The Toxic Member Has Returned! Episode 207* * *The Kim Chunyong that Han Danwoo remembered.
In other words, the impression of Kim Chunyong from their Queens trainee days, when the two had been close before their falling out, had been, 'His looks and personality are similar.'
Not as an insult, but in a positive sense.
"Euna. You there, don't you look forward when you turn?"
"Huh... Yes?"
"When you turn, consciously think about directing your head forward as you turn. That's the only way your center won't collapse. If you just turn, you're not dancing—you're a drunk person."
"D-drunk...."
"So what I'm saying is, keep your center even while dancing. You can do it. You're good, yet your progress keeps stalling here."
He tossed out his own brand of advice, as refreshingly candid as his sharp features.
"Hey, Kim Chunyong. Why are you giving advice to Kim Juan? Just leave kids who don't work hard alone. He's lazy because he has backing, so just let him live like that."
"No, it's annoying... Have you seen him dance? He can do it if he tries, but he doesn't. That just pisses me off."
"So I'm saying, you can just leave lazy people with good backgrounds alone...."
"I'm a good person, so it's fine, you bastard. You help if you can help."
A personality that could easily be misunderstood as 'annoying and meddlesome,' but because the advice was ultimately for the other person's sake if you thought it over, you couldn't say anything about it anywhere.
"Chunyong hyung? Sometimes he is a bit scary because of his expression... but he's kind. He's been a trainee for a long time too. Sometimes his words are a bit blunt, but that actually helps more."
"That basic choreography... I passed it thanks to Chunyong hyung. I wouldn't have been able to do it if he hadn't helped."
"I think Chunyong will probably be in the next debut group's dance line. ...
It would be nice if we could debut together."
"Kim Chunyong? Ugh, don't even talk about that bastard with the tacky name. And Han Danwoo, why are you talking to me? I hate you too, get lost!"
The only person who truly hated that Kim Chunyong at Queens, right up until the monthly evaluation choreography similarity incident, was Kim Juan, and most of the Queens trainees had thought of Kim Chunyong in that positive light.
After terminating his contract with Queens, he appeared on
No, with this side, it was rather easy to brush it off with thoughts like, 'Ah, they must have gone with a bright and friendly concept for the broadcast?'
"Hey, why are you watching that like it's good? Turn it off."
"Anyway, they were our fellow trainees. Juan too, and Chunyong too... Above all, I feel like Chunyong's personality changed a bit."
"—Use that time to practice your debut song more. What's so good about seeing that bastard's face?"
"Hm? Hawon, Danwoo. Who are you talking about? Isn't this that survival program that recently started?"
"An Taei, someone who hasn't even finished memorizing the choreography shouldn't take interest in strange things."
Moreover, it was a time when his feelings toward Kim Chunyong hadn't been very good either.
However.
After debuting as members of different groups, and running into each other in the waiting room.
While feelings weren't very good, filming the 'Catch Me, Catch You' reality show together, and reconciling in their own way.
"Hm... Taei-ya. Did you forget the choreography the teacher just taught you? Here, the move is a bit different in the recording."
"Hm? No, I didn't forget. I just thought it would be okay to do it like this."
"Haha... Siu-ya. Shall we go together?"
"Y-yes. Taei, ssi... Over here, just a moment...."
"Oh, two of our members are going? Then I have to go too! Don't leave hyung behind, guys."
"Yes? Haha, where to? Where are we going right now?"
"The practice room next door. To watch you a little longer."
And now, even moving their bodies in the same practice room like old times.
"No, I can understand Chunyong, but you two didn't have this kind of image? This is fascinating. Why are you grabbing me like a mouse?"
"It's practice...."
"Ugh, Siu is right. Taei ssi. You have to practice properly, right? First of all, memorizing the choreography comes first."
"That's right, Taei-ya. It's a collab stage. It's important that we do well together."
"Uh, wait. No, it's a bit hard...."
"Let's do just a little more, just a little. You can do it, right? You're good, aren't you?"
"Huh? Really?"
Now, watching Kim Chunyong plunge the two members who would be doing the collab stage with him, along with dud An Taei, into practice hell.
Only one thought came to Han Danwoo's mind. 'I thought his personality seemed to have changed a bit, but....' Right.
The Kim Chunyong he had known and the current Kim Chunyong seemed completely different.
"Wow, Taei-ya. You're really good!"
"Huff, r-really?"
"Yeah, of course! Wow, you might be the first among us to memorize the choreography?"
"Really... easy? Waa, then, just a little more...."
From the beginning, the biggest concern for both TIOZE and WIZ had been An Taei's careless attitude, with that splendid flower garden installed in his head.
Because of previous issues, no matter how awkward, uncomfortable, and sheepish the smiles might be, if he just focused on shutting his mouth and dancing, the practice itself wouldn't be a problem.
But, if An Taei needlessly brought up 'that time' again and spouted nonsense?
If that atmosphere truly became unbearable?
"An Taei, please. We're already ashamed to face the TIOZE members because of the nuisance we caused in the waiting room back then, so get a grip. You understand?"
"Huh? But wasn't 'Catch Me, Catch You' worse than the waiting room incident? Still, if I just think about how that worked out well, I feel good again. I wish something interesting would happen this time too...."
"At least pretend to listen to what people are saying!"
Han Danwoo had sternly warned An Taei to 'definitely keep your mouth shut when you meet TIOZE,' exerting what authority he had as leader, but whether those words had properly stuck to a guy who did whatever he pleased regardless of the leader was anyone's guess.
But, to think it would be like this.
"I, I'm a bit tired... I'll rest for 10 minutes, just 10."
