The Malicious Member Has Returned! Chapter 193
The moment Kim Bomi began pouring out her intense rage toward her blood-related mate.
On the Kim family’s television screen, and on the tablets the students carried around.♬♪♩♪♬…
TOJ’s comeback stage, recorded after Kim Chunyong had desperately resolved the issue, slowly began to play.
There were two new songs included in their repackaged album, “Another Clover.”
One of them was a track the A&R team had poured their heart and soul into making during TOJ’s “Hide-and-Seek” promotions.
“So, originally, this almost became our title track?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right… Hmm, we really did do our best too. But no matter how many times we listen, the song Logan made seems more suitable as the title track. As for this one, well, we were thinking we might keep it or scrap it.”
The A&R team’s reaction after checking the file Logan had sent, titled [SeriouslyPleaseThisIsReallyGodTheLastOne], was somewhat crestfallen.
Whatever else could be said about AG’s principles, artists came first.
Even if there had been trouble with Director Shin in the process of putting together the repackaged album, and no matter how tight the schedule was, if the artist ultimately brought in an incredible piece of work, the A&R team belonging to the label had no choice but to say, Yes, sir! and lay it out.
To begin with, things like this happened all the time even at agencies that didn’t put artists first.
Making songs, scrapping them.
Reviving what had been scrapped, recycling it.
Considering the nature of an A&R team that wasn’t made up of composers who created and sold their own songs, but belonged to an agency label and made songs for the agency’s singers to perform, perhaps this was only natural.
However.
“…
We can include this too, and perform it onstage too. Why would we keep it aside or throw it away?”
“Huh?”
“Well, Director Shin did say to include only one new song… but I think we can put this in too. I’ll talk to the director about it. If it comes down to it, we can decorate the stage with just blocking and no choreography.”
“Chun, Chunyong… are you serious? Really? I mean, I’m happy you’re saying the song is good! But to that extent? Why?”
“…
Haha. Because the song is good.”
Although he had chosen Logan’s song in order to aim for first place in this round of promotions, Kim Chunyong had no intention of throwing away the song the A&R team had made for them.
Because that song the A&R team had made was….
“Whoa, damn, amazing! We’re still holding on to the chart! Look, Rex hyung!”
“Huh, our song is at eighteenth place. This isn’t a dream, is it…?”
“Seriously? Whew, let’s turn on a live right now. This is because the fans are streaming it for us!”
“Mmm. I thought it wouldn’t do well because the repackaged album came out too fast, but I never imagined this. I think my face is red right now….”
“You’re making a fuss when it isn’t even first place.”
“Liu Wei… you shouldn’t… say things like that…!”
It had previously been Arrows’ repackaged title track.
No matter how much time had passed, no matter how the members had changed since then, no matter how many things were different, there were a few things he could not let slip away.‘Our debut song changed, but… I want at least this one to remain the same.’Never forget why I came back like this.
Keep remembering what made me this way.
Recall the people who sang this song together back then, and cherish the hearts of the fans who believed in me and the members.
That was one of Kim Chunyong’s means of protecting himself, whether in the future, the past, or the present.
And so, before TOJ’s title track stage, they ended up performing about one minute of the included track, “Border Line.”♬♪♩♪♬…
As the intro slowly faded, a spotlight fell on the six people sitting on a long bench in the center of the stage.
Their outfits consisted of bluish-toned roco jackets, jeans, and sneakers in the colors that suited each of them best.
With hair and makeup that weren’t overdone added to the mix, a refreshing feeling similar to their “Hide-and-Seek” promotions flowed from them.
Boys standing on the boundary between child and adult.
Compared to when they had promoted in Boy Scout uniforms, they seemed to have grown, and yet maybe not.
But on closer inspection, there were definitely changes from before that stood out.
And among them, the youngest, Jang Siu, opened the song with his voice.
- Woah, Woah, this is Alpha
If you can hear me, respond, Juliet
Romeo, Oscar, Victor, anyone is fine
Wearing high-top black sneakers, Jang Siu practically bounced forward as he continued singing.
Usually, he spoke slowly, in a voice tinged with anxiety.
He trailed off at the ends of his sentences, rolled his eyes this way and that, and gauged other people’s reactions.Though Jang Siu showed such delicacy that he had earned the nickname “sensitive black cat,” the place he stood now was none other than a stage.
Since he had worked countless times to the point of suppressing his sensitive nature in order to stand on this stage, there was even a glimpse of resolve about him.
- I have something to tell you
I hope you’ll listen
About the new things I saw
After facing a long game of hide-and-seek
As if making it obvious that this was a repackaged album of the previous album, the phrase “hide-and-seek” naturally woven into the lyrics blended with Jang Siu’s clear voice and playfully tickled the listeners’ ears.
In other words, should one say it was cute, just like his looks?
“Siuyaaaaak!”
“Ah, the prerecording mess is seriously…! Shh, shh!”
Thanks to that, Jang Siu’s individual fandom was nearly dying from holding back their screams.
