Chapter 120 Let's Play Together

er.Qi Jingyuan looked up and saw Zheng Xiujing standing by the corner in a white dress, wearing a down jacket as well. She was clutching her cotton-padded jacket tightly and turned to look at him as h...They departed from Gimpo Airport in the early morning and flew to Tokyo. After almost three hours of flight time, they arrived late at night at the hotel where the company's team was staying in Tokyo. The company had already booked a room for Park Kyung-sun and Do Kyungsoo. Exhausted from their journey, they didn't say much and went straight to sleep.

Early the next morning, we hurried up and followed our teammates to Tokyo Dome for a soundcheck. Since we arrived two days late, EXO had much less rehearsal time compared to other groups. Tonight was the performance, so we needed to make the most of this time to get familiar with the stage.

But luckily, it was a family concert. EXO only performed four new and old songs, the dance moves were already very polished, there wasn't much need to practice. It was enough to get familiar with the stage layout, movement paths, and equipment operation.

Several of the ton family concert held in July are still part of the same tour as last year, which is ton's fourth world tour. There hasn't been much change in the performance program, except for some new songs performed by groups like EXO and SHINee who have recently returned this year. Other performances are the same as last year, including a special stage by Ji Chang Wook and Son Seung Won with "allforyou", as well as a four-person collaboration performance with Luna and Henry.

First, there was XO's own rehearsal, then a joint stage rehearsal with others. It wasn't until the afternoon that everything was finally settled. The members gathered backstage at the venue, resting and lining up for styling while waiting for the evening concert.

The Tokyo Dome is one of Japan's most famous sports arenas. It is also very professional when hosting events such as concerts, and its accompanying equipment and backstage facilities are much more luxurious than those of ordinary smaller venues.

The backstage overall decoration is dominated by white, giving the whole space a slightly cool tone. However, the bright lighting makes it feel warm and cozy. Various staff members, including managers, assistants, and backup dancers from different groups, are bustling about, creating a lively atmosphere.

Each combination has its own separate dressing room, but before the show starts, most people choose to go to other familiar friends or gather in the backstage hall to chat, except for those doing makeup or having their own things to do.

Ji Jingyuan had just finished his styling and walked out of the dressing room with a few members. He found a sofa nearby and had only sat down for a short time when he was blocked in front of him.

"Oh, is that how you rewrite my song"

As soon as Kim Taeyeon walked into the hall, her eyes fell on Ji-sung who was sitting nearby chatting with Kim Jun-myeon. She strode over immediately.

She stood before them with narrowed eyes, looking furious. Her expression was one of intense anger. Huang Meiying and a few others beside her stood on either side like subordinates, responding to Chi Jingyuan's greetings while watching the scene unfold with mocking smiles.

It's obvious that Kim Taeyeon is referring to yesterday's broadcast of , the first episode of which became a hot topic on various websites due to its interesting program flow and powerful, surprising lineup of guests. Even Ji Chang Wook's masked performance of "If" managed to gain some attention as well.

Apparently, he estimated that the stage of forgetting words and making fun of it was seen by the original person. At this time, he was caught right away.

"Do you think I'm imitating well"

Chi Jingyuan wasn't flustered at all. He first stood up and greeted the sisters, then narrowed his eyes with a smile, looking rather proud: "I went to see several live performances of your song. Just the singing movements were enough for me to practice in front of the mirror for a long time..."

"Hahaha..."

Huang Meiying and Cui Xiuyng next to her burst into laughter.

Choi Soo-young was the most lively. She stood still on the spot, with one foot in front of the other, pretending there was a standing microphone in front of her and even straightened it out specially. Finally, she put both hands on her lower abdomen and gently stroked them, with an absorbed expression and open mouth, singing two lines before finally bursting into laughter. She mercilessly quipped: "It's obvious that Jingyuan has done her homework. The way she sings this song is so pretentious that no one else can imitate it."

"Hahaha..." The people around laughed even harder, especially Huang Meiyin.

"Hush now!"

