The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 6
* * *
The pre-show one-minute interviews were already almost at their tail end.
“Uh, I’m Kim Jooan… I-I’ll work hard so I can debut….”
Joo Cheolyeong, the main PD of
‘Does this kid want to debut or not? Why so timid?’
It was a surprise concept, and he had deliberately told them it was just a simple camera test to avoid making them nervous, yet this was the result.
It was quite a sight.
‘You won’t make it this time. The program I’m in charge of has to be a massive hit.’
Joo Cheolyeong sent the trainee who had barely finished the interview away and called for the main writer, Lee Hyunjeong.
It was for an idea meeting regarding the first filming.
“Writer Lee, who was the best?”
Hyunjeong snorted.
“Is it important whether we think they’re good or not? There are kids AG asked us to push separately.”
“Come on. There are 18 trainees. There must have been others besides them. Tell me.”
Hyunjeong thought for a moment, then started folding her fingers one by one.
“Well, first, excluding the AG homegrown trainees… among the individual applicants we selected, there’s the kid from England and the practical music student.”
“And? No one else?”
Truthfully, the trainee Joo Cheolyeong had in mind was already decided.
And he believed that Writer Lee’s eye for talent, which had picked exactly the one he pointed out, would have chosen the same person.
“And that kid with the tacky name. Chunsik or something.”
“…Kim Chunyong?”
“Ah, yes. The kid is, how should I put it… feels a bit prepared?”
“I knew you’d think the same, Writer Lee.”
Joo Cheolyeong smiled in satisfaction and leaned all the way back into his chair.
“An ordinary individual applicant visiting a salon? Of course, the kids who heard about it in advance all went. Whether they knew or not, the result is the same. But it’s not about having gotten dolled up. Kim Chunyong, I mean. His eyes are different.”
However, Hyunjeong was skeptical of Joo Cheolyeong’s words.
“Are you talking about perseverance theory again, PD-nim? Do you read faces too?”
Joo Cheolyeong tapped the armrest of his chair and raised his voice.
“No, Writer Lee. It’s not physiognomy. Did you see him looking straight at the camera and talking? Not awkward at all. Like he’s been rolling around on a grindstone for about five years. Even that Son Jaeha, who’s called the ace of AG’s male trainees, is nervous.”
Was it that much? Hyunjeong carefully recalled Kim Chunyong’s pre-interview.
‘Indeed, his naturalness did seem somewhat different from the others…’
Joo Cheolyeong drew a large star next to Kim Chunyong’s personal information with the pen he was holding.
“I was thinking of pushing Kim Chunyong this time. This kid will definitely carry the ratings. I’m really sure of this. My gut is telling me.”
“Huh? It’s good that you’re concerned about ratings… but what about Director Shin’s pick? There’ll be pressure if we don’t push him….”
“Wait, Writer Lee.”
Joo Cheolyeong brought his finger to his lips and made a shushing motion.
Then he pointed somewhere with his other hand.
‘…Ah.’
Following his finger, Hyunjeong turned her gaze and saw footsteps pacing outside the office window, then closed her mouth.
She had momentarily forgotten.
They were still inside AG.
Soon the footsteps faded away, and when Joo Cheolyeong nodded, Hyunjeong continued.
“…He’ll find out. We’ve already coordinated on some things.”
“Director Shin isn’t in Korea right now because of Chinese investment attraction. Until he comes back, I can shoot as I please.”
“Pff, PD-nim, you’re going to get stabbed doing that.”
“I’ll think about that after I’ve been stabbed.”
Joo Cheolyeong stroked his chin and put on airs.
It was an attitude that automatically surfaced when Joo Cheolyeong had tremendous confidence in something.
“And what if Director Shin is dissatisfied? I guarantee you, CEO Do will welcome me pushing Kim Chunyong with open arms. Remember Lady Swan. Were there any foreign members there?”
“That’s… true. They were all Korean.”
“Roughly, if I try to picture the members with Kim Chunyong included, about six to eight come out, right? We aren’t the ones voting. The mentors and the public do. You pick from among them, that’s what I’m saying.”
‘But we’re the ones making the broadcast so that voting can happen.’
