Chapter 353
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 353
‘I’m going to faint….’
While the others had their hair slicked back with pomade or styled to look damp, the youngest, Jeong Da-jun, stood out in a black beret that maximized his cuteness. He waved his hands vigorously from side to side.
“We’re back~!”
True to his nickname ‘Bangbang-i,’ he hopped around and chattered away energetically. However, her consciousness was fading, and Da-jun’s words didn't quite register.
‘What is up with this B-side track…?’
Immediately after the album's release, the reaction among the Noeuls regarding the lyrics of the B-side, Candies, had been explosive. While they had performed many intense stages before, they had never released a song this dangerously sultry.
Even as The Dawn took their positions in their provocative outfits, the fans continued to buzz with excitement.
Waaaaaa—!
The moment the lights went out, a flood of cheers erupted. A groovy EDM beat blended with a deep, emotional bass sound began to flow.
Simultaneously, Jeong Da-jun, standing on the far left, tilted his head and caught the rhythm.
【What’s the problem again today?
Don’t be so difficult
Don’t speak with such an edge
Let’s just be sweet to each other, Ah, I get it】
Walking in time with the song, Jeong Da-jun stopped and placed a hand on Seong Ji-won’s shoulder. Just as Seong Ji-won flinched and tried to turn his head away, Kim Seong-hyeon snatched his arm and stepped forward.
【Babe, Babe I didn't mean it】
With a faint smirk, he leaned his upper body toward Seong Ji-won. In response, Ji-won leaned back, his face tilted slightly downward.
【Even as we fight until we’re sick of it, I still want to check what time it is】
“Aaaaaaaah!!”
The choreography flowed like water. As if checking Ji-won’s time, Kim Seong-hyeon reached out from behind and tapped his wrist.
【It’s a waste for time to pass
Don't check your phone
Grab my waist and hold me tight
It’s okay to be prickly, just give me one smile】
Kim Seong-hyeon’s deep, resonant bass melded with the trendy beat, enhancing the song’s dark, insidious charm.
Spinning half a turn to avoid Kim Seong-hyeon, Seong Ji-won furrowed his neat brows slightly.
【Your problem is that your smile is too pretty】
The tempo, which had been gradually accelerating, suddenly slowed down.
Over the low-lying melody, Seong Ji-won’s delicate yet firm voice was layered on top.
【You are such a mess
Sometimes it’s too much and I want to take a step back
But the candy we shared was too sweet】
Seo Ho-yun and Kang Yi-chae, who had been standing still until then, raised their heads at Seong Ji-won’s gesture. They brought their thumbs and index fingers to their lips and brushed them—as if putting a piece of candy in their mouths.
【Filled with sweet, feel-good moments
Babe you are such a big problem】
Jeong Da-jun also narrowed his eyes and brought his right hand to his mouth as if whispering to the camera.
【My problem is that I love you】
The formation shifted with the melody. Seo Ho-yun, having taken Kim Seong-hyeon’s hand and spun lightly, made a grand entrance into the center.
【Out of breath
Heart beating fast】
He then swept his hand down his own neck and performed a wave alongside Kim Seong-hyeon. By now, the cheers erupting from all sides were bordering on screams.
【Our moments that only the two of us can share
Are still lingering in my mouth】
Seo Ho-yun lightly brushed his right shoulder and moved back. As if naturally crossing paths, Kang Yi-chae brushed past him and stepped forward.
【Whatever you want, I’ll match it
What’s so hard about swallowing a little pride?】
He playfully cocked his left eyebrow, tossed his microphone into the air, caught it upside down, and began his rap.
【Was it sour? Was it sweet?
I don’t know if you understand what I’m saying right now
It’s okay, actually, I’m pretty nervous too, No I mean it
For now, say ‘Ah’ and take my candy】
The lyrics, recited in a rough, whispering voice, made the song feel even more dangerous.
Just as the corners of Kang Yi-chae’s mouth curled into a smirk—
【Either way, make this moment thrilling】
With Seo Ho-yun at the lead, the group formed a line. They all raised their crossed hands and slowly thrust their hips.
