News spread that The Dawn’s first countdown live would be held on YouTube and Tik-Tok.
[Our babies doing a countdown live..... It used to be a given they’d set up a folding table in a dorm cracked like spiderwebs and go live there]
[Wow my heart is already pounding, I’m fucking excited]
A countdown live was a broadcast held one hour before the music video release, chatting with fans, briefly introducing the album, and waiting together for the music video.
Around the location where The Dawn members appeared, buildings with tiled roofs stood out.
“Hello! Rising dawn, this is The Dawn!”
They were all wearing colorful, elegant durumagi.
Starting with the now-familiar member introductions for Noeul, they moved on to a quick album intro and small talk about what they’d been doing during the inactive period.
[Our babies....]
“—I bought ice cream for Hoyun-hyung, but hyung didn’t eat it!”
“You bought mint chocolate. Then you ate it.”
“Gasp, right. Hyung, you’re anti–mint choco. Didn’t you say you’d rather brush your teeth and eat chocolate... anyway I didn’t eat it.”
[So the same as ever...]
“Huh? Then who ate the one that was in the fridge?”
“I ate it. Why? None of you eat it anyway.”
“I’ve got goosebumps. Sunghyun-hyung just sounded exactly like Hoyun-hyung.”
“Watch what you say and what you shouldn’t say.”
[Are you going to promote the album or not]
[LOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL look at Kim Sunghyun looking disgusted]
[Seriously, they’re the same as ever lolololol it’s so funny when they bicker like cats]
Over a single mint chocolate ice cream, Seo Hoyun, Kim Sunghyun, and Jung Dajun were tearing into each other until—what fans call Sung Jiwon’s “stop it” but also call his chilly smile—barely calmed them down.
After that, a bit more small talk continued.
Just before 6 p.m.,
“Three minutes left on the countdown. This has been The Dawn. Bye!”
With the members’ goodbyes, the live ended.
[Wow they look in a great mood today]
[Right!!! So cute]
[I’m super nervous but they look so relaxed ugh ㅠ they already watched the MV, didn’t they ㅠ]
The number of viewers who had been watching also dropped sharply.
At the same time, staff bustled to get ready to ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ film the immediate music video reaction.
Lee Jihyun, who had been checking what was happening off-camera, also opened YouTube.
“Oh, it’s starting!”
While leaves swayed in the wind and clattered against each other, on the fan-shaped pavilion in the middle of a pond, Jung Dajun was absorbed in something. Beside him, Kang Ichae lay on his side.
Both wore modified hanbok for easy movement.
《Lantern parades continue across the country....》
Kang Ichae, lazily scrolling on his phone, read an article and smirked. Then he sprang up, grabbed Jung Dajun’s chin, and examined him from side to side.
“Let’s see... your face is clear and well-balanced overall, and your eyes are bright; this is the mark of one who will be king....”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Jung Dajun’s eyes widened.
Just then,
“Cast aside such sugarcoating. It is not to be trusted.”
“Ah.”
Climbing up to the pavilion, Sung Jiwon glared at Kang Ichae and cut him off. Shoving Ichae’s body aside, he pulled colored paper from his bosom and handed it to Jung Dajun.
“How about writing down a wish? They say things come true as you believe.”
Colored paper filled Jung Dajun’s eyes. The screen drawing closer began to spin and whirl inward.
【Perhaps looking up at the same moon
We retrace the dawns we spent together】
The scene shifted as music flowed out. Over the melody of traditional instruments, a synthesizer washed in and covered it.
Wearing a sky-blue pastel T-shirt and white shorts, Jung Dajun stood by a window and looked at the sinking sun.
A faint daytime moon drew nearer, and then Kim Sunghyun appeared.
【I wonder how you feel right now
It keeps me tossing and turning through the night】
As Kim Sunghyun raised his arm to block the blazing light, a shadow fell over him. In the hazy backlight, Seo Hoyun, fanning open a fan to block the light, looked down at him with a blank face.
Then the camera skimmed past countless buildings, cut through the darkness, and reached a river wide as the sea.
There stood The Dawn members. Holding softly glowing lotus lanterns, they walked along the riverside.
【Even if to you it’s only a tiny dot
I’ll gladly send as many as needed
Even if they don’t reach that shoreline
Even if they look like a star going dim】
With a slight hesitation, Jung Dajun paused; Kang Ichae laid an arm over his shoulder and delivered a rap, calm and poetic, like reciting a verse.
