The Toxic Member Has Returned! Episode 130
The main phrase describing Kim Chunyong—formerly known as Rex Trash and now a member of T.O.J—was that he was “a bit different from how he looked.”
[But how is an idol’s name Kim Chun-yong < For someone who looks like such a thug, he doesn’t make verbal slips or anything? Just refreshingly straightforward, kinda??]
[⎿Wait, really???? I read his face and thought, ah, this guy’s 100% gonna cause an accident, so I totally avoided him… They said the rumor from the survival show was fake, so I was kinda wondering about that anyway]
[⎿⎿That kind of narrow-minded thinking is what stops you from enriching your stanning life. Watch one of his individual interview videos. He talks really well.]
[@NBML__0412 (Video)
A sleazy pretty boy smoothly tying up Confucianism?! On the eve of T.O.J’s debut, go watch our #Chunyong stan-recruiting video from his Tata days♡]
[⎿He tied together a Hong Konger, a Brit, and a Japanese with Confucianism. No joke]
[@springdardar If you don’t stan the man called “Kim Chun-yong” right now, you’re taking a huge loss in life. There has never been a gap moe like this. An oppa who looked like he’d rob you on the street is smiling refreshingly and offering you unlimited candy]
In a way, it was also a natural result.
One might have expected it during his Rex Trash days, but ever since returning after signing with X, Kim Chunyong had been extremely careful about his attitude and behavior.
So as not to look like trash.
So as not to make even a single mistake.
So as not to be a burden to the members, and at the very least, so as not to look like a bad guy even if he didn’t inspire affection!
As a result, Kim Chunyong’s public image was really being crafted like an upstanding young man who seemed like he couldn’t possibly exist in reality—“different from how he looked”—and that elicited various reactions from many people.
“Unni. Did you see Kim Chunyong’s SNS reactions? It’s absolutely shocking. His fake-nice act is insane, really.”
“Guess he must’ve gotten shot in the head while preparing for debut or something….”
“Ugh, but he’s our family’s second son, so we have to support him, right? I shouldn’t say he just lies around when he comes home every day, right?”
“Mom and Dad told you not to do that. And maybe he’s been consumed by his concept, but he doesn’t really do that at home anymore either. Honestly, it’s absurd….”
“Ugh, really. Concepts are scary… They change a person like that.”
Having watched Kim Chunyong his entire life, his family glossed it over thinking he’d taken on a unique concept this time, but those who came to watch him up close without knowing him well couldn’t help but fall into a slight, subtle confusion. Thinking, *How can a person be like that?*
“No, listen. Jaeha hyung, have you ever seen Yongyong hyung wake up late? When I shared a room with him, he always woke up first and tormented me! Does he do that to you too?”
“Ahh. I think he wakes up around the same time as me. Sometimes I think he wakes up even earlier than me and uses his phone… Haha, he doesn’t torment me.”
“Oh, when I was his flatmate on
“Then… Chunyong hyung, when does he… sleep?”
“Watching from beside him, he does sleep by dividing his time. But, Chunyong is a bit… Isn’t he living too separately from how he looks?”
“Eheh, Yuchan hyung! Is that a compliment? Or an insult?”
“Hey, Hwaseong-ah. You know that’s not what I mean. I’m saying it because I’m worried.”
“I know what you mean, Yuchan hyung. Chunyong seems natural, but there are parts where he’s strict with himself.”
“Yeah, that’s it! Jaeha, we were already worried sick because you do that, but at this rate….”
For Kim Chunyong himself, he was merely exercising extreme caution because of what he’d done before, but to others, it had to be said that he looked like someone far too thorough—to the point of slightly overdoing it.
On the outside, he looked unfazed, cheerful, and refreshingly straightforward, but as if there was definitely something there.
Therefore, perhaps it was inevitable that Son Jaeha and Yoo Hobin had a fairly long conversation.
“I’ve heard that until now, Jaeha-ssi, you’ve taken on too many things by yourself. Going forward, that will absolutely, absolutely never happen. Please focus only on your activities.”
“Haha. Thank you for saying that, Hobin hyung. But, it’s not just me… What makes me feel that way is on the other side.”
“Ah, I have felt something too… Are we talking about the same person?”
