The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 79
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Having been constantly downcast over not being able to attend the 4th contest’s live audience, Neulbommiru was pressing her forehead while looking at the madly updating SNS timeline on her phone and the 4th contest stages on her tablet.
“Ah, it’s chaotic. Even more chaotic than when I’m at work!”
That was only natural.
- “You want to change your color? …What color? Have you thought of any? Wait, let’s try comparing some color palettes and start.”
“No, crazy, Chunyong-ah! Why, of all times! The day I couldn’t go! You change your hair color!”
Her ultimate bias, who had kept somewhat long black hair during the preparations for the 4th contest, suddenly appeared on stage with dyed red hair.
[I’ve fallen in love with a Chinese man… @alwaysliuuway
Until Ryuryu says something officially, it’s right not to respond to rumors, everyone!
@GLAEMFEK Please report and block this person! I’ll get the pdf myself]
[⎿Are you in your right mind? This is about a fiancée; if they say something official, it’s basically announcing they’re getting married soon, you crazy person]
[⎿⎿Delete the post]
A trainee she had been pushing alongside her bias as part of the dance line was suddenly heating up SNS trends with a fiancée controversy!
“No, at first I thought it was a rumor like Chunyong’s and told people to stop producing reckless statements with the official statement… What is this, is it real?”
At the time, not realizing the seriousness of the situation, Gao Xiumin had excitedly sent a DM that had already become a massive meme on SNS.
[Walking into the Entertainment Industry @Workingcl_ass
Walking into the Entertainment Industry is too big for Korea to contain; I think I need to balance it out with some frozen pork belly and soju tonight]
[⎿Honestly, frozen pork belly isn’t all that great, is it?]
[mennnnheeri living like a fool and dying @mennnnheeriS2
The trainee Ryuryu, too big for Korea to contain, is now in the debut group #TargetingStar, really amazing (≧∇≦)/ The team name might become Arrows ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Looking forward to it!]
[⎿Arrows ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Was that really the best they could do? But your Jeong Yeonu hyung is acting like this to people he even provided songs for, it’s tacky ㅠㅠ]
“Fight again, fight again. Ah, I’m so sick of it… To think even this is part of an idol fan’s daily life. That’s why I’ve only stanned survival show contestants up to now.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Neulbommiru rubbed her forehead a few times, then tapped her tablet a few times to capture the quickly passing image of Kim Chunyong again.
“Rumor has it you helped carry the trainees’ gifts along with Jeong Yeonu sunbae-nim! Trainee Kim Chunyong, how did it feel?”
“Ah, because it was a big senior’s car, I was so nervous… haha, the details will have to remain a secret, right!?”
“Ah, you’re keeping it to yourself? My, my, you’ve learned the broadcasting game now!”
Talking with Choe Gaon in the post-stage interview while his red hair softly swayed, Kim Chunyong had a face that sparkled like always. Enough to completely blow away the stress Neulbommiru got from the people on SNS who were tearing each other down, cursing, and shouting for attention.
After touching the red hair of Kim Chunyong, who was smiling brightly on the tablet, a few times, Neulbommiru’s eyes widened and she muttered in a low voice.
“…Fine. What matters to me right now is Chunyong-ie debuting.”
Even if the dance line of Liu Wei and Kim Chunyong that Neulbommiru had dreamed of couldn’t be realized, with things turning out this way, she could have a bit more hope for Kim Chunyong’s debut ranking. Especially since the 4th contest ‘Groggy’ stage had a small on-site vote difference with the 1st place ‘Teen spirit’ team.
“So, I have to finish what I started….”
Neulbommiru sprang up from her bed and headed to her work desk. The flickering screen saver went off, and on the dual monitors she had bought after blood, sweat, and tears comparing prices, part of the video she was working hard on appeared.
[KIM ‘SPRING’ YONG▷ NOW]
Ahead of the upcoming live broadcast voting, it was Kim Chunyong’s promotional video that she would post as a YouTube ad.
“The unit price was a bit steep… but it’s worth bearing. Hand in the file by the day after tomorrow, start a week before the live broadcast, and it’s perfect.”
That wasn’t all she had prepared. A new subway billboard ad, prepared together with another well-known Kim Chunyong fan. A bus stop ad. Going further, an SNS raffle event, and on a smaller scale, even the design for fans to distribute at the live broadcast venue.
Her actions like this drew a lot of talk even among her friends.
“Seriously, I don’t think you’re in your right mind. You weren’t that kind of person. You were that cold type who just sucks the sweet nectar from trainees and moves on immediately.”
“How old is that story, really!”
“How old? How o-old? Hey. Just among the people I know, how many, mmmph!”
“Be quiet. Everyone in the cafe’s staring at us.”
Why go that far for a trainee whose ranking is currently so precarious, someone you don’t even know if they’ll debut? Can’t she just enjoy the good parts like before and not care anymore?
But.
Just as she had named Kim Chunyong a ‘miracle’ herself, she felt the desire to do everything befitting that.
‘The reason I’m doing this is really because I cherish you so much, like you so much, and want you to do well. I have absolutely no other intentions.’
“Our Chunyong-ie just needs to debut….”
And did that wish of Neulbommiru’s somehow get through?
In a trainee dorm facility located somewhere in Seoul, Kim Chunyong was also… doing his absolute best for his debut, and for his atonement.
* * *
Now, with
“My trainee period was 3 years… I think I’ve improved my skills more when preparing for stages on
“Well, that’s right, Seobin hyung. At first, you had a lot of trouble picking up the choreography, right? But now you do it quite well? You’ve really gotten better.”
“Uh, uh. Well. Back when we first started preparing for ‘Aiming’… Hwaseong-ie, you were so sensitive, too.”
