Work Text:
https://entertain.never.com/read!!o1id=TheDawnSevenYearCurse_ContractRenewal_TrueorFalse
[Title: Will The Dawn successfully beat the seven-year curse?
The Dawn, who has been nicknamed as the second coming of Black Call, is entering into their seventh year in 20XX. All eyes are on them to see if the five members would renew their contracts with WH Entertainment, solo and group activities wise.
According to industry insiders, although The Dawn has been enjoying success and receiving flowers for their consistent performance and variety sense, the members are expected to expand their activities into different industries. In relation to this, a source from Datpatch has reported, #TheDawn #Hoyoon has met with KNB Entertainment on June 2nd, and it is known that they had a serious discussion about his acting career.
Regarding this, WH Entertainment stated that they have been continuing discussions with all the members in good faith but nothing concrete could be reported as they are currently still in the contract renewal period.
The Dawn are projected to have their encore concert in Seoul at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, with an expected capacity of 30,000 seats, after wrapping up their year-long overseas tour, on their debut date. Will we be expecting good news then?]
[fuck… it’s time for this?]
[im not joking but im actually going to kill myself if they dont renew]
[this contract renewal has me feeling like a veteran soldier called back for war]
[there’s no way they wont renew right…?]
[guys we need to get into a prayer circle now]
[kang ichae, my trust is in you. theres NO WAY you are letting these grown men leave your ass]
“Hyung.”
Ichae slumps on the table, face pale as he grabs onto the leader’s shirt.
“Ichae????” The leader shouts, quickly putting a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. It's normal. He touches his cheek. It’s warm to the touch but it was no cause of concern. Peering at the slumped figure, he belatedly realises Ichae wasn’t sweating.
He takes a step back and stares.
Scanning from head to toe, Kang Ichae, the menace and cause of his high blood pressure, looks the pinnacle of health… except for the pale and haggard face.
“...Are you pulling my leg?”
“Hyung!” Ichae whines, proceeding to shake his shoulder with a pitiful expression. Face pulled together to conjure up his image of a wounded puppy, Kim Sunghyun could only scoff in disbelief.
“How could you say that to me?” He even tacks on a sob.
“Wow.” Kim Sunghyun says without a lick of emotion.
Afterall, he was dealing with The Dawn’s leader. The one who had led a team of four madmen for seven years, and as the saying goes: even a river can carve a rock.
That’s just all to say, Kim Sunghyun had learnt how to grit his teeth and take everything with a grain of suspicion.
“Why did you want to meet today?”
He glanced at his watch, a gift from Jiwon who had thought it would go with his “vibe” as the other said.
It brings out your manliness. The man had said but Sunghyun thinks it’s just an excuse to dress him up. Whatever, Jiwon knows that he will indulge in his requests anyways.
Ichae pouted at the lack of attention as the older man drifted away in his thoughts, absentmindedly stirring at his drink of choice (iced Americano, really?).
He sneezed loudly and knocked against the table.
Sunghyun startles, before hurriedly wiping the stain where Ichae had spilt his drink. Throwing over a napkin, he takes out a stain remover pen from his bag.
“Here. We have dance practice after this, do you have a change of clothes?”
The redhaired man nods before laying both arms on the table surface.
“Hyung, look at me~”
Sunghyun shivers at the sound. It was like nails under his skin.
It was also strange how Ichae had requested to meet him alone… at a random cafe an hour away from the company building. He steals a quick glance around the space.
Ah.
The redhaired man had also booked out the area, seeing as how there weren’t any hints of customers around, even when it was peak hour.
A sense of unease washed over him.
It wasn’t like they weren’t close. However, Sunghyun could count on both hands how often Ichae and him had hung out alone without any of The Dawn members to act as a buffer.
So, this situation was a little unfamiliar.
And scary.
“Did you have something to tell me?”
He sits there with trepidation, leg bouncing up and down, as he waits for Ichae to get comfortable enough to tell him his troubles.
“Ah..” Ichae scratches shyly at his cheek. “I missed you.”
“...”
Sunghyun stares at him.
After a prolonged silent battle of eye contact, the younger man gave in, letting out a huge sigh.
“You don’t believe me even when I say I missed you? How saddening that our caring leader has such a low opinion of me.”
He continues to purse his lips shut, folding his arms like a disgruntled parent taking care of a toddler (Was it too far from the truth if Kang Ichae does act like a five-year-old at times?).
Ichae tsk’ed loudly.
“Okay, I wanted to get your opinion.” He starts off slowly, rolling his words around as he stretches across to play with Sunghyun’s finger.
(Ichae loves physical affection, Sunghyun realises. You could always find the redhaired man sprawling out on a member, or absently reaching out to touch someone… like now. It’s cute how it is a sense of comfort towards him.)
He smiles softly.
Clink. Clink.
The ice hit the side of the glass as Ichae continued to stir his drink, even as it overflowed and split down the side. It’s an unusually sweet drink (iced vanilla latte with tons of marshmallows piled HIGH), an order that seemed more customised for Seo Hoyoon.
Why would the redhaired man order this?
In fact, it seemed like the younger man hadn’t even taken notice of the spillage, continuing to stir after taking a sip.
When he took a closer look, Kang Ichae seemed a little rattled.
By what?
