**The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 44**
* * *
"Um, Everything? Hyung, but—"
At my request to show me everything he could do, Logan looked quite flustered. But that was the extent of it.
"Trainees! We'll start filming right away before there's any more delay! One, two—"
"Huh!?"
Click.
It was because the youngest writer had clapped the slate with a happy expression at the most opportune timing.
"God, so suddenly…."
Because of the dance performance I had shown earlier with Choi Geonyeong, people had already gathered in droves. We were standing in the middle of the crowd with nowhere to go.
‘Ugh, this won't do. He's already as used to cameras as one can be. Is it because we're outside?’
I glanced once at Logan's face, which clearly showed his bewilderment, then suddenly threw my arms around Wonhyeop-hyung and Logan's shoulders and raised my voice.
"Hello, let us greet you! We are trainees appearing on the idol survival program, *Targeting Star*!"
Waaaah—
At my words, applause and cheers cascaded toward us. I smiled at the two beside me and patted their shoulders.
"The situation was a bit chaotic earlier, but I'm a member whose main strength is dance, and this is busking."
So.
"Now it's time for you two to shine as well, right?"
"……."
"Ah, ah… That's right, yes!"
At my words, the two's eyes widened.
Though it was a filming for WeTube Blue content, right now they ultimately had to raise their recognition to debut through *Targeting Star*.
There was nothing quite like 'busking' to imprint themselves on the general public.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Seong Wonhyeop! I'm truly happy to meet you in a place like this. Ah, I'm most confident in my vocals, but to think I'd be doing busking like this…."
Wonhyeop-hyung, who had known that already and had simply forgotten for a moment due to the sudden situation earlier, quickly composed his expression and began waving to the people.
What remained was.
"Oh…."
Logan, who could rightfully be considered the protagonist of this stage.
Following Wonhyeop-hyung's lead, I greeted them with a bright expression, then sized up Logan with a sidelong glance. He seemed to be thinking about something.
No matter how much Logan was considering voluntary withdrawal, he had called this busking his own bucket list. His resolve had to be different.
And surely, if he was the Logan I had known until now….
"Ok, Okay!"
*That's it.*
As if answering my expectations, Logan, who had put strength into his eyes, soon lightly thrummed the guitar strings in his hand and shouted in a loud voice.
♬♩♪—
"Hi, Everyone! I'm Logan Lee, from Liverpool, England!"
Logan carefully continued, making eye contact one by one with the people who were looking at him with curious gazes.
"There are many places where you can do busking in Liverpool, so I often performed and watched it. But strangely, the busking that left the deepest impression on me was done by Koreans who had come to England."
The words seemed to be getting a bit long, but I, the production crew. Wonhyeop-hyung too all just quietly listened.
Well, the mission was 'Fulfilling the global trainee's bucket list.'
The mission's protagonist could speak at length.
*Yes, yes. Ride that vibe and tell me more of your thoughts, Logan. I want to know too!*
Of course, I had some rather sinister ulterior motives.
"I was in a bit of a burn-out back then. But listening to their song, I think I thought, 'Ah, I want to go to Korea and sing like that too.'"
As if remembering that time, Logan lightly shook his head.
"…That hasn't changed even now."
With those as his last words, Logan coolly swept the neck of his guitar. With his characteristic invisible tail spinning round and round, wagging furiously, he smiled brightly.
"Then, we'll start our busking right away! The first song is 'Aiming,' an original song from *Targeting Star*!"
And soon after, the acoustic version performance of "Aiming" began.
Followed by "I'm Waiting for You," which Wonhyeop-hyung had sung during the ranking evaluation.
— I'm not good at driving
So I'm just running to you
The hand I'll soon hold will surely be warm
Please wait until then
I'll be right there, I'm almost there
And this time, even Exolity's "The Sunshine behind me," my ranking evaluation song.
"This is the guitar solo!"
I watched Logan playing the guitar like mad, keeping the beat by tapping with my fingers.
"We need to prepare the MR for the trainees' busking songs in advance, so if you tell us—"
"Um, sorry, but since this is a busking performance… wouldn't guitar accompaniment be better?"
"Ah, yes, but. I wouldn't know about Trainee Seong Wonhyeop's song, but Trainee Kim Chunyong's song would definitely need the MR."
