Chapter 149: The Last Day

ppointment.Most members are in contact with a few of their biggest fans or "station sisters" (online fan groups) and occasionally use them to relay information about the group's schedule and activitie..., the Peninsula Asteroid

Today, EXO's stage had a particularly special aspect. Besides the four dancers performing on the rising and falling stairs during the second chorus, their A-team standing on the rotating stage at the beginning of the first section and continuously spinning was also quite eye-catching.

As the music began, the stage for "Roar" came to life, with Ji Jingyuan and his team performing on a constantly rotating stage.

Others don't know this, but at least he wasn't very comfortable performing. He didn't dare to make the dance moves too big, and the rotating stage area was a bit small. There were several moves that couldn't be performed at all. In the growl dance, the iconic Thomas pool scene of bowing down was just a slight bend and shake, and it was considered done.

It's not that he was just paddling, everyone else was doing the same thing. The stage is too small and they keep turning, there's no room to put your legs down at all. That's how it was during rehearsals too.

However, fans completely ignored these details and the cheers grew louder and louder.

Besides these problems, Exo's stage outfits today looked very fashionable and cool. The jersey design was also very characteristic. Although the stage was a little small, it was still interesting to see the members dancing while spinning on it.

The final chorus brought the entire audience to their feet, singing along in a deafening roar of "I eu-reu-reong you." As the sound reverberated through the hall, EXO's stage came to a close. After striking their ending pose, they slowly descended on the lift.

Even though exo has disappeared from the stage, the audience members downstairs are still cheering enthusiastically. The effect of a popular group singing a hit song is so obvious; as long as they take the stage, they can bring the atmosphere of the venue to a high point.

** arranged for EXO to perform first in the second half, and for that purpose, they did a very good job.

As the audience cheered, today's three Cs were hosting the show next to the artist seating area. Under the camera's gaze, they discussed EXO's just-finished performance.

"Exo's opening performance gave my slightly tired body a fresh burst of energy. After watching it, I felt energized throughout." Park Samdola held the microphone and spoke happily in the middle.

At a glance, she was more than a head shorter than the two men beside her, and didn't seem to fit in.

"Seriously, even as a man, I think it's really cool." Kim Hee Chul nodded in agreement and then, without hesitation, praised his junior group: "To be honest, EXO selling almost one million five hundred thousand albums recently is pretty impressive, isn't it"

Hearing this number, the audience couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Even the idols sitting in the back row of the performance stage looked astonished, clearly struggling to accept this figure.

By August, EXO's first studio album, including its re-release, had already sold over one million copies. After several months of sales, as of yesterday, the total sales of the two albums had reached 1.48 million, nearing 1.5 million.

This is a terrifying, yet miraculous number for any idol.

The market capacity was already that large, and in October, EXO's album sales had already started to stagnate. However, with the huge success of "The Heirs" and the surge in popularity of Park Seo-joon across Asia, their first regular album experienced another wave of sales increase, which is why they have such astonishing numbers today.

Because of the pool scene, many people who didn't really care about boy groups started paying attention to EXO and contributed a lot to their sales.

However, the current market size is roughly around this number. Sales have decreased noticeably in recent days, but the figure of 1.5 million still shocked big and small music companies in the peninsula like a bolt from the blue.

"That's impossible!" Cheng Shijing exclaimed, his face full of disbelief.

"Yeah, it's unbelievable." Kim Heechul exclaimed with a sigh and finally wished, "Congratulations to EXO! You will definitely gain even more popularity worldwide in the future. I look forward to EXO's happiness.”

"SBS Gayo Daejun, Part 2, with even more amazing performances..."

Kwon Hee Chul said they didn't hear when EXO just got off the elevator and was walking back through the backstage hallway. He said he was a little disappointed.

After the performance, Exo didn't have to go back to their artist seats for the rest of the show. This was because the artist seats were already full, and they also had to prepare for a collaboration stage with Sheezus' "Everybody" later.

This collaboration stage will feature ten members of EXO performing with She. Pool Kyung-won and Park Chan-lyeol are not participating.

Ji Jingyuan was quite busy at the time and didn't have much time to rehearse. Since the number of performers on stage needed to be symmetrical, the dance design teacher decided to remove Park Chan-hyeok as well.

Chi Jingyuan estimated that Park Chan-wook probably didn't get cast because of his height.

