Chapter 236: Our Neighborhood Study King (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 236: Our Neighborhood Study King (2)
Despite my internal screams of blood and tears, the KPI for Lee Cheong-hyeon and me was set: ‘Shining Star, K-Top Scholar: Survive as the Final 5!’
I suppose I’ve been too lenient with you punks lately. Starting today, I’m switching back to hostile mode.
Suppressing my rage, I prepared to get out at the entrance of the broadcasting station, only to notice a larger crowd than usual.
“Isn’t it crowded today?”
“I guess so. Maybe because there are so many groups appearing?”
As I exchanged small talk with Lee Cheong-hyeon and opened the car door, flashes erupted from all directions.
Normally, fansite masters focus on taking photos of the idols they like. Some only take photos of idols who will make them money, regardless of their personal taste.
But this time was different. Besides the familiar faces of Spark’s fansite masters, there were many others taking our pictures.
In the past, I would have writhed in agony, lamenting that not a single one of these many cameras could capture Lee Cheong-hyeon’s real-life visuals.
But those painful years are over. I’ll show you the power of the ‘camera massage’ that Spark earned through blood, sweat, and tears.
“Cheong-hyeon, you’re smiling well, right?”
I asked while looking straight ahead with a bright smile. Lee Cheong-hyeon looked toward me, grinning as brilliantly as a silver foil mat reflecting the sunlight.
“Of course. But why?”
“Because I’m looking forward to the arrival previews.”
I have a feeling today will be a historic day for the photographers, too.
And a few dozen minutes later, in the waiting room.
I confirmed that the fansite masters—the ones who could create legendary shots for countless idols with a single click—were flooding the internet with photos of Lee Cheong-hyeon, accompanied by all sorts of flowery praise.
≫ 2X10XX Shining Star, K-Top Scholar Cheong-hyeon Arrival Preview
I emphasize this every time, but these are unedited…… real. true.
└ I gain the strength to live another day thanks to Jjae-i’s photos…… thank you, thank you.
└ Cheong-hyeon is a male god again today ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Thank you for the pretty photos!!!
≫ 2X10XX Cheong-hyeon
Sparklers are turning into schoolgirls……
└ Sparklers who keep becoming schoolgirls…… (Note: The ink on our ID cards is fading with age)
≫ The weather is nice, Cheong-hyeon
I think the sun came out just to see your face.
└ The simping is real.
└ It’s a basic requirement for a Sparkler. If we don’t work hard every day, we’ll lose to a certain Mr. Kim.
└ That person is Another Class.
└ Kim ??: You’re asking what Cheong-hyeon looks like in person? You can feel what happens when all the energy in the universe gathers in one place. Conversely, you realize just how small of a being you are in this vast cosmos.
≫ Caught a preview of Cheong-hyeon while waiting for the Same-Age Line.
Truly…… amazing…… I can’t believe this came from my hands……
└ I thought a ‘gold-hand’ from our fandom had jumped ship!??! But I felt relieved when I saw it was Spark.
└ I’m begging for a Berion-Spark friendship self-produced content. I’m on my knees.
He was a handsome man recognized even by those who had seen enough beautiful faces to last a lifetime. The optimal angles were captured by professionals with perfect aesthetic sense. Combined with the clear weather and his exquisite face, it was a masterpiece.
Even before the recording started, social media was filled with ‘Spark Cheong-hyeon.’ I had a good feeling about this.
When dozens of idols film at once, a lot of waiting rooms are needed. Even though the scale was much smaller than the ‘Idol Unity Sports Day,’ the nameplates stuck along the station hallway were reminiscent of a music show.
Since it was a program where only a few members from each team appeared, I thought we might end up sharing a waiting room with another group, being rookies and all…….
“Oh…… it’s going to be a bit chilly in this waiting room.”
……I never imagined we’d be sharing it with Parte. Lee Cheong-hyeon, anticipating a frosty atmosphere, muttered in a dry tone.
To think I’d actually miss Berion. My stomach churned.
Fortunately, Parte—true to their reputation as a group notorious for being late—entered almost exactly at the recording time. Song Min-il, who was receiving the most push in the team, was among them.
“Hello, seniors!”
“Noona, our outfits!”
These punks didn't even bother to acknowledge our greeting, too busy looking for their filming costumes. I suppose they were anxious since the recording was imminent.
I don’t know how they’ve managed to avoid scandals despite being such jerks. Meanwhile, Spark can’t even send Hong Un-seop out for fear he might cause trouble. I guess this is the difference in the power of non-disclosure agreements between a major corporation and a small agency.
But does MYTH want to give Song Min-il…… an elite image? From what I heard when he was swearing at the Han River, his vocabulary didn't exactly scream ‘intellectual.’ Wouldn't it be better to push Mr. Han Ga-un as the modest intellectual instead?
While I was harboring these doubts, someone hugged me from behind, leaning their weight on me. Through the mirror, I saw Lee Cheong-hyeon’s face resting his chin on my shoulder.
Lee Cheong-hyeon whispered into my ear while pretending to play around.
“He’s from the Gangnam 8th School District.”
I was only thinking it; how did he know?
When I looked at him with surprised eyes, Lee Cheong-hyeon smirked. He had clung to me just to say that. He’s become quite the pro at deceiving the cameras; he’s all grown up.
