Chapter 390
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 390
The Mango Music Awards.
Held four days after the Green Music Awards (GMA), the Mango Music Awards was also the subject of much gossip, yet it remained one of the top three most prestigious music award ceremonies.
[Ugh, the more I think about the GMA, the more pissed I get...]
[I’ve never seen a show work the kids that hard at the end just to give them a participation award. First time seeing this in all my years of stanning K-pop.]
[What is going on with WH... ㅠㅠ Where did all your pride go? ㅠㅠ ㅋㅋㅋ]
Naturally, the anger of the High Five and The Dawn fandoms had yet to subside.
As if conscious of this, the organizers of the Mango Music Awards strictly managed the performance order to prevent leaks. Fans had to flock to their TVs knowing only that The Dawn and High Five were scheduled to appear.
[Are our boys doing Level S2 this time or Yeondeunghoe?
└ Probably Level S2. Da-jun was dying to spoil something about the year-end stage. He told us to look forward to it on Pop-Pop ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└└ Aww, how cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Our maknae is still such a baby.]
Part 1 of the Mango Music Awards consisted mainly of solo artists and rookies with fewer years under their belts.
Lavish decorated the end of Part 1 before disappearing backstage.
[I don’t know if I can even focus on the Deonging-i-deuls' performance... My stamina is drained from all the fan wars lately.
└ Still, LVS2 is legendary, so...]
Just as the Noeuls were grumbling while waiting for The Dawn to appear—
【 SPECIAL STAGE
The Dawn Ji-won & Da-jun: Skate Kiss 】
[Wait, what?!?!?!!!!!!!]
At a completely unexpected moment, Seong Ji-won and Jeong Da-jun’s names appeared for a special stage.
Under bright lights, an alleyway filled with colorful graffiti unfolded. Jeong Da-jun, who had been sitting on a stair railing swinging his legs, hopped down and rolled into the center on a skateboard that had been waiting for him.
[Is that outfit for real?]
[Oh my god, Jeong Da-jun, I practically raised you!]
Jeong Da-jun wore a fuzzy white knit hat, pure white arm warmers, and blue sneakers that looked far too large for his feet.
Clutching a handheld mic, he spun half a turn, then kicked the tail of the skateboard with his left foot to pop it up and catch it.
【Come on!】
He winked at the camera and began to sing.
It was "Skate Kiss," a B-side from the second album of W.O.W, the first-generation boy group that took the 1990s by storm.
In contrast to their dark, heavy, and powerful title tracks, this song was characterized by a bright, refreshing melody and lovely lyrics.
【Ay, Ay, Ay!
Wanna ride skateboard with me?】
[Jeong Da-jun, you totally baited me?!?!!!!?!? Come here, let me give you a skate kiss!]
[Wow, Jeong Da-jun really is the king of this bratty concept.]
[I think he’s the best at interpreting this song among all existing idols ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ A man who arrives at an awards ceremony on a skateboard?!!?]
[I’ve just been saying "This is insane" on loop.]
A spotlight hit the left corner, revealing Seong Ji-won sitting in the driver's seat of a yellow sports car.
He was wearing a short-sleeved knit sweater made of thick ivory yarn and low-saturation sky-blue fuzzy earmuffs. With a bright smile, Seong Ji-won stepped out of the car and sang.
【With my heart that loves you
I want to fill this sky
My Skate Kiss Kiss Kiss】
[Was this song always this easy on the ears?]
[Excuse me, Seong Ji-won, if you keep this up, you’ll have no choice but to become my husband.]
[Hah, after listening to all that lip-syncing, hearing a voice mixed with real breathing is so refreshing.]
A dance break not found in the original song followed, allowing Jeong Da-jun to clearly assert his presence.
[Jeong Da-jun is a natural.]
[Is he insane? His dancing is superhuman. When did he improve this much? ㅠㅠ Our precious baby.]
[Hah, I’m crying because I’m so proud... The child I raised with my bank account...]
Following the building melody, Jeong Da-jun spun in a large circle and extended his arms toward Seong Ji-won. Seong Ji-won’s lips curled into a smirk as he tossed his microphone into the air and caught it upside down.
[Heol.]
[No way...]
[Wait a minute, hold on.]
As if meeting the Noeuls' growing suspicions—
【It fell right where I wanted, I broke up with my lover
But don't be depressed!
We can achieve anything in life
As long as our hearts don't break, everything is possible】
—Seong Ji-won’s rap followed.
