“What the heck… Why is the editing like this all of a sudden?”
The fans of The Dawn were utterly disgusted by the recently aired broadcast.
[“It’s true that they can’t perform well.”]
[‘As Seonghyeon watched Today’s stage, his face became more and more rigid…’]
[“Yes… you worked hard.”]
[‘The words Seonghyeon said after watching Today’s stage.’]
[“I… don’t really know.”]
They turned on the broadcast to see the handsome faces of The Dawn, but the more they watched, the angrier they felt.
The devil’s editing.
It was already well-known that tvK station was infamous for their devilish editing, so they were prepared for it. But even with the preparation… this third episode seemed to be particularly aimed at destroying Kim Seonghyeon.
“That’s a different outfit!”
It was too extreme.
“What, they’re piecing together every single line?”
It was almost like they stitched together every single line. However, the editing was so skillful and natural that it was easy to be fooled by it unless you were a hardcore fan.
In the broadcast that was deliberately edited to showcase malice towards Today, Kim Seonghyeon received enough hate and curses to give him immortality.[1]
[What kind of hoobae’s character is that? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Wow, Kim Seonghyeon ㅋㅋㅋㅋ His school bullying personality is showing ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Isn’t this an exaggeration? He can’t even read the situation and is acting like a fool in front of the whole nation, right?]
[Why doesn’t he just leave ㅋㅋㅋㅋ? I get annoyed whenever I see Kim Seonghyeon’s face.]
“You guys are the foolish ones…”
She blocked everyone, and she slowly posted updates on her SNS. Today was the day of their final showdown.
Shining Star second round competition.
According to what she heard, it’s a cover song contest.
Please, please don’t let it be Today.
If it wasn’t Today, they could somehow avoid this controversy. However, if they picked Today’s song and made even the slightest mistake, Kim Seonghyeon would disintegrate into dust, if not completely vanish into thin air.
Guys, fighting.
[Ahhhh, I finally got in ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
The Dawn’s fan who finally got into the performance venue put away their slogan when they saw people around them. However, they still talked openly about the recent incidents on their private SNS account.
[There are two staff members today, but there are so many fans ㅋㅋ Is this for real? Did the production team put this in to stir up fandom fights? If they were going to do that, they shouldn’t have included such a controversial element.
Even now, after Kim Seonghyeon’s school bullying controversy erupted, opinions were divided among the fandom. However, she didn’t back down.
To be honest, she was skeptical, but since she had been a core fan of The Dawn since their very first song, she wanted to trust Kim Seonghyeon. And there was a reason for that: after performing on a rainy day, Kim Seonghyeon felt sorry for the fans who might be cold and bowed deeply to them, even buying canned coffee to share with them.
There’s not a single person I can trust…
Still, thinking about that time, she wanted to believe in Kim Seonghyeon until an accurate explanation came out. After all, the victim of the controversy didn’t directly post about it, and the details were vague.
The company should respond quickly! It’s so frustrating to deal with these small and medium-sized agencies.
Daepaseong Entertainment was still keeping quiet. As the fans’ outcry grew louder, the agency didn’t communicate with them and continued to post Shining Star promotions on SNS without regard.
That’s why Today’s fans were even scarier. She cautiously looked around as she entered the venue.
[@anajungbyeongwa, did you go in? How’s the atmosphere?]
[It’s really tense ㅠ I’m so scared..]
[What if the kids get disheartened ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ My babies ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[I’ll cheer them on with all my might ㅠ]
That’s right; they couldn’t lose now that they’d come this far. Today’s fans were already glaring at the fans who seemed to support The Dawn.
Hey, our kids didn’t do anything wrong! She wanted to say that but was too scared to open her mouth…
Especially in the last episode, the third one, whenever Today was on the air, Kim Seonghyeon’s rotten expression, deliberately ignoring their words, and scenes of him disregarding Today were repeatedly shown.
