Chapter 248
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248
After the "East Sea" episode of Life Experience Site aired, online communities and social media were abuzz with talk about the show.
[This is seriously so wild LOL]
From catching the fish to selling them.
The Dawn, who had looked like a scruffy mess just moments ago, appeared on screen in the broadcasting studio looking sharp in sweaters and jeans.
The scene followed with the members pooling their earned wages together. Their leader, Kim Seong-hyeon, climbed onto a unicorn model and dropped the money into a heart-shaped donation box.
To wrap up the "East Sea" episode of Life Experience Site, The Dawn performed a song to promote the charity fundraiser.
【Always Beautiful You】
“You are always beautiful.”
This was a clean, clear folk song released in the 1970s by Kim Seon-han, who was once a national singer. It was such a popular song that it was often mistaken for a children's nursery rhyme.
【Give me your pretty smile and gaze
If I have only those, I will always be by your side
Our efforts are always beautiful】
They sang it calmly, staying true to the original without any flashy arrangement.
In particular, during the song's climax, Seong Ji-won’s refreshing yet powerful voice harmonized perfectly with Seo Ho-yun’s smooth, mid-to-low tones, further enhancing the song's charm.
【Show me your wrinkled hands and clear laughter
If we have only those, we will always be strong
Your life is always beautiful】
The members looked into each other's eyes, wearing faint smiles.
【Always beautiful】
[Am I... crying...?]
Just as the over-immersed fans were forgetting to even leave their usual thirsty comments, Seo Ho-yun pulled something out of his pocket and waved it. It was a postcard-sized piece of paper that read: “A truly great experience ^^ Thank you for your consideration, PD-nim.”
[Crazy LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I thought it was a music show ending shot for a second]
[Ah LOL the promotion is so cute]
When Seo Ho-yun flipped the paper over, another message was visible: “PD-nim, is this what I should say?”
[LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO It looks like Seo Ho-yun is shaking a carrot*]
(TN: "Shaking a carrot" is a Korean meme meaning "signal for help if you're being held hostage.")
[Ah LOL Seo Ho-yun is so witty and adorable, seriously LMAO. He lightens the mood right until the very end.]
[Look at them all smiling and greeting the staff after it’s over LOL. The PD tries to give Seo Ho-yun a hug and he looks so disgusted, it’s cute.]
[└ The Dawn is the MVP of Life Experience Site. They did a great job casting them LOL]
The Dawn managed to end the program while delivering a perfect mix of entertainment, emotion, and wit.
While they had always managed to generate a decent amount of buzz whenever they appeared on a broadcast, the reaction this time was particularly explosive.
[They caught both the humor and the heart, seriously;;; It was so good... I wish there were more shows like this that highlight kindness instead of the provocative variety shows that are popular lately.]
[All of The Dawn's songs are usually so intense, so it was really nice to see them sing a classic, popular song instead of promoting their own stuff...]
[If my former bias group had gone on a show like this, I would’ve been bawling my eyes out, seriously T_T]
[Title: Their sense during the charity performance was insane
These guys are seriously smart.
When they were working at the fish market, they were caught on camera singing trot songs that the elderly love, making them look like polite and charming young men.
Then at the charity performance, they sang a song that basically anyone with a Korean passport knows, boosting their public recognition like crazy.
The Dawn’s sense is overflowing.
Seeing them sweating and grimy on the fishing boat and at the market, and then seeing them in the studio in clean clothes, smiling at each other while singing... it was somehow touching...
But does Daepasung handle the song selection and casting for these things??
└ I was reading happily until that last line and then my face went flat.
Daepasung is just freeloading. They don't have the sense to pick stuff like this.
└ Yeah, they only got cast because PD Choi contacted them, and The Dawn probably picked the song themselves LOL.
└└ How on earth did Daepasung even scout these kids... It’s an eternal mystery...]
The fact that a current affairs and culture program—which people expected to be a dull, steady stream of work—developed narratives like "Sudden cast cancellation," "PD kidnaps a new target," "Victims sold off to a fishing boat," and "Idols who work hard anyway" played a huge role in eliciting this reaction.