【Out of breath
Heart beating fast】
For a moment, it felt as if time itself was moving in slow motion.
The song stretched out, and the cheers of the surrounding Noeuls reached her ears slowly. The Dawn’s heavy breathing felt as vivid as if she were right next to them, and she could clearly see a drop of sweat rolling down Seo Ho-yun’s chin and falling onto the stage floor.
And then—
“Aaaaaaaah!!!”
—the roar of the frenzied crowd pierced through her eardrums again.
【Our moments that only the two of us can share
Are still lingering in my mouth】
Even though this wasn't her first time being a fan of an idol, she had to struggle not to lose her mind at the strangely unfamiliar sensation.
‘Is this a choir of angels…?’
No, they were far too sultry to be called angels.
They recorded the performance three more times, but no matter how many times she watched, she couldn't get used to it. She ended up waving her lightstick aimlessly until the filming was over.
“Ah, uh… oh, it’s finished.”
Belatedly following the staff’s guidance, she trudged outside. Still immersed in the afterglow of the stage, she stood dazed for a moment before checking the time on her phone. There was still a bit of time before the mini fan meeting.
When she logged into her SNS app, real-time reactions to the music show pre-recording were flooding in.
[This comeback is seriously fucking... fucking..... fucking....
It makes no sense.....
Is this even allowed to be broadcast?]
[When did our country become so generous...]
[I feel like South Korea suddenly became the #1 best country to live in.]
[What’s with the reactions? Were the performances that good??
└ I wanted to stay there forever.......
└└ Dammit, I’m so curious.]
Clearly, she wasn't the only one who had been shocked.
She scrolled through more reactions, then began to rehearse the words she had agonized over saying to them. Suddenly, the noisy chatter around her stopped, followed by an explosion of cheers.
“Noeul~! You worked so hard today!!”
The Dawn had entered the mini fan meeting area.
‘Oh, my god….’
They looked cool under the flashy lights with expressions that matched the song, but….
‘The fan service today is insane….’
Seeing them smiling brightly under the natural sunlight was so good that all the stress she’d received from work seemed to evaporate.
Even better, because the schedule was set right after the B-side recording, they were still wearing their Candies outfits.
“Thank you so much for your hard work since early this morning….”
Seong Ji-won was saying something pretty in his gentle voice, but she couldn't hear him well because she was so captivated by his face. Beside him, Seo Ho-yun stood nonchalantly, waving his hand only in response to fans calling his name. It was obvious he was being deliberately sweet despite his actual personality. And that made it even better.
“We’ll just give a quick greeting to Noeul!”
The Dawn told the staff, and before they could be stopped, the members stepped closer to where the Noeuls were gathered.
“How have you all been?”
Security guards hurriedly followed them.
Just then, a fan who had been glancing at Kang Yi-chae—who was joking around with his arm around Jeong Da-jun—stomped her feet and shouted.
“Oppa! Yi-chae oppa!”
When Kang Yi-chae craned his neck to look, the fan made a finger heart and sent it his way.
“Oppa! Accept my heart!”
Kang Yi-chae’s eyes crinkled into a smile as if he found it amusing, and he waved his hand.
When the startled fan waved back, Kang Yi-chae made a heart. When the fan made a heart again, Kang Yi-chae waved.
He was clearly teasing her on purpose.
“Hey, Kang Yi-chae! Cut it out!!”
“Ahaha, okay, okay. Sorry~.”
At the fan’s sudden outburst in informal speech, Kang Yi-chae chuckled, apologized, and blew a hand kiss.
‘Holy shit….’
For a moment, even she almost fell for Kang Yi-chae. Not just him, but Seong Ji-won speaking so warmly with his radiant face, Kim Seong-hyeon carefully remembering each and every fan, and Jeong Da-jun responding with bright and lovely aegyo. It was clear that all of The Dawn were truly trying to communicate with their fans.
It was sad how little time was left for the short mini fan meeting.
“Ho-yunaaaaaa!!”
Just as Seo Ho-yun came near her area, someone let out a lion’s roar.
“I like cats betterrrrrr!!”
Laughter erupted from all sides at the shout filled with such powerful conviction.
