Chapter 389
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 389
[F*ck... They just used The Dawn as a ratings machine.]
Before the Kang Yi-chae controversy erupted.
The Dawn, High Five, and Min Ji-heon were all handed meaningless participation trophies provided by the GMA (Green Music Awards).
Each posted photos holding the trophies on their official SNS accounts, but the fans could not easily suppress their fury. Naturally, suspicions regarding the GMA winners began to overflow.
[I mean, they must have already decided who to give the awards to when they made the cue sheet. They knew exactly what they were doing, putting The Dawn at the very end. Why didn't they give them the Daesang? Was it just to screw with them? What gives?]
[Did our WH CEO, Gyeong-su, stab the GMA production team or something? Or was it the Daepasung CEO? What the hell is happening?]
[I know this is a total bottom-tier awards show with zero prestige, but this is ridiculous. It’s like they intentionally excluded everyone from WH lololol. At this point, there needs to be an investigation.]
[I’m actually curious how much money LV must have funneled into this. Every Daesang went to LV lol. God, I’m so pissed.]
[Show us the projected scores, damn it. When I was voting on the website, The Dawn and High Five were neck and neck.]
└ You don't even need to see the scores to know these awards were rigged lol.
└ ...Actually, it's not even funny.]
Even Min Ji-heon failed to take home a single Daesang, leaving even the general public bewildered by the results.
[Look at the actors' eyes bulging, they can't even control their expressions... I mean, obviously. The person who didn't win the Daesang is Min Ji-heon....]
└ Ha Seo-yeon deserved a Daesang too, but the timing was just so awkward... I feel bad for her, she looks so uncomfortable... T_T
└└ Why feel bad? lol Ha Seo-yeon hit the jackpot. She went down after saying thanks in her speech.
└└ No, honestly, it's not like Ha Seo-yeon is untalented, but didn't you see her face freeze? She must be frustrated too.]
The actor side of things was relatively tame.
On the idol side, it was so savage they might as well have been brandishing knives.
[Our proud Daesang-winning singers, Lavish ^^ (feat. the waiting area where everyone is asking "Who is Lavish?")]
└ lol Wow, that's insane.
└ Have some shame, LV...
└ In the middle of all this, High Five and The Dawn didn't even flinch lol. Everyone else is shocked, but they're just clapping without a single tremor.
└└ Idol skills lololol.]
Behind the members of Lavish, who were running out joyfully as their team name was called, the faces of other singers—colored with bewilderment, shock, and horror—were captured perfectly on screen. These short clips spread across various video platforms, accompanied by comment sections filled with mockery.
[My babies T_T Our Lavish... I'm so proud. You guys are Daesang singers. Congratulations, truly! ♡
Likes (494) Dislikes (5184)]
Since the fandoms of High Five and The Dawn were significantly more powerful, it wasn't easy for Lavish to manipulate public opinion or act as if nothing had happened.
However, up until this point, everyone was quietly venting their anger behind the scenes rather than clashing openly.
That precarious peace was shattered the following day, after a new controversy involving Kang Yi-chae was added to the fire.
<Green Music Awards: The Dawn Reaction Fancam (THE DAWN Performance Reaction)>
A professional proxy photographer, looking for Nutube views, released a video of the entire GMA waiting area. In it, the members of Lavish were caught pointing at The Dawn’s performance and snickering.
Watching the video spread like wildfire, Lavish fans felt a sense of dread. They immediately tried to do damage control.
[Oh, they must be so happy because they won the Daesang. The babies are full of laughter haha. You earned all of this!!]
[If you look closely, aren't the Lavish kids pointing their fingers? ;]
└ If you're interested in something, you can point while talking, f*ck. What, should they point with their toes? The Dawn fans are really showing their true colors.
└└ I'm not even a fan of The Dawn.. lol;; Why are you so mad?]
[Our Yeong-hyeok T_T He must really like Kang Yi-chae lol. Maybe he wants to get closer since they've been active for a similar amount of time. He can't take his eyes off him.]
