Chapter 352
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 352
[Did you guys hear what those numbers mean...?
It stands for "YES I LOVE YOU AS ALWAYS"..........]
Even though it hadn't been long since Level S2’s music video dropped, fans were already pouring out interpretations and theories.
[Holy crap, I just got back from a pilgrimage to the theory posts. This is insane, I love it so much.]
[The "bad boy" speculation from the teaser was right.
But if you dig into the meaning of the numbers, it was actually true love all along...
└ Screams
└ Screams louder]
The lyrics were about tossing aside complicated thoughts and useless words to enjoy this moment—the pure dawn—together. However, by slipping in the coded numbers at the end, they subtly revealed that their true feelings were something else entirely.
[I’m going to grab Kim Seong-hyeon’s pant leg like a madwoman and demand he take responsibility for my life.
└ He’d probably actually do it...
└ FR. But then Seo Ho-yun would splash water on you and tell you to wake up, so mission failed.
└ Getting splashed by Seo Ho-yun would be a family honor, though.
└ I’m putting that on my tombstone lol. "Splashed by Seo Ho-yun."
└ LMAO XDDDDDDDDDDDD]
[The mission is only complete once you see Seong Ji-won smiling awkwardly and saying, "I’m sorry if I confused you."]
As if their fan hearts weren't already overflowing from a song that perfectly targeted the Noeuls' preferences, good news continued to fly in.
[Congrats on entering the US Chart 200! ♡]
[Let’s go for the Daesang!]
[The Dawn is #4 on the Brand Reputation Index. As expected of our boys! ♡]
Naturally, negative opinions followed as well.
[Isn't that a chart every K-pop fandom enters these days?]
[Lately, it feels like any group that releases an album gets in.]
[If I ask my friends, they don't even know who these idols are, yet they're always on the list lol. They're so happy just for entering.]
"Connected," The Dawn's collaboration with Karis Games, was still popular among IRIX fans. Thanks to that, it was still frequently requested on overseas radio stations, and every album The Dawn released this year had successfully entered the US charts.
Of course, their domestic digital performance was also excellent.
[Title: Isn't Level S2’s high domestic chart ranking thanks to muggles?
Streaming seems the same as usual.
I thought the firepower was just strong because of a huge influx of new fans... but I guess not.
Surprisingly, it seems like muggles are actually listening to this.
└ For real??..
└ You actually believe this?
└ Ah, another "male idol public appeal" obsessed person... Sorry, but this is a fan party here..
└ I’m not lying, it’s true!! T_T Dammit, I can’t believe it either.
└ I think the OP is just huffing hopium right now.
└ No lie, muggles are actually listening to the song ,,,,,,, even my non-fan friend texted me saying the song is good..
└ There are probably a lot of innocent kids who believe this, don't lie to the fans....
My eyes are tearing up.....]
[Title: LOL the charts are ridiculous right now.
The Dawn are digital monsters now?
Is this some kind of "Black Call is a failed group" level of nonsense?
└ Are you a Noeul,,,
You don't have to be so defensive, just be happy,,
└ (OP) Sorry.. I just.. couldn't believe it..
└ LMAO I came in here to get mad but I’m leaving cracking up.
└ Lol for real, pretending not to be a Noeul just to check the reaction feels so relatable.
└ I’m actually all for this. Male idol songs are good lately, but their chart rankings are too low.. I love seeing things go back to how they used to be.]
More than anything, while such results might be expected from a globally beloved group like Black Call, this was a feat achieved by a male idol group in an era where digital performance had generally declined for the new generation. Thus, not only The Dawn’s fans but many K-pop followers were astonished.
[Title: The MV is more intuitive than I thought.
If the lore is too dense, no one but hardcore fans digs into it, but the overall progression is easy to understand, which is nice.
I love The Dawn, but their early concepts were so niche (of course, hardcore nerds like me loved it) that I thought they’d have a hard time finding public appeal.......
Well, I was wrong.
Now that the tide is in, they’ve attached a motor and are going full speed~
└ They’re doing this in their 3rd year? Wow.
WH capital + Member talent + Daepasung planning. I acknowledge it.
└ Never thought I’d see the day someone praises "Flop-pasung."
└ Excuse me, the Deonging-is are in their 4th year now.
└ Glow, which no one counts.
└ What... what do you think our memories are!!
└ To be fair, even the fans push the "3rd year" narrative.
Idols being young and having fewer years under their belt is everything, after all....]
Furthermore, the chorus choreography for "Level S2" showcased during the comeback show began to trend on Tick-Tock like wildfire.
