Survive! Foolish Bottom!

 

“Well… I don’t know. Maybe it would be better if you just stood there quietly and smiled.”

 

Junwoo muttered, as if it were no big deal, while turning his gaze back to his phone game.

 

“That’s the type you are, after all. The kind who ruins everything once you open your mouth.”

 

Haeun let out a hollow laugh. It was impressive how Junwoo could say such things right to someone’s face.

 

‘What did I even do to deserve this kind of crap? If I were in my original body, I would have…’

 

His temper flared, but he exercised extreme patience and barely held it in. Bowing his head quietly, Haeun calmly agreed.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be careful.”

 

It was pathetic to have to endure this, but he needed to avoid getting nitpicked and messing up the process.

 

“……”

 

Junwoo looked at him silently. That meaningful expression again. He had only apologized because Junwoo had openly picked a fight, so Ha-eun couldn’t understand why he still looked dissatisfied.

 

『Junwoo’s likability has decreased by 2!』

 

‘…Can I just hit him once?’

 

Haeun clenched his fist tightly, turning pale with anger. Junwoo, as if completely uninterested in Haeun’s fury, kept playing his phone game intently. After a while, he muttered, “Ah, I died,” and put down his phone.

 

“……?”

 

When Haeun looked at Junwoo in confusion, Junwoo pointed out the window, pretending to be kind. 

 

“We need to get off.”

 

Before he knew it, the broadcasting station was right in front of them. Haeun glanced at Junwoo’s irritating face for a moment before nodding and getting ready to get off. The thought of the upcoming variety show recording was stressful, but at least he would be escaping this suffocating atmosphere for a while.

 

“Find the God of Live! The first ever lip-sync quiz show, God of Live!” 

 

With the MC’s signature opening line, the recording began. Amid the enthusiastic applause from the panelists, Haeun also did his best to join in.

 

Haeun and Junwoo, wearing their name tags that read “Stone Cherry,” were seated in the back row of three rows of panelists. The front row featured famous comedians, composers, veteran singers, and Black B2ers’ Yejun.

 

It was Haeun’s first time on a set like this, so he was trying his best not to show that it was his first time. It was an excruciating task for someone as impatient as him. Not looking around the set with curiosity and not watching the other celebrities being interviewed with keen interest were both parts of this effort.

 

After a brief explanation of the tournament rules, MC Kim Jinsil approached to introduce the panelists. Even among the celebrities sitting in the front row, except for Yejun, Haeun didn’t recognize anyone. They were all supposed to be national stars in the storyline, but did they have any idea that the most obscure idol among them was being treated like an unknown?

 

The thought amused him. So when the MC approached the Stone Cherry members, Haeun managed to keep smiling.

 

“Now, our next guests are special invitees to God of Live. You’ve recently made a comeback, right?”

 

Unlike music show MCs who thoroughly prioritize introducing the singers, Kim Jinsil, though gentle in demeanor, made it clear that the broadcast came first. Haeun had a strong feeling that he shouldn’t make any mistakes.

 

Normally, the introduction was the leader Ilhyun’s responsibility, but since he wasn’t there, Haeun, being the oldest, had to start the greeting. After a quick glance at Junwoo, he began his prepared speech.

 

“Hello! This is Park Ha of Stone Cherry who has come back with <Runners’ High>.'”

 

“And I’m Junwoo!”

 

This guy was smiling brightly as if he hadn’t been acting up in the van earlier. While thinking ‘psycho, psycho’ so many times inside his head, Haeun started to wonder if Junwoo actually had a split personality. Watching Junwoo’s fake smile, Haeun forced his own smile to the limit and listened to the MC’s next words.

 

“I heard you prepared something special for God of Live today?”

 

Following the agency’s instructions, Haeun and Junwoo had prepared the best they could as rookie idols: singing a snippet of their song. It wasn’t going to grab huge attention, but it also wouldn’t damage their image—a safe bet.

 

Just as Junwoo raised the microphone to respond, a panelist sitting in the front row interrupted.

 

“Isn’t it that? The TikTok challenge?”

 

Pointing abruptly in their direction, the question was thrown at them. He was probably a famous comedian and MC. Haeun didn’t know his name so he tried to read his name tag, but it was obscured by others.

 

Main MC Kim Jinsil, looking somewhat flustered, responded with, “Whaaaaaat?” which sounded slightly exaggerated. The comedian clicked his tongue and continued.

 

“You must be living under a rock.”

 

The audience responded with uproarious laughter. Haeun didn’t understand what was so funny but managed to force a laugh, suppressing his urge to leave. Just then, Junwoo, maintaining a calm expression, spoke up at the right moment.

