ALL NOVEL Chapter 133
“Oh, here it comes! Here it comes!”
After another day of grueling practice, the members returned to their dorm, turned on the TV, and opened boxes of chicken, now a regular menu item there.
It was December 30th, and they were tuning in to watch the live broadcast of the Acting Awards.
The members’ faces were filled with anticipation.
“Did you hear Hoyun-hyung is nominated today?”
“Yeah, for the New Star Award.”
Unlike the festive atmosphere of the year-end stages, this event had a more dignified vibe, which was probably why everyone was dressed so formally.
Just then, Seo Hoyun, stepping off the van and onto the red carpet, filled the screen.
“Whoa! Hyung’s here.”
“The suit really suits him!”
– “Seo Hoyun is making his entrance! In Please Take the Camera, he played PD Lee Jeonghun, whose character was messed up in terms of personality but whose competence made it impossible to hate him!”
Despite the ambiguous introduction, hard to categorize as a compliment or an insult, Seo Hoyun walked confidently with a poker face.
However, his expression instantly changed when he saw fans of The Dawn and others cheering for him by the red carpet.
He broke into a soft smile.
“Wow….”
The members admired his demeanor.
Well, not just his face.
That pretense.
“If we didn’t know Seo Hoyun, we might have been fooled by his supposed ‘good personality’.”
“He’s really good at acting, isn’t he?”
Confident in Seo Hoyun’s ability to handle any situation, the members happily shared chicken wings and legs to their liking, chatting away.
“But hasn’t Hoyun-hyung been acting strange lately?”
“Ah!! I was just about to say that.”
“Huh? Why?”
“When we were coming back to the dorm, he bought me something to eat, saying ‘You like this, don’t you?'”
Everyone looked at Kim Seonghyeon in disbelief.
“And yesterday, he told me to take it easy and not overdo it.”
“…??”
At Jeong Dajun’s words, Kim Seonghyeon shook his head as if he had goosebumps.
“It sounds crazy, but you know.”
“…Don’t.”
“Recently, Seo Hoyun, seems a bit different—”
“Ah!! Woah!”
“—different with someone whose name begins and ends with ‘jeon/jun.””
“I told you to stop!!”
Jeong Dajun spat out the piece of chicken he was chewing and, despite not having finished his favorite chicken leg, set it down on the table.
“Hey, even the maknae has the right to enjoy chicken happily, okay?! Let’s save those talks for after meals.”
“…Sorry.”
The members, having lost their appetites, murmured,
“If anyone did something wrong to Seo Hoyun, better confess quickly.”
“What did you do wrong? Spit it out.”
“I… didn’t clean up after eating ramen yesterday….”
“That must be it. Let’s apologize properly when we get back.”
“What do you guys think Hoyun is?”
Seong Jiwon muttered in disbelief.
Among them, only Kang Ichae was unusually quiet today.
He rested his chin on his knees, staring intently at the TV.
As the Acting Awards continued, and the New Actor Award speech was being given, Min Jiheon’s face briefly appeared before moving to another actor.
Hmm.
Kang Ichae spat out the bone he had cleanly eaten.
In contrast to Seo Hoyun, who had been walking around the dorm with a refreshing expression these past few days, something seemed to bother Kang Ichae.
Drama… Min Jiheon. Seo Hoyun.
Seo Hoyun passed it off nonchalantly without saying anything, but Kang Ichae still vividly remembered that day.
And the hyperventilation.
That moment for Seo Hoyun reminded him of a scene from the past, turning into something Kang Ichae couldn’t just let go.
It’s confusing.
“Ichae, how about we drink while we watch this?”
At Seong Jiwon’s question, Kang Ichae reflexively smiled brightly and nodded.
“Sounds good~.”
“I’ll go get it.”
“Uh! What about me?”
Turning his head slowly, Seong Jiwon asked gently,
“Dajun, do you wanna say it again?”
“I turn of age in two days…?”
“Uh-huh?”
“…”
“…”
“…Soda.”
“Ahaha, okay.”
Jeong Dajun, on the verge of adulthood, could not overcome the formidable wall of Seong Jiwon and sipped his soda with a gloomy expression.
It was expected.
Lately, even Seo Hoyun was feeling a bit hesitant around Seong Jiwon.
By the time the rest of the members had drunk enough beer to get slightly tipsy, Seo Hoyun was finally announced as the winner of the New Star Award.
– “Despite it being his first work, he has shown an impressive performance. The New Star Award goes to Seo Hoyun! Congratulations!”
“Ah, do they pick up to five people for the New Star?”
“That’s right. I heard they include idols sometimes.”
“Ah~, I see.”
The five awardees stood in a line, each taking turns to give their acceptance speech. Seo Hoyun was the last.
