At Seo Hoyun’s warning-that-wasn’t-a-warning, everyone’s expressions froze.
But Hoyun only smiled faintly, then stood, walked to the staff waiting at the arcade entrance, and accepted a slip of paper.
“I’ll go first.”
He waved the slip lightly, then walked out.
“......”
【Seo Hoyun departs for mission location!】
A moment of silence swept through the members before they huddled together for an emergency meeting.
“Who pissed off Hoyun-hyung?!”
“Whoever didn’t wash the dishes yesterday, confess now.”
At Kim Sunghyun’s words, Sung Jiwon’s eyes immediately flicked toward Kang Ichae. Then both Dajun’s and Sunghyun’s followed.
“What, what, what.”
Brushing them off brusquely, Ichae ignored the dishwashing part and continued.
“Anyway, looks like Hoyun-hyung’s acting solo... so should we all band together and push Sunghyun-hyung to 1st?”
“Totally agree!”
“God, I want that more than anything.”
Both Jung Dajun and Kim Sunghyun quickly agreed, determined that there was no way in hell Seo Hoyun could be allowed to win this self-produced content. Only Sung Jiwon sat calm and smiling serenely. Ichae narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood and asked,
“Hyung, want to come with me?”
“Mhm, sure.”
Exchanging brief glances, the members all left in a rush. Ichae, holding his mission slip, exited the arcade and moved elsewhere.
【Enter Avatar Room to the right of the arcade.
※Group only】
“Oh, it’s close.”
Trailing behind, Sung Jiwon peeked over Ichae’s shoulder and read the posted instructions aloud.
“Imitate Seo Hoyun’s words and actions. The closer your portrayal is judged to reality by the staff, the more bonus points you get...?”
Their eyes met briefly.
Taking a seat first, Jiwon rubbed the back of his neck slowly.
“Hmm... then I’ll try first.”
Looking a little troubled, he furrowed his pretty brows, hesitated, then opened his mouth.
“...Sung Jiwon, you sing pretty well.”
【?】
A small question mark popped up in the captions.
Then, stroking his chin, Jiwon added seriously,
“Why are you doing this? Tell someone else to.”
【Is this really The Dawn’s Seo Hoyun’s usual speech and behavior...?】
“...Is that right? What else does Hoyun-hyung say?”
The unexpected portrayal left the staff, holding their xylophone mallets, awkward and hesitant. One asked carefully,
“That was really something he said?”
“Yes, everything I said I’ve heard from him...”
“Uh, is there... another version?”
“...Another version?”
Jiwon hummed softly, tilted his head, then smirked with one corner of his mouth like Hoyun would.
“...Sung Jiwon, sometimes you’re ridiculous.”
[Wait, that’s all he ever # Nоvеlight # says???]
[Feels like instead of blood, Hoyun’s body is flowing with romance-drama male lead lines...]
Watching the whole thing unfold, Kang Ichae raised his hand lazily, face clearly unimpressed.
“Ichae Ichae will do it.”
At the staff’s cue, he brushed his hair back and lowered his voice, starting his imitation.
“Kang Ichae, get your ass here now.”
“Hahaha, nice~.”
“Seriously, he sounds just like him.”
Laughter spread quickly.
But Ichae’s face never changed. He just kept copying Hoyun.
“You really—...”
The moment he opened his mouth again, the footage fast-forwarded violently, with captions rolling up from the bottom.
...—Kang Ichae, are you out of your mind?
Joking? What? Stop acting like some boomer. You’re barely legal, why don’t you ever listen to your hyung? If you’ve got a problem, eat more rice cake soup and grow taller. Stop whining and get back to work. You think this’ll do? The chorus doesn’t stick. No impact at all. Already forgotten. Do it again. Again, again, again. Again, again—————....
“......”
Jiwon’s smile faltered. The laughter thinned out.
[Ichae... what kind of life do you live with Hoyun every day...]
Crossing his right leg, smirk plastered, Ichae looked at Jiwon and added with a nail-in-the-coffin tone,
“Jiwon, don’t think you can win this.”
[I swear, I just felt overwhelming fear.
For a second, I really saw Seo Hoyun in Ichae.]
“Uh, that, um...”
“What? You have to say it.”
“...Wow, Ichae, you’re actually really good.”
Blinking in flustered awe, Jiwon muttered softly.
[Why the hell would you compliment him now]
[God, you’re all psychos... and that’s why I love you, so cute...]
【Kang Ichae wins overwhelming staff judgment. Gains 1 bonus point + 1 participation point = 2 points total.】
【Sung Jiwon gains 1 participation point.】
Checking the result, Ichae rose with ease.
“Hyung, next support Sunghyun-hyung well. I’m going to block Hoyun-hyung.”
“Oh, okay. Got it.”
As he left, he turned back at the doorway, holding it with one hand.
“...Sung Jiwon, I believe you’ll do well.”
“Haha, still copying Hoyun?”
Scrunching his nose, Jiwon gave a bright smile.
“Yeah, I’ll do well. But Hoyun-ah, can you really beat Sunghyun? Everyone’s gunning for you.”
“Don’t worry.”
Ichae’s lips curved, his eyes flashing sharp.
“—I never fight battles I can’t win.”
It was exactly the same look Hoyun showed whenever he was most confident.
As Ichae’s figure strode quickly away, Jiwon stared wide-eyed.
“Wow...”
Then, touching his lips, he murmured,
“For a moment... he really looked like Hoyun. Kinda cool...”
