Chapter 160: Wonderful

Yu-jin, turned their attention over.Recently, the production team of the drama "Reply 1997" seems to be experiencing some bad luck.This is their first major move after jumping ship to tvN, everyone is..."Including the five minutes before the crash, XO's live stream today lasted for one hour and twenty-one minutes. Over 700,000 people participated in and watched the live stream, with over one million interactions through comments, and more than 20 million likes."

"Ah, Qingjia, this data is truly terrifying, especially the number of viewers. Today is just the first day the app went live. Although not everyone watched the whole thing, based on this data, it seems like almost all registered users clicked into XO's livestream..."

Kim Dong-hyun loudly proclaimed some of EXO's debut data, his round face flushed under the baseball cap, his eyes shining with excitement. He looked extremely thrilled.

Obviously, the data far exceeded their previous predictions, and this was only the first day of going online. Many subsequent collaborations with artists' live broadcasts and a series of planned promotions have yet to be fully launched. The number of registered users for this APP is actually not as high as Taoduo. This time, it is basically EXO's self-brought heat that supported this live broadcast. And the positive promotion effect brought by the unexpectedly good results and feedback is naturally obvious.

However, because it was their first day online and their first live stream, there were no other artists' live streaming data to compare and refer to. So, in fact, Ji-seong and the others didn't feel much about the series of numbers Kim Dong-kyeon said. Listening to his exchange with Lee Seonghwan, they lost interest and started discussing something else themselves.

"700,000 views, how did it get 20 million likes"

Chi Jingyuan wiped his mouth and stood aside, making way for other members as several assistants began to clear the table. At the same time, he was a little surprised by the number of likes they had just heard: "Averaged out, each person would have to click thirty times, but it's definitely not possible that everyone is like this. Most people probably just click once and then get lazy, there wouldn't be fans who would really click from beginning to end."

"Definitely, there are quite a few."

Kim Jun-myeon heard this, and with a hint of pride in his voice, shrugged his shoulders: "Our fans are really amazing."

Speaking of this, EXO's members all have a sense of pride. Alice acknowledges the idol's support in every aspect, their fighting spirit and loyalty are undeniable. Among all idol groups on the peninsula, they belong to a unique tier. The last group that was this powerful should be traced back to TVXQ's fans, Cassiopeia.

"It's so enthusiastic! I can barely keep up with how fast the comments are refreshing on screen."

"Yeah, if you don't focus, you can't see it clearly. I was holding a selfie stick at the time, and when I moved a little further away, it passed by in an instant."

"Speaking of it, this live stream is quite interesting. I'm planning to host it frequently in the future."

Several members chatted excitedly, after Pool Jingyuan's turn. Each member was assigned a specific time slot to host the live stream and interact with comments, much like Pool Jingyuan's approach. It seemed they all enjoyed this pattern of interaction with fans, and everyone appeared very enthusiastic about it.

And Kim Dong-hyeon and Lee Seonghwan chatted excitedly for a while about the data from just now, reconfirmed tomorrow's live broadcast schedule and then took their leave, while all of EXO's assistants and managers also quickly left to return to the company.

It's already past nine o'clock. EXO doesn't have many schedules these two days, so I might as well go off work early today and not go back to the company.

Right after the outsider left the dorm, XO’s group was still chilling on the couch in the living room, chatting casually about the just-concluded live stream. Just then, Ji-yeong's phone started buzzing non-stop.

Upon picking it up, the top message was two texts sent almost simultaneously.

"You cook really badly, don't you (chuckles)" This was sent by Jennie.

"You still cook (blinking eyes)" This is from Zhou Tzuyu.

Besides, several friends also sent text messages around the same time, teasing about the live broadcast just now. Apparently, they should have all watched EXO's live broadcast just now.

Chi Jingyuan didn't expect so many people to be watching. Thinking about his various expressions and strange angles during the livestream, as well as interacting with the audience's comments, all being seen by his relatives, he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his heart.

Especially Pei Zhuxuan and Zhou Ziyu, these two inexplicably, yet surprisingly in sync, both developed an interest in his cooking skills.

