Chapter 813: Winning or Losing Doesn’t Matter (1)

Biju looked around the studio.

"So this is the place where Wooju hyung got eliminated in the first round."

"It’s exactly the same as last Chuseok."

The studio was set up with booths that looked like something pro gamers would compete in.

To them, it was famous as the place where their leader had displayed every possible form of disgrace last Chuseok.

"Sun Wooju! He doesn’t even know the key to make his character jump!"

"He’s playing like a true aristocrat. You peasants may run! I shall walk!"

"That was incredibly ugly just now~ He thought Lucky Girl’s Louis looked easy so he attacked, but the moment he got hit once he ran away, didn’t he? Like a thug picking on a weak-looking citizen, only to find out that citizen was a boxer!"

"Can we get a camera on Wooju? Isn’t he literally playing with his feet?"

Truly a legendary string of embarrassing plays.

The maknae shuddered.

"Seriously, I gave him so many private gaming lessons... When I look at Wooju hyung, it’s like seeing myself as a little kid."

Junhyun asked,

"Because he’s cute?"

"No. I got tons of tutoring when I was young, and I completely wasted all of it."

"Wooju hyung at least tries, though..."

"Yeah...?"

"No. Never mind."

Ri Hyuk stretched and let out a small chuckle.

"Well. Let’s not worry about the past. What matters is the legend we’re about to build here from now on."

"Agreed."

"Honestly, no matter how bad we are at games, it’s hard to be that bad."

Even Kim Biju, famous for being a hardcore Wooju fan, had no choice but to agree.

"Wooju hyung really...."

Calling him bad at games was too generous.

If there were an Association for the Gaming Hopeless, he would be expelled by unanimous vote even there.

Biju smiled brightly and muttered,

"It’s such a relief it’s limited to four people."

"Huh? Where did the Biju hyung who always said we should do everything together go?"

To the maknae who held out his hand like a microphone, Biju replied,

"So it’s really unfortunate. We wanted to all come together, but Wooju hyung couldn’t because of the participant limit."

"You don’t look unfortunate."

"I smile like this when I’m unfortunate."

He grinned shamelessly, eyes wide and innocent, making the lackeys burst into laughter.

If their leader had seen it, he would have been trembling.

"But Wooju hyung isn’t here."

"If he wanted to come, he should’ve been good at games."

At first, their leader had said he wanted to come.

"Can I go? I’m confident I can get more screen time this time."

Sun Wooju might not like games, but he loved attention.

Last time, he had complained, saying, "Tch! I’m so embarrassed..." while thumping his waist and grumbling.

But once the internet comments exploded, his cheeks had flushed red like a cartoon character.

Because of that, he had declared he would set out once more this year—but they had firmly cut him off, citing the four-person limit.

"Hmph."

Ri Hyuk said,

"It’s about time we show them something. That we can do well without him. Whenever it’s 4Black, we always look weak."

"That’s true."

"This time we’ll show our strength through gaming."

The members nodded at the good idea.

"We’ll surprise people."

The goal was to make viewers of the Lunar New Year special go, "Oh my! Look at 4Black! They’re doing so well even without Wooju!"

"Hehehehehe."

"Uhehehehe."

Laughing foolishly, they looked at the bracket posted on the wall.

[Team Event Preliminary Group 1]

NewBlack

Trickster

Girl Group Union (Blink, High Color, Lucky Girl)

Mist

Various other names were listed as well.

Since it was an action shooting game, there were more boy groups, though there were also some rookies they hadn’t heard of.

The maknae said with a slightly disappointed face,

"I heard Sbo and Teen Spirit are coming too, but they’re not here?"

"They’re in Groups 3 and 4."

Perhaps to distribute real-time viewers, two of the three groups known as the top boy groups were placed in separate groups.

Makes sense.

Stuffing all the hottest boy and girl groups into one group probably wouldn’t be great for ratings.

"Well."

Ri Hyuk smiled.

"We’ll just meet them in the finals."

"Ah!"

"That’s one way...!"

The members gave Ri Hyuk a thumbs up at the good idea.

While chatting and laughing, 4Black sat in the waiting chairs and looked around.

