Chapter 59
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59
“The Dawn used to be total nobodies. Though a lot of things did blow up for them this year.”
“They only got that Shining Star win by default because of Today’s drug scandal.”
Now, this is getting interesting.
It had been a while since I’d overheard people badmouthing The Dawn—not since the incident with Today. I wasn’t counting the hate comments on the internet; even top stars like Ju Woo-seong or Yoo Ji-ah dealt with those.
I was about to linger behind the building to hear what else they had to say, but I glanced back just in case.
‘Ah, Kang Yi-chae.’
I wondered if he’d be hurt.
“What?”
But this guy was just standing there with an indifferent face, brushing the remaining sand off his hands.
Ding!
[As expected of the Strong Aura Duo...]
“...?”
[Lately, people have been calling you and Kang Yi-chae that.]
Anyway, while Kang Yi-chae didn't seem to care, there was nothing as useless yet entertaining to me as hearing staff members talk behind our backs, so I listened intently.
“I’ll admit their skills are decent.”
“Eh, Seo Ho-yun is a bit of a stretch.”
“Why?”
“His dancing is so stiff. Isn't it ridiculous how he’s an idol just based on his face?”
“Man, seriously, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be an idol these days.”
‘Is this... a compliment or an insult?’
Having suddenly become ‘the guy who’s all face and no talent,’ I gave their backstabbing skills a higher score for the fresh perspective. Of course, since it lacked credibility, I gave it a 5 out of 10.
Ding!
[Are you not hurt?]
‘Well...’
If you go on Nutube, there are tons of clickbait videos titled [Ho-yun, do you really want to be an idol?] featuring clips of me dancing like a klutz. There was no way I’d be affected by hearing it in person.
As if sensing that, Kang Yi-chae tossed a trivial joke my way.
“Hyung, are you really just relying on your face?”
“I’m sick and tired of this misunderstanding myself.”
While I was busy playing along with Kang Yi-chae, the conversation outside suddenly took a turn.
“But seeing how well they’re doing lately, do you think they have a sponsor?”
“If that’s true, that’s really pathetic...”
I burst out laughing despite myself.
I wish I actually had a sponsor to justify these rumors. We were still out here self-producing our own choreography by hand.
I quickly covered my mouth with both hands and checked the staff's mood before whispering to Kang Yi-chae.
“Hey, do you know who my sponsor is?”
“The King-God-Emperor-General-Majesty-Admiral me?”
While Kang Yi-chae was spouting nonsense, the gossip branched out even further.
“Do you think he’s in that kind of relationship with the Shining Star PD?”
He was (was) right.
In the past tense, at least.
“....”
When I turned my gaze toward Kang Yi-chae with a slightly guilty conscience, his expression was just as frozen as mine. It seemed that even for him, while the previous rumors could be brushed off as jokes, this particular story wasn't something he could just laugh away.
“They really need to know when to stop talking nonsense...”
I stopped Kang Yi-chae, who was staring fixedly in their direction while muttering under his breath. I felt like he would charge out there at any moment if I didn't.
“Wait a second.”
“....”
Kang Yi-chae raised an eyebrow, but he stopped in his tracks. He might be a brat who doesn't listen, but he’s quick to grasp a situation.
I didn't want Kim Hee-yeong to be affected by this, so I was busy drafting a scenario in my head to naturally shut down that nonsense when Seong Ji-won suddenly popped out in front of them.
“Hello.”
“...!”
The staff members who had been gossiping jumped in surprise and bowed their heads. Kang Yi-chae and I exchanged looks.
‘Let’s stay put.’
‘Yeah.’
Because,
I wanted to see how Seong Ji-won would handle this.
“Oh, h-hello...”
The staff members’ eyes darted around. They looked anxious, wondering if he had heard them. Seong Ji-won just gave a soft smile.
“Yes...”
“....”
And then he stared at the staff members very, veeeery intently. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were cold and sunken; it was clear he had heard the conversation from earlier.
The staff members were visibly restless, their eyes shifting back and forth.
“U-um, do you have something to say...?”
“Pardon?”
“...No, it’s just that you’re staring so fixedly.”
“Mhm...”
Seong Ji-won’s smile deepened.
