The Trashy PD Has To Survive as an Idol

[#TheDawn_Kismet_Forever]

[#TheDawn_YouAreMyStar]

[The Dawn Kismet – Special stage]

“Ugh…”

[“Because you told me that I can be a star.”]

“Life’s great, fuck…”

She hurried home from work when she heard that The Dawn was having their first V-live at 5 PM.
Before the V-live, she watched the stage of tvK Broadcasting Station’s Special Stage, commemorating them reaching first place in Shining Star, with her eyes full of tears while petting her dog.

“It’s a shame to only have this amazing stage once…”

Her heart swelled with pride seeing The Dawn looking much more relaxed than in their Shining Star days.

Having become a fan of The Dawn through “Second Chance,” she knew how hard the group had worked over the past few months.
That’s why this performance seemed even more special.

As she opened her SNS, she saw it was already a mess.

[I withdraw my support for The Dawn from today on.
These guys are now one with me.]

[Next time, it’s a real shot at first place! Trust me, guys, this is a winning stock!!]

“Let’s go all-in with our support!”

Reading the posts full of excitement and anticipation, she shared in the joy.
The cyber friends who had bonded closely over “Second Chance” and Shining Star were all in a similar situation, having taken time off work to watch the V-live.

[V-live]

[Is it for real that their first V-live is almost a year after their debut?]

[Their agency sucks, seriously.
They’ve been neglectedㅋㅋㅋNow they’re late collecting fandom namesㅋㅋ When will Daepaseong Entertainment come to their senses?

└Daepaseong: So, you don’t want us to do V-live?

└ㅋㅋㅋㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋNo, thank you very much! (hurriedly)]

[Who else is in Daepaseong Entertainment?

└Actor Min Jiheon in Boy Boss

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋApproved]

Although everyone was excited to see The Dawn’s cute interactions, today’s V-live mainly focused on the fandom name.
Which one would they choose from the submitted names? Her heart pounded with anticipation.

[Let’s communicate together! The Dawn’s first V-live]

“Argh!”

The fan quickly entered the V-live.

– “Uh… is this on?”

– “Seems like it?”

The V-live finally began.

It seemed like they were in their agency’s practice room, and everyone was dressed casually.
Seo Hoyun, who had recently caught the attention of fans, had his hair down today.

– “Should we say hello first?”

[Crazy fuck![1]]

[His hair down is heavenly…

└Probably smells good

└Fuck![2] Don’t say stuff like that]

However, Hoyun was dressed in black from head to toe.

Hoyun, are you going for the shadow look too?

Would it kill you to wear something white?

Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to take screenshots of his handsome face.

– “Hello!”

– “Rising Dawn! We are The Dawn!”

Being somewhat older rookies, they greeted fans with more energy than other popular idols.
It was rare to see idols coordinate their greetings for fans on V-live these days.

They beamed at their long-awaited idols while a moment of silence passed within The Dawn.

– “Is this really working?”

– “Let me check… Oh, it is!”

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋIt’s working!!]

[The Dawn’s first V-live!]

– “Hello~!”

Finally, The Dawn started to chat amongst themselves.

Seong Jiwon asked with a smile,

– “Did you watch our Kismet stage today?”

[Yesㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Oppa I love you!!!!]

[♡♡♡♡♡♡♡]

[The stage was so beautiful ♡♡♡]

– “Thank you for coming in large numbers.
The stage set was really pretty too…”

[Yes, yes, it was beautiful!]

… said the comment, and the office worker left another post on SNS with a completely different tone.

[Jiwon, it’s not the stage set that’s pretty right now

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋshittㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Wow… Seong Jiwon is really so pretty, I want to slide down his nose

└Ah, reallyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Although the temperature of the (moderated) chats uploaded on V-live and the tweets were quite different, the flattery itself was the same.
The office worker laughed at him and sighed.

I should have gone myself…

Although she regretted not going, it wasn’t easy.

Shining Star‘s ratings were much higher than expected, and the awareness of all members, including the hot issue with Kim Seonghyeon’s fake scandal, skyrocketed.

I think I’ll know how popular they’ll be when they make a new comeback…

She heard that love calls from various variety shows were pouring in, but it was still a mystery which variety show they would participate in.
Some even said to focus more on the new song to get number one quickly.

There was a fierce battle between wanting them to remain like this forever and wanting them to become more popular.

Still, the kids are cute.

