The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 185



Only Noblemtl

The Malicious Member Returns! Episode 185

* * *

Our T.O.J’s first stage, which omitted the showcase for the repackaged album in order to make a quicker comeback, was, as expected, Music Music Days.

Not only did we have no other choice since our debut was confirmed through , but they also had a duty to take care of the previous idol in order to produce the next survival idol.

Well, it’s funny to neglect idols who have just debuted and are rising in popularity.

Nowadays, there is a lot of talk that our ‘Hide and Seek’ album has set a new record for the total sales of male idol debut albums.

I hear they’re skipping the showcase this time and instead going all out on our Muumude Sanhok set or something.

Anyway, I was scheduled to meet Yeonwoo hyung there.

Sladix’s last week of activities after returning with their regular album ‘Dream in a Dream’.

To aim for that exact moment.

“Phew… Then, should we take a break for a bit? Jaeha suddenly stopped and I was wondering.”

“Oh, yes. I just stopped right away. That’s because it seemed like Chun-yong wanted to take a break… I’m sorry, everyone.”

“Jae-ha hyung, what are you sorry about? This is the perfect time to rest! Yong-yong hyung is good at keeping an eye on things. Hey, Logan. I’m going to go get some water. No, I think I’ll just go to the convenience store now.”

“Mars, No. I don’t have the strength to move a finger right now….”

“Eek, really? You’re really weak. Then Siwoo! Let’s go!”

“Brother, go… alone… and come back…”

“This won’t work. Logan, come here immediately. Logan is the only person I can command.”

“Ah, Mars! You’re cruel!”

The practice room, which used to be filled with only the sound of Jaeha hyung’s beat and the squeaking of the members’ shoes, briefly became lively as the break began.

The forced march, which had been nothing but preparations, was finally about to be unveiled, and the anticipation was palpable.

This album is more than just a game of hide and seek, the members put in a lot of effort, so maybe that’s only natural.

I leaned forward naturally in front of the mirror in the practice room and rolled my eyes, examining each of the members’ faces.

Okay, now… .

How can I put into words what I’m thinking?

The reason I decided to throw bait to Yeonwoo hyung on the day of the Muumude Sanok and see how he reacted was because it was hard to find a better timing than now.

[Jeong Yeon-woo: You finally contacted me first ^^]

[Jung Yeon-woo: Then shall we meet once on the day of the pre-recording?]

[Jung Yeon-woo: You can come to our waiting room]

Good health.

[Kim Chun-yong: Oh, if that’s okay with you]

[Kim Chun-yong: How about meeting in front of the Muumude underground store?]

[Jeong Yeon-woo: The store is nice]

[Jeong Yeon-woo: It’s a place that even idols who debuted a long time ago don’t know about, so I don’t know how Chun-yong knows about it ^^]

[Kim Chun-yong: ^^;; It just so happened haha]

The location is also nice.

[Jeong Yeon-woo: Because our recording team will be ahead of Chun Yong’s team]

[Jung Yeon-woo: I’ll stop by for a bit before moving to another schedule]

[Jeong Yeon-woo: We’ll decide the exact time then]

It’s almost perfect, because it’s definitely going to be hard to see each other’s faces right after that conversation.

All you have to do now is just tell the members.

Don’t worry, I’ll be away for a bit on the day of the Mude Sanok concert to meet senior Jeongyeonwoo.

However, there was one major flaw in this plan.

That’s right….

“Hey, Chun-yong wanted to rest? What? He’s not that kind of person. Is he sick or something?”

“I’m a bit worried about that part too. I sweat a lot… I think I should tell Hobin hyung.”

“Chun-yong, hyung… are you… okay?”

“Oh, look at that. The sweat is red. Something seems to be wrong! Chun-yong, are you okay?”

Since the Wiz and Antae incident, the frequency with which the members’ eyes are fixed on me has noticeably increased.

“Haha… That dyed hair is fading. It’s not like I’ve only seen you for a day or two, hyung Yuchan!”

“Yeah, but… it feels a little different…”

“Yeah, Siwoo is right. Chun-yong, you seem to be having trouble sleeping these days. I can’t help but notice since we’re in the same room.”

“Brother Jaeha… You can’t sleep because you can’t sleep more?”

“Oh my, you two are both so sensitive, this is really a big deal. But I thought Jae-ha would be like that. Chun-yong, you’re not born that way, you know…”

In particular, there are three members who react sensitively to this kind of thing.

It goes without saying that Jae-ha and Si-woo were quick to check people’s conditions, and Yoo-chan was good at looking after his younger siblings with his innate social skills.

So, if I act even a little strangely, you’ll notice right away.

When I said I was going to meet Yeonwoo hyung alone, there was a chance that he would just let me go… .

Roughly speaking, there was some expected conversation.

‘… You’re going to see senior Jeongyeonwoo alone? Why? Let’s go together. Isn’t it right for all the members to go together? If I send you alone, senior will think we’re being rude?’

‘Yoochan hyung is right, Chun-yong. He gave us a song from our debut album, so it’s right for us to all go and say hello. And since I’m the leader by name, it’s a bit much to send only one other member. It’s right for us to all go together, holding our album.’

‘Chun-yong, hyung. Let’s go together. Hyung, I, this time too… went around alone like this. I had trouble with Mr. An Tae-i, right? At that time, hyung, you looked really… tired… .’

Yes. I expect the conversation to be vivid as if it had already happened.

“… Sigh.”

I clicked my tongue lightly and a helpless smile appeared on my face.

If I hadn’t caused any noticeable trouble with Wiz and the Antaei guys before, those people wouldn’t have done that.

Is this what you call reaping what you sow?

