Even though Christmas had passed, the fir trees still filled the streets, and outdated carols were playing in the background.
As always, the closer it got to December 31, the more people filled the internet with restless sighs and year-end reflections.
[Wow, this year went by so fast
..Guys, I went through so much this year..]
[Wait, tomorrow I turn a year older? What the hell?]
[Age is just a number for us
But? If they officially implement international age, I won’t complain
└LMAOOOOOO clearly happy about it, huh
└“Regressing back one year, how troublesome,” he says lolol]
Meanwhile, Noeul fans were immune to year-end depression, spending every day in bliss.
[Title: Three steps, one more The Dawn.
Ahhh—.
If I told the me from three years ago
That the idol you love would become the next Black Call,
I’d have called myself insane and told me to shut up.
But now?
The Dawn is literally everywhere...
Miracles are real, oh my god.
└Thinking about the fans who supported them back when they were a four-member group lolol
They used to post thank-you notes every thirty minutes after they started getting noticed lolol
└└They still do it...
└└Unbelievable...
└└They just changed it to every fifteen minutes now
└└Ah f*** LMAOOOOOOOO]
[Title: Funniest public image right now = Kim Sunghyun.
Him becoming the nation’s son-in-law after Healing Life aired is hilarious.
└Makes sense, though.
Polite, respectful, does chores well, clever, with just enough teasing charm. Perfect.
└My mom says every time he’s on TV, “My daughter needs to marry someone like him...”
└Noeul fans are losing it.
They should be proud his fame grew after that variety show,
But they’re chewing their nails because of the ‘son-in-law’ memes.
└└They’re opening soju bottles going, ‘I even imagined our honeymoon,’ lmao
└└LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL]
[Title: The Dawning members joined Healing Life to support Sunghyun.
But the moment they appeared,
“A~~~~ Isn’t that our national son-in-law~~~~!” they shouted.
└Never miss an opening, those hyenas.
└Jung Dajun’s vocal volume LOLOL he could post a live notice himself.
└Sunghyun’s completely unbothered, that’s what’s killing me.
They’re yelling, “Son-in-law~ marry me~” and he’s just like, “Oh, you came?”
└└At this point, nothing fazes him.]
[Title: Sunghyun’s fans (Sung-prs) are so bitter right now.
They say teasing him isn’t as fun anymore.
At the concert, they even held up a banner of his old embarrassing moment and he didn’t flinch.]
After their two-day concert, The Dawn seemed to enjoy a short vacation.
Rumors spread that Kim Sunghyun and Sung Jiwon each dined with their families, while Jung Dajun and Kang Ichae were photographed laughing together in a PC café.
And naturally, there was news about Seo Hoyun too.
[Title: I saw Seo Hoyun at the end of the year.
On the west coast
└I saw him too.
He was with some guy, don’t know who.
└└Joo Woosung?
└└LOOOL If it was Joo Woosung, I’d have recognized him!!! LOLOL
└└The way people always assume he’s hanging out with Joo Woosung whenever they hear Hoyun went somewhere haha
└└They really only have each other as idol friends haha]
[Title: I saw another photo—
That guy wasn’t a celebrity, it was his younger brother.
└Wait, Seo Hoyun has a brother?
└└You missed that? He got famous again because of his award speech.
└└There are photos of his brother floating around too.]
[Title: They went to the beach together huh,
Just like he said in his speech, they spent it together.
If you’re happy, I’m happy T_T♡♡♡
└This about Seo Hoyun? LOLOL
That guy’s such a show-off.
└└Right?? The vague comment sparked all kinds of fan theories LOLOL looks like he’s enjoying it;;
└└(Comment deleted)
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└└Noeul... where do they even learn this level of verbal combat
They mellowed out but damn their fighting spirit’s still alive
└└See a hate comment and they charge like wasps
└└LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO]
Still, The Dawn’s fans avoided digging too deep. They already knew what kind of backlash would follow.
Time passed, and by December 31, SNS and community sites were filled, as usual, with talk about the Year-End Song Festival.
