I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 34

The social media reaction was hot.

 

A concept that had never been seen in a male idol group before. And on top of that, DASE’s official website was revamped at the same time the teaser was released.

 

The homepage, designed to evoke childhood nostalgia, had fans openly discussing just how ‘unhinged’ ID’s creativity was.

 

‘A dress-up game!’

 

Truly the overwhelming planning power you’d expect from a legendary idol agency. Since the concept was dolls, were they fully committing to providing content that fans could actively play with?

 

Bapsae couldn’t stop marveling at this first-ever taste of capitalism’s spicy flavor.

 

Because of her job, she knew how to read code to some extent—and she noticed signs that hidden content was programmed to unlock after a certain amount of time.

 

She couldn’t trace the hidden URLs due to her technical limits, but if even the intro was this high quality, the hidden pages had to be insane.

 

It seemed there was a possibility that a dress-up game featuring the members would be provided, just as some fans had hoped.

 

And the next morning.

 

The album specifications and the pre-order notice were posted at the same time. The cover, which looked exactly like the doll box from the music video teaser, stimulated the fans’ desire to buy, and it soon led to pre-orders.

 

– WANT ME album specifications ☞ 1 cover, 6 postcards, 6 paper doll cards, 12 photocards, 7 first-press limited posters (including group)

 

– ID works well~ Payment complete (card swiping pic)

– 17x25cm album, why is it so big? Lol

– Just my thought, but since the front cover looks transparent, couldn’t you slide the postcards in there? Then it’d be exactly like the doll box from the teaser

└ Holy crap, this must be it

– No… the photocards are already crazy ㅠ

– Paper doll cards? paper doll??? To think the kids are paper dolls, the specs are insane

 

But what ID had prepared did not end here. As soon as it hit midnight the next day, DASE’s official homepage changed its appearance once again.

 

Six empty frames hanging next to a wardrobe. In one of them, a member’s photo was hung.

Clicking the frame opened a pop-up photo of Cheong, facing forward with pink hair and a white T-shirt.

 

If not for the stickers on his face, it could’ve passed for an ID photo.

 

Pressing the activated arrows revealed several more photos, taken in different outfits and angles.

 

One member per day was revealed this way, and then Monday arrived again. Amid fans’ anticipation, Episode 5 of DASE’s reality show aired.

 

***

 

[EP.5｜Our hidden camera has begun! : Trap Baekya in the recording studio｜DASE HAPPY DAYS]

 

The thumbnail showed a startled Baekya and excited members holding a cake.

 

[Peaceful DASE Practice Room]

 

[May 2nd. One hour before Baekya’s birthday]

 

DASE stood facing the mirror. The members were following the movements according to the choreographer’s count.

 

[Choreographer: One, two, Want me. Dada-da.]

 

The sound of six pairs of feet echoed through the space with a time lag.

 

Sneakers scraped lightly against the floor. Their eyes, fixed on the mirror, were serious.

 

[Yooyeon: Hyung, I have a question.]

 

[Choreographer: What is it?]

 

Yooyeon, who had been following the choreography, raised his hand. The members all listened to his question.

 

Unsure about the newly learned move, Yooyeon checked if his understanding was correct. The choreographer adjusted his posture, while the rest reviewed the section together.

 

The footage kept cutting intermittently.

 

Since this was practice for an unreleased song, the audio portions were edited out.

 

[Cheong: Can’t we just go to the right a lot? I think they’re going to bump into each other.]

 

[Baekya: I think Yulmu and I are too close.]

 

[Yulmu: Didn’t you do it on purpose? Because you wanted to get closer to me.]

 

Making eye contact with Baekya, Yulmu bit into a finger heart.

 

Baekya was now used to the jokes that were thrown at him whenever there was a chance. Gritting his teeth, he quietly clenched his fist. It was a warning to not say another word.

 

But Yulmu was in a better mood than usual today. He added.

 

[Yulmu: Our kid has gotten really violent these days, argh!]

 

[Minseong: See, why do you keep picking on a kid who’s just standing there?]

 

Yulmu finally took a hit and collapsed to the floor clutching his arm.

 

The get-out-of-jail-free card he had gotten for submitting Baekya’s photocard had long been used up. As Yulmu exaggerated his pain, Baekya shoved him away like rolling a bowling ball.

 

The scene was cut for a moment.

 

[Now playing: No Games]

 

This time, it was the members practicing the choreography to their debut song. The sound of their footsteps, as if they were a single person, boasted a perfect sync.

 

– The sound of footsteps in a dance practice video is always thrilling! This lighting, temperature, humidity… and this pleasure

– It’s so amazing how the sounds are perfectly in sync

– No Games dance practice video! Patience is a virtue ㅠㅠ

– Yulmu and Baekya are total best friends lol

 

[A little later, a practice room with only DASE left]

 

Namkyung called Baekya.

 

[Manager: Baekya. The producer wants to see you for a moment.]

 

[Baekya: Just me? Why?]

 

[Manager: He wants to record a few more ad-libs. You have time now, right?]

 

Baekya nodded and told the members he’d be back.