Hyunjeong couldn’t bring herself to say this out loud.
Because Joo Cheolyeong—whose name was associated with the Midas touch in idol survival program circles—was smiling sinisterly.
“This could be a massive hit, Writer Lee. My gut tells me. The mentors, the protagonist, even the extras are perfect.”
Joo Cheolyeong called the young trainees who were betting their lives on their futures extras.
Hyunjeong found such a collaborator slightly disgusting and like a distant being, but…
“If this goes well, go on a trip somewhere with your family when it’s over. I’ll give you plenty of vacation.”
…She had no intention of getting off the unsinkable ship that was Joo Cheolyeong.
Two days remained until the first filming.
Two days remained until the main PD would exercise absolute power.
* * *
It was the moment the mentors, who had been kept strictly secret, were announced through the mass media.
Solo singer Min Siyeong, who was virtually the one who built AG’s building, and rapper Na Jihyeok, who was responsible for the summer hit songs every year.
More than anything, there were two mentors drawing the public’s attention: visual director Moon Yunha and street dancer Jin Dasol.
[AG Trading Co. @HARDWARE_store For real? Is Moon Yunha really taking charge of AG’s boy group? Damn, guess it pays to live a good life lol ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[AG Trading Co. @HARDWARE_store And shit, it was just yesterday I was watching Serenia and envying them while biting my fingers, lol. Moon Yunha is coming to AG now? Now AG will produce proper concept photos and mood samplers too? The golden age of AG idols is here? Is it here?]
[WalkingToEntBiz @Workingcl_ass AG Trading or whatever, why is that person so loud? Why so many retweets?;; Whether it’s Moon Yunhan or whatever, what’s the big deal about going to AG]
[⌞AG Trading Co. @HARDWARE_store How are you gonna make it to the entertainment industry without even knowing Moon Yunha? All the hit girl groups from the last 5 years were planned by Moon Yunha hahaha You don’t know shit and keep going on about Moon Yunhan or whatever]
[⌞WalkingToEntBiz @Workingcl_ass What the hell, did you creepily search your own nickname and find your way here? Blocked]
[TopMaleIdolTutor @Mega_Sky11 The mentors for the male idol survival program conducted by AG this time have been revealed. I believe this lineup shows AG’s ambition. Thread continues below>]
[⌞First, let’s look at a previous case. AG’s first and last girl group, Lady Swan. They’re pretty. They sing well, and each member’s charm is distinct. But did they succeed as a team? No. They failed. >]
[⌞There were various reasons Lady Swan failed, but I think the concept and choreography were the biggest factors. They interpreted a classic masterpiece too roughly. The choreography was terrible too. It was like attaching finely crafted jewels to a plated ring. Plating eventually falls off. >]
[⌞But it seems CEO Do Jaechan is trying not to repeat that mistake this time. The other mentors are mentors too, but the key is these two: Moon Yunha, who is called the undisputed top among current idol visual directors, and Jin Dasol, a legend in the street dance scene.]
[⌞AG is rapidly expanding its scale with Chinese investment attraction this time, and in this situation,
[⌞MentalBreakdownGonnaDie @mennnnheeriS2 What are you saying; So the conclusion is that AG’s new boy idol will be a turning point for Korean male idols? More dream interpretation than the dream itself lol. Sure, an expert has arrived~~ Yeah sure but the top tier male idol group is Sledic♡]
[ExemptIfBy8 @DANFJAKWGG372 Min Siyeong is one thing, but Jin Dasol as a mentor? That’s cool but I bet he won’t say a word for an hour…]
[⌞Jin Dasol: (opening mouth at the very end of recording) Uh… I… didn’t see it…]
[J. Choi @Wakwakj (Photo) (Photo) (Photo) Brother Dasol’s new challenge! Always supporting hyung’s efforts to promote the street dance scene. Photos are from the LA street battle competition with brother ^&^]
“…Huh.”
Kim Bomi, scrolling down her SNS timeline, let out a dumbfounded sigh.
So, an idol survival program with such big-name mentors.
“Ah, noona. Urgh, stick it there for me. Ah, I’m dying, seriously….”
…meant that her worthless brother was going on it.
