GIJS

Chapter 53

Note: Tamna and Tamla used interchangeably in the following chapter. I honestly forgot to correct it afterwards because my phone keeps on crashing 😭. Plus I'm not sure if the title for the classic is Four Gentleman or Four Scholars so I just keep it as is while changing the others to scholar or seonbi.
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Towards Tamna Kingdom

On the large billboard was the face of Gunja.

He was smiling widely, seemingly happy while singing on stage. Below it were phrases that appeared to be written by fans.

[Please vote for the well-mannered and polite scholar-idol, Yu Gunja!]
It was hard to read the entire text. The billboard was already covered in numerous supportive Post-its.

Among the hundreds of Post-its, not a single one contained negative content.

All were messages of support and well-wishes for his successful debut.

Gunja couldn't keep his mouth shut at the surreal sight.

He had only stopped by to see the senior's billboard, and now he was faced with such an incredible gift.

Even reading the phrases or touching the Post-its felt like a dream.

Love and support are always overwhelming, no matter when received. Above all, the billboard was one of Gunja's dreams.

He never expected to achieve that dream so quickly, so he stood there in a daze for a long time.

"What's that person?"

"Looks like Kim Gyeran."

"Yu Gunja? I guess he was a fan."

"Wow, I thought he only worked out..."

People around him whispered about his suspicious appearance, but Gunja's focus was solely on the billboard.

The heartfelt messages pressed into the small Post-its made him smile.

There are so many people who like his songs and dances! It's always new and amazing.

[Gunja must debut! >[]]
Many Post-its with the phrase "Gunja" caught his eye.

Gunja, such a perfect nickname!

[But what if the Four Gentlemen come out?] [Plum!] [Orchid!] [Chrysanthemum!] [Bamboo!] [Four Gentlemen! (Means 'I love you, Yu Gunja')]
Some Post-its combined to form a single sentence.

Interpreting the Four Gentlemen as 'I love you, Yu Gunja'!

My fans are not only kind-hearted but also creative and clever.

The Post-its with the Four Gentlemen depicted had beautiful drawings of plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo. It was a depiction of the Four Gentlemen that Gunja adored.

It seemed that Gunja's fans knew exactly what he liked. He was deeply grateful. Unconditional love truly is overwhelming.

Seeing such an emotional billboard made Gunja want to give even more.

He wanted to know what the fans wanted, how to behave as an idol.

He wanted to learn more, study deeper, and share better things.

Just then.

Someone tapped Gunja on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw a girl looking up at him with a sharp gaze from a much lower height.

It was Yeoji, the high school girl who had become a fan after meeting Gunja here a few months ago.

"Excuse me."

"?"

"I've seen you fiddling with Post-its. Those shouldn't fall off."

"..."

"You need to come and see, Gunja oppa..."

Yeoji, who had been pressing him with a rather sharp tone.

"...huh?"

Seeing Gunja's eyes through his sunglasses, Yeoji's pupils widened instantly.

"...O-oh!?"

"So, I shouldn't touch them. I'm sorry."

"...G-G-Gunja..."

"It's been a while. We know each other, don't we?"

"——!?!?!?!?"

Realizing Gunja's identity, Yeoji panicked.

"G-g-g..."

"Are you okay?"

"Ah, g-g-g—"

Gunja quickly took Yeoji to the bamboo forest to calm her down. There was no better place than the bamboo forest for calming the mind.

"First, calm down. Take a deep breath."

"Whooo, whooo, whooo—"

"They say that green forests bring out the qi for avoiding pain and calming the mind."

"Whooo, whooo, whooo—"

After a long period of deep breathing, Yeoji finally calmed down. Just as Gunja's billboard felt like a dream, meeting Gunja felt like a dream to Yeoji.

She had only planned to see the grateful billboard on her way home, but now she had unexpectedly met the billboard's star!

She wished she could talk all day, but she couldn't.

'He must be tired from the competition; I shouldn't bother him too much...'

Moreover, if people recognized Gunja, it would be a big problem.

Fortunately, he was in a bizarre disguise, so it seemed no one recognized him, but such a graceful stature and kind voice were uncommon and could be noticed at any moment.

She decided to say only the important things. The words she had really wanted to say.

Yeoji quickly organized her thoughts and finally moved her trembling lips.

"Since that day, I've really become a fan."

"Haha, thank you."

"I saw all three rounds of the competition! They were all so, so, so, so, so good. The competition was fierce, but I managed to get a ticket..."

Gunja tilted his head at Yeoji's words.

Competing to get a ticket to watch the competition?

Curious, Gunja asked for more details. Yeoji quickly explained how intense the competition for tickets was and how much effort she had put in.

"...I see."

Gunja nodded and listened calmly. When Yeoji finished speaking, he smiled and bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you sincerely."

"—!?"

"To come to the competition, going through so much trouble just to get a ticket..."

"No, I'm more grateful—!!"

"No, I'm more grateful."

"I'm even more grateful—!!"

After a long battle of gratitude, Yeoji suddenly clapped her hands as if she remembered something.

"Oh, then did you come to take a proof shot?"

"A proof shot? What's that?"

"Taking a photo in front of the billboard and posting it on SNS! It means you saw the billboard and are grateful. Fans would probably love it!"

Gunja nodded vigorously at Yeoji's words. He hadn't known about this culture; clearly, he needed to study idol culture more.

Determined to do more for his fans after seeing the touching billboard.

