GIJS

Chapter 40

A True 2D Idol

As soon as MC Jeong Hae-jin's announcement ended, the thirty survivors moved to the studio across the way.

The large container studio, where the 'Idol Athletic Competition' had recently been filmed, was fully equipped with facilities for various sports such as futsal, obstacle courses, and archery.

After changing locations and putting on the crew-provided sweatshirts.

The mood of 'Team Yoo Gun-ja' in their yellow sweatshirts was not very good.

"···Sigh···."

"···We're doing sports, huh···."

Ki Yu-chan and Ji Hyun-soo sighed deeply.

Both of them, with their delicate frames, were clearly not suited for a sports event.

"Haha, why are you sighing so much!"

"···Hyung Si-woo."

"Well, it'll work out somehow, hahaha-."

And beside them, Hyun Si-woo, with an even more slender build, was fluttering around.

Hyun Si-woo, like Ki Yu-chan and Ji Hyun-soo, did not give the impression of being good at sports.

"Hyung Si-woo, are you confident in sports?"

"Haha, sports?"

"Yes."

"No, I'm not confident!"

"Ah···."

Despite Ki Yu-chan's hopes for a twist, there was none.

"It's okay, I'll break everything! Just trust me! Uwaa-."

Amidst this, only Tae-woong was burning with enthusiasm. However, it was clear to anyone that this group of five yellow chicks was the weakest in the competition.

In fact, 'Team Yoo Gun-ja' had been poorly assembled from the start.

Cha In-hyuk, who was practically a 'cheat character' in the sports event, had initially expressed his desire to team up with his old colleagues from the 'Individual View Count Mission'.

"I want to team up with the friends I first met."

"···Then we'll have to compete against each other."

"It's okay, we'll survive together."

So, Cha In-hyuk was the first to drop out.

Then, Ha Hyun-jae and Hyun Si-woo approached, wanting to join together, but this time Ha Hyun-jae gave up his spot to Hyun Si-woo.

"Hyung Seon-bi, then this time try teaming up with Hyung Si-woo."

"Really?"

"We've already teamed up twice. And if I stick around like a gum, I'll lose my independence."

"Then you···."

"Ah, it's okay. I'm friends with everyone here!"

After even Ha Hyun-jae, who was good at sports, left, Hyun Si-woo, who looked like a blank sheet of white paper, filled the spot.

Thus, the 'Yellow Chick' team, strong in competitions but weak in sports, was born.

Many participants' gazes were directed at the yellow chicks, all seemingly thinking the same thing.

'We have to tear them apart.'

'Yoo Gun-ja and Hyun Si-woo? The competition's text vote power is going to go wild!'

'If we leave them alone, it will be a disaster.'

'Fortunately, the event is a sports meet···.'

Gun-ja also felt the hostile gazes.

Everyone is filled with hostility. These wild wolves want to tear their team to shreds.

At least, Cha In-hyuk, who had a physique like a great tiger, did not show any malice.

[Curse: Unnecessary Worry] [Currently worried about whether someone might get killed during the sports meet]
"···That hyung is the scariest···."

Looking at his status window, Gun-ja was the most terrified of the tiger among the wolves.

After changing clothes and finishing some light warm-ups, the sports meet began in earnest.

The first event was futsal, a mini-football game that every man likes.

Unfortunately, In-hyuk's team was drawn as the opponents, but Tae-woong was burning with enthusiasm and competitive spirit.

"Alright! Let's go! Everyone likes futsal, right!?"

"Haha, I've never played before! How do you do it?"

"What?"

"Uh, I'm good at cutting footballs with a real knife···."

"What?"

"···Ugh, dizziness···."

"Suddenly!?"

Seeing his teammates in no shape to help, Tae-woong looked at Gun-ja as his last hope.

"Haha, don't worry. I used to kick a pig's bladder back in the day."

"Wh-what did you kick?"

Gun-ja had no answers either.

Beep-.

As the whistle blew, Tae-woong grabbed the ball and aggressively moved forward.

