I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 72

“To think the photo I took would become this famous. I’m kinda proud.”

 

“Where? Let me see too, me too!”

 

At the appearance of an interesting meme, Cheong and Yooyeon also showed interest.

 

“Delete it. Na Yulmu.”

 

Baekya, drinking water in front of the water purifier, walked weakly towards the sofa and lay down, seemingly having no energy to run over.

 

“Didn’t Baekdo just walk kinda like that guy just now?”

 

“He’s exactly the same!”

 

With no energy left to respond, Baekya lazily waved a hand in the air.

 

“Do whatever you want.”

 

Putting his arm over his forehead and closing his eyes, Baekya quickly fell into a light sleep. But shortly after, a familiar voice shook his shoulder to wake him.

 

“Baekya.”

 

Pretending not to hear at first because his eyes wouldn’t open easily, the touch shook him once more.

 

“Han Baekya.”

 

“Ung….”

 

Baekya forced his eyes open. Since he barely opened them, his mind wasn’t clear either. The feeling of something hazy and heavy weighing down his body was strong.

 

“Wake up and get ready.”

 

“…Ready for what?”

 

Just then, Minseong and Namkyung’s voices were heard from the side.

 

“Prepare your speech in advance.”

 

“Hey. We might not win. Feels like counting chickens before they hatch, so I feel weird.”

 

When the dazed Baekya looked back, he saw staff moving busily.

 

‘…Waiting room? I thought it was definitely the practice room.’

 

Above the closed door, the JAMA logo and DASE’s name were written.

 

‘When did I come to an award ceremony.’

 

He didn’t remember boarding a plane, but suddenly he was in Hong Kong. It felt strange—but only briefly. While standing blankly, someone spoke from behind. Turning around at the familiar voice, Harang stood there.

 

‘Why is he here?’

 

Wondering if Harang came to pick a fight again but curious about his business, Baekya responded instead of ignoring him.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

“That’s my line, isn’t it?”

 

His rudeness had increased while they hadn’t seen each other.

 

“Ah, yes. But you came to the wrong waiting room.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Why is he so confident when it’s someone else’s waiting room? When Baekya frowned, Harang pointed at the door with a serious face.

 

“What are you doing in someone else’s waiting room?”

 

“My goodness. What are you even talking about?”

 

Scoffing, Baekya looked where Harang pointed.

 

“This is our waiting room, ri… uh?”

 

Baekya, who was frowning, suddenly stuttered with a flustered look.

 

“W-why is this place…?”

 

Because above the door, Six AM’s name tag was attached instead of DASE’s. Furthermore, the members who were with him just moments ago were nowhere to be seen.

 

“Get out.”

 

At Harang’s order to leave, Baekya hurriedly left the waiting room. Coming out to the hallway, foreigners and fans were mixed disorderly.

 

“W-what is this?”

 

In the confusing situation, Baekya stepped back looking for the members. Then, a hand reaching out from the crowd pulled him.

 

“What are you doing here? Next stage is our turn.”

 

Suddenly appearing, Jihan led Baekya. The two headed backstage pushing through the immense crowd. But suddenly, an unknown staff member appeared and separated Baekya’s hand holding Jihan’s.

 

“Who, who are you?”

 

“This way is faster!”

 

“Huh? No, I, Jihan…!”

 

He looked back, but Jihan was nowhere to be seen. Eventually dragged away by the staff without much resistance, Baekya went round and round the hallway and joined the members. Then he was immediately put on stage.

 

A stage lit up with a grand introduction as ‘Monster Rookies’. The members started the choreography to the prelude. However, Baekya stood blankly alone.

 

‘…I don’t remember anything.’

 

He practiced quite hard, but once on stage, not a single move came to mind. Not knowing the choreography, he couldn’t move forward even during his part. All he could do was pretend to do the choreography a beat late.

 

‘I am doomed.’

 

The fact that he ruined the stage dominated his mind.

 

Blinking his eyes, the stage was over before he knew it. The members who came down were encouraging each other saying good job, but Baekya was separated from the group. Even though he wasn’t there, the members didn’t look for him, and eventually left leaving only Baekya behind.

 

‘Is it because I ruined the stage….’

 

Suddenly, surroundings darkened and darkness covered his body. Baekya was left alone in the empty space. Then, the host’s voice announcing the Rookie Award nominees was heard from afar.

 

Names of five male idol groups debuted this year including DASE and Six AM were called. His heart beat fast and nausea rose making him dry heave, but somehow he didn’t feel relieved.

 

And a moment later, with the call to announce the winner, the name called was….

 

“Congratulations! Six AM!”

 

At that moment, unfamiliar voices started to be heard simultaneously from all directions.

 

– Han Baekya practice your dancing

– If it were me I’d be embarrassed

– He got the choreography wrong again

– What are we supposed to do if you’re still confused about the moves

 

Baekya covered his ears at the voices clawing at him. While sitting down curled up looking only at the floor, a shadow fell in front of him. Lifting his head inadvertently, Harang holding a trophy was looking down at him.

