquaintance with Gaon… he can help.*
Ever since his conversation with Kim Chunyong at the water fountain earlier, Yu Hobin’s favorable feelings toward the Tioje members had been rapidly growing.
It wasn’t that he disliked them from the start—rather, he had been unable to see them as they were due to guilt and sorry feelings.
Hobin’s gaze traveled far off, toward the people earnestly debating around the cooking equipment in front of the camper van more seriously than anyone else.
“I… just looking at this, I can’t tell what we were supposed to make with what we bought. Ugh, I feel so sorry for the kids, what do I do?”
“No, Jaeha. You shouldn’t feel sorry. This combination is strange from the start. Why are tomatoes and instant rice even together? What do they want?”
“Right now Logan is looking at us with an expression like ‘How do you not know that?’ over there, so it’s even more embarrassing….”
“This is bad, really bad. Hwaseong looks like he’s dying too. Chunyong. What do you think?”
“….
No matter how much I rack my brain, I don’t think we can make anything with potatoes and seaweed. Yuchan-hyung, please hold this. We need to take out all the ingredients first before we can get a sense of things.”
“Uh, yeah. ….
Hey, Hwaseong. Are you crying? We’re doing this to cook for you, so what are you going to do if you cry?!”
“No matter how much I think about it, the only ending that comes to mind is starving, so what am I supposed to do then?!”
That raucous conversation, the kind uniquely shared by those in their late teens to early twenties, held the power to naturally make anyone watching smile.
“Haha….”
Hobin let out a slightly drained laugh, rubbing the dark circles under his eyes as he unintentionally recalled the past.
“Ah, I know this right away! This, lettuce! Yuri definitely put this in. Did she add it because she wanted a salad? Or, a sandwich?”
“There’s no way Yuri-unni would want to eat only leaves. It’s a hundred percent a sandwich. Look at the ham here, unni. She scraped together every type.”
“Why! I might have wanted a salad!”
“Ahaha! Those words are the finishing blow. We’re going to win this game this time.”
That is, when Reidiseuwan had filmed a reality show similar to this.
Of course, the mission was of a slightly different format, and the content of the conversation showed clear differences….
It was a completely different situation from when Kim Chunyong had intentionally brought up the topic earlier.
Even so, in Hobin’s eyes, the two looked similar.
“Hmm, hmm. To find you, one step….”
“Ah, Yuchan-hyung. We can’t sing our title track yet.”
“Gasp, right. Sorry, sorry!”
“It’s okay. Actually, I was humming it earlier and got startled by myself too. Haha….”
The vivaciousness of rookies who were just about to start their careers.
“Logan, what are we going to do? We’re totally screwed. We’re going to starve from morning. See, I told you we should at least unify the menu feel!”
“Listen, Hwaseong. We ate a Melona earlier, and we secretly snacked on a cookie without the hyungs knowing. We won’t die from starving. Trust me.”
“Trust you, my foot!”
The sight of them having fun and enjoying themselves even when it was just the group.
“Siu? This, did you pick this?”
“Ah, yes….”
“Okay. I know what this is. Even if I starve Hwaseong and Logan, I won’t let you starve.”
Though a slight awkwardness still remained, there was also the courage to take one more step toward the other person.
Truly, they greatly resembled the best group he knew.
“…….”
He had felt choked up in those memories, and sad too. But even so, the thought that occupied the largest share in Hobin’s head was….
*…When was the last time I properly did my job as a manager?*
The yearning toward work he loved.
Unlike Taeuk, who had stumbled into the industry with sordid intentions, Hobin was a case who had seriously considered and entered the entertainment industry from the start.
Helping artists, growing together with them, and having his name listed among those leading the popular culture industry.
Hobin had become a manager because he wanted and liked those things.
“…….”
With the situation turning out this way, such a thought naturally flashed across Hobin’s mind.
Thinking that it would be betraying the noonas….
*…he wondered if he had forgotten what he had wanted and valued most.*
“….
Hobin. Are you really going to be okay? If you tell them now, they’d definitely like it. You two have known each other for so long.”
“I’m fine, noona. And for Gaon… a better manager will be assigned to him. Definitely.”
What Reidiseuwan had offered him from the start wasn’t moving to the publicity and outreach department, but becoming Choe Gaon’s manager.
They said that since they already knew him, and Gaon also knew he was good at his job, they’d make a good pair.
However, Hobin, consumed by the thought that if even he left the Reidiseuwan team it would truly be over, had not considered that option even as a possibility.
