Chapter Forty-Seventh: Just Laugh It Off

the day he joined s, this company has been scolded by fans every few days, never stopping.And many of the company's staff and managers don't care about being scolded, some even enjoy it, feeling that...And it wasn't shared with anyone else.

Seeing several familiar Chinese characters on the phone screen, Zhou Tzuyu was stunned after understanding their meaning. She felt a warm current gathering in her chest and instantly flowing throughout her body. After the warmth surged in her heart, there was a refreshing coolness, along with some indescribable and inexplicable emotions.

It's the closeness with friends, perhaps the joy of being recognized, or maybe some indescribable feeling.

Anyway, I'm just really happy and in a good mood, even better than when the teacher praised me during the afternoon shoot.

"...Zhou Tzuyu looked at the screen and smiled softly, her fingers trembling slightly as she held her phone but not touching the screen. She seemed to be hesitating about what to post that would be most appropriate."

I had a lot to say just now, but now I suddenly don't know what to say.

Just when she was a little conflicted, suddenly Chi Jingyuan came over with another message:

"Work is done."

Some mechanical and cold replies caused Zhou Tzuyu's brewing emotions to be stifled. She couldn't help but purse her lips slightly.

However, she knew very well that Chi Jingyuan was busy. She had encountered countless times like this during conversations. The slight displeasure came and went quickly. Soon, she seemed to remember the conversation just now, her lips involuntarily lifting into a bright smile, humming a tune unconsciously.

……

After sending the last text message, Ji Jingyuan put his phone away and drank another two mouthfuls of water before continuing to film with the members.

He didn't lie, he has actually started working, and he has been very busy these days.

These days, I've been waking up early to go to the television station for singing performances. After that, I have to stay late to film V's in the evening. And if I finish early, I still have to go back to the company to rehearse the concert flow and stage. It's like my schedule is packed every day, just like when I was promoting before.

Because v's shooting schedule was very tight, they didn't participate in the live broadcast of Inkigayo today, the 12th. They only went to SBS early to pre-record a stage and then left directly to film the v for LHT.

Although they weren't present, EXO still dominated ISSA and took home the trophy for today. There wasn't much suspense about the outcome.

However, the second week of April has already ended, and today is also the last day for EXO's comeback with their single album "x". After this, all our experiences can be put into the concert and the preparation for "o" album V.

The main song "" is a specially selected track to be the lead single by the company. Whether it's the style, rhythm or melody, this song has distinctive characteristics. Compared to previous songs like "callbaby" and "Addiction", it presents a completely different color, feeling fresher and more cheerful.

Besides the lyrical "Spring Day," the previous main hit song, v's choreography video mostly featured group dance. This time, it is a bit different. The overall image focuses more on both individual and group performances.

>The shoot used several outfits, many of which had an American collegiate style. For example, in this scene, both Chi Jingyuan and the EXO members are dressed in standard football jerseys.

This football jersey isn't just for show; they're wearing chest protectors and shoulder pads underneath, making everyone look really bulky and strong. It's a completely legitimate game outfit, with the promotional photos for the album cover following this style. They even specifically used the jersey numbers from their "Roar" era, with each member's back displaying their name and number. For example, Ji Kyeong-won still uses the number 5. They look just like real players.

Chi Jingyuan had just changed his clothes and still found it quite novel. Although American football was very popular at his school, he wasn't really interested. He had never played on the field before, and after reading for several years, he only knew the rules to a superficial degree.

When I put on the armor and helmet, I really felt like I was wearing a full suit of armor. I felt power and destructive urge all over my body, wishing to smash Wu Shixun and his people directly away.

This photography studio had been shooting for a whole night before, and just finished another afternoon shoot. After a short break, they were busy for over an hour. The filming here was coming to an end, so Ji Jingyuan changed his clothes with all the other members, ate something first, then got into the nanny car and headed to another photography studio.

