The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 84
“Son, how are you the last one to show up for your own show?”
“Ah, well, I was just tired… Has it started?”
“Not yet, come sit. Have some snacks too.”
After giving my mom’s shoulders a quick massage, I perched on the armrest of the sofa.
My sister leaned against the backrest, while my mom and dad sat on the floor.
The youngest, Kim Nari, stretched out like a queen on the sofa, taking up space meant for three people.
This was our typical family gathering in the living room.
“Haha…”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the familiar sight.
When I first came back, I didn’t have time for this because I was busy practicing for the upcoming shoot.
“What’s so funny, ugly?”
“I totally agree. Double agree.”
“Haha, yeah.”
Yeah, it was fine that my mom and sisters teased me so effortlessly.
“Oh, really? Laughing? You think it’s a joke? You just woke up, and you look awful. How can someone like that become an idol? I worry about the future of our country’s idol industry.”
“…….”
“Exactly. I showed my friends the trainee profiles, and no joke, you’re the ugliest. Not an idol trainee, just a thug.”
“…….”
“Right. With eyes slanting upwards like that, if there were a student like Kim Chunyong in my class, I’d just sigh.”
I take back what I said earlier.
…I’ve improved my looks stat since coming back, and they still call me ugly?
Thud, thud—
“I’m not ugly, okay? Are you two joking?”
As I pounded the sofa armrest in frustration, my sister and Kim Nari pretended to be shocked and doubled down on teasing me.
“Oh, he’s getting mad. He’s getting mad.”
“Mad? He looks exactly like a thug when he’s mad. Oh, are you gonna hit your sister?”
“We all look exactly like Mom and Dad, right? Insulting my face is like insulting your own faces, you know?”
“What are you talking about? Are we the same as you? Nari, let’s get him.”
“Okay, you hold his arms, unnie.”
“Girls, please! Let’s watch TV quietly! And why are you bullying Chunyong when he just got back?”
They finally stopped teasing me after getting a smack on the back from Mom.
‘Mom, jjang.’
(T/N: 짱 or jjang is slang which means ‘amazing.’ It often comes after a noun, like here.)
I gave Mom a thumbs-up behind their backs and let out a deep sigh.
When I was with the <Targeting Star> crew, I wasn’t so easily pushed around. It must be because they’re family.
You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, and in front of my family, I couldn’t help but feel weaker.
Maybe if we spent more time together, I’d get used to it and act like my old self again. But for now, everything felt too much like a dream, and I was cautious about every little thing.
Right at that moment, the show’s original song, “Aiming,” which I had heard endlessly during filming, began to play on TV.
“Oh, it’s starting.”
-“Shoot for your debut dream!”
MC Choi Gaon’s familiar face appeared as the first episode of <Targeting Star> began.
My expression stiffened, sitting with my family, and focused on the screen. Small text appeared in the upper right corner.
<Special 150-minute Premiere of Targeting Star!>
The first broadcast of <Targeting Star> would air episodes 1 and 2 back-to-back.
This was meant to maximize buzz by revealing all the trainees’ rankings in one day, but it didn’t mean everyone would get equal screen time.
So, I had to check two things:
How much screen time I got and when I appeared.
And how I was edited.
Seven years as an idol. Most of those years were spent as a problematic member that broadcasters avoided.
“Oh… completely edited out. Why did they even bother calling me? Should’ve just let me drink at the dorm…”
Sensational and malicious editing, or even editing that makes someone invisible. Or, the type that’s bland but fails to stand out. I’ve experienced it all.
And the comparison examples would be…
– “Hello, I’m trainee Son Jae Ha.”
Of course, it would be the AG purebloods.
The screen showed Korean AG trainees like Jae Ja, Ji Hwa Sung, Jang Si Woo, and Ahn Jin Woo practicing together in the August basement practice room.
– “A survival show is so scary and nerve-wracking, but… there’s no other way for me. I really have to debut through this.”
– “Guys, let’s work really hard and debut together. On three, fighting. One, two—”
– “Fighting!”
– “Ah, you were too fast!”
After the four of them chatted about <Targeting Star>, subtitles like ‘Trainees working hard towards their dreams together’ appeared, and the scene cut to the ranking evaluation stage.
“Wow. I hope they do well….”
“Yeah, that Jae Ha? Son Jae Ha. He’s handsome.”
There was no need to check SNS or online communities; I could gauge the reaction to them just from my family’s comments.
“Really, he’s so cute….”
I glanced at Kim Nari, who was muttering while watching Si Woo shyly smile on the screen, then turned back to the TV.
The editing was heavily emphasizing the already good-looking and cute trainees, making it impossible not to fall for them.
Now that I’d seen how they showcased the trainees they wanted to promote, the important thing was how I came across.
“Sigh….”
“What’s the matter, Kim Chunyong? Are you nervous? Pathetic.”
“Sis, you shouldn’t talk like that in front of your students, you’ll get in trouble….”
“They’re not you, are they? Worry about yourself first.”
Seriously, that mouth, that mouth.
I let out a big sigh toward my sister, then drummed my fingers on the sofa armrest, trying to remember my previous sequence.
Now that Jin Woo has appeared, the AG global trainees should be next, and I think I was around the 10th. How will it be this time?
Since the production team’s reaction wasn’t bad, I might be around the 8th?
While I was trying to guess when my turn would come and momentarily looked away, my sister suddenly grabbed my shoulder, startling me.
“Oh, oh? Hey, Kim Chunyong! It’s you!”
“Huh, what? Really?”
“Look at that. From the back, that swaggering walk is definitely you, right?”
“…Huh?”
It really was me.
The familiar sneakers, the black blouson jacket, and the slightly tight jeans in the camera angle showing just my feet.
– “Hello, it’s Chun from spring! Yong from dragon! I’m Kim Chunyong! Nice to meet you!”
