Chapter 178
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178
“Starting the shoot!”
“Yes, sir!!”
Ever since the notification appeared saying the settlement for my rewards was delayed, no matter how many times I called for the system window, only [Processing...] would pop up.
Normally, if a server crashes, they should respond within twenty-four hours.
It was annoying, but badgering the system window about rewards or penalties wasn't my most urgent priority right now.
At this moment, I had a small, desperate wish that I wanted more than anything else.
“Whoa, are we finally switching roommates?!”
That wish was: getting a single room.
I thought I was a fairly easygoing person, so I figured sharing a room with others would be fine. But living as Kang Yi-chae’s roommate had taught me a lesson.
It was incredibly draining to be around someone so perceptive.
To think I’d ever feel this way.
From the coughing up blood and the exhaustion-induced fever to the fact that he’d spread my family history around—he’d caught me in everything.
Every time our eyes met, that unfiltered brat would look at me with a mocking smirk, as if he were eagerly anticipating what I’d do next. I never had a comeback for that.
I’d been maintaining a consistent "So what? What are you gonna do about it?" attitude, but even that was reaching its limit.
If I missed this chance, there was no telling how long I’d have to suffer, so I had to win this.
Okay.
Earlier, while I was distracting Lee Ji-hyeon with a conversation, I’d scanned the makeshift table set up for the shoot. Papers regarding the roommate assignments were scattered there.
A quick glance at the underlined sections told me they were deciding via a "ladder game."
There were three spots for single rooms.
The horizontal connecting lines were left blank for the members to draw, but the names at the top and the results at the bottom were fixed.
I quickly memorized the order of the results. The single rooms and shared rooms were listed alternately.
A three-out-of-five chance. Not bad.
“Alright, then. Shall we play the ladder game to decide the roommates? The rules are simple. We’ve covered the results, so just take turns drawing lines however you like on top.”
“Yes!”
Jeong Da-jun excitedly ran up first, and the other members followed lazily behind him.
“Wow, you can really see everyone’s personality in these lines.”
“Da-jun, is that a spiderweb?”
“How is it?! My piece of modern art?!”
Arriving last, I calculated the path by tracing upward from the "single room" slots as each line was drawn.
Then, my eyes met Kang Yi-chae’s. He had just drawn a careless line while letting out a massive yawn before turning around.
“Hyung, what are you going to do if you can’t be my roommate anymore? You’ll be so lonely.”
“Yeah, I’ll be devastated.”
“Ahaha?”
Spouting empty words, I strode toward the ladder game and scanned the whole thing.
Jeong Da-jun had made a chaotic mess of lines, but it looked like I could achieve my goal by touching only two spots.
Scratch, scratch.
I drew one line at the very top and one in the middle, making sure they didn't look like the final additions.
“Eh~?! Hyung, is that it? What about me?”
“One or two is enough.”
I shrugged and walked back to my spot, feeling Kang Yi-chae’s lingering gaze on my back.
He frowned as if something didn't sit right with him, then his lips twitched into a smirk.
‘Aha?’
That was the look written all over his face.
I quickly looked away and asked the other members.
“Alright, we’re done drawing. Should we announce it?”
But Kang Yi-chae wasn't one to just follow along quietly.
He grinned mischievously and raised his hand high.
“Ah! Before that, can Yi-chae draw just one more?”
“No, you can’t.”
“I’m just gonna draw a little heart~.”
“It’s already over.”
“Ahaha~.”
“Hey, hey! Hey! Kang Yi-chae!”
I said no!
I couldn't curse because the cameras were rolling, so I just froze with a horrified expression. But Kang Yi-chae dashed forward and connected my lines into a heart shape, linking them to a different path.
Shit! No! That leads to a shared room!
Just as I was about to declare it invalid, Jeong Da-jun excitedly rushed up and tore off the paper covering the results.
A camera staff member zoomed in on my arm, which was still stretched out in a failed attempt to stop them, as if mocking me.
Jeong Da-jun hummed the theme from a shark horror movie as he used a red pen to trace the lines from each member's name to their result.
“Ah, I got a single room.”
“Oh, me too.”
Perhaps because he was an only child and didn't have a romanticized view of living alone, Jeong Da-jun’s reaction was lukewarm. Kim Seong-hyeon was equally calm.
“Gasp~, Hyung, you can’t be lonely already.”
“Get lost.”
While I was barely suppressing my rising rage, Kang Yi-chae pestered me from the side.
“Ah, Ho-yun! We’re in the same room.”
“...Yeah.”
If there was any silver lining, it was that Kang Yi-chae got a single room and my new roommate was Seong Ji-won.
I held back a sigh that felt like it would burst out the moment I let my guard down. As soon as the red light on the camera went off and the planning team called for a break, I grabbed Kang Yi-chae by the scruff of his neck.
“How did you know that led to a single room, you brat? You didn't see the results.”
