The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 147
[Alright, time to cut off the dead weight and hold onto the ones who actually have a shot.
ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Our Hwa Sung is going viral immediately.]
[Li Ming Shen at 10th? Isn’t that dangerously low?]
[⎿ Hopeful thinking my a*s. Just admit he’s screwed.]
[⎿⎿Who the hell is this company slave talking like they know everything? I’m already stressed, just shut up. I’m about to move to China and cook for Ling Ling myself.]
The mid-rank announcement was widely regarded as the most objective measure of success.
Netizens agreed—1st to 5th were debut locks. 6th and 7th were in a bloodbath. Anything below that? Not even worth considering.
And no one understood that better than the trainees themselves.
“At this point, no one’s just half-assing things. And even if someone was, I sure as hell shouldn’t be. No way.”
Among them, Ji Hwa Sung, who had never failed a stage and steadily held his 2nd place ranking, absentmindedly adjusted the ends of his perfectly styled blond hair.
2nd place is stable. Secure, no matter who looks at it.
Practically guaranteed a debut. If it were anyone else, they might have taken a moment to relax. but throughout Targeting Star, Hwa Sung had changed.
He had learned to be desperate. To push himself harder than anyone else.
Even with good results, he never let himself get complacent. Never underestimate others.
“Wow, if my mom saw me now, she’d be so damn proud. ‘Since when did you get so mature?’ She’s still in Daegu, so I won’t see her till the live broadcast anyway.”
Praising himself for his growth, Hwa Sung suddenly caught sight of someone—and his expression darkened.
“Ah, this is crazy. Why now? I need to keep my emotions in check before something this important.”
The person who had forced him to learn not to underestimate others, and changed his mind.
Liu Wei slowly stepped into the studio.
With his usual sharp, precise gait, his expression so perfectly blank it was almost unnerving.
“God, this pisses me off. If those b******t rumors hadn’t spread, Yongyong hyung would be 6th. In the debut range.”
Hwa Sung never forgot things like this.
When forced to weigh two people against each other—the person who pushed him forward and the person he clashed with—his loyalty wasn’t even a question.
The stairwell at the trainee dorms, where he had talked with Kim Chunyong. Gyeongbokgung, where he had nearly come to blows with Liu Wei.
Clutching his forehead, Hwa Sung clicked his tongue.
The rumors about Chunyong had spread right before the mid-rank announcement—and it had trainees talking.
“Nonsense. I told you, didn’t I? I wanted to reply to his sister’s post myself, but it was locked.”
“Yeah. Jae Ha hyung’s Outgram post cleared things up too.”
“Right. The other one was fake too.”
“I mean… if that bastard— ahem. I mean, if that guy’s rank drops, that’s honestly great for me. But the timing was weird. We all know why.”
“Wait, Joo An. You know something?”
“H-Huh? No? What would I know? Seo Bin, maybe if you spent less time worrying about other people and more time practicing, you’d actually get better at choreography.”
“Damn, Joo An. Do you always have to sound like such an a*s?”
Recalling the conversation with his Aiming teammates, Hwa Sung felt a headache coming on.
“Yeah. Kim Joo An knows something. If Jae Ha hyung happened to post a video that helped Chunyong’s case at just the right time, he probably knows something too.”
Being left out of the loop wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
Whether you were Ji Hwa Sung, whose pride was too strong for it, or just a bystander, watching from the outside.
“What’s with that scowl? Your makeup’s gonna crease.”
The voice came from behind him. Instantly, Hwa Sung’s entire demeanor lit up.
“Yongyong hyung?!”
“Yep. It’s me. Now, smile. One, two—”
“Huh?
Wait, wha—”
The camera shutter clicked before Hwa Sung could react.
Still, his face came out stupidly good-looking in the shot. But as soon as he processed what just happened, he scowled again and whispered at Chunyong.
“What the hell was that for?! You count to three first! Ah, for real, I was thinking about something serious here!”
“Yeah. I could tell. What, you nervous about the rankings? Because of the mission points?”
“That’s what you’re worried about right now? Yeah, hyung, we really need to talk. You—”
“Shh.”
“Urk!”
Kim Chunyong jabbed Ji Hwa Sung’s side, watching in satisfaction as the younger man curled in on himself.
Then, with a pleased expression, he patted his shoulder.
“That’s already taken care of. Whining about it now won’t change anything.”
“Taken care of? What are you talking about? It’s just in a lull—your ranking dropped! Aren’t you gonna debut?”
“Of course, I want to debut. That’s why— I was thinking we should talk about that.”
“Uh… I’m not great with advice, but… if you really want—”
“Pfft. You’re saying silly things. Not you.”
Laughing at Hwa Sung’s ridiculous assumption, Chunyong playfully flicked the blond’s head before walking away—in the exact direction of Liu Wei.
Then he turned to face Ji Hwa Sung and mouthed the words.
‘Watch his expression.’
“W-Wait. Why the hell is Yongyong hyung talking to him? What would they even talk about?”
Having no idea that the rumors targeting Chunyong had been spread by Liu Wei himself, Hwa Sung could only narrow his eyes and watch as instructed.
“…..”
Liu Wei’s expression didn’t change much as he watched Kim Chunyong walk towards him.
In contrast, Chunyong beamed.
A bright, sharp grin that exposed his canines. Then, leaning in just close enough for Liu Wei to hear—he whispered something.
Ji Hwa Sung, watching from across the room, gasped out loud before he even realized it.
Because Liu Wei—the guy who never let his mask slip,the guy who could regain his composure even in the middle of a breakdown—
“…He looks pissed.”
In front of everyone,
Liu Wei had lost his poker face.
Kim Chunyong, catching Hwa Sung’s reaction, turned back with a grin and silently mouthed—
‘Did you see that?’
“Mid-rank announcement filming starts now!”
And just like that—the moment that had kept them all on edge was finally beginning.
It was the moment when Kim Chunyong declared that he would not stand still anymore.
kcyfan1000
I’M SO HYPED
Hwa Sung loves his Yongyong hyung ah <3
Thank you for the translation!