"......."

"......."

Bustling.

Originally known as the idol Olympics—a place for idols to network and meet one another.

Sure enough, singers could be seen here and there exchanging numbers, greeting each other, and catching up.

"Hello! Our comebacks overlapped, and now we’re seeing each other here too!"

"Sunbaenim, we’re preparing a challenge for our new song—could we possibly ask...? Ah, sorry."

"Hey! Hey! You’re in Group 1 too?"

Girl groups and boy groups greeting each other shyly but warmly.

Junior singers asking favors from seniors who were picking at their ears.

Girl group members slapping each other’s backs enthusiastically, happy to see old trainee friends.

And in the middle of that atmosphere...

"By the way."

Junhyun asked with a serious expression,

"Why is no one coming to talk to us?"

"Yeah...?"

"Is it because Wooju hyung isn’t here? Because there’s no funny one."

"You’re here, Kim Junhyun."

While Junhyun glared at his same-age friend with triangular eyes, 4Black looked around with eyes full of crisis.

"Why... why won’t anyone talk to us...?"

At first they thought about going over to greet people.

But whenever they approached, others retreated from a distance, like cats avoiding the territory of bully cats.

So they changed strategy and started widening their eyes brightly.

"Talk to us!"

But every junior who made eye contact bowed ninety degrees and slowly slipped away.

Ri Hyuk awkwardly checked his outfit.

A neat navy sweater and black jeans.

Not like someone draped in flowers like ivy—just completely ordinary fashion.

Sniff sniff.

Junhyun checked if he smelled.

But only clean fabric softener and cologne.

Biju lifted his phone and went "Ee" to check if something was stuck in his teeth, while Jiho checked his hairstyle.

Nothing was wrong.

"......?"

For some reason, it felt like the other junior singers were avoiding them.

Was it because they were five-year seniors now?

Come to think of it...

When they debuted in 2014, TNT’s seniority in 2018 had been exactly the same as theirs now.

The thought suddenly made them feel wronged.

"Are we being ignored because we’re old?"

On music show stages full of idols, they now understood why senior ballad singers always looked slightly downcast.

Just as they were thinking that—

"Hm?"

Junhyun perked up his ears.

"Someone’s coming."

"Really?"

The members brightened and looked up.

A rider jacket, dangling skull earrings, fingers loaded with accessories—a decadent appearance.

And a group famous for having personalities completely opposite that look.

"Trickster."

A boy group from TJ Entertainment that debuted in 2016 and had been steadily rising.

Their personal connection was last year’s English song battle.

A six-member idol group that had faltered after releasing an English track due to former chairman Park Taejun’s stubbornness.

But after Chairman Park Taejun left, their new album had been receiving good reactions.

With model-like height and dark circles under his eyes, leader Seulhyeong smiled and spoke to them.

"You looked bored, so we came over for a moment."

"Ooooooh!"

"You were... bored, right?"

"Of course!"

Trickster’s leader Seulhyeong and today’s game ace, Bugi, came over.

Jiho wiggled his hips and patted the seat next to him.

"Here! Sit here!"

"Uh...."

"It’s fine. Sit here."

After exchanging warm greetings, Trickster’s leader politely asked,

"Is Wooju sunbaenim doing well?"

"Yes."

"Excessively well."

"He’s probably in the studio working on a song right now."

Multiple answers poured out at once from a single question.

Hungry for conversation, 4Black chatted with the two Trickster members to their hearts’ content.

After talking for a while, Biju said with a weak smile,

"Thank you so much. I think now that we’ve been around a while... maybe the rookies don’t talk to us because of seniority."

"Ah."

"They seem burdened."

"Well...."

Seulhyeong licked his lips at that.

A brief look of 고민 passed over his face before he carefully said,

"I don’t think it’s because of seniority."

"It’s not?"

At the slight shift of Bugi’s gaze, they followed his eyes.

Hyerang from Blink, who had the same seniority as them, was chatting cheerfully with a junior girl group.

Then what was the problem?

"Hmm...."

After choosing his words carefully, Seulhyeong said,

"I think it’s the atmosphere you give off."

"Atmosphere?"

