The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

[Hot item alert: Popular group for sale, act fast!][1]

Just when no news had come late into the night, making it seem like this time it was really over, the lineup came together at the last minute.

The Noeuls, having learned something from The Dawn’s previous collaboration with Lea Purple and a few other year-end stages of “Kismet,” were fervently criticizing Daepaseong Entertainment.

[This song might just kill the lights

And I have a feeling the camera work is going to be crap]

[I’m still pissed about that one solo stage they did before… Plus, it wasn’t even the full thing, it was ridiculously short… The collab was just shoehorned in…

It’s only because the kids killed it that I calmed down a bit…]

[Just Daepaseong being Daepaseong, you know]

Despite its growing popularity, Daepaseong Entertainment, unable to shed its mid-tier status not just in capital but in various aspects, was more accustomed to criticism than to eating.

However, private accounts expressed differing opinions.

[Guys… don’t make me laugh, is this supposed to be bitter?

I’ve been a fan since their debut, so maybe that’s why I’m running over here in a frenzy, shedding two liters of tears…

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Oh, this is so typical but so true, I wanna highlight it]

[Just one stage???? Even with the collab? Just being part of the end-of-year lineup itself? I’m so proud I could spin around?????]

[I came from stanning a major group that does long end-of-year stages, but there’s a unique taste to this side too… Is this what desperation (laughs) feels like?

└The more minor, the more thrilling it can be

└└Agreed

└└Don’t agree please, our kids need to fly]

Thus, the Noeuls with their strong mental fortitude once again transformed bitterness into laughter as they sat in front of the TV.

The Dawn’s ascendancy was palpable, and those who had wandered the K-pop wilderness for a long time sensed it.

This year’s hottest (used) rookie was undoubtedly The Dawn, filled with venom and destined to rise.

Determined not to betray those expectations, the members, except for a few hours of rest, had dedicated themselves to practice, biting down hard to finish all preparations.

They were ready to put a grand finale to the Apocalypse trilogy.

Ziing—

Thud.

The stage dimmed, and the final end-of-year stage began.

[The Dawn – Kill the Lights]

The song title appeared on screen, with Kang Ichae’s name prominently featured in the lyrics, composition, and arrangement sections.

[Aaaah it’s starting]

[Lyrics, composition, arrangement by Kang Ichae… Thump

└That guy’s lyrics, that guy’s composition, that guy’s arrangement

└└Way back into > Kang Ichae…]

The fact that a member had arranged the end-of-year stage filled the fans with immense pride.

But there were still concerns.

[I’ve seen “Kill the Lights” too many times recently;]

[Right, I wanted to see “Ocean Train” for a change]

This was precisely the issue.

Since the song had recently been a huge success, fans were concerned it might bore people for being too similar to its original stage, even though they knew it would be different from those performances.

Initially, there had been a fuss about them not performing “Kill the Lights” when only “Kismet” was staged, but once “Kill the Lights” was performed, there were complaints yet again.

Yet, most were pulsing with anticipation and excitement.

Ddiririri— Ddiririri—

At that moment, an intro mixed with video game-like beats flowed out.

Chijiik— Woong woong—

[??????]

The sound of a pipe organ laid over it brought an entirely different vibe from the original grand “Kill the Lights.”

Just as fans were bewildered, wondering what kind of path it would take, blue and green lights alternately shone on the moving figures in rhythm.

Ddiririri—

All members were dressed in white, yet what stood out more was the black harness draped over their shoulders, contrasting with their white tops.

[Yeah!!!!!!!]

The last end-of-year stage was rider jackets.

It seemed they had played another strong hand this time.

Naturally, fans were shouting their heads off, waving their arms in welcome.

[Aaaaaah Aah!! Aah!!!!!]

[I get it, you guys have to succeed]

Then, Kang Ichae, standing at the center, nonchalantly looked into the camera, slightly tilted his head, and tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“I see the timing?”

It began.

At the same time, Kang Ichae leaped up, kicking out with his right foot, and the members behind him supported his back.

With that recoil, Kang Ichae returned to his original pose and began to rap.

“We once caught our breath together, now we must go again.”

With an intense yet fiery beat, the rap pierced through more powerfully than usual, electrifying every word.

Kang Ichae raised his arm, grasped Seong Jiwon’s shoulder, and turned him roughly.