Kim Taeyeon couldn't quite keep her cool, turning her head and shouting fiercely. Sadly, it seemed like no one cared about her captain authority.

Seeing this sister being laughed at by her own members, Ji Kyeong-won still explained and comforted her: “Actually it wasn’t done on purpose, but because I was singing Taeyeon nunna’s song, I was too nervous, so I forgot some of the lyrics.”

This is just a joke, how could there be a professional idol who forgets their lyrics on stage for long periods and just says "ah ah ah" the whole time What's more, it's a pre-recorded show, even if they forget, they can re-record it.

But when Kim Taeyeon heard this, she seemed to truly believe it. She crossed her arms, tapped her chin thoughtfully, and then nodded her head with a composed expression: "Hmmm... is that so I believe you!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Hohoho" her unique laughter echoed through the air, and at the same time, she reached out and patted Chi Jingyuan's shoulder hard.

It's obvious that this sister isn't angry at all, she's probably secretly thrilled because Chi Jingyuan sang her song on the variety show.

She simply plopped down on the empty space beside the sofa, gesturing back to Huang Meiying and the others with a smile, and casually chatted: "How come you decided to participate in the Unpick Song Festival"

"Of course, the program group invited the company to participate. I remember that it was already at the last minute, and we had just signed the contract for a couple of days before recording the first episode."

"Jingyuan, want to go out tonight Tokyo's nightlife is really amazing, super exciting." Huang Meiying pulled a stool over and sat down opposite him. Although she was wearing a skirt, she still casually crossed her legs.

"I arrived in Tokyo early this morning and didn't get much rest. After today, I'm planning to stay at the hotel and probably go to sleep early."

"Ah, I knew it." Huang Meiying blinked and gave Kim Taeyeon a little nudge with her chin, looking like she had expected it all along.

He chuckled apologetically, then looked around at the people. He asked with a hint of curiosity: "Hmm, where's Yuri unnie"

"You're really a fan of hers" Sunny crossed her arms and scoffed, then casually explained, "I just called her, she'll be here soon. Want me to get her to sign something for you"

"Well, it's alright."

"Haha."

Apart from Ji Chang Wook, the other members of Girls' Generation and EXO were also quite familiar with each other. The two groups gathered together, laughing and chatting merrily, creating a very good atmosphere. After a while, several members of SJ walked over from the side and immediately joined in when they saw the scene.

The vibe of SJ's members and EXO's members are different. They're much more playful, love to joke around and do physical comedy. As soon as they arrived, the atmosphere became livelier. There were constant shouts and laughter.

As the time of the performance drew closer, more and more people filled the hall. More experienced performers chatted naturally with each other, but some looked extremely restrained, unable to even sit down in a corner. They stood awkwardly, their eyes fixed on the seniors in the hall who were laughing and joking, seemingly envious.

These are the same trainees who participated in this ton company's practice sessions. There are a few groups of male trainees who haven't been officially announced yet, but internally, everyone pretty much knows about them. They are the next generation boy group that the company is preparing to debut, and it is said that they will make their official debut next year. Moreover, Lee Soo Man has always liked the plan of "infinite expansion," which is also expected to be realized in them. So it seems like there will be several sub-units launched consecutively.

Red Velvet was originally planning to use this "wireless expansion" model, but after adding the fifth member Kim Ye-rin this year, it received strong resistance from fans, which had a very negative impact. So far, Kim Ye-rin has been the least popular member among Red Velvet fans, and she is often attacked and insulted online.

I don't know where Red Velvet got so many "four-person old fans" after their debut last year.

Because of this, plus other reasons, they stopped trying to continue the project on De Bebe. So Lee Soo Man put all his expectations on the male group that will debut next year, even taking them to the family concert. There were three or four stages in total. They also often post practice videos of the members online, so it's very important.

It's a pity that as trainees, these members of the pre-debut boy group aren't very popular in this S-class. Especially EXO, even if they don't say anything, you can clearly feel that people aren't very enthusiastic about them.