 

Waving encouragement, they watched him go. Once arrived at the studio, Baekya entered the recording booth.

 

[Manager: Then I’ll leave him in your hands. I’ll be back to pick him up soon.]

 

[Composer: Take your time. I’m hoping to get a few good takes while we’re at it.]

 

The two’s incomprehensible conversation went on. Baekya, who was wearing a headset in the booth, was just staring blankly through the glass. He was in a daze, unbale to hear any of the conversation outside.

 

Namkyung left, and as the man pressed a button, a green light came on, and the noise from outside was heard through the headset.

 

[Composer: Baekya, I’m just going to get a few ad-libs.]

 

[Baekya: Yes.]

 

[Composer: The ‘Want me’ 2nd verse chorus part, can you go up one more from there?]

 

The original pitch of that part was C5.

 

After warming up and practicing, Baekya nodded.

 

[Baekya: I’ll try.]

 

And he did it—easily.

 

D5.

 

The composer also had a satisfied face, as if he had known Baekya would be able to do it, and nodded his head.

 

The button was pressed once more.

 

[Composer: You’re doing well. Should we go up one more? You don’t have to overdo it.]

 

[Baekya: No. I’ll try.]

 

E5. It was a range that was not easy for even professional singers to reach.

 

He had just requested it to buy some time as per the manager’s request, but Baekya pulled it off again. The composer’s eyes widened slightly at the smoothly rising high note.

 

He was looking at Baekya with a face that said, ‘Huh? This works?’

 

He had known that guy was something else, but it felt like he had finally realized the guy would be even bigger than he had thought. The man played the part he had just recorded one more time.

 

He unconciously covered his mouth.

 

[Baekya: Um… PD-nim?]

 

The man couldn’t snap out of his shock for quite a while. He belatedly came to his senses at the voice calling him.

 

And then, just in case, he asked if Baekya could go up one more key.

 

[Baekya: One more?]

 

This time, Baekya was the one who was flustered.

 

Is he doing this because he’s curious about how high my high note can go? In a short moment, various thoughts crossed his mind.

 

And then, F5. He belted out a high F.

 

[Composer: No way. A perfect high F…]

 

The composer was openly stunned now. The comment window, which had been receiving real-time comments, also seemed to have gone speechless and turned quiet.

 

– Holy crap……

– Wow…..

– He’s a guy, so why does he keep going up..?

 

[Composer: You’re really good, aren’t you?]

 

[A producer too overwhelmed to speak]

 

To think that vocal range was possible with that vocal tone. It was a scam.

 

It seemed like the limit was D5 until just now, during the recording. The confused man soon realized that he had never asked Baekya to go this far.

 

Unaware of what was happening, Baekya simply waited, checking his expression. Not knowing if the recording was over, he could only leave when he was told to.

 

[Baekya: …Should I do it again?]

 

[Composer: Huh? No, you did well. Let’s just do a few other things this time.]

 

[Baekya: Yes.]

 

[Composer: You have to do the ‘Yeah’ sadly, very sadly. To the point where your nose tingles as soon as you hear it.]

 

[Baekya: …Yes?]

 

At the difficult request, Baekya’s composure was shaken for the first time. The man, who thought it would be over soon, had changed his method.

 

At that time, the members who were left in the practice room were busy with other preparations.

 

[Yooyeon: Quick, hide, hide.]

 

[Cheong: It’s past 12! It’s his birthday!]

 

[Jihan: Should I turn off the lights?]

 

[Yulmu: Wait a minute! My hat, my cone hat is gone!]

 

[Minseong: It’s behind you. Quick, come here.]

 

The VJs were also scattered and hidden in the corner of the practice room with DASE. Jihan, who had turned off the lights last, also went straight to his spot, and the practice room was engulfed in darkness.

 

Meanwhile, the man was finishing up the recording with the manager who had come to pick up Baekya.

 

[Composer: You’ve worked hard. You can come out now, Baekya.]

 

The sad ‘Yeah’s and animal sounds that he had recorded in succession at the end had completely drained Baekya’s energy. Thanks to that, he didn’t notice any suspicious signs on his way back to the practice room.

 

[Baekya: I think you have to be really smart to be able to compose.]

 

– So funny lol isn’t he too unprejudiced?

– Seriously, the number one unprejudiced idol lol

– So cute ㅠㅠ I thought he’d notice after the sparrow sound

– It’s not the Animal Kingdom OST, so why are you recording a lion’s roarㅠ

– Please release the lion and sparrow sound sources ㅠㅠ I want to make our baby’s lion roar my morning call! Sob…

– It’s not that the composer is smart, you just got pranked lol

– Our peach is purity itself.. at this point, you could probably lure him with candy?

– It’s even funnier because he’s so serious lol

 

Baekya chattered about what had happened in the recording studio.

 

The conversation stopped for a moment at the ringing of Namkyung’s phone. He told Baekya to go back to the practice room first and stepped away to take the call.

 

The peach headed to the practice room alone. But the other side of the small glass window was dark.

 

[Baekya: Huh? Where did everyone go?]

 

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