Chapter 38 Tricked?

against it with her toes. Finally, she spoke, "I had a fight with my unnie, and just now I got into another little argument with Sulli." 。"......” Ji Jingyuan didn't speak, but nodded lightly, his e...As soon as the news of Bigbang's return broke, the internet immediately exploded. Both YG's official accounts and various music forums were in an uproar. A glance revealed countless posts filled with love, arguments, ridicule, and insults directed at each other. Coupled with fan provocations from other fandoms, entertainment boards became a truly chaotic spectacle for a while.

It's been a long time since I've seen such intense and large-scale fan wars.

EXO and BIGBANG fans have been feuding ever since last year's AAA Awards ceremony when Taemin diss'ed 'split pork' which involved Xiumin and led to a long-standing feud.

Fan circles are notorious for their intractable grudges. Many conflicts and resentments often stem from trivial matters, yet they can persist for years, even decades, refusing to fade away.

This time, bigbang suddenly announced their comeback news, and most surprisingly, and what fans were unhappy about was that this comeback model of the two groups was exactly the same. Moreover, the comeback period of the two had a three-month overlap, instantly forming a situation where they pointed at each other like swords. This really ignited the gunpowder keg, needless to say on both sides, in that instant, they naturally became sworn enemies.

They already had a bad relationship and lots of tension between them. Now that this situation has happened, it's become very difficult to handle. In the end, if either group loses, both the group and their fans will be embarrassed.

At least online, that's how it is.

But seeing such a buzz online, s and yg seem rather pleased with the situation. Regardless of whether it's s or yg, both companies are very confident in the comeback of their respective groups, exo and bigbang this time around. This hype out of nowhere is not to be wasted, and there even seems to be an air of encouraging it further.

Last month's comeback was already a huge success, with all the data showing a resurgence. The subsequent albums were also carefully produced and invested in heavily, especially the final one, "l". The company is very optimistic about it.

And YG is especially confident about the quality of BIGBANG's upcoming regular third album. They believe that this album's achievements and influence will definitely meet expectations.

Both sides are very confident, but one side will inevitably become the laughingstock in the end.

I just don't know who it is.

…………

Because tomorrow they have to wake up early for the comeback stage recording, EXO finished work very early today, and were all back at the dormitory before eleven o'clock.

However, it was way too early to even think about sleeping. A group of people were sitting on the sofas in the living room, watching TV, but they were actually discussing online reviews about "Springtime".

It was expected that the real-time top spot would be taken by an airdrop. The members themselves know how powerful XO's fans are.

Mixed reviews, with many expressing disappointment and frustration at things they had already anticipated.

Audio performance looks at two aspects: burst and sustain.

Under the existing music streaming website rules, male idol groups with a large and passionate fanbase that are heavily invested in charting and data manipulation have a significant advantage. They often experience explosive initial streams upon song release, frequently achieving chart-topping positions or even sweeping the entire chart.

However, they are limited to their fanbase and路人好感度 (general public favorability). Most boy band songs experience a short-lived explosion in popularity over two days, after which they quickly fall into the trap of lacking momentum. Their ranking on music charts plummets rapidly, with instances of daily dives off the charts being common.

Since EXO's explosion in popularity back in 2013, they've pretty much dominated the charts with every release. But this kind of hype can only last for a few days at most. After all, fans aren't robots and can't just constantly stream songs. The lack of mainstream appeal, coupled with the fact that their songs are mostly dance tracks with average listenability, means their rankings drop quickly after the initial release. Both "" and "" failed to make it onto the year-end charts, and while "" had a massive initial surge in popularity, it only managed to land at around 30th place on the final year-end list.

However, the two ballads from the winter special editions, "December's Miracle" and "Go with the Flow," failed to make the year-end charts due to their late December releases. The short accumulation time and subsequent rapid decline in popularity during the following year resulted in less than ideal rankings.

So far, excluding "so," EXO's best-performing song in terms of audio streaming is this one. It boasts both a powerful burst and a strong afterglow. It's the only title track from the year to rank within the top tier on the annual charts besides "咆孝."

It can only be said that the public's perception of boy groups in the peninsula still has many negative views. Many people see a song released by a boy group and simply won't click on it to listen. It's like some viewers seeing an idol actor starring in a drama, they think the drama is bad and has no acting skills, and wouldn't even watch it. They all come from a deep-seated look down on them.

This time, the reason for choosing "Spring Day" as the title song of 《x》 is because s company, including Lee Soo-man, Park Jin-young, and several other producers and department heads, are quite optimistic about this song. They also hope to use this song to improve the general audience's prejudice against boy groups or EXO's music, enhance their musical reputation, and make up for EXO's shortcomings in terms of sound sources.

