Chapter 123
Chapter 123
It was Monday of the third week since debut.
We had just left the final broadcast of 'MAZE' behind, and a special day was approaching.
Ah, it wasn't something special just for our team—it was more of a nationwide concept.
"Wishing you a Happy New Year once again!"
Because the very next week was the Lunar New Year holiday.
So today we had come to film our own Lunar New Year special content.
I think I'd mentioned this before, but self-produced content felt less nerve-racking than regular variety shows, thanks to the trust that the company would review it.
Thanks to that, even with all those cameras right in front of us, we—sitting together in hanbok—were comfortably exchanging well-wishes.
All while making dumplings with our hands.
"To the hardworking company staff, and to our members! Please take good care of us this year as well!"
"Enjoy lots of tteokguk."
"But honestly, doing dumpling-making like this among ourselves every Lunar New Year might be nice, even if it's not for filming...."
'This was fun.'
Right before my eyes, dumplings with rather decent shapes were coming into existence.
Even Jeong Sowol, who I'd expected to just fool around, was approaching it very seriously, maybe because he knew the staff would be eating them.
Well, maybe it was because his parents ran a restaurant—he'd always been serious about cooking, after all....
So there was no need to worry about Jeong Sowol. The problem was the other member who pursued fun and dopamine.
That was Kim Yuri.
Since a suspicious object had just popped out of his arms.
"Just eating them is boring, so let's casually add a little surprise."
"When did you even bring that?"
"Because preparation is the basics of an idol!"
And then he squeezed wasabi neatly into his dumpling.
"If you happen to get picked, please be sure to let me know. I've got a prize prepared."
"What's the prize?"
"Ah, it's no fun if I say it!"
I could guarantee it wasn't prepared yet.
Before Kim Yuri's controversy gained a 'wasabi terror' category, I'd have to smuggle that one out later.
Anyway, after all that, having finished making the dumplings, we moved on for the next content prepared by the production crew.
When we opened the door to the practice room that would serve as the main set for the day, a giant Yut-nori board on the floor caught our eyes.
Once we took our places, the production crew shouted through a megaphone.
"Fight for the HAZERD family New Year's money! The game we've prepared today is Yut-nori!"
The members immediately reacted.
"Wow, I'm good at Yut-nori."
"What do you have to be good at to be considered good at Yut-nori?"
"New Year's money?"
At Jeong Sowol's last words, the production crew added excitedly.
"That's right! The team that ultimately wins this Yut-nori game will receive a thick New Year's gift of 200,000 won!"
200,000 won....
Baek Gyeonwoo's birthday was coming up, so if I won the prize, I'd buy him a present.
Then the production crew explained the game rules.
"You'll compete in three teams of two! The difference from regular Yut-nori is that you yourselves become the game pieces and have to move across this giant board! The team whose both members pass the goal wins!"
Three teams of two?
"How do we decide the teams?"
"You may decide as you like among yourselves!"
Forming teams of two sounded perfectly fine in theory, but there was one catch.
What was it....
We still had some awkward pairings in our team.
It might be hard to believe when we'd already lived together in the dorm for well over six months, but that's how it was.
In-house content like this was especially scrutinized by fans, so they'd sniff out even a moment of awkwardness like ghosts.
Well, it wouldn't exactly blow up into a controversy. The fact that a 'family-like close team' was a selling point meant that kind of team was rare in the first place.
I was only worried it would be boring.
Fortunately, there was one safe way to divide into duos.
"Let's go by roommates."
That was Jeong Sowol's suggestion.
I nodded immediately and stuck to Kim Yuri's side.
The reason we'd kept our original roommate assignments unchanged was that no one had any complaints.
They figured out how to have fun on their own.
'Although I did think we'd have to switch soon.'
Probably after this promotion cycle ended....
Anyway, the teams were decided quickly like that.
