I'M A GENIUS IDOL BUT MY PASSIVE IS SUNFISH: Chapter 75

 TL by Miru

I'm a Genius Idol but My Passive is Sunfish: Episode 75

“If we don’t win, then we don’t win. So what? And why would it be your fault? If anything, it’d be because we all need to improve as a team.”
“It’s not that simple for me.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t know you cared so much about awards.”
“Cut it out.”

Yulmu teasingly scratched under Baekya’s chin.

“Is our Baekya secretly an ambitious type?” Yulmu cooed in a baby voice.
“I said stop it—sigh... Are you trying to get smacked?”
“Ack!”

Even after two warnings, Yulmu refused to stop, earning himself a well-deserved hit before finally backing off. Watching quietly from the sidelines, Minsung clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Some people just don’t learn, huh?”

At that moment, Jihan, who had been observing Baekya closely, spoke up.

"They say reality often defies your worst fears."

It was his way of reassuring Baekya that what he dreaded likely wouldn’t happen. Maybe it was Jihan’s calm demeanor, but Baekya found himself trusting his words.

“Do you really think so…?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The time for their red carpet entrance had arrived. Jihan extended his hand toward Baekya.

 

* * *

 

- Wow, Yuyeon looks incredible in person.

- DASE’s red carpet styling is insane. (Group photo of them in all-black suits.jpg)

- Baekya is the only one with pink hair while everyone else dyed theirs? The blonde looks amazing, though. ㅜㅜ But I wish we could’ve seen pink-haired Jihan one more time.

- The boys are such rookies, ㅋㅋㅋ They made sure to line up and match their foot positions perfectly for the red carpet photos.

- Weren’t they doing a special stage with a senior group today?

 

Korean tourists scattered all over Hong Kong had converged in one place. From early morning, Boksoong and Siyunbin had hurriedly dressed up and entered the venue ahead of time. In truth, they had wanted to see the red carpet in person, but the ticket Siyunbin managed to get was for a standing section. Unlike seating, which allows a more relaxed arrival, standing admissions had started hours earlier—making the red carpet an impossible dream for the two of them. Disappointed, they resorted to watching on their phones.

Yet the U-App they used cut out every thirty seconds, only fuelling their frustration.

"Ugh!"
"I give up. Who knows when AIM will show up anyway. I’ll just watch the red carpet footage later when we’re back in Korea."

At least they’d soon get to see the idols in person to their heart’s content. By some miracle, their standing section was right in front of the artist seating area! Hugging each other tightly, Boksoong and Siyunbin struggled to contain their excitement.

Their section, true to its standing nature, was 80% homepage master photographers with enormous DSLR cameras. It was essentially the "cannon zone." Though their new phones couldn’t compete with the pro cameras, Boksoong was optimistic about snapping some great photos of her bias.

She even dared to dream of capturing an iconic moment like Baekya’s airport photo.

Time had already crept past six, and a quick glance confirmed that most seats on the second floor were filled.

‘Finally, it’s time to meet my bias in person!’

Though it wasn’t as close as a fan signing event, Boksoong was content to close the distance step by step.

"Kyaaah!"

The Chinese person next to her suddenly started speaking in rapid Chinese, leaving her repeatedly saying, “What?” in confusion. But then, a sudden roar of cheers made her whip around toward the artists' section. The girl group that had entered first on the red carpet was now stepping onto the stage.

"Okay! Nihao!"

Exchanging final greetings, Boksoong sidled up to Siyunbin. AIM would undoubtedly be the last group to appear, while DASE, as rookies, would show up much earlier.

"Hey, isn’t that DASE?"
"Oh my god!"

Spotting Baekya, Boksoong let out a strangled sound and slapped her hands over her mouth. With his cotton-candy pink hair, Baekya was following Jihan up the stairs.

"Ba-Baekya!"

Without realising it, she called out his name. A glowing slogan banner she hadn’t even noticed she was holding unfolded in her hands.