Your focus points are so similar, aren't they

"It may be a bit worse than you imagine."

Pool Kyung-won glanced at the members who were chatting enthusiastically, then began to quickly tap on the screen. He first replied to Park Soo-hyun with a past message. Then he opened Tzuyu's interface and, seeing her tone of knowing and asking, couldn't help but retort: "No!"

After that, he replied to other friends' messages individually. It seemed like Kim Taeyeon and Jung Eun-ji were quite interested in the VAPP live stream, as they asked him a lot of questions. Ji-sung then sat on the couch with his legs crossed and chatted with them for a while.

Pei Zhuhyun's reply came quickly. Despite being teased, Zhou Tzuyu didn't seem bothered at all. However, the two seemed to have their own things to do. After exchanging a few casual words, they bid each other farewell.

...After the evening livestream ended, keywords related to VAPP and EXO's livestream were already trending. After a night of anticipation, they directly topped the trending topics the next day. Especially Naver likely promoted their newly launched app by releasing several press releases, making yesterday's Vlive launch and EXO's livestream the hottest topic of the day.

Especially the luxurious dormitory showcased during the live stream, Ji Jingyuan and others effortlessly interacted with the audience. The scene of a group of people cooking, eating, and having fun was extremely lively, fully displaying the idol group's vibrant and natural charm behind the glamorous stage and business shots, attracting the interest of most viewers.

I've watched variety shows from other idol groups, most of them are in basements or ordinary apartments. Compared to EXO, it feels like a different world altogether.

"The EXO dorm is really amazing, the decoration and space are so enviable, I couldn't even tell in the end if their dorm was a single-level or duplex…"

"When XO first debuted, their living conditions were also very poor. You can find out by looking at their old variety shows. Now that they can live in such a good house, it's all thanks to the hard work of these oppas!"

"This live stream is really interesting to watch. Usually, when watching variety shows, I feel that Yuan isn't very expressive and doesn't talk much. However, in the live stream, she's actually quite lively. Whether it's her attitude, movements, or expressions, they all seem natural without any sense of performance. It really makes me like her."

"Yes, after the VAPP went online yesterday, I registered immediately. Many artists have started live streams afterward, and I've watched quite a few, but I still think EXO’s was the most interesting. They interacted, chatted, even ate together! It was so casual, relaxed, and fun."

“They were really fun to watch while they ate, should follow XO's official account, will keep watching it forever, it seems like there's a live broadcast every day for three days, right…”

Naver and **'s collaboration with EXO for a promotion was indeed a wise move. Now, in the eyes of many passersby and citizens, EXO has transcended being just a simple idol boy group. Leveraging their inherent popularity, they directly brought VAPP into the public eye. Especially within the Kpop fan circle, it became almost universally known within two days.

Subsequently, on September 2nd and 3rd, EXO also carried out their "Three-Day Journey" live stream activity in various locations such as practice rooms, vans, and outdoors. They tried interactive content including playing small games, singing competitions, and practicing stages. Baekhyun even promised that he would frequently open live streams in the future and also try things like playing online games with the members.

Various interesting interactions and content attracted a large number of fans and viewers to stay in the livestream. Due to the increase in new registrations, the viewership and likes were higher than ever before, making other idols envious. However, they also learned a lot from EXO, roughly understanding what kind of content and live streaming methods viewers are most interested in.

This premiere of XO wasn't just about promotion, it also served as a benchmark for other idols.

At the same time, at number 3, Kim Jun-myeon and Baekhyun also represented EXO to attend the 42nd Peninsula Broadcasting Awards ceremony and received the Popularity Award.

Although the amount isn't particularly high, receiving an award is still a happy occasion.

As September arrived, the prior work was nearly finished and EXO officially began recording for their Japanese debut album.