└ In what world does that look like he wants to be friends....?
└└ RT
└└ RT x3. He's clearly mocking him.
└ If you look at Yi-chae's eyes, he looks like he's about to kill someone. Why are you nitpicking Yeong-hyeok's eyes?
└└ RT
└└ This comment section is a mess. Go fight somewhere else.]
[He can do that to a junior. It's not like The Dawn are his seniors...]
└ Suddenly a generous soul appears lol.
└└ I guess you'd just sit there quietly if a senior looked at you like that? You wouldn't say a word and just do whatever they say? Because you're a junior?]
[I've been holding it in, but Lavish totally deserves the Daesang, okay?? You're saying the fandom paid them off without any proof? It's honestly hilarious lol. Yeah, keep talking, our boys are still Daesang winners~]
└ So, who is Lavish again??
└ I'm genuinely curious, did they even promote this year...?
└ Hey, go look at the projected scores. No matter how high the judges' scores were, they were a total flop in the fan vote. If that's not evidence, what is? lol
└└ Seriously, Noeul and Hi-ri are having a "Who the f*ck is that?" party. Why don't you go cry to the police then? Tell them you're upset because your singer didn't win the Daesang lol.]
Just as the blood pressure of The Dawn fans was skyrocketing due to the defense from Lavish fans, one Noeul, who had been rewatching the proxy photographer's video repeatedly, discovered something. Right before the GMA ending shot, the main rapper of Lavish—who was flushed with excitement after winning Artist of the Year—glanced at Kang Yi-chae, whispered to another member, and curled one side of his mouth into a smirk.
[But isn't his attitude toward Kang Yi-chae especially weird?]
└ Yeah lol I felt it too..]
Sensing that there was definitely something there, the Noeul immediately began digging and found a connection surprisingly easily.
[Did you see this? The brother of the guy who laughed at Kang Yi-chae was a trainee on Rising Rookies.]
One of the trainees who appeared on Rising Rookies last year, where Kang Yi-chae served as a mentor, was the younger brother of Lavish’s main rapper, Jang Yeong-hyeok.
At the beginning of Rising Rookies, he had drawn attention with the title of "brother of an active idol," but he showed an insincere attitude throughout the program and ultimately failed to achieve good results, having to return home.
Having discovered this, the Noeul uploaded a post on Twitter, hoping people would judge for themselves, and attached a clip from Episode 6 of Rising Rookies.
The scene showed the trainees, who had been divided into teams and given mission songs, performing for the mentors before the actual stage.
However….
【……But, you see.】
Perhaps unable to accept the evaluation they had received, Jang Yeong-hyeok’s brother tried to remain calm, but his face was clearly filled with dissatisfaction as he held the microphone.
【There just wasn't... enough time. It’s also true that our group was at a disadvantage. We didn't even have a single member who had done rap before, every idea we came up with was shot down, and we couldn't even get clear advice from the mentors….】
With every word he added, the expressions of the surrounding trainees crumbled, turning into looks of horror.
Kang Yi-chae, who had been listening silently, asked in a low voice with a steady gaze.
【And?】
At that, Jang Yeong-hyeok’s brother’s lips clamped shut.
【…….】
【What’s your point?】
【…W-well….】
As he faltered, as if he hadn't anticipated having to answer that far, Kang Yi-chae leaned forward slightly and gave a small smile.
【Why aren't you finishing your sentence? I'm listening.】
He was clearly smiling, but his eyes were sharp, and his voice was cold as ice despite the polite tone.
Intimidated, Jang Yeong-hyeok’s brother couldn't argue further and hung his head, stammering.
Kang Yi-chae let out a small sigh as if losing interest and straightened his posture.
【…Alright, alright. It’s tough, but let’s try hard one more time.】
The video stopped as Kang Yi-chae showed his teeth in a grin and patted the trainees' shoulders, seemingly letting it slide.
