The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 250
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The ripple effect of the brief post on ToZ’s official SNS account was vast and immense.
[ToZ @Targetofzenon_AGToZ(Target of zenon) Official Fan Club Xenia 1st Generation Recruitment and 1st Fan Meeting Notice (Link)]
Creating a space where idols and fans met face-to-face was considered one of the very best methods among the various ways to manage a hiatus.
What kind of event is a fan meeting?
Unlike a fan signing event, which you couldn’t attend no matter how much money you poured in if it was a random lottery, it was a place you could go to as long as you seized tickets with nothing but the reflexes of your fingers.
A place where you could see your idol singing on stage, playing games, and talking with fans in person!
Just when fans were beginning to feel down about the hiatus that had truly arrived, to think an official fan club recruitment notice and fan meeting announcement dropped at the same time?
Thanks to this, Xenia’s timeline, already buzzing with news of the members’ individual schedules and the launch of the Star Message service, was on the verge of exploding.
[Neulbom Mileu @NBML__0412 I feel like I’m going to lose my mind from excitement at the thought of seeing Chunyongie’s face at the fan meeting ㅠㅠ A fan meeting, a fan meeting….]
[⎿(Blocked Account) But aren’t you a camera fan, so they’ll confiscate your camera and you won’t even get in? Thx thx for the ticket]
[AG Trading Company @HARDWARE_store A fan meeting? So does that mean everyone there is someone who likes ToZ? Tears of emotion are pouring down, insane]
[Hul ToZ’s fan meeting venue is the Targeting Star live broadcast venue hahaha]
[⎿First fan meeting at the venue where their debut was decided? That’s pretty romantic…]
[Wow, what’s up with AG? Did they always work this fast?]
[⎿Right? Didn’t they drag their feet on Choi Gaon’s fan meeting for over a year? Hahaha I think they did a concert first instead ㅠ]
And as the staff member watched these reactions, a satisfied smile was inevitable on his face.
“Yes. I mentioned it this time, and fortunately the venue rental schedule was open… so quick progress was possible. I think it’d be good to film fan meeting preparation videos or self-produced content in between and upload them to our WeTube channel.”
“Huaaak….”
“Are you pleased?”
The competent manager, Yu Hobin, who had felt guilty about reacting a bit late to the idol culture of Smeji because he’d been preoccupied with Lady Swan’s affairs, finally faced the members with a confidence-filled smile.
What member could dislike this situation?
With their first settlement right around the corner, individual schedules splendidly laid out, and now even a fan meeting where they would face fans who loved them waiting ahead.
It was perhaps only natural for the fully grown members to cling to Yu Hobin’s limbs, showering him with affection that wasn’t quite aegyo.
“Hobin hyung! Wow, really… We were already so, so grateful that you got us individual schedules. You know this is a total surprise, right?”
“Tch, Hwaseong-ah. Hobin hyung’s arm is going to fall off. Easy, easy.”
“Eeh, but Yuchan hyung is acting like he’s going to crush Hobin hyung’s fingers.”
“Gasp, I didn’t even realize….”
“So, it’s similar to a concert, right? We sing and perform, right? God, I’m so excited!”
“Hmm, there is a bit of a difference… haha, I’ll explain that to you, Logan.”
“Fan, fan meeting… I’ve seen… hyung do one. Now I can too….”
Watching the members’ delighted appearances, Yu Hobin forced himself to hold back his laughter and scratched his cheek.
‘…Seeing how happy you all are, I was right to suggest this. And the timing was perfect too.’
The fan meeting date announced on the official SNS account was at the end of next month.
In the meantime, the members would prepare for the fan meeting until their individual schedules began, and AG would handle fan club site maintenance and digital tickets.
Perhaps this was the first victory of the digital age.
‘It does vaguely overlap with the first filming period of
During the short hiatus while preparing the repackage album, they had pacified fans with self-produced content, but since this hiatus was expected to be longer, that clearly wouldn’t be enough.
