Chapter 220
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 220
The persistent summer heat finally receded, and October arrived accompanied by a lonely breeze.
Even amidst the whirlwind of preparations for year-end stages, overseas activities, and discussions regarding their next comeback, The Dawn’s practice sessions continued without end.
Although the plagiarism scandal had been resolved, a cautious atmosphere still lingered.
Despite laying low, Kang Yi-chae posted a message on the official fan cafe, worried that the Noeuls might be anxious.
Starting with how much he missed them, Yi-chae’s post included the following sentiment:
[Because this fan song is so incredibly precious to me, I hope it remains as nothing but a beautiful memory for our Noeuls as well.]
He made no direct mention of the plagiarism.
As he monitored the fan reactions, Seo Ho-yun thought deeply.
I’ve put the Noeuls through too much.
Even if he was the type not to care about what others thought, his job was still being an idol. He couldn't ignore the fans' perspective.
In fact, every single incident had exploded within the two short years since Seo Ho-yun joined The Dawn.
Part of it was certainly due to him continuing the same methods he’d used as a PD—attracting attention through controversy.
Ho-yun felt a twinge of remorse.
I should stay quiet for a while.
Come to think of it, the system window hadn't been popping up much lately. It would answer if he called, but it no longer jumped out at every turn to heckle him or throw bizarre dialogue choices his way.
Ho-yun intended to take this opportunity to keep his head down and live as quietly as possible.
But as is always the case, life has a way of going in the opposite direction of one's intentions.
"Pardon? A variety show with Senior Min Ji-heon?"
A few days later, having been summoned to the company by the CEO, Ho-yun was told he would be appearing on a variety show with Min Ji-heon.
"Just me?"
"Yes."
Even if The Dawn was the next biggest thing at Daepasung after Min Ji-heon—even if they were currently the goose that laid the golden eggs—the CEO would have found things much easier if it weren't for Seo Ho-yun. Ho-yun was a sly fox, so hard to read that he surpassed even the industry veterans.
The CEO clicked his tongue in slight disapproval.
"Min Ji-heon is a variety show novice, so the management team requested someone to cover for him, fearing he’d just get edited out entirely if he went alone."
"And that someone is me?"
"You filmed a drama together, and you've done variety with him before."
There’s definitely more to this.
Ho-yun said he’d think about it and left the CEO’s office.
He immediately sent a text.
[Me: What’s the deal?]
However, there was no reply from Min Ji-heon.
What’s up with this guy?
It was a variety show on a major network, and it wasn't a bad offer for The Dawn.
However, he couldn't decide on the appearance immediately because his physical condition had been strange lately.
Compared to when they were in full promotion mode, his schedule was definitely lighter and he was getting enough rest, yet he frequently suffered from nosebleeds or felt chronically ill.
Fearing the fans might notice, he was being as careful as possible, avoiding live broadcasts and only appearing occasionally in pre-recorded, edited videos.
【Da-jun’s Clumsy Vlog Editing Room】
The most recent time Seo Ho-yun showed his face was in a self-filmed vlog by Jeong Da-jun.
"—Europe was just so, so beautiful!! It might be because it was my first time, and our country is great too, but the sunset skies there were really, really cool! I wanted to show our Noeuls so much, so I filmed a lot! I think I might have a talent for this, so I’m planning to release a domestic series someday! And..."
Jeong Da-jun’s mouth didn't rest for a single second.
Eventually, while fast-forwarding at 3x speed, a black screen appeared with an apology.
【We wanted to capture all of Mr. Jeong Da-jun’s beautiful words, but since that would have resulted in a 10-hour art film, we ask for your understanding regarding the edits.】
Reappearing, Jeong Da-jun winked at the camera.
"Please look forward to it!"
Subtitles appeared over another black screen.
【And so, the result of Da-jun’s work is?】
Frantic camera work.
Subtitles that were a beat late.
Sudden animation effects.
Exaggerated BGM.
【They say he did his best...】
The result was disastrous.
Kim Seong-hyeon and Seo Ho-yun, who had just finished practice and stopped by the planning team, found Jeong Da-jun immersed in editing and approached him.
The three of them huddled around a single computer, staring intently at the monitor.
Ho-yun watched aimlessly while crunching on a lollipop, but then—
"...What are you doing?"
His expression stiffened visibly upon seeing Da-jun’s skills.
"A challenge is always beautiful."
Faced with an editing level he couldn't bear to look at, Ho-yun chose to simply close his eyes.
"...It's beautiful, alright."
If the camera hadn't been rolling, Ho-yun would have scolded the maknae long ago.
However, feeling like there was nothing more to see and being too lazy to bother, he was about to pat Kim Seong-hyeon’s shoulder and leave when—
"Would you like to try, Mr. Seo Ho-yun?"
Lee Ji-hyeon threw out a provocation.
"I have to go eat and practice again with Kim Seong-hyeon."
"Aw, thirty minutes is fine, isn't it?"
"Hyung, Hyung! Can't you do something like this? It's a Nutuber I've been watching a lot lately!"
Ho-yun immediately understood what Da-jun wanted after seeing a vlog filled with a high-end, Starstagram-style aesthetic, but he just scratched the bridge of his nose with a frown.
Then, Da-jun started acting up, grinning mischievously beside him.
"Hyung, are you scared you'll be worse than me in front of the Noeuls?!"
"..."
"Is this what they call being a 'chicken'?!"