"...The momentum of this A-Side group is truly unstoppable. Two consecutive singles have been massive hits. I originally thought that using a ballad as the main track would definitely result in failure, but unexpectedly "Spring Day" even made a comeback with its audio source. It's possible it could win this week or next week's chart. It really frustrates me...Wasn't there infighting within their fan base these past few days The ugly and low-quality V fans should quickly come out and fight with the light fans! Their main character's parts are so few, they get bullied by the royal family like this and don't even get angry"

When they arrived at the new photography studio, all the members changed into their new outfits and sat on the benches in the corner waiting. There were still staff members working on repairs and set building, and a PD checking the lighting and camera positions. Meanwhile, Ji-seong was lounging with his legs crossed, scrolling through an EXO fan forum on his phone. He clicked on a post and after reading some of the titles, he froze in place.

He glanced around, then poked the person beside him, Wu Shixun, who was staring intently at the game. When the latter looked over, he leaned in and whispered, "Who are 'ugly' and 'short'"

He remembered that their EXO's dark nicknames came from the concept of being a group superpowers. How come in just a few days, some members' nicknames had changed He looked at it for a long time and still didn't know who they were talking about.

"Oh, you said this..."

Wu Shixun listened and glanced at his phone screen, nodding in understanding. He leaned closer, covering his mouth with his hand, and whispered, "The ugly one is Zhong Ren, and the short one is Jinxi."

His voice was really soft, you had to get close to his ear to hear him. As he spoke, he also acted nonchalant online, glancing at Jin Jong-hyun and Kim Si-beom who were sitting not far away, afraid they might hear. After taking a quick look at them, he continued explaining: "That group of black fans said that Jong-hyun wasn't good-looking, so they called him 'ground ugly'. They said Si-beom oppa had no presence in the team, and the only impression they had was that he was short, so they called him 'ground dwarf'."

“Recently, our comeback results have been quite good, and the sound source has also achieved a reverse. Many black fans online are particularly unhappy about this. Since there is no argument to be made in terms of results, they can't attack us based on that, so they came up with some very unpleasant insults just to vent their frustration.”

Hearing this explanation, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but blink in surprise and glance at Wu Shixun. He was also a little amused by how well he understood.

Do you usually pay attention to these kinds of things

"...and this, what about purity"

Chi Jingyuan nodded lightly to indicate that he understood, and continued looking down the webpage. After seeing a strange title, he couldn't help but ask.

"

This... is Hyungwon hyung.

"

Wu Shixun glanced at Bian Berhyeon beside him, said a name and raised an eyebrow at him without further explanation.

Seeing this look, Chi Jingyuan immediately understood. It was referring to Bian Berhen's previous joke about "not dating at 35." Since it came out, and his relationship was exposed, black fans have been playing with it endlessly.

A man who doesn't fall in love before the age of 35 is indeed quite pure.

Chi Jingyuan looked for a while longer. From his perspective, these seemed much weaker in stature. He found it quite interesting that some online black fan forums were filled with mournful laments. He was engrossed, continuously flipping through the various posts until he came across one name and couldn't help but ask, "What about that artillery"

"...This time, Wu Shixun didn't say anything, but gave him a glance: "What do you think"

“……” After a brief pause of two seconds, Ji Jingyuan gestured with his chin towards the seat where Park Chan-wook was supposed to be sitting. Then, he looked at Wu Shixun with questioning eyes, and Wu Shixun immediately nodded slightly, conveying with his gaze that you guessed right, bgo!

"Ah…"

I couldn't help but laugh twice. I think these black fans are really talented, their nicknames are so interesting.

Thinking for a moment, he looked over curiously and asked, "What's your name"

"I'm the Earth Wind." Wu Shixun shrugged his shoulders and replied naturally, "You're still the Earth Light."

After all this, it turns out that using superpowers to name nicknames is already the mildest degree.

He nodded, it seemed that Chi Jingyuan was a little disappointed with the fact that his nickname hadn't evolved. Then, as if he had thought of something: "By the way, isn't today your birthday You didn't even say you were going to take us out to play, just took a certification photo and fooled the fans"

"Who knows how late we'll be shooting today."