He couldn’t ruminate on the answer as the redhaired man cleared his throat loudly, demanding his entire focus.
Sunghyun simply raised an eyebrow to that.
“Do you have any plans other than The Dawn activities?”
This time, Kim Sunghyun couldn’t help but to blink at him.
He waits for the other to elaborate but unfortunately, Kang Ichae settles back comfortably back on his seat, waiting patiently for an answer instead.
“Are you asking me if I want to go solo?”
“Haha.” Ichae shrugs. “You’re so straightforward, hyung.”
Kim Sunghyun rolls his eyes. He had no idea what was up with the younger man but he decided to answer him seriously.
“Yeah, of course. But I want to focus on The Dawn as long as I can.”
His eyes drifted up to the ceiling.
“I would love to try out new activities, maybe even participating in a dance competition… But that’s a plan for future Kim Sunghyun.”
He stops.
Sunghyun rubs at his eyes with the base of his palm.
Mm, there was indeed no mistake with his sight.
“Why are you writing this down?”
Ichae, who had been nodding rapidly as he leaned over a notepad, had been recording everything Sunghyun had said, thus far.
…Somehow, while he had been distracted talking about his prospective goals, Ichae had pulled out a notepad and thick black-rimmed glasses (which were resting on the bridge of his nose) while fervently taking down notes.
“So that I can do a SWOT analysis after this.”
“...”
Kim Sunghyun could almost hear his metaphorical self-control band snap.
“Anyways, yeah. I’m planning to focus on group activities first, but if the chance comes up, I would be happy to go solo too.” Unfortunately used to the younger’s dramatics, he just sighs, drumming his finger on the surface.
Ichae hums and nods, before slapping his notebook shut. “Got it.”
“There’s no lens in your glasses.”
“Yeah.” The redhaired man pokes a finger through the frame and wiggles it. He props it even higher up. “I borrowed this from our stylist.”
Anyone with less patience would probably already have spit in his face at this point. Luckily for Ichae though, Kim Sunghyun was a patient man.
“Oh, remember to return it to her later.”
Ichae blinks once before gathering up his notes, arranging and shoving them in his black leather bag.
“Thank you for your time, Kim Sunghyun-ssi. We will wrap it up here.”
“No problem.” He ended up saying, letting out another sigh. He seemed to be doing that often in this conversation.
The ambient background music suddenly seemed too loud in the silence.
Without saying anything else, Kang Ichae stood up at once, chair screeching, and promptly left the cafe in large strides.
Flabbergasted, Kim Sunghyun's brain lagged as the situation caught up to him.
“Hey, Kang Ichae!” He quickly picked up his belongings, and the forgotten black-rimmed glasses that the younger man had left on the table. “Why are you leaving without me? We’re taking the car to the company building for practice together!”
He dashed out of the cafe, the cheery jingle of the bells signalling his exit.
“Hyung.”
Ichae snuggles in closer, demanding for the brown-haired man to give him space. He smells like the laundry detergent they use back at home, his usual woody scent gone.
“Hm?” Jiwon opens his arm, giving the younger man freedom to move him how he wants. Sometimes, he wonders if Kang Ichae was a puppy in human form. How could one be so possibly full of affection?
“Have you talked to the company yet?”
Jiwon paused in the middle of patting the redhaired man. He gently tilts Kang Ichae’s jaw up, pushing his head back, bangs long enough to cover his eyes. It kind of reminds him of an Old English Shepard dog that he saw on TV the other day.
Curiosity stared back at him, clear, reflected in his eyes.
They had a standoff before Kang Ichae pulled his shoulder down from his ears and jutted out his lower lip.
“Not yet.” Jiwon reaches out and pinches at his cheek, shaking his head. The younger one scrunches his nose in dissatisfaction.
“Why?” Kang Ichae sounds defiant, a bite to his tone. He sounds unusually childish, looking like his age for once.
Jiwon lets out a small laugh.
How cute.
The younger one gets so fidgety whenever the team is at stake. He almost wants to coo at him.
On second thought, Kang Ichae might like it.
“I’m still wondering what to do.”
Keeping him in place, he reaches out and ruffles his perfectly done hair roughly, taking satisfaction in the mess he created, letting Ichae make his whiny complaints.
What a pity. He was much cuter with his messy hair, and a blush high on his cheeks.
“You’re going to renew, right?”
Jiwon drinks in the rare sight of a nervous Ichae. If he pressed his ear against his chest, he wonders how fast would his heart be beating right now?
“Yes.” Jiwon says with no hesitation, cupping Ichae’s face. He swipes his thumb playfully over the apple of his cheek.
This has been his recent obsession: his newest stress relief in the form of Kang Ichae’s cheeks.
For someone so chiseled, the redhaired man had the softest cheeks (second to the maknae) that he had ever felt.
…Somewhat like mochi.
Quickly clearing his throat when he realised his thoughts had drifted off to a weird direction, he tacks on a question.
“You too, right?”
Ichae threw him a dirty look, as if asking him if he was serious. He pushes himself up, swiping at Jiwon’s hands before putting both arms up to the ceiling to stretch.
“Of course.”
Fair enough. Sung Jiwon shrugged.
He scratches at the back of his head. He’s happy: he never had any doubt but hearing it out loud makes it feel more real.