"It's fine! I'll play the accompaniment."
"Logan-trainee…? Have you practiced?"
"Well, I haven't practiced, but I can definitely play it. Hm. If Hyung hates it, then it can't be helped, but…."
"No, I'll leave it to you."
Because his face asking if it was okay was so full of conviction, I told him to do it, planning to check anyway.
*I didn't know it would be to this extent.*
My vocals, put nicely, were a tone that blended well with others, and put badly, were too husky—a tone that felt slightly overwhelming when listened to alone.
*So when singing alone, it's better to adjust the overall key and hide my original voice a bit.*
But Logan's current accompaniment was lowered by a semitone from the original song, a progression that could maximize my strengths.
*To receive such consideration that I couldn't even get after debuting as an idol, like this!*
"A hand caressing me, halted footsteps start to run again…."
I tried to soothe my slightly overwhelmed heart as I mouthed the familiar lyrics.
It was enough. It was more than enough. But even so, this much wasn't enough.
Logan's outstanding talent was something I had already confirmed through the 'Calendar' stage and now this guitar performance. But something more was needed.
The reason it had to be Logan.
The reason I absolutely had to stop Logan's voluntary withdrawal, even if it meant going against someone's will.
And such a small doubt of mine.
"This is the first song I made after studying music since then, and it's my first time revealing it to the world! Wow, I'm so nervous. So, I hope you like it!"
The moment the words ended, it was completely erased by the rhythmical sound flowing from the acoustic guitar neck.
*This is…."
With a hollow laugh, as I lightly tapped the beat with my foot, Wonhyeop-hyung, standing beside me, spoke in a small voice.
"Oh, Chunyong, have you heard this song?"
"Ah, yes. Well…."
Right now, it was a song I might know, yet a song I was not supposed to know.
*But it's a song that someone who returned couldn't possibly not know…!*
This song was a self-composed song that Logan, who had voluntarily withdrawn from *Targeting Star* and returned to England, had sung in the final round of 'Sining in UK,' the hottest audition program in England at the time.
Afterward, it became a song that ranked first on the UK Official Music Chart for seven consecutive weeks.
— Wake up in the shining morning
I saw something special
it's look like a UFO from heaven
A refreshing voice, clean finishing notes. A perfect performance without a single rough spot.
And more than anything.
"No, the song is seriously amazing? And you said this is the first song you made?"
"Amazing… It's a bit of a waste for a trainee!"
"I think he could work as a composer."
"Logan, Logaaan…."
"Chunyong, wait here, look over here for a second!"
More certain than anything else, the crowd.
No, the public's reaction.
*I think someone called for me at the end, but anyway…!*
Logan, fulfilling his bucket list on the faraway land of Korea, looked truly happy.
As if singing like that was his nature, as if he couldn't imagine not getting on stage.
And perhaps the [Don't Cry and Be Brave (D)] I had received from X earlier was having a slight effect, but apart from that….
Someone like him was going to withdraw?
I clenched my fist and retracted all my previous thoughts.
Those other plans regarding what to do if I couldn't hold onto Logan.
No matter what happened, Logan had to debut. In Korea. Through *Targeting Star*.
For Arrows.…
Rap trash, me. For the members who had suffered because of me, Kim Chunyong.
*Logan is absolutely necessary for Arrows.*
Waaaah!
"Thanks! Thank you, thank yo—urk, Huh?"
As Logan smiled at the cheering crowd and the production crew who were unknowingly about to clap in admiration but held themselves back, I lightly poked his side to draw his attention.
"Hyung, the busking isn't over yet, why all of a sudden…."
I grinned at Logan and mumbled with lip movements.
Logan, who still wasn't used to reading Korean lip movements, furrowed his brows and mimicked the lip movements, then soon opened his mouth wide in an 'Ah.'
What I said was simple.
*Let's talk separately after this ends.*
Through that conversation.
Because I needed to know why you withdrew.
"…Ok, Got it."
"Ah, now it's my song again! The song I'll play for you this time is by our 2OCD sunbaenims…."
Logan's answer and Wonhyeop-hyung's voice mixed together, and the unfinished busking continued.
That time was enough to show off Logan's talent.
And it was an exceedingly overflowing time to fuel my impatience.
