“Wow~, good work, everyone!” “Yes, thank you for your hard work!” We had just finished all our scheduled activities in Europe and were finally granted a few days of free time. Thinking I might as well toss my pain-in-the-ass little brother a bone before going back, I grabbed whatever jacket I could find and threw it on. Just as I was heading out, I overheard Jung Dajun whining to the other members, saying it was Milan Fashion Week and begging them to go take a look. In the end, we all ended up roaming the streets, browsing here and there. While browsing through a vintage shop, Kang Ichae exchanged a few words in English with the shop owner, then suddenly slung an arm around Jung Dajun’s shoulder and pulled out his phone. “The hamster has arrived.” The black t-shirt Kang Ichae was wearing fluttered dramatically—it had a pattern of a toasted hamster soaring through planets. “Since it just happens to be Fashion Week, let’s hold our own little fashion show, shall we? Ready, maknae?” “Yes, sir! Two glasses of wine!” As if he’d been waiting for it, Jung Dajun snapped a photo of Kang Ichae posing dramatically and uploaded it to PopPop. Almost instantly, not just Dajun’s replies on PopPop, but SNS too, blew up with reactions. [What are these adorable little punks up to] [lolololololololololololololololololololololololol ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Kang Ichae seriously lolololol] [They’ve totally lost it lololol how are these bastards just living by their impulses lolololololol] Giggling, Dajun started brainstorming a message to send to the Noeuls. “How about every time someone gives me a cool compliment, I get to pick an outfit for Ichae-hyung?” No one knew why the compliments went to Dajun but the clothes went on Ichae, but the maknaes were having the time of their lives, cackling. [Jung Dajun is literally the hottest guy in the world!!!!!] From the flood of compliments, Dajun managed to single out every single one calling him handsome. [Seems like all he wants is to be told he’s hot...] [An idol begging to be called the best-looking and fans begging him to wear the rainbow fur on the third rack to the right... what a match made in hell] And of course, since the fans were just as unhinged, the clothes they picked were anything but normal. “What!! This looks good too, though!” Even after changing into several outfits from nearby shops—after asking for permission, of course—whether he was dressed head to toe in a single bold color or decked out in rainbow sparkles, Kang Ichae pulled it all off. Even when he wore a t-shirt with bizarre illustrations paired with a hot pink faux fur crop jacket that looked like arm sleeves, he didn’t look ridiculous. He looked like a high-fashion model owning the avant-garde. [Is The Dawn the king of fan communication? Wears literally anything fans ask] [Is this what they call the ‘metaverse’... └You’re really into that word lately └└Yes, I learned it yesterday...] I thought they’d stop eventually, but now he was strutting down the streets of Milan in a skintight black spandex shirt under a blotchy, spotted leather jacket, giving deadly stares like some killer runway model. “Sung Jiwon. Kim Sunghyun.” I was about to call those two and sneak off elsewhere— “Model! Please look this way!!” [He’s been converted....] Sung Jiwon seemed to be having fun too, snapping photos of Kang Ichae like he was born for it. Since they’d apparently bought every single outfit Ichae had tried on so far, both of Kim Sunghyun’s hands were loaded with shopping bags. “Why the hell are you carrying those?” “Kang Ichae’s the model on a runway today, obviously.” “Leadership comes with suffering, huh.” “Hey, wait a sec. Seo Hoyun, you’re only realizing that now?” I ignored whatever Sunghyun was muttering and turned to watch Kang Ichae blowing air kisses and waving “Ciao!” at passersby. A few reporters, drawn by the scene, started snapping photos of him. Then some stranger who had been watching with his mouth covered—probably a celebrity—approached and greeted him warmly, even taking a selfie together. ‘This bastard is on a rampage.’ Was this the power of an S– charm stat? Even surrounded by influencers vying to take photos with him, Kang Ichae looked completely unbothered. Their impromptu fashion show seemed to be wrapping up, so I was about to gather the members and head off for a meal—when my eyes locked with Ichae’s. He whispered something to the people around him, then walked straight over to me. “Hyung, wanna try a fun social experiment?” “No. I’ve had enough fun. I’m good.” Sensing doom, I shot him down right away, but Kang Ichae, pretending not to hear, casually slung his arm around my shoulders and held up his phone like he was taking a selfie. Naturally, the reporters who had been photographing him turned their cameras on me as well, and the influencers who had been chatting with him followed suit. My face twisted as I stammered, “Uhh...” “Seo Hoyun, I’m seriously sooooo happy to see you.” And just like that, I got shoved into a private party hosted by a globally famous luxury brand, where I ran into none other than Joo Woosung. I yanked my arm out of his grip and asked, “Why the hell are you here, Joo Woosung?” “I’m an ambassador for this brand. What about you?” Yeah, I guess I made less sense. No wonder—his face was already annoyingly flawless, but today it looked even more polished than usual. Woosung finally seemed to take in my appearance and gave me a puzzled look. “Wait. How did you even get in here dressed all in black like that?” “I bartered with my face and guts. Got a problem?” “...Ah, haha. Did you hear that?” He was clearly trying to brush it off with a smile because he didn’t want to lose face. “Anyway, that’s not the point. Look over there.” As my eyes narrowed, Woosung quickly changed the subject and gestured behind me with his chin. I barely glanced over and instantly saw it—every designer, model, and industry insider in the room had their eyes glued to Joo Woosung. They were all sipping drinks and chatting like it was a party, but the atmosphere was tense as hell. You could practically feel their determination to snatch him up tonight. “Where’s your manager?” “If I had one, would I be this stressed? They said plus-ones weren’t allowed.” Yeah, sucks to be him— I casually cleaned my ear. “Don’t you have the experience to deal with this?” The rightful source is novel~fire~net Hope he makes it out alive. “Just handle it like usual. Good luck.” “Hey, hey! Wait! I’m scared!” “Quit whining. I’m leaving.” “Everyone here is way too aggressive! They compliment your clothes and just start touching you!” ...What is wrong with this guy, seriously? What the hell happened to all that dating prowess he bragged about? “Wooseong, long time no see!” Just then, a model approached Woosung and greeted him. He was smiling, but it was obvious he was throwing me a look that said, ‘See? See?!’ Naturally, I saw this as the perfect chance to disappear. Or I tried to. Woosung started apologizing in rapid-fire English, claiming he needed to speak with me, and stuck to me like glue. “You think you’re some kind of reward just by standing next to me?” “Of course. You look like such a rude bastard, people are intimidated by you.” Can’t argue with that. “Then how about we just leave together?” “Can’t. Contractually not allowed to leave right now.” While I mulled over how to get rid of this annoying leech, Woosung quickly added, “Hey, I’m not asking for much. Just talk with me for one hour. I helped you out a ton!” “I’ll buy you dinner!!” I was about to ditch him out of sheer cringe, but glanced around the venue once more. Sure, I’d gotten dragged here unintentionally—but on the flip side, it was a place I’d never get into on my own. In other words, a golden opportunity. I spotted a few people getting just as much attention as Woosung. “You know that woman over there?” “The one in the deep navy two-piece suit.” “...Uh... what was her name again. Ah! Designer Lee Seongjin.” “And the one next to her?” “That’s probably Editor-in-Chief Riel.” I’d heard of both names. I quickly put together a mental plan and turned to Woosung. “Alright. I’ll play along for one hour. You better do your part too, Mr. Joo Woosung.” Woosung looked half-dazed at my sudden change of heart, but I immediately switched to a friendly smile. I clapped him on the back and started walking slowly. “Come on now, tell me something interesting. Smile a little.” “...The model on your upper right is staring straight through my soul and I’m scared.” “Haha, that’s