“Ah, suddenly bringing up embarrassing past? Hyung, you’re putting me on the spot!”
“No, No. Hwaseong, Hwaseong’s sensitivity is still ongoing.”
“Whoa, Logen. Since when did your Korean get that good? Really… it makes me think a lot.”
The Ji Hwaseong team, gathered once more for the ‘Aiming’ stage to be performed in the final live broadcast, were also briefly sharing trivial chatter, reminiscing about when they first met.
“Ah! If I went back to that time, I probably wouldn’t act like that, you know? It was just because I was a flower in a greenhouse! Now, now! I absolutely don’t do that!”
As if embarrassed by the time he had been arrogant and stubborn, Ji Hwaseong floundered, wrapping his head in his arms with his face blushing so red it could be seen through his blonde hair.
“For Stalin to reform himself. This is also a surprising thing. Ryota, how do you see the current situation? Gao Yan believes there’s a possibility that’s also a lie.”
“Hmm, I think so too. We’ll have to watch a bit more. My grandmother said that you can’t fix people.”
“…How do people from different countries get along so well? Shouldn’t someone take my side?”
“Sorry, Hwaseong. We’re platform mates, you know. Platform mates are one in heart and mind, don’t you know? I don’t really know the meaning either, but Gao Yan told me!”
“Ah! Please! Wait, there’s one more person in that room! Where is he?”
Under the concentrated attack pouring on him, Ji Hwaseong ran to the person who was resting, sitting blankly under the mirror.
“Yongyong hyung! Hyung, say something! We’re comrades with dyed hair now!”
“…Uh, uh? What. Hey, that’s gross. Get away for a sec.”
“Ah, hyung!”
Snapped out of his own world, Kim Chunyong soon dusted off his red hair with his hand, looking slightly awkward.
“Our atmosphere… it’s really good, huh?”
“Well, should it be bad or something?”
Lightly ignoring Kim Juan, who was again picking a fight with him nonstop, Kim Chunyong lightly put Ji Hwaseong in a headlock and looked outside the practice room door.
‘Yeah. Our team’s atmosphere is really great right now. …The only person who could be a problem is that hamster-like Kim Juan with the bad personality.’
However, when it came to whether other teams had a good atmosphere, that was a different story.
Right now, the Ji Hwaseong team wasn’t mentioning it, and the staff had kept them quiet, so that was the only reason.
The problematic trainee was still in the trainee dorm facility.
The existence of Liu Wei’s fiancée quickly spread among the trainees right after the 4th contest ended.
“No, really? What… what era is this, getting engaged young?”
“Seriously, it’s something that happens occasionally. Still, it’s surprising!”
Those who were shocked.
“…You know I couldn’t do the ‘Aiming’ stage properly because of that bastard. Serves him right that this happened.”
“M-me too. Honestly… he’s always so stern. If he makes one mistake, he starts again from the beginning. I didn’t like him much, him.”
Those who didn’t like Liu Wei to begin with and were deriving satisfaction.
“Ah, wait. Isn’t that Chinese guy 4th place? Since I’m 11th right now, hey, this might… who knows? If I do well in the live broadcast, it could be possible? Ah, dammit. I wish he’d get in one more scandal!”
“Juan-ah, it’s not good for a person to be that mean.”
“Seobin. Take care of yourself. Hey, whatever the route, debuting is what matters, isn’t it, for us!”
“…That’s true, though.”
Those who hoped his ranking would drop and benefit them.
“…….”
And, the person who was agonizing over how to act from here on out.
The last was the story of Kim Chunyong.
Having resolved his own rumor, exposed Liu Wei’s weakness, and performed well on stage, he now had to move further beyond.
Debut.
Specifically, getting within the final ranking of 6th place on
Successfully finishing the previous ‘Groggy’ stage could be seen as getting back on track to some extent. But among the already solidified core fandom, it was also crucial for Kim Chunyong to gain enough public sentiment to get live text votes.
‘Of course, if I reveal the help Li Mingshen said he’d give, I can definitely bring Liu Wei’s votes to my side. But the timing is really ambiguous.’
The ruckus Li Mingshen had thrown just yesterday, saying ‘How can you even imagine a future where you don’t debut when I’m helping this much,’ and his unusual emotions.
‘Chunyong hyung, now everything is going well!’
Over there, giving a serious face with a thumbs-up, our 16th place, the pride of Hong Kong, perfect.
Even Gao Yan.
In any case, it was a situation where Kim Chunyong had to properly meet the expectations of the supporters for debuting in place of Liu Wei.
‘Ah. If the person who returned at a time like this had been that smart Yeonu hyung instead of the alcoholic malicious member, he would have resolved the situation smoothly! This really pisses me off.’
But, the fact that Kim Chunyong kept agonizing didn’t make things easier or better.
- “All trainees, please gather in the main hall 30 minutes from now. There will be a final mission filming.”
Because sometimes, there were things you just had to run into and then see.
“What. What mission filming are we doing this late at night? If you don’t sleep early, your skin barrier totally collapses!”
“…Right. Haha! Still, if they tell you to go, you have to go.”
“That wasn’t directed at you, Kim Chunyong, okay?”
Snapped to his senses by Kim Juan’s grumbling, Kim Chunyong got up from his seat and flashed his characteristic hearty smile.
“Right, Juan-ah. Anyway, we do have to film. You might actually really enjoy this filming too.”
“…What do you mean?”
The final mission filming that Kim Chunyong had briefly pushed to the back of his mind while busy.
The specialty of Producer Ju Cheolyeong’s idol survival program.
No, one of the mini-projects that can’t be missed if you’re an idol.
That important and also special time was waiting for the trainees.