Chapter 415
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 415
“Broadcasting live—it’s U-U Bank!”
Jeong Da-jun, now quite accustomed to his role as a U-U Bank MC, crinkled his eyes into a smile as he stared into the red tally light of the camera.
“Voting for the second week of May is closing soon, so all the fans watching right now, please hurry!”
Da-jun recited his prepared lines and glanced to his side. There stood Lyle, a rookie idol recently appointed as the new 'Bank Manager.' He looked more nervous than he had in any of their previous shoots, his lips trembling visibly.
“Uh, now, we only have one last stage left… and, um….”
“…The K-pop legends you’ve all been waiting for! It’s truly an honor to witness this myself as the manager of U-U Bank!”
When Lyle began to stutter even over his rehearsed script and froze up, Da-jun quickly interjected with a bright smile.
“Shall we all call out their name together?”
Lyle nodded hurriedly, his expression one of pure relief as if he’d just been thrown a lifeline.
“Black Call!!”
Before the live performance, the broadcast aired a pre-recorded stage of one of their B-side tracks.
Meanwhile, as the members of Black Call ascended onto the darkened set, the fans' screams rang out like thunder.
Lee Han-ju waved toward the Bloys while finding his position, then placed a hand on Ju Woo-seong’s shoulder and whispered something. Ju Woo-seong let out a short, smirk-like chuckle.
Amidst the soaring screams, a staff member gave the signal. Blue lights flooded the stage, accompanied by a thick, hazy mist.
【na na na na na na—】
An eerie melody drifted through the air, followed by the steady, marching beat of drums that grew louder and louder.
【It’s getting on my nerves
I can’t stop seeing you】
Black Call’s new title track, ‘Blackout.’
Upon its release, it had climbed the charts not only in Korea but also on the US Hot 100, claiming a top spot and refusing to budge.
【I want to push you until you have no room to breathe
I hold your trembling hand and ask, Are you mine?】
Even with the sacred performance of his great seniors happening right beside him, Da-jun couldn't afford to watch. He had to listen intently to the assistant director’s instructions while preparing for the upcoming first-place announcement.
Having finally finished the final check, Da-jun carefully moved toward the stage as the music neared its end.
Since the second verse of the title track was also scheduled to be replaced by a pre-recording, the camera crew was filming with such passion and intensity that it felt like they were at a Black Call concert.
【If you step on my heart
Our lips will overlap】
Ju Woo-seong, moving to the center, bounced his shoulders with a relaxed expression and stared directly into the camera. He pulled up one corner of his mouth and tilted his chin up.
【Then it’s blackout】
In that split second, he stole everyone's gaze.
Da-jun stood dazed, mesmerized by Ju Woo-seong’s presence, forgetting even to breathe.
Just as the grand melody of the brass and the heartbeat-like drums reached their peak—
“…-jun! Da-jun!”
An urgent call of his name pierced through the music.
“—Da-jun, let’s go up!”
“Ah, yes, yes!”
Snapping back to his senses, Da-jun hurried onto the stage. Lyle and the other performers were already positioned around Black Call.
Da-jun took a small breath and looked forward.
He loved this place the most.
When he danced and sang under the lights, meeting the eyes of the fans, he could truly feel that he was an idol—that he was a member of The Dawn.
…Even if he was just an MC right now.
Da-jun looked out at the colorful, swaying lightsticks. Just before the main camera turned on, he lifted his head and put on a bright expression.
“—Live voting for the second week of May has closed. Which group will take home the number one trophy this week? Let’s check the scores!”
The scores for digital sales, physical albums, and various other categories for the first-place nominees appeared on the monitoring TV below. Even the members of the rival idol group didn't seem to have a single doubt about who would win.
Pop! Confetti exploded, and the expected result was announced.
“Black Call!!”
“Black Call, congratulations!”
Without a hint of surprise, Da-jun bowed and handed over the trophy with words of congratulations.
“Thank you!”
Chae Jeong-woo, who received it while returning the bow, thrust his arm high into the air. At that, the Bloys' cheers grew even louder.
Da-jun thought he had reached a point where he wouldn't get jealous anymore, but he felt a strange, sharp pang of envy in his gut.
“Then, we’ll say our goodbyes here.”
Maintaining his smile until the very end, he barely finished the broadcast and headed toward the waiting room, leaving Black Call’s encore stage behind.
How does their live sound even better than the studio version?
The sound of the live singing—which, far from being a humiliation, was actually more powerful than the recording—gradually faded into the distance.
“……Senior! Senior Jeong Da-jun!”
As he walked quickly as if fleeing the scene, an unfamiliar title called him to a halt. He stopped and turned around to see Lyle, his co-MC, panting heavily and waving a hand.
“Huff… Senior Jeong Da-jun! Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done if it weren't for you.”
“Pardon……?”
'Senior.'
