GIJS

Chapter 35

Manners Control Unit Appearance

Gunja's Diary

Five Days Before the Competition

(The day five days before the competition.)

Lyrics Paper Completed

(Finally, everyone's lyrics are complete.)

Memorization Difficult to Predict

(It is expected that memorization will not be easy,)

Fighting Spirit Explodes

(Everyone is burning with a strong will.)

Four Days Before the Competition

(Only four days left until the competition.)

Fallen into Laziness

(Coworker Hyunsu works day and night.)

Perfectionist

(It seems the curse of perfectionism is tormenting him.)

Encouraging Bone-Liquid Donation

(All I can do is hand over chocolates...)

Three Days Before the Competition

(Three days remain until the competition.)

Great Completion of the Performance

(Finally, all performance stages are completed.)

Teeth Extreme Wear

(Everyone made the stage with gritted teeth...)

Heart Starts Beating Fast

(I'm already clutching my pounding heart.)

Two Days Before the Competition

(The night before the competition, two days ahead.)

Joo Ha-sung Appears

(Suddenly, Joo Ha-sung, the opposing team leader, approached.)

* * *

Joo Ha-sung did not trust the mid-term evaluations.

From the results alone, it could be said that Joo Ha-sung won the mid-term evaluation.

Ji Hyun-soo took extreme measures to beat Noel. Bringing in the geomungo and gayageum sessions was probably Gunja's idea. As a result, the sixth episode's broadcast edited them unfavorably.

The public was already on Joo Ha-sung's side. His initial recognition as the top overall contestant, combined with the favorable image of competing fairly in the mid-term evaluation, added to his advantage.

Taking everything into account, it seemed like Joo Ha-sung had the victory for this round already secured.

However, Joo Ha-sung still could not trust the mid-term evaluation.

He had clearly seen how Yang Jung-moo, who had let his guard down in the first team competition and mid-term evaluation, ended up in a disastrous defeat.

What hidden motives might be concealed behind that scholarly smile?

To test Gunja, Joo Ha-sung made the first move.

In the late night, without cameras or microphones, Joo Ha-sung called Gunja, who was writing calligraphy with a brush pen.

"Gunja, hello."

"...Nice to meet you."

"I see you've already become quite close with Si-woo."

"Oh, I received a brush pen as a gift."

"Let's get close too. After all, we're debuting together."

"...Isn't that still uncertain?"

"Oh, come on. What's there to be uncertain about?"

Joo Ha-sung laughed, waving his hand dismissively at Gunja's words.

"Anyway, the general lineup is pretty clear now."

"..."

"You, me, Si-woo, Hyeon-jae, Noel, Seon-jae-hyung, and Kang-yeol-hyung... That seems about right, doesn't it?"

"My thoughts are a bit different."

"Really? I don't think so."

"What's the basis for that statement?"

"Sorry to say, but honestly, the levels are different."

The mention of different levels made Gunja's eyebrows twitch.

But Joo Ha-sung continued speaking without blinking an eye.

"You should hang out with the debut team members too."

"..."

"You should get close to those you'll be seeing from now on."

"..."

"So, let's get along well too, okay?"

While Joo Ha-sung maintained his smile throughout, Gunja's face grew increasingly rigid.

A furious expression, never before seen.

His eyebrows were raised like a goblin's, and his lower jaw muscles twitched repeatedly.

Gazing straight at Joo Ha-sung, Gunja slowly spoke.

"We are..."

"Huh?"

"Really, really, really incompatible."

"C-Compatibility?"

"I'll take my leave."

Calming his anger, Gunja turned to leave, but Joo Ha-sung grabbed his sleeve again.

"Wait a moment."

"..."

"Then let me ask just one thing."

"What is it?"

"About your geomungo and gayageum sessions."

"..."

"Did you actually record them yourself?"

That was what Joo Ha-sung genuinely wanted to ask.

Everyone thought they were professional sessions, but if Gunja was the one who played them?

