After the “The Dawn at the East Sea” episode of Life Experience Field aired, various communities and social media platforms buzzed with talk about it. [This was seriously hilarious lolol] From fishing to selling. Just before, The Dawn had only been seen in their shabby, worn-out state — but now the camera showed them in the broadcast studio, neatly dressed in knits and jeans. Next came the scene where leader Kim Sunghyun took the members’ combined wages, climbed onto a unicorn prop, and put them into a heart-shaped donation box. And to wrap up Life Experience Field – The Dawn at the East Sea, The Dawn sang a song to promote the charity drive. 【Always Beautiful You】 ‘You Are Always Beautiful.’ A clean, pure folk song released in the 1970s by Kim Sunhan, who was once a national singer — so popular it’s often mistaken for a children’s song. 【Send me your pretty smile and gaze If I have only that, I’ll always be by your side Our efforts are always beautiful】 They sang it plainly, without any rearrangement, just as it was. Newest update provıded by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽 At the song’s climax, the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) refreshing yet powerful voice of Sung Jiwon blended perfectly with the simple, mid-low tone of Seo Hoyun, enhancing the charm of the piece. 【Show your wrinkled hands and bright smile If we have only that, we’ll always be strong Your life is always beautiful】 The members met each other’s eyes, smiling faintly. [Am... am I crying right now...?] The fans of The Dawn, so immersed that they forgot to even spout their usual fangirl nonsense, watched as Seo Hoyun pulled something from his pocket and waved it. It was a postcard-sized piece of paper that read, “A truly wonderful experience ^^ Thank you, PD-nim, for your consideration.” [Oh my god lololololololol this looks like a music show ending shot lolololololol] [Ah hahaha that’s cute promotion] When Seo Hoyun flipped it over again, it read, “PD-nim, is this how I’m supposed to say it?” [Lolololololol it looks like Seo Hoyun is shaking a carrot] [Ah hahaha Seo Hoyun is seriously so witty and adorable lololol breaking the tension right at the end] [And in the end, everyone was smiling, greeting the staff — the PD tried to hug Seo Hoyun and he recoiled like crazy, so cute └ He’s the MVP of Life Experience Field. They really nailed it casting The Dawn lol] The Dawn was able to end the program with fun, emotion, and wit all at once. They’d gotten decent buzz from every broadcast appearance so far, but this time the impact was even bigger. [It captured both humor and emotion at the same time;;; I loved it... I wish there were more shows that showcase warmth rather than the sensationalistic variety shows that are popular these days.] [The Dawn’s songs are usually intense, but instead of promoting those, they sang an old, popular song — I really liked that.] [If my ult group had done something , I’d have bawled my eyes out ㅠㅠ] [Title: That charity performance was genius These guys are seriously smart. At the fish market, they sang trot songs the older folks loved, coming across as polite, wholesome young men. At the charity performance, they sang a song literally every Korean would know, skyrocketing their recognition. From sweating and looking grimy on the boat and at the fish market to standing neatly dressed in the studio, smiling at each other as they sang... it was actually moving. But does Daepaseong even pick songs or shows ? └ I was smiling as I read this until that last line. Daepaseong just leeches; they don’t have the sense for something . └ Yeah, exactly. It’s probably because PD Choi contacted them that they got cast, and the song choice was likely The Dawn’s too lol └└ How the hell did Daepaseong even end up with kids ... it’s an eternal mystery.] What had been expected to be a quietly steady, work-focused current affairs program had unexpectedly developed storylines like “a sudden cast dropout,” “the PD kidnapping a new target,” “a victim sold to a fishing boat,” and “an idol who still works hard.” These narratives played a big part in the reaction. Even people who skipped it when it aired late at night at the end of the weekend ended up watching YouTube clips out of curiosity. Interest then extended to the full video the network uploaded, and in the end, Life Experience Field’s videos ended up recording far higher view counts than most popular variety shows. [Title: Wow, this group is so likeable I watched this and then went back and found all of The Dawn’s previous solo variety shows. Some people are saying they must have known this would blow up, but come on — who could’ve predicted Life Experience Field’s ratings and views would be this good? Honestly, the kids are all doing great in variety right now; they didn’t need to appear on a current affairs program lol I think they just genuinely wanted to try the experience, worked hard without being picky, and it turned out well. └ If other idols had done it, it wouldn’t have blown up this much lol It’s because The Dawn kept smiling through it that it was both fun and touching. └└ Agreed. They’re destined to get big... Honestly, filming for three days straight must have been exhausting enough to make you curse, but they laughed it off — that mental fortitude is insane. └ Jung Dajun eating lasagna for the camera, too... └└ Lolololololol Dajun never leaves food behind lolololol └ PD Choi really knows how to pick people. └└ Right? The fact that Seo Hoyun and PD Choi got close because of some Europe nationalist documentary is hilarious... PD Choi’s apparently well-known in the documentary scene — I wish he’d just make this a regular show instead of a special. └ The view count is insane right now lol Whoever dropped out of the cast must be jealous.] Meanwhile, the cooking program Jung Dajun had missed for this shoot failed to escape its low ratings, despite carefully featuring a lineup full of famous guests. The fans of the idols who appeared liked it, but the general public didn’t