You could see the outfits were all different, but the production team jumped into devil’s editing when they sensed Kim Seonghyeon’s controversy brewing. Today’s fans seemed ready to jeer at The Dawn when they appeared.
“My babies…”
Tears streaming down her face, she waited for the stage to begin. She exchanged goods and talked with a few other The Dawn fans for a while, and then Yu Jia appeared.
“Hello, everyone! I’m Yu Jia.”
“Unnie, you’re so beautiful!”
Yu Jia smiled. She indeed had the popularity of a nation’s younger sister.
While watching the stages of Nightmare and Refined, her mind was elsewhere, but she heard that this competition was about singing cover songs.
No way.
Her last glimmer of hope shattered when Yu Jia cheerfully called out for The Dawn.
“Shall we call them? The Dawn, who covered Today’s ‘Make Love’! Please come up!”
“Kyaaaaaaaa!”
Shit!
She screamed louder than anyone else, but cold sweat poured down her back.
Why of all times! Amidst the intense conflict between The Dawn and Today, why did they have to cover Today’s song?!
Could this be a ploy by the production team?
Even as a fan of The Dawn, it felt unfair, but Today’s fans were colder than anyone at the scene.
“Today? The Dawn is covering Today’s song?”
“Wow~, where is their conscience?”
“What do they want to do with this?”
Amid the commotion, The Dawn came on stage and bowed their heads.
Kim Seonghyeon’s expression was impassive.
White outfit, grey pants underneath. Just as she was about to be disappointed by the surprisingly ordinary stage costume, Seong Jiwon, who was usually quiet, grabbed the mic and greeted the audience.
“Hello! We are The Dawn.”
‘That’s right, their faces are fitting…’
“Wow! Guys!”
She screamed as enthusiastically as possible. The cheers were less than during the first round, and jeers could be heard in between. The Dawn has never been more unpopular than at this moment.
From school bullying to targeting Today, and even the devil’s editing…
Even if they weren’t Today fans, the public’s perception was biased. However, The Dawn members’ faces were determined as if they didn’t know about these issues.
Guys, you still look great today…
It’s alright because their faces were their character… She looked at their increasingly sparkling faces and cried.
Seong Jiwon also answered during the short interview that followed.
“So, how do you feel today?”
“We covered Today’s ‘Make Love’ for our performance today. We may be lacking, but we prepared earnestly. Please enjoy our performance.”
“How shameless!”
“…”
At that moment, the audience erupted with jeers.
Seong Jiwon hesitated for a moment but calmly passed the microphone. It was obvious that his face had slightly hardened.
No, our kids did nothing wrong!
“We love The Dawn even more!”
This roar was the result of a die-hard fan’s great pride. Ever since the beginning, she had shouted their love for The Dawn.
Although the surrounding people were surprised, Kang Ichae laughed brightly.
My friends, we should only have happy days…!
The fans felt wronged. It wasn’t even the kids’ fault, yet they were being criticized for this situation.
Seo Hoyun turned his head toward her when she was about to tear up.
Is he looking here…?
He lightly waved his hand.
As if to say, don’t worry.
Hoyun…
While she was watching him with a tingling sensation in her nose, the bright stage lights dimmed, and The Dawn got into their positions.
The audience was still buzzing, but when the intro to “Make Love” began, it became as quiet as if it were a lie.
“Unbelievable….”
The melody peculiar to traditional instruments flowed out.
It’s oriental…!
That’s right! If they were an idol group, they should try the oriental style at least once!!
“Make Love” was a light love song, so they didn’t know how they would connect the concept, but the new attempt itself was okay. At least it won’t be compared with Today’s performance, but the moment she decided to calm her mind…
Thud.
In the dark stage, the spotlight turned on. Seong Jiwon, wearing a magnificent yet light blue robe, slowly walked out alone, leaving the other members behind.
So that’s why the inside was ordinary…!
It was a delightful surprise while preventing spoilers. Even if the stage failed, the feeling of being able to get a picture of Seong Jiwon wearing a robe made her crazily shake her cheering slogan[2].
