Chapter 71
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71
[Summary for those who were happily eating pizza and got shocked by the burning timeline:
[Up until the archery, I was LMAOing at Seo Ho-yun’s aegyo, but what the hell is happening...]
[This is the first time I’ve seen Ho-gyong that angry;;; He’s the type to just swiftly block any kind of aggro;;]
[They say Da-jun didn't want to go to the hospital because he was afraid of getting hate ㅠ What did you do wrong, baby ㅠ]
The reaction from The Dawn’s fans was like a house of mourning. Fans of other members who witnessed the scene, especially the Black Call fandom, were also cursing out the production team like crazy. Most of them realized Ju Woo-seong had covered for them and seemed to be protecting The Dawn.
[Hope he gets well soon ㅠㅠ]
[Oh no ㅠㅠ It’s so sweet that Woo-seong and Jeong-woo are trying to brighten the mood on purpose ㅠㅠ But I’m so worried ㅠㅠㅠ]
[Seriously, I was already so pissed that they used their power to force Black Call to appear this time ㅋㅋ f*ck...]
Everyone was raging due to a long history of grievances, but even so, trolls were starting to post comments attacking Jeong Da-jun and The Dawn.
There wasn't much of a reason; most were just posts by people who wanted to take the opportunity to criticize someone the moment a controversy broke out.
[Since there’s no official statement, I guess Jeong Da-jun is fine? I thought he broke a bone or something. Nice show with the piggyback exit, though.]
[Were the other idols not hurting or tired? That’s why they stayed still lol. Ah, Ho-yun-ahㅋㅋ It’s disgusting how hard you’re trying to stage a heartwarming moment~~~ And Da-jun, are you really hurt? ㅠㅠ The whining is top-tier.
└ Even Black Call is standing there, so what kind of rookie leaves like that?]
The comment above definitely wasn't from a Black Call fan. They were just using another famous group to drag The Dawn down further.
This whole mess had unfolded only a day after Jeong Da-jun was hospitalized.
I looked at the reactions bashing Jeong Da-jun, then at the broadcasting station, which hadn't even offered an apology to him, let alone an official statement.
No matter how long I waited, there was still no news for Jeong Da-jun, who was lying there with a cast on. A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
"Hyung, hyung! Do you want an apple?"
"I'm good."
Jeong Da-jun was bright and cheerful, but rather than eating that red apple, I wanted to rip an apology out of them.
The reason they aren't apologizing is obvious.
They were going to edit out a minor injury like this anyway. It was clear they believed that as long as it didn't air, no matter how much people fought under the surface, it wouldn't affect the viewership ratings.
And that suspicion became even more certain when I saw the pre-release for Victory is Mine uploaded to Nutube.
[Victory is Mine Video Pre-release]
The pre-release video uploaded by the Victory is Mine channel quickly gained views.
It showed several highlight scenes divided by event. In archery, it playfully captured Ju Woo-seong and Seo Ho-yun keeping each other in check, and in the final relay, it showed Jeong Da-jun running in first place with a lead of more than half a lap over the other groups.
The injury?
Naturally, it was completely edited out.
Fans who watched the pre-release video several times realized something was off. In the ending scene where all the idol groups were standing together, only The Dawn was nowhere to be seen.
Naturally, the reaction took a strange turn.
[Wait, why isn't The Dawn there?]
[??? If you look at the video just now, they won first place, right? But they aren't on the podium at all...?]
[Wowㅋㅋㅋ A rookie group skipping the ending < The official channel is basically confirming it as a fact ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Black Call and White Cherry are all standing there, but >>>The Dawn<<< is the only one missing.]
Fans who were properly pissed off by those comments uploaded fancams from that day, and while other fandoms who were there in person tried to defend them, they couldn't quite gain enough momentum.
Eventually, the support for The Dawn began to turn into fatigue from the malicious comments.
After scanning the reactions for a few days, I put my phone down and rubbed my chin.
"Wow... impressive."
The level of suppression was almost like a total thug.
However,
I'm a thug too, aren't I?
They picked the wrong opponent. The PD who specialized in devil's editing and minored in media play decided to start some under-the-table work.
First, I turned on my location services, went outside, and took a casual photo of the surroundings. Then, ignoring the manager who was just watching me warily, I logged into Private Message Pop-Pop to send a message to the fans.