Gathering fans together in one place.
And showing those fans to the artists in charge, letting them know, ‘You are loved this much,’ making it the driving force behind their activities.
Yes, nothing could be neater than this.
For the fans, for the ToZ members, and for Yu Hobin himself.
“…….”
However, even in this happy moment, there was someone letting out a small sigh, out of Yu Hobin’s sight.
“…Sigh.”
It was our Kim Chunyong, who had more than one or two things on his mind.
“Ah, excuse me, I’ll just go to the bathroom for a moment.”
“Oh, sure, go ahead. Then, before Chunyong-ssi returns, I’ll briefly explain something else.”
“Something else? Individual schedules?!”
“Ah, yes. Especially since Mr. Hwaseong and Mr. Yuchan are traveling, you’ll need luggage, passports, and so on….”
With the gradually fading voices of the members and Yu Hobin as his backdrop, Kim Chunyong hurriedly shoved himself into the bathroom attached to the living room of their accommodation.
He prided himself on managing his expressions fairly well, but he couldn’t guarantee it had been perfect.
And sure enough.
“…Ugh.”
Kim Chunyong’s face reflected in the mirror wore an expression difficult to describe.
The joy that the members were entering individual schedules where they could showcase their respective talents.
And the relief that thanks to preparing for the fan meeting, he could clear his head until the filming of
On top of that….
The pressure that the fan meeting from which he had stormed out in the past, unable to control his emotions, had come again.
“Haa….”
Kim Chunyong slid down the bathroom wall he had been leaning against, letting out heavy sighs that would make anyone who heard ask, ‘Has the world ended?’
Of course, he had once stood on the indoor gymnasium stage that Yu Hobin had said would be the fan meeting rental venue before, thanks to the final live broadcast stage of
Because Kim Chunyong back then had beaten Ryu Weido and performed well on stage, he had been able to debut safely into ToZ like this.
However, having to set foot on that stage again under the same name, which carried something like trauma, was a different story altogether.
‘…I don’t even remember how I participated in Arrows’ fan meetings after that.’
He could do it if told to.
After repeatedly brainwashing himself that this place wasn’t that place, there was nothing he couldn’t do.
But somehow, his mood.
Well, his heart….
It couldn’t be called comfortable, with so many thoughts running through his mind.
“Haa….”
Another sigh crawled across the floor.
Just thinking about how to face the problematic trainees of
Is this what they mean by mountains beyond mountains?
As if sensing Kim Chunyong’s heart, ever since Yu Hobin’s fan meeting announcement, the cell phone in Kim Chunyong’s pocket had been lighting up.
Should he be thankful that the strange pop sound from before wasn’t going off?
- X: Fan meeeeting??
- X: Hey, isn’t that the thing you stormed out of? Hahaha
- X: Oing oing, I thought from now on the only event was the survival program where you’d run into Jeong Yeonu tsk tsk, but
- X: something like this happens again hahaha, killer timing
- X: Well, past events just happen as they are as long as you don’t touch them ;-)
- X: I can’t say I didn’t expect it!
Well, they were messages that were worse than not seeing them at all.
- Kim Chunyong: I even helped you incite a labor union uprising at your company, and you just have to say stuff like that?
- Kim Chunyong: You always just say you’re looking out for me, huh?
- X: Eeeeng but…
- X: Honestly, it’s kind of thrilling every time I see you on the verge of a mental breakdown
- X: Of course! I’m worried you won’t be able to complete your contract!
- X: Of course! I’m worried you’ll really have a mental breakdown and rapidly revert to a wreck trash state!
- X: Every time I’m curious how you’ll make it through haha
- X: But I’ll still help you! You know? [What is this what is this] haha
- X: I even organized the list of trainees you asked me to look into as a file, so check it haha
- X: Then… fighting?
- X: Trainee Profile.txt
Having finished what could barely be called a conversation and more of a verbal spar with X, Kim Chunyong roughly shoved his phone back into his pocket.