The communities and social media, which had not anticipated this at all, were also rapidly refreshing with new posts.[No but they performed a B-side, so why did none of the prerecording reviews mention it at all? I’m dumbfounded][⎿There’s a confidentiality agreement, that’s why they couldn’t even talk about the outfits][⎿As expected of Jang Siu the black cat, he knows black sneakers well, approved, this is exactly it, my heart is happy][siuhada @singsingull_ll11Why didn’t I go to the prerecording…? I didn’t see that face of Siu’s with my own eyes? I’m so jealous of everyone who saw it… I’m crying tears of blood… Please exchange brains with me… ][⎿Now we’ve even got brain exchanges, Teacher Siuhada, I thought you were composed, but you’re crazy too]
Was it fortunate, or was it an even bigger problem?
As if the A&R team had intended to cram every possible extension of “Hide-and-Seek” into “Border Line,” the next part very naturally belonged to Bang Yuchan.
- Woah, Woah, once again, Alpha
The end of my narrow world
The drifting over swaying waves is over too
The world I face with you is vast
Because the preparation period for the repackaged album was so short and they had reduced the choreography as much as possible, the members had no choice but to compensate for the empty choreography by briefly standing from the bench placed on the stage or walking around it while making improvised gestures.
Bang Yuchan wasn’t used to this sort of thing, and throughout
- You and I, we
Are experiencing all of this for the first time
Phonetic, Poetic, swaying letters
When you think singer, you think singing. When you think singing, you think singer.
In front of a master vocalist, that sort of burden was none of anyone’s concern.
Even if his gestures were a little awkward, even if he smiled shyly through the gaps.
Ah, if the song flowing from his mouth was sweet and incredible, then all of it became a charming point.
On top of that, the lyrics were the lyrics.
There was no member here who suited that part better than Bang Yuchan, who had debuted through a survival show after starting out as an ordinary person.
His appearance, as blank as a sheet of drawing paper, just like his white shoes, looked as if anything could be drawn onto it.
Ah.
- Over the boundary
Twirl, twirl
I’ll check if I’m hearing this right
Tare, Tango, Toc
Okay, Roger
Similarly, that sensational Liverpool boy who came all the way from England might be a bit like that too.
Logan flung his body back far enough for the soles of his bright light-green sneakers to show, made a finger-gun gesture as if firing bang, and then the remaining members’ chorus began.
- Woah, Woah, Our Borderline
Beyond the Borderline
The universe, the sea, the cliff beyond it
If I’m with you
If, in the end, we’re together
Kim Chunyong, Son Jaeha, and even Ji Hwasung.
Keeping the beat with blue sneakers similar in color to the roco jacket draped over his shoulders, Son Jaeha led in a soft, high tone, and Kim Chunyong responded.
Then Ji Hwasung added the chorus notes in a slightly husky voice.
Perhaps excited because it had been a long time since he sang instead of rapped onstage like this, Ji Hwasung’s bright yellow sneakers shook at his feet as if they were almost flying.
“Whoa, then I won’t have any parts in the B-side stage. Should I go out front and dance or something?”
“Mmm, you’re right. Since the rap part is in the second verse… or maybe there might be a way to change the order a bit.”
“Eh, wouldn’t that kill the mood of the song a little? I don’t want to go that far! Yongyong hyung, if you just choreograph one thing with me….”
“…
Instead of that, Hwasung, why don’t you do the chorus with me and Jaeha hyung?”
“Eeeh?”
“Yeah. I think that would be good. Really… I think it would be just right.”
That was why Ji Hwasung, the rapper of the group, ended up joining the chorus on the B-side stage.
Of course, anyone could end up fighting with comments like, [Fuck why did they cut Hwasung’s part? No, where did our kid’s 20 seconds go lololol] or [Counting the seconds of parts is honestly creepy, please, why are you doing this?]
But in the end, what mattered was that all the members enjoyed this stage together.
And that, among all of it, Kim Chunyong felt fulfilled.
- Bravo, Brava, Our Borderline
That universe will be sweet
That sea will be deep
And at that cliff, Bungee
Kim Chunyong had no intention of hiding the smile lingering at his lips as he fully revealed his canine teeth.
The lyrics had changed a bit.
The people singing it had changed a little too.
But he was able to sing this song, which Arrows had once sung, as TOJ as well, and that sincerity might melt into people’s hearts one more time.
Ah, how could he not smile at a time like this?
- Woah, Woah, Our Borderline
Beyond the Borderline
The universe, the sea, the cliff beyond it
Will you go with me beyond the end
Will you be with me in the end
I promise it’ll be fun
Letting the sweat running down the line of his neck fall onto the stage, Kim Chunyong slung his arms firmly around the shoulders of Ji Hwasung and Son Jaeha, who were sitting beside him.
Watching the drop of sweat that had fallen beside his bright red sneakers glitter as it reflected the lights, Kim Chunyong put a little strength into the hands resting on their shoulders.
- Bravo, Brava, Our Borderline
That universe will be sweet
That sea will be deep
And at that cliff, Bungee Boy
Let’s go, beyond the boundary line
The moment Kim Chunyong pronounced “beyond” with his distinctive husky ending.
The stage lights slowly went out, and the LED that had been glittering with a mixture of bubbles and auroras, as well as the stage itself, were dyed black.
At the same time, a single letter appeared: “W.”Just as the lyrics of “Border Line” had said throughout, at the end, there was something beyond.
The short B-side stage was over, so now….
It was only right for the main performance to come out.
The main performance for which X had threatened him, saying, “If you can’t get first place, I’ll strip away the stats you worked so hard to build,” and which would be responsible for the first step toward the Rookie Award.