By Zephyria “Six Tigers, I missed you!”
“Kyaak, Six Tigers fighting!”
Cheers erupted within the concert hall. The fans’ gazes were fixed on the new member.
“Wow, I guess that’s the new member.”
“So cute. Their height is just average, but their face is nice.”
“No joke. Look at their aegyo.”
The reactions surrounding Yumin were fervent. Unlike the other members, Yumin, with his average height and pretty features, had a definite presence.
“Who are we, Six Tigers! I’m the newbie tiger, gotta get it, whoa!”
His singing skills, honed day and night, weren’t bad either. In fact, some even commented that the melodious vocals blended harmoniously among the growling members.
“I like him.”
“Me too! Go Yumin fighting!”
Overall, the fans were welcoming towards Yumin. Yumin was so happy he practically bounced. The cheers of fans, whom he was meeting for the first time, puffed up his chest.
Yumin was so excited he couldn’t see straight. That’s why he didn’t notice Tae-jun staring at him suspiciously for a while now.
‘Wait a minute. What is this smell I’ve been sensing since earlier?’
Tae-jun had a very keen sense of smell. Like most Beastmen, he was particularly sensitive to the scent of other species. But Yumin, who should have been exuding sweat or perfume, had a strange smell about him.
It was… insignificant, somehow. Like someone who would be swallowed whole with no resistance, just falling into one’s mouth. The scent of a weak being, one who would shed tears and beg, “Mighty Tiger, please save me.” To put it more simply, it smelled like a pushover.
‘Why is that? Yumin is clearly a Tiger Beastman too. Even with the difference in physique, could it really be this pathetic?’
Tae-jun fell into deep thought. Beastmen were originally ranked by their power hierarchy. Thus, they could instinctively recognize weaker beings. Their survival depended on their perceptiveness, so they rarely made mistakes. The aura Tae-jun sensed now was too weak to be that of a tiger.
‘Is he not a tiger?’
His deduction led to a hypothesis. It was a plausible scenario if he was pretending to be a tiger when he wasn’t one at all. Looking back, Yumin had other suspicious points besides his scent.
He wasn’t from a Tiger Beastman enclave, nor did he properly reveal his hometown. He hadn’t attended a school frequented by Tiger Beastmen either. He’d apparently been homeschooled, which meant he didn’t seem to have any tiger acquaintances.
‘This is strange. I need to keep watching him.’
Tae-jun decided to keep his mouth shut. If the new member had disqualifying flaws, the team, which had barely found stability, would falter. It seemed better to discreetly investigate Yumin’s identity rather than acting rashly. However, his patience would only last until he found conclusive evidence.
If it turned out he had dared to deceive tigers and snatched the new member spot, there would be no mercy. He should consider himself lucky if he wasn’t torn to shreds.
‘I heard there were those who auditioned in disguise.’
The manager had told him a story. There were other species vying for Six Tigers’ new member spot, and a few had been caught. They were utterly fearless. How dare they barge into the den of tigers, stronger than any other carnivore? They were practically begging for death, so it was fine to trample them mercilessly.
‘Go Yumin, you have guts, but… you’ve been marked by me.’
Unaware of any of this, Yumin sang through the encore, soaring across the stage. It was a perfect debut.
News of Six Tigers’ continued strength, along with the fact that Yumin was a decent member, spread far and wide. Yumin’s name ranked high on SNS trending searches, and posts showing interest in Yumin flooded various communities.
“Wow! I guess I’m popular. This is so exciting.”
Despite the insanely busy schedule, Yumin’s reaction was simply one of happiness. Tae-jun asked him, who claimed he was too happy to feel tired from the joy of his debut.
“Go Yumin, you like it that much?”
“Uh-huh! I love it!”
“…You must have really wanted to debut.”
Tae-jun smiled faintly, and Yumin’s heart skipped a beat.
‘His looks are dangerously attractive. He’s too handsome. Just looking at him makes my head spin.’
He had achieved his dream of a happy debut, and handsome Tae-jun was by his side. Yumin had nothing to envy.
‘I can’t hold back any longer. I need to get intimate with Tae-jun quickly.’
Yumin had been hinting that he could have sex with Tae-jun anytime he wanted. But the fact that nothing had happened even while sharing a room with Tae-jun made him feel a sense of crisis. Desire alone wouldn’t lead to success, so he needed to use his head. The problem was how to seduce Tae-jun.
Yumin possessed a strong beastly libido. It was characteristic of wildcat beastmen to have sex with a mating partner once they found one.
There were broadly two mating strategies. The first was to gradually build intimacy with the sexual partner and break down their defenses. The other was to boldly advance. Given Yumin’s personality, the latter suited him better. It was because he found it difficult to control his overflowing libido.
‘Haa.’
Even at this moment, Yumin was secretly swallowing his saliva while looking at Tae-jun’s well-developed glutes and thigh muscles.
