I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 79

Fortunately, the doctor’s opinion was that there were no major issues with the bones, so wearing a splint for about a week should suffice. Relieved by the prognosis, which was more hopeful than expected, Baekya was able to relax a little.

 

He had been shocked to see his finger swollen and puffy when he woke up. When he went over to a half-asleep Yooyeon to show him, Yooyeon’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

 

Baekya giggled as he recalled the morning’s events.

 

“What’s the injured guy so happy about?”

 

“Just thought of something funny. We’re heading to the agency, right?”

 

“We have to. Horang keeps rushing us, asking when you’ll be there.”

 

At the comment about how it must be hard not being able to rest even though he was injured, Baekya gave a faint smile.

 

“This counts as resting. Let’s get going.”

 

Baekya urged them on, saying there was something they needed to do before Horang burst into the practice room.

 

It didn’t seem like he was joking—when they arrived, the members were already gathered, putting their heads together in serious discussion.

 

“What are they doing over there?”

 

“I don’t know. They said it was a strategy meeting?”

 

At Deokjin’s answer, a slightly anxious Namkyung stood up from his seat. What kind of trouble are those guy planning now…!

 

You couldn’t let your guard down with boys that age. Just this morning, hadn’t Baekya shown up with a perfectly good finger wrecked? He claimed he got hurt coming down from the stage yesterday, but how could one believe that?

 

Namkyung approached stealthily.

 

A dry rag in one hand, a spray bottle in the other. Pretending to clean the glass while sidling closer, he heard Yooyeon and Baekya’s voices.

 

“Let’s just stay put and pretend we don’t know.”

 

“What if we get caught? I’m terrible at lying.”

 

“I know. And you’re injured—what can you do anyway? I’m not making you do anything, so don’t worry.”

 

Yulmu retorted at Yooyeon’s words.

 

“Still, we should give him a role~ And there happens to be a perfect one.”

 

“What is it? I’ll do it.”

 

“The extra. This is a really good one, you know? We’re letting you do it specially because it’s you.”

 

“You wanna die?”

 

Since I’ve been letting it slide, do they take me for a fool? Baekya bared his teeth. It was the usual conversation between the teaser and the teased. However, Namkyung saw through the hidden meaning.

 

“You little…!”

 

Namkyung threw the rag down, eyes flashing. The assassin barged in, spraying water.

 

“Ack!”

 

Startled, Baekya fell backward.

 

“Ah, cold!”

 

Minseong, who got watered instead of the practice room plants, frowned and turned around.

 

“What the, why are you coming out from there?”

 

Minseong asked in surprise, but Namkyung was already latching onto Baekya, the easiest target of the five.

 

“What are you plotting this time?! Spill it right now!”

 

Namkyung pulled the fallen Baekya up and threatened him with the spray bottle in his face.

 

Spritz—.

 

“Ack! I don’t know anything…!”

 

Baekya, hit by the water, scrunched up his face and raised his hands by his shoulders.

 

In any organization, the lowest rung knows nothing. Deciding there was nothing to gain from badgering the extra, Namkyung turned around.

 

“Then who’s the ringleader!”

 

The spray bottle was thrust toward Jihan. Fortunately, he had found the right person this time, and he got the answer he wanted.

 

“Han Yooyeon, Na Yulmu. The target is Cheongcheong.”

 

Jihan confessed the ringleaders’ identities and the target without a second of hesitation. Yooyeon reached out to cover his mouth, but the rapper’s lips were faster than his hand.

 

“That traitor…!”

 

Yooyeon glared at him resentfully.

 

“I knew it. I knew it would be you two.”

 

Namkyung shifted the aim of the spray bottle, declaring that only they would plan something like this while the key figure, Cheongcheong, was away.

 

The manager kept his guard up, aiming the nozzle back and forth between the two sitting side by side.

 

“What were you trying to do?”

 

Yulmu exchanged glances with Yooyeon and Minseong, who were exercising their right to remain silent with their mouths shut tight. A fine mist of H2O was sprayed onto the faces of the two ringleaders.

 

Spritz— Spritz—.

 

“Ack! Ugh!”

 

“Why is this hyung spraying water?”

 

Yulmu flared up, asking if it wasn’t rotten water since he’d seen it sitting on the water purifier for months.

 

“So confess while I’m asking nicely.”

 

At Namkyung’s urging, Yulmu sighed. He swept back his wet hair and answered with a nonchalant look.

 

“Ah~ Since you’re a terrible actor, we weren’t going to include you.”

 

“Who are you calling a terrible actor?”

 

Namkyung was genuinely dumbfounded. Then, a thought suddenly struck him, and he pulled out his phone. Looking at the calendar, he saw a cake emoji next to Cheong’s name.

 

“Is tomorrow Cheong’s birthday?”

 

Right. Today was the day before the birthday of DASE’s maknae, Cheong.

 

Unfortunately, Cheong had been away for a special stage practice at K-Broadcasting Station as soon as they returned to the country. And the older members were using this opportunity to plan a surprise birthday party for the maknae.

 

“But why leave me out?”

 

They let Baekya be an extra, but Namkyung was completely excluded from the operation. The manager, unable to accept this fact, vented his disappointment.

 

Yooyeon looked at him as if he truly couldn’t believe he had to ask.

 

“Do you not even remember that you ruined Yulmu hyung’s and Jihan hyung’s birthday parties?”

