Chapter 373
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 373
[…Wh-wh-what did you say—?]
Jeong Won-ha’s flustered, stuttering voice leaked clearly through the phone.
Seo Ho-yun added calmly, aiming to provoke the other man’s agitation even further.
“It’s true that you were dating back then.”
[What! No, I wasn’t—!]
“Do you really think I was the only one who knew? Your group members were walking on eggshells around you.”
Ho-yun hadn’t made it obvious at the time, but an air of caution had definitely lingered among the TEW members. He had taken a shot in the dark based on that hunch, and judging by the sudden silence on the other end, he had hit the mark.
[……So? What does that have to do with you running your mouth on purpose?]
“I wonder. Why do you think I did that?”
[It’s obvious. To screw me over. What else could it be?]
“Pfft, excuse me. What benefit do I get from you being screwed over, Mr. Jeong Won-ha?”
[You snatched first place in the competition.]
Ho-yun pulled back his laughter and put weight into his voice.
“I was confident I’d take first place even without that.”
It was the truth.
If Jeong Won-ha hadn’t messed with Jeong Da-jun, Seo Ho-yun wouldn’t have interfered with him. He would have achieved the same results regardless.
“Honestly, did that incident even ruin you? You’re still promoting just fine, aren’t you?”
Ho-yun let out a sigh between his words, sounding weary.
“Stop being so emotional and think carefully. Why would I, someone who could just ignore you, bother bringing this up?”
[…….]
He intentionally left the rest unsaid to give Jeong Won-ha room to let his imagination run wild.
When a mix of precise facts, moderate pretense, and appropriate fiction intertwined, even bullshit started to sound like the truth.
“…The reason I picked up this call instead of ignoring it just now wasn’t to criticize you.”
[…Then why?]
“Just—….”
This kind of verbal manipulation was Seo Ho-yun’s specialty.
Just like now.
“—Because I’m concerned about you, Won-ha.”
Ho-yun trailed off.
A bit uncertainly, a little shyly.
[Wh-what? Wh-what did you say?]
Won-ha’s voice shot up, trembling violently.
[Ha, it’s not like you’re talking in your sleep… This guy is r-really strange, ahem…….]
Ho-yun sprawled out on the sofa with the phone to his ear and waited composedly. The voice coming from the other side began to soften.
It wasn't surprising, and one corner of Ho-yun’s mouth quirked up.
Jeong Won-ha was the type of person who judged others by their level of fame and was weak to the kindness of those more popular than himself—a classic case of being "strong against the weak and weak against the strong." Now that The Dawn was far more successful than TEW, Won-ha was wary of the "affection" Ho-yun was showing, yet he couldn't easily push it away.
[A-anyway! Even if you say so, I can’t fully believe those words.]
This should be enough.
Sensing the bait was properly set, Ho-yun decided to cast the line.
“Is that so? That’s a shame. I was going to tell you something good.”
[What?]
“It seems the composer Blue Tiger is interested in TEW—no, specifically in ‘Jeong Won-ha.’ Well… if you’re not interested, there’s nothing I can do.”
[R-r-really?]
Since Im Hyeon-su had just asked, “Jeong Won-ha? Who the hell is that?” it wasn't a complete lie.
“I just happened to hear it—.”
And so, Ho-yun began his sales pitch using Im Hyeon-su’s name.
Though still suspicious, Jeong Won-ha seemed deeply enticed by Ho-yun’s story.
[—So you’re saying Blue Tiger wants to give a song to us—no, to me?]
“Try reaching out to her.”
[Hmm… well, I’ll handle it.]
Perhaps unable to fully break down his walls, Won-ha drew a line primly, but then added a comment of his own.
[Anyway, The Dawn must be having a hard time. Carrying around a troublemaker and an incompetent member. Is that a talent too? How did he even pass the audition?]
“…….”
[I’ll have to verify this first, but since you shared some info, if that Jeong Da-jun kid causes trouble, let me know. I’ll help as much as I can.]
Ho-yun let out a short laugh and threw Won-ha’s own words back at him.
“Well, I’ll handle it on my own.”
[Pardon?]
“Then, goodbye.”
[Wait! Hey, just a second—!]
Ho-yun hung up while Won-ha was still sputtering in disbelief. He immediately deleted the call log and placed Da-jun’s phone back where it had been. Then, he picked up his own phone and texted Im Hyeon-su.
[Me: Composer, TEW will probably contact you soon. Please give them a welcome in your usual style.]
[Im Hyeon-su: 🖕]
[Me: Japanese cigarettes.]
[Im Hyeon-su: 🖕🖕]
[Me: Plus sake.]
[Im Hyeon-su: I’ll take the sake, but add cigars and we have a deal.]
[Me: Deal.]
[Me: Just make sure you don’t get caught.]
[Im Hyeon-su: Piss off, I’m Im Hyeon-su lol]
For someone who folds so easily for booze and smokes, she sure talks big.
“Going in circles is such a pain.”
The groundwork was laid. If Jeong Won-ha was cautious and avoided the trap, it would all end uneventfully. But if he approached Im Hyeon-su full of hope, he would experience a fall as deep as his expectations were high.
If it were up to his personality, Ho-yun would have preferred to handle it himself so Won-ha could never crawl back up. However, his current profession, which was constantly exposed to the public, made that difficult.
Ho-yun hoped this would at least serve as a warning to Jeong Won-ha.
A warning of what he would feel if he dared to touch Jeong Da-jun again.
“Sigh….”
Clicking his tongue softly, he ruffled his hair and stared blankly at the ceiling.
He hadn't expected Da-jun to be so hurt by his comment about "handling it himself."
