Chapter 372
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 372
The day after Jeong Da-jun stormed out, The Dawn carried on with their schedule as usual.
“Ah, that pose is great. Look over here—!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Wow, Da-jun, you’re really on fire today.”
The morning’s schedule was an interview with a famous Japanese fashion magazine. Thanks to the interpreter provided, the photo shoot proceeded smoothly without any issues.
Jeong Da-jun didn't want to let his emotions show, but he didn't have the confidence to face Seo Ho-yun with a straight face. Even during the group shots, he positioned himself as far away from Ho-yun as possible. Seo Ho-yun didn't say a word about it, even though there was no way he hadn't noticed.
While the individual shots were being taken, the members took turns sitting down for a Q&A session.
“—Your original Japanese track, ‘Superhero,’ is incredibly popular right now! I personally love it and listen to it often. I was truly surprised by your high-level bass skills, Ho-yun.”
“Haha, thank you.”
Seo Ho-yun spoke softly, his face wearing a polite, professional business smile.
“I remember how hard all the members worked practicing their instruments. It was a new challenge for us, but we enjoyed it.”
“Oh, I see!”
“Da-jun, in particular, went through a lot. It was his first time playing the drums. He practiced every spare moment he had, and eventually, he was able to play naturally. I’m really proud of him.”
A short distance away, Jeong Da-jun, who had his ears perked up while getting his makeup touched up, felt a sudden prickle of petulance.
‘He practiced until his fingers bled, too.’
Even with their packed schedule, Seo Ho-yun never let his bass out of his sight. Da-jun had been motivated by watching Ho-yun listen quietly to Kang Yi-chae’s advice and then silently repeat the parts until he got them right.
‘And what’s the point of praising me in public like that?’
He didn't even know what Da-jun really wanted.
Da-jun saw Seo Ho-yun stand up from his chair after finishing his segment. As the next in line, Da-jun turned his head away to avoid eye contact and walked past him to sit in front of the reporter.
However, the more he consciously tried to ignore him, the more his attention drifted toward Ho-yun. Ho-yun seemed to be talking to Seong Ji-won in a corner of the studio, but Da-jun couldn't hear a word they were saying.
“—Jun? Da-jun?”
“Ye-yes! I’m sorry!”
Startled out of his distraction, Da-jun apologized quickly.
“What was the question?”
He tried to focus on the task at hand, but his heart wasn't in it.
“Thank you for your hard work….”
Finally finishing the interview, a worn-out Da-jun bowed to the staff and headed toward the waiting room.
He packed his things and returned to the hotel. While he was taking a short break before the next scheduled event, his door opened, and Seong Ji-won poked his head in.
“Da-jun, good job today.”
“…Ji-won hyung.”
A bright smile beamed at him. Da-jun instinctively lowered his head.
Looking back, he realized he had been far too immature when he stormed out yesterday. Despite that, Seong Ji-won and Kim Seong-hyeon had followed him to offer comfort.
“Are you feeling better? I thought you might have cried, but I’m glad your eyes aren't swollen.”
“……I didn't cry.”
“Really?”
Actually, he had cried a little.
“I talked to Ho-yun for a bit, and I don't think he truly meant to be that harsh with you.”
“……Okay….”
The response came out blunt. If that were true, Seo Ho-yun should have said it himself.
Staring at the floor with puffed-out cheeks, Da-jun finally blurted out the thought he’d been chewing on.
“…Hyung, don't you think Ho-yun hyung has been weird lately?”
“Hmm?”
“Just… the atmosphere around him has changed. He’s become strangely… kind.”
“Ahaha, is that a bad thing?”
It wasn't that, but… Da-jun furrowed his brows.
“But… hyung, look at how long we’ve been together. It’s obviously suspicious! I just want him to act like his usual self, that’s all…….”
Da-jun knew Ji-won cared for Ho-yun deeply, so his nonchalant attitude made Da-jun feel frustrated, as if something were stuck in his chest. Seong Ji-won stroked his chin and tilted his head.
“Hmm, then what do you think you should do, Da-jun?”
“…Huh??”
The sudden question caught Da-jun off guard.
“Should you keep picking fights to get his attention like you did yesterday? Or should you pester him right now to tell you what he’s thinking?”
“…Uh….”
Recalling Ho-yun’s reaction yesterday, his method definitely hadn't been the right one. But the second option didn't seem like the answer either….
