The Villainous Member Has Returned! Episode 155
Thanks to the sudden increase in numbers, the back-and-forth conversation naturally grew as well.
"Let's do a quick check. We only have five medals left to exchange now... Yuchan, which floor have you been on so far?"
"Ah, I've been on the second floor so far. I ran into Team 2 in the middle, so I got a bit caught up playing armband snatch."
"Hmm... Your armband looks perfectly intact, so it seems you didn't get robbed. Did you make a trade?"
"A trade? Is that a thing? Our team has just been snatching armbands from everyone we meet...! Ugh, I was a bit worried about stealing the great senior's armband, though."
"...
Are you saying you stole Juyoung's armband? Haha, not bad. Hmm, good."
"Um, could you tell me what a 'trade' is? Ah, this might have been a great opportunity; I hope our team didn't miss out on it...."
The two older members, draping thick special forces uniforms over their own slender frames, shared their opinions on the mission progress so far.
"...
Antaei."
"Oh, Danu! Haha, look at you sweating. Was it really hot? Running around like this is pretty tiring, right?"
"It wasn't that hard. Anyway, you... you didn't do anything unnecessary, did you?"
"Unnecessary? As if I'd do that while filming, Danu. I'm hurt."
"You always act like a child left by the riverside, so how could I not worry...!"
Having reunited to celebrate the group members meeting again after a brief separation.
"...
Tch."
Watching that scene from one step behind, I had no choice but to click my tongue and accept the current situation as it was.
Because Yeonwoo had used the method of splitting the team the moment the main game of 'Catch Me, Catch You' began, it hadn't felt real until now, but...
the fact was, I was on the same team as my former trainee colleague with whom I'd had a conversation that had hurt our feelings, and we were currently in the middle of filming a variety show in full swing....
And to top it off, together with a bomb named Antaei who could go off at any moment, and a member-hyung whose eyes were spinning with worry for me amidst all of this.
"Haha...."
Even after putting it into a sentence, it was so absurd that a hollow laugh slipped out.
I mean, was a single bomb dropped onto our team supposed to be this complicated to deal with?...
Why the hell!
"Hey, Chunyong. ...
What's wrong, huh? Is it because you ran too much? Are you tired? Or did something else happen?"
As soon as I let out that hollow laugh, Yuchan quickly wrapped up his conversation with Yeonwoo and nimbly approached my side to check on me.
I just found it a bit absurd, and felt the current situation was more bewildering than I'd expected.
"Hmm...."
"Ah, Yuchan-hyung. No, it's just... Yes. It's a bit tough. Just a bit! But I'm okay. Ah, I feel better already?"
Putting Yeonwoo—who was beaming a meaningful smile at the two of us from behind—out of my mind, I quickly reassured Yuchan.
"You really are okay, right? You trust hyung?"
"Yuchan-hyung... am I Hwaseong or something? Our team has swapped way more medals than yours, too."
"Hmm, I suppose. Senior Yeonwoo has been by your side the whole time, and we're in the middle of filming...."
"Let's go, everyone, quickly. If we run into another team like this, it'll be even more troublesome. We need to quickly pick up our other teammates and finish swapping the rest of the medals too, right? Right?"
"That's true. Then, let's head out again. Everyone grab your issued medals, and be ready to run if need be."
"...
Yes! Let's go, Chunyong."
Although he hadn't completely put away the suspicion and worry directed at me, at Yeonwoo's gentle urging, Yuchan soon fixed his gaze forward again and pulled my arm.
Be that as it may, the greatest goal of my T.O.J members, including hyung, was to "keep Kim Chunyong from getting into trouble with the Wiz members," so picking up enough screen time and wrapping up filming quickly was the top priority.
"...
Phew."
And so, I too resolved to first focus on solving the mission and dealing with the loach, the bomber, and the bomb itself—Antaei—and was trying to concentrate on moving when,
"......."
I made eye contact with the person I thought had been talking to Antaei the whole time. It was none other than Han Danu, who had fitted pitch-black lenses over his brown eyes to match Wiz's current concept, 'Monochrome'.
