Chapter 71
[Summary for those surprised by the burning timeline while coming with a single pizza:
- Jeong Dajun trips in the relay (It doesn’t seem like he tripped by himself, but rather slipped on the slippery floor)
- Seo Hoyun runs to him, lifts him up, and goes straight to the hospital
- Everyone is pissed and there’s a huge fight, but the closing ceremony atmosphere is saved by Joo Woosung]
[Until the archery event, I was enjoying Seo Hoyun’s cuteness, but what’s going on now?]
[I’ve never seen Hoyun so angry before ;;; He’s someone who usually instantly blocks all trolls ;;]
[Dajun didn’t want to go to the hospital because he thought he would get blamedㅠ What did you do wrong, baby ㅠ]
The reactions of The Dawn’s fans were like a portrait of sadness. Fans of other members who saw the situation and, especially, the Black Call fandom was cursing the production team like crazy. Most of them knew that Joo Woosung covered for The Dawn and were being protective.
[I hope you recover quicklyㅠㅠ]
[Ah ㅠㅠ It’s so nice that Woosung and Jeongwoo are trying to cheer everyone upㅠㅠ but I’m worriedㅠㅠㅠ]
[I was already pissed off about Black Call’s appearance being forced this time, ㅋㅋfuck]
Although everyone had deep-rooted resentment and was furious, trolls still posted comments insulting Jeong Dajun and The Dawn.
There was no particular reason; most of the posts were just people wanting to blame someone when an issue arose.
[Since there’s no official statement, Jeong Dajun must be fine? I thought his bone was broken. Well, I enjoyed watching the show where you were carried out.]
[Are the other idols not hurt and tired tooㅋㅋ Ah, Hoyunㅋㅋ It’s disgusting how hard you’re trying to showcase your warmth~~~ Dajun, are you really in pain? ㅠㅠ You’re complaining so much
└Black Call is standing there, but what kind of rookie would act like that?]
The comments above were definitely not from a Black Call fan, but rather someone using another famous group to bash us further.
All this chaos happened just one day after Jeong Dajun was hospitalized.
After seeing the reactions insulting Jeong Dajun and the broadcasting station not even issuing an apology, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Hyung! Want some apples?”
“No, thanks.”
Jeong Dajun was carefree, but I wanted to tear an apology out of someone rather than eat a red apple.
The reason they’re not apologizing is obvious.
They’re going to edit out this minor injury and air it anyway. They believe that as long as it doesn’t show on the broadcast, no matter how much fighting happens behind the scenes, it won’t affect the ratings.
And that suspicion became clearer when I saw the preview of Victory is Mine uploaded on YouTube.
[Victory is Mine Video Preview]
The preview video uploaded on the YouTube channel of Victory is Mine quickly gained views.
It had highlights of several events. In archery, Joo Woosung and Seo Hoyun were playfully competing against each other, and in the last relay, Jeong Dajun was more than half a lap ahead of the other groups, running in first place.
What about the injury?
Of course, all that was edited out.
Fans who watched the preview multiple times noticed something strange. In the ending scene, all idol groups were standing, but The Dawn was nowhere to be seen.
Naturally, the fans’ reactions took an odd turn.
[Hmm, why is The Dawn not there?]
[??? The video just showed them winning, right? They’re not even on the podium…?]
[WowㅋㅋㅋRookies not attending the ending < they’re saying it’s a fact from the official statementㅋㅋㅋㅋBlack Call, White, Cherry are all standing there >>>but<<< only The Dawn is missing]
As a response to those comments, furious fans uploaded fancams from that day, and other fandoms that attended the event also came to our defense. However, the outrage didn’t go away.
In the end, the support for The Dawn gradually turned into fatigue from dealing with malicious comments.
Having skimmed through the reactions for a few days, I put down my phone and smirked.
“Wow… This is amazing.”
Their level of bashing was almost like a pure bully.
However, wasn’t I also a bully?
