Chapter 240
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 240
The Halloween self-produced content released by The Dawn as a special event garnered an explosive response from Noeul.
[Title: The Dawn’s Halloween content is seriously so funny LMAO
Is Seo Ho-yun crazy for only knowing one magic spell and it’s ‘Abracadabra’? Hahahahaha
Did Kim Seong-hyeon not see it? He’s like, ‘Abracadabra...? Is that a good thing?’ I’m crying ㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Seo Ho-yun: (He knows what it means)
Kang Yi-chae: (Letting it slide because it’s funny)
Seong Ji-won: (Letting it slide because he looks happy)
Jeong Da-jun: (Pupils shaking)
And besides being funny, what’s with them wearing the outfits from the poll and doing the choreography...
I was obsessed with Kim Seong-hyeon as an American Quarterback, so I would’ve been so upset if there wasn’t a dance video for it.
How are they hitting both the comedy and the feels?
└ First of all, Kang Yi-chae-ri is so touching.
└└ FR FR, Daepasung definitely has an otaku staff member. There’s no way this would’ve happened otherwise.]
The Dawn had released a performance video for their most recent title track, "Falling," as it was deemed the best fit for the Halloween atmosphere.
[They took individual and group life-four-cuts photos, they’re so pretty......
I’ll probably go bankrupt trying to get these.
└ Getting one is like winning the lottery, seriously... the premium on these will be insane.
└└ My baby lottery subscriptions...]
[If you guys give us this much now, what are you going to do next year... ㅠㅠ
Please wear magic school uniforms next year.
└ The Dawnies would actually do it.
When they give, they really give a lot.]
[Title: A really cute story about the Dawnies
Da-jun told us on a live stream.
After filming the Halloween content (which should be called a sniping party), they went back to the dorm and told ghost stories. Kim Seong-hyeon, who has a single room, got too scared to sleep alone and went to Ho-yun and Ji-won’s room ㅠ
Kang Yi-chae, who went there to find the game console Seong Ji-won confiscated, joined in, and even the maknae, who was curious because the hyungs were making a fuss, squeezed in too hahahaha.
Apparently, it was so cramped they ended up sleeping in the living room...
When someone asked Seong-hyeon on Pop-Pop if he was really that scared, he answered, ‘It was for member bonding...’ He’s so cute I could die ㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋ]
[So freaking cute....
The excessive moe-fication of twenty-three-year-old men...
I should stop...
But do I really have to? < Current state
└ If we could stop, would we be doing this right now?
└└ #TheDawnAreGodBabies]
Kang Yi-chae often took polaroids and posted them on his SNS, and perhaps because he enjoyed this Halloween so much, a massive amount of behind-the-scenes cuts from the members' Halloween content was uploaded.
Among them, Seo Ho-yun, wearing a school uniform and staring blankly into space—unlike his usual self—looked like a scene from a youth movie.
[Seo Ho-yun is really too much.
He looks like he has a whole backstory just by breathing...]
[Why does this photo feel so 2000s? ㅠㅋㅋ
His face is exactly my type, it hurts ㅠ Dammit... I wish he’d debuted back in high school... I could’ve used so many more gifs.]
[But seriously, it’s a total mystery...
How does a guy who looks like this have zero stories from his school days? If it were me, I would’ve been happy just watching this jerk breathe as he walked by.]
[Isn’t the agency blocking it? They say if you push a ‘mysterious’ concept, you can block all talk from acquaintances.]
[Lol, as long as there’s no scandal, who cares?]
The Noeuls were still curious about Seo Ho-yun’s school days, but the topic quickly shifted to the Halloween dance video.
Specifically, Seo Ho-yun’s dancing skills.
Seo Ho-yun was already famous for being a perfectionist. People assumed his polite, "fake" persona in front of fans also stemmed from that personality.
[Whoa, look at his lines this time.]
Regardless of how he practiced, he appeared more improved with every promotion, to the point where the initial "Ttukttak-i" Seo Ho-yun was hard to remember. In this Halloween dance video, his improvement was visible to the naked eye.
[Seo Ho-yun is the real deal...
Every time I see those ‘improving idol’ videos on Nutube, I’m usually indifferent because there’s no big difference, but holy crapㅋㅋㅋ this is a massive leap.]
[I’m curious what the hell he did to improve this muchㅋㅋㅋ
└ There’s a rumor Ju Woo-seong is helping him with dancing.
└└ What kind of sasaeng nonsense is that...
