I'M A GENIUS IDOL BUT MY PASSIVE IS SUNFISH: Chapter 74

 TL by Miru

I'm a Genius Idol but My Passive is Sunfish: Episode 74

- An idol who put a 10,000 won bill on the tray table while waiting for the in-flight meal, only to frantically hand it to the flight attendant when she didn’t take the money = DASE’s Baekya ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Who did it? Who teased our peach, huh?! This is why you shouldn’t make it obvious it’s your first time on a plane, sweetieㅠㅠ
└ I wondered why Baekya was wearing Yuyeon’s cap when they got off, but it turns out our peach was embarrassed so he gave it to him (sobs).

 

The moment the post was being read, the tweet in question was rapidly being shared. The comments were on the verge of being flooded with photos of Yuyeon and Baekya, one wearing the violet cap in question.

 

- I found the brand! N-brand Violet Ball Cap, 35,000 won. Just bought it (image of a credit card swipe).

 

There were already several posts from fans who claimed to have bought the same cap. Among them was yet another person flaring their nostrils in determination, desperate to snag one.

"I… I need this!"

A Korean enthusiastically shopping online from what looked like a back alley straight out of a Hong Kong action movie. She quickly accessed the product page, only to discover the violet colour was sold out.

"Aaagh!"

She let out a sudden yell, clutching her head in despair. Siyunbin, startled by her outburst, asked,

"What? What’s wrong?"

"It’s sold out…"

"...The cap? Isn’t this a super common one? Or wait, is this because your bias wore it?"

Finally logging onto social media, Siyunbin noticed “Baekya’s cap” trending. She let out a quiet whistle of admiration.

"Oh. Wow, his influence is no joke."

 

* * *

 

After checking in, DASE headed to their assigned rooms with their roommates.

"Take a break for now. At least arriving early has its perks," Namkyung remarked.

DASE had decided to split into pairs for their rooms, with Namkyung and Deokjin also sharing one. The roommates had been determined fairly via a ladder game.

‘Of all people, why did I have to end up with him?’

Baekya, clearly displeased with his assigned roommate, cast a sharp glance at Yuyeon.

"Aw, sorry~ Is Baekdo upset?" Yuyeon teased, nudging Baekya’s arm with his signature dazzling smile. But such tactics didn’t work on the sunfish.

"Excuse me. Who are you?"

"Your friend."

"I don’t recall being friends with a scam artist."

"I lent you my cap, though? 'Excuse me, miss, here's the money…!'"

"Hey!"

Yuyeon mockingly reenacted Baekya’s infamous plane incident, causing the latter to snap before quickly regaining composure and turning his back.

"I don’t care. I have no friends. None whatsoever."

Yuyeon, fully aware of what he was doing and withholding any clarification, was clearly in the wrong. However, seeing Baekya sulk so seriously began to make him feel guilty. Yuyeon's tightly pressed lips betrayed his awkward remorse.

"Baekdo."

"…"

Even when called, Baekya didn’t spare him a glance, leaving Yuyeon to think to himself: There’s only one way to fix this.

"Hyung?"

"...What? Why suddenly…?"

The sunfish, who had been hanging up his jacket, flinched at the word.

Nineteen years of life as a model student...
As a quiet, introverted person who had only ever been close to Yukyung and Jaehyun, Baekya had never experienced being part of a boisterous group, let alone being the "leader."
Maybe that’s why he had a soft spot for being respectfully addressed as “hyung.”

"I promise I won’t do anything like that again. I’ll even warn the others."

"Yeah, right."

"Aw, come on, why so cold? You know I get nagged by the team manager every day. They keep telling me to be more like our mature Baekdo hyung."

Yuyeon’s silver tongue was starting to work its magic.

"Okay, okay. I admit I went a bit too far this time."

"Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was on the plane because of you?"

"Of course, I know. Here, let’s make a deal."

Seizing the moment, Yuyeon decided to go all-in to patch things up completely.

"While we’re in Hong Kong, I’ll do whatever you say. No questions asked."

"…Anything?"

"Yeah! You say it, I’ll do it. How’s that? Deal?"

It was an offer Baekya couldn’t refuse. It wasn’t every day someone willingly volunteered to be his personal assistant.

"Whatever you need, just tell me!"

Yuyeon’s confident declaration made Baekya smirk slyly.

"Really?"

"Absolutely!"

"Fine. I want an egg tart."

"…Huh? Egg tart?"

For the first time, Yuyeon saw Baekya make such an expression. It was the kind of devious grin only Jihan or Yuyeon himself would wear when plotting mischief. The innocent deer felt a shiver of unease.

"Yup. When I told my sister I was coming to Hong Kong, she said I had to try one. Let’s have some egg tarts, Yuyeon."

Yuyeon then realised this must be why people say the environment shapes you. Baekya’s living conditions, where he was sharing a dorm room with a quiet lunatic and a con artist, could only be described as truly unfortunate.

