Chapter 89
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89
[Kuaaaaaagh!]
[What is this, what is this?! Kuaaaaaaaaagh!
(Meme of a person eating something and bursting into flames, followed by others eating it and also bursting into flames)]
The teaser for the fan song sparked a massive reaction. Fans who saw it were practically tearing their hair out.
[Oh my god, From Dawn, oh my god, High Teen concept!]
[This, this, this! It’s that! It’s the sequel to the Shining Star Glow series!!!! The lockers!!!! The letter!!! The basketball!!! Aaaaaaaagh!]
[Ah, f*ck, and they said it’s a 1980s concept! Ah!!!
This is for the aunties, thank you!]
While everyone was losing their minds, the making-of film was uploaded in quick succession. The footage showed the members having a meeting at the Daepasung planning office.
—We’ve decided to make a fan song.
Clap, clap, clap. The members’ faces were flushed as they applauded. A hint of anticipation and excitement was visible.
Jeong Da-jun raised his hand high and asked a question.
—Are we making the whole thing ourselves?
—Yes. Excluding the props and the stage, we’ll be in charge of everything from the concept and composition to the camera work.
—Ah, right! Then I’ll record the guide with Yi-chae.
—Then I’ll… work on the blocking.
Fans laughed and cried simultaneously as they watched Seo Ho-yun lead the meeting with practiced ease while the other members voluntarily split up the parts.
[It’s so wholesome here, I love it... But wait... I’m just getting back into K-pop after a long time, so I’m a bit confused. Is this how it is these days? Do members have to do everything from composing to the concept themselves?
└ That hit home unexpectedly hard.
└ No, it’s... it’s only Daepasung that’s like this...]
[Tasting that Shining Star group project hard-carry once again.]
[Is Daepasung broke? Didn’t they get a taste of that sweet money recently??]
In truth, Daepasung had actually made quite a bit of money. In fact, after the Jeong Da-jun incident, Seo Ho-yun had been giving "heartfelt advice" (read: a bucketload of curses) on a very regular basis. The CEO, feeling somewhat blackmailed, had started a trembling reorganization of the company, and Lee Ji-hyeon was currently unleashing the concepts she had always wanted with a very generous budget.
However, regardless of the budget… Seo Ho-yun and Lee Ji-hyeon agreed on one point.
It could be called their personal preference, but a fan song needed to have that specific flavor that only the fans and the singers could share.
It had to show that the idols were overflowing with affection for their fans!! That was the point.
So, Lee Ji-hyeon quickly pivoted from the originally planned concept.
[Ooh, they say it has a self-cam vibe.]
[Ah... okay, okay, that works.]
It was the "self-cam aesthetic produced by the members themselves."
It happened to fit perfectly with the beat Kang Yi-chae had finished.
And throughout the making-of film, Seo Ho-yun subtly dropped hints.
—I want to show this to the Noeuls as soon as possible.
[Ho-yun was the one who first suggested making a fan song, ahhh.]
[Kang Yi-chae looks especially sensitive today and even more like a delinquent... Ah... he’s driving me crazy.]
[Seong Ji-won, don’t smile so radiantly.
Don’t mess with my heart if you’re not going to marry me.]
The fans were beyond happy. Having been dragged by the hair (and doing plenty of dragging themselves) for the past few days, they had been gritting their teeth so hard they barely had any left. This bait was more than welcome.
What do you mean Seo Ho-yun has no affection for The Dawn? What kind of nonsense was that about him wanting to be an actor more than an idol! He’s even planning things himself for the fans!
Fans muttered curses as they frantically posted things like, "Seo Ho-yun suggested the fan song first," and "He thinks of Noeuls more than anyone." Naturally, someone appeared to snipe at them.
[Yeah, sure~ He’s still just a bastard obsessed with solo activities~]
Of course, they were promptly ignored. It wasn't just the self-produced content; before the fan song was even released, B-Lives were pouring out.
[Aaaagh, the reason Kang Yi-chae made the fan song concept like this:
He got hyped after binge-watching 1980s American movies.
He’s a literal genius, seriously.]
[He was watching a movie with Da-jun at night and they burned the popcorn, so they got scolded by Ji-won, ahhh ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[They say Kim Seong-hyeon was the best at skateboarding on set, even including the extras... This man with too many charms is mine.]
[Ah, LOL. Seo Ho-yun is apparently always sucking down red ginseng on set while teasing the younger ones ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Ho-gyong-i (Ho-yun) sorted it out himself:
Person most fun to tease: Kim Seong-hyeon >> (Unsurpassable) >>>> Jeong Da-jun
Person who just smiles and goes "Okay~": Seong Ji-won
Person who doesn't fall for it and teases back to the death: Kang Yi-chae
└ Jeong Da-jun was grumbling so much next to him, saying if you make one slip of the tongue with Seo Ho-yun, you’re in big trouble because he never lets go ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Kim Seong-hyeon is already trembling.
