The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 112
The video editing room at Music Days headquarters, where Targeting Star was being edited to great acclaim…
“How’s it going?”
“Oh, Writer!”
“I figured you guys were working hard, so I brought some stuff to help you work even harder.”
“Well, since you brought it, we should say thanks, right?”
Lee Hyeon Jeong nodded as she placed a mountain of energy drinks on the table.
“What part are you working on right now?”
“Oh, I’m clipping things out. I’m checking if there’s anything usable from the hallway and the break room. But the hallway audio is pretty rough, so it’s tricky.”
“Hmm, then we should use more of the break room. How about the dorm rooms?”
“I managed to get a few good shots… Do you want to check out the break room clips? Some of the trainees were having secret conversations late at night.”
In idol survival programs, it’s not just the trainees’ skills that are important, but also the chemistry between them.
The editors, who had been deeply influenced by Joo Cheol Yeong’s nearly brainwashing remarks, were creating the show with that focus in mind.
The clips being uploaded to Targeting Star’s official YouTube channel as teasers were part of that strategy.
[Episode 4 Preview! Sleepy Late-Night Conversations Between Brothers]
[Ryota & Tsubasa: “So what was that in Japanese again?”]
[Targeting Star’s Iconic Vocal Duo Reveals Their Throat Care Routine]
“Everything looks good, but… huh?”
As Lee Hyeon Jeong scrolled through the cut footage, she unintentionally muttered aloud when two familiar faces appeared.
“Trainee Kim Chunyong and Logan?”
“Oh, yeah. That was filmed a couple of days ago. I haven’t fully listened to it, but it seemed like they were giving each other advice, so I thought it might fit the ‘Roommates’ concept.”
“—Can I listen to the audio? There’s something I want to check.”
“Uh… sure.”
Nervously rubbing her palms, Lee Hyeon Jeong bit her lip.
On the day Do Jae Chan secretly visited the trainees’ dorm, it wasn’t just Kim Chunyong he met with—it was Logan too, of course.
‘Naturally, since Logan is directly involved in this whole situation.’
The fact that the two trainees, who had become key figures in the current issue, were caught having a private conversation at night piqued her curiosity.
‘I told Trainee Kim Chunyong to resolve this within what the cameras could see, but I didn’t mean for such important conversations to be caught on camera…!’
With her anxiety building, she put on the headset, and the conversation between Logan and Kim Chunyong began to play.
The first voice she heard was Logan’s.
– “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know what I should do. You know what I’m saying, right? I mean… yeah.”
On the screen, Logan’s face was unusually twisted in distress.
It was the kind of expression that would make you feel guilty, like when you forcibly take a toy from a gentle golden retriever.
Kim Chunyong didn’t seem much different, as he clicked his tongue lightly and scratched his cheek.
– “Well… I don’t know if I should say this. I don’t think I can talk about this carelessly….”
– “But there’s no one else I can talk to but you, Hyung. As you know, you’re the only one who understands.”
There was a desperate tone in Logan’s voice. Given what Lee Hyeon Jeong had heard from Producer Joo about Logan’s current situation, it made sense.
‘President Do Jae Chan personally offered Logan an exclusive contract after Targeting Star, but Logan said he couldn’t sign it because he’s still a minor in Korea.’
And now, to appease Director Shin Ki Ho’s pressure, Producer Joo deliberately changed the song for the rap position and forced Logan into that role.
That poor Liverpool boy, whether he knew it or not, was likely stuck in an impossible situation.
“Trainee Logan.”
“Yes*, no, I mean. Yes, yes!”
(T/N: He said the first yes in english)
“You know as well as I do… this isn’t right. You understand that, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Rewriting the lyrics or composing a song isn’t the issue here. You’re supposed to practice the song that already exists, and that’s a matter of effort.”
“…….”
“Let’s get it together. Think about how many more stages you have left.”
‘Given how harsh the criticism he received during the midterm evaluation was, no wonder he’s feeling down. Poor kid….’
On the screen, Kim Chunyong remained silent for a moment, then bought an ion drink from the break room vending machine and handed it to Logan.
– “Anyway, you’re still competing in the position battle, right? That hasn’t changed, has it?”
– “Yes. That’s true.”
Before answering, Kim Chunyong glanced at the camera.
‘What’s going on? Is he… looking at the camera?’
His gaze at the camera almost seemed as if he was silently saying, “Writer, are you watching this?”
He stared for about three seconds before turning back to Logan and slowly speaking.
– “Logan. Listen. …What if this is your last stage?”
– “…….”
– “And what if you got distracted and couldn’t perform properly, then had to return to Liverpool? How would that feel?”
– “What…? I don’t know.”
– “Let me put it this way. What if, say, you made a deal with the devil, then regretted everything and were sent back to the past? You’d try to change the past so you wouldn’t regret the future, right?”
– “Chunyong hyung. What, what are you talking about? I don’t understand. Use simpler words, please.”
– “Hey, you idiot. What I’m saying is….”
Right now, we just have to do the best we can with what we have….
At that moment, when Kim Chunyong put Logan in a headlock, Lee Hyeon Jeong carefully took off her headset and quickly started thinking.
‘…These two, they know everything about each other and are speaking in code.’
At first glance, it looked like Kim Chunyong was just helping Logan with his struggles in the rap position, but anyone who knew the situation would realize that Kim Chunyong was advising Logan on his decision to leave the show.
Lee Hyeon Jeong hesitated.
Should she really release this clip?
Neither Producer Joo, Director Shin Ki Ho, nor President Do Jae Chan had seen this footage.
She was the only one who knew about this conversation.
In the three-way battle of agendas currently unfolding within Targeting Star, Lee Hyeon Jeong knew she had to make her own judgment.
Who would benefit from this video being released? Who would be upset? And who would get hurt?
‘Producer Joo… no. Director Shin will definitely come down hard on the trainees. But what about President Do Jae Chan? Ugh, this is driving me crazy!’
Gnawing on her nails in frustration, Lee Hyeon Jeong softly asked the editor, who was watching her with a puzzled expression.
“Do you have any other clips with these two?”
“Oh, uh… right! There’s some footage from the practice room. That was one of the candidate clips too.”
Click.
As the editor played the next video, Lee Hyeon Jeong’s eyes widened.
“…Let’s go with this one.”
“Really? But their vibe is a bit odd… wouldn’t the advice clip be better?”
“No, I think this one’s better.”
“Uh, okay… Got it.”
“Thanks. Keep up the good work.”
After patting the editor’s shoulder and offering words of encouragement, Lee Hyeon Jeong cautiously left the editing room.
Even at this late hour, the hallways of Music Days headquarters were bustling with people working on the broadcast.
‘There’s no need for these kids to get caught up in the adults’ power struggles….’
She didn’t know exactly how her quick decision today would play out, but one thing was certain: the situation would definitely take another turn.
