Chapter 247
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 247
“Fresh mackere~l, five thousand won a piece~!”
[Wait, Ji-won, what are you doing?]
Before the Noeuls could even process their bewilderment, another merchant hawking his wares nearby grumbled.
“My wife’s been complaining that this young man is stealing all our customers lately, and I see she wasn’t kidding.”
“Ahaha… I’m sorry.”
“Hey, hey. Who wouldn’t stop for someone singing trot that well?!”
【Seong Ji-won is widely praised for his sales skills.】
A caption appeared as if to provide context.
【Four days ago, the village head saw Seong Ji-won and expressed concern, wondering if someone with such a pretty face could handle working in such a rough environment.】
【However, within a few hours, the seafood and fish allocated to Seong Ji-won were sold out. It was all thanks to him hawking his wares to the tune of trot melodies with his sweet voice.】
“King crab is fifty thousand won per kilo~ Natural flatfish is thirty thousand won per kilo~.”
[This is killing me.]
[Oh my god, why is Seong Ji-won working so hard? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[This isn't a documentary, it's just crazy variety show editing. ㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m stuck in a loop of crying and laughing...]
By this point, the Noeuls watching had to grit their teeth to keep from bursting out loud. Seeing their boys, who usually tore up the stage, working so hard at a fish market was enough to make them dizzy.
“It seems a bit expensive. Can’t you, uh, give me a discount?”
“Oh….”
A middle-aged man looked at the fish in front of Seong Ji-won and asked tentatively.
“What should I do…? It’s not like I’m the one who decides the prices….”
“Ah….”
Seong Ji-won looked slightly troubled, lowering his long eyelashes. The corners of his eyes drooped downward.
The man suddenly began to stutter and apologize.
“N-no, I’m sorry….”
【We’re not sure what he’s sorry for.】
Looking embarrassed, the man hurriedly left the scene.
Though he frequently threw his members into the fires of practice, Seong Ji-won’s face—which could silence anyone, even Seo Ho-yun, just by making eye contact—was working hard again today.
Seong Ji-won gave a soft smile and looked back at the camera.
“It must be hard for you to film all this, right?”
【I think I know why he felt sorry.】
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[The captions are insane. PD Choi really came prepared. This place is a goldmine for both documentaries and variety shows. f*ck ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
A short interview with the middle-aged man Seong Ji-won had just served was inserted.
Q. Why did you apologize?
“I was in the wrong, that’s why. To catch just one of those, you’ve got the cost of the boat, the fuel, the crew’s wages, the crates for the fish, and even that young man’s labor… It’s not even that much money, and there I was, thinking about asking for a discount. Sigh.”
[Wait, he’s suddenly doing some deep soul-searching ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
After that, even when a customer known as the neighborhood’s "King of Bargaining" showed up, the situation was resolved in an instant the moment they saw his sun-like smile and innocent eyes.
Then, the show cut back to Seong Ji-won’s first day on the job.
“Hey, hey, you can’t do it like that.”
“Huh? I can’t?”
The merchant from earlier—the one who grumbled about his wife saying the young man was stealing all the customers—suddenly appeared and started meddling.
“Oh, then how should I do it? If you teach me, I’ll work really hard!”
“H-huh?”
But his opponent was Seong Ji-won.
He was The Dawn’s angel, but he was also someone who had to do everything perfectly. That was why he was known as a "practice machine" within the group.
Thinking he just needed to learn if he was doing it wrong, he questioned the merchant passionately. In the end, the soft-hearted merchant scratched his head, stammering "uh, uh," before spilling every tip he knew.
Seong Ji-won gave a pure, clear smile.
“Thank you. It’s cold out, would you like some warm green tea?”
“Uh… sure, why not?”
“Yes, please take your time and rest here.”
Melting under the warmth of the cup of green tea placed in his hands, the merchant chatted with Seong Ji-won for a long time before leaving. The sound of him muttering to himself as he passed the camera was aired as is.
“Man, I lose my mind every time I make eye contact….”
[No, what is this, please]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m losing it, what even is this ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
While the three members without seasickness were busy pulling up nets on the fishing boat and the one with seasickness was thriving at the fish market, there was one person who still hadn't appeared.
[Wait, what is Yi-chae doing then??]
[I bet Kang Yi-chae is slacking off and bargaining like crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ He’d be so good at it ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[I bet he’s a pro at playing hooky ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
【Kang Yi-chae is currently at the logistics warehouse.】
The screen transitioned along with the caption.
What appeared was an unexpected situation that completely overturned the Noeuls' expectations.
“Boss, where should I put this?”
“Over there, that way!”
“Got it~!”
[Whoa.]
