Kang Yeonhoo bit his lip, sighed, and sat back down again.
“Seriously, why are you like this?”
“Cute, right?”
Tilting my head with a bright smile, I watched him take a few deep breaths as if to calm himself before changing the subject.
“...Is your comeback preparation going well?”
“Oh, of course. What about you, Yeonhoo sunbae-nim?”
“Just... so-so.”
After a pause, Kang Yeonhoo rubbed his forehead, then added reluctantly.
“Our comeback this time is really important.”
It was always important.
Hi-Five was scheduled to make their comeback one month after THE DAWN’s promotions ended. A way to split public attention.
Back in the Daepaseong days, even if we scouted and gathered information, we often got other idols’ comeback schedules wrong. But now, without much effort, release dates could be adjusted easily.
I had heard that Hi-Five was still receiving more investment, but since some of the crumbs were falling to us too, it wasn’t exactly a bad situation.
Of course, this positive arrangement would eventually become an obstacle at some point.
“...You know, next year or the year after, the Grand Prize is going to be on fire.”
Just like Yeonhoo had said, if both of us became nominees for the Grand Prize at the same time—that couldn’t be shared.
“Right, I know, I know.”
I brushed invisible dust from Kang Yeonhoo’s shoulder as if in agreement.
“But Kang Yeonhoo-ssi, what’s the point of bringing up the Grand Prize in front of me when we both already know all this?”
“Well, that’s...”
He was smart enough to know how reckless it was to blurt things out with no benefit. That’s why it was hard to understand his intent in bringing this up so openly.
“...I just... felt uneasy, that’s all. Anyway, you should stay away from that junior.”
Well, if he didn’t want to admit it now, fine.
He’d find out soon enough anyway.
I turned my gaze to the monitoring TV installed in the waiting room. It had been deliberately turned on, showing the previous episode of the program where we were today’s guests.
“There’s something I want to ask. That one, is he talented?”
“That one?”
Following my finger, Kang Yeonhoo frowned.
On the screen, among the trainees forming their teams, was the face of the guy who had grabbed my arm earlier.
“Oh, that trainee from before?”
“Yes.”
“Seo Hoyun-ssi, you don’t need to worry about him. If he was actually talented, maybe I’d think he was desperate—that might explain it, but...”
“Hm.”
“But he does image-making well enough that he seems to have some recognition. This program still has a certain level of buzz.”
Really?
Even with the editing smoothing everything out, Han Yeongjin’s skills on screen were mediocre.
As I quietly observed, Kim Heeyoung’s words suddenly crossed my mind.
Those trainees said they were covering THE DAWN’s song, didn’t they.
‘Should I give it a try?’
I smirked, and Yeonhoo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Seo Hoyun-ssi, what—”
“Guests, please get ready to head out!”
“Yes.”
Now, how should I use this?
Yeonhoo, who had looked ready to say something, clamped his mouth shut when the staff entered. As I hummed while putting on my mic, I could feel his gaze sticking to me.
Feigning ignorance, I calmly walked backstage.
“Please welcome THE DAWN’s Seo Hoyun and Hi-Five’s Kang Yeonhoo!”
At the MC’s introduction, Yeonhoo, still watching carefully, followed me into the set a beat late.
“Wow!! Seo Hoyun!!”
“Whoa! It’s Kang Yeonhoo!”
“His face is so small...”
“Holy, my first time seeing Seo Hoyun in person... amazing.”
“Totally handsome!”
What happened to ‘sunbae-nim,’ huh, brats?
The chorus of cheers from the trainees was a mixture of admiration, envy, and jealousy.
“Hello, I’m Hoyun from THE DAWN.”
First, politely.
“I’ve been through a survival program myself, so this feels very nostalgic. I was nervous all the way here today. If you have worries, come to me anytime. I’ll help with all I’ve got. Trainees, fighting!”
“Waaaahh!!”
“Seo Hoyun sunbae-nim, you’re so cool!!”
Spouting empty words, I headed for the guest seats.
“...Hello, I’m Kang Yeonhoo.”
Leaving only a brief greeting, Yeonhoo sat beside me, shooting me a sharp glare—as if interrogating me about what I was plotting.
