Chapter 19
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19
"Guys, they said we made it onto the real-time charts!!"
Despite being in the practice room since dawn to prepare for the showcase and then traveling by car, which surely must have left them exhausted, the excitement of The Dawn members showed no signs of fading. The music video views were one thing, but "Second Chance" had entered the real-time charts of Tinkerbell and Tab, two of the three major music sites.
"Al-although we charted out again..."
Even if it was only 91st place, a chart-in was a chart-in.
"I couldn't sleep because I was refreshing all night..."
"Hyung, me too..."
Seong Ji-won was chattering away with Jeong Da-jun, his tension finally easing. However, I remained on high alert.
The only thing left was the Mango Chart.
"I heard the Mango Chart was reorganized yesterday... What does this mean?"
Kim Seong-hyeon tilted his head in confusion.
Hmm, the timing is perfect.
"It used to require twenty-four-hour performance to chart in, but they said it changed back to a mix of real-time performance percentages."
"Ah, really? I didn't know."
I listened to the conversation while resting my chin on my hand in the back seat. It was exactly what the articles I saw yesterday had said.
I had already heard about this from an insider back when I was a PD... about a month ago.
'Do they think I'm crazy enough to only look at twenty-four-hour performance?'
How could a rookie enter that within a single day? Honestly, it was the same as telling them to pluck a star from the sky.
Ding!
[...No wonder you were so confident. You really knew how to pick your battles before making that bet with the CEO.]
Of course.
I don't gamble.
I tapped on my phone, giving a mental reply even though the System couldn't hear me. It was true the chart had been reorganized, but because twenty-four-hour streaming data was still mixed in and real-time performance wasn't reflected late at night, the chart-in was delayed.
"Hmm... I really don't want to file for bankruptcy."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Not only was this performance important, but "Second Chance" had to chart in for the sake of my bet with the CEO.
It was true the music video turned out better than expected, and I felt proud, but since I hadn't seen the external reaction firsthand yet, none of it felt real.
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been talking to Kang Yi-chae with a flushed face, tapped me.
"Look at this."
"What is it?"
"An interpretation of our MV is already out."
"This fast?"
Is the momentum stronger than I thought?
Come to think of it, I hadn't checked the communities or social media yet. I took the phone Kim Seong-hyeon handed me and checked the post.
[Title: The Dawn MV Interpretation
Our kids' MV is finally out after a long hiatus!!!!
The meaning of our kids wearing uniforms is that they are handsome. The meaning of them holding guns and flipping cards is that Seo Ho-yun is insanely handsome. The meaning of Kim Seong-hyeon suddenly running is that he is god-tier handsome. ...]
"...Kim Seong-hyeon."
"W-what."
"Did you want me to read the part about you being god-tier handsome?"
"It's not like that!"
Kim Seong-hyeon, looking slightly embarrassed, quickly scrolled down. A proper interpretation was beginning to emerge.
"Look further down."
[...As you can feel from ☆God☆ Cheong-beom's high-budget beat, this MV is an Apocalypse SF piece.
Seo Ho-yun and Seong Ji-won are the government forces suppressing the revolutionary army. And the revolutionary army—with Kim Seong-hyeon as the leader, Kang Yi-chae as the shock trooper, and Jeong Da-jun as the 'key'—clashes with the government forces while constantly looking for an opportunity.
However, there is one unique point here. It begins with Seong Ji-won regressing after committing suicide instead of killing his enemy, Kim Seong-hyeon. From the lyrics 'In other words, I have returned' and 'I can never miss this opportunity,' we know that Seong Ji-won is a regressor.
In the meantime, Seo Ho-yun appears wearing the same uniform as Seong Ji-won. (He had the stage name Ho-u Ho-u, but I guess they changed it; it doesn't show up anymore...)
