The Evil Member Has Returned! Chapter 18 — Targeting Star
It was the day of the team performances for the original song "Aiming" on Targeting Star. The trainees' waiting room.
Yuchan hyung, wearing heavy stage makeup for the first time, stomped over to me.
"Whoa, Chunyong. You look really handsome today."
"Of course I look handsome, I've got makeup on."
"No, no. It's a little different from that."
Yuchan furrowed his brows slightly and made a box with his fingers, holding it under my face.
"You already kinda looked unapproachable, you know? I mean, once you talk to him you realize it's not like that, but... I guess you could say he looks a bit sharp. But right now it's a different feeling. The aura, wow."
"...
Isn't 'looking sharp' not a compliment?"
"Wouldn't you rather have that? Have people ever asked if you follow the Way?"
At his random question, I opened my mouth and thought for a moment.
Even adding up my time with Arrows Rex before and now, probably...
"...Never, actually?"
"See. That's a good thing. If you get caught up in that, it's a huge waste of time. You saved that time, man."
"So you're saying people don't talk to me because my face is scary...?"
"Ah, so handsome, Chunyong! Wahaha!"
No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem like a compliment.
I laughed helplessly and returned the compliment, telling him he looked handsome too.
Yuchan hyung, who has a naturally sexy vibe, actually looks better with light makeup that highlights his features rather than this heavy stage makeup, but that would show itself over time anyway.
"I thought I'd be a bit less nervous since it's my second stage. But maybe because I prepared it with other people, I think I'm more nervous."
I empathized deeply with his words.
More than any stage I'd stood on as an idol until now, every single moment of returning and risking my life in this survival show was more nerve-wracking.
And the mission I'd received from X this morning only added to my tension.
[Sudden Mission (NEW!)
Congratulations on passing the grueling self-introduction stage and making it to the official competition! Aim for first place in the team performances, your first step toward becoming the greatest idol in K-pop history.
Reward: Skill Selection Ticket (F)]
The fact that this moment given to me wasn't just a second chance gifted by luck, but something obtained through a contract with someone.
That reminded me what I needed to focus on.
"...We have to do well. No matter what."
"Huh? Chunyong hyung, what did you say?"
"Uh, huh?"
Before I knew it, our team members had gathered in a circle around me.
Logan, Seobin, Gao Yan, a sulky-faced Kim Juan.
And even Ji Hwaseong.
After getting hair and makeup done, Ji Hwaseong's brittle bleached hair was now a glossy, flowing blonde—he looked more like an idol than ever before.
The Arrows member I used to know, that is.
As if noticing my gaze, Ji Hwaseong smoothly swept his hair back and opened his mouth playfully.
"Why are you staring like that? Embarrassing. When you've made yourself look even cooler."
"What do you..."
"Okay, okay! Anyway. Ji Hwaseong and others. Let's get together."
"Boo, dictator."
"Booo. Hwaseong looks like young Stalin, Stalin."
"Boooo. A one-man army."
"You guys, seriously!"
Laughter still filled my teammates' faces. No sign of the previous friction.
As expected, when problems arise, it's better to butt heads and sort them out quickly.
After laughing hard for a while, Ji Hwaseong put his hand in the center and shouted energetically.
"Alright, let's do well on stage today. Then, everyone put your hands in—"
"Wait. What are we supposed to shout?"
Gao Yan asked quickly with a serious face, and the others started giving him a hard time.
"It's only one thing, Gao Yan."
"Gosh, Gao Yan. So clueless!"
"What, what. Did everyone decide this without Gao Yan? How does everyone know?"
"...Sigh. Come here."
When I, unable to watch any longer, put my arm around Gao Yan's neck and told him, his eyes went wide. Then he quickly placed his hand where Ji Hwaseong's was and hurried the others.
"Hurry, hurry, put them in. Gao Yan knows now too."
Even Kim Juan's hand, which he kept pulling out saying he wouldn't do it, was forcibly placed on top, and everyone shouted loudly with excited voices.
All together—"Let's debut!"
* * *
A single light shone down on the darkened stage, and the man beneath it mimed shooting an arrow, shouting cheerfully.
"Toward the dream of debut, shoot! Hello, Star Shooters. I'm your MC! Singer Choi Gaon."
Waaaaah!
A cheer erupted from the trainees, including me, sitting at the side of the stage.
This is how TV works. There was no live audience yet, so we had to play the part.
Since every single camera shot captured in moments like this was precious for a trainee, we had no choice.
