Chapter 356
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 356
At Seo Ho-yun’s warning—or rather, his "non-warning"—everyone’s expression froze instantly.
However, Seo Ho-yun simply offered a beaming smile before standing up. He walked over to the staff member waiting at the arcade entrance and took a piece of paper from them.
“Ho-yun is heading out first, okay?”
He gave the slip of paper a playful flutter and walked straight out.
“…….”
【Seo Ho-yun, departing for the mission location!】
A brief silence washed over the remaining members, but they soon huddled together with one mind for an emergency meeting.
“Did someone do something wrong to Ho-yun Hyung?!”
“Whoever didn’t do the dishes yesterday, step forward right now.”
At Kim Seong-hyeon’s words, Seong Ji-won’s gaze drifted toward Kang Yi-chae. Soon, Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon’s eyes followed suit.
“What? Why? What.”
Kang Yi-chae snapped back grumpily, ignoring the dishwashing comment as he continued.
“Anyway, it looks like Ho-yun Hyung is going rogue… Should we stick together and push Seong-hyeon Hyung to first place?”
“I’m totally in!”
“I’d honestly love to do that.”
Determined that they absolutely could not let Seo Ho-yun win this self-produced content, Jeong Da-jun and Kim Seong-hyeon jumped on board enthusiastically. Only Seong Ji-won stood a step back from the group, wearing a peaceful smile. As Kang Yi-chae stood up, he narrowed his eyes slightly and made a suggestion to Seong Ji-won.
“Hyung, want to go together?”
“Hmm, sure.”
After a quick exchange of glances, the members scattered in an instant. Kang Yi-chae, having received his mission paper, also left the arcade and headed elsewhere.
【Enter the Avatar Room located to the right of the arcade exit.
※Multi-person only】
“Oh, it’s close.”
Seong Ji-won, who had trotted along behind him, poked his head over Kang Yi-chae’s shoulder and read the instructions on the table aloud.
“Imitate the words and actions of your fellow group member, Seo Ho-yun. Bonus points will be awarded to the person the production team deems more accurate…?”
Seong Ji-won and Kang Yi-chae locked eyes for a moment.
Pulling out a chair and sitting down first, Seong Ji-won slowly rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand.
“Hmm… then I’ll go first.”
He furrowed his elegant brow slightly as if troubled, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.
“…Seong Ji-won, you’re actually quite good at singing.”
【?】
A small question mark appeared in the captions.
Next, Seong Ji-won stroked his chin and delivered the next line with a serious face.
“Why are you doing this? Make the others do it.”
【Is this how The Dawn’s Seo Ho-yun usually speaks and acts…?】
“…I-is this okay? What else is there to Ho-yun’s way of speaking?”
Faced with this unexpectedly bizarre scene, the production crew—who had been holding xylophone mallets, unsure of what to do—asked Seong Ji-won cautiously.
“Are those things he actually said?”
“Yes, I’ve heard all of them personally….”
“Uh, well… do you have any other versions?”
“…Other versions?”
“Hmm,” he hummed softly, tilting his head. Then, as if mimicking Seo Ho-yun, he curled one side of his mouth into a smirk.
“…Seong Ji-won, you’re a real piece of work sometimes.”
[Wait, wtf, is that all he says to him???]
[It’s like Seo Ho-yun has a romance novel script flowing through his veins instead of blood....]
Kang Yi-chae, who had been watching this whole debacle from the side with a disgruntled expression, lazily raised his hand.
“Yi-chae-Yi-chae will give it a go.”
At a nod from the production crew, he swept his hair back and began to imitate Seo Ho-yun in a low, grounded voice.
“Kang Yi-chae, get your ass over here right now.”
“Ahaha. That’s good~.”
“Right! Yi-chae, that’s spot on.”
Laughter quickly spread through the room.
However, Kang Yi-chae’s expression didn’t change one bit. He was simply channeling Seo Ho-yun.
“You really—….”
The moment Kang Yi-chae opened his mouth again, the video sped up as if fast-forwarded, while captions began scrolling up from the bottom.
…—Kang Yi-chae, are you out of your mind?
Are you joking? What? Stop acting like a boomer? The ink on your ID hasn't even dried yet, so why are you so bad at listening to your Hyung? If you’re that unhappy about it, go eat more rice cake soup to age up and come back. Stop whining and get to work. You think this is enough? The chorus isn't hitting the ear at all. There’s zero impact. I’ve already forgotten the whole thing. Redo it while I’m still being nice. Again. Again. Again. Again, again, again—————….
“…….”