‘Ah, I’m going crazy. Look at that thick waist. And his arms?’
Tae-jun was strengthening his arm muscles by lifting a barbell. Yumin couldn’t tear his eyes away from the impressive musculature that stood out in the vast gym.
‘He looks so strong. He could crush me if he hugged me once. I love it.’
Yumin wiped away saliva that had escaped his lips without him realizing and scanned Tae-jun’s back.
“One, two. One, two.”
Tae-jun squatted, making his thigh muscles bulge, performing squats. With every movement, his abs and waist tightened, exuding a wild charm.
There was only one reason the members were sweating it out in the gym from early morning. It was the upcoming Idol Sports Competition. The
Beastman idols, with their superior physical abilities compared to human idols, were automatically selected for the Idol Sports Competition upon their debut. Yumin had also greatly admired the Beastman idols participating in the Idol Sports Competition during his trainee days. Now, right after his debut, the timing was perfect for him to participate in the filming. It was incredibly happy and… intriguing news.
“Haa…”
“Go Yumin, what are you muttering about? You’re not even exercising.”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I was just thinking how good you are, Tae-jun.”
“I have to be good. Six Tigers will win the sports competition this year. We need to sweep the short-distance running, relays, archery, and obstacle course.”
“Right. I’ll contribute too.”
The list of participants hadn’t been submitted to the broadcasting station yet. Realizing this, Tae-jun asked.
“By the way, Yumin, are you good at running?”
“Me? I’m pretty good.”
“Good enough to compete?”
“Of course. I’m confident! Let me participate.”
In truth, Yumin wasn’t incredibly fast at running. His speed was decent for a wildcat, but it couldn’t compare to the instantaneous speed of tigers. If he participated in the sports competition, his lacking running skills would naturally be exposed.
He worried about what to do, but he figured he could just say he wasn’t feeling well. Since Yumin’s priority was to participate as a competitor, he readily spun a lie.
“I used to work out a lot in my neighborhood. I’m good at soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis.”
“You, is that true?”
“Why would I lie?”
“Hmm… Then let’s have you run the short-distance race. Can you do it?”
“Absolutely! I’m so excited!”
Fortunately, Tae-jun seemed to fall for it.
Yumin began special training in preparation for the Idol Physique Competition.
To hide his less developed muscles compared to the other members, he bought special padded underwear. However, the delivery didn’t arrive until the competition was just around the corner. Anxious, Yumin called the seller repeatedly, urging them to ship it.
“Ship it immediately. If you don’t want to see me go crazy!”
After much fuss, the package arrived the day before the competition. Yumin secretly put on the underwear and then his team uniform over it. It was a t-shirt with a roaring tiger face emblazoned on it.
“Oh, Yumin, you have a better physique than I thought.”
“You’re a tiger too, after all. I thought you were skinny, but you’re not.”
The members marveled, wondering if Yumin had always had such a body. The padded underwear had flawlessly created firm chest muscles and abs. It looked incredibly natural. Yumin felt relieved and pleased inwardly. He thought today might be the day he would finally get intimate with Tae-jun.
He would captivate Tae-jun with his fantastic physique and impressive athletic skills. Tonight would be a scorching hot night.
Yumin burned with unfounded confidence.
The indoor gymnasium was filled with the heat generated by about 10,000 fans. Six Tigers, like other idol teams, had invited about 100 fans to the stands. A running track was set up on the first floor, and fans sat packed from the second floor upwards. Everyone was confident that the well-built Six Tigers would win.
“Kyaa! Six Tigers fighting!”
“Guys, don’t get hurt!”
The Idol Sports Competition also featured cheering battles between each fandom as another spectacle. Seeing the fans dancing with pom-poms like cheerleaders made Yumin smile. He thought he had made the right decision becoming an idol.
“Yumin-ah, Go Yumin! Today you’re not a roaring tiger, but a cat. So cute!”
“Haha. Me, a cat? No way. I’m a predator.”
“Even when you’re serious, you’re cute!”
The fans teased Yumin, recording reaction videos. Some fans were live-streaming the broadcast of Tae-jun’s beastly physique. The fans watched Six Tigers without a moment’s rest.
In fact, it wasn’t just the fans. Other idols sitting on the floor of the gymnasium were doing the same.
“Wow… As expected, Six Tigers.”
“Beom Tae-jun in person is insane. His back is so wide.”
“He’s truly sexy.”
Tae-jun was rumored in the industry to be quite good-looking in person. His physique, living up to his reputation, made everyone’s mouths water. Yumin, sensing the admiring gazes directed at Tae-jun, felt displeased.
“Hmph! Who do you think you are, looking at our Tae-jun like that?”
Despite being the one looking at Tae-jun the most intently, Yumin was shameless.
