The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 204* * *
The day after the Gangnam Recordplay offline fan signing ended, the day of the BNS Sound Stage music show.
[FireFire @fireworksday (Photo) (Photo)
Went to the Recordplay fan signing that happened right after TOJ got first place this time!
Pics are Chunyong and Hwaseong posing ♡ Ah anyway the most important thingTOJ is doing a collab stage at this year's year-end music festivalWith Wiz]
[⎿? Wow f*cking huge news. This hasn't even hit the articles yet what is this]
[FireFire @fireworksdayI asked Yongyong what he's doing at the year-end music festivaland he said they're doing a collab with Wizso I was like is it okay to tell anyone about this…but Logan told me exactly who's going up on stage with whom ㅠI don't know about the Wiz side but for TOJ it's JH / HS / LG + YC / CY / SY < they said it's paired like this!]
[⎿Wow after only ever causing aggro blunders you've finally brought us usable info FireFire-nim]
[⎿You've turned over a new leaf~ Caught yourself a Chunyong and Hwaseong and became a whole different person]
[⎿The power of love is insane]
Just as I'd wished, news of the collab between Wiz and our group was spreading far and wide across SNS and communities.
I think they were a fan who'd briefly crossed paths with me during the subway ad verification for *Targeting Star* before, so I'd approached them first—either way, I suppose I should take that as a good thing.
Of all things, there was also a fan with a familiar face from yesterday's signing—shoo— no.
[Neulbommireu @NBML__0412 (Photo) (Photo)
Ahhhh please stop being handsome on the day I couldn't go Yongyong-ahDon't show off that 4th-gen raw-gene hot guy vibe where I can't see itㅠ That braided half-updo is insane really… I should have seen that with my own eyes… ]
Since it looked like Neulbommireu-noona didn't get into this fan signing either, I'd been a bit worried about whether things would go as planned.
Anyway.
The reason I'd deliberately leaked the news of the Wiz collab through the fans first was because it was part of the plan I intended to carry out step by step.
[Kim Chunyong: So it's you and me in the same pair for the collab stage, right?]
[Bomb (Defused): Yeah you and me~ Danwoo~ Hawon!]
[Bomb (Defused): It's gonna be fun! ◠ ͜ ◠]
My plan up until this year's year-end music festival was to search for any 'other guys' within the connections of An Tae-i—which were known as the fruit of a century's love and scattered throughout the entertainment industry.
To do that, I needed to first spread it around that Wiz and our TOJ had a closer connection than people thought.
Because if the 'other guy' who'd harmed our family had any ties to An Tae-i, he might want to find out about me—how I'd changed through him.
So, I guess you could say I was baiting the hook early, letting them know 'your prey is right here.'
[Kim Chunyong: Tae-i-ya]
[Kim Chunyong: Since we're doing this collab stage together]
[Kim Chunyong: Do you happen to have any friends around our age you could introduce?]
[Kim Chunyong: Ah it doesn't have to be exactly our age either]
[Bomb (Defused): ??]
[Bomb (Defused): Chunyong do you want to start dating or what?]
[Kim Chunyong: What on earth are you talking about?]
Well, it seemed like there was a slight misunderstanding with the person in question along the way… but anyway.
"Hah…."
I exhaled a light sigh of relief and clenched my fist tight to celebrate that things had ultimately worked out.
The first step had been refreshing.
If I could reel in the 'other guys' through this matter, there'd be no need to take the survival show mentor position that Yeonu-hyung had offered me.
And if I didn't get deeply entangled with Yeonu-hyung, X would surely clap his hands in approval.
Of course, between searching for those other guys and managing the bombs derived from that process, I had a lot on my plate, but….
"We'll announce the rankings soon! Singers, please come back up on stage before the countdown!"
The most important thing was always album promotions.
"Alright, shall we meet this week's first-place nominees? First up is Sledix's 'Monghoerang,' shining with triple-million-seller status! They couldn't be here due to concluded promotions, but we'll see them again with their next follow-up song!"
"Yes, and here is TOJ's 'W.oW,' which set the second-half music scene ablaze!"
Because if I didn't want to return to those days when I was flying high as a malicious member, crawling pathetically across the police station floor, I had to fulfill my contract with X perfectly.
"We'll do our best!"
I put on a bright smile and waved toward the fans who'd come to watch the live broadcast.
"Logan!"
"Shh, shh! Don't cause a live broadcast blunder!"
And more than anything else, this very sight was what I—the me who'd repeated countless mistakes in the past—wanted to see again.
To repay the love fans sent me, showcasing the best song and choreography on stage, and always sending thanks and love to those around me who helped in that process.
Right. In the end, that's what I want.
"Haha…."
While the MCs exchanged time-killing banter here and there for the live text vote tally, I checked once again where I was standing, a smile touching my lips.
Which meant, this place was….
[BNS Sound Stage under fire for severe pre-recording delay… What on earth happened?]
[⎿I heard this is because someone threw up on the main stage LOLLLL]
[⎿Wow sh*t I know who it is]
[Idol Mr. R causes another accident on stage? Insider: "First time seeing an idol vomit on stage."]
[⎿What's even the point of using the initial R? Anyone can tell it's Rex]
[⎿RexTrash really living up to his name f*cking insane]
This was the stage I'd thrown up on after drinking and forcing myself to come up.
"……"
The situation at that time flashed through my mind like a panorama.