He’s only learned the bad habits from Kang Yi-chae.
Sighing as he mentally scheduled a noogie for Da-jun, Ho-yun gestured with his chin for Da-jun to move.
"...Fine, just ten minutes."
After saving the vlog Da-jun had made, he reloaded it, skimmed through, and pressed a few hotkeys.
Beside him, Kim Seong-hyeon and Jeong Da-jun threw out jabs like, "It'll probably be about the same," and "What could possibly come out of this?" but Ho-yun didn't even pretend to hear them.
Of course, as a member of the planning team, Lee Ji-hyeon could tell just by his hand movements that something was unusual.
W-what is this?
After performing a minimal number of clicks and keystrokes, Ho-yun hit 'Export' and stood up without even checking the result.
"Seong-hyeon, let's go."
Left behind, Da-jun and Ji-hyeon clicked on the 10-minute result after it finished rendering, and—
"...What??"
Their eyes widened.
At the same time, the screen was once again dyed black.
【This is the result of the vlog opening Seo Ho-yun edited in 10 minutes.】
The morning sun rose, and the river's ripples shimmered in red.
【In Berlin】
Thick bacon sizzled as it fried, and a golden piece of toast topped with a soft-boiled egg filled the screen.
Soon the scene transitioned, showing Seong Ji-won browsing through English books in a corner of a German bookstore.
The Noeuls were utterly bewildered.
Even after the video ended, the Noeuls continued to buzz.
It was supposed to be Da-jun’s Clumsy Vlog Editing Room, but the top comment on the Nutube video was: "Seo Ho-yun could film a Sundae-gukbap mukbang and it would still be possible to recreate it as a European aesthetic vlog."
Seeing this, Lee Ji-hyeon’s eyes gleamed as she summoned Ho-yun again.
Ho-yun, whose complexion looked slightly paler than usual for some reason, squinted his eyes upon hearing Ji-hyeon’s words.
"...Pardon? Sundae-gukbap?"
"Yes. A Sundae-gukbap vlog."
"...Do the Noeuls really want something like that?"
Did the fans truly want to see their favorite idol eating blood sausage soup in a beautifully packaged, aesthetic vlog style?
"...Well, alright."
But Ho-yun accepted the proposal.
It was his philosophy to do whatever the Noeuls asked for.
【And so, Mr. Seo Ho-yun really filmed it that evening and even edited it himself.】
This time, it was a bit longer than the previous opening video.
Accompanied by calm BGM, the menu—listing 'Sundae-guk,' 'Sundae Hotpot,' 'Extra Vegetables,' 'Noodle Add-ons,' etc.—was shown with stable camera work.
Neatly arranged side dishes, straightly placed utensils, and Kim Seong-hyeon, wearing a red apron, waiting reverently for his Sundae-gukbap.
【Soondae-Gukbap VLOG】
It even had an English title to match the aesthetic.
The fans roared with laughter, saying their "Seo-Bunny" had pulled off another one.
【Adding ‘Yachae-sari’】
【One more ‘Soondae’】
Then, the subtitles Ho-yun had painstakingly added appeared.
【I came to eat with Seong-hyeon today.】
【He was marveling at how I can dance so beautifully.】
"Hey, Seo Ho-yun."
"Yeah."
At the bottom edge of the screen, Ho-yun’s hands could be seen mixing rice into the soup and expertly sprinkling pepper.
"You're improving... but why is it so slow? What on earth should I do for you?"
【The leader is praising the student's progress.】
"Seong-hyeon, I'm grateful, but you don't have to do anything more."
"What?"
"You're lovely just by breathing."
"Let's just eat!! Just eat!!"
Kim Seong-hyeon threw down his spoon.
【Seong-hyeon is very shy.】
Over remarks that were clearly not praise, subtitles like "Beautiful progress" and "I will become a Ho-yun who works even harder" were laid out.
When about a minute was left in the video, Ho-yun turned the camera to himself.
Despite appearing to be bare-faced, his clean, pale skin—which almost looked translucent—further enhanced the wistful and pure atmosphere.
【Noeuls, thank you for watching.】
【You worked really hard today, and I hope you have happy days filled only with laughter.】
His eyes crinkled into a wide smile as he waved awkwardly, as if he weren't used to the self-cam.
And with the words 'The End,' the video concluded.
The Noeuls were always confused.
Was Seo Ho-yun a good person or not?
Anyone who has ever stanned—no, loved—someone knows that because all their interest and attention are always directed toward the object of their affection, they inevitably end up knowing the other person well.
What kind of person they are.
So the Noeuls also thought, I love Seo Ho-yun, but he must have quite a personality. His reputation was even spreading bit by bit overseas.
Domestic fans who saw this were impressed.
While fans were whispering that it was fine as long as there was no controversy and he was good to them, rumors spread that Seo Ho-yun would be appearing on a variety show with Min Ji-heon.
Even though it was still just a rumor, everyone was buzzing.
In particular, the small group of fans who still hadn't let go of Please Take Care of the Camera even after a year were the most fired up.
The fact that a successful actor was close to the idol they stanned was nothing but good news for a Noeul.
Just then—
News broke that The Dawn would appear on a Nutube channel featuring interviews with idols and actors.
However, the Noeuls didn't know.
【EP.184 Could this be madness? Even The Dawn? (Pre-release)】
That the short pre-release video on Nutube would be such a total disaster.