Chapter 108: Melon

t so optimistic. From the beginning of the recording, he didn't think highly of their title song "MAMA," feeling that it lacked pop appeal. In private conversations, he even called it a "religious son...On November 13th, the eleventh episode of "The Heirs," which is entering its sixth week, aired. After the previous episode achieved a viewership rating of over 20%, this episode continued its momentum, showing no signs of decline and instead taking another step closer to the top.

The next day, the statistics showed a 21.5% increase, which was very encouraging.

Now, the perception of the peninsula toward the TV drama "The Heirs" has completely reversed as its viewership ratings have been steadily climbing.

After each week's broadcast, it always sparks a frenzy of online discussion. Now, "The Heirs" has become the hottest TV drama in recent times. Regardless of whether its plot is cliché or melodramatic, and regardless of the actors' acting skills, it manages to captivate viewers, keeping them glued to their screens.

Some watch and praise, others watch and criticize.

It is said that many countries have purchased the overseas broadcasting rights for "The Heirs," and it has already begun airing simultaneously in multiple locations across Asia, making a considerable profit for SBS.

And Jin Tan, the male protagonist played by Chi Jingyuan, left a deep impression on viewers. Aside from gaining a fervent following among fans after "The Island," he has also gradually stepped out of its shadow and into the hearts of a wider audience.

……

On November 14th, the 15th Melon Music Awards was held at the Gymnastics Arena of Seoul Olympic Park.

For today's award ceremony, EXO has been preparing for quite some time. Just the VCR took two days to shoot. Several members who are in charge of MC duties have even been working all night long.

Today they arrived at the venue early in the morning for a walk-through and rehearsals. They each had a rehearsal in the morning and afternoon.

To maintain their figures and look slimmer on camera, the members haven't eaten anything since last night. They endure the hunger pangs and only nibble on small snacks occasionally when they can't take it anymore.

It's not just them, basically all the artists at big award ceremonies are like this. Unless they're naturally funny and don't care about their figure, everyone else tends to ignore these things.

After the afternoon rehearsal, I went straight to the beauty salon to start styling my hair and makeup. Once I was done, I hopped into a luxury car provided by the organizer and headed to the venue for the red carpet walk and interviews.

After that, the next four members took charge of preparing for the MC segments, while the rest of the members relaxed backstage for a while before being escorted by staff to the VIP seats. Soon after, the awards ceremony officially began.

Now that the awards ceremony is halfway through, nearly 50 minutes have passed. IU, who was nominated for this year's TOP10, has just taken to the stage and is giving her acceptance speech.

She had short, brown hair that reached her ears. She was wearing a bright red dress with sheer fabric on her arms. On her feet were shiny, high-heeled shoes the same bright red.

Although she is not tall, she looks quite well-proportioned and wears this outfit very nicely, complementing it while also aligning with the theme of her recently released album.

Because of the scandal at the end of last year, IU's reputation and image suffered considerable damage.

From the end of last year to this entire first half of the year, I have been under attack from SJ's fans and passersby. My current situation is not good.

However, she released her third studio album *ModernTis* in October. The lead single "Red Shoes" performed well, bringing her back into the public eye and garnering much praise.

Though fame is important, an artist ultimately has to rely on their work and the company's operations, except for really serious scandals. Through this comeback, IU managed to wipe away much of the humiliation she suffered for most of the past six months.

I heard she recently took on the female lead role in the KBS TV series "Handsome Guys," partnering with Jang Geun-seok. It's set to air in just a few days, and it's considered a competitor to Park Seo-joon's "Heirs." It remains to be seen if this drama can help her make a comeback in the entertainment industry.

The Annual TOP 10 is an award that MMA gives out each year. It sits between important awards and participation awards, carrying a bit more weight than the latter but not as much as the former.

Ji Chang Wook and the members sat in the back row of the artist seats, Wu Shixun on his left and Do Kyung Soo on his right. Under the camera's lens, they all smiled and clapped with joy.

They had already been on stage to receive an award at the beginning of the ceremony, just like IU, they are also the annual TOP 10.

Last year at all the award ceremonies, EXO sat in the last row of the artist seats because their popularity was lower and they were still rookies.

And because there were so many of them, sometimes the front was packed so tightly it blocked everyone's view.

At this awards ceremony, the senior artists who had debuted for a long time were seated in the front row. Most of the new artists who debuted this year were placed in the last row.

It's just that he was sitting in the back, but his popularity is real. This time, all of MMA's promotional VCRs and advertisements, when introducing the artists, always put EXO first.

The organizers are also very clear about who is the artist that can bring the most attention and heat to the program.

