Chapter 62: Waste

MCs of "Weekly Idol", Jung Hyung-don and Defconn, with their manager.Today is August 7th, and they are about to film the variety show "Idols of the Week".This program was launched in 2011 and mainly...Following c's guidance, the broadcast camera also cut to the scoreboard, and the two groups standing in the first row of the stage also looked at the display screen placed in front of the stage.

"Firstly, it's the audio source sales score, EXO 3805 vs BIGBANG 5000."

"Album sales score, EXO 1000 vs. BIGBANG 324."

The scoring system uses different score pools based on different performance categories. The current top-ranked combination gets a full score directly, and then the opponent's percentage in that area determines the score.

Audience preference exo750 vs bigbang 841.

"Social media score exo1000 vs bigbang 840."

“Broadcasting points… plus the final tally of live broadcast **S voting points, 《lht》exo9889669.”

"Today's one shining light is... EXO, Crushing it!"

Silver streaks poured down from the ceiling like rain, and Ellie, who had been eagerly anticipating this moment, immediately erupted in a thunderous cheer, as if she wanted to tear through both the ceiling and eardrums.

Many faces in the audience immediately showed anger, the previous enthusiasm vanished instantly. They sat on their seats, looking unhappily at c and exo on stage.

Before, my manager had already reminded me. And after being in the industry for so long, of course, I'm already very good at managing my expressions. Even though I was truly happy inside, all nine members of EXO still smiled and waved gently to celebrate, their smiles carrying sincerity and gratitude.

And while Pool Jingyuan's gaze couldn't help but glance towards Bigbang, these five seniors certainly wouldn't back down. They smiled and clapped continuously to show their congratulations and encouragement. A few of them looked quite normal, like Kwon Jiyong and Taeyang even lightly nodded their heads as if agreeing with the rhythm of the applause, while Lee Seunghyun laughed and waved at the fans below, seeming completely unaware of anything amiss.

On the matter of fan expressions, both sides are equally adept. There's harmony everywhere, with mutual celebration and camaraderie. It seems that the rivalry between the group and company, and the intense conflicts among fans previously, have completely vanished.

Only Choi Seung Hyun stood out a little, he slowly clapped his hands twice then stopped, crossing his arms in front of him and staring straight ahead with parallel eyes, completely ignoring EXO's direction.

Seeing this guy's expression, Li Jingyuan couldn't help but chuckle. He casually glanced in the direction of the YG trainees he had just seen, including Kim Jisoo, wanting to see what expressions those girls would have after seeing their senior colleague fail.

At first glance, the others seemed fine, with normal expressions and light applause. After noticing Ji-Seong's gaze, Jin-Soo even blinked.

There was a round-faced girl who grinned so happily, almost as much as Alice next to her. She seemed like she was s coming in the same way, which made Qi Jingyuan find it very interesting.

I wonder if the people from Big Bang, especially Choi Seung-hyun, will give this trainee a hard time if they see this…

Kim Jun-myeon received the trophy, his acceptance speech was brief, just a few words of thanks. Everything seemed very ordinary.

After the members had bowed to each other and everyone else left the stage, it was encore time. The EXO members slowly started smiling as they followed along with the enthusiastic cheers from their fans (Aellies). They all waved their arms and greeted the fans, then lined up, ready to start the relay dance in front of the excited Aellies and audience.

After Encore, I went backstage to wait and prepare. Thanks! Thanks to the staff! A group of idols were standing on both sides of the corridor, packed in tightly. Big Bang seemed to have purposely chosen a spot farther away, several meters from EXO who had just arrived.

But after seeing EXO's performance, Lee Seung-gi came over and greeted everyone with a smile. He hugged Kim Jun-myeon and Park Chanyeol, then winked at them and said, "Hey, actually, I kind of expected this. Congrats on selling so well..."

Judging from their actions and expressions, Lee Seunggi and Park Chan-wook seem to be pretty close in private. And by the look of things, he doesn't seem to care much about seniority or worry about his fellow members' feelings.

"

Don't say that, bro.

"

Kim Jun Myeon seemed to be a little awkward from his enthusiasm. He reached out and placed his hand on the arm resting on his shoulder, as if he wanted to move it away, but hesitated just as he made the movement, then squeezed out a smile: "It's all luck."

"Don't be so modest..." Li Shengli smiled, leaning in with a friendly wave. After chatting briefly and exchanging greetings, he turned his attention to Chi Jingyuan, his smile seeming more genuine this time.

"By the way, Jingyuan, next time we have a chance, let's go out and play together..."

After that CB incident last year, Li Shengli didn't seem to be affected at all. He didn't hold any grudge against Chi Jingyuan for dealing with his friend so harshly. Instead, he acted as if nothing had happened, just a bit more enthusiastic than before.