“I thought you all had something you wanted to say to me...”
“....”
“I couldn't hear the details earlier. If it’s alright, would you mind saying it again right now?”
Seong Ji-won’s aura is insane...
Me, the staff, and Kang Yi-chae—all of us froze. Seong Ji-won was still smiling brightly, but his face practically screamed, ‘Go ahead and say it to my face.’
In the end, the staff bowed their heads and apologized to Seong Ji-won.
“We’re sorry...”
“Haha... if it’s something you can’t say to our faces, let’s not say it behind our backs, okay?”
“We’re sorry! It’s time for us to go, so we’ll, uh, be on our way...!”
“Yes, keep up the hard work.”
As Seong Ji-won gave a polite farewell, the staff members scrambled away. Watching them go, he let out a sigh filled with annoyance (which was surprising) and went to run a hand through his hair before remembering it was styled and just hanging his head instead. Then, as he turned around, his eyes met ours.
“Gasp.”
Seong Ji-won’s eyes grew round, and he instantly reverted to the version of him we knew.
“Hyung... what was that?”
“T-that is...”
Seong Ji-won stammered, looking extremely flustered.
Looking at him, I had a reasonable suspicion.
Could it be that this group... isn't as soft-hearted as I thought...?
“S-since when were you listening?”
“From the beginning.”
“Ah, man... I got caught.”
Seong Ji-won scratched his neck, looking embarrassed.
“Was I too rash... sorry. It just really hurts my feelings when people spread weird rumors like that without knowing how hard we’ve worked.”
“Right~. They just hung their heads and walked past Ji-won hyung, though.”
“At least they know what they did was shameful.”
Seong Ji-won sighed deeply again. Then, he looked at me with a determined expression.
“Ho-yun.”
“...Y-yeah.”
‘I’m screwed.’
I instinctively felt the sparks flying in my direction.
“This time! Let’s show them for real.”
‘What is he talking about?’
‘Uhh.’
I quickly sent an S.O.S. signal to Kang Yi-chae, and he took the hint and tried to take my side.
“Let’s not push Ho-yun hyung too hard~. He’s been so busy lately he hasn't had much time to practice.”
“No! It’s fine!”
“Whoops.”
Seong Ji-won roared. Seeing the glint of madness in his eyes, it seemed the window for reasoning with him had already passed.
Kang Yi-chae, who had cleverly picked up on that, stepped back with a smirk. He was basically saying he didn't want to get involved. I glared at him.
‘Hey, you were on my side.’
‘Hey, there’s no need for both of us to die.’
Kang Yi-chae just kept smiling and kept his mouth shut. Even if we bickered amongst ourselves, the conclusion was already set. Seong Ji-won was burning with zeal.
“I’ve decided!”
The return of the Tiger Teacher.
“I’m going to turn Ho-yun into a dancing machine!”
“....”
So this time has finally come.
I sighed as I looked at Seong Ji-won, whose fuse had been lit in the strangest place.
“...Fine, whatever.”
I was planning to ask for help anyway.
I’d be losing my personal freedom starting tomorrow, but that was fine. I had intended to ask Seong Ji-won or Kim Seong-hyeon for help regardless.
This time, I actually had confidence. And for good reason—
[Seo Ho-yun
You might not become a God of Dance, but you can move from 'terrible' to 'average'!]
‘That’s annoying...’
[Singing: A
Dancing: C+
Variety: B+
Acting: B-
???: ???
???: ???
Charm: B+
※ Currently equipped with [Dance Intensive Tweezer Set].]
I had already used the points I gathered from variety shows to buy the [Dance Intensive Tweezer Set].
A whopping 3x multiplier for dance experience! It was worth the hefty price of 3,000 points. I anticipated a hellish training regime with Seong Ji-won once we got back, but I was already prepared.
“Seong Ji-won, Kang Yi-chae, let’s go.”
“...I hate it when hyung smiles like that.”
No one would be able to call me a klutz anymore.
* * *
“It’s coming out soon!! Let’s get ready!!”
Today, Lee Ji-hyeon, the youngest member of the planning team and resident coffee shuttle, had finished preparing drinks for the team and setting up the meeting to discuss the reaction to The Dawn’s music video. She was now scrolling through fan reactions on SNS.
