Chapter 107
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107
"Hey, you..."
He really was a man of extremes. I was shocked once by his S- in Dance, and shocked again by his E- in Acting.
I didn't even know an E- stat existed in this world.
Ding!
[He’s so extreme! It’s a Binary Choice, Kim Seong-hyeon-hyeon, Kim Seong-hyeon-hyeon~]
Even the system window was mocking Kim Seong-hyeon.
"Our Bangbang-i is really bad at acting, huh?"
"Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?"
Kim Seong-hyeon grumbled. This guy would be caught immediately if he ever tried to lie. I decided to compare his stats with mine.
[Singing: A0
Dancing: B+
Variety: A-
Acting: B+
???: ???
Charm: A-]
Overall, my stats had risen, but thinking back to the stats I saw for Ju Woo-seong, I still had a long way to go. Besides, there was a literal invisible wall between B and S ranks.
'Damn it.'
Deciding it was better to practice than to be compared to an S-rank, I sprang to my feet. Just thinking about a Nutube title like [Seo Ho-yun Dragging Down His Own Members] gave me the chills and a sudden burst of energy.
"What do I do here?"
"Pop your pelvis once, reach out your hand, and come up in a wave. Easy, right?"
"That’s like saying 'studying was the easiest thing in the world.'"
"The movement is easy too. Want me to show you?"
The choreography performed by someone with an S- Dance stat definitely had a different level of power. Watching him, I quietly shut my mouth and memorized the moves.
Fine...
I'll shut up...
'To think Daepasung made a guy like this do Mang-Mang-Mang... I actually respect them now.'
I struggled for a long while to keep up with Kim Seong-hyeon before finally collapsing as my stamina hit rock bottom. Kim Seong-hyeon, seemingly a tiny bit satisfied by now, plopped down beside me.
September was passing, but the weather was still sweltering.
"Tell them to turn on the AC..."
"It's broken."
"What? If we've made them some money, shouldn't they fix the facilities promptly?"
"They did fix it, but Jeong Da-jun broke it again yesterday while he was jumping around."
"...That brat, seriously."
As I lay there cooling off with a mini fan, Kim Seong-hyeon suddenly spoke up.
"But you, your dancing has really improved a lot."
"You were just cursing at me earlier."
"I wasn't cursing. It's just... compared to the beginning, you've really improved."
Actually, I improved thanks to the power of cash. I wiped away my sweat and replied.
"Luck."
"..."
"Talent?"
"I'm certain it's not that."
Kim Seong-hyeon's face went flat. This guy... he's really too cold sometimes. As I started to turn my head away, he fanned me and said, "I can see how much you've practiced. You've been rotting in the practice room the moment filming ends."
"..."
That... was true. I was scheduled for a comeback right after my acting gig ended, so I couldn't just sit around doing nothing. Whenever I showed up at night, sucking on red ginseng with a hollow face, everyone would jump, asking if I was a ghost...
"You've improved because you practiced hard."
Kim Seong-hyeon hesitated slightly before continuing.
"...Did things get resolved well?"
Still lying down, I shifted my eyes to look at him.
'Is he talking about Min Ji-heon?'
Despite rolling and struggling in this entertainment industry—which could be infinitely filthy and exhausting—this guy still had a stubborn, upright side to him.
For instance, the way he threw a direct ball like this instead of beating around the bush.
Since he's bad at acting... I suppose being honest is better. I yawned and answered.
"Yeah."
Unlike Kim Seong-hyeon, I was quite good at acting.
"I settled it well."
In truth, nothing had been resolved, but I said it nonchalantly. Kim Seong-hyeon ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh.
"...Sigh. Is that what you use your acting skills for?"
"...!"
I was flustered internally, but I kept my poker face. Just because Kim Seong-hyeon couldn't act didn't mean he couldn't recognize when someone else was acting...
For the record, while he wasn't quite on the level of Kang Yi-chae (whose upbringing I truly wondered about), Kim Seong-hyeon was very quick-witted.
"I said I settled it."
I repeated it with a thick skin, but Kim Seong-hyeon's gaze pierced through me.
"I settled it. Really."
"..."
"Really... Ha, fine. Damn it. I get it."
I rubbed my face hard with both hands. It was still hot, and the dim lights of the practice room flickered.
"I didn't settle it. Nothing's been resolved, and it's annoying."
"Yeah."
"I heard something, but the more I dig, the less I know. It's frustrating and I don't understand it."
"...And?"
Right, that was the important part here. I stared blankly at the ceiling and muttered.