"Long time no see, trainees! You've been well, right?"
Choi Gaon smiled warmly at us, greeting us, then began explaining today's stage.
"Today is finally the day each team showcases the original Targeting Star song, 'Aiming'. If there are three teams, the order matters too, right? Before the stage, we'll decide that order!"
At Choi Gaon's words, Logan, sitting next to me, muttered.
"Chunyong hyung. Does the order matter? It's all the same song."
"Of course it matters."
Precisely because it's the same song, order matters.
I came up with a simple example to explain on Logan's level since he didn't seem to understand.
"Logan, you said the tteokgalbi you had after coming to Korea was delicious, right?"
"God, Yes. That, the sauce was super sweet, and the meat was thick. It was really good."
"But do you think it'd still be delicious if you ate it three meals in a row? Would the last bite taste the same as the first?"
"Um, probably not? Because after eating it several times you'd get sick of it..."
Oh.
Logan, who had answered me, made a face of realization and nodded his head firmly.
It was the same principle.
When competing with the same song, attention naturally dips for the team that appears last. Because the judges get tired.
"It's advantageous to perform first if possible. That's why they're doing that now."
"Wow. Then, uh, so. Um, solemn? Right? We have to solemnly decide the order. How do we decide?"
Already knowing how it would be decided, I forced a smile at Logan, hiding my embarrassment.
"The way to decide the order is..."
Before I could even say anything more, Choi Gaon pulled his hand from behind his back and went, ta-da.
"It's this!"
Three signs with three hand shapes drawn on them.
Logan's mouth, which had been anticipating something thrilling, dropped open.
"...rock paper scissors?"
Yeah. The universal method.
Rock paper scissors in English.
Kajji-bo in Korean.
"The leaders of each team will come out, stand back to back, each pick a sign and raise it. The winner gets the benefit of choosing the order first!"
"Suddenly rock paper scissors..."
At the sudden announcement of the order-deciding method, the trainees leaned toward their team leaders and started whispering urgently.
I also quickly grabbed Ji Hwaseong's shoulder and whispered rapidly.
"Your stage order..."
"Obviously first. And I know what Jaeha hyung will throw. He always throws rock whenever picking meal menus. We absolutely have to avoid scissors."
Half right, half wrong.
I tried to look as serious as possible, staring straight into Ji Hwaseong's eyes, and said.
"No, throw scissors no matter what."
Ji Hwaseong's expression, which had been full of confidence about winning, changed oddly.
"...What do you mean? I already know Jaeha hyung throws rock. In a situation where we only have to watch out for Liu Wei, you want me to throw scissors?"
"That's right. Chunyong hyung is weird today. His face got even handsomer, but he's weird."
"Bro, scissors can't cut rock."
"Kim Chunyong is talking nonsense again, no. Chunyong, you're saying weird things."
"Hmm, there must be a reason you said that... but is it really necessary to take that gamble?"
I know. What I was saying had zero logical persuasiveness.
In a situation where I couldn't say I had already seen this before, the method I chose to convince my team members was...
"I had a dragon dream last night."
Insisting through folk belief.
My teammates' expressions turned peculiar at my words. Especially Logan's face.
"A yo, yong dream? Dragon Dream? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Good heavens. Logan. A dragon dream is an omen of becoming an emperor. Right now, Chunyong hyung has the mandate of heaven with him."
"Oh, man... date of... really? Chunyong hyung?"
Gao Yan, enchanted by my words, provided supporting fire. I put strength into the hand gripping Ji Hwaseong's shoulder, my face stern and serious.
"In the dream, uh. The dragon flew away, right? But it went up lifting two fingers. That's a sign to throw scissors. I have to throw them. Right? Don't you trust me?"
This method of relentless insistence was something I learned playing drinking games back in my evil member days.
"Huh? You're not drinking? Huh? The bottom glass?"
"I feel like... I'm gonna throw up..."
"You need to drink more. Not drinking this is a lack of loyalty. Why skip it? The alcohol? You drink to get drunk, right? Ah, it's too bitter so it's hard? Then your super-cute Rex will mix you a cool and sweet one with sweet after bitter—ttak!"
"Just kill me instead..."
It's an embarrassing past just recalling it...
But how great that I can use it like this.
"Scissors no matter what. The resonance of my soul is telling me."
"Uh, uhh... r-really?"
Ji Hwaseong nodded reluctantly at my repeated emphasis on scissors, like an incantation.