└└ Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Kim Seong-hyeon is seriously fun to tease ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Furthermore, behind-the-scenes stories from the set kept pouring out.
Whenever a troll appeared, a new batch of content would drop, followed by more stories, and then more photos.
The Noeuls were simply too busy devouring everything to care.
[Wow, damn, the content here is so generous.]
[Agreed.]
[Since the beginning of this year, the activities and content have been non-stop... Do these kids have three bodies each?]
Trolls need someone to play along and sparks to fly for anything to happen, but since everyone was so distracted, there was no room for a fight to start in the first place.
[The Dawn - Will You Go To Prom With Me?]
And not long after, the fan song MV was released.
The video came out beautifully, capturing that nostalgic sentiment as if it were truly a 1980s movie.
To begin with, the beat was so sophisticated it made Im Hyeon-su feel a sense of futility, and with Lee Ji-hyeon’s tasteful self-cam aesthetic added on top, it couldn't possibly be bad.
Jeong Da-jun, waving his hands vigorously with a bright smile toward someone, hums as he walks through a hallway crowded with kids and lined with long lockers. Stopping in front of one, he hitches his sports bag up and swings the locker wide open.
[Holy sh*t.]
A letter was sitting right in the middle.
[Hey, it starts with Jeong Da-jun receiving a letter, ahhh!]
[G L O W S E Q U E L]
[I’m losing it.... This is insane.... Thank you for not forgetting Glow.]
In the Shining Star version of Glow, it ended on an open note with Jeong Da-jun receiving a letter. Will You Go To Prom With Me? started from that very last scene.
Jeong Da-jun’s mouth fell open. He stared blankly before hurriedly taking the letter out to read it. His cheeks flushed slightly as he leaned his forehead against the locker and muttered.
[Ha, what do I do…?]
Soon, the noisy surroundings went quiet, and the intro composed by Kang Yi-chae began to flow.
A piano intro that was bright and clear with a bouncing rhythm, yet held a slightly grounded atmosphere.
The screen soon went dark, and then a shot of someone’s back riding a skateboard down a narrow path was captured. Kim Seong-hyeon, stopping in front of a small, cozy-looking house, opened the gate and went inside. Setting his skateboard down in the entryway, he looked awkwardly into the mirror hanging above the shoe rack and crinkled his nose.
[Ha, alright then.]
At that moment, instead of the fresh piano melody, a 1980s-style up-tempo beat kicked in. A steady drum beat and the melody of an electric guitar made the song even richer.
[Will, will you go to prom with me?
I keep practicing, but it’s not going as planned
Ah, let’s try one more time
With me, you and I, maybe, ah, really!]
The camera angle shifted as Kim Seong-hyeon’s frustrated expression was reflected in the mirror.
With a steady thump, thump of the beat, a vintage motorcycle was revealed, zooming past a yellow school bus.
Stopping the motorcycle in what looked like a college parking lot, the orange-haired Kang Yi-chae planted one foot on the ground and crunched down on a lollipop. He then pulled an old camcorder out of his bag and scanned the campus.
When Seo Ho-yun was briefly caught passing by in the background, the screen transitioned to follow him, dressed in a baggy hoodie like a real student.
[Hi, what you doing today,
I tried talking to you, but you’re prickly again today
Actually, that’s part of why I like you
When I see your face, I just start to laugh]
The camera shook as if Kang Yi-chae were playing a prank and giggling while filming. When Seo Ho-yun looked slightly annoyed and covered the lens with his hand, the dark-brown-haired Jeong Da-jun appeared next.
He was sighing in front of a flower shop, clutching the letter from the opening scene tightly in his hand.
[What— what did you say?
What are these flowers called?
Rose? Lilies? Freesia? Okay, whatever
Just give me all of them]
As Jeong Da-jun left the flower shop with an armful of flowers he could barely hold, dropping a few stems along the way, the camera moved to Seong Ji-won sitting at an outdoor table of a nearby cafe. His thin brown hair glowed beautifully as the sunlight hit it.
Twirling a thick pen, Seong Ji-won nodded and smiled radiantly. His kind eyes crinkled softly at the corners.
[I buy a bouquet of flowers and on a sketchbook
I carefully and sincerely write it all down
With any luck, by this prom…]
Seong Ji-won, looking satisfied with whatever he had scribbled, stood up with the sketchbook.
The next cut showed the members standing in front of different colored doors, looking nervous. Just like in any high teen movie, the trembling excitement right before a confession was palpable.
The moment the five members, dressed in prom suits, knocked on the doors was captured in a single frame.