"Yes. When you go on a retreat or school trip and take a bus, you know how there are different seats? Where you’re sitting feels like the very back seat."

"......?"

"But like that back seat is about 500 meters higher."

4Black laughed.

"What kind of metaphor is that?"

Pitiful NewBlack.

And within it, the even more pitiful subgroup, 4Black.

No matter which one member was missing, the term "4Black" always sounded somewhat pathetic.

Most idols probably thought the same.

But—

"Should we go over and at least say something to NewBlack sunbaenim?"

"Should we?"

"You go and talk."

"Why me? You go."

NewBlack, sitting in a prime but cornered spot and quietly passing time, looked free.

Yet it was hard to approach.

The main dancer stretching his long legs and brushing back his hair.

The rapper who looked too deep in thought to interrupt.

The main vocalist and sub-vocalist talking among themselves, giving off an untouchable vibe.

"NewBlack...."

It wasn’t simply because they were superstars popular in the U.S.

Domestically, they were known as the nation’s friendly idols.

Among the idols here, plenty watched NewBlackTV as a mealtime companion.

On TV, they had seemed easy to approach.

In person, they were completely different.

"They feel like people from another world."

As the saying goes, the camera massages you—entertainers’ aura changes as their seniority rises.

Even with light makeup, they looked like top stars.

Even in casual clothes, the four of them radiated an award-show aura.

Fair skin, shaded eyes, long lashes.

When juniors gasped at Ri Hyuk’s fairy-like presence—

They saw Trickster approaching them.

"So you have to be Trickster-level to talk to them."

A successful boy group talking to them, and NewBlack greeting them elegantly.

Perhaps due to the reality-distortion field created by NewBlack’s visuals, it looked incredibly cool.

"What kind of conversations are they having?"

As if discussing the grand state of the idol world.

"......."

The juniors watched the five-year seniors from afar, as if looking at celebrities among celebrities.

To approach them, you’d probably need to be at least Trickster-level.

Or else—

"Hi!"

A booming voice entered the studio.

Like someone cheerfully announcing, "Kevin is here!" Kevin of APLB greeted seniors and juniors alike.

Today’s commentator strode straight toward 4Black.

"Yo! 4Black!"

Though technically still an idol, Ha Eunsung was firmly established as a trending variety personality.

But that fact didn’t enter the singers’ minds.

They only saw 4Black screaming in welcome and Kevin laughing with them.

"Wow! Without the sergeant, you guys look like a complete mess!"

They just nodded, smiling fondly.

"So you have to be that crazy to talk to them."

After all equipment checks were completed.

Before the Team Event Preliminary Group 1 match, all participants lined up in a row.

Today’s host, variety personality Mo Beomju, picked up the microphone.

"There will now be the participant oath."

Biju of NewBlack and Hyerang of Blink, selected by seniority and age, stood side by side before the tournament flag.

"One, I will enjoy playing the game today."

"One, I will smile generously at my teammates’ mistakes."

After finishing the oath—

Mo Beomju spoke again.

"Before the match begins, we will first hear a congratulatory message."

"A congratulatory message?"

The idols looked at each other in confusion.

"He is someone who made tremendous contributions to organizing this tournament."

Just as they wondered if they would hear from a station director or PD—

A VCR began playing.

[The Legend of the Korean Gaming World!]

At the words "legend of the gaming world," names flashed before the eyes of singer-gamers.

Star, Tekken, League of Legends, Overwatch.

Their hearts pounded as legendary gamers’ names passed by.

"Oh!"

Former famous gamer Shin Hyunsu appeared.

"Is it him?"

He spoke in an interview.

"He’s a legend in this industry."

Testimonies from industry legends like gamer Bae Younghun continued.

NewBlack members stiffened.

"They’re...."

Faces they had met recently.

Just as 4Black was about to say, "Huh?"—

[The legend of the gaming world who conquered all these pro gamers.]

Footage rolled.

NewBlack’s leader humiliating gamers physically in an exercise-game console commercial.

Laughter erupted everywhere.

"Wooju sunbaenim is a legend of the gaming world...."

"He did physically overpower current and former gamers. Just not in that way...."