[Kim Yuri & Seo Cha-gyeom]
[Han Neuti & Jeong Sowol]
[Baek Gyeonwoo & Kim Sanho]
"Everyone, before you throw the yut sticks, if you look closely at the board, there are spaces with missions written on them, right? In that case, you have to succeed at the mission to move! If you fail, you have to go back that many spaces!"
At the crew's words, I scanned the Yut-nori board more carefully. Several common idol-program missions were written there, like 'aegyo,' 'sageuk acting,' and 'random dance.'
'They threw in just the right amount.'
They were all run-of-the-mill, but Han Neuti's face stiffened the moment he saw the missions. Almost to the point of fear.
...He'd have to get through it on his own. I silently cheered him on.
"We'll determine the order with rock-paper-scissors!"
Then the hyung line from each team stepped forward as representatives and did rock-paper-scissors.
Baek Gyeonwoo, who secured victory first, said,
"We'll go third."
Han Neuti, who won next, didn't pick a number but looked at Kim Yuri and asked,
"What do you want?"
"Cha-gyeom! What should we do?"
No one other than Baek Gyeonwoo had any backbone....
I pointed a finger at 1, so Kim Yuri chose first, and Han Neuti readily gave up his turn.
And at last, the game began.
"Then I'll throw right away."
The difference between this game and regular Yut-nori was that the game pieces threw the yut sticks themselves to decide how many spaces to move.
You could just look and know what to do. Since I was up first, I might as well throw.
I threw the yut sticks with force, accompanied by Kim Yuri's boisterous cheers.
"Do, Gae, Geol..."
"So we move three spaces?"
And it was just as I stepped forward to move that it happened.
"No."
Baek Gyeonwoo stopped me.
"That's a nak."
"Nak?"
I immediately turned my eyes and checked the board.
It was true that one yut stick had gone quite a bit outside the circle....
Kim Yuri, who had likewise just checked the board and grasped the situation, flailed his arms and protested.
"No way! Look at this, it's like, this much... it's just barely in. Cut us some slack! This isn't what HAZERD loyalty's about!"
"We're on different teams right now, why would I cut you slack."
What does he have to use the prize money for, suddenly turning that cold-hearted?
It just made me feel annoyed too.
But since persuading Baek Gyeonwoo seemed difficult, I decided to target the more accommodating—no, the kind Kim Sanho instead.
"San-ho, does this look like a nak to you?"
"Yes."
"Look again."
"...It's a nak."
Powerlessly, I trudged off the Yut-nori board.
Next up, Kim Yuri noisily shook the yut sticks in his hands and yelled as if in prayer.
"Cha-gyeom, don't be too sad—your hyung will get revenge. I'll definitely win the prize money and take just the two of us on a picnic! Come on, yut!"
Soon the clattering sound of the yut sticks falling rang out crisply.
"......."
"......."
Jeong Sowol pronounced like a referee.
"Nak."
"Ah!"
"Ah, hyung!"
"Sorry!"
Kim Yuri apologized profusely as he came back to stand beside me.
I ignored him and picked up one yut stick rolling on the floor, examining it.
"Is there a magnet in this or something? Why do we keep only getting nak?"
"Now you're blaming the equipment."
Baek Gyeonwoo sneered.
In the end, the yut sticks were found to be completely fine, and the turn passed.
Jeong Sowol threw the yut sticks with vigor.
"It's a nak."
"Hey, you, didn't you learn anything from watching the two people before you—why'd you throw it so hard?"
"Throwing softly isn't cool."
Realizing that scolding wouldn't work, Han Neuti sighed and rolled the yut sticks that came to him in his hands.
Then with a cautious look, he threw them carefully.
"It really isn't cool, though."
"That's what I said."
Ignoring the two of us whispering, Han Neuti checked the result.
"Gae."
"The result isn't cool either."
"Shut up..."
Han Neuti moved two spaces forward.
Of all spaces, it was a mission tile.
"Aegyo..."
"Aegyo..."
"Hey, you two be quiet for a bit, a bit."
After briefly glaring at Kim Yuri and me, Han Neuti took a deep breath to resolve the task that had just landed on him.
