GIJS

Chapter 106 A Person with Pride

The moment Gunja declared his ideal type, a chilling silence fell over the live broadcast setting.

"Y-Y-Yuk..."

A rookie idol announcing that a woman with "yuk-deok" (a six-pack physique) is his ideal type. No one could have imagined such a scene.

Yet, Gunja's expression remained as bright as ever.

"Is something wrong with everyone's expression?"

"..."

"A woman with yuk-deok is a good thing, isn't it?"

"Stop it, you!"

Despite being given a light smack on the head by Taewoong, Gunja's eyes remained clear and innocent. Even with tears in his eyes from the smack, Gunja continued.

"My recent interest has been in the Five Virtues, which is why I mentioned it..."

"—!?"

The Five Virtues (Odeok) in Confucianism refer to the five virtues of kindness, humility, frugality, respect, and modesty. While loyalty and filial piety pertain to how one interacts with rulers and parents, the Five Virtues are a mirror for self-cultivation.

Each morning, writing the Five Virtues with a brush and refining the mind marked the start of the day. Although still naive, Gunja vowed to embody all Five Virtues one day. That was his resolution.

However, this explanation might not sound as intended to fans.

[Gunja, wait a minute;;;;] [What?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ What is this?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Five Virtues? Gunja is into Five Virtues?] [What kind of anime did he watch?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Indeed, there are many such body types in anime;;] [Why do I feel so down?] [Don't listen to my complaints, you're not at fault.] [So Gunja is also a man...] [So, he's saying his ideal type is someone with yuk-deok because of his current interest in the Five Virtues?]

Gunja responded brightly to the last fan's comment.

"Yes, exactly."

Although he hadn't thought much about dating, if he were to meet someone, he would prefer someone from whom he could learn.

Gunja aspired to the Five Virtues but felt there were shortcomings in them.

Kindness, humility, frugality, respect, modesty—all related to self-deprecation and living modestly.

However, living in modern society, Gunja realized that one should not always bow their head. Just as a grain of rice bends when ripening, one should also be able to hold their head high at times.

Confidence gained through belief in one's abilities, or pride (矜持), was what Gunja considered the sixth virtue.

If he were to specify an ideal type, he would say a woman embodying the traditional Five Virtues and this pride. He wanted to learn from such a person.

However, it seemed that his fans and peers misunderstood something.

The first to recover from the shock, Hyun-su, tried to salvage the situation with some quick thinking.

"Oh, I think it's an abbreviation!"

"Hmm?"

"Yuk-deok, a woman who likes meat and tteokbokki! Right, Gunja?"

"I don't really know about abbreviations."

"!"

"Yuk-deok is yuk-deok. What other meaning could it have?"

It was insufficient to rescue Gunja.

Even Hyunsu, who always smiled, seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation and extended a lifeline to Gunja.

"Hahaha, it seems like Gunja made a slip of the tongue~"

"A slip of the tongue?"

"Hahaha, it doesn't mean he likes big breasts~"

"Hmm? Isn't it good if breasts are large?"

"Haha, this is a disaster~"

Large breasts must symbolize boldness. If one also has the traits of yuk-deok, what more could one want? It's such a futile question.

The situation was worsening. Team Leader Seo Eunwoo, who had just spat out coffee, wiped his mouth with a tissue and sighed deeply.

"Ha..."

Yes, this was Yu Gunja.

In retrospect, it had been too easy. Since the days of the genuine luxury brand, Gunja had not done anything particularly conspicuous, so it was thought he had become accustomed to life as an idol.

One should not be complacent. Especially during live broadcasts, one must be extra cautious.

Since it was a live broadcast, editing was impossible. With Yeung-ui-jeong and Nauri present, the number of viewers was twice as many as usual.

Ending the broadcast abruptly wouldn't resolve the situation.

Instead, it would likely produce only capture posts about an idol obsessing over nipples and large breasts.

Now, the only option was to rely on the members' ability to manage the situation on-screen. Trusting Yeung-ui-jeong and Nauri was difficult, as they had been trying hard to stifle their laughter.

At least, Yeung-ui-jeong managed to stifle her laughter and opened a photo on her phone. It was a magazine spread from her twenties, showcasing her voluptuous figure.

"So, Gunja, you like this kind of woman?"

"Wow, it's a picture of Lord Yeonguijeong's younger years."

"Yeah. You don't mean that's what you like, right?"

From Yeonguijeong's perspective, this was an attempt to salvage the situation. Surely, seeing such a sexy photo wouldn't be the reason for liking someone.

However, while everyone was focused on Yeonguijeong's figure, Gunja happened to see the essence of the photo.

Wasn't Lord Yeonguijeong a person full of pride? Such a person could be said to embody the ideal type with the perfect figure.

"Yes, this kind of person is what I like!"

"Oh my God."

"Isn't this the person with the perfect figure?"

Both Yeonguijeong and Team Leader Seo Eun-woo slapped their foreheads simultaneously. It was time to make a decision. The live broadcast had to be ended immediately.

As Team Leader Seo Eun-woo rushed towards the camera to press the stop button, Yu-chan suddenly raised his hand and closed his eyes tightly.

"...Gunja-hyung, I think there's a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?"

"...Th-that's not what you mean by a perfect figure, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"...W-well..."

