The Villainous Member Returns! Episode 210
* * *
Even against such a backdrop, the final week of promotions for our repackage album title track, “W.
o.
W,” went smoothly.
“The next stage is… wow, they’re really hot these days, aren’t they? A major rookie who rose to first-place nominee with their repackage album comeback! Already their third stage on JSB Music Space!”
“We’ll meet T.O.J’s ‘W.
o.
W’ right now!”
Should I say the buildup I steadily stacked to snag a win this time is really shining?
- Somewhere, where you choose
Already know, it’ll be good enough
Somewhere, where you talk
It was natural that Logan’s song got a good response.
Since the demo that became the basis for ‘W.o.W’ was originally one of Logan’s hits, from when he debuted solo in the UK, not with Arrows.
“Ah, insane. Fuck, so euphoric… Si-u-yaa! Hwaseong-aa!”
“Ah! Why are Jenias’ live comments always such a mess!”
“Says you!”
People’s ears don’t change easily.
No matter how much in-the-moment hits differ, people ultimately seek out good songs.
- Oh, Oh, Oh, Walk on, Walk on!
The next episode too
Oh, Oh, Oh, Walk on, Walk on!
Perfectly all the way to the epilogue
The kind of song that gets stuck in your ears, makes you hum it, and makes you go, ‘what was that lyric again?’.
And what if you add choreography someone busted their bones making, excellent stage outfits, and passion?
The dance break arrived.
And at the same time, my body, which had been positioned on the side behind Jaeha hyung, swiftly headed to the center of the stage.
A varsity jacket that’s relatively more casual compared to our debut album ‘Hide and Seek,’ making it comfortable to dance in, yet still not missing out on flashy paintings and details, sways along with my body’s movements.
♬♬♪♩♪―
‘W.
o.
W’, that is, steps matching the abruptly breaking point beats of this song, Walk on Walk.
And exquisitely matching upper-body isolation and arm movements.
The arm that swung out like punching the air quickly comes back in, and the feet lightly rub the stage as if stepping on clouds.
Amidst that, the formation is perfectly aligned, and not a single person messes up a move.
“T.O.J! T.O.J! Bang Yuchan, Son Jaeha, Kim Chunyong…!”
The united cheering of Jenias who participated in the live audience perfectly syncs up with the dance break moment.
- Oh, Oh, Oh, Walk on, Walk on!
Nexus that will continue until the end
Next, Next, Walk on, Walk on!
“...
Haha.”
I smiled brightly at the joy soaking through from my toes to the ends of my red hair, greeting the final climax.
“Yes! T.O.J’s ‘W.
o.
W’! We met them well.”
I couldn’t be certain if we’d win first place this time too.
Because last time on BNS public broadcast Sound Stage we only made it as nominees, and this wasn’t Music Days that got us to debut.
“And, the next stage is Serenia, who returned with a follow-up song….”
“That’s right. And, there’s also a different stage waiting from the Slaydics who showed Eastern beauty with their ‘Monghwi-rang’ promotions, so all you viewers, channel fixed!”
On top of that, unlike us who took about a month for the repackage album, other major idol seniors returned with b-side promotions after only a one-week gap.
To begin with, what we were aiming for with these promotions was to get first place, even just once.
And also…
“Kids, today’s stage too, really… well done. Logan, you said the shoes were slippery, are you okay? You seemed to stumble a bit earlier.”
“Oh, Jaeha hyung… sure. I’m okay! I think I looked more flexible instead? Hwaseong, Did you see that?”
“Logan dummy. It was okay because I caught you, you know?”
“Ew, you guys. You finish the stage well and then bicker again! Let’s cover minor mistakes for each other. Huh?”
“Aaeng, Yuchan hyung, I know all about how you almost strained your neck earlier too. Sheesh, I just didn’t tease you on purpose.”
“Hwaseong, you brat?”
“Eum, Si-u. You’re sweating a lot. Here, drink some water and…”
“Ah, yes. Thank you, hyung….”
Cherishing the preciousness of this group for a long time, something I truly felt deeply after the BNS Sound Stage.
“…….”
As soon as I went down to the waiting room, I took in each member who was chatting noisily and enjoying the post-stage high.
The afterglow of having danced fiercely on stage still remained in my body, but it didn’t bother me much.
