Chapter One Hundred: Silence

ad taken two steps, Pei Zhuxuan suddenly burst into tears, and she looked very sad. In less than two seconds, it escalated into sobbing, as if she was going to cry all the tears she had shed in the pa...I was just casually browsing the news as usual, but I stumbled upon this incredibly shocking headline first thing in the morning.

Whether it's during a meal, waiting for transportation, riding the subway, or even in the restroom, every person encountered can't help but focus their attention on the surface.

K-pop boy group EXO has recently made headlines for successfully entering the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States.

According to reports, in the just-released 26th issue of Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for 2015, EXO's new song "boy with Luv" successfully charted upon their comeback, surpassing Taylor Swift's hit song "Shake It Off" and ranking 39th.

This is the first K-pop male group to top the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and the first Korean artist to do so after PSY. They achieved what no other idol group has ever done, creating an astonishing new record.

"The lead single "boywithv" immediately topped the iTunes charts in 52 countries upon its release. Within a week without any specific promotion, it debuted and ranked highly on Billboard. Now, these astonishing achievements demonstrate the immense global popularity of the top K-pop group EXO, making a huge contribution to K-pop's expansion overseas and breaking into the US and European music markets!"

On Naver Entertainment's homepage, the top banner headlines are in a red frame. Clicking on them takes you to a news summary, with several carefully selected images accompanying each paragraph.

These photos were carefully selected, a total of three. The first one is the promotional image for EXO's album "L". Nine members in light-colored suits stand in front of the camera with their upper bodies divided into two rows. The blue-haired Kai in the center is particularly eye-catching.

The second photo is a high-definition fan-taken picture of nine people on stage, taken after a performance. After special editing and rendering, everyone looks extremely handsome.

Last is a screenshot of the latest hot singles chart that was just updated today.

Following the news editor's impassioned and somewhat boastful tone, many viewers watching the report couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, especially when they saw the final chart screenshot. Seeing the familiar names of numerous famous English singers suddenly followed by 'EXO', stirred excitement in many hearts.

This three-letter combination name stood out rather awkwardly on the chart. Looking at the context, it felt somewhat out of place. However, this awkwardness only accentuated the joy and rarity of their achievement. Coupled with those infectiously appealing lyrics, they instantly ignited excitement and pride in fans, passersby, and the general public alike.

Especially seeing EXO at number 39, it's even more so.

Despite being from different worlds, even on different levels of fame, these individuals found themselves in the same place. This story that unfolds from the awkward blend of reality and disbelief, a scenario that feels unbelievable yet undeniably true, captivates many with its epic, heart-wrenching quality.

They wouldn't bother to look into Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." That song came out last year, and they wouldn't care that it's been charting for over forty weeks for half a year, let alone that it's been number one for four weeks straight.

Anyway, we're on top of you now, that's impressive!

In their excitement, many people clicked on various sized headlines to satisfy their curiosity and desire for more information.

EXO Achieves Highest Chart Position for K-Pop Group on Billboard 'HOT100' at No. 39

Landing their first week, breaking the record of K-pop group B on the Korean chart. EXO defines the new mainstream standard for K-Pop.

Irresistible popularity, world-class group EXO officially enters the US market

After PSY, K-pop is becoming a major trend in Europe and America!

Besides Naver, almost all major media outlets have reported this news, and even some non-entertainment news magazines have reprinted it. In terms of influence, it has already gone beyond just entertainment news to some extent.

Back then, PSY rose to fame with a single song. His immense international popularity and influence directly made him the leading figure on the Korean peninsula. He was received by political figures and distinguished himself from other artists. Even though his popularity has declined noticeably each year in recent years, his status remains very high, all thanks to his astonishing achievements and influence that successfully broke into the US and European markets.

Although EXO this time is nowhere near as explosive as their previous "Gangnam Style", they haven't actually gone to conquer America or break into the American and European markets, it was just a Billboard B-list debut.

But after all, it's the first one after PSY. The only one in a male idol group, even if it's just charting, the impact is still very obvious.

Many people who usually don't pay attention to Kpop, the music scene, especially boy groups, have rediscovered this seemingly familiar boy group because of this news and formed a good first impression of them.

Regarding this kind of reporting, all the news basically report it in a completely straight-faced manner, the tone has already been clearly set;

...While Peninsula residents are accustomed to this exaggerated and boastful style of reporting from their domestic media, after all, most citizens actually enjoy this tone. These media outlets simply cater to their tastes....

"Ahhh, EXO is amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!"

"Today, no, the best news I've heard this year!"

"I'm not mistaken, I actually made it to the B-list!! At first, I thought it was a joke. XO's oppa are truly amazing! This song is still written by Yuan oppa, right He's my man indeed kkkkk."

“As a foreign student studying in LA, I usually don't follow Kpop and prefer American entertainment. However, this news really surprised me. The weight of a B-list single reaching the top 100 is still very significant. Landing at number 39 for a Korean group is truly astonishing...”

