Chapter 95 Come Closer

themselves."Hello everyone, I am Jeong Eun-ji of Apink.""Hello everyone, I'm Yuan from EXO." Ji-sung bowed slightly towards the microphone.At this moment, the big screen switched to a close-up of Chi..."Huh"

Hearing her mother suddenly say that, Zhou Tzuyu, who had been smiling widely moments ago, froze. She let out a startled cry, then seemed to hesitate for a moment, before asking in a stammered voice, "A few days later"

"Yeah, didn't you say they've always taken good care of you Helped you solve a lot of trouble. Since you went to the peninsula as a trainee, it's been two or three years already. Of course, you have to find an opportunity to thank them..."

Zhou Ma immediately sensed that her daughter wasn't very willing. She then, in a matter-of-fact tone, explained herself.

Chou Tzu-yu left home at the ages of thirteen or fourteen to become a trainee on the peninsula. Since she didn't speak the language and was unfamiliar with everything, her family was always worried about her. As an adult, she knew many things that were slightly dark, especially after learning about some twists and turns and exclusion in the peninsula's training system.

At the same time, her daughter is someone who doesn't like to express her emotions in front of others. Every time she's in front of other people, she often looks blank and wooden, or pretends that nothing happened and acts nonchalant. But this is just a habit and a form of protection when she's alone. She often feels very uncomfortable and sensitive inside.

During the time Tzuyu first went to the peninsula, almost every time Chou called her, she would cry because of the unfamiliar surroundings, the various discomforts here, and many other reasons. It took a long time to comfort her before her emotions stabilized, and then she would be a little embarrassed and coquettishly act cute.

It wasn't until after several months on the peninsula that I started to feel even a little better.

After some time had passed, during another phone call, Tzuyu suddenly said that she had met a new friend by chance.

The mother and daughter had a very good relationship with no barriers between them. When Tzuyu was in Korea, she told her mother almost everything that happened, so during the following year, Zhou's mother frequently heard her daughter mention the friend's name and presence in passing.

He takes very good care of her, such as inviting her to meals, helping her solve difficulties and bad things, guiding her practice, and even sending text messages to comfort her when she's down. He also says some really encouraging things, but he gets frustrated with traditional Chinese characters...

Every time we call each other, it comes up. There are so many things going on, I can't summarize them all.

Anyway, it just feels like from that point on, Zhou Tzuyu's experiences in Korea became intertwined with that person's, inseparable. Every little detail of her life seemed to involve him as well.

That's not good!

Although Zhou Mom is grateful that her daughter can be taken care of, as a parent she always tends to think negatively. Instinctually, she still feels something is not quite right.

However, she was also very busy and couldn't get involved even though they were far apart. Moreover, seeing Zhou Tzuyu's mood getting better each time they spoke on the phone, she cried less frequently. They often chatted about happy things, so she didn't say much more.

I'm still a bit worried and have some other thoughts, especially after knowing 'that friend's' name, identity, and appearance.

She doesn't know what her true personality is like. Although her silly daughter occasionally complains that the other person's words are hurtful, most of the time she praises them excessively. However, since she hasn't had personal contact with her, she doesn't believe it much. After all, they have been friends for several years, so she should still be a pretty good person and trustworthy.

But this appearance...

EXO is often active in Korea, appearing on many shows and even performing at New Year's Eve stages. Their popularity has been very high, especially in the last two years.

Plus, Zhou Mama also watched "The Heirs"... Although she didn't know at the time that Park Ki-won was that friend, she really liked the character Kim Tan back then, amazed by the actor's handsomeness and his portrayal of the character.

...And when she found out that the other person was also an artist, she purposely asked him directly. Zhou Tzuyu hesitated before saying his name and identity. Changing her perspective after hearing this, she realized that Chi Jingyuan really looked... handsome.

In her many years in the medical aesthetics industry, she truly believes that it's impossible to achieve such beauty through plastic surgery alone.

Which girl wouldn't be moved Not to mention someone who is constantly being taken care of.

Although through years of communication, she felt that Chi Jingyuan didn't mean anything by it, she couldn't help but worry about what her daughter Zhou Tzuyu thought. So since last year, she has been trying to find an opportunity to meet him and thank him in person.

Besides being a worried parent, she is actually very grateful to the other party. After all, she has personally felt Zhou Tzuyu's condition gradually improving over the past few years. Plus, her daughter also said that the other person helped her solve several problems she encountered. Although it might be a small thing for the other person, of course she couldn't just ignore it.

"Hmm..."

Although she knew her mother's request was perfectly reasonable, Zhou Tzuyu seemed hesitant and stammered.

The past two years, she could casually bring up Chi Jingyuan with her mother, happily recounting some happenings. Besides the closeness of their mother-daughter bond, it was also because she didn't overthink things. Talking about anecdotes with friends felt like no big deal and there was nothing to be shy about.

However, this year, especially in the last few months, a strange feeling has subtly shifted. Though not clear-cut, it's undeniably there. Lately, during her phone calls with her mother, she finds herself mentioning Ji Jingyuan less and less without even realizing it.

