Chapter 273: Chapter 273

“This is some good ASMR.”

He said it with an unbelievable straight face.

Kang Ichae, holding my surround noise-canceling headset, looked completely defeated.

“...Does Hoyun-hyung even have any sense of shame left?”

“That’s what I’m saying... He’s actually scary now....”

Kang Ichae also failed miserably.

Kim Sunghyun, exchanging glances with Sung Jiwon, decided that it was better to get it over with first. He stepped forward, but, unable to think of anything, just paced around inside his room.

“—Hey, do you like Rubik’s cubes?”

Startled by Seo Hoyun’s voice behind him, Kim Sunghyun spun around. Seo Hoyun was standing by his bed, staring at the cube sitting there.

“...No. I mean, I just bought it, but I can’t solve it....”

“Really? Want me to show you something cool?”

Before handing it over, Kim Sunghyun twisted the cube a few more times on purpose. Seo Hoyun took it, studied its six sides for just a moment, then smirked and started moving his hands.

In his long, pale fingers, the 3x3 Rubik’s Cube was solved in an instant.

[What the fuck holy shit]

The colors aligned, and the cube returned to its perfect state. A caption appeared: ‘Total time: 24 seconds.’ Then, the footage fast-forwarded, showing the original recording.

An arrow pointed at the timer on the top of the screen, emphasizing once more that it had really only taken 24 seconds.

With no real expectations, Kim Sunghyun widened his eyes in shock, turning the cube over in his hands.

“Wow, how did you do it so fast? That’s insane.”

“There’s a trick to everything.”

“...That’s kind of cool??”

Excited, Kim Sunghyun forgot all about what he’d been trying to do and just kept complimenting him. Seo Hoyun stared at him blankly for a moment before letting out a small laugh.

And then he smacked Sunghyun on the forehead with his palm.

He knew exactly what would make Sunghyun embarrassed and pissed off.

[LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL holy shit hahahahahahaha]

[This crazy bastard hahahaha the way he pulls aggro is on another level]

Kim Sunghyun blinked blankly at the sudden attack, then his face turned bright red.

The footage cut to Jung Dajun’s interview.

“I think Hoyun-hyung lives just to tease people.”

Then it cross-cut to Seo Hoyun’s own interview.

“I’m grateful to them. They really follow along well.”

[LMAOOOOOO he says he’s grateful while handing out shit sandwiches hahahahaha

└He’s the kind of guy who’d send an email titled ‘I’m sending you this because I have something to give you,’ and it’s just a turd hahahahaha]

[HAHAHAHAHA I told you, our bunny doesn’t hold back...]

[At this point, it feels like he knows every scheme the members are cooking up behind his back hahahahaha]

By now, new Noeul fans were getting confused.

[Seo Hoyun... was his image always ?]

[Wait, our baby soft bunny... was actually a mischievous rascal?

└No, no, he’s just now because he’s close with the members. When he first debuted, he was an icy cold chic guy.]

The veteran fans quickly rushed to post old clips of The Dawn’s earliest days.

Meanwhile, the documentary dutifully moved on to Sung Jiwon’s personal interview.

Jiwon glanced over at Seo Hoyun, who was nearby watching the others’ interviews, then smiled brightly.

“Hoyun is really kind and warm-hearted!!”

Seo Hoyun, caught on camera, kept a blank face—but the look in his eyes screamed disbelief.

[HAHAHAHAHA how is he saying that with Hoyun sitting right there hahahaha]

[Even Hoyun looks dumbfounded... is Jiwon full of prejudices or free of them entirely...?]

Even Noeul fans were amazed at Sung Jiwon’s sunshine aura.

[Honestly, doesn’t that mean Jiwon wins this bet?]

[Yeah... without Jiwon’s sunshine power, how else can you actually shake Hoyun?]

But Sung Jiwon’s words weren’t calculated; he was just naturally like that. He hadn’t even started trying to mess with Seo Hoyun yet.

Even after all the interviews were over and it was bedtime, the members still loitered in the living room, unwilling to go.

Seo Hoyun was lounging on the sofa with his usual calm expression. The other members stayed put, waiting for the chance to see him caught off guard.

Having organized his plan in his head, Sung Jiwon carefully began.

“I’ve been struggling lately.”

“No matter how hard I practice, I never feel satisfied. I’m always tense.”

【Seo Hoyun shows a little interest.】

[This is turning into less of a documentary and more of a massive ‘Screw Hoyun Project’]

[That’s what I’m saying, but it’s too damn entertaining]

“I keep °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° worrying... What if I make a mistake? What if I’m not good enough....”

He wasn’t confident in acting, but he’d learned the basics at his previous agency. He knew exactly what expression to wear.

Seo Hoyun always took these kinds of topics seriously, too.

“Yeah. Noeul said they’re sad.”

Seo Hoyun straightened up and met his eyes.