"Really? Then shall we check what you filmed while you rest?"
"—No! Haha, no, it's fine. I'll just be alone for a moment. Thanks, Chunyong-ah!"
"Yeah, sure."
"Chunyong, hyung... Yuchan hyung and I will stay by your side."
"Right. Chunyong, you go eat a snack or something for a moment. You've been watching our choreography since earlier. We'll stay by Taei ssi's side...."
"I really can be alone, everyone!"...
He's using that kind of method?
Carrot and stick?
And scheming with his own members to exhaust An Taei with continuous practice routines?
Even making An Taei sick of clinging to Kim Chunyong?
The more he calmly traced it back, the more a corner of his heart raised its head in shocked disbelief. 'I felt it during Catch Me, Catch You, but this is really... too calculated. Kim Chunyong would go that far? That Kim Chunyong who used to be so my-pace?'
Han Danwoo, who had been watching this entire situation through the small window of the adjoining practice room, flinched his shoulders greatly as he saw Kim Chunyong, who had briefly high-fived his own members beside him, walking toward the door.
He didn't seem like the Kim Chunyong I had known.
Along with the thought, can debuting and survival shows change a person that much?
"..."
"Uh, weren't you memorizing choreography with Hawon in the practice room next door?"
"......."
At Kim Chunyong's brazen words that popped out the moment the door opened, Han Danwoo rolled his eyes a few times before answering with a sigh.
"..."
"Park Hawon said he wanted to memorize it alone for a bit. And, I was a bit... concerned too."
"Aah, who. Taei?"
"No, you and your members!"
'I didn't know you would catch him like a mouse and completely sap his energy!'
Whether Kim Chunyong knew of the shout Han Danwoo screamed inwardly or not, he opened his eyes wide, took a moment to choose his words with an air of deliberation, then slowly opened his mouth again.
"..."
"Well, I get why you'd think that. We ended things a bit awkwardly before. I only saw him briefly, but Taei's personality is what it is."
"Yeah, that's right. An Taei is so willful that who knows what would happen if we just left him alone. Sheesh...."
"No, I mean. Yuchan hyung and Siu. Yuchan hyung is good at leading people, and Siu is good with details. They're perfect for watching Taei's choreography."
"Hey, that's not what I'm worried about. Between our team and your team back then...."
And the moment Han Danwoo raised his voice slightly nervously from a bit of stress.
"Because our members are good people, it's fine."
From Kim Chunyong's mouth, who had been silently listening to those words, came something he had heard once before.
No, how could he have heard it only once?
It was what Kim Chunyong had muttered to himself when he was at Queens.
It's fine because they are good people.
And....
"You help if you can help, so why weigh this and that while thinking about past events. It's fine. We have to do well together anyway."
Help if you can help.
Hearing those words, Han Danwoo had no choice but to retract his own thoughts that 'Kim Chunyong seemed completely different from what I had known.'
Yes, he may have changed.
The survival show, the debut.
Terminating his contract as if driven out of Queens, moving to AG.
Or perhaps some incident Han Danwoo didn't know about had changed Kim Chunyong to some degree.
But....
"That part of you is still the same, really...."
"Hm? What do you mean by that?"
"Rushing in to help others for no reason and ending up at a loss."
"Hah... Hey, there's a reason for all of this. I have something to ask Taei separately, and in the end, I have to exhaust him like that so that next practice too...."
The words bursting out from Kim Chunyong that followed shattered Han Danwoo's sentiment, but they didn't reach his ears well.
He simply thought that it would have been quite nice to debut together with Kim Chunyong.
And....
"Hey, hey. Wait, our members, the way they're talking looks a bit...."
"..."
"Yeah, go."
And he thought that the TIOZE members whom such a Kim Chunyong cared for this much were slightly enviable.
Watching Kim Chunyong's back as he hurriedly stepped back into the practice room, Han Danwoo scratched his cheek sheepishly.
Somehow, he felt slightly embarrassed at himself for being so sentimental despite everything.
"..."
"Hoo."
Han Danwoo's two eyes slowly turned toward the inside of the practice room.
Right now, TIOZE and WIZ were divided into two floors among those performing together on stage, fervently continuing their collab stage practice.
On this floor right now were Han Danwoo, Park Hawon, An Taei, Kim Chunyong, Bang Yuchan, and Jang Siu.
And on the upper floor were Jaden, Jo Eun, Lee Seonho, Son Jaeha, Jihwaseong, and Logan.
The upper floor members were clearly people with good tact and long trainee experience, or those with good personalities, so there would be no problems.
And since those practicing here now knew how to completely suppress the biggest dud, An Taei, it would be fine too.
"..."
"What the."
However, at the unexpected scene visible inside the practice room, Han Danwoo's eyes couldn't help but narrow.
The reason Kim Chunyong had hurriedly returned to the practice room.
And the reason Kim Chunyong was so strangely concerned about his members.
It was because it was happening right now in full swing.
"Danwoo-ya, I've finished memorizing the choreography now, so I think we can all practice togeth... what?"
Han Danwoo muttered in a cracked voice to Park Hawon, who had belatedly come looking for him from the practice room next door looking puzzled.
"..."
"I think there's a problem."
"What? Taei and the TIOZE members? Hey, then we have to stop them...!"
"No... among the TIOZE members."
Right.
"No, Siu-ya. Why are you suddenly acting like this? I have to know if you tell me."
"I said it's... nothing... why do you keep... doing this...."
Bang Yuchan and Jang Siu were repeating the same harshly cracking conversation as during their previous 'Us Beyond the Waves.'