“…Uh, well……”
Seeing Da-jun hesitate, Seong Ji-won burst into a light laugh and added breezily, “To be honest, I don't know the right answer either.”
“…….”
“That’s why I’m just going to wait.”
Da-jun felt even more stifled. Whether he noticed Da-jun’s frustration or not, Ji-won simply nudged him forward as if patting him on the back.
“Anyway, go have a good talk with him.”
Ji-won informed him that Ho-yun was waiting and pulled Da-jun out of the room. He pressed a hotel room key into Da-jun’s hand and walked away, saying he was going to rest.
Watching his retreating back, Da-jun scratched the back of his head. No matter how much he matured, he didn't think he could ever have a heart as broad as Seong Ji-won’s. They were only a few years apart, but today, that gap felt wider than ever.
As he slowly walked to the room where Ho-yun was staying, his heart began to race. He took a deep breath and gave a rare knock. There was no response. He knocked again, but still, nothing.
He used the key to open the door. The bright afternoon sunlight streaming through the large window illuminated the room.
“Hyung….”
The owner of the room was nowhere to be seen. Just as he was about to look for him—
“—I thought you’d have the sense to understand by now.”
A voice, sharp and cold as a blade, pierced his ears.
Startled, thinking the words were directed at him, Da-jun hunched his shoulders. Then, seeing a shadow reflected on the terrace, he realized Ho-yun was out there. Creeping closer, Da-jun saw Ho-yun leaning against the metal railing, looking down at the city landscape.
“Jeong Won-ha, I warned you clearly. Don't do this.”
……Jeong Won-ha?
Da-jun clamped his hand over his mouth to stifle a gasp.
“You dare touch our maknae? Do you really think you’ll be able to keep a foothold in this industry after that?”
Ho-yun’s brow was deeply furrowed, and his words were spat out with pure irritation.
“Ha, you really don't get it, do you?”
Ho-yun let out a sigh as if suppressing his temper, then curled one side of his lip into a smirk.
“Fine. Don't ever contact Jeong Da-jun again. Unless you want things to get ugly.”
He hung up immediately, tossed his phone onto a small table nearby, and roughly swept back his bangs.
“…Shit, I just did something so unlike me.”
Hearing lines that sounded like they came straight from Han Chae-hyeok, Da-jun gripped his hands tighter.
‘……This isn't a hidden camera prank, is it?’
At that moment, Ho-yun turned his head and his eyes met Da-jun’s.
While Da-jun stood there flustered and unsure of what to do, Ho-yun walked over and slid open the terrace door.
“…Jeong Da-jun?”
“……Uh, Hy-hyung! Ha, haha. I heard you were waiting… but who were you talking to?”
Da-jun quickly straightened up, glancing at Ho-yun tentatively.
Ho-yun brushed past him into the room and replied calmly.
“It was nothing.”
“Re-really?”
“Yeah.”
“I see!”
Slowly, Da-jun’s cheeks began to flush and a grin started to spread. Of course, he thought he was hiding it well, since Ho-yun’s expression remained unchanged.
“Da-jun, come sit here.”
Ho-yun sat on the sofa and gestured toward the spot next to him. Forgetting his earlier resentment, Da-jun quickly sat down.
“About yesterday—I called you here because I thought there might be a misunderstanding we should clear up.”
“Okay!”
Ho-yun’s eyes narrowed slightly before returning to normal.
Worried he might have seemed too eager, Da-jun scooted back a bit and tried to force himself to stay calm.
“First, let’s get one thing straight. Jeong Da-jun, I don't enjoy it when you get into trouble.”
“…But—.”
“Answer me.”
“……Yes, sir.”
Even though you do enjoy it.
“So you don't need to go out of your way to cause trouble. It doesn't make me happy at all.”
Da-jun just fidgeted with his fingers.
“And how could I be indifferent to you getting cursed at? I only stayed calm because I trusted you and knew you’d be fine.”
“…You trusted me?”
“Yeah.”
There was no overly bright smile he usually used to manipulate people, nor the soft tone he used for persuasion. Because of that, Da-jun naturally accepted that Ho-yun was speaking the truth.
“Because I knew you’d do well on your own.”
Da-jun blinked slowly.
The unwavering look of trust in Ho-yun’s eyes made his heart feel like it was floating. He felt like he could keep moving forward forever as long as Ho-yun expected and believed in him like this.
Only then did Da-jun carefully reveal his honest thoughts.
“…Actually, I wasn't even that angry.”
“I know.”
