Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 244

I was swamped with preparing for our comeback, and I really didn’t have time for this, but despite telling them multiple times that I was fine, they insisted.

The company decided that it was high time for a proper check-up and dragged me to the hospital along with Seo Moon-gyeol, who had previously been flagged as a high-risk case by the doctor.

It wasn’t just because of what happened today.

The other members regularly visited the hospital to check the condition of body parts that are easily injured while dancing, such as their backs or knees.

I had always put it off, saying I was fine, but that led to me having to squeeze in a hospital visit amidst the busy pre-comeback schedule.

‘It’s really fine, though.’

In fact, there had been times when my body hurt.

My ankle, my back.

But since the pain was tolerable, I just ignored it.

Moreover, that was before I gained the Grace skill.

To exaggerate a little, thanks to showering in Grace whenever I had time, I was now genuinely healthy and perfectly fine, albeit with a slightly frail constitution and somewhat weak physical endurance.

Well… The company didn’t know about this, so to their eyes, I probably still seemed as fragile as glass, ready to shatter at any moment.

Even though I understood their worry, it was excessive. I barely managed to convince them to settle for just an X-ray instead of an MRI from the start.

I hoped that if the X-ray results and the doctor’s opinion were good as I expected, it would ease their concerns in the future.

The doctor, who had been staring at the monitor displaying the test results for a while, finally turned to me with an inscrutable expression and asked,

“Have you had any pain in your back or knees recently? Joints, perhaps. I remember saying there were no issues when I last saw you.”

“No, I’m fine now.”

“When did you start dancing?”

“Um, probably… since I was in elementary school.”

According to the letter left by that kid, he started dancing at a dance academy near his house, following his brother, before auditioning for True Entertainment during elementary school.

He honed his dance skills there and, with his dazzling looks, landed in True Entertainment’s global audition of all places.

“How many hours do you practice dancing each day lately?”

“It varies depending on whether I have a schedule, but I practice for at least three or four hours a day, no matter what.”

“Hmm…”

The doctor’s expression became even harder to read as he looked back at the monitor on his desk.

‘This guy probably has the 《Poker Face (Advanced)》 skill.’

Even though I knew I was okay thanks to Grace, seeing a professional with medical knowledge create such an atmosphere made me nervous.

“Uh… Doctor, how is Raon?”

Gwak Sang-hyun, who was standing behind me, was more anxious than I was.

“Is his condition serious enough that he shouldn’t be dancing?”

The doctor’s silence felt like a foreboding sign to Gwak Sang-hyun.

Seo Moon-gyeol, who had been sitting next to me and listening to Gwak Sang-hyun, also looked more worried.

Why was this doctor taking so long to say he was fine, making everyone anxious?

“He’s just a bit frail, like paper, but he never complained of any specific pain, so we thought he was okay. It’s not just talk; he rarely even uses things like pain relief patches…”

Gwak Sang-hyun then turned to Seo Moon-gyeol.

“Gyeol, he never said he was in pain during practice or performances, right?”

Seo Moon-gyeol nodded.

“Yes. He often said he was exhausted, but he never said he was in pain.”

Coming from Seo Moon-gyeol, even a common expression like “I’m exhausted” or “I’m dead tired,” which everyone says at least once a day, sounded like a serious illness.

“I know my stamina isn’t great, but I’m not just any paper; I’m more like a slightly toughened paper… like traditional Korean hanji. It’s tough, doesn’t tear easily, and lasts long.”

For some reason, the nurse standing by the door let out a chuckle but quickly composed herself.

She seemed like she was on the same wavelength as me, and I wanted to recommend subscribing to our YouTube channel, but it wasn’t the right atmosphere for that.

Then, the doctor finally spoke.

“It’s not the issue you’re worried about, Manager.”

Gwak Sang-hyun and Seo Moon-gyeol visibly relaxed at the clear conclusion.

I, too, felt a slight relief wash away my remaining worries.

“I can confirm that the issue you’re concerned about is not a problem at all.”

I glanced at Gwak Sang-hyun and Seo Moon-gyeol as if to say, “See, I told you so.”

However, the doctor wasn’t done yet.

“But this is only for the present moment.”

“!”

“Today, we only did X-rays and simple tests, but from what I see, Raon’s joint range of motion is much wider than average. This is called hypermobility syndrome…”

The doctor explained that my exceptional flexibility was due to this syndrome.

