Chapter 287: Chapter 287
As soon as they returned to the company after finishing a radio schedule, Kang Yeonhoo’s eyes widened at the manager’s words.
Hi-Five had been busier than ever after their recent release Reels turned into a massive hit.
“Yes, it’s college festival season soon.”
Hearing that even a male idol group had received invitations for college festivals made it hit home just how well this album had done.
“Oh, and it looks like most of WH Entertainment’s idols were offered slots this time.”
“...Then The Dawn too....”
“Yes, I think so. If I’m not mistaken, they’re set for S University.”
Kang Yeonhoo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Recently, aside from Black Call, the idol scene was undergoing some shifts. Scandals had shaken some groups, and many fans were flocking toward The Dawn and Hi-Five.
‘I heard they just came back from the U.S. yesterday.’
Once the manager left to check in with the management team, Kang Yeonhoo leaned against the hallway wall and pulled out his phone.
He typed “The Dawn” into the portal search bar, and articles immediately popped up.
《The Dawn, returning in matching T-shirts... “See, we get along.”》
He’d known about the paparazzi photos of Seo Hoyun and Joo Woosung shopping at a souvenir shop, but he hadn’t expected them to all show up at the airport wearing those T-shirts.
Each member in a different color, with a palm tree design and the words Los Angeles written big across the chest—it was ridiculous enough to make him laugh dryly.
《Kang Ichae on WH Live... Asked, “What will you do after returning to Korea?” he answered, “IRIX.”》
《The Dawn spotted at a California amusement park! ‘Explosive popularity’》
“Really doing well, huh.”
Good teamwork, solid skills, balanced strengths that complemented one another.
On top of that, The Dawn’s rearranged Connected performance at the IRIX new season launch event had gone viral again, raising their international profile even further.
‘They don’t stumble even once.’
Kang Yeonhoo leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
Like a tiger growing wings.
Korean media praised them for “raising national prestige,” and on short-form platform Tick-Tock, Connected’s point choreography was being uploaded endlessly.
People wrote things like “How are they not already 1st tier?” or “They’re the most eye-catching idols these days.”
Reading those made him feel like a blade was pressed right under his chin—even when Hi-Five’s results were good, the pressure didn’t go away.
WH Entertainment, meanwhile, was raising glasses over how merging with Daepaseong had been the right choice.
Rumors spread throughout the company that The Dawn was openly aiming for the grand prize this year.
It was only mid-April—still plenty of time to turn things around.
“Hyung, guess what~.”
And speak of the devil—Seo Hoyun and Jung Dajun appeared down the hall.
Both had shopping bags dangling from their arms, probably souvenirs from America to hand out around the company.
Not noticing him yet, they chatted casually. Dajun, noticeably taller than when Yeonhoo had last seen him, was chattering endlessly at Hoyun.
“Remember when Jiwon-hyung said he saw a ghost in the Daepaseong practice room ages ago? So I was thinking... maybe there are ghosts in this practice room too?!”
He expected Hoyun to brush it off or cut him down cold.
But to his surprise, Hoyun nodded and played along.
“You know the 8th floor practice room? The one you go to a lot.”
“There’s a rumor a trainee fainted after seeing a ghost there four years ago.”
‘That never happened.’
Yeonhoo had been here for over ten years including his trainee days, and it was the first he’d ever heard of it. Hoyun lied with the straightest face.
But Dajun, clueless, looked utterly shaken.
“You’re kidding, right?! You’re messing with me, hyung?!!”
“It’s true. Ask Ichae, he’ll know.”
Going pale, Dajun quickly grabbed his phone.
“Hello? Ichae-hyung! Did you ever hear about a ghost in the 8th floor practice room? Huh? Hoyun-hyung just said so. ...What? It’s true??”
Clutching his phone, Dajun bolted down the hallway, leaving Hoyun standing there looking oddly pleased.
Yeonhoo, watching this strangely soft atmosphere he had never once witnessed from Hoyun face-to-face, felt a strange sense of dissonance. Official source ıs novel★fire.net
Hoyun’s eyes curved into a smile—but unlike before, the air instantly grew heavy.
Yeonhoo instinctively raised his guard.
Anyone with charm that disarming was someone to treat with caution.
“...I take it you had a good trip to America.”
“Yes, thanks to you, sunbae.”
The words were polite.
But like Hoyun, Yeonhoo curved his eyes to hide what he really thought.
“Still, must be tiring to jump right back into things after landing. I hear you even got invited to a college festival.”
“Yes. I heard when our schedule came in—we’re assigned to K University.”
Hoyun’s reaction was lukewarm. He clearly hadn’t been told yet.
“And The Dawn is at S University.”
The moment he said it, Hoyun’s expression shifted.
And Yeonhoo realized—
This was the real Seo Hoyun.
“...Is that so? A college festival?”
Hoyun rubbed at his chin and mouth as if to hide his face, then turned away, asking again with a delay.
