GIJS

Chapter 124: Gunjia, that won't work.

"Are you saying you can walk the tightrope...?"

In response to the question from the troupe leader, whose face mixed suspicion and fear, the beautiful person, who was neither clearly a boy nor a girl, nodded.

The leader, who had spent half of his life performing, knew little about idols. Therefore, he didn't know the identity of the person who had suddenly approached him.

Was she a beautiful volleyball player?

But can this person really walk the tightrope?

It was unbelievable. Tightrope walking was a performance that required highly developed balance and extensive experience. Beginners would find it difficult not only to play on the rope but even to step onto it. Overcoming the fear of heights was almost impossible.

Of course, he had to refuse. Even though the performer was injured and in a difficult situation, it was impossible to place a beginner on the rope.

"I really want to try walking the tightrope. Please!"

But the beautiful volleyball player looked earnest. She pressed her pretty face and used her tall stature to apply pressure, making the leader feel a sense of fear.

Why does she want to walk the tightrope so badly?

And what's with that look? It seems more serious than just a fleeting curiosity. It's as if she has lived on the tightrope...

As the leader pondered, the audience's expressions began to harden. The performance must continuously provide entertainment. The break had ended, but with no resumption of the show, the audience began to feel bored.

"Hmm..."

Now the leader had to make a decision. Even though his mind was telling him to refuse, his heart strangely wanted to trust this beautiful volleyball player.

"Do you really know how to walk the tightrope?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"If it gets dangerous, you come down immediately."

"Yes!"

In the end, the mysterious person achieved what they wanted. The leader was worried but also felt proud of him.

Young people these days have no interest in this culture. Even the youngest tightrope walker was nearing middle age, so it was not surprising to get injured at any moment.

Yes, just having a young person trying the tightrope had its own significance.

Even though he might come down after a few steps, his clumsy performance would still provide enough enjoyment for the audience.

"Alright, let's start the second act."

The second act began with tightrope walking. With the help of the troupe members, the mysterious person finally stepped onto the rope. Cheers and screams erupted from the audience.

"Ahhh—."

"Wow, that person is even doing tightrope walking now."

"What if it's dangerous?"

"Gunjia! Be careful! Come down quickly—."

The audience was worried about the mysterious person. So, his name was Gunjia. Anyway, it would be best to get him down before the worries grew.

Just as the leader was about to instruct the troupe members who were assisting Gunjia, it happened.

Whoosh-.

"Huh!?"

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Gunjia, who was being assisted by the troupe members, suddenly let go of their hands and began taking steps on the rope.

"This, this crazy—!!"

The leader, who had been sitting for a moment, sprang up like a spring. He would have preferred if he were more of a coward!

Now, a serious accident might happen. He had no choice but to trust the agility of the troupe members stationed below. An unskilled person could never perform tightrope walking well...

But.

"Eh?"

Whoosh, whoosh—.

He thought Gunjia would lose balance and fall from the rope.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!!

Tightrope walking is a skill that takes many years to master.

"Wow—!!"

"What's going on? Why is he so good—!?"

Why is he so good!?

Gunjia, who had let go of the troupe members' hands, confidently walked to the middle of the rope. Though it wobbled and seemed precarious, it was clear that he was using his leg movements to maintain balance.

His right arm, holding a fan, was stretched out to keep balance. His ability to turn balance movements into choreography left the leader and troupe members with their mouths agape.

"...What is this..."

But the amazement was just beginning.

As Gunjia's steps widened, the audience's cheers grew louder. The boredom on their faces had disappeared.

* * *

How long had it been?

From the moment he stepped on the rope with assistance, Gunjia was filled with emotion.

It reminded him of the marketplace he first visited after running away from his uncle's bullying as a child.

Walking a tightrope with just a narrow and precarious rope, ironically, Gunjia felt the greatest sense of freedom.

No one could hold him back on the rope. No one could use their body as freely as Gunjia. Even if he moved boldly, the audience responded with enthusiastic cheers rather than criticism.

As Gunjia began walking the tightrope, Jihyeonsu played a 7IN song through the amplifier. The music, mostly based on traditional Korean instruments, blended perfectly with the tightrope performance.

Gunjia, stepping lightly to the music like a crane, changed to a quick step and traversed the rope back and forth in an instant. The playful movements made the audience burst into laughter.

"Ahahahaha—."

"Hm, hm, ahem—!"

