I'M A GENIUS IDOL BUT MY PASSIVE IS SUNFISH: Chapter 62

 TL by Miru

I'm a Genius Idol but My Passive is Sunfish: Episode 62

‘What is this now?’

 

To think the status window popped up at such a crucial moment. This soured Baekya’s mood.

 

[Q. The Ultimate Gambler: A genius calculates the odds, but a gambler relies on instinct! Opportunities like this don't come every day...(Read more)]

 

‘It always gets wordy when it’s about making me do something weird.’

 

The appearance of a “Read more” option was an immediate disqualifier for this quest. It wasn't a main quest, so there was no real reason to complete it. However, the last sentence caught his attention.

 

[※ Doubled Star Points when completion successful]

 

‘What? That’s an amazing reward!’

 

Unable to resist the offer, the weak-willed Sunfish took the bait. The quest's summary was simple: If Baekya completed the stage without a single mistake, his star points would double. He currently had 4 points, so success would mean 8 points. However, Baekya had to be cautious.

 

[However, failure will result in the loss of all Star Points]

 

As the saying goes, you need to hear the whole story to understand the entire picture. The penalty for failure was severe. Another saying, “penny wise, pound foolish,” came to mind.

 

‘I could end up with nothing while trying to gain four points.’

 

High risk, high reward. Baekya couldn't ignore the fact that he was currently equipped with the skill <Comatose State(D)>, which was in no way a help to his dancing.

 

‘Still…’

 

For about two weeks, he had been rigorously trained under Spartan Chung and the demonic Yuyeon.

 

‘Maybe it’ll be okay?’

 

Besides, his final practice yesterday had been flawless. Somehow, Baekya felt confident about succeeding.

 

‘Ah, whatever. I’ll go for it!’

 

The mini-game, staking all of the Sunfish's resources, began.

 

* * *

 

- WHOA-OH-WHOA-OH

 

On stage, the introduction of ‘No Games’ began to play, a song that hadn’t been heard in a while.

A move dubbed the “drawer routine,” the choreography formation involved Baekya being hidden away in the corner, only coming forward for his parts. This was why Baekya's fans didn't favour the debut song. Oh, of course, Baekya looked stunning, but that was what made it all the more upsetting.

 

“Waaah! Baekyaaa!”

 

An excited bird screamed Baekya's name at the top of her lungs.

 

“His beret—! Cough-cough.”

 

Sparrow was choked up within the first 30 seconds of the performance. While she pounded her chest to clear her throat, her eyes never left the screen.

 

“Han Baekya is insane…”

 

She had been repeating the same phrase, but so were most people around her. The woman sitting next to her, Nara, had been continuously saying how everything was driving her crazy.

 

“Sparrow-nim, isn't— isn’t Baekya’s beret amazing?!”

 

Although they had seen this outfit on a broadcast before, the accessories were a bit different this time. The shorts had been replaced with long pants, Minsung's outfit was adorned with jewelled epaulettes, Baekya and Chung wore white berets, and Yuyeon and Jihan had swapped their big collars for scarves of a similar pattern.

 

“Baekya is incredible, but so is Yulmu. Oh gosh.”

 

Yulmu appeared on stage in a dark navy sailor outfit, with all the buttons left undone. Naturally, he wasn’t bare-chested underneath; he wore a dark T-shirt. But the way his chest muscles stretched the fabric with every move was captivating.

 

“This is insane, seriously.”

 

By the twentieth time Sparrow uttered “This is insane,” DASE had finished their first song without a hitch. With the stage lights fully on, the members' faces on the screen shone even brighter.

 

“Shall we do our greetings first?”

 

Following Minsung's lead, DASE’s team cheer echoed through the venue, with fans responding in kind.

 

“Let’s move forward while we continue talking.”

 

As planned, the members split into two groups of three and moved to the extended stage. Feeling guilty about keeping the view to herself, Nara offered her telescope to Sparrow.

 

“Would you like to take a look?”

“Oh, sure, I’d love to!”

 

Curious about their performance on a telescopic scale, Sparrow didn’t decline. Nara had already adjusted the focus, so all Sparrow had to do was find Baekya. After a moment of scanning, Sparrow's telescope found their target.

 

“Wow!”

 

The performance of this telescope was incredible. With this tiny device, Sparrow’s 3rd-floor heavenly seat view turned into a mid-1st-floor view.

 

“You can see them really clearly, right? Their visuals are killing it today. Seriously.”

“This is insane!”

 

Sparrow, having decided to buy a telescope as soon as the concert ended, focused intently on observing Baekya.

 

“Performing ‘No Games’ in front of so many people reminds me of our debut stage~”

 

Imjingak? That was a legendary performance.

Shifting her view slightly to Yulmu, Sparrow was in awe. His physique was just on another level.

 

“Honestly, the 'WANT ME' promotions seemed to end so quickly, so I felt disappointed, so I'm really happy to meet our fans through K-Concert.”

 

Jihan shared his thoughts smoothly.

 

“By the way, Baekya, why do you look so intense?”

 

The peach was nodding vigorously at everything the members said, his expression full of determination, which caught Yuyeon’s attention.

