The Villainous Member Has Returned! Episode 175
* * *
I plastered the brightest smile I could muster onto my face, clapping repeatedly with the members in front of the full-length mirror in the practice room.
It would have been a disaster if I—the one who created this situation—started sweating bullets and making an expression like, “Is this really okay?”
However.
“Then, everyone… to the live… au…dience… say hello….”
“Ah, okay. Then… one, two. Hello! We are JDS Crew!”
“Yes, hello! Target of Xenon, TIOZ!”
“—Hello!”
Watching them greet each other in booming voices while bizarrely engaging in a war of nerves, I realized this was no easy feat.
“Haha! To think we’re all appearing in an idol’s self-produced content… this is quite moving. I couldn’t have imagined this even when I was on my third try!”
“Ahem, yes. We never thought we’d have guests from our very first piece of content….”
“Jaeha, you’re happy about this, right?”
“Oh, that’s a given. …Of course I am.”
It was only because Ms. Dasol had turned on a livestream to exchange greetings for promotional purposes that things held together; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known what biting remarks they’d all trade through smiling faces.
Or… was I wrong?
“Chunyong… over… this way….”
“…Haha! Still, today we’re competing against my members and Ms. Dasol’s crew, so wouldn’t it be right for me to stay on this side?”
After all, the very person who’d started the livestream seemed more devoted to her own agenda than anyone else present.
At those words, I felt the sharp gazes of the members and had to hurriedly decline the offer.
“…Tch.”
Just look at him, clicking his tongue like that when it doesn’t suit his pretty face at all.
How does that look anything like the hottest dancer in the Korean street scene right now?
He’s just a seven-year-old boy sulking because his favorite toy won’t do what he wants.
Anyway.
“Whew….”
I let out a low sigh so the others wouldn’t see and carefully assessed the current atmosphere.
Right now, the place I and the TIOZ members had come to film our self-produced content was none other than JDS Crew’s practice room.
I’m the one who suggested coming here, actually.
To resolve the lack of self-produced content we’d discovered while preparing the repackage album, there was no better solution for us right now than this.
If I were to explain the reasons….
First.
“Ah, the reason… TIOZ… came… to our… practice… room… is….”
“Ugh, Jin-hyung. The viewers are going to burst with frustration. Let me explain instead, okay?”
“Im… Seungho… you… punk….”
“Wahaha! Yes, the reason the TIOZ members came to our practice room today! Is to film their first self-produced content together with us! Wow, applause! I was wondering when we’d get to use the new camera we bought, and here we go!”
The fact that all the equipment TIOZ needed right now was already available here.
With Gaoyan having led most of AG’s content team abroad for an overseas location shoot right now.
TIOZ was in a situation where we immediately needed a space and equipment to film our own content.
But then I just remembered.
JDS Crew’s practice room was unbelievably spacious, and since they regularly filmed and uploaded their choreography videos, it was very well equipped with filming gear.
It was a bit funny how an idol from some agency was suddenly borrowing another dance team’s filming equipment and space, and even inviting guests for their first piece of content.
But this part was covered by the second reason.
“Ah, I’d been thinking I wanted to see you again ever since we filmed that video with Chunyong last time, so this is great. Huh?”
“This… time… for sure… re…ally….”
The fact that the JDS Crew members liked me more than I’d expected.
Maybe it was because of Ms. Dasol’s influence—she’d wanted to recruit me into her crew since the
“Holy crap, Chunchun! Long time no see, yeah? Did your promotions go well? I looked up all your stages!”
“Ah, hyung. …Yes. Thanks to you, I wrapped them up safely. Haha, have you been well, too?”
“How could I not be? Come here. Let’s have a hug!”
Seeing him grin from ear to ear and pull me into a fierce hug—of course. I figured it didn’t matter either way.
See? How neat is that?
We could easily film the self-produced content that TIOZ needed most right now.
As a bonus, it solved the problem of repackage album prep time being eaten up traveling back and forth between the practice room and the filming studio.
On top of that, by inviting the hottest dance team around as guests, we were raising the content’s buzz too!
However.
“H-, haha….”
The more I organized it, the more perfect this situation should have been, yet I couldn’t help but break out in cold sweat.
…There was a slight problem here, after all.
Right.
The JDS Crew people showed an oddly strong liking toward me.
They readily lent their precious practice room and filming equipment, to the point of even appearing as guests themselves.
At a glance, it might seem like they were trying to get on the good side of an idol member they liked, or showing goodwill to someone they’d mentored in
“…Ha, anyway… the announcement… live… ends… here… see you… soon… in the… video.”
…it would be impossible not to know that wasn’t the case.
That problematic situation began in earnest when Ms. Dasol, who had been conducting the announcement live on Outgram, turned off her phone.
“Then, after… this filming… Chunyong… will formally… become… a JDS Crew… irregular… member….”
“Agh! Ms. Dasol! I told you that’s not happening!”
“Oh-oh, TIOZ kids. That’s no good. Good is good, right? Huh? We’re helping you out. We deserve something in return too!”
As they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, is there?
This was exactly why I’d hesitated until the very end when suggesting this to the members and Hobin-hyung.
The fierce headhunting that had unfolded when I’d come to the JDS Crew practice room to film a choreography video—to counter the article that had come out of Queens.
Because that was going to continue today as well.
“Of course, we also want to treat idols we’ve made good connections with well. But wouldn’t it be nice if TIOZ repaid us in the process too? Hm?”