[Oh, Kwon Tae-woong! He's aggressively dribbling forward! No technique, but fast and stubborn, just like when he dances!] [After easily getting past two players, he faces the final defender, Cha In-hyuk!]
"Uwaaaa, I'm going to score the first goal—!!"

Perrrrk-.

However, with a shoulder check from Cha In-hyuk, Tae-woong was sent flying like a bowling pin.

[Wow, Kwon Tae-woong is flying far away! He's crashing into the advertisement board! That's all PPL, so he shouldn't smash it too much—!] [Cha In-hyuk is incredibly strong! Not just big but powerful! As soon as he stole the ball, he advanced smoothly with precise movements!]
"Yaaaah—!"

"Ugh—!"

Next, Yu-chan and Hyun-soo ran in with their fragile shouts.

Peeek, peeeek-.

In-hyuk lightly overpowered them as if swatting away insects, then made a powerful shot into the corner of the goal.

Perrrrr-.

"Wow, the ball is so fast!"

"Hyun Si-woo! What if the goalkeeper is amazed?"

A powerful shot that the goalkeeper Hyun Si-woo couldn't even react to.

Beep-.

[1 to 0—!! Cha In-hyuk scores with a strong shot after a one-man show!] [This is too strong—!? Cha In-hyuk is the main cause of the imbalance! Look at his refrigerator-like body! This is not the physicality of an idol trainee—!!]
Even after scoring one goal, Cha In-hyuk's one-man show continued.

He scored after bypassing defenders, scoring even while being tangled up, and scoring with long shots.

Meanwhile, Tae-woong's attempts continued, but he could never overcome Cha In-hyuk.

Eventually, Tae-woong had no choice but to pass to Gun-ja.

"Damn, Yoo Gun-ja! Take it!"

"Ohh!"

Perrrrr-.

"—!?"

[Home Run—!! It's a home run—!! A giant home run that crosses the left Jimmy Jib!! Yoo Gun-ja scores a home run in the football match!!] [Kwon Tae-woong, holding his head in frustration!! Yoo Gun-ja, scratching his head awkwardly while the ball has already flown away!!]
"This is different from kicking a pig's bladder!"

"What are you talking about—!!"

After Tae-woong barely managed to score two goals, they suffered an additional three goals, resulting in a disastrous 7-2 defeat.

In the tug-of-war that immediately followed, they managed to beat Yang Jeong-moo's team and advance to the second round, but once again, they faced Cha In-hyuk.

"Sigh, it's him again?"

"No, he's not just a beast idol; he's a beast altogether···."

Cha In-hyuk, standing at the back with gloves on, was pure terror to the opposing team. Participants watching the match all had something to say about him.

"Hyung In-hyuk was the captain of an American high school football team."

"I heard he's a former NCAA wrestler?"

"He fought against four robbers and won."

"I heard he knocked out a gray bear with jiu-jitsu."

"When he was in high school in the US, everyone thought he was a secret police officer."

"I heard he was like a brother to a Mexican gang."

"Why is such a person an idol···."

"So scary···."

Meanwhile, In-hyuk held the rope with a blank expression, but Gun-ja could see his status window.

[Curse: Unnecessary Worry] [Currently worried about mixed-up rumors of fact and fiction]
Could some of these be true?

"Listen well, tug-of-war is about teamwork, not strength!"

"Okay!"

"When the whistle blows, match your foot steps and pull! Got it?"

"Let's try it!"

Once again, Tae-woong charged in enthusiastically.

Beep-.

"Uwaaaa—!"

As soon as In-hyuk used his strength, the yellow chicks, like paper dolls, collapsed forward.

[Cha In-hyuk, overwhelming strength—!! He was the heavy center of power at the back—!!] [Once again, Kwon Tae-woong is extremely frustrated after losing to Cha In-hyuk!!]
"Damn, next!"

After losing the tug-of-war to 'Team Cha In-hyuk', the next game was foot baseball.

Tae-woong, desperate to make Gun-ja understand, found it difficult.

"Gun-ja, you're an outfielder!"