"...W-what are you doing? Is it okay to post this now?"
"It's fine. I'm just telling the Noeuls they did a good job. It's not like it's a photo of Jeong Da-jun lying in a cast."
"But right now?"
"I post every day, don't I?"
"Fan love is... g-good, right?!"
Posting something like that would only backfire and make it look like I was playing the victim. I said, almost humming,
"What should the caption be..."
The manager, having spent a fair amount of time with me, seemed to have developed a sense for impending doom and gave me a suspicious look. Nevertheless, being slow-witted and kind-hearted, he trusted me innocently and looked over the photo.
Even after staring at it for a long time, it just looked like a photo of a sunset, so he judged there was nothing to worry about and quickly gave the OK.
After confirming the photo had been sent properly, I sent the manager away and called Kim Jae-yeon. Kim Jae-yeon picked up before the third ring.
"Mr. Kim Jae-yeon."
[I'm telling you, I get scared whenever I get a call from you now.]
Kim Jae-yeon joked as if he already knew everything. I pulled an ionic drink out of the vending machine and replied.
"You already know what I'm going to ask, right?"
[Of course.]
"I'll give you a good tip next time."
[That sounds great. It only takes one click for me. It's a profitable deal on my end.]
Yeah, I'm sure it's profitable for you.
I hung up as soon as I got the answer and sat on a bench, looking at the sky. I smiled softly as I watched the clouds floating through the blue sky as it slowly turned red.
"I'm looking forward to this."
The sunset was setting very, very beautifully.
* * *
A fan of The Dawn who had personally attended Victory is Mine was trembling with clenched fists while looking at the community posts and various reactions. As an 'all-fan' of the group who had recently been particularly drawn to Jeong Da-jun, yesterday's events were absolutely unacceptable.
"Ah! Seriously, those Victory is Mine bastards..."
Furthermore, not even two days had passed, but 'egg accounts' were running wild as if they found the current controversy entertaining, drawing all sorts of aggro.
Starting with the Victory is Mine incident, they began with 'They could have just done the ending and left, but they're trying so hard to look heartwarming,' and it gradually escalated into a critique of The Dawn's character.
Most of it was talk about Shining Star (which was a total mess in itself).
"Argh!! This is so frustrating?!"
Just as I was getting dizzy from the egg accounts that kept appearing no matter how many times I reported them, a notification popped up.
['Ho-yun' has sent a message!]
It was a message from Seo Ho-yun.
Did you eat? Be careful because it's hot. It was a short message that started with simple greetings...
[Noeuls, thank you always.]
[(Photo)]
[This is a sunset I took, haha!]
It was just a photo of the sky as the sun was setting. I felt a bit of a pouty complaint that he could have at least included a peek of his face, but the photo itself represented the fans, 'Noeul,' and I could infer the meaning behind it, which made me feel a bit choked up.
"Ah... he must have posted this to tell us not to worry."
The fan saved the photo and immediately went onto Twitter.
Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, as the timeline was a sea of 'ㅠㅠㅠ' tears.
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Are these kids angels ㅠㅠ Even while hurt, they're worrying about Noeul.]
[Ji-won came to the fan section and told us not to worry, that he was sorry they had to leave like this... and told us to get home safely. ㅜ
└ Ha, sweet Ji-won is going to be the death of me...]
"Oh, you guys..."
But in the midst of that, a certain post was suddenly being re-jjak'd (retweeted) rapidly among people.
[;;;;; Guys
If you have an iPhone, try saving Ho-gyong's photo.
The location info shows up;
└ Eh? I don't have an iPhone, someone post a pic.
└└ (Photo) The location shows a hospital.
└└ ???? The kids are still at the hospital?]
Someone posted the location info from that photo, and fans who found out where Seo Ho-yun currently was let out a collective gasp.
[Hey, it really is a hospital...]
[What; It's been days and they're still at the hospital? Was he admitted?]
[Then did he take that photo and post it to tell us not to worry even though Da-jun is hospitalized???]
"Heol...!"
The fan covered her mouth.
To tell the truth... this was exactly what Seo Ho-yun had intended. He had turned on the location services on purpose.
Someone would definitely save that photo, and someone would post the fact they discovered on social media. He waited until this fact spread among the Noeuls.