“Tae-jun-ah. Let’s practice.”
“Sure. Let’s warm up.”
Yumin and Tae-jun were both participating in the short-distance race. Under the guise of preparing for the preliminary rounds, Yumin requested couple’s stretching.
“Okay, grab my shoulders tightly and press down. That’s it! Press down hard until my back arches like a bow…!”
“That’s too extreme a movement, you might get hurt.”
“Wow, Tae-jun, are you worried about me? I’m fine, so press harder.”
Under the pretense of stretching, Yumin enjoyed the physical contact with Tae-jun. Every time his firm fingertips pressed his scapula, he felt extreme ecstasy.
“Doesn’t it tickle?”
“No, I love it. Do more there…!”
Yumin even had Tae-jun caress his back. Tae-jun thought Yumin was no ordinary person.
‘Go Yumin is definitely not a Tiger Beastman. I’ve been watching him closely, but every time, I get the feeling he’s not a tiger. If that’s the case, he’s brazenly deceiving me, and he’s quite something.’
Tae-jun suspected Yumin’s seemingly good physique today wasn’t real. With his sharp eyes, Tae-jun examined what made Yumin appear so muscular. He suspected he might be wearing padded underwear. After all, a tiger couldn’t be this slim. Yumin had nicely defined lean muscles, but his basic bone structure wasn’t large. His slender legs almost made him look like a herbivore.
‘His calves are very firm yet straight. He doesn’t seem like an animal that can’t run… but he’s not as sturdy as a tiger.’
From their practice earlier, Yumin seemed naturally agile and quick. He lacked the explosive power of a tiger, but his running style suggested he would be good at escaping. So, what was Yumin in conclusion? Perhaps he was one of the felines, like a caracal or a leopard.
“He could be a cheetah…”
“Tae-jun-ah! Let’s go.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Tae-jun’s gaze lingered on Yumin’s entire body without him realizing it. His eyes stayed on the rising gluteal muscles and firm thighs. Observing Yumin had become a habit.
“On your marks, runners. Ready!”
Standing on the track, Yumin and Tae-jun shot off the moment the gun fired. The audience screamed in surprise.
“Look at Beom Tae-jun. Just like a tiger. He’s running unfairly well.”
“Right. The gap between him and second place is considerable.”
Tae-jun was clearly in overwhelming first place. His speed, so fast his legs were a blur, was that of a beast itself. Second place was Yumin. His leaping ability, superior to human idols, gave him an advantage in the early part of the race.
“Go Yumin! Go Yumin!”
“Yumin fighting!”
The fans also went wild for Yumin’s unexpectedly strong performance. Yumin, who had been running steadily, faltered at the 40-meter mark. Because he had exerted too much force and flailed his limbs, the padded underwear had shifted. His chest became lopsided, creating an unsightly appearance.
“Oops, my chest!”
Yumin gasped and clutched his chest. While his running performance was good, he didn’t want to appear on TV with uneven breasts. It would be embarrassing for Tae-jun too. This distraction caused him to lose focus. While trying to adjust his chest, Yumin stumbled.
“Ugh!”
His upper and lower body balance thrown off, Yumin tumbled forward.
“What do we do, Go Yumin!”
“Yumin-ah!”
Thump, roll, roll. Yumin sprawled on the ground like a rolling acorn.
“Huff. Is he hurt? Yumin-ah!”
“Yumin-ah, are you okay?”
Concerned voices from the fans echoed. Tae-jun was just meters away from the finish line at that moment. With only a few meters left, he stopped.
“Go Yumin!”
“Tae, Tae-jun-ah…”
Tae-jun turned back. He ran without hesitation towards Yumin, who was clutching his ankle, looking lost.
“Tae-jun-ah. You didn’t cross the finish line…!”
“You looked like you were badly hurt.”
Tae-jun scooped up the tearful Yumin in his arms. The stadium erupted in cheers from the fans.
“Uwaaak! Tae-jun picked up Yumin!”
“The two of them look so good together!”
Even the announcer marveled at Six Tigers’ touching camaraderie. The fans, moved by the display of friendship, added an RPS-like perspective to enjoy the situation.
“Kyaa! This is the best!”
“More amazing than winning!”
Although he didn’t cross the finish line, Tae-jun was unmatched in terms of buzz. The news that Tae-jun had not finished the race because he was worried about his injured member spread like wildfire through SNS. Tae-jun’s image improved even further. Yumin’s excitement was beyond words.
‘Could Tae-jun like me too?’
Carried on Tae-jun’s back as he was escorted out, Yumin indulged in sweet fantasies. No matter how he thought about it, Tae-jun must have been completely smitten by his sexy charm.
‘I’m definitely going to get intimate tonight. I wonder if I can do it with my body hurting? My ankle just hurts, so it should be fine.’
Yumin grinned to himself, lost in his own delusions.