I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 70

“But, ma’am… I’m really hot.”

 

Baekya had been silently asking Jihan for help with his eyes, complaining that the hat was too hot. At Jihan’s signal to speak up himself, the sunfish mustered the courage to address the stylist.

 

“Oh my. You’re hot?”

 

The stylist rushed over immediately, saying he shouldn’t be hot, and took off his hat.

 

“Listening to the manager, it’s definitely true that your face stands out more without it.”

 

Seeing sweat on Baekya’s forehead, she requested a makeup touch-up. Then she started rummaging through the bag she was carrying.

 

“Then shall we try this?”

 

Though phrased like a question, Baekya obviously had no say in the matter.

 

Her hand was already reaching toward his face, holding a flashy clip-on earring: a blue gem surrounded by small white jewels.

 

‘…Princess earrings?’

 

The sunfish’s trembling eyes turned to Namkyung, but he was equally powerless.

 

Baekya sent a final plea for help to Minseong with his eyes, but Minseong only offered a subtle smile and a fighting gesture.

 

Thus, Winter Baekya was born.

 

“Special stage participants, please gather!”

 

A staff member opened the door to DASE’s waiting room, signaling Baekya’s turn.

 

“I’ll be back.”

 

After greeting the staff and members, Baekya left the waiting room with Deokjin.

 

“Are you nervous?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Your expression doesn’t look good.”

 

Deokjin encouraged him, saying if it was about the earring, it really suited him well so he didn’t need to worry. He looked ready to drag Baekya into a nearby waiting room to borrow a mirror if necessary, so Baekya had no choice but to answer.

 

“It’s not that. It’s true that I’m nervous.”

 

Actually, the earring was one thing, but he couldn’t say he was afraid of ruining the special stage, so Baekya gave a vague excuse.

 

“I’ll be waiting here. Have a good performance. Baekya-nim, fighting!”

 

Baekya bowed at Deokjin’s enthusiastic support and joined the Winter Song members.

 

“You’re here? Wow~ Fancy.”

 

Geumil tapped his own ear, mentioning the earring.

 

“Do they look weird?”

 

“They suit you.”

 

He joked that Baekya’s face was plain, so flashy things worked well on him.

 

“Yeah, thaaanks. I’ll definitely introduce you to Na Yulmu. You two seem like a good match.”

 

“Mr. Yulmu? That’s great for me.”

 

Exchanging trivial conversation seemed to make distracting thoughts disappear.

 

Even while talking, Baekya kept fiddling with the earring. Just then, Harang, the last to arrive, bumped into Baekya’s shoulder as he passed.

 

“Ah.”

 

The impact was hard enough that Baekya would’ve fallen forward if Geumil hadn’t grabbed him.

 

“My mistake.”

 

It was obviously deliberate, but Harang shamelessly pretended otherwise. Baekya hadn’t even expected an apology, but not even a proper acknowledgment? Geumil also seemed to think this was wrong and muttered a curse under his breath.

 

“He’s crossing the line just because we’re letting it slide.”

 

“No. Forget it.”

 

Baekya smoothed his furrowed brow and swallowed a sigh. They say patience three times averts murder.

 

‘Once this stage is over, I’ll never be on the same team with that unlucky face again.’

 

He had passed three times long ago, but Baekya barely managed to control his mind and turned his back on Harang. Maybe it looked childish, but he turned a little too obviously—and felt his earlobe swing from the momentum.

 

But unlike one side, the other side felt empty. With an ominous feeling, he felt his right ear, but there was nothing there.

 

“…Huh?”

 

The earring was gone.

 

He bent down to check the floor, but it was too dark to even see his shoes properly.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“The earring. It must have fallen when I bumped into him earlier.”

 

“What?”

 

It must have fallen when he collided with Harang.

 

Geumil also looked at the floor with him, but the situation was the same. Backstages were usually dark, but in cases of concerts or large-scale events, only minimal lighting was left around to enhance stage production and audience concentration.

 

To the extent that flashlights were only turned on when moving like this.

 

“Winter Song team, going up.”

 

A staff member wearing a headset shone a light on the stairs leading to the stage, and the previous team, having performed only the first verse of their song, was coming down. It might seem strange for them to stop mid-performance, but on the large screens on either side, their stage continued without interruption.

 

Year-end award shows were special days when all the artists active that year gathered to perform. While the broadcast itself was live, what aired alternated between pre-recorded stages and live ones.

 

Once the pre-recording team performed about one verse for the on-site audience and came down, the next team to continue the live broadcast stage would go up and prepare in advance.

 

“Give it up. Let’s go up first.”

 

“But still….”

 

As Baekya lingered unable to take his eyes off the floor, Geumil pushed his back up the stairs.

 

“Forget it. Just go up.”

 

For someone who asked the members for help earlier saying he didn’t want to do it, he seemed overflowing with regret now that he lost it.

 

“Standby.”

 

Eventually, Baekya stood in formation wearing only one earring. The sunfish glared at the back of Harang’s head, who was turned around, and quickly fixed his gaze.

 

In the meantime, the previous team’s video ended, and the prelude to ‘Snowflake’ flowed from the in-ear monitor.

 

* * *

 

“Hey! It’s starting!”

