Chapter Forty-Three: Who is the Shortest?

On the way to the backstage passage, they greeted each other and chatted for a few moments.Ji Jingyuan just greeted simply, Zheng En Di is someone who can chat with anyone and never be awkward, she's...Given that it was so late and she had a choked-up voice, Ji Jingyuan could only think of one possibility: this girl had been eliminated from the survival audition show "sixteen" organized by JYP. After all, he had recently cheered her on as she mentioned that filming for the first episode had already begun.

Although池景源 knew that Zhou Tzuyu had previously told him about her "progress," and "praise from the teacher" was just vanity trying to show off a little, he thought she wasn't as strong as she claimed. However, being eliminated in the first round felt too fast.

"No, I haven't been eliminated."

Upon hearing池景源's guess, Zhou Tzuyu reacted as if she had been caught and her pride was wounded. Her voice immediately became agitated as she retorted forcefully, "But it's just a little bit off." However, after stubbornly saying that, her confidence waned noticeably, and her voice dropped visibly.

Right after that, before Pool Jingyuan could even ask, she sniffled and, in a sticky voice, recounted the day’s events. The gist was that her performance on today’s recording had been terrible; not only did Park Jin-young give her an average review, but afterward, she got scolded by the dance teacher responsible for their training.

She was already in the bottom group, and this time she not only didn't stand still, but even seemed to have regressed.

Seeing the expressions of her teacher and Park Jin-young, this girl felt deeply that her debut was hopeless. Though she didn't show much outwardly to others, in reality, she was heartbroken and disappointed, suffering a miserable night.

“That means if it wasn't for Park Jin-young PD saying that this was the first episode and he'd give everyone a chance, without eliminating anyone yet, I bet you would have been eliminated already” After hearing this, Ji Kyung-won pondered for two seconds, organized the information he had just received, and then tentatively asked.

"Hmm!"

He gave a deep hum in response, as Zhou Ziyu spoke, Ji Jingyuan seemed to still hear a nodding sound coming from the phone. Whether it was an illusion or not, he wasn't sure.

Although the other party's voice sounded quite pitiful, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but laugh. After taking a breath, he countered, "Are you saying that no one was ever announced to be eliminated You think your stage performance was bad, so you assume if someone is eliminated, it will definitely be you"

"Hmm..."

"Heh!"

Chi Jingyuan let out a derisive laugh and suddenly felt a little tired: "So it was actually nothing at all. Maybe there are people with even worse stages than you. It's totally you scaring yourself, bottling yourself up for a whole night"

"After hearing his words, Zhou Tzuyu seemed to be choked up, with a few breaths coming in short gasps. After several seconds, she replied in a muffled voice: "Why are you saying that"

Chi Jingyuan ignored her and guessed in a confident tone: "Then you just secretly called your mom for comfort and cried for half an hour"

"Who took it…" Zhou Tzuyu first denied his words, then asked in surprise, "How did you know"

When the call first connected, they didn't speak right away and their mood was clearly not good, their voice a bit choked up. But after talking for a while, being reprimanded by Chi Jingyuan without any politeness, Zhou Tzuyu's emotions seemed to have improved a bit. The slight nasal tone she had just now also subsided.

"How do you know"

Hearing such a stupid question, Ji Jingyuan shook his head helplessly. Seeing that the window in front of him was already wide open, he stretched out his left hand to feel the wind and leaned against the window sill with his body. Looking down at the somewhat deserted street from the third floor, he said angrily: “I saw it, you were on the phone just now and I was watching right here.”

"Hehehe, you're lying."

Chou Tzu-yu let out a soft laugh after hearing that.

"Alright, stop scaring yourself. There's nothing happening. You weren't wrong to call me crazy earlier."

Chi Jingyuan also smiled and shook his head, scolding her. Then, he slowed down his speech and said in a serious tone: "I haven't seen your singing and dancing skills, and you may not be very smart, but you are excellent in appearance. Even in our company, you are one of the best. This is very important for being an idol, even more important than skill."