“Um, yes. It’s Chunyong. I think he was even worrying about the previous manager’s work in advance. So, I was thinking maybe we should help him relax a bit.”
“…
Then I’ll try to prepare something. It seems best to do it quickly on a day without a schedule like today.”
“Ah, then I’ll also drop a light hint to the other members. Thank you for telling me in advance.”
And so, a plan was secretly formed—one that seemed like the time Kim Chunyong, Bang Yuchan, and Ji Hwaseong had joined hands for Son Jaeha’s mental care.
“Wow. So, it’s a debut commemoration party? Killing two birds with one stone, we can all relax together!”
“Yeah. Hobin hyung said he’ll buy us some stuff along with snacks tonight. So the adult members can drink alcohol lightly.”
“Wow, honestly I’ve really been curious? About Yongyong hyung letting loose! No, it’s not that I’m not curious about the other hyungs… but since it’s so different from his image.”
“Ah, when he lets loose he might be similar to his image? You and I think alike, Hwaseong. There’s a big difference in people when they drink and when they don’t. I’ve seen a bit of that during college.”
“W-what if Chunyong hyung hates it…?”
“Um, Chunyong once told me he’d do whatever he wanted. So… I think we can also do whatever we want a bit.”
“If Jaeha hyung says that… then I’ll also, from the side, just a little….”
The project that opened its doors splendidly: Getting Kim Chunyong to relax.
Under the pretext of seeing his disheveled side, the other five T.O.J members huddled together and guided him to the living room where a drinking session was laid out.
“Hey, you punks. Let go of my arms… Where do you think I’m going?”
“Huh. Yongyong hyung, do you mean that seriously? Just looking at your expression now, it looks like you’re going to punch each of us once and go somewhere?”
“Agree. Chunyong hyung, just hang out with us today!”
“It’s not like I’ve never hung out with you guys before….”
Whether Kim Chunyong expressed bewilderment with his arms caught between Ji Hwaseong and Logan, the others were simply extremely excited.
Because peeling off a layer of someone you wanted to get close to with alcohol was, after all, quite an interesting thing.
“Ah, Hobin hyung said he’ll come back after picking up chicken. He told us to hang out first before that.”
“Okay. Hey, minors? You guys only drink cola and beverages. Don’t drink anything else by any chance. I’ll be watching everything.”
“Ugh, honestly the smell alone is unpleasant to me, so I don’t even think about it? Ah, didn’t you say Logan is allowed to drink?”
“No. I am an adult by UK age. But I’ve never felt a reason I absolutely must drink. If you enter a pub on the day Liverpool loses a match, you’ll know why you can’t feel a reason to drink!”
“But, I, am a bit curious….”
“Huh? Hey, Jang Siwoo! You’re only seventeen… Did I raise you like that? Huh? Hyung is sad, Siwoo-ya!”
“It wasn’t… Hwaseong hyung… My brother… raised me….”
Hahaha….
“…
Tsk.”
While the other members tore open snacks and popped open drinks, chattering away, Kim Chunyong alone clicked his tongue.
*They’ve all set their minds on this? There doesn’t seem to be any easy way to just escape.*
He’d thought he just needed to understand the other members well; Kim Chunyong had never dared to imagine such a situation would unfold simply because he hadn’t shown himself.
He’d been busy with other things, and he had absolutely no intention of putting himself in that category.
Therefore, honestly, in the current situation, Kim Chunyong’s emotions were complicated in many ways.
*It’s not that I don’t understand why they’re doing this… but it’s still too sudden. The means are far too blatant!*
Yes, a ploy.
If what had been offered to Kim Chunyong was a room of time and thoughts existing only with the members and himself, perhaps that would have been a bit better.
Even if he worried about how to talk and approach them, he just needed to slowly open his mouth.
But, alcohol?
To Kim Chunyong of all people, alcohol?
“Ah, Changsu’s! Favorite! Random! Game! Game! Start! Game! Start! If you don’t know! Drink and! Learn! Random! Game!”
“R-Rex. Hold on. Let me just go to the bathroom and finish when I come back….”
“You’re going to the bathroom anyway… If you drink one glass and go, wouldn’t that work? Hmm? What’s the problem, huh?”
“Urk….”
