Chapter 201
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201
“This is Chae Jeong-woo’s ‘Black Stars in the Dark Night.’ We’re live on visible radio!”
Chae Jeong-woo gave a bright smile into the camera, his headset firmly on. Since it was a visible radio show, I also put on a radiant expression and waved toward the cameras.
This was our first meeting since I’d ghosted the texts he sent me back when I appeared on a variety show with Kang Yeon-hu.
He was careful not to make it obvious, but he directed more questions toward Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon than he did toward Kang Yi-chae or me. It seemed he was being mindful of the widening gap in recognition within The Dawn.
[The host is so handsome, ugh ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[Love you guys! ♥♥♥]
A monitor was set up at an angle where both Chae Jeong-woo and our group could see the real-time comments from viewers and listeners.
Having been a radio DJ for two years now, he was incredibly skilled at picking out the wittiest comments from the rapidly scrolling feed.
“Da-jun, I heard you’ve been receiving a lot of expensive gifts from Yi-chae lately.”
Jeong Da-jun, who used Starstagram like a personal diary, had been diligent about uploading selfies lately. He seemed particularly invested in creating ‘boyfriend material’ shots to look more like a ‘grown-up,’ which naturally led to Kang Yi-chae’s gifted clothes and shoes being exposed. And everyone—except for Jeong Da-jun—was shocked by the price tags.
Da-jun, only just realizing the truth, looked devastated.
“Wait, those were expensive?”
“Yep, very expensive.”
“Da-jun doesn’t recognize brands unless the logo is huge,” Yi-chae added.
“But Yi-chae hyung told me it was only thirty thousand won!”
“Oh dear.”
Kang Yi-chae had a wicked hobby of teasing Jeong Da-jun. Of course, so did I.
Chae Jeong-woo watched their banter with a gentle smile before asking, “Come to think of it, I heard Yi-chae also gives Ho-yun clothes quite often?”
“Of course. His gifts are more… custom-made, filled with my deep affection.”
It was true. They were technically gifts.
Claiming to consider my tastes, he’d given me black t-shirts and sweatshirts. The only problem was the rainbow-colored lettering across the chest that read ‘I’m Pretty’ or ‘Prin.cess.’
“He doesn’t wear them, though,” Yi-chae noted.
“I wore one exactly once because he wouldn't stop pestering me. After I got caught by fans, I never touched them again,” I replied.
Everyone chuckled at my answer. Kang Yi-chae turned his gaze toward Seong Ji-won and said in a relaxed tone, “It’s Ji-won hyung’s birthday soon, so I’m thinking of giving him a shirt that says ‘The Dawn’s True Boss.’”
“I’ll wear it well!” Ji-won chirped.
[Ji-won, what do you mean you’ll wear it well? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[He really is the consistent top dog of The Dawn...]
Chae Jeong-woo looked satisfied as he scanned the rapidly updating comments. After that, we moved on to an image game.
“Who is the most stubborn member of The Dawn? Pick on the count of three! One, two, three!”
There was no need to think.
I pointed at myself, but the other members unanimously pointed at Seong Ji-won.
“...Ahaha? Me?”
As Seong Ji-won laughed awkwardly, Jeong Da-jun jumped up from his seat.
“I mean, Ho-yun hyung is no joke either, but with him, you realize later that he actually had a rational reason. And Yi-chae hyung is surprisingly flexible as long as it’s fun—except when it comes to health stuff. But once Ji-won hyung gets stubborn, absolutely no one can stop him!”
“What about Kim Seong-hyeon?”
“If someone manages to make Seong-hyeon hyung get stubborn, that person really, really needs to reflect on their life!”
Da-jun grumbled that making Seong-hyeon hyung—the light and hero of The Dawn—act out was a grave sin, then swept his hair back dramatically.
I tilted my head as I looked at Seong Ji-won.
Is Ji-won really that bad?
Kang Yi-chae glanced at me briefly before shifting his eyes away.
Next was a segment where we read short stories sent in by listeners and offered solutions. After reading a story from someone wondering if they were in a ‘some’ relationship or not, Jeong Da-jun launched into a passionate lecture based on all the dramas he’d watched from the womb until his current age of nineteen.
Of course, the youngest member of The Dawn had been single since birth.
I considered stopping him, but I figured the Noeuls probably knew Da-jun’s dating history better than anyone, so I let it slide. I didn't add a single word myself.
If I give advice, I can only imagine an ending where someone gets slapped.
I listened half-heartedly as our maknae frowned—unusually serious—and argued that anyone who confuses their partner isn't a good person. As I scanned the monitor, a few comments caught my eye.