– “Hello, I’m Seo Hoyun.”
“Wow, he really sounds like an actor.”
“Is hyung going to continue acting?”
“He said he absolutely hates it.”
“Eeeh?!”
– “I’m truly grateful to receive the New Star Award for my first work.”
“Wow! That’s such a waste of talent. Betting my entire 19 years of being a drama fanatic, I can objectively say that Hoyun-hyung is really good at acting.”
“Were you born watching dramas?”
“I’ve been watching them since I was a newborn, okay?”
While the rest of the members semi-ignored Jeong Dajun muttering, “If you count from when my mom was pregnant with me, it’s 9 months more,” they focused on Seo Hoyun’s acceptance speech.
– “Thank you to all the cast members of Please Take the Camera…”
Despite Seo Hoyun’s usual grumbling or his chillingly indifferent or sarcastically competitive demeanor among the members, he spoke very neatly in public.
After briefly thanking the drama’s cast, writer, and staff, Seo Hoyun took a slight breath and added,
– “And to the members of The Dawn, who are probably eating chicken at the dorm right now.”
“Wow, he’s like a psychic.”
Seo Hoyun cracked a slight smile.
– “Great job.”
“…!!”
– “Let’s keep up the good work next year.”
Despite Seo Hoyun’s kindly intention, making it a memorable Christmas, the members dropped their chicken in surprise.
“…Why is he like that?”
“…My appetite just disappeared.”
And they felt quite uncomfortable.
“Is this some new kind of bullying?”
Seriously, Seo Hoyun should live a bit more properly.
Kang Ichae clicked his tongue inwardly.
Seo Hoyun’s final comment led to a lengthy discussion among the members, but they eventually settled on “It’s fan service for the Noeuls” theory and managed to lighten the mood.
If Seo Hoyun had known their true feelings, he would have been seriously pissed.
However, there was something even more shocking.
It was the congratulatory stage of Part 1, prepared so diligently by Seo Hoyun, Min Jiheon, and Yu Jia.
[Please Take the Camera Hot Stage: Let’s Start Loving From Today by Min Jiheon, Yu Jia, Seo Hoyun]
“Waaaaah!”
They all threw off their suits and appeared in white knits and jeans, starting a light choreography to the music.
Shy expressions and simple movements were the highlights.
Yu Jia began to sing the first verse.
“Today, as the petals flutter, I want to walk beside you,
One, two, three, four.”
“Yu Jia sunbaenim is really good.”
“Why say it, it’s Yu Jia sunbaenim.”
“…Don’t be so serious.”
By now, Seong Jiwon, acknowledged among the members as a fan of Yu Jia, couldn’t take his eyes off the TV.
At that moment, the internet was ablaze.
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is so funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ!!!!]
[Anyone who watches Please Take the Camera must see this shit shit shit shit my cheeks hurt from smiling so much]
[Our senior Yu Jia, the trending idol Seo Hoyun, and the popular actor Min Jiheon (Note: Clumsy)]
[It’s really fresh and cute to see the drama cast togetherㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
Not just idol fans but also the general public, who watched the acting awards, flooded various communities with reactions.
“Today, as love begins, I want to hold hands with you,
One, two, three, four.”
[I love you, PD Lee Jeonghun, I love how you’re not a jerk, marry me]
[So grateful he’s originally an idol]
“Wow~, Hoyun finds the camera like a pro.”
“He’s improved a lot in dancing lately. Hits the beat exactly.”
But it wasn’t just the dance improvement; Seo Hoyun, knowing his own weaknesses, had desperately brainstormed and calculated to make his movements appear natural.
While the idol members critically discussed the stage, most viewers had similar opinions.
[Guys, Seo Hoyun and Yu Jia are really good at finding the camera, wow it’s different when you’ve been on stage
└But Min Jiheonㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
However, Min Jiheon—
[Min Jiheon, there are no cameras on the ceiling]
—really couldn’t find the camera.
[Fuck I’m going crazy because of this man
└Stop smiling at the ceiling]
[Min Jiheon is really clumsy
└There’s a reason he’s close with Seo Hoyun
└Seo Hoyun: (So wronged)]
[I’m giving up on him finding the camera, he’s just smiling by himselfㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋYou know… His original personality… Thought he was all mysterious, but after watching the BTS, seems like he’s just a cutie… Is this a flaw?
└No, it’s true
└Especially towards Seo Hoyun… They’re close… ㅠㅠ So freaking cute I’m dying]
“Look, Min Jiheon-sunbaenim is coming out.”
“Ah, yeah.”
Even though he was dancing in the back, Min Jiheon stole the spotlight as he moved to the center and formed a heart.
The members, staring blankly at the scene, had their faces turn sour.