Since Kang Yi-chae had been shown frequently giving advice to many trainees during episodes 1 through 5, when this part aired on TV, it had only served to further solidify his likable image.
The Noeul and Hi-ri who saw this on SNS united and flared up in rage.
[What? He's acting out because of his brother?]
[I want to refrain from speculative comments, but there were some suspicious things in the past too. I didn't care because they weren't even candidates for #1... but if you dig through old music show footage, you can see Jang Yeong-hyeok glaring unpleasantly at Kang Yi-chae or The Dawn...]
└ But isn't this too much speculation based on circumstances? Please stop targeting a trainee who is now a civilian;
└└ Did the comment above say anything about the civilian? They pointed out that Jang Yeong-hyeok's behavior is problematic.
└└ Jang Yeong-hyeok's conduct has always been famous... I was slightly interested so I looked into Lavish, but I got sick of them because of him and quit.]
[The Hi-ri girls are calling Lavish "Trash-ish."]
[Kang Yi-chae fans are calling them "Trash Rubbish Holy Fcking Goddamn Bullsht." Wow, as expected of a rapper's fans, the rhyme is insane.]
[These Dawn fans.. they were so annoying when they were enemies, but they're doing so well now. I'm giving a standing ovation by myself.]
[You have to acknowledge the combat power of the Noeul.]
[I'm suddenly starting to like the Hi-ri.
Ha... I shouldn't let my guard down.]
In the moment when the two fandoms, having grown rapidly close, were warmly acknowledging each other, a rumor briefly circulated that if they were going to lose the Daesang to a nugu group, it would have been better to give it to their rivals. However, as soon as quotes started piling up, the posts were quickly deleted.
*
The GMA (Green Music Awards) had ended, and I had been holed up in the training room with Kim Seong-hyeon for hours to prepare for the year-end unit performance scheduled for four days later. Seong Ji-won and Jeong Da-jun were forming a separate unit, so they were likely practicing elsewhere.
Panting heavily, I looked at my phone and wiped my face with my hand. The Dawn and Kang Yi-chae were still trending in real-time on SNS.
'Well, we're certainly racking up the buzz.'
I had thought it was fine since the GMA had nothing to do with the main quest and the awards season had only just begun, but things had taken a completely unexpected turn.
While I was glad that it seemed like I’d be able to earn points easily, two things weighed on my mind.
The rage of the Noeul and Hi-ri, who were grinding their teeth, swearing to take down Lavish and LV before the drinks in their hearts grew cold.
And,
'Kang Yi-chae.'
Since he had been dragged into this unintentionally.
I figured it wouldn't matter since he wasn't the type to pay much attention to others, but he was surprisingly sensitive, so I was a bit concerned.
I took the towel Kim Seong-hyeon handed me, wiped off my sweat, and said,
"I'm going to go find Kang Yi-chae."
"Yeah. Drag him here. He needs to practice for the unit too."
Kim Seong-hyeon spoke grumpily, but in reality, he seemed worried about how Kang Yi-chae would be feeling after being involved in this controversy. I gave the still-grumbling Seong-hyeon a firm squeeze on the back of his neck before heading straight to the studio.
"Hey, Kang Yi—…."
I habitually entered the door lock code and called his name as I stepped inside….
"Whoaaa! Hyung, hyung! The pot is burning!"
"Should I have put the egg in first?!"
"No! You should've put the ramen noodles in first!"
I saw Jeong Da-jun and Kang Yi-chae huddled together in front of a 17-inch laptop, sweating profusely as they played a game.
When I closed the door, the two, who were whispering and about to hit replay, finally realized something was off and snapped their heads up.
"Hyung??"
"Ah, Ho-Ho-yun hyung!"
As I approached, I saw a character with pink pigtails crying buckets behind a "GAME OVER" screen. It was undoubtedly a cooking game whose service had ended ages ago.
How did they even find it?
"W-we weren't putting off practice to play! We were working!"
