The Malicious Member Has Returned! Episode 9
"I-It's insane."
Na Jihyeok had to firmly lower his hands, which had unconsciously tried to clap.
He couldn't carelessly do something he had never once shown the other trainees.
Because the others might use it to predict his evaluation criteria.
"But, this was a stage that deserved applause no matter what...!"
Of course, it wasn't as if there had been no trainee among those who performed before who possessed skill equal to Gim Chunyong's.
There had definitely been trainees who were better.
However, that had merely been showing what they had practiced.
A sort of presentation, perhaps—showing that they could handle song and dance in this way, that their vocal range was at a certain level, that they could dance to a certain degree.
But Gim Chunyong, standing right there, had truly put on a "performance."
Because he was Na Jihyeok, who had breathed together with audiences on stage every year, he knew clearly what that difference was.
"I-I'll evaluate first."
Na Jihyeok, who grabbed the microphone first, spoke carefully, trying his best to hide his excitement.
"It was really, really good. Your song positioning was good too, and the transition from singing to dancing as the track was mixed was well planned. I think it was a stage that clearly showed what your strengths are. ...
Of course, you'll need to practice singing more."
Having squeezed in something to critique with difficulty, Na Jihyeok, satisfied with his own evaluation, passed the microphone to the person beside him.
Mun Yunha looked at Gim Chunyong with an expression that seemed somewhat puzzled and conflicted, then left just one word as before.
"...A stage like your name. I watched it well."
But there was no one present who didn't know that it was quite a good compliment.
"......."
Unexpectedly, Jin Dasol, who took the microphone third, hesitated for a long time to open his mouth as before.
His especially heavy, subdued atmosphere was enough to make goosebumps prickle on people's arms.
And Jin Dasol.
"Really, do you... intend to be... an idol...?"
It caused an uproar.
"Wh-what did you just..."
At Jin Dasol's shocking remark, the stage was instantly engulfed in silence.
Regardless, Jin Dasol simply stared intently at Gim Chunyong.
"J-Jin Dasol Mentor-nim. Could you please explain in a little more detail?"
To somehow break through that atmosphere, the flustered Choe Gaon hurriedly took over the hosting.
"...Ah."
Until now, Jin Dasol had only quietly shaken his head even when told such things, but this time, unexpectedly, he quickly picked up the microphone again.
"So, um... I just thought... you don't necessarily have to... be an idol."
"M-more detail!"
Choe Gaon shouted, sweating profusely.
Even though the words
Only after Choe Gaon pointed at the prompter with his finger did Jin Dasol open his mouth, frowning.
"...You dance really well. The choreo, you made it yourself, right?"
Gim Chunyong, who had been watching the mentors' reactions closely, answered quickly.
"Yes, yes. I made it myself."
When he was scheduled to perform at the year-end music festival, he had choreographed it himself and the choreographer hyung had refined it, so it was indeed true that Gim Chunyong had made it.
At Gim Chunyong's answer, which came with a slightly guilty conscience, Jin Dasol's expression became much more serious as he continued slowly.
"Without becoming an idol... I wish... you would join... my crew."
The trainees stirred once again.
It was because they understood what Jin Dasol meant by saying he wished Gim Chunyong would join his crew.
"It means his dancing is beyond idol-level!"
At Jin Dasol's continuous bombshell remarks, the main PD watching all of this from outside the cameras clapped his hands in the air with joy.
"Oh my god. That Gim Chunyong guy. I hoped he'd do well, but I didn't know it'd be to this extent?"
Gim Chunyong, who hadn't expected to hear such things, replied with a textbook answer, slightly flustered.
Of course, to the main PD's eyes, even that looked like a perfect editing point.
"Thank you for viewing me favorably, but... I want to become an idol. Still, thank you so much for your words."
"Hmm. Later is fine too. Perhaps your phone number...."
This too!
At Jin Dasol's vicious behavior of now trying to fulfill his personal desires after giving half-hearted evaluations all this time, Choe Gaon quickly cut him off and continued the hosting.
Though Jin Dasol's face, which had been consistently expressionless, twisted slightly with regret.
"...Production staff."
At the words aimed not at Gim Chunyong on stage but at themselves, the production staff hurriedly scribbled '????' in their sketchbooks.
"Why didn't you check the song in advance?"
Min Siyeong's words were quite sharp.
