Chapter 252
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 252
“Yeon-hu hyung! We’re practicing for the collab soon, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Kang Yeon-hu (24, Leader of High Five) had been feeling uneasy lately.
‘Why on earth did he agree to this collaboration?’
He simply couldn't fathom what was going through Seo Ho-yun’s head.
“Give me a second.”
Unable to focus on practice, Yeon-hu stopped, trudged over to a corner, and slumped down. He pulled out his phone and accessed a portal site.
Stories about The Dawn were everywhere.
While all sorts of random awards cropped up during the year-end ceremony season, some of them actually seemed quite prestigious.
In the ceremonies held in early to mid-December, The Dawn had swept up every award that a second-tier group could hope for—anything featuring keywords like ‘Worldwide,’ ‘Overseas,’ or ‘Rookie.’
High Five had also won a few awards in a neck-and-neck race, but Yeon-hu couldn't deny the truth.
‘To be honest, we can’t say the awards we won this time were entirely without a push from our agency.’
Of course, they hadn't rigged the scores. However, the capital, manpower, and accumulated experience of a major agency simply overwhelmed mid-sized labels.
He scrolled through photos of The Dawn holding trophies at various ceremonies before heading over to social media to check the reactions.
— Is Seong-hyeon... crying every time they win an award?
— LOL, seriously, seeing him get moved every single time is so funny but also touching. He’s so cute ㅠ
You can tell how much the kid suffered.. ㅠㅠ
But look at Seo Ho-yun’s eyes in the middle of all this, he’s so wide awake.
— This guy doesn't even shed a tear when he yawns....
I bet he has chronic dry eye syndrome.
ㄴ Dry eye syndrome, LMAO.
Yeon-hu’s stomach began to churn.
— Isn't it weird that High Five didn't get this award?? Isn't it rigged??
ㄴ This is some high-level hate....
Everyone knows Daepasung doesn't have the money for that...
ㄴㄴ LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
ㄴㄴ BS, they always say they have no money but their albums sold like crazy.
ㄴ Hey, High Five fans don't think like this, please don't misunderstand ㅠㅠ
ㄴㄴ What do you mean we don't think like this? Everyone’s pissed off right now because they didn't get the award.
The atmosphere between the fandoms was still sour in the aftermath of the survival program earlier this year.
‘And a collab in this state.’
They’d be lucky if they weren't torn to shreds for having their heads in the clouds.
Yeon-hu rubbed his stomach as if to soothe his aching gut and stood up, looking at his teammates.
“I’m going to go grab some drinks. Anyone want anything?”
“Oh! Green tea for me!”
“I’ll have a Coke!”
The members of High Five were a bit oblivious, but they were all bright and gentle. Yeon-hu had worked hard behind the scenes since their trainee days to ensure only kids like that made it into the debut lineup. He knew all too well from his years as a trainee that a group that lost control would end up in shambles.
Since they had debuted, he wanted his younger members to walk a flowery path, but it felt like they were driving on an unpaved road—even if it was still a road. Especially when they ran into a variable like Seo Ho-yun.
‘I’m still a bit uneasy.’
Since they were scheduled to discuss the year-end stage with The Dawn today, he headed down to the first floor alone, pretending to get drinks from the vending machine. He intended to feel out what Seo Ho-yun was thinking in advance. Only then would he feel comfortable letting his innocent younger members face him.
However,
“The album turned out well. Congratulations? The digital rankings are quite high, too.”
Someone had blocked The Dawn’s path before he could.
‘Here we go again.’
It was the head of WH Entertainment’s marketing team.
Yeon-hu didn't have any major complaints about his company, but he often felt that the staff’s territorial behavior was excessive. They acted that way even toward their own trainees and celebrities; there was no way they would let someone from Daepasung—a company they felt they could crush with a single finger—pass by without a word, especially at a time like this.
“The season song... you really nailed the timing, didn't you?”
The quick-witted members of The Dawn immediately picked up on the subtle snide remark hidden in the tone. Seo Ho-yun, in particular, already had a smirk playing on his lips as if he found it amusing.
Just as Yeon-hu was about to step in to prevent any unnecessary trouble,
“Gasp! That’s right! So everyone knows! Our timing really was great, wasn't it?”
Jeong Da-jun’s eyes widened as he made a fuss. Then, as if sharing a great secret, he raised his index finger and lowered his voice.
“Actually, we released it on Christmas on purpose.”
“…Pardon?”
“Because it’s a Christmas song!!”
“……?”
Yeon-hu froze, dumbfounded. The WH marketing team leader was also at a loss for words, stunned into silence.
Jeong Da-jun spoke as if he were delivering a self-evident truth, like the fact that one lemon contains the Vitamin C of exactly one lemon.
Yeon-hu saw all the members of The Dawn, except for Seo Ho-yun, turn their heads away and grit their teeth. Only then did Yeon-hu realize anew: there was no way the youngest member of The Dawn could be normal.
“Well… since it’s a Christmas song….”