– “The chat is moving really fast.”

– “Ah, um… I have to focus on reading.”

Watching the chat that was uploaded almost every second, they made a remark and stopped to stare intently at the monitor, which looked adorable.

While the other members were hesitating, Seo Hoyun alone read the chat amazingly fast.

It was because he had some experience in variety shows.

– “Did you eat today? Yes, I ate.”

– “We ordered jjajangmyeon in the practice room!”

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋAh, it’s cute how they tell us the menu too]

[I want to deliver the jjajangmyeon myself ^-^ !!!]

[Are you practicing well~?]

– “Yes, we are practicing well.
We’re just practicing basic skills for now, though.”

That’s when Seo Hoyun and Kang Ichae were in sync, reading the chat window.
A malicious comment quickly passed between the posts.

[Hoyun, you’re not getting hit with eggs anymore, huhㅋㅋ]

[I miss the egg incident, it was so entertainingㅎㅎ]

Just when Seo Hoyun was reading intently.

Shit!!

Those bastards should all be beaten up! The office worker clenched her fist and slammed the table.

Surely they didn’t see it, right?

– “…”

Kang Ichae seemed to have read it as his expression stiffened, but he quickly relaxed, perhaps aware of the camera.

Meanwhile, Seo Hoyun’s lips curled slightly.

– “We’re going to order food again with the kids later.”

Didn’t he see it?

[Ah, Hoyun is obsessed with food]

[Food.
Obsessed.
Seo.]

[The real food maniac]

– “Hoyun-hyung, they say you’re obsessed with food?”

– “As a Korean, we should eat three meals a day…”

– “Hoyun-hyung, it’s starting again!”

Kang Ichae also joked with a smile towards Seo Hoyun, and Seo Hoyun responded without any problem.

Phew, they must not have seen it.

Not only themselves but others also caught the chat with eagle eyes, and for a moment, private SNS accounts were in an uproar.

[It seems Hoyun didn’t see it, right???]

[Ah, shit, they should just beat up those fuckers… God, I’m sending one more person today]

[But Seo Hoyun’s slight smile is so handsome ;;;;; (I lost my mind at that point)]

Still, the posts on V-live passed so quickly that negative stories were buried without any chance of being mentioned.

…Yeah, it’s better for the fans not to react.
They shouldn’t draw any more attention to this situation.

While the fans were calming down, the main topic of the day appeared on V-live.

– “Then, should we reveal the fandom name today?”

– “Yes!!”

– “Are you excited?”

– “Yes~!”

[Aigoo, these kids are so excited kekekeke]

[So cute ㅠㅠ]

As Seo Hoyun caught the wind, Kim Seonghyeon carefully took out a card.
The atmosphere was as if it were an awards ceremony.

– “Thank you for submitting so many beautiful names for our fandom.
Our company has carefully reviewed them and narrowed down the candidates.”

– “Yes! We then consulted with the company and made our choice.”

[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠWhatever it is, I’ll love it, guys]

[If The Dawn chose it themselves, even if our fandom name was “Cabbage,” I’d be fine with it]

– “Our fandom name is…”

– “…”

– “Are you curious?”

– “Woo~!”

As Kim Seonghyeon sneakily glanced at the card, he suddenly stopped speaking and playfully raised his eyebrows.
Annoyed by his teasing, Jeong Dajun suddenly jumped on him.

– “Ah, so frustrating!”

– “Ah!”

– “Hurry up and tell us!”

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Jeong Dajun is a true Korean…]

[The people of the hurry-hurry culture]

As Jeong Dajun lunged at him (saying it was fun), Kang Ichae joined in as well.
Kim Seonghyeon, who had momentarily been on the floor, pushed them off and stood up.
His disheveled hair and trembling eyelashes showed the hardships of being an idol leader.

– “Phew… alright, alright.”

– “Woo! Hurry! Hurry!”

– “I said I’d tell you.”

[The look of a leader.png]

[Ah, these kids are really cute kekekeke]

[God Seonghyeon’s serious face is so cute kekeke]

– “Our fandom name is… ‘Noeul[3]‘!”

Noeul?

The office worker quickly racked her brains.
They must have wanted something related to The Dawn, meaning ‘dawn’… Why did they choose Noeul?

It doesn’t seem like they put much thought into it.
In an instant, the fan was left with a strange expression as she found herself agreeing with “Noeul” without much consent.