After that, they just sat in the lounge, chatting and watching the performance. They could even cross their legs, snack on some treats, and have a drink. It was much more comfortable than sitting in the VIP section where you're constantly being filmed and have to maintain a stiff, business-like smile throughout.

Nowadays, EXO no longer needs to actively seek out camera time like they used to.

After shee's collaboration stage ended, the other ten people all came back. The waiting room became lively, with the members chattering away and changing clothes at the same time. The final stage of the song battle was about to start, and everyone needed to be ready.

At this point, the live broadcast on the television screen is already the second-to-last performance. There aren't many artists who are qualified to perform in this position. Today, the finale is still Girls' Generation, who is at their peak.

With out Lim Yoona, the 8-member girl group Girls' Generation performed their songs "express999" and "igotaboy".

As soon as it arrived, eight people stood on the elevator that had already risen halfway into the air, looking very impressive.

To be honest, the first song, "express999", Ji Jingyuan had never heard of it before, and didn't know which album it was from.

After changing his clothes, he sat down on the stool and watched the performance of the younger sisters in the screen with relish.

Today, all 8 people's stage outfits were quite distinctive, but overall, the best feeling for Ji-seong was probably Kwon Yuri and Jung Soo-yeon.

The Legend of the Condor Heroes

Jung Soo Yeon might not be tall, but her proportions are very good and she looks great overall. Hwang Yoo Ri and Park Ji Sung have always thought this unnie is pretty. Although she's not as striking as Lim Yoona, her face is really pleasing to the eye.

She also has a great figure. Besides getting a little tanned, she has no other flaws. Ji-yeong thought that if Kwon Yoo-ri became the face of the company, it would be quite suitable.

Female idol group fans are still too restrained, unlike their EXO counterparts. Even though the official face of EXO is only Park Chan-yeol, after they became popular, fans have come up with all sorts of unofficial fan-chosen faces. Terms like "male group god visuals" and "the four main faces" are everywhere, and their influence and popularity even surpass the official face.

This has led to many people believing that EXO really has something like the "Four Main Faces," completely unaware that in fact Park Chan-yeol is the officially designated one.

If Ji-yuan is a fan since his childhood, he should at least come up with something like the top three or four best looks, so that Yoona isn't the only one who gets to shine.

The other sisters' outfits were a bit average. Taeyeon was actually very pretty today, with delicate makeup. Her top half was a gold crop top under a black sequin jacket, which looked really eye-catching. It's just that overall, it made her legs look quite short.

Although it wasn't long to begin with, this outfit makes it look even shorter.

After watching a while of the livestream, when it was time for 's stage, Ji Jingyuan discovered a problem.

Previously, the director had been doing fine. During Girls' Generation's stage performance, something unexpected happened and there was a big problem and mistake.

When it's time for the center part, don't film the center person. Film the person standing on the edge instead.

When the dancers are performing, the camera zooms out from a high angle. When it's a close-up shot, the shaking camera makes you dizzy looking at people's eyes.

At the end, when Jung Soo Yeon hit the high notes in her kill part, the director suddenly zoomed out to a very wide shot. You could only see 8 tiny people jumping around far away on the screen. This made Ji Chang Wook almost burst into laughter.

I don't know if the director had an issue with Girls' Generation or just suddenly went crazy, but during the live broadcast on TV, the stage was completely underwhelming. I bet after the broadcast, fans will be all over them online.

After their performance, EXO walked out of the dressing room and towards the entrance of the stage. The area was already packed with people, shoulder to shoulder, waiting eagerly for the group's appearance. Some familiar faces exchanged glances and whispered a few words to each other.

Ji Jingyuan stood among the members, feeling numerous gazes upon him. However, he continued chatting with the other members without any indication of acknowledging them.

After waiting for a while, the staff signaled for everyone to take their places, and the crowd quieted down. Group by group, idols walked in an orderly fashion toward the stage.

The last song was "You Are An Miracle", and all the performers came on stage together to sing a chorus. When EXO went on stage, the stage was almost full of people. They didn't squeeze towards the center, they just stood comfortably on the left side.

They have all changed into their clothes, to fit the theme of this song. Ji Jingyuan is now wearing a pale yellow turtleneck sweater, and the other members are dressed similarly.

You are creating miracles.

As long as you exist in this world, you are already a miracle to someone.

