EPISODE 21

- Is this where I lay down today… ㅇ< - <

- Baekya, Yuyeon, and a chick… sobs… sob sob…

- Siyun-nim, can't you give out the chick instead of fried chicken? ㅠㅠ

- So cute ㅋㅋㅋ Why is Siyun so excited like that?

The chat window was flooded with dozens of comments per second. The writers, who were checking real-time reactions, were unusually delighted. It was a pleasant start to the first broadcast of the new year.

[Baekya: Answer! A plushie!]

[Siyun: You must guess what kind of plushie it is. Now, 15 seconds have passed.]

[Yuyeon: Answer! A teddy bear?]

[Siyun: A teddy bear! That's wrong~]

Siyun was amused as he looked at the stopwatch rapidly counting down.

On the other hand, Yuyeon and Baekya became more nervous as time went by.

After the teddy bear, they kept continuing with wrong answers such as puppy, rabbit, and cat.

Even the members who were initially rooting for the two were now amused by them, especially Minsung and Jihan, who had already won the game.

[Yuyeon: Uwaah. Just what is it?]

[Baekya: Yaah…! Stick to it properly!]

As Yuyeon tilted his head in the opposite direction, the chick plushie fell off. Startled, Baekya pressed his face, nuzzling into Yuyeon's face while telling him off.

- Kyaaah!!! The Maltese took a feel ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

- I wish I were born as a chick plushie…

- I want to die nuzzling those dimples ㅠ

- I don't need to eat chicken so please keep showing me this ㅜㅜ

- 1 minute is too short sob sob (tears)

In the end, the time limit was exceeded.

As Siyun shouted 'Fail', Yuyeon and Baekya took off their blindfolds. What caught their eyes was a yellow chick plushie.

Chirp chirp.

[Baekya: A chick…]

[Yuyeon: Ah…]

[Siyun: Both of you wait for the punishment over there for a moment. The last team with Yulmu and Chung will take the challenge.]

The third challenge followed. Likewise, Yulmu and Chung, wearing rabbit blindfolds, stood side by side, and the last item appeared between their faces. The third object was an A4 paper.

The mischievous Siyun raised his thumb towards the camera as if saying 'I did well, right?' His face seemed to ask for praise as he looked at the camera lens.

[Siyun: This item is quite small. You need to bring your faces closer.]

Yulmu and Chung responded loudly to Siyun's words.

The stopwatch was pressed immediately, and the thin sheet of A4 paper was pushed between their faces. Yulmu and Chung, who were clueless, brought their faces close, but no matter how close they got, they couldn't feel the item.

[Yulmu: Is it really there?]

[Siyun: Yes. You need to move a little closer.]

Upon hearing that, Chung thrust his face even closer. With a fluttering sound, their faces were now just 0.1 millimeters apart. The chat window, as well as the studio, became chaotic. However, that moment was truly fleeting.

[Chung: Chung! Paper?]

[Yulmu: A4 paper!]

[Siyun: Correct! DASE gains five additional coupons.]

It was thanks to the fact that the moment their faces touched, the paper fluttered, making quite a loud sound. Yulmu and Chung, after taking off their blindfolds, gave each other a high-five and raised their thumbs toward each other.

However, there were two people who couldn't be happy. Yuyeon and Baekya, who couldn't get the fried chicken, had to look at the other four with their lips tightly closed, their eyes full of envy.

[Siyun: With this, you have obtained a total of ten coupons. Yuyeon-Baekya team, who were the only ones to fail, it's time for the punishment~]

Though he expressed sympathy with his words, Siyun was enjoying this more than anyone else.

The two people froze at the mention of the punishment. Siyun told them that there was nothing to be nervous about and that the punishment is simpler than they think.

[Siyun: It's simple! Sexy dance and aegyo! You can choose which one to perform, but you are both not allowed to choose the same one. So, the person who chooses first has the advantage, right?]

With the punishment revealed, all the members except for Yuyeon and Baekya were excited.

[Yulmu: Puhah!]

Among them, Yulmu expressed it the loudest.

'Oh, my god.'

Baekya's pupils shook uncontrollably. On the other hand, Yuyeon looked relieved when the punishment was confirmed.

With the two people's stark differences in reactions, the anticipation for the punishment grew stronger.

[Yuyeon: I will go for the sexy dance.]

He asked if they would choose the song for him and specifically requested a very sultry song.

He got up from his seat and walked to a relatively spacious area, waiting for the music. Siyun, who was excited, said that this was exactly what you would expect from a rookie's spirit and created an enthusiastic atmosphere.

Then, the requested sultry instrumentals started playing.

- Insanely crazy hot sexy dynamite…

- Oh, Lord… I'm done for…

- Mom, he's seducing me ㅠㅠㅠ Look at his expression, he must be crazy! ㅠㅠ

- I thought this friend with the dimples was pure, but there's a whole different wicked side to him... I love it^^

The reactions were fervent.