The corners of Seong Ji-won’s mouth slowly dipped, and the sounds of laughter gradually died away.
[Yi-chae... just what kind of life are you living with Ho-yun....]
With a sly smile, Kang Yi-chae crossed his right leg and added one more line to Seong Ji-won as if driving in a stake.
“Ji-won, you don’t have the confidence to win?”
[I just felt an overwhelming sense of dread]
[I can literally see the real Seo Ho-yun in Kang Yi-chae right now]
“No, I mean, uh….”
“Well, you have to speak for me to know.”
“…Wow, but Yi-chae, you’re really good at this.”
Seong Ji-won, blinking rapidly in bewilderment, let out a small exclamation of genuine admiration.
[Why are you impressed, you dummy]
[You guys are seriously psychos... but that’s why I love you... so cute...]
【Kang Yi-chae wins by a landslide per the production team’s judgment. 1 bonus point + 1 participation point = 2 points total.】
【Seong Ji-won earns 1 participation point.】
Having confirmed the results, Kang Yi-chae stood up with a relaxed air.
“Hyung, please do a good job supporting Seong-hyeon Hyung next. I’m going to go mess with Ho-yun Hyung.”
“Ah, right. Got it.”
As Kang Yi-chae headed out, he turned back just before the door closed, sticking his hand in the gap to hold it open.
“…Seong Ji-won, I trust you’ll do well.”
“Ahaha, are you still imitating Ho-yun?”
Seong Ji-won gave a refreshing laugh, crinkling his nose.
“Yeah, I’ll do my best. But Ho-yun, can you really beat Seong-hyeon? All the kids are gunning for you.”
“Don’t worry.”
The corner of Kang Yi-chae’s mouth quirked up, and his eyes flashed sharply.
“—I never fight a battle I’m going to lose.”
It was the exact look Seo Ho-yun wore whenever he was brimming with confidence.
Seong Ji-won watched Kang Yi-chae’s back as he strode away quickly, his eyes wide and round.
“Wow….”
He touched his lips and muttered.
“That actually looked like Ho-yun just now. It was kind of cool….”
【Exactly which part was cool?】
[The captions, holy shit lololololololol]
[What is with these captions lolololol]
After standing dazed for a moment, Seong Ji-won shook his head slightly and hurried to the next mission location.
The screen naturally transitioned to a survival game field on the outskirts of Seoul.
【Be the Last One Standing – Paintball Survival】
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had already finished one mini-game, was waiting there.
“Oh, Ji-won, you’re here?”
“Yeah.”
Seong Ji-won still didn’t feel as desperate as the others to make Kim Seong-hyeon number one, but he nodded obediently and shared everything he knew in detail.
As the two of them grabbed safety vests and moved out, text floated over them, and the scenery changed once more.
【Meanwhile, what about the group’s Elephant Maknae…?】
“…Phew.”
Concealed among the trees, wrapped in a military camouflage net and with green cream smeared all over his face, Jeong Da-jun appeared in a state that made one wonder if he was actually an idol.
“For the peace of the dorm…….”
[Ugh]
The moment the youngest member cried out for peace, the fans’ peace on social media was being shattered in real-time.
[Ffs, are you telling me to make a gif of this or not]
[Jeong Da-jun, are you kidding me]
[You’re an idol!]
[Lol look at all the Noeuls getting angry with one heart]
【It is said that he absolutely did not want to lose….】
“Wait, Mr. Jeong Da-jun. What on earth are you wearing?”
“It’s a net that helps me become one with my surroundings. I found it in that warehouse over there earlier. They said I could rent it if I used the premium service.”
With a giggle, he adjusted the netting—the kind used to camouflage artillery positions or equipment—over his shoulders to wrap himself thoroughly again, then lay flat on the ground to scout the area.
“I can’t fail here. This is basically my theme for this Dawn album activity! Besides, I’ve already talked it over with Yi-chae Hyung and Seong-hyeon Hyung.”
[Oh my god, you’re not talking about the part where you shoot a gun in the music video, are you]
[Please give me back my baby elephant ㅠㅠ]
“Even if I can’t watch dramas for two weeks, isn’t it better than hearing the leader say ‘I love you’ every single day?”
[Look at Jeong Da-jun suddenly getting serious]
[Look at him suddenly channeling Seo Ho-yun’s tone]
[Did he really hate hearing ‘I love you’ that much...]
Jeong Da-jun whispered quietly, his eyes—the only clean part of his face—darting around busily.
[But does our puppy not realize that Yi-chae might betray him?
└Exactly, he’d be so good at it]
At that moment, a faint rustling sound was heard.
