The Villainous Member Has Returned! Episode 52
* * *
And so, while Kim Chunyong stood on stage to continue his war of nerves with Liu Wei.
Neulbom Mireu, standing in the audience seats to capture him on camera….
'The song is Crucial Boy. This is a bit worrying.'
…was feeling slightly anxious.
It wasn't an anxiety without reason.
The other audience members who heard the song title Crucial Boy were also lowering their voices and whispering amongst themselves, or busy quickly posting things on social media like [OMG TGTS dance position team song is also Crucial Boy lol they're fucked~].
What kind of song is 'Crucial Boy'?
After Lady Swan's failure, Choi Gaon's debut song that allowed August Entertainment—which had been denounced with comments like [AG's entire capital is wiped out], [Do they see the idol market as X??]—to rise back onto its trajectory again.
The song's renown, having rightfully swept the Rookie of the Year award that year and made countless dance teams upload cover videos.
"I think I practiced the choreography for Crucial Boy alone for nearly a year. Whew, if they told me to do it like that again, I absolutely couldn't! Haha. Should I call it the spirit of a rookie…."
…
It came from the choreographic elements, each one at the level of a main dance break.
[<5 Million Views!> Both the song and dance are God♪-tier♬ Fresh-faced Choi Gaon's youthful 'Crucial Boy']
[The returned 'Madness Boy' Choi Gaon, 'It's not that I can't dance']
These days he focuses on showing off his vocal skills on stage rather than dance, but wasn't Choi Gaon exactly the one who went viral in his early debut days with his fearsome choreography execution skills?
Crucial Boy, a song of such punishing difficulty that even the original singer would marvel.
Ironically, for a dance-focused trainee, performing that song on stage was a situation where the losses outweighed the gains.
Neulbom Mireu swallowed hard and firmly gripped her camera.
'Chunyong, of course I believe in you. So just hit average. Just average. Noona will take care of the rest and put up a blood shield for you…!'
Woooah!!
A song that everyone in the Music Days Public Hall had heard before slowly began to play, and now a shout burst forth as huge as the buzz of
That Neulbom Mireu wrapped the AG Mulsan Company cardigan over her camera once more so it wouldn't fall was a bonus.
- Everything is shining right here
Not everything that shines is gold
You know, we are
Crucial, perhaps Diamond
Since six people were covering a solo artist's song—Choi Gaon's—the stage composition had changed slightly.
In the first verse, three appeared first, and in the second verse, the other three followed.
The beginning was Lee Chaehyeok, Tsubasa, and Liu Wei.
- Dance, Music, Stage that make you smile
But that's not enough
Call it up right now, Another Something
You can't not know what's important
"Oh, it's better than I thought… isn't it? Besides, Liu Wei is incredibly good…."
Just as AG Mulsan Company muttered with mixed feelings, it wasn't objectively bad.
Along with outfits reminiscent of Choi Gaon's rookie days, even the big and fluid movements.
But the problem was.
"…Still, can't Choi Gaon stop being an MC and rush in here?"
The fact that the original singer was right there.
No matter how hard the trainees practiced, if the original singer's face was visible right next to them, it was only natural that people would more easily recall his stage.
It was already a song notorious for its high difficulty, and the subject of comparison was openly right there?
"Gaaon!! Dance in their stead!!"
"Ah. Except for Liu Wei, the other kids just look like backup dancers?"
Though obscured by the cheers and shouts of others and not properly audible, such opinions were blatantly exposed in the voices bursting out intermittently.
"Well, they are good but…."
"Yes, it's just… you know the feeling. Like something's a bit lacking? Is it because Gaon is here?"
Na Jihyeok and Min Siyoung, sitting in front of the stage, also glanced at Choi Gaon.
Choi Gaon, standing on the opposite side of the stage, also wore a rather troubled expression.
'Ah, that's why I deliberately NG'd back then! Just in case they might change it!'
The reason Choi Gaon had been truly surprised at the time of the third competition song announcement was that the request he had made to the production staff when he first accepted the MC position on
"No, didn't you clearly say you'd exclude my songs? If it suddenly turns out like this, what I mentioned before…."