Wu Shih-hsuan wasn't very happy to hear this. Even though the company had just held a small celebration for him with a photo shoot, and it wasn't really a significant birthday, he had been working non-stop from afternoon until now. He probably wouldn't even have time to celebrate with a dinner out tonight, depending on how things went.

He pondered for a few seconds then smirked, "Let's grab some snacks at the dorm later."

After a few chats, everything was ready and the shoot continued. After filming the shots of several groups, the PD called over Ji Chang-wook: "'jtlht' This is a close-up shot, very simple. When you hear the director's command, Ji Chang-wook, turn your body quickly to face the camera, raise your chin slightly, and just do the mouth shape."

"You decide on the expression, go for the cool and handsome look. This shot will look great when edited, it'll be a killer part."

"Okay, PDNI, I understand." Ji Jingyuan nodded to indicate there was no problem.

Now he's changed out of his old football jersey into a pure white plain shirt. His black bangs are slightly messy, and his whole look gives off a strong aura of a melancholy college boy.

This is also one of the main thematic styles of the song "lht".

As expected, it wasn't until after 1:00 a.m. that it finally ended.

However, this time is not too late for artists. After greeting and thanking the staff, EXO's nine members quickly returned to their dormitory. They ordered a large table of night snacks takeout as a celebration for Wu Sehun's birthday today.

……

On the afternoon of the 13th, in the conference room on the fourth floor of S company, representatives from several relevant departments and department heads of the company were holding a meeting to discuss EXO's recent activities.

"We have issued a press release announcing EXO's official end to their music activities, but the fan reaction doesn't seem very positive at the moment."

This is secondary, no matter how fans react it's definitely ending anyway, the reason everyone knows... How is the preparation for the XO concert going When will ticket pre-orders be delayed to

“The specially prepared ‘happyfaily’ seats, which went on sale less than 0.4 seconds after their release, sold out immediately. However, tickets for the performances scheduled for April 10th in the evening were originally supposed to be sold online at 8:00 PM. Due to over two million people accessing the site simultaneously, the ticketing website yes24 was unprepared and completely crashed. Therefore, after negotiations with us, the website postponed the ticket sales to April 14th and 15th, still starting at 8:00 PM.”

"happyfamily" seating is a special area set up by S company to allow fans and their families to enjoy the EXO concert together. There are 3-person and 4-person seats available, and it requires proof of genuine family relationship. On-site verification will be conducted.

Prices for 3-person family seats, 4-person family seats, and all other areas throughout the venue are in Korean Won.

"Understood, please follow up on your end."

"Fans and general audience members have responded enthusiastically to EXO's second world tour. According to data provided by the website, the 60,000 tickets for the Seoul leg may not be enough. Is there a consideration for adding an extra show"

"The company had a plan for this beforehand. The venue lease agreement also has flexible extension clauses. We'll decide based on the actual sales of tickets once they go on sale officially."

"..."

Chi Jingyuan sat silently at the corner of the conference table, listening.

As one of the main producers for this EXO comeback album, he did attend the meeting. However, what was being discussed now had nothing to do with him, or rather, these weren't things an album producer should be considering. Aic Jingyuan, who was too lazy to overstep his boundaries, didn't intend to participate in the discussion at all. He just brought his ears and listened attentively.

However, he wasn't there just to be decoration. He soon got down to business.

Has the recording side of "《boywithv》" already discussed whether or not a feature is needed

"Well, after discussions with the company's record departments and several producers, they decided that adding a female voice to the chorus would have a better effect due to the song's overall style. So we definitely need to find someone for a feature, we can't really have the members do female voices themselves, right"

Has the candidate been decided

"This kind of thing must be selected internally within the company. Jingyuan has always been in charge of producing the song "boywithv", let him choose."

"Hmm..."

When the cue was given, Ji Jingyuan, who had been silent since the meeting began, opened his mouth after a moment of contemplation. He didn't hesitate too much.

This matter was decided at a company meeting a few days ago. After considering it for a few days, the candidate has also been selected.