The response to the teaser photos and videos already released was hot.
[Refreshing refreshing refreshing ahhh I love it so much ahhh]
[Daepasung is actually working, omg ㄷㄷ so surprising]
The visuals were so striking that they occasionally crossed over to other timelines and attracted attention.
[I don't know much about K-pop... but who is this member who looks like I’d barely pull one 5-star card even if I spent a million won? (Photo)
└Ah, f*ck, that’s Seo Ho-yun.
└Thx thx]
[I seriously love Seong Ji-won’s nose mole so much
└Ji-won said he even thought about removing it
└????????????? I’m gonna go throw up in front of Daepasung that day
└Ah, he was told to remove it when he was at D.go
└Just finished setting that place on fire]
...It was a bit intense, but overall good. Lee Ji-hyeon looked for other reactions with a wry smile.
These were about the newly released logo and lightstick.
[Fck fck, I told you The Dawn would make it]
[No matter how I think about it, Daepasung was too much.
Suddenly, in one day, we get a lightstick, an official logo, and a teaser (I’m saying thank you for now, but with a suspicious face)]
[It’s so obvious Daepasung is rushing to work that it’s making me mad lol]
As expected, searching for Daepasung on Twitter only brought up insults. She understood the sentiment, but she couldn't help feeling a bit dejected.
‘Well, it’s understandable... I’d be mad too.’
[The official logo is actually not bad though]
The design, an inverted triangle with horizontal lines, evoked the image of the sun rising at dawn. Below it, THE DAWN was written.
[But the lightstick is..............]
[Sigh]
The lightstick was a bit of a stretch.
The design itself wasn't bad, and it had the recognition functions and LED mood lighting that modern lightsticks were expected to have. But...
When the lightstick was produced in real life, its inverted pyramid shape was a bit much.
[Are they telling us to stab someone to death?]
While most other idols' lightsticks were spherical, The Dawn’s lightstick was too sharp.
[If you go to the airport, you’ll probably get stopped for possession of a weapon]
[Is this Daepasung’s grand plan... to tell us to stab other fans if they act up...]
‘...T-that’s.’
Plus, it was heavy. Thinking back to the lightstick production project that had to be rushed, her head started to throb.
‘Next time, we can just renew it next time.’
Though the unit price would be insane. As Lee Ji-hyeon skimmed through the fan reactions and closed the SNS window, the clock struck noon.
“It’s out!!”
Connecting a winter-version apocalypse to a summer-version refreshing concept was no easy task... but the results were excellent, reflecting the effort spent agonizing over it.
“Turn it on, let’s watch it again.”
“We’ve seen it dozens of times already.”
“We’re checking one more time to make sure there are no mistakes!”
Composition: Blue Tiger, Kang Yi-chae. Lyrics: Blue Tiger, Kang Yi-chae. Arrangement: Blue Tiger, Kang Yi-chae.
Basically, Im Hyeon-su and Kang Yi-chae had done everything.
“I-I’m nervous!”
It was a trendy and refreshing song. In other words, it was a track that screamed, ‘We’re going for #1 this summer!’
After refreshing the page and checking the rapidly climbing view count, Lee Ji-hyeon clicked on the music video again.
In the middle of the video, where the sound of waves was muffled, stood Kim Seong-hyeon.
[Swoosh—.]
“Wow, that came out well.”
“He’s refreshingly handsome.”
Thanks to Director Jeong’s dedicated editing, the visuals themselves were beautiful.
Kim Seong-hyeon, who had been quietly staring at the sea from the beach, stands up and brushes the sand off his clothes. Then, as he walks across the sand, the title appears over him.
[Ocean Train]
Unlike the previous concept, a light beat gradually covers the sound of his footsteps and begins to bounce.
The next person to appear is Seo Ho-yun, wearing a denim jacket and a white T-shirt. He boards a train, squinting as if the light is too bright.
[The sun is shining on your back
Hurry and board this train]
“Wow, his image is so different from Second Chance. Is Seo Ho-yun basically the fixed center for The Dawn?”
“He stands out, after all. While Kim Seong-hyeon has more buzz, having Seo Ho-yun really solidifies The Dawn’s color, so to speak.”
