[Wow!!! The Dawn’s debut in Japan!!!]
“…Huh???”
It was better than expected.
Lee Jihyeon jumped up, surprised, and grabbed the monitor.
[Super congrats, guys ㅠㅠ!! May you only walk on a path of flowers ㅎㅎ]
[Wow, as expectedㅋㅋ Make that yen #LetsGo]
…No, seriously, the reaction was good.
It was a public account, and though the occasional harsh swear words were sprinkled in, seeing such a positive atmosphere was rare, so Lee Jihyeon rubbed her eyes a few times.
She even checked her private account that she had prepared beforehand.
[Ahㅋㅋ The kids are starting with Japan, as expected]
Thankfully, the atmosphere here wasn’t negative either.
[ㅋㅋIt kind of felt like they were gearing up to go international… (damn) They’ve been solidifying their position domestically for a year now…
└It’s not like they’re going abroad because they failed in Korea… They’ve worked hard on their recognition so it’s inevitable they go overseas to attract capital]
[It does seem a bit early… but thankfully the period is shortㅠㅠ There are no big rookies debuting in January…
A few weeks won’t cause a decrease in fandom
└ㅋㅋㅋAnd these cute kids are so active on V-Live, feels like they’re gonna post something again
ㅋㅋ]
Naturally, there were some negative opinions about going overseas.
Overly seasoned K-pop fans ground their teeth at the mere mention of “overseas,” so in a way, it was a natural reaction.
Wasn’t it a win not to have been massively criticized on real-time trends?
As Seo Hoyun had said, they had really done a good job sweeping and cleaning up over the past year.
[After all, in the past year, they worked really hard on variety shows, self-content, titles..
└Thank you! We are The Dawn! (entry clip)
The rising dawn! We are The Dawn! (exit clip)
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThis is real]
[The Dawn and Noeul always do this:
The Dawn: No comeback no way no way no way…
Noeul: Dawnies always lie…!
The Dawn: (Quiet)
Noeul: … Huh? Really none?
The Dawn: Comeback~!!
Noeul: … Keuk! Dawnies always…!
└Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Even during the end-of-year stages, comments like “We’re really going to strip you bare, you damned rookies!” kept popping up.
But Jihyeon hadn’t expected such a positive reaction to their overseas activities and was taken aback.
“…Wow, amazing.”
[But? If they do too many overseas tours and miss out on the influx, they’ll completely uproot the radish]
[The moment you focus on overseas money and neglect domestic fans, I’ll scream in front of the lobby
└I’ll pull down my pants next to you
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋPlease calm downㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“…Yes, yep.”
As she refreshed the feed and saw the new posts, Lee Jihyeon tried to collect her thoughts, but tears trickled down from her eyes.
She had truly spent the past year working like a dead person, getting pushed around by her boss and colleagues who wouldn’t listen or follow trends.
She received a bonus, and it wasn’t without merit, but there wasn’t much time to enjoy it, and even the smallest mistake felt like her fault.
Moreover, she faced opposition from her boss, sabotage from her colleagues, and thus stress piled up incredibly…
“Shit… Thank goodness…”
Therefore, the relief from the positive responses washed over her, and poor newbie Lee Jihyeon, who had been struggling madly until now, started to cry profusely.
“Whaahhaaahhaa. Thank goodness….”
Honestly, the debut in Japan wasn’t such a big deal, and the period was short.
She thought the backlash wasn’t so harsh since they were always criticized, but perhaps because of the accumulation over the past year, once it burst, a flood of sorrow rushed in.
Jihyeon forgot her embarrassment and lay in the office, crying her heart out.
“…Uhuhuh.”
And what came to mind at the same time was the resignation letter carefully stored in her heart.
It wasn’t about living a god-life, but she wanted to regain a human life.
Do I really have to go this far…?
After calming down a bit and sniffling, Jihyeon quietly took out the resignation letter from her drawer and started to fill it out, fidgeting as she went.
“Let’s not live like this…. Let’s throw it all away…. I want my godly life….”
Then, a familiar voice came from the entrance.
“Lee Jihyeon.”
Seo Hoyun, with an indifferent expression and a book under his arm, leaned against the door.
