I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 110

The time it took for an idol group to win #1 on a music show varied wildly, from one week to three years.

 

No matter how good the reaction to DASE was, the music charts were a field with many variables, and there was a limit to what could be achieved through individual effort alone.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Can we do it?

 

Furthermore, starting with DASE’s comeback, nearly every idol group of a similar generation that seemed to be gaining momentum had also announced comebacks. Since many famous groups were expected to return in the second half of the year, everyone was naturally crowding into the relatively easier months.

 

‘Music show #1…’

 

Ahead of their first comeback stage on a cable broadcast tomorrow, Baekya’s heart was heavy.

 

The members were currently having a late dinner at the cafeteria. Minseong tapped the table as he watched Baekya, who was just poking at his steak without actually eating.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Focus, focus. Focus on your food. You can’t get up until you finish all of that.”

 

“O-okay…”

 

The leader launched into another lecture, telling him to eat everything with gratitude for the sake of his health and in appreciation of the farmers who had worked hard to produce it.

 

Meanwhile, Cheong, sitting next to Minseong, was picking cucumbers out of his salad.

 

“Ugh.”

 

Cheong grimaced as if he’d found a bug, and Jihan looked at his plate. The cucumber had probably gotten mixed in during packaging.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Someone is trying to kill me…”

 

Cheong, who felt he’d narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by a cucumber, put his fork down as if he’d lost his appetite.

 

“I hate cucumber.”

 

Jihan, staring at the youngest bird—no, the maknae—who was being a picky eater, reached his hand over to Cheong’s plate.

 

“Oh!”

 

Cheong made a surprised face as Jihan wordlessly ate the cucumbers for him.

 

“This person is the real deal!”

 

“Where did you learn a phrase like that?”

 

“Yo*Tube!”

 

Cheong occasionally used difficult words, and most of the sources were YouTube. And the person who reacted most sensitively to the unfamiliar words coming out of Cheong’s mouth was, naturally, the Sunfish.

 

Baekya’s sharp gaze turned toward the opposite side.

 

“Yo*Tube?”

 

“It was Kids Mode, I promise!”

 

Ever since the real maknae showdown earlier that year had left Baekya with what he jokingly called Bratty Kid PTSD, he still hadn’t lifted Cheong’s video-viewing restrictions.

 

“Suspicious…”

 

“Come on! Baekya is too suspicious. They say you’ll go bald if you’re too paranoid.”

 

“I will not! And I have plenty of hair!”

 

“I know. Hamsters are all fur, anyway.”

 

“I’m not a hamster!”

 

“You don’t like hamsters? Okay! Then you’re a squirrel!”

 

The combination of an extrovert forged in the depths of hell and an extreme introvert. Despite seeming like they shouldn’t get along at all, the two were actually surprisingly close.

 

***

 

– DASE’s Inkigayo pre-recording form-limpics! Remember, 12:00 PM noon!!

  └ I’m sorry to ask out of the blue, but can you tell me what ‘form-limpics’ is? How can I go to the music show recording? ㅠㅠ

  └ Mail-lim: Mail Olympics, Form-lim: Form Olympics, Com-lim: Comment Olympics. It means submitting a form on a first-come, first-served basis 🙂 If you go to the DASE official site board, the pre-recording application notice is up~

  └ If I apply for that, can I see DASE?

  └ You can only go if you win a spot on the list!

 

Baepsae was scrolling through her timeline.

 

She felt a sense of kinship with a post she happened to see while searching for pre-recording.

 

‘That could’ve been me.’

 

She felt sorry for the unknown Naing who clearly knew as little about pre-recordings as she did, but she wasn’t in any position to help.

 

[Nara: Baepsae-nim! Did you set up your text replacements?]

[Me: Text replacements..?]

[Nara: Auto-fill! Since it’s first-come, first-served, speed is everything!]

 

Nara recommended setting up shortcuts for essential info like name, phone number, and birthdate using easy-to-type letters.

 

She said she set hers up so that typing ‘ㅇㅇ’ (yy) brought up her name, and ‘ㄴㄴ’ (nn) brought up her phone number.

 

“As expected of Nara-nim…!”

 

Baepsae was impressed once again.

 

[Nara: Anyway, the link opens exactly at 12:00, so enter immediately and be fast! We HAVE to see the kids ㅠㅠ]

[Me: Yes!! I’ll do my best!]

 

Nara and Baepsae reaffirmed their resolve with emojis resembling their biases.

 

With only one minute left until the form-limpics, Baepsae’s fingers turned cold with tension.

 

[11:59:59]

[12:00:00]

 

The moment the clock at the top of her phone changed, Baepsae clicked the link. Her recently upgraded 5G phone proved its worth by breaking through the server without a hitch.

 

Since she had read the official site’s notice over and over from the moment she contacted Nara and even received pro tips, she filled out the form without stopping.

 

[▶ Submit]

 

She stalled for a moment at the birthdate section, which required selecting a date with a date-picker unlike the other sections, but she successfully completed it with composure.

 

[Nara: Baepsae-nim! Did you do it?!]

[Me: Yes, yes! I did it ㅠㅠㅠ]

 

Since the first comeback broadcast was tomorrow, the pre-recording for DASE’s stage was highly likely to be at dawn or early morning.

 

‘Now I just have to leave it to luck.’

 

She waited for the list to be posted, refreshing the official website every five minutes.