Da-jun smiled, thinking that the word still felt unfamiliar.
“…Ah, what are you talking about! You did great today, Lyle.”
At that answer, Lyle looked moved, his eyes moistening as he bowed repeatedly. A few idols passing by chuckled at the sight, but Da-jun tried to act natural and added a few more words of small talk.
“Good job today, see you next week!”
“Yes!!”
As he moved again, staff members and other juniors greeted him.
The way those who met him with smiling faces began whispering the moment he turned his back was so blatant that even the usually dense Da-jun could notice it.
Turning away just before reaching his waiting room, Da-jun opened the door to the emergency staircase and stepped inside.
“Sigh…”
He let out a small sigh, feeling a sense of stability in the silent, dark space.
He had tried his best to act as bright as usual, but the strange atmosphere was becoming increasingly overt, and Da-jun was reaching his limit.
Sitting on the middle of the stairs, Da-jun pulled out his phone. After a moment of hesitation, he accessed an online community and searched for Seo Ho-yun.
[Title: Seo Ho-yun sighting just dropped
Cafe_front_Seo_Ho-yun_suit_photo.jpg
Whoa.
It feels like the casting news for the movie ‘Despicable Trial’ just came out yesterday, but he’s already filming.
└ A blessing of a face that pierces through this low quality….
└ Whoo, he’s seriously handsome.
└ Did he lose weight? He’s seriously damn beautiful;;
└ But is Seo Ho-yun fully transitioning to acting?? All the news coming out this year is about acting. Is WH finally letting them do individual activities?
└└ lol what are you talking about
└└ Stop pretending to be a muggle.
└└ Why are you like this? I’m just asking;; You’re being so cynical. Maybe they don’t know the current situation.. T_T
└└ lol is there anyone who stays in this category and doesn't know the current situation?
└└ For real.. make it make sense.
└└ Why is everyone so sensitive? They might not know lol;; It’s only been a few days since the WH rumors started blowing up.
└└ (This comment has been reported)
└└ (This comment has been reported)
└└ (This comment has been reported)
└ Wow, it’s a mess again~
└└ Whenever there’s a mess, it’s always that group lol
└└ At this point, it’s basically science.]
[Title: I don’t want to see talk about SHY’s acting
Just tell me The Dawn’s comeback date.
└ f*ck... it’s not just my imagination that WH keeps testing the waters with acting, right?
└ Yeah...;
└ They’re using a top-tier idol like this?? Either they’ve lost their touch or they’ve gone senile.
└└ They always lacked touch, but I’ll vote for the senile theory.]
“…I shouldn't have looked.”
Da-jun gripped his phone with both hands and let out a long sigh. He had only wanted to check on Seo Ho-yun’s well-being, but he had ended up seeing posts that only ate away at his peace of mind.
Still, it looks like Ho-yun hyung is doing well….
Ho-yun didn't reply to texts and didn't pick up calls.
He hardly ever came to the dorm.
He practically lived on the movie set, so Da-jun could only get snippets of news through the manager or dig for information on the internet like a fan.
But Seo Ho-yun, whose face could at least be seen occasionally, was the better case. There was no answer at all for Kang Yi-chae.
I can’t even search for this hyung.
After the domestic concert tour in February, Kang Yi-chae had left for the US under the pretext of individual schedules and had cut off all contact. Though it seemed he occasionally sent messages to the fans.
Time had passed, and it was already May.
The Dawn, having failed to win a Grand Prize, spent their time quietly, focusing on individual schedules.
Being quiet for a few months for a new album wasn't unusual in this industry, so Da-jun viewed it as a preparation period for a comeback. However, people were treating this silence as a sign of The Dawn’s downfall.
One day, a rumor appeared on an anonymous board: ‘One member of The Dawn has left the country, and it seems they’ve been blacklisted internally, so it’ll be hard for them to get a push anymore.’ The rumor, spread by someone claiming to be a WH Entertainment insider, seemed to have fueled the negative reactions.
Because of this, Da-jun had even overheard some officials at the broadcasting station joking that ‘even if you get into a major agency, you’re still just The Dawn.’
…It’s uncomfortable…….
Muttering that things people can't say to your face shouldn't be said behind your back, Da-jun left the emergency stairs and walked to his assigned waiting room.
He was pulling down his beret as he swung the door open when—
“Hey.”
“Eek!!”
At the low voice that came at an unexpected moment, Da-jun flinched and shrank back.
Someone had already taken over the sofa directly in front of him.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“Ju, Ju, Ju Woo-seong hyung… I mean, Senior.”
Ju Woo-seong waved his hand as if telling him to just call him whatever, acting as relaxed as if he owned the waiting room.
“It’s been a while.”
When they met in the small, shabby practice room at Daepasung Entertainment or the flashy training rooms at WH Entertainment, he had just felt like a handsome neighborhood hyung. But facing him suddenly like this, Ju Woo-seong felt like an almost alien, incredibly superior being.
