Neon signs in every color streaked past, and the darkness swallowed the space he left behind. With a harsh drift and the screech of skidding tires, the motorcycle came to a halt. As though facing down the darkness itself, the man finally pulled off his helmet. The camera zoomed in close. [Holy fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] Kim Sunghyun appeared. Placing the helmet atop the motorcycle, he swept his disheveled hair back and cast a careless gaze toward the camera, his face filling the screen. [Are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me are you fucking kidding me] [Exactly, this physique, this concept—if it isn’t main Sunghyun, then who? Absolute facts.] [Did they coat LA in gold or something? Fuck, the boys’ visuals are god-tier.] [Sunghyun oppa, I’m actually about to lose it. Get on the next flight home.] As Sunghyun stepped off the bike, the screen behind him lit up with the word “Connected,” and the intro of the song began. The moment he strode toward the darkness and stepped into the camera’s angle— 【Then you need to come to my field.】 Crack—! The screen fractured, shifting scenes. The sound of metal clashing merged with the melody as Kang Ichae emerged, draped in a red jacket, heavy chain-covered shoes clanking with every step. Approaching the audience side, Ichae bent one knee to the ground and raised his handheld mic. 【Finally the boring time is gone I love watching you flare up Step into the ring, just the way I want】 As if proving it was live— —the clattering of his accessories echoed through the mic. Dıscover more novels at 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 [The Dawn are doing it live!!!!!!] [All you assholes who said they couldn’t sing live, assemble right here!!] [Who said it was pre-recorded? Come over now— You can hear the damn chain rattling LOOOLLLLLLLL] Noeul, overwhelmed by the raw proof of a live stage, couldn’t contain their excitement. 【Chase me like if you can Shift the gear and press the pedal to the end (Yeah This is my race!) The one who lets go first is the loser】 Next was Jung Dajun’s turn. Sweeping up his hair, now almost a platinum silver, Dajun faced the camera directly and delivered a mix of rap, singing, and performance. Then he tapped at the camera lens playfully, motioning it upward. [What the hell, when did our puppy get this badass?] [Crazy, our little dog’s a superstar now, I’m losing it... Ah.. ah why am I stuck at work, why am I not in the States right now...] The camera flipped upward, revealing through VCR a neon-soaked cyberpunk cityscape viewed from above. And there, among the skyscrapers, sat Sung Jiwon. Perched on a rooftop railing, he allowed the faintest smile to tug at his lips. The reckless rush shifted instantly into something grand. His elegant, pure voice filled Dodger Stadium. At that moment, Seo Hoyun, clad in a biker jacket streaked with orange patches, stepped out and took Jiwon’s hand. I will never leave your side】 Lifting Jiwon to his feet, Hoyun sang into the line that followed. The melody swelled higher, and as Jiwon added harmonies at his side, his voice suddenly exploded in sheer power, soaring with impossible strength. [Insane, holy shit ............] [Hey, is Sung Jiwon out of his mind?? That live is fucking crazy??] [Look at Jiwon’s ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) calm expression next to Seo Hoyun LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOO Like, “this is nothing, easy as hell,” holy fuck LOLOLOLOLOL] It went beyond eating the CD—it was total domination. At the climax, the camera zoomed in tight on Seo Hoyun’s lips. 【Ready to be connected?】 When the shot cut back, all the CG was gone, and neon lights from every direction converged on the stage center. The Dawn, now fully assembled, began their dance break with Sunghyun at the center. [What the fuck is Sunghyun doing right now, this dance break is insane—he and Dajun are killing it together.] [Shit LOLOLOLOLOL The boys are out for blood.] Leading with Sunghyun’s sharp, controlled power, the members moved like waves. Each beat, faster and faster, was matched with perfectly synchronized, knife-sharp choreography. 【You’re praying wrong, umm hmm You should be begging me, damn That’s my favorite part】 With his voice pitched a tone higher than usual, Kang Ichae grinned wickedly as he cut in. 【Handle me like if you can】 He tousled his hair and swung his arm toward the camera. The view spun dizzyingly, the dark nightscape dropped back in, and sirens blared as police cars charged in—then all the lights slammed out. [Holy shit, that was euphoric!!!!!!!!!] Soon, the finalist teams of the IRIX Cup were introduced and the matches began, but Noeul’s frenzy didn’t die down one bit. [Look at everyone shutting up now that they proved the live in the U.S. Seriously, so satisfying.] [If you stan The Dawn, there’s never a dull day. When haters start shit, Noeul beat them down and The Dawn crush with skill. Peak fun.] [Ha.. the boys are the best... I’m so, so proud of them.] After all, just being good is boring. It takes a sprinkle of controversy, some MSG, to make the cider moment that much sweeter. Not long after The Dawn’s IRIX Cup opening stage ended, YouTube was flooded with videos titled, “The Dawn, pissed off at lip-syncing accusations.” “The Dawn! So sexy and cool!” “Thank you, thank you...” “The reactions were amazing! And the live performance!” Kim Sunghyun, though having safely wrapped up the performance, felt a strange unease in the aftertaste. It had been perfect—yet something gnawed at him. Backstage, foreign staff and IRIX officials showered them with praise, but with his abysmal English, Sunghyun could only manage, “Thank you.” From afar, he saw Seo Hoyun rattling off fluent thanks with ease. ‘Why did he insist we switch to handheld mics?’ That was the first thing Hoyun had pushed for during rehearsal. Considering the dance break, going without handheld mics would’ve been far better. ‘Seo Hoyun, did you... spark the live-singing controversy on purpose...?’ It was an outrageous thought—but then, he remembered Hoyun’s track record. Sunghyun’s eyes narrowed lazily. And then, as Hoyun turned his head, wiping sweat from his brow, their eyes met directly. Hoyun curled his lips. “Babe, did you work hard?” The busy staff froze, whispering, “Babe?”, “That’s so sweet!” Before Sunghyun could say a word, Hoyun simply waved, then leaned against the maknae’s shoulder ahead, joking around as if nothing happened. ‘If it’s Seo Hoyun, I guess that’s just how it is.’ Already used to Hoyun’s antics, Sunghyun brushed off his suspicions and casually followed the rest of the members out.