As expected, there was no way Kang Yi-chae would be affected by something like this.
He was sitting there perfectly fine, nonchalantly "cooking ramen."
At my narrowing eyes, Jeong Da-jun stood up first and started slinking away.
"Is Ho-yun hyung in a bad mood today—?"
"……."
"—Who am I to say?! Um! A-anyway, since you came to the studio, you must be looking for Yi-chae hyung! I'll get out of the way so you two can have a deep conversation!"
"Whoa, Da-jun, are you really leaving me behind right now?"
"Bye! I'm going to go practice for the unit with Ji-won hyung!!"
Jeong Da-jun abandoned his comrade, with whom he had been traversing the battlefields of web-based cooking, and bolted. Kang Yi-chae, snickering as if that were hilarious, looked at me.
"Why is our Ho-yun hyung scowling so much? It's not that Da-jun and I were playing instead of working! We were just doing that for a moment to find inspiration within the ramen~?"
"Don't you have anything to say?"
"Huh?"
Kang Yi-chae tilted his head for a moment and asked.
"…What did I do? Is it because I pestered Ji-won hyung for a dishwashing bet today?"
"No."
"Then because I ran off with Da-jun when Seong-hyeon hyung said let's practice?"
"Not that either."
"Then what is it?"
I clicked my tongue in disbelief and stared at him while leaning against the sofa. He spun his chair around, muttering "What did I do wrong?" for a long time before snapping his fingers.
"…Ah, Yi-chae, correct answer. Lavish."
"……."
"Right?"
When I gestured for him to continue, Kang Yi-chae, realizing I wasn't there to scold him, unwrapped a candy and leaned back deeply into his chair in an arrogant pose.
"I heard they were laughing at me... but whatever. That kind of thing happens in life."
The guy, who didn't seem to view his opponents as human beings, replied as such. He then let out a chuckle and added some nonsense.
"Why, did hyung come to see if Yi-chae was crying?"
"I came to see how good you are at that ramen cooking game, why."
"Pfft."
Snickering, he stretched his legs out to the table in front of the sofa, hooked his heels, and pulled himself closer to me.
"Honestly, with someone as impressive as you right here in front of me, why would my attention be drawn to anything else?"
Oh, is that so.
I tried to ignore him, but Kang Yi-chae added with a mischievous smile.
"But it's surprising. I thought you'd be more hung up on not winning the Daesang than something like this. You made it so obvious."
"……."
"Ho-yun hyung, this isn't the time to worry about me; it's time to reflect on yourself."
I lowered my gaze for a split second, took a deep breath, and kicked Kang Yi-chae’s chair with my left foot.
The wheels rolled away, and the defenseless guy hit the opposite wall with a "Gah!" scream.
"Right, glad to see you're perfectly fine. Let's go."
"Waaaah, that hurts. Sniff sniff."
"Don't be gross. Stand up straight."
I grabbed Kang Yi-chae by the scruff of his neck and took him straight to the training room to sacrifice him to Kim Seong-hyeon.
Our leader welcomed him and bombarded him with nagging: "Do you know how hard this unit concept is!", "You need to practice this way, way more!" and so on. Of course, he seemed to be checking Kang Yi-chae’s mood in between.
Kang Yi-chae, quickly sensing Kim Seong-hyeon’s soft heart, curved his eyes like a fox and whined even more on purpose.
"But I didn't want to practice... whimper. Seong-hyeon hyung might not know, but Ho-yun hyung is glaring at me so scarily~."
I looked at him blankly and spat out.
"And? So, Mr. Kang Yi-chae. What’s your point?"
"……."
It was the exact line Kang Yi-chae had used as a mentor in Episode 6 of Rising Rookies. Kang Yi-chae’s eyebrows twitched, and he grumbled, "This is why I hate people with good memories."
'Yeah, I have a good memory. So don't worry about the revenge.'
Because a person with a good memory never forgets a grudge, and I’m second to none when it comes to being petty.