"………hehe."

Hearing Qi Jingyuan's unusually serious and sincere praise, Zhou Tzuyu held back her laughter for a long time but couldn't help it in the end. She burst out laughing, her cheerful laughter seemed to dispel the gloom and disappointment she had just felt. Through the phone, her laughter was infectious, making people on the other end involuntarily smile.

She smirked for a while, pleased with herself. After her moment of satisfaction, she emphasized, "I'm very clever."

"What kind of stage performance did you do during your recording today" Ji Jingyuan completely ignored her emphasis and after a moment of thought, casually asked.

"The Beauty Plan."

"Beauty's Plan" Whose song, an OST

"...belongs to Cai Yilin."

"Chinese songs"

Chi Jingyuan was stunned for a moment after hearing the answer. A deep sense of helplessness surged up in him a few seconds later, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

Well, I apologize. If anyone is really eliminated in this first round, then you might be right after all.

You're so unique, who else would we get rid of if not you

"Sigh... it's over anyway." Chi Jingyuan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the absurdity in his heart, and then continued, "Has the task for the second period come out yet What is it assessing"

"It's out, the second task is to shoot a pictorial. It should be about who takes the most beautiful picture, right" Zhou Tzuyu seemed to sense from the phone that Chi Jingyuan's mindset was impacted by her choice to perform "Beauty Scheme", her tone became somewhat timid for a moment.

"As for pictorials, it's not just about looking good."

Hearing her say that, Ji Jingyuan shook his head. Considering this girl was always on the verge of being eliminated from the show, he patiently explained some tips and precautions about taking pictorials: "For personal pictorials, compared to posing, it's actually more important to pay attention to your posture. Your posture should be straight, even when bending over, you shouldn't slouch. At the same time, your expression and eyes need to match the theme of your shoot, be a little cold, a little arrogant, or a little gentle..."

“Show off your best qualities, and don’t be afraid to speak up! Just confidently share your strengths.”

“As for the team portrait, it's more important to align with the theme and atmosphere. You shouldn't be too out of place or stand out too much in the overall picture, as that would actually detract from the score...”

Chi Jingyuan's experience shooting pictorials can be said to be very rich. From his debut until now, he has shot so many times that he himself can't remember clearly. Some of the tips and points he has mastered are actually quite a lot.

And she seemed to be a bit worried that Zhou Tzuyu wouldn't wait for him to be a guest on that episode before being eliminated. Here, she unknowingly got involved and talked a little more than usual.

He didn't realize until he caught a whiff of barbeque smoke from the distant corridor that his fellow members were still eating. Looking back on what he had just said, he was astonished by how much he had spoken.

A faint breath in the earpiece indicated that Zhou Tzuyu was still listening intently, perhaps searching for something to jot down.

"That's all for now. Photo shoots like this aren't about stage presence, it's more about appearance. I think you should be fine, at least for this round."

"Well, I understand... Thank you."

Ji Jingyuan last glanced out the window, reached out and closed the window. Seeing Zhou Tzuyu's mood had recovered and become much better, he finally said a goodbye before hanging up. Just as he was about to say goodbye, it seemed like he remembered something, and suddenly added: "By the way, in a few days I might..."

He was about to finish his sentence when he stopped, his ears filled with curious questions:

What could you possibly be

"Forget it, you'll know when the time comes." Chi Jingyuan curled his lips, playing coy. Then he remembered that he had been on the phone for so long, those slackers definitely wouldn't leave anything for him. He felt a little annoyed with this oddball:

"I didn't even finish my dinner to take your call. I'm sure it's all gone now when I go back. Ugh, next time remember to treat me to a meal..."

The phone was hung up, and the angry mutterings of Chi Jingyuan before hanging up still echoed in her ears. Zhou Tzuyu quietly stood on the balcony, staring at the black screen of her phone for a while, then suddenly let out a chuckle. The balcony, which had just been eerily quiet because of her choking back sobs, now seemed to have entered springtime, and the air felt warm again.