“I heard from the company. You’re doing fine, but you’re so hard on yourself that it makes Noeul sad.”

The completely unexpected response left Jiwon a little flustered. He’d only meant to toss out bait to provoke Seo Hoyun, but instead, he got a serious answer back.

He even started wondering if Noeul really did feel that way.

“Noeul... said they’re sad...?”

He didn’t notice the glance Seo Hoyun and Kang Ichae exchanged.

The fans watching through the screen were just as dumbfounded.

[I mean... sometimes I do worry he’s pushing himself too hard, but that’s just his personality...]

[I’d like it if he could relax more, but I also love Jiwon being strict with himself. No need to change...]

[The weirdest part is Hoyun saying this, though. What’s going on here?]

While Sung Jiwon was lost in thought, Seo Hoyun scanned the members.

“So, how about this—we boost our self-esteem a bit? Let’s all go around and compliment ourselves.”

“Hell yeah! The handsome rapper can’t sit this one out.”

Before anyone else could react, Kang Ichae leapt to his feet.

“First of all, I’m The Dawn’s most handsome member~! I’m cool, and I write great songs too!”

“Okay, that’s enough out of Kang Ichae. Kim Sunghyun.”

Seo Hoyun ignored his self-praise completely, moving straight on to the next person.

[HAHAHAHA shut Ichae down immediately, his self-esteem’s already maxed out]

[Look at Dajun bouncing in his seat, getting hyped up to say his turn, he’s so damn cute T_T]

“Pick the part of your body you’re most confident about.”

To help the flustered Sunghyun, Seo Hoyun kindly prompted him.

Sunghyun’s eyes darted nervously as he mumbled. Seo Hoyun gave no reaction whatsoever and coldly turned to the next target.

[LOOOOL why ask if you’re not even going to react]

[Seo Hoyun really is the king of trolling. Poor Sunghyun gets baited every damn time T_T]

The next was Sung Jiwon.

Dajun egged him on from the side.

“Hyung! Say you’re handsome! Say you’re almost as handsome as Dajun!”

“Uh, well... I’m... I’m h-handsome, and...”

“...And I sing... not too badly...”

Embarrassed, his ears turned redder with each word.

Seo Hoyun chimed in after every line.

When Jiwon finally clammed up, Hoyun prodded again.

“Jiwon, you’ve gotta mention the parts fans love too.”

Jiwon froze. Seo Hoyun scrunched his nose playfully at him.

Realizing what he meant, Jiwon gasped, hesitated, then shut his eyes tight and shouted:

“My mole on my nose bridge...!”

“M-My mole on my nose bridge is cute!!”

Jiwon’s voice echoed through the dorm’s living room.

Satisfied with getting the clip he wanted, Seo Hoyun stood up with a grin, no hesitation.

Naturally, Kang Ichae stood up too.

Sung Jiwon’s eyes widened in shock as he hurriedly grabbed Seo Hoyun’s arm.

“H-Hoyun. What was that? Why aren’t you doing it?”

Seo Hoyun tilted his head slightly, pushing his bangs back.

“Because it was bullshit. That’s why.”

Then he curved his lips at Sung Jiwon.

It was the very smile that had once earned him the nickname “Binggeurae” during his PD days.

“Are you always this naïve?”

[LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL]

[Look at Kang Ichae cracking up next to him saying Jiwon’s mole is cute, god he’s so petty hahahaha. They say he’s been bickering with Jiwon a lot lately, looks like he was just waiting to ambush him hahahahaha]

[So this bastard is the one who led the whole ‘let’s shake Hoyun’ plan, and then he just backstabs hahahahaha they’re eating each other alive, it’s a damn jungle hahahaha]

As Kang Ichae and Seo Hoyun disappeared into their rooms, Sung Jiwon finally came back to his senses and followed behind Hoyun.

Meanwhile, Kim Sunghyun stood frozen, stiff as a board, muttering quietly.

“Why the hell did I have to do it?”

“...Stay strong, hyung.”

The maknae’s gentle pat landed on Sunghyun’s shoulder.

[HAHAHAHAHAHA why the hell did Kim Sunghyun have to do it hahahaha]

[The Dawn is so consistent, it’s insane.....]

Then, Seo Hoyun’s solo interview cut in.

【The staff directly asked Seo Hoyun if all this was done to ease Sung Jiwon’s nerves.】

“Oh, that? No. He hasn’t been nervous lately. We’ve lived together long enough now. I can tell just by looking at his face.”

With a warm, affable smile, Hoyun added:

“I just wanted to tease him.”

At that, the new Noeul fans who had been insisting “Hoyun is kind and gentle” finally had to accept the truth. Some still clung to the “angel Hoyun” image, but many gave in.

[So our baby bunny Hoyun is... actually a crazy bastard... I see now...]

