The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 149
The autograph from Kim Chunyong on the back of her tablet had, at some point, become her most prized possession.
After venting all her pent-up emotions, Jieun rubbed her scrunched-up face, smoothing it out, before refocusing on the broadcast.
The 7th place trainee had just finished their speech,and now, the top-ranked trainees—those in debut range—were appearing one by one on the screen.
And among them?
Liu Wei, proudly confirmed in 4th place.
“Ah, I know NBML kinda likes Liu Wei, but for me….”
There were fans who loved the dynamics and relationships between trainees, and then there were fans who only cared about their pick.
If NBML was the former, Kim Jieun was the latter.
“I mean, it’s fine if you like him, but Liu Wei gives me… a bad feeling. I don’t know, just something about him feels off. And of all people, he had to overlap with Chunyong’s position…? Ugh, I don’t know, whatever.”
As she muttered to herself, feeling mildly conflicted, the screen shifted to show Choi Gaon approaching Liu Wei.
“Trainee Liu Wei! Congratulations on securing a debut position! Would you like to say something to the fans who supported and voted for you?”
“Thank you. I will continue to work harder.”
“Th—that’s it? You can say a little more!”
“…I will repay you with a better performance and ranking.”
[NB @Bombangbom
Ha… Liu Wei absolutely killed the Crucial Boy performance today. He’s definitely climbing higher during the live show….]
[NB @Bombangbom
Liu Wei is great, he really is. But I need Chunyong to debut. Can’t they both just debut?]
[NB @Bombangbom
Honestly? Chunyong’s Crucial Boy stage was better. I watched it with my own eyes. It was. No arguments.]
And once again— due to some livestream delay, NBML had tweeted before Jieun even saw it unfold on her tablet.
“…What is with him?”
Still, no matter how much NBML was freaking out, Jieun’s focus remained on the screen.
Liu Wei’s speech itself wasn’t that odd.
It wasn’t out of character, and mid-ranking announcements were naturally nerve-wracking.
Most of Liu Wei’s core fans had a simple reaction:
[“Oh no, Liu Wei looks nervous! ㅠㅠ Our Ice Prince is so cute and so strong!”]
But Jieun? Jieun was one of the few who had noticed the return of Kim Chunyong, the legendary “toxic member.”
“Something’s up. He looks… stiff. But it doesn’t feel like just nerves….”
When it came to sensing shifts in people’s behavior, her radar was uncannily sharp.
And today, it locked onto Liu Wei, whose demeanor was just a tiny, tiny bit off from usual.
“…Say more. Say it properly. What does that make our Chunyong, huh? You’re in debut rank, you’re in debut rank—and that’s all you have to say? If that’s how you’re gonna do it, then give up your debut spot! Let Chunyong take it!”
…Of course, her rage-fueled outburst was a little lacking in logic.
But her eyes were right on the mark.
Because less than five people in the entire world had caught on to the way Liu Wei couldn’t fully enjoy his ranking.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Unsurprisingly, back at the trainee dorms, the Episode 6 watch party was in full swing.
The ones tuning in tonight were each roommate group in the dorms— meaning the international trainees naturally clustered together.
“…I’m only at 13th, but I’m not giving up! I’ll work even harder from now on! That’s a totally reversible ranking! Logan, just you wait—I might debut instead of you!”
“Jesus, Ryota. It’s great that you’re working hard, but I need to debut too! How about we think of a way to both make it in?”
“That would mean too many people need to be pushed out! At least Logan is nice enough that I can hope for him to yield his spot!”
“Huh… Why are you leaving Chunyong out of this conversation?”
“That’s because asking Chunyong Aniki to yield is—ah, OW!”
“Dude, stop joking around.”
I ruffled Ryota’s head as he kept whining about how my swing was strong enough to kill three mosquitoes, then leaned forward and rested my chin in my palm.
Because from here on out was where things really mattered.
The mid ranking itself hadn’t changed much.
I was still 8th.
Liu Wei was still 4th.
My Arrows teammates and Logan had split the 1st to 6th spots, while the other trainees fought to climb up.
At first glance, the broadcast didn’t seem too different from before— but off-camera?
Things had definitely shifted.
“You did something interesting there, Liu Wei. I’ll admit—I got some use out of it.”
“…….”
“Make sure you keep an eye on the news too.”
‘Because I’m about to give you something fun to watch.’
That was the conversation I had with Liu Wei right before the mid-rank filming, after telling Ji Hwa Sung to pay close attention.
Half of it had been bluffing.
“Like I told Hwa Sung before—bluffing is essential in strategy games. Even if you’re holding a high card, you need to act like you’ve only got a two pair. And sometimes, even with a full house, you gotta fold.”
“The hell are you talking about?”
“It means—I’ve got a straight flush! Now, gimme some snacks!”
“Cheater!”
I was just adapting something Logan had rambled about while we were playing cards in the dorms.
And judging by how Liu Wei visibly stiffened when I brought up news articles— and how Hwa Sung and the Episode 6 footage both confirmed it— he’s hiding something.
I turned my head toward Gao Yan, who, for once, was watching the screen with the utmost solemnity.
Reflected clearly in his large, deep-set eyes was Liu Wei.
Liu Wei’s weak spot.
His timebomb of a fiancée.
I had already decided to move with Gao Yan to bring her into the light.
Even though—no matter how urgent this is…I still feel like I should be questioning whether this is really the right thing to do. But then again… when I see this…
[Gao Yan @GaoYaen_TT
(Photo 📷) (Photo 📷)
Gao Yan practicing vocals. Perfect.
Perfect, Gao Yan.
Gao Yan, debut.]
[⎿ If this isn’t a concept, that’s even scarier— it means it’s real.]
[⎿ If you’re born with this concept, then isn’t that just who you are? 🤷♂️ Gao Yan is that kind of person…]
[Gao Yan has the aura of a general.]
[Gao Yan @GaoYaen_TT
Today’s challenge—brought to you by Gao Yan.
If you follow this challenge consistently, you too can have a radiant face, suddenly improve your singing, and ascend to rap godhood.
Perfect Gao Yan. Hong Kong’s Gao Yan.
Anyone whose name contains the same Chinese characters as mine— leave a comment.]
When his trolling was this level, there was no way I had made the wrong choice.
“Chunyong hyung.”
Suddenly, Gao Yan called me, positioning himself so the camera wouldn’t catch him, he pointed at his phone screen.
Then— he mouthed the words.
I carefully mimicked him, syllable by syllable— until my eyes widened and I let out a stunned, half-excited outburst.
‘I think we found it!’
… See.
I never make the wrong calls.
ktensai
Hm? Is chapter 148 missing?
ktensai
Never mind. I found it via NU. Can’t seem to access it through here, though.
Bees
Gao Yan, you icon.
Thanks for the translation. I’m kind of addicted.