* * *
"Phew, amazing…."
Seong Wonhyeop lightly clicked his tongue as he recalled the busking that had happened today.
*No, this is seriously no joke!*
On an outdoor filming schedule where it was questionable whether it would go well even if you filmed properly right away, getting into a spot dispute with some dance team, and on top of that, having delays during the busking so they had to film everything instead of just the good scenes.
*I thought this WeTube content was ruined, that I wouldn't be able to gain any recognition from this. Damn.*
What had barely patched up that mess wasn't the production crew sighing in relief in front of the van right now, but the two trainees who had come with him.
Kim Chunyong, who had made the busking possible with his outstanding dance skills and drawn attention with his unique tone.
And Logan Lee, who had completely hard-carried the busking by resolving all the accompaniment with just his guitar.
*They must be what people mean when they say truly talented kids.*
Recalling the two's faces, Seong Wonhyeop put a bitter smile on his face.
*Honestly, I'm not as good as those two. Even if I debut, it's right that kids like them do it. But.*
"I also love getting on stage as much as those guys do…."
"What? Seong Wonhyeop-trainee, what did you say?"
"Ah, it's nothing!"
He was Seong Wonhyeop, who had been tormented by impatience throughout filming *Targeting Star* due to his older age and longer training period compared to others.
For him, today's experience had rather helped clear his head.
Truly, watching the experience of burning through everything one could do had a great influence just from observing.
For example, dancing recklessly with street dancers for filming. Or trying to play a song with all one's might on the guitar even upon hearing it for the first time.
Seong Wonhyeop clenched and unclenched his fist a few times and nodded.
*First, let me try doing everything I can do. And if even after doing all that it doesn't work out. I'll decide then.*
Whether to debut, or to choose something else….
"The trainees have arrived! We'll depart for the dormitory now!"
"Oh, you're here? I thought you'd be late, but faster than expected…."
Seong Wonhyeop stopped greeting the two trainees who had gotten into the van belatedly and raised his eyebrows.
"You two, did you stop by the convenience store?"
"Huh? Ah, yes, yes. This is the jelly you asked me to buy!"
"Ah, thanks, Logan. But Chunyong, your expression looks a bit strange?"
"…*Sigh.*"
At Seong Wonhyeop's observation, Kim Chunyong instantly fixed his bizarrely crumbling expression and replied nonchalantly.
"Haha, there was a newly released drink, so I tried it, but it was pretty bad. That's why. Hyung, never drink it. Never."
"Oh… really? What drink is it?"
"Uh, um. I took one sip and threw it away right away… so let me look it up on the internet now."
With those last words, Kim Chunyong, who had buried his nose in his phone, soon made a slightly contorted expression again and held his head.
*Damn it.*
"The reason I'm returning to Liverpool is… my parents don't like that I'm in Korea. Maybe? I haven't exactly talked it over with them yet, so I don't know."
"You haven't talked with them, why…."
"You know. We don't get along very well."
Kim Chunyong had thought it might be a family issue. He was half right and half wrong.
*If only he was withdrawing because of a normal family situation, I could have tried guiding the conversation toward a sincere talk.*
[- X: How was the conversation? You're definitely going together with him….]
Kim Chunyong caught his breath as he saw X's message blinking on the screen in preview.
So, the reason for Logan's withdrawal that he had heard during their secret conversation while pretending to go to the convenience store was….
"So I came here secretly, but somehow I think I got caught…"
Yes, and you're a runaway minor?
"Oh, strictly speaking, I'm not a minor. And it's not running away. My grandmother helped too, and I'm an adult by UK law?"
"Anyway, in Korea you're still a minor, you bastard!"
To think it was a forced return due to running away.…
To think he had run away from home in secret, plotted with his grandmother behind his parents' backs, got caught by AG, and was going back because of that!
Running away with a face like a retriever, of all things!
"Haha…."
"Hey, Chunyong. This is delicious. You eat it too."
Kim Chunyong pushed the jelly Seong Wonhyeop handed him into his mouth and put on a hollow smile.
He had thought something was finally going well.
*What means do I have to stop a runaway minor's safe return home…?*
The debut group of *Targeting Star* was beginning to fall deeper and deeper into a labyrinth.