Chapter Ten: Smoke Grey

youngwon.Ji Jingyuan's gaze swept past, just in time to see Kim Taeyeon looking this way. The two made eye contact and felt a strange sense of joy, simultaneously bursting into laughter and quickly tu...Afterward, as the grand prize winners, EXO received a separate interview from the organizers and took a solo photo with the award presenter, Seoul Sports Representative Director Kim Kwang-lae. Today's schedule officially ended after that.

"Thank you (smiling face)."

As Ji-yeong was returning to the dormitory with his team in a nanny car, he received a text message from Bae Joo-hyun.

The award winners were all super excited, chatting excitedly in the car. Ji-sung leaned against the back of the seat, his head resting against the window as he looked at messages on his phone. He chuckled and replied to her with the same emoji: "".

“How many major awards did we win this year aNone, but Kyung-won and Suzy have an annual song, so that counts as half, right aa two, one gold record, one song award, making it four and a half in total. That’s more than last year!” Park Chan-yeol was excitedly listing their EXO end-of-year awards at the ceremony, his mood brightening with each one he mentioned.

"Don't get too excited, this big reward is because our mini-album last year was so successful, but... it would be great if we could achieve the same results by the end of this year." Kim Jun Myeon felt that his comrades seemed a bit carried away, he lightly reminded them.

Actually, all the EXO members know that their 2014 achievements were able to match those of their first regular album release last year, mainly because the comeback in May with the mini-album "Overdose" was very successful. Besides, the end-of-year award ceremonies actually only consider the performance during the mid-year comeback and didn't take into account the situation EXO faced after members successively left, which is why they received so many major awards.

Even if they don't want to admit it, deep down they know that EXO's performance this year has dropped compared to last year. With three members leaving the group and one subunit practically collapsing, a normal boy group would have already disbanded. Thankfully, EXO is strong enough to still be standing, although their decline isn't very obvious yet.

But if this comeback fails to maintain last year's performance, or even plunges significantly downwards, then all the negative feedback will immediately surface, causing them to fall from grace in an instant.

A friend I've known for ten years recommended this app to me, Huanyuan App! It's really good. I use it to listen to audiobooks while driving and before bed to pass the time. You can download it here: .huanyuanapp

It's clear that we need to be clear about this. We can talk about the future later. For now, they still want to celebrate.

"Ugh, why do you keep bringing this up Don't always rain on my parade, Kim leader. Can't I be happy for two days after winning a big award" Hearing Kim Jun Myeon's words, Park Chan Yeol seemed dissatisfied, tilting his head and muttering a complaint.

"That's right, let's celebrate while we're feeling happy! I propose we order some pizza and barbecue for dinner tonight!" Bian Berxian also chimed in to encourage him.

"Agree, agree! And one more pineapple milk tea please."

"Okay, consider it said..." Kim Jun-myeon, seeing the tide turning against him, immediately raised his hand to cover his mouth, indicating he had no objections.

Seeing Kim Jun-myeon raise his hand to surrender and stop making a fuss, several people immediately cheered as if they had won a battle, and then started chatting excitedly again.

"The singing tonight was great."

After a while, Pei Joo-hyeon sent another message. Ji-gyeong looked at it and immediately understood that she was referring to EXO's stage performance of "Naturally" that night.

"He replied quickly too, "What he said tonight was right." The other party surely understood instantly that he was referring to the hint that Rosé made during her acceptance speech when she won Best New Artist.

(smiley face).

(Smiling face).

…………

The news of EXO's win at the Seoul Music Awards was already trending that night. After a whole night of fermentation, it became a hot topic for discussion in major entertainment sections and fan groups of various idols. Most people didn't have much controversy regarding EXO's award, after all, their achievements before a member's departure last year were right there. The mini-album "The War" again achieved a million sales, which effectively silenced even the haters. Besides making some snarky remarks, they could only grudgingly agree without complaint.