Since it aired late on a Sunday night, even those who had missed it watched the Nutube clips out of curiosity.
The interest eventually extended to the full videos released by the broadcasting station, and in the end, all the videos from Life Experience Site recorded significantly higher view counts than most popular variety shows.
[Title: Ah, I’m seriously starting to like this group
I watched this and then went back and binged all of The Dawn’s previous solo variety shows.
Some people are asking if they did this on purpose knowing it would do well, but who could have predicted that Life Experience Site would get such high ratings and views?
Honestly, the kids are all killing it in variety shows right now, so they didn't even need to appear on a culture program like this LOL.
I think they just genuinely wanted to experience it and worked hard without being picky, which is why it turned out so well.
└ If it had been any other group, it wouldn't have been this much of a hot topic LOL. It’s because The Dawn kept smiling through it all that it was both fun and touching.
└└ Agreed. These kids are going to be huge... Honestly, filming for three days must have been so exhausting they probably wanted to swear, but their mental strength to just laugh it off is insane.
└ Jeong Da-jun’s mental strength for eating that lasagna too...
└└ LMAOOOOOOOOOO Da-jun never leaves leftovers XDDDDDD
└ PD Choi really has an eye for people.
└└ Exactly. It’s so funny that Seo Ho-yun is friends with PD Choi because of that European nationalistic documentary... PD Choi is pretty famous in the documentary world, I wish he’d make something like this a regular show instead of just a special.
└ The views right now are no joke LOL. The person who canceled must be so salty right now.]
The cooking program that Jeong Da-jun had been dropped from was failing to escape low viewership ratings, despite being a serious production with a cast full of famous people.
While the fans of the idol who went in his place seemed to like it, the show failed to capture the general public's interest.
[Title: Emergency! The general public is starting to recognize The Dawn
The Dawn are such unique weirdos who live life to the absolute fullest... T_T And now people are starting to realize it!
Maybe it’s because the public has a high opinion of celebrities who work hard despite hardships, but the reaction to this Life Experience Site is amazing T_T
Everyone knows them the moment you bring them up!!
Not long ago, if I said "The Dawn," people would ask if I meant "Deodeok" (mountain herbs), but now they finally know The Dawn T_T
They’ve memorized the names of the other members besides Seo Ho-yun!!!
└ Even the quiet members all have a bit of madness in them, so they left a huge impact.
Seong Ji-won, who looks so gentle but sang trot with fish prices in the lyrics... Kim Seong-hyeon, who filleted that massive yellowtail in an instant... Kang Yi-chae, who was cackling with the shop owner like they’d known each other for 20 years, and Jeong Da-jun, who couldn't give up on his weird food...
└└ How can you not like someone who looks like they’ve never known a day of hardship in their life, yet they’re pulling nets on a boat, singing trot, and selling fish like that... Plus, they’re so good to the elders T_T
└ The start of the Life Experience Site 5-part special was just too good LOL. The next guests should be nervous LMAO]
In the end, everything was moving...
[I really want to root for these guys]
...exactly as Seo Ho-yun had predicted.
* * *
[PD Choi Ji-hun: Seo Ho-yun-ssi, it’s a total hit! Hahaha]
[PD Choi Ji-hun: The reviews are really great.]
[PD Choi Ji-hun: With this momentum, I think we might even go regular... Anyway, it’s all thanks to you doing such a great job, Seo Ho-yun-ssi. Thank you! ^^]
I moved my fingers to reply to the text from PD Choi.
[Me: I had a great experience thanks to you, PD-nim.]
[Me: Just don't call me next time, haha.]
[PD Choi Ji-hun: I’ll see you again when we do another special! ^^]
[Me: LOL, yes, looking forward to it.]
I was glad I had contacted PD Choi.
I had only reached out to him on a whim since Jeong Da-jun’s schedule had fallen through, but I hadn't expected to catch such a big fish.