[Jeong-woo is so cuuuute]
[Da-jun!!!! How did you learn about romance through books? ㅠㅠ Our maknae]
[Seong Ji-won explain yourself Seong Ji-won explain yourself]
[Ugh, so gross. He’s really acting like he wasn't the center of Today ㅠ]
[Our maknae is so pure, protect him at all costs]
[So cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Don't you feel sorry for your members? It’s amazing how you can just act like your past agency never happened~ ㅋㅋ]
My eyebrows twitched for a split second, but I quickly masked my expression.
Just as Seong Ji-won, who had been laughing at Da-jun, was about to turn his head toward the monitor, I gave his leg a sharp kick under the table.
‘Huh?’
Ji-won blinked his eyes wide and mouthed, “What’s wrong?” I just gave him a refreshing smile.
Fortunately, the topic of conversation shifted back to Ji-won, leaving him with no time to look at the monitor, and the malicious comments seemed to stop appearing.
“May tonight’s starlight reach you as well. See you again tomorrow.”
The Dawn thanked the Noeuls for watching, and the radio show ended after Chae Jeong-woo’s closing remarks.
“Good work, everyone~.”
As I stood up, I noticed the staff’s gazes lingering strangely on Seong Ji-won as he passed by.
“Hyung, aren’t you coming?”
“I’m coming.”
As I stood still to gauge the atmosphere, Jeong Da-jun looked at me with a puzzled expression, tilting his head.
I followed them out for now, but a bad feeling was ringing alarm bells in my head.
This is garbage.
“Ho-yun.”
As we walked down the hallway toward the parking lot, I heard Chae Jeong-woo calling me from behind.
“...Senior.”
I gestured for the members to go down first, quickly plastered on my professional smile, and turned around.
“Thanks for what happened with Yeon-hu.”
He didn't really need to call me aside just to say that. No matter how I looked at him, Chae Jeong-woo seemed to have a genuinely good personality.
“Are you truly thankful?”
“Of course... though it went in a very... unexpected direction, the broadcast turned out well in the end. Although, Ju Woo-seong was grumbling quite a bit.”
“He sent me a text asking why I live my life like this.”
“Ahaha.”
Chae Jeong-woo let out a hearty laugh. A moment later, he scanned the surroundings and lowered his voice significantly.
“Ho-yun, do you have a moment?”
My eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what he wanted to say, but I nodded. He led me to a secluded corner.
“...Normally, I would have just minded my own business, but my group members have received a lot of help from you.”
“Yes.”
“And based on what I’ve seen so far, you seem to have a very strong mental fortitude. That’s why I’m telling you this.”
Why is this preamble so long?
I was starting to get annoyed, so I threw a direct question, though I kept the smile on my face.
That smile cracked slightly a second later.
“It’s about Seong Ji-won.”
Chae Jeong-woo scratched his cheek, averting his gaze.
“I don’t know if you saw because the comments were scrolling so fast, but things looked a bit strange.”
“Ah.”
So he had seen those comments too.
Chae Jeong-woo rubbed the back of his neck, appearing to hesitate for a moment before slowly speaking.
“Do you know, Ho-yun? About how Seong Ji-won was at his previous company?”
“Not really. Not in detail.”
“...Hmm, well...”
Chae Jeong-woo quirked an eyebrow. He didn't seem inclined to dig deeper and spoke in a casual, nonchalant tone.
“Anyway, he’s your teammate, so please trust him. You’re in the same boat, after all.”
I’d heard that somewhere before. Specifically, from my second sucker.
“Yes. Thank you for the advice.”
I thought he was finished and tried to wrap things up, but Chae Jeong-woo let out a laugh at an odd timing.
“You don't agree with me, do you? Or rather, are you just letting it go in one ear and out the other?”
Being a ‘nice guy’ didn't mean he was a pushover.
There’s a thorn in his words.
I was sure I’d kept my poker face, but Chae Jeong-woo—a member of Black Call who had stayed at the top without a single scandal (unlike Ju Woo-seong)—seemed to have a talent for reading people.
“...Well, the choice is yours in the end. But as I said, you helped my boys out, so I’m saying this out of goodwill. It’ll be better for the team if you take it to heart.”
“......”
“If possible, keep Seong Ji-won off the internet. Don't let things reach his ears so he doesn't get hurt and let it fester alone.”
Chae Jeong-woo looked down and murmured quietly.
“Sometimes, wounds last a long time.”
He finished with a faint, sad smile.
“Though looking at you, you might not even care that much.”
Wishing me luck and telling me to get home safe, Chae Jeong-woo turned and walked back toward the radio booth.