“Huh, the bottom of the glass? Why are you leaving alcohol? Planning to drink more when you get back? Don’t do that. There’s plenty of alcohol. Ah, I said there’s plenty. Drink it all, chug.”
“Rex, please!”
During that time when he had lived by keeping his mind as blank as possible just to endure, the very thing that had truly ruined Kim Chunyong was none other than alcohol.
Even though he knew the more he drank the higher his dependence grew, and relying on it would make him fall apart even more.
Nowadays his body was clean without a single proper drop of alcohol, but seeing how someone like Jeong Yeonwoo had recognized Kim Chunyong’s addiction symptoms at the time, one never knew.
Of course, Jeong Yeonwoo was the type to see through people strangely well, but still.
*That’s why I resolved that this time, no matter what happens, I won’t drink even a single drop.*
Thus, while Kim Chunyong internally went back and forth between past and present, chewing on bitter thoughts.
Pop!
“Holy cow, Yuchan hyung. You could open that with a spoon? I was looking for a bottle opener.”
“Yeah, hyung worked a lot of part-time jobs in the past. Learned it then. So, the ratio for this is….”
Bang Yuchan, having opened the beer bottle with a refreshing sound, mixed soju and beer until the glass overflowed and handed it to Kim Chunyong.
“Chunyong-ah, take it.”
“…
Yuchan hyung.”
“You’ve had a lot on your mind preparing for debut one way or another, right? I’m not forcing you or anything. I’m telling you to relax your shoulders a bit.”
“…….”
And only after hearing Bang Yuchan’s words could Kim Chunyong properly look at the other members’ faces.
The members sitting together in this spot, each with their own thoughts.
Though their reasons differed, they had made this occasion because they wanted to get close to a member who still seemed to have a slight wall up between himself and them.
Exaggerating a bit and acting even rowdier.
“…….”
Kim Chunyong, who had received help from them before as well, didn’t want to disappoint them.
Because he was sorry, and also grateful.
Because they were people he wanted to pave a solid road for going forward through his atonement.
That was why.
“…
Yuchan hyung. Your glass is empty?”
“Huh? Ah, I was going to make one for myself later….”
“No way, no. Hyung, in times like this you’re supposed to toast together. Give me your glass.”
“Huh? Huh?”
“Tch, you see. I made a resolution right when we debuted. If I drink alcohol, I’ll keep my loyalty and drink together with the maknae on the day he becomes an adult. So I plan to drink cola today.”
Of course, without drinking alcohol, just as he’d firmly resolved at first.
“Uh… really? That’s a bit of a shame. But, Chunyong-ah. Why did you take my glass, uhh?”
A hand forged through countless drinking sessions, unknown to the others here, began to fly between the bottle and the glass.
The ratio was exactly 3:7.
Without wastefully hitting it with a spoon and letting precious bubbles fly away, a clean hit with chopsticks.
Sweeping away the foam that rose in a cascade with chopsticks, without a single deficiency anywhere.
“Wait. Where’d you learn this ratio? And where’d you learn to raise the bubbles with chopsticks?!”
“It’s instinct, instinct. But I have no intention of forcing this mindset of mine on Yuchan hyung or Jaeha hyung.”
Unfortunately for the other members and Yoo Hobin, who had made a plan to dishevel Kim Chunyong as if raiding a boss monster.
“Drink up, hyung.”
“Gasp….”
“We should have fun today, right? Jaeha hyung too.”
“Ah, I’m fine….”
“No! Hyung. It won’t do if you sit this one out. Right? I’ll, really, do it well for you.”
“U-Uhm….”
The other members’ expressions changed to bewilderment more than ever at Kim Chunyong’s sudden shift in posture, but well.
“Minors? You guys wait too. That convenience store food. There’s a way to eat it much tastier than eating it like that? Just trust hyung. I’ll make it hotel-grade for you.”
“…
Wait, wait! This doesn’t seem right! Yuchan hyung? Jaeha hyung? Let’s strategically retreat for a—”
“What do you mean it’s not! Come here!”
This, too, was a way to truly get closer, after all.
Though for Son Jaeha and Bang Yuchan, who would take the direct hit of the alcohol….
“What I was thinking is, I think I was born with a bit of a talent for this. Mixing drinks? I mean making drinks. I’ll really show you something, I will!”
Though it was a method that made one worry about the next day.