Then he thinks about the reverse.
He snorts at the idea of The Dawn disbanding. Kang Ichae would throw them all in a basement and Pavolo’ed them into renewing the contract.
“Yeah, coming from the guy who said ‘The Dawn is my muse’, I shouldn’t have expected anything less.”
Ichae purses his lip, still looking vaguely unsettled. With his arms crossed, he looks the very picture of an insolent punk.
Jiwon leans over and smacks his forehead gently.
“I’ll be in your care for the next seven years, composer-nim~” He kneads at the frown in between Ichae’s eyebrows.
“Stop doing that. You’re going to get wrinkles.”
Immediately relaxing his expression, the younger one collapses into his lap, whining and kicking his legs in the air, face down, flopping around like a fish.
“Hahahaha. Our Ichae is forever the same.” Honey dripping from his eyes, Jiwon just indulges in his whims.
It wasn’t like he didn’t understand where Ichae is coming from. Yet, at the same time, he had complete faith in the members.
Maybe, they need to prepare a TLC program for their dearest composer. It would do him some good to alleviate some of this stress.
In the meantime, he had to find a substitute.
“Mm, Ichae-ah.”
The redhaired man paused in his tantrum, looking up in confusion.
“I’ll run you a hot bath.” He gets up, slipping on his fluffy deer slippers (Sunghyun got matching pairs for the members when he went back home). “You need to relax.”
A brief flash of delight. Ichae quickly shot up, pulling his legs close to his chest.
He tilts his head.
“Are we showering together?”
Jiwon thinks seriously for a moment.
“Do you want to? I can scrub your back.”
“...”
Hoyoon rubs his eyes, as he walks past the hallway to his room. His shoulders hurt from all the action scenes he had to do. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to make him do parkour in a horror movie?
Lost in his misery, he almost didn’t hear him.
“Hyung.”
“Woah—” He almost trips on Ichae’s legs, outstretched as he sits in front of the door. The dim lighting cast dark shadows over his face. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“You’re running with us to the end.”
Voice even, Kang Ichae had his head tilted down, eerily still in the dark corner.
He’s too tired for this. He drops his backpack on Ichae’s lap, ignoring his words. If he pretends he doesn’t see the redhaired man, it might work.
See no evil, do no evil.
And, of all days for this to happen, of course, it’s on a day where he just shot a late-night scene after staying up for forty eight hours.
He’s genuinely about to start seeing things that are not of this world. Seo Hoyoon is not one to get easily rattled but staying on a dark and gloomy set for hours and pretending to talk to a ghost does mess with one’s state of mind. He had no idea how many times his heart rate had spiked when he came face to face with a scare actor.
Whenever he closes his eyes now, he sees their gruesome melting faces behind his eyelid.
…He’s definitely overworked and overly sensitive.
A hand grabbed his ankle.
Seo Hoyoon was embarrassed to say he may or may not have let out a sound akin to a yelp.
“Give me an answer.”
He faltered for a second, calming his frantic heart. Shaking his grip off, Hoyoon reaches down to pull at Kang Ichae’s ear.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” The younger one yelped, before slapping his hands off and giving him an affronted look.
He rubs at his ears.
This view was better, he could finally see Kang Ichae’s full face. He hasn’t realised how unsettled he was when he could only see the crown of his head.
“Are you going to re-sign your contract?”
“...”
Seriously, pulling this shit in the middle of the night? He’s almost speechless.
Hoyoon brings a hand up, pressing on his temple. He genuinely needs another coffee.
“Are you lacking attention these days?”
Kang Ichae nodded simply, extending his hands out high, waiting for Seo Hoyoon to come to him.
“Hug me.”
Sighing, the older man drops down and leans into his embrace. He can feel the cold glint of the metal ring that Ichae always wears on the back of his neck.
There was silence except for Kang Ichae’s gentle breathing. He’s starting to get goosebumps. Hugging in a dark hallway? It’s like the start to a horror movie that Seo Hoyoon wanted no parts of.
“I’m sweaty.”
He attempts to pull away.
Kang Ichae squeezes him harder, a death grip on his waist.
“My legs hurt.”
Feebly, he tries to push his hands off.
“Sit on the floor.”
Hoyoon scowled.
“Why are you like this?”
Still, he proceeds to sit on the floor. His thighs were really killing him, protesting even with the slightest movement. Gosh, how was he going to survive the concert’s dance practice tomorrow?
“Hyung, you’re renewing your contract right?”
“Ichae-ah.” He starts affectionately enough, before giving up all pretenses. His vision was starting to get bleary and the warmth radiating off Ichae was also starting to make him sleepy.
Seems like the adrenaline was wearing off.
“Do I even have a choice?”
“Mm.” Kang Ichae said.
“Good job hyung. You’re determined to live a long life.”
Too tired to even reply, he just closed his eyes.
Whatever, he will just sleep in the hallway today. It can’t be that uncomfortable.
Kang Ichae has a thoughtful expression on his face as he tilts his phone down. Making eye contact with Jeong Dajun across the room, he flashes a pleased smile.
“Hyung, what schemes are you thinking of?”
The puppy, overly excited, almost choked on his snack of choice (butter teok from some famous bakery which Dajun had somehow woken up early to bid), and had to frantically hack at his throat.