What else could I do?
"I have to keep going."
Kim Seong-hyeon just listened quietly. I turned my head slightly to look at him; he had a strange expression on his face.
"It won't affect the team, so don't worry."
"Okay."
"Now that you've heard it all, give me some advice or something."
"How can I give advice? I don't know anything."
"Then why did you even ask if you weren't going to help? What a waste of time."
Since there were no realistic solutions anyway.
When I looked at him mockingly, Kim Seong-hyeon suddenly shoved the mini fan right in front of my face. He had set it to the highest speed, so even though it was a mini fan, it made my eyes sting.
"Ack, just use your words...!"
"Ah, I just couldn't hold back."
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had become exceptionally brazen, smirked as I got annoyed.
"Seo Ho-yun."
"..."
"Just like you did for us, I'll help when I can. We'll all find a way together... so tell me anytime."
A hollow laugh escaped me. I snatched the fan from Kim Seong-hyeon's hand and let the artificial breeze hit my face for a long time.
"...There is one thing you can help with."
"...!"
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been speaking calmly until now, immediately turned his head.
"What is it?"
"Can we change our direction to ballads even now?"
"Nice try. Get up. Let's practice."
Damn it.
And so, I continued to practice until dawn, until my dark circles reached my chin. I practiced while taking turns cursing out that madman Ju Woo-seong and that jerk Kim Seong-hyeon.
'I should have done ballads with Seong Ji-won... I should have just accepted the flowers when he gave them to me...'
Why was there not a single person in this group who took things easy?
* * *
"Crazy, crazy! It's up!"
An office worker, who had returned home with a face worn out from dealing with bosses and clients, screamed while looking at Nutube. The only reason she could endure the trashy Mondays was thanks to The Dawn's content videos.
"My cute weirdos..."
The fan, who had initially tried to deny it during The Dawn's Second Chance teaser but eventually fell down the rabbit hole, opened Nutube with a satisfied smile. She composed herself with a holy and solemn heart, turned on her data, and watched.
"Whoa... Episode 2 is 60 minutes long. So generous..."
She was the type of fan who would skip through even a one-hour drama because it felt too long, but she focused on every single frame of The Dawn's 60-minute video. This second episode was even more hilarious than the first.
[Seo Ho-yun, why can't you get this right? Were you even listening to me earlier?]
[I understood you, Teacher.]
[You understood, but you look like that?]
The contrast between Seo Ho-yun, who was looking increasingly haggard, and Kim Seong-hyeon, who was getting more energetic, was stark. Furthermore, the captions were still brazenly sticking to the dating show concept.
[The two getting closer by the day...]
[But at this moment, a glitch in the love line?]
The captions were a masterpiece of trolling.
[Hey, stop nagging me. If it was going to be like this, I would've teamed up with Seong Ji-won.]
[What are you talking about? Don't you know Seong Ji-won's nickname? It's 'Let's Practice Guys', okay??]
[So what? At least it's easier on the stamina over there... Not with you.]
After a heated argument, a brief silence followed. Kim Seong-hyeon brushed his hair back in annoyance, while Seo Ho-yun just crossed his arms with a mocking smirk.
[...You're just doing this because you don't want to do it, right?]
[Seong-hyeon... instead of looking for the cause outside, why don't you reflect on yourself?]
[Heh.]
As Seo Ho-yun spoke seriously, Kim Seong-hyeon snorted, and a caption appeared underneath.
[Main Dancer No. 1 begins to feel jealous... However, Sub-Vocal No. 1 rarely shows interest.]
It was a caption the members would have loathed if they saw it.
[- What is up with these captions lol]
[- Seriously, the captions are exactly like that old show, it's so annoying. Even the tiny cut-ins of the people's faces ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[- Seo Ho-yun is seriously a master of shifting blame.
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, damn, I'm literally crying right now.]
It was a conversation that could have been seen as a discord if handled poorly, but since it involved the "weirdo" Seo Ho-yun and The Dawn members who had been sublimated into "50% opacity weirdos," the Noeuls just watched with wide smiles.
The latter half of the video mostly featured Kang Yi-chae and Seong Ji-won, and the two had firmly established themselves as a comedic duo.
[Main Vocal No. 1... I'm really curious. Why on earth do you want to rap?]
[I thought rapping would be a good way to show a new charm to the Noeuls.]
[...Okay, okay~, I get the 'bringing in the Noeuls' part. That's fine, but why are you making me do a ballad??]
[Um... haha, well...]
