[Title: The Dawn’s Self-Content Summary!! I’ll try an acrostic poem with Seo Hoyun]
Seo... Seo Hoyun acted all calm while doing aegyo,
Ho... I thought he wasn’t the type to be soft,
Yun... but turns out he’s a bunny.
└That’s not even an acrostic poem.
└└Trying to live with conviction.
└└Hahahahahahahahaha fck, typical Noeul girls hahaha
└But seriously, it was unexpected haha To think we’d see him embarrassed again like when Kang Ichae exposed him 2 years ago haha
└└Guess he still has a conscience left hahaha fcking cute.
[Title: They said Kang Ichae and Seo Hoyun fought]
Hurry up and watch the self-content haha
They bicker and quarrel, but they actually get along so well, what are people even talking aboutㅠ
└Yeah yeah, hilarious as f*ck.
But doesn’t it feel like it was heavily edited?
└└I thought so too haha The flow kept getting chopped.
└Maybe it’s because they’re with a major now haha Like with Pasung, the cheap junk-food taste is completely gone and all the controversial bits got cut out.
[Title: The Dawn really shows they’re with a major now]
Their promotions only lasted 2 weeks.
F*ckㅠ
└But at least the stage looked loaded with money, so that was nice... this time was a legend renewed.
└Seriously pisses me off. The Dawn always did a full 4 weeks without failㅠㅠ If they’d had 3 weeks, they would’ve bagged more 1st wins.
└└Noeul bastards... we spoon-fed them too much, now they don’t know gratitude... Their comeback show was flashy as hell, while my old bias group didn’t even get a showcase.
└I think it got cut short because of Hi-Five.
└└But Hi-Five only had 2 weeks too? haha
└└(sigh) Hey, I wasn’t trying to start a fcking fight.
└└Then you shouldn’t have brought up “major” haha The intent is obvious.
└└Guys, I agree too, but let’s say it nicely... It’s still not bad that The Dawn moved to a major... They got more investment... Though honestly, it feels like WH’s stench rubbed off despite saying they’d keep an independent label... The management team even tried hard to avoid overlapping with Hi-Five... but somehow we ended up with only 2 weeks of promotions, fck. And the sudden sabotage, self-content edits, and twisting things to their taste piss me off. Saying it out loud just makes me even madder.
└└That gradient anger hahaha
└└At least be glad they didn’t make them go on Happy Together hahaha
***
【Let us dive till the end】
About a week after finishing our “Lantern Festival” promotions and setting a new record for life’s black history.
I had borrowed the company car in a rare free moment, heading to Lim Hyunsu’s studio to check on the progress of the next album tracks.
【Let us dive till the end
Until I come back up to the ocean’s surface to breathe...】
The radio was playing “Dive,” a track from the album Wish.
Driving wasn’t all that hard for me anymore.
I had slipped out without telling the members. Otherwise, they’d have raised hell insisting I take the manager along.
I thought again how most problems can be solved with time (or money), then parked in the basement of a familiar building.
With a lazy stride, I took the elevator, pressed the button like a pro, and walked straight to the studio, flinging the door open.
“I’m here.”
Instead of the usual acrid haze and cigarette stench, a subtle woody fragrance greeted me.
“Damn! Look at you, all in black from head to toe!”
“Did you quit smoking?”
“No, I bought a god-tier air purifier.”
Lim Hyunsu pulled her legs off the table as she replied. Kim Heeyoung, who had come earlier, waved brightly, and Joo Woosung gave me a half-hearted nod.
“Oh, Hoyun-ssi, hey!”
The roast-Hoyun club.
I still found it strange how some of the busiest people in the industry somehow maintained this little gathering. It wasn’t like they did anything productive here.
“Seriously, you still meet up? Don’t you get sick of it?”
“Uh, time flies when we roast you.”
“Wow, thanks for inviting the subject of your backtalk.”
When I snarked back, Joo Woosung scooted over on the sofa with a grumble.
“What are you saying. We just needed 4 portions to order sashimi, so we let you tag along.”
“Oh, sure.”
As if anywhere still only sold food starting from 4 servings.
Being the good junior, I let myself be fooled and sat down quietly.
