[The Emergence of a New Buzz, The Dawn’s Variety Show Universe]
[OTT service dominates real-time popular videos… Generation MZ Idols’ “turnaround”]
[The Dawn, Proving to be a Legend in Variety Shows, Receives Love Calls from the Industry]
Since it was made with the support of tvK, a lot of capital was invested, and the response was overwhelming from the start, likely due to its meticulous crafting.
[You come for the face, but get hooked on the personality…
No, you get hooked on the face again…]
[Do these people not have a tomorrow??
└Well, it’s a small company, so they’ve been living like there’s no tomorrow…]
[The Daepaseong planning team is doing a heck of a job…
└The deputy is said to be really good at their jobㅇㅇ It’s quite well-known in the industry
└└Huh?
└└└Heard it from an acquaintance, just a rumor
└└Rumor confirmed]
Videos from The Dawn’s variety show climbed the ranks of real-time trending videos.
It was possible because The Dawn’s variety sense captured the tastes of even ordinary people.
Moreover, Seo Hoyun’s image as a “pitiful and unfortunate idol” disappeared—for anyone who watched the show.
[This guy is seriously crazy…]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHonestly, he’s amazing!! Perfectly optimized for variety shows]
Even though Noeul didn’t actually think that way, they understood it was an exaggerated expression.
As the Noeuls read the comments and tweets, they couldn’t help but smile warmly as they saw the character analysis that finally hit the mark.
Meanwhile, The Dawn was having hectic days.
With their increased recognition, they could finally afford to be a bit more selective with their work, but still, they couldn’t escape the reality that they had to row while the tide was in.
They hadn’t even properly started preparing for their comeback, and with the concert just around the corner, they were busy enough just reviewing the flood of advertising proposals with their limited time.
Amidst all this, confirmed news articles were swiftly released, barely hours after being finalized.
[Ahhh ㅠㅠㅠㅠ This is seriously amazing… I’m so moved I can’t even speak…ㅠ]
[That’s insane,, The Dawn is really making it, I said it as a habit but it’s actually happening, kyaa~~!!!!! Guys, make lots of money~~ㅠㅠㅠㅠ!!!]
“Good job, everyone….”
The concert was in two weeks.
Their first one, at that.
The members, eager to present a perfect stage without a single speck of flaw and as if possessed by it, squeezed in practice time despite their already packed schedules.
As a result, they only returned to their dorms by dawn.
“What time are we supposed to wake up tomorrow?”
“Six o’clock…”
“Right…”
Still, it seemed they were managing as there were no complaints yet.
“Hoyun, are you going to sleep right away?”
“Of course.”
It felt almost no different from when I was a PD.
As expected, I couldn’t keep up with the young ones.
After washing up, I collapsed onto the bed, but in the corner of my eye, I saw the minimized system window flickering.
“Hmm?”
Seo Jiwon, who was drying his hair and getting ready for bed, looked at me.
“Hoyun, what’s up?”
“Ah, I’m just thirsty.”
I answered that way and made a pretense of heading to the kitchen but walked towards the balcony.
Just in case, I locked the window door as well.
Sitting on a chair, in the quiet as everyone had gone to bed, I cautiously expanded the system window.
[Processing—…]
[——Error processing complete]
The damn thing seemed like it was finally trying to work again.
[…System updating…]
[System update 35%…]
[System update 47%…]
[System update 63%…]
But before I could do anything, it displayed the update process and went silent again.
You little brat, taking your sweet time.
.
.
.
[System update 85%…]
[System update 93%…]
[System update 99%…]
[Checking system…]
[…—System rebooting.]
Curious to see how far it would go, I passed the time scrolling through online reactions on my phone.
Finally, a window popped up saying the update was complete.
[Reward Settlement
Experience Event, Time is Gold.
When practicing with people around you, proficiency in designated stats increases slightly faster.
※No limit on target individuals.
※Stat increase applies to one specified individual excluding the player.
※Charm is excluded from the specified stat.
※Duration is 168 hours from the set start date.
※Rewards are forcibly granted.]
“…?”
The stiff informal language was puzzling compared to previous quests or settlement windows, but reading through it, the reward wasn’t as bad as I thought, so I stroked my chin.
There were plenty of talented ones around me.
I thought it would spit out some trashy reward because it was making a fuss about an error due to me leaking some secrets—
[※Proficiency increase by 5%.]
—but my face crumpled after reading the last line.
“Are you out of your mind??”
Where the heck can I use such a measly amount?
I swallowed the surge of anger that reached the top of my head with a sigh and pressed my forehead.
“Hey, come out quickly.”
Since it was supposedly rebooted, the system window must have returned as well.
Even after my words, there was a long silence before it appeared, laden with noise.
[…Hehe.]
It was being uncharacteristically coy.
[Seo Hoyun, have you been well?]
Looking back, I realized I should have pressured this brat more when I first landed here.
But I didn’t want to waste time dwelling on what couldn’t be changed now.
So, I replaced all the things I wanted to say with just one sentence.
“I was doing fine, but you made it hard.”
[Haha…]
“By the way, why is the reward so trashy? What? 5%?”
[Ugh, let me explain a bit about the reward first.]
The text flickered as if hesitating, then slowly continued.
[It’s hard to say in detail…, but since Seo Hoyun leaked some confidential information, the situation got tangled.]
It was true that I leaked some information.
Before facing any penalties like this, I thought it would be wise to know the potential outcomes ahead of time.