Then, timidly raising both hands beside his cheeks.
"Nya, meow...."
"......."
"......."
I raised my hands and gave him a round of applause.
Clap, clap.
"Wh-what the."
Soon after, the other members started clapping too.
And a moment later.
The practice room was filled with reverent applause.
"What kind of reaction is this...?"
It was the kind of response that said we saw how hard he tried, so we couldn't bring ourselves to tease him.
Anyway, next up, Baek Gyeonwoo used a wrist snap to lightly toss the yut sticks.
"Gae."
And Baek Gyeonwoo, who moved two spaces forward, stopped right in front of Han Neuti and said,
"Move."
"Hey, how did it come to this..."
Just like that, Han Neuti's desperate aegyo went unrewarded as he was sent back to the start point in vain.
It hurt my heart, but that wasn't the important issue.
A much greater fear was approaching.
'Baek Gyeonwoo was about to do aegyo....'
Of course, it was a mountain he'd have to cross someday as an idol, but still, that day had arrived far too early.
While I worried, Baek Gyeonwoo looked at the camera and brought his two hands up beside his cheeks.
"Meow."
.......
"Hey, that's plagiarism!"
"No way! There are already too many cats!"
Each for their own reasons, Jeong Sowol and Han Neuti voiced their complaints.
Whether they made a fuss or not, Baek Gyeonwoo had tried to brazenly pass it off, but the production crew's declaration of 'fail' forced him to substitute by making rabbit ears on top of his head instead.
'I worried for nothing.'
Right—completing aegyo was the viewer's job, not the doer's.
The fans would now find the cuteness in that dictionary-definition act of his.
Anyway, having caught up to Han Neuti and earned another turn, Baek Gyeonwoo lightly tossed the yut sticks again.
"Geol."
And without hesitation, he moved and landed on a shortcut.
Could Yut-nori really be a skill-based game?
"I'll throw."
Next, Kim Sanho threw the yut sticks.
The yut sticks Kim Sanho threw flew in slow motion and dropped onto the floor.
"...We get a mo out of this?"
"What the, don't rig it."
"Wouldn't this make it end way too fast? Are you sure the screen time's okay?"
Kim Sanho walked five steps and moved right next to Baek Gyeonwoo.
'Hmm.'
I felt like I had to find some fault with this.
Screen time aside, it was just... annoying that they were getting so far ahead on their own.
A moment later, I spotted the feet of two people standing side by side on the small circle.
Then I said,
"You have to piggyback."
"Yep, piggybacked."
"No, I'm telling you to actually piggyback."
At that, Kim Yuri's eyes flashed and he jumped in.
"Ah, that's right~ The saying 'piggyback' literally means piggyback, so you can't just say it. If you're not going to piggyback, shouldn't you have to move separately?"
"......."
Baek Gyeonwoo glanced sideways at the production crew.
His eyes were pleading for mediation, but the crew, having to squeeze out as much screen time as possible, instead backed our claim.
"Yes, if you're going to piggyback, you must actually carry the person! Please move in the piggyback position!"
"...Got it."
Baek Gyeonwoo, who didn't listen to the members but listened well to the crew, obediently grabbed Kim Sanho's arm and pulled him over.
Just then, Kim Sanho said,
"Then... I'll carry you."
Baek Gyeonwoo's eyes briefly flicked to Kim Sanho's shoulders, then casually ignored his words.
"No. You get on my back."
"Hyung..."
"I can at least carry someone like you."
"No, I mean, I think my feet will touch the ground."
"Are you kidding me."
After some back-and-forth, Baek Gyeonwoo ended up carrying Kim Sanho on his back.
Seeing Baek Gyeonwoo easily lift Kim Sanho, Jeong Sowol let out an admiring remark.
"Ah, Gyeonwoo hyung is so cool."
Then he glanced at Han Neuti.
"Let's do that too."
"Uh? Uh. ...But there's no way you're trying to carry me, right?"
"That's right, though."
...Anyway, the Yut-nori continued.