GIJS

Chapter 78 In This Zone, I'm the Biggest Scoundrel

As soon as the topic of "Proverbs" came up for the question assigned to the Yu Gunja and Kwon Tae-woong team, Min Kang-hoo laughed.

Min Kang-hoo had always seen Yu Gunja as an eyesore while watching "Ayuksi Show". Min Kang-hoo's younger brother, Min Kang-yeol, was expected to debut smoothly as long as there were no significant variables, thanks to the influence of his older brother, who was an active idol.

However, Yu Gunja, an exceptional variable, appeared.

With Yu Gunja alone being a concern, the presence of unexpected participants like Ki Yu-chan, Kwon Tae-woong, and Cha In-hyuk further threatened the debut team.

In the end, Min Kang-yeol was eliminated from the debut group.

If Yu Gunja hadn't participated in the audition, the results might have been different. Min Kang-hoo might have appeared on variety shows with his younger brother and enjoyed a good time.

To Min Kang-hoo, Yu Gunja was the one who ruined the family's happiness. It was impossible not to dislike him.

Now that the timing of their comebacks coincided, Min Kang-hoo had intended to crush them on the charts, but instead, he met them on a variety show.

"Alright, the first question is quite challenging! Let's see how Gunja will represent this proverb... Whoa—!?"

Without hesitation, Yu Gunja's brush pen began drawing.

Swipe, swoosh—.

In just a few bold strokes, a rural puppy with innocent eyes was completed. It looked like it would wag its tail and come over to rub its head against you.

"Wow! What's this!? It's incredibly fast—!!"

While everyone marveled, Yu Gunja's brush pen was already setting the background. Two modest thatched houses, a yard, and some children sitting on the porch. It was clearly a depiction of a village school.

Finally, Yu Gunja circled the puppy with his brush pen. Even someone like Tae-woong, who lacked extensive reading, could figure it out.

"Answer! 'A village dog after three years can recite poetry!'"

Ding dong—.

"Correct—!"

As Tae-woong correctly answered the first question, Yu Gunja put down his brush pen and rushed to hug him. The thrill of getting the answer right exceeded Yu Gunja's expectations.

"Hey! There are still many questions left!"

"Oh, oops! I see!"

But snapping back to reality at Tae-woong's reminder, Yu Gunja picked up his brush pen again.

['The crawfish is a friend of the crab']
"Oh, this one is not easy! Can we really express this correctly!?"

Crawfish and crabs are both crustaceans with complex appearances. However, Yu Gunja had no trouble with this. He had enjoyed drawing delicious things since he was young.

With a few more confident strokes, a crawfish and a crab appeared, shaking claws as if in a handshake. It even seemed to have a cheerful expression.

"Correct! Correct! 'The crawfish is a friend of the crab!'"

Ding dong—.

"Correct—!"

Tae-woong also got this answer right. It was so easy that getting the answer was almost like having it fed to him. Not only Tae-woong, but everyone looking at Yu Gunja's drawing could easily figure it out.

The only concern was Tae-woong's familiarity with proverbs.

"Correct! 'A crow flying causes a pear to fall!'"

Ding dong—.

"Correct—! 'Killing fleas while burning down a thatched hut!'"

Ding dong—.

"Correct—! 'A small fish causes the disgrace of a fish market!'"

Ding dong—.

Even though Tae-woong hadn't studied, he had diligently read comic books about the village school, so he had solid early education in proverbs and had no trouble answering.

"Correct! 'Too many cooks spoil the broth!'"

Ding dong—.

"10 points! The problem is over—!! Before the time limit of 3 minutes was even up, the Yu Gunja – Kwon Tae-woong team had answered all the questions, taking 1st place over the Min Kang-hoo – Han Joo-young team!"

Yu Gunja and Tae-woong hugged each other in celebration after clearing all the problems before the time was up.

"Tae-woong, you're pretty good!"

"Ha ha, even though I bombed the college entrance exam with a 777, I'm top-notch in proverbs!"

Seeing the score rise, Yu Gunja beamed with joy.

He had heard that teams in the top 3 could donate the points they earned. Being able to do something good while also having fun answering questions was truly a win-win situation for Yu Gunja. However, Min Kang-hoo seemed to have a different view.

He was clearly displeased about missing 1st place, glaring with hostility and snorting angrily. Even though 2nd place was quite good, his fierce gaze was unsettling.

Feeling sorry for him, Yu Gunja gave a slow nod in understanding. Yes, such behavior could be expected from a small-minded person. How could an ordinary person like him understand the mind of a small-minded person? He could only try to understand and offer comfort.

"That guy is really..."

Of course, this only made Min Kang-hoo even more upset.

After the drawing quiz ended, the program transitioned to the main quiz. It consisted of questions from various areas such as current affairs, economics, world events, IT, and history.

The interesting part was that incorrect answers required contestants to wear penalty costumes. Correct answers would remove the costumes, but consecutive incorrect answers could complete the penalty costume.

The penalty costume for Min Kang-hoo's team was a character named 'Lupi' with pink skin, while Yu Gunja's team's penalty was 'Tommy the Little Train'.

"...Damn, I absolutely don't want to be Lupi..."

Just thinking about the costume sent chills down Min Kang-hoo's spine, but Yu Gunja and Tae-woong were the complete opposite.

"Wow, the train is smiling!"

"Gunja! I used to play with this a lot when I was a kid!"