Chung and Yulmu whistled, while Minsung and Siyun cheered enthusiastically. The only one who couldn't smile was Baekya.

[Baekya: Isn't that too lewd?]

The main dancer carrying out this childish punishment seemed fitting. Watching it, Baekya grew more nervous.

'Then, do I have to do aegyo?'

Now, the only option left was aegyo. As the music was ending, Baekya tightly closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

He was hypnotizing himself.

'I am cute. I am adorable. I will be cute.'

The music ended before he knew it. Baekya's turn approached.

[Siyun: Then, Baekya-ssi, are you ready?]

[Baekya: …Yes!]

There was an uproar over his clenched fists as the chat window was filled with responses, praising that he was already being cute.

[Siyun: You can start whenever you're ready.]

[Baekya: One, two, three…]

However, the demands of being a rookie were high. Minsung volunteered to count as he saw the desperate look in Baekya's eyes.

[Minsung: I can do it. Ready?]

With his lips tightly clammed up, Baekya finally nodded with a determined face.

[Minsung: One, two, three!]

[Baekya: Aang!]

It was the so-called 'biting heart'.

He brought both hands together, forming a circle with his thumbs and index fingers, then opened his mouth, biting into the air with the 'Aang' sound. The point was to make the hand shape look like a heart along with the bite.

The studio fell silent, and even the chat stopped momentarily.

'I messed up.'

Baekya, with his hand still shaped like a heart, closed his eyes.

Usually, even if it was just a pretense, people would respond with some encouragement for the passable effort, but this time it was too quiet.

Baekya unknowingly pouted his lips. His face flushed like it would explode at any moment.

However, the reaction he had anticipated came a bit delayed. Outside the studio, along with the screams of the writers, the response finally exploded.

[Siyun: Oh my god… Isn't that too cute?]

[Jihan: He's got the talent for this.]

[Yulmu: Did you all see that?! This is our DASE's official mascot's ultimate move!]

[Yuyeon: If I chose aegyo, I would have been in big trouble…]

[Minsung: From now on, Baekya can do aegyo for us.]

[Chung: Baekya is adorable!]

The creative aegyo garnered an explosive response. This was a move that became a hot topic when Baekya was still serving in the army before being synchronized with the game, and it was first performed by a girl group member.

Furthermore, it would be established as an essential aegyo move that idols must do at least once, but right now it was slightly ahead of its time.

Therefore, Baekya became the founder of the 'biting heart' aegyo.

- Aaaaah!!!! Seriously, how can there be something like that?!?!!

- Aaaaahdsjsdfah

- Our soft peach turned out to be a fox all along…

- Wow… a genius… he's a genius…

After that, Baekya was let go only after he did the biting heart three more times. It felt like he would die of shame, but at least he got something out of it.

[Q. I will succeed! (2): 3 Aegyo achieved!

▷Personal Talent: 1/5

▷Aegyo: 4/5

▷Cuteness: 0/5

※ Remaining time: 25 days]

DASE members successfully completed their first radio broadcast, generating a huge number of GIFs of themselves.

* * *

However, the biting heart Baekya fired out was just the beginning…

An interview in the waiting room of a music program. It was a segment introducing a rookie group that had just debuted.

"For your day! Hello, we are DASE!"

DASE's team chant was full of energy. The MCs welcomed the members with delight.

"I heard that today is the 10th day since your debut. Please tell us how you felt about your debut and give a greeting to your fans."

Jihan, standing close to the MCs, was the first to hold the microphone.

"Yes, we are really nervous and excited. We diligently prepared for the long-awaited debut. I hope you can enjoy watching us."

The MC continued with more questions. When asked about the meaning of the group name 'DASE', this time Minsung took the microphone.

"Our group name DASE is a combination of 'Day', representing everyday life, and 'Serendipity', meaning unexpected joy. It conveys the meaning of luck that suddenly appeared one day."

Rigid shoulders and memorized pauses gave away their rookie freshness. It was a response filled with the charm of newcomers. Then, the introduction of their song was done by Yulmu, and the choreography's dance point was demonstrated briefly by Yuyeon and Chung.

Finally, the MC mentioned their debut stage at Imjingak. They mentioned that DASE was always at the center of attention these days, looking at one person in particular.

Naturally, the protagonist was Baekya.

"You are the one who created the so-called 'biting heart' gesture, right? Baekya-ssi, may I ask you to introduce the next song with this move?"

Haha. It wasn't like he could refuse.

Baekya mustered all his strength to lift the corners of his mouth. He had to smile no matter what.

"Yes. The powerful group dance idols, BB9, and NICE, who came back with a winter song, are getting ready. Before that, let's meet Violet's stage full of violet fragrance! (Aang!)"

The scene of Baekya, who did the biting heart move, and the members holding back their laughter as they watched him, were captured on the screen.

The skill was running wild.