I only curved my lips deeper.
“...—Today’s mission for our guests is to cover songs from famous idols, including THE DAWN and Hi-Five!”
Though the show hadn’t aired yet, several missions had already been filmed.
The pre-assigned teams murmured among themselves.
“What song should we choose?”
“Wouldn’t this be the chance to pick a song by THE DAWN sunbae-nim or Hi-Five sunbae-nim?”
“...It’s a good idea, but since it’s still a competition, let’s think carefully before deciding.”
As I strolled around, eavesdropping for advice, I saw that Han Yeongjin’s team had /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ mentioned THE DAWN—and I smirked.
Then, a staff member shouted that there would be a short break.
The red lights on the cameras went out one by one.
Not something that could get me in trouble anyway, I took off my mic and approached Han Yeongjin.
“Han Yeongjin-ssi.”
“Ah! Seo Hoyun sunbae-nim.”
Maybe surprised I approached first, his shoulders stiffened further when the attention of those nearby fell on us.
“I’ve got something to say.”
“...Something to say?”
Lowering my voice with a slight smile, I whispered into his ear.
At first wary, his eyes darted around nervously, but as my words continued, his expression gradually turned firm, as if making a decision.
“...Yes. What you said is right. Thank you!”
Watching him reply with solemn determination, I barely held back my laughter, patting his shoulder instead.
“Fighting!”
Back at the guest seat, Yeonhoo scanned me up and down.
“What did you do?”
“Sunbae-nim, audio.”
“....”
I shook the mic at him before putting it back on. Yeonhoo stayed silent, but his stare didn’t leave me.
I kept my lips from twitching upward and fixed my gaze ahead.
“Then, first up, Team D!”
A moment later, the cameras turned on, and the MC’s voice filled the set.
Talking with his teammates, Han Yeongjin soon stepped forward.
“Trainee Han Yeongjin, who has the super-pass, please come up.”
“Yes!”
Bouncing toward the MC, he received the mic and declared solemnly:
“I am convinced there is no song that could represent us better.”
“....”
“I will choose THE DAWN sunbae-nim’s debut song, Second Chance!!”
At his words, Yeonhoo’s head whipped toward me.
“What!! I was going to pick that!”
“Ahh, too bad...”
All of Team D looked satisfied. Having secured a song with strong recognition, they clearly believed they now had the upper hand.
“Sunbae-nim! We’ll do our best!”
They bowed deeply in my direction, and I applauded with a gentle smile.
Yeonhoo, unable to control his expression, awkwardly covered his face with his hand.
He had said Yeongjin wasn’t worth worrying about.
“Fighting!!”
But if I had such a useful card in hand, wouldn’t it be a waste not to play it?
***
[PopPop Legend Seo Hoyun, the filial son.....]
[Why has he become soooo much sweeter these days T_T the nickname Seo Dajeong really suits him]
[Ahhh the Noeul fan rumors about thinking he was cheating whenever PopPop alerts went off are killing me T_T LOOOLLLL]
Seo Hoyun’s coy “variety idol” act whenever he went on PopPop or Live had become so well known it was famous even among other fandoms.
I missed you so much.
Was today hard for you?
I’m fine.
Seo Hoyun’s constant effort to look as nice as possible left the Noeul fans wrapped so tightly around him they couldn’t pull themselves out.
[The more Hoyun pretends to be coy, the happier we get...
└Heard he was sick
└└Yeah, but maybe he just doesn’t want to talk about it... Look at him all lively on variety, but rumors about him fainting keep spreadingㅠ]
[WH security must be airtight haha People saying Hoyun missed a few days because he was out clubbing with women haha
└Yeah sure, dumbass
└Blocked]
[Did you see the presale numbers?? Crazy, whoa]
[Even accounting for boy group sales inflation, hitting a new career high every time is insane hahahaha]
[The bond between the members feels so strong these days, I love it...]
Meanwhile, whispers about Hoyun’s image spread among fans.
[Hoyun feels... strangely calmer these days. What is it?
└Whoa, you too? He just... feels like an actor now. He always had a mature vibe, but lately it’s just pouring out of him.