"It's my first time in costume, but I'm a little excited!"

"Haha, this would be fun even if I wore it!?"

Perhaps due to this difference in pressure.

In the main quiz, Yu Gunja's team continued to excel, while Min Kang-hoo's team struggled.

Ding dong—.

"Yu Gunja's team, correct! Showing great strength in history questions!"

Beep beep—.

"Oh no, another wrong answer! The Min Kang-hu – Han Joo-young team's entire face has turned pink now!"

By the time the quiz was nearing its end, Min Kang-hu's face was completely covered in paint.

With pink skin, black button-like eyes, and silly-looking front teeth painted on, Min Kang-hu's face was so amusing that it made people burst into laughter just by looking at it.

"Alright, the quiz is now over! We'll take a 10-minute break before the final shoot!"

As soon as the break was announced, Gunja rushed out into the hallway. If he stayed any longer, he felt he might actually burst into laughter.

For a moment, he needed to find a quiet place to calm his mind...

"Hey, Yu Gunja."

"Puhuh—."

Unfortunately, the pink monster quickly followed Gunja, trying to pick a fight.

"Are you laughing?"

Min Kang-hu's pronunciation had become strange from smearing paint on his lips. Gunja almost lost his composure and burst into laughter, but he forced himself to stay calm and clenched his teeth.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Do you find it funny?"

"Why are you laughing?"

Even if it was funny, laughing out loud here would be incredibly disrespectful.

Taking a deep breath, Gunja desperately thought about something sad. This place was like a dark, cramped prison. His uncle had locked him in a laughter hell. How tragic...

"Do you want to switch places?"

"!"

How did he know I was thinking of a prison?

It was a continuous crisis. Gunja barely managed to stifle his laughter by biting his lips, but his face was already flushed. Min Kang-hu, however, seemed genuinely angry at Gunja.

"Because of you, my brother was eliminated."

"..."

"If you hadn't been here..."

By that point, Gunja was barely holding back laughter, but hearing those words somehow made his laughter disappear.

So this is why Min Kang-hu dislikes him. He had suspected it, but hearing it directly felt different.

But Min Kang-hu was under a big misconception.

"Hyung, I think you're misunderstanding something."

"What?"

"Your brother didn't get eliminated because of me. He was eliminated because he didn't show enough appeal during the audition process."

"What, what did you say?"

"Of course, your brother had the advantage of being an idol's younger brother. But if he had debuted just because of that, it would be unjust."

"!"

Min Kang-hu's pink face grew increasingly rigid, but Gunja continued speaking.

Being honest at necessary times is the mark of a true scholar. Even if the other party is a king, Joseon scholars would grit their teeth and speak bluntly.

"I'm sure your brother didn't want that. He would have wanted his younger brother to grow into a respectable idol and appear proudly in front of him."

"..."

"That way, neither of you would feel ashamed of each other."

Min Kang-hu was left speechless by Gunja's eloquence. It was indeed correct. If Min Kang-yeol had done well, the problem would have been resolved.

However, Min Kang-hu did not want to find fault with his brother. Instead, he wanted to direct his resentment towards Gunja, who had caused the elimination.

"Is that so? You think that way?"

Instead of acknowledging the truth, Min Kang-hu decided to confront Gunja more harshly. By this point, Gunja, as a junior, should have apologized. Min Kang-hu didn't like Gunja's stubborn, self-righteous responses.

"Watch, it's going to get interesting from now on..."

At that moment, Min Kang-hu's painted eyes gleamed with a fierce glare.

"Ah? It's Yu Gunja!"

"Hello, Gunja-nim!"

From across the hallway, an unexpectedly high-pitched voice could be heard.

The speakers were the members of the girl group "Ponyta." They were a 4-year-old girl group, the original artists of the song [ACACIA] for the final round. They had apparently been greeting new girl group members and had come over with a few of them.

"Gunja-nim, thank you so much for the final round!"

"For covering our song so wonderfully..."

"We're all fans of Gunja-nim!"

The Ponyta members seemed genuinely grateful to Gunja. Gunja, in turn, bowed sincerely to them.

"It was nothing. I was also thankful to be able to sing such a great song."

"Ahaha, your way of speaking is really funny."

"Let's stay in touch!"

While greeting them, Gunja suddenly glanced at Min Kang-hu. Min Kang-hu still looked sulky, and the paint seemed to make him look even more so.

Although Min Kang-hu seemed petty, Gunja didn't hold any particular grudge against him. In fact, he had wanted to get along with him.

Hmm, senior.

Come to think of it, this is an unreasonable situation.

Thinking about it, "Favorite" is a much more senior idol than Gunja, and it seems like a complete disrespect for Gunja to be the one receiving greetings.

Gunja's ingrained sense of propriety wouldn't allow that. Min Kang-hu's displeased expression was probably because they hadn't greeted him.

Seeing the sulking Min Kang-hu, Gunja resolutely nodded.

"Don't worry, Hyung. I'll uphold the propriety of this area."

"Min Kang-hu Hyung."

"!?"

"Shall we head back to the filming set?"

"—!?"

The stunned pink Lupi's mouth dropped open. Heh, soon he'll be touched by the flood of greetings.

The girl group members, who had been about to leave after greeting Gunja, turned their heads at the name "Min Kang-hu." At the end of their gaze stood the pink monster with his mouth open and eyes wide.

—