The more urgent a human becomes, the more their mind fills up.
A very brief instant—perhaps no longer than the click of a second hand.
Countless thoughts stormed my head.
But I could not show even a trace of hesitation or wavering.
That would only become a weakness for him to sink his teeth into.
“Hm.”
I raised one eyebrow as I stared into Kang Ichae’s eyes, which clung stubbornly to me.
“What, are you impressed that your amazing hyung is even good at editing?”
“Ha ha.”
He burst out laughing, but I didn’t loosen my guard.
I couldn’t answer rashly, nor deny it too strongly.
“Our Hoyun hyung really isn’t bad at anything. Even dancing, which he was once so talentless at they called him ‘clumsy,’ he eventually overcame.”
“You picking a fight?”
“But hyung, you never had the time to properly learn editing.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Before debut, I had dropped out of the lineup altogether because of illness, and afterward, every day was consumed with practice just to keep up with the others.
I pulled a bored expression, as if his words were tedious, and lowered my gaze back to my phone.
“By that logic, you’re good at composing.”
“Eh, but I have a perfect and cool teacher next to me, don’t I? Besides, I already learned multiple instruments since I was young.”
Normally she avoided me, but Lim Hyunsu had unexpectedly called a while ago, launching into a lecture about Kang Ichae’s personality. Probably because of that gifted CD, whatever it was.
I scrolled aimlessly on my screen, picking my ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) words carefully, when Kang Ichae suddenly flopped down onto the sand and stretched out.
“Or was it Hojin hyung who was right?”
“...Huh?”
Turning his body toward me, Ichae tugged the corner of his lips into a more mischievous smirk.
“Hyung used to edit family videos sometimes, didn’t you?”
...He remembers that?
That?
Tak, tak... shhhhhh—.
The meaningless tapping of my finger on the screen vanished into the waves.
That was something I had clumsily done back in high school, over ten years ago.
“...Did he tell you that?”
“Yeah. We played IRIX together the other day.”
“You two still play games together?”
I strained my hearing to catch if my voice trembled.
I hadn’t expected Seo Hojin, with his fragmented memory, to still recall such things.
“It’s really amazing. That you managed to self-teach something like that.”
Ichae’s eyes swept over me from head to toe with a heavy gaze, then he dropped back onto the sand, staring up at the clear sky.
“Maybe I should’ve started composing back then. My mom would’ve liked hearing it. Right?”
“...”
I tossed him a fresh towel after seeing droplets fall from his bangs down his cheek.
“Dry your hair.”
Once his face was covered, I finally became aware of the stiffness in my back and the tingling in my fingertips. It still felt like his sharp gaze was wrapped around me.
Ichae slowly sat up and shook his hair out with one hand.
‘...Am I being too wary?’
I clenched and unclenched my fists a few times before calling out to the figure in front of me.
“Ichae.”
After all, today was both our debut anniversary and his birthday.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t you want something to eat? I’ll buy you something nice later.”
Still grumbling about how sand kept falling out of him no matter how much he shook, Ichae lowered the towel and grinned.
“Then I want Almas caviar.”
“When we get back to the hotel, I’ll give you my suitcase. Go dig it out yourself.”
“Totally lame.”
I ignored his whining about how even managers nowadays would get ostracized for such dad jokes. Just then, Kim Sunghyun and Sung Jiwon walked up, dripping wet.
“...Ichae, Hoyun.”
“What the hell happened to you two?”
“Let’s just head back to the hotel first.”
Looked like our maknae had succeeded in dunking all his hyungs into the water.
Trailing behind, Jung Dajun poked his head out with a wide grin. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me, the only one still dry.
“Hoyun hyung, are you good at swim—”
“You’ll die.”
“Sorry.”
***
[Ughhhh I miss Seo Hoyun so much]
It hadn’t even been a week since The Dawn left Korea.
[It’s summer here but it feels so cold... because The Dawn isn’t here...]
[Stop posting shirtless surfing pics of Sunghyun oppa... why do they always take their shirts off only when they go abroad?]
[Going to Hawaii is fine, so fine... but it’s been a while now, what are they even doing, give us a live T_T]
[Your oppas (gross) are in Hawaii sucking WH’s money dry like parasites... didn’t you feel guilty flying first class? T_T]
[Wow, just checked the profile pic, they’re just some asshole who picks fights anywhere]
[Pretending to be Hi-Five fan Haili but clearly not haha no way she’d act this petty]
[Judging from the current tension, seems like it’s neither Noeul nor Hi-Five fans, just randoms stirring shit.
Get a life... stop living on the internet]
[Too many crazies buzzing lately]
The delicate tension that had been brewing between Noeul and Haili finally exploded.
As a way to ease the fandom clash, some The Dawn fans began editing and uploading clips from lives on a regular basis.
<The Dawn’s system where the unfunny one does the chores>
One such clip came from the Hawaii live where Sung Jiwon and Seo Hoyun explained “how they pick who does chores.”
【Do you really have to do chores if you’re not funny?】
Reading chat, Sung Jiwon widened his already large eyes.
【Oh, right. That’s something we’ve been doing lately, how did you know?】
When someone mentioned they’d heard it from Dajun on PopPop, Jiwon nodded.
【We just joke around in conversation, and if the others suddenly go dead serious, that person becomes the cleaning duty for the day. One wrong word and you get...】
【Torn apart.】
【Haha, yeah. That’s why lately Dajun’s... what, washed dishes twice? Oh, three times?】
【It’s your fault for not being funny.】
【Ahaha.】
[Shocking.
Even Jiwon said, “Well, Dajun really was in the wrong,” agreeing with Seo Hoyun.]
[So even the angel has been corrupted..]