But now, inexplicably, there's a sense of resistance to this request in my heart.

As a good girl, she couldn't think of any good reasons to refuse. After hesitating for a few seconds, she nodded and agreed: "I, I understand... I'll ask him if he has time then."

EXO just made a comeback, they must be very busy lately. The last texts I sent haven't even been replied to...

……

"This is why you texted me yesterday asking if I was going to dye my hair today, isn't it"

After reviewing today's "Music Bank" script, the two MCs were resting in the waiting room. Ji-seong casually glanced at Irene who was beside him, his gaze finally settling on the pink butterfly hair clip adorning her head and he spoke up.

Pei Zhuhyun today wore a powder-white dress, looking gentle and charming. Her brown wavy hair added a lot of fashion sense, the most eye-catching was the butterfly knot headband on her head, the bright color and cute feeling seemed to be shining with Ji Jingyuan who specially dyed blue hair for the MV styling today.

Because he was sitting on the couch, the two white legs that were exposed were still softly stacked there. Ji Jingyuan didn't know if he was mistaken, he felt that Pei Zhuxuan seemed to have put a lot of effort into body management recently, and the lines of her legs looked tighter than before.

She specifically asked him yesterday night if he would dye his hair today during their chat. It turned out she wanted a hairstyle and outfit that matched better.

Isn't it beautiful

The little sister touched the headband on her head, then turned to look at him and blinked. She didn't deny it, nonchalantly smoothing her hair and asking, "I think it looks good."

Even with the other party's sparkling eyes fixed on him, Chi Jingyuan wouldn't hesitate to give them a quick up-and-down once over.

It's pretty good... Still quite good.

To be honest, this sister would look pretty good if she didn't wear those strange makeup and hairstyles. She'd still be eye-catching even without any makeup.

"It's okay, but pink and blue... aren't those your special CP with Shengwan among your fans"

He nodded in acknowledgement, admitting that the other person's outfit today was quite good. However, after a moment's thought, Ji Jingyuan added another sentence.

He still pays close attention to Red Velvet and occasionally likes to check their fans' updates while browsing his phone.

Although Ledebebe's fanbase isn't huge right now, their fans are very interesting and come up with a lot of creative ideas. Just within the group, you can ship several pairs together.

Except for the limited number of people, they are not much worse than EXO in other aspects.

"We can use it too..." added the parrot.

Having received confirmation, the young lady was delighted and shook her head. She leaned against the sofa, crossed her arms, and turned to look at Chi Jingyuan. Her gaze was fixed on his face and hair, her exquisitely delicate eyelashes quivering.

She has always liked Park Ji-won's hair color this time, it feels especially to her taste. Since she saw the preview, she just felt that way, and after repeatedly watching those famous scene shots in the MV, she was even more looking forward to it.

Women are generally appearance-conscious. Seeing Ji Sung right now, Jennie just found him pleasing to the eye and her mood was particularly good. Recalling the online comments and fans' envy, she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Thinking back, Ji Jingyuan had just mentioned that 'dying his hair was a lot of trouble and he wouldn't have many chances to dye it again.' Pei Zhuhyun thought for a second and immediately took out her phone, then shifted her bottom towards him, and the two of them sat together at once.

She opened her phone's camera, stretched out her arm straight, and pulled the lens up to focus on the two of them. Seeing that Ji Jingyuan didn't seem to react, she looked at him dissatisfied and called out, "Come here a little bit."

“......”

With a hint of resignation, she smacked her lips. Chi Jingyuan shifted his body slightly to press closer to her, smiling with pursed lips at the phone camera above.

Upon seeing his actions, Bae Ju-hyeon satisfiedly retracted her gaze to look at the camera. She tilted her head slightly, brushing against Ji Eon's jawline and cheek. She puckered up her lips, raised her right hand to her cheek, making a scissor gesture, with the red polka dots on her transparent nail polish being quite eye-catching.

The mischievous tuft of hair that popped out rubbed against Chi Jingyuan, causing a slight itch. At the same time, the scent of perfume and hair mingled with a faint, soft musky aroma.

Although he was still enjoying himself, seeing her pose, Ji Jingyuan couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment.

Pouting and scissors hands aren't standard poses for young girls taking pictures, why are you so proficient at them as a big sister

This pose was shot for several consecutive frames, and then Jennie quickly changed her movements, placing her palm on her forehead to make a look of gazing upward while also widening her eyes specifically.

He simply struck a pose in front of the camera, looking at his reflection in the pool. Ji Jingyuan just casually made a "scissors hand" gesture. Yi wrote angrily and poked him with her elbow: "Be serious... do the same pose as me."

As if sensing the excitement in Bae Joo-hyeon's heart, Ji Kyung-won took a moment before regaining his composure and playing along. He placed his hand on his forehead as well, striking a pose of looking afar.

"Okay." Finding the right angle, Pei Zhuhyun immediately clicked the shutter.

Then immediately put down her phone and checked the photo she had just taken, a satisfied giggle escaped her lips. "Keke..."