Lim Hyunsu was watching Hi-Five’s comeback video. Kim Heeyoung, showing interest, asked,
“Oh, is this Hi-Five’s new song? They came out really well this time.”
And honestly, this Hi-Five album was amazing.
I had judged that we would completely crush them. But once Hi-Five’s New Rhythm dropped, the game flipped entirely.
“It’s got broad appeal. Lots of talk about a generational shift lately.”
“The era of Black Call is finally ending....”
I muttered, soothing my heartburn with a fried shrimp. Joo Woosung raised his brows.
“Sorry, but can you not compare us? You guys and I don’t even play in the same field.”
I wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but Kim Heeyoung, with an innocent smile, chimed in.
“Black Call is always the number one pick for casting. Even overseas, foreigners are constantly like, ‘Do you know Black Call?’”
‘Damn....’
I ground my molars.
Black Call hadn’t even had a comeback yet this year. As long as dates didn’t overlap, I thought it would be fine, but Hi-Five’s fandom power was way stronger than I had expected.
“Ugh, this pisses me off.”
I let out a sigh, leaning against the sofa. Lim Hyunsu waved her chopsticks.
“Jeez, greedy bastard. With a cheat key in your team, why are you so worked up?”
“Who, Kim Sunghyun? Jung Dajun? Sung Jiwon? Kang Ichae?”
“Who else, Kang Ichae.”
Apparently, Hyunsu still couldn’t let go of her attachment to him. As I gave her a squinty look, she shrugged nonchalantly.
“I’m dead serious. That kid’s new tracks are insane.”
I scratched my head and turned away.
That was true. If you ignored the parts dissing me, his stuff gave me chills.
Now that I thought about it, he seemed a little relieved the day we filmed self-content. He still grumbled, but his expression was much softer.
‘Can’t make heads or tails of these kids.’
Did my black history really make them that happy?
It still felt like winning Kang Ichae’s favor was far off.
“Anyway, I’m contributing to your next album tracks too, so bring me the files next time.”
“They should be on the dorm computer. I’ll ask Kang Ichae.”
While I was still racking my brain over “how to handle Kang Ichae,” Joo Woosung suddenly clicked his tongue.
“Dorm, huh? Don’t you get sick of your members’ faces? Still living in a dorm, tsk.”
“Yes, thank you for your valuable insight, coming from Mr. Joo Woosung who doesn’t get along with his members.”
“Hey!”
For a male idol in his 3rd year — The Dawn’s 4th year if you count pre-debut — dorm life was the default. There was no real reason to leave, and splitting up just made managing harder.
Ignoring Woosung as he fussed noisily, Kim Heeyoung tilted her head and asked him,
“Then when did you move out, Woosung-ssi?”
“Me? I moved out in my 2nd year.”
“......”
That was ridiculously fast.
Woosung seemed to realize it sounded bad, and scrambled to explain.
“N-no, I mean! Yeah, it was early for an idol, but actually the others weren’t attached to the dorm either, so we all moved out together! ...What’s with those looks!”
“...Mmhm, of course, every word you say is true, Woosung.”
“Ah, f*ck.”
I nodded dramatically, and he punched his chest in frustration.
Still, I felt a little bitter.
The fact he could move out so quickly just underscored how exceptional Black Call’s success was.
“Joo Woosung-ssi, any chance you’ll go on I Can Live Alone Just Fine?”
“Nope.”
He shot me down instantly. But Kim Heeyoung’s eyes lit up — she was always hungry for casting. Still, Woosung refused flatly.
“And I’m busy these days. I’ve got overseas solo schedules lined up.”
Even with Black Call’s activities on /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ hold due to Chae Jungwoo’s throat condition, Woosung was tied up with ambassador gigs for luxury brands and solo prep.
Then Lim Hyunsu, chewing sashimi like it was gum, cut in boredly.
“Wow, look at you hustling. If I were you, I’d be out meeting tons of women, or wasting money lounging around with a dog and cat.”
If he hadn’t straightened out, Woosung really would’ve gone down that path.
“Why tear down someone who’s living well?”
Hyunsu, picking up another piece of sashimi, blinked at me.
“...What the hell?”
“He’s trying hard. The least you could do is support him.”
“Seo Hoyun, what’s with you, going all serious out of nowhere?”