They chose the wrong opponent. With a major in evil editing and a minor in manipulating public opinion, the top-notch PD decided to work behind the scenes.
First, I made sure I was in the right place and then went outside, taking casual photos of the surroundings. Ignoring the manager who was just watching me with a wary look, I entered the private message app to send to my fans.
“…What are you doing? Is it okay to upload this now?”
“It’s fine, it’s just a message to Noeul saying they worked hard. It’s not even a photo of Jeong Dajun lying down in a cast.”
“Still, now?”
“I do it all the time?”
“Fan love is nice, right?!”
Uploading that kind of thing would only get backlash for pretending to be pitiful. I hummed as I spoke.
“What should I write for the message…”
The manager shot me a suspicious glance, having spent enough time with me to sense something fishy. Despite that, he was still naive and gullible, so he obediently examined the photo.
After looking closely, he couldn’t find anything worrisome in the photo of the sunset and quickly gave his approval.
After confirming the photo was sent properly, I sent the manager away and called Kim Jaeyeon. He picked up the phone before it even rang three times.
“Kim Jaeyeon.”
– “Why do I get scared when I get a call from you?”
Kim Jaeyeon seemed to already know everything and spoke in a playful tone. I took out an ion drink from the vending machine and replied.
“I already know what you’re going to ask, right?”
– “Of course.”
“I’ll let you know a good one next time.”
– “Great, it’s just one click for me. After all, it’s a profitable business for me.”
Yeah, it must be profitable for you.
As soon as I heard the answer, I hung up and sat on the bench, looking up at the sky. I gently smiled, watching the clouds floating between the blue sky slowly turning red.
“Isn’t it exciting?”
The sunset was very beautiful.
***
This time, the fans of The Dawn, who won and claimed the victory, were shaking their fists while looking at the community and various reactions. As a fan who has been especially drawn to Jeong Dajun recently, yesterday’s event was unbearable.
“Ah! These fucking jerks….”
On top of that, it hadn’t even been two days, and the controversy seemed to be entertaining to the trolls, who were already gathering all sorts of attention.
The issue of winning the championship had started with “Just one ending would be warm and angry,” but it had turned into a criticism of The Dawn’s personality.
Most of the talk was about the Shining Star (which was a hot issue in itself).
“Argh! It’s so frustrating?!”
When I got sick of the endless trolls appearing despite the reports, I got a notification.
[“Hoyun” message arrived!]
It was a message from Seo Hoyun.
[Did you eat, and be careful because it’s hot?]
A short message that started with a simple greeting…
[Thank you, Noeul fans.
(Picture)
This is the sunset I took ㅎㅎ!]
The picture of the sunset sky. Even a glimpse of his face would have been nice, but the picture itself symbolized the Noeuls, and I could guess the meaning behind it, making me feel touched for no reason.
“Ah… he must have posted this to reassure us.”
The fan saved the picture and went straight to SNS. Everyone seemed to have similar thoughts, and it was a sea of tears with “ㅠㅠㅠ.”
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠAre they angels ㅠㅠ They’re worried about Noeul even when they’re hurt]
[Jiwon came to the fan seats, telling us not to worry, apologizing for going like this… and to be careful on our way back home ㅜ
└ Ah, Jiwon, is so sweet that I could die…]
“Ah, guys….”
But in the meantime, a post was quickly reposted among people.
[;;;;; Guys, if you have an iPhone, save Hoyun’s picture and check the location;
└Eh? I don’t have an iPhone, can someone share the picture?
└└(Picture) The location is a hospital
└└???? They’re still in the hospital?]
Someone posted the location information that appeared on that picture, and the fans who found out where Seo Hoyun was now sighed.
[Hey, it’s really a hospital..]
[What? It’s been days, and he’s still in the hospital? Is he hospitalized?]
[So, Dajun is in the hospital, and he took this picture to tell us not to worry???]
“Huh…!”
The fan closed her mouth in shock.
To tell the truth… that was what Seo Hoyun intended. He deliberately turned on the location information.
