[Ah, what the hell, what do you mean last?!]
After the teaser for ‘Level S2’ dropped, speculation exploded over Seo Hoyun’s final line.
[The album’s name is ‘Last Round.’
It means they’ve already finished preparing and now they’re driving in the final nail.
Isn’t this basically a declaration of war, saying they’re taking Daesang?!]
[Seo Hoyun is so fucking cool.
This is literally him saying he’s gonna eat the whole damn industry alive. Holy shit, from stumbling around in Second Chance to growing this much... I’m overwhelmed.]
[Idols care about image more than anyone, does that even make sense? LOL, but... fuck... when I think back to old Hoyun with zero brakes, raging without hesitation, it wouldn’t even be weird if the narration was literally, ‘I’ll take Daesang with this.’ Totally legit.
└ God, I miss the Shas era when he went no brakes calling out Today LOL]
No one knew the real meaning of, ‘This is our last,’ but the intent was obvious. Coming back three times in one year, their aim was crystal clear.
And fans weren’t stupid enough not to catch on. Hi-Five was a powerful rival, but The Dawn’s songs had always been better than expected, and their fandom was growing exponentially. The timing was perfect, neither too close nor too far from award season.
Then the highlight medley dropped, and the happiness circuits inside Noeul fans’ brains went wild.
[Just a glimpse of Level S2 and it’s already legendary!!! This is insane!!!!]
[I was already shaking during the teaser, but now after hearing the hara-me, this LaRa album is gonna be fucking amazing T_T]
[I was willing to forgive them if it was just a repack, but how the hell do they bring new songs every time... insane. How can you not love them...]
The title track, ‘Level S2,’ was a medium-tempo hip-hop song with a unique rhythm and addictive hook.
[Holy shit, those Second Chance losers came back with a song like this?]
[But the more I listen, the more it feels like they ditched their own color and are just chasing mainstream appeal. Not a fan.]
[You’re really jumping to conclusions after a few seconds? These days, who even wants “mainstream” from boy groups?]
[Forget that, I’ll just trust Kang Ichae.
Honestly, it doesn’t sound like they completely watered themselves down. To me, putting out something that appeals to the masses looks great—it’s idol-like.
└ True. Kang Ichae’s signature: slicing up beats with tricky little patterns, sneaking his taste in.
└└ Like a parent chopping carrots so fine their picky kid can’t even notice.
└└ What a metaphor LOL]
Naturally, Noeul’s attention shifted toward the soon-to-be-released track.
[The way they pronounce Level S2 is so sexy... I was listening in the living room with my family and almost dropped dead, had to rush for my earphones.
└ LOL just listen proudly, come on.]
[But why Level S2? The title’s weird, I froze for a second.]
[S2 is used to mean love, so maybe it’s a love song.
└ Just guessing from the concept photos, teaser, and hara-me, but... it feels oddly cold. Maybe they’re going for a bad boy vibe, pretending it’s love but it’s not really love.
└ Shit, idols daring to go bad boy concept...
I’m drooling...
└└ You’re always drooling, I think your salivary glands are broken.
└ LOLLLLL fuckkkkkk]
A few days later, the music video dropped.
[The MV is out!!!]
Fans rushed to YouTube and found the freshly uploaded video.
【THE DAWN – ‘Level S2’ Official Music Video】
Clicking with pounding hearts, they were met with a vast desert, painted in ashen blue under dawn.
[Hot damn, the opening’s like the teaser.]
From somewhere, “Our dazzling dawn’s song” echoed faintly, and the screen panned quickly over fading footprints in the sand.
【You promised me on the day the Milky Way fell】
Before a neon-pink half-dome arcade sign reading ‘Level S2,’ a man in a red jumper stood.
[That’s gotta be Seo Hoyun, since he never showed his face in the teaser.]
He entered through the glass doors, the camera following into the dark interior.
Past game machines, brushing by Kang Ichae, stopping at Jung Dajun frozen mid-motion with a giant toy gun. Then by Sung Jiwon gripping a controller, then past Kim Sunghyun standing at a claw machine. Sunghyun’s eyes rolled sideways after him.
【How can I live without you?】
The man stopped at one machine, pulled a small coin from his pocket, and slid it into the slot without hesitation.
【Always I—】
Cut.
The music stopped.
On the flickering CRT, broken letters appeared.
【 WARNING 】
【―...THE D■■N IS COMING】
【T■E DA■N ■S CO■ING】
【TH■ ■AWN I■ COMI■G】
【THE DA■N IS CO■ING―...】
The man kicked the machine.
【THE DAWN IS COMING !】
Every light blazed on.
Screens everywhere glitched before aligning on the same phrase.