The production team probably thought I was a naive catch and worked The Dawn to the bone.
Well, it was exhausting, but it was worth it.
The reaction is good.
To be honest, there hadn't been a single broadcast with a bad reaction so far, but this one had significantly boosted our public recognition.
As for our skills in our main job, we just had to prove that in our upcoming albums and programs.
The fandom seemed worried that we were suffering too much, but their lips were twitching with excitement now that the explosive spotlight was on us.
Just then, a staff member’s voice rang out.
“We’re starting filming soon—!”
Now that I had built a solid foundation, it was time to execute what I was really aiming for.
“I think it would be better to move that sign a bit more to the right.”
“Camera setup is complete!”
In truth, this was the time for The Dawn to be aggressively releasing albums and promoting. The reason we had been quietly preparing for about half a year was for the "two steps forward" we were about to take.
I saw the staff moving busily around the music video set.
“Ho-yun-ssi, wait a moment!”
Just as I was about to head toward the set, the costume, hair, and makeup staff caught me.
“Your skin is so fair and clear that any color looks good on you, but since this is a music video for a Christmas single, wouldn't white be better?”
“Hmm... I suppose so.”
The Dawn’s Christmas special single album.
This was the season song I had been eyeing ever since Black Call released their Christmas album.
“The atmosphere definitely calls for it. Do we have that white knit sweater over there?”
“I think straight hair that slightly covers the forehead would be better. Let’s remove the eye makeup entirely and emphasize the lips more?”
The staff completely swapped out my look from head to toe, claiming the previously planned coordination wasn't quite right.
By the time I was finally released, Lee Ji-hyeon approached me, jotting down notes on her tablet.
“Seo Ho-yun-ssi, do you have a moment to talk?”
“If our MVP wants to talk, I have to make time even if I don't have any.”
“Ugh...”
She was already busy preparing for next year, yet she had to plan and execute the entire concept for this album on such a tight schedule.
As always, the person who worked the hardest this time was Lee Ji-hyeon.
She shook her head in disgust at my comment.
She then repeatedly explained the important parts of this album, emphasizing the gestures and meanings that needed to be captured on camera.
“I’m looking forward to the reaction to this album.”
“Really?”
“To be honest, it’s almost scary how much higher The Dawn has risen than I calculated. How does everything turn out exactly as you planned? How did you have such good luck with the programs?”
“Was it just luck?”
“...Yes. That was a silly question.”
Lee Ji-hyeon let out a small sigh and spoke again.
“But don't forget that this album is very experimental. You know that season songs carry a lot of risk in many ways.”
It’s precisely because it’s a season song that it’s worth a try.
As I just stood there with a quiet smile, Lee Ji-hyeon keenly read my expression and frowned slightly.
“...Well, I suppose this album might capture the general public while also targeting the fans, just like you said. Even if it is experimental.”
“Well, you know.”
I didn't necessarily think this song would be a guaranteed mega-hit.
Still, shouldn't I check a few things before the main game begins? Just like how pitchers check the umpire’s strike zone with the first batter in the top of the first inning.
I said nonchalantly, “It’s more fun when there’s a bit of risk.”
Besides, I had a powerful card named Kang Yi-chae.
Shifting my gaze to a corner of the set, I saw Seong Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae deep in discussion about the music video.
As I was mentally weighing various factors while watching him, I locked eyes with Kang Yi-chae, who happened to turn his head my way. The rascal shot me a sly wink.
He looked incredibly confident.
“Good grief.”
“Pardon?”
Leaving behind a puzzled Lee Ji-hyeon, I waved my hand as if brushing the wink away.
If only Kang Yi-chae were just a little less quick-witted.
A few days later, the poster image for the special single album was revealed to the world.
Under a magnificent, giant Christmas tree that seemed to light up the pitch-black night sky, there was a photo of a boy looking up at it and smiling. A long, dark shadow stretched out behind the boy’s back.
[The Dawn <Christmas Again?>]
It was a double-title Christmas album.