"We actually already knew what we should love."

Everything you see is in the process of miracles.

Hundreds of artists, including many top stars and popular groups, were present. The camera swept across them, and almost every face was a familiar one that could be named. Each person wore a radiant smile of happiness and warmth as they stood on stage together to sing in harmony. It was truly awe-inspiring, and it resonated deeply within me, stirring up feelings of connection and emotion.

It's truly a rare opportunity to gather so many people today to perform this song. Who knows when we'll have another large-scale collaboration like this again.

This rendition of "You Are My Miracle" by a hundred voices brought the 2013 SBS Gayo Daejun to a close, marking the end of this peak year for K-Pop.

It can be foreseen that even many years from now, countless people who see this scene today will be stunned in front of the screen for a few seconds, their thoughts running wild, filled with emotion.

…………

Besides a few announcements, EXO will also have a performance stage at the SBS Entertainment Awards tonight.

At the end of each year, besides singing competitions like the "Song Battle," the three major TV stations generally also host awards ceremonies for performing arts and acting.

The names look similar, but the target audience and class are completely different.

The Entertainment Awards is an event where TV stations hold a variety show and award ceremony for their own entertainers and comedians. The atmosphere is relaxed and cheerful, and there aren't many strict rules.

While the acting awards ceremony is a summary and award-giving event for television dramas broadcast by the TV station this year, all participants are well-known actors. The atmosphere feels more serious, and the status and level are much higher than the previous one.

And at the SBS Entertainment Awards on December 30th, EXO once again performed "Growl." To liven up the atmosphere, three comedic entertainers, Kim Jongmin, and Hwang Kwanghee of Imperial Boys, formed an EXO-S and joined in for the second verse and chorus.

It's clear they've really practiced. Even without mics, they didn't sing the wrong lyrics, and although their dancing wasn't perfect, it was still pretty good, which caused a wave of cheers from the crowd.

Chi Jingyuan didn't watch the entire ceremony, but he estimated that most of the awards would likely be won by the "Runngan" program team.

After all, this variety show has really taken off this year. The program started with a rocky debut, experiencing low ratings and struggling to gain traction. But it gradually made changes and improvements, culminating in its peak moment this year. It's not just popular on the peninsula; it also boasts high popularity throughout Asia.

After the stage ended and EXO and the others said their goodbyes, they immediately followed their manager to the airport. They would fly overnight to Xia Country for a series of activities and prepare for tomorrow's live broadcast stage at Dongfang TV's New Year's Eve Gala.

As soon as Team One left, Team K was off duty for the night without any notice. It wasn't too late yet, around nine or ten o'clock. Ji Jingyuan was even thinking about whether to ask Jin Yaron out to meet.

However, when the members were talking, Kim Jun Myeon suggested taking advantage of the free time to have a meal together and chat. Many people responded positively, and Park Ji-sung wasn't someone who would forget their friends for appearances, so he went along with it willingly.

After getting permission from Lee Seung Hwan, the six members of team k went to a barbecue restaurant near their dorm which was opened by an acquaintance. They rented a private room, ordered food and drinks, and then gathered around the table, eating and chatting.

Besides the 94-liner maknae, all other members are already adults. Today they're all pretty happy, and a few hyungs just ordered some drinks to share. Anyway, they've all been drinking privately countless times before.

The EXO members, especially the K-unit, haven't had a private gathering for quite some time. Their busy schedules are one reason, and recently, the comeback of "December's Miracle" has also caused discord within the group.

Although they were all young people of similar ages, and despite having debuted over a year ago, they weren't seasoned veterans yet. A few drinks later, their faces flushed, and as things warmed up, past grievances were brushed aside. With the temperature of the grill rising, the atmosphere in the private room also gradually heated up.

Before we knew it, we had talked from the beginning of the year to the end. As we chatted, we started talking about next year's return.

Although EXO's next mini-album hasn't been officially confirmed yet, preparations have already begun. The members naturally heard the news a while ago, and the manager has also mentioned it to them many times.

"Jingyuan, did you participate in this return this time" Kim Jun-myeon took a sip of his drink and looked at Ji Kyeong-won.

"He should participate, right

Chi Jingyuan puffed out his cheeks and swallowed the grilled meat. He nodded, "Teacher Li Xiuman told me a while ago to give him one or two of my own deos. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be included in the new album."