Making fans happy with just one photo.

There was no reason not to do it. The photo composition immediately came to mind.

"Then, could you possibly help me?"

"Of course! How should I take it?"

Gunja's choice was a deep bow.

A bow that he had uploaded after each performance to express his gratitude.

Some considered it excessive, but there was no better way to express thanks and respect.

He asked Yeoji to upload the photo. Gunja didn't have an SNS account, and even if he did, he couldn't use it during the competition.

After taking the proof shot in front of the billboard, Yeoji made one final request with a touch of personal desire.

"Um, oppa..."

"Hmm?"

"Could you please take a photo of me?"

"A photo?"

"A photo of me standing in the bamboo forest like before!"

Yeoji's request was for a solo photo.

Gunja had thought it strange when he first took a photo for her, but he increasingly felt that the photo was special.

An idol taking a photo of a fan standing in the bamboo forest.

It seemed like something only Gunja would do.

Gunja nodded happily at Yeoji's request.

Though program rules prohibited taking photos with fans, it was fine if it wasn't a photo together.

"Hehe, I'll take it much better than last time."

"Wow, really?"

"Yes. I learned from a 'How to Take Photos for Girlfriends' video."

"Girlfriend...?"

"Although I don't have a girlfriend, I'm glad I can take a photo of someone so precious."

Yeoji's face, which had finally regained its composure, turned bright red again.

'...Oppa, were you a bit of a show-off?'

It wasn't intentional, but Gunja was perfectly managing Yeoji.

The photo that came out looked like a red persimmon floating in the blue bamboo forest, but Yeoji treasured it as if it were a relic.

"Th-thank you..."

"I'm more thankful."

"Hehe."

"I hope we can meet again next time."

Gunja said with a bright smile. His whiter and neater teeth were revealed through his white beard.

Seeing his spotless smile, Yeoji couldn't help but laugh along.

"Hehe."

"Haha."

"Heheh."

"Hahaha."

Even if the earth were to perish or her soul to dissolve, Yeoji vowed to never stop being a fan. She made her vow repeatedly.

* * *

After the final three-day break.

The final 15, who successfully advanced to the live broadcast competition, gathered once again in the studio.

For the next ten days, the final training camp for the live broadcast stage would commence.

"Congratulations to all of you for making it through numerous obstacles and reaching the final competition. Now, only the last hurdle, the live broadcast stage, remains."

"···."

"The top 7 in the live broadcast competition will be confirmed as the official debut members of <Idol Training Simulation> Season 2."

"···."

"Now, I will reveal the group name of the debut team!"

As Jeong Hae-jin finished speaking, the curtain fell, and the group name of the <Idol Training Simulation> debut team was unveiled.

[7IN]
"Wow—."

"'Chillin' means to hang out and have fun. Additionally, the composite term '7 IN' signifies that you will take a place in the hearts of your fans."

"Wow—."

"Among the fifteen participants gathered here, who will become a member of '7IN'? We'll find out after the live broadcast stage in two weeks!"

Though Jeong Hae-jin spoke with a warm tone, the pressure of the live broadcast stage was evident in his words.

Half of the participants, including Jang Seon-jae, were eliminated in the third round.

Now, another half would be eliminated in the live broadcast.

Out of the remaining fifteen, only seven would debut. The survivors looked at each other with meaningful expressions.

In particular, the main faction, including Joo Ha-sung and Min Kang-yeol, who were known as 'the practice room outcasts,' appeared quite desperate.

Through the ninth episode broadcast, their image had plummeted.

In the meantime, participants like Ji Hyun-su and Kwon Tae-woong, who were in the top 10, showed a steep rise.

However, the trend had not fully shifted.

Joo Ha-sung and Min Kang-yeol's core fandom, along with the fans of Min Kang-yeol's older brother Min Kang-hoo's group 'Favorite,' were still supporting their picks.

As a result, the pre-vote status was chaotic.

Until the live broadcast stage ended, nothing could be predicted with certainty.

Therefore, the live broadcast stage was crucial.

An overwhelming performance that could render all preconditions meaningless.

Everyone was keenly awaiting MC Jeong Hae-jin's next announcement on how the preparations for this competition would proceed.

"Before explaining the rules of the fourth live broadcast competition···."

"···."

"I have some exciting news to share first!"

"?"

"Starting tomorrow, for a 1-night, 2-day trip, you will go to the amusement park 'Tamna World' in Jeju Island!"

"—!?"

"This is a special vacation prepared by the production team for all your hard work—!!"

"Wow—!!"

The tension melted away instantly, and cheers erupted.

The participants, who had been exhausted both physically and mentally from the repeated training and competitions, were overjoyed.

"Wow, Tamna World!"

"Really? Are we actually going to have fun?"

"Awesome, amusement rides—!!"

However, even while watching the excited participants, MC Jeong Hae-jin's expression was not entirely happy. Approaching PD Kim Seok-hoon, Jeong Hae-jin pleaded.

"PD-nim, maybe you could tell us about the special mission now···."

"Oh, then they'll be anxious even before going. Let them enjoy now."

"But it will really be a surprise mission. Is that okay?"

"Of course."

"Really?"

"It's all about evaluating how you handle unexpected situations on stage."

Jeong Hae-jin sighed deeply, but PD Kim Seok-hoon seemed unconcerned.

"Hehe, surprises are what make the best moments."

The next day.

The plane carrying the fifteen survivors took off towards Jeju Island.