Kim Bomi looked at her younger brother, Kim Chunyong, who had his back covered in pain relief patches and was groaning as if dying.
“What if I can’t debut….”
“Learn Dad’s trade or prepare for the civil service exam, what else.”
“You think that’s easy?! The civil service exam isn’t something anyone can pass! I heard it’s super hard!”
“So what, dummy. Shut up.”
After being cut from the debut group and throwing all sorts of hysterics and being depressed, he was suddenly going to private practice rooms like crazy as if he’d become a different person. Today, out of nowhere, he was saying his waist hurt so much and asking her to stick pain relief patches on him.
‘…No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious.’
Kim Bomi yelled at her brother in a voice mixed with worry and exasperation.
“Hey, Kim Chunyong. Are you properly practicing? Can you go on a survival show looking like this?”
Kim Chunyong, his face buried in the heated floor in pain, answered in a mumbling voice.
“I’m fine… my stats aren’t really going up right now, but somehow….”
Having been spending time with his family after a long while, Kim Chunyong momentarily lost his screws and spoke of ‘stats’ only he knew about, making Kim Bomi’s eyes go wide.
Stats? What stats?
…No way.
Slap!
“Agh!”
Kim Bomi’s palm struck Kim Chunyong’s bare, defenseless back. With the sound of meat being slapped, the struck Kim Chunyong rolled around the floor.
Kim Bomi was practically breathing fire.
“You brat. Don’t tell me you’re skipping practice again and gaming at a PC bang? Right before the survival show? Mom, Mom! Kim Chunyong is—”
“Ah, noona. It’s not like that!”
“What do you mean it’s not! You just said stats or whatever! What game is it. That personal practice room you talked about, you spent the money on games, didn’t you? You’re completely addicted….”
“Ah, no, noona….”
There was not a trace of the trainee who had boldly acted in front of PD Joo Cheolyeong during the day in the Kim Chunyong who couldn’t even fight back and just floundered as his noona pounded on his shoulders.
Someone who had regained what they once lost could only become endlessly weak before that person.
But what could he do?
‘Haha, noona. The thing is, there was a time I caused a problem and lost our entire family at once, but I came back after making a contract with a devil-like being. The stats I mentioned earlier aren’t a game character’s. They’re mine.’
He couldn’t say that.
Kim Chunyong, who had a sharp-looking face but couldn’t live up to it and was making a tearful expression, managed to grab his noona right before she went to find their mom in the master bedroom.
“S-signature!”
“What are you talking about?”
Kim Chunyong whispered quietly into his noona’s ear with a grave face.
“Noona, you like… Senior Choi Gaon. I’ll get you his signature. So don’t say those things to Mom. She’ll worry. And I really am going to practice!”
Bomi’s eyes went wide.
Choi Gaon, the popular solo singer and MC of
Bomi, the owner of the SNS account ‘Gaonni(•ө•)’, had been an avid fan since his debut.
But that was supposed to be a thorough secret that no one in the family except Kim Nari knew?
“…How did you know I like Gaon—I mean, Choi Gaon.”
“There’s a way to know everything. So, will you do it or not?”
Rolling her eyes this way and that, calculating her angle, Kim Bomi struck Kim Chunyong’s back once more and spoke firmly.
“I’ll give you an album so get it signed there. And if you’re not really going to practice, you’re dead.”
“Kuhuk, y-yes….”
Rubbing his back and catching his breath, Kim Chunyong watched Kim Bomi’s back as she shook her hair, which was tied up high, and slipped into her room, forcing a bitter smile.
Whether they fought and quarreled like this, or reconciled after the fight.
All of that was something they could do only when they were by each other’s side, when they were alive, when they were together.
“Hey. Can you get me Choi Gaon’s signature? He’s a senior from your company, right?”
“I’m still a rookie… I think I can if we get a bit closer. If I get the signature for you, what will you do for me?”
“You wanna die? I’m your noona, why should I do anything for you? You disrespectful brat.”
The previous Kim Chunyong had ultimately failed to get Choi Gaon’s signature for his noona.
So this time, he had to get it for her faster.
So that such a thing would never, ever happen again.
And so, while everyone struggled to do something from their respective places.
The first filming of