They all knew that Seo Hoyun and Min Jiheon weren’t exactly on good terms.
It seemed like everyone had silently agreed to hold back their words.
“I want to give you my all, let’s start loving from today.”
“…”
“…”
No, they wanted to hold back.
[Excuse me]
That was until they saw Min Jiheon’s spectacular lack of musical talent.
If Seo Hoyun had checked Min Jiheon’s stats, his singing would’ve been rated F-.
[I’ve never seen such tone-deafness in my life]
[Damn, it’s so freaking hilarious. Min Jiheon looks like he can do everything well, but how can he be so tone-deaf]
[Please, just stick to acting, Mr. Min Jiheon]
“…Is this a performance?”
“It doesn’t seem like it.”
Meanwhile, Seo Hoyun, The Dawn’s proud lead vocal on the same stage, jumped out beside him and wearing a refreshingly bright smile, seemingly very pleased with Min Jiheon’s tone-deaf crisis.
“I want to give you all my heart, let’s start loving from today”
[Wow]
[Wow, Seo Hoyun;;]
“Phew, now that’s relaxing.”
“It feels pure… not a single offbeat…”
The anger that could have risen due to Min Jiheon was barely quelled, and the members started to munch on their cold chicken again.
As expected, the online reactions were similar to those of The Dawn.
[I knew Seo Hoyun could sing well…. but after Min Jiheon, he seems like an angel
└That’s too harsh on Jiheon
└└Put your hands down, we know you’re laughing
└└└(Laughter)]
Thus, the performance entered the highlight with Yu Jia’s high notes, moving Seong Jiwon to the brink of tears.
Of course, whether it was Yu Jia showcasing her insane vocal skills after a long absence from the stage or Seo Hoyun next to her presenting a perfect example of an idol, it was all satisfying.
“Let’s start loving from today~♡”
Min Jiheon steadfastly blazed his own trail and with a bright smile, nailed the finishing pose perfectly.
Still, he never found the camera.
“Phew…”
“Hold it in.”
Slightly ticked off again, The Dawn’s members turned away and quietly cleaned up the finished chicken.
“…Shall we go practice?”
“Let’s do that.”
After all, they still have their last end-of-year stage on December 31st.
***
[Title: Did you see Min Jiheon’s acceptance speech for the Grand Prize yesterday? Of course, I thought he’d winㅋㅋ The speech was short but so good, I had to bring it up…
(Video)
He was really thankful for winning the acting award, but he said it was thanks to the people he loves.
And then he casually said at the end,
– “This year must have been hard for everyone, don’t push yourselves too hard, and make sure to eat well.”
– “I hope everyone finds happiness in their own moments.”
Are you kidding me????
Ah
Don’t do this to someone who cries just hearing harmonies
└Are you having a tough time recently?
└└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ㅠㅠFuck, it’s really hardㅠ
└└There, there..
But this year, Min Jiheon completely shed his mystique…
└Can someone teach me how not to love Jiheon..
└└Even in the midst of this, his dazzlingly handsome face shines…
No… It’s not just dazzling, I feel like I’m going to need LASIK]
[But at the end…
– “♡I love our youngest princess♡”
<ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋSuddenly dripping with aegyoㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋDoes Jiheon have a princess at home?]
The youngest princess at home clenched her teeth.
[- “I also want to thank Seo Hoyun, who always brings great laughter on set”
<<What’s up
└What’s up? Are the two close?
└└I watched the BTS, they really seem like best friends, mostly Seo Hoyun looking disgusted though]
Naturally, Seo Hoyun, having heard that comment right in front of him, churned through words that would be censored, yet managed to slightly lift the corners of his mouth.
People who were unaware of the two being provoked by Min Jiheon’s taunt were in uproar, thinking it sweet.
Moreover, the Please Take the Camera congratulatory performance was a fresh change for the viewers and naturally drew attention to Seo Hoyun’s next stage.
[Title: Summary of the process of becoming a Noeul in Please Take the Camera… Wow, Min Jiheon’s in it? Turning it on right now.
→ Lee Jeonghun is rude but gets cuter the more you watch.
→ What? An idol? Searches for The Dawn’s fancams.
(This is where it went downhill)
→ Doesn’t stop on stage. Watching the aegyo and freaking out
→ Seo Hoyun looks like a bunny.
Phew…
You’ve crossed a river of no return.
Welcome to K-pop…]
On December 31st, fitting for the last day of the year, people were celebrating a year safely passed in their own ways, but those who had bet their lives on The Dawn were different.
Music Festival!!
Only selected idol groups made it to that stage on December 31st, and The Dawn was listed, marking the moment that would conclude the year-long efforts of their Apocalyptic trilogy.