"…That wasn't our intention either, Gaon ssi."
"Excuse me? If the production team didn't intend this, then who did?!"
"You don't know?"
"No, what…."
"…Well. Even Siyoung ssi doesn't know the details, so it would be strange if Gaon ssi knew."
Choi Gaon put on a bitter smile—a rare sight—and turned his face toward the stage where the dance position trainees were dancing.
There, standing at center stage, was the answer to that question.
- Poppin', fireworks bursting out
You and I dancing beneath them are
Special, no, going beyond that
Crucial, Crucial
We're somewhat special Crucial Boy&Girl
At the most brilliant highlight part, Liu Wei was performing the most impressive choreography of 'Crucial Boy.'
Choi Gaon did not disagree that Liu Wei's dancing was outstanding.
Because AG, which preached meritocracy, wouldn't push a lacking trainee.
'But still….'
Was the reason a corner of his heart felt uncomfortable because he knew that this entire situation had been deliberately created for that trainee?
Choi Gaon, who had practiced nearly a year for the 'Crucial Boy' stage, could tell the moment he saw Liu Wei's movements.
That this wasn't something he had just received and practiced for the first time for this performance.
…
That the song had been changed for that trainee.
Choi Gaon, who took pride in having contributed to AG's reputation as a prestigious agency for skilled singers, did not like the current state of his agency at all.
'Well, I don't know the details… but I get how things are turning. But no matter how much they're pushing a trainee, why go this far?'
Choi Gaon gripped the cue sheet tightly in his hand.
Wasn't this practically making the other trainees into supporting extras?
If things went on like this, it was all but decided that Liu Wei would take first place in the dance position and appear on the music broadcast.
'I wish there was at least one variable.'
For example.
A trainee who could dance on par with him, for instance.
And so, right after the first verse highlight of 'Crucial Boy.'
"…Ah."
Watching the trainee appearing from behind Liu Wei, Choi Gaon let out an exclamation without realizing it.
- Everything you think is right
Not all that is gold shines
The three trainees who appeared with the intro of the second verse.
Unlike the other three who had started the first verse, they came out to the center of the stage in somewhat freer outfits, and for some reason, their faces were brimming with smiles.
- Can't you see, I am
Crucial, perhaps Glitter
And the most impressive among them.
Moving his shoulders to the sweet yet bouncy vocals of Choi Gaon and the synth sound unique to synth-pop.
- Dance, Music, Stage with me
Surely if it's this, it's perfect…
Kim Chunyong.
Seeing Kim Chunyong perfectly reenacting the fingertips of the point choreography that Choi Gaon usually paid attention to, Choi Gaon was left speechless.
'No, I knew he was good. But how did he copy the competition song choreography details to that extent?'
Was it because of the earlier conversation with Liu Wei, and because this stage might be the last day of the things that had been tormenting Kim Chunyong these past few days?
In Kim Chunyong, who was quickly stepping through the choreography, one could see nearly double his usual tenacity.
Choi Gaon, who had worried whether his song might be used as an element for other trainees to be ridiculed, or used merely as a means for someone's direct debut, gradually brightened.
'With this, it might really become a proper stage…!'
And this wasn't something only visible to Choi Gaon, his agency senior.
"W-wow…."
AG Mulsan Company, who had stayed still because they couldn't carelessly say things like 'Doesn't Liu Wei look like the main character?' with their friend's bias coming up on stage later, jaw dropped.
And.
"Oh, right. Neulbom nim. Chu-Chunyong!"
"I'm filming…!"
Without even needing to say it, Neulbom Mireu's hands and eyes were already urgently following Kim Chunyong's movements.
If Liu Wei had accumulated the choreography's details through long practice, Kim Chunyong had eight years of stage experience.
How to hide a stomach queasy from alcohol and smile brightly.
Where the cameras were, what stance to take when he wasn't the center.
- Peep
-bo once more One Two
Let's keep going, just us Beer Pong
A veteran trainee who knew how to imprint the stage on others' eyes.
Neulbom Mireu drew a V above Ryota's head, and seeing Kim Chunyong—chemistry aside—really competing without looking at others' moods, she burst into cheers internally.