The idol who brought massive laughter last year and led to the formation of the E-Sports Idol Olympics, effectively abolishing the previous one.

Sun Wooju appeared on screen.

Seated at a desk labeled [CEO Park Gyuho], Wooju clasped his hands.

"Hello. I am NewBlack’s Wooju, here to deliver the congratulatory address for today’s Idol Olympics."

The lackeys reacted first.

"Boooooo!"

At the booing, Wooju raised an eyebrow.

"For reference, this is being broadcast live."

"Woaaaaaa!"

NewBlack members switched stances and cheered, and other idols clapped enthusiastically in unison.

It felt like welcoming a great leader.

"Whew. As a legend of the gaming world, being entrusted with the congratulatory address for this E-Sports Idol Olympics weighs heavily upon me."

"Did sunbaenim’s conscience move to the Middle East?"

Laughter burst out as he brushed back his hair in faux contemplation.

Apparently displeased with the laughter, Wooju picked on an easy target.

"Hm? Kevin."

"Yes?"

"That expression of yours looks disrespectful. What kind of face is that?"

"Honestly, seeing you deliver a congratulatory address... I was smiling in admiration at how cool you look."

"That’s not it. That’s clearly the expression of someone thinking, ‘Why is someone who can’t even game giving a speech?’"

At Wooju’s sharp glare, everyone laughed, including Ha Eunsung.

"For reference, Kevin over there was eliminated by me last year. Which means he’s worse than me."

"......!"

"Isn’t it only natural that the one who survives longer is stronger?"

Wooju smirked, satisfied after teasing his usual variety junior.

Then he turned to the younger singers seated there.

"I thought a lot about what kind of congratulatory message to give you today. And I want to say this."

He smiled calmly.

"Today, you will definitely make mistakes."

"......?"

"You’ll misclick your mouse, press the wrong keyboard key... fail to see something right in front of you. Small, trivial mistakes that will end up deciding victory or defeat."

Then he smiled at those listening intently.

"But I hope you still smile."

"......."

"After all, this E-Sports Idol Olympics exists to entertain viewers and to let us enjoy ourselves, doesn’t it? At least for today, how about enjoying it regardless of the outcome?"

"Isn’t that the Olympic spirit?"

He smiled softly, like a Pyeongchang Olympic ambassador.

Truly admirable words.

If not for the person delivering them.

"I heard he cried after being eliminated last year."

"Inside Wooju sunbaenim’s heart, that triangle is definitely a circle."

Wooju smiled.

"And play fairly."

"He didn’t he attack a junior girl group and then run away after getting hit?"

"His conscience is spinning in circles."

After finishing his speech—

"Whew. It seems it’s time for this legend of the gaming world to step down."

At his signal, managers waiting behind the screen played sacred background music.

Holy BGM.

Managers holding light props behind him created a halo effect as Wooju spread his arms and smiled benevolently.

It looked like the Goddess of Gaming bestowing blessings upon heroes.

Idol members coughed, trying not to laugh.

"Then I wish you all the best of luck...."

Just as Wooju was about to withdraw—

Mo Beomju asked,

"Wooju, is there anyone you’d like to send a personal message to?"

At the suggestion of leaving a message for his members, the sacred God of Gaming turned his gaze.

His younger members looked at him with sparkling eyes, expecting their eldest’s support.

"You guys...."

A benevolent smile.

"Can you really do well without me?"

"......."

"Do you think you can place fifth or higher like I did?"

Producers and idols burst into laughter.

The benevolent smile somehow felt irritating.

"Do you really think you’ll succeed after abandoning me?"

"......."

"You sucked out all the sweetness and threw your hyung away when you didn’t need him. Do you really think you’ll do well, you ungrateful...."

"Alright! We’ll cut it there due to time! Please give him a round of applause!"

"Woooooo!"

The self-proclaimed God of Gaming flailed pathetically.

"May you trip and fall in the game! May you come in last! My curse—"

Click.

The screen cut off abruptly, explosive laughter filling the studio.

And then—

"Do you think you can place fifth or higher like I did?"

Like an echo, their eldest’s provocation lingered.

The lackeys’ eyes began to burn.