And after seeing the news, I specifically went to check it out. I didn't know until now, but EXO is currently the most popular and well-known Korean artist in America besides PSY. Their fan base has been growing rapidly here since last year, with a very loyal and crazy group of dedicated fans. And actually, Asians aren't the majority. Many white and people of color girls really like them. To be honest, they are very impressive. This time, even though it was just one chart appearance, I'm optimistic about their success in breaking into the European and American market."

"Looking at this, I feel that the TOP boy group competition has no suspense. Originally, EXO had completely overwhelmed Big Bang in all aspects this time, and now it has directly entered America. If I were Big Bang, I would have nothing to say but admit defeat…"

"Well, you're wrong. They talk a lot. (Screenshot)..."

In the comment section of related news, whether it's ecstatic fans who can't help but jump for joy or ordinary passersby who are equally interested, everyone is eager to share their opinions. After all, this event truly embodies national pride, so the comments are overwhelmingly positive. Many students studying abroad and knowledgeable individuals even step forward to explain the significance of being on the B-list chart's Top 100 and the rarity of the number 39.

But when V.I.P was mentioned, the atmosphere suddenly turned sour. A Lily immediately followed up with a comment and posted a screenshot of a chat from the Bigbang fan group. This was her doing undercover in the V.I.P fandom and specifically captured it.

Unlike the previous comment saying "there's nothing to say but defeat," the screenshot of the Bigbang fan group is surprisingly lively. At first glance, the chat mostly consists of phrases like "Damn!", "You really brushed it up", "How much money did you spend ** put a lot of money into this", "What's the point of brushing onto the charts, it's most embarrassing to fly off the charts in a week", "Next week we'll kill them on music shows", "Disgusting, I won't look at the B chart anymore".

This screenshot, seen in this context, evokes more than just laughter from Ai Li. Even ordinary passersby can't help but chuckle upon seeing it, feeling as if they can smell the thick sourness through the screen. Amongst all the comments, one word stands out: devastated.

I can only say, maybe this is what being a fan is all about...

> A headline in the morning news caused an already heated K-Pop scene to erupt even further, and under the influence of its widespread reach, EXO's name directly went viral.

Besides the onlookers enjoying the spectacle and gathering for excitement, many industry insiders and idols were actually quite surprised by this event. In fact, their surprise wasn't any less than that of the general public.

…………絊

"Achoo..."

In the Girls' Generation practice room, after just finishing a practice session and entering their break time, except for a few people who went out and didn't know what to do, everyone else was sitting on the couch or on the floor, brushing their phones and chatting.

Then, after taking out her phone to rewatch the news she had already seen this morning, she also saw Ji-seong's reply to her, "Ani, we just got lucky. In terms of skill, of course, Noonas are still stronger," The message was clearly filled with a smug tone. After that, Kim Taeyeon couldn't help but directly scold him.

This brat really is…

I saw this news not long after I woke up, and Taeyeon Kim and a few others were amazed. They chattered excitedly about it for a while. She even sent a message to Ji-seong, asking and congratulating him at the same time.

As someone from within the industry, especially having personally experienced the difficulties of breaking into the American market, Kim Taeyeon is very aware that it's not as easy as people think. The discrimination, barriers, arrogance, and various other factors are daunting. Moreover, the financial and resource investments required to operate a company there are several times higher than in Korea, which led to Girls’ Generation only getting a taste of the market and withdrawing after a period of effort.

** has been making moves in the US since BOA, but hasn't had any real success or impact yet.

They were the same during their teenage years, to be honest. Their development in America back then wasn't really successful, they didn't gain any real benefits, it could only be said that the "Girls' Generation" brand name got a bit of a polish.

Continual failures also made ** more cautious, and they haven't done much in recent years. Unexpectedly, today EXO seems to have suddenly opened a door.

"Who are you talking about" Kim Hyo-yeon asked.

"Who else could it be It's Jingyuan, wuli Taeyeon can still scold someone so intimately, huh" Huang Meiying smiled and glanced at Kim Taeyeon, replying with a knowing tone.

"Sending a text message I guess so, today's news is indeed big." Kim Hyo-yeon smiled knowingly and nodded.

Huang Meiying was also looking at today's news and various reports on her phone, her expression becoming more serious: "Jingyuan and EXO are really amazing. They didn't go there for special promotion, they didn't even have a big share of the radio play yet they managed to land at number 39. This achievement is already very impressive."

And judging by their momentum and influence, it's unlikely they'll hit the charts this week. I estimate they can still climb higher.

Huang Meiying, who hails from the United States, has a deep understanding of the B-list. She is also the member who understands EXO's remarkable achievements best among everyone. She paused for a moment and couldn't help but express her feelings: "If our *The Boys* had achieved this level of success back then, I estimate that..."

"Shh! Be quiet!"

Every time she hears a topic she doesn't want to hear, or when someone gets on her nerves and she can't argue back, Kim Taeyeon would say this, at which point she would directly interrupt the other person, raise her head, and glare fiercely at Hwang Me-young.

But Huang Meiying wasn't bothered at all. She smirked and blew him a kiss from afar.