Kang Yi-chae waited for Seong Ji-won's answer with a nervous expression.
[It's a bit embarrassing to do it alone.]
[...]
Next to a shyly smiling Seong Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae wore a rotten expression, and a skull icon popped up.
[(Meaning he doesn't want to die alone...)]
[- Is Seong Ji-won secretly Kang Yi-chae's dedicated hater?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Even that Kang Yi-chae is getting owned here ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
The variety show segment flowed by quickly, and just as the fans were feeling sad it was ending, a pinned comment with links to related videos appeared the moment they refreshed to check the comments.
They were links to each unit's cover video.
[The Dawn Sub-Vocal X Main Dancer 'Get Over' Cover]
"Wait, what?!"
It was already out. She hurriedly logged into her SNS on her phone while playing the video on her laptop.
In the video, clearly filmed in a studio with blue lighting, Kim Seong-hyeon and Seo Ho-yun stood back-to-back with their heads bowed. As soon as the music started, they began to move with sharp, powerful snaps.
[Get Get Get
Get over please.]
True to the nature of a song with intense dancing, a fast beat began to play from the start. The recorded voice was unmistakably Seo Ho-yun's.
[Baby, I'm being serious
Don't you really know why I'm like this?
We can't ever get over]
"Aaaack! Seo Ho-yun!! Is your vocal tone for real?!"
[- Ki-ki-ki-Kim Seong-hyeon in a white sleeveless top is insane. Look at those arm muscles. Look at those shoulders;;
└ Grandma, you're going to jail for that.
└ Let go, Kim Seong-hyeon seduced me first.]
[- Seo Ho-yun in a black T-shirt with his hair down is crazy. He looks so pure. Damn, this is paradise.]
Both were wearing sporty outfits that showed off their body lines more than expected, causing fans to scream. But as the video progressed, the chemistry between their dancing became more noticeable than those details.
[- Kim Seong-hyeon... did you make a deal with the devil? How did your dancing improve even more?
└ I think he made the deal on the variety show last time...
└ I mean, his screen time felt like 10 minutes, but he was amazing then too...]
[- Woo-Ho-Dal (Our Ho-yunie Has Changed)]
[- I seriously can't believe Seo Ho-yun was a Ttukttak-i at the very beginning of Second Chance.
└ Right? Even back then, he kind of got by with his face.
└└ Getting by with his face was a huge success. Honestly, I only realized he was a klutz after watching his fancam ten times... because I was only looking at his face...]
[- XX-dong's No. 1 Dance Instructor, Kim Seong-hyeon.
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ ??: Ho-yun, do you want to be an idol??]
[- Ho-yun Oppa,
You're really the worst.
You're prickly,
And now you're even good at dancing.
It's not like you're going to marry me,
But you smile like that
And you're even cute.
I'm totally sick of you.
What am I supposed to do?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Just then, as Kim Seong-hyeon clapped twice with perfect precision, the lighting and outfits changed.
[Repeat after me, You can’t get over me
You didn't say you hated it, I know what you want]
It was leather jackets and suits.
[- Hey ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Everyone was losing their minds.
[- This is insane.]
[- Hey, Seo Ho-yun is seriously making money the dirty way!!!!!!!! (A massive grin, damn it~!!)]
It was a desperate struggle by the (former) Ttukttak-i, who couldn't keep up with Ju Woo-seong, combined with the tips he had obtained by offering energy drinks to Lee Ji-hyeon.
[You already know, I can't get over you
Be honest, You know what I want]
[- You madmen.... Ah.... I wasn't interested in Black Call, but seeing Seo Ho-yun sing Get Over is driving me crazy. These arrogant lyrics typical of a big agency... It's so good when Seo Ho-yun sings them....]
[- Just give me your bank account number.]
[- A video that knows exactly what the fans want.... Voted No. 1 by Pearlbs.]
While everyone was excitedly fawning over them, the office worker fan was seriously observing the synchronization of their dance.
'Seo Ho-yun's dance lines have really improved, haven't they?'
Waves were a matter of talent, so there was still an awkward side to them, but because his dance lines felt different from Kim Seong-hyeon's, he was compared less.
Kim Seong-hyeon's dance lines were typical of power movements. With his overflowing stamina, his control of strength and weakness was perfectly sharp, as if he were possessed.
The video ended with Kim Seong-hyeon and Seo Ho-yun panting along with the three-minute song. The office worker fan gave a standing ovation.
"Hey! Give me the fancams now!"