└└ ㅋㅋㅋ Believe it or not.]
Results, of course, required a process.
However, Seo Ho-yun had always believed since becoming an adult that to avoid being looked down upon, one must show a calm exterior and never let the fierce inner struggle be discovered.
Thanks to that, he had become a master at feigning composure, and fans simply saw him as a naturally gifted "born-to-be" star.
For Ho-yun, this was a relief.
*
"Hmm."
After checking Daepasung’s quarterly settlement report and statistical data, I lightly searched for fan reactions to the Halloween content.
It wasn't bad; the atmosphere was generally peaceful.
"Not bad."
So, I decided to slightly shift the direction of the plan I had formulated in my mind to maintain this state.
Even if celebrities getting caught up in gossip is inevitable, it felt like the Noeuls had suffered too much since our debut.
While I couldn't guarantee that similar things wouldn't happen again, I could at least provide some after-sales service.
"Seo Ho-yun-ssiiii... please look at this."
Just as I finished organizing my thoughts, a dying voice came from beside me. It was Lee Ji-hyeon, typing away on her laptop keyboard while swaying like a semi-zombie.
"Yes, what is it?"
It sounded a bit like a curse, but I ignored it and turned my head to look at the screen.
Displayed there was a document titled ‘20XX The Dawn Market Analysis Report.’
To summarize roughly: an idol group with many scandals, but one that treats fans well and is fun to watch on stage.
"I'm sorry about the many controversies."
"Not that, look at the awareness."
Lee Ji-hyeon continued as she scrolled down.
"Slightly below High Five after Shining Star Season 2 ended. A Tier 2 group from a mid-sized agency currently solidifying their base. That’s where The Dawn is right now."
That was our current position.
Because Black Call’s position was so overwhelming, an ambiguous Tier 1.5 standard had been created, and The Dawn hadn't even come close to the outskirts of that yet.
"Then what should we do?"
"...For some reason, it feels like a university professor is asking me a question. Asking without giving a clear answer."
Muttering, "What do you think, student?" Lee Ji-hyeon let out a deep sigh.
"If I knew, I would’ve put you on the Billboard charts by now."
I chuckled at those words.
It was something people in the entertainment industry said often.
Whenever someone blew up, the question "Why are they so popular?" always followed.
There are clear reasons for failure, and approximate reasons for moderate success, but when someone hits the jackpot, there are often no overwhelming reasons visible to justify it.
That’s why even people who have spent decades in this industry don’t know what will take off, so they keep pouring out idols with new concepts every time.
However...
I can at least set a general direction.
Because no matter what, it’s not like there are no commonalities at all.
As I just stared silently, Lee Ji-hyeon, glancing at me, blurted out.
"We just need to ask Kang Yi-chae-ssi to somehow grab a hit song."
"Lee Ji-hyeon-ssi, don't give me a cliché answer that a CEO would give."
"...You really are a genius at provocation. Fine, should I be honest then?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Lee Ji-hyeon bit her lip once, picked up a whiteboard marker, and popped the cap. Then, she began listing words on the whiteboard that looked like a demon-summoning incantation.
I had to struggle for a long time to make sure those characters weren't a curse for me constantly pushing work onto her.
"I’m not saying this just because they’re our company’s idols, but The Dawn is excellent at communicating with fans and has an abundance of self-produced content. Excluding exceptional cases like Chae Jeong-woo or Ju Woo-seong, based on skill alone, they’d be around Tier 1.5. The lore in the albums? I, Lee Ji-hyeon, who has lived most of my life as an otaku, designed it. There’s no way it’s lacking. It might be a matter of taste, but it’s not lacking."
"Yes, yes..."
"Then what’s missing?"
Tilting her head, Lee Ji-hyeon’s eyes sparkled as she pointed her index finger up!
"Public appeal."
According to Lee Ji-hyeon, excluding the handful of original fans, the people who joined early on were "old-timers" who had been through the wringer in K-pop—people drawn to The Dawn’s lore, which perfectly targeted niche sensibilities.
They gained rapid popularity after Shining Star Season 1 and solidified their fan base through the Apocalypse Trilogy.
And now, having passed through the "spicy" experience of Shining Star Season 2, The Dawn’s fandom was practically indestructible.
Lee Ji-hyeon added in a murmur that we really needed to treat the Noeuls well.
"Anyway, people who like K-pop are constantly 'window shopping' anyway, so there’s no way they don’t know Seo Ho-yun or The Dawn. But what if you ask a random citizen on the street? How many of them would know The Dawn? Besides Seo Ho-yun, how many members’ names would they know?"