“I like cats too!”
Seo Ho-yun replied with a bright smile.
“But you’re a rabbit, oppa!!!”
“I like rabbits too~.”
His preference changed about once every ten seconds.
At this rate, if a Noeul said they liked ‘turtles,’ he looked ready to say, ‘I’m a turtle.’
‘Crazy, crazy, crazy.’
Normally, she would have laughed it off as a joke, saying he was a natural-born idol with no backbone or sense of self, but she couldn't do that now.
She was slightly overwhelmed by Seo Ho-yun, who was approaching with a lollipop in his mouth—likely a gift from a fan.
‘Is he… really human?’
“Hi~.”
She saw Seo Ho-yun trying his best to make eye contact with the fans. She steadied her heart and carefully opened her mouth.
“…Ho-yun.”
It came out as a mumble because her voice was too small.
As Seo Ho-yun moved to respond to the voices of people further away,
“Ah, Ho-yun…!”
She mustered her courage, held out one hand to form a half-heart, and called his name again.
However, Seo Ho-yun passed right by her without hearing.
‘Ah, he’s just going…….’
It was a bit disappointing, but these things were common when stanning an idol.
‘I should have called him a bit louder and kept trying.’
Just as she was promising herself a next time that might never come, Seo Ho-yun suddenly stepped backward.
‘Huh?’
She was too surprised and flustered to do anything. Seo Ho-yun’s eyes landed on her hand, which was still held out in a half-heart shape.
“Sorry. I almost missed you.”
Even his voice, slightly muffled by the candy in his mouth, was insanely good.
Seo Ho-yun reached out his right hand and completed the other half of the heart. At the touch of their fingers, her heart pounded so violently it felt like it would leap out of her throat.
Leaning down slightly to meet her eyes, Seo Ho-yun’s eyes curved into a wide crescent.
“Here’s your heart.”
The people on either side of her, who were filming videos with their phones, screamed on her behalf.
After that, requests for hearts from Seo Ho-yun flooded in.
However, Seo Ho-yun blocked the Noeuls with a smile and only gave out high-fives or fist bumps.
“Bye! See you again!”
Just as she was resigning herself to the fact that it was truly over, Seo Ho-yun, giving a final greeting, drew a large heart with both arms and made a blowing motion toward the fans.
Then, he casually returned to his usual self, put his arm around Kim Seong-hyeon, and left.
“…Hey, why does Seo Ho-yun seem in such a good mood today?”
“I don’t know. Look at that push-and-pull. His idol form is insane lately….”
“Who said Ho-yun was sick? His face is literally glowing.”
Amidst the commotion of the Noeuls, she felt like she was floating in a dream. While everyone else was quickly dispersing, she stood there dazed until a staff member urged her to move as she was blocking the way.
“…….”
After staggering a few steps, she pressed her temples at the dizziness and sent a text to her friend.
[Me: I don’t think I can ever date a real man now...............]
[Jeong-min: ?]
[Jeong-min: Did Seo Ho-yun give you a kiss on the cheek or something?]
She had intended to refresh her mood with some ‘handsome man therapy’ and work harder, but seeing her erratically beating heart, it seemed this life was a lost cause after all.
With trembling fingers, she slowly typed her reply.
[Me: He is a real man.........]
.
.
.
“Ho-yun hyung, why are you in such a good mood lately?”
“Do I look like it?”
“Yes… Gwaaaaah!”
Back in the waiting room, I leaned against Jeong Da-jun and pressed my chin firmly into his shoulder.
“Hyung, it hurts, it hurts! Stop pressing! Lately, your jawline is so sharp it’s like a piece of Neolithic pottery!”
“Wow, our youngest is so educated.”
I wonder if Jeong Da-jun even knows what that is.
I thought about teasing him but decided to be a generous older brother and let it slide. Instead, I looked at the system window that had been floating in the corner of my vision for the past few days.
[Congratulations!
Status Effect Remaining Time: 0 days 00 hours 00 seconds]
I didn't bother hiding the smirk tugging at my lips.
“I’ve just been feeling in top condition lately.”