The redhaired man continues to smile at him.
“Dajun, are you okay?” Jiwon calls from across the room, bringing in a bag of delivery food. The wafting aroma of fried chicken steals Ichae’s attention, who practically flies out of his seat, to help the brown-haired man carry in the food.
Jung Dajun thanks Jiwon who handed him a glass of water as the redhaired man flits around to set up the dining table.
Strange.
“Don’t you feel Ichae-hyung is being weird recently?” He whispers to Jiwon, who shot a quick glance back at the red-haired man, who was now humming a lively tune under his breath as he cleared the rest of the butter teok on Dajun’s plate.
“Him?”
The brown-haired man laughed and patted Dajun on the back. At that moment, he made eye contact with Kang Ichae who let out a “Kyaaaaa!!”.
Jiwon’s eyebrow twitched.
“Leave him be.”
Jung Dajun scrunches up his nose, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. Puffing up his cheeks, leans in to observe Jiwon’s expression.
The red-haired man has been throwing random tantrums: locking himself in the recording studio and then suddenly videocalling The Dawn group chat, whining and chirping about missing the members.
When he was home, he would glue himself to the unlucky member of the day, trailing them everywhere from the toilet to their rooms… A couple of days ago, Seo Hoyoon had ended up locking his room but Kang Ichae had picked the lock to let himself in.
…And he would occasionally let out the loudest dramatic sighs. Yesterday, Dajun was the chosen one, entertaining Kang Ichae like one would with an overzealous child.
Tired out, Kang Ichae had curled up to take a nap while Dajun lay exhausted next to him.
“Hyung is having such a hard time… Dajun ah… Won’t you help hyung?” He had clearly heard a mutter beside him, but the red-haired man remained fast asleep.
Thus, Jung Dajun replied to Jiwon: “That’s all?”
The pair spared another glance at Kang Ichae, who was still happily humming a tune, kicking his leg up on the wooden dining table. He was now feasting on a piece of fried chicken, chewing loudly.
“Yes.”
Sung Jiwon, sitting on the far end of the couch, leaned over, dragging Dajun closer as he tilted his head towards him, squishing him.
“Our Ichae will end up fine, he’s a tough cookie~”
Ichae will be fine. Dajun does know that. He just wants to know how he could make Ichae act normal again. Totally not because he was freaked out by the red-haired man’s behaviour.
Definitely not.
Barking out a laugh, Dajun’s lips twitched up as his brain started booting up.
Despite his air-headed reputation, Jung Dajun was actually one very smart puppy (at least he thinks so). He already knew why his red-haired hyung is acting like this. Scratch that, the whole team, even the company, knows why he’s acting like that.
And so, he asked: “It’s because of the contract right?”
The brown-haired man shrugged, flashing him a small smile.
“Give him some attention.” The angel says with a dazzling smile, patting Dajun on the shoulder. “It’s a stressful period for him.”
Dajun sulked.
Not the answer he wanted to hear.
Ah, there is something he could do.
“Hyung.” Mind whirring, he stood up suddenly, walking over to the red-haired man’s side. He had made up his mind.
The puppy clenches his fist encouragingly in front of Kang Ichae. He seemed to be thinking very hard.
Had Dajun always sounded so serious and solemn?
The red-haired man looked up, crumbs littered all over his mouth, giving him a short nod. A mischievous smile played on his lip.
“Yes, maknae~”
The familiar teasing face relieves the knot in his stomach. And so, Dajun takes a deep breath, preparing himself.
At this point, there was only one solution that came to mind.
“WE ARE RENEWING OUR CONTRACT TOGETHER!”
He nods his head proudly. From the diaphragm, like what the vocal instructor had said.
His voice bounced through the room.
Thud!
Jiwon drops the remote that he was holding.
Kang Ichae blinks at him, clearly mystified by the sudden statement.
“Hah,” He turns his face downwards, shoulders shaking rapidly. He rubbed his face hard and Dajun ducked to see the other man’s face.
For a mere second, Dajun was worried that the older man was crying. His concern was ill-placed.
“HAHAHAHAHAHA.”
Of course, he knew the mischievous rapper wouldn’t shed a tear. But he wasn’t just laughing, he was tearing up, roaring with laughter, leaving the forgotten chicken on his plate as he clutched at his abdomen, doubling over like a cat’s claw.
Jung Dajun stares at the crumbs flying around.
He shouldn’t be looking so satisfied. It makes Dajun feel perturbed, floundering as he raises his arms up to explain himself.
“We are, right?”
He looked to Jiwon for comfort, who had a hand over his mouth, looking mildly scandalised.
No help.
He turns back, burning to the tip of his ears. Now, the late embarrassment coursed through him.
He thought this would cheer the rapper up.
…It did though. This wasn’t totally a fail. And thus, Jung Dajun, gave himself a pat on the back for a good job.
Kang Ichae straightens up, wiping at the corner of his eye. He looked so much younger like this, face bright with laughter.
“Dajun, have you been taking comedy class without me lately?”
He pouts, crossing his arms, the displeasure rolling off him in waves.
“Awwwww, is our little puppy maknae upset?” Kang Ichae stood up, giving an affectionate pet, and infuriatingly, Dajun found himself leaning into it.
