Chapter 139
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 139
‘Seo Ho-yun…. What on earth is he planning?’
If there was one thing Kim Seong-hyeon had learned from watching Seo Ho-yun over the past year, it was that there were only two occasions when Seo Ho-yun gave that refreshing smile.
First, when he had just wrecked someone he didn't like. (Like when he called out Today.)
Second, when a situation was unfolding exactly according to the board he’d set. (Like right now, in a way that felt unsettling.)
‘Is it the latter this time?’
Kim Seong-hyeon, unaware that Seo Ho-yun had already laid plenty of groundwork for the former as well, made his guess. The latter seemed more likely because the situation was unfolding so clearly.
The proof was the surprisingly mild reaction to their Japanese promotions.
[Title: I think The Dawn are definitely unique weirdos lol
Summary of today’s B App:
It was surprisingly peaceful for a stream announcing they’re going to Japan.
Ji-won: I heard the Japanese pronunciation for The Dawn is Za Do-on! hehe
Da-jun: ?? Jadon??
Ji-won: That’s how it sounds when you pronounce it in Japanese!!
Jeong Da-jun is very confused by the Japanese pronunciation.
Seong-hyeon: What does that mean? I feel like I’ve heard it before.
Yi-chae: Hold on, hold on.
Kang Yi-chae, sucking on a lollipop, looks it up on his phone and shows them.
‘Jadon’ = Piglet
Yi-chae: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ho-yun: LOL... Ah... LOL... I’m sorry... LOL
They couldn't even say it out loud, but the two of them were giggling like crazy in the back.
(Hey, that’s your group name you’re laughing at.)
Meanwhile, Jeong Da-jun is in shock.
Da-jun: (Shocked) Are we... piglets?
Seong-hyeon: Hey, hey, Jeong Da-jun, watch your words.
Ho-yun/Yi-chae: (Still cracking up)
The leader is the only one conscious of the fact that this is a B App stream...
He’s suffering alone again today.
Da-jun: ....Huh? Did I do something wrong?
Seong-hyeon: Um.. it’s just.. if you say it the other way...
Da-jun: ...? Yes? (Realization) Ah!!!! If you say it the other way!
Seong-hyeon: (Don't tell me)
Da-jun: (Snaps fingers & excited) Pigs.....!
The Hyungs: (Chaos) HEY!!!!
Hey!
Hey, Jeong Da-jun!!!
T_T lolololololololololololol
The hyungs dragged Jeong Da-jun away to calm him down and then came back.
Da-jun: ..T_T;;;; I’m sorry..;;
The Hyungs: Jeong Da-jun is currently reflecting on his actions... He didn't do it on purpose, so please show him mercy..
Meanwhile, Seong Ji-won is the only one who’s peaceful.
He’s just reading comments like nothing happened.
Ji-won: Hehe, they say it’s also called Dodon besides Jadon!
Ji-won: Because they try to read it similarly to the Korean pronunciation!
Members: (That’s not what’s important right now, damn it!)
But these days, Seong Ji-won is the definition of "unshakeable"...
Ho-yun: Lol.. well, let’s go with that.
Yi-chae: It’s cute, Dodon.
Ho-yun: Lol, Do-do-do-don~
Yi-chae: (Giggles)
(Kang Yi-chae and Seo Ho-yun are really in sync lately..)
Are these guys doing this on purpose?
I don't know if I'm stanning idols or comedians anymore.
└ ‘Do’rai (Weirdo) ‘Don’ (Pig)....
└└ Seriously, every time they turn on B App, they’re accidental comedians...
└ Jeong Da-jun was born with a funny bone, so sometimes Kang Yi-chae’s pride is genuinely wounded T_T
└└ Meanwhile, Ho-yun’s comment: “You just have to be born with a funny bone.”
└└ Beside him, Seong-hyeon quietly replies: “It’s okay, weren't you born with the destiny of humiliation?”
└└ Man, the tension between the hyung-line is savage lolololol]
Just like that, people who watched The Dawn’s B-Live were too busy laughing to think of anything else.
Of course, not everyone had a positive reaction.
[Wait, so Seo Ho-yun is spending his birthday in Japan?]
[f*ck, I suddenly want to kill Daepasung...]
However, instead of wasting time agonizing over such things, the majority of fans decided to focus on other thoughts—mainly, what kind of reaction the group would elicit in Japan.
[Since the kids are going to Japan, their visuals are hitting a new peak again.
Come back as Yen Princes.]
[I think The Dawn will be really popular in Japan lol. Isn't their concept basically catnip for otakus??]
[They all have such strong personalities lol. They won't fail.
I wonder if Kang Yi-chae will be the popular member..]
[Title: Predictions for the most popular members of The Dawn in Japan
In Japan, generally,
It’s all about the face.
They love the pure, "man-stepped-out-of-a-manga" type.
If I say this much, you know who I mean. Bye.
└ It’ll start with Seong and end with Won...
└└ The middle will be Ji...
└└ I feel like he’d have a mole on his nose...
└ Just write Seo Ho-yun and Seong Ji-won in the title.