*It’s funny that I’m thinking this now, after all that happened back then….*
The Tioje members, who had already taken a place in Hobin’s heart, shouted in the same tone as they were doing now while cooking.
*‘Become our manager and achieve our dreams together.’*
“…….”
Hobin’s hand, which had been holding his phone all this time, trembled slightly.
If he were to do it, it wouldn’t take long.
Taeuk, whom he had been assigned to train today, was still only on a preliminary contract to begin with, and the company would surely take care of the interview expenses and today’s schedule pay properly.
Of course, it still pained his heart to think of Reidiseuwan, and he wouldn’t be able to participate in their group schedule that would come later, but….
“Should we do a fighting cheer for this to go well? Please. I’m so nervous.”
“Haha, it’ll go well, hyung. I already checked earlier, so….”
“Let’s shout on the count of three.”
—Fighting!
And so, just as Hobin, having heard the voices of the cooking team members, was about to call the number saved as [Team Leader 1].
“Ah, sunbae-nim! Were you here? Wow, you’re watching the members again.”
“….
Taeuk-ssi.”
The problematic person who had been ignoring the Tioje members and spending time on his own had come to find him.
“Your passion is truly amazing. You came here to ‘train’ me. Puhaha!”
Hobin’s face automatically scrunched up at the smell of cigarettes wafting from Taeuk, but he barely managed his expression and replied in a low voice.
“Yes. But I came here to work, so I can’t go far without caring for the talent I’m in charge of, can I?”
“Ugh, I just went out for a bit and you’re like this again. You told me to go far away to smoke, didn’t you? So I went all the way to where the filming staff are! If not for that, wouldn’t I be right here?”
“Yes, yes. Do as you please, just….”
*Anyway, from now on I’ll be the one properly taking care of Tioje. Just roughly collect your daily pay and get lost.*
Hobin waved his hand dismissively at Taeuk as if annoyed, turned his body away from him, and moved his feet to find a place to make the call.
“Sunbae-nim. But you see.”
No, he had tried to move.
“Thanks to going around near the staff! I heard an interesting story, didn’t I?”
If only Taeuk hadn’t grabbed his ankle with that frivolous voice, he would have done so.
“And well, it’s because I happened to overhear about your previous talent….”
“…….”
“Won’t you hear me out?”
And after hearing those words, Hobin could not press the call button until the Tioje members finished cooking.
* * *
After a long and arduous time, breakfast had finally arrived.
“Now, let’s eat well….”
*Cough,* I thought we weren’t going to be able to eat, really. Wow, damn, fried rice…! Yuchan-hyung, give me a lot!”
“Uh, okay. But… I’m really sorry, I need to eat first!”
“Wait! Please, don’t eat it all and leave some for me! I have to say grace before eating!”
“Haha, everyone eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion and it’ll be hard to film later. Think about our next schedule too, okay?”
“Jaeha-hyung, eat a lot. You saved all of this cooking….”
The menu was fried rice and sandwiches.
One might wonder what kind of combination this was, but in fact, the menu the grocery team had initially decided on was far worse.
“I’ll give you the sandwich even if it takes a hundred concessions. But Chinese fried rice? Hwaseong, what on earth did you think of our cooking skills?!”
“Nooo, I thought we just had to add oyster sauce! How was I supposed to know you wouldn’t find it at all? I also didn’t know there were many places that don’t add seaweed to Chinese fried rice.”
“Hey, Yuchan-hyung, honestly Logan was worse than Hwaseong on this one. I was really surprised when I heard that menu.”
“Umm, right. Logan, I made quite a lot of things while living in the dorms as a trainee… but bean sprout rice soup, really, I never even thought of it.”
“To that extent?! Holy, I thought it was a really ordinary menu. There are so many bean sprout rice soup restaurants in Korea, aren’t there?!”
“That’s because there are lots of restaurants, you punk.”
“I told you earlier, I’m the only normal one here….”
In the end, they made egg soup that was far removed from the bean sprout rice soup Logan had requested, causing one menu item to be eliminated early.
Meanwhile, the Chinese fried rice and sandwich also had ingredients other than the designated ones added, so all six members nearly starved, but….
“Writer-nim. Listen. If we just add oyster sauce to this fried rice, uh? And add seaweed, uh? Then that’s Chinese fried rice! It’s trendy to mix things up these days.”
“Hwaseong-ssi, no matter what, what can’t be done can’t be done. Who on earth mixes a whole bottle of oyster sauce into fried rice?”