[The words I practiced so many times
I’ll tell you now
I will open your door and give you—]
The song paused briefly for the timing as the door slowly opened with a creak, and the camera zoomed in on Jeong Da-jun’s surprised face.
As if the person in front of him was so dazzling that he had forgotten all the words he had memorized.
[…Okay, I forgot.]
The screen went black again, as if taking a deliberate breath after that playful scene.
A moment later, the drums rolled rat-a-tat-tat, and the scene shifted to an auditorium lit with dark purple lights.
[♩♬♪♫]
As each member added to the richness of the sound on drums, guitar, bass, and piano, Seo Ho-yun, holding a stand mic at the very front, squinted slightly at the bright lights but smiled. Soon, the melody exploded.
[Will you go to Prom with me?]
They had adopted the image of a band often seen in high teen movies.
Seo Ho-yun, who had been in casual clothes just moments ago, now had his hair styled up and was wearing a clean double-breasted suit, snapping his fingers. Behind him, Jeong Da-jun, who was playing (or pretending to play) the drums, raised his drumsticks high.
[Say Yes!]
Beside him, Seong Ji-won (who was actually playing) pressed the keys with his long, fair fingers and leaned into the microphone installed on the piano.
[Will you go to Prom with me?]
And Kim Seong-hyeon, holding an electric guitar next to him, also leaned slightly toward his stand mic and said with a smile:
[Say Yes!]
Seo Ho-yun, smirking at him, tilted his microphone forward.
[Ah— Babe, please answer me
I’ve been waiting a long time]
Then, a full group shot was captured.
An American band concept? The Noeuls could only weep, wondering, "Is this really being fed to us by the official company? This is insane."
Usually, fans’ tear ducts start working just by seeing their idols smiling brightly, but seeing them laughing so happily on stage like a page out of a memory was enough to drive them crazy.
[Will you go to Prom with me
(Say Yes!) Saying you’ll dance with me—]
As the chorus ended, Kang Yi-chae’s rap part began.
The footage suddenly fast-forwarded, showing Kang Yi-chae sitting outside the prom venue, gnawing on the edge of a red plastic cup.
[Ah~, I know I shouldn’t be like this]
He stood up, tossing the cup toward a trash can like a basketball shot. In that playful appearance, a subtle excitement and anxiety coexisted.
[In front of you, I want to act irrationally
I wanna grab your arm and dance, my love
I wanna put my hand on your waist, my everything]
It was clear that Kang Yi-chae’s rapping skills, riding slightly off-beat with a raspy tone, had improved significantly.
[I want to hold onto you passionately and pour out those words
I have to hold it in, what can I do?
I don't wanna get ditched, Babe]
Kang Yi-chae swept his hair back and let out a small sigh. It was an expression he never usually made, and it was so overflowingly boyish that the fans were stomping their feet the entire time.
[I want to look good for you, I do]
The chorus began again, showing the members dancing wildly and having fun under the dark lights of the school auditorium as if they were truly enjoying a party.
[Will you go to Prom with me? (Say Yes!)
Will you go to Prom with me? (Say Yes!)]
Jeong Da-jun playfully grabbing Kim Seong-hyeon and jumping around, Seo Ho-yun swaying his body and sipping a drink nearby, Seong Ji-won smiling and filming the scene with an old camera, and Kang Yi-chae sitting on the edge of the auditorium stage, swinging his long legs.
[Ah- Babe, please answer me
I’ve been waiting a long time]
The sound of a trumpet playfully mixed into the up-beat rang out, and the camera zoomed in on Seo Ho-yun, who was leaning his head back against the auditorium wall with his eyes cast down. He met the camera’s gaze and, with a languid smile as if he couldn't help it, sang the final line.
[Yes Babe, I’m asking you]
The drum beat gradually slowed down. Under the purple lights, the backs of everyone were shown, and the final group line rang out along with the sound of boisterous laughter.
[Will you go to prom with me!]
The sound of footsteps rushing out of the auditorium was heard, followed by the sound of a motorcycle starting up.
Vroom—.
The exhaust note of the motorcycle heading somewhere echoed, and the video ended with credits rolling like a movie.
Since it was a suddenly produced fan song with a low budget, it had a strong "homemade" smell to it, but that actually emphasized the fresh, youthful vibe of old-school high teen movies.
[…….]
The Noeuls who watched the whole thing were silent for a moment.
[I......]
[I... I’m just going to be a Noeul for the rest of my life.]
[So if I leave the fandom, I die? Got it.]
When an otaku is too moved, they lose their vocabulary. The Noeuls, who could only repeat how good it was, were finally able to pour out their direct impressions after rewatching the MV one more time.