So, I chose something that would cause the least damage if it did leak out.
I also figured it would be a good means to experiment and tackle the problem at hand.
Anyway, I had no idea which secret would spread, but, nonetheless, I completed the quest.
[As a result, the penalty overlapped with the reward… No, forget it. Anyway, I secured the best conditions I could.]
“Ha, unbelievable. Are you serious?”
With all the pent-up anger, I sarcastically shot back.
Initially, the system window seemed a bit apologetic, but later it snapped back.
[I know it’s inevitable to feel angry and annoyed! But I have a lot to say too! Who told you to spread it around?!]
“Hey, then why don’t you tell me what other options I had?”
Was I supposed to just let the penalty for leaking classified information slide?
What else could I have done in that situation?
[The penalty is something I □￥?□ know □? Ah….]
The system window tried to explain, but its words broke and shattered.
Watching it fizzle out without showing any more text, I realized something.
Even though it claimed to be on my side, I always felt it was contradictory when harsh penalties were imposed.
I had suspected it was either deceiving me or hiding something—or it could just be powerless.
[□ Anyway… I didn’t wish for this □￥ □ happen.]
As I kept my mouth shut, the system window reappeared.
Although the text was still slightly garbled, it wasn’t unreadable like before.
[Seo Hoyun, I know you won’t care much for such excuses…]
“What’s with the sudden change?”
By the time I said that, fatigue hit me like a wave.
I didn’t want to talk anymore, so I waved my hand dismissively, and a new window popped up in front of me.
[…Are you okay?]
Why are there so many people asking if I was “okay”?
I looked at it with a mix of disbelief and curiosity at its sudden behavior.
“Why? If I’m struggling, are you going to offer me a warm hug or something?”
[No, I don’t want to, and I can’t do it anyway.]
“I don’t want it either, you fool.”
I chuckled slightly, but then I had to stop when I saw the next system message.
[Instead, I can erase your memory.]
“…What?”
Thinking I misread it, I squinted and read the text repeatedly.
But the content didn’t change.
Even though I had constantly been aware of the absurd items dropping into my hands and affecting me in reality, hearing directly that my mind could be altered once again reminded me that this place was strange and unfamiliar.
[Erasing everyone’s memory is beyond my ability, but I can erase the memory of your car accident, Seo Hoyun.]
The words resumed after a brief pause, as if waiting for me to process my feelings.
“What do you mean?”
[There are aftereffects, right? Since it’s mostly psychological, I’ll erase the specifics of what happened at the time, what you felt, although you’ll still know the accident occurred.]
Recently, I had been feeling more stable.
I was also in more contact with Seo Hojin.
Yet, at night, it often resurfaced.
Like an uninvited guest appearing without warning.
“…So, you’ve known all along but didn’t say anything?”
Knowing my condition meant it must have been watching me all along.
[I could only observe. I couldn’t intervene.]
Ignoring the incessant chatter from the system, I pondered for a moment.
This seemed more like a reward compared to the 5% proficiency increase.
Certainly, if erasing the memories of the accident could relieve me from insomnia or pain without the need for therapy, it might be worth considering.
After all, my current state is ultimately derived from my memories.
“Should I give it a try?”
The system window, seemingly caught off guard by my unexpected reply, flickered more brightly than usual.
[Yes!!!! Great decision! Let’s erase the memory of the accident then!!]
“No. Not that, you idiot.”
[What?]
“Leave the accident alone—”
Just recalling that event made my ears feel slightly hot.
“—but erase the memory of me acting like a baby bunny in front of Kim Heeyeon.”
[…Really?]
“Yeah.”
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[What the.]
I meant it sincerely, but the system window vanished after leaving just that one remark.
“Hey, are you sulking? Hey, hey!”
No matter how many times I called out, only the dark sky filled my view.
I clicked my tongue softly and sank back into the chair.
What memory am I even thinking of erasing?
It was all for me to handle.
Besides, if my body was exhausted, unnecessary thoughts wouldn’t invade my mind.
With various schedules and concert preparation overlapping, I was busy enough.
Once I tire myself out, sleep would come naturally.
“There’s a long way to go.”
It might seem quick to some, but for me, this was just the first concert.
I wasn’t expecting to reach the level of Black Call nor did I intend to compete with them, but…
“…Should I extend practice time tomorrow?”
Hoping for The Dawn to grow even larger, that was all I could do at the moment.
Running my fingers through my hair, I got up from the chair and headed to my room.
Meanwhile, I was considering how to best use the rewards.
There were plenty of resources around me…
Just as I opened the door, I made eye contact with my new roommate, who fitted the description perfectly.
“Oh, you’re back?”
“Yeah.”
With barely three hours left until six in the morning, Seong Jiwon was still awake, reading a book.
Might as well get some sleep.
Fearing I’d end up with a nosebleed over nothing but lack of sleep, I set an alarm on my phone.
Then, glancing sideways, I asked Seong Jiwon.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet? We have to get up early tomorrow. Are you already nervous?”
The memory of our first showcase, which felt quite distant, came to mind.
Seong Jiwon had been very anxious back then.
He replied with his usual calm demeanor.
“Of course, I’m nervous. It’s our first concert.”
Then he closed his book and laughed.
“But are we really not going to include the parachute thing? It seems like the fans are expecting it.”
“…Let’s save that for later.”
Kang Ichae was indeed good at wasting talent.
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and the first day of the concert arrived.
