I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 73

“Ah, that?”

 

Yooyeon suppressed a laugh, seeing Baekya’s split lip.

 

“He slammed his face into Yulmu hyung’s back while chasing him, and it just burst.”

 

Saying it was fortunate it was only this bad since that hyung’s body was like steel, Yooyeon handed him a bandage. The grumpy sunfish stared at him intently before spitting out bluntly.

 

“Is it funny to you?”

 

“Yeah, totally. Feels like I’m watching a sitcom.”

 

“You jerk.”

 

Baekya snatched the bandage and checked his reflection in the window.

 

“…But what if rumors start, like we’re not getting along or something?”

 

When he stuck the smallest bandage by the corner of his mouth, the insignificant wound somehow stood out even more.

 

“Should I just take it off? I’m going to wear a mask anyway.”

 

“You have to take it off at the security checkpoint anyway. Just keep it on. You’ve been licking the ointment off since earlier. Is it that tasty?”

 

Baekya’s eyes narrowed again.

 

“Okay. Stop. I won’t tease you anymore.”

 

As Yooyeon retreated obediently, Baekya sighed and checked his reflection in the window. He seemed worried about the photos that would be taken at the airport.

 

Living in an environment where all sorts of stories could be spun from the smallest detail, his already self-concious personality was only getting worse.

 

“Don’t worry too much. A lot of teams are departing today, so the airport staff will be paying extra attention.”

 

Deokjin assured him that once they passed the departure hall, there wouldn’t be many fans following. However, Baekya overlooked the fact that it was also Deokjin’s first time as a manager.

 

From the barrage of reporters’ cameras surrounding them as soon as they got out of the car, to the crowd gathered at the airport because their flight overlapped with Boys’ World, it exceeded Baekya’s imagination.

 

After barely pushing through the people and passing the departure hall….

 

As they entered inside, this time a group holding cannon cameras set up camp front and back, pressing shutters. Since other groups’ hommas also tended to take photos of noticeable idols first, a spectacle comparable to a press conference unfolded.

 

‘They take pictures of this, too…?’

 

Even as Baekya spread his arms at the security checkpoint, he could still hear the shutters. Cameras captured even the scene of his body being scanned by a metal detector.

 

Experiencing such chaos for the first time, the sunfish felt dazed. Baekya’s ears turned red as he lowered his head. Even trying not to be conscious of it, the ceaseless shutter sounds gnawed at his nerves.

 

“Manager Deokjin… I think I’m going to throw up.”

 

“Gasp. Are you feeling sick?”

 

Deokjin rummaged through his crossbody bag saying he had emergency medicine. Baekya, clutching his hem tightly, frowned.

 

“What’s wrong with you?”

 

Yooyeon, who had just joined them, asked upon discovering Baekya’s pale face.

 

“Feel like throwing up. Too many cameras.”

 

Looking behind Baekya, Yooyeon made a troubled expression. Among the cameras filming the members, lenses were particularly concentrated near Baekya.

 

Crossing his arms and standing crookedly, Yooyeon joked, pretending not to know.

 

“Isn’t it just because you’re nervous about flying for the first time?”

 

“……!”

 

Baekya looked at Yooyeon with surprised eyes.

 

“…How did you know? Is it obvious?”

 

Seeing Baekya act as if a secret was discovered, Yooyeon was rather flustered.

 

Wasn’t it revealed when making passports that he was born early in the year?

 

But looking at his face, he seemed clueless. Suppressing the smile creeping up, Yooyeon calmly pointed to his own forehead.

 

“It’s written right here. ‘First time on a plane.’”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Despite knowing there couldn’t possibly be writing there, Baekya frowned and rubbed his forehead, checking just in case.

 

“If it’s not true, why are you wiping your forehead?”

 

“I wiped it to ward off bad luck. Why?”

 

“Oh~ is that so? But you do know you have to take off your shoes when boarding a plane, right?”

 

“…Do you think I am an idiot? Stop it.”

 

“It’s true though? Search the knowledge database.”

 

While exchanging trivial jokes with Yooyeon, the last member passed the security checkpoint. Then, the camera corps stopped filming and suddenly started running somewhere. FThe space they left was quickly filled by cameras that had been pushed to the back.

 

“…What?”

 

Did a fire break out somewhere? Had he missed an emergency evacuation announcement?

 

Aside from the shutter sounds, he hadn’t heard anything, but a large number of people were running down the escalators two or three steps at a time.

 

“There are more than I thought.”

 

Namkyung muttered, looking beyond the stairs where the hommas disappeared.

 

“Anyway, Baekya said his stomach isn’t doing good. Do we need to go to the hospital?”

 

“No. I guess I’m just nervous at the thought of flying.”

 

“Ah~ It’s your first time on a plane, right?”

 

Stroking the back of Baekya’s head, Namkyung raised the corners of his mouth playfully.

 

“Do you have cash?”

 

“Cash? No.”

 

As Baekya, who didn’t usually carry a wallet, absentmindedly patted his pockets, Namkyung took out a 10,000 won bill from his wallet.

 

“Meal money. You have to eat lunch.”

 

“We eat on the plane too?”

 

“Of course. It overlaps with lunch time. Just put this on the table when the in-flight meal comes or give it to the flight attendant.”

 

“I see… Thank you.”