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Life just got fun all of a sudden ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[The impact of a missing rapper on a stage ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
【Don't listen to what the adults say, we always ride our skates and roam the Earth freely!】
With a serious face and slightly furrowed brows, he recited the intuitive lyrics typical of first-generation idol songs, which often contained social messages.
[It’s hilarious how Seong Ji-won becomes Jekyll and Hyde.
He was singing like a K-pop god just a second ago.
But the rap...
The rap...
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It’s cute how hard he’s trying with that staccato rap ㅠ I love that he’s doing this so seriously without a hint of a smile. That kind of rap was the trend in the 90s!
└└ No one can suspect him of lip-syncing now ㅋㅋㅋ ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└└ Hey, where’s Kang Yi-chae! Someone call Kang Yi-chae, quick!]
[His rapping skills have improved... just a tiny... tiny bit, Ji-won...]
[Man, Jeong Da-jun is a true pro. How is he holding back his laughter?
└ He’s biting his cheek to stop from laughing.
└└ He had the exaaaact same expression when Kang Yi-chae’s shoe flew off during the Japan showcase ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[I desperately need a reaction cam of Kang Yi-chae, Seo Ho-yun, and Kim Seong-hyeon. Please tell me someone is filming the waiting area right now.]
Laughter mixed with the cheers at the rapping skills that were overwhelmingly lacking compared to the dance and vocals.
As the music neared its end, Jeong Da-jun and Seong Ji-won high-fived and gave a thumbs-up to the front, concluding the stage.
[Ah, that was fun.]
[Thank you for entertaining me until the end of the year.]
[What a great group... our Dawnies...]
The screen faded to black, and everyone expected another idol's performance to follow. However, the set, now bathed in a grayish-red light, remained the same back alley that Jeong Da-jun and Seong Ji-won had just left. Only now, the atmosphere was eerie.
【 SPECIAL STAGE
The Dawn Ho-yun & Seong-hyeon & Yi-chae: Good Driver 】
Because of the darkness, their faces weren't visible, but a silver chain around one figure's neck reflected the dim light. As a hand holding a thin folder phone dropped limply, a black leather jacket slid down the figure's right shoulder.
[Heol............]
[asdfjkl;asdfjkl;]
A faint sigh escaped as white mist, and the person who stepped forward was Kim Seong-hyeon.
[Holy shit, I almost threw my phone.]
[The sexy water dumpling is insane...]
Tossing the folder phone behind the railing, Kim Seong-hyeon brushed his thumb over his lips and pulled a worn-out car key from his pocket. Simultaneously, a heavy beat resonated.
【I think I like you dancing
Maybe you are trouble, not too sure
Well, I’m a good driver】
It was "Good Driver," an American hip-hop track released in the same year as "Skate Kiss."
Based on a heavy boom-bap beat with a clunky, powerful drum loop, the song had been a sensation for its driving rap, subtle R&B-style melody, and provocative lyrics.
【Sit next to me】
Kim Seong-hyeon, dancing with sharp shoulder movements, smirked and spun the key on his index finger before pressing the unlock button. A synchronized beep-beep sounded, and the headlights of the yellow sports car Seong Ji-won had used flickered on.
As the camera followed the signal, Seo Ho-yun, who had been leaning against the hood, appeared. Straightening up, Seo Ho-yun looked into the camera through his sunglasses and scrunched his nose.
【I am good at something that you like】
[Is he crazy?]
[Holy shit, is he actually insane?]
【I don’t hit on someone so much
If I say so, will you believe me?】
He slid his sunglasses up onto his head and reached out as if to touch the screen, then swiped to the right. Kang Yi-chae appeared, his black ball cap pulled down low.
【Ride on my car Call your friends
We can do this everyday if you want】
With only his firm jawline and thin lips emphasized, the fans couldn't contain their excitement.
[That ball cap is freaking legendary.]
[He looks so cool in that hat.
But take it off.
No, keep it on.
What is even happening to my heart?]
【Show me how to dance
Oh yes yes yes that’s how we work it】
After a group choreography where they knelt on the floor and thrust their hips alongside backup dancers dressed entirely in black, Kang Yi-chae threw off his hat. With a raspy voice, he poured out a rap that rode the off-beat perfectly.
[Kang Yi-chae! Kang Yi-chae! Kang Yi-chae! Kang Yi-chae! Kang Yi-chae!]