Unlike the Music Music Days live hall, where I could immediately cure my hangover with precious sikhye from the snack bar on the underground fourth floor, here at the BNS public hall it took at least ten minutes to walk to the nearest convenience store.
So for me back then, the ways to settle my nauseous stomach were to rest, or to throw up everything in one go. It was one of the two.
But back then, I couldn't do either.
"Manager-hyung. Uh, shouldn't Rex rest today? No matter how you look at it, ugh. He's in really bad condition…."
"Hey, so you're saying he came all this way and can't go up today? You know what Arrowz and Rex's image is like right now!"
"I said Rex should rest today even before we went to the shop. Of course, you should manage your own condition. But when you can't, the people around you have to speak up…."
"Yuchan, Yuchan… After all those years, you still can't shake that civilian mindset? This is the entertainment industry. You think excuses like that fly! What, did Rex's family pass away yesterday? It's been ages, ages!"
Well, the conversations going back and forth beside me as I lay there with my stage costume over my face were exactly like that.
Listening to that, how could I say I couldn't go up because my stomach was upset?
I just said I was fine, that I could do it, and somehow made it through.
And the result was….
"Wai… a minute. Let me pause for a sec…."
"What do you mean pause? You can't, Rex-hyung. They said this soap bubble effect is hard to spray later because the floor gets slippery after, so we have to do a bit more now…."
"…Urk."
"Ah, no! This is crazy, really!"
"Huk…."
"Cut, cut! What is this! Manager! You're putting him on stage when the idol's in that condition!?"
"N-no, Rex said he wanted to go up…! Ugh, what is with him!"…
Damn it.
I controlled my expression from twisting with god-like control and glanced sideways to check where I'd emptied all the alcohol I'd been drinking all dawn.
"Dain-ssi, I hear a new face will be joining our MC team soon! Do you have any guesses who it might be?"
"Oh my, I don't know yet! For things like that, isn't it better to prepare your heart after checking the news first rather than knowing beforehand?"
"Haha, that's right!"
Hmm, so it's where that male MC standing over there making banter with his partner is.
"Hah…."
I let out a low sigh along with the embarrassment welling up from deep inside, my apology toward the MC, and the tension before the rank announcement.
Suffering from depression and guilt, drinking my sorrows away, causing accidents almost daily.
Screaming in the hallucinations of those I'd lost, and causing trouble for those around me who stayed by my side.
I don't ever want to go back to those times.
To do that, I had to do my best at what I could do now, what I should do, and what I had to do.
If not….
Then there'd be no meaning in coming back like this.
"……"
As I briefly bowed my head and clenched my fist, renewing my vow silently over and over.
"Hey, Chunyong-hyung. Is it because you're nervous?"
"…Yeah."
From beside me, Logan—who'd dyed his hair brown as an extension of the previous *Hide and Seek* album concept—spoke to me in a small voice.
"Yeah, a little… I'm nervous. Is it because we're first-place nominees? Haha, I need to manage my expression. Don't talk too much either. They'll hear."
"Wow, Chunyong-hyung getting nervous. I still remember when you said to just trust you on *Targeting Star*."
Logan, wearing the painting jacket Director Moon Yunha had selected after much trouble and a guitar pick necklace, giggled as he whispered this and that to me.
"But, so do I. No, the stage is always nerve-wracking no matter how many times I go up. I really can't believe it…! My song is a first-place nominee, Chunyong-hyung."
"…It's because your song is good, you punk."
"But, you know. I could never have done it without everyone helping."
Logan, wagging an invisible tail vigorously, sneakily caught the staff's signal that the live text vote tally had ended and smiled brightly at me.
"—I'm so happy right now, Chunyong-hyung. I really like TOJ."
"……"
At Logan's words, I couldn't open my mouth even as I stepped forward with the members toward the first-place announcement.
Logan hadn't been an Arrowz member. He'd become a TOJ member because I'd returned like this.
Flying in from faraway Liverpool, to devote his entire life to this very moment.
"Then, we shall now announce first place! This week's BNS Sound Stage glory first place is…."
"Oh my god, I'm so nervous…!"
But hearing a guy like that say he was 'happy to become TOJ,' for some reason….
—Pop-pop-bang!
"It's Sledix's 'Monghoerang'! Congratulations, we'll deliver the trophy separately!"
…Beyond everything given before me, it felt like there was meaning in my return.
I watched the confetti fluttering above my head, then slowly blinked both eyes.
It was a strange feeling.
"Ah, what a shame. I wondered if maybe this time… huh? Hey, Chunyong-hyung. Your hair's getting messed up!"
"Shh, be quiet."
I stared at Logan beside me clapping with disappointment and congratulations, then roughly ruffled his fluffy puppy-like hair.
Even though we hadn't achieved first place.
Even though this stage couldn't earn any reward or congratulations from X.
Even so….
"Congrats on the nomination, punk."
"Oh… y-you too, hyung."
For some reason, a very great sense of satisfaction filled one corner of my chest.
"Huh? Why are you two playing by yourselves? Me too! Let me in too!"
"Yeah, Ji Hwaseong, you come too."
"Ahem, guys. We should move aside so others can pass. We need to get to the waiting room too…."
"Jaeha, it's because they're happy, happy. Me too, so what! Let's head to the waiting room little by little like this!"
"Let me in, too. Chunyong-hyeong…."
"Hurry up, come on."
Without caring whether my original face looked sharp or delinquent-like, I wore a big smile and threw my arms around the members' shoulders.
After this….
I felt like I could work even harder.