It's a kind of expectation, or perhaps an experiment.

It's unclear whether it can be done or not. Judging from the situation on the first day of releasing the song, it may indeed be quite difficult.

The television was on but no one was watching. As they were chatting, Park Chan-hyeok and Woo Shi-hun walked out and casually found a spot to sit down.

"What have you two been talking about for so long" Bian Cheng looked at the two of them with curiosity and asked casually.

These two just went to the balcony together to answer a phone call. I don't know what they said, it took them ages to come back out.

As their debut date grows further in the past, EXO members have become increasingly mature, each making notable progress in their romantic lives. Even if they aren't like some members who have a constant stream of ambiguous partners or girlfriends, at least they all have someone they have feelings for or are dating. They often make private calls in the evenings, and the balcony of the dorm becomes the perfect spot for this.

The apartment has a big and a small balcony. The bigger one connects to the pool view master bedroom where Minhyun, Jaehyun and Jungwon stay. The smaller one is outside the bedroom of Park Jisung and Lee Taeyong. Both balconies are very popular at night.

If I can't get one, I guess I'll have to make the call in the restroom.

"It's nothing, just introducing a friend." Park Chan-hyeok replied with a grin, raising an eyebrow at the few people there. Everything was conveyed without words.

Ji Jingyuan understood immediately, it wasn't that other female artists had taken a liking to Wu Shixun and asked him to make introductions, or that Wu Shixun himself liked someone else and asked him to get in touch.

That's too common.

Chi Jingyuan smacked his lips and glanced at the two people. Just as he was about to say something, his phone suddenly vibrated. He took it out and looked at it, instantly stunned, his eyes widening.

"I love you, sa-lang hey."

Sender: Jeong Eun Ji.

I received such a strange message that a strong sense of absurdity immediately flooded my mind. For a moment, Ji Jingyuan couldn't tell if Zheng Endi was crazy or being sincere.

Just as he was a little surprised, Zheng Ende's phone call came in suddenly. Ji Jingyuan blinked, stood up and walked towards the balcony, ignoring the few sneering glances from behind him. He reached the balcony, closed the door and answered the phone.

"Hahaha..."

"Haha..."

Just as the call connected, a burst of hearty and boisterous laughter filled the air. Even without having the speaker on, Chi Jingyuan felt that the living room might be able to hear it if he didn't close the door.

“Haha, did you get tricked Didn't you jump ” Jeong Eon-di’s voice was loud, and her entire balcony echoed with her crow-like, unpleasant laughter. Her tone was cheerful, almost like a mocking taunt: “Hahaha… Not speaking Then you must have been taken in! Hahaha, do you know what day it is today It's April Fool's Day! So even you, Ji Jingyuan, have a day like this!”

Among the laughter, there was a mixture of unrestrained joy, smugness, and exhilaration. This arrogant attitude made Chi Jingyuan's heart burn with anger. He couldn't stand to see Zheng Endi so complacent.

Because he was indeed deceived just now.

And on the phone, it wasn't just her voice. There were also giggles from other women. It seemed like she was calling herself in front of her own members.

Jung Eun-ji's arrogant attitude made him a little embarrassed. "April Fool's Day" Hearing this, Ji-seong Park forcibly held back his urge to retort. He took a deep breath and put on a contemplative and nostalgic look, speaking in a sincere tone with a hint of relief: "It's April Fool's Day then... I thought you had finally spoken your mind... It seems I misunderstood."

"What's up"

"Oni was just using that as an excuse to say what she really felt."

Hearing Ji Jingyuan's words, the several other girls who were still laughing just a moment ago immediately changed their tone and asked Jung Eun-ji in astonishment.

"Aniyo, this jerk Ji-yeong is just making things up." Jung Eun-ji, hearing this, became a little flustered and quickly waved her hand to explain: "He was clearly tricked by us and got upset inside, so he's now fabricating lies to try and trick us..."

"But Oni, why is your face red" a questioning and innocent voice came, as pure as a child.

This voice sounds like Wu Xiaorong.

"I... Ah, Chi Jingyuan, huh!"

Just now, the arrogance disappeared in an instant. Jeong Eun-di's voice sounded a little anxious.

"Haha..."

As if picturing her skipping form, Kijeong-won couldn't help but laugh with delight. Even the tone and pauses of his voice mirrored Jeong Eun-ji's laughter moments ago.

"Oh, crap..."

"Haha."