Jihyeon, who was writing her resignation letter, was startled, but Hoyun just nodded and approached.
…Did, did he hear?
“Are you still working?”
“Ah, yes. Just ch-checking the debut reactions….”
Lee Jihyeon felt embarrassed.
She quickly wiped her face with one sleeve and covered the resignation letter with her other arm, but she couldn’t stop sniffling.
“The reactions were okay.”
“Yes, I saw.”
“…You saw?”
He had seen, and yet he was so calm?
Jihyeon often couldn’t get a read on Hoyun.
Despite starting social life early in the entertainment industry, and even though he grew up under the scrutiny of others, Hoyun was only 24 and in his second year as an idol.
But for all that, he was indifferent to most things but prickly about the small stuff, and he was fearless.
“Thanks to Lee Jihyeon, the reactions weren’t bad.”
“…”
…What, that’s touching.
Lee Jihyeon erased the description in front of her, looking at Seo Hoyun with a moved expression.
Nobody had recognized her struggles, but when Seo Hoyun, notorious even within Daepaseong Entertainment for being a pain in the ass, acknowledged her, her heart felt unexpectedly warm.
“The activities in Japan seem promising. The anime ending song is likely to do well, and the showcase planning wasn’t bad either.”
“…The tracks turned out pretty beautifully.”
“Right? Kang Ichae put in a lot of effort.”
Seo Hoyun casually brought up work, then lightly sat on the adjacent desk, laid a book on the opposite side, and pulled out a tissue packet.
“…Sniff. Thank you.”
“Yes.”
Whether Lee Jihyeon blew her nose or not, Seo Hoyun’s gaze moved from her desk to the monitor.
“Um, is there something you need…?”
“Ah~.”
Surprisingly, Seo Hoyun didn’t directly bring it up.
This was different from the no-holds-barred approach Seo Hoyun usually took, so Lee Jihyeon was particularly more guarded.
“Just… It was bothering me.”
“…Ah, uh…”
Lee Jihyeon struggled to understand the meaning behind his words.
What the heck?
That SOB cared about others?
Her tears, which had been flowing nonstop, instantly retracted.
As she rubbed her eyes in disbelief, Seo Hoyun tapped on the desk.
“Working here is really tough, isn’t it? Getting pushed around is a given, and no matter how hard you try, most don’t recognize it.”
“…”
“Even if they do, they just take advantage of you, expecting you to do more as if it’s only natural. People can be so cruel.”
“…Excuse me, Seo Hoyun.”
“Yes?”
It was one thing to suddenly show up and build up to a topic.
“Why do you speak like you’ve been through the wringer for over ten years?”
You’re an idol…
Despite some hesitation, Lee Jihyeon couldn’t help but voice her confusion, prompting a slight smile from Seo Hoyun.
“Didn’t really work, huh?”
Though he meant to drop the pretense and buildup, Lee Jihyeon couldn’t quite catch on.
…Wow.
Lee Jihyeon, having abandoned K-pop for the 1D and 2D world, long dedicating their life and soul to it, genuinely lacked interest in real people.
However, she couldn’t help but marvel every time Seo Hoyun smiled like that.
And the way he looked was another story.
The vibe this guy has….
“I have something for the quick-witted Lee Jihyeon.”
“…Yes?”
Lee Jihyeon looked at him anxiously.
Admiration aside, Lee Jihyeon knew well that every time Seo Hoyun smiled like that, something, whether good or bad, was bound to happen.
“Sleep tight.”
“Yes.”
Seo Hoyun changed his expressions and picked up the book he had placed beside him and handed it to Lee Jihyeon.
With a suspicious look, Lee Jihyeon cautiously observed Seo Hoyun and then opened her eyes wide when she received the book.
“…What?”
It was the first edition hardcover of Lee Jihyeon’s favorite novel, the very foundation of her extensive otaku devotion, long out of print for 16 years!!
“This, this, this is…!!”
“Front page.
It was a book rumored to be unobtainable even for a million or ten million won.
Feeling like lightning had struck her head, Lee Jihyeon was half incredulous, half thrilled as she shakily flipped to the front page.