We had exchanged contact information backstage before. That day, Li Shengli invited Chi Jingyuan out to play several times, saying something about introducing friends in the industry or female idols, but he refused every time.

Although Chi Jingyuan doesn't have a good impression of Li Shengli because of the incident involving him asking trainees to accompany him for drinks, his sensory perception isn't too negative. After all, this kind of thing is common in the industry, and there are too many examples to count. And although there was a conflict that day, Li Shengli gave him the impression throughout the night that he was trying to smooth things over. He has a high emotional intelligence, is very enthusiastic and helpful. Even if he's disliked, he's not particularly unpleasant.

But Chi Jingyuan saw through his intention to make friends, and he simply wasn't interested in what he said. He was too lazy to make friends with those people anyway.

And at the same time, for some reason, this guy doesn't look like an idol anymore.

Faced with Li Shengli's warm invitation, Chi Jingyuan smiled and nodded.

"Maybe."

...........................

"Oh, **..."

As soon as he got back to the break room, Choi Seong-hyun, who had been holding it in for a long time, couldn't help but let out a harsh curse. At the same time, he slammed his fist on the table beside him with so much force that the box originally placed on the table trembled slightly.

"Damn little bastards, look at them laughing like that..."

Just pounding the table wasn't enough to relieve his anger. Cui Shengxian's temper flared, and he started muttering under his breath in a continuous stream. Although he didn't name names, anyone could instantly hear the target of his rage.

Just now, on stage, I almost couldn't hold back. As a senior group, with such a strong presence, losing to a junior group we never really paid attention to is truly unbearable.

From just now until now, he only felt that whether it was EXO, or other C groups, even other artist guests, looking at them with their eyes felt strange, as if they carried some special meaning.

A sudden burst of shouting and a muffled thud startled everyone around, instantly making the atmosphere in the lounge tense. The assistants who were waiting inside saw this and exchanged glances but didn't say anything. Instead, they all seemed very accustomed to it.

After so many years since their debut, BIGBANG is no longer afraid of assistants or managers. It's common for them to show their true personalities in private.

To be honest, it wasn't just him who was furious, the others were pretty upset too.

Kwon Jiyong and the sun sat on the sofa without speaking, Jiang Dacheng found a stool next to him with his hands crossed and leaning his head, while Lee Seunghyun was sitting on the armrest of the sofa with his legs crossed, for a moment bigbang five people did not even have eye contact, all kept silent listening to Choi Seong-hyeon's vent.

"But Choi Seong-hyeon just kept repeating the same few words. After cursing for a while, he felt unsatisfied and turned his head to look at Lee Seung-ri, as if finding an outlet: “Are you close with them You even went over there to greet them earlier.”

“Why are you so resentful of him, just like the fans” The flames burned onto himself, but Lee Seong-gyeol remained unfazed. He glanced at Choi Seong-hyeon with a helpless shake of his head. “Isn’t it just an award After being in the industry for so long, I don’t care about that kind of thing anymore…”

"

This is not a problem for Xi Baj's unit!

"

"Why didn't you fight back when he was so angry"

"Achoo..."

"Enough." Seeing the two, one angry and the other reckless, about to start something, Kwon Ji-yong and Taeyang finally spoke up to advise them. Choi Seong-hyeon glared at them, then clenched his fists and slammed them on the table with a dull thud before turning away without saying a word. Meanwhile, Lee Seung-gi scoffed and turned back, looking up at the ceiling as if pondering something else.

For a moment, the entire room fell silent, with only the rustle of breaths to be heard. Outside the door, however, faint laughter and chatter could be heard. For a moment, it seemed that the single door separated two entirely different worlds.

……

And after the show ended, all sorts of announcements online were quickly released:

"Boy group showdown! Juniors defeat seniors EXO, knocking down BIGBANG to claim the No. 1 spot!"

Since its release, Bigbang's [ ] two songs, "loser" and "baebae," have firmly held the top two spots on major music charts. They effortlessly claimed the Melon Weekly Chart crown, and even a week later, their performance remains strong across all metrics. It's no wonder that this comeback by the top-tier boy group after three years is so impactful.

And while EXO's sound source performance is also excellent, the single album has once again sold 600,000 copies. Adding to their previous two single albums, "e" and "x", the total sales of the three single albums now exceed an astonishing 1.5 million. This comeback, besides the title track "lht" shining brightly, the non-title track "Targeting Sniper" achieved unexpectedly good results and received a lot of love.