not fear. Isn’t that your specialty, Mr. Joo Woosung?” Joo Woosung’s glare was practically stabbing into me. I nudged him in the ribs, signaling him to fix his face. “That was never my specialty, and I’ve given it all up now. I’ve decided to devote my life entirely to being an idol.” He muttered something about living happily with his cat, and I leaned in to whisper quietly. “Half the people passing by are your exes.” “Seo Hoyun, do you have a death wish?” Joo Woosung couldn’t shout in this setting, so he settled for grinding his teeth hard enough to crack them. At this point, our faces were all smiles, but the conversation was vicious. “Hoyun, I’m genuinely worried as your senior. With that kind of personality, how do you plan on surviving in this world?” “Oh dear. Doesn’t it look like I’m doing fine? Especially when someone like Joo Woosung is begging me for help.” He tried to return fire right away. “This is why you don’t have friends!” He clamped his mouth shut after admitting it without a fight. I took a sip of the cocktail a server had handed me and looked around the party hall. My target was still a bit of a distance away. Just then, Joo Woosung muttered, “Fashion terrorist. Doesn’t know anything but black. Designers would sigh if they saw the crap you wear.” “How cute. Is that supposed to be an insult?” “...Muse, my ass. You wouldn’t even get a single business card.” These were his insults? I let out a hollow laugh, not even sure what to say, and he glanced at me again before continuing. “So... that ‘Mr. Shadow’ guy, was that you? That Yoon Heeon incident or whatever—was that your doing?” The question came out of nowhere. For a second, I wondered if this whole conversation had been a setup just to ask that, but then remembered the way Woosung had always dealt with me, and scratched that theory. We were overseas, and in the middle of a loud party, but he’d lowered his voice significantly. ‘Pretty bold to ask honestly at this point.’ Woosung knew better than anyone that I’d do whatever it took to succeed. It wasn’t something he couldn’t figure out himself. I neither confirmed nor denied anything—just shrugged my shoulders. “Showing up at my house out of nowhere that time... Seriously, I don’t get you.” “Everything’s going your way lately. What are you so desperate for?” I downed the rest of my cocktail in one gulp. Then swapped it out for a fresh one from a tray carried by a passing waiter. My target was drawing near. “Woosung-hyung, you really do care about me, huh?” I playfully patted his shoulder and grinned. “Come to think of it, you said earlier that I wouldn’t even get a business card.” I leaned in and whispered into his ear. “Watch closely, yeah?” And with that, I brushed past his shoulder and deliberately bumped into someone approaching us. Since I had subtly pulled my hand holding the glass behind me, only my right sleeve got slightly wet. It looked like they had run into me. The other person, startled, immediately apologized. “...Ah, okay, okay. Woosung-hyung, you got a handkerchief?” “...Oh, are you Korean?” I’d intentionally switched to Korean. Their eyes widened. And I noticed them glance right past me. “...Ah, Mr. Woosung... you’re that idol...” Apparently, they didn’t recognize me. Looking a little embarrassed, they gave a sheepish expression. “Your sleeve—what should we do? I’m really sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.” “Haha, it’s fine. Better my sleeve than spilling it on Designer Seongjin.” “...You know who I am?” Woosung had told me about her twenty minutes ago. I answered smoothly and offered my left hand for a handshake. “I’m Seo Hoyun. From The Dawn.” She must’ve realized she hadn’t recognized me, and tried to overcompensate. Her reaction was warmer than necessary for a simple greeting. People were easy to talk to. Thinking they’d been impolite, they’d gladly latch onto any light conversation. “Were you originally on the invite list, Mr. Hoyun?” “Pure luck, honestly. I just happened to get the opportunity. But thanks to that, I got to meet you, Designer Seongjin.” “Oh my~, what a charmer.” The conversation flowed naturally, and even Editor-in-Chief Riel—my second target—joined us. About ten minutes later— “Hoyun, you’ve got the looks, the vibe, and you’re easy