'That's it, crazy!'
However, in one corner of her heart watching that stage of Kim Chunyong's, there was slight regret.
Just as the trainees had composed the first and second verses with three each, 'Crucial Boy' was fundamentally a song centered on the solo artist Choi Gaon.
- Poppin', fireworks bursting out
You and I dancing beneath them are
Special, no, going beyond that
Crucial, Crucial
We're somewhat special Crucial Boy&Girl
Therefore, the part where six appeared together like this was bound to incite some regret in people.
'It would've been nice if they changed the choreography a bit and did pair choreography or something… No, anyway, Chunyong is doing well!'
And just as Neulbom Mireu was comforting herself as if brainwashing herself.
"…Huh?"
As Choi Gaon's flashy dance break appeared, in the choreography that should have been performed facing the audience head-on.
- Poppin', fireworks bursting out
You and I dancing beneath them are
Special, no, going beyond that
Crucial, Crucial
Kim Chunyong turned and stood back-to-back with Liu Wei.
Then he began moving his body, mirroring the choreography left and right.
"Hu, huh?"
"Wasn't that part of the original choreography…?"
Choreography without a single error, as if a mirror had been placed there.
Moreover, during the 'Boy' part, he pointed his thumb at Liu Wei behind him, and during the 'Girl' part, he smiled toward the audience.
- We're somewhat special Crucial Boy&Girl
Liu Wei beside him also slightly belatedly drew a heart with his fingers.
- I'm somewhat special Crucial Boy…
A perfect pair choreography was completed.
Had they danced awkwardly or been vaguely embarrassed, it would have been a disaster.
But because Kim Chunyong and Liu Wei's movements flowed so naturally, it merely gave the impression, along with the pre-released clips, that 'the two of them really practiced hard.'
'Crazy…! Dancers, this is real! Full investment from today, crazy!'
But Neulbom Mireu, screaming bloody murder inwardly, had no idea.
That that pair choreography was actually a part not agreed upon in advance.
Actually, it was more accurate to say no one knew except Kim Chunyong.
Because this was something Kim Chunyong thought of from a stage accident during the encore stage that had concluded with 'Crucial Boy' at Choi Gaon's concert, which he had attended.
"Se-sunbae nim, you're so good…."
"Manager hyung, did you give Rex hyung beer again? Ah, seriously!"
The unrehearsed pair choreography, yet unrivaled from both sides.
Kim Chunyong caught his breath, air rising to the tip of his throat, and made eye contact with Liu Wei, who was beside him.
"……."
Though his face was flushed from the intense dance he had just performed, it returned to being expressionless the moment the stage ended.
However, those two eyes were drenched messily with annoyance.
Kim Chunyong smiled slyly at that face and muttered with lip movements.
'Liu Wei.'
Did you think everything would go your way?
"…That's not how it works."
No, was it only the stage?
The events that would follow were also not looking like they would go Liu Wei's way.
[1st Place Kim Chunyong
2nd Place Liu Wei
3rd Place Tsubasa
…]
"That was the dance position team's 'Crucial Boy' stage!"
Woooooah!!
Behind the pouring cheers along with the delighted Choi Gaon's closing, it seemed like the sound of Liu Wei grinding his teeth could be heard.
* * *
Even though he had safely won the war of nerves on stage with Liu Wei, there was no time for Kim Chunyong to rest.
"Good work! I'll head down first."
"…Hyung, Chunyong hyung!"
Because Logan, who had run over with an urgent face, grabbed the ankle of Kim Chunyong, who was drenched in sweat.
"…Logan? What are you—weren't you talking to someone? No, at this time you should be going to rehearsal—."
"That's right, Chunyong hyung. So help me."
"What? Wait, you…."
"…I want you to help me, hyung. So, oh, god…."
And behind such a Logan, a rather heterogeneous, elegant middle-aged woman for a broadcasting station corridor walked up and opened her mouth in a low voice.
"—Are you the 'Chunyong hyung' that Logan kept talking about?"
…
With words that absolutely could not be taken lightly.