【What part of that is supposed to be cool?】
[What the fuck is with these captions LMAOOOOOOOOOO]
[Captions going rogue LOOOOLLLLLLLLLL]
Shaking his head, Jiwon quickly moved to the next mission spot.
The screen transitioned smoothly to a survival paintball field outside Seoul.
【Be the last one standing – Paintball Survival】
There, already arrived after finishing a mini-game, was Kim Sunghyun.
“Oh, Jiwon, you’re here?”
“Yeah.”
Jiwon wasn’t as desperate as the others to push Sunghyun into 1st, but he still nodded obediently and shared what he knew.
Grabbing safety vests, they moved forward as words floated onscreen and the scene shifted again.
【Meanwhile, the group’s elephant maknae...?】
“...Hoo.”
Hidden among trees, wrapped in camo netting and green face paint, looking barely like an idol, Jung Dajun appeared.
“For the peace of our dorm...”
[Oh no.]
Just as he declared peace, Noeul fans online were anything but peaceful.
[Do you want us to make memes or not]
[Jung Dajun, are you kidding me]
[You’re an idol]
[LOOOLL Noeul’s collective rage hahaha]
【He simply did not want to lose...】
“Dajun-ssi, what the hell are you wearing?”
“A net that helps me merge with the surroundings. Found it in that warehouse over there. Said I could borrow it with premium service.”
Grinning, he hoisted the gear used for artillery concealment, wrapped himself more thoroughly, and crawled to scout the area.
“I can’t afford to fail. This is basically my theme this comeback! Besides, I already talked with Ichae-hyung and Sunghyun-hyung.”
[Wait, don’t tell me you mean that gun-shooting bit from the MV]
[Please give me back my baby elephant T_T]
“Even if I can’t watch dramas for two weeks, isn’t that better than hearing the leader say ‘I love you’ every night?”
[Look at him suddenly dead serious]
[Look at him suddenly talking like Hoyun]
[So you really don’t want to hear it, huh...]
Whispering, eyes darting, he scanned intensely.
[But does our puppy not suspect Ichae might betray him?
└That’s what I’m saying, he’d be scary good at it.]
Just then, a rustle.
Dajun narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his gun, sighting his target. The camera focus shifted—and showed Sunghyun.
One eye closed, gauging timing, Dajun bent his finger slowly.
[Ooooh, betrayal?!]
Then—
Tak!
—He pulled the trigger.
The game spun in a direction no one expected. Then, realizing too late, Dajun dropped his gun with an “oops” face.
“Ah! I wasn’t supposed to shoot Sunghyun-hyung, but it just slipped!”
[Definitely not strategist material]
[LMAOOOOOOOOOO he’s insane]
[LOOOLLLLLL come on, it did slip LOOOLLLL]
But when the screen cut, the one rolling on the ground was Sung Jiwon. He had sensed something wrong and pulled Sunghyun aside, taking the hit himself.
【Sung Jiwon eliminated!】
“Jiwon!!”
“Sunghyun-ah...”
Clutching his heart with one hand, groaning, he gripped Sunghyun’s shoulder with the other.
“Kim Sunghyun.”
Normally, Sunghyun would’ve snapped, “Why the hell would you do that too?!” But seeing Jiwon sacrifice himself for him, his eyes glistened as he stayed still.
“Leave me and go. Hurry.”
“Hey, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
A faint smile flickered on Jiwon’s face.
“You didn’t want to do the punishment, right.”
“......!”
Sunghyun’s mouth parted slowly. Jiwon’s hand patted his shoulder in steady rhythm.
“Don’t look back. Just run.”
Sunghyun closed his eyes once, then opened them with a firm set jaw.
“Before this effort goes to waste.”
At Jiwon’s words, he nodded solemnly and rose.
Swept up in the atmosphere, the leader of The Dawn never noticed the tiny quiver at the corner of his opponent’s lips.
[What’s gotten into Jiwon lately]
[He’s totally infected by Ichae]
[Shouldn’t Hoyun’s punishment have gone to Jiwon instead...
└True.]
[God, Sunghyun’s way too naïve to survive...]
From behind a tree, Dajun sighed in relief seeing Sunghyun’s vest still clean.
“Phew, at least it’s somewhat under control...”
But hadn’t they said? The moment you think you’re safest is when danger strikes.
Pop!
A paintball burst across Sunghyun’s back. His gray vest stained red.
【Kim Sunghyun eliminated!】
“What the—?!”
As Sunghyun exclaimed, alarms rang in Dajun’s head. He scrambled to run, but the netting wrapped around him tripped him up. He rolled clumsily—
Tak!
Bang!
A red mark spread across his chest.
【Jung Dajun eliminated!】
Still spinning, he froze, staring down at the stain. He hadn’t sensed the opponent at all.
Then, the bushes stirred.
“Elephant.”
A pile of leaves rose, and a familiar low voice whispered at his ear.
A hand brushed away dead leaves, and Dajun’s eyes widened in horror.
“No way...”
Seo Hoyun, hidden in ghillie suit camouflage, smirked with his trademark half-smile.
“Shame all that effort went to waste.”
[What the fuck, why the ghillie suit]
Puffed cheeks, Dajun shrieked.
“Hyung, what the hell are you wearing!!”
[And you thought your netting was fine???]
‘Me? You?’ Hoyun answered the nonsense with only a cold stare, brushing leaves off his gun.
“Kang Ichae. Where the hell is that bastard.”