"It goes against fairness. In effect, you did two songs. Is it that the other trainees couldn't do this and didn't? I don't think so."
She gripped her pen tightly once and then looked coldly at Gim Chunyong.
There was certainly merit to Min Siyeong's words.
Gim Chunyong's arrangement could be put in a good way as using his head well, and in a bad way as exploiting a loophole in the rules.
And such a situation couldn't possibly look good to Min Siyeong, who had declared she would judge all participants' efforts and skills "fairly."
Eyes went back and forth between Gim Chunyong and Min Siyeong, and Min Siyeong raised her eyebrows high at Gim Chunyong's face, which had tensed slightly but still wore a faint smile.
And then.
"...I can't give a score for this stage. I'll give the lowest score."
"......!"
She uttered words that made everyone forget all the evaluations the other mentors had given until now.
It was a remark that even flustered the main PD, who had been thrilled at the thought of securing broadcast runtime.
"T-the lowest score? Min Siyeong, has she finally gone crazy? Ah, it must be an exaggeration! An exaggeration for the show!"
Seeing the main PD's mouth hang open, Min Siyeong pressed on as if seizing the opportunity.
"I won't even give an oral evaluation now. Whether it was done well or poorly aside... the starting line itself was wrong from the beginning. This is a broadcasting accident that happened because the production staff didn't check in advance."
"B-but in the end, the time used was still the same 2 minutes, wasn't it? Not giving any score at all is a bit... how about watching the stage with a different song instead?"
Na Jihyeok, sitting beside her, tried to defend him in confusion, but she was firm.
"No matter what you say, Ji-hyeok ssi, I won't change my mind. Even if he performs the stage again, I have no score to give to Trainee Gim Chunyong."
It was because in her head, the opinion that she had to evaluate this survival show fairly was stronger than the fact that Gim Chunyong's stage had been good.
And in a certain corner of her heart that even Min Siyeong herself didn't know, there was also the thought that the homegrown AG trainees she had watched since she was young shouldn't suffer losses.
"I'll conclude my evaluation. That's all."
"......."
But despite her declaration, a strange silence lingered on the set.
Why?
Because Gim Chunyong's stage had been so good despite everything? Because they couldn't even dare predict what people's gazes toward that trainee would be like from now on?
Or.
"...I'm going to give you 100 points."
Because they felt Gim Chunyong would surely receive someone's definite protection from now on?
"―!"
Jin Dasol's small voice saying he would give Gim Chunyong 100 points was caught directly by the microphone, and Min Siyeong, hearing that, glared at Jin Dasol, even forgetting they were in the middle of filming.
"Those guys, all the cameras are rolling right now!"
In the hectic situation, Main Writer I Hyeonjeong, who had momentarily spaced out, hurriedly shouted in a loud voice.
"E-everyone! Let's take a short break!"
* * *
A break that came suddenly.
"Phew...."
I didn't let go of my tension in front of the cameras set up here and there, planting myself on a seat prepared behind the stage.
Though I felt a slight trembling in my hands from the repeated situations, I did my best to stay aware of what was happening.
Actually, if we only looked at the conclusion, my plan itself had worked.
Because my target from the beginning had been Jin Dasol.
Unlike the other mentors whose high and low scores were ambiguous as to what exactly they were looking at, Jin Dasol was someone with a clear direction to aim for.
...Even so, it was unexpected that Senior Min Siyeong would hate it that much.
I had thought it was all or nothing, but I never imagined the reactions would be so polarized like that.
'Should I consider this fortunate? No, there's no good in making enemies with the mentors. If I want to look good in front of Senior Min Siyeong next time....'
While worrying about how to proceed in a situation where crisis and opportunity were mixed together, someone cautiously spoke to me.
"Excuse me."
"...Huh?"
I was more surprised by the identity of the person who spoke to me first than by the cold sports drink touching my cheek.
Jet-black hair carrying a bluish tinge as if it had been specially dyed. Eyes without double eyelids, half-closed as if slightly languid.
'I know it's not your fault. But you know you can't do this either.'
"...Ah, drink this. You're thirsty, right?"
...And even that sweet voice that used to coax and comfort me.
With a blank face, I hesitated briefly before barely accepting the drink he held out.
"Bang Yuchan, Trainee... right."
When I immediately said his name, the other person opened his half-closed eyes wide in surprise.