Because I preferred looking at that sight right now.
And, more than anything…
Bzzz―
[Bomb (Disarmed): Chunyong-ah, stage over? First place announcement soon?]
[Bomb (Disarmed): After that schedule’s done today, I’ll go to your practice room]
[Bomb (Disarmed): Let’s do well together ◠ ͜ ◠]
…Because there was something I absolutely had to do after this schedule ended.
As soon as our live stage ended, I looked at the message that arrived from Ahn Tae-i and tightened my grip on my phone.
“Hwaseong-ah, give hyung some water too. Ugh, I’m dying of thirst.”
“No? You won’t even let me tease you, why should I. And there’s only exactly one sip left! Ohh, Si-u has a lot of water. Ask Si-u to give you some.”
“…
Snatching it is obviously tastier than receiving it obediently! Come here!”
“Aak! Si-u-ya, hyung help, help!”
“D-don’t want to….”
Seeing Yuchan hyung and Si-u, sandwiching the clueless Hwaseong in the middle and acting like nothing’s wrong, I felt odd.
…This really happens?
Remembering what Tae-i said, it seemed like it was not normal.
“It was definitely peaceful at first. Since you worked us so hard, practice was really tough, right? I kept my mouth shut because of that too.”
“…
Tae-i, you. You do know people freak out as soon as you open your mouth, right?”
“Eum, how could I not. I don’t know the reason, but everyone keeps telling me to ‘shut up’ at every turn.”
“Geez, and you know that but still do it.”
“It doesn’t fix well even if I try. Maybe I was born with it? Haha… anyway. When your team’s oldest hyung spoke, the maknae answered, and the whole atmosphere flipped.”
“…
They started fighting then?”
“No, they didn’t fight then. Chunyong, you have really low hurdles for fighting? Fighting is something Danu and I do. That was just… slightly sharp conversation.”
“So what did they say? That’s what’s important now. That’s why I boiled a whole pot of cocoa to make you drink it, isn’t it.”
“Euk, I’m always favorable to you, Chunyong, but your standards on this and that are a bit strange…”
‘To be precise, at first the oldest hyung said ‘I was nervous for this and that, but it seems to be resolving well’ and the maknae side said ‘I don’t break my promise.’ After hearing that, the oldest hyung’s mood seemed a bit odd. Wondering if it really was just because of a promise. What you saw was after that.’
Right. If he overheard that conversation, even that tactless Ahn Tae-i couldn’t have not known that things between them weren’t good.
Each sentence had an edge, an edge.
“Fuu….”
I lightly scratched my cheek so that the base the makeup noona applied with divine control wouldn’t fly off, glancing sidelong at the two whose expressions remained the same.
Acting nonchalant so others wouldn’t notice, and also not hindering the stage or schedules.
But clearly there was a problem between these two, and it was even ongoing.
When I organized it like this, one thought came to mind.
Ah, that ‘promise’ was to cover up trouble…
Or the promise itself is the trouble.
“…….”
I narrowed my already sharp eyes slightly and sorted the thoughts that kept clicking into place in my head.
First, I’d need to know the background.
A time when those two could have made that kind of promise.
A moment when they could have had that conversation alone.
Fortunately, there wasn’t nothing to point to.
I quickly threw my body towards the three still tangled together and shouted in an artlessly childish voice,
“…
Then I’ll drink Jihwaseong’s leftover water!”
“Aak, wait! Yongyong hyung, you suddenly barge into the middle and do that? When you were just contemplating and thinking about the first-place nominee spot?”
“Why, can’t I? Huh? Too bad, Yuchan hyung has to ask Si-u for water! I preempted this side.”
That was my plan.
First, check how much more they won’t let it show.
“Uhuh…? Eum, o… kay. Haha, Si-u-ya. Can you give hyung some water? Thanks in advance!”
“…
Drink.”
I sipped the last remaining water in Jihwaseong’s bottle and quietly observed the combination of the eldest and maknae politely exchanging water.
They probably felt a bit awkward and bothered, those two.
Since the person who knows there’s a problem between them is none other than me, with my meddlesome, nosy self.
But….
Crunch―
“…….”
I nodded with a rigid gaze, crumpling the plastic water bottle in my hand with one hand.
This was just the beginning.