Míng míng was just on the phone with her mom a while ago, she was still very sad and crying and acting cute for half an hour before she finally felt a little better.

I didn't expect that after hanging up the phone, I would suddenly feel so much lighter. The previous feelings of sadness and distress just seemed to vanish, leaving only a small trace behind.

Chou Tzu-yu, holding her phone and smiling, turned around. She glanced at the clothes that were hanging all over the balcony, waved away the two pieces blocking her way, pulled open the balcony door, and went back to the dormitory.

"Who are you talking to on the phone for so long" Li Caiyan, the roommate above, saw Zhou Tzuyu coming in and asked curiously.

And the eyes of Mei Nan, who had just moved in, also looked over. There was a depth to her dark pupils.

"And I chatted with Mama for a while."

Chou Tzu-yu just explained briefly and didn't say much else. She got on the bed, pulled up the blanket, and lay down. She connected her earphones to her phone and started listening to the audio she had secretly recorded earlier of Ji Kyeong-won explaining things about the photoshoot.

"...show your best qualities, and be generous with your words..."

"Hee hee…" As she listened, the corners of her mouth twitched upward. A while later, her head disappeared under the covers, and a muffled yet cheerful laugh could be heard.

…………

The next day, Zhou Tzuyu followed the "underdog group" members from in the practice room, sweating profusely under the guidance of the teacher. After practicing hard for several hours and completing the filming of the program's behind-the-scenes footage, it was finally time to rest. The nine female trainees immediately split into groups and sat on the wooden floor in the practice room.

Although no one was eliminated after the first round of recording, the two groups were reshuffled. Besides Zhou Tzuyu, Yu Dingyan, and Lee Chae-yeon who remained firmly in the "Underdogs" group, several members from the "A Major Excellent Group" also dropped down, including familiar faces like Lim Na-yeon and Song Min-yeong.

Interestingly, the three people from Neon Genesis Evangelion swapped positions. Minami and Momoko Mine who were originally in the 'Excellent Group' ended up in the 'Poor Student Group', while Kasumi Sashara, who was originally there, went up instead.

Just the recording of one episode had such a big change, it was so important whether they could debut. These girls were very young, most only seventeen or eighteen years old, and it was hard for them to accept, their hearts were filled with sadness and disappointment.

After a break, Zhou Tzuyu went out alone to the restroom and came back to find several trainees in the practice room huddled together with their phones, watching something. It seemed like friends like Im Na-yeon and Yu Jeongyeon were there, along with members from Japan, like Mina and Momo, all staring at their screens. Tzuyu was curious and walked a little closer, hearing their hushed discussion:

It's been over ten minutes and we still haven't seen the opening.

"It's already great to be able to rest for a while and watch the live stream, yet you're still complaining."

"I don't know if anything more interesting has been said beforehand, but I saw online that this livestream will be talking about some more private and secret behind-the-scenes stuff."

"This kind of thing should definitely be said later..."

Having heard two sentences, Tzuyu reacted and immediately found a nearby spot to sit down. She took out her phone, put on her earphones, and quickly clicked the screen several times to open Naver's live broadcast webpage.

She remembered that there was an EXO debut anniversary live event today, and it had already been going on for a while. She was so busy this afternoon that she almost forgot about it.

As she sat down and waited for the load to finish, Tzuyu looked over to her side and found to her surprise that Nana was just two meters away from her. Their eyes met in the air, and after a brief smile at each other, they both lowered their heads in unison to look at the live stream that had already loaded and been going on for some time.

What was said before wasn't very clear. At this time, on the screen, all the members of EXO were in black suits sitting on high stools above the stage. Park Chanyeol was holding a microphone and speaking, seemingly answering the host's question.

Chou Tzu-yu pursed her lips and looked intently.

"As everyone knows, this time XO's comeback mode is very innovative, adopting a form of continuous four-month single album release every month. However, since I joined S, I haven't really seen those juniors or seniors come back in this way. I'm really curious, who came up with it Or did the company arrange it this way"

SHINee's Key, who is in charge of today's live broadcast, sits on the left bench holding a teleprompter. He looks curiously at the EXO members seated in two rows in the center.