Seo Ho-yun picks up five cards on the table and flips them over one by one. The Joker represents Jeong Da-jun, who holds the 'key.' He is important to both the government and the revolutionary forces. Seo Ho-yun flips the cards as if he expected this, but he gives a meaningful smile upon seeing the last card.
'GIF of Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon running'
After that, Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon run to escape the government forces. They encounter Seong Ji-won, a member of the government forces, along the way, but as the lyrics 'A strange sense of déjà vu, you are afraid' play, they feel a strange sense of familiarity.
Saying 'There's no need to worry,' Seong Ji-won does not kill Kim Seong-hyeon. Instead, seeing a severely injured Jeong Da-jun, he realizes the situation has gone wrong and points the trigger at his own head.
'GIF of Seong Ji-won pointing the trigger'
He's trying to regress by committing suicide. This is the very scene we saw at the beginning.
In truth, Seong Ji-won was on the side of the revolutionaries. But here's another twist: Kang Yi-chae, who we thought was a revolutionary, shoots Seong Ji-won and prevents his regression.
'GIF of Kang Yi-chae holding a sniper rifle'
The gunshot we heard at the beginning wasn't from Seong Ji-won's gun, but from Kang Yi-chae's...!!!!
Ultimately, it tells us that the regression in the first scene failed.
'I ain’t gonna miss this time.' Kang Yi-chae was a spy for the government forces, and he calls someone over the radio.
The one who appears in this fallen catastrophe is none other than Seo Ho-yun. It begins with his appearance.
'A strange sense of déjà vu, you are afraid.'
But the song continues. 'There's no need to wander, for I will find the way.'
That's right. Seo Ho-yun was the one who devised the scheme. Seong Ji-won's regression failed, the revolutionary army has fallen into Seo Ho-yun's hands, and he even takes Jeong Da-jun, the 'Joker' who is the 'key.' Seo Ho-yun knew from the very beginning.
'GIF of Seo Ho-yun flipping the card to check'
The card that came out was the King of Hearts, Charlemagne. At the same time, do you know what this card is called, everyone?
It's the Suicide King.1)
Seo Ho-yun knew from the start—not just about Jeong Da-jun being the Joker, but also the fact that Seong Ji-won, whom he thought was on his side, was actually committing suicide and regressing to stop him and save the revolutionary army...
I think it'll continue after this, but I don't know what will happen...
Everyone... do I look like I'm crying over the MV of this god-tier story?
Instead of wiping my tears, please stream the song.
Because it's been a long time since The Dawn set fire to my K-pop stanning life...]
"Wow..."
They really wrote a great interpretation...
I nodded involuntarily as I read. At the same time, feeling a strange sensation, I asked Kim Seong-hyeon.
"Who would write something with this much passion and sincerity?"
"A fan... must be a fan."
Kim Seong-hyeon lowered his voice, sounding shy. With that level of skill, it was only natural to expect fans to appear, but he didn't seem to think so.
At the same time, it felt bizarre to me too. Having someone talk about me like this... was awkward and strange.
I have fans?
That feeling persisted until we arrived at the showcase venue. We reached the Live Hall, a mecca for showcases that we were lucky to book, and our photos were hanging large. In front of the doors, even though there were at least several hours left until the start of the showcase, I could see people waiting in line.
"Those people over there..."
"Oh, I guess there's another performance here?"
The members brushed it off without much thought. Since they had never been popular, they didn't expect fans to be waiting already. Everyone got out of the van thinking that way.
"Ji-won-ah! Seong Ji-won!"
"Yi-chae, Seong-hyeon, look over here!"
...I was wrong.
As soon as the members stepped out of the car, we heard voices shouting our names. Startled, we turned to look at them.
Though there weren't many yet, they were waving tickets or holding cameras to take pictures of us.
Seong Ji-won stammered.
"W-what is this?"
"Say hello, quickly."
While everyone was flustered, we heard them calling us again. In our confusion, we bowed deeply, and a cheer erupted.
"Da-jun is so cute!"