"But I've been quite busy lately, so I haven't given it to him yet." After saying this, Ji Jingyuan stuffed another piece of grilled meat into his mouth and chewed it with relish. To be honest, he was a little hungry.

"Are there any songs like "Rage" anymore Ah, jjia, if another song with the same level of popularity as "Rage" comes out, we could be number one next year!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Shih-hsuen's eyes lit up. He hurriedly swallowed whatever was in his mouth and, ignoring the oil on his lips, stared expectantly at Chi Ching-yuan.

Several other members had similar expressions, all looking at Ji Jingyuan.

“It’s not that easy, you know. A song like 《咆孝》 that breaks sales records like this, a male group's divine song, there isn't even one a year. I'm not a god, how could I possibly keep writing songs like this”

"Besides the song's own high quality, its popularity is also due to several factors like the choreography, arrangement, and the company's promotion and investment, especially the latter."

Chi Jingyuan glanced at them, curled his lips in disdain, and replied with a helpless tone.

But before the members could be disappointed, he took a sip of water, thought for a moment and added, “Although I don't know if it can compare to ‘Roar’, I am confident that it will definitely be much better than the company's ordinary B-sides. As for whether it can be a title track, who knows.”

"You're right, to be honest, the fact that Jingyuan can write a "Roar" for our group is already something we should be grateful for."

"I hope the company picks a better song this time, tomorrow's comeback is actually very important."

"Yeah..."

Several members nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

"Speaking of "Rage", the reason why we have this popularity now is truly thanks to this song. Jingyuan, brother, let's drink to you. It's all thanks to you."

Kim Jun-myeon raised his glass and toasted with Park Ji-hwan.

The captain's action prompted the others to follow suit, some with solemn expressions and others grinning, all raising their glasses to Chen Jingyuan.

And Chi Jingyuan was also smiling and welcoming to all who came. He could feel that several members were truly grateful to him in their hearts.

After three rounds of drinks and with most of the meal finished, Park Chan-wook got up to stretch his body. He pulled open the curtains and looked out the window at the scenery.

Since yesterday, light snow has been falling in Seoul, and it shows no signs of stopping today. At this moment, the streets outside are covered in a pure white blanket. The moonlight reflects on its surface, creating a dazzling silver sheen that paints the entire cityscape with a breathtaking chill.

Occasionally, cars would pass by, the blinding headlights and roar of their engines adding a bit of life to the otherwise quiet Seoul night.

Do you remember this time last year

Park Chan-wook looked at it for a while, and then suddenly asked a question.

Of course I remember, we were eating ramen in the dorm back then.

"I remember that the dorm atmosphere was terrible back then. Chanyeol and Baekhyun fought every day..."

It's not just the dorm, the whole team has a low atmosphere. I feel like everyone's mood hasn't been great.

As soon as the topic was brought up, the members' memories flew back. Last year's heartbreaking situation with EXO came back to mind.

"Look at our popularity now, who last year could have imagined we'd be like this" Wu Shixun sighed, his eyes a bit complex.

“Last year at that event, I thought Jingyuan was going to solo and we were going to disband.”

"Haha, actually, I thought the same thing. To be shelved right after debuting, we're really unlucky."

"Finally made it."

"I don't want to go back there again."

The bittersweet atmosphere made each member's thoughts a little confused. Everyone recalled themselves from last year and compared them to who they are now, prompting countless feelings of reflection.

Well, it's getting late. I think that's about it for now.

Kim Jun-myeon glanced at the table and saw that it was quite late, so he clapped his hands and summarized: "No matter what, we've made it through. Now we just hope that EXO can develop even better next year."

"It's definitely better inside!"

"Oooooh..."

Woo Shi-hwan and Park Chan-lye's playful teasing brought everyone back from their reminiscing, their eyes now on the other members in the private room. Their hearts warmed with the familiar camaraderie, and they couldn't help but laugh along.

Come on!

"fightg!"

………………

December 31, the last day of 2013.

Xiaoxue had already stopped this morning, and the roads were wet everywhere. The freezing cold of melting snow also made everyone who went out bundled up warmly.

Although EXO did not attend the bc song festival in person, their pre-recorded stage footage will be broadcast around 10 pm.

At this moment, Ji Jingyuan is at the SBS Drama Awards ceremony. He's sitting on the left side of the central table in the front row, watching the host speaking on stage with a smile and light applause.

