Chapter 181
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 181
Once the reality show aired its third episode, the response began to heat up.
[Title: Hey, did you guys see The Dawn’s reality show?
Why didn’t anyone tell me these guys were this hilarious?
I feel betrayed right now.
Don’t you know I live for this kind of B-movie humor??
└ Did you just crawl out of a cave? The Dawn has been famous for being psychos for a long time...
└└ No, it’s just that I was so distracted by my ultimate bias group...]
Even though The Dawn had released incredibly entertaining self-produced content throughout their career, most of it was uploaded to Nutube or fandom platforms that required a subscription. This meant accessibility was low for anyone who wasn't already a Noeul.
But this time, it was a reality show broadcast nationwide on free-to-air TV.
Furthermore, it was scheduled right before a popular program on tvK, leading to an increase in general viewers who happened to catch it while flipping channels and ended up staying tuned.
If it had been cliché content like visiting hot spots or traveling, they might have just passed it by. However, seeing these good-looking kids sincerely roasting each other and being desperate to tear one another down made it impossible to look away once you started watching.
Thanks to this, posts about them began appearing frequently not just on idol forums, but even on fashion, beauty, and general hobby cafes.
[Title: That reality show on tvK at 5:30 is so fun.
Are these the same idols who won 1st place on Shining Star??
I didn’t watch Shining Star because I wasn't interested...
But I happened to see it while watching TV with my daughter, and we were cracking up~ haha.
I told my daughter to bring home a handsome young man like that as a husband, and she got all serious, asking where she’s supposed to find guys like that~~ ^^
└ It has that old-school Saturday variety show vibe, so it’s fun lol. I remember being surprised because Seo Ho-yun was that kid who had all those issues after his parents passed away.
└└ Really~~? He didn’t give off that vibe at all.. His personality is fiery but sweet^^ I want to keep watching him haha.]
[Title: I’m flustered after watching Seo Ho-yun on the reality show.
Seo Ho-yun’s image is so different from what I imagined that I’m confused...
I did watch Shas, and I thought he was a polite, soft-spoken kid.
I thought he was just a hardworking guy...
But what the... The way he roasts his members...
He’s basically just PD Lee Jeong-hun from Kabu in an idol’s body???
└ The way he picks on them reminds me so much of my senior in the military that it gives me the shivers.
└└ PD Lee Jeong-hun was just natural acting for him. omg.]
The Dawn’s fans were scouring the internet for funny reviews, giggling to themselves.
[LMAOOOOOO holy shit this is so funny. People are finally starting to realize the truth about Seo Ho-yun...]
[Yeah, Ho-yun is...... well.... he... he... is nice to our Noeuls..... but his actual personality is....
└ Hahaha, I know, right? He knows everyone’s figured out his personality now, but the way he stubbornly keeps trying to act innocent is the funniest part ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅠㅠ]
With a brain as sharp as his when it came to anything involving The Dawn, there was no way Seo Ho-yun didn't know his true personality had been exposed.
Nevertheless, he always spoke only the prettiest words to his fans.
Once, at a fan sign, a Noeul asked him why he was like that. He had been so flustered he couldn't answer, and the resulting photos of his stunned face had set various communities ablaze.
[There’s a reason why he’s called a 'Fan Sign Angel' along with Seong Ji-won... It’s just that he’s actually a devil. (Laughs)]
[Talk about false advertising.. lol]
The planning team, who had been monitoring the situation, were grinning as they saw the reactions unfolding exactly as intended.
Everyone was gradually realizing that the person they had viewed only with pity was actually a prickly character who loved teasing people more than anything.
[Anyway, I’m kind of relieved.. This seems like a successful image pivot.]
[Yeah, if he appears on a few more terrestrial variety shows, he’ll be fine??]
Just as the public opinion that "Seo Ho-yun is more of a nutcase than expected" began to form, they needed to drive the nail in further.
“I can totally do that.”
Lee Ji-hyeon, who had jumped at the suggestion Seo Ho-yun casually tossed out, had been planning like a madwoman. As soon as it was finished, she shoved the proposal at tvK, and it was approved immediately.
‘This is it.’
It was a stage where he could show that he wasn't just a bully, but a total "one-of-a-kind" psycho.
The curtains rose on the final project—a long-form series that would involve the largest budget of any The Dawn variety content to date, including their self-produced ones.
[Omg, it’s starting!]
Ba-bam! Bam— Ba-bam!
Accompanied by the BGM and partial slow motion, five men were captured on screen. They wore black sunglasses, some with their jacket buttons undone, others with jackets draped over their shoulders, as they slowly climbed a set of stairs.
[Holy shit, is this what I think it is!!!]
【The Dawn’s Five - Casino Royale】
As the logo appeared and then slid down, the opening began with Seong Ji-won slightly lowering his sunglasses and giving a wink.
[WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH]
[This is insane, is it a heist movie concept???]
[Zampano Kim Seong-hyeon.
Anycall Kang Yi-chae.
└ How did you even come up with those character assignments?
└└ It’s my own personal desire, sorry.]
The Dawn’s fans, who were already prone to obsession, went wild for this concept. Even the general public found the variety show—themed after such a famous movie—interesting and tuned in with a "Oh, this looks fun" level of curiosity.
Shuffling cards, snapping gum, turning the dial on a safe, running a hand through hair while acting fatal, or resting a chin on a hand while looking at a board with the master plan.
Each scene appeared in a cross-cut edit.
【The Dawn’s Five】
The Card Shark: Kang Yi-chae.
The Silver-Tongued Dealer: Kim Seong-hyeon.
The Acrobat, Infiltration and Safecracking Genius: Seong Ji-won.
The Honey Trap and Information Gatherer: Jeong Da-jun.
The Leader, Mastermind and Strategist: Seo Ho-yun.
[Lmao, "Honey Trap Jeong Da-jun," I’m dying ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Wait, "Silver-Tongued"? Is that even possible? This is Kim Seong-hyeon we’re talking about.
└ Is this right.. Is this really right... ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Why is Kang Yi-chae so good at shuffling cards and doing a one-handed fan? Did he live in Macau or something?]
Then, the five profiles popped up on the screen one by one, stamped with a "WANTED" sign before shattering and disappearing.
Soon, the dark screen gradually brightened, revealing The Dawn gathered around a circular table in a studio. Simultaneously, a mechanical voice rang out.
【Welcome to The Rising Dawn.】
【The Dawn successfully robbed the casino. However, due to a betrayal by one team member, all the jewels and gold bars have disappeared.】
【You do not know the location of the jewels and gold bars, nor do you know the passwords.】
【There are only three things you need to find out: the location of the jewels and gold bars, the password for the locker containing the jewels, and the mission code you must say to obtain the password. Only the traitor knows the password.】
【Perform your respective roles to deduce the traitor and secure the jewels and gold bars.】
“So if we figure out who the traitor is, we just go to a payphone and make a call?”
“Okay~.”
The members of The Dawn whispered among themselves after hearing all the rules.
[It’s definitely Seo Ho-yun.]
Amidst the commotion, the total prize money was revealed.
【The person who finds the jewels, or the traitor if they win, will be awarded a total prize of 5 million won.】
[Whoa.]
[Daepasung, where do you even have that kind of money..
└ It’s probably tvK’s money...
└└ Ah~ right.]
Once the explanation was over and they had a grasp of the situation, the members of The Dawn stood up, eyeing each other warily.
“Let’s split up for now.”
“How about we split into the Solo Room Team vs. the Roommate Team?”
“Sure. We can just deduce the traitor at the end anyway.”
Without much fuss, they split into teams faster than expected and parted ways coolly. It was because they already knew their roles well without having to say a word.
[As expected of The Dawn, the kings of group projects ㄷㄷ]
[But the kids are surprisingly mature and not fighting.]
The camera first followed the Solo Room Team.
Thud.
As soon as Kim Seong-hyeon got into the car and closed the door, he spoke as if there was nothing to even consider.
“It’s Seo Ho-yun.”
[Excuse me?]
“There’s no need to even say it….”
“It’s as plain as day.”
Kang Yi-chae snorted as if it were obvious, and beside him, Jeong Da-jun nodded his head so hard it looked like it might fall off.
【Traitor Deduction!
Kang Yi-chae, Kim Seong-hyeon, Jeong Da-jun ▷ Seo Ho-yun】
Then, the screen naturally shifted to the Roommate Team, showing Seong Ji-won and Seo Ho-yun peacefully eating street hot dogs.
“It’s obviously Kang Yi-chae.”
“Ahaha, it’d be weird if it wasn't, right?”
【Traitor Deduction 2!
Seong Ji-won, Seo Ho-yun ▷ Kang Yi-chae】
【The Dawn:
Generally prone to having zero trust in one another.】
[How has this group not disbanded yet?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
While the Noeuls were cackling at the sight of The Dawn’s tear-jerking "true friendship," the mission began.
【Obtain a hint about the traitor!
Acting Edition.】
Following the staff’s instructions, the Solo Room Team moved to another studio. Only after scouring the place did they find a small message card.
‘The person in the designated role must act out a scene from the provided movie.’
It was that legendary scene.
The scene where the character has found the jewels but realizes a SWAT team is approaching the building. While agonizing over how to escape, a pipe in the building accidentally bursts, and they use that opportunity to escape by pretending to be a victim.
“Whoa~~!!!”
“Kyaa~! Are we getting abs~?”
Except for Kim Seong-hyeon, who was designated as the "Silver-Tongued Dealer" and thus targeted by the message card, the younger members were already dying of excitement at the thought of teasing their older brother.