"Are they... are they our fans?"
Jeong Da-jun muttered blankly. Even if they were "re-debuted" rookies, you'd think they'd be used to it after a year, but...
I also bowed next to Jeong Da-jun.
"Ho-yun-aaaaah!"
"......!"
Startled, I looked up to see a fan waving a slogan and jumping up and down, shouting at me.
"Ho-yun, good luck today!"
"You're so handsome!!"
...Me?
Experiencing this reaction for the first time, I also muttered stupidly. When I pointed a finger at myself and asked, they nodded their heads.
"Ho-yun, if you smile, I'm happy too!"
Unable to accept reality, I blinked. As I stood there dazed, Kim Seong-hyeon pressed down on the back of my neck and said in a tone laced with laughter.
"What are you doing? You have to say hello."
"Ah... Right."
Though I didn't know what to do, I bowed. For some reason, the sound of shutters clicking erupted among the fans.
Seriously, what is this... Entering the Live Hall in a daze, Kang Yi-chae teased me with a smirk.
"Hyung, I think this is the first time I've seen you flustered."
"I know, right? You were so calm no matter what happened... but you crumbled at a single fan cheer."
"......"
The other members added their own comments as they passed by. They were just as excited, but my reaction must have been the most unexpected.
I still couldn't believe I had fans.
Is this for real?
Back when I was a notorious PD, I only ever had eggs thrown at me. This endless outpouring of goodwill was nothing but foreign.
Logically, I could accept that with this kind of popularity, I would have a few fans, but it still didn't make sense to me on a practical level.
That was why even as I was dragged to the waiting room to get my makeup done and change into my outfit, I still couldn't snap out of it.
"It looks good on you today too, Ho-yun."
The stylist teacher praised me repeatedly while adjusting my clothes.
I saw myself standing in front of the mirror, wearing an in-ear microphone. Since I had agreed with the stylist's suggestion to go with techwear to show strength for our first time, I looked at my reflection in stage makeup with a sense of awkwardness.
...This feels strange.
My phone vibrated. Messages from Im Hyeon-su and Ju Woo-seong. And Seo Ho-jin.
[Seo Ho-jin: Hyung]
[Seo Ho-jin: Go tear up that stage]
[Seo Ho-jin: If you mess up, I'm changing the front door passcode so you can't come home]
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Right, let's remember why I'm here.
Taking a deep breath, I turned around to see the members, excluding Seong Ji-won, gathered together, trying their best to hide their anxiety. Jeong Da-jun spoke to me with a tense face.
"Hyung, they said we're going up soon. Please get ready."
"Where's Seong Ji-won?"
"He said he was going to the bathroom. He's taking a while."
"I'll go get him."
I think I know what's going on.
I left the waiting room and headed for the bathroom. If I brought Seong Ji-won back and we went on stage, the timing would be perfect.
I habitually bowed to the staff passing by, and once no one was in sight, I hid slightly behind a vending machine in the hallway and whispered softly.
"Item Shop."
[Opening the Item Shop.]
Various products appeared before my eyes, sparkling as if begging to be bought. Following the items with my eyes, I found the one I had noted last time and selected it without hesitation.
"Purchase Cheongsimhwan."
[Purchasing Cheongsimhwan.]
[Consuming 300 points.]
At the same time, I lightly clenched and unclenched my hand to find a small Cheongsimhwan wrapped in gold foil sitting in my palm.
Wow, this is seriously amazing.
After checking my surroundings once, I grabbed a bottle of water from the vending machine and went to find Seong Ji-won.
As expected.
I found him. On the stairs right next to the bathroom, a pale-faced Seong Ji-won.
"...Uh."
He was sighing deeply, and when our eyes met, he gave an embarrassed smile.
"Ho-yun, you're here?"
"What are you doing? Why aren't you coming?"
"Ah... Just, I'm a bit nervous."
It didn't look like he was just a bit nervous.