[Are Black Call and Hi-Five performing?
└Black Call no, Hi-Five yes
└└Oh okay okay]
[Mars is performing too.
Seeing the Shas alumni all doing well makes me feel like hard work really pays off.]
[Yeonri’s solo debut song is amazing, pure 2000s Y2K vibes.]
[We’re living in another idol golden age with Hi-Five, I swear.
└President of the middle schoolers, for real.]
The running order wasn’t leaked, but Noeul fans didn’t mind.
[Since Black Call isn’t attending, our boys are closing for sure, right?]
All signs pointed to The Dawn being the finale.
[Sung Jiwon said he’s been practicing something for PopPop, told us to look forward to it haha]
[So maybe it’s a rearranged version?]
Everyone had the broadcast running in the background, half-distracted—until suddenly,
[HOLY SH*T!!!!!!!!!!!!]
An hour and a half in, The Dawn’s special stage appeared out of nowhere.
【THE DAWN – Special Stage】
The song was Cinderella, a dance hit by solo artist Kelsey that had taken the nation by storm years ago.
[I’m so happy I’m losing my mind]
[How did they know Cinderella is my favorite song]
[Love idols who never forget their roots]
[Even after hitting Billboard, they’re doing a sexy female solo cover. Thank you.]
[Wait, there’s that tango part in Cinderella—
Who’s playing Kelsey? Please, tell me.]
The opening was Seo Hoyun.
【It’s not midnight yet】
Standing center stage, Hoyun drew a small circle to his right with his thumb and forefinger like a clock’s hand, smiling slyly. A jewel shaped like a teardrop glittered beneath his left eye.
[Oh my god, Seo Hoyun, you’re an idol, period.]
[He’s glowing again lately, what the hell.]
[He’s thriving, his main job skills are insane.]
[Guess living in the practice room paid off, the quality’s unreal.]
[These members’ skill levels, Jesus LOOOLLLLL]
[Hoyun’s dancing is on another level
└Effort never betrays...
└Joo Woosung: ?
└Kim Sunghyun: ?
└└Ugh LOOOOOLLL smug non-humans, every one of them haha]
Even though they clearly hadn’t had much prep time, every move hit precisely on beat.
When the tango section came, Sung Jiwon and Kang Ichae took the center.
[Holy sh*t, Ichae’s Kelsey and Jiwon’s the backup dancer part LOOOOLLLL]
[How did they even decide that?
Ichae definitely volunteered.]
[I bet Jiwon wanted to be Kelsey too but lost rock-paper-scissors LMAOOOOOOO]
【Can you kiss me gently?】
Spinning Kang Ichae by the waist, Sung Jiwon lifted one hand to pull back his leather jacket while Ichae exposed his shoulder and winked at the camera.
[That’s so slick LOOOOLL what a duo.]
[Kang Ichae’s job satisfaction is at 200%.]
【We’re focusing on our time alone】
As the violin tempo quickened, the sensual choreography intensified—yet everyone’s attention drifted to Kim Sunghyun at the back.
[Why’s everyone looking at him?]
[??? Isn’t Sunghyun just backup?]
At the climax—the famous tango break from Cinderella—Kim Sunghyun grabbed Jung Dajun’s hand and spun forward.
[Oh my god]
Then, standing close to him, he swept a hand down the maknae’s shoulder to his waist, snapping his hips sharply.
[Ahahahahaha]
[So Sunghyun’s Kelsey too LMAOOOOO]
[This is worth the wait LOOOOLLLLLL]
[The choreography lineup is pure chaos—Sunghyun avoiding the maknae’s eyes is killing me LOOOOLLLLLL]
【Before it strikes midnight
Leave behind a single shoe】
Bending at the waist, Kim Sunghyun slid his hand down from thigh to ankle like he was taking off a shoe, his ears flushed bright red.
[Trying to focus on the leader’s dance lines but the other members are cracking up in the back LOOOOOLLLLL]
[LOLOLOL Sung Jiwon’s smiling so hard in the corner while still dancing LOOOOOLLLLLLL]
But Jung Dajun, unlike the others, didn’t smile at all. He tilted his chin and raised his brows in deadly seriousness.