Family ties, although we often talk about the importance of them, are actually quite laughable when you consider that people are constantly competing with each other. We just put on a show for others. If there really is any genuine connection, it's probably only among people who have a good private relationship or are relatively equal in status.

In terms of time, EXO was launched four years after SHINee's debut in 2012. This new boy group will be launching next year, which is also four years after EXO. It's normal for a new group to be launched every four years.

However, now that XO is at its peak, no one wants to see a new boy group come along and take their place or steal their resources.

It seems like several members of Pledis, including Park Chan-yeol, have been complaining about this new boy group in their dorm on multiple occasions. Their tone is quite resentful, not just towards the new group, but also directed at the company itself.

Chi Jingyuan seems to be taking this relatively calmly, perhaps because he's not particularly worried about his resources or popularity. He might even feel confident about it. However, he also understands the psychological state of the other members quite well.

However, to be honest, even if new boy groups debut, for them to reach the level and position that EXO has now, it's not something that can be achieved simply by putting in effort or having the company focus resources on them.

In this hall, the trainees seemed a bit reserved. Even when there were no cameras filming or a few debuted artists around, no one approached them proactively. It wasn't until Red Velvet's members came over that those who seemed more familiar with them, like Kim Yerim and Kang Seulgi, walked over and greeted them with smiles, chatting for a few moments.

Not until the stage crew came to announce the concert was about to begin did everyone get up and do their final preparations.

Since its debut, s has been deeply rooted in the Japanese market for many years. In the future, almost every generation of artist groups after establishing a solid fan base in their homeland will try to expand into the Japanese market. It has already established its reputation and brand, so each tour can attract a large audience.

The stadium was packed with 50,000 people. Looking up from the bottom, it was quite impressive and was very different from a venue of 10,000 or 20,000 people.

While EXO hasn't officially debuted in Japan yet, their popularity here is already quite considerable.

The four songs, including "Roar," "OLF," and the newly added "CallBaby" and "BoyWithLuv," have a powerful stage presence. Each appearance by the group is met with thunderous cheers and screams.

That is to say, TVXQ's popularity and status in the Japanese market are unshakeable. Looking at the audience's enthusiasm and cheers, XO is no less popular than other senior groups who have been established here for many years, and even surpasses them in some aspects.

Especially "Boy With Luv," although it was the original Korean version, it seemed to be particularly well-received by the live audience. The cheering on the support side and the overall atmosphere were noticeably higher. Even the neon audiences at the scene, like Ailee from the peninsula, spontaneously started a full-venue chorus during the chorus, and the extreme sound waves instantly overwhelmed the impression, echoing throughout the entire venue, so much so that even Ji-sung on stage was shaken, his dance almost going wrong.

The concert officially began with An Sehyun and J-N's collaboration stage, and it ended over two hours later with "hope".

"Pretty dazzling, isn't it"

"Charismatic, aren't they"

Holding hands tightly.

All the performing artists put on pink "snbsp;ton" shirts and returned to the stage, each spreading out to different corners of the vast stage. They sang this classic ending song together while waving to the audience in the stands.

exo was divided into several groups of people. Park Ji-won casually followed behind a few members, swaying towards the side stage on the left. Although he held a microphone, he didn't sing a word, waving his hands and interacting with the fans below like he was just going through the motions. He occasionally interacted with laughter with Kim Jun-myeon and a few people in front.

He casually glanced around, the entire stage was scattered with artists. In the opposite direction, a few members of f(x) and Red Velvet were huddled together, Aer acting like a big shot, hugging Kang Seul-gi and Kim Yerin as they bounced around, while Bae Suzy watched and smiled from the side.

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Ji Chang-wook walked to the edge of the stage, swaying his head lightly to the music of "hope" while glancing sideways. He noticed that three members of Girls' Generation had also coincidentally walked over and stopped beside them. At this moment, standing on Ji Chang-wook's right was Lim Yoona.

This sister is also wearing the same pink family short sleeves, and underneath are blue denim shorts. She has a pair of slender long legs wearing white canvas shoes. Her overall look is neat, cute and very slim.