└└ lolololololol]
Like idol, like fan.
Noeul did their absolute best to be funny, staking all their pride on it. In the process, they didn't forget to play to their strengths.
[Title: What’s the Japanese fans' way of speaking like??
The Dawn is debuting soon, so I’m curious..
Do they also gush over them?
└ Should I try imitating them?
└└ Oh, do it.
└└ Okay.
A Korean idol has appeared again—!! I don’t want to admit it, but Za Do-on’s songs are quite good (w)
Honestly, I wonder why they come to Japan? Is it because they lack money? (lol)
└└ lolololololol holy crap, you’re so good at this lol
└ Crazy, do a version for someone interested in K-Pop.
└└
Eh, everyone doesn't know them? No way! ∑(O_O;)
They’re amazing, Za Do-on. They’re the rookies to look forward to after Burakku Ko-ru!! (I like Uso-ng w)
└ What’s Burakku Ko-ru?
└└ Black Call.
└ Who’s Uso-ng?
└└ Ju-seong lol
└└ lololol is this for real? lolololololololol]
[Title: How to pretend to be a Japanese fan of the Deonging-i-deul
Example: Ho-yun and Seong-hyeon-ga are absolutely cute, I suppose? (´∀`)
Eh~ I’ve said too much by myself.
Somehow, it’s embarrassing. (lol)
Dodon, I’ll absolutely support you!!
Keep this in mind for when The Dawn debuts in Japan.
└ lolololololololol
└ Did you swallow a Japanese person? lolololol]
And upon arriving in Japan, The Dawn was gaining popularity even beyond the predictions of K-pop veterans.
“I heard our album is at Shibuya Building Records.”
“Oh! Let’s go take a picture later—.”
“…Is that possible?”
“—Is it not?”
Not only the translated version of Second Chance, but all the songs in the album were climbing the charts with terrifying momentum.
Furthermore, for once, Daepasung had put in a lot of promotion, and they had taken over a corner on the first floor of a famous Japanese store.
Thanks to that, even though they were abroad, people would turn their heads to look at them while they walked down the street.
[Ho-yun is a real angel]
The veteran Japanese K-pop fans, who had mostly abandoned the ‘idols currently in relationships’ and quickly jumped ship to The Dawn, were thrilled by the new influx of fans.
Most of the praise was directed at Seong Ji-won and Seo Ho-yun. Seong Ji-won, who was good at Japanese, was a given, but Seo Ho-yun, who was just pretty-faced, was also enjoying immense popularity.
“Ho-yun.”
“Yeah?”
“They say you’re a real angel.”
“……??”
He had only been keeping his mouth shut because his Japanese was poor, but thanks to that, the Japanese fans who only saw his face had given Seo Ho-yun the nickname ‘Real Angel.’
“…Me?”
If Ju Woo-seong, who for some reason wasn't very popular in Japan, had heard this, he would have scoffed, ‘What a load of….’
In fact, the person in question, Seo Ho-yun, was also quite bewildered.
“Me…?”
Even I had a shred of conscience.
Kim Seong-hyeon, who was standing next to him, remarked dryly.
“It means you’re better off just staying still. The old sayings are never wrong.”
“Kim Seong-hyeon, is life feeling a bit too easy for you lately?”
Seeing the spark in Seo Ho-yun’s eyes, Kim Seong-hyeon shut his mouth and quickly scurried away.
Meanwhile, the Japanese fans who were casually stanning The Dawn were looking for something to moe-ify Seo Ho-yun into, beyond just being a ‘Real Angel.’
[The Dawn Members' Birthdays/Animal Moe-ification Summary
Seong-hyeon (March 14) Wolf
Ho-yun (January 30) Rabbit
Ji-won (August 31) Deer
Yi-chae (July 11) Fox
Da-jun (October 22) Puppy
└ Eh?? Ho-yun is a rabbit in Korea? No way.]
[Ho-yun-chan always ends his sentences with ‘nya,’ so he’s definitely a cat, right? (lol)]
The domestic fans, who had successfully established Seo Ho-yun as a rabbit through blatant pushing from the start, even used translators to talk to Japanese fans on SNS to ensure the rabbit motif took root in Japan as well.
[His personality is totally like a cat, so why a rabbit?
└ Rabbit.
└ ...Hello, Korean fan? I want to go with cat~.
└ Rabbit.
└ I want to go with cat~.
└ Rabbit.
└ .......Korean fans are scary w]
While Korean fans were unleashing their various desires—pushing Seong Ji-won as ‘my own little lark’ or trying to label Kang Yi-chae as an ‘Abyssinian’ cat—the Japanese fans were engaged in a very heated debate.
Naturally, Seo Ho-yun, who had no way of knowing about this, was just scratching the back of his head.
‘Japan….’
He had been here exactly once when he was young.
As a complete family.
At first, he had looked around with wide eyes at the foreign scenery, which was similar yet different from Korea, feeling a bit of unfamiliar excitement. He remembered teasing a much younger Seo Ho-jin until he cried, only to get scolded by his parents….
“Ahem.”