Seeing the captain speak, and also realizing that the other members didn't seem too keen on bringing up their past experience in America, they decided to skip it altogether and instead started chattering excitedly about EXO.

"《boywithv》is pretty good, but I don't think it would be this popular in America either, right"

"I don't know, the news said XO is very famous there and has a lot of fans."

"Hey, you don't know how the media here blows things out of proportion when something like this happens."

"Didn't the company really promote there, like brushing up rankings or something"

"No, I just heard from my manager oppa that XO's work center isn't there anymore. The company was also pretty surprised that they could suddenly make such a big news story this time."

"That's really impressive..."

Listening to her sisters discuss EXO, Lin Yoona, who had been sitting cross-legged against the wall for a long time, listening and looking at her phone news, finally couldn't help but raise her head and ask, "Is XO... this popular now"

In the first half of the year, she was busy filming the TV series "The God of War Zhao Zilong" in China. She only recently finished filming and returned to Seoul, and then immediately started practicing dances with the members for their upcoming comeback. She's been incredibly busy, running around constantly and living a very fulfilling life every day.

Especially during filming, because of the environment, language, and the effort put into acting, it can be said that Lin Yun'er devoted most of her energy to it. During that time, she poured all her heart and soul into acting, wanting to perform her role well, and relying on this drama that the company finally managed to get for her to break into the mainland market and start her Xia Kingdom acting career on a good note.

So during that time, besides occasionally browsing to see if anything major had happened, she didn't really pay much attention to the news from the peninsula.

After filming wrapped and she returned to Seoul, she personally felt that EXO had changed at some point.

Although they were very popular before, after all, their experience wasn't there. At most, they were just a rookie boy group that had debuted one or two years ago. Last year, they even encountered consecutive member departures, which abruptly blocked their path to success.

However, after just a few months away from attention, Lin Yuner suddenly found that EXO had undergone a drastic transformation in a short period of time. The once popular boy group she remembered was now directly vying for the top spot with Bigbang, and it seemed like they were about to surpass them and reach the pinnacle. This even included gaining recognition in America.

I just acted in a movie, why is the change so fast

"YoonA filmed for several months, how does it feel like going to space EXO is the hottest now." Kim Hyo-yeon glanced at her in surprise, seeing YoonA's twinkling eyes, she pursed her lips and explained to her: "They comeback every month within this short period, and their title tracks are all very popular..."

"Oh, aren't we getting old"

Seeing several people start to educate IU (林允兒) beside her, Hwang Mi-young couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"Shhh! Be quiet!"

……

"Oh my gosh, EXO is really..."

Just finished filming a segment for "Sixteen," and while eating the leftover ice cream from the shoot, Yu Dingyan heard the coffee shop's music switch to "boywithv." Hearing that all-too-familiar intro, he couldn't help but say, "I really don't want to pay attention, but it feels like I see it everywhere. Maybe that's just how popular it is..."

Saying that, she looked at Lim Na-yeon who was eating ice cream next to her: "Right, Na-yeon"

After discovering that Lim Na-yeon had emerged from the previous scandal and successfully transitioned into a fan of Ji Kyeong-won, Yoo Jung-yeon started to playfully tease her occasionally.

"It's just the previous B chart, no big deal. The seniors of wirls haven't been on it before."

Lim Na Yeon was happily eating her ice cream, taking big bites. Her rabbit teeth opened and closed as she crunched on the spoon, making a 'crunchy' sound. After each bite, she would shake her head and bob it back and forth, making an 'am-moo am-moo am-moo' sound. She also sometimes tapped her lips, seemingly indicating that the ice cream was delicious and that she was in great spirits, completely unaffected.

"Hee hee..."

Seeing this sister acting so childish and pretentious, Yu Dingyan burst into laughter. She then turned to look at Zhou Tzuyu on her right: "Tzuyu, why aren't you eating"

"Huh" Zhou Tzuyu, caught off guard, blinked and stirred her

The current mission is guerrilla performances, and after being re-divided into teams, the three of them were put in the same group this time.

"Is that so" Yu Dingyan nodded without saying anything, but he secretly took note in his heart. After taking a bite of ice cream, he couldn't help but turn the topic back to EXO: "This time, Big Bang already felt like they couldn't beat EXO, and after this news came out today, it feels like the victory is decided."

"Amumu Amumu Amumu…"

"39 people, if our company's seniors did it, I don't know how excited PDni would be. I heard he's always been very determined to make it in the US."

"Ah-mu Ah-mu Ah-mu..."

"But with such good grades, you must be extra busy, right Slow down and eat. Don't you think it's cold"

"Amoo..."

Seeing the scene of these two sisters getting along, especially when Lim Na Yeon's childish appearance made Zhou Tzuyu laugh out loud, but after hearing Yoo Jung Yeon's last words, she seemed to remember something. After hesitating for a while, she took out her phone and opened her contacts to send a message.

"Have you been busy these two days Will you be coming out tomorrow"

After she finished, she held her phone in her hand and waited with a slight nervousness.

However, this time the other party didn't seem to do anything else. The reply came back very quickly:

"Just a little later."

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