… It’s not like I wanted to do that!

While I was clenching my fists, wanting to briefly squeeze Antae, the members who had collapsed on the practice room floor began chatting away.

“This is really our first comeback… I’m nervous. I think it’s time to stop being nervous, but I don’t know why I’m nervous every day. Is it because I’ve never experienced the life of a trainee?”

“Um, no, hyung. I’m like that too. I haven’t been a trainee for a long time, but seeing how nervous I am… maybe everyone is like that.”

“Even so… I have good memories from when I debuted and performed on stage… so I think it’ll be okay…”

“For something like that, you’re shaking your hand a lot, Siwoo…!”

No matter how many stages I’ve been on through survival shows, I’m bound to get nervous whenever the word ‘first’ is attached to anything.

First showcase, first debut, first comeback.

The excitement and weight that comes from that word is bound to be different.

So, I could naturally understand the members’ reactions.

Before we get into the main topic, I feel like I should say something, uh.

I moved my body naturally next to those members and chattered.

“… But still, once they get on stage, they all do well. They went through so much hardships in the survival show.”

“Well, that’s right. Should I say that your body reacts on its own? Haha, Chun-yong, you’re especially like that.”

“Right, right… Chun-yong, I’ve never… seen you… tremble…”

“That’s a bit strange. Is it because dancing is your specialty? If you’re less physically tense, you’re also less mentally tense, or something like that?”

“Hey, no way. I’m shaking too.”

After all, since I’m a career person, it’s even stranger for me to be floating.

It’s not fair for someone to drink, go on stage, vomit, and then tremble.

Well, back then I thought alcohol was a way to relieve my tension… .

Now that I think about it, I guess I just wanted to justify my situation with that.

If you do well on stage, it’s because of alcohol. If you don’t do well, it’s because of alcohol.

“No, Rex. Are you some kind of 90s sports player? Why do you keep bringing beer into the waiting room!”

“It’s just one can, one can. I didn’t bring more… .”

“Does that make sense? Manager-hyung. Rex-hyung, stop allowing this. If you keep doing this, I’m going to tell the company, seriously. Then you know this isn’t going to end with just getting scolded, right?”

“Hey, hey. Mars. What do you want me to do with you? Rex can’t live without that. If you tell the company about that, you’ll get fired. Do you want to see your brother get fired? Huh?”

“This guy… .”

Oh, I’m reminded of my dark past again.

“… Sigh.”

I opened my eyes wide, trying to erase the memories of that day when I had drunk, thrown up on stage, and filled my head.

Now was not the time.

The important thing is how I tell the members that I’m going to meet Yeonwoo hyung in this friendly situation.

Is this a legitimate method or an excuse?

Or is it a lie?

“Excuse me, I have something to say….”

At that time, I was using my not-so-smart head to think about this and that.

“Even so… when I debuted on stage… Chun-yong, hyung bought me some shikhye… so I wasn’t that nervous. No, I was nervous… but it was, okay.”

The words that Siwoo shyly spoke upon seeing me mumbling resonated throughout the practice room, rippling like the water on which a stone had been thrown.

And those who reached the end of that wave were those who were completely unaware of that fact.

“What? Sikhye?”

“Ugh. Jang Si-woo, that shikhye… wasn’t that the one you got from the coffee truck Si-won sent? Wasn’t it the one Yong-yong bought for you?”

“Huh? Yes, yes… .”

To be exact, the two people who didn’t go to the store with me at that time were going to the bathroom.

As the conversation went in a direction I never expected, I slowly blinked my eyes and tried to grasp the situation.

Wait, wait.

this….

It’s kind of okay.

“… Logan and Mars didn’t go to the Muumude store that time, did they? Oh, I didn’t think of it.”

From then on, my mouth started moving on its own.

I can’t be sure, but probably in a good way.

* * *

Mude Sanok daily store located in the corner of the parking lot on the 4th basement floor of Sangam Music Days Live Hall.

A place known only to those in the know, with a not-so-good turnover rate, and one that doesn’t open very often due to its nature as a daily shop.

There was only one reason why the business could continue steadily there.

Because the store owner knows too much.

“We haven’t seen each other in so long, haven’t we…?”

“Ugh, I missed you. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to see you since your comeback was so late. But, is it okay if we meet here? There’s someone at the store over there.”

“It’s okay. He’s the type of person who keeps his mouth shut.”

The location, a corner of the 4th basement floor parking lot, was a perfect secret meeting place for idols who couldn’t openly share their love.

Oh, I’m telling you, they go inside the van and they’re holding hands and kissing and it’s chaos.

The only store owner in the sparkling store there watched the whole thing, and his agency used the money to keep him quiet so he could keep his store there.

It wouldn’t just be the agencies.

The live hall that directly occupied that location, and furthermore, the Mude headquarters.

If you think about it, the middle-aged store owner is like a bamboo forest that knows all the rumors but keeps its mouth shut.

However, it has been several years since the store was able to continue operating like that.

“Oh, really. What… I thought you came to pay off a debt. This is… .”

A sight that even the owner had never seen before was unfolding before his eyes.

therefore….

“Ahh! Hyung Yeonwoo, wait, wait! Hyung, you can’t do this here!”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Jooyoung? I don’t know. I need to check if what I just heard is true or not.”

The leader of a male idol group is holding one of his members to death… .

“Holy. Is it okay for me to just… look at this, Chun-yong hyung?”

“Well, first of all? Hey, Mars. Give me some popcorn.”

“Hey, let’s eat the fried rice that my brother bought!”

He is a rising junior idol who is currently enjoying a hot popularity.

To explain this, I had to go back in time a little bit.