"Huh? Y-you know who I am? I'm just a normal person, how do you know?"
As if I wouldn't know.
Top incoming student who had beaten an 89:1 competition ratio to enter the Practical Music Department at Hankuk University's College of Music in 201X, Bang Yuchan.
...Main vocal of Arrows.
'It's good that you remember. You were our team's main vocal, hyung. You hit all the high notes I couldn't. Haha, do you remember screaming at me in an 8th octave to come to my senses at the end?'
But I couldn't say that.
I racked my brain for a moment and recalled the fact that Yuchan-hyung had performed on stage before me.
"Ah, you performed earlier. You sang really well. You're two years older than me too... please speak comfortably, hyung."
"Ah, then I'll speak casually. I sang worse than usual so I was super embarrassed. You're saying really nice things, you."
Yuchan-hyung, who had opened up, sat in the chair next to me and started talking about this and that.
That my stage just now was cool, that he ended up coming here while on leave from university so he was very nervous, that he didn't know anyone and wanted to get close to me, and so on.
Simply immersed in the emotion of talking to a former member hyung, I nodded my head, but when I carefully chewed over Yuchan-hyung's last words, I was shocked.
"...With me? You want to get close to me?"
"Huh? Is that something to be so surprised about?"
"Ah, no! It's not that! I'd like that too. It's just...."
I couldn't find words to answer for a moment and had to close my mouth.
Being close with Yuchan-hyung in a survival show.
"That I can seize such a precious opportunity like this, I am so, so grateful... even after debut, I will repay this love...."
Yuchan-hyung was a trainee who gained popularity with his ever-improving skills and pleasant personality with each round, safely securing a spot in the debut group at 4th place.
If I were close to such a hyung, it would be an incomparable help in achieving my current goal of "the final 6 of the survival program
But... would it be okay for me?
To Yuchan-hyung and the other members, I've been nothing but a burden until now. I haven't been any help at all. And now I'm shamelessly thinking of getting carried again?
"U-uh, that's... I mean."
The sentences in my heart couldn't be organized and just spun around. I patted my tight chest and struggled to choose my words.
"Uh, what's wrong? Did you choke on the drink?"
Yuchan-hyung, who had been staring at me with wide eyes at my strange behavior, finally seemed to realize something and suddenly put his arm around my neck, whispering.
"Don't tell me you're like this because you got on Mentor Min Siyeong's bad side? Are you worried it'll cause problems for me?"
At hyung's words, I shook my eyes wildly and looked at him.
That's not it. It's because I feel sorry thinking I'll get carried by a member I made suffer in the past again. It has nothing to do with getting on Senior Min Siyeong's bad side!
But Yuchan-hyung, perhaps taking my behavior as a positive sign, continued to whisper while patting my back with a pitying face.
"Hey, it's okay. It's not like we're teenagers. Do we have to pick and choose our friends? And if there are problems with filming because I'm close to you, we can just post it online. What kind of world is it these days."
I listened to Yuchan-hyung's words and gaped.
Ah, right. It had been so long since I talked with hyung that I had forgotten. That Yuchan-hyung was originally this kind of person.
"Chunyong-ah, why are you holding back words like this? Let's sue them!"
Unlike the other members whose social skills had deteriorated from long trainee lives, Yuchan-hyung, who had normally graduated elementary, middle, and high school and safely finished college entrance exams, solved outside problems briskly.
He had helped me with the maliciously edited articles and hate comment lawsuits aimed at me in the early debut days....
Yuchan-hyung laughed as if singing, grabbing my shoulders and shaking them back and forth.
"Hey, why are you so timid? Compared to how you look, huh? You act like you're going to devour someone on stage! You're really funny. You'll teach me a lot of dance moves, right?"
This is the same too.
I suppressed my welling emotions with effort and answered nonchalantly.
"...Then you teach me singing too, hyung."
"Ugh, of course. I'm great at give-and-take."
Just as I was about to smile without realizing at hyung's same old banter, the youngest writer's shout was heard from the stage direction.
"We'll resume filming! Everyone, please gather!"
I headed together with Yuchan-hyung to the trainees' seats next to the stage with smiling faces.
And I chewed over a fierce resolve in my heart.
That this time, I definitely wouldn't be an obstacle to the members.
That no matter what happens, we would debut together as "Arrows" and I would raise them to the pinnacle of the world.