Jung Dajun looked at him and smiled, reassured.
【Waiting is something I’m good at】
Sung Jiwon gazed at a moon now grown even larger. His long lashes trembled faintly, as if showing the earnestness of the wish he had placed in his lantern.
【I’ll send my heart on a flower
Like a rainbow rising lightly into the sky】
At that moment, as the music swelled and burst, a pair dance by Kim Sunghyun and Kang Ichae led into the group choreography.
Then, from between the two, Seo Hoyun sprang forward. When he snapped open the fan in his right hand, fans blossomed from The Dawn and the backup dancers like ripples spreading over water.
【Inside wishes that spread like ripples
Inside feelings that surge like waves
May my lamp ride away on regret and drift far】
The riverside returned.
For the river lanterns, after setting his lantern on the water, a gentle smile rose on Seo Hoyun’s face.
The lights carrying each person’s prayers rode the current and slowly drifted away.
【I’ll send my heart on a flower
Like a rainbow rising lightly into the sky】
Before anyone knew it, hundreds, thousands of lanterns had gathered.
【Even in a faded morning
Even in the procession of flickering lights
Our days will be dazzling】
Among them, a lotus lantern holding Jung Dajun’s wish came into close-up.
“May everyone be happy.”
【In no time at all
We will meet again】
Watching him quietly, Kim Sunghyun turned his head toward the members. His gaze moved to each one, and when it reached Seo Hoyun, Seo Hoyun was looking back at him too.
With a slight smirk, Kim Sunghyun walked up to Seo Hoyun, patted his back, and moved on.
【In no time at all
We will meet again】
Behind them, Jung Dajun splashed water, playing around, and The Dawn shouted in surprise; they gradually receded to tiny dots, and over the sparkling lanterns the title “The Dawn – Yeondeunghoe” stamped onto the screen.
Just when it seemed the music video had ended—
“Uh-uh, no. It’s not that things happen because you believe; it’s believing that you’ll make them happen.”
Seo Hoyun appeared on the fan-shaped pavilion, flinging off his durumagi.
Clicking his tongue, Kim Sunghyun, who had been crunching down candy at that line, tsked.
“Well, aren’t you full of yourself.”
“Stating the obvious.”
Having watched the music video again to the end, the corners of Lee Jihyun’s mouth lifted with confident satisfaction.
***
《A boy group that spread the beauty of Korea far and wide! Lantern sales spike!》
《The Dawn shoot down antis with the lyric “Keep your distance between you and me”?!》
《“Yeondeunghoe” perfect for domestic tastes, foreign fans turn away: “Can’t understand the content”》
《Why foreigners are losing their minds over The Dawn’s new song! “All Korean lyrics?!”》
Barely hours after the music video dropped, YouTube was covered wall to wall with videos about The Dawn.
“Trying to connect modernity with Korean tradition is truly cool!”
“This breaks the claim that K-pop aims for Westernization. The racist haters need to shut up.”
Despite all the lyrics being in Korean, overseas fans’ reviews were especially positive, surprising Noeul.
[Title: Were we actually being targeted?
Set aside the ones yammering about Westernization..
When the bastards sniped at us because Seo Hoyun didn’t come on PopPop for a bit over two weeks, and when they kept picking fights about trainees here and there, I was pissed and headbanging like crazy lol. I was like, is this really something to pick a fight over?
But thinking about it now.. we.....
Uh..
Were we actually under heavy suppression?
└That’s what I’ve been saying!!!!!!
The mass hysteria suddenly got crazy
└I know;;;; I’m flustered too right now
└Look at Trending—The Dawn lined up down the list..]
[Title: I figured out why The Dawn are popular overseas
Apparently fan loyalty is relatively high overseas
They send letters to radio stations every time asking them to play the songs
They’ve been ready to praise whatever song comes out
└Holy crap..
I suddenly like overseas fans
Makes me want to play “Become My Prisoner” hehe;]
[Usually when it’s easy listening, the “impact parrots” show up to bitch that it’s weak, but maybe because this song is super, super addictive, I’m not seeing them kek it’s really so good, Kang Ichae is a genius
└Yeah, Kang Ichae plagiarized
└└Your brain looks plagiarized from a worm’s brain
└└Plagiarism parrot, fuck off
└└Yeah yeah, The Dawn’s Kang Ichae plagiarized a song written as a hobby by civilian Kang Ichae, they reached an amicable agreement
└└Make an agreement with your mirror lolol]
The response to the digital tracks released the day after the music video was also hot. People who listened to the full album “Wish” couldn’t help but let out sighs of admiration.