"'Well'?"

"...Large chest..."

"!"

To prevent any further misunderstandings, Yu-chan carefully used precise wording and a small hand gesture.

"!?!?"

Although it was a dangerously risky gesture for an idol, Yu-chan gritted his teeth to save Gunja.

Yu-chan believed that although Gunja was a bit eccentric and strange, he wouldn't be the type to speak crazily about liking large chests on a live broadcast.

Clearly, there was some misunderstanding.

And in response to his belief, Gunja's face and ears turned bright red in an instant.

"Y-Yu-chan, you're the one who's crazy!"

* * *

Fortunately, with Gunja's explanation, the "perfect figure" commotion was settled.

"I don't like large chests! Unless it's a king's chest..."

Gunja, sweating profusely, carefully explained the concepts of the Five Virtues and Perfect Figure. Even the fans, who were almost in a riot, gradually calmed down.

[Whew] [I really thought Gunja had gone crazy] [Gunja, please calm our shocked hearts] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋ This live broadcast is funnier than most comedy shows] [Is there an idol who says a large chest is their ideal type on live broadcast?] [Well, it's hard to believe Gunja would do thatㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [He usually seems so scholarly]

"I've never thought about physical ideals. The size of someone's chest isn't what matters. I'd prefer someone with pride, as I think I could learn a lot from them."

[Yeah, let's all live with pride] [Whether it's a large chest or not, as long as there's pride] [Oh, I suddenly feel like my chest is bigger] [Ah, I saved 4 million won today thanks to Gunja, what a gain] [Every time I watch the broadcast, I feel like the fans are half crazyㅋㅋㅋ]

Seeing this, Team Leader Seo Eun-woo sighed in relief.

"Phew."

If the live broadcast had been ended, there would have been no chance for clarification. Even if they explained later, it would likely be seen as a company-prepared explanation.

Seo Eun-woo should have trusted Gunja a bit more.

As he sighed, Manager Lee Yong-jung offered some bland comfort.

"Team Leader, don't blame yourself. It's good that it's resolved."

"..."

"I would have ended the live broadcast too if I were you. Who could believe and watch an idol talking about their ideal type being a perfect figure?"

"...I see."

Although they are kind, sincere, and polite, they are not the easiest people to work with.

One must stay alert at all times and places.

With that thought, Seo Eun-woo gathered his resolve once again.

After the "perfect figure" incident was settled, the live broadcast ended smoothly. Since Yeonguijeong and Nauri had come to Seoul, they decided to hold a secondary competition song meeting.

"The second round will likely have less preparation time than the first."

"Hm."

"While releasing a new song would be ideal, it may be practically impossible due to lack of time. It would be hard to create a song in time."

"Well, time is tight."

"Why not rearrange an existing song for this round? There are many well-known hit songs among Yeonguijeong's works..."

Seo Eun-woo suggested rearranging an existing song for the competition.

From a stability perspective, Seo Eun-woo's suggestion was correct. The second round indeed had less preparation time than the first.

Furthermore, since they had won the first round overwhelmingly, performing a medley of hit songs might lead them safely to the finals.

However, Yeonguijeong seemed displeased.

"...Sister, why do you look like that..."

"Hm, it's not quite right."

"Pardon?"

"I'm no longer a You go-woman but a Confucian woman now."

Yeonguijeong pointed to the mole under her eye and smiled.

"Now that I've even added a mole and changed myself, wouldn't it be boring to use an existing song?"

"W-well..."

"Moreover, rearranging isn't easy. It would take almost as much effort as composing a new song if you want a high-quality performance. Right, Hyun-su?"

Hyun-su nodded in response to Yeong's question.

"Yes. Rearranging a song would take a lot of time."

"Right? That's why. Instead of making a dull stage with an existing song, it might be better to come up with a new song. Hyun-su, you're known for writing songs quickly, right?"

"Yes, I'm confident about that!"

Hyun-su answered confidently, but Seo Eun-woo remained skeptical.

"No matter how quickly Hyun-su writes songs, there will be limitations. It will also take time to arrange and hire session musicians..."

"Don't worry about that."

"Pardon?"

"My new manager handles MIDI and can play some instruments."

Yeong said this while putting her arm around her husband, Nauri. Nauri, who had been searching for "Eldritch Ring攻略" on YouTube, looked surprised.

"W-what? What should I do?"

"Yes. From now on, you will be my manager, producer, and session musician."

"Wasn't I supposed to go home?"

"Are you crazy? A manager can't just leave their celebrity behind!"

"But you said you'd let me go!"

"Yeah."

"But why..."

"I never said I'd let you go."

"Argh!"

While Nauri clutched his head and cried out, Seo Eun-woo quickly proceeded with the new song meeting.

"Since Senior Nauri is going to help..."

"Not yet! Not yet, Team Leader!"

"No, Seo Team Leader. It's already decided~"

"Aaaargh."

"Alright. Let's start by determining the concept for the new song."

As soon as the word "concept" was mentioned, something flashed through Gunja's mind.

The Five Virtues and the Perfect Figure had been the focus of today's live broadcast.

So, how about using a person with even more virtues as a theme?

"Ten virtues..."

"Hmm?"

"How about using the Ten Virtues as a theme?"