“When everyone pointed at you,

You just laughed, remember?”

[Hey, what’s this neo-flavor?]

[What’s with the intro beat? Did you completely change it??]

Thanks to The Dawn’s habit of coming up with new stages every time, the Noeuls had decided not to be surprised anymore, yet they always ended up pleasantly betrayed.

This performance seemed like the word “glamorous” had been brought to life on stage.

If Kang Ichae had aimed to dazzle with “Kismet,” “Kill the Lights” amplified that glamour, adding a few drops of a cyberpunk vibe reminiscent of 29th-century Korea.

The reason for adding game beats and re-recording by the members was clear.

“(Beep!) I can’t lose this game, let’s burn till the very end.

The moment light seeps in, it’s the start.”

Then, the screen brightened to a blinding degree.

Du-du-du-du…

Doo-doom!

Between the beats, the sound of helicopter propellers mixing in, and as the song slowly faded out, the figure of Kim Seonghyeon, who had been leading all the members from the center, was captured on screen.

He slowly lifted his bowed head and raised his hand.

“And I say it again…”

And then, grabbing Seo Hoyun, who was standing behind him, he spun around, switching their positions.

“YES!”

As the robotic voice, heavily autotuned to a lower pitch, rang out, Seo Hoyun aggressively moved to the center.

“WE KILL THE LIGHTS!”

The Noeuls quickly grasped what this switch in positions meant.

[tlqkf!!!!!!!][2]

[Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!]

Indeed.

It wasn’t for nothing that Seo Hoyun had been practicing for the year-end stage, singing practice songs all along.

“KILL THE LIGHTS!”

Seo Hoyun, The Dawn’s official “fixer,” was officially assigned as the dance break center for the group, a role that would normally have been Kim Seonghyeon’s.

To avoid even a bit of criticism, Seo Hoyun practiced until his mouth turned sour, trying to match even a fraction of Seonghyeon’s level.

[Waitwaitwait Seo Hoyun]

[Seo Hoyun center for the dance break??? Are you crazy????]

Panicked fans, unable to even insert a typo to prevent searches on public accounts, screamed his real name.

Even behind the members, the VCR showed a flag fluttering as if blown by the wind, similar to how Kim Seonghyeon had planted it in the MV, stirring the fans’ emotions even more.

“I feel like I’m gonna die….”

“It’s okay. People don’t die that easily.”

“What did you do so wrong?”

As much as Seo Hoyun was dying, his dance lines, as instructed by Kim Seonghyeon, had distinctly changed.

If before, his movements seemed artificially aligned, now, it was evident he was riding the rhythm, with Seo Hoyun’s unique flexibility adding a noticeable flair.

It wasn’t perfect, but the shortcomings were masked by the glamorous VCR, lighting, and facial expressions.

[Has Seo Hoyun lost his mind?????

Don’t bite your lip, fuck]

[So

freaking

sexy]

The members on either side entered in time with the beat, not missing a single angle or timing.

Seo Hoyun’s gaze fiercely locked onto the approaching jimmy jib camera.

[Ah wait you why are you like this

why are you…………

I won’t say more, I still have a bright future ahead]

[Thank you, world, for this insane sexiness]

Despite securing it, the harness slid down due to the powerful choreography, but Seo Hoyun briefly took a deep breath and flicked his hand, prompting the scattered members to line up behind him.

[Gasp]

By this point, the quick-witted people had realized.

The reason why that fixer, Seo Hoyun, had to be the center for the dance break.

“We need to take care of the narrative!!”

Lee Jihyeon, who placed utmost importance on the narrative, had been furiously insisting during the planning of the end-of-year stage.

“How can we not take care of the additional narrative that can be shown on stage apart from the MV?! It’s basic to feed the fans with hints through choreography! This is respect for ‘Kill the Lights’!”

“…Okay, calm down for a moment.”

“This time, it absolutely has to be Seo Hoyun as the dance center! He must!!”

As a result of Lee Jihyeon, who had been thoroughly energized by the bonus she received from the Lea Purple collab, relentlessly pushed Kim Seonghyeon and Seo Hoyun.

Thus, this choreography was born.

In “Kill the Lights,” after Seo Hoyun successfully led a rebellion…

“…Then let’s do this.”

…Kim Seonghyeon created choreography that depicted the members following Seo Hoyun’s lead.