Seong Jiwon slowly touched the bamboo flowers set up on stage as he started the narration.
“I would be anxious if I were you too.
To you, I am just a stranger.”
He must be crazy… his voice is amazing!!
“But please remember this one thing.
No matter how many times it takes, even if it takes hundreds of times,
I will fix everything.”
It seemed like a statement laden with significance, that somehow it was related to their current situation.
Furthermore, the newly added intro seemed to connect with The Dawn’s first post-apocalyptic setting.
As if Seong Jiwon was a returnee on this stage too.
Don’t tell me they….
All the stage lights went out, and the spotlight with the camera shone toward Seo Hoyun.
Seo Hoyun, who had closed his eyes while in his original position, opened them.
His face is insane!
Heavenly. For a moment, she lost her mind, forgetting the seriousness of the situation, and stared. Then, Seo Hoyun shook his right hand and opened the fan. His delicate eyes were barely visible above it.
“When the passing wind turns my head, our eyes meet.”
He turned his head, and his gaze met Seong Jiwon’s. Then, he hid behind the fan.
Jeong Dajun slowly walked over toward Seo Hoyun.
“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before, but where?
No, it’s not important.”
They added their own album concept to someone else’s song?!
The returnee and the one who recognized him, Seo Hoyun.
The confrontation between the two was clearly the concept of The Dawn’s previous single, “Second Chance.”
By simply putting this on a monotonous love song, they turned someone else’s song into their own group’s series.
Insane…!!
Seo Hoyun slammed the fan shut and stepped forward, the sound of the wind rustling. At this point, it was time for the lively tempo of the English lyrics to come out.
“There’s no need to worry.”
But The Dawn.
“Because the answer is me.”
They changed everything to Korean.
Kim Seonghyeon smiled slightly as he picked up a cloth from the center, then passed without saying a word. The fan looked at him with a bitter taste in her mouth.
Right, now we have no choice but to accept….
No matter how good a person he was, the controversy itself was too big right now. While biting her lips, The Dawn’s stage became colorful and faint.
At Kim Seonghyeon’s place, Jeong Dajun picked up a cloth, and raised his right hand as if looking at the clouds.
“When I see you, I feel like I’m walking on distant clouds.”
And as he dramatically lifted the robe and disappeared between the cloths, Seo Hoyun, who was behind, came into the camera’s view, snapping his fan shut.
“Let’s go back and see, us.”
It was like a signal.
Thud, thud, thud!
The slow drum sounds gradually grew louder, accelerating the beat. The gayageum’s[3] sound rang out, and the fabric hanging in the middle fluttered fiercely in the wind.
Something changed on the stage with Seo Hoyun’s signal. And then…
“Ahh!”
Kim Seonghyeon took off the cloth he was wearing and threw it to the side, revealing himself alone in the center, holding a long sword.
The fan’s eyes widened.
What?! They made Kim Seonghyeon the center?!
He was the most controversial, and the thought was he’d be hidden away, but The Dawn had Kim Seonghyeon stand in the center as if mocking such expectations. Kim Seonghyeon took a deep breath for a moment, not looking at the camera but standing at an angle.
Seo Hoyun looked at him with downcast eyes, but the fans didn’t notice. And then…
Boom!
When the gayageum sounded again, Kim Seonghyeon stared at the camera with a determined look.
Swish!
The members pretended to aim arrows at Kim Seonghyeon on stage. At the same time, as Kim Seonghyeon grabbed and pulled the cloth, it bounced away as if it had been struck by an arrow. The image, which would have looked awkward if even 0.1 seconds later, fit perfectly with the beat, like a scene from a movie. Her mouth dropped open.
What’s with this quality?
However, this stage was completely Kim Seonghyeon’s show.
“Kyaah!”
One of Kim Seonghyeon’s fans beside her cried and waved their fan slogan.
As Kim Seonghyeon swung his sword toward the flying silk, it brilliantly fluttered in the air. It seemed as if he was really shooting an arrow with his sword.