The simultaneous return of these two groups has always captivated fans and passersby. At the recent music show "!", which just concluded, both groups returned in the same format as before. Your highly anticipated two big boy bands, Big Bang and EXO, finally took to the stage at the same time for a head-to-head competition for the number one trophy. EXO emerged victorious with a slight edge over Big Bang, securing the first place trophy. As a junior group, they triumphed over their senior idols who have been in the industry for many years, taking the lead in this boy band battle!

Today's 《!》 has a really high level of attention, and the viewership has also seen a noticeable increase. Shortly after the program ended, various articles were released, and I don't know how many of them are arranged by s.

But while some places might be quiet or bustling with chaos, in Alice's fan group it was pure jubilation. Right now, screenshots of Big Bang members winning an award are being constantly shared and fans are going crazy celebrating their victory today.

“kkkkkkk, I'm dying of laughter! Have you guys seen the expressions on the faces of some members after Bigbang was announced GD and Taeyang smirking at the same time unintentionally... it's hilarious! Especially their facial expressions, every bit of it can be screenshotted as a classic kkkk. I took several really interesting ones and will post them up later, so that stans can see how interesting their psychological changes are.”

"Indeed, although the members of the 'stealing group' were good at controlling their expressions, you could tell they weren't very happy inside. After all, this was a competition that involved their own and their fans' image. Don't even get me started on Choi Seung Hyun, he was already starting to frown. The subtle expressions from GD and Taeyang were really amazing, I couldn't help but laugh out loud kkk."

"What's most obvious about the Big Bang is that his actions and expressions are too exaggerated. If he had done this to XO before, I would definitely have gotten angry and anti-fan him. But today after watching it, I just want to laugh every time I see it."

Now, what about those fools who always brag about their group's comeback being a huge success and crushing XO They can't even face us head-on. We beat them without a trace of resistance! And they’re still just selling 《 ! 》 which has very little sales. Tomorrow on 《Music Bank》, it will be even worse.

"What use is a daily blow, not even one can be snatched away. It shatters with a direct hit."

Although it was just an ordinary singing competition, the fact that he won this time against his direct opponent really made all the fans who had been at odds with XO for a long time feel a huge sense of relief. They felt refreshed and invigorated, as if their weary bodies had taken a good sauna. Even it seemed like even Seulgi looked more agreeable.

In just a few hours, Bigbang, especially the screenshot memes, were created by talented fans to ridicule and mock Bigbang and its members. They flooded group chats and forums, becoming a hot topic for a while. Coupled with onlookers who joined the frenzy and fans of other groups adding fuel to the fire, it quickly became a lively and heated discussion, its popularity even surpassing that of IU's.

...not saying that after seeing it, either you'd rise to the challenge and leave fiery comments or bite your tongue so hard you could swallow it. p, I wonder what expression Choi Sung-hyun himself would have after seeing it…

……

"Damn, this place has some good food."

"Haha, I told you so, you didn't believe me at first."

"Bro, where do you always find so many places to eat"

"Many are recommendations from others, but some are well-known by myself. Just search online and you'll know. I pay more attention to this aspect of things."

Facing the praise from the members beside him, Kim Jun Myeon swallowed what was in his mouth and smiled reservedly.

This made it 10 pm, and besides the two members who were filming, all the other EXO members were having dinner at a well-established restaurant recommended by Kim Junmyeon.

On the surface, it's for a late-night snack. But actually, it's also to celebrate today's achievement, after all, in these face-saving situations, they have won, and both Alice and themselves are very happy inside.

This shop specializes in ginseng chicken soup and braised pork trotters. The chicken soup is fresh, rich and flavorful, while the pork trotters are tender and have a pure taste. Chi Jingyuan feels that the taste is really good.

This restaurant's specialty is that there are no chairs, you need to sit on traditional floor seating with underfloor heating. Six or seven people gather around a large dining table in the private room, enjoying the heat and chatting while eating, creating a very good atmosphere.

After a while, he was suddenly jolted as something in his pocket vibrated. He quickly finished the soup in his spoon and then pulled out his phone to glance at it.

It was a text message from Minami, as always with a smiley face.

Chi Jingyuan licked the soup from the corner of his mouth, habitually gave her a smiley face after that and put his phone aside. He happily picked up a spoon and sipped the chicken broth.

But not long after, the phone beside him buzzed again. He picked it up curiously and saw that it was still from Nanami.

He was taken aback. This girl had actually broken her vow

When you're feeling stressed, how do you usually vent

Upon clicking to reveal the message, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but click his tongue in surprise.

Because we weren't very familiar, even after getting his contact information, Minami just sent emojis and said hello the next day. We never had a formal conversation.

But at this moment, the norm was suddenly broken. There was a hint of gloominess in the words. It's estimated that he was really depressed, under a lot of pressure and couldn't find anywhere to speak his mind.