“Hehe.”
“…I suppose so. The song was very appropriate for the season….”
“Right, right?”
Having shed a layer of his old self after the Shining Star Season 2 Performance Unit, Jeong Da-jun now let everything slide off him with ease. Of course, Yeon-hu had no way of knowing those internal details.
“Hmph, ahem.”
The WH marketing team leader let out an awkward cough and sneered again.
“Well, I’ll be rooting for you to keep that momentum going.”
“Oh!! Yes! Thank you for the warm support!!”
“…….”
But Jeong Da-jun remained bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Left with a lingering sense of discomfort, as if she were the one who had been played, the marketing team leader finally walked away.
Watching her back as she muttered, “Was I being mocked?” Jeong Da-jun suddenly shifted his expression and whispered.
“…Wait. Was that not support just now?”
“Pffft….”
Even with both hands over his mouth, Kang Yi-chae couldn't stop his laughter from leaking out. He trembled, chanting, “Support, pfft, thank you…….”
Seong Ji-won patted Da-jun on the back.
“No, you did well. You did great.”
“Well, what else could it be if not a compliment! I should just take it as it is~!”
“Right. Good job. So, what do you guys want for dinner?”
The leader calmly shifted the topic to dinner as if he had given up, and Seo Ho-yun looked instantly bored once the situation was resolved. The five of them looked incredibly natural together.
Then, Seo Ho-yun turned his gaze directly toward Yeon-hu and greeted him warmly.
“Hello, Yeon-hu sunbae-nim.”
It was as if he had known Yeon-hu was there from the start. At times like this, he seemed like a good person.
‘No, get a grip.’
Hadn't Seo Ho-yun also pretended to be nice to TEW’s Jeong Won-ha? TEW, who were still promoting hard but had sunk even lower than before they appeared on Shining Star.
“…Hello.”
“Ah! Sunbae-nim!”
The other members spotted him and flocked over, bowing politely.
For a moment, Yeon-hu recalled a comment from a friendly staff member who said The Dawn was kind, polite, and hardworking. At the time, Yeon-hu had doubted if the staff member was talking about the same group he knew. He would have understood if they were described as fierce or strong-willed, but kind and polite?
“Thank you for coming all the way to the company. Please, come this way.”
With a small sigh, Yeon-hu led The Dawn to the practice room.
After a brief round of introductions with High Five, they immediately began the meeting for the collaboration. From this point on, Yeon-hu knew he had to stay sharp.
“This is the song our company wants.”
It was ‘Heart on Fire!’, a song with a powerful, wild concept by a famous first-generation boy group from WH Entertainment. It featured a catchy melody, a rough and sexy atmosphere, and choreography that maximized charm through restrained movements. It was a song that almost every boy group covered at least once; even Ju Woo-seong had covered it before. Naturally, it was a song that favored WH Entertainment artists.
“If there are no particular issues, I’ve already worked out the formations, so it would be good to do it together. Of course, we’ll need to arrange it for a collab stage.”
“Oh, that sounds great.”
Seo Ho-yun was the first to agree to the proposal.
‘What? Why is he being so easy?’
Everyone continued the discussion in a friendly manner, but Yeon-hu alone remained on high alert. Then, as expected, Seo Ho-yun spoke up again.
“But we also planned something in advance.”
“…What is it?”
“Would you like to hear it?”
No, I really don't.
That was his honest feeling. But unable to refuse outright, Yeon-hu hesitated, and in that gap, Seo Ho-yun snatched the lead of the conversation.
“Love & Heart.”
Yeon-hu’s eyes snapped open at the title of the song.
“……!”
Seo Ho-yun smiled confidently.
“What do you think? It’s good, right? I think it would be great to do both songs together. The titles are similar, too.”
Love & Heart.
It was a song of a genre that could never fail on a year-end stage.
‘He’s truly relentless.’
While Yeon-hu kept his mouth shut, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, the youngest member of High Five asked a question.
“I love that song! But don't you think the vibes of ‘Heart on Fire!’ and ‘Love & Heart’ are too different? I’m worried about whether we can transition the choreography naturally.”
“It’s simple. You just go shook, ba-bam, bam-bam, and shift the formation like this.”
“Whoa! Hyung, are you a genius!?”
Kim Seong-hyeon, who hadn't even had time to prepare, stood up and demonstrated the choreography transitions with ease. The High Five members cheered.
“I think we can connect the songs during this bridge and add these notes toward the end~.”
“That could actually work?!”
“It’s good, right?”
With Kang Yi-chae joining in, the gentle members of High Five, excluding Yeon-hu, were instantly enchanted by The Dawn and began nodding along.
“Then shall we go with these two songs?”
“Sounds good, sounds good!”
“…….”
Even though Yeon-hu watched with eagle eyes, he couldn't easily find anything to object to. The corners of Seo Ho-yun’s mouth curved into a soft arc.
“Songs like this are a guaranteed win.”