 

And six hours later…

 

The list for the first pre-recording appeared on the DASE official website. Nara was #64 and Baepsae was #281; both had succeeded in the form-limpics.

 

“Kyaaaaagh!”

 

Baepsae screamed in joy after checking her name and the last digits of her phone number. It was a number near the very end, but could she really ask for more on her first try?

 

[Me: Nara-nim! I made it ㅠㅠㅠ but I’m #281… (tears)]

[Nara: Holy crap!! It’s fine! The list number doesn’t matter because it’s first-come, first-served anyway. Get out here right now!!!]

[Me: Gasp, really? Yes, yes! I’m coming out right now!]

[Nara: ID card, both album versions, digital download proof, and digital music site identity verification. You MUST! MUST! bring these!]

[Nara: We can share my picnic mat!]

 

‘Picnic mat…?’

 

The unexpected item puzzled her, but she didn’t mention it.

 

[Me: Yes, yes! See you soon!]

 

The recording was scheduled for 4:00 AM.

 

Nara warned her that if she missed even one of the items she mentioned, she might not be allowed in.

 

After re-checking her supplies, Baepsae zipped her bag tightly and stood before her closet. Even though the days were getting warmer, this was her first time staying out all night, so Baepsae layered up her clothes.

 

“I can finally see Baekya dancing with my own eyes!”

 

She was a bit sad that there wasn’t an official lightstick yet, but judging from posts appearing on her timeline, one would probably be released soon.

 

Baepsae set off for the meeting place with high expectations.

 

***

 

– I want to go to a music show too.. I want to see DASE too…. What about me? NAN? Why can’t I see the kids’ faces???

 

At that time, Boksoong—who had failed the form-limpics—was lying on her bed in the warmth of her room.

 

How cute was Baekya? What were the costumes like? Was the choreography too hard? Boksoong couldn’t sleep as thoughts of her bias dominated her mind.

 

Thinking she wouldn’t be able to close her eyes until she saw the pre-recording reviews, she eventually decided to stay up all night. Fortunately, today was the day DASE’s self-produced content was released, so the time would likely pass quickly.

 

“Please let the video be long.”

 

Moving from Bluebird to Yo*Tube, she refreshed the page as soon as it hit midnight.

 

[We Invite You to the Vampire Castle: Vampire Castle #1]

 

The thumbnail featured the eerie luxury mansion from the music video. Yooyeon sat atop a wall covered in rose vines, smiling softly.

 

It was an enchanting, magnetic face.

 

Boksoong was certain that no one who encountered this video could resist clicking it.

 

The length was a bit over 30 minutes, and the video began in black and white.

 

Hunter DASE was looking at a vampire Wanted poster. A mysterious invitation arrived before the members.

 

The DASE members, who had been scattered while hunting vampires, gathered one by one at the place written in the invitation. The scene cut away after Minseong, the first to arrive, opened the massive iron gates and entered.

 

[Minseong: The atmosphere is eerie; it seems this is indeed the vampire’s stronghold…]

 

[Minseong / Spearman / Guild Master]

 

Minseong, the leader of the vampire hunter guild ‘DASE’, appeared with a long, ornate spear slung over his shoulder.

 

[Minseong: Today, the bounty will finally—]

 

[Cheong: Stop! The bounty is mine!]

 

[Cheong / Archer / Maknae]

 

Another hunter appeared behind him. He carried a quiver and a bow on his back.

 

[Minseong: How dare a brat who is still wet behind the ear talk to the Boss…]

 

[Cheong: Is the Boss a fool? How could a person live with their ears wet?]

 

The guild master, suffering a rebellion from a one-month-old rookie, clutched the back of his neck.

 

[Jihan: You’re all still alive? I haven’t heard from you, so I thought you’d died long ago.]

 

[Jihan / Sniper / Silent Assassin]

 

Jihan appeared with a long rifle slung over his shoulder. His cynical gaze made Minseong’s face crumple uncomfortably.

 

[Minseong: Sounds like you wanted us to die?]

 

[Jihan: As if.]

 

Then, Yooyeon appeared.

 

Following behind Jihan, he was spinning a gun with his finger on the trigger.

 

[Yooyeon: What’s this, why is everyone here? I thought I was the only one who got an invitation.]

 

[Yooyeon / All-rounder / Ace]

 

The boss seemed to have given up after the repeated rebellions. But the final boss was still remaining…

 

[Minseong: What is that supposed to be?]

 

[Yulmu: Bitime Pascalirode~]

 

[Yulmu / Priest / Action Leader]

 

Yulmu, wearing a black priest’s cassock, appeared while singing a hymn. He held a cross in one hand and an incense burner in the other, which was vigorously emitting smoke.

 

[Cheong: That’s a lot of smoke!]

 

[Yulmu: I’m quite the actor (yeon-gi), after all~]

 

[Cheong: What are you talking about? The stuff in your hand, Smoke (yeon-gi)!]

 

[Yulmu: Ah~ this? You should have said it was this smoke~ I got excited for nothing.]

 

[Jihan: What’s inside it?]

 

[Yulmu: Dry ice. I put the biggest piece in, about this big.]

 

Yulmu raised his large hand and made a fist.

 

And then, the final protagonist appeared.

 

[Baekya: V-vampire! In the name of justice, I will not forgive you!]

 

[Baekya / Swordsman / Sword-wielding Hamster]

 

A small animal appeared, clumsily pointing a sword at the camera.