The attempt to steal the chicken failed, resulting in the loss of the rice. Because after fooling around for a while on April Fool's Day, things became more serious again, Jung Eun Ji also recovered her lively state, and with a wide mouth she began to mutter:

"Wow, your comeback with "Spring Day" feels like a hit! We were all waiting for it here in Japan. The song is so good, totally my style. The MV is amazing too, especially the scenes with you in that turtleneck by the window... I died! Though, both of us maknaes screamed when we saw that scene and joked that you must be popular among fans."

"I'm serious!"

Jung Eun-ji hadn't finished speaking when a voice beside her immediately interrupted her. Ji Kyeong-won couldn't tell if it was Woo Ha-ryong or Kim Nam-ju.

Speaking of APK, these two maknaes ate with Jung Eun-ji's introduction last year and exchanged contact information after eating together twice. However, it's possible that they weren't very familiar with each other or for some other reason, when they met they were not very relaxed and open. They are quite lively in private though.

"Um, thanks..." Qi Jingyuan first thanked her because she said she was his fan.

When artists appear on shows, they often say they are fans of other artists. However, everyone basically knows that it's either a way to give each other face or a way to gain some attention by hyping up or stirring up controversy. Very few truly follow other artists as fans.

And privately, it was even rarer. After all, they were all colleagues in the industry and everyone wanted to maintain face. As far as Ji Jingyuan knew, from a few years ago to now, many occasions have always claimed that he was his own fan. Besides APK's youngest member, he only knew Wu Saik.

I wonder how Wu is doing these days...

He smacked his lips and said in a lukewarm tone, “The results on the first day are only so-so. Whether or not it’s a big hit remains to be seen, but at least there's been a lot of criticism.”

"I think it's definitely possible, that song 'Spring Day' is really good, it's not an ordinary ballad..." Jung Eun-ji was actually quite serious as she discussed the merits and style of "Spring Day" with Ji Kyeong-won, offering him encouragement. After finishing her serious business, she shifted gears and became a bit petty again: “Oh right, 'Spring Day' is very touching, but the feelings expressed in the lyrics sound a bit vague to me."

"Naeun and Nancy felt it was about love, a song written to an ex. Xiaorong and I thought it was about friendship and youth. We argued about it for ages! You're the creator and producer, so tell us, what is it really about"

“Love, just by listening to it, you know that “春日” is a song written for his ex-girlfriend, right”

"How did I not hear it v explicitly said it was about youth in the end…"

Before Jung Eun Ji's words even finished, two voices immediately argued back and forth, but they were quickly silenced by a serious voice, "Stop arguing!" They soon fell silent.

"Hmm..."

Chi Jingyuan hesitated for two seconds, leaning on the railing of the balcony, looking at the twinkling lights in the distance: "It should be... both, maybe leaning towards the back a bit."

"Hmph, you're being vague. Who are you taking care of there..."

Jung Eun-ji's tone was dismissive, as if she had seen through Ji-yeong's thoughts. She said a few impatient words before bidding farewell: "Good luck with your comeback and success. I won't talk anymore. It's April Fool's Day, and I still have to prank some other people. I'll treat you to dinner when I get back. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Ji Jingyuan smiled twice and opened the balcony door before returning to the living room. Jin Zhongren, seeing the empty spot, immediately got up from the sofa and brushed past Ji Jingyuan. He patted his back in acknowledgement then walked to the balcony and closed the door. He seemed impatient waiting.

After sitting back down on the sofa, he listened for a couple of sentences before realizing that the topic had shifted from worrying about whether "Spring Day" would be able to reverse its chart performance to Park Chan-yeol's female guests from recording "I Alone Love Myself" and which one was prettier. It then branched out into discussions about who was more attractive, high-quality civilians or idol girls.

It seems that because the last comeback of 《e》 was such a success, EXO members are feeling quite relaxed now. There aren't many who seem worried about their performance or tomorrow's debut stage.

It's really too lax...

Chi Jingyuan mumbled a couple of things in his heart. After listening for a while, he couldn't hold back and chimed in with a few words to express his own opinion.

Let's talk about that later.

…………

Did you go to see the seniors' showcase by I-ssa a few days ago

"Did you only find out about your trip on the 31st today, on the 2nd That happened last month."

"I only heard others talking yesterday saying... What are you doing"

“It’s nothing, just went to discuss some itinerary stuff with your PDs and ran into a few of your JYP trainees. Even Lin Nayeon was there… oh right, how come you didn’t tell me ‘Sixteen’ has already finished forming the groups Are you in the ‘or worse group’”

"...the teacher told us to start class, so I'll stop talking to you for now..."

Seeing Tzuyu's self-deceptive reply, Ji Kyung-won burst into laughter.