You should seek comfort from someone you can expect comfort from, right?
It was Kim Chunyong’s own fault for trying to talk to him, knowing the other person’s basic stance was teasing.
Since he was already in the bathroom, he might as well do something else before leaving.
Swoosh—
Kim Chunyong splashed cold water from the sink onto his face, trying to drive away this inexplicable feeling.
And he steeled his mind, chanting a mantra.
‘Right now, I’m not the wreck trash of Arrows, but ToZ’s Kim Chunyong, and my family didn’t get into an accident.’
The limousine had crashed just the same; it just hadn’t been carrying Kim Chunyong’s family.
And though it was called ToZ, more than half the members were the Arrows members Kim Chunyong had seen all along.
But it was also true that things had changed.
In other words, it meant that Kim Chunyong locking himself in the bathroom, wasting emotions and leaving behind the happy members and manager, was also a waste of time.
‘…Get a grip.’
You don’t know anything until you try.
Anyway, you only know once you’ve done something.
If the upcoming fan meeting and the mentor position on the survival program
Kim Chunyong, who was a bit more lacking, a bit slower to learn, and a bit dumber than others, had no choice but to work twice as hard.
“…Sigh.”
Kim Chunyong faced his reflection in the mirror with a much improved expression.
Drenched cheeks, and red hair faded to the point of turning almost pink.
Even so, in that reflection sat ToZ’s Kim Chunyong instead of the wreck trash who had been peerlessly weak and caused trouble for everyone around him.
Then what should he do?
He had to act accordingly.
—Bam!
Having set his mindset anew, Kim Chunyong didn’t hesitate and flung the bathroom door open.
At that bold action, it was only natural that the eyes of the other six members gathered in the living room chatting cozily opened wide.
“…What? Yongyong hyung, why does he suddenly look so determined? Why is he acting so creepy?”
“Hmm, Hwaseong-ah. You shouldn’t say that to Chunyong’s face.”
“No, no. Jaeha hyung. Hwaseong is right. During
“Ugh, wait a minute. This is….”
Whether they had received some kind of revelation, or had simply grown accustomed to Kim Chunyong after a considerable time together.
“Chunyong-ah, hyung. Could it be, right now…?”
“Ah, Chunyong-ssi. Isn’t it a bit early? You all just returned, after all. It would be okay to rest a bit….”
The members and Yu Hobin each added a word, and at the same time, some broke into cold sweats.
From the moment he returned, there was one thing Kim Chunyong himself hadn’t realized.
Kim Chunyong had thought that when he was active as wreck trash, he ended up like that because he was lacking in talent and practiced far too little; therefore, from the moment he became ToZ, he had doubled that amount of practice.
And that practice was openly notorious among the other members.
“Ah, it seems everyone roughly knows what I’m going to say. Haha… how embarrassing.”
Kim Chunyong smiled sheepishly at the eyes directed toward him, hiding his powerful demeanor from just moments ago and briefly scratching his cheek.
No.
“…Still, we have to practice. The fan meeting has performances too.”
“Chunyong-ah, hey. We just returned today…!”
“Let’s match the choreography for everything starting from ‘Hide and Seek.’ …In two hours. Is that okay? I’ll watch over you guys.”
His eyes had gone slightly crazed, so he hadn’t hidden it perfectly.
That was how Kim Chunyong’s thoughts worked.
Fan meeting stage? Burdensome.
The mentor position on
He was twice as lacking compared to others, slow to learn, and stupid.
Then, to somehow get through all of this, of course….
“…Let’s buckle down and prepare, us.”
Perfect preparation to match was necessary.
Later, the ToZ members who stood on the fan meeting stage would introduce the day Yu Hobin announced the fan meeting news to the fans as follows.
‘The day that was like heaven and hell, when Chunyongie practiced us for a full 12 hours right after we returned to the dorm.’