[Title: Why "Keep it under level S2" spread on Tick-Tock.
There’s a version where they smile prettily and break a heart.
And a version where they draw an "S" with their fingers, turn it into a "V," and thrust it forward.
It’s so cute!! ♡
└ Plus the lyrics about not loving easily.
That vibe of just enjoying the moment for now..
It’s the kind of content that works really well these days.
└ The song is so addictive lol. I want to see Jeong Da-jun do the challenge soon, he’ll be so good at it T_T.
└ Kang Yi-chae is also so, so, so cute. How can a guy who raps that well be like that..
└ Ah, it’s hilarious how the hip-hop scene occasionally disses male idols using Kang Yi-chae as a figurehead, but he doesn't give a single damn.]
With a sleekly produced song and an incredibly hot response, the Noeuls' hearts were racing, as if they could already see a Daesang shimmering before their eyes.
[Ah~ the fan sign cut is going to be so high. h]
[My savings are going to be wiped out. I’ve worked like a dog for this day.]
Just then,
[Omg, the advance notice for the mini fan meeting is up.]
[What?!?!?!]
A post was uploaded to The Dawn’s official Twitter.
〔THE_DAWN @DPS_THE_DAWN
A mini fan meeting will be held this Saturday at U-U Bank. You can participate if you are assigned an entry number for U-U Bank on that day.〕
It was a notice for a mini fan meeting, something usually only done during rookie days.
The mood that had soared to the sky plummeted to the floor.
The Noeuls felt dizzy.
[I’m gonna die..............]
* * *
"Wow, it’s been a really long time since I’ve been here at dawn."
She had once left the K-pop scene, vowing never to look back. She had consistently ignored The Dawn as they kept popping up and pestering her attention, but she finally dipped her toes back in late last year. Then, like destiny, she fell for them in an instant.
In the midst of that, the new album was released.
While waiting for their music show promotions with a fluttering heart, she saw the notice on social media for the pre-recording audience application. It even included a mini fan meeting.
Even for a regular pre-recording, the chances of winning were like finding a needle in a haystack, but with a mini fan meeting attached, the competition skyrocketed.
Yet, as if by some other stroke of fate, she was selected, beating out everyone else.
Everything felt as though her liking The Dawn was meant to be.
[Jeong-min: You still haven't escaped K-pop?
If you go, the idols will call you "Auntie."]
[Me: Yeah, I want them to call me Auntie ♡]
[Jeong-min: They're gonna ask you for allowance.]
[Me: Yeah, they can take all my money ♡]
[Jeong-min: This girl is for real.]
[Ju-yeong: Hey, she even took a half-day off work to see the pre-recording. Check-in is at 4 AM.]
[Jeong-min: If an office worker born in the nn-ies is going that far, it’s true love...]
Usually, mini fan meetings were held by rookie groups to get their names out and promote their albums.
Perhaps this would be the last mini fan meeting The Dawn would ever do. At that thought, her heart pounded even harder.
For a moment, her friends' advice—"You're a K-pop grandma now, and all the knowledge you have has vanished into history"—flickered in her mind, but she shook it off with a toss of her head.
'I'm going to engrave those handsome faces into my eyes...'
The entry method was different from the old days, so she struggled a bit, but she managed to find the place where the Noeuls were gathered and waited.
She cautiously glanced around and searched for terms like "U-Bank," "The Dawn," and "Mini Fan Meeting" on social media.
[I didn't want to learn about the harsh competitive society in a place like this.]
[No, seriously, a mini fan meeting? For guys who aren't even rookies? F*, I'm so jealous right now.]
[What do you think about idols mentioned as Daesang candidates doing a mini fan meeting? I think they'll just keep doing them this time.]
[They say if the weather is bad, they'll do it indoors. Are you kidding me?
Show me a natural light mini fan meeting!
└ It’s supposed to rain, what natural light?
└ That’s why I want to see wet handsome men..]
It really felt like WH Entertainment had changed—uploading workshop videos to Nutube that they’d never released before, or having frequent self-produced content and lives.
Their movements were suspicious in many ways.
'Did they finally get their act together?'
While thinking there was no way that was true, a part of her heart swelled with secret anticipation.
After a long wait, she entered the building, and her mood lifted even further when she saw the stage.
'Oh, they must have made some good money.'
While she was meticulously examining the lavish decorations scattered everywhere, she overheard the nearby Noeuls whispering.
"By the way, I heard Seo Ho-yun was really sick during the MV shoot..."
