I’m a Genius Idol but my Passive is Sunfish Chapter 87

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[DASE_Official]

 

For your days! This is DASE’s Minseong. (Rabbit emoticon)

 

We, DASE, received the Rookie Award at the Golden Disc today!! We will work even harder as much as the award we received, so please keep watching us.

 

We will become an excellent DASE that can repay the love given by Naings. Thank you hehe

 

(DASE group photo.jpg)

 

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DASE achieved the astounding feat of winning the Rookie Award at every awards ceremony they attended.

 

With their packed year-end schedule and even a dorm move overlapping, they barely stopped by the company—only swinging through the practice room. So every employee they ran into greeted them with both late New Year’s wishes and congratulations.

 

“Baekya-gun! Happy New Year!”

 

“Oh? Chief-nim.”

 

“It’s been so long. I heard DASE won 6 Rookie Awards? Congratulations so, so much.”

 

“Thank you. Happy New Year to you, too, Chief.”

 

“Our Baekya-gun… It feels like just yesterday when you vowed to become a genius idol at the convenience store, sniff.”

 

“Ahaha….”

 

Dongman let loose all the over-the-top praise he’d been storing up.

 

“Oh right, I heard DASE is going to the Idol Athletics Championships?”

 

“The Athletics Championships?”

 

Baekya tilted his head, clearly hearing this for the first time.

 

On the other hand, Dongman, who didn’t know DASE hadn’t been informed yet, lightly slapped his own mouth, looking flustered.

 

“Uh, that… Idol Star Athletics Championships. I heard it by chance when I went to the management office in the morning.”

 

“Idols have an athletics championship too?”

 

“Yeah. It started as a Lunar New Year pilot special last year, but the response was good, so they kept it going.”

 

Dongman laughed awkwardly, adding that this year would only be the third one, and given how busy DASE had been, it made sense they might not know. Still, Yooyeon beside them couldn’t hide his shock at Baekya’s ignorance.

 

“Did you come from the Joseon Dynasty or something?”

 

“Well… I guess it’s possible not to know.”

 

A massive networking event where basically every idol showed up.

 

Relay race, tug-of-war, three-legged race, group cheering competition, etc. It was M-Company’s ambitious project that had become a program representing the holidays in just two broadcasts with various events and novel planning.

 

“I heard AIM is going too, but I’m not sure.”

 

Dongman quickly changed the subject, saying the manager would probably tell them soon.

 

“Come to think of it, the Art Department seemed busy. Did you come for a meeting? Perhaps a comeback?”

 

“Yes. The schedule is almost over, so they said we should start preparing soon.”

 

It had already been nearly three months since DASE’s WANT ME promotions ended.

 

“Finally! Ah, for your information, I voted for baseball.”

 

“Baseball? What is that?”

 

Yooyeon, who was listening to the conversation from the side, asked curiously.

 

“Last month—maybe the design team? Anyway, there was a company-wide vote for a week.”

 

Apparently, there’d been a big panel set up in the lobby asking employees to choose which of the three major ball sports they wanted to see as a concept.

 

“Is that our next concept?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

Baekya shrugged his shoulders. And this curiosity was resolved shortly after in the comeback meeting….

 

“This will be DASE’s first full album, and the composition for the repackage activities is already finished.”

 

Baekya stared at the concept images filling the meeting room screen.

 

‘What is all that…?’

 

Uniforms. Full moon. Cross.

 

On the screen, Count Dracula was glaring at Baekya, his cape fluttering.

 

“I heard the repackage is still being selected, but since it will match the concept anyway, you can assume it will go like this.”

 

With a mechanical sound, the PPT moved to the next slide.

 

‘High-five meme?’

 

Baekya recalled the conversation he had with Dongman before entering the meeting room.

 

“This isn’t confirmed yet, but we are planning to make something interesting, so you can look forward to it.”

 

At the Art Director’s confident words, Baekya felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety.

 

* * *

 

[AIM, DASE, Rose Day Confirmed to Appear on ‘Lunar New Year Special Idol Star Athletics Championships’]

 

On the day the article confirming DASE’s appearance on ISAC was published, the members were dropped off at an unfamiliar place early in the morning.

 

“Where is this…?”

 

Baekya stared blankly at the sign hanging on the second floor of the building.

 

[Korea’s Strongest Physical Education Entrance Exam Academy]

 

A placard fluttered in the wind, proclaiming it to be Gangnam’s best prestigious entrance exam academy that had produced numerous national representatives as well as Seoul National University acceptees.

 

“They said since you’re going to the Athletics Championships, the CEO decided to support you.”

 

“…The CEO did?”

 

Why, though?

 

Baekya’s face grew even more vacant.

 

“Since you’re going anyway, it’d be good if you work hard and win.”

 

Namkyung voided Baekya’s eyes.

 

‘Strike while the iron is hot, is that it? To solidify our position…?’

 

Among famous popular idols like AIM, Boys World, and Rose Day, the only way for a rookie group to stand out was to fully utilize their talents and get noticed.

 

Since it aired on the evening of a holiday, winning would be the perfect chance to leave a strong impression on the public.

 

“But the events are….”