“The Dawn is Coming!”

As soon as Seo Hoyun raised his right hand, all the members behind him saluted in sequence, in time with the beat.

Snap!

Ratatat!

“We can’t lose this game

I have already bet everything”

As the highlight melody rang out, Seo Hoyun turned around with a faint smile of satisfaction, his gaze lowering.

Tap, tap!

Then, the remaining four behind him spread out to the sides in time with a set rhythm, raising their hands at an angle towards him, as if symbolizing flags.

“Overturn everything, change the game!”

Seo Hoyun tilted his head back to look up, then strode confidently through the path created by the members.

Even after the release of the “Kill the Lights” MV, there was much debate about whether it was right for all the members to trust and follow Seo Hoyun.

The answer was embedded in this choreography.

“Yes, I Killed the light”

In the end, Seo Hoyun successfully took control.

[Don’t be an otaku]

[It’s my fault, please save me]

The fans screamed in delight; their eyes glued to the screen.

In the meantime, as one member stepped out from the lined-up side, the formation quickly dispersed.

“We can’t leave this scheme!”

It was Jeong Dajun who appeared to wrap up the finale.

“Ah, you are at its end.”

Contrary to Seo Hoyun taking everything under control, Jeong Dajun danced alone, and one by one, the members turned their backs on him.

Only Jeong Dajun seemed to act as if he was out of control, his platinum blond hair soaking up the red lighting.

“Us,”

Jeong Dajun slightly squinted his eyes and lifted one corner of his mouth.

“Shall we go all the way till the end?”

His expression resembled someone very closely.

“KILL THE LIGHTS!”

And with a gesture resembling a finger snap, the lights went out with a snap!

The speakers blared with screams.

The MCs continued to speak, but nobody paid any attention.

[……… killed it]

For the fans, the next stage wasn’t important.

What was urgent for them was to collect the breadcrumbs scattered across this stage.

[Seo Hoyun’s salute and the kids saluting back means Seo Hoyun set everything right, right? Ah, I think I’m going to faint

└And what about Jeong Dajun scattering everything…?]

[What’s with Jeong Dajun at the end, is he the hidden villain? Shit, I’m losing my mind, ah!!!!!!!!

└After doing all that, our God Ki then goes down and jumps around]

[Fuck, Hoyun walking with those long strides is just so manly….]

[Who thought of putting in the salute choreography?!!!!

└It’s obvious, isn’t it? Kim Seonghyeon and Jeong Dajun

└└Why?? Did a BTS come out??

└└Daepaseong Entertainment doesn’t have money to add new choreography

└└Oopsie]

The fans exchanged interpretations and meanings of each scene.

Just a few minutes ago, they were worried about the stage and criticizing Daepaseong Entertainment like radishes, but now they gave praises as if none of that had happened.

[It’s a live performance, but these guys must be insane with their stamina, there was a rumor that they run on treadmills while practicing singing, seems true]

[Seo Hoyun a Hermione?[3]

How did he prepare “Spend the Night + Let’s Start Loving From Today + Kill the Lights” all at the same time?

└And all of them became hot topics, crazy]

[Seong Jiwon really hits the high notes so cleanly, has he entered the vocal heaven now? Makes sense, our Jiwon is a Best OST Award winner]

Though the stage was surprisingly short and didn’t offer many opportunities to show off to the public, they still did everything they could.

The brilliantly arranged spicy beat, the meticulously practiced sharp choreography, and the narrative-filled dance moves.

[Wow, really the perfect end to the year…

└Absolutely no regrets canceling all my year-end plans…

└└Just feeling sorry for those who didn’t see it…]

[Ah… ㅠㅠ How can you not love them?

How can you not love these guys who grit their teeth and prepare so hard!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Guys, I’m a fan]

Seo Hoyun might as well have been spitting blood with all the grumbling, but the hard work paid off.

[I’m a fan!!!!]

They ended the year on a high, fully satisfied.

[1] The last two characters of the Korean was “ㅅㄱ.” It’s a shorthand and stand for “서둘러 구해” which means “hurry and buy” or “looking for a quick sale.”

[2] To type “시발” in Korean, you use “tlqkf,” where each letter corresponds to a Korean character: ㅅ = t, ㅣ = l, ㅂ = q, ㅏ = k, ㄹ = f.

[3] Yup, that Hermione.