He staunchly rolls back on the balls of his feet, turning his head up.
“Were you worried that we wouldn’t renew, Dajun ah?” Snickering, Kang Ichae cupped his cheeks, rounding it in circular motions.
Dajun sputters and turns back to glare at him.
“I thought you were the worried one! You seemed so off!”
The red-haired man chuckled, a faint smile curling on his lips.
“I was thinking of our next album’s concept.”
This time, he whipped his head up to meet the rapper’s eyes, head spinning with the new information.
“So fast?? How did you know I was going to renew too?”
Kang Ichae patted his cheek.
“Dajun ah…” This time, Sung Jiwon chipped in, disappointment leaking through.
The red-haired man clucked his tongue loudly.
“What?” Snarking back reflexively, he takes another step back.
He did not appreciate the attitude they were showing him. He tried to turn to leave but alas, he was still in Kang Ichae’s firm grip. Scowling hard, he slaps the older’s hands away.
He stuck out his tongue at Kang Ichae who was still giggling.
“Fine. You better all be renewing.” He snapped without much bite.
Kang Ichae coos at him, making grabby hands.
There was a stretched moment of silence before he turned tail and left.
Now, he has to go and slam his head into a pillow.
Popop Notification
[THE DAWN]
SEO HOYUN : Noeuls, are you guys excited for our concert? I can’t wait to meet Y/N later.
KIM SUNGHYUN: I’m fueling up with coffee right now before we start our rehearsal. I’m nervous for our encore concert! How are our precious Noeuls today?
SUNG JIWON: Y/N~ Remember to hydrate and eat before coming! It’s summer, so drink plenty of water today!
KANG ICHAE: The coolest group has lots of things planned today~ Noeuls, be excited!!!!
JUNG DAJUN: Y/N, we prepared something amazing today! We have a huge announcement to make too! Are you coming today??? I can’t wait to see Noeuls later!!!
[Heol, are they going to drop their contract renewal today???]
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[i cant take this stress anymore can someone just fast forward to the end of the concert]
[im torn between feeling excited and feeling like the ground is going to open up and swallow me alive]
[im not breathing until they confirm their renewal]
ㄴYou’re going to die 😭😭
ㄴPut it on my grave.
ㄴCause of death: Waiting for The Dawn’s renewal?
The screen turned black, as an announcement signaled the start of the show.
A husky, low voice starts narrating as the concert hall turns dim.
In the vast universe, I met a miracle called you. Mesmerised by you, I reached out my hand.
I am too small. But you told me that I can be a star.
One low, growling chord struck out, thumping throughout the venue, as it filled with fans’ cheers.
The opening VCR starts with the members’ back towards the screen as they gazed at something far away.
[THEYRE STARTING WITH KISMET??? LETS ALL KILL OURSELVES. MASS SUICIDE OUTSIDE INCHEON ASIAD MAIN STADIUM NOW!!!!]
[wait they’re going so hard from the start ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[oppas im scared, am i still going to see yall after today ㅠㅠㅠ]
[that’s kang ichae right???? gosh his voice is so dreamy]
[They're insane. They're insane. They're insane. Help us all.]
Seo Hoyoon hummed thoughtfully, running through the choreography for the last time in his mind as he used the back of his hand to wipe his lip.
It’s all noise and motion backstage, as the time to get in position draws closer. He watches all the concert staff bustle around, making their last-minute adjustments.
“Should we do a chant before going up on stage?”
“Have we ever done a cheer properly in our entire career?”
“It’s the thought that counts.”
As always, their voices overlapped with each other.
“Are we ready?”
Sung Jiwon stuck out his hand.
The rest of the members mimicked his actions. Seo Hoyoon slung his arm around Kim Sunghyun, pulling him close.
“Baby, do you have anything you want to say?”
Kim Sunghyun sends him a look, as if he was surprised by the code of affection. It’s been seven years, was he still not used to it?
Hm, that’s not good. He has to increase the frequency.
“Let’s do our greeting.”
“3…2…1! Rising dawn, we are The Dawn!”
“Congratulations, that was our first successful cheer.”
“Let’s rip the stage today.”
.
[ they really went all out today. They even covered Make Love!!!! I haven’t heard this in years!!!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[the encore setlist is so insane??? easy tempo killed me… actually my ghost is typing this right now •_•]
[they performed so many bsides this time… they really gave us everything… how am i so lucky as a noeul hnghhhhh]
[im torn between feeling uneasy and things that cant be said on this livestream…]
ㄴ[ㅋㅋㅋ me too LOL… my stomach twisted seeing seo hoyoon in that damn choker again…]
ㄴ[he’s a real man indeed…]
ㄴ[YEAH a real man. i need him in my bed PRONTO.]
[there’s no time to even feel uneasy when the dawn keeps feeding you.]
As the concert moved towards the latter half, the members gathered on the main stage.
The laser light blazes up like a sunrise, as the crowd roars with the appearance of the members.
“Noeuls.” A voice sweet like honey, rings out. Sung Jiwon stands surely in the centre, face bright with excitement. In fact, he was the only one still standing, the rest of his team members, in various states of catching their breath.
Seo Hoyoon was crouched on the ground, breathing heavily as he took a sip of water from his bottle. Kim Sunghyun stood up, arranging the members in line, before bringing his microphone up.
