Chapter 64: Too Ordinary
Kim Young Min glared at Wu Saik with icy eyes, his face clearly showing anger. There was still some water on his sleeve from when he had just thrown the cup, showing how hard he'd hurled it.“…………”Wu S..."I..."
Upon hearing this question, Bae Joo-hyun blinked her eyes.
Actually, she really wanted to go. She had her heart set on it last year when EXO went on tour, but the tickets for their concerts were just impossible to get. The window opened for less than half a second and they were gone.
She couldn't get tickets for the premiere or the added show, and at the time, her relationship with Ji Jingyuan wasn't as close as it is now, so she was embarrassed to ask. Plus, she hadn't debuted yet, so she could only regretfully let it go.
This year's second round went smoothly, and the first performance on the 13th held special significance for Park Ji-won. It was also a day of great interest to her.
The main reason she wanted to go wasn't actually the concert.
Although she has debuted now, the two are still co-hosting "Music Bank" and many viewers are shipping them. At the same time, they are in a stage where they are being targeted by angry fans of another idol (Ali). If they were caught or seen by fans, it would easily lead to misunderstandings, triggering fans' fragile hearts and desire to attack.
Even if I were to go, it would definitely be with the members of Red Velvet. This topic came up during a previous group chat, and you could tell that several members were very interested, especially Kim Yeri, the 99-liner who's full of energy. She's really enthusiastic about handsome guys, parties, and social events in general.
Being seen alone by someone really messes things up, it's not just love rumors anymore, I bet even whispers of bad blood within the unit will surface.
"Your performance is about to start, the tickets sold out a long time ago, even internal tickets should be gone by now, right..." Pei Zhuxuan's face was filled with anticipation, but she hesitated for a moment, raising her eyes to look at him.
She's right, for a popular concert like EXO's, the company would definitely reserve a lot of internal tickets for staff and members to distribute. However, if those tickets are still unallocated closer to the start date, the company will make arrangements for them. They won't allow prime seats to remain empty.
If others buy it, then it will be gone. As for you...
Ji Jingyuan blinked upon hearing this, feeling as though he was being looked down upon. He lightly puckered his lips towards Pei Zhuxuan, playing coy before suddenly letting out a chuckle:
Neither.
He didn't look at the other person's expression and didn't say anything more. He just quickened his pace slightly and waved casually: "Goodbye, time to go home."
"...
" Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!
Upon hearing this, Bae Joo-hyeon couldn't help but smirk slightly. She let out a soft hum and glanced at Ji-seong's retreating figure before letting out a chuckle and quickly following after him.
……
As expected, the second episode of "Music Bank" aired, and Ai Li's hostility towards Bae Joo-hyun reignited after seeing her slightly weakened performance. The heat generated instantly overshadowed yesterday's victory and fight incident. After the show aired, the number of ugly pictures of Bae Joo-hyun surpassed Choi Seung-hyeon's memes, becoming today's fan black picture TOP1.
They were truly furious seeing this dead aunt on TV, their own Oppa smiling and hosting with such familiarity, making occasional physical contact and suggestive eye contact. They felt like they could just rush up and rip the woman's mouth apart.
I can only say that so far it's just online scolding, and there aren't any offline activities. Pei Zhuhyun's luck is actually pretty good.
However, in addition to the fans of both groups, other fandoms and ordinary viewers are increasingly liking this pairing. Today, with their different styles but strangely similar hairstyles standing out as a perfect match, it's visually pleasing and makes people reluctant to change channels. Even when watching the live stream, some people feel impatient seeing those unpopular groups' stages, wishing those boring performances would hurry up and end so they could get to MC's segment.
Some forums, especially the official accounts of "Music Bank", have also started to see more positive comments.
It's not about praising the stage itself, for the most part it's about complimenting the style and good looks of this fixed MC duo. Especially their tacit understanding and ambiguous feeling when they are together really make you feel sweetness overload.
Just after two episodes aired online, fans have already started shipping the MC duo. Just like "We Got Married," they've given them CP names and are heavily invested in their relationship. Several nicknames like "office romance CP" are circulating. Clicking into posts from these CP fans reveals screenshots of Park Kyung-won and Jeon Se-hyun's various glances and interactions, making someone unaware think "Music Bank" is a dating show. Ironically, many people enjoy this pairing and the vibe it creates. In a short time, several hot topics have emerged.
Although I still can't beat the full screen of black images, compared to last week, there are at least some splashes of water that I can somewhat resist.