Or perhaps seize the opportunity to say a few words

It doesn't matter.

Anyway, because she was in a great mood today and he had a good impression of her, Chi Jingyuan raised his bowl and finished the remaining chicken soup. He wiped his mouth with a tissue, then picked up his phone to reply:

"What's causing so much stress"

Cuddling under the covers, with a small blanket covering her head, only a faint glow could be seen from the outside. Nan Minami was staring intently at her phone screen, a mix of anticipation and nervousness in her eyes. Her little feet kept unconsciously closing together and then parting again.

She was a little worried that the other party wouldn't reply, ignoring her. She was also worried that her sudden question would break the tacit understanding between them, causing Chi Jingyuan to be unhappy.

But today, her mood isn't good. Since the task was divided into groups, she has been under a lot of pressure. She is afraid that she will not perform well and be placed in the bottom group. She is also worried that with only one year of practice, she will hold the team back and be looked down upon by others. Anyway, all kinds of negative emotions are emerging, making her seem depressed during the past two days of practice.

Even during the daytime recording today, I couldn't control my emotions. Because someone casually said a word, I couldn't help but cry directly in front of the camera and wiped tears for half the time.

Of course, it's not good to talk about these feelings of competition with others. Even the other two trainees from Neon Le are the same. Others are under a lot of pressure and busy preparing for the stage, she doesn't want to add to their troubles.

As night fell, I felt increasingly down. Lying in bed, I was scrolling through my phone when I saw that familiar name. My heart surged with a powerful impulse. First, I sent a smiling face to test if Chi Jingyuan was online. After a few seconds of his reply, I gathered my courage and sent another message.

Just as Nan Xin was feeling uneasy, a new message suddenly appeared on top of her phone screen. Her eyes lit up when she saw it, and she started typing quickly with a smile.

"Because I was afraid of being eliminated from the or team and this task involved a new grouping with unfamiliar teammates, we encountered many problems during practice. I worried about holding my team back."

Chi Jingyuan seemed to not mind at all and quickly replied:

"If it were me, I'd probably play some games or take a walk around. But honestly, there aren't many things that really stress me out..."

"Hey, that doesn't sound very confident. You usually seem really sure of yourself, why are you worrying so much… Plus, remember you already went to the 'A major' group for two consecutive competitions You should be feeling good about your place there! What would everyone else think"

Naomi's impression of Ji Jingyuan was like this. Although her appearance, temperament, and some habitual little movements made her seem soft and weak, and she often had the shyness of a young girl, he felt that this girl actually had a strong sense of confidence deep inside. It could be seen from her eyes and bearing. Perhaps it was because of her good family background, or maybe because of her appearance. She probably knew she was quite beautiful.

She is also very assertive and courageous. At least one female trainee dared to actively contact him for his contact information multiple times, which is quite admirable.

"Is that so I've been practicing these past two days, and things haven't been going well. The other people on our team are really strong, and I'm worried that I won't perform well during the show. What if something goes wrong The more I think about it, the more down I feel."

"I think your skill is really good, at least your performance on the stage during that episode where I was a judge was very good."

"Really But I've been feeling really sensitive lately, I can't control it..."

"It must be a bit strange to be in a new environment and around new people, right Don't overthink things. If I were deciding who would debut in your group, you would definitely be one of my choices, no surprises there."

Why (Blinking)

Although the pressure in her heart wouldn't melt away just because of a few short sentences, chatting with Kishiki made Minami feel quite happy. Her attention was diverted, no longer dwelling on those troublesome things. She relaxed unconsciously and, seeing his words, eagerly asked him something.

Only Chi Jingyuan didn't know what had happened. This time, the waiting time was a bit long. Just as she pursed her lips and tossed and turned on the bed, changing several lying positions in a row, the screen finally lit up.

"Smiling like that, it's a waste not to go out and perform!"

Seeing these words, she suddenly paused, instantly remembering the scene from behind the scenes of "Sixteen." The image from that time appeared before her eyes, and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

While her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth involuntarily rose.

…………

And the reason it took so long to get a reply was because there were also some hiccups on Ji Jingyuan's side.

Originally, they were having a pleasant meal when suddenly Jin Jun-Mien received a phone call. After speaking a few words, he put down his phone and glanced at the surrounding members with a strange look in his eyes. He then uttered the news he had just learned in surprise:

"We got into a fight with Big Bang's fans!"

This novel is first published on the Traditional Chinese Novels website.sly knew a lot about the recent film and television news: "But that project has already finished casting and is about to start filming. The one I'm talking about, *Anying Elian*, is also a KBS TV pro...