“How are you enjoying the concert so far?”
Drawing a wave of screaming crescendo, the leader lets out an open laugh. He glances around, meeting fans’ eyes as he claps his hands together.
“I’m glad you’re having fun.”
Visibly nervous with a sheen of sweat across his face, he takes in a shaky breath, eyes darting around for support. Mouthing something as he covers his microphone to avoid it getting picked up.
[guys wait, this is making me nervous ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[why is he acting like that. Oh my god, are they going to announce it now?]
[ARE THEY DOING IT NOW??]
Jung Dajun, still flushed from the intense performance, started running up and down the length of the stage, wisps of hair loose from his careful styling.
Seo Hoyoon watches him with a sweet smile, upper lip curled upwards. As the maknae dashes past, he grabs him by the nape, watching as Dajun goes limp under his control.
“Dajun-ah, calm down. Our leader has something to say.”
[why is the puppy all excited]
[Let’s all hold hands together]
[did his owner not leash him today. oh nvm he got caught]
[dajun ah… noona is already stressed… watching you run around… noona feels more stressed…]
[look at the maknae pouting once he got caught LOL so cute]
A clear of the throat.
The venue went quiet, hanging onto Sunghyun’s words.
“You’ve been expecting an announcement, right?” He gingerly started, as the rest of the members came to surround him. Kang Ichae gently leans his head on his shoulder, saying nothing, looking nothing like his usual mischievous self.
In times like this, relying on the leader to break the news is the best.
[wait, why is kang ichae acting like that? im not getting a good feeling.]
[im going to throw up]
[Can someone hold my hand]
ㄴ find that unnie above. shes been asking to hold hands from the start]
[I’ve already contacted an Etsy witch ㅠㅠㅠ]
ㄴ[...?]
ㄴ[Yeah, I asked her to make sure they stay together]
ㄴYou’re unbelievable.
ㄴIn a good way right?
ㄴOf course. How did I not think of that?
“I’m very happy to be here today,” The leader takes his time to speak, eyes crinkling up, clearly in a teasing mood, after soothing his nerves.
“Especially seeing all of our beloved Noeuls.”
[sunghyun speak quicker, ure edging the fuck out of me]
[I have faith kang ichae came into the contract renewal talk with a gun we will be getting good news tonight]
ㄴ[how much faith ㅠㅠㅠ]
ㄴ[the dawn is forever we can't worry (death grip)]
[manifesting. manifesting. manifesting. manifesting.]
[if the dawn renew, i will get back tgt with my ex]
ㄴ…Isn’t that something that you just want to do?
“Geez, hyung.”
Jung Dajun popped up beside the leader, practically vibrating, as he tapped rapidly on his microphone. “Stop teasing our precious Noeuls.”
Sunghyun grins broadly, letting out a snicker.
Bringing up his microphone, he gives another lengthy pause.
1…2…3!
Exchanging glances, the members shout, “Noeuls, we renewed our contract!”
The crowd jumps to their feet. It’s the loudest they have been since the concert started, thundering chaos as voices layered upon one another in their happiness.
[ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[chat, we did it]
ㄴTf u mean WE. theyre the one who renewed their contract. Why are you happy? lol. Theyre not even paying you.
ㄴCan someone collect this anti? I think they went to the wrong kindergarten today.]
ㄴeven an anti is all up in our family business ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ the dawn, you truly succeeded
[I CAN BREATHE EASY NOW THANK YOU SEO HOYOON, KIM SUNGHYUN, SUNG JIWON, KANG ICHAE, JUNG DAJUN, WE ARE THE ETERNAL DAWN]
[my offerings at the temple paid off]
[goodluck to that comment who said they were getting back with their ex, keep us updated]
ㄴ[LOLLLLOLLLOL????]
ㄴ[just sent a text to him… wish me luck]
“These past seven years have been tough, and at some point, I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it all the way here…” Kim Sunghyun pauses, eyes already beginning to water.
“But now that we are here, I am so glad our members have all hung in there.”
A sniff.
The rest of the members share a look, shaking their head, almost disappointedly.
Sunghyun tries to clear his throat, a wet snuffle, clearly trying to keep it in. Sung Jiwon pats him on the back, and that was the end. His tears break through as Sung Jiwon tries to fix the situation.
“Sunghyun-ah, we promised that we wouldn’t cry.”
Looking at the crying mess of the leader, who had his head down, and sobbing in the maknae’s neck, Sung Jiwon chuckled quietly.
“Our leader is still such a crybaby. He’s in his thirties but still the first one to sob.”
Gazing into the blinding crowd, lightsticks winking on and off, he takes in a deep breath, closing his eyes and feeling the warmth seep into his skin.
“Seven years.” he speaks, slow and measured.
Opening his eyes, he hums low, heart skipping a beat as it struggles to catch up to his contentment.
“When you say it out loud, it sounds so long… yet at the same time, I only blinked and suddenly seven years have passed. Time sure is funny.”
Despite all his initial calmness, Jiwon’s face started to crumple and the beginning of a sniffle sounded through the stadium.
“I have so many things I want to say but now that I’m up here, I can’t remember a single thing, haha.”
He wipes his face with a fan slogan, eyes tinged with red, as he stares into the crowd.