Actually, there's no need to overthink it because the female parts are in English. If you're just choosing within the company, there are only a few people whose English pronunciation meets the standard.

He nodded to the crowd and spoke, "Wendy."

"Wendy That's a good idea, but wouldn't it be better to consider Taeyeon She might cause an even bigger reaction and hype. Or maybe Boa"

"Or, why not just not choose someone from the company and instead pick a female singer from Japan to do a feature with According to the company's plan, EXO will officially debut in Japan in the second half of the year. This way, we could also use their fame to promote."

Chi Jingyuan smiled and spread his hands. "That's a matter for the second half of the year. If there's a need in that area, we can consider it when recording the Japanese version of the album."

Similarly, when there is demand in the American market, it's the same.

"Then Wendy, it's fine. It's just a feat anyway and I won't be participating in the singing..." Lee Soo-man nodded to show he agreed, then looked at Ji-seong again with a serious expression: "The company has high hopes for this song ‘boywithv’, and a lot of resources have been put into its production, so it needs to be taken seriously."

"Of course, Teacher Lee Xiuman," Chi Kyeong-won also nodded seriously, withdrawing some of his smile.

How is the progress of this song and the whole album going

The song has almost been practiced, but the dance is still in the teaching and practicing stage.

"Pick up the pace, guys! We need a shortened preview stage for the first concert in May and time is running out."

"Okay, I understand."

He let out a light sigh and nodded again.

This month's comeback schedule is packed. For a while now, I've been busy with the preparations for the first few single album chapters. The final one, 《l》, is just starting to take shape, and even the dance routine isn't fully mastered yet.

> I have to work overtime again.

……

"Jingyuan, this is the program information about that JYP sent over yesterday. Take a look when you have some free time these two days, but it's okay if you're too busy, after all, it's JYP's show…"

After a meeting that lasted over an hour, arrangements for EXO's recent activities, including the concert, had been made. Just as Park Kyung-won was walking down the elevator with his notebook, ready to return to the practice room, he bumped into his manager, Lee Seung-hwan. The latter beckoned him over and handed him a neatly bound file folder while smiling, "The specific filming time has been confirmed. April 21st, coincidentally the day after we return from Japan. There's no conflict in schedule, so no need to adjust anything special."

After receiving the folder, he simply glanced at the cover without opening it. Hearing what the other person said, Chi Jingyuan also smiled: "Thanks, brother... I'll still take a look when I have time."

"Alright, you figure it out yourself." Li Cheng Huan looked at him as if he wasn't taking it seriously. He nodded and chatted casually for a couple of sentences before leaving in large strides. It seemed like he had other things to attend to.

Ji Chang-wook returned to the practice room with a file in hand. At this time, only Kim Jun-myeon and Kim Jong-dae were there, doing their own things. The others weren't around.

After greeting the members, Ji-seong grabbed a bottle of drink and settled on the sofa. As he had nothing to do at the moment, he opened the files he had just received and started looking through them.

He had only glanced at the beginning when his phone in his pocket buzzed. He took out his phone and saw that it was another text message from Zhou Tzuyu.

"The first person to be eliminated has appeared."

The text was unremarkable, but Qi Jingyuan felt a sudden wave of melancholy wash over him. However, he casually took a sip of water and operated his phone with one hand.

Wouldn't it be you

"Of course not, didn't I tell you my grades are good this time and I've been promoted to the major group" Zhou Ziyu was obviously unhappy with his questioning and quickly replied back: "The one who got eliminated is a friend I know, but I didn't cry backstage."

"You are not competitors, why are you crying"

“Because many other people were crying... I just couldn't cry.”

Seeing this, Chi Jingyuan paused, as if he felt some sadness and confusion from Zhou Tzuyu's words through the text.

Although they are competitors on the debut stage, these young girls certainly have their share of disagreements and personal ambitions. However, when they actually see someone who competed alongside them being eliminated from the show, there will still be many complex emotions in their hearts.