"Are egg tarts… on the room service menu?"

Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, Yuyeon frantically flipped through the hotel’s service guide on the table.

"I already checked. They don’t."

"Then what do I do…? Where am I supposed to get them?"

"Don’t know. You figure it out. I’m just following your instructions to 'tell you what I need.' I’d like them before rehearsal, please."

Yuyeon saw the devil that day.

 

* * *

 

The location had changed from Korea to Hong Kong, but DASE’s routine remained the same. The members, who had woken up at the crack of dawn, finished getting ready in their hotel rooms and were now on their way to the venue.

The awards show was scheduled to begin at 7 PM, but the red carpet event kicked off at 5 PM. As rookies, DASE was slated for an early appearance, meaning they had to rush even more than their label seniors, AIM.

“What’s the deal with those egg tarts yesterday?”

In the car headed to the venue, Minsung, dressed sharply in a suit with his hair neatly pomaded back, asked. Yuyeon gave a wry smile, hinting that there was a story but choosing not to elaborate.

“That? It’s just… one of those things.”

Last night, before and after rehearsal, Baekya had spent all his time practising choreography in front of the full-length mirror mounted on his hotel room wall. Now, even during the car ride, he was glued to his phone, reviewing dance moves.

“Hyung seems to be worried,” Yuyeon teased.

“Hyung? Me?”

Minsung pointed to himself in confusion, but Yuyeon shook his head.

“No, no. Sunfish hyung.”

“What? What about me?”

Hearing his name, Baekya, as sharp as ever when it came to himself, turned to look over.

“Nothing, hyung. Just saying you’re working hard.”

At Yuyeon’s customer-service-grade smile, the sunfish backed down without further comment. Minsung squinted suspiciously at the two, asking if they’d fought, but Yuyeon waved it off.

“Hyung was in a sour mood over the plane incident yesterday, so as an apology, I’ve decided to treat him with the utmost respect while we’re in Hong Kong. So, just play along.”

“You guys are adorably ridiculous,” Minsung said with a chuckle, understanding the situation without needing further explanation.

By then, they had arrived at the venue. Despite their early start, there were already several cars parked ahead of them.

“Let’s hurry up. Baekya, put the phone away.”

“Yesss,” Baekya mumbled.

He rubbed his strained eyes, only to suddenly remember he had makeup on.

‘Oh no.’

Fearing his eye makeup had smudged, he quickly turned to check his reflection in the car window. Fortunately, it seemed intact.

‘I almost got in trouble.’

But just as he turned back, his eyes met those of the makeup artist stepping out of the car next to theirs. The sunfish, feeling guilty for no reason, gave her an awkward smile.

“Baekya, what’s up?”

“Uh, nothing. Just happy to see you, that’s all.”

Baekya trailed off, slipping behind Yulmu’s back. He was an excellent shield for the sunfish.

But the sharp-eyed stylist still spotted the smudged eyeliner. Baekya was quickly dragged out of his hiding spot.

"You rubbed your eyes, didn’t you."

"How did you—oh."

"I can’t with you."

JAMA didn’t provide separate dressing rooms, so all performers had to arrive at the venue fully prepared. Despite arriving just an hour ago, Baekya had already rubbed his eyes, forcing the group to linger awkwardly in a corner of the parking lot instead of heading inside.

"When you go in, don’t rub your eyes. Got it?"

"Yes, I’m sorry…."

Only the artists and their managers were allowed inside the venue. Before their turn on the red carpet, they waited in a large hall. Once they entered, they’d sit in the designated artist section near the stage to watch the ceremony.

Namkyung reminded the group repeatedly to manage their expressions and behave properly, emphasizing that they’d be sharing the same space with fans throughout the event.

"DASE is ninth on the entry list."

Thanks to Deokjin, who surprisingly spoke Chinese, Namkyung found himself tagging along and relying on him for guidance.

There were about ten idol groups gathered in the hall, including Harang’s group, of course.

“They’re here too,” Namkyung muttered under his breath as he spotted Harang. Thankfully, since Baekya had chosen a secluded corner of the hall, Harang didn’t seem to notice DASE.

"You guys okay?"

The question could have several interpretations, but the members understood what Namkyung meant and nodded in unison.

"What’s there to be not okay about~?" Yulmu shrugged, sneaking a glance past Namkyung.

"We knew they’d be here. Besides, Yuyeon and I already bumped into them once," Yulmu added.

The members nodded again, except for one.

"Honestly, you…"

Even now, Baekya was glued to his phone, watching choreography videos. Spotting this, Yulmu threw an arm around his neck in a playful headlock to disrupt his focus.

"Sunfish~ Stop watching and hang out with us~"

"Who are you calling a sunfish!"

When Yulmu snatched Baekya’s phone, joking about a random play dance popping up during the ceremony, Baekya pouted.

“I’m just anxious…”

The atmosphere grew heavy as Baekya’s unease spread.

"What if we don’t win an award because of me?"