to talk to. How about a meeting sometime? Oh! Woosung should join us too.” “That would be an honor.” Just like that, I secured both business cards I’d been after. Joo Woosung, dragged into this out of nowhere, forced a tight-lipped smile. After wrapping up the chat with warm pleasantries, I pulled Woosung to a quiet corner of the hall. Then, grinning sweetly, I held up the two business cards between my index and middle fingers and showed them to him. The “Oops~” was clearly, Oops, who said I couldn’t even get one business card~? “......I take it back. It’s a good thing you’re working as an idol. Otherwise, you’d have become a scammer.” “I’ll take that as a compliment. Alright, I’ve done everything I needed. Let’s get out of here.” A crisis is the perfect moment to create opportunity—and when you stack up enough of those opportunities, they become solid stepping stones to success. “Excuse me, Mr. Seo Hoyun, it’s only been, like, ten minutes, you know?” Woosung pouted and followed behind me, grumbling about how I pulled a “Just One Ten Minute” move. [Guys, did The Dawn get booked with Riel??] [Whoa whoa what?? Riel outta nowhere?] Having wrapped up all their overseas schedules and even gotten some downtime, The Dawn had recently returned safely to Korea. The Noeuls had been obsessively monitoring every step of their overseas tour—but then, completely out of the blue, a schedule that hadn’t been planned popped up. Rumors even spread that Designer Lee Seongjin, a chief designer at a famous international brand, had sent a gift to Seo Hoyun. [This is great but... why....?] [Seriously... why.....?] [Did we even get a hint this was coming??] Although the situation had no apparent logic and was completely unexpected, the Noeuls didn’t stay confused for long. It was still good news for The Dawn. A warm, paparazzi-style edit of Seo Hoyun and Joo Woosung strolling and chatting in the streets was uploaded to YouTube. The comments section was flooded with English. [I love the way they smile and talk! So sweet :)] [They both look like actual models!] [Hahaha, Hoyun and Woosung’s bromance continues even in Milan] Even though they looked like they were smiling, in reality they had been bickering over what to eat for dinner. [Wait wasn’t that the same day as Kang Ichae’s fashion show? Hoyun’s outfit is the same? └Our Hoyun wears all black so often, every day basically looks the same... └└Oh! That explains it. └└LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL] [Woosung is hilarious. Even abroad, he’s out here showing off how friendless he is. └└(Photo) He went all the way to Milan just to hang out with Seo Hoyun. └└LOL these two are such real-life besties it’s unreal LOL] But more than the two of them, the one who stole all the attention was—hands down—Kang Ichae. [How an idol pretends to be a regular person during Fashion Week.jpg] His star power was so strong that even if he wore ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) a literal rag, he made it look like the latest F/W trend. [There are so many pictures of Kang Ichae getting snapped as street fashion at Fashion Week, I’m dying └I mean, it really was street fashion lololol All of it was stuff they literally bought off the street] [Why is Sung Jiwon over there taking pics like his life depends on it lololol] [Kim Sunghyun is hilarious. He’s totally the type who doesn’t get why his partner’s shopping in a department store but silently waits anyway. └God, I want to snatch him up and marry him while he’s still clueless └└Too bad. That’s impossible with Seo Hoyun the dating grump in the picture......] On top of that, the scene of Kang Ichae drunkenly playing piano started going viral again, and his name dominated forums and SNS for the entire week. [Wow, he’s seriously a genius...] [I love him so much ㅠㅠㅠ He’s good at composing, he’s handsome, he dresses well... what do I even do?] [And he debuted a fan song overseas... God... they really never forget the Noeuls...] [The new fan song is so good, Ichae really is a genius ㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜㅜ] Just as the Noeuls’ pride shot straight through the roof— It all came crashing back down. [Title: Isn’t Kang Ichae’s song plagiarism?] Because of a sudden accusation that came out of nowhere.