This discussion's focus, besides the eye-catching performance of "Let It Be" at this event, was entirely concentrated on the news that EXO is preparing a new album and will be making a comeback, revealed in Park Kyung's acceptance speech.

"The band is getting back together I thought they were breaking up."

"Dissolution isn't inevitable, but this comeback for the group is probably a make-or-break moment. Their performance this time has definitely declined, and if they don't show significant improvement compared to last time, their chances of topping the charts are slim. It remains to be seen if they even tried to write a new song as a way to salvage things."

"Exo, just die already! Even after losing three members, the fans are still so arrogant and flamboyant online every day. I'm truly impressed. I objectively predict that their next comeback will likely see a significant decline in popularity. Popular fans will become obsessed, while hardcore fans and group fans will directly leave. Then the entire group will be half-dead, returning once a year to barely survive, hanging on by a thread. The most profitable concerts will go straight solo."

''

Then many black fans shouted that they no longer call EXO members by their names, feeling that calling their names was like promoting them. They now directly use the group's black nickname plus each member's superpower to refer to the members. For example, Park Chanyeol doesn't just have one black nickname because his superpower is light, so he is called "Geolli" (地光) by some black fans. At the same time, because he has been very successful in transitioning to an actor, he is also called "Geonyeon" (地演).

"Black fans from all over the world are a unified force. It's unclear when this term first entered the peninsula from outside, but it has been enthusiastically adopted by fans of other groups who dislike EXO and frequently appears in discussions."

So even if you're a black fan, you need to do your homework beforehand and understand the actual situation of the group you're antiing. If you don't go and learn about EXO's concept and each person's superpower, they probably won't even be able to call their insults correctly.

However, these "anti-fan" Alies who use the term with "地" definitely won't use it. On the contrary, many Alies get angry when they see this term because in their hearts, even if they have left the fandom, EXO is still the hottest group in Korea and even Asia. Therefore, this name often triggers constant arguments online.

"Yuan is saying that does this mean XO is finally coming back This is the best news I've heard recently, I've waited for so long."

“This time should be the regular second album, hoping to replicate the glory of the first regular album. Yuan should still provide some original songs this time, before the first regular and mini-second, as well as the recent winter single, all of his original songs were very popular. I hope there will be a song like 'Rage' this time.”

"This time, xo has to win big! Give those idiot haters a good thrashing!"

"Baa-baaa! Make it official already, I can't wait! I've saved up all the money for it, exofightg!"

The fans, upon seeing the news, were visibly excited and expressed their enthusiasm and anticipation. However, judging by the overall trend of comments above, besides EXO's own fans, most passersby actually don't believe that a 9-member EXO can recreate its former glory.

excluding those black fans' malicious curses and intentional underestimation, a general objective assessment is that EXO's comeback this time is expected to maintain the same performance as last time or see a slight decline. Significant improvement is unlikely. Then there's the prediction that each subsequent comeback will see a noticeable decline, gradually returning to mediocrity.

The prevailing view is that EXO's 2014 mini-album "Overdose" was the peak of their career.

This is actually the mainstream view in the industry. Even though EXO's fan base is still very strong, member departures are a big blow to any group, let alone three members leaving.

The outside world's comments and fans' expectations and worries, in fact, all the members of XO have seen them. Although they can't actually affect them, they do still affect their mood quite a bit.

However, this time all the members are very confident about their comeback for this regular second album. Including the four title tracks, which are all high-quality songs, even the B-sides are at a level that rivals the title tracks. In addition to the excellent planning and production, and the company's large investment of resources, everyone believes that this comeback can definitely give fans and everyone a surprise.

After the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) ended, the next morning, the members who hadn't finished filming their individual teasers boarded a plane to Europe with the team. A few days later, the American group also left Seoul and flew to the United States for filming. In the end, Park Ji-hoon flew to Yunnan in China to join the other members, and the nine of them filmed the final teaser video together in that region.