[Kang Yi-chae motorcycle fck motorcycle fck motorcycle f*ck
└ Shove that delinquent on a bike into my mouth.
└ Yes, sir!]
[Ah, Seong Ji-won, ah, the piano, ah, the piano, ah.
└ Shove that neat-and-tidy piano beauty into my mouth.
└ F*ck, yes, sir!]
[Kim Seong-hyeon’s skateboard... Ah... seriously, this guy knows no fear... Ah... I’m currently rewatching him doing skate tricks for the 300th time.]
Within minutes of the video being uploaded, social media was flooded with reactions from moved fans.
[I thought if a fan song came out, it would be more of a K-pop ballad style, like "You’re my everything" and all that…. But what am I supposed to do if they come out with a 1980s American High Teen band concept?]
[No..... guys...... how can you release a fan song like this ㅠㅠㅠ Ah ㅠㅠ And the character interpretations are perfect.. And what’s with Kang Yi-chae’s rap? Are you kidding me?
He says he wants to grab my arm and dance.
He says he wants to put his hand on my waist.
Ah.
Ah, I’m going crazy.
└ I can even give you my spine.
└ F*ck, I totally agree.]
First came the praise for the fan song concept. This was immediately followed by gushing over the members.
[Jeong Da-jun is so cute when he opens the door and is speechless ㅠㅠㅠ Ah ㅠㅠㅠ He’s seriously like a puppy, what do I do ㅠㅠ And when he raises the drumsticks while saying "Say Yes!", it’s insane.]
[Our bunny killed it.
Our bunny in a suit is insane.
Ah.
I’m so pissed.
└ Why are you pissed ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Seo Ho-yun’s smirk is seriously driving me crazy. I want to sue the guy who seems the least likely to do it for calling me "Babe."]
[Seong-hyeon, are you doing well? I went to your house to dance with you.. but you got flustered and reported me to the police..
└ Ah, is that prison warm?
└└ The food is pretty good.]
Clips from the fan song MV were already flooding social media in bulk.
In particular, a short video featuring Kang Yi-chae’s rap was starting to go viral on Tick-Tock after only a few days, and the comments were full of muggles who didn't know it was a fan song asking what the track was.
[Title: A fan song produced by a small-agency idol themselves.
It’s none other than The Dawn (Ta-da!)
"Will You Go To Prom With Me"...
(Roughly means "Let’s go to a party together" or something like that)
It’s a 1980s American High Teen Prom concept, and the members did everything themselves from composing/lyrics to filming ㅋㅋ
It’s a bit low-budget, but they used that point so well.
Self-cams are mixed in here and there, and if it weren't for those, they probably couldn't have captured this aesthetic.
It definitely has that 1980s vibe, but the beat is super sophisticated.. I checked to see who composed it, and it’s The Dawn’s rap member.
I’m just at the "tasting" stage, but I’m slowly being "Dawn-ified."
└ The rap member is Kang Yi-chae, please give him lots of interest.
└ His name is Kang Yi-chae, thank you.
└ These guys... they seem like the type to survive on a deserted island without a problem..
└└ Right? Even if they were shipwrecked, Seo Ho-yun would calmly find a place to sleep, and Kang Yi-chae would be fishing next to him.
└└ And Jeong Da-jun would write SOS with stones, but the next day he’d see they were all washed away by the waves and just collapse.
└└└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, I can totally imagine it, I’m dying.]
The community reactions and fan reactions were both good. The appeal that "the members made it themselves while thinking of the Noeuls" worked quite well.
'Good.'
We worked hard, and we had quite a bit of fun filming it. I sank into the van seat, checking various sites, and let out a sigh of relief as I put my phone down.
“…….”
I still felt… a bit of nausea whenever I got in a car, but I tried to pass the time by distracting myself, listening to music or monitoring the reactions.
Honestly, I’m glad we did the fan song. Maybe because I’ve been so busy I haven't had a moment to breathe, but the hyperventilation symptoms haven't reappeared since that time.
And today… is an important day.
“Ho-yun, fighting!!”
Once I go up there, it’ll be packed with the writer and director I saw before, not to mention the actors.
“D-don’t be nervous! You even got rave reviews for your audition! You can handle a simple script reading like this! Don’t be intimidated!”
“Do I look intimidated to you?”
“……Uh, no.”
The manager, looking even more scared, hesitated before finally adding one more useless comment.
“…M-Min Ji-heon will be there, so he’ll take good care of you.”
“Ooh……”
I covered my mouth and laughed.
“I’m really, really looking forward to it.”
Then, I stepped out of the van and scanned the building.
Today, my fighting spirit is higher than ever.
‘I’ll beat it out of him one way or another.’
I’m going to find out what that crazy bastard, Min Ji-heon, did to me.