The other members looked at each other, and finally turned their gaze to Ji Jingyuan.

"That's probably right, I suggested it," Chi Jingyuan said with a smile, holding the microphone and nodding.

Today is April 8th, three years ago today exo debuted with their first mini album and the title song "aa". The two teams performed on SBS's "Inkigayo" and Xia Guo's "Music Fengyun Bang Annual Ceremony" respectively.

Time flies like an arrow, three years have passed in a flash. The group of young boys who once emerged from obscurity have now become seniors and are starting to hold their anniversary celebrations.

Today's third anniversary event was held at S in Samseong-dong, Gangnam District. A few hundred fans were selected through the EXO-L fan club registration and lottery to attend the event in person. It will also be broadcast live throughout the day on Naver's Live platform under the title "EXOcast".

According to the previously announced process, the live broadcast will be divided into three sections. The first section will introduce EXO's new album and some behind-the-scenes footage. The second section will promote the online drama "My Neighbor is EXO," which will officially premiere tomorrow. The third section will look back on some memorable moments from three years ago, both before and after their debut, and reveal some secrets about the members that fans are interested in.

Kyuhyun then followed up, "How did you come up with that"

“Because when the production meeting was held… I was one of the producers for this project… I learned that the company’s original plan was to set our comeback as the original version, each re-released with two lead singles, a total of four lead songs. After thinking about it, I felt that instead of having four songs as double leads, it would be better to release them one by one every month, so we could meet fans more often…”

"Ah ah…"

Ji Jingyuan gave a simple explanation, and the Ailis below waved their glow sticks and screamed at the right time. He smiled and continued, "Then I wrote a proposal and submitted it to Teacher Li Xiuman. After several meetings of discussion, it was finally passed."

"Wow, you're already a producer for your own group at such a young age" Kyuhyun stood up in shock, walked to the front, and placed his hands on Ji-won's shoulders, feigning a pleading expression: "Next time, yuanxi, can you please let us sj be producers once You don't know how envious the members are seeing XO so successful now!"

"Hahaha…" The members beside xo immediately clapped and cheered.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated!

Ji-yeong gave a wry smile and conceded defeat. Gyu-hyun, after finishing his jest, sat back down. Seeing that the audience was very interested, he continued, "So Yuanxi, during this production process, what has left the biggest impression on you"

"It must be quite a hassle, with many aspects requiring meetings and discussions, including the concept of the group, the overall style, the return time, the styling, promotion, and even song selection..."

Ji Jingyuan reminisced for a moment, revealing a trace of fear: "The song selection process really gave me a headache. This time, XO's comeback alone had over a hundred candidates for the main song. Each one of them we had to listen to seriously many times, and then discuss and judge the song's market viability and popularity, as well as whether it conforms to the members' image and album style and other related matters..."

"Over a hundred Or are they just candidate tracks for the main songs, is that really exaggerating"

Yu Dingyan looked at Lim Nayoung in astonishment, his face full of disbelief.

"I don't know..." Na Yeon also felt a little hard to imagine, she pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "If we debuted and they gave us five picks one, I would be very happy."

Right now, the behind-the-scenes stories about the album preparation that Ji Jingyuan mentioned during his live broadcast are not only interesting to fans, but also to these aspiring trainees who yearn to debut. They were watching seriously and discussing in low voices.

"Before e’s comeback last month, the teaser video that sparked widespread discussion among fans and even topped trending searches was it yuan your thoughts"

Kyunghyun is talking about the trailer shot in ten different locations around the world. It has a very suspenseful and cinematic feel. So far, this high-budget trailer is frequently brought up by Ali to discuss, becoming a major argument for "EXO surpassing other ordinary boy groups, it's not even on the same level."

"This is not it."

"Chi Jingyuan shook his head and denied, “This was a project proposed by the company's record department. When I saw it, I was also very amazed and liked this project very much. However, at that time, this suggestion was almost rejected.”