“True. He has a real presence when he appears. It’s the same in meetings...”
“....”
“....”
“Let’s stop thinking about that.”
“Right.”
The planning team shuddered, remembering the last meeting. Thinking of Seo Ho-yun, who had pinpointed the weaknesses in the planning team’s logic with uncanny precision... the planning team leader was still gritting his teeth.
“In my opinion, Seo Ho-yun is really something else.”
“Anyone can see that. That man is on his second life.”
It was a joke, but it was half-right.
[We’ve only just turned the first page
Let’s see how far this story goes]
The train departs, and Jeong Da-jun is seen standing on the platform on the opposite side. He smiles brightly and is the first to run out toward the sea.
“They did a good job connecting the setting that Jeong Da-jun is the ‘key.’”
“Jeong Da-jun really suits the refreshing concept. Maybe it’s because he’s young, but he absorbs the concept quickly.”
[The sea train cuts across the sun
Even if the waves crash over us
Tide gets high and low
It’s just the natural order of things]
Kim Seong-hyeon appeared again. Jeong Da-jun grabbed the hand of Kim Seong-hyeon, who was fearfully refusing to enter the train, and pulled him along.
“This part is, well...”
“It was aimed at resolving the controversy.”
It was a scene depicting Kim Seong-hyeon’s internal struggle when he hesitated during the Shining Star controversy. Kim Seong-hyeon probably filmed it without much thought, but the Noeuls would likely lose their minds and start crawling on the floor when they saw this.
At that moment, the screen transitioned to show Seo Ho-yun, who had boarded with a frown from the other side. Kang Yi-chae, who was already on the train, greeted him with a smirk, sat Seo Ho-yun down, and then took over the following part.
[Splash, Splash!
Try pulling out the box sunk in the deep sea
There’s no need to be afraid]
Lee Ji-hyeon stared at the screen for a long time.
‘As expected, Kang Yi-chae really holds the center of the team well. Not just his composing ability... his ‘my pace’ attitude seems to work well within the fandom too.’
[Tide gets high and low
It’s just a part of us]
As Kang Yi-chae playfully mimicked firing a gun, the train heading toward the sea began to accelerate.
“Wow, the CG is great.”
‘Because we spent a lot of money on it!’
Lee Ji-hyeon pumped her fist.
The train sped on and on, eventually jumping the tracks and plunging into the sea. As if time were slowing down, the side windows shattered in slow motion and water poured in. However, Seong Ji-won merely glanced over the scene indifferently, without trying to escape.
[You are my only answer
You are my key—]
“Seong Ji-won’s vocals are seriously... insane.”
“I’m honestly curious how they even recruited him.”
[You, whom I’ve been searching for
You are the one]
The lyrics, which connected to Second Chance, caught her eye, as did the comments from Noeuls who were already over-immersed and clutching their hearts.
The moment the highlight ended, all movement stopped as if time had frozen.
The camera, which had been showing Seong Ji-won’s profile, the bubbles, and the objects floating inside the train, suddenly plunged toward the ground.
Gurgle, gurgle...
This was the scene Kim Seong-hyeon had struggled with while filming underwater. He thrashed as if in pain, but soon discovered a small, glowing box at the very bottom and swam toward it. Just as he reached out as if possessed and narrowly snatched the box, he was pulled out to a place where he could finally breathe by someone’s hand.
Kim Seong-hyeon, gasping for breath, held the box in his hand. When he turned his gaze, he saw Seong Ji-won nodding as he brushed back his wet hair, and Jeong Da-jun sitting down beside him with a bright smile.
They carefully opened the box. At that moment, light burst forth, and the beat slowly began to thrum again.
Meanwhile, Seo Ho-yun, who had been sitting in the cabin, tapped his fingers before standing up. Then, as if he had expected it, he wore a faint smile.
[This is it.]
Quoting the lyrics from ‘Kismet,’ the moment Kim Seong-hyeon opened the box was likened to ‘the moment a star is born.’
The refreshing beat returned, and time resumed on the train. Seo Ho-yun and Kang Yi-chae joined the others and walked coolly down the train’s aisle.