The premise of '100% original' would not be invalidated.

In that case, they would likely use the geomungo and gayageum recordings as they were for the main competition.

"If you really did it... You'll use the recordings as they are for the competition, right?"

"..."

"At least answer that."

"..."

However, Gunja stared at Joo Ha-sung for a long time without saying anything. His expression had shifted from anger to pity.

"Joo-hyung."

"Hmm?"

"Are you afraid of losing?"

At Gunja's words, a blue vein appeared on Joo Ha-sung's forehead.

"...What?"

"Curious about everything, aren't you?"

"Gunja, you..."

"We won't use the recordings."

"!"

"We don't plan to use the geomungo and gayageum recordings, so don't worry."

"Really?"

"Still, Joo-hyung, you might want to practice your acting a bit more."

"What do you mean by that..."

"It's too obvious that you're relieved by what I said, haha."

"!?"

Gunja pulled his sleeve away from Joo Ha-sung and walked gracefully toward the dormitory.

"...That guy..."

Joo Ha-sung muttered a small curse, but Gunja's words were true.

Joo Ha-sung was indeed relieved.

Because the worst-case scenario he imagined did not occur.

Although Gunja was rude, he did not seem likely to lie.

Thus, Joo Ha-sung could enter the main competition filming location completely relieved.

"Hello, Manners Maketh Man! We are 'Manners Control Unit!'"

"Puhut-."

Even seeing Gunja's team introducing themselves with a ridiculous name, Joo Ha-sung felt no trace of tension.

As the stage was completely darkened.

Under the pin spotlight, a geomungo player in a reformed deep blue hanbok and a yangban mask sat.

"Aha?"

Seeing that, Joo Ha-sung laughed.

In the end, they couldn't discard the geomungo and gayageum sessions.

No, not only couldn't they discard them, but they went as far as to set up the sessions on stage?

So that's why they said they wouldn't use the recordings.

If the performer does the live performance, there's no need to use the recording.

However, the creation score would be heavily penalized.

On the other side, the judges sitting at the auction house were visible.

From the trainers of the survival show to current producers, creators, and even active idols.

While the audience could be deceived, these people could not. The creation score would receive a massive deduction.

Duwung, dang, daang-.

But the moment the performer started plucking the strings of the geomungo.

All the people, including Joo Ha-sung, were covered in goosebumps.

Duwung, duwung-.

The solid and rigid sound of the thick geomungo strings. Amplified through the woofer speakers, the geomungo sound had a heavy charm different from a rock music bass guitar.

"...They did bring in one of the best sessions domestically."

The quality of the session was undeniable.

Even the judges flinched at the first note; the live performance was spine-chilling.

Doom, duwung, tak, dang, daang-.

The melody progressed at a very fast pace. Without hesitation, even to the Hwimori rhythm. The geomungo player compressed the long Sanjo into a melody that seemed to hit the audience's ears, transforming the clear mountain valley into a roaring waterfall.

The moment that waterfall-like musical feast ended.

Another pin spotlight fell, and another yangban mask appeared. A mechanical device was placed in front of him.

"Loop Station!"

Someone in the judge's seats shouted.

The geomungo with the addition of the loop station.

The cool geomungo melody of the Hwimori rhythm just recorded began to repeat through the loop station.

It was the moment when the geomungo Sanjo became the bass of a hip-hop beat.

"Wow..."

"What's this?"

"I don't know, I've never seen this before..."

"Is this really an idol survival competition stage?"

Both the audience and judges, as well as other participants, could not help but be absorbed in the performance at that moment.

Even Joo Ha-sung, who was confident of victory until that moment, was left with his mouth agape at the overwhelming stage.

But it's all due to the session. Without the geomungo, it would just be a collection of noise that couldn't even build up. The judges couldn't be unaware of that. Yet, beads of sweat had formed on Joo Ha-sung's forehead.

As virtual instruments were added on top of the geomungo melody and the build-up continued, the yangban masks multiplied and filled the space next to the geomungo player.