She grumbled that I was overreacting. Beside us, Woosung mumbled behind his hand.
“What the...?”
“From now on, don’t say stuff like that.”
“...Kinda touched....”
“Drama queen.”
Hyunsu gave us both the finger and focused on her food. Kim Heeyoung, who had already wolfed hers down PD-style, downed her triple-shot Americano and spoke up.
“Anyway, even if Woosung doesn’t do external stuff, he still does internal, right? A staff friend told me WH Entertainment has a workshop coming up?”
Workshop?
Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely recalled the manager saying something about it... but I never paid attention to stuff that didn’t matter.
Woosung, though, reacted like a cat whose paw touched water.
“Ugh, I f*cking hate workshops!”
Then Hyunsu snapped her fingers as if remembering.
“Oh, right! I heard you guys go all out. Even the directors and CEO dance and stuff? Sounds fun, man.”
“Gross—.”
Woosung scrunched up his face.
“It’s not even helpful to our careers. Halloween, April Fools’ — they force us to do all this sh*t. They should just give staff higher salaries instead of wasting money.”
Like he ever cared about staff welfare. Clearly there was another reason.
“...Anyway, I hate it. Don’t even wanna think about it.”
“What did you do there?”
“F*ck, don’t even try to look it up.”
Touchy bastard.
No way I’d watch something that doesn’t even make money.
While he sulked, Heeyoung was scrolling her chat with a WH staff friend and let out a small gasp.
“Oh, right. The first prize at this WH workshop is a Hawaii trip package.”
“Damn, your insider info’s crazy.”
Hyunsu, cheeks puffed full of food, craned her neck to look too. Then her eyes bulged.
“Holy sht!! What the fck is this?!”
She clapped a hand over her mouth and leapt up.
“This—this is Metal Chemistry Heartbone!!”
Me... what?
“Are they insane? Metal Chemistry Heartbone’s first album?! Signed by all members?! This isn’t even on auction sites! Is it a replica?!”
“What’s that?”
“No idea.”
I never cared about foreign music. As a PD, I had memorized every idol group name and even their houseplants, but foreign acts — only the ultra-famous ones.
The three of us just looked blank, and Hyunsu exploded.
“You don’t know this?! Any real composer can’t possibly hate Metal Chemistry Heartbone! Well, they weren’t major, but they were god-tier! The band of bands!!!”
“Did you just say it was smoky?”
“It’s the abbreviation! Metal Chemistry Heartbone, you ignorant bastards!”
Ah, so.
Our resident nerd was tugging her hair out.
“F*ck, this actually exists in real life!”
“Just buy a new one.”
“Fans begged for a reprint, but they said copyright issues made it impossible! And this has every member’s autograph!”
Who would even like such a prize? Then again, people like Lee Jihyun exist.
Hyunsu grabbed me, whining.
“Hoyun-ah, if I dance White Cherry’s choreography, maybe I could get that limited CD? What do you think? A genius composer’s cute dance, pretty viral, right?”
“Why create a supply no one demands?”
“...You asshole...!”
I started shaking her off, but she gnawed her thumb and muttered.
“I bet Kang Ichae would want this so bad....”
That got my interest.
“...Ichae likes this too?”
“What the hell were you listening to? He’s a hardcore fan. We once searched auctions for a week trying to find it.”
“You think he’d really want it?”
“Want it? He’d lose his damn mind, jumping around.”
Kang Ichae, who seemed to have zero material desires...
But come to think of it, when we landed the IRIX collab, he was so happy he projected a letter to me on a beam projector.
‘Not bad.’
Sensing a good opportunity, I asked again.
“This was the 2nd place prize, right?”
A scoffing sound came from beside me.
Woosung was smirking.
“What, you planning to go on stage? Forget it, workshop stage competitions are brutal. Even the stone-faced vice president did a girl group dance and only got 4th. A clumsy stiff like you wouldn’t even rank.”
Oh, is that so?
“...What’s with that look.”
As I leaned closer, Woosung backed away. I grabbed his shoulders to stop him from retreating.
“Joo Woosung-ssi, are you scared?”
“What?”
I gave him the kindest smile.
“Sunbae-nim, we’re going up there together.”
To get Kang Ichae a present.
Woosung’s face crumpled in despair.