But then, her bias actually responded…?

Baekya, who was on his way to his seat, suddenly stopped and turned to look in Boksoong’s direction.

"Yes?"

Wide-eyed, he even answered her. His gaze dropped slightly, and the slogan’s reflective lettering caught his eye.

[Baekya, Heart-Bite💖]

It was SweetBaek’s signature "Heart Gun" slogan, rivaled only by BaekSang’s infamous "Peach Gun."

As the hamster abruptly halted mid-step, Chung—who had been trailing behind—rested his hand on Baekya’s shoulder.

"What are you looking at?"

Following his gaze, Chung spotted the shining slogan and broke into a wide grin.

"Go on, Baekya! Bite!"

A clueless sunfish caught in bait and a mischievous wolf cub egging him on—fansite masters went wild, cameras flashing as they captured every second of the unexpected moment.

"Baekya-ya, I love you!"

A loud declaration of love from the crowd sealed the deal. Boksoong drove a figurative wedge into the soft-hearted sunfish’s fragile heart.

Minsung, who had been seated and doing a headcount—his section shorthanded—suddenly spotted the youngest members still dawdling near the stairs. He stood up, ready to retrieve them.

But at the same time, Baekya finally made his decision.

Caught between the scrambling Minsung rushing to grab them and Boksoong waiting in anticipation, Baekya hesitated.

In the end, the sunfish timidly bit into an invisible heart shaped with his hands and bolted toward his seat. Boksoong’s ultimate bias tucked himself into the farthest corner of the artist area, covering his visibly reddened ears.

“Gasp! Baekya—Baekya has…!”

Never in her wildest dreams had Boksoong imagined she’d actually break the unspoken barrier between fan and idol. She staggered under the weight of it, gasping for air as if she might pass out at any moment. The Chinese fan from earlier tried speaking to her again, but she didn’t hear a word.

"Is that someone you know?"
"No clue. She just keeps talking to me. Siyunbin, I think my heart is about to explode… What do I do?"
"Ugh, you lucky girl."

Hugging her slogan tightly, Boksoong wiped away tears. She silently thanked SweetBaek for this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

 

* * *

 

The JAMA awards kicked off with a grand Nanta drum performance video. As the names of the evening’s performers appeared on-screen, synchronized with the resonating drumbeats, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, their anticipation finally reaching its peak.

When the video concluded, the massive screen at the center stage parted, revealing the first award presenter of the evening—a widely beloved male actor, cherished across all age groups.

"Good evening, everyone."

Following a brief self-introduction, the actor seamlessly transitioned into his prepared speech.

"Music accompanies us in so many moments of our lives—at cafés, on the streets, and even just before we fall asleep."

He shared that he, too, was a great lover of music and that it was a tremendous honour not only to watch live performances tonight but also to have the privilege of presenting an award.

“And now, let’s move on to our first award.”

With that, he opened the red envelope in his hand.

“The first of this year’s Top 10 winners is…”

Glancing between the card and the audience, he finally announced the name.

"JAMA TOP10. AIM."

The audience exploded in cheers. AIM, seated in the first row of the artists' section, stood up, receiving congratulations from fellow artists around them. Their labelmates, Rose Day and Glassy, also rose to their feet to applaud, though DASE was notably absent.

"Hello, we’re AIM."

Bowing slightly to the mic, Yeonha began their acceptance speech.

"First, thank you for loving our music this year as well. To our fans, Makdungies, who shower us with endless love and support—I love you so much."

His gentle smile caused the crowd to erupt into deafening cheers, shaking the entire venue. After a heartfelt thank-you, AIM bowed to the fans and returned to their seats.

The large JAMA logo that had filled the screen disappeared, transitioning to reveal an enchanted castle straight out of a fairy tale.

[The Kingdom of Dolls]

It was the cue for the very first performance of the JAMA ceremony. A dreamy intro track began to play as the castle gate remained tightly shut, holding the promise of what was about to unfold.