"Hmm? Why am I a beast?"

"No, uh··· Do you know what an infielder is?"

"How would I know your beast?"

"Ah, really—!!"

"Oh, that looks like a beast now."

"···Just stand outside. When the ball comes, catch it, got it?"

"Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"Not difficult at all."

After finally finishing the role distribution, the game of foot baseball began.

The batter hit the ball high into the air, and fortunately, it was heading toward the outfield where Gunja was stationed.

He had definitely been instructed to catch it.

Catching the ball wasn't difficult. Agility, the ability to snatch something out of the air—these were all things Gunja was confident in.

With nimble footwork, he spotted the ball's landing spot, stretched out his hands, and made a perfect catch.

[Oh, Yu Gunja has perfectly caught the rising ball—!! He has accurately performed his role as an outfielder—!!] [Yu Gunja, incredible coverage range!! The runner on first base, Ha Hyeon-jae, hesitates to run!! He probably thought it would be a hit—!!]

This time, Gunja, who had executed Tae-woong's instructions, smiled widely and looked at Tae-woong.

"Tae-woong! I caught it!"

However, Tae-woong, with a frantic expression, yelled at Gunja.

"Throw it! Throw it!"

"Huh?"

"Gunja, you need to throw it—!!"

"···Is that so."

Gunja's expression darkened at Tae-woong's words.

He had thought he had done well this time.

The need to throw it? It seemed he had made another mistake···.

With a downcast expression, Gunja placed the ball on the ground and made a deep bow towards Tae-woong.

"Here, I'm throwing it···."

"Yahhhhhh—!!"

[Ah, Yu Gunja!! Suddenly performs a deep bow!! What is that—!?] [It looks like he misunderstood the instruction to throw the ball! He seems to be deliberately provoking Tae-woong—!!] [Meanwhile, Ha Hyeon-jae steps on home plate!! With an annoying lead-off point!!]

"Oh dear, oh dear···."

Tae-woong, who was groaning, received some comforting words from MC Jeong Hae-jin.

"Participant Kwon Tae-woong, cheer up. The next event will surely be advantageous for you."

"Really?"

It was true to Jeong Hae-jin's words.

The next event was the obstacle relay race. It was a game where participants had to overcome pre-set obstacles and run a relay.

The team with the fastest completion time would win.

"There are a total of three obstacles. First, you pass through vertically aligned cushions! Next, crawl under a net, and finally, retrieve chocolate from a flour pit and bring it to the finish line with your mouth!"

So far, the standout performer had been the overwhelmingly strong Cha In-hyuk, but the story was different for the obstacle relay race.

[Oh, Cha In-hyuk! Stuck at the first obstacle! Cha In-hyuk is struggling to pass between the vertically aligned cushions!] [Ah, his shoulders are too wide! His body shape is too disadvantageous for the obstacle! Shouldn't he try turning his body sideways!?] [Cha In-hyuk is trying that method too! But his side is too big! It's not just his shoulders! It's no wonder he receives overwhelming support from women in their late twenties—!!]

Taking advantage of Cha In-hyuk's struggles, the teams of Jang Ju-ha and Yang Jeong-moo achieved good results.

Tae-woong was also looking to capitalize on this opportunity.

"We have to win this for sure! Got it?"

"Yeah!"

"It's a rare chance! Let's grab it this time!"

"Okay, let's do it!"

Beep beep—

Thus, the obstacle relay race began.

Surprisingly, the first runner, Hyun Si-woo, started charging ahead.

"Haha, it's so wide!"

Swish, swish, swish—

[Hyun Si-woo, Hyun Si-woo—!! What's this—!? He's sliding through the obstacles effortlessly—!!] [The obstacles that were so difficult for Cha In-hyuk seem too easy for Hyun Si-woo!!]

"Puhaha—"

"Is he a paper man or what!"

"He's a real 2D idol—!?"

"Hahaha—"

With cheerful laughter, the paper-thin Hyun Si-woo accelerated. It seemed that 'Team Yu Gunja' was on the brink of a major turnaround.