Realizing the other man’s greatness all over again, Da-jun pouted slightly and spoke.
“…Hyung, congratulations, really…….”
“On what?”
“…On winning first place?”
“Ah~, well, thanks.”
At Ju Woo-seong’s nonchalant attitude, Da-jun felt another prick of annoyance and asked.
“But hyung, is it okay for you to be here? What about your next schedule?”
Since they were only promoting for about two weeks, it was obvious they would be incredibly busy. He couldn't understand why he would go out of his way to spend time here.
Does he have some business with me?
But no matter how much he racked his brain, nothing came to mind. As Da-jun stood there with his eyes darting around, unable to find a clue, Ju Woo-seong, who was stroking his chin with his palm, paused for a moment before speaking.
“…So, what has Seo Ho-yun been up to lately?”
“Pardon?”
Da-jun tilted his head slowly and answered.
“You should probably ask Ho-yun hyung that yourself….”
“I’m asking because he’s not picking up.”
“Ah…….”
“You’re in the same team, so you must know something.”
He wanted to reply that he was in the same boat, but the fact that the person in front of him was a senior higher than the heavens and a close acquaintance of Seo Ho-yun forcibly suppressed that impulse.
“He started filming a movie recently….”
“I know that much.”
“Uh… he’s preparing for the album.”
“He’s not there when I go to the practice room. And?”
Recently, Da-jun had occasionally run into Ju Woo-seong standing like a ghost in the darkened hallway after practice. Had he been waiting to meet Seo Ho-yun?
Da-jun, who had nearly died of fright several times seeing him there, took a breath and continued.
“…I don’t really know either. Hyung hasn't been coming to the dorm much lately….”
“Why? Is he staying outside then? Doing what, exactly?”
“…I wonder?”
Ju Woo-seong, who had his arms crossed, slightly furrowed his brows. It was as if he was imagining something unpleasant.
“……Is this bastard having second thoughts?”
“Woo, Woo-seong hyung!!”
At Da-jun’s unintentional shout, Ju Woo-seong’s gaze shifted.
“Don’t be like that! Ho-yun hyung isn't that kind of person. Do you know how much he….”
Facing that gaze head-on, Da-jun’s voice cracked for a moment out of intimidation, but the words once spoken wouldn't stop.
“…How great of a person he is… to say that…—.”
Ju Woo-seong’s eyes narrowed.
At the same time, Da-jun’s voice gradually grew smaller.
“—…Please don't say that… well, uh, I don’t know what you think, Woo-seong hyung… but that’s just how I feel.”
“Look at you.”
Hearing the snort Ju Woo-seong added like an interjection, Da-jun bit his lower lip slightly.
The fact that he, a member of the same group, didn't understand Seo Ho-yun’s situation any better than Ju Woo-seong did hurt his pride a little.
“Jeong Da-jun.”
“…Yes.”
“I’m looking for him precisely because I know he’s such a ‘great’ guy.”
For some reason, it felt like their definitions of the word ‘great’ were slightly different.
Brushing back his bangs with a hint of annoyance, Ju Woo-seong stood up and walked toward the door. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly added a word.
“Right, by the way….”
“Ye-yes.”
“Your MCing has improved a lot.”
Leaving behind a question that sounded like a compliment—asking if he’d been practicing—Ju Woo-seong left the waiting room. Only then did Da-jun let out the breath he had been holding.
“……Phew…….”
Black Call is Black Call, and Ju Woo-seong is Ju Woo-seong.
Having newly recognized the powerful aura from Ju Woo-seong that he hadn't fully realized when Seo Ho-yun was around, Da-jun slumped his exhausted body onto the sofa.
“…If he’s worried, he should just say he’s worried…….”
His neatly styled hair was messed up, but Da-jun didn't care as he turned over and pulled out his phone. He opened his messenger and went into Seo Ho-yun’s chat.
[Me: Hyung]
[Me: Hyung hyung hyung hyung hyung]
[Me: Ho-o-o-yun hyung]
[Me: Hey, Ho-u Ho-u~~~~~ what are you doing]
But the small number ‘1’ next to the text didn't disappear even as time passed. Staring intently at his phone, Da-jun stomped his feet.
“Aaaaagh, this is so frustrating!”
It was so stifling he felt like he might choke.
Sitting up abruptly as if throwing a tantrum, Da-jun exhaled deeply once more.
He knew that at a time like this, the only thing the remaining three members could do besides their schedules was practice, but his mind was so complicated that he couldn't find any motivation.
“Hyungs, I miss you…….”
Only now, several months after the awards ceremony had ended and reaching the present, did Da-jun realize.
That The Dawn, which looked as sparkling as ever on the outside, was actually facing the greatest crisis since their debut.