“Truly, I am grateful to be standing here. I think I made the right decision being part of The Dawn. Let’s keep running for the next seven years!”
Stepping back, he pushes Dajun to the spotlight.
[guys, he looks so contented ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[my heart is getting ripped out watching him cry ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[hes so fucking handsome even when he’s crying. I feel like i should be paying him money]
ㄴYeah, I’m saving this clip so I can watch it later at night
ㄴI think you’re just a pervert.
ㄴI admit. A pervert for Sung Jiwon’s face.
[HE SAID HES GRATEFUL TO BE STANDING HERE. I CANT DO THIS NO MORE]
[our main vocal jiwon ah, dont cry ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ everyone is going to cry today]
ㄴ[except seo hoyoon]
ㄴ[hey u never know, what if he cries]
ㄴ[if he does, ill donate 70% of my salary next month]
ㄴ[why are noeuls addicted to making bets…?]
“I really didn’t want to cry today.” The maknae says, as he brings a sleeve up to rub at his eyes, avoiding eye contact with the camera as he dabs at the corner of his eyes.
“OUR PUPPY, PLEASE DON’T CRY!” A fan screamed out, and soon after, the crowd started chanting together.
With that, the waiting tears spring forward, and Jung Dajun closes his eyes tight to stop them. It has no effect. He let out a weep, grabbing a tissue from Jiwon’s hands.
“I only wanted to show a smiling face because it’s supposed to be a happy day.”
He spins on his heel and points reproachfully. “Sunghyun hyung, why did you have to cry so early? It’s all your fault!”
The leader, who had turned around to wipe at his face, stands up as if wrongly accused.
“You were already crying backstage!”
Gasp.
“Hyung, that was supposed to be a secret!”
“It’s already all captured in our documentary.”
[theyre still arguing even now, they seriously are a family]
ㄴ[the only family ever]
[am i the only one who caught it? DOCUMENTARY?]
[look at seo hoyoon standing at the side and grinning widely LOL]
[kang ichae is so quiet… look at his eyes… hes practically adoring them… what do we do about our baby fox…]
ㄴ[our baby fox only has eyes for The Dawn aigoo… its true & verified]
Clap.
“Guys, stop arguing.”
Sung Jiwon cuts in with a kind smile. The two immediately stand up straight. Jiwon nods in approval. “We’re sorry for making Noeuls worry.”
This time, Kang Ichae quietly takes over, slinking up beside Jiwon, raising up his finger, beckoning for a close-up.
The camera zooms in.
“We finally got it tattooed.” On his left ring finger, in a cursive font writes “The Dawn”. It’s small, the words along the expanse of his skin, but the impact was huge.
Sunghyun peels off a bandage below his collarbone, revealing his own. It was still faintly red, and he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“I had mine done a couple of days ago.”
[OH MY FUCKING GOD]
[holy shit, i cant believe they did it]
[someone check on sung jiwon, hes beaming from ear to ear, hes abt to split his face]
[omg ALL OF THEM GOT IT?]
[fuckkkkkkkkkk tattoos are so sexy….fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
ㄴ [Are you okay…?]
Jung Dajun rolls up his sleeve, pointing to the top of his left arm.
“I did mine here!”
“Our maknae did it there so whenever he flexes his bicep, it shows.” Kang Ichae snorts loudly, nudging him with his shoulder.
And then, he makes a show of copying the action.
[thank you kang ichae for being committed to teasing dajun so we get to see you flex your own muscle. thank you to mum and dad for giving birth to a healthy me so that i get to see this sight with my own eyes. thank you to my landlord who gave me complimentary wifi so that i get to see this with my own phone.]
ㄴ…Close your mouth at least. You’re going to catch flies.
The tips of the maknae’s ears went pink.
“H-hey! Noeuls weren’t supposed to know that yet!” He stutters, tucking his chin in, trying to look menacing. The crowd lets out a symphony of awwws.
“He’s saying that you look cool.” Sung Jiwon pacifies, waving a hand. With his hand hovering over his waistband, he gives a sly wink before pushing it down… dangerously low.
“Jiwon hyung and I went together.” Kang Ichae appears again, wrapping a hand around his waist. There’s a stir in the crowd. “He said he wanted to try it in a painful spot so the tattoo artist recommended this area.”
The main vocalist laughs shyly, covering his mouth.
“It did hurt but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
He can’t keep his smile from curling up. “Our rapper here kept whining through the entire session.”
Kang Ichae makes an embarrassed noise deep in the back of his throat.
“It hurt.” Eyes round, he stuck out his bottom lip, whining while bringing his finger up. Sung Jiwon is quiet for a moment before bending down to blow at it.
“Better?”
Kang Ichae nods before skipping over to the blue-haired man, latching onto his arm, lowering himself down. Seo Hoyoon just snorts, pushing him away but the rapper refuses to move.
“Your turn!”
Resigned, he turns, ignoring him, mostly.
“Noeuls~” Seo Hoyun began sweetly, turning his wrist out to show to the camera. He had already taken off his bandage. “I got mine here~”
As Ichae continues to fuss over him, the leader gestures to the side of the stage. A backstage staff member runs out, passing over a black, unassuming shopping bag.
“Ah... I haven’t told the members yet but I have something for them.”