Good. Since Ji Hwaseong is weak to this kind of folk belief, it must have worked on him.
Ji Hwaseong always checks his daily fortune first thing in the morning. He gets his saju read for the new year, and his star sign fortune before bed.
But if a hyung in his team dreamed a dragon dream, what can he do?
He has to listen.
"Ah, I kinda don't think this is it..."
"...Chunyong. I'll trust you."
Kim Juan and Seobin were looking at me with slightly annoyed expressions from the side, but it didn't matter.
Thank me later, you guys.
I have my reasons.
"Ji Hwaseong, remember. Scissors no matter what. If you trust me, good things will come."
"Alright, alright! What's with the 'good things'?"
Soon, all the team leaders headed to the center of the stage and received the signs from Choi Gaon.
All three turned around at the same time, each picking a sign to raise.
"Okay, leaders. Once you've each picked one, raise it high with your right hand..."
It was true what Ji Hwaseong said about Jaeha hyung often throwing rock in rock paper scissors.
During Arrows days, when deciding who washed dishes or cleaned the bathtub in the dorm, hyung often threw rock.
It probably wouldn't be much different now.
But what I needed to consider was...
"I'll give you a chance to change! One chance to change. Trainee Ji Hwaseong, will you change? Trainee Liu Wei?"
"Ah, I'll change!"
"Oh! Trainee Son Jaeha changes. He raised a different sign! Now, all three close your eyes, turn around, and let's check what the others picked. One, two—"
Would Jaeha hyung not know what Ji Hwaseong would throw?
"Three!"
"Waaaaah!"
"Ahh!"
"......"
Ji Hwaseong threw scissors.
And Jaeha hyung and Liu Wei threw paper.
"That's weird. Hwaseongie always throws rock!"
Jaeha hyung complained sadly as he returned to his seat. I shot back a double thumbs-up to Ji Hwaseong, who was sending me one from the center of the stage.
Oh, and by the way.
"...Tch."
Liu Wei always throws paper no matter what. I emphasized scissors having predicted all of this too.
"You really had a dragon dream? What the heck. This is crazy."
"Uh, yeah. Well... it's something..."
I nodded halfheartedly to Kim Juan, who was staring at me with rare, pure admiration.
I didn't actually have one, but whatever.
My name is Kim Chunyong, so every dream I have is basically a dragon dream.
Ji Hwaseong declared boldly that they'd go first, then Liu Wei, and finally Jaeha hyung's team went last.
It was a good start.
* * *
Before the stage began, Choi Gaon, holding a mic, hurried over to our team and spoke with an excited expression.
"Excuse me, Trainee Kim Chunyong?"
Surprisingly, he spoke to me instead of Ji Hwaseong, following the instructions of the production crew's prompter. It seemed my moves were appealing to them more than expected.
I was grateful, of course.
I greeted the sparkling Choi Gaon with the kindest smile I could muster, like a top solo artist.
"Ah, yes. Hello!"
Choi Gaon flinched slightly at my greeting.
I lightly rubbed my cheek, looking sheepish. Just like Yuchan hyung said, it seemed my eyes still came across as sharp.
But Choi Gaon soon continued the conversation with me professionally.
"Yes, nice to meet you too. First of all, before the stage... I heard your team members went through a lot of hardship?"
"Aaah..."
I thought back briefly over the past week, picking my words.
Hardship, was that even hardship? Just some kids bickering a little, and they call that hardship.
Real hardship isn't this kind of thing like fighting, getting angry, or crying.
"Noona! No! Mom, Dad! Nari!"
...It comes without warning.
Instead of explaining my entire life with a stiff face, I looked toward the judges' seats and answered brightly.
"Ah, everyone was just trying really hard, so there were some differences of opinion. They're all resolved, of course."
"Oh, what happened?"
"Well, it'll probably come out in the broadcast anyway..."
I grinned, looking at the production crew stationed across the studio near the cameras.
"But I think that's not important anymore. What's important is..."
This stage right now.
Choi Gaon looked slightly blank at my words.
Maybe because I stated the obvious, or maybe he was surprised that I wasn't nervous at all. It was probably one of the two.
"...Yes, unfortunately I'll have to check what happened on the broadcast! Trainee Kim Chunyong, do well on stage. Fighting!"
"Yes, thank you. Fighting."
Choi Gaon showed me his fist once, and I nodded, tapping my mic against it with a kong.
Soon the lights went out, and the spotlight for the first team poured onto the stage.
It was starting.