And Chi Jingyuan, looking at the two people in the photo who were harmonious and close together, tacitly understood each other. At the same time, seeing her joyful and happy smile, he also slowly smiled.

"Come again..."

"Card."

"You're really not good at taking selfies, no wonder you don't post many photos on INS... put your hands down a bit and lean against my head."

"Can you pucker your lips"

"I... refuse."

"Come here, you look so good..."

The two assistants in the room had long since gotten used to it and pretended not to see anything, and now that the program crew was resting, they wouldn't stay in the waiting room like they used to. After work, they would leave on their own initiative, so now everyone around was from their own company. This was also one reason why 裴珠泫 wasn't so reserved.

Since May 1st, after a month of fermentation and maintenance, the average viewership of "Music Bank" has stabilized at around 4%, which is four to six times higher than the previous 0.7% to 1%.

And on the official accounts, as well as in the comments section at the bottom of the website, almost all are praise and admiration for this Mc pair. Many people said that they were not interested in the stage at all, they just came to see these two MCs host and sprinkle sugar. Some even called on the program team to reduce the performance share of those obscure groups and give more time for the two MCs to show their faces.

The viewership saw such a dramatic increase, and the buzz surrounding it was also incredibly obvious. This has led to the Music Bank team being praised and recognized by KBS multiple times. It's also significantly increased their satisfaction and favorability towards both Ji-sung and Irene. The PD and staff's enthusiasm has gone beyond the typical idol treatment, often going out of their way to make things easier for them implicitly.

Several other TV channels, especially SBS and MBC's music shows, still have such dismal viewership ratings. Seeing how "Music Bank" has soared in popularity, they are also eager to try and imitate its success by changing the hosting style several times after holding many meetings.

It's a shame that the MCs for music program appearances weren't popular before. Now their MCs aren't from the same caliber of artists, and it's hard to replace them even though their contracts haven't expired. Even if they did change MCs, it would be difficult to find a pair as visually stunning and well-matched as Ji Sung Hyun and Joy, who have great chemistry and make viewers want to ship them.

Don't upload these photos and don't share them with anyone else.

After taking a bunch of photos together, looking happy and satisfied, Ji-yeong began to admire the previous photo with Bae Joo-hyeon. Ji-kyeong then reminded him jokingly.

"Don't worry, I'm not stupid..."

……

Since the release of the No. 1 source, it has been almost a week, and EXO's two consecutive days of singing on the 4th and 5th have further escalated the already terrifyingly high popularity of both "boywithv," firmly holding onto the top spot on the daily chart, leaving the second-place "bangbangbang" far behind.

Apart from these two boy bands, because Sun Seong-wan of Leed Bebe sang a feat for 《boywithv》, his popularity has also skyrocketed in the past few days.

The chorus of 《boywithv》 is sung by a female voice that immediately stands out. The voice and singing style are perfectly matched, blending seamlessly into the song's atmosphere and style without feeling out of place. The catchy and earworm chorus elevates the song considerably. Anyone who listens to this song will find themselves humming the 'ohyyy' part most often.

After listening, fans and passersby who are curious about who is singing the feat will go to look at the song's introduction, and they will see the name Wendy.

"This feat sounds really good, it's very soothing, Wendy And the pronunciation is so standard, is this a new solo artist who just debuted"

"Indeed, the part in 《boywithv》 that I like best is this one. It really fits well. How did ** come up with the idea of having a female voice sing the most important chorus It's amazing!"

"Who is Wendy Never heard of her."

"I didn't expect the members of the parrot group to sing so well, she must be the lead singer..."

Although Red Velvet managed to turn around their unfavorable debut situation and gained a bit of popularity with "Red Flavor," their overall recognition is still quite average. Many people who don't usually follow K-Pop haven't even heard of Red Velvet, let alone Wendy.

And at this time, a number of already excited Red Velvet fans would immediately jump out to excitedly inform those asking: "Wendy, whose real name is Son Seung-wan, is a member of Red Velvet, the main vocalist. She once studied English in Canada and has an excellent command of the language. Her singing voice is superb and her personality is lively and kind, she's truly an angel..."

It's all about showering praise and hype. The more exaggerated the compliments, the more attention it attracts. People don't tend to feel negative about this because those who actively search for information after listening to the song are already interested in Son Seung-wan.

Since the release of "boywithv," Sun Seungwan's online search volume has surged, and her popularity has noticeably increased. With a surge in attention, she has gained numerous new fans, propelling her to second place in terms of popularity and recognition within Red Velvet, trailing only after Irene.

In terms of fame, she's still incomparable to Jennie. Because under Lee Ai's diligent and hard work, her aunt who sells fish cakes in Seoul's Dongdaemun Market today, if she were online, might have unknowingly seen Jennie's edited photos circulating.

Son Seung-wan's sudden surge in popularity is just a bonus. The real main event is still the fierce competition between EXO and Big Bang.

As a week has passed, and each group has had their chance to perform on stage, the various data and rankings are starting to become clear.

"Those fans are crazy! They're buying up albums like their lives depend on it. Pre-orders were already that high, and it's still just the fourth single