 

“...Me?”

“Yes, Baekdo-ssi.”

 

Yuyeon’s use of ‘Baekdo’ to refer to Baekya brought cheers from the crowd.

 

“Uh... I’m just trying to do my best.”

“In answering?”

“In everything.”

 

Minsung chimed in, noticing Baekya seemed resolute.

 

“Doing your best is good, but it looks like sparks are flying from your eyes.”

 

Minsung mentioned how Baekya had been intensely focused, making Minsung think he had made a mistake when their eyes met during the performance.

 

“Of course not. It’s just me who needs to do well in our team.”

 

Baekya’s comment was meant innocently, and Yuyeon and Chung didn’t find it strange either.

 

“We all need to do our best. And Baekya, you’re working the hardest among us.”

“Right! Hamster and I, along with Yuyeon, practice dancing every day. We’re the dance line!”

 

However, not everyone took the comment lightly.

 

“No, Baekya! That’s not true!”

 

Sparrow cried out through the telescope, while some fans quickly added their opinions and posted on social media.

 

- Peach just said that he’s the only one who needs to do well in DASE. It’s heartbreaking… Don’t tell me the other members giving him a hard time?

- 100% he saw the comments during the live broadcast. He said he practices dancing every day. Is that why he’s losing weight?

 

Of course, the members were unaware of these reactions.

 

“You’re already doing great~”

“Thank you.”

 

With a broad smile and a thumbs-up from Yulmu, Baekya responded with a chuckle and returned the gesture.

 

[END OF TALK > PREPARE FOR PERFORMANCE]

 

Meanwhile, the time allotted to DASE had elapsed. Minsung, seeing the prompter's signal to wrap up the talk and prepare for the next stage, smoothly transitioned to introducing the next song.

 

“Now, we’ll perform our final song, ‘WANT ME.’”

 

DASE began to get into formation. With Baekya standing among the members in a circle, Sparrow handed the binoculars back to Nara.

 

“Thanks for letting me use them, Nara-nim.”

 

Sparrow quickly covered her mouth after putting down the telescope.

 

“My baby is doing so well, so why would he think that…!”

 

Overly invested fans often couldn’t take their favourites’ words lightly.

 

“Don’t take it too seriously. I heard the kids get along well, you know?”

“…Really?”

“Yes. I have a friend who works at ID, and they said Baekya is loved by all the idols there. He’s small, so everyone adores him, even AIM’s members— Oh! The stage is starting. I’ll tell you more later.”

 

As the intro music began to play, both Sparrow and Nara turned their attention back to the screen.

 

♬♪♩♬♪♬♪♩

 

Baekya, hidden among the members, turned around and started the first verse.

 

- Every morning, I wait to open my eyes

Your day begins with me

 

No matter how many times she saw it, the fresh opening always brought a smile. Yulmu’s previous interview mentioning the burst of peachy sweetness came to mind.

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

A loud cheer erupted as the screen focused on a close-up of Baekya. Even fans of other groups seemed to be pointing and whispering about him.

 

- Morning, it’s a good morning

I love it when you’re grumpy,

The way you look at me is full of love

 

Chung took over the next part. Although he wore the same-coloured beret as Baekya, the vibe was completely different. Baekya, with his bangs showing, had a cute and charming look, while Chung, with his hair swept back and forehead exposed, had a sharp, almost niche appeal. Yet, his striking features paired with the beret created an incredible synergy.

 

“His face… it outshines the beret….”

 

Sparrow mumbled to herself, mesmerized by the screen.

 

- To you, I’m always a priority

I feel the same way,

Hug me, hold me tight.

 

As if receiving the baton from Chung, Yuyeon stepped into the centre, placing his hands over his heart and shrugging his shoulders. The stadium erupted once more. Indeed, his claim that he could pull off cute looks was no exaggeration.

 

“That fox is at it again...!”

 

In the early days of his debut, Yuyeon was often criticized for focusing too much on the choreography and missing the camera cues. However, today, as the group shot transitioned to a solo shot of Yuyeon, he immediately found the camera. He definitely seemed more confident and relaxed than before.

 

- Even if I run out of breath, it’s okay

As long as it’s you, everything’s fine

Don’t let go, hold my hand

 

Here comes Yulmu!

The one who appeared to be wearing, or rather, flaunting a navy uniform. ‘WANT ME’ was designed as a summer song with a refreshing concept, but it was versatile enough to fit any season. Even under the cool autumn sky, it felt perfectly in place.

 

“Wow, who is that?”

 

The surprised voices from the AIM fans sitting nearby were audible. Indeed, if one had to pick the most conventionally handsome member, it would undoubtedly be Yulmu.

With his flawless physique and large, double-lidded eyes, he typically had the image of a friendly large dog as he always wore a smiling face, but on stage, he exuded a surprising charisma.

 

“Yu-Yulmu-yaaah!”

 

Sparrow shouted Yulmu's name, pretending not to have heard anything.

 

“Na Yulmuuu!”

 

It was Sparrow's way of sending the message to the ladies next to her.

Cheers to your excellent taste.