I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 84

“You’re totally messing with me on purpose, aren’t you?”

 

“I didn’t eat anything.”

 

Cheong understood perfectly but pretended not to, grabbing Baekya by the arm and dragging him along. When they entered the wide-open room, three people who hadn’t been visible before were sitting in a circle.

 

“This is it, our room!”

 

“What are you talking about? Who decided this is your room?”

 

Four post-it notes lay on the floor. On top of them, Yooyeon wrote large numbers while scolding Cheong.

 

“I found it first!”

 

“We have to be fair. It has to be a draw, no matter what. Besides, Baekdo would probably say he doesn’t want to share a room with you.”

 

Having already been rejected once, Cheong’s eyebrow twitched as he asked how he knew.

 

“It’s obvious.”

 

Though he actually meant ‘who would want to share a room when they could have a single room’, Yooyeon didn’t bother to explain. Cheong, misunderstanding his words, went over to Yulmu with a sullen face.

 

“It doesn’t mean he hates you. You know that, right?”

 

“Don’t know. Hurt.”

 

Cheong buried his face in Yulmu’s back, claiming he was hurt.

 

Baekya tried to clarify that it wasn’t like that, but since Cheong stubbornly responded in English, Baekya couldn’t understand a word except for the first few phrases.

 

Was it because it wasn’t his usual broken Korean? The suddenly lowered tone and the 180-degree change in atmosphere put Baekya in a bit of a bind. And of all things, why did the words Cheong had said in passing have to come to mind right then?

 

‘In America, I was alone everyday, but I like it here in Korea! I like sharing a room with hyung and Yulmu, and living all together!’

 

“Haa… Fine. Let’s share a room. Room with me.”

 

In the end, the soft-hearted sunfish raised the white flag first. Cheong, who had been pretending to be sad with his forehead pressed against Yulmu’s back, twitched the corners of his mouth at Baekya’s offer to share a room.

 

“…Really?”

 

Baekya had fallen for the wolf cub’s act.

 

“Yeah, really.”

 

The hamster walked into his own grave on his own two feet. Unable to watch any longer, Jihan gathered the post-it notes and saved Baekya from the crisis.

 

“No. We’re deciding by drawing lots, no exceptions.”

 

Standing up, he stuck the number 1 on the largest and best room and continued.

 

“Rooms 1 and 2 are the biggest, so two people will share each, and whoever gets 3 and 4 will have a single room.”

 

“As expected of Jihan~ Clean and organized.”

 

Yulmu got up, bouncing Cheong off, who was still leaning on him.

 

“Wah! I was behind you!”

 

“Oh my. You were still there?”

 

“You did that on purpose!”

 

“Quick on the uptake, aren’t you, our Cheong~”

 

Yulmu grinned, teasing Cheong. But when his eyes met Baekya’s, his expression changed to one of pity.

 

“Hyung is just so worried about our Dangbaek… Even if a stranger offers to buy you delicious food, you must never follow them. Okay?”

 

“What are you saying? Stop talking nonsense and come out already.”

 

However, Baekya, firm only with Yulmu, tapped his chest and left the room first.

 

* * *

 

The method for dividing the rooms was simple.

 

“If you draw the same number for 1 or 2, you’re roommates. Anyone confused?”

 

“Nope~”

 

DASE’s roommate selection proceeded under Jihan’s lead. Yulmu responded enthusiastically.

 

Jihan folded the numbered slips and dropped them into a pot, then looked around.

 

“Who wants to draw first?”

 

“Me!”

 

Yooyeon raised his hand high.

 

The members, agreeing to let him draw first, watched his actions. Jihan lifted the lid slightly and held it out.

 

Yooyeon stirred the slips once more, pulled one out, and quickly hid it in his hand.

 

“What should I do? Should we check together later, or should I check alone now?”

 

Yooyeon took a deep breath, saying he got nervous every time he did a draw like this. Just then, Baekya came up with a good idea and offered a suggestion.

 

“How about the person who draws checks it and goes into the room?”

 

He quickly added that the rest of them would close their eyes while the person went into the room to maintain secrecy.

 

“Good. Let’s do that.”

 

When Jihan agreed, the members nodded as well. Yooyeon got up, went to a corner, and checked the number written on the paper.

 

“Is it a single room?”

 

“Secret.”

 

Minseong tried to probe Yooyeon. However, with dimples in his cheeks, he only urged them to close their eyes quickly.

 

Yooyeon left his phone behind, saying he’d play music just in case they could hear his footsteps. DASE’s song resonated through the dorm.

 

One by one they left, and soon only two members remained. Jihan held out the pot in front of Baekya.

 

Only one yellow and one blue post-it remained. Baekya, debating which one to pick, looked at Jihan.

 

“Do you want to go first? I can’t pick.”

 

Jihan, well aware of Baekya’s indecisiveness, readily accepted. He drew the yellow slip without hesitation. As he went to check it, Baekya quickly turned around and shut his eyes.

 

“You see it?”

 

“Yeah. Count to ten, then check yours.”

 

As soon as Jihan finished speaking, Baekya counted from 1 to 10 out loud.