Then Jiwon glanced at Hoyun, hesitating, before speaking.
【Actually... Hoyun wasn’t funny once too, so I did the cleaning for him instead.】
【...What?】
Hoyun’s dumbfounded face was zoomed in on, while Jiwon smiled faintly, cheeks slightly flushed.
【I was the cleaning knight....】
[LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]
[Next to Hoyun, skull emojis popping everywhere hahahaha]
Before Hoyun could retort, other members, fresh from the shower, appeared holding cup ramen.
【What are we going to do in Hawaii?】
The situation drifted away.
Instead of Almas caviar, Ichae slurped yellow noodles, licking his lips with his thumb as he answered.
【Hm, I kinda want to do something fresh... how about rapping while skydiving?】
【You’re cleaning today.】
[Isn’t that a hotel?? LOOOOLLLLL]
[LOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLl no way, Kang Ichae shamelessly says he’ll order X-ramen room service HAHAHAHA]
Criticism piled on, but Jiwon lightly defended Ichae before suddenly raising his right hand.
【Jiwon! How about drinking until the last man standing?】
[How much can Jiwon actually drink? Never seen it, so curious...]
[Seo Hoyun said Jiwon has never gotten drunk before
└woah]
【Or we could connect it to the fan song, make it like a college MT vibe...】
【Let’s make a drama script we can film in Hawaii!】
[Too many cooks, I’m exhausted.
└Sunghyun looks exhausted too.
└└LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]
As more ideas popped up chaotically from all sides, Sunghyun finally gave up, mouthed something, and force-ended the live.
[Our Dawnies are so cute, simple, and silly.]
[This is healing... maybe because I was just fighting trolls before.]
Fans, scrolling through the chopped-up clips, hoped for The Dawn’s quick return but also wished they’d produce at least one fun piece of content while in Hawaii.
[They’re not seriously going to end it with just a Joo Woosung Hawaii vlog, right...?]
[No way.........]
Right on cue, a notification from The Dawn’s YouTube channel hit.
【Who the hell goes to Hawaii for an MT
~ The Dawn in Hawaii ~】
Without warning, a self-produced content series had arrived.
【At last, The Dawn has come to Hawaii!!】
Quick cuts showed them at the airport, splashing around against Hawaii’s stunning scenery, eating meals, and more.
【Show Me the Skydiving!
Falling in love isn’t a crime! – A thrilling (trashy) drama in Hawaii!
The Dawn’s drinking party – until only one remains standing!
College students The Dawn’s Hawaii MT?!】
Finally, clips of the members during the live, listing things they wanted to do here, were edited in.
【Our production staff respects The Dawn’s opinions.】
Then the screen went black, and in massive Gothic font:
【So we mixed them all!】
[Mixed what?]
[Are the production staff insane too?]
[Everyone’s marinated in madness hahaha]
Like an old radio song fading in, the intro of ‘Name This Feeling’ grew louder.
【-Dawn University-
Hawaii MT edition】
The title flashed in a gaudy font that looked straight out of an overdone drama poster from ten years ago.
Slowly fading in, Kim Sunghyun appeared, gazing wistfully over an emerald beach. Draped over his shoulders was a jumper embroidered with “Physical Education.” Sitting on the sand, his neatly combed bangs fell across his forehead in the ocean breeze.
[Holy shit... insane...
Kim Sunghyun is ridiculously handsome.]
[Sometimes I forget because he gets teased, but he actually does look kinda intimidating... and totally like a romance male lead with that icy aura.]
[Yeah, looks like the parachuted heir of some conglomerate hahaha so clean-cut and handsome hahaha]
“Haa...”
Sunghyun exhaled a sigh, brushing his fallen hair back.
“My name is Kim Sunghyun... Will I really be able to adapt to Korea’s top university, Dawn University?”
[Statement retracted.]
[No, nope... Sunghyun, don’t.]
[Sunghyun, put the male lead away, put him away.]
Though his acting had improved somewhat, Sunghyun’s awkward stammer and broken intonation still couldn’t be fully hidden.
[Honestly, Dajun really liked those trashy dramas...
└Was Dajun even born back then??]
Lowering his gaze, Sunghyun delivered his lines with surprising seriousness, though choppy like staccato.
“My family is just ordinary... but when I look at Dawn University, where the children of the top four conglomerates all attend... I’m so afraid.”
[Why does Sunghyun monologue so much]
[LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL]
[Grinding my teeth to dust LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]
Then he lifted his slightly trembling hand to rub his eyelids.
“Can I really survive here...?”
Just then, a foreigner carrying a surfboard approached and greeted Sunghyun.
“Hey, wanna go surfing?”
[Where the hell did they find a foreign actor who looks ripped straight out of Surprise]
[Legendary casting power]
“No, no. It’s okay.”
“You commoner!”
[Wait, why is the foreigner suddenly speaking Korean]
Startled, Sunghyun shook his head quickly, but the man suddenly shouted in fluent Korean.
“Why does everyone keep calling me a commoner?! Listen carefully! My name is Kim Sung—!”
Right as he clenched his fists and shouted in exasperation, someone yanked his shoulder back.
“Commoner!”
The chorus of ‘Name This Feeling’ swelled as sparkling effects filled the screen.
And Seo Hoyun’s bright face appeared.
【Pull the sunset past dawn】
“I told you I’m not a commoner!”
“Oh, sorry. You’re Sunghyun. Kim Sunghyun, right?”
【How do you name this feeling
Tell me, you know what it is】
At Hoyun’s soft smile, Sunghyun’s furrowed brow twitched and stilled.
“I’m Prince Seo.”
[Kill me now]
And so began The Dawn’s absurd self-produced “University MT in Hawaii” content.