“M-more….”
“Yes, yes! Earlier, didn’t the manager say he’d settle the rental fee and appearance fee separately? You don’t need to give us that, really! We just need Chunchun to work as our guest member during his idol downtime!”
“That’s… right. Well… done.”
Faced with the situation that had unfolded in an instant—a situation the members, me, and Hobin-hyung had all expected—I could only press my palm to my forehead.
No… this is worse than expected.
“Let’s ask the person himself. Huh? Here, Chunyong! We even brought you a contract specifically for you! The terms are good! Trust a law school dropout!”
“Yeah! Trust a dancer who failed his entrance exams three times! Im Seungho is the smartest among us!”
Two of the JDS Crew members—along with Ms. Dasol, the most enthusiastic about recruiting me—lunged at me as if to grab me by the collar.
“Ahem, I’m sorry. Our Chunyong is rather shy despite his looks… Could you show that contract to me? I’m the leader, after all.”
“Ugh, you third-timer! Fair enough. Though I did get into the Practical Music Department at Korea University as the top student!”
Led by TIOZ’s two eldest hyungs, the members blocked their approach as if to hide me.
“Chu… nyong… Leave… those… fools… behind. For now… let’s… the two of us… go… over there….”
And in the midst of it all, the person who was supposedly the most mature adult was dragging my arm toward the office next to the practice room!
So much for the smooth self-produced content filming born from resourcefulness.
In the chaos that had erupted in an instant, I had to squeeze my eyes shut and raise my voice.
“…Hold on! Could everyone please calm down for a moment? Yes?”
“Uh-uh….”
With countless eyes instantly fixed on me, I couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
“So many people want me,” huh.
A luxury I’d never enjoyed during my Recks trash days—why was it so burdensome and bewildering?
But for now, I pushed my feelings aside and needed to sort out this mess.
I lightly clicked my tongue and slowly opened my mouth toward the JDS Crew members who looked ready to pounce on me.
Pretending not to see the [JDS Crew Irregular Member Contract] that Seungho-hyung was holding.
“…Crew members. Did you happen to read the proposal Hobin-hyung sent over?”
“Yeah, Im Seungho read all of that. It was nothing much, right? A relay dance quiz or whatever… In the end, it’s just dancing. That’s why our crew agreed to do it too.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Show the moves, guess the dance. Chunyong, you planned it, right? To bring out dance for your first content. As expected, you’re meant to join our crew….”
“Haha! Well, thank you for the praise, but….”
As Seungho-hyung had said earlier, what the members and I had planned and come here for was definitely something like a “dance battle.”
However, if it were really something like a normal dance battle, I wouldn’t have suggested doing it with dance crew members.
I quickly cut off Seungho-hyung, whose words were slithering in like a snake climbing a wall, and met eyes with each of my members.
“…….”
“Chunyong, hyung….”
Showing such solemn resolve even amid subtle embarrassment and tension—weren’t they so like our members?
Yeah, of course.
It wasn’t an ordinary dance battle, but a dance battle for self-produced content.…
Our members wouldn’t lose easily.
Having made my decision in that gaze, I opened my mouth quickly without giving anyone time to stop me.
“…If the crew wins, I’ll grant you a wish. Will that do?”
And at that moment.
It went without saying that more than just one or two people’s eyes lit up.
* * *
From the moment Jin Dasol delivered the message, “Could you possibly help us out a bit?” to Kim Chunyong.
The JDS crew members, who had been waiting for exactly that kind of contact, had quickly organized their objective.
No matter how much AG said they’d settle the accounts another way, they decided to unconditionally push for recruiting Kim Chunyong as an irregular member.
One might wonder why these ego-driven dancers were so obsessed with a single idol member, but they all had their reasons.
“Chunchun, you know. He has a bit of… a similar vibe to Jin-hyung, yeah.”
“Yeah. Did you watch the first episode of
“For me, it was that street dance video. The one with Ilyx. I got a hunch the moment I saw it. He’s Jin-hyung incarnate.”
“…We absolutely have to bring him in. Idol? Let him do that. But he should dance too. He can do that, can’t he!”
A dance crew, JDS Crew, composed of people who looked up to Jin Dasol as their guiding star and cultivated their own identity.
To such people, every moment Kim Chunyong exuded Jin Dasol’s nuance was intoxicating.
Therefore, the moment Kim Chunyong mentioned a “wish,” they already felt as if he had become their crew member.
They thought that perhaps Kim Chunyong might be a match, but the other TIOZ members would be no match for them.
“…Yes! Let me explain again. We’ll show the choreography video to the first person. After copying the dance for 30 seconds, pass it on to the person behind you and have them dance it. And if the last person guesses the song title correctly, one point! The first side to collect 10 points wins.”
Even when Kim Chunyong—the planner of this content and the center of the current situation—explained it once more, their thoughts remained unchanged.
They were just happily contemplating, “If Chunchun joins our team, what song should we film first?”
Even though they already knew TIOZ had picked 10 songs and they had picked 10.
And the moment the video began to play to open the first round of the relay dance quiz for the confident JDS Crew members.
“Wha… hold on. What the hell kind of dance is this…? No, more importantly, what song is this?!”
The bizarre collapse of Im Seungho’s face as he stood at the very front was exactly what the TIOZ members had expected.
Ah, see.…
I told you we wouldn’t lose easily.