【Kang Yi-chae, moving fish crates onto a cart without a single sign of struggle.】
Wearing work gloves, Kang Yi-chae was moving styrofoam boxes filled with ice onto a dolly.
[Whoa, Kang Yi-chae is actually a surprise.]
[Wow, what the heck? This is so unexpected. I thought he’d hate doing this.]
Kang Yi-chae muttered quietly to himself.
“…Maybe I should’ve said I didn’t get seasick.”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[True, at least those guys got to eat raw fish.]
When PD Choi, who had been with the other filming team, joined this side, the owner of the place where Kang Yi-chae was working said with a laugh:
“Yi-chae, the PD is here. Take a break.”
“Whoa~, Boss, you’re really something, aren’t you?? PD-nim, I moved all of these myself.”
【It seems Kang Yi-chae has become very close with the owner.】
[Ah, seriously, I’m getting touched too ㅠㅠ]
[You’re working so hard, Kang Yi-chae, you rascal ㅠㅠㅠ]
Contrary to his cold, urban, and flashy appearance, Kang Yi-chae moved boxes diligently while cracking friendly jokes with his coworkers. He even took the initiative to make mix coffee for everyone once all the boxes were moved and he had a spare moment.
Kang Yi-chae handed paper cups to the filming crew as well.
“Good work, everyone~.”
“Yi-chae, isn’t it hard?”
“Ugh, of course it’s hard. Just look at how everyone’s looking for me.”
He then let out a coy smile, mimicking the motion of tucking long hair behind his ear.
“It’s just the hardship that the prettiest person in the fish market has to endure.”
“…….”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
【Kang Yi-chae asked to be called the 'Pretty One' of the fish market.】
A caption was plastered over a shaky camera shot that looked like it was having a pupil-dilating seizure.
[This crazy guy...
He was acting all unfamiliar, but he’s still the same.....]
[Ah, he’s seriously bursting with charm. Hey, Pretty One ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“They say we need to move to the auction house next!”
As Kang Yi-chae laughed cheerfully, the camera focus shifted behind him, eventually showing the bustling scene of the auction house.
An auctioneer wearing a red hat was preparing for the auction in front of a platform where people stood in a semi-circle.
【At 3 AM, when most people are deep in sleep, the fish market auction begins. Today’s first auction items were high-quality live fish.】
“The cameras are rolling, but don’t be nervous, let’s take it slo~wly. Alright, let’s start from the right!”
The bell signaling the start of the auction rang—cling, cling.
The rhythmic chants to build excitement, the rapid-fire speech, and the precise hand gestures.
As he watched, Kang Yi-chae’s face gradually stiffened.
【Wait, what’s going on? The Dawn’s main rapper, Kang Yi-chae, has a fierce look in his eyes.】
“Yi-chae. Are the prices bad today? Why are you glaring like that?”
[ㄷㄷ The filming crew is actually talking to Kang Yi-chae.]
[So brave... If I made eye contact with Kang Yi-chae looking like that, I would’ve bolted.]
“No, it’s not that….”
Kang Yi-chae covered his mouth with one hand as if organizing his thoughts, then slowly continued.
“I just want to learn a thing or two from him.”
[Crazy, this is huge.
Is this the first time Kang Yi-chae has said he wants to learn from someone other than Cheong-beom?]
[The auctioneer giving tension to Yi-chae’s loosened hip-hop...]
Though he bit his lip as if slightly nervous, Kang Yi-chae watched the situation seriously, as if engraving every detail into his mind.
When the auction ended and they went outside, the other members were all gathered.
The maknae, who had been stuck on the boat without a rapper, seemed to feel it was unfair, as he lunged at Yi-chae the moment he saw him.
“You don’t get seasick! I know you don’t!!”
“Ayy, hyung gets seasick~.”
【After a brief moment of The Dawn sharing warm conversation upon finally reuniting, labor began once again.】
Everyone returned to the fish market to help with sales.
[Ah, Jeong Da-jun is freaking hilarious.
'Come on in, come on in! How much were you looking to spend? Just pay for it! Oh, come on, get your wallet out~ I’ll give you a bigger discount!!' then he makes eye contact with Seo Ho-yun and immediately cowers. f*ck ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
['Ho-yun hyung told me not to overdo it, I’m sorry.' Even that part is so pathetic and perfect. Ah.]
The Noeuls loved it even more whenever they caught glimpses of the chemistry that hinted at what The Dawn was like in their daily lives.
[But why are they so good at selling???]
Kim Seong-hyeon, silently and swiftly packing fish.
Seong Ji-won, using his face and voice to lure in passersby and make them open their wallets.
Kang Yi-chae, somehow obtaining information from out of nowhere.
Jeong Da-jun, roaming every corner of the fish market and being loved by all the older ladies.