It took nearly a whole week, but the actual shooting time wasn't that long. Most of it was spent traveling back and forth on airplanes, which was really tiring. However, after all that hard work for so many days, this huge trailer project is finally complete. By the time the members returned to Seoul from Yunnan, it was almost the end of the month.

At this time, everyone was gathered in the practice room rehearsing for the upcoming shoot. The specific shooting process and shot breakdown had been taught to them by the company beforehand, and for this, Ji Jingyuan and the others had practiced many times.

Just finished a round, Jiyeong was gasping for breath as he grabbed a bottle of mineral water and chugged it down. With a bang, the practice room door suddenly swung open, Seunghwan walked in from outside and stood at the entrance, glanced around then beckoned to Jiyeong: "Jiyeong, come out for a moment... everyone else take a break first."

…"

At this moment, Chi Jingyuan was still puffing his cheeks and drinking water. Hearing this, he was stunned for a moment and quickly swallowed the water in his mouth. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, put the bottle aside, and quickly followed out.

Lee Seung-hwan took him out for a few steps at random along the corridor, stopped at a corner, and after a brief moment of deliberation said, "It's like this..."

……

An hour ago, in a small conference room at the company building, Lee Soo-man, the general producer of EXO's comeback album, was listening to work reports from department heads and staff.

As previously mentioned, all aspects of the other preparations are in place. Now, the head of the department responsible for communication from the record division proactively raised a question: "Director ni, the parking lot where we rented for the EXO 《callbaby》 music video shoot is already secured, and the set designs are also ready. However, according to our previous communication with the other party, there have been some issues regarding the appearance of several luxury cars needed for the music video shoot."

"The headmaster's words caught everyone's attention, and Lee Soo-man also turned his gaze over."

The head of the department let out a wry smile and explained the situation: “Because EXO's V design needs to use several luxury cars, we've contacted a few car owners before. It just so happens that these car owners seem to be EXO fans. Although they agreed to donate their cars for free, they put forward many requirements, including watching the entire V filming process, not allowing any friction or damage to the cars, and requesting to take photos with the members of EXO. They might even bring friends to watch the V shooting…”

"Is this a fan too"

"These conditions are impossible to agree to. Firstly, the filming set is not open to the public. How do we deal with the situation that the car owner has already publicly released photos from the shoot beforehand Moreover, will there be other demands later on For example, asking members of XO, like Yuan or Sehun, to have dinner with her Should we agree to this"

"Let Yuan accompany her for a meal A joke, no way, absolutely not."

Hearing these conditions, several people present couldn't help but frown, and we started criticizing the unreasonable demands of these car owners one after another.

"The department head who brought up the matter simply shrugged: "But these ten-billion won cars, supercars in the tens of billions of won range, are not owned by many people in Seoul. Most of them belong to members of wealthy families. It's very troublesome to get in touch with them through networking, and V is about to start shooting soon. Car rental companies might have resources, but even for car rental companies, this level of supercar is definitely scarce, a rare resource, and the corresponding cost will also increase, because the current contacted car owners all agree to donate for free."

After hearing this, everyone was silent for a moment before they started discussing amongst themselves and offered many suggestions, though in the end, they were just a few predictable ideas.

"... "

" Let me know if you'd like me to translate anything else!

Lee Soo-man remained silent for a moment before lightly tapping the table, quieting the entire meeting room. He looked at Lee Seong-hwan and smiled with narrowed eyes: "Alright then, go ask Kyeong-won what he suggests."

“Jingyuan” Li Chenghuan was slightly taken aback when he heard the name, feeling that the general manager’s thought process seemed to span a bit too wide.

"That's right, just tell him what I said," Lee Soo-man didn't explain to the crowd and took a sip of tea, seeming quite relaxed.

"Well, alright then." Li Chenghuan nodded and agreed directly.

"By the way, if Jingyuan is able to, remember to let him know about the rental costs. If he's willing to help, don't worry about free contributions, the company will pay... but I guess he's too lazy to bother."