It seemed like many people shared his thoughts, as the reactions on social media were lukewarm.

[Hmm, what’s the meaning behind it?]

[Did the company just choose it…?]

[How are foreign fans supposed to call it? fuck kekeke The Dawn’s image is dropping hard]

[Guys, hurry up and cheer up.
You said you’d be fine even if it were “Cabbage.”]

At that moment, Seong Jiwon smiled and explained.

-‘”’Noeul’ doesn’t just mean the time when the sun sets.
It can also refer to the phenomenon of the sky turning red at dawn when sunlight appears.”

– “Yes, yes!”

– “We hope that as dawn approaches, our fans, like the ‘Noeul,’ will always be with us.
That’s the meaning behind the name we chose.”

[Ah… such a deep meaning… (a picture of someone hitting their forehead with a bottle)]

[Jiwon, I loved it from the beginning

└This person’s sudden change of mind, what is this

└But… but our Jiwon… (sobbing)]

[I’m seriously immersing myself and staring into the distance right now]

As Seo Hoyun, who had been quietly watching, spoke up.

– “It’s nice that we have a fandom name now.
I’ve always wanted to call out to them.”

Seo Hoyun smiled gently.
It was much more approachable and lovely than the provocative, broadcast-ready image he usually had.

That gaze penetrating the camera, guilty as charged, fuck…

[Noeul is okay.
Foreign fans, it’s time to learn Korean

└Agree~]

Quick to change their tune, the “Noeul” fans swiftly moved on to the next topic.

[When is the next song coming out?]

[When r u coming back?]

Fans always wanted new songs and activities, so they threw out various bait, but The Dawn slyly pretended not to notice and let it pass.

The kids will tell us when it’s the right time, right?

The office worker scratched under the puppy’s chin while reminiscing about the happy times.

It was their first V-live, and it had already been over three hours.
Although they must be tired, the fans continued sharing TMI and analyzing each member’s personality.

[Seong Jiwon is surprisingly clumsy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[I knew Seonghyun would be affectionate, but I didn’t know he would be this affectionate.
He tied Dajun’s shoelaces so he wouldn’t trip while running around ㅠㅠ Such delicate consideration, I love it

└His big hands are really noticeable]

[The same-age line is somewhat soft ㅋㅋㅋThe younger ones are more spirited]

[It’s already been over 3 hours.
Why do these kids have so much love for their fans? Did they order chicken?]

Ah, the kids must be hungry…

– “Oh! The chicken is here!”

– “Our youngest~.”

– “Ah, you only order me around in times like this…”

– “Just go~”

– “I, Jeong Dajun, will return!”

Jeong Dajun went out quickly as if he had been waiting for the cool moment.

The members looked at him as if it was cute and then returned to their noisy conversation.
Jeong Dajun came back humming a song, holding the chicken bags tightly.

– “Chi-chi-chi-chicken, let’s eat~, delicious chicken~!”

[Jeong DajunㅋㅋㅋㅋHe’s good at composing]

[Ichae must be jealous of Dajun’s composing ability]

Jeong Dajun happily laid out the chicken and cola while humming the song.

At that moment, he was so excited about the chicken before him that another tune slipped out of his mouth.

– “You’re my key~”

[????]

[???]

– “Uh-huh, you’re the only answer for me~.”

– “Dajun!”

– “Oops.”

At that moment, everyone around him froze.

Seong Jiwon urgently covered Jeong Dajun’s mouth, and Seo Hoyun smirked as if he couldn’t believe what happened.

– “Oops…”

– “Uh…”

– “Mmph!”

– “Wait a minute!”

Kim Seonghyeon hurriedly turned off the V-live.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋOh, guysㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Was that a spoiler? Did he spoil something?]

[AhhㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThe kids really turned off the V-liveㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

“Ah!! What is this!”

Laughter burst out.
I almost choked while eating and watching them.

A few minutes later, the V-live turned on again.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Oppa what’s going on??]

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHello, oppa!!! ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

It seemed he connected through his phone as Seo Hoyun’s face appeared closer.
He shamelessly greeted.

– “Hello, Noeul.”

[Face Paradise]

[I dropped what I was eating because I was so surprised… Fuck! Is that even human?]

[Can you still say there’s no country for Seo Hoyun???]