 

“9, 10! I’m checking now!”

 

Baekya shouted lonely into the empty living room. Naturally, there was no answer.

 

Picking up the remaining post-it, Baekya unfolded the paper, desperately praying for a 3 or 4.

 

[1]

 

“Darn it!”

 

Of course. Letting out a sigh, Baekya got up.

 

Room 1 was the room Cheong had claimed, dragging him into. Even if it was through a draw, he had wanted a single room, but as expected, an unlucky guy is unlucky no matter what.

 

The sunfish reached enlightenment.

 

‘Right, it’s time to give up.’

 

Since it had come to this, Baekya walked hoping his roommate would be a quiet member.

 

However, before he could even put his hand on the doorknob, the door burst open.

 

“So it’s really us?!”

 

As soon as the door opened, high tension exploded out. Baekya reflexively stepped back, already feeling drained.

 

“Gasp! Wai-,”

 

Instantly grabbed by the shoulders, Baekya was shaken back and forth by Cheong’s hands, his soul being thoroughly dusted off.

 

“It’s really the two of you? Hey, Cheongcheong. The kid’s gonna die.”

 

Yooyeon saved Baekya, who was shaking in a trance in Cheong’s grip.

 

Because the maknaes were so loud, the nearby doors opened one by one, and the rest of the members appeared.

 

“It’s the two of you? Really?”

 

Yulmu, coming out of the room labeled 4, asked in awe.

 

The members who drew 2 were Jihan and Minseong. Upon checking Jihan’s roommate, Baekya inwardly regretted a little, thinking he should have drawn first instead.

 

‘No. Let’s think positively.’

 

Since Cheong wasn’t very perceptive, it was actually better than sharing a room with Yulmu or Yooyeon.

 

Finding his roommate satisfactory upon second thought, Baekya hastily pulled up the corners of his mouth.

 

“Let’s get along well.”

 

“Yes! Just trust me!”

 

Trust what, you rascal.

 

Baekya just wanted his energy level lowered, nothing else.

 

“Since a long time ago, I wanted a younger brother, gasp!”

 

“Right, younger bro… What?”

 

Cheong must’ve realized his slip and clapped a hand over his mouth, but Baekya heard it loud and clear. The sunfish’s eyes widened as he protested furiously about why he was the younger one.

 

He had been suspicious why Cheong was singing songs about being roommates only with him, leaving all the other members alone. It was the moment the wolf cub’s dark ulterior motives were revealed.

 

“I’ve eaten more than you! I mean—food! Anyway, lots more!”

 

“N-no, I ate more!”

 

However, the ‘my way or no way’ type, who only listened to what they wanted to hear, was sometimes frustratingly impossible to communicate with. This was that exact moment.

 

“So~ Dangbaek’s officially the real maknae now?”

 

“No!”

 

“Nice! I’ll raise the hamster well!”

 

Yulmu, finding this situation amusing, grinned and fanned the flames. Baekya raised his eyes and glared at Yulmu.

 

“Forget it! Raise what? I can’t stand this treatment. Redraw the rooms!”

 

“No! Baekya, are you a thug?”

 

“A th-thug? You’re suddenly good at Korean when it suits you?”

 

“Am I?”

 

The true-maknae room was already off to a rocky start.

 

* * *

 

Namkyung and Deokjin only returned around dinner time. As if they had raided a mart, they came back with both hands full of daily necessities and food ingredients.

 

“What is all this?”

 

Baekya rummaged through the shopping bags curiously.

 

“If there’s anything you want to eat, take it. It’s all yours anyway. Since the fridge was empty, we bought this and that on the way.”

 

“Thank you for the food.”

 

Spotting chocolate milk, Baekya’s eyes widened slightly as he reached out.

 

“I knew you’d pick that.”

 

Namkyung chuckled and opened the refrigerator door.

 

“Where are the others?”

 

“Minseong hyung is changing the door lock password with Yooyeon, and Yulmu and Jihan are sleeping on the sofa. Cheong is cleaning the room.”

 

“Oh~ What’s gotten into Cheong?”

 

“I won, you see.”

 

Baekya lifted one corner of his mouth in a victor’s smile.

 

“You won?”

 

“It just happened.”

 

Baekya downed the milk in one shot. Just then, Cheong approached Baekya and Namkyung, breathing hard.

 

“I’m done. Requesting confirmation.”

 

“Already? Good job. Have a chocolate drink.”

 

Cheong, unusually obedient, sat next to Baekya and quietly drank the milk handed to him.

 

“Why is the kid… suddenly so deflated? And where did he learn such advanced vocabulary?”

 

“Uh. Y-Tube.”

 

At Cheong’s crooked tone, Baekya hissed, inhaling breath as a warning. At that, Cheong lowered his gaze without a word.

 

Witnessing a scene he couldn’t believe even with his own eyes, Namkyung froze with his mouth open. However, Cheong was gnawing on the milk carton in his hand, secretly glaring at Baekya out of the corner of his eye.

 

He was lying low for now, but that was definitely the gaze of someone planning revenge and biding their time.