 

When Yooyeon added that Baekya could just pay together with him, Baekya nodded and carefully tucked the bill away. Namkyung, having successfully tricked Baekya with a nonchalant face, gathered the members and headed towards the elevator.

 

Unlike the chaotic security checkpoint front, this place was quiet. As Baekya rubbed his nape while waiting for the elevator, Jihan looked to the side.

 

“Neck hurts?”

 

“Just a bit stiff. Earlier I felt like throwing up, guess I was too nervous.”

 

“Seems your condition isn’t good.”

 

Hearing their conversation, Yooyeon and Yulmu flinched. That must be the aftereffect of being carried on the shoulder like luggage last night.

 

Usually ready to join in teasing Baekya, the two with perked ears looked away pretending not to know.

 

“Oh my~ seems all those people earlier went to catch their planes~”

 

“Are we running out of time too?”

 

Everyone turned back with rotten faces at the exceptionally bad acting, but Baekya focused on their conversation without an ounce of suspicion.

 

“Do we have to run too?”

 

“No, we still have time. We can go slowly, so don’t worry.”

 

Relieved, the sunfish got on the elevator. He absentmindedly watched the numbers on the screen tick downward.

 

Ding—

 

The moment the doors opened, an explosion of flashes poured in from the other side.

 

Click-click-click—

 

Dozens of lenses filling the front from ceiling to floor were aimed inside the elevator.

 

“Hiiik!”

 

Baekya stepped back, stumbling as he stepped on Jihan’s foot, and Jihan snatched his arm to steady him.

 

“Be careful.”

 

“Uh? Uh, sorry.”

 

Baekya felt his stomach churning again.

 

After such twists and turns, DASE finally boarded the plane. Thanks to the agency’s consideration, they had the honor of starting their first flight in business class, but they couldn’t enjoy it.

 

““Didn’t you say your stomach hurt? You’ve been watching videos the whole time, even on the plane.”

 

Minseong asked gently, noticing that Baekya hadn’t let go of his phone on the plane or on the way to the hotel.

 

“Get some rest.”

 

There was concern in his voice.

 

“You’re addicted to your phone.”

 

“No, I’m practicing.”

 

“With your eyes? What is this, eye practice…?”

 

“I can’t help it. I can’t dance here.”

 

Baekya said the dream he had last night was so vivid that he felt anxious if he didn’t do this. Even the reason he couldn’t let go of the choreography videos tugged at the heart.

 

“Just sleep, it’s okay to get it wrong. You have to manage your condition too, you know?”

 

Minseong, unable to watch, begged him to rest, but Baekya didn’t budge.

 

* * *

 

Mid-Levels Escalator in Hong Kong.

 

“Until when do we go up…?”

 

“Don’t know. Just go up for now.”

 

Heavily armed with padding and scarves, Shiyoon-bin and Boksoong. The two, sharing their first overseas trip in Hong Kong, were diligently climbing the long escalator leading to heaven.

 

“Shiyoon-bin, didn’t other Koreans turn to the side earlier…?”

 

“…Really?”

 

Shiyoon-bin wavered at Boksoong’s words.

 

“Must be a good restaurant down there. Let’s just follow them.”

 

The only Chinese they knew were ni hao and xie xie. Still, they wandered around without much fear, thanks to the familiar Korean they heard everywhere they went.

 

Of course, partly because they only visited famous spots, but the main reason for seeing exceptionally many Koreans was due to the award ceremony tomorrow.

 

“I, your humble servant, shall treat you to dinner, Bin-nim.”

 

As if the endlessly stretching escalator were a red carpet, Boksoong courteously gestured ahead with both hands. Shiyoon-bin puffed up with pride and straightened her chest.

 

“Ahem. Getting the tickets wasn’t easy, you know.”

 

The girl illiterate in anything but Korean had spent three days and nights running everything through a translation app to try to secure tickets to the Hong Kong awards ceremony. In the end, the determined Korean succeeded, and thanks to having such a good friend, Boksoong was able to board the flight to Hong Kong with him.

 

“The kids will arrive today, right?”

 

Taking advantage of a brief pause, Boksung refreshed Bluebird and saw several DASE departure previews pop up.

 

– ICN Departure Preview Have a safe trip #Baekya (Photo of Baekya nervous during passport face check.jpg)

– Yulmu Departure Preview. Physique so blessed it brings tears to eyes (Photo of Yulmu lowering head during metal detector check.jpg)

– Maknaes cute to death ㅠㅠㅠ Heard our Peach bowed 90 degrees every time he met eyes with reporters because it’s his first time at the airport, and Cheong copied him sob sob ㅠㅠ

 

“Aaah! This is killing me!”

 

The story about the deep waist bows was cute enough to be fatal, but the preview taken during the passport photo check was especially soul-stealing. His face, frozen stiff with nerves, was even cuter than expected—dangerous for the heart.

 

The fansite who posted the photo also seemed completely overtaken by the extreme cuteness. What started as a full-body shot gradually zoomed in—half-body, chest-up—and eventually turned into a tight face crop that filled the frame with his features.

 

“Sob. Too cute.”

 

“Saw him making sparrow sounds, his clumsiness is kinda cute. Seems like he’d be easily tricked.”

 

Boksoong felt pleased at her friend’s approval. Agreeing that Baekya looked innocent, she scrolled down the feed—only to soon discover an astonishing post.