This time, he performed as if he were a distinguished scholar, but the scholar couldn't even take a few steps before losing balance.

"Uh, uhh—!?"
In the moment of tension below the rope, the performers were nervous, but this too was part of the show.

"Ugh, ugh—."

The audience laughed again at the sight of the scholar struggling to regain his balance, his legs trembling. The manager was so astonished that he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The performer was not simply maintaining balance on the rope. He was presenting a true performance, embodying various characters as he performed.

As the performer regained his graceful steps, the audience emitted low gasps of admiration. His movements were as if he were wearing feathered boots, captivating the crowd.

"Wow..."

"Isn't it just beautiful?"

While most cross-dressing performances were comedic, this performer was different. Every time the rope swayed or his hair fluttered in the air, the audience was enchanted.

Even the fellow members of 7IN, who lived with him, were awestruck.

"Is he really doing tightrope walking?"

"Ha ha, this means no need for a stunt double~"

"What can't he do?"

"He's really pretty..."

"When did he become so beautiful?"

The performer, now at a level of beauty equivalent to that of S-list stars, was enjoying this moment. Though not particularly fond of cross-dressing, he was savoring the experience. On the rope, he could be either male or female depending on his performance.

Swoosh—.

The performer lowered his posture and lay flat on the rope, gripping it with both hands and moving forward as if undergoing military training.

The move, inspired by a recent YouTube video of "Real Men," was improvised on the spot.

"Military training, military training!"

The effect was spectacular. The familiar movements made male spectators burst into laughter. His sudden serious expression and exaggerated shouting also contributed.

"I can do it!"

"Ha ha ha!"

A street performance involves a lot of humor. Being a great performer isn't just about skill; it's about making the audience laugh.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—.

As he moved forward on the rope, male spectators responded enthusiastically. Even men standing next to their girlfriends with somewhat dazed expressions seemed intrigued by the military movements.

"Did he come from the military?"

"Why is he so good—!!"

"Is his name not 'Gunja' but 'Gongpilja' (veteran)?"

Click, click—.

The sound of cameras was incessant. The tightrope performance was being live-streamed on SNS to fans watching from their homes.

[LOL Gunja is cross-dressing and tightrope walking now] [????????????] [(Photo) (Photo) (Photo)] [No way, haha] [Tightrope walking like it's politics, LOL] [I thought it was a real rope?] [Crazy, LOL] [So attractiveㅠㅠㅠ What can't he do?] [Betrayal, scheming, all kinds of unethical acts, he can't do any of that] [LOL but what's with his jawline] [Gunja, be careful not to cut the rope with your jawㅠㅠㅠ]

Fans were thrilled with the constant new content and entertainment, but they also regretted not having gone to Gyeongju, blaming themselves.

[How is he doing that up there? LOL] [The performer was injured suddenly, so Gunja stepped in] [What kind of karma are the people who went to Gyeongju getting?] [I want to see it so badlyㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Maybe it will be on YouTube later, at least watch that] [LOL What's up with military Gunja?] [Guys really like it, LOL] [Our Gunja will join the military somedayㅠㅠㅠ] [No no, he'll win a gold medal in archery and get military exemption] [LOL I can totally see that happening] [Live video stream, pleaseㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Seriously, can someone open a YouTube stream or Instagram live?] [I was about to go to Gyeongju but didn't, should have gone]

After performing the military moves back and forth, Gunja then stood on one leg on the rope.

He had performed various moves on the rope, but this one always elicited the loudest cheers.

Swoosh, swoosh—.

He increased the height with each bounce, feeling the rope's tension growing.

"Wow—."

The more dizzying and dangerous it seemed, the more the audience enjoyed it.

As Gunja's body reached the highest point and descended, his feet slipped off the sides of the rope.

"Whoa—!?!?"

The audience was startled, but this was also part of Gunja's plan.

This time, using his groin to support the rope, he jumped even higher.

Swoosh, swoosh—.

Using his groin to support the rope, higher and higher.

This was a move he had practiced countless times as a child. Therefore, he had no problem performing it.

However, Gunja had not considered his grown body compared to his younger self.

Swoosh—.

"...I."

The name of the philosopher Yulgok escaped Gunja's lips like a scream.

"Ugh, oh my..."

"Oh dear..."

Male spectators sighed in empathy, while female spectators covered their mouths with their hands.

"No!"

"Gunja, don't do that!"

The first major crisis since stepping onto the rope. The pain that came late began to slowly affect Gunja's lower abdomen.