"Why Why would such a good plan be passed over"

As Key's question was posed, fans below also looked over curiously.

Because...

He played coy for a few seconds before letting out a light sigh and spreading his hands helplessly, looking at the camera: “Because the production cost is really high, so high that even Professor Lee Soo Man would feel pain.”

“Hahaha…” The members and fans burst into laughter together. After the laughter subsided, they couldn't help but nod in agreement.

The cost of this trailer is indeed high, and the location and shooting quality are evident to the naked eye.

After Pool Jingyuan, Kyuhyun specifically asked the other members about many interesting things that happened during the shoot. Everyone was talking excitedly, sharing all sorts of funny anecdotes that made Ailee laugh non-stop. The atmosphere was very good.

After playing several mini games and performing a simple live stage, the first segment introducing the album came to an end, and the promotion for "My Neighbor is EXO" began.

The focus of the web drama promotion shifted to Park Chan-wook and the other main actors, who spoke directly to the audience, enthusiastically recommending this fan-centric masterpiece to their supporters.

Chi Jingyuan smiled widely and watched from the side, occasionally clapping along and offering a few words of praise. He completely immersed himself in the perspective of an audience member and was having a great time.

After introducing and promoting the system, we entered the final stage, which is also the most interesting and touching part for fans.

The live camera feed on stage started to shrink to one side of the screen, and a video montage of EXO's pre-debut showcase held at the Olympic Hall three years ago began playing.

Three years ago, those faces that were still somewhat naive and innocent reappeared in everyone's sight. They were wearing the flamboyant stage outfits from the "aa" era and had exaggerated hairstyles like brooms. It looked a little ridiculous, yet it caused countless fans to surge with excitement. A wave of emotion rolled in their chests.

These edited clips contrasted sharply with the Exo members, all dressed in suits and ties in the bottom left corner of the screen. They were still the same people, with the same faces, but their circumstances and temperament were worlds apart.

Once, EXO's debut was met with a barrage of attacks, facing constant ridicule and insults. But now, after weathering the storm, they have truly ascended to the top tier of Kpop. Many fans who witnessed this transformation can't help but feel a sense of "from boys to kings," a poetic epic achievement, even a touch of bittersweet nostalgia.

Maybe the young boys on screen back then, and the fans who have followed them since their debut, couldn't have imagined their current situation.

"Wow, seeing these really makes me feel very emotional."

After the video playback ended, the live broadcast returned to its original state. Keyhyun sensed some complex emotions in the audience and took the initiative to break the silence: "I can't believe XO has grown to this extent already."

“Speaking of EXO, this large group is a carefully prepared male group project by the company. Many of the trainees inside, I knew them before.” Kyuhyun paused for a moment and then said, “So how long did each member practice at the company before joining EXO and debuting”

"Four years."

"7 years."

"5 years."

Several people raised their hands and shared how many years they had been practicing. For some reason, hearing them speak brought a tinge of sadness to my heart.

"Where's Berhyeon" Seeing that Byun Baekhyun didn't say anything, Kyuhyun proactively cued him.

"Does it mean joining the XO debut group, or the official debut time" Bian Bian hesitated for a moment and asked back.

"Guess that's official then."

"Then I should be, more than half a year, but less than a year."

"Jjia It's been over half a year since his debut" Key looked incredibly surprised, as if he had just heard the news for the first time, and turned to look at her: "So Minhyuk must be the member with the shortest training period in XO."

"Ani Ani Ani..."

"It wasn't him."

Unexpectedly, everyone shook their heads in disagreement, with expressions on their faces that said "You're wrong" and "You're too naive."

"Half a year isn't the shortest time Then who has the shortest practice time" Key's acting is really good, his shocked expression when looking at the EXO members' expressions truly makes people can't help but be surprised along with him.

Six months of practice time really has become frighteningly short. I didn't expect there to be even shorter periods.

Nobody answered him, but the other eight members of EXO tacitly pointed at Park Ji-sung sitting in the back row with their index fingers.

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