[Where is tvK? I’m going to go buy their stocks right now.]
[The production crew are truly cultured people. Their sophistication is off the charts.]
“……Really? Me?”
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been frozen with his face buried in his hands, let out a deep sigh.
Then, as if he had made up his mind, he took off his jacket. Ignoring the screaming maknaes as much as possible, he headed toward the marked location.
After several takes, a caption appeared.
【After an hour of filming, we finally got the shot.】
Swoosh—.
As the pipe burst and water splashed, the camera panned from bottom to top. It passed a hand where blue veins were clearly visible, moved up a solid forearm, past a collarbone visible through a black tank top, and followed the neckline to a sharp jawline.
Kim Seong-hyeon filled the screen, looking down into the camera while brushing back his water-soaked hair that obscured his vision.
[Holy shit............]
Everyone watching the seductive scene gasped.
Kim Seong-hyeon shook his head to clear the water, his gaze fierce.
[I’m sorry, but I’m literally drooling.
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Seong-hyeon, you still don’t know how harsh this world is, acting like that.....]
Thanks to being pushed by Seo Ho-yun, Kim Seong-hyeon’s facial acting was actually quite decent as long as he kept his mouth shut, so everyone was watching in a state of ecstasy.
“Ooh. Gack.”
However,
“I. thought. I. was. going. to. die. of. fear. while. show.er.ing.”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Seong-hyeon, please, give us a moment to be impressed by your body.]
[Is this for real, holy shit ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ━]
The atmosphere shattered completely as Kim Seong-hyeon recited his lines while modestly descending the stairs in a bathrobe.
“I will escort you.”
“Thank. you.”
The moment Jeong Da-jun, dressed as a SWAT member, suppressed his laughter and offered his arm to Kim Seong-hyeon, Seong-hyeon leaned against Da-jun’s chest as if he were dizzy.
Because their heights didn't match, he had to bend his waist and lower his head, but Kim Seong-hyeon’s expression was infinitely serious.
[Is this really happening ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
【Kim Seong-hyeon: Mission Success!】
【Obtained a clue for the traitor deduction.】
Perhaps even the production crew thought it was terrible acting, as they added a supplementary explanation along with the mission success caption.
【※ We figured the viewership ratings would go up, so the production crew passed it unanimously.】
[Ah, seriously, my heart is going to explode.
└ From laughing?
└└ You know..... I’m not that innocent of a person..
└└ I was just asking...]
While the Noeuls were in an uproar over the scene—which was both cool and hilarious, something they could chew on and savor for a lifetime—the non-fan viewers watched with satisfaction at Kim Seong-hyeon’s clumsy acting and his bright red ears.
They felt like he was truly trying his best.
Having barely completed the mission, Kim Seong-hyeon dried his hair with a towel and read the hint handed to him by the staff.
“‘Because just as it once was for me, it’s only once for me.’”
“Ah! See, I told you it was Ho-yun hyung!”
It was Seo Ho-yun’s part in Kill the Lights.
Just like the other members of The Dawn, the fans had also expected it to be either Seo Ho-yun or Kang Yi-chae, but seeing the result revealed without any twist felt a bit like a letdown.
[Ah, what.
Is it really him? That’s a bit anticlimactic.]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ But image-wise, Seo Ho-yun is the most suitable..]
While Kim Seong-hyeon was checking the front and back of the paper to see if there was anything else, glances were exchanged between Jeong Da-jun and Kang Yi-chae.
= You good?
= Good.
Just as Kim Seong-hyeon, sensing something suspicious, was about to look up—
“Hyung, sorry!!!”
“Sorry!! The numbers don’t divide evenly if we split it between three people!!”
“……What?”
Before he could even reach out, the maknaes dashed out of the studio.
“Hey, hey!!!”
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been frozen with his hair still wet and his clothes damp, tried to give chase belatedly, but the stylist clung to him with all her might.
Eventually, the scene faded out, and Kim Seong-hyeon’s profile appeared with a "BUSTED" stamp slammed over it.
【First Betrayal Occurs!
Kang Yi-chae and Jeong Da-jun betray Kim Seong-hyeon.】
[Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ guys, this is what you call teamwork ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[They were blinded by the money.....]
【Meanwhile, the Seo Ho-yun and Seong Ji-won team….】
A cafe terrace bathed in bright sunlight.
Seo Ho-yun dipped a large piece of honey bread into whipped cream and stuffed it into his mouth. Sitting across from him, Seong Ji-won had his sunglasses slid down his nose as he sipped an iced americano through a straw.
Notification alerts on their phones were ringing incessantly and calls were pouring in, but they were ignoring them all, leisurely enjoying their freedom.
[Hey.]
“Ji-won, is it good?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
“That’s a relief.”
[Why are you guys filming We Got Married?]
It was a scene of absolute peace.