Zhou Tzuyu just excitedly messaged me, but after only a few sentences, she disappeared. It seems like I hit a nerve.

"Why are you smiling, you're so happy"

Across from him, Sun Seungwan blinked in silence, staring at the phone. Watching, watching... suddenly, Park Ji-eon burst into laughter. Even Kang Se-ri and Kim Seulgi couldn't help but glance over.

Right now, several people are in the backstage of "down". After exiting the EXO's resting room door and turning left for a few steps, there's a lounge area. Inside, there's a small tea table and a few small sofas. A while ago, Park Ji-sung and Do Kyung-soo went to buy drinks and encountered Kang Seulgi and Son Seungwan who had just arrived at work and were taking a stroll together. The group took a picture together, Do Kyung-soo greeted them and then went back with the drinks. The other three are free now, so they decided to chat here for a while.

After chatting for a few moments, Pei Zhuhyun didn't know how she got the news. She walked out of the resting room and sat down on a nearby sofa with a smile.

"It's nothing, a friend said our 'Spring Day' V-shoot was good."

Chi Jingyuan laughed, took one last look at the screen where Zhou Tzuyu had sent him a few messages, swiped once to close it and then locked his phone. He put his phone away and looked up at the several relatives in front of him.

Red Velvet didn't have their hair and makeup done at a salon beforehand today. It was still early, they had just arrived at work for not long. Most of them were in casual clothes and light makeup, looking less glamorous, but more natural and approachable.

Jennie has long golden hair styled in a braid. She's holding a cup of mineral water and sipping it delicately.

I just offered these three girls some drinks, but they all refused. They said their company has strict rules about things like calories and body image.

Chi Jingyuan didn't quite understand.

"The v in "Spring Day" is really great, I think the visuals are very beautiful, and the seniors in it are also very handsome."

Sun Shengwan nodded in agreement, thought for a moment and furrowed her nose. With an exaggerated expression, she said: "I thought our 《icecreacake》 was already very good, even went to take new shots, but after seeing this, I felt like we were surpassed. The scenery and those few shots by Jingyuan's team are really..."

"Mentioning this, Pei Zhuhyun seemed a little dissatisfied and glanced at Son Seungwan: “I still prefer our ‘icecreacake’.”

"Of course." Sun Shengwan quickly made a heart gesture towards the captain and raised an oily eyebrow.

"Peijun was amused and chuckled. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Ji-won who was beside her."

"Have you all seen it" Ji Jingyuan listened as they began discussing the filming techniques of "Spring Day" and some of the most memorable scenes, clearly familiar with the subject matter.

"Yeah, we watched it together after it was released. Although it's a ballad... but I felt pretty good about it." Jiang Shiqi nodded, her tone slightly unnatural when she mentioned 'ballad'. She must have also seen a lot of negative comments online.

He then smiled with his eyes half-closed, his tone changing: "The lyrics for Spring Day were written by Jingyuan, weren't they They feel very poetic and well-written. How did you come up with them"

"This song expresses feelings similar to 'Go With the Flow,' both are quite spontaneous." Ji Jingyuan thought for a moment, giving a vague explanation.

"Wow, you mentioned this song and it immediately came to mind. When I listened to "Let It Be," I almost cried. The lyrics really resonated with me, feeling so much like my own emotions, and it also fit our group... How did you come up with the lyrics for "Let It Be""

"Hmm..."

Faced with these two curious relatives who were chattering away incessantly, Chi Jingyuan blinked for a moment, unsure what to say. After a two-second pause, he spread his hands apart, his expression innocent yet earnest: "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you, I also heard it from someone else..."

"Pfft..."

A crisp laugh came from Pei Zhuhyun, she couldn't help but grin widely, her eyes curving into crescent moons, revealing a mouthful of cute teeth. She seemed to be in a good mood. When she realized she had become the center of attention, she quickly covered her mouth, but the smile remained as she waved at the few people, signaling them not to mind her, just continue.

"..." Ji Jingyuan naturally knew what she was happy about, but the other two looked at this Oni strangely, always feeling that something was off about her.

But he didn't delve too deeply into it, and they chatted for a few more sentences about the v-design and camera language of "Spring Day." Just as they were getting into the swing of things, a slightly low footfall suddenly came from afar. The tone when it touched the ground clearly indicated the sound of thick-soled high heels. A few people's gazes followed that direction, and several members of Issa walked over from down the corridor.

The other three members walked ahead, Bae Suzy alone at the back, and they all looked over at her now.

First release on Chinese Traditional Novel Networkould definitely generate the highest level of heat.”"Don't you understand football Argentina's defense is weak, Spain will definitely win. La Liga has been so strong these past two years.""It's defini...