└└So good T_T drooling
└└Try hiding it, will you]
[He was always soft-spoken, but now it’s like this odd mix of warmth and coldness haha
└Yeah, he feels used to spending time alone without the members lololol It’s like that vibe of meeting an ex-lover abroad and seeing them again, so bittersweet...
└Doesn’t Kang Ichae feel like that too these days?
└└So annoying, Kang Ichae’s vibe got him plastered all over normie YouTube playlists with those black-and-white thumbnails
‘Struggle harder, make it fun’ written on them...
└└Fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
Like the calm before a storm, the subtle peace continued until a preview for the trainee survival program Idol Jungle dropped—featuring Seo Hoyun.
[What kind of dumbass name is Idol Jungle LOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL so funny
But my rookie’s on it!!
Laughed—stopped laughing]
[Ahhh Hoyun’s appearing as a guest!!!!]
[The preview had Hoyun’s face shown biggest lmfao]
Noeul, who had been tired of the endless flood of survival shows, stirred restlessly.
【[Pre-release] ‘The Cute Ones’ Rebellion!’ We Won’t Go Down Like This - Second Chance!】
And right then, as if perfectly timed to capture attention, a teaser video dropped on YouTube.
[Ohh they must’ve covered THE DAWN]
[Kinda expected at least one team to do it haha]
Views skyrocketed as interest surged.
【That buzzing sensation in my head
In other words, I’ve come back
Clenching my fist tight
I cannot miss this chance】
[Oh my god]
But once the video started, everyone fell silent, jaws dropping.
【Stand tall with a target, I have confidence
I won’t lose this cold sensation
Even when I close my eyes, I see your face】
[What the fuck.....]
【No need to wander anymore
I’ll find the way
This time, at least in this life, for sure】
[Wowwwwwww...]
It wasn’t admiration.
[Rotten Second Chance cover incoming]
It was just plain bad.
[This is hilarious LOOOOOOLL arms and legs flailing LMAOOO]
[People are calling it the “Lost Child” stage now because the lyrics say don’t wander but they looked like they were wandering like crazy LOOOLLLLL]
[Look at the judges’ faces. Should’ve picked Ocean Train—at least it would’ve been safe lololololololol]
Once the shock passed, people burst out laughing.
[Comparisons popping up between Kim Sunghyun and the trainees’ dancing... isn’t this just cruel?]
[The DAWN were different from the start. I used to think they were immature at the beginning, but looking now, they were just shining....
└The chaos when they debuted, fans were like snipers out for blood]
[Sure, Hoyun was clumsy back then too... but whenever he came on stage he still seized the atmosphere. Now I get why they called him center material. That’s just pure entertainer talent.]
Eventually, people couldn’t even finish the performance and went searching for THE DAWN’s stage to cleanse their eyes.
[Dajun, stop changing the lyrics LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]
[These days no one can beat Sung Jiwon and Seo Hoyun’s vocals.
Especially Sung Jiwon, he just crushes hahahaha]
[Kang Ichae not appearing in underground stages is such a waste—it’s hip-hop. Everywhere people are saying he should join hip-hop, even underground kids are baiting him, but the man himself couldn’t care less lmfao]
[Hoyun-hyung... I feel myself falling in love with you again]
Focus on THE DAWN grew sharper, and the program itself gained spotlight—but Team D, who had covered Second Chance, failed to leave a good impression with the public.
Naturally, that included Han Yeongjin.
.
.
.
“Puhahaha.”
Meanwhile, alone in the dorm, Seo Hoyun burst into loud laughter watching the teaser video.
“Tsk, too bad the kids didn’t prepare properly.”
Though he said it was a shame, he was snickering as he scrolled through the comments. The system window slid up beside him.
[Are you satisfied now?]
“Oh, this is pretty fun.”
[How did you even persuade him?]
I didn’t do much, really.
Seo Hoyun stretched out his legs on the sofa.
[No matter how careful you are, what if something goes wrong...? I get that you were offended, but reckless moves should be avoided...]
“Hey, do I look like someone who does pointless things?”
[......No.]
“Right?”
He drew clear lines with his own standards, dividing inside from outside—and with outsiders, he only moved based on profit.
“The bait’s set. Now all that’s left is to wait.”
Seo Hoyun smiled with his eyes.