Many emotions seeped into the guy's face, his eyes slightly veiled by a thin silicone membrane.
It seemed like he wanted to say something to me, yet also like he didn't.
He was pretending to act natural because we were filming, but he wasn't completely unaware either—something like that.
"......."
Though it didn't resonate much with me, who had gone through so many things separate from him, it was still true that I felt a bit sentimental.
Even though we'd fought fiercely and I'd left Queens without any proper reconciliation, Han Danu and I had originally....
"Hey, Kim Chunyong. Just ten minutes, seriously. Want to go to the convenience store for ten minutes and eat cup ramyeon...?"
"...
It takes five minutes to get to the convenience store, and three minutes to buy the cup ramyeon and let it cook?"
"No, no. If we eat it on the way back, it's seven minutes. What do you think? This way we can save time."
"...
If we cook it halfway and eat it, we can eat for nine minutes. Let's go."
We'd been close, in our own way.
"Alright, then we're going to the third floor now. We'll move quickly."
"...
Yes."
Moving along with Yeonwoo's gentle voice, I was able to briefly immerse myself in memories of that time.
"Danu, Chunyong! I told you not to use the practice room if you didn't reserve it. The younger kids are scared of you two, so they can't even ask you to leave when their reservation time comes!"
"Ah, ma'am. Really, I don't think it's because of me? The kids are probably just scared of Kim Chunyong's face?"
"What are you talking about? Han Danu, it's because your voice is low that the kids are scared."
"Is that what's important right now? Ugh, this is why you should've made your reservations properly...!"
Han Danu and I had joined Queens around the same time, and we'd somehow scraped by together, surviving side by side through our trainee days.
Three siblings and an only child. An ordinary family and the Gangnam School District 8. When commuting to the practice rooms, I took the bus, while Han Danu rode in his parents' car.
Many things were different, but none of them meant much to us.
Because both of us were passionate about this dream and always did our best.
"Kim Chunyong, are you going to do extra practice again today?"
"Yeah, I want to, but I got my practice room key confiscated... I think I might just have to go home."
"...
Tsk. Take this."
"Huh? Hey, if you just give this to me..."
"I just won't say I gave it to you. Don't get caught. Okay?"
We never exchanged particularly affectionate words, but that was enough.
That if I worked hard, I'd debut alongside him.
That when that time came, all of this would become memories.
But that relationship cracked in an instant.
"Chunyong-hyung, did you see this month's evaluation groups? You and Danu-hyung are in different groups. The song is the same, though."
"Oh, Euni. ...
We have the same song as him? Really?"
"Yes. And I'm in the same group as you and Hawon-hyung... Danu-hyung is with Seonho, Juan-hyung... and one other younger member. I think you'll need to choreograph well. Since Danu-hyung is so good at that stuff."
"...
I see. Let's put our heads together, then."
It was the monthly evaluation that took place two months before I transferred agencies from Queens to AG and appeared on
There, the guy and I had to prepare for the evaluation with the same song.
There hadn't been any major issues during the preparation process.
As always, I worked hard. And I did my best just to show the guy who would one day be my teammate, "Hey, the me who's going to be on a team with you is doing this well."
"Hey, Han Danu. Did you practice a lot? I think you're going to lose to me in this evaluation."
"What are you talking about. Don't make me treat you to the convenience store just because you barely managed to beat me while whining the whole time."
"Shut up, you punk."
"Are you going to talk loudly just because you've been trainees for a long time? I'll deduct points for attitude!"
"Ah, no sir!"
"Sigh, the other kids are out of it today so I'm already in a bad mood... Fine. Chunyong's group, come out quickly. You guys really need to do well today. Got it? You need to debut!"
"Yes! Hey, Han Danu. Watch closely. Euni and I really worked hard on this one."
But immediately after I showed the choreography I'd prepared alongside my monthly evaluation group members, with a bit of bravado and swagger befitting my age,
and after Han Danu, his face pale and downcast, took the stage with his own group members right after,
"......."
"......."
From that moment on, well....