It can only be said that people on the peninsula are really into love, and they really like CPs.
Especially when seeing others create pairings (CPs).
Viewership also proved this point. During the meeting just now, PD Han Kyung-chul happily announced that the average viewership rate for this episode reached 1.7%, and besides EXO's stage, the peak viewership was still from the segments where the two MCs appeared to host.
Compared to an average viewership that has been stable around 0.7% for over a year, the effect brought by the newly appointed MC is quite immediate.
If the first episode's viewership surge was due to EXO's comeback and the new MC's debut generating attention, then this episode clearly shows that the new audience and viewership brought in have stabilized, and are even steadily increasing.
After looking at the data statistics and reviews, Han Kyung-cheol praised Ji Chang-wook and Park Soo-hyun at the meeting. The entire production team was incredibly enthusiastic and kind. They praised Park Soo-hyun so much that she kept bowing in thanks, with a shy and embarrassed expression, even showing her teeth when she smiled.
If the viewership of continues to rise, these two MCs are likely to see a significant improvement in their reputation and treatment at KBS. They might also receive more resources and opportunities in the future.
Pool scenery is indifferent, but for the relatively new Pei Zhuxuan, this is a very important matter. It will be of great help to her future activities.
EXO won one award, while Big Bang was mocked online by some fans and passersby for not being present today, falling somewhat behind in the clash between the two major boy bands.
Just one setback doesn't change the fact that BIGBANG's music source performance is still very strong. Nearly ten days after their release, the two songs from their album "M" are still in the top two spots on Melon chart, with "Loser" holding onto the number one spot firmly and never dropping. This is both a comfort and a reason to fight for .P during this difficult time.
The tone of P's speech has gradually changed, and the rhetoric has quickly become unified. Rumors and posts have begun to belittle the value of current singing shows, claiming that something like this is no longer as valuable as before and is completely inferior to sound sources in importance.
Moreover, Big Bang has been a senior idol group for many years and doesn't care about rankings anymore. When we dominated the charts a few years ago, some people were still in middle school. Now they appear on music shows mainly to give back to fans. The fact that your oppa (Big Bang) hasn't been scheduled for many promotional stages this comeback proves this point.
“And our Oppa is busy making money on a world tour, I heard GD Oppa is even preparing to buy a house. It's unlike some groups who can't even figure out how many members they have, just showing their faces on music shows every day. We leave those things to the younger generations, we don’t care. After all, idol groups are ultimately about making money, right"
Such rhetoric quickly became popular in .P, just like the recent frenzy of calling on sisters to vote together and get the first place trophy.
If you can't compete in looks, then compete in style. If you can't compete in sales, then compete in music sources. If you can't compete in popularity, then compete in seniority and revenue.
Anyway, there's one thing I can win against you. Even if I can't win everything, I can still say that my side is niche and winning is about style.
It can only be said that some fans are truly unwavering.
However, what they said does make sense. Idol groups are ultimately about making money, no matter the sales figures, music streams, performances, variety show appearances, the end goal is always profit. Seeing this advantage, ** quickly announced on SNS the next day that EXO would also be absent from the remaining activities this week and most of next week's promotional activities, focusing their energy on preparing for their new album and the upcoming concert.
Just like last month, fans also expressed understanding, and Aly know that the Oppa are very busy, and the second round of concert is coming soon.
After understanding, it was once again a heated and fierce fight between P and .
……
"Our hair color for this MV, isn't it a little... vibrant"
Gave up singing today. On Saturday morning, EXO was called up by the manager and went straight to the photography studio with the background already set up. After finishing their styling in line, they were ready to start filming the MV for today.
This shoot is for the final single album, "L," and the music video for the title track, "boywithlove."
As the final track of the "boywithlove" four-part single, it is highly valued by **. Both the company and the members have high expectations for it, even surpassing their debut song "callmebaby," which dominated January.
Although this song is a dance track, its style is quite novel. The choreography is unique and it's really catchy. The chorus is particularly addictive. Lyrically, it can also be interpreted as a confession and declaration of love to fans. From every angle, based on their understanding of the music industry, it perfectly meets the standards of a hit song.
And it is still to be performed by EXO, who are now in a good position and back at their peak, coupled with the huge heat generated by the competition between them and Bigbang, which has also raised the company's expectations slightly, and they are also very serious about the production of all aspects of this song.
Actually, 'boywithlove' is not the official name of this song. It's just its English title. The official Korean and Chinese titles are "Dot by Dot".
Or, more romantically, it could be called "A Poem in Praise of Small Things."