“Aw, Hyung. I didn't know. Who could figure that out just by looking at that mess?”
“Then why?”
Kang Yi-chae’s eyes crinkled as he giggled.
“I just didn't like the look on your face, so I drew one more line.”
“...”
As expected, Kang Yi-chae was a delinquent.
And an incredibly sharp one at that.
*
[OMG, the teaser for the reality show is already up on Nutube]
While The Dawn was adjusting to their new dorm and Seo Ho-yun was resigning himself to his fate, the date for their solo concert—a reward for winning Shining Star Season 2—and the reality show’s premiere date drew near.
[The hype is real right now... Imagining the B-side choreo reveal, imagining the Black Call cover reveal]
[Can’t they do something cute for once? ㅠㅠㅠ What if I said I desperately want to see Kang Yi-chae in a cat ear headband?]
[Person most likely to cry while reading a letter at the concert <— Kim Seong-hyeon]
└ Will Seo Ho-yun cry?
└ Let’s just aim for that in the next life.]
The reality show was one thing, but fans were currently hitting refresh like mad for the first solo concert ticketing.
[Ah, shit lol. How can they announce it 2 months early but have ticketing 1 month before? It’s too sudden.]
[What are you talking about? My ex-bias group announced it 1 month before.]
While complaints about Daepasung’s management were constant, the veteran fans who had followed The Dawn since their debut—before Seo Ho-yun joined—simply wore faint smiles.
[You guys clearly don’t know Daepasung yet lol; if tvK wasn't involved, these guys would’ve announced it 2 weeks before and had ticketing 3 days before...]
[Aaaaack, stop saying such terrifying things.]
[Shit, that actually makes sense.]
And so, the fans calmed their racing hearts with the concert hall’s booking site and a time-syncing webpage open side-by-side.
The moment the ticketing opened, the Noeuls clicked their mice with practiced composure.
However.
[Wait]
Most couldn't even get to the payment screen before their monitors froze or a "503 Service Unavailable" error appeared, rendering the site useless.
It felt like it was over in three seconds.
[OMG I can’t believe it. Is that it???????]
[My god.]
They scrambled for their phones, but it was no use.
While the Noeuls who missed out on the first concert clutched their necks in despair, those who broke through the fierce competition couldn't stop their lips from curling upward.
As winners and losers were decided within the fandom in real-time, the topic of the reality show trended on SNS.
[I wonder what the kids will do... I don’t usually watch idol variety shows so I don’t know;;]
[Just going to hot spots... even if they just do pretty things, it’s fine. Their faces are entertaining enough even if they’re just lying down.]
If it were The Dawn’s self-produced content on Nutube for fans only, it would be different, but for a variety show airing on tvK, they couldn't go all-in on a heavy concept from the first episode.
Thus, Daepasung’s planning team decided to introduce the members of The Dawn in a way that would be accessible to newcomers.
Pa-ram pa~ pa.
Pa-ra pam~ pam~.
[Hey]
It was a "Real Documentary" special.
[Hey lolololololololol]
It was Human Theater style.
After the intro music, the dorm was shown, and Seong Ji-won’s calm voice flowed in as narration.
【The Dawn’s day has begun.】
As the members appeared one by one, brief profiles were displayed at the bottom in a serious, formal brush script.
Water Dumpling Leader, Psycho, Practice Machine, Strong-Willed Rapper, Puppy.
Seong Ji-won’s questions followed.
【Q. How is your relationship with the members?
A. I love my hyungs so much!
A. Ahaha, I’m quite satisfied too~.】
Over the scene of the youngest members giggling as they answered, another shot dissolved in, showing Jeong Da-jun sliding across the new dorm floor to tackle Kim Seong-hyeon, and Kang Yi-chae pestering Seo Ho-yun.
Crash! Bang!
【Aaaaack!】
[Lol but the cutscenes though lol]
[Lolololol is there nothing but them crashing into each other every day? lolololol]
【Ah~, I’m so, so lonely lately because I have a single room?】
【Don’t come in. Don’t you dare come in.】
[Seo Ho-yun was clearly aiming for that single room... He’s gritting his teeth because Kang Yi-chae is teasing him... lolololol]
Since it was the first episode, it started with the dorm move and simple games, but the content was surprisingly packed when you looked closely.
[Wow, look at Kang Yi-chae. When Jeong Da-jun asked in the interview how much he made from composing, he just said it’s enough to eat and live.
└ He probably made a killing... just look at 'Shabby Confession'...]
【Can you afford to raise an elephant?!】
【(Laughs) Of course. About ten of them.】
While the Noeuls were buzzing over Kang Yi-chae’s "young and rich" aura, he suddenly brushed his hair back and poked Jeong Da-jun’s cheek.