Because Kim Woo Bin is one of the three MCs today, he often gets called by the other MCs when he's hosting on stage. Together with Park Seo Joon, they have interacted several times since the beginning of the show.

Chi Jingyuan's attire today was very formal. He wore a navy blue suit with black pinstripes, his chestnut brown, medium-length hair meticulously styled. The look, similar to that of a television drama character, gave the impression that Jin Tan had walked out of the screen and into reality.

The red carpet segment earlier this afternoon caused gasps from the audience, and now even though the camera is pointed right at him and filming non-stop, you can't find a single flaw.

Compared to the past few events over the last two days, the Acting Awards felt a bit more sophisticated. The entire evening was basically awards presentations and VCRs, with only a few stage performances to liven up the atmosphere and fill in the time.

Apart from that, most of the participants were actors, including some popular ones like So Ji-sub. He's an actor who doesn't usually appear on television much, making him seem more mysterious.

The audience was also very sparse, and there was no thunderous cheers like during the Battle of Songs.

These are actually all deliberately arranged by the organizers, just to separate them from other aspects and events, highlighting their own class.

Three hosts stood on the stage, and beneath them was the artist's seating area.

There were eight round tables set up in front of the VIP area, each with seats for members of television drama crews that had been popular this year. Behind these tables was a row of benches where other crew members sat, such as directors and writers.

And the crew of "The Heirs," where Ji-yeong is located, sat at a round table in the first row, slightly to the right of the center. To their left was the crew of "Master's Sun," with So Ji Sub sitting less than a meter away from him.

On the right side is the cast and crew of “Hearing Your Voice.” There aren't many familiar faces at this table. Lead actor Lee Jong Suk knows them just casually, and the other lead actress, Lee Bo Young, is hosting the event above.

Oh, by the way, there's a fan of Ji-won in this drama crew named Kim So-hyeon. When they met backstage just now, under her manager's helpless gaze, she enthusiastically approached Ji-won and chatted for a while. She excitedly asked many questions about EXO and Yuan, clearly showing that she was a real fan and not just being polite.

The actors who attended the Acting Awards tonight actually know in their hearts that most of the awards tonight will probably be bagged by these three drama teams. After all, these three consecutive dramas are considered to be the hottest and highest-rated dramas of SBS this year, clearly surpassing other TV shows by a notch.

And among these three dramas, "The Heirs" shines the brightest.

The cast of "The Heirs" came in full force today, with not only Kim Woo Bin hosting but also Park Seo Joon, Park Shin Hye, Kim Ji Won, Jung Eun Ji, Kang Min Hyuk, and Choi Jin Hyuk basically filling up the entire table.

And it's practically certain that everyone at this table will win at least one award, with no limit to how many they can get.

Jeong Seo-jeong sat on the right side of the round table, diagonally opposite Ji Seong-won. She was dressed very beautifully today in a white dress with silver trim. Her makeup looked fresh and light, as if she hadn't put much effort into it, but in reality, it was a meticulously crafted look where she almost used up an entire box of foundation.

I have to say, even though it's a makeup look with intention, it's actually quite beautiful.

Compared to Jung Seowon, who sat on the right side of the round table, Park Shin Hye's makeup seemed much plainer. I don't know what her stylist was thinking today, but they styled Park Shin Hye's hair in a way that made her large round face even more prominent.

She seems to have gained some weight recently. Her fair and round face looks like a plump steamed bun. Even backstage, Ji Jingyuan said something about it, but he was quickly slapped on the back and shut up.

Before, the New Star Award was given out, similar to a newcomer award in the music industry.

This table, including himself, had most of the people go up to receive this award. Several of the actors were first-time participants in SBS televised dramas, so it's not surprising that they won this award together.

And now it was time to announce the Best Couple Award. One of the hosts, Lee Hui-cai, took the microphone and script and walked down from the stage to stand in front of Ji Jingyuan. He stared at him intently for a moment on camera before speaking:

"Wow, this is truly unbelievable! I thought I was watching a drama... But I have a question, why aren't Jingyuan xi and Xinhui xi sitting together Did they intentionally sit so far apart"

First published by the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkhey first debuted and sang last year, but their comeback last year didn't get much attention. They sang a few times and then it ended.Ji Jingyuan said he didn't have much of an impression of the group...