"...I understand."

…………

"Is that so"

Chi Jingyuan nodded knowingly after hearing Li Chenghuan's words. He didn't seem to be under any pressure. After pondering for a few seconds, he casually asked, "What kind of car brand and price range is needed for the v shoot Are there any requirements for the car type"

"Hmm..." Seeing Pool Jingyuan so nonchalant, it seemed like just a small matter. Li Chenghuan opened his mouth and paused for a moment, feeling that he had a deeper understanding of this member he managed: "Actually, I don't really understand either, but it should be the kind of car that looks very valuable and luxurious. The more expensive and stylish it is, the more it can elevate EXO and V's taste... Oh, by the way, are you in the dorm

Chi Jingyuan didn't think much about it and nodded directly: "I understand. I'll tell my family. Brother, can you ask PD to send someone over to take a look If the car model is suitable, we can borrow it from the company for a few days. This shouldn't be a problem, anyway, it's just for our V shoot."

“Okay, I’ll contact the director right away.”

Lee Seung-hwan was a little surprised, but he didn't show it on his face. He nodded in agreement and then watched as Ji-gyeong-won, who thought the matter had been resolved, turned to leave for the practice room. Remembering what Soo-man had told him, he quickly called out to him: "By the way, about the rental fees..."

"Hey, isn't this about Teacher Lee Soo-man asking you"

Having already taken two steps, Ji Jingyuan turned back to look at his manager, a smirk playing on his lips. Although it was a question, his tone sounded quite certain. He didn't need Li Chenghuan to answer him; just one glance at the other man's expression told him everything he needed to know. Then, he waved his hand dismissively, "Let the company send someone to check it out first and see if it's suitable..."

After finishing his words, he didn't wait for Lee Seung-hwan's reply. Ji Kyeong-won turned and walked towards the practice room. The image of Lee Xiu-man smiling with narrowed eyes flashed before his eyes, and he shook his head helplessly:

"I feel like I'm being seen through..."

……

On January 31st, the underground second floor parking lot in Seoul's Jb district was a hive of activity. Workers from company S were frantically busy, checking lights and sound equipment while setting up cameras. The entire parking lot bustled with people, creating an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.

This is the shooting set of EXO's "Call Baby" MV. Right now, the members of EXO are in a temporary beauty room set up next to the filming location, getting ready for their looks in this MV.

At this moment, stylist dy Kim You-na is using a hairdryer to finish the final touches on Ji Chang-wook's new hairstyle, while Ji Chang-wook sits on a makeup chair, admiring his brand new look in the mirror.

As an idol, every comeback makeup look definitely has a different style and a brand new styling to showcase their charm and the concept of the album. From the rainbow hair in "Wolf and Beauty" to the silver hair in "Rage," and then to the deep red under the lights in "Addiction" and "Dope," Ji Kyeong-won's comeback styling is constantly evolving.

And this time, his return style, even though it leans towards maturity, avant-garde and fashion.

In the mirror, he looked different. His hair, which had been growing longer, was now trimmed. It was styled in a medium length with layers that gave it volume and texture. The sides faded sharply just above his ears, highlighting his jawline.

This time, it wasn't a fully forehead-revealing style. Under dy's operation, a slightly airy fringe was created, with messy hair dangling in front of the forehead. The sparse hair swayed lightly under the hairdryer, and gaps revealed glimpses of

The biggest highlight this time is the hair color. Pool Jingyuan's original black hair, which he has always kept, has undergone a huge change after bleaching. The silver-gray smoke-colored hair and fluffy disheveled design together highlight a strong fashion sense. Paired with Pool Jingyuan's features, he stands out in the entire beauty salon.

Peninsula Asteroid

This novel is first published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Network.further away, muttering, "Stop looking."Ji Jingyuan didn't resist, willingly letting Zheng Xiujing move his phone to the side.Seeing her goal accomplished, Jeong So-jeong's mouth twitched into a sligh...