I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 60

Then, his eyes met Shiyoon’s, who poked his head through the crack of the carefully opening door.

 

“Uh?”

 

Baekya, reflected in the mirror, widened his eyes and turned around.

 

“Baekya, hi?”

 

Shiyoon, smiling with his eyes, opened the door and entered.

 

“…Sunbaenim?”

 

Minseong, who was waiting for his turn while on his phone, also stood up in an awkward posture.

 

“We just arrived. It’s still before lunch, right?”

 

It seemed the AIM members came together, as Yeonha and Guyang were there too. DASE and the staff stopped what they were doing and welcomed AIM.

 

“Some of the others couldn’t make it because of schedules.”

 

Yeonha, who became quite close with DASE through live broadcasts, waved his hand.

 

“Hyungnim!”

 

Patting the shoulder of Cheong who ran over and clung to him, he mentioned the members who weren’t present.

 

“I’ll introduce you when they come. You haven’t met them yet, right?”

 

Minseong nodded, then hurriedly waved his hands.

 

“No, no! We’ll come to you!”

 

He said they’d been planning to visit as soon as they were ready anyway, and his sparkling eyes made it clear he meant it.

 

Beside him, Cheong looked at Minseong with a puzzled face.

 

“I’ve seen them a lot, though? There are lots of photos at the company.”

 

At the maknae’s remark that they even watched concert videos together yesterday, Minseong gently pulled his arm.

 

“Haha…. Come here, Cheong.”

 

“Why? Is it not that?”

 

A question mark floated above his head. Towards the two, Yeonha laughed lightly and patted Cheong’s head.

 

“Looking at you, it’s exactly like seeing Guyang when I first met him.”

 

“Why me?”

 

Guyang cut in. He was a foreign member from Taiwan.

 

“Seeing Cheong reminds me of your old self.”

 

At words clearly meant to tease him, Guyang scoffed.

 

“Ha. Anyway, I finally see our juniors’ faces. We have to be in Korea to see you.”

 

Wow. That Korean was really good.

 

Baekya, who was talking with Shiyoon, looked to the side and admired. Even while Baekya was distracted, the leader’s social life continued.

 

“We also really wanted to meet you, sunbaenims.”

 

Sharing a room with Yulmu, it seemed Minseong was starting to resemble him. Of course, he probably meant it sincerely.

 

“Right. Even though we’re in the same company, it’s hard to meet.”

 

Shiyoon and AIM’s manager put down various packages on the table.

 

“You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

 

“Whoa—what’s all this?”

 

Yulmu approached, curious.

 

Just past noon. Pizza and assorted street food filled the room, making DASE’s eyes go wide.

 

“We bought some for you while buying ours.”

 

“Shiyoon, wait a minute. These guys can’t eat this stuff.”

 

Namkyung, checking the menu, said with a troubled face. At that, DASE took their hands off the food and looked at Namkyung cautiously.

 

Last night, after their last supper, they had promised to start a diet in preparation for the year-end award ceremonies.

 

“The kids need to manage their weight.”

 

However, AIM couldn’t have known this. At Namkyung’s remark, Guyang looked more hurt than anyone.

 

“Wow… Hyung, can you say that even looking at him?”

 

Guyang pointed at Baekya, asking what management he needed. Baekya flinched at the gaze focused on him. He rubbed his innocent chest and laughed awkwardly.

 

“I’m not that skinny….”

 

But that remark was a bit rash.

 

“Look at the kid walking on eggshells. Namkyung hyung, when did you become so strict?”

 

Back when Namkyung had just joined the company, he’d briefly managed AIM and joked freely with them. Unable to withstand the barrage of complaints, he finally surrendered

 

“Fine… eat.”

 

They bought it thinking of their juniors, so he couldn’t just not let them eat.

 

He intended to pretend to say no appropriately and then let them, but he was defeated by Guyang.

 

“Wow! Tteokbokki!”

 

Cheong, picking up a rice cake, tapped Jihan’s arm.

 

“Jihan! Eat!”

 

“I’ll eat. You eat.”

 

As the AIM members returned to their waiting room, the cramped space became spacious again. AIM also had to hurry to finish their rehearsal before the audience started entering.

 

“Guys, eat carefully so your makeup doesn’t smudge.”

 

“We know, we know~”

 

Like boys with good appetites, their eyes were already combative. Yulmu had already finished a slice of pizza and was picking up a roll of kimbap wrapped in foil.

 

“Whoever sees this would think I starve you guys.”

 

Namkyung peeked into the black bag and groaned at the amount of gimbap.

 

“Baekya, come eat quickly too.”

 

“Yes. I’m coming.”

 

Baekya, who had paused his makeup due to Shiyoon’s arrival, finished and returned. Even without lip product, a pink hue circled his lips.

 

“Cheong, is this spicy?”

 

“Nope. Even babies can eat it.”

 

The maknae mumbled with two rice cakes in his mouth. Seeming to suit his taste, he picked up another one.

 

‘Must be super delicious.’