"Hey, Kim Chunyong. What was that choreography? Are you crazy?"
"That's what I want to say. Han Danu, that bridge hand gesture in the middle—it's something you don't usually use. I use it all the time. So why did it suddenly come out? Have you lost it?"
"Teacher Jihyeon suggested it. She told me to try changing it. Wait, are you blaming me right now? Hey, your overall structure is completely the same as mine...!"
"Wow, holy shit. Are they fighting right now? This is crazy. Both of them got good scores, so what's the problem? I really don't get it, insane."
"Juan-ah... please. Shut your mouth...."
Literally, it was a complete mess.
"Tch...."
I hurriedly averted my gaze from Han Danu and waved my hand around to shake off the memories that had clouded up my head.
Now I know it was an unavoidable misunderstanding.
Under the same choreographer, receiving similar coaching, learning similar things—of course guys like that would come up with similar things when they put their heads together....
I was endlessly young back then, and in that situation, I didn't have the luxury to step back and look at things objectively.
I was too busy looking only at the goal right in front of me.
In the end, Han Danu and I didn't debut on the same team.
I debuted in T.O.J with my members, and Han Danu debuted in Wiz.
Even the other Wiz members who knew it was a misunderstanding couldn't easily say, "You were wrong back then," because they were on the same team as Han Danu.
When your bodies grow apart, and thus you can't stand by their side to set things right, you end up having to live like that.
"......."
On top of that, I spent that long time with my members... and I'm only now atoning for it, so how could I possibly fix this?
So, in the end....
This was how things were meant to be, and some relationships just have to be left like this.
"......."
Like that, while I was lost in thought and gradually putting on an increasingly sharp and unpleasant face,
"—Chunyong!"
A clear and wonderful voice snapped me awake....
while grabbing both of my cheeks with one hand!
"...
Y-yes?!"
Yuchan, the owner of that voice, poured out his worries as he examined my face this way and that.
Wait, carry? Who's carrying whom all of a sudden?
I reflexively swatted away hyung's hand and spat out words in a fluster.
"Huh? Hyung, what do you mean, carry! You'll fall over right away if you try! And it's nothing serious!"
"I was half-joking... but your expression was so serious just now! Haha. I wonder if it's because of the mission or something else...."
Before I knew it, the eyes of the others running alongside us were also fixed on me.
"......."
Yeonwoo, Antaei, and even Han Danu.
And rather, meeting those eyes allowed me to calm down.
I'd gotten briefly swept up in sentimentality and almost forgotten something important.
Now is not the time for that.
"...
Haha! Sorry. I had something on my mind."
I naturally draped my arm around Yuchan's neck as he stood beside me and patted his shoulder firmly.
What I need to do right now.
"I'm talking about our mission. Ah, as we were doing this, something came to mind."
It wasn't to express pointless regrets with those old memories, but to ensure there were no problems with our team while handling the mission.
"Hm? You were thinking about the mission?"
"Haha, Chunyong-ssi. It seems like you've thought of another method. I felt like I knew something too."
"Yes. What Logan and Jaiden said earlier stuck in my mind. You know, right?"
"Chunyong. What is it? I've been with you the whole time and have no idea. Danu, do you know?"
"I wasn't even with you guys, how would I know...."
And while solving the mission, I needed to make sure Antaei—that naive-looking but secretly scheming guy—couldn't touch our team.
I lightly clicked my tongue and gathered the team members in one spot.
"It's about those medals. Earlier, Logan said he thought there was a secret to them."
"Ah, there's another secret to the medals? I... I never even thought of that!"
"Yes. So I checked while coming here, and when I looked at the back..."
Just as the five of us were about to put our heads together and whisper about the secret of the medals,
"—Peekaboo, this is the peekaboo!"
"H-huh? Wait, what is this!"
"Mr. Hwaseong, catch him first! Capturing him takes priority!"
A voice that shouldn't have been heard came from behind....
"...
I told you I wouldn't let you off next time, Chunyong."
The line I'd thrown out earlier for the cameras had come back to me with a soft, familiar voice....
Why did it have to be right now!