[The waves are pushing your back
Hurry and board this train]
From the other side, Kim Seong-hyeon, Jeong Da-jun, and Seong Ji-won walked out with relaxed expressions.
[Tide gets high and low
(It’s going to be fun, I promise you)]
Scenes of the train sinking into the sea and the members walking along as if nothing were wrong continued to alternate.
Finally, when the members met in the middle of the train, a final, massive, violent surge of water overwhelmed them and destroyed the train.
Crash!
The scenes of the members dancing with all their might on the sandy beach and laughing excitedly inside the train were interspersed.
[You are my only answer
You are my key
You, whom I’ve been searching for
You are the one]
[It doesn't matter where our destination is
We’re just riding the waves and enjoying it]
Seo Ho-yun, approaching the screen, smirked and covered the camera with his hand.
[So hurry and board this train]
“....”
Swoosh...
The music video, which seemed to have returned to the beginning, showed Kim Seong-hyeon’s profile as he sat alone on the beach again. Kim Seong-hyeon fiddled with the box, then smirked at someone’s call, set the box down, and stood up.
Let’s go, now.
The camera angle gradually focused on the box left on the sand. The inside of the box, engraved with the word ‘Memory,’ was empty. Over the box that Kim Seong-hyeon had feared so much, but which actually contained nothing, the letters appeared.
[The Dawn – Ocean Train]
“Wow.... It came out so pretty!”
‘It’s good.’
Lee Ji-hyeon calmly evaluated the story she had created as ‘good.’
The Noeuls were currently pouring out tears over the MV’s visuals and the song.
[His face is seriously insane]
[Ah, this is pure paradise]
Lee Ji-hyeon looked at the screen through her glasses, carefully monitoring the fans' reactions. It wasn't just about the visuals; other discussions were also emerging.
[Ah, but am I the only one who feels it’s a bit lacking.. where did the post-apocalypse setting go ㅠ]
[Well, it can’t be helped.. it’s summer.. it’s a bit much to do post-apocalypse in the summer.. ㅜ]
“Haha.”
Lee Ji-hyeon chuckled at that.
‘You’re underestimating the otakus.’
She had long since incorporated hidden symbols throughout the video while still maintaining mainstream appeal. Once everyone let their guard down because of the visuals and came to their senses, they would dig deeper into the MV, and interpretations would start appearing by tomorrow.
Lee Ji-hyeon nodded in satisfaction and stretched.
‘At this rate, the Apocalypse Trilogy coming out in the winter won't be a problem either.’
While she was calculating in her head, others were already being surprised by the momentum of the music video.
“The comments, look at the comments!”
“Yes!”
After refreshing the page and seeing the exploding comment section, the planning team all stood up and gave a round of applause.
“The momentum is.......”
“......Wow, it’s incomparable to last time.”
A long silence hung over the planning room before smiles began to bloom. Everyone had only one thought in their minds.
‘This time, we’re definitely getting bonuses!!’
“Alright~, good job everyone. For now, go back and get some sleep before coming back to work tomorrow.”
“Isn't it today?”
“...Right, since it’s dawn. Hahaha! The Dawn really was a well-chosen name.”
Ignoring the planning team leader’s dad joke, Lee Ji-hyeon continued to scroll through the comments and monitor them. A few hate comments were already starting to act up.
[Is Seo Ho-yun going to be a klutz this time too? He should just leave instead of ruining the vibe~~]
‘Hmm~. He’s gotten more popular.... I’m seeing a fair amount of hate comments too.’
Lee Ji-hyeon didn't want to throw cold water on the excited team, so she just reported them with a slightly uneasy feeling and closed the window.
‘I wonder if Seo Ho-yun is okay.’
While Lee Ji-hyeon, the youngest of the planning team, was worrying unnecessarily, Seo Ho-yun was lying on the floor of the practice room, gasping for breath and rubbing the dark circles that had reached his chin with the back of his hand. A bright blue system window was floating before his eyes.
‘It’s done.’
The result of practically living in the practice room and cutting back on sleep to dance every day.
[[Dance Intensive Tweezer Set] has expired.]
[Congratulations! Your Dancing rank has increased from C+ to B-!]
The desperate effort of a stubborn man had finally, finally borne fruit.