“Ugh, Writer-nim. We haven’t eaten a single thing since we woke up! We have something specially prepared; can’t you take one more look at this and reconsider just once?”
“Huh? What do you mean…?”
“Siu, now.”
“Writer-noona… ha, just once. I’m hungry….”
“….
Groan.”
By attacking the female writer who had been openly teased after it was revealed she had voted for Jang Siu in the live broadcast voting, they barely managed to protect the remaining two menu items, one might say.
“We really would’ve been in big trouble without Siu. If another member had done it, it wouldn’t have worked at all.”
“That’s right. Especially if Yongyong-hyung had done it, it wouldn’t have looked like aegyo but like a threat.”
“….
Hey, Ji Hwaseong. Put down your spoon. Are you kidding? We went through all that trouble for you, and this punk….”
“Ahhh! Yongyong-hyung didn’t make this! You said you couldn’t cook and just helped from the side!”
“I did all the cutting, you punk!”
After producing food that was somehow edible, and filming material that was several times better than that….
“….
We’re going to take a short break from filming! Don’t go far, and rest while sharing the snacks we bought earlier!”
The Tioje members huddled together in front of the camper van and enjoyed a brief rest eating Melona.
“By the way, it’s a bit unexpected that Chunyong can’t cook. Like, he somehow had an image of someone who’d obviously be good at cooking.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah. I know this might sound weird… but I lived alone a bit during college. From you, I should say I got a vibe of someone who’s lived alone?”
“….
Come on. I’ve always lived with my family! How could that be?”
“Haha, right? Anyway, I learned something new. We shouldn’t leave tasting to Chunyong in the future. He says it’s delicious no matter if it’s salty or sweet.”
“Puhaha! That’s a kindergartener’s palate!”
“Hoo….”
Kim Chunyong ate his Melona to the sound of the members' laughter playing like background music, mulling over the solo-dweller vibe that Bang Yuchan claimed to have noticed in him. 'Well, I did spend an awful lot of time at the dorm. I suppose I must feel more like someone living alone than an idol.' However, he was hardly the picture of a healthy solo dweller who ate proper meals every day.
What he consumed was beer, soju, occasionally some expensive liquor stashed away, hangover cures, and instant food stacked up in his cupboard.
Kim Chunyong had liked instant food.
Because it was quick to eat, there was no need to feel lonely at the dining table for want of company, and whenever he felt his body breaking down bit by bit, there was something strangely liberating about it, as if he were escaping guilt. 'But, well....' Kim Chunyong looked at the dishes still piled up and untidy on the table, and smiled quietly.
"...."
Still, he smiled, thinking that even clumsy home cooking shared with others was better than instant food eaten alone.
The blazing sunlight, the gentle breeze.
And the Tioje members seated beside him, who would continue walking this path together from now on, breathed certainty into those thoughts.
That it would be okay.
That things would really work out.
But such happy, fulfilling moments were always short-lived.
"...
Hm?"
While straightening his clothes for the next mission and filming, something caught Kim Chunyong's eye.
Standing a short distance away....
"...."
Yu Hobin, pale and downcast just like yesterday, lost in some worry.
"It's going to work out, right, sunbae-nim! We're back on the broad road now, yeah?"
And the sight of Jo Taeuk, looking thoroughly excited as he egged Yu Hobin on.
"...
Ha."
Kim Chunyong brushed the dust off his pants and let out a hollow laugh, his lips curving in a dumbfounded smile. 'Right. There's no reason things would just work out when I haven't done anything.' The Jo Taeuk that Kim Chunyong knew was someone who loved alcohol and pleasure, a person with an irredeemably reckless streak.
"I'm really sorry, I'm so sorry! I should have kept a better eye on Rex, but, uh. When Rex goes to private drinking sessions, he never tells me...."
"H-Hyung? What are you, what are you saying? You were clearly the one who first... with clubs and drinking...."
"...
Oh, dear. He's drunk right now and doesn't even know what he's saying. I'm truly sorry!"
And he was also someone who would do anything to save his own skin.
"...."
Kim Chunyong gritted his teeth at the memory, then slowly began walking over, schooling his expression.
It wasn't as if Jo Taeuk hadn't luckily weaseled his way out until now with that pathetic network of his.
Unfortunately, however, Kim Chunyong had already seen the future.
"—Manager Hyung!"
If Jo Taeuk was going to run wild relying on nothing but his pathetic instincts, it was time to show him what someone who knew the future could do.