Someone would surely save that picture, and someone would post the fact they found out on SNS. So, he waited for this information to spread among Noeul fans.
At first, the timeline was filled with worries and concerns, but it soon turned into anger.
[No, they can’t even talk about being okay officially, and instead of a selfie, they just uploaded a picture of the sunset because they’re worried about us… They’re the ones who got hurt… They didn’t even play the game, and they missed the ending because they went to the hospital… Is this a normal society??]
[Ah, shit, I just had a fight with a troll and now I’m so pissed!!! Jiwon, you did nothing wrong!!! Don’t be so conscious!!!]
As Noeul’s anger reached its peak, Kim Jaeyeon, who was asked by Seo Hoyun, leaked the “Accident Compilation of Victory is Mine.” The fans eagerly started to share the post.
It didn’t take long for the post shared among Noeul fans to spread all over. Of course, Kim Jaeyeon’s incredible instigation played a big part in it.
Eventually, the small pebble became a big wave, and it even turned into a compensation controversy.
[Hey, they’re still the sameㅋㅋ Everyone will go crazy… Stop it…]
[Compensate, you bastards]
As more and more words piled up, some criticized Seo Hoyun for making the situation this big, but even that was crushed as soon as it appeared.
[Title: Isn’t it a bit too much that The Dawn missed the ending?
There have been many injured in the past, but they have waited until the ending
└Just stop talking]
[Title: In my opinion, Seo Hoyun intentionally uploaded this. He usually never turns on location information, and now he turns it on when he’s at the hospitalㅋㅋ Isn’t it really transparent that he’s sending a picture with location information on to show that he’s in the hospital?
└Wow ;; Are you crazy?? Hoyun just took a picture of the sunset ;;
└Your negativity is really crazy,,,
└└Am I the only one who thinks so? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ If it’s Seo Hoyun, it’s possible. He has a nickname “No shortcuts.”]
A few more posts like that came up, but every time that happened, it only fanned the flames and made the issue burn even more.
In the meantime, sympathy for the injured Jeong Dajun grew, and White Cherry’s leader, Liz, posted a story with a subtle nuance, saying, “It’s always like that, isn’t it?” as the final blow.
[Title: Did you see the story from Liz? ㅋㅋ >>>>>>>Always like that<<<<<<< Ah, unnie…
The epitome of No shortcuts. Who can’t fall in love with this unnie? Please teach me
└ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠCrying unnie ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ A few years ago, she fell and cried ㅠㅠㅠ]
The popularity of White Cherry made public opinion grow.
Thanks to that, the fancam videos, which had only been buried by the fans, rose sharply again. The members going out, taking care of each other, turned into “warmth,” and eventually, major entertainment articles came up.
[Victory is Mine ☆ Shining teamwork even in unexpected situations]
[Whose responsibility is the Victory is Mine accident?]
[Idols and fans working long hours standing… Who is the program for?]
And a few hours later, the program issued an apology along with a new statement.
However, with a simple apology, people started another argument.
[What should be in an apology:
Who am I, what did I do wrong, how do I plan to take responsibility, and what shouldn’t be included
There was no intention/We will be careful in the future…
└The apology is too short to analyze
└└ㅋㅋAgreed]
[Two-line Summary: Your scam got exposed, sorry
Will you still keep watching?
└Fuckㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“Shaken, shaken!”
Hit from here, hit from there!
The broadcasting station was like a piece of laundry in a centrifuge, getting shaken and shaken.
As the backlash grew, the program had to issue another statement.
[Victory is Mine will undergo a format review…]
It meant they would actively revamp the program. The infuriated Noeuls reluctantly accepted it, tilting their heads.
. . .
Meanwhile, Seo Hoyun was calmly answering a phone call.
– “It seems that it worked out. Isn’t it too good for you to make use of?”
“Of course, it’s not for free.”
He handed over some light information he had known before to Kim Jaeyeon. He thanked him repeatedly and hung up the phone.