[Thank you for your support.
Wishing you happiness always^^]
…It was a handwritten signature from the author, who was rumored to have stopped writing.
“Are you f-f-f-freaking kidding me?!?!”
Crash.
Lee Jihyeon backed away as if she had seen a ghost, carefully placing the book on the desk without even noticing that her chair had fallen over.
However, Seo Hoyun merely responded with a nonchalant retort.
“I heard you liked it?”
“Are you crazy?!! It’s not just something I like, I worship this! It’s my religion! My Bible!!”
Jihyeon was shocked, as if the Bible in question truly radiated light, a blissful sight.
“How did you even… No, why…?”
Once during a meeting of the planning team, she had casually mentioned that she was a fan of this novel and wanted to get a hardcover edition.
The shock that Seo Hoyun remembered this was one thing, but how on Earth he managed to get it…?
No, how did he manage to get a signed copy?
“I’m glad you seem to like it.”
“…”
“I’d like to tidy it up quickly too. Take it.”
Still in shock, Lee Jihyeon could only open and close her mouth, lacking the energy to reply, and she slumped back into her chair after picking it up.
Seo Hoyun simply leaned on one arm on the chair and with the other, moved the mouse to close the site Jihyeon was browsing.
Click.
“Are you still planning to resign?”
…This guy, he saw the resignation letter.
Hesitating, Jihyeon shook her head as if enchanted, and Hoyun smiled broadly.
The complicated website closed, revealing the logo of Daepaseong Entertainment as the wallpaper.
“…What is this?”
In front of her was either an angel who had brought her the signed first edition hardcover of the novel she worshipped, or a devil dripping sweet words to trap her.
Even if Seo Hoyun were an angel, it made no sense for him to do such a thing without reason, so the quick-witted Lee Jihyeon managed to regain her composure and asked,
“Do you need a favor from me?”
“Ahaha.”
Seo Hoyun laughed as if he liked this aspect of Jihyeon.
In contrast to her anxious face, Hoyun appeared very satisfied.
“There’s something I want to do. But I wanted to check with you first.”
“…??”
Lee Jihyeon frowned and looked up at Seo Hoyun.
He averted his gaze from the Daepaseong Entertainment logo and looked down.
“Lee Jihyeon.”
“…Yes?”
Seo Hoyun had been thinking about his activities in Japan, but…
“Are you, by chance, quite ambitious?”
He was gearing up to cut off unnecessary branches to climb up quickly to the first team.
.
.
.
Hmm.
I recalled Lee Jihyeon, who had looked at me as if I were a messiah, continually pledging her loyalty.
Was that really so great?
I don’t get it.
As for the hardcover book…
I had gone through the trouble of getting it as a surprise gift for Kim Heeyeon after said she was a fan of the author.
But, after supporting Hojin through his CSAT and getting swamped with work, I completely forgot about it.
Even after our breakup, life was so busy that the item remained forgotten and gathered dust.
Had Lee Jihyeon not mentioned it during the briefing, it would have probably remained forgotten.
Anyway, it was a gift intended for my ex-girlfriend, but ultimately, I couldn’t give it to her, and now it was too late to do so.
Not that it didn’t bother me.
The item itself isn’t to blame.
Shameless and without conscience, but feeling refreshed having sorted it out, I disembarked from the business class of the airplane and arrived at Narita Airport.
I greeted the airport staff while hanging around Seong Jiwon, who knew Japanese.
After going through immigration, I stuffed my passport into my pocket and looked at the scene in front of me with a fresh smile.
“Wow~.”
The air was a bit warmer than Korea’s winter, there were characters I didn’t understand, and the atmosphere was somewhat quiet.
“It’s Japan.”
Refreshing.
I guess I did well to lay the groundwork before coming?
Indeed, one should always handle things well in advance.
Kim Seonghyeon, with a neck pillow strapped to his side, looked at me with a grimace.
“…I always hate it when he smiles like that, am I abnormal?”
“Beep. You’re normal.”
Jeong Dajun responded while Kim Seonghyeon touched his forehead, and at that same moment, I found myself smiling again.
It was the beginning of our first overseas activity.