 

“Thanks. It’s thanks to you.”

 

It was a meaningful remark, but Baekya felt he knew what it meant.

 

‘DASE didn’t get the Rookie Award because I got the choreography wrong.’

 

[<Genius Idol (1)> Failed!]

 

Through the status window that appeared then, he saw Yooyeon. Discovering Baekya, he spoke with an expressionless face.

 

“Get. I’d rather not say it twice.”

 

“……?”

 

Baekya’s eyes opened once more.

 

Eyelids blinking blankly.

 

“Are you back to your senses? Horang hyung said stop practicing for today and go in to rest. Said you need stamina to ride the plane tomorrow.”

 

“…Plane? This is Hong Kong. But… they announced the award and I died.”

 

Dazed, Baekya looked up at Yooyeon and Yulmu with unfocused eyes.

 

“He’s gone, completely gone. What on earth are you saying?”

 

“Don’t know. Shall I carry him?”

 

“Do you have energy to spare, Hyung?”

 

“He’s small.”

 

Thinking Yulmu meant it, Yooyeon looked back and forth between the two.

 

“Wait. Hey, Baekdo.”

 

“Ah….. I died but I am a sunfish again. Is this the sea…?”

 

“He’s really out of it. Did someone shoot him with a tranquilizer gun?”

 

Trying to make him walk on his own somehow, Yooyeon grabbed Baekya’s shoulders and shook him. But the sunfish, completely drowsy, kept spouting nonsense.

 

Gibberish stuff like he could breathe even though it’s underwater, or he had to hide because there were many people in the hallway.

 

“Can’t help it. Hyung, let’s carry him.”

 

“Heave-ho.”

 

Yulmu, wrapping Baekya in a blanket like moving packaging, shouldered him.

 

“Light.”

 

He said he’d carried spaced-out trainees home like this a few times back in the trainee days—and once even got taken to the police station after being mistaken for a kidnapper. He laughed, but given where they were, Yooyeon smacked his back pretty hard.

 

“Hey! Look at the stairs properly and walk. If you drop him and break something, we’re all doomed together.”

 

He warned menacingly to cut the useless reminiscence if he didn’t want to change the six-person formation to five with one day left.

 

“Wow… I got goosebumps.”

 

“So watch the stairs well.”

 

“Got it.”

 

* * *

 

“…When did I get back to Korea?”

 

Baekya, waking up in the dorm bed, muttered with a dazed face. He also felt like blood rushed to his head strangely.

 

“Mr. Sunfish, I wonder if you swam well in the sea.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Baekya’s pupils quaked.

 

“Did you secretly take sleeping pills yesterday? Even slapping your cheeks wouldn’t wake you up, so Yulmu hyung carried you back princess-style.”

 

“…Don’t lie.”

 

“Well. Are you sure it’s a lie?”

 

Jihan, sitting on the floor locking his carrier, replied calmly. Jihan asked how else he could have gotten up in bed if Yulmu hadn’t carried him. At his serious face, Baekya turned paler and paler.

 

“Good morning~ Anyone want bread?”

 

Just then Yulmu appeared. Holding a bag of bread in one hand, he opened the door and greeted good morning, but the room atmosphere was a bit strange.

 

“Mm?”

 

Baekya looking wary of him. Yooyeon and Jihan’s slightly upturned lips.

 

Roughly grasping the atmosphere, Yulmu pulled the corners of his mouth into a grin.

 

“Ah~”

 

DASE genuinely loved teasing Baekya as a group.

 

“Princess Ham’s awake?”

 

Um-mwa.

 

Yulmu puckered his lips exaggeratedly and made a sound that sent chills down everyone’s spine.

 

“I thought I had to wake you with a kiss of love, so I brushed my teeth and came~”

 

The mayfly provoked the hamster’s anger with vulgar jokes from the morning. For reference, mayfly was a nickname Minseong gave him, meaning he provoked others with excessive jokes as if there was no tomorrow.

 

At Yulmu scratching his nerves from the morning, Baekya screamed. The pillow thrown aiming for his face was a bonus.

 

“Get lost, you pervert!”

 

DASE’s dorm was peaceful today as well.

 

“You’re dead meat if I catch you!”

 

“Hey, hey! Wait. I carried you yesterday, is this how you repay me?”

 

“Just throw me in the practice room instead!”

 

The pursuing sunfish chased after the fleeing mayfly. The two were scolded once by Minseong for making the house a mess from the morning.

 

“Please. Please just get along. It’s my only request. Huh?”

 

“We get along well? Right~”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

By the leader’s authority, Yulmu and Baekya sat separated in the passenger seat and the very back seat of the car. Thanks to that, the seat next to Baekya became Deokjin’s.

 

“By the way, what happened to your lip…?”

 

Deokjin pointed at his own mouth, looking at Baekya.