【LEVEL S2】
Noise consumed the words, then vanished—revealing Jung Dajun. Wearing a headband and a loose anorak, blinking like he had just woken, he crouched in a sprinter’s stance and dove straight into the game screen.
【Stop buzzing off my head!】
Now, a rooftop under blazing sunlight. Dajun, now in a black turtleneck and bulletproof vest, lay prone aiming a rifle, mischief in his grin.
【Don’t overthink it, it’s my round】
With that warm, in-between tone—neither boy nor man—his voice opened the track. The heavy beat and offbeat tempo gave it a unique flavor.
Dajun narrowed one eye, aiming at a target marked ‘S2’ across the way.
He pulled the trigger.
【Blow away all complicated worries
This dawn, leave everything to me】
Clang!
The bullet hit glass in slow motion. Inside, Kang Ichae smirked.
【I know this doesn’t feel like a game
Even if it feels real, just ignore it】
Calmly turning away, Ichae swaggered down a chandelier-lined hall. People lining the walls stepped back and saluted him sharply.
【Don’t worry my love
Forget everything and just hold me tight】
At the end, beneath a mural, he grabbed a mannequin and began a waltz.
【Cut the useless words
Just tell me you love me
No hard talk tonight】
Their shadows danced across the walls.
【Just whisper endlessly to me】
As the beat pounded, the shot zoomed into a mirror inside a painting.
Rows of round mirrors appeared. Sung Jiwon sat in a vintage chair, legs crossed, tilting his head.
【But let’s keep it under level S2
So we can break the letters before it gets too deep】
Nothing reflected in the spinning mirrors.
【Don’t ask, just dance with me Babe
Tomorrow I’ll say I love you, maybe】
With a faint smile, Jiwon rose. The mirrors crashed outward, shattering. The floor folded in, flipping the scene to a grimy back alley. Kim Sunghyun, in a leather biker jacket, perched on a motorcycle.
【Stop word games, I just wanna dance
Before we get too serious at the end
Don’t ask, just dance with me Babe】
His low voice contrasted sharply with Jiwon’s clarity, pulling the listener deeper in.
【Like it’s our last
Dawn belongs to us alone】
Frowning faintly, Sunghyun started the bike. The headlight flared, transforming into a projector beam.
Now an old theater, red seats glowing. Only Seo Hoyun sat there.
【Like a broken machine spinning
Your color was the only one in this gray world】
In a dark navy suit, cold-faced, he leaned his chin on his hand. On screen, The Dawn laughed and played.
Water seeped in from below. Hoyun kept staring ahead.
【Let’s keep it under Level S2
Before I find meaning in numbers】
Crack-crash.
【Let’s not call it love
Before I drown in tired words】
Water rose to his ankles, then higher. The theater doors burst, torrents flooding in, swallowing him. Bubbles slipped from his lips.
Woooong.
Woooong.
The song still played, muffled underwater.
Images of the other members, eyes closed, sinking, crossed with Hoyun’s.
Then, at the deepest black, Hoyun’s eyes opened.
“—Cough, cough...”
He was back in the arcade.
Water dripped from his red jumper. He staggered up, clutching his head. Around him, the machines and members were frozen again, as when he first entered.
He pushed wet bangs back.
【.......】
Then, with a crooked grin, he grabbed a champagne bottle from nowhere, shook it, and—
【It’s Dawn!】
—burst it toward the ceiling.
Foam sprayed. Sunghyun flinched back.
Then Jiwon, Ichae, and Dajun stirred, coming alive again.
【Don’t ask, just dance with me Babe
Like it’s our last
Dawn belongs to us alone】
The scene shifted. Outside the arcade, Hoyun and Jiwon clasped hands and spun playfully. Ichae shoved Dajun in a cart. Sunghyun stood aside, sipping from a cactus-garnished drink, watching them.
【Forget everything and just grab my waist
Just remember, keep it under level S2】
Dajun pulled out a Polaroid, grinning, calling the others over. After setting the timer, they rushed together. The flash popped.
【Let’s keep it under level S2!
Dawn belongs to us alone】
Another flash—and the arcade went dark again.
Bzzz—
Bzzz—
Only soaked machines hissed eerie static.
The screen rewound along their footprints. A Polaroid photo fluttered into view, stuck against the lens. Slanted scribbles read:
[You said it’s love!]
Flipping over, neat handwriting said:
[What did you expect?]
Encrypted numbers filled the black screen.
【―...121 101 115】
【105 032 108 111 118 101 032 121 111 117 032 097 115 032 097 108 119 097 121 115―....】
Then the title struck. From their toes to their throats, Noeul fans froze, shivers flooding their bodies.
【 Level S2 】
Dawn had returned.