"It’s a relief if they even know me."
"Exactly. Plus, the overseas fandom is relatively weak. The OTT platform that serviced Shining Star was blocked in some countries, excluding Japan and Europe. These days, new groups sprout up every time you blink, and unless people want the satisfaction of 'raising' a group from scratch, they don't go out of their way to look for groups they don't know."
So, the point was that we needed to expand the fan base and increase public appeal, both domestically and internationally.
It was roughly the same as my own assessment.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
While preparing for the next album, I had been checking the group's status and searching for the conditions to rise to Tier 1.
I was willing to do anything if it meant we could blow up.
I spoke up while scanning the nearly illegible writing on the whiteboard again.
"You know the program The Complete Singer that’s coming back, right?"
Lee Ji-hyeon, who was closing the marker cap and turning around, widened her eyes.
"Of course I know it. Isn't that the show where they score how well a singer sings with precision, like a detailed grading system? I heard they’re rebooting it... wasn't last season a bit meh?"
"Well, yeah."
Season 1, which came out when singing variety shows were the trend, was a huge hit with critical acclaim. The following season, its popularity withered a bit due to the panels' artificial reactions and the forced emotional narratives.
In the midst of that, they had been pouring out ads and articles since last year saying they’d return, but the program had been scrapped several times due to the indifferent public. It was only now, at the end of this year, that the "Reboot" was finally coming out.
Every time I caught a glimpse of it, I clicked my tongue in pity, seeing them ruin a well-made show. However, its recognition in Asia remained consistently high, and after the rights were exported to the US the year before last, its local popularity there was also considerable.
The statistics for the program’s viewership in the US weren't too bad either.
In particular, it even had decent ratings in several US states where the K-pop boom was surging.
Having researched that far, I called Im Hyeon-su just in case. As expected of a hot composer, I heard the news that she would be appearing as a guest.
"The format is quite interesting, isn't it?"
"Right? I thought they were doing everything they could."
The format of the rebooted The Complete Singer seemed like its reputation would vary greatly depending on the cast and the editing.
However...
"But I’m planning to appear on it."
Something moderately familiar yet new and funny.
And a program that would accept me if I expressed interest in appearing at my current level.
For now, rather than a top-tier variety show, The Complete Singer seemed like a better opportunity for me if handled well.
"Just you, Seo Ho-yun-ssi? Not Seong Ji-won-ssi?"
"Yes, just me."
"Uh... are you confident?"
That goes without saying.
After hesitating for a moment, Lee Ji-hyeon spoke firmly in a cautious tone.
"If you jump in recklessly, you’ll only tarnish the image you’ve built up. I used to watch it occasionally, and since a machine does the grading, it scores really precisely. Lots of formidable singers appear, and at worst, you’ll just be compared and hear nothing but bad things... Wow, this person isn't listening."
"I am listening."
Actually, I had already mastered the details, so I just let it all slide.
"I’ve already asked the management team to see if I can appear. Lee Ji-hyeon-ssi, please scrape together all the related information before they get back to us."
"Ah, yes... well, okay. But..."
Lee Ji-hyeon scratched her head and asked.
"What are you thinking?"
"About what?"
"I heard from the management team that all the members are currently in discussions for individual broadcast appearances..."
Excluding Kang Yi-chae, who was already a mentor on Rising Rookies, Kim Seong-hyeon was set to appear on a childcare variety show, and Jeong Da-jun on a cooking program.
And Seong Ji-won...
He’s important.
I’ll save him for a bit.
"This list... not all of them, but some of these shows are a bit ambiguous, aren't they? It would look better if you delayed individual activities and appeared together later."
"No, we’re going with this."
I’m in a bit of a hurry to worry about appearances.
"Lee Ji-hyeon-ssi, remember what we talked about earlier."
"Eh?"
"What did you say The Dawn was lacking?"
"Public appeal... overseas recognition..."
Having said that much, Lee Ji-hyeon suddenly seemed to realize something. She turned her laptop back on from sleep mode and hurried onto a portal site.
A moment later, Lee Ji-hyeon looked at me with a stunned expression.
"...These are all programs that are huge hits overseas."
I smiled brightly.
Being stuck in a hospital room wasn't entirely bad.
Thanks to that, I had more than enough time to think about various things.
"The list isn't bad, right?"
I plan to finish everything within next year.