 

Just looking at it, it was red flavor itself. Watching them eat made Baekya strangely tempted.

 

‘Eat? Or not to eat?’

 

The sunfish pondered for a long time with chopsticks in his mouth. Yooyeon, nudging Baekya’s arm, looked at him strangely.

 

“Are you performing a ritual? Stop staring and eat.”

 

Yooyeon placed a slice of pizza on Baekya’s empty plate.

 

“You have to eat a lot to practice a lot.”

 

Yooyeon smiled brightly, creating dimples. Fans would have gone wild, but to Baekya, it was just a face that sent chills down his spine.

 

“…Scary guy.”

 

Disgusted and wanting no further involvement, Baekya absentmindedly reached for the tteokbokki.

 

At this time, the sunfish’s head was already filled with resistance towards the Spartan class. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Baekya put the red object into his mouth.

 

“Uh?”

 

Yooyeon’s surprised eyes turned to Baekya.

 

“What is it.”

 

“Why are you eating that?”

 

“What are you saying. You said I had to eat a lot.”

 

Baekya slightly bared his teeth, starting to bite back.

 

“No, not that. That rice cake….”

 

Yooyeon trailed off, stepping back. In contrast to the peaceful-looking Baekya, he looked puzzled.

 

“…You’re eating it fine? Why?”

 

“Are you plotting something again—”

 

But the reaction came late. Baekya’s eyes went wide as he froze.

 

“…Hhh—?”

 

He grimaced, speaking in completely mangled sounds. But his same-aged friend understood perfectly.

 

“What do you mean what is it. It’s spicy tteokbokki.”

 

Yooyeon peeled the receipt off the bag and handed it to Baekya.

 

[Spiciness Level 4 <Fire Chicken Flavor>]

 

There were a whopping four chili peppers.

 

‘This is insane…!’

 

“That’s why I asked why you were eating it.”

 

The eyes of the weak-to-spice person, assassinated by AIM and Cheong, filled with a sense of betrayal.

 

Still, if he had to choose the more detestable one between the two, it was definitely this guy.

 

“Yulmu! Eat this!”

 

“Tteokbokki? I tried it earlier~ It was fiery.”

 

It was Cheongcheong, of course.

 

‘Who said American kids can’t eat spicy food.’

 

Along with the betrayal, spicy flavor rose up, and cold sweat formed on Baekya’s forehead. But amidst this, there was one more tactless guy making an appearance.

 

[Warning!]

[Stress index is at ‘Caution’ level. 66%]

 

‘Ah, my neck.’

 

Spice plus a life-threatening warning made his blood pressure skyrocket.

 

But the status window wasn’t done.

 

[A new Quest (Hidden) has arrived!]

[Q. Limit and Challenge (1): There is no impossible for us! Achieve challenge against limit for the first time]

 

What the hell does that have to do with becoming a genius idol!

 

“Kuh-heok, cough.”

 

He couldn’t chew. The sunfish, unable to swallow or spit it out, just stomped his feet.

 

“Just spit it out.”

 

“Eu-eu!”

 

He meant no. Yooyeon understood correctly this time too.

 

“Then swallow it. Your face looks like it’s going to explode right now.”

 

As time passed, Baekya’s face was getting redder and redder.

 

“Eu-eu!”

 

Unable to understand why he wouldn’t spit it out, Yooyeon watched the sunfish fighting with himself. With an expression somewhere between pity, patheticness, and awkwardness.

 

“Even a person weak to spice has pride, is that it….”

 

Yooyeon shook his head at Baekya’s strange stubborness. It felt like watching a disobedient nephew.

 

“Here.”

 

Yooyeon poured a fruit-flavored drink into a paper cup and held it out to Baekya.

 

“Heuh-eong.”

 

“Forget thanking me. Just do something about what’s in your mouth.”

 

He was even tearing up before he knew it.

 

[<Limit and Challenge (1)> Completed!]

[Quest reward provided: 1 Star Point]

 

1 point gained by swallowing a bowl of cool peace (drink) and a drop of tear.

 

‘But to think I have to use this entirely on stress.’

 

His stomach burned.

 

“…Do you have any stomach medicine?”

 

“Is it that bad?”

 

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[DASE_Official]

 

K-Concert waiting room scene!! See you in a bit~ Photo with the spice weakling who broke down after eating spicy food.

 

(Selfie of spacing-out Baekya and Yooyeon making a V sign.jpg)

 

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[Baepsae: Nara-nim where are you? I just got off ㅠㅠ]

 

[Jihan Nation: I’m in front of Gate 3! Beige trench coat holding Jihan slogan.]

 

After the fan signing event, Bapsae and Nara had stayed in touch frequently. In the process, the two had grown fairly close—and now they were even running schedules together.

 

Since it was her first time on this route and she figured making it by the meeting time would be tight, Bapsae replied that she’d hurry over.

 

“Which way do I go…?”

 

However, there was no need to worry; all the crowds getting off at the station were heading to one place.

 

‘Is it over there…?’

 

Deciding to follow for now, Baepsae looked around and joined the procession.