Chi Jingyuan feels that this name sounds much better than 'boywithlove', 'Boy with love', 'A boy with love'. It just doesn't sound right.
Because I've been busy with various matters and preparations until now, I finally have time to shoot the MV. Time is a bit tight, and on the 11th, we have to go to rehearsal for the concert, so these two days of filming are estimated to be non-stop day and night. At this moment, the nine members, just finished with styling, stand in the studio. Before officially starting, they look at each other's outfits and hairstyles.
"The color is indeed slightly brighter."
Kim Jun-myeon looked around at the members' various hair colors, coupled with their white and pink outfits. He felt like he was standing in a garden, bright and eye-catching.
After getting their styling done, they realized that many members' hair colors had undergone a significant change this time. While there were some instances of dyeing special hair colors in previous comebacks, they were only limited to a few. But now, at a glance, aside from a few with black or brown hair that was slightly darker, most of them sported vibrant and gorgeous hair colors that were incredibly eye-catching.
"I actually think it looks pretty cool." Park Chan-leek buried his head, messing up his pure white hair. His tone was quite satisfied, but he added afterwards: 'But compared to white, I'm actually pretty interested in trying out that smoky gray that Kyungsoo had before. I think it would look pretty good too.'
He's been eyeing up Ji-sung's ashtray design for ages, ever since the filming of the "Call Me Baby" MV.
Wu Shixun also shook the bangs on his forehead, scanning the crowd with his eyes and nodding: "This hairstyle is indeed quite unique this time, it feels pretty good."
He is light gray.
Although the color is striking, the overall look is quite pleasing to the eye. Idols are meant to try out various different hairstyles and hair colors, and each comeback's style will definitely be unique. You never know, they might pull off an amazing look that becomes the center of discussion among fans and passersby. The hype and popularity could skyrocket instantly.
Before, Chi Jingyuan's ash-gray hair color caused a huge reaction among fans. How many passersby fans climbed the wall was also something everyone saw with their own eyes. Although they didn't say it out loud, in their hearts they were very envious. They might be thinking that if it were them, they definitely wouldn't lose too much either, and their popularity would increase a lot as well.
"Gosh... I think you all look really good, but why is my hair pink"
>
Of the nine people on the team, two stood out the most. One was the pink-haired Bian Baekhyun, and the other was...
“Because this MV doesn't have a plot or special effects, in order to highlight the style and characteristics of the whole song, the clothing and color scheme need to be bright and eye-catching. After being rendered in post-production, the overall effect will give a warm and comfortable feeling, pleasing to the eye. This is considered consistent with some meanings of 'A Poem of Little Things'."
As one of the producers involved in the song's production and MV design, Ji Kyung-won stepped up to give a brief explanation: "The company is still very professional in terms of styling. Some shots require the background and our hair color to complement each other to create a better color effect. Many colors were actually discussed in meetings, and not everyone's hair color is the same. For example, Si-jeok's hair color is specially chosen to be a darker primary color to form a contrast in tone, and at the same time, it prevents the audience from feeling too tired."
In the end, Ji Jingyuan also smiled wryly. He lowered his head and flicked the bangs on his forehead twice, then said to Bian Berhyun with a helpless tone: "Besides, you're not alone. My hair color... I actually think it's pretty average, not very suitable."
Turning his gaze, Ji Jingyuan's long hair displayed distinct textures and layers after being styled. It appeared fluffy and stylish with the sides neatly trimmed at the ears, leaving stray strands of bangs scattered haphazardly over his forehead. The different shades of his hair revealed hints of the skin beneath.
This time, the youthful vibe in "lovemeright" is completely different. This time, in "Points of Poetry," his style is completely changed again, actually quite similar to the hairstyle he did especially for
the "Music Bank" hosting yesterday because of Jennie's words, just a bit more refined.
And the most eye-catching thing is her hair color, dyed a vibrant azure blue that resembles the sky and sea. The deep blue is slightly lighter, creating a refreshing yet profound aura. Looking at it, a completely different kind of temperament and feeling emerges spontaneously.
But it seemed that Chi Jingyuan wasn't satisfied with this hair color either. He frowned and played with it a few times, then lightly pursed his lips.
He felt his comeback look was pretty average this time. The blue color was a bit too eye-catching and a little over the top. If the lighting was good, it would be okay, but if the lighting wasn't great, it would look a bit dull.
At the same time, Liu Haier's bangs can't be messed up either. Cody said this hairstyle either needs to be styled like this now, a little messy and covering, or it needs to be done in a comma shape. Any other style would look very awkward.