 

It was said with a slightly sarcastic tone, but Namkyung only twitched his eyebrows, unable to refute it immediately.

 

“W-Why is that my fault!”

 

Namkyung belatedly shouted, claiming he was the key figure who led Baekya’s hidden camera prank to success. But the reaction he got was still cold.

 

“Even a 3-year-old could fool him.”

 

“What was that about me?”

 

The sunfish scrunched up his face, feeling disrespected though he didn’t quite understand why.

 

“You said there was sparrow sound in ‘WANT ME’, right?”

 

“…Yeah. How many times do I have to tell you I recorded it then.But why bring that up all of a sudden? You’re changing the subject.”

 

“See?”

 

Yooyeon raised one eyebrow with a confident expression.

 

It was Namkyung’s loss.

 

Still, the manager protested that he couldn’t accept their evaluation. Seeing his feelings written all over his face, Yooyeon looked at him with pity.

 

“Haa… Do I really have to spell it out? What did you say when we asked you to keep Yulmu hyung in the practice room for just a moment on his birthday?”

 

“Oh~ Yulmu the weather is so nice! The other kids must have gone to the bathroom together. They weren’t in the hallway. I checked.”

 

Yulmu mimicked Namkyung’s voice as if recalling that time.

 

Yulmu, the protagonist of the surprise party back then, said he knew immediately just by hearing Namkyung’s first line as he stood awkwardly at the door.

 

“That’s because he’s quick-witted.”

 

Namkyung made an excuse.

 

Acknowledging that Yulmu was quicker on the uptake than others, Yooyeon nodded. But last month, there  had been two birthdays. Yooyeon’s gaze naturally shifted to Jihan, the next birthday boy.

 

They only made eye contact, but the victim began to testify about the situation back then.

 

“I thought you mixed up the group chat, so I just told you.”

 

Jihan’s birthday had been exposed before they could even try. Namkyung had nothing to say for himself now.

 

Yooyeon snatched the spray bottle and sprayed water on Namkyung’s face.

 

Spritz—.

 

“So if you want in, you’re just an extra this time, too.”

 

Namkyung, receiving the sentence along with Baekya, looked at Baekya with wronged eyes. Aren’t you even upset?

 

However, the original extra seemed to have no thoughts at all.

 

Since they were caught by Namkyung anyway, DASE decided to drag Deokjin in as well and quickly organized the operation.

 

“No further mistakes will be tolerated. Fast and precise. I trust you will all perform your assigned duties.”

 

Production: Han Yooyeon.

 

“Please avoid saying lines not in the script I gave you as much as possible. The moment an ad-lib comes out, there is no next project~”

 

Script: Na Yulmu.

 

“Turning the lights on and off is easy.”

 

Lighting: Han Jihan.

 

“Just move according to the route we practiced during rehearsal. If, by one in a million chance, the target takes unexpected action! Then well… we’re screwed again this time. Haha!”

 

Director: Do Minseong.

 

“Thank you for choosing me! I will do my best to meet your expectations!”

 

Filming: Kim Deokjin.

 

“Do I really just stay still? My hand is fine though….”

 

Extra: Han Baekya.

 

“Still, wouldn’t it be better if I did the filming instead of Deokjin, guys…?”

 

Plus one.

 

Preparations to surprise the maknae were complete.

 

Distribution: U-App.

 

* * *

 

With her roommate Boksoong away on a trip to Hong Kong, she had the dorm room to herself. Right before going to sleep, she accidentally saw a U-App Live thumbnail on the main page of a portal site.

 

[Trick the Maknae! (Subtitle: HAPPY CheongX2 DAY)]

 

Current time: 11:53 PM.

 

The thumbnail, which appeared the moment she entered the portal app, stimulated her curiosity.

 

A cool-looking man was squashing K Company’s penguin mascot plush in his hand, while beside him stood a rabbit-like guy leaning in close, clearly interested.

 

“Isn’t that him…?”

 

It was the same face that had stuck in her mind from a variety show she’d watched with Boksoong before—the one who’d sung trot with such an earthy, charming vibe.

 

“Cheong X 2?”

 

Drawn in by the cryptic title, the roommate eventually clicked the thumbnail. Perhaps due to a surge in traffic, the loading screen lasted quite a while.

 

Soon, the practice room scenery filled the screen with a ‘LIVE’ indicator on the top left. The angle, slightly shifted to the right from what was seen in the thumbnail, gave off a hidden camera vibe.

 

– Gasp, I was lying down to sleep when the U-App notification popped!

– Cheong, happy birthday~

– Wait, you returned from Hong Kong today and you’re still at the practice room? Is their stamina okay? ㅠ

– Seems like they’re throwing a surprise party!!

 

The roommate’s gaze lingered briefly at the bottom on the rapidly scrolling chat window.

 

“Birthday?”

 

So that was why the title was ‘Trick the Maknae’.

 

She clicked it thinking she’d watch for just a moment, but before she knew it, she was switching the screen ratio to full view.

 

Next to the two playing with the doll close to the left, far away sat a boy with pink hair. Baekya was diligently unwrapping something that looked like square foil.

 

– What is Baekya doing over there alone?

– It’s the Captain! Naing-i’s creator!

– Chocolate?

– Please show us the hamster eating chocolate in more detail…

– Wait, what’s wrong with my baby’s hand?!