Chapter 27: Keep Going

m their necks, followed their manager into the backstage waiting room.Although it's still early, the backstage is already very busy. Staff checking in and out are coming and going, everyone walks in a...EXO-M flew to Thailand on April 12 to participate in the Ping Pong Concert held on April 13.

The K team stayed on the peninsula.

Although only the M team performed, this was also EXO's first formal live stage appearance in over three months.

The last public stage performance was on January 31st at the Seoul Music Awards.

Although the performance piece was still "MAMA", everyone paying attention to EXO could tell that the M team members' hairstyles and makeup had all changed. They looked very different from their debut period last year, much brighter.

Although few passersby noticed, it caused a stir in the fan club.

The official makeup change means EXO is getting closer to their comeback, and many EXO fans have become active again. Fans who had been lurking for a long time are popping up in group chats, expressing their anticipation for the idol's return.

After finishing their 13-day "Fight" concert tour, M team rushed to Xia Country to record a stage performance for the Music Wind and Cloud List.

And at this moment, Ji-seong who was lazing around with the K team members in the practice room, suddenly received a message on his phone:

"Are you free to grab some dinner"

…………

Looking at Jung Eon-ji, who was sitting across from him, constantly drinking soju, Ki Kyung-won let out a sigh.

Since M team isn't here, K practicing alone doesn't really feel like much. The album preparations are progressing faster than the company expected, so these days have suddenly become quite free.

When Chi Jingyuan had time, he made an appointment with the person who sent him the text message about the time and place.

It was a small restaurant in Mapo District, with limited space and average decor.

When they met, Zheng Eundi's face didn't look good. After ordering their food, she asked, 'Why did you dye your hair like this' and then started to complain.

Originally, a member of Apk, Hong Yu-gyeong was going to leave the group.

According to Jung Eun-ji, the reason for this was a disagreement between the member and the company on some matters. The parents escalated the conflict during communication with the company, leading to an irreconcilable situation where both sides were unable to reach a compromise. Ultimately, the only solution was for the member to leave the group.

She sounded down when she talked about this, her voice not quite right.

It's possible that the relationship with Hong Yu Jing's sister, who suddenly left, played a part, but more likely it stems from her own confusion about the future of the group.

Member departures are a significant blow to any group on the peninsula, even if it's a less popular or peripheral member who leaves.

Unless your combination itself is unpopular and no one has even heard of your group's name, and few people know about it, then there wouldn't be much loss.

Although Apk won all the rookie awards upon debut, they have been lukewarm for the past year. The results of their two recent comebacks were not significant either. Suddenly, a member left the group, and the future of the group has become dimmer.

Jung Eun-ji, who came from Busan, has always been very ambitious. After hearing the news, she has not been in a good mood recently. Today happened to be free, so she went out to chat with Ji Chang-wook and vent her emotions.

She wasn't looking for comfort, she just needed a close friend to talk to and vent her feelings.

Jeong Eun Ji's alcohol tolerance is pretty good, she drank several bottles one by one, her face slowly turning red. After a few drinks, she seemed to feel much better after having a good chat.

"Do you drink"

Jeon Eundi blinked her eyes and asked, then patted herself on the head: "Oh, I forgot, you're not an adult yet."

"I'm not from the peninsula, and I drank alcohol when I was very young. However, I don't feel like drinking today. Speaking of which... are you an adult"

Jeon Eun-ji is a year older than him. She's an adult this year, but her coming-of-age ceremony on the peninsula hasn't arrived yet.

Moreover, judging by her proficiency in drinking, she's not a novice.

"No one cares in private anyway. It's a friend of mine who opened this place...and who really hasn't had a drop of alcohol before they were of age You ever met someone like that"

Jung Eon-ji waved her hand and explained for a moment.

She's right, as a nation with a strong drinking culture, the peninsula, although there are regulations prohibiting underage drinking, not many people actually follow them. In recent years, management has also been lax, and many supermarkets openly sell alcohol.

EXO members often drink privately, but as entertainers, they can't get caught drinking because it would have a bad impact. They need to be discreet about where and when they drink.

Chi Jingyuan curled his lips and took two bites of rice,

Before this, I was always listening to Jung Eun-ji complain, and I've been waiting for her mood to improve before she started eating. Actually, she's quite hungry.

"Have you been in contact with Naeun recently" After replying normally, Jung Eunji started chatting casually.

"No, what's wrong"

Chi Jingyuan swallowed a mouthful of rice and looked at her with calm eyes, "

"Ashley, you are just..."

Seeing the other person's calm face, Jung Eon-ji couldn't help but say: "She probably still thinks about you... Recently, the company has been in talks with MBC for a variety show called 'We Got Married'. Originally, Na Eun was the top choice, but she doesn't seem very interested."

> Later, the company considered that the members participating would be heavily attacked by the male fans, and Naeun's own ability to withstand it was not strong. In the end, they decided to have other members participate instead.

"By the way, the man should be a member of SHINee."

"...like that..."

Ji Jingyuan nodded, evaluating the show as an outsider: "I've seen a bit of this variety show. It's not very interesting and it's fine to skip it. Moreover, SHINee's fans are really crazy. They would definitely be criticized harshly for appearing on this program, it's not worth it."

"...and you didn't..."

Zheng Eun-ji tentatively asked a question.

"......" Chi Jingyuan shrugged and said nothing.

Jung Eunji already knew Ji Kyeongwon's personality, so she didn't say anything more. After eating for a while, she brought up the matter of her return.

“You should be heading back, right Wow, I didn’t really take a good look just now. Your hair color is quite unique.” Jeong Eun-ji’s gaze focused again on Ji Kyeong-won's hair.

"Well, around the end of May. What about you guys"

We encountered this issue right at the start of our planning. Now, some choreography needs to be redone, and it should be ready by July or August.

Come on!

"Hope we can all succeed in this return, fight on!"

…………

As May approaches, the date of EXO's official comeback draws nearer.

By late April, preparations for the album were almost complete, and the members had a lot more free time than before.

However, after entering May, they became suddenly tense again and resumed their daily practice until very late.

The return time has been confirmed, with a group comeback promotional photo released online on the 16th, and individual concept makeup photos for members will be released successively on the 17th and 19th.

On the 23rd, a teaser video was released, and on the 30th, they made their comeback stage at M! Countdown. The official audio will be released on June 3rd.

The company will also formally invest a lot of resources in publicity during this period, conducting various hype and preheating activities before its return.

As the return date gets closer, the sense of tension in my heart grows stronger. Both the company and the members have placed immense hope on this comeback, especially the members themselves, who are increasingly anxious as the day approaches.

After a few days of leisure, they couldn't just sit still. They spontaneously started working overtime to practice, striving for perfection in their comeback stage for "Wolf." This aimed to make the already impressive group dance even more synchronized and cohesive.

The company also added a special choreography segment to the opening act for their return to their debut stage. They sent specialized staff to check EXO's stage presence and gave them various pointers on areas for improvement.

As time went on, the tension only increased.

This novel is first published on Taiwan's Novel Website.new in advance that EXO wouldn't win, not even a newcomer award, so they didn't have them attend.While Park Ji-won was nominated for 'Best OST', he attended the awards ceremony with Jeong Eunji.I have...