choose it. [Title: Emergency — the general public is starting to know The Dawn The Dawn are these uniquely insane idols who work their asses off... ㅠㅠㅠㅠ and people are finally finding that out! Maybe it’s because the public tends to have a good impression of celebrities who work hard despite hardships, but the reaction to this Life Experience Field was amazing ㅠㅠ Just mentioning them — everyone knows! Not long ago, if you said “The Dawn,” people would ask if you meant the root vegetable... now they finally know who they are ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ They even remember the names of members other than Seo Hoyun!!! └ Even the quiet ones each have their own streak of madness — it leaves such an impression. Like Sung Jiwon, who looks all gentle but sang trot with fish prices in the lyrics... Kim Sunghyun filleting that massive amberjack in seconds... Kang Ichae laughing with the shop owner like they’d known each other 20 years... and Jung Dajun refusing to give up on bizarre foods. └└ They look like people who wouldn’t know hardship if it hit them, but there they are, hauling nets, singing trot, selling fish — and they treat the elders so well ㅠㅠ └ They really nailed the start of the five-part Life Experience Field special. The next guests should be nervous lol] In the end, everything was flowing toward— [I really want to support these guys] —just as Seo Hoyun had predicted. [PD Choi Jihoon: Seo Hoyun-ssi, you really hit it big, hahaha] [PD Choi Jihoon: The reviews are amazing] [PD Choi Jihoon: At this rate, I think we’ll go to a regular series... Anyway, it’s all thanks to you. Thank you ^^] I moved my fingers to reply to PD Choi’s text. [Me: Thanks to you, PD-nim, I had a great experience too] [Me: Don’t call me next time though, hahaha] [PD Choi Jihoon: See you again if we do another special ^^] [Me: Lol sure, I’ll look forward to it] Contacting PD Choi had been the right move. I’d only prodded him on a whim when Jung Dajun’s schedule fell through — I hadn’t expected to land such a big catch. The production team thought I’d been innocently tricked and milked The Dawn for all we were worth. Well, as hard as it had been, it was worth it. ‘The response is good.’ Honestly, none of our broadcasts had gotten bad reactions so far, but this time our recognition shot up. As for our skill in our main field, that could be proven in future albums or shows. In the fandom, people seemed worried we were working too hard, but with this kind of explosive spotlight, their smiles betrayed their pride. Then a staff member’s voice rang out. “We’ll start shooting soon—” Now that we’d built a solid foundation, it was time to execute what I’d really been aiming for. “It’d look better if you moved that sign a bit more to the right.” “Cameras are all set!” In truth, it was the perfect time for The Dawn to release an album and promote aggressively. But we’d spent about half a year quietly preparing instead — all for the sake of this upcoming leap forward. I could see the staff bustling about the music video shoot. “Hoyun-ssi, just a moment!” I was about to step onto the set when the wardrobe, hair, and makeup team stopped me. “With your fair, clear skin, you look good in any color, but since it’s a Christmas single music video, white would be better, right?” “Hmm... yeah, I guess you’re right.” The Dawn’s Christmas special single album. We’d been eyeing a seasonal song ever since Black Call released their Christmas album. “Yeah, it fits the vibe. Do we have a white knit over there?” “For the hair, I think slightly covering straight hair works best. Let’s wipe off the eye makeup completely and emphasize the lips instead.” They ended up swapping my entire outfit and styling from head to toe because they didn’t like the original plan. When I was finally freed, Lee Jihyun approached, jotting notes on her tablet. “Seo Hoyun-ssi, can we talk for a bit?” “If our MVP wants to talk, I’ll make time even if I didn’t have any.” She was already busy preparing for next year, but on top of that, she’d planned and executed the entire concept under a tight schedule. As always, Lee Jihyun was the one who’d worked the hardest. She grimaced at my remark and shook her head, then went over the important points of the album again, emphasizing gestures or meanings that needed to be caught on camera. “I’m looking forward to the response to this album.” “Honestly, The Dawn’s gone even higher than I expected — it’s almost scary. How is it that everything just clicks into place like you planned? You even have incredible luck with programs.” “Do you think it’s just luck?” “...Right. That’s the perfect evasive answer.” Letting out a small sigh, she continued. “But don’t forget — this album is really experimental. You know how risky seasonal songs can be.” If anything, the fact that it was a seasonal song made it worth trying. When I just smiled quietly, she read my expression and frowned faintly. “...Well, maybe, like you said, it’ll manage to be both popular and aimed straight at the fans. Experimental as it is.” I wasn’t convinced this song would be an absolute smash hit. But before the real game began, I wanted to test a few things — like how a pitcher sizes up the umpire’s strike zone with the first batter in the first inning. “You need a bit of risk to make things fun.” Besides, I had a strong card in Kang Ichae. Looking toward the corner of the set, I saw Sung Jiwon and Kang Ichae deep in conversation about the music video. While I was mentally calculating, Kang Ichae happened to glance my way and wink slyly. He looked utterly confident. Leaving Lee Jihyun puzzled, I waved dismissively as if to throw his wink away. It wouldn’t hurt if Kang Ichae were just a little less quick on the uptake. A few days later, the special single album poster image was released to the world. Beneath a massive, dazzling Christmas tree brightening the pitch-black night sky stood a boy, smiling as he looked up at it. Behind him stretched a long, dark shadow. It was a double-title Christmas album.