[He is our king (picture of someone bowing)]

– “Yes, everyone, there was a broadcasting accident just now.
Mr.
Jeong Dajun is reflecting in the next room.”

(I’m sorry, hyungs!)

[Dajun is being quarantinedㅁㅊㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Seong Jiwon, who had covered Jeong Dajun’s mouth, appeared together shortly after.
Seo Hoyun captured the scene on camera.

– “The penalty is a five-minute ban on opening your mouth.”

– “Ah, suddenly, Mr.
Jeong Dajun is writing something? What is it?”

Jeong Dajun quickly wrote something on an A4 paper and held it up.
Kang Ichae, who was next to him, read it.

– “Can I eat some chicken?”

– “Ah~, what should we do about this?”

– “Then you have to put it in in just 0.5 seconds.”

– “And close your mouth again.”

[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]

[Cold idol world…]

– “What’s this… They all look so close… What’s going on…”

– “Hey, eat slowly.”

– “Can I have some cola?”

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah, he is actually trying to eat quickly, but the others are laughing and telling him to eat slowly… That’s the penalty

└Hoyun, I can eat quickly too

└I want to get scolded by Seonghyeon for eating slowly too

└└I want to say “snap out of it,” but I’m like this too]

[These kids are really enjoying themselves]

[Is it because they were together during hard times that they don’t give off a business-like vibe ㅠㅠㅠ They’re so cute

└I’m going to be fooled by their sincerity again, is that okay?

└ Let’s get fooled together

└Okay okayㅋ]

– “Then, we’ll go back to practice!”

After eating chicken, The Dawn waved their hands with a smile as they spent many hours on the V-live broadcast.

Before turning off the camera, Seo Hoyun released a short “Um” and hurriedly removed the lens cap.

– “Please look forward to it a lot.”

Thanks to Seo Hoyun’s cryptic message, The Dawn’s name briefly appeared on the SNS trends that day and then disappeared.

***

After the Shining Star program ended, several weeks passed in a whirlwind.
With their sudden rise in recognition, they not only performed in regional events but also frequently heard the song “Kismet” on the streets.

With this momentum, they would get good results after releasing their next song.
They would, but…

“I want to check my hidden traits.”

[Hidden traits have been checked.

??? The lock has been lifted.

Congratulations >_< You have gained the “acting” trait!]

[Seo Hoyun, is this an idol or a disruptive species…

Singing: A

Dancing: C+

Variety Shows: B+

Acting: B-

???: ???

???: ???

Charm: B+]

“Ugh.”

[…]

It means that the acting trait has been unlocked.
Surprisingly, I, who often got scolded for not being able to express my emotions well in songs, had a B- without doing anything.

“Haah….”

Why me? Before that, if it was going to be like this, improving my dancing would have been better.

Although I’ve escaped mediocrity to some extent, an idol’s life is based on dancing and singing.
During our prime time, I wished that a skill that could boost the whole team rather than my individual abilities would have increased.

Of course, there were advantages to an idol member being good at acting.
There were still controversies about idols’ acting, but it was not a bad ability to raise the team’s recognition and attract attention.

However, with a ‘B-‘ ability, it depended on the role they played, but it was an ambiguous number that was not bad for an idol but not enough to captivate the public.

In other words, carrying this trait now would not earn me any praise.

It’s not great, and it’s ambiguous after all the struggle to unlock the trait…

I decided to ignore the trait.
There was no point in worrying about a hidden trait that wasn’t helpful.

Leaving the pouting system window as it was, I headed to the studio with the members to work on the next song.

“Composer!”

Kang Ichae ran to Lim Hyeonsu as soon as she entered the studio workspace, and they exchanged an elaborate high-five.

“My disciple, you have arrived.”

“Is my wise teacher in good health?”

“I’m not bad, thanks to my disciple.”

“Such an honor!!”

What’s going on here…

[1] The original text was “ㅁㅊ,” a Korean slang acronym that stands for “미친 씨발.”

[2] ㅅㅂ is a slang abbreviation for “시발.”

[3] I had trouble deciding how to translate the Korean word “노을.” It describes the period just before sunset when the sun is near the horizon, and the sky is painted with shades of orange, pink, and purple.
In English, “노을” is often translated as “sunset glow” or “dusk.” In Korean culture, this time of day is considered romantic, and many people enjoy watching the sunset and appreciating the colors in the sky.
In the end, I decided to keep the word in its original Korean form.