A man who could keep you on edge with nothing but silence.
“Well... Seo Hoyun-ssi...”
When the silence stretched, Yeonhoo tried again, but suddenly Hoyun chuckled.
“Finding out my schedule from another group... Guess I should talk to management more closely.”
Before Yeonhoo could say more, Hoyun suddenly thrust a shopping bag at him.
“Anyway, Yeonhoo-ssi, this is a souvenir from America.”
Smiling brightly as if the look from earlier had never existed, Hoyun added,
“I saw it and thought of you.”
Yeonhoo bit down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep his discomfort from showing.
As soon as Yeonhoo took the bag, Hoyun patted his shoulder twice and walked off lightly.
Left behind, Yeonhoo reluctantly opened the gift and tore off the wrapping.
He knew Hoyun could be decent enough—as long as you didn’t cross him.
He knew Hoyun treated his members well in his own way.
But he and Hoyun were not on terms to be exchanging gifts.
Inside was a simple souvenir badge.
He read the inscription slowly.
That was all it said.
As he frowned, he noticed a note beneath it, in neat handwriting.
A jab at the time during the Berlin K-POP concert documentary, when a Hi-Five member misspoke after the stage, saying they felt like they were “at the center of the world.”
He still remembered that?
Clutching the badge, Yeonhoo swore never to deal with Seo Hoyun again.
“College festival, huh....”
And S University, no less.
The school where Seo Hojin was currently enrolled—and the one I had graduated from.
Despite the agency’s ongoing efforts to suppress it, talk about Hojin and S University still circulated online.
‘We can’t refuse....’
Even top male idols rarely got festival invitations. It was too good an opportunity to throw away.
Unsettling as it was, if I kept my head down and avoided careless remarks, we could get through the stage fine.
Scratching my head in frustration, I looked around and dialed Hojin.
He picked up before the ringtone had even sounded twice.
“What are you doing?”
...In class, and he answered that fast?
“You’re not going back in?”
[W-what? No! I mean, yeah it’s class time, but we’re in groups discussing project topics, so it’s fine!]
“...So you’re picking topics in groups?”
It reeked of something fishy.
But I decided to get to the point first.
“I’ll be performing at your university’s festival.”
[What? Seriously? When...]
Startled, Hojin rambled until he suddenly went silent. Clearly, even through the phone, he felt my cold tone.
[...Got it! Of course. I was going to bury myself in the library anyway.]
He muttered something under his breath but wisely didn’t push for reasons. Since I had him on the line, I asked the thing that worried me most.
“No one’s been approaching you, right?”
“...Not even relatives?”
At the word I didn’t even want to say, he gave a short laugh.
[Of course not. Haven’t we been cut off from them for years?]
Back when I was a famous PD, relatives had swarmed me like vultures.
They even fought over my parents’ life insurance payout. Nothing surprising about their greed.
Had I overlooked something?
My thoughts tangled until Hojin’s voice, oddly excited, cut in.
[But hyung, isn’t this your first time coming back to our campus?]
For a moment, I couldn’t say anything.
[So... wanna take a picture together? We never even got one at my entrance ceremony.]
I exhaled a sigh, then answered as usual.
“You’re not even coming to the festival, so what picture.”
Then, deliberately teasing, I added,
“And I’ll be busy, idiot.”
He whined about how unfair it was, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) but I ignored him and hung up.
Outside the WH building, the Han River flowed lazily by.
A view so familiar it was boring, yet now distorted because someone’s memories had changed.
No matter how many points I gathered, it still wasn’t nearly enough to restore Hojin’s memories.
The system notification rang as I stopped walking.
[Don’t worry too much. Everything will work out.]
[I’ll make sure it does.]
I watched the sunlight glitter on the ripples, then moved again.
Hojin’s lost memories, relatives who had once been rabid now quiet, and something that let me live again.
Maybe that’s why sometimes I wondered—
“...Isn’t this world being far too kind to me?”
The full video of the IRIX season launch was uploaded on YouTube, and The Dawn’s popularity exploded among K-POP fans.
The concept of “humans pushing their limits” helped, but their stable live vocals, dance skills, and especially Jung Dajun’s blossoming visuals played a big role.
[Why does our baby look so... happy... T___T]
[Fuck, it’s too warm... I’m losing my mind..]
In particular, Dajun’s close-up at the end went massively viral.
While fans were still losing themselves in the new arrangement of Connected, news broke that The Dawn’s self-produced variety would be airing on cable.
[The Dawn Variety ‘OUR TIME’ Teaser]
Not long after, a 30-second teaser aired.
[The producers do not give The Dawn any missions.]
[Even left alone, they bring the skits themselves.]
After those captions in bold lettering, a study full of books appeared.
There sat Jung Dajun, wearing a beret and gray scarf, with a solemn expression.
“I am Professor of K-pop, Jung Dajun.”