“I’ve learned how to just let things go now…….”
“You’ve grown up, our maknae.”
Da-jun grinned at Ho-yun’s agreement, but then his face hardened again as he hesitated to speak.
“…But, hyung. Then why have you seemed a bit different lately?”
Ho-yun tilted his chin, prompting him to explain.
“I mean, you’ve been so gentle lately… it’s just not like you…….”
“Why? Do you have a problem with that?”
A soft chuckle echoed and then faded.
With a mischievous smile, Ho-yun reached out and ruffled the hair of the wary Da-jun.
“I didn't know you had a hobby of being cursed at by a trashy PD.”
“I do not!”
“Is that so? Well, that’s a relief then.”
It felt like the topic had been glossed over, but Da-jun was so happy to have confirmed that Ho-yun cared about him that he let it slide.
“So, are we done talking?”
“…Yes.”
“Feeling better?”
“Yes… I’m sorry for making a scene.”
“Good.”
At the simple forgiveness, Da-jun’s eyes darted around before he suddenly jumped to his feet.
“Uh, ahem, hyung! We have another schedule soon, aren't you tired?! Should I go buy some snacks to get your sugar levels up?”
“Sure, if you want.”
Da-jun scrambled toward the door with clumsy, loud movements, then suddenly stopped. He turned around and called out.
“…—Ho-yun hyung!”
A bright, pure smile lit up Da-jun’s face.
“I’m really glad you’re in our group!”
The sound of the door handle turning and the sound of him running away followed immediately.
“Good grief….”
Left alone, Ho-yun let out a sigh and went to the terrace to pick up his vibrating phone. Messages from Im Hyeon-su were arriving in real-time.
[Im Hyeon-su: You crazy bastard]
[Im Hyeon-su: You haven't lost your mind, have you? I asked you to buy some sake and Japanese cigarettes, so why are you calling me and talking absolute nonsense out of nowhere? fuck you]
[Im Hyeon-su: Jeong Won-ha? Who the hell is that? Stop messing with a busy person.]
“It’s hard for me to play with the puppy, too.”
Ho-yun checked the messages and replied with a sigh. Between staying up all night watching Campus Thrill Love and mimicking the cringey tone of Han Chae-hyeok—the character Da-jun used to like—he was already physically and mentally exhausted.
“How does Min Ji-heon play a role like this?”
Clicking his tongue, he moved back into the room. His eyes fell on Da-jun’s phone, which had been left on the table in front of the living room sofa. Just as he decided to leave it, since Da-jun would surely come back for it soon, the screen lit up.
[Senior Jeong Won-ha]
It was a call from TEW’s Jeong Won-ha.
After counting a few seconds in his head, Ho-yun pressed the answer button.
[You finally picked up. Look here, Jeong Da-jun. How many times are you going to ignore your senior—.]
“Hey, Won-ha.”
[…Huh?]
“It’s me, Seo Ho-yun.”
Silence hung over the line for a moment. Soon, a dry cough and a reluctant greeting came through.
[Ah… right. It’s been a while.]
“It has. How have you been?”
Jeong Won-ha’s breathing grew heavy, clearly absurdly annoyed that Ho-yun was acting friendly after ignoring his calls for so long.
[…Seo Ho-yun, I’m a bit taken aback. What does it matter how I’ve been after all this time?]
“Why are you so angry?”
[Are you really asking that…!]
Ho-yun pressed his fingers against his throbbing temples, forcing a hint of amusement into his voice.
“Is it because of what happened with our maknae?”
[So you know.]
“Well, I heard the gist of it.”
This provoked an even sharper reaction from Jeong Won-ha.
[I don't know what Jeong Da-jun told you, but don't you dare blame me. It’s because you guys coddle him that he’s become a rude brat who doesn't respect his seniors. Besides, you have no right to lecture me, Seo Ho-yun. Not after the mistake you made back then.]
“Mistake?”
[Don't you remember?]
Jeong Won-ha let out a scoff of disbelief, his voice rising.
[Right before the Shining Star unit competition, when you asked me if I was dating. Thanks to that, I completely botched the performance. I still grind my teeth when I think about it. I actually trusted you back then!]
Everyone makes mistakes in life. Seo Ho-yun was no exception.
—However, he could say with absolute certainty that the incident Jeong Won-ha was referring to was no mistake.
“Won-ha.”
And Ho-yun had no intention of hiding that fact.
“That wasn't a mistake. It was intentional.”