This album is a pure Japanese mini-album, containing six songs in total. It includes the title track "Boyithluv", as well as three main tracks: "loveright" and "Dropthat". The first two are both title tracks from this year's regular second album. After being rearranged, remixed, and reworded, they have become the mainstays of this Japanese album. Although "Dropthat" has not been officially released before, it has been performed many times during EXO's second world tour. This time, it has also been included after being reworded.

And the other three included are instrumental versions of these three songs, meaning that EXO's debut album in Japan consists of three songs plus three instrumentals. It can't help but give people a sense of making up the numbers.

However, it's not that ** isn't providing resources or that the music library is empty. The main reason is that the company's higher-ups haven't decided on the future direction for XO. They have ambitions for several markets and don't want to give up any of them. Therefore, this debut in Japan is mainly a trial run and a way to test the waters.

Even though it was just a trial, ** still chose "Boyithluv," which can be called one of the hottest songs by boy groups this year, as the lead song for their Japanese album. This is because through market research, they found that this song was unexpectedly popular in Japan. The popularity of this foreign language song there was even close to that of songs from the Korean peninsula itself. This allowed EXO, who hadn't officially debuted there yet, to already have a large and loyal fanbase.

So even if this album only has this one song, fans would definitely buy it.

Recording and reshooting the MV wasn't difficult. Since they had performed these songs countless times at so many concerts, it was nothing new. However, the Japanese pronunciation proved to be a challenge for some members who, despite studying Japanese for years, still struggled with it.

In the midst of all the work, it was September 5th in a blink of an eye. The day had arrived for the grand MBC DMC Festival, meticulously planned by MBC. As one of the important performers today, EXO also came to the scene at Uiryeong Cultural Plaza in Uiryeong-dong.

In the background, Chi Jingyuan was sitting on the edge of the sofa, looking at Red Velvet's comeback announcement on his phone.

** Entertainment officially announced yesterday that Red Velvet will be releasing their first full-length album, "The Red," on September 9th, along with two teaser videos for their title track, "Du Du."

As a close friend, Ji Jingyuan naturally took the time to watch it yesterday. Their stage was already rehearsed earlier, and they were a bit bored at the moment, so they simply watched it again and checked out the online reviews and responses.

"Red Velvet is coming back!"

At this time, Kim Jun-myeon didn't know when he had walked behind him, leaning on the sofa back, watching the trailer playing on Ji-yeong's phone. His eyes lit up and he watched it with him for a while. After it ended, he spoke.

Perhaps it was his feeling, but Ji Jingyuan sensed a hint of joy in his tone

Kim Jun-myeon has always had a good relationship with Red Velvet. As a senior in the company, he takes good care of them on a regular basis. Especially when they perform on the same stage, if he is sitting below, he will be very enthusiastic during the cheerleading, which really shows that he likes this junior girl group very much.

"Yeah, it's still a regular album. I wonder how it's doing."

Chi Jingyuan nodded in response, with a hint of worry.

A regular album is very important for every idol group. The results will directly become a turning point in the development of an idol group, affecting its future prospects. As close friends with several members, I naturally hope that this comeback by Jennie and the others will be a success.

These days, while chatting with Pei Suzy, I also felt that they were all in a state of excitement and joy, coexisting with nervousness and anxiety. They are happy about the group's return but also worried about the results.

As a senior and someone who has been through it, Ji Jingyuan can understand their feelings. Back then, when EXO was going through a painful period after their debut, and they were all in on the release of their first full-length album 《XOXO》, their emotions were actually quite similar.

"What do you think of the trailer" The two chatted for a few moments about their junior sister group, Lai De Bebe. Kim Jun Myeon looked at the screen where the trailer had just finished playing and asked.

"Well, I find that rather strange."

Chi Jingyuan hesitated for a moment before honestly saying, “The concept is strange, I don’t understand it at all. The styling is also quite strange, and the main song melody hasn't really come out yet. I can't really see what it's about.”

This is his true feeling after watching two trailers. He also doesn't know what the Red Velvet producers are trying to convey. In the trailers, four or five identical Irene's sit like robots, mechanically stamping things. He feels that he didn't understand the concept at all, and even felt a bit creepy...