She felt like grabbing Daepasung by the collar and shaking them, thinking that if there was a stage like this, having vertical fancams and face cams was a universal rule.
Then, as if they knew the fans' hearts, the additional description box that appeared when clicking the title stated that face cams and vertical fancams for each member would be uploaded soon.
"Yes, Daepasung honey, I believe in you."
She composed herself and played the next video.
[The Dawn Main Rapper Seong Ji-won X Main Vocal Kang Yi-chae (Something is weird) Ballad 'Time of You and Me' Cover]
Originally a song by a mixed duet, the lyrics were about love. But this was a "try not to laugh" video.
[It. Is. Time. For. You. And. Me. To. Love.]
[Love... pfft, kgh... It's time to love...]
"Ah, Ji-won, please!"
SNS was already flooded with fans' laughter.
[- Hey, why can't Kang Yi-chae hold back his laughter?]
[- Yi-chae sings pretty well ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But he can't stop laughing, so he keeps snorting ㅋㅋㅋ
└ Is Kang Yi-chae a teakettle?
└└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[- Wow, Seong Ji-won is really consistent.]
└ I'm actually scared.]
[- G1's staccato is incredible.
└ You. And. Me. Come. Down. Now. Baby. I'm. In. Front. Of. Your. House.
└└ Almost on the level of Seo Ho-yun's aegyo.
└└ Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[- Kang Yi-chae has given up and is practically crying now.]
The more fans love them, the more they want to tease them.
[- Am I the only one who thinks Seong Ji-won is cool? It's so cool how hard he works at something he's not good at.
└ Exactly, that's what I'm saying. Ha, can someone teach me how not to love this man?
└└ When you're in love... everything looks good, I guess...]
The video of the two, who stubbornly sang until the end, received a great response—not musically, but comedically.
And finally, when the indie band cover video by Kang Yi-chae and Jeong Da-jun came out, everyone's jaws dropped.
[The Dawn Main Rapper X Sub-Dancer Rock Ballad 'I'm Praying for a Meteorite to Fall Before I Go to Work Tomorrow' Cover]
She clicked it, wondering if this was also a joke, but it was... more serious than expected.
"Wait?"
[- I was all ready to fawn over them, but what is this.....? No........ I don't even feel like fawning.
└ Yi-chae's rap is insane.
└ Yi-chae would rap well even to the Heart Sutra.]
[- Kang Yi-chae is a genius. Kang Yi-chae is a genius. Kang Yi-chae is a genius. Kang Yi-chae is a genius. Kang Yi-chae is a genius.
└ There was a reason why Kang Yi-chae was laughing earlier... I wondered why this guy was so relaxed while doing two units... It's because he's a genius.]
[- Whoa;; Da-junie could do something like this too?]
[- Why did our puppy... come back full of decadent-refreshing beauty?
└ Platinum blonde is seriously a stroke of genius.]
[- This is like that thing where a puppy you picked up from the street suddenly poofs into a human and is just sitting there...?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, this is so funny. Now that puppy Da-jun is hearing things like this too...
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅠ That's too much ㅠㅠ Please stop the private account cyberbullying~!!]
Anyway, they pulled off the rock genre better than expected.
[- Can someone please pick up my jaw?]
While it wasn't pure rock, she never imagined a rock ballad with just the right amount of sorrowful beauty would suit them this well.
After being hit with a powerful blow from an unexpected pair, the office worker turned off Nutube with satisfaction.
[- I knew The Dawn were weirdos, but I think they're crazier than I thought.
└ You're telling me all this started from dating show content?
└ I'm confused sometimes.]
[- It feels more like pop-rock than a rock ballad? I want to see the whole group with this kind of concept.]
"Seriously. Seo Ho-yun would fit this perfectly."
It was a shame, but the next song had likely already been decided. Although an exact comeback date hadn't been posted, rumors were circulating that it would be soon. In the meantime, she had to be grateful for being fed high-quality content.
She cleared her mind and went to sleep for work the next day. It was the next morning when she screamed after seeing the comeback news that suddenly broke in the early hours.
[The Dawn's Speedy Comeback... First Mini Album to be Released]
[All Tracks, Including the Title, Written and Composed by Members]
[Genre is 'Pop Rock?' 'I want to challenge a new genre,' Kang Yi-chae's Past Interview Highlighted.]
It was the teaser for the next comeback.
"Aaaaaaaack!!"
The fan screamed, but an hour or two later, her heart sank upon seeing another article.
[Black Call 'Kings' Comeback... The 'Return' of the K-Pop Emperors]
Black Call was making a comeback.