By now, the members for the main performance should appear, and the sessions should start stepping aside.

However, the geomungo player did not seem to have any intention of leaving the stage until the end.


"What is this?"

"Are they performing together?"

"No way, that can't be."

"Then why...?"

Even the participants were puzzled as they watched the stage, but the geomungo player still stood among the six yangban masks.

By now, the geomungo hip-hop beat created with the loop station had been completely muted.

The six yangban masks left on stage were moving to a slow groove, like willows swaying in the wind.

Swish, swish-.

Slowly, but with perfectly synchronized movements.

...Boom, boom, boom-.

Then, the 808 drum sound began to be heard from afar.

At that moment, when everyone's concentration reached its peak.

Karararara—!!

The geomungo player suddenly struck all six strings simultaneously, jumped up, and began performing energetically.

At the same time, the geomungo loop that had been resonating returned.

In an instant, the geomungo player in the center removed the yangban mask.

Revealing the participant's strikingly beautiful features.

Yu Gunja's face sparkled under the stage lights.

"Y-Y-Yoo...!"

"It's Gunjaaa—!!"

Wowwwww—!!

A deafening cheer erupted in an instant, but Gunja's voice through the mic split even that cheer, hitting the audience's eardrums.

A deep, intense sound distinctly different from what had been shown until now.

Why is he so rude-!

Hey! You rude guy-!

Didn't you learn manners-!

Didn't you learn propriety-!

With a powerful first hook delivered 100% in Korean style without any dilution, even the judges felt a shiver running through their bodies.

"So, he's performing live with the geomungo... and using the loop station to create the beat, then playing the hook too?"

"It seems like it..."

"What's up with him?"

All the judges were on high alert. Some trainers, including Young Eun-chae, were already half captivated, as if they weren't even considering evaluation.

"...Wow, wow... Gunja... Gunja-nim..."

Why is he so rude-!

Hey! You rude guy-!

Didn't you learn manners-!

Didn't you learn propriety-!

As always, the lyrics were playful and humorous, but with the new vocal style, they sounded like a stylish pansori passage.

Performing in a manner he was familiar with after a long time, Gunja also felt a shiver of excitement.

Indeed, this way of producing sound is so refreshing!

At first, he wondered if it was okay to do this.

Since he had learned that idols have their own way of doing things, he thought he might need to dilute his vocal style this time too.

But Ji Hyun-soo was adamant.

Hip-hop is freedom.

Also, he said it's a music genre that can easily blend with any kind of music.

Believing those words, Gunja brought out his own sound.

The reaction was explosive. Everyone present stood up and moved to the front of the stage, as if to absorb the massive energy pouring from the performance.

Seeing this, the six performers in the yangban masks were also highly energized.

With a microphone in his right hand and a fan in his left, Gunja's powerful hook resonated while the five yangban masks danced freely to the rhythm on stage.

The next to remove his mask was Ji Hyun-soo, the co-composer and arranger of the song.

Although Ji Hyun-soo was always exhausted, today he commanded the stage with a strong, unwavering vocal performance.

Manners! Control Unit,

Instead of Under Armour, Korean Goods.

Attitude is lively, But a calm backside.

Following fans' orders to uphold what should be upheld.

The Control Unit has a lot to do, like this!

Met another subway villain today.

The shouting is the local ritual music,

A drumstick is needed for society's evil.

Wowwwww—!!

Everyone was enjoying the stage of 'Manners Control Unit.'

Except for the team of Joo Ha-sung, who would be going up next.

"..."

Joo Ha-sung, who seemed to have lost his words and turned completely ashen.

"Ah, oh yes-! Yoo yes-!"

"Yes!"

"Propriety!"

"Yes!"

"Propriety!"

"Ah, oh, spirit! Yoo yes, efficiency!"

"Spirit!"

"Efficiency!"

"Spirit!"

"Efficiency!"

The stage of 'Manners Control Unit' had just begun.