[Holy sh*t, Dajun’s expression acting is insane.]
[I keep forgetting he’s our baby when he does that.]
[Our kid’s a pro, seriously.]
Then Seo Hoyun glanced their way, grabbed Kim Sunghyun’s wrist, and pulled him close until their breaths nearly touched, lowering his gaze toward the front camera.
【Can you kiss me gently?】
[That crazy bastard.]
[This madman.]
[Please, I beg you, stop.]
【We’re focusing on our time alone】
Kim Sunghyun’s horrified face said it all as he pushed Hoyun away. Hoyun chuckled, turning smoothly on his heel.
[That push was part of the choreo but the way he actually shoved him LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[Sunghyun, you put force into that LOOOOoOOLLLLLl]
[Captured it immediately and replaying—Hoyun striding off after turning, he’s pure charisma T_T]
[I might faint.
How did we deserve this on a year-end broadcast, not even a fan meeting?]
The Dawn gathered center stage, forming the shape of a clock hand with their fingers for the ending pose.
The final shot was Seo Hoyun winking at Kim Sunghyun before the bright lights dimmed.
***
“Ah~, that was fun.”
This is what makes being an idol worth it.
After enjoying Hi-Five and the other groups’ performances, I headed back to the stage for the final countdown. Beside me, Kim Sunghyun muttered, head down, still sulking.
“...Was that fun for you, Seo Hoyun?”
“Fun? Hmm... I’d say adorable.”
“It’s terrifying how used to your nonsense I’ve become.”
Dragging the enlightened-looking Sunghyun up the steps, I saw the triangular light sticks shimmering blue like ocean waves.
“Everyone— let’s do the countdown together!”
Following the MC’s excited shout, every artist on stage jumped and shouted numbers.
“Three, two...!”
Finally, the year was ending.
“One!! Happy New Year!!”
“Please take care of us this year too!!”
I waved to the Noeul fans and turned around, just in time to lock eyes with Kang Yeonhoo whispering to Hi-Five members as he descended backstage.
‘Kang Yeonhoo, really.’
A new year, a new start.
Normally, I’d ignore him—but even he looked a little excited, smiling with his eyes.
Cameras were everywhere, after all.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I returned to the waiting room, packed up my things, and headed toward the parking lot. The place was packed with people leaving the venue.
“Excuse us, coming through!”
Thanks to Kim Sunghyun’s shout, staff and idols made space, and we finally squeezed into the van.
Fastening my seatbelt, I sighed quietly while the others still buzzed with leftover excitement.
“Hey Dajun, how old are you now?”
“Twenty-three!”
“Wow~, our baby’s still a kid~!”
“My age... really matters here...?”
Dajun frowned slightly.
Poor kid—Sunghyun, Jiwon, and Ichae would probably call him “baby” even when he hit thirty.
“Anyway, sometimes I get scared. Twenty-three and already closing the year-end stage? What’ll I even be doing five years from now?!”
“Still being Jung Dajun, probably...”
Unfazed by Sunghyun’s deadpan answer, Dajun started declaring that next year, even if Black Call returned, they’d win the finale slot purely on skill. Then he suddenly looked around.
“Hey, what about you guys? When we win the Grand Prize next week, what’ll you do?!”
Before anyone could answer, a camera flash went off. I turned, squinting, to see Kang Ichae smiling as he pulled a photo from a Polaroid camera.
“Then we’ll have to thank Noeul~.”
He said it ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) lightly, replying to Dajun while shoving the photo toward me.
“Tada, how is it? Looks good, right?”
“It’s blurry as hell.”
“Ah! That’s because only good people can see it clearly~.”
I ignored that nonsense, but he just laughed, shaking the photo until it developed.
When he showed it again, the image was sharper—me, smiling as I looked at Dajun.
Lifting my gaze from the photo, my eyes met his.
“See? Told you.”
Kang Ichae’s eyes curved into crescents.
“In the end, it came out beautifully.”