His face was so bleached white that one would think it was Seong Ji-won, not me, who had just come back from the emergency room.
"Sorry... I'll make sure I don't cause trouble for the team."
I sat down next to him without a word. There was still some time left. Seeing Seong Ji-won muttering weakly, it felt like the showcase would be a disaster if I didn't resolve this.
He was even a bit short of breath. His breathing was so unstable it looked like he might collapse at any moment. I looked at him calmly.
Ding!
[Encourage Seong Ji-won and finish the showcase safely!
Seong Ji-won is exhausted from his long trainee life.
He is extremely tense due to the sudden stroke of luck.
Encourage Seong Ji-won 0/1
Finish the showcase safely 0/1
Success Reward: Charm +30, Dancing +10, Singing +10
Failure Penalty: Charm -50, Dancing -30, Singing -30]
Balance the failure penalties, you bastards.
"Hey."
I held out the Cheongsimhwan and the water to Seong Ji-won. He frowned slightly.
"Take it. It's a Cheongsimhwan."
"...How did you know I was nervous?"
"You've been making it so obvious, how could I not know?"
It was the same during the recording. The guy who did perfectly fine during practice would suddenly struggle as if he had some kind of trauma the moment it was the real deal.
"This kind of thing doesn't work for me."
"Just take it."
"No, I'm fi—mph!"
It's expensive.
I popped it right into Seong Ji-won's mouth while he was talking. It went in perfectly. My experience nursing Seo Ho-jin when he was sick as a kid really paid off.
The moment Seong Ji-won stood there with his mouth open in shock, I quickly held out the water.
He couldn't exactly spit out what was in his mouth, so Seong Ji-won gave me a slightly wronged look as he forced himself to swallow the water I handed him, glancing at me repeatedly.
"...That was a very strange way to feed someone."
"I have a younger brother. If I throw it like that, he eats it like a dog."
"Are you saying I'm a dog?"
I watched Seong Ji-won while making such trivial small talk.
[Seong Ji-won's tension is easing!]
I guess it really was effective. His breathing seemed to be returning to normal. Seong Ji-won blinked.
"This is pretty good. What is it? A placebo effect?"
"Good for you."
Objectively, Seong Ji-won is the best among us. I have to keep him alive somehow so our showcase can end successfully. Seong Ji-won gave a weak smile that looked like it might crumble.
"You really don't get nervous."
"I was nervous too."
"What? No way."
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"It's true. I'm just trying not to show it."
"Haha, well, it's good because you really don't look nervous."
"Why are you so nervous?"
Seong Ji-won had everything. Just as his long trainee period suggested, he was the most popular in our team and had the best balance of skills.
Seong Ji-won hesitated, wondering whether to speak or not, before letting out a deep sigh.
"This is our first... and could be our last showcase."
"Yeah."
"I'm afraid of failing. I know this isn't the kind of thing you want to hear right now, but..."
I didn't think that way. I just listened to Seong Ji-won's words without saying anything.
"I've been a trainee for a long time. I've had several opportunities during that time... but they all ended badly. I'm scared that this luck will disappear just as quickly."
I think I knew what he meant. Seong Ji-won had learned to expect failure more than success. Every time he thought he was taking a step forward, he was pushed back a hundred steps, and even when he tried to open the door to success, it was forcibly slammed shut.
That was why Seong Ji-won was afraid to take that one step. Afraid that this last opportunity would be shut away again.
I knew that feeling well. Very well.
"......"
"...Sorry, um, I shouldn't be saying things like this. I just ended up talking because it feels like you've never failed before."
"My life hasn't always been smooth either."
"Huh?"
"Want to see?"
Before Seong Ji-won could even respond, I rolled up my sleeve. Seong Ji-won looked at me, flustered.
"W-what are you doing?"
*
1) Because the sword held in the hand appears to be stabbing the back of the head, it is sometimes called the "Suicide King."