Even with conflict, there might be a sense of sorrow when one party suffers, right

Although he understood, Chi Jingyuan was too lazy to offer comfort. These were all inevitable experiences in his growth. After thinking for a moment, he casually replied:

It doesn't matter if you can't cry, just don't smile in front of the camera at that moment.

"Come on!"

……

After the conclusion of their performance on Music Bank on the 12th, s released an official statement explaining that EXO would be ending their promotional activities for “Spring” and would be focusing their efforts and attention on preparing for their next album and concert.

The news sparked dissatisfaction among some fans. Although the sales of 《x》 were slightly lower than those of 《e》, they still far surpassed those of other idols. Furthermore, "Spring Day" was just about to top the charts again. Fans were ready to follow xo and sweep all the #1 awards like they did in March, but then s suddenly announced they would no longer be promoting on music shows.

It really made me spit out blood, many Alices under the s account left angry comments scolding the company for being stupid. It's a bit similar to last year when fx had its comeback period prematurely ended, but because of the results and the upcoming comeback, it wasn't as harsh or extreme.

Fans wouldn't consider any other aspects, they all want EXO to monopolize the No. 1 spot and top headlines for three, four, five, six, and seven months of music shows.

It's a pity that s needs to be considered.

After the singing session ended, Ji Jingyuan and they were not idle, even more tired than before.

When I participated in singing shows, I would stay at the TV station for a whole day. Besides rehearsals and live broadcasts, I could also lounge around in the backstage lounge for a long time. Now, I'm focusing all my energy on filming videos and preparing for concerts, which feels much harder than before.

While busy with private schedules, EXO also participated in a significant event. On the 14th, they performed at a Kpop concert held on Jeju Island, igniting the atmosphere with five consecutive songs on stage, transforming this large-scale concert attended by numerous idols into what seemed like their own private concert.

Following this, on November 16th, EXO flew to Yokohama, Japan. Starting tomorrow, November 17th, they will hold a fan meeting at the Yokohama Arena for three consecutive days.

This event was an official fan club activity held for EXO-Ls, the official fan club of EXO. Each event featured stage performances, chats, and game segments. It was specifically organized to show gratitude and appreciation for fans in Japan.

Since its launch last August, the official EXO-L club app has remained incredibly popular, with membership numbers surpassing one million in just three days and two million within a month.

With EXO's consecutive two successful comebacks, the number of EXO-L fans finally surpassed 4 million at the end of last month.

Although becoming a fan member on the app doesn't require a fee, registration does require a phone number and email, which isn't necessarily simple. Four million is truly astonishing and hard to believe.

And to thank fans for their support, s will hold fan club activities every once in a while. It's a win-win situation as it allows them to gain loyal fans and sell tickets at the same time.

This time, holding five fan meetings in Yokohama for three consecutive days wasn't just due to these reasons. More importantly, S has already started adjusting the focus of EXO's activities.

exo's concept from debut was a male group active in both South Korea and China. The group debuted directly in South Korea, and this model has been very effective, allowing exo to have huge popularity and heat in both countries. With the support of fans from both sides, they have distanced themselves significantly from other boy groups.

It's a pity that after Xia Guo members consecutively made their debuts last summer, the group disbanded. This model can no longer continue.

After lengthy discussions and preparation, the company has finally made a decision. Although the album will still be released in Chinese to solidify its fanbase and market share, EXO's activities within mainland China will significantly decrease. Instead, more focus will be placed on Japan, with official debut plans set for the second half of the year to capture that market.

Therefore, all members are busy every day. Also, we have to start taking Japanese classes again.

Only saying that the survival and prosperity of this EXO group was fundamentally due to the exit of the Chinese members, which ultimately led to its downfall. Can it maintain such an extraordinary leading position in the peninsula boy band market next Besides the domestic comeback performance, it's also crucial whether it can expand into more diverse markets.

After the two fan meeting events on the 19th, EXO stayed overnight and returned to Seoul by plane the next day.

And Chi Jingyuan, after preparing for a day of concerts, also arrived in an afternoon car on the 21st.

Peninsula Asteroid

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