Compared to the smoky gray style during 《callmebaby》 era, which he thought was pretty good and satisfactory, Ki-won found this blue one much less appealing. He felt that this color could only work on stage or in a music video, maybe it would look alright there, but he really didn't want to dye his hair this way in real life, as it was too outlandish.
It's really a hassle to do both at the same time, even just dyeing it a temporary color took Cody ages.
"Not suitable I think it looks good! Berhyeon's makeup and skin look a bit whiter, which is pretty good. Jingyuan's really handsome with your appearance, very feeling."
Listening to the two people's complaints, Jin Junmian on the side observed carefully for a while before speaking. As soon as he finished speaking, he let out a slightly dissatisfied sigh: "If you're really not satisfied, we can swap. I'd rather dye your hair, at least it's eye-catching."
Like Kim Jin-seok, he was a near-black original color design. Amongst the many colors, it wasn't ugly, just a bit ordinary.
And when idols aren't afraid of strange styles or exaggerated colors.
Idols are afraid of ordinariness.
After each person had their say about their outfits, the crew got ready and started the official photoshoot.
Besides their 2013 album *XOXO* which featured the lead single "Wolf," EXO has not made such a large-scale effort for any other comeback title track. While "Wolf" had a music video with a continuous storyline similar to a drama, starring a female protagonist and incorporating special effects, subsequent title tracks typically involved dancing in several sets and editing them together. At most, additional effects and rendering were added to make the visuals more appealing.
That might be why they're not making any more plot versions. They put in a lot of effort initially, but the response wasn't as good as expected besides from fans, so they just don't feel like doing it anymore.
This time, 《boywithlove》 is also plotless, similar to 《lovemeright》. Besides the differently set-up studio dance scenes, there are some close-up shots to showcase each member's charm.
"It felt a little ordinary..."
It seems that things weren't going smoothly right from the start of filming. After the director PD shouted "Cut!", he, along with EXO members, looked at the footage displayed on the monitor and slightly furrowed his brows.
The MV and choreography opening feature nine people with their backs to the camera, doing a few waves before turning around to begin moving. Halfway through the turn, the MV gives a super close-up facial shot of Ji Eungwon, who is standing in the center position (C).
It only took a few shots, the effect was handsome enough, but the PD always felt something was missing.
"The choreography of this song and the style of the MV are meant to be a little seductive, to put it bluntly, they need to have some sass. We definitely can't be stiff, Yuan, your smile is like sunshine."
After watching for a while, PD pondered for a moment before pointing out the issue: "The opening introduction gives people their first impression, so it's very important. Just smiling alone isn't quite effective enough... For this turning point close-up of Yuan's face, try adding a small expression or gesture, like blinking or raising an eyebrow, something more lively should be better."
"Hmm, I'll give it a try, PDnim."
Ji Jingyuan listened attentively to the PD's instructions, glancing at the VJ holding a camera beside them and filming behind-the-scenes footage. He nodded to indicate that there was no problem.
Isn't that just flirting with fans It's a small thing for an idol.
That's what they do, they are professionals.
Come, try again.
Ji Jingyuan considered for a moment how to proceed, then everyone quickly returned to their positions. Ready, they followed the PD's instructions as the music accompaniment began.
"wooo~~~woo~~woo~~woo~~woo~~"
As the prelude sounded, following the beat, they did a few rhythmic movements left and right. Then, keeping time, all members turned half-way to face the camera. At this moment, the VJ steadily holding the camera quickly walked in, focusing the lens on the face of the center member, Jiyeongwon, starting a close-up.
But at this time, Chi Jingyuan was no longer as 'sunshine and ordinary' as he had been just now. He turned half his body, his bangs slightly swaying, his delicate eyes held a hint of a smile as he looked straight at the camera, his lips slightly parted, his tongue quickly flicking over the left corner of his mouth, flashing like a glimpse.
Then, the corner of his mouth curled up into a faint smile as he quickly turned back, leaving the shot with a sense of space and unfinished business.
And at this time, the PD in front of the display didn't stop like before, but instead waved his hand in surprise and exclaimed excitedly in a low voice:
"Nice, that's the feeling!"
First release on Traditional Chinese Novel Network'll put on a little makeup, but if I'm too lazy, I'll just wear a hat and a mask. As for Jingyuan, you can do whatever you want, but it's best to find a hat to wear...Jingyuan, Jingyuan Wake up, don't...