He’s the epitome of a hero…
The fan was speechless. At the same time as Kang Ichae released the last arrow, Kim Seonghyeon fell to his knees.
However, his fierce eyes were caught on camera.
…
The fan somehow felt a sting in her heart without knowing any of his circumstances, as though his intensity and determination were clearly conveyed through his eyes alone.
Seong Jiwon appeared before him, and when he lowered the silk, the two disappeared without a trace.
The setting of the song “Second Chance” was exactly like an apocalypse.
While they were astonished, a shadow appeared on the stage, and Kang Ichae landed gracefully underneath the stage by kicking the wire, just like a Taoist priest from an old movie.
He fluttered his cloak and smiled slyly at the approaching camera.
Chiing!
The cymbals crashed, and the tempo of the performance paused perfectly.
“On the thin line of our fragile relationship, we walk on the edge”
These were the newly added historical drama-style lyrics!
“Kang Ichae!”
Who arranged this song? Who made Kang Ichae look so cool?!
The fan was on the verge of fainting.
Kang Ichae continued to fly across the stage.
“Even if the line breaks, I’ll tie it back together and twist it again and again.”
As Kang Ichae quickly turned around and strode back, the other members of The Dawn surrounded him and lowered their heads, fanning themselves. Amidst the white fans, Kang Ichae looked just like a wise master.
“The result is already determined, right?”
I’m going crazy… A genius idol is going crazy…
Seong Jiwon spun around behind Kang Ichae’s back and appeared.
“You will remember me!”
Seo Hoyun and Seong Jiwon harmonized together.
Their voices were one octave higher than the original song but still clean and sharp.
Goosebumps rose on her skin.
The high notes were much richer and more dramatic than in the original song.
Along with the sound of the gayageum, Jeong Dajun and Kim Seonghyeon stood up with the silk again.
“There’s no need to worry, because the answer is me.”
The voices rose endlessly, and the silk spun around dizzyingly at the end, forming a line of trees.
Kim Seonghyeon sang with a sorrowful expression in front of them.
“When I see you, I feel like I’m clearing away distant clouds”
The faint sound of the flute accompanied the slow sound of blowing wind.
Seo Hoyun moved in slow motion on the stage. The fallen silks on the floor were scattered like clouds. Everyone slowly raised their fans to cover their faces and bowed their heads.
The white spotlight stubbornly followed Seo Hoyun from behind as if enchanted.
“I’m not worried.”
The fan looked at the stage with a lump in her throat. Seo Hoyun touched the tree that Seong Jiwon had fiddled with at the beginning, lifting one corner of his mouth as though speaking to the fans.
“I know you.
So…”
This part connected to the line that Seong Jiwon had said earlier. Seo Hoyun slowly plucked a flower and dropped it to the floor. At the same time, the flower fluttered and fell onto the white silk.
“Shall we start again, together?”
Thump.
Along with that, the spotlight slowly went out.
A perfect Eastern-style arrangement that made them forget about the original song, a stage filled with fewer members, and even without all that…
They did so overwhelmingly well.
The intention to take a picture had long since vanished. Everyone was momentarily silent, shocked by the performance, and soon an enormous scream erupted. Not only The Dawn’s fans but also those of Nightmare, Refined, and Maz waved their banners and shouted.
Perhaps they recognized each other as being on the same side.
The fan looked back with lingering excitement.
“Kyaa…”
Today’s fans looked pale and dejected.
It was as if they had just poured a cool, refreshing soda over their heads.
[1] Koreans have a saying that being cursed at makes you live longer. That’s what Hoyun told the idol at the beginning of the story.
[2] The thing that K-pop fans hold when cheering for their idols is commonly called a “fan sign” or “cheering slogan.”
[3] A gayageum is a traditional Korean stringed instrument similar to a zither. Think of a gayageum like a horizontal harp with movable bridges and twelve silk strings, played using a bamboo stick.
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