Immediately, Jung Dajun bounds over, trying to snatch the paper bag out of Sunghyun’s hand. They end up in a tug of war.
“A present from the leader?” Hoyoon snickers, “Didn’t know our renewal would be so sentimental.”
Sunghyun gave him a pointed look before pulling out an elegant box, handing it to the nearest member to him.
“There’s one for each of you. Your name should be on it.”
Sung Jiwon’s eyes crinkles as he wraps a delicate hand around it. He shifts to stand beside Sunghyun, looking at him amusedly.
“Sunghyun-ah, you’re so cute.”
“Thanks.” The leader answers drily, arm braced over his middle. He lets out a cough. “You guys can open it now.”
[rings????? Sunghyun made team rings???????]
[guys we are genuinely in this shit for life]
[Wait but his sense though? The rings are so pretty.]
[Anyone got a clear shot of the rings? I’m going to get it customised too.]
ㄴWhy would you lol, its a team ring
[jesus christ, are they getting married? did we get the information wrong? are we actually attending their wedding instead of a concert?]
[look at kang ichae cheesing so hard LOL he fuckin loves this.]
“It’s a ring.” Dajun says matter-of-factly, shock apparent on his face. He peers closer, bringing it up against the bright lights.
“Our group name and names are engraved here!”
“These are so pretty, Sunghyun-ah.”
“So, that’s why you were measuring our ring size that day?”
“Wow, hyung.”
“Mm.”
“Hoyoon hyung, why don’t you look shocked?”
“Ah. I told him beforehand and enlisted his help since I know I wouldn’t be able to trick him.” Sunghyun interjected.
Seo Hoyoon stands there with a smug smirk, doing a terrible job of playing innocent as Dajun turns to look at him with a betrayed look. He had already donned his ring, showing it off to the fans in the front row.
“When did you do it? I didn’t see any schedules on our shared calendar.”
Sunghyun nodded with a laugh, “Hoyoon and I went to a ring making workshop before our tattoo session.”
“Hyung, are we married now~”
Ichae wears an impish smirk, sporting his ring where his tattoo was.
“In sickness and in health, cutie, pretty, handsome Ichae accepts to marry you~”
[geez this group is in one big poly relationship]
[they have a shared calendar?????]
[gosh with every new piece of information we learn, it gets more homosexual]
[It feels like we are watching a BL..]
[when did the genre change?]
Kim Sunghyun hems loudly, dragging Seo Hoyoon to the front.
“Hoyoon, can we get your thoughts?”
As always, Seo Hoyoon steps into the spotlight, the light burning hot on his back.
He smiles, seeing the adoring faces of Noeuls.
“The stage has always seemed grand, big. Vast.”
He swallows, his throat hot with something he can’t name.
“When I’m on stage, I feel alive.” He stays quiet, looking at the winking lights from their lightsticks. His heart burns with the impact. “I look out into the crowd and I see all your faces staring back at me with unconditional love that I still don’t know how to comprehend.”
“Thank you for loving the imperfect Seo Hoyoon.” His voice is soft, fond.
He may never understand why Noeuls had so much love for him, why they fixate on him out of the thousands of idols there are in the industry. But, there’s one thing he’s damn good at doing.
Being selfish.
“It may be too much to ask for but, Noeuls, let’s continue to go on forever.”
“Until death do us apart.” Sung Jiwon chipped in happily.
“Wow, you’re so morbid, Jiwon hyung.”
He earns a small laugh and yells from the fans.
“Until death do us apart!”
[ofc we will ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ there’s no way you are getting rid of us now]
[im torn between feeling sad and happy and also that face is very distracting. i want to cry but i keep going, “hes so fucking handsome” someone make this dilemma stop]
[hearing hoyoon say this is really a shot in the heart. our grumpy rabbit, lets go to the end!]
[the dawn, my heart…]
[someone please sedate me ㅠㅠㅠ ive lost so much tears these past 20 minutes]
ㄴpls rmb to hydrate!!! sung jiwon said to hydrate urself!!!!! drink water!!!
“It’s also Ichae’s birthday.” The leader begrudgingly says, beckoning for the redhaired rapper to come forward.
“What’s your birthday wish?”
Kang Ichae looks genuinely happy: standing there, beaming so hard that you could barely see his eyes. He makes a sound akin to a purr, lifting his hands up high to the ceiling, eliciting screams when his abs peek through his tee.
“Noeuls!” He says breathlessly, peering out into the crowd.
He hears a fan shout his name.
July 11th, a day he had always held close to his heart. The date itself held no meaning to him until the debut of The Dawn. He was born in the blazing heat of the summer, sentenced to dream of a world that would share the warmth with him.
He looks around.
“I want to come back here and perform again with our members.”
He believes he has found his place.
“And I want to eat the seaweed soup that Hoyun hyung makes. Noeuls, you know I haven’t turned a year older until I eat it.”
Engraving this sight in his heart, he grins wider.
“Let’s run together forever.”
There may come a day where The Dawn will not be able to stand on the same stage again, chasing their own separate paths, but in this moment, it was enough.
[EXCLUSIVE] Representative K-pop group, The Dawn, officially breaks ‘7 year jinx’ by renewing contract with WH Entertainment during their encore concert, and all members wrote a handwritten letter detailing their love for their fans…