“I heard his family home is in the same neighborhood as mine.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“It’s been going around on social media lately. Was it the ‘Idol Ranking from Prestigious Families’?”
People do have a lot of interest in that sort of thing. Still, I didn't expect us to be linked with someone we’ve never even spoken to just because our family homes are nearby.
Then, our first meeting with Parte flashed through my mind.
‘What’s your name?’
‘It’s Lee Cheong-hyeon, senior!’
Back then, Song Min-il had specifically singled out Lee Cheong-hyeon. At the time, I thought he stood out in a bad way because he was exceptionally handsome, but looking back, it might have been because he was wary of someone from the same hometown. Of course, that only works if we assume he already knew about Lee Cheong-hyeon’s existence.
“So? Is your competitive spirit burning?”
When I asked, Lee Cheong-hyeon gave a goofy smile.
“No.”
It was an unexpected answer. He was surprisingly calm.
“Why would I get competitive over a quiz program? I just need to be good at my main job!”
He smiled like the midsummer sun. That mindset and that face of yours—truly commendable and wonderful.
Still, I hope you do your best even on a quiz show. I don’t have the confidence to get it right if they ask for something like the scientific name of white coral.
-
The cast members gathered in one place, dressed in the robes of Sungkyunkwan scholars. The palace backdrop banner hanging behind the set was very…… traditional and nice. It looked like a one-off program made specifically to cash in on the holiday season.
I also knew the host. It was the MC who had visited the fortune teller’s house with us after the ‘Challenge Life’ filming.
I didn't know he did special MC gigs in addition to his regular variety shows. I wouldn't know, since the only variety shows I’ve watched are the ones Spark appeared in.
Before the official quiz show began, there was a brief ice-breaker.
“I heard decorating photo cards is a trend among idol fans these days. Shall we see how our idols decorated their answer boards?”
Exclamations erupted here and there at the amazing board-decorating skills of several idols gifted in drawing. I don’t know how there are so many talented people in the world.
Song Min-il showed off a board dripping with love for his fans and members. The MC asked if he loved his group too much, but I could only manage a fake smile.
Mr. Han Ga-un, are you still cleaning up after that guy? I hope you find your freedom in the not-so-distant future.
“Shall we look at the boards of the two from Spark……? Wait, what is this!”
The MC gasped upon seeing Lee Cheong-hyeon’s board. On his board, the Hanja proverb ‘If one does not study hard while young, one will regret it when old' was written in neat characters.
“It’s our family motto! Since this is a place where we all study and improve our skills together, I decided to write it!”
“All that talk about kids these days not knowing Hanja is a lie. I think Cheong-hyeon writes Hanja better than I do!”
Tell me about it. I was shocked when I first saw him writing Hanja, too. His posture was so good I thought it was some visual correction effect, but he was just genuinely good at it.
“I-wol, why on earth did you write this?”
The MC asked, holding my board up toward the camera. My painstakingly written ‘Sorry, guys’ was captured in a large shot on the electronic display. Laughter erupted from all over.
“My goal is to give the members a hint in advance so they won’t be disappointed whenever I get eliminated.”
“But isn't this usually something you write when you don’t know the answer?”
“You never know what might happen in life!”
“Now that you mention it…… that’s true!”
When the MC and I reached a dramatic agreement, laughter broke out once again.
Not many people were eliminated by the basic general knowledge questions.
Not only were many questions from the provided study range, but everyone assumed there would be a resurrection match, so they weren't too disappointed.
Lee Cheong-hyeon and I—who had not only memorized the genealogy but also received a crash course in general knowledge from Jeong Seong-bin (I didn't really need it, but I just sat next to him)—steadfastly held our ground.
“Spark is writing with such a flourish! They’re solving everything without a hitch!”
The MC commented as he watched us jot down answers as soon as the questions were finished.
I’m fine, so please give Lee Cheong-hyeon lots of attention. He’s three years younger than me on paper, but he’s very bright.
Once about 10% of the participants were eliminated, the difficulty level spiked.
“Here is the question. Which of the following is NOT a Hanja-derived word? Number 1, Grape (Podo). Number 2, Rose (Jangmi). Number 3…….”
A mass elimination occurred when a question that went beyond common sense was introduced.
How can they be so bad at balancing the difficulty? If you can’t adjust the difficulty, the examiners should come out and apologize. It was all over the news when the CSAT chairman apologized back in my day.
While I was grumbling internally, the MC began checking the survivors. Now that Song Min-il had just been eliminated by the ‘Fire CSAT’…… no, the fire-level difficulty question, fewer than twenty people remained.
“Oh, Spark has survived in its entirety?”
The MC praised us as if it were major breaking news.
But only two of us came in the first place. And the guy next to me is someone who was planning to go to a gifted high school.
“I guess we got lucky! Right, Hyung!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon sent a long-distance high-five from his seat a short distance away. I enthusiastically reciprocated.
And at that moment.
“Since far more people were eliminated than the production team expected…… before we proceed with the resurrection match, we will play a simple game where, as an MC privilege, we can revive as many losers as there are survivors who get the answer right!”
The wording was different, but in the end, a new game to revive the losers had appeared.