 

“I mean, even I think it’s weird to come all the way to an entrance academy just to practice tug-of-war and three-legged races…”

 

At that moment, a dark shadow fell behind Namkyung and Baekya.

 

“No? Manager-nim, you must trust me completely.”

 

“Ack!”

 

“Ah, you startled me.”

 

Baekya was startled out of his wits by the sudden voice.

 

“Nice to meet you. I am Kim Juyoung, who will be in charge of your physical education championship winning consulting today.”

 

Since they rented the place for the whole day, there were only DASE, Namkyung, and the teacher at the academy.

 

The other members were equally surprised by the teacher who approached without a sound, but the teacher didn’t care and handed out thick paper and a pen to each of them.

 

“I will give you 30 minutes. Please submit after filling it out.”

 

The curriculum moved at lightning speed from the moment he appeared.

 

“College entrance basic test…?”

 

Minseong muttered after checking the paper. An entrance exam test out of the blue. The current situation seemed quite bewildering to him as well.

 

“Um… but we are—”

 

“Questions later! Please fill out the questionnaire first.”

 

Teacher Juyoung effortlessly seized control. Not only did Minseong shut his mouth tight, but Baekya, suppressed by the overwhelming charisma, also quickly buried his nose in the test paper.

 

After filling out brief physical details like name, height, and weight, Baekya quickly turned to the second page.

 

[Q. You’re on your way to work out when a friend suddenly calls!

They say they found an amazing restaurant and tell you to come out right now. What do you do?]

 

‘…Psychological test?’

 

Baekya’s pupils trembled wildly.

 

Wondering if only he received the wrong paper, he glanced sideways, but Teacher Juyoung’s shout rang out.

 

“Any cheating will result in immediate dismissal.”

 

Startled, Baekya buried his face back into the page.

 

[A. You can work out anytime! Go eat with your friend right now.]

[B. Sudden plans are stressful. Stick to your original workout schedule.]

 

Glancing at the next pages, there were as many as 30 more questions like this.

 

“Cough, keuk.”

 

“Who made that coughing sound?”

 

“S-Sorry.”

 

Baekya, on the verge of crying, covered his cough and quickly filled out the answer sheet.

 

30 minutes later.

 

Teacher Juyoung, having collected the test papers, declared a 10-minute break and disappeared.

 

“I’m scared of this place….”

 

The thoroughly intimidated sunfish glanced toward the director’s office. Through the glass window, Teacher Juyoung could be seen grading.

 

“…This place is definitely weird.”

 

“Hey, lower your voice. What if the teacher hears.”

 

The maknaes, who had recently firmly established their hierarchy, were trembling. Yulmu, sitting between them, put his arms around the younger ones’ shoulders and offered meager comfort.

 

“Whatever it is, it must be different for a reason~ Let’s just wait.”

 

Baekya desperately wanted to bolt out of the academy, but he held on.

 

A moment later, the door to the director’s office opened along with the test results. At the teacher’s voice telling them to come in, DASE sat around a large table.

 

‘What is this…?’

 

In front of them was a cup of medicinal tea with an egg yolk floating in it.

 

‘Did they prepare this because we are singers?’

 

The sunfish was engulfed in the urge to pop the yolk. As Baekya glanced around and carefully lifted the teaspoon, the teacher pointed at the whiteboard with a long stick with a thwack.

 

“The analysis of your strategy to win the athletics championship is complete.”

 

Written on it were the events of the ‘Idol Star Athletics Championships’ notified by the broadcasting station to the agency, which had confirmed their appearance a few days ago.

 

Each event allowed only one representative per group. Baekya squinted as he found his name.

 

‘Did I see it wrong?’

 

[Three-Legged Race: Yulmu, Baekya]

 

He hadn’t seen it wrong.

 

‘No… pairing the tallest and shortest in the team?’

 

Even someone like Baekya, who knew nothing about PE entrance exams, could tell this was a terrible matchup. His interest in the egg yolk vanished instantly, along with his trust in Teacher Juyoung.

 

* * *

 

– Some AIM members, DASE and Rose Day full group on ISAC

  └ Shiyoon, Yeonha, Daehwan

– ID sent to entrance exam academy just because maknae goes to ISAC. peak helicopter parent behavior lol

– That’s the most famous physical education entrance exam academy in Gangnam! Famous for not accepting just any student

– Let’s see… Today’s sports day events are Tug-of-war, Mission Relay, Three-Legged Race, Acupressure Mat Hacky Sack, Flip the Board, Group Cheering (Girl Groups), Target Hitting, Limbo

  └ What, no relay race? Must have changed to mission relay

– Jihan, please wear a headband today ㅠㅠ

 

An indoor gymnasium in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do.

 

Baepsae, who entered the indoors after waiting for over 10 hours, looked around the stadium with a haggard face.

 

‘I underestimated the audience attendance.’

 

As soon as the news of DASE’s appearance on ISAC was confirmed, Nara had contacted her asking if she wanted to go together.

 

Hearing that she could watch the variety show Baekya appeared in from start to finish without editing, Baepsae shouted ‘Hurray!’, but…. Reality wasn’t as beautiful as she thought.