"He still doesn't look like he's in great shape lately."
"I can't really tell, though. He doesn't show it much..."
Come to think of it, she remembered hearing rumors that he was ill.
Just as worry began to creep in, the members, guided by the staff, stepped onto the stage.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Perhaps they were filming the title track before the B-sides, as they were wearing the exact same outfits from the music video: black latex pants with subtly glossy boots, and black turtlenecks with side cut-outs, topped with racing jackets in different accent colors.
'Wow, the styling is pret—'
She was scanning them from the bottom up, but the moment she saw Seo Ho-yun’s face, she lost her words.
"Hello!"
"Hello, Noeuls."
He was handsome. So incredibly handsome.
Above all, the pale, sensitive man from the music video was nowhere to be seen. He was fair enough for his veins to show, but rather than looking sickly, he looked clear, radiant, and full of life.
"Wow, holy f*..."
She instinctively understood the meaning behind the low curse coming from beside her.
After greeting the crowd as a group, Seo Ho-yun naturally draped his arm over Jeong Da-jun’s shoulder. Then, with a lingering eye-smile, he whispered something to Kim Seong-hyeon.
'Idols are all about the face...'
She was staring as if possessed, muttering that absolute truth, and by the time she regained her senses, the intro had already begun.
【Stop buzzing off my head!】
Just as the thrill of the intro sent shivers down her spine,
【Blow away those complicated worries
Leave everything to me this dawn】
Her eyes met Jeong Da-jun’s head-on through the screen.
The relaxed ease oozing from his slightly upturned lips made her feel a maturity different from their previous promotions.
Next, Seong Ji-won, who had been in the back, grabbed Kang Yi-chae’s hand and burst forward in a circular motion.
【But let's keep it under level S2
So I can split these letters before it gets too deep】
As Seong Ji-won’s voice was added, the depth of the song was further enhanced.
The surroundings were filled with screams.
【Don't ask, just come out and dance with me, Babe
I'll tell you I love you tomorrow too, probably】
She also gripped her fading consciousness and widened her eyes.
That was when Seo Ho-yun came to the center.
【Let's keep it under Level S2
Before I find meaning between the numbers】
Standing sideways and shielding his eyes with his hand as if blinded by light, Seo Ho-yun snapped his hips to the beat.
【Let's not call it love
Before I fall for those cliché words】
His red jacket fluttered, and the bare skin revealed through the gaps peeked out every now and then.
Suddenly, screams tinged with madness erupted.
'Is this for real?! Where else can you find a male idol acting like he's on a survival show during a comeback?!'
When she got home, she would watch, rewatch, scan, and devour the official U-U Bank fancam.
She lamented once again why her eyes didn't have a recording function, and she tried her best not to miss even the slightest movement.
As Seo Ho-yun stepped back, Kim Seong-hyeon stood before him like a mirror. On the other side, Seong Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae took symmetrical positions.
【Don't ask, just come out and dance with me, Babe
Like it's our last time
Because the dawn belongs entirely to us】
The pair choreography between Kim Seong-hyeon, who showed powerful yet divinely sharp control, and Seo Ho-yun, who danced as light and fluid as a feather, harmonized exquisitely.
Jeong Da-jun, standing alone in the center, spun three times in a row in the same spot and gave a wide grin.
【Toss it all and just grab my waist
Just remember—】
Snap!
At that moment, as if waiting, silver confetti exploded and fluttered down.
【—keep it under level S2】
Reaching the climax, they all spun during the final chorus, then brought their index and middle fingers together to draw an "S" before spreading them into a "V" and thrusting their arms forward.
【Let's keep it under level S2!
Because the dawn belongs entirely to us】
The final shot went to Kim Seong-hyeon.
His chest heaved with heavy breaths, but as soon as the signal that filming was over was given, he bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
"Thank you!"
The intense gaze he had been shooting just moments ago was nowhere to be found.
The same stage was repeated a few more times. It was only after about forty more minutes that the pre-recording for the title track ended.
The members put their arms around each other's shoulders and headed down to change clothes.
"I love you......."
"I f*ing love you too... Please, take responsibility for me......."
While everyone was chanting similar monologues as if possessed, The Dawn appeared once again.
This time, they were wearing thin, dark blue pinstripe suits with slightly different details, with belts fastened over the jackets.
And they were wearing them over bare skin, without any shirts.
She squeezed her eyes shut at the intense stimulation.
'RIP me.......'
The title of the B-side they were to perform next was "Candies."