And finally, Seo Ho-yun, who naturally talked customers out of bargaining and instead convinced them to buy even more.
[Hey, did you see today’s sales written in the ledger just now??
My eyes must be playing tricks on me, right??]
[Wow, how did they sell that much ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ??]
It was a perfect combination.
[It feels like I’m getting vicarious satisfaction from a management tycoon game. This is so fun.]
[The kids seem so mature ㅠㅠㅠㅠ They worked so hard and they’re so polite, it’s so sweet ㅠㅠㅠ]
[Seriously ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I never understood people who talked about idols being 'earnest' or whatever, but now I get it.... The kids... they’re earnest and they work hard, it’s great... It’s not just a variety show, it’s a great documentary...]
[I think the general public will react well to this ㅋㅋㅋ They made the program well.]
Even though it was obvious they were working themselves to death, The Dawn just laughed and moved energetically.
By this point, not just the Noeuls, but even those who had questioned why they were appearing on Life Experience Site had no choice but to admit it.
Appearing on this program was a stroke of genius.
[Title: I’m watching Life Experience Site right now and The Dawn came out really well on it.
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m sure it’s just a lucky break since PD Choi cast them, but anyway ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Even though Kim Seong-hyeon built up a 'King of Housekeeping' image on that parenting show and became more approachable, I still saw them with a 'strong' concept often, so the rest of them felt a bit scary.
Especially a certain Mr. Kang or a certain Mr. Seo.
People who sell idols know what they’re like, but the public only knows what they see on the surface.
Being perfect might look cool, but they need to seem human for all age groups to like them.
(It’s like how you feel fond and interested when you find an unexpected trait in a celebrity that resembles yourself ㅋㅋㅋ)
Anyway, what I’m saying is they need to make people feel a sense of familiarity.
But in this program,
Suddenly The Dawn is on a fishing boat.
Suddenly they’re moving fish crates like crazy.
Suddenly they’re pulling up nets.
It makes you go, 'Huh? They’re different from what I imagined.'
I’ll have to watch until the end to be sure, but it seems like a great way to break their image.
└ I’m watching it too and I thought the exact same thing ㅋㅋㅋ People who are popular with the public are usually the down-to-earth ones.
└└ Yeah ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Seriously, the way they work hard while enjoying it makes them seem like total weirdos ㅋㅋㅋ It looked like there were a lot of styles that would be hit-or-miss, but this time I acknowledge them.
└ You can’t just be handsome ㅋㅋㅋ]
The Noeuls shook their heads after coming across community posts analyzing The Dawn’s appearance on Life Experience Site.
[What are they talking about?
They’re working with bare faces and dripping with sweat, and they’re still f*cking handsome, that’s why it’s good.
└ This is the truth.]
As the day’s work was nearly finished, Seo Ho-yun, who was focusing on settling the day’s sales while tapping on a calculator, suddenly snapped his head up.
“Wait, where’s Jeong Da-jun?”
[Seo Ho-yun really sees Jeong Da-jun as a puppy.]
[He’s probably anxious that he’ll come back munching on something again...
No,
He’s anxious because he’s afraid he’ll bring something back while munching on it.]
At that question, Kim Seong-hyeon, who was neatly folding his apron after taking it off, replied.
“…Ah, he went to the supermarket earlier and then rushed off somewhere saying he had something to do.”
“Hey!!”
【A pale-faced Seo Ho-yun runs off to find the maknae.】
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, Seo Ho-yun has been through too much.]
[All the kids next to him are f*cking terrified too.]
However, even after circling the market several times, Seo Ho-yun couldn't find Jeong Da-jun and returned, roughly brushing back his hair.
Afterward, the remaining members, minus Jeong Da-jun, received a white envelope from the village head at the entrance where the fish market sign hung.
“Thank you for allowing us to spend such a meaningful ti—”
Just as Seo Ho-yun, deciding it was better to escape quickly, was about to give his closing remarks to the camera,
“Hyung!! Hyungs!! You waited a long time, didn’t you!!”
Jeong Da-jun was approaching rapidly from inside the market with a bright smile. He was wearing oven mitts and carrying a large pot.
[Look at Kim Seong-hyeon muttering 'Don't come, don't come, don't come' f*ck ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[I think Kang Yi-chae really has seasickness now, look at him covering his mouth ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“Inspired by the traditional British health food, jellied eels—!!”
Unaware of his hyungs' faces turning pale in an instant, Jeong Da-jun proudly thrust the pot forward.
“—it’s a Korean health food: Yellowtail Chocolate Marshmallow Lasagna!!”
“…….”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Hey ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
In the end, Life Experience Site concluded with Jeong Da-jun’s monstrous creation.