And that outfit, with five people wearing five different colored stockings, red dresses paired with braids... to be honest, it's pretty strange.

However, during their chat last night, under his confusion, Pei Joo-hyuk specially explained to him the concept of the title song "dudu". With the little sister's vivid explanation, and then looking at this trailer, he understood a lot more, and even felt that it was actually quite charming.

But that goes without saying to Kim Jun Myeon.

"I didn't really understand it either, I'll wait until the album is officially released and then take a look." It seems that Ji-won wasn't the only one who didn't understand the concept, Kim Jun Myeon was also the same.

" XO, last ending rehearsal!"

Just as they were chatting, a stagehand came over and loudly announced that they needed to go through the Ending rehearsal. The two of them immediately stood up, continued chatting in hushed tones, and walked towards the stage with the other members.

The performance guests' stage has been rehearsed, and now the last song, the full chorus of "Arirang," is being rehearsed, as well as the positions of all the artists on stage during their final appearance.

Generally, at this kind of medley concert, there's a finale where all the artists come on stage together to sing a farewell song. Although there are many artists and groups involved, their positions aren't random; they are carefully arranged. Who stands in the front row, who stands in the second row, who stands in the middle, and who stands beside others, are all predetermined by the stage director based on the popularity and seniority of each group, and rehearsed beforehand.

"Hiss…"

Back on stage, Ji Jingyuan took a deep breath and rubbed his arms. As Seoul started raining from the sky, there was a noticeable drop in temperature. Although the rain had stopped today, the temperature didn't go up. They were all wearing performance outfits, thin shirts paired with jeans, standing in this gust of wind, it was really chilly.

But looking to the right, seeing all eight sisters of Girls' Generation in the same white chiffon short skirt from "lionheart", with shoulders, thighs, and arms whiter and sexier than ever before, I suddenly didn't feel so cold.

Among them, it seems like Kim Taeyeon is a bit more delicate, wearing a checkered shirt over her dress to keep warm. She stands there silently, staring at the ground with a cool demeanor.

Looking around, today's opening performance as DMC was pretty important. Besides them, quite a few popular groups came too: Girls' Generation, AOA, Sistar, CNBLUE, 2PM, and so on. They were all well-known senior artists.

However, Red Velvet wasn't there today. I guess as newcomers, their status isn't quite high enough yet.

"XO, come over here." PD wearing sunglasses pointed to a spot slightly to the left of the front of the stage and shouted loudly, signaling EXO to stand there.

Girls' Generation, here.

Hello, this is me.

At this moment, the on-site director was preparing to adjust the positions. After arriving at his designated spot, Ji Jingyuan stood behind several members, casually observing the others on stage. Suddenly, he caught sight of Shao Shi Huang Meiying on his right. This sister seemed to glance casually to the left, her gaze lingering for a moment before quickly turning back. She flicked her hair nonchalantly, giving the impression that she hadn't looked in that direction at all.

Chi Jingyuan curiously followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at Nichkhun from 2PM. It seemed like Nichkhun had also just glanced in that direction.

Wow, former boyfriend and girlfriend reunited on stage, such a coincidence!

The site is just a little bit farther away.

However, there are some close ones.

He noticed again that CNBLUE was right next to Seohyun, and Jung Yong Hwa was right next to the maknae.

Although the two haven't officially confirmed their relationship, because they appeared together on "We Got Married" and are a highly popular on-screen couple, rumors about them being a real-life couple are abundant both among fans and in the industry. Many insiders believe that the two must have dated at some point.

Although Chi Jingyuan had heard many rumors, he didn't know if they were true or false.

Although Xu Xian and Jung Yong-hwa were standing very close, they both looked straight ahead with a seemingly reserved expression, not paying attention to anyone around them. Pool Kyung-won felt the possibility was unlikely.

However, it's really quite amazing.

If a few more people came, it would probably be even more exciting.

(The End)heir thoughts and feelings are evident on their face, even if they quickly retract them. Their true intentions are easily discernible.He could also be more hip hop, and more real."It's alright, then l...