The kid will have to stand on his own one day anyway….
‘But for now, this should be fine.’
It wasn't like he had finished all the quests yet.
He still had time to watch over them.
Even though he knew this was all self-justification, Ho-yun decided to bury the thought for now.
As he lay listlessly on the sofa, the door burst open, and Jeong Da-jun charged in with bags hanging from both arms.
“Hyung, hyung, hyung! Didn’t you see my text?! Why didn’t you reply~!!”
Plumping down on the floor, the boy, his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold wind, began pulling out snacks one after another.
“Look at this! The one you said was delicious last time~! And this is bread, but they said it has both custard and red bean, so I grabbed it for now! And… uh, what’s this? It looked good, so I put it in….”
Watching the youngest babble on, Ho-yun reached out and pinched his plump cheek with his thumb and index finger, stretching it.
“Ack! Wh-what are you doing!”
“When are you ever going to lose this baby fat?”
“It hurts! Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?!”
As Da-jun whined, Ho-yun used his other hand to pull the other cheek as well.
* * *
While The Dawn was busy carrying out their schedule in Japan, small bits of news were reaching Korea.
[Did the kids learn ninja shadow clone jutsu after going to Japan? How are they pulling off such a packed schedule?]
[Just came back from The Dawn’s pop-up store. They displayed the stage outfits on mannequins and it’s so freaking cute...... But seriously, their proportions must be insane. I’m on the tall side, but the pants almost reached my ribs.]
└ [There’s a reason they’re called model-dols.]
└ [The height inflation is crazy lol]
To commemorate the release of their Japanese single, The Dawn’s special pop-up stores were held in a total of four locations, including Tokyo and Osaka.
≪I visited quietly~!! (Brightly smiling emoji) #DAJUN≫
Kang Yi-chae and Jeong Da-jun, who had stopped by the pop-up store in Shibuya, Tokyo, posted proof photos on Starstagram. They were both dressed in baggy hoodies and comfortable clothes, hiding their faces with hats, beanies, and masks.
[Did they go separately just in case? ㅠㅠㅠ So cute ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[Unnies... please look behind you...]
[Ahhhh, I missed my chance to meet them... ㅠㅠ]
However, while the members might have thought they blended in with their surroundings, an idol’s aura couldn't be hidden.
[Of course I knew. Logically, why would two tall, handsome men come to a The Dawn pop-up store otherwise...]
[Even though they were all bundled up, you could feel that specific vibe. Plus, Da-jun was bouncing around.]
[I desperately pretended not to notice (laughs).]
Just as the atmosphere inside Noeul was heating up with talk of the pop-up store, a promotional video for the documentary’s theatrical version was uploaded to The Dawn’s official Nutube channel.
【THE DAWN BEHIND – From Dawn to Dawn: Group Viewing】
[Hwaaa, the movie promo is up on the official Nutube!!!!]
[Omg, a group viewing!!!!]
The video began by showing The Dawn entering a building in the bustling downtown of Tokyo. Having seemingly rented out the entire theater, the members made their way through the empty seats and sat in a neat row in the center.
[Look at them bringing in caramel popcorn and churros lol]
[ㅋㅋㅋ Aw, so cute.]
The parts used for the promotion weren't much different from the documentary previously released on Nutube. It showed them practicing together, playing around, and laughing.
【……Ah, your voice was so good I accidentally fell asleep.】
[Seriously, so shameless lol]
[Still cute even seeing it again lol]
【First of all, I’m the most handsome in The Dawn~! I’m cool and I’m good at making songs!】
Seeing how they instantly united to tease someone once they found a target, The Dawn members themselves burst out laughing at their own actions.
Toward the end, a snippet of them preparing for the ‘Last Round’ album was also revealed.
[Aigoo, so cute.]
[I want to see it soon too. Please release it quickly~~~]
[I’m gonna laugh my head off at The Dawn’s documentary and then come out crying at the end.]
[Damn.. meanwhile, all the Japanese Noeuls are like.. ‘Oi oi.. (Hey hey..) To be able to see my bias’s face on a giant screen... Kusso.. (Damn..) Tears of emotion are flowing’ lolololol]
└ [The Japanese Noeul unnies are so serious.]
Just as Noeul’s expectations for the theatrical version reached a peak—
【At first, I thought I absolutely had to keep my head straight. That I had to do well. That was all I thought about.】
Seo Ho-yun’s interview, which had been inserted at the end of the original documentary, appeared.
【I don’t know. Maybe I was being foolish. A person can’t do everything alone. To begin with, our members are all incredibly talented, so I rely on them a lot, and everyone does so well on their own. Maybe that’s why…….】
Then, the faces of each member looking at him were shown in close-up.
【I like it because I feel relieved now, knowing they can do anything well even without me.】
Passing by each member, the camera landed on Seo Ho-yun’s elegant profile as he gazed at the screen with a quiet look in his eyes.
【It’s a dawn that must be sent away without regrets.】
Seo Ho-yun’s expression, which had briefly seemed out of place, vanished, and once the movie ended, only his usual sparkling smile remained.
The video concluded with The Dawn’s cute remarks asking for lots of interest.
[What is this.. I just feel weird now.]
[All the Noeuls are laughing because they like it, but I... I felt a bit nauseous so I turned it off.]
[I’m not the only one. I feel a bit... uncomfortable too ㅠㅠ What is this.. I feel like I’m the only one left behind after the end credits roll.]
While The Dawn’s fans were rewatching the video with a strange sense of lingering unease, the music industry was facing a new, powerful wave.
【High Five - New Thrill Official Music Video】
High Five had made their comeback.