GIJS

Chapter 107 Acting Friendly

After discussing "otaku" and "ripped," now it's "ten virtues."

However, this time, no one was particularly surprised or shocked.

"Does 'ten virtues' in our context mean something different from what we know?"

"It probably does. Besides, being an otaku isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"So, what is 'ten virtues,' exactly?"

"Haha, if two otaku make ten virtues, wouldn't that be it?"

Gunja was relieved that his explanation didn't seem to be misunderstood this time. As his colleagues asked what "ten virtues" were, Gunja calmly responded.

"I don't know either."

"Huh?"

"Wait, you're just making this up?"

"Out of the ten virtues, the five virtues are gentleness, compliance, respectfulness, frugality, and humility. But those are old values, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they do seem a bit outdated."

"I'm old-fashioned, so I appreciate those values, but..."

"Gunja, you're not that old. You're only twenty."

"Still, there must be new virtues needed to live in this era. Like the virtue of pride that I've chosen as a 'ripped' virtue."

Seon-woo, who had been listening quietly, neatly summarized Gunja's idea.

"Let's create a modern version of the old virtues. Combine them into ten virtues and use that as the theme for our competition song. Is that what you're suggesting?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I think it's a good idea."

The first to agree was Yeong-ui-jeong.

"Gentleness and compliance... what was it? Anyway, those are all good values, but honestly, they don't fit my lifestyle. But adding five new values could make for an interesting reinterpretation."

The rest of the members nodded in agreement. Now, the focus shifted to Hyun-su, the producer member. Although the theme was witty and good, the difficulty would depend on whether the composer could come up with an appropriate song concept.

"Then..."

True to his skill in brainstorming, Hyun-su suggested a concept idea on the spot.

"Well, when thinking of 'ten virtues,' Japan comes to mind first."

"That's true."

"So, we could use Japanese-style instruments as references."

But as soon as the term "Japanese style" was mentioned, Gunja's expression turned gloomy.

"...Japanese style..."

"Gunja, don't you think that's a bit too obvious?"

"...No, if we have to do it, then we should..."

He tried to hide his disappointment but didn't succeed. They have many good things of their own, so why use Japanese-style music? Above all, the ten virtues are their values.

Predicting Gunja's disappointment, Hyun-su quickly offered a second alternative.

"Or we could use game sounds as references."

"Game sounds?"

"Another thing that comes to mind with 'ten virtues' is games. If you think about it, 'A-Yuk-Si' was a simulation game concept."

"Was it? I didn't even notice that while participating."

"Yes, and the theme song [PLAY!] also includes many game sound effects samples."

"Samples? The ones you get at Olive Young?"

"...Forget it, Taewoong."

Hyun-su sighed deeply and looked at Gunja. Seeing Gunja's mood brighten with the new suggestion, Hyun-su's idea seemed to be well-received.

"That's a great idea!"

"Really? Gunja, do you play games too?"

"Of course! I'm a young person too!"

With that, Gunja proudly showed his smartphone. On the screen was a Go application.

"What's this... huh?"

Colleagues who glanced at the screen were soon astonished.

"Crazy, 687 wins and 4 losses?"

"Haha, I've lost a lot, haven't I? I didn't know how to operate it at first."

"It's not the 4 losses that's the problem! Your win rate is over 99%!"

"What? Why are you so good at Go?"

"Isn't Go a basic skill for a scholar? The 'Go' in 'Gunja' refers to Go, so it's a big problem if I'm not good at it."

"...The more I know about you, the more amazing you are."

"With this skill, I bet the Go community is already buzzing."

"Yeah, you're almost at the level of a Go ghost king."

"Anyway, everyone agrees to use game sounds as a reference for the song, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement with Hyun-su's summary. Nauri, who was selected as a collaborator for the new song, also nodded sadly.

"Game sounds... alright..."

"Are you okay, Sunbae?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... Even if I can't play games, at least I can listen to game sounds..."

"Haha, Sunbae, fight on."

Thanks to Gunja's concept proposal and Hyun-su's idea, the mood for the new song was quickly decided. The meeting ended faster than expected.

"Seon-woo, can we leave now?"

"Yes, Nuna, see you at the next song meeting."

"Okay. I'll go to the PS room with Oppa."

"PS room? Really?"

"Yes. I can't stand the whining from earlier. Play the games you want, but work hard too. Got it?"

"Does the PS room have Eldritch Ring?"

"Oh, then just buy the game title on the way."

"Yay!"

After the departure of the Yeonguijeong and her husband, only Team Leader Seo Eun-woo and the 7IN members remained in the conference room. Although the new song meeting was over, Team Leader Seo Eun-woo still seemed to have something to say.

"Has anyone seen Park Young-jae's recent live broadcast?"

At Team Leader Seo Eun-woo's question, all the members shook their heads.

"Park Young-jae's live broadcast? I've never seen it."

"Why? Did he say something about that senior?"