 

“’Hey’? We have eyes too, you know?”

 

When Cheong shouted pointing at the waiting room TV, the members gathered around lightly shoved him and scolded him.

 

Jihan grabbed the nape of the maknae and stopped him as he shook his head and staggered around exaggeratedly.

 

“Sigh. When will that kid grow up?”

 

Namkyung shook his head slightly looking at Cheong.

 

“Why grow up (lift iron)? It’s heavy. You lift it.”

 

“What did you say, punk? And you’ve been slipping into casual speech with me lately, haven’t you?”

 

“…Namkyung’s such a boomer.”

 

Namkyung, who’d spoken up for no reason, ended up taking a brutal personal attack and got knocked out on the spot.

 

“Your mouth’s about to let flies in.”

 

Minseong casually reached over and closed Namkyung’s jaw.

 

Unlike Namkyung who heard the word ‘boomer’ for the first time, Minseong, who heard it often, knew that the word Cheong used just meant ‘person who nags me’.

 

“Boomer doesn’t mean much when he says it. And he knows he did wrong. He’s doing that because he knows.”

 

The leader subtly shielded him, saying that ‘You’ translates to ‘Neo’ (informal you). Cheong, decidedly quiet now, pretended not to hear and stared straight ahead.

 

Inside his head, he was thinking things like ‘Jiga? Rat?’, but he couldn’t hide his twitching ears.

 

However, this didn’t last long either.

 

“He’s really coming out!”

 

[Gayo Daejeon Special Stage]

[DASE Baekya]

 

On the screen, an intro video introducing the lineup was playing. Simple profiles of the Winter Song members. Baekya’s stage clip wearing a school uniform was revealed first along with his name.

 

“Zombie Hamster~”

 

Yulmu cheered pointing at Baekya on the screen. Faint bite marks from Baekya still remained on his forearm.

 

The introductions of the Blondes passed in order, and the last member revealed was Harang. The members, who knew he had debuted but didn’t know he prepared the stage with Baekya, widened their eyes.

 

“What? Did hyung know?”

 

“…No?”

 

Since Deokjin always accompanied Baekya’s individual schedules, Namkyung didn’t know either. Since Baekya hadn’t mentioned anyone specifically except Geumil from BB9, everyone was surprised.

 

“How did they even end up together like that…?”

 

Namkyung scratched his forehead, seemingly dumbfounded.

 

“Still, they haven’t met at the company, right? We don’t know the circumstances, but it shouldn’t be awkward between them.”

 

That was Namkyung’s wishful thinking.

 

[Five Winter Fairies]

 

The Winter Song team standing with their backs turned in a butterfly formation, two-one-two. Baekya’s pink hair standing in the center stood out.

 

When the prelude started, they gathered to the center to form a straight line formation. The member standing at the very front was Geumsam (Blonde 3).

 

As he turned around waving his hand and quickly moved to the side, Geumi (Blonde 2), Baekya, and Harang acted playful in turn and found their respective spots.

 

The member standing at the very back was Geumil (Blonde 1). Wearing a headset microphone, he smiled brightly and sang the first verse.

 

– Last night I made a wish

Let it snow

That I want to go meet you

 

It was a smooth start. As the sub-vocal of his team, he greeted the fans with clean skills without any superfluities.

 

Baekya was diligently performing the choreography at the end of the formation. Starting with Geumil, the Blondes’ parts continued.

 

“Where did one of Baekdo’s earrings go?”

 

Yooyeon, who was leisurely watching the stage with his legs crossed, leaned forward from the backrest showing interest.

 

“Right. He lost it in that short time.”

 

Jihan smirked, saying he forced himself to wear it and go out and had only half succeeded in the end.

 

Right on cue, Baekya moved to the center as the chorus began. The zombie hamster at the center brought his diagonally extended arms to his chest and spun around.

 

– Falling for you

Piling up softly in your heart

You won’t be able to move

 

As his glossy pink hair traced an arc through the air, social media exploded with people claiming they could practically smell Baekya’s shampoo.

 

– Falling for you

Pouring down to you

The whole world is dyed white

 

Next was Harang’s part. Although he was a narrow-minded guy inside, his vocals were refreshing.

 

Before being expelled, his skills were impeccable enough for ID to form a debut group centered around Harang. This was a part Baekya also acknowledged.

 

“Fresh, so fresh.”

 

Minseong said with a pleased face, sounding like a grand senior.

 

Perhaps because it was a stage where members from five teams gathered one by one, the movement paths and part distribution were sharp.

 

– Landing on footprints

Chasing after you soundlessly

 

Geumsam opened second verse intro.

 

Baekya, who sang the chorus part before Harang, added harmony to Geumsam’s notes, enriching the song.

 

Then followed the chorus of the second verse sung by Geumil and Geumi. After the chorus passed, the melody changed. Baekya’s patented high note section, which had been shown several times during DASE activities, was approaching.

 

– If I lift my head and meet your eyes

Permeating into you

 

But Baekya appeared earlier than expected. The members watching tilted their heads in confusion.

 

“I guess Baekya isn’t doing that part? Why did I naturally think Baekya would belt it out.”

 

Yulmu wondered.