I watched his retreating back before heading toward the parking lot.
The amount of insults I’d swallowed during my days as a PD was enough to grant me eternal life. I couldn't survive if I cared about every little thing.
However, the fact that his former agency, D.go, kept dragging Seong Ji-won down left a bitter taste in my mouth. It was clear there were many issues there, and since the rumor that Ji-won was originally the center of Today was quite widespread, it wasn't surprising that people were talking.
The timing is the problem, though.
There was one thing Ju Woo-seong said in the past that I deeply agreed with:
It is extremely rare for a celebrity’s secret to be leaked for no reason.
To survive in this industry, you either need talent or at least a bit of spite. Because of that, people who were born with bad personalities—or those who ruined their personalities along the way—were more common than one might think.
“...Hmm.”
I had to assume this was intentional.
It seemed Yun Hee-eon was up to something, just as Lia Purple’s maknae had warned me. If left unchecked, it could damage the entire group.
As for Seong Ji-won...
He was the number one strongest personality in our team, so I didn't think I needed to look after him personally.
Sorting through my complicated thoughts, I headed down to the basement where the van was parked. I spotted Seong Ji-won standing outside with his face buried in his hands, while Kim Seong-hyeon hovered anxiously around him.
“Hey, why aren't you guys getting in—”
I stopped mid-sentence when Ji-won looked up.
“Oh, uh. Ho-yun.”
Seong Ji-won was crying.
“Seong Ji-won.”
I stepped closer and leaned in to check on him. Tears were streaming down from his bloodshot eyes, and the tip of his nose was bright red.
“Hey, you...”
Before I could even ask why he was crying, Ji-won turned his face away and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean it’s nothing?”
“Hey, hey. Seo Ho-yun.”
Kim Seong-hyeon grabbed my arm, but his voice barely registered.
Did he see those comments?
Did he see something else on the internet in the meantime?
Or did Yun Hee-eon contact him?
My mind raced with a thousand possibilities.
“Seo Ho-yun, step back for a second.”
As my expression grew grimmer, Kim Seong-hyeon tried to restrain me. But my eyes remained fixed on Seong Ji-won, who was still shedding tears like rain.
“Stop crying and tell me what happened.”
I grabbed both his shoulders and pressed for an answer. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke.
“Well... I walked into the van.”
“...What?”
His entire face turned beet red from embarrassment as he pointed to a spot on the van. There was indeed a faint white smudge there.
“No, I was looking back to see when you were coming... and I slammed my face into the door...”
“......”
“......”
An awkward silence enveloped us.
“Hey, did you even hear a word I said?” Seong-hyeon grumbled. “Is your hearing tuned only to Seong Ji-won’s voice?”
Jeong Da-jun, who was already sitting in the back of the van, rolled down the dark tinted window and rested his chin on the frame.
“Hyung, you looked cool just now, but... how should I put it?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“You’re overprotective!”
“Da-jun, you’ll shock Ho-yun hyung. You should keep those thoughts to yourself~.”
Kang Yi-chae leaned against Da-jun’s back and clapped with exaggerated gestures. Seeing him chatter about how there was a reason people were catching ‘Seo Ho-yun disease,’ my fists began to tremble.
“Hey, get in.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
“Stop dazing out and get in already.”
“Da-jun, translate please.”
“That means he’s embarrassed, so please pretend you didn't see anything.”
Realizing that staying here would only drain my mental energy, I shoved Seong Ji-won and Kim Seong-hyeon into the van. The younger ones didn't know when to stop.
“Tell me. Who did this to you?” Da-jun mimicked me.
“Kyaa~! Ho-yun hyung~!”
Da-jun kept up the imitation until both he and Yi-chae, who was cackling, earned themselves a flick to the forehead.
Just then, I saw the manager and the road manager running toward us. It seemed they’d been busy making the rounds and greeting people while we were at the station.
Everyone boarded the vehicle, and we soon pulled out of the parking lot.
As I rested my chin on my hand and looked out the window, mentally listing the recent series of events...
“He should worry about himself... He’s got plenty of skeletons in his own closet.”
The words of Lia Purple’s maknae popped into my head.
I immediately turned on my phone to text Kim Jae-yeon, then shifted my eyes as I felt a gaze on me.
Seong Ji-won was peeking at me, seemingly worried that I was being teased because of him.
Looking at the guy whose face was still damp, I snatched a tissue from the corner of the seat and threw it at him.
“Wipe your face.”
“O-okay!”
Fine, damn it.
They keep calling me overprotective? I’ll show them what real overprotection looks like.