As soon as Park Young-jae's name was mentioned, Cha In-hyuk, who had been quietly sitting, suddenly looked alarmed.

"Did he insult Gun-ja?"

"No, that's not it. If anything, it was quite the opposite."

"Opposite?"

"He seemed to imply that he was quite close with Yu Gun-ja."

"Isn't that crazy?"

"Did he suddenly say that, or was it in response to some question?"

"Yes. After it was revealed that Yu Gun-ja and Park Young-jae were high school alumni, it seems that Park Young-jae's fans began to wonder about their relationship in high school, and if, as some online testimonies suggest, Park Young-jae really helped Gun-ja."

"Online testimonies? Aren't those just nonsense?"

"Yes, they are nonsense."

The members were surprised to hear Team Leader Seo Eun-woo using such coarse language. It was the first time they had seen him use such rough words.

However, when talking about Park Young-jae, Team Leader Seo Eun-woo didn't hide his emotions.

"But from Park Young-jae's perspective, he would want that to be accepted as true. That's probably why he spoke as if they were close in high school."

"How can he do that? Doesn't he remember what he did? It wasn't even that long ago."

"Perpetrators usually remember things in a way that benefits them. Until a third party witnesses the event, Park Young-jae's memory is probably completely distorted."

"Sigh, it's really frustrating."

"So we're doing our best to find that 'third party.'"

"A person who can testify about what happened between Gun-ja and Park Young-jae?"

"Yes. We already have a few informants, but their statements have been inconsistent, so we've declined them. Presenting unreliable testimonies could backfire. We should be able to secure a solid witness and testimony soon."

"Team Leader, you're working hard."

"It's nothing. The one really suffering is Yu Gun-ja."

Saying this, Team Leader Seo Eun-woo looked at Gun-ja.

"Though you said you're okay, I'm honestly worried."

"..."

"Yu Gun-ja, is it really okay for you to broadcast with Park Young-jae?"

Team Leader Seo Eun-woo was genuinely concerned for Gun-ja. Gun-ja could feel that sincerity.

He always felt grateful, and though he had no siblings, he wondered what it would have been like if someone like this had been his older brother.

"I'm fine, Team Leader."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Got it."

Team Leader Seo Eun-woo decided to fully trust Gun-ja.

Though gentle and kind, Gun-ja was certainly not a weak boy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Park Young-jae and his agency, Nations, seemed to be more urgent about strategy meetings than new song meetings.

"Look at this, it's all about Chil-ling and the Yeonguijeong."

Director Hong Hyun-seok sighed as he looked at the portal's main screen and SNS trend keywords.

[7IN Yu Gun-ja, "I prefer six-pack" declaration···.] [An idol who likes six-pack because he's a nerd? 7IN live is more entertaining than most comedy shows!] [Yu Gun-ja reveals body preference before even debuting?] [The secret preference of the 'scholar idol,' "I'm a six-pack fan"] [Chil-lings watching the live broadcast, shock and dismay··· "Starting bulk-up today"] [Turns out, 'six-pack' is actually a Confucian virtue.]

Even though the [Confucian Woman> of the Yeonguijeong had slightly quieted down, the live broadcast immediately made 7IN the center of attention once again.

From Nations' perspective, the problem was Yu Gun-ja.

No matter how hard they prepared their stage or how many famous collaborators they recruited, they couldn't overcome Yu Gun-ja's pure eccentricity.

Especially since the Yeonguijeong and Na-uri were also involved. In terms of skill and buzz, it seemed impossible for Park Young-jae to surpass 7IN.

"Young-jae, I think it's time to change our approach."

"How so?"

"What do you mean, how? Let's ride the Chil-ling coin."

"Pardon?"

"Honestly, no matter what we do now, we can't beat their momentum. It's absolutely impossible until the second round."

"So we're just giving up on winning?"

"That's not it. If we make it to the third round, things might change. No matter how inventive they are, eventually their repertoire will run out."

"So, for now, we should maintain a friendly image and keep our reputation?"

"Yes, exactly. You were classmates with Yu Gun-ja, right? I heard you've been mentioning that in your live broadcasts."

"Oh, yes. That's right."

"You've been subtly appealing that you were close?"

"For now, there's no point in being at odds."

"Good job! Keep up the pretense of being close even during the recordings."

"Oh, I don't really like that..."

"Come on, this is no time to be picky about details. At this rate, we might fall out of the round. Chil-ling is dominant, and the other three teams are almost equal."

"Hmmm-."

From Park Young-jae's perspective, it was an unpleasant strategy. He had to feign friendliness with someone he had looked down on completely in high school.

However, it was necessary to acknowledge the reality. The current overwhelming power of 7IN was undeniable.

Even if winning was impossible, it would be better to survive and maintain a relationship with 7IN.

"Alright. I'll do it."

"Good, let's survive for now."

Time flew by once again, and the day of the second round recording approached.