Then, several more awards were presented. Ailee, who was recently caught in a scandal, went on stage to accept an award and was also named one of the top 10 artists of the year.

This TOP10 is really a good thing, just participating gets you a share.

When she was receiving the award, the cheers from the audience below were very loud and getting louder, as if they wouldn't stop just because she was on stage.

The previous scandal had a big impact, but at the end of the day, Ailee is a victim. She was doing so well and then suffered an undeserved blow. Many viewers are using this way to show their support for her.

When she spoke last, her voice was visibly choked with emotion. Her eyes, close-up on the big screen, flickered with tears constantly, looking incredibly moved.

"XO is ready."

After Ailee's performance, staff immediately came over to remind her that it was almost time for EXO's stage.

This time EXO's stage was arranged as the last performance in the first half of the awards ceremony. The stage, including the VCR performance, lasted for over 13 minutes. Compared to last year's single performance of "MAMA," the treatment and importance this year have been significantly improved, it's not comparable at all.

Eight members of the artist lineup crouched and quickly bypassed the side to reach the backstage lounge. The four MCs were already there, waiting and starting to change their clothes ahead of time.

"How's that, did I get it right"

Seeing Ji Chang-wook and Woo Shi-hoon, Park Chan-hyeol walked up to them and whispered something in their ear with a mischievous grin.

He's talking about the female MC, Lee Yoo-fi, who has a great figure as mentioned before.

Chikkyengyuan shrugged off his jacket as he nodded, acknowledging that Park Chan-lyeol was right.

When Li Yoo-phi appeared on stage today, sandwiched between four EXO members, Ji Chang-wook couldn't help but steal a few extra glances.

This girl is cute, but not stunning. She's not very tall either, but her legs are really eye-catching under the dress. Her skin is white and smooth, but without that bony, rugged look. This figure is pretty good.

"Cut... Brother, what's the use of just co-hosting together We need to exchange contact information, don't we"

Wu Shixun pursed his lips and mumbled a reply.

"As you say..."

Several people were chatting and changing costumes on stage, occasionally glancing at the live broadcast on the television in the dressing room. They had plenty of time and didn't seem to be in a rush.

The 'Best MV Award' is currently being presented, and the screen is showing a VCR of the nominees.

EXO's "Growl" was also one of them, and when it appeared in the "Growl" MV, it caused a roar of cheers throughout the venue. Their popularity had pulled significantly ahead of other nominees.

The one-shot filming technique used in the MV for "Growl" caused a huge stir on the peninsula. Both ordinary viewers and industry professionals gave EXO's "Growl" MV very high praise, making it a pioneering work in this type of MV.

Logically, the "Roar" MV is the strongest contender for all music video awards at year-end ceremonies, and this MMA is no exception.

However, it was obvious this time they couldn't win, because everyone was backstage changing clothes at that moment. Who would go up to receive the award

The organizer obviously didn't intend for EXO to win, otherwise they would definitely have scheduled this award differently from their performance time.

When the presenter announced that the award went to beast's , many members smiled knowingly.

Qi Jingyuan also understood that they were being fed pork scraps.

This M.V. award should have gone to "Roaring," after all, there really wasn't anything better or more well-received this year, it was practically a foregone conclusion. However, MMA gave it to beast instead.

But including Chi Jingyuan, all the members showed no discontent at all, instead laughing very happily. A few even excitedly clapped their hands.

This time at MMA, EXO is only aiming for the grand prize. As for the other awards, it's fine if we win them, and it's okay if we don't.

And the Best MV award was separated, meaning they were one step closer to the grand prize.

Chi Jingyuan watched the members of beast receiving awards on television, a mixture of emotions swirling within him.

As the winner of the MMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) Artist of the Year for two consecutive years, 2011 and 2012, top boy group BEAST was overtaken this year by EXO, who debuted only a year ago. In terms of popularity, heat, and fan count, EXO has completely overshadowed them in a very short time, leaving BEAST to settle for the consolation prize – awards that were handed out from their own group.

To know, last year at a Dream Concert, Beast was one of the groups standing in the front, in the middle C position, while EXO was standing at the back completely blocked by the crowd, unseen on camera. During the chorus, they didn't even have microphones, only allowed to smile and clap along.

Speaking of which, it's quite ironic.

It was obvious that the members of beast also understood the situation. During the award ceremony, some of them had strained smiles, and their acceptance speeches were brief and perfunctory before they quickly left the stage.

Once dominant forces, they've been mercilessly overtaken by the next generation. That's just how ruthless the entertainment industry on the peninsula can be.

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Network of them have bought property in Seoul, either to live in themselves or as an investment.As Girls' Generation’s debut date grew further in the past, the company’s management over them loosened. Basica...