He felt uneasy. Very uneasy. Yeon-hu became extremely anxious about the year-end stage.
*
Both High Five and The Dawn had packed schedules. Regardless of how things were before, they were only given half a day of joint practice for this performance.
“So this is possible….”
However, The Dawn mastered everything in just two hours and left the WH Entertainment practice room. The remaining High Five members were excited, chattering away with innocent faces.
“Wow, those hyungs are amazing.”
“Hey, they’re around our age, why are you calling them hyungs? But Seong-hyeon hyung was really cool. Ju Woo-seong sunbae-nim is obviously cooler, but still… even as a guy, he’s totally awesome.”
“Da-jun is really friendly.”
Yeon-hu pressed his palms against his throbbing forehead. It was a relief that they finished quickly, but was that learning speed even possible? Wasn't it abnormal?
Since no one else seemed to find it strange, he didn't bring it up.
To calm his complicated thoughts and clear his head, he headed out toward the vending machine. There, he saw Seo Ho-yun standing at the end of the hallway, apparently not having left yet.
‘Let’s avoid him.’
A sense of foreboding washed over him at the sight of Ho-yun looking as if he were waiting for someone. But it was already too late.
“Kang Yeon-hu sunbae-nim~.”
Yeon-hu stiffened at the sight of Seo Ho-yun’s bright smile. Through several experiences, he had learned that Seo Ho-yun was most dangerous when he looked like that.
“…Seo Ho-yun-ssi.”
Yeon-hu suppressed a twitch and offered a compliment.
“I enjoyed your variety show. I even watched the live broadcast.”
“My, you even watched the live broadcast?”
He hadn't said much, so why did he already feel annoyed?
“…But why were you waiting?”
“Because I thought you wanted to talk to me, sunbae-nim?”
“…….”
At this point, he wasn't even surprised anymore.
‘This guy is just…….’
Yeon-hu decided to stop dancing around the subject and get straight to the point.
“Why did you accept the collab? I thought your side would cut it.”
In truth, the reason WH Entertainment was forced to go through with the year-end stage was due to the broadcasting station’s power tripping. That was why High Five, whose seniority and public image weren't bad, had been chosen despite the complicated circumstances of the artists. If Daepasung had refused, the agency might have taken a hit, but The Dawn would have been protected.
“To be honest, I don't really know what you’re thinking, Seo Ho-yun-ssi.”
In other words, there was no absolute need to do the collaboration. Yeon-hu just asked honestly.
“Nothing is going to happen to High Five because of this collab, right?”
Based on today’s practice, nothing seemed particularly off. And the result of the variety show last time had been good in the end.
“Hmm….”
As Seo Ho-yun remained silent, Yeon-hu’s mind grew more chaotic. He let out a sigh and grabbed a drink from the vending machine, only to hear Seo Ho-yun’s calm voice.
“Your head is going to explode, sunbae-nim.”
“…….”
“You think too much.”
You’re the one making me overthink! The words rose to the back of his throat, but he forced them down. Seo Ho-yun snatched the drink Yeon-hu hadn't even opened yet and popped the cap.
“I’m also a bit curious. What exactly do you think of me to speak to me like this?”
“…….”
That you’re half-crazy?
Yeon-hu felt a sense of repulsion at how perfectly Ho-yun packaged his personality. Moreover, the fact that he was hard to read made him feel uneasy.
“I think you’re a bit… sinister.”
“Pffft….”
At the blunt remark, Seo Ho-yun choked on his drink. Yeon-hu thought he might be offended, but instead, Ho-yun burst into laughter and cackled for a long time.
“Ah, that’s actually hilarious.”
“……Good for you. I’m starting to get pissed off.”
Seo Ho-yun remained unfazed even under Yeon-hu’s crossed-arm glare. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and spoke.
“I like your honesty. I might have liked it if you were in Daepasung, Kang Yeon-hu-ssi.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Haha, how cute.”
Despite being younger, Seo Ho-yun treated him like a much younger child. As Yeon-hu looked on with a pale, fed-up expression, Seo Ho-yun looked even more refreshed and smiled with satisfaction.
“This sinister hoobae will take his leave now.”
“Please get out of our company quickly.”
“Yes, yes.”
Seo Ho-yun waved his hand casually with a smirk.
“Let’s do a good job together, sunbae-nim.”
After he left, Yeon-hu slumped into a chair near the vending machine and spaced out for a long time before realizing that Seo Ho-yun hadn't actually told him anything.
“That man is seriously….”
It had been a long time since he had been so thoroughly toyed with by someone, and his mind was reeling. Once again, he was overcome by anxiety.
A short while later, when he wandered back to the practice room, the youngest member of High Five looked at him with a worried expression.
“Hyung, what’s wrong?”
“…We have to stay sharp.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
Otherwise, they’d get their noses cut off with their eyes wide open. High Five still had a long way to go to reach the top. They couldn't afford to get held back in a place like this.
After days of being immersed in practice once again,
The day of the QBS Music Festival year-end stage finally arrived.