Her black, wavy hair was styled in a side ponytail draped over her shoulder. A pink and white headband adorned her head. She stood silently, not singing a word, but smiling and waving enthusiastically at the fans below. She appeared both lively and refreshing.

True to her reputation as a member of Girls' Generation, after not seeing Ji-yeong for a while, it feels like she's gotten even younger. She stands out and draws attention wherever she goes.

As if she felt his gaze, Lim Yoona also turned her head to look over. After catching eye with Ji-young, the eyes that were already smiling widened even more, and the pair of under-eye bags became extremely noticeable, making her eyes look delicate while also giving off a feeling of coquettish intimacy.

They looked at each other and smiled, then turned back to continue waving at the people below. They stayed there until the song "hepo" reached its end, and everyone started returning to the main stage, standing in a neat line.

exo reunited, Park Chanyeol naturally stood at the edge of the group. Coincidentally, beside him was Lim Yoona and several other members of Girls' Generation.

At the final curtain call of the concert, everyone stood in a line and naturally held hands, bowing deeply to the audience below. This time's Snoop Family concert officially ended.

Dozens of artists lined up to leave the stage and head backstage. Because there were too many people, it was very crowded and they moved very slowly.

In front, Qi Jingyuan walked very slowly, swaying his steps. Zhou Qing's distinct perfume mingled with a faint scent of sweat, surprisingly pleasant.

"Why did Sunny unnie tell me to sign your name" At this moment, Lim Yoona, who had been walking in front of Ji-sung, suddenly turned back and looked at him with sparkling eyes, asking a question.

"Um..."

Qi Jingyuan was suddenly caught off guard. The smile on his face froze for a second before he squeezed out a smile: "Ah ni, Sunny was just joking."

"Is that so."

Lim Yoon-ah let out a smile, her bright eyes seemed playful, she nodded with a chuckle and didn't press further. She took a step back and stood shoulder to shoulder with Ji Kyeong-won, casually starting a conversation.

Although we haven't really talked much lately and aren't particularly close, unnie seemed completely at ease. Her tone and smile were very familiar, making me feel very comfortable. We only said goodbye to each other backstage.

Speaking of which, this girl is really tall. Even in flat shoes, she's only a little shorter than Chi Jingyuan, who always bows his head.

After the concert, they had a small gathering and then disbanded. EXO went to a Japanese restaurant together for a meal after which they returned to the hotel. After a brief rest, they started discussing where to go out that night.

The group consists of members like Ji Chang Wook and Kim Jae Woong who prefer to stay put, as well as members like Park Chan Yeol and Kim Jong In who love to go out and explore. Basically, whenever there's an overseas activity and conditions allow, they're all eager to experience the local sights and bustle.

Park Chan-lyeok said that a friend recommended him to a well-connected person in the Japanese entertainment industry. He supposedly has a lot of influence and can introduce some Japanese artists to each other. They made plans to go out together at night.

However, Chi Jingyuan and a few others didn't go. He was indeed quite tired from not resting well the night before. He planned to just casually play on his phone and watch TV before going to sleep.

After the group disbanded, he went back to his hotel room, took a shower, and then lay in bed playing with his phone, browsing the news to kill time.

Suddenly the screen went black and the phone vibrated. A call came in, it was Jiang Sheqi calling.

"Don't block the young..." Chi Jingyuan answered directly, responding with a sound.

"Jǐng Yuān, have you gone out Are you at the hotel" Jiāng Shìqí's familiar voice came from the phone, sounding like she was in good spirits.

"Nothing, he's lying in the room." He glanced at the time and replied lazily.

"That's great!"

She was so surprised that she exclaimed in delight. There seemed to be other voices around her as well, and they sounded a bit like Sun Shengwan's.

We're in the lounge on the fifth floor of the hotel. Want to come join us We're a bit short-handed.k, several of them immediately surrounded him. They were both concerned and curious as they gathered around to observe the injury on his forehead. After taking a closer look, Kim Jun-myeon asked with...