Gwak Sang-hyun, who had briefly brightened upon hearing there were no issues, looked anxious again and cautiously asked,

“If it’s a syndrome, does that mean there’s something wrong?”

### “Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer” Chapter 244

“It’s not a normal condition, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing either.”

“Yes.”

“The joints that Raon has could be considered a chosen trait for a dancer. Simply put, it means he can perform difficult and strenuous movements more easily and beautifully than others.”

Curious, I looked it up later and found that in the dance world, especially in ballet, such physical conditions were often considered a blessing.

So even though I used Grace multiple times, my joints hadn’t reverted to a normal state?

Was it because this was treated as a characteristic rather than an ailment?

Thank goodness.

I almost lost something valuable.

“But medically speaking, this isn’t entirely a good thing either.”

The doctor explained that because my ligaments were weak and loose, I was more prone to injuries, had a higher chance of getting severely hurt, and would find it harder to recover. Plus, I was more likely to get fatigued easily compared to others.

There were times during practice when I felt an “uh-oh” moment, but I quickly patched it up with Grace, so I was lucky in that sense.

“So, does this mean he should avoid dancing altogether?”

“Practically, that’s not possible. And there are more people with similar physical traits than you might think. For instance, Gyeol also has a slight tendency towards this.”

“Gyeol too?”

Gwak Sang-hyun asked, sounding as if he had heard some shocking news.

“Yes. It’s just not as pronounced as Raon’s, and it’s sufficiently compensated by his own muscles, which is why I didn’t mention it last time.”

“Oh…”

“In the long run, idol activities are not going to have a positive effect on the body. Choreographies these days have become quite intense. As you continue to use your body in such a strenuous way repeatedly, the risk of injury will increase. This applies not only to Raon but to all idols.”

“So, for someone as flexible as Raon, his muscles need to support him, but it’s hard to say that he has enough muscle just by looking at him…”

That’s unfair.

I’ve been steadily increasing my strength stats with a diligent attitude, even if it didn’t show in my appearance.

“What’s unusual is that he claims he has never been in pain before…”

The doctor’s skeptical eyes turned to me, and I quickly emphasized my half-hearted innocence, “Really, I’ve never been in pain.”

“He says so himself, and although an MRI would give a clearer picture, not experiencing pain suggests that the damage hasn’t progressed to a serious level yet.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It could be that he’s been dancing efficiently, or he’s been careful not to overuse his flexible joints. But considering he almost got injured today doing acrobatics, it seems he’s not that cautious.”

“You’re right, doctor.”

“I deeply regret what happened today…”

The doctor, finding me cute as I hung my head, silently chuckled and said,

“Alright. For today, there’s nothing wrong. However, if you experience any pain in the future, don’t delay and come immediately.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“It might be a good idea to get an MRI at least once, though it seems you’re busy these days?”

“Yes, it’s difficult to clear my schedule for the time being…”

“Then, maybe you could do it after the Chuseok holiday.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Sure. You need to take care of your body because once it gets damaged, it’s easier to get hurt again in the same spot.”

The doctor gave me a few pieces of advice.

First, I needed to avoid excessive practice since it would require more strength than for others.

I thought I could cover this with Grace, so it wasn’t too much of a concern.

He also advised me to keep up with strength training diligently.

I’ll try my best with this one…

He also suggested practicing with my eyes closed occasionally, as it could help develop balance and proprioceptive sense.

Proprioception, simply put, is the ability to sense the position and movement of your body without looking at it.

Improving this sense would allow me to move my body just enough without exerting unnecessary force, thus reducing the risk of injury.

Besides, being able to control my body better through such training seemed like a sufficiently appealing benefit.

“I think that covers everything about Raon.”

“Thank you.”

Click. The doctor clicked the mouse to open another window on the monitor.

Knowing it was his turn, Seo Moon-gyeol straightened his posture and asked me,

“Do you want to wait outside?”

It was more a suggestion than a question, as if he was asking me to step out.

Knowing that Seo Moon-gyeol preferred me to do so, I couldn’t refuse.

“Hyung, I’m thirsty, so I’ll wait outside.”

“Oh, will you?”

“Yes.”

Feeling an inexplicable sadness, I stood up. As I walked out, I heard the doctor’s explanation begin.

“As I mentioned last time, at this point, we need to be more cautious with Gyeol. If you look here, his knee is…”

Click. The door closed behind me.