At first, the timeline was filled with worry and concern, but it soon turned into rage.
[No, the kids can't even officially say they're okay, and it's not even a selfie, they just posted a photo of a sunset because they're worried about us, guys.... They're the ones who got hurt... It's not like they didn't play the game, they just missed the ending because they had to go to the hospital... f*ck, is this a normal society??]
[Ah f*ck, I just finished fighting with an egg account, and I'm sooooo pissed!!!!! Jeong Da-jun, you did nothing wrong!!!!! Don't worry about what others think!!!]
When the Noeuls' anger reached its peak, Kim Jae-yeon, at Seo Ho-yun's request, subtly leaked a ['Victory is Mine' Accident Compilation]. The fandom, as if they had found their mission, began to actively re-jjak the post.
It didn't take long for the post shared among the Noeuls to spread to the general public. Of course, Kim Jae-yeon's brilliant instigation from behind the scenes played a part.
Eventually, the small pebble became a giant wave, escalating into a controversy over compensation.
[Wow, they're still the same as everㅋㅋ Everyone's going to go crazy at this rate.... Stop it already..]
[Compensate them, you bastards.]
As more and more people weighed in, some tried to turn the blame back on Seo Ho-yun for blowing things up, but even those were crushed as soon as they appeared.
[Title: Still, isn't it a bit much for The Dawn to just skip the ending?
There were many idols who got injured in the past, but they waited until the ending.
└ Shut up, you empty-headed idiot.]
[Title: I think S-H-Y posted that on purpose.
He never turns on location info.
Isn't it so transparent that he turned it on and sent a photo exactly when he's at the hospital?ㅋㅋ
It's like he's trying to show off that he's at the hospital.
└ Wow;; are you seriously a psychopath?? Ho-yun just took a photo of the sunset (Noeul);;
└ Your gloominess is seriously chilling,,,
└└ Am I the only one who thinks that? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ It's possible if it's S-H-Y. His nickname is 'No-Backtrack.']
A few more posts like that appeared, but each time, they only served to fan the flames of the incident.
In the meantime, public sympathy for the injured Jeong Da-jun continued to grow, and the final blow came when Liz, the leader of White Cherry, posted a story on her Starstagram with a cryptic nuance: "It's always like that, isn't it?"
[Title: Did you see W-H-T-C-H-R L-Z's story??ㅋㅋ
>>>>>>>It's always like that, isn't it<<<<<<<
Ah, unnie...
The definition of No-Backtrack.
Someone please tell me how not to love this unnie.
└ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ My unnie ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Because she fell a few years ago ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
Public opinion grew even stronger due to White Cherry's popularity.
Thanks to this, the fancam videos that fans had uploaded only to be buried resurfaced, and the sight of the members taking care of each other as they left was rebranded as 'heartwarming' and spread. Eventually, entertainment news articles began to pour out.
[Victory is Mine☆ Teamwork that shines even in unexpected situations]
[Who is responsible for the accidents on Victory is Mine?]
[Idols and fans working long hours on their feet... Who is this program for?]
A few hours later, the program released a new statement along with an apology.
However, people were disgusted by the briefly written apology.
[What should be in an apology:
Who am I, what did I do wrong, how do I plan to take responsibility.
What should NOT be in it:
I didn't have that intention, but / carefully blah blah...
└ No, the apology is so short there's nothing to even analyze.
└└ ㅋㅋ Agreed.]
[Two-line summary:
Sorry we got caught treating you like suckers.
But you're still going to keep watching, right?
└ F*ck ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
They were getting shredded!
Hit from here! Hit from there!
The broadcasting station was being wrung out like laundry in a dryer.
As the backlash grew again, the program side had no choice but to release another statement.
[Victory is Mine considering a reorganization in the future...]
It was a statement saying they would actively reorganize the program. The angry Noeuls were bewildered but tilted their heads in confusion.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Seo Ho-yun was calmly taking a phone call.
[So that's how it turned out. Aren't you working me a bit too hard?]
"Of course, it's not for free."
I handed over a piece of minor information I had known from before to Kim Jae-yeon. Kim Jae-yeon excitedly thanked me repeatedly before hanging up.