 

“We wanted to convey our support to the singers who will be performing today, so we prepared a verse from one of our songs that carries a message of encouragement,” said Junwoo.

 

“Alright, then…,” Kim Jinsil began to respond, but she was interrupted again.

 

“As singers, the way you said ‘Aegyo is shi—‘ really stuck with me. My son went crazy over it, wanting to post it on TikTok himself,” another panelist cut in.

 

Kim Jinsil laughed exaggeratedly and asked, “So, did your son post it?”

 

“Oh no, I stopped him,” the panelist replied, eliciting another round of laughter from the audience. Haeun, while internally not amused, mirrored Junwoo’s subtle smile to maintain appearances.

 

“Why are you suddenly saying such strange things~” said another celebrity seated next to the comedian, trying to reign him in. Kim Jinsil also jokingly reprimanded the comedian before continuing.

 

“Alright, Park Ha and Junwoo, could you perform the song you’ve prepared?”

 

“Ah—” 

 

Haeun was about to say “Of course,” but Kim Jinsil continued without giving him a chance.

 

“It’s fine, right? If you want to teach Bang Ja-cheol’s son a lesson, we can start preparing now.”

 

At this, the comedian jumped up, pointing his finger as the panelists all laughed loudly. It was clear to Haeun that Kim Jinsil’s comment was meant to tease. Even though he didn’t find it funny, he understood the intent. How many more verses are they planning to go through? From the look of things, it seemed the entire segment was designed to poke fun at that viral challenge.

 

Junwoo’s reaction was perfect for the situation—he remained silent and smiled. Haeun also laughed awkwardly, hoping the awkward atmosphere would soon pass.

 

‘The warning not to cause trouble on the broadcast probably means avoiding any challenges or antics like this, right?’

 

However, the chaotic atmosphere didn’t settle down. Multiple voices, some wanting to see the original “Aegyo is XX” challenge and others asking what it was, overlapped on the microphones.

 

Then, someone intervened. It was Yejun from Black B2ers, who had been sitting quietly until then.

 

“They said they prepared a performance, so why don’t we let them show it?” he said.

 

It wasn’t a cautious or joking remark. Yejun was genuinely serious. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. However, nobody dared to reprimand Yejun, the show’s main attraction with a massive fandom, in the same way they had treated Stone Cherry.

 

Thanks to Yejun, the situation was defused with a joke. Haeun and Junwoo, hurriedly prompted, awkwardly performed a short snippet of their song “CHEER.” 

 

As expected, the reaction was lukewarm. After brief applause, the comedian from earlier, who had been looking displeased, asked another question.

 

“Do you have any special talents? Any personal talents?”

 

“Personal talent?”

 

While Haeun looked perplexed, the comedian continued his filler conversation with the other celebrities seated nearby. At that moment, Junwoo leaned in close to Haeun and whispered in his ear.

 

“Hyung, this part won’t air.”

 

“What?”

 

Startled by Junwoo’s sudden words, Haeun managed to ask a question, still taken aback.

 

“It’ll be edited out,” Junwoo briefly explained. “So don’t bother reacting.”

 

However, the situation was making it increasingly difficult to remain passive. The comedian, having finished his conversation with the other celebrities, demanded a personal talent from Haeun again.

 

“Uh…”

 

As Ha-eun hesitated, the cheerful system alert popped up once more.

 

『As a pro idol, you can’t just stand by in such a difficult situation, right? Show a cool personal skill and win over your seniors! ٩(✿∂‿∂✿)۶』

 

『Automatically selecting a personal skill to showcase… ற˘‿˘ற』

 

Although there was no penalty, the system started setting up a personal skill on its own. Haeun couldn’t stop himself from standing up.

 

“I don’t have any special talents, but Park Ha will show you something!”

 

“What, that aegyo is XX challenge thing?”

 

“Oh, no, not that, but…”

 

While the comedian continued to mock him, the automatic skill selection roulette spun relentlessly. Haeun, unable to control his own body, was nearly resigned to his fate when a sharp voice interrupted once again.

 

“Stop it. Is this fun?” 

 

It was Yejun again.

 

Haeun hadn’t expected that no one would dare openly criticize Ye-jun for his bluntness even as a top idol. Perhaps his character was bolstered by his authoritative personality. 

 

Haeun felt a mix of relief and confusion as he looked at Yejun, who hadn’t even glanced in his direction while stepping in on their behalf.

 

It was hard to view Yejun’s actions negatively, even with his seemingly overbearing personality.

Hey guys, this is Flo!

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