[Is he for real right now?]
At this moment, any worries about the Grand Prize vanished from the minds of The Dawn's fans.
[Make them the presidents...]
[The units were split so well.................
Pure & Cute vs. Adult Sexy......]
[Are the lyrics for real? Kang Yi-chae understands all of them...
└ Not just Kang Yi-chae, Seo Ho-yun probably knows what they mean too...
└└ Seong-hyeon probably knows but is turning a blind eye....
└└ It’s unfair that they’ve made my eyes pop wide open like this.
└└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ shit ㅋㅋㅋ]
While the Noeuls were losing their minds over The Dawn's special stage, an unexpected name was called at a random point in the ceremony.
【Global Popularity Award, High Five!】
[Ehhhhhh?]
With bright faces, High Five took to the center of the stage, bowing politely.
[Wait, here...? If they get this, doesn't that make the Grand Prize uncertain? They don't usually give the Global Popularity Award and the Grand Prize together, unless it's a Top 10 award;;]
[Since when did they change the name of the Grand Prize to Global Popularity Award?]
[Twitter is in a panic right now ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ The leading theory is that Kyung-soo stabbed the production team.]
[No way, High Five is the final act this time. It makes no sense not to give them the Grand Prize ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Following High Five's acceptance speech, The Dawn's performance of "Level S2" followed.
Since High Five had already taken the Global Popularity Award and The Dawn's main performance was placed later in the show—unlike the special stage—the Noeuls naturally assumed the Mango Music Awards' Grand Prize would go to The Dawn.
However,
【Global Artist Award, The Dawn!】
What was given to The Dawn was the Global Artist Award.
Upon hearing their name, The Dawn quickly stood up from their seats. Cheers and applause erupted from the audience, but the fans, who had been burned once before, felt their hearts stir with anxiety.
[They got the Global Artist Award... Can they get both this and the Grand Prize??]
[Well, there was an idol (B.C.) who got a Top 10 and then the Grand Prize. But basically, it's up to the awards show.]
[Mango Music only has Best Artist and Best Song of the Year... but still ㅠㅠ I know because my former bias won the Grand Prize, and with these stats, they definitely deserve it and then some.....]
[Sigh, why is WH so powerless lately? It’s fine for fans to curse at the agency, but I hate seeing WH get pushed around everywhere.... Lately, I’ve been feeling a sense of camaraderie with High-ri, which makes it even harder...]
[It’s okay, guys. There’s no way The Dawn won’t win this year. Their digital and physical sales are record-breaking.
└ Is WH on good terms with the Mango Music Awards??
└└ It’s just okay, not too bad.
└└ Lately, Mango Music has been sucking up to LV a bit, but they’ll probably be careful after the GMA incident.. There’s also talk that the stage order was changed this time.
└└ So it’s just a rumor, right?? ㅋㅋㅋ
└└ Right, who knows if it’s true or not ㅋㅋㅋ]
“The rising dawn! Hello, we are The Dawn.”
As if synchronized, The Dawn bowed in unison.
Kim Seong-hyeon stepped toward the microphone first and expressed his gratitude to Daepasung Entertainment, WH Entertainment, the members, their families, and the production staff of the Mango Music Awards.
“—And, our dearly beloved Noeul!!”
A roar of cheers erupted.
With a look of pure joy, Kim Seong-hyeon slowly opened his lips.
“Thank you for giving us such an undeserved award. We love you so much!!”
Next, Seo Ho-yun, who was standing nearby, took the microphone.
[The kids aren't crying ㅋㅋㅋ]
[Hey, look at their experience ㅋㅋㅋ Honestly, they’d probably cry if they got the Grand Prize, even if it’s the award after that.]
[Seong-hyeon’s eyes look a bit watery though.
└ As expected, Seong-hyeon is our best filial idol.
└└ Look at Da-jun beaming ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
With his head slightly bowed, Seo Ho-yun remained silent for a moment.
“…….”
A brief moment that couldn't have been more than a few seconds.
A momentary silence persisted.
[No way......]
As fans grew flustered at the sight of him looking down,
[Starting with Seo Ho-yun’s eyes and ending with water...
That kind of... thing...]
[Is Seo Ho-yun crying??????]
Seo Ho-yun’s head slowly rose.
With a face that was not only free of tear tracks but positively radiant—.
“To be honest, we were anxious at times.”
—He unleashed his "enchanting smile that hooks the audience."