I stuffed my phone into my pocket and approached Jeong Da-jun, who was still in a cast. A flower basket and a letter were sitting next to him.
"What's this?"
"Ah, people from the broadcasting station came by! They said it was the station's fault and kept bowing their heads, saying they were so sorry... I felt even more apologetic."
They sure came fast, fck...*
I pulled a vitamin drink out of the fridge, sat on the chair next to the bed, and gulped it down. Jeong Da-jun kept chatting away, knowing nothing.
"And they said track and field might be removed now! Because so many people get hurt and there are so many viewer complaints.... They're considering only including sports with fewer injuries from now on."
"Is that so?"
"Yep!"
While Jeong Da-jun answered brightly, I rested my chin on my hand and organized my thoughts.
Considering? They're just pretty words.
For now, it didn't take as long as I thought to get an apology. Honestly, if The Dawn had been the only victim, they wouldn't have come to apologize even if the backlash was this strong... but White Cherry unexpectedly helped out, making it much easier.
With that momentum, other fandoms who had been holding grudges also stepped up all at once, so it seemed the broadcasting station couldn't just bury it and move on.
Even now, the station must be busy taking complaint calls.
However, I...
Should I do more, or not...
I was debating it, thinking about the unannounced change in archery distance, the slippery floor, and the staff who treated a member's injury as just faking it.
Then, the moment I looked up, I made eye contact with Jeong Da-jun.
"Hyung?"
"Yeah?"
"What are you thinking about??"
...Ugh.
He's so bright.
Looking at that goofy face, I blinked and thought once more about the trolls who had bashed Jeong Da-jun.
If I went further... things would get much bigger.
And that meant the possibility of him personally seeing those trashy stories he should never have to know about would increase.
"...Hey."
...I should stop here.
"I saw you being a picky eater earlier."
"Heck!! When did you see that?"
There was nothing more to gain by going further, and if I slipped up, it could backfire.
Having reached a conclusion, I pulled a candy out of my pocket, crunched on it, and took a breath when Kang Yi-chae walked in, humming a tune.
"The pretty boy is here~."
Kang Yi-chae, who swung the sliding door open with a dramatic 'Ta-da!' flair, burst out laughing as soon as he saw my face.
"Ho-yun hyung is here too."
Looking at his expression, he seemed to already know exactly how the situation was unfolding. He walked over and, like me, snatched some of the food Jeong Da-jun had received and asked.
"Did you change your phone settings back?"
He really does know.
"Of course."
"Ahaha, I guess there was no need to even ask?"
"Eh?"
Whether or not Jeong Da-jun, who had even had his phone taken away (so he wouldn't see the reactions), was confused, Kang Yi-chae propped his feet up on a chair and said nonchalantly.
"As expected, a person with a nasty temper is most reliable when they're fighting someone else for you."
"Did you pay your bus fare?"
"I'm paying for two. Because me and the King-God-Emperor-General Seo Ho-yun live in my heart..."
"Good grief."
Fed up with the nonsense, I pushed Kang Yi-chae away, but he just chuckled.
In the end, Jeong Da-jun became the idol who met with a mishap while working hard, and we even gained a heartwarming image for taking care of our member.
As for the talk about me being suspicious... well, whatever.
You're just realizing that now?
Let's just take the hate and live a long life.
Anyway, a person can't be loved by everyone.
"Hyungs, what have you been talking about for a while now?"
"Oh, our youngest."
"Ugh, Yi-chae hyung, you're being creepy."
Kang Yi-chae let out a sigh. We secured a heartwarming public image, but seeing Jeong Da-jun, who was this bright and pure yet lacked any sense of the situation, it was only natural to sigh. Kang Yi-chae rubbed his head vigorously, in a way that could be seen as either stroking or messing up his hair.
"Live carefully in this harsh world."
"Yes, sir!"
"And listen to your hyungs."
"Yes, siiiir!"
"At least you're good at answering..."
But at this point, I had a question.
Has Jeong Da-jun... still not opened his heart to me?
Of course, I didn't go this far hoping for something like that... but looking at Jeong Da-jun, who was just grinning without a thought, I felt a sense of dissonance.
And for good reason.
Why isn't the scenario clear popping up?
The system window was silent.
It was a curiosity truly befitting the King-God-Trash Seo Ho-yun.