He put his phone in his pocket and approached Jeong Dajun, who still had a plaster cast. There was a basket of flowers and a letter next to him.
“What’s this?”
“Ah, someone from the broadcasting station came and went! Apologizing for their mistake, they bowed their heads… It made me feel even more sorry.”
They came so fucking fast…
He took out a vitamin drink from the refrigerator, sat down on a chair next to the bed, and gulped it down. Jeong Dajun, oblivious to everything, kept talking beside him.
“And track and field might be gone too! They say there are too many injured people, lots of viewer complaints… They’re considering reorganizing the program with less injury-prone sports.”
“Is that so?”
“Yup!”
As Jeong Dajun answered innocently, Hoyun rested his chin on his hand and sorted out his thoughts.
Review? Just empty words.
Getting an apology didn’t take as long as he thought. Honestly, if the victim had been just The Dawn, the backlash wouldn’t have reached the point of getting an apology… White Cherry’s unexpected help made things much smoother.
With that momentum, he managed to bring other fandoms with grievances on board, and the broadcasting station couldn’t bury the issue quietly.
The broadcasting station must be busy taking complaint calls even now.
But now…
Should I do more, or stop here?
He was a bit conflicted.
Thinking about the sudden change of distance in archery, the slippery floor, and the staff who treated injured members as if they were faking, he weighed his options.
When he looked up, he made eye contact with Jeong Dajun.
“Hyung?”
“Huh?”
“What are you thinking about?”
Ugh.
So pure.
Seeing his innocent face, Hoyun blinked and thought about the aggro comments directed at him once more.
If he went further from here… the issue would grow bigger.
And there would be a higher chance for Dajun to be exposed directly to such trashy stories he wouldn’t need to know in his entire life.
“Hey.”
…It’s time to stop.
“I saw you being picky with your food earlier.”
“Eek! When did you see that?”
There was nothing to gain from going further, and he could face backlash if things went awry.
He made the decision, took out a piece of candy from his pocket, chewed it, and sighed just as Kang Ichae entered the room humming a tune.
“My darling is here~.”
He loudly opened the door with a Ta-da! feeling, and as soon as he saw Hoyun’s face, he burst into laughter.
“Hoyun-hyung is here too.”
It seemed he already knew how things were going. He came over, snatched some of the food Dajun had received, and asked while eating.
“Did you change your phone settings back?”
Of course.
“Obviously.”
“Ahaha, I didn’t need to ask, right?”
“Huh?”
(Stop reacting) Whether Dajun’s phone got snatched or not, Kang Ichae sat on a chair, putting his feet up, and talked casually.
“People with bad tempers are most reliable when fighting for others.”
“Did you pay for the bus fare?”
“I paid for two people. You and King-God-Emperor-General-Seo-Hoyun live in my heart…”
“Ugh.”
Tired of the silly joke, he pushed Kang Ichae away, but he just chuckled.
As a result, Jeong Dajun became an idol who had worked hard but had a setback, and they took care of each other like warm-hearted members.
As for the suspicions about me… who cared.
You know now, right?
Let them curse and become invincible.
After all, no one can be loved by everyone.
“Hyung, what are you talking about since earlier?”
“Dear, our youngest.”
“Ew, Ichae-hyung is disgusting.”
Kang Ichae sighed. It was understandable to feel this way when looking at Dajun’s innocent, clueless expression. Kang Ichae messed up Dajun’s hair, not sure if he was patting it or ruffling it.
“Be careful in this harsh world.”
“Yes!”
“Listen well to your hyungs.”
“Yep!”
“Anyway, answer well…”
But at this point, Hoyun started to wonder.
Does Dajun still not open up to me?
Of course, that wasn’t what he was hoping for when he started all this… but looking at Dajun, who was laughing without a care in the world, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of alienation.
And it made sense.
Why hasn’t the scenario completed notification come up?
The system window was quiet.
It was a very King-God-Trash-Seo Hoyun-like curiosity.
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