Frowning as he watched a certain spot, Jeong Da-jun gripped his gun again and aligned his sights with the target. As the focus shifted to where the barrel was pointed, Kim Seong-hyeon’s face was revealed.
Closing one eye and staring forward as if gauging the timing, Jeong Da-jun slowly curled his right index finger.
[Ooh, is Jeong Da-jun betraying him?!]
And then,
Click!
—The trigger was pulled.
In an instant, as the game flowed in a completely unexpected direction, Jeong Da-jun lowered his gun a beat late and put on an expression of having made a mistake.
“Oops! I wasn’t supposed to shoot Seong-hyeon Hyung, but I did it without thinking!”
[Not the strategist type]
[Lolololol you crazy bastards, I’m literally drooling from laughing so hard]
[Lol ffs lol, you really shot him ‘without thinking,’ right? lolololol]
However, when the screen switched back to Kim Seong-hyeon, the one rolling on the ground was Seong Ji-won. With his quick wits, Seong Ji-won had sensed the danger in advance and pulled Kim Seong-hyeon away, taking the hit instead.
【Seong Ji-won, eliminated from this mission!】
“Seong Ji-won!!”
“Seong-hyeon….”
Seong Ji-won clutched his clean chest with one hand, letting out a groan, and grabbed Kim Seong-hyeon’s shoulder with the other.
“Kim Seong-hyeon.”
Normally, Kim Seong-hyeon would have likely recoiled in horror, asking why he was being like this too, but perhaps because he was moved by Seong Ji-won’s sacrifice, he stayed close with moist eyes.
“Leave me like this and go. Hurry.”
“Hey, does it hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
A faint smile flickered across Seong Ji-won’s face before vanishing.
“Seong-hyeon… you didn’t want to do the penalty.”
“……!”
Kim Seong-hyeon’s mouth slowly fell open. As if to comfort him, the hand on his shoulder patted him in a steady, rhythmic motion.
“Seong-hyeon, don’t look back. Run.”
Kim Seong-hyeon squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them, his lips pressed thin as if he had made a grand resolution.
“Before this effort goes to waste.”
After hearing Seong Ji-won’s words, Kim Seong-hyeon nodded solemnly and stood up.
Swept up in the atmosphere, the leader of The Dawn failed to notice until the very end that the corners of the person’s mouth in front of him were twitching upward.
[What is with Seong Ji-won lately]
[Ji-won has just been tainted by Kang Yi-chae]
[Shouldn’t Seo Ho-yun have given the penalty to Seong Ji-won...
└FR FR]
[Sigh.. Kim Seong-hyeon is so innocent, how does he survive in this world...]
Jeong Da-jun, who had been observing them while lying hidden behind a large tree, let out a sigh of relief after confirming that Kim Seong-hyeon’s clothes were clean.
“Phew, I’m glad things seem to be somewhat settled….”
But as they say, the moment you think you’re safest is the most dangerous time.
Thwack!
A paintball exploded on Kim Seong-hyeon’s back as he turned to leave. His gray bulletproof vest was stained red.
【Kim Seong-hyeon, eliminated from this mission!】
“Wha-what?!”
While Kim Seong-hyeon was reeling in shock, alarm bells were also ringing in Jeong Da-jun’s head.
Sensing a crisis, Jeong Da-jun struggled to escape, but because of the net wrapped tightly around his body, his movements were restricted, and he began to roll away spectacularly.
Click!
Pop!
Red paint bloomed right in the center of his chest.
【Jeong Da-jun, eliminated from this mission!】
After rolling a couple more times and coming to a stop, Jeong Da-jun looked down at his chest in despair. Even though he had been spinning frantically, he hadn’t sensed the opponent’s presence at all.
In that split second, something twitched in the bushes.
“Elephant.”
A pile of fallen leaves suddenly rose up, and a familiar mid-to-low voice reached his ears.
Soon, what looked like a hand pulled back the dry brown leaves, and Jeong Da-jun’s face slowly filled with horror.
“No way……!”
Seo Ho-yun, who had concealed his body just as thoroughly as Jeong Da-jun in a camouflage suit, was sporting his trademark smirk.
“I’m sorry to see all that effort go down the drain.”
[Wait, wtf, why a ghillie suit]
Jeong Da-jun, his cheeks puffed out, shrieked.
“Hyung, what on earth are you wearing?!”
[As if you wearing a camo net was any better....]
‘Me? You?’ Seo Ho-yun answered with a cold stare instead of a useless retort, brushing the leaves off his gun.
“Where did that brat Kang Yi-chae go?”