The veteran fans were delighted to watch the newbies finally face reality.

[New Noeul: Hoyun is an angel, so soft and gentle

Old Noeul: (grimacing, indigestion)

New Noeul: Hoyun is actually a crazy bastard

Old Noeul: (big smile, digestion perfect)

└HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]

After that, the documentary showed The Dawn working hard, pouring their hearts into their album.

The screen faded to black, staff credits rolled, and just when everyone thought it was over—

“Are we still rolling?”

It was Kim Sunghyun’s voice.

[Whoa there’s more??]

Extra interviews had been added at the end, revealing each member’s feelings and inner thoughts from their time together—proof of why people couldn’t help but love them.

Kim Sunghyun nervously fiddled with his fingers before speaking.

“I just want to keep doing well with the members for a long time. Not every day will be happy, but no matter what happens, I want us to laugh and get through it together.”

Next came Kang Ichae, saying he wanted to stay healthy and have fun with his hyungs and their maknae. Then Jung Dajun, saying he just wanted to live each day earnestly.

And then—Seo Hoyun appeared.

【First day of documentary filming.】

Sitting in a chair, Seo Hoyun answered a few questions, then dropped his gaze slightly.

“At first, I thought, ‘I absolutely have to keep my head straight. I have to do well. As long as they follow me, we’ll succeed.’ Maybe it sounds childish, but honestly, I was confident. I thought if they just listened to me, we’d make it.”

In the shadows, Hoyun’s expression felt strangely unfamiliar.

“But... maybe I was foolish. No one can do everything alone. From the start, our members were all so talented, I could rely on them a lot. They’re all so capable on their own. Maybe that’s why...”

After speaking without hesitation, Hoyun paused, then let a faint smile tug at his lips.

“Now, I feel reassured, like they could handle anything without me. And I like that.”

Then, in a lighter tone, he added:

“Of course, I still have to do my best. To the very end.”

【When asked to sum up what The Dawn means to him in a single phrase, Seo Hoyun bursts into laughter.】

Lifting his eyes, Hoyun looked straight into the camera.

“They’re a dawn I’ll have to send off without regret.”

The final interviewee was Sung Jiwon.

【We showed Seo Hoyun’s answer to Sung Jiwon.】

“He said that? That’s unexpected...”

Jiwon thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“But that’s true, too.”

His gentle gaze met the lens.

“After all, we’re going to face a new rising sun every day.”

The screen faded out on Sung Jiwon’s bright smile.

As the subtitle “From Dawn to Dawn” appeared, Noeul fans’ hearts swelled with emotion.

[I never thought Hoyun would think ... I did figure he was a perfectionist, but it seems like he’s been carrying this huge burden of having to be perfect T_T]

[Yeah... maybe that’s the celebrity emptiness. He tried not to show it, but there were times when he zoned out more than usual. He probably thought of it as a weakness and pretended to be fine T_T]

[It’s so like Hoyun to say he wants to do things perfectly so he won’t regret them... and Jiwon’s final words, god... I love them both...] The most update n0vels are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥

As the documentary ended with the members’ heartfelt interviews, Noeul fans were left in tears of joy.

[Still, I’m glad he’s back to bickering with the members these days. When Hoyun’s happy, those photos are legendary. The first concert was peak...

└That was the time he smiled the most in photos... his whole face changes when he smiles, it’s so warm and cute T_T

└└Yeah, and lately they’ve been gaining so many new fans. Their activities are booming... It feels like the perfect timing for another concert T_T]

While fans were still caught in the lingering emotions of the documentary, making endless clips of the key scenes, The Dawn’s official SNS posted a photo with the words Coming Soon.

[Holy shit what’s this]

[What? What is it? Are they doing something??]

[Can I hope?? Can I hope it’s a concert?? Daepaseong!!! I’m not even asking for Gocheok Dome!!]

[Yeah, Gocheok is a stretch lol

└ But with their current popularity, maybe not a sellout, but it’s possible...]

[They said Gymnastics Stadium holy shit!!!!!!!!!!]

The official concert announcement was posted.

While Noeul fans screamed silently in pure ecstasy, The Dawn members’ PopPop messages began to roll in.

[Sung Jiwon: Get ready for ticketing!!

I want to try it myself this time..]

Practicing next to Sunghyun hehe]

[Kim Sunghyun: Yes!! I’m practicing ticketing with Jiwon right now. How did you know?]

[Kim Sunghyun: Ah... it popped up on PopPop lol]

[Kim Sunghyun: Jiwon’s really good at ticketing.

His reaction speed is crazy fast..]

Sung Jiwon and Kim Sunghyun vowing to try ticketing themselves, Kang Ichae sending tearful selfies, and Jung Dajun writing long diary-like paragraphs.

Seo Hoyun, however, only added one simple line:

[Seo Hoyun: We’ll finally see you, our Noeul.]