[Did Kang Ichae go do waterfall training or something???]
Because the level of completion was extremely high.
[I like the B-sides better than the title.... I mean, I get why Yeondeunghoe became the title, but the B-sides are insane, why are they so sleek? Absolutely my taste]
[The members’ voices fit like a glove]
Among the B-sides, the most well-received track was “Dive.”
【In this time that’s cracked
No need to count and weigh
I just wish you’d speak honestly】
Over a trendy melody and a fast-driving beat, oddly somber tones clung to the ears.
【Can you be together? or not?
The words I blurted without a clue stick like summer heat
Like a lotus whose breath has died
Let us dive till the end
Until we rise to the ocean’s surface to breathe
We can’t stay trapped alone forever】
For an instant as Sung Jiwon’s high note shot up,
【Let us dive till the end
Until we rise to the ocean’s surface to breathe】
Seo Hoyun’s husky mid-low came in and harmonized.
The Dawn had already been known for excellent B-sides, but this album “Wish” had songs each nearly on par with the title track.
[What does Kang Ichae think about normally to be able to write like this?]
[The subtle contrast with Yeondeunghoe is insane.. it feels like a side perspective, and the narrative is crazy...]
[They could have gone double title... This album is going to be fucking hard to sing live, I’m so, so excited for the live....]
[I love that they fit refreshing concepts... If I watch the comeback show I’ll just die right there]
[The Dawn trait) They’re fucking bad live but the post-production is so heavy fans push the “skilled” narrative (ew), this is just the audio director doing art]
[Looking forward to Jung Dajun flailing like in “Cycle of Reincarnation” ^^ Ah will the camera director catch him well??]
Even amid the positive reactions, the controversy over their skills refused to quiet down. Noeul knew these posts were nothing but suppression, yet some still burned with anger.
But the old-timers who had stanned The Dawn from the very beginning weren’t too worried.
They firmly believed in their idols.
[We’ll fucking kill with the live]
More than anyone, they would do well.
.
.
.
On the day of the scheduled comeback show.
“The Dawn! Let’s get ready.”
“Over here!! Props here!”
The urgent shouts of staff, busy running around, leaked all the way into the waiting room.
The makeup artist scolded Seo Hoyun, who kept glancing toward the door.
When he closed his eyes again, the ticklish touch of a brush returned.
“You’ve really got a face that looks like it’s never known hardship.”
“Really?”
As if he’d heard something amusing, the corners of Seo Hoyun’s mouth lifted.
Beside him, Kim Sunghyun tapped him.
“Hey, let’s try it once with the props.”
After finishing their outfit checks, The Dawn matched the title track choreography in a corner of the waiting room. In line with their outfits, each was given a fan inlaid with gems and ornate embroidery as a prop.
Maybe that’s why the fans were stiff as hell.
“Hoyun-hyung, what are you doing?”
Jung Dajun asked Seo Hoyun, who had suddenly paused.
“This thing is stiff.”
“Uh-huh. Try snapping it open again.”
Pak.
“See, it works fine. Do it with a firm snap.”
“Hm.”
After snapping the fan open several times, Seo Hoyun brushed back a few strands that had fallen over his forehead, only to get scolded by the hair stylist and have to get it fixed again.
“Everyone, let’s work hard. Like always.”
As the time to go onstage drew near, Kim Sunghyun looked over the members with mics on and spoke. It sounded like his usual line, but it very much contained the recent controversies.
Of course, the other members quickly caught his meaning and only smiled.
Jung Dajun shot his right hand up.
“What happens if we do worse than usual?”
“What do you mean what happens. We go eat dinner.”
“Love to see you making sure we’re fed.”
“After that, it’s a one-on-one with me!”
“That ultimate punishment where you’re locked in the practice room with Jiwon-hyung for 48 hours...?!”
Leaving the joking members behind, Seo Hoyun stepped out of the waiting room first.
He kept opening and closing the fan, but it still didn’t work well.
“A bit unstable.”
Well, it’ll be fine.
There was no spare anyway, so they couldn’t swap it out.
Seo Hoyun walked on, unruffled.