…Quickly shaking off those lingering sentimental thoughts, Seo Ho-yun looked back at the members.
“Hyung, have you ever been to Japan?”
“No.”
And he lied naturally.
The members, with excited eyes, said they hadn't either and were thrilled.
‘Of course I know….’
Except for Kang Yi-chae, these were guys who had taken their first flight ever just to go to Jeju Island.
“Can I go to Shinjuku later?!”
“There’s nothing in Shinjuku….”
“Whaaat?? I was going to go to Shinjuku to eat gyukatsu?!”
Seo Ho-yun ignored Jeong Da-jun, who wanted to follow the standard tourist route for Koreans visiting Japan for the first time.
Kang Yi-chae, who had shouted for eel so much when they were filming self-produced content in the countryside, didn't seem particularly interested this time; he just looked around quietly and took photos.
[Hey, but T_T the B-side track is insane. So refreshing.]
One unexpected thing during these Japanese promotions was the reaction to the anime ending song that Kang Yi-chae had composed.
The B-side track ‘Colors,’ which was eventually confirmed as an anime ending theme, was filled with a sophisticated yet refreshing vibe.
【Baby, this is a bit troublesome
Rising up from behind the stage
When the curtain rises, You keep dancing
When I see you, I Can't stop laughing】
First of all, the melody itself was a masterpiece.
[Speaking as a K-pop otaku who even looks up Japanese releases, this is... the real deal...]
The tropical deep house EDM melody had a refreshing summer concept, but no one questioned it.
[There’s a reason they released it in winter.
You listen to it in winter and then listen to it again in summer lol.
Daepasung is smart.
└ Isn't that just self-justification at this point?
└ You caught me.]
The B-side track didn't just cause a stir among Noeul; it elicited a great reaction overall.
[Oh;; I guess that manga that was popular recently got an anime adaptation.
And the ending song is a B-side track by The Dawn.]
[Whoa, K-pop must be really popular. Amazing.
Whoa, it’s climbing the charts.]
[Whoa;;;]
[Nationalistic pride is surging.
└ It makes me want to wave the Korean flag, damn it lololol]
【Let’s draw the future together
I’ve changed since I met you.】
Since the lyrics were written with the anime’s protagonist and surrounding characters in mind, the pure song, which seemed to contain a piece of that summer, appealed not only to the general K-pop audience but also to those who knew the manga well. It was quickly gaining ground in the Japanese market.
They never expected a B-side track to enter the charts along with Second Chance, but it had reached a quite respectable rank.
[Ah, whoa, I guess this anime is pretty popular???]
[No, it’s not just good, it seems to have hit it big..
Damn, the reaction is great. It feels good to ride the wave after a long time...]
[They’re performing Colors at the showcase, right?? Do I need a VPN to watch it??]
Thanks to this, the most anticipated part of The Dawn’s Japanese debut showcase wasn't the translated title track Second Chance, but Colors.
[Ah, damn, I’m looking forward to the stage but suddenly I’m scared.. Thinking that everyone will see it later, not just Noeul... Damn, they won't get criticized, right???? T_T]
[I’m literally trembling until the showcase time.]
Some Noeul were trembling, wondering if the group could match the quality of the expectations that were swelling day by day.
And at that time, how was Seo Ho-yun feeling?
“My whole body freaking aches….”
There wasn't a shred of nervousness to be found.
After Part 1, Second Chance, ended, he quickly changed his clothes, wiped off his sweat, and gulped down some water.
‘Lee Ji-hyeon contacted me yesterday.’
He had prepared for the stage with gritted teeth anyway; his mind was busy calculating the timing for his media play.
Just then, the MC’s voice could be heard in Japanese from the MC booth on one side of the stage.
“The talk is almost over, let’s standby!”
“Yes!”
Behind the stage, the members adjusted their in-ear monitors and made eye contact.
While Seo Ho-yun was sluggishly getting up to focus on his main job, Seong Ji-won, who was beside him, asked Jeong Da-jun kindly.
“Da-jun, are your shoes okay?”
“Yes! I’ve tied them tight!”
Jeong Da-jun tapped the floor with the toes of his tightly laced sneakers.
Compared to a year ago, his attitude was completely different and relaxed, and his playful eyes were full of confidence.
Our Jadon, our piglets, had always worked hard to prepare a perfect stage for the fans.
As Seo Ho-yun brushed back his falling bangs, Kang Yi-chae gave a smirk.
“Shall we go, Seo-Tto-Kkaeng-Pan?”
“A rabbit?!”
It was an abbreviation for ‘Seo Ho-yun is causing a mess again,’ but Jeong Da-jun, who misheard it, jumped up.
“We’re pigs in Japan! Don't forget the professional mindset!”
“Our maknae’s over-immersion is no joke….”
“Baby pigs! Let’s go!!”
“Oink oink~.”
The members shook off their nerves with silly jokes and laughter and stepped onto the stage. Cheers poured out along with the bright lights, and a confident smile formed on their lips.
…Without imagining for a second that five minutes later, they would face the biggest broadcast accident in The Dawn’s history and a grueling "try not to laugh" challenge.