The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 218

While Kim Chunyong was briefly lost in thought, the two same-aged members were elbowing each other over a single spot in the kitchen.

“Ah, Hwa Sung! Give me some cereal too. Let’s eat breakfast together!”

“No way. This cereal is mine. I brought it from the trainee dorm!”

“Don’t be so stingy! Just one bite?”

“Ugh, one bite’s no big deal… Mm, Chunyong hyung, want some too?”

“I ate already. I think I’ll just sit down and rest for a bit.”

Kim Chunyong planted himself at the table across from the two as they settled in for a slightly late breakfast, then casually opened his mouth.

With Son Jae Ha, Jang Si Woo, and Bang Yu Chan still asleep.

And with Logan—still slightly lacking in Korean-style social perception—right beside him, now was the perfect time to set things in motion.

Here’s the thing.

“I was just thinking about something.”

“Yeah?”

“What if I move into the wardrobe room with you before the reality show starts, Hwa Sung?”

“Well, that’s a reasonable ide—what?”

The first step in his “Hwa Sung and Jae Ha Relationship Repair” project—the very thing that had made him decide to move into the dorm quickly.

“I mean, there’s really no reason for you to go that far, Chunyong hyung? Why would you do that? Don’t tell me you’re trying to steal my angelic image? That would be a problem….”

Kim Chunyong rested an arm on the shoulder of Hwa Sung, whose speech was rapidly accelerating, and flashed a grin.

“No? I’m actually doing more than that. Being considerate of Jae Ha hyung and Si Woo, and looking out for you too.”

“…Huh? Looking out for me?”

“Yeah. You’re a scaredy-cat, Hwa Sung. You screamed your lungs out during the courage test mission.”

“Ugh! Don’t bring up that embarrassing—no, and anyway! What does that have to do with sharing a room….”

“You must be scared of ghosts in the wardrobe room, right? I should help you out.”

The moment the words help you out left his lips.

Hwa Sung stared at Kim Chunyong with wide, round eyes.

Kim Chunyong’s sharp gaze had already curved into a pleasant, knowing smile, silently saying:

‘You think I can’t tell?’

Hwa Sung’s face flickering with a look of dismay was only natural.

“Jesus, if a ghost shows up, call me too. I really want to see one!”

“Sure, Logan. If a ghost appears, I’ll definitely call you. We’ll check it out together.”

Whatever kind of ghost it might be….

“We’ll watch Hwa Sung scream too.”

For Hwa Sung, now sweating faintly, the nights before the reality show started might end up being scarier than any ghost.

* * *

After the other members had slept in late to recover from the survival show fatigue and finally gathered one by one in the living room.

Kim Chunyong also slipped another idea he’d conceived for the “Hwa Sung and Jae Ha Relationship Repair” project into the conversation.

“Yu Chan hyung. Jae Ha hyung.”

“Hm? What’s up, Chunyong?”

“About our dorm…Don’t you think it’s too bare?”

The feeler he’d tossed out drew an immediate response from Bang Yu Chan, just as Chunyong expected.

“Oh, I was thinking the same thing. The pot’s too small for even cooking ramyeon, and there are barely any cups. I was thinking about going out to buy some stuff later. Should’ve gotten more than just snacks.”

‘Nice one, Yu Chan.’

Without any prompting, they were already on the same wavelength. Kim Chunyong broke into a wide smile and followed up.

“Instead of that, why don’t we get a company card and use it? A few of us go out and buy essentials. Maybe four people?”

“Four? Why four?”

“I figure two can stay and clean the dorm. It’s called division of labor.”

Kim Chunyong’s thought process was this:

First, create a situation where Son Jae Ha and Ji Hwa Sung were alone together, and if that didn’t work, then he’d step in himself.

‘If they can just talk it out and resolve things on their own, that’s less work for me. And even if they can’t, the other members get some bonding time out of it.’

Kim Chunyong looked over at Jang Si Woo, who was hugging his knees and rolling his eyes around restlessly.

“Hey, Si Woo. Want to try this? The President gave it to me. They’re cookies.”

“…I’m, I’m okay.”

“Oh, alright. Let me know if you want some later!”

“Okay….”

He seemed to have improved somewhat since Targeting Star, but in this new situation of living with new members, he was predictably still a bit shy.

If everyday conversations like this kept increasing, it would surely help open that guarded heart.

‘The thing between Jae Ha hyung and Hwa Sung is one thing, but I can’t forget about looking after our maknae either.’

His mind made up, Kim Chunyong stood and naturally called out the names of his handpicked shopping group.

“Alright, me, Yu Chan hyung, Logan, and Si Woo. The four of us will go. Get dressed, quick. I’ll call the company.”

“Huh? Why does Chunyong get to decide who goes out!”

And Hwa Sung raising his voice in alarm was only natural.

Under normal circumstances, he’d just shrug and think fine, glad to relax at the dorm with Son Jae Ha.

But right now, the person he usually looked up to wasn’t exactly comfortable to be around.

Realizing he might have overreacted, Hwa Sung’s expression flickered with an oops look before he quickly changed tack.

“I mean, whatever, it’s fine with me, but we should ask Jae Ha too. Right? He’s the leader!”

Hwa Sung’s words were a plea for help.

A plea saying: You must feel awkward about talking right now because of how I’ve been acting too, hyung, so let’s just give it some time.

But.

“…Mm, I’m fine with it. I’ll get familiar with the dorm, and that sounds nice. Hwa Sung and I will clean while we wait. You four go ahead.”

Son Jae Ha rejected Hwa Sung’s plea with picture-perfect grace.

“Uh…?”

“The ‘leader’ says so, right? Listen to him, dude.”

Kim Chunyong didn’t even try to hide the smile on his face as he patted Hwa Sung’s shoulder and headed for the wardrobe room.

This was perhaps an inevitable outcome.

‘There’s no way Jae Ha hyung didn’t think of the same thing I did.’

“Well then, take care. Chunyong.”

After all, Son Jae Ha was the very person who’d appeared in his dream to point out the current situation.

Always warm, always kind, and just a touch enigmatic. He was their leader.

‘Well, a dream is just a dream and reality is reality. But Jae Ha hyung must have been thinking he needed to talk things out with Hwa Sung too.’

Kim Chunyong pulled a ball cap over his red hair, glanced between the shopping party members waiting at the door and the two staying behind, then slowly nodded.

Let’s just see how this plays out, he thought.