Its name: The Eldest-Maknae Line, aka Old-Mak Line Relationship Improvement Project.
* * *
Kim Chunyong’s plan began in earnest from when he arrived at the practice room with Bang Yuchan and Jang Si-u, after all of T.O.J’s schedules were finished.
“Hello, hi! We see each other again the day after yesterday? Haha. I didn’t think I’d see you again this quickly, either.”
“Ewhu, Tae-i-ssi. How come you’re doing that grueling practice again today…”
“Haha. We’re in a non-promotion period, but we have other schedules here and there. Today just happened to be free.”
With the intention of generously sprinkling gunpowder between the two, I brought along a dud.
“Then… I’ll be in your care?”
Ahn Tae-i, who smiled brightly at Bang Yuchan and Jang Si-u, was a very handsome face, the type that makes Wisé fans exclaim ‘as expected, center is face’ over a hundred times.
Neat, smooth like a white porcelain piece carefully crafted by an artisan.
However.
“Euh, eueuk….”
“Euhng? Hyungnim, why are you like that? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
As seen before, Ahn Tae-i’s impulsive actions proportional to his appearance didn’t go anywhere.
“Eo-eo, but can’t we change the formation here? It might be better if someone better is in front, I think.”
“Hmm? Then, here, Chunyong and Danu-ssi…”
“No, how about the oldest hyung and the maknae over there? You two seem to match really well.”
“Uh, us two? Haha, well, Si-u maybe, but I’m a vocal member so…”
“Hmm? You don’t want to do it with the maknae?”
“…
That’s not what I meant!”
He made Bang Yuchan’s open-hearted and refreshing expression troubled.
“Si-u-ya. Your hyung, I mean. Are you getting along well?”
“Ah, Siwon… hyung? You said before, at the drama set… you saw him, yes…”
“Eum eum, that’s good. But, something about your hyung and your team’s oldest hyung, they seem a bit similar. Refreshing, I should say.”
“Sorry? What does that…”
“Haha, no. I just meant it’s nice you have two good older brothers. Ah, I wish I had a hyung in my team too…”
“…….”
Without crossing a line, he kept creating situations where Jang Si-u seemed to half-reveal or not reveal his inner thoughts.
Of course, Ahn Tae-i’s innate personality played a part, but at its base were the messages shared the night before with Kim Chunyong.
[Bomb (Disarmed): Chunyong, basically, you want that hyung and dongsaeng to properly tell you what happened, right?]
[Bomb (Disarmed): If I go and subtly scratch at it, won’t they confide in you, the most reliable one there?]
[Bomb (Disarmed): I’m good at that ◠ ͜ ◠]
Make Bang Yuchan and Jang Si-u just a little uncomfortable with Ahn Tae-i’s innate personality and attitude… but.
[Kim Chunyong: You promised to do as I tell you.]
[Kim Chunyong: You absolutely must not cross the line.]
[Kim Chunyong: You know? I’ll do that part.]
The core parts, delegated to Kim Chunyong.
So-called a modified carrot and stick, should I say?
“Eum, Tae-i-ya. You’re going too far. Yuchan hyung and Si-u’s expressions aren’t that good… I think it’d be better to take a break and go back.”
“Ah, really? Is that so? I didn’t realize again.”
One person acts vaguely unpleasant, and one person accommodates the other two’s state.
“Haa….”
Of course, it could never be perfectly established, in a situation where those two knew to some extent that all of this was orchestrated by Kim Chunyong.
However.
When those things pile, and pile, and repeat…
“Chunyong-ah, Chunyong-ah! Let’s… talk for a bit. Briefly, before we start practice again.”
Even knowing it’s a trap, in the end, they have no choice but to grab your arm and speak.
“…
Should we?”
With a slightly apologetic and guilty expression, Kim Chunyong lightly nodded and took Bang Yuchan’s extended hand.
Because he was keenly aware of the fact that he had colluded with Ahn Tae-i to somewhat corner Bang Yuchan and Jang Si-u, the T.O.J members he cherished.
But ultimately, no egg is cracked without a little shock.
“During
“Hueo, Chunyong, you…”
Just like when they conversed on top of the basement stairs in that idol trainee canning facility.
Just like now, Bang Yuchan and Kim Chunyong, conversing between the emergency stairs of the practice room…
Like that.