Chapter 201
– Beyond the endless tunnel, Lighting
Follow that light, Run, Baby Run Away
Chasing you down isn’t hard for me
I already know the destination
Bang Yu Chan, who gave off a mature aura compared to the other trainees.
And Kim Chunyong, whose red-dyed hair now let the strengths of his striking looks shine. Was there any better concept for them?
‘Honestly, Kim Chunyong hasn’t even been that bad since the Post-it incident. He might actually be better than before. Especially when I think about the chemistry he’ll have with Hwa Sung going forward…’
Just as Fireworksday was calculating various scenarios—
– Coming up! The final trainee ranking announcement for Targeting Star will now begin!
The announcement that the broadcast was properly resuming thundered through the theater’s high-quality speakers.
“…Hah.”
The moment she realized she’d been mentally complimenting Kim Chunyong without even noticing, Fireworksday pinched her own thigh hard and turned back to the screen.
She wasn’t the only one.
“Oh my god, is it really starting now? Jae Ha!”
“Shh, keep your voice down. I keep telling you, it gets louder the more excited you get…”
AG C&T Corporation, after being called out by Fireworksday had resorted to texting with her roommate, and all the other fans in the screening theater cheering for their respective trainees were all the same.
Hands slowly growing clammy. Anxiety crawling up their spines.
Who would make their debut?
Every eye in the room, heads full of that single thought, locked onto the screen.
Brief flashes of trainees’ faces alternating with a “Text vote tallying in progress” notice.
The screen had been showing behind-the-scenes footage of the trainees’ practice but it gradually dimmed, and then…
A video began to play.
* * *
The video was playing at the live venue as well.
Thump, thump, thump…
The sounds coming from beyond the blackened screen could have been heartbeats or drum beats.
‘I’ve never seen this before.’
Previously, a dartboard had filled the screen, a dart was thrown, and rankings were announced in order of the score.
‘Well, with Liu Wei dropping out, things could change.’
As yet another unfamiliar situation presented itself, Kim Chunyong swallowed hard without realizing it and focused on the screen.
Along the way, he couldn’t help but recall the conversation he’d had with the very person who’d made this second survival show possible.
Ding!
– X: So tomorrow really is the day that decides whether Trash Rex Chunyongie goes back or not huh….
– X: Whatever happens, you worked hard okay?
– X: You grumble so much I got a lil snippy sometimes too lol
– X: But who wouldn’t get angry in such a turbulent situation? Hm?
– X: I’ve seen plenty of regressors and none of them were as dynamic as you lol
– X: If you DO debut… will things get easier!? More diverse Skills to use!? Or the same backbreaking grind as always!?
– X: Lolol we won’t know till tomorrow ;-D
– X: But I did my absolute best as your Supporter! So things should work out!
X’s attitude was the same as always.
Teasing Kim Chunyong, needling him, saying mean things, yet always emphasizing that X had provided Support.
Kim Chunyong was bewildered by X’s existence, found it annoying, and at some point had begun to slightly tune it out, yet…
A thought had suddenly occurred to him.
– Kim Chunyong: Hey, X.
– X: Huh? I teased you that much and you’re just… talking to me? What’s going on, Trash Rex?
– Kim Chunyong: ;;
– Kim Chunyong: No, it’s just…
– Kim Chunyong: Something I want to ask
– X: Ehhh! What are you curious about? Like, what happens if you go back? Ob~viously you’ll be run ragged with investigations, get your contract terminated by the agency, and your mo—
– Kim Chunyong: I already know that much
– Kim Chunyong: What I want to ask is something else
What Kim Chunyong had been curious about regarding X.
Why had X…
– Kim Chunyong: Why me?
– X: ?
– X: What’s with the sudden burst of narcissism?
– X: What do you mean “why you”?
– Kim Chunyong: Why was the person you sent back to the past me of all people?//
Did he really choose Kim Chunyong of all people?
Honestly, to fulfill the condition of ‘the greatest idol in K-pop history,’ someone else would have been far better.
For instance, Jeong Yeon Woo was already one of the greatest idols Kim Chunyong knew of.
Or one of his own group members, Son Jae Ha, or Ji Hwa Sung, maybe Bang Yu Chan, or Jang Si Woo.
Hell, even Logan, who had gone back to Liverpool and cut ties with his parents.
There was no shortage of candidates.
And of all those candidates, the one at the very bottom of the list was Kim Chunyong.
Trash Rex, the malicious member reviled by everyone.
For the problematic idol Kim Chunyong to achieve the goal of ‘the greatest idol in K-pop history’ was next to impossible.
So why, of all people, Kim Chunyong?
If Kim Chunyong safely debuted now, when the first Objective would be achieved.
He wanted to hear the answer from X.
<X is typing…>
As if the question had been completely unexpected, it took X a long time to reply.
And that reply was enough to leave Kim Chunyong speechless for quite a while.
‘If that’s the reason… it does make sense to choose me. Fine, let’s focus for now.’
Thump— Thu-thump—
While Kim Chunyong sat with that bittersweet smile, the thumping sound had grown so loud it threatened to shake the entire live venue apart.
And then.
—
The moment the sound subsided, the screen brightened.
“Oh…”
An utterly unexpected video struck his eyes head-on.
In the low-resolution footage, clearly filmed long ago…
– “Son, look over here!”
– “No!”
A little boy was rolling a ball around, playing.
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