【But it feels like Jeong Da-jun eats about that much.】
【...!! I-I don’t eat that much?!】
[Lolololol ah lolololol Jeong Da-jun is fuming]
[He’s jumping around saying he doesn't eat that much... Da-jun, you have been eating a lot lately...]
[Didn't he get taller??]
Everything was generally hilarious and fun, but the absolute highlight of Episode 1 was Seong Ji-won’s calm yet unhinged questions.
【Q. Mr. Jeong Da-jun, are you an elephant?
A. ...!!
A. Ahahahahahaha! (Collapses)】
[Hey, Yi-chae is crying from laughing so hard lolololololololol]
Caught off guard by the random, stream-of-consciousness question, the members couldn't hold back their laughter and doubled over.
Jeong Da-jun was too busy being indignant, and Kang Yi-chae missed his timing to answer because he was wheezing.
Taking advantage of that, the captions quickly turned Jeong Da-jun into an elephant.
After they calmed down a bit, the members of The Dawn started playing recreation games.
Seo Ho-yun maintained a poker face, sweeping through the games without missing a single beat while clapping his hands.
Clap, clap.
【Seo Ho-yun.】
【Bunny bunny, bunny bunny.】
【【Carrot, carrot!】】
Even when his name was called and the members teamed up to attack him, Seo Ho-yun handled it with immense ease.
[Whoa, I really thought he wouldn't know these kinds of games.]
[He’s so damn cute... Bunny bunny...]
[Seo Ho-yun... the rabbit appeal is strong.
└ Lolololololololol ah seriously lol]
The fans who were laughing along gradually became bewildered as the games progressed.
[What is up with this guy?]
That was because Seo Ho-yun knew every single game they brought up.
The fans, who couldn't possibly imagine that former variety PD Seo Ho-yun had spent nights mastering these games with his colleagues, simply thought the "rabbit" was incredibly competitive. They figured he just hated losing that much.
Furthermore, his brazenness was second to none.
【I will now roll the dice for the 'Shining Star Ribbon Boy.'】
【Seo Ho-yun, aren't you actually embarrassed??】
【Mr. Seong-hyeon, are you disappointed that you aren't being called the 'Shining Star Abs Boy'?】
Seo Ho-yun made a gesture as if brushing his neck and flipping his hair back, then proceeded to dominate the world capitals in a board game.
The tension rose, and members started claiming territories as their own.
【Ji-won hyung! You said you’d give that land to me!】
【Da-jun, when did I say that?】
【...!!】
[Ah shit lol. They argued so much during the board game that they were told to start every sentence with "Aing, [Name] is scared."
Seong: I have a question.
Ji-won: Yes, go ahead lol.
Seong: Aing, Seong-hyeon is scared. Isn't this rule too advantageous for Seo Ho-yun and Kang Yi-chae?
└ Lolololololol truth bomb.]
[Yi-chae and Ho-yun on the side:
"Aing, Ho-yun-ie is scared. That’s my land. Give me the money right now."
"What are you saying to Yi-chae-yong? ㅠ"
└ Truly a battle of legends.......]
Even with only five minutes left of the thirty-minute episode, there wasn't a single moment lacking in madness.
Fans felt their hearts swell with pride as they posted their reviews on SNS.
[Ah, this is way cuter and funnier than I expected...... so healing,,,,]
[It’s just filled with a faint sense of insanity ah lol]
It was a great start. Just as everyone was judging that if this quality kept up, the new Noeuls would settle in nicely and more new fans might join—
【Episode 2 Preview】
The preview for the next episode began.
The camera panned slowly from the bottom up, showing a man stepping out of a sleek black sedan.
A sharp, dark gray suit with a hint of blue, a crisp white shirt, cufflinks peeking out from under the sleeves, a Patek Philippe watch extorted from a certain top-tier idol named Mr. Ju, and a striped tie with alternating navy and purple.
A neat forehead under pomaded hair, and glasses resting on a straight nose.
Closing the driver’s side door, Seo Ho-yun wrinkled his nose and pushed up his glasses with practiced ease before holding his phone to his shoulder.
【I think we have discussed this before.】
This was Seo Ho-yun acting reluctantly because the "concept-obsessed" Lee Ji-hyeon had insisted he must speak English on the phone for this scene.
As Seo Ho-yun headed toward the office building while glancing at his watch, Jeong Da-jun’s voice was overlaid.
【The demonic Team Leader Seo has arrived!】
Having nothing in particular to say, Seo Ho-yun had just blurted out any English while moving.
【We have Da-jun elephant in our company....】
However, at that moment, the Noeuls didn't hear a word he said.
They were simply dizzy.
[Shit]
Because the visual stimulation was too intense.
[TEAM LEADER SEO, HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!]
A logo appeared over the side profile of Seo Ho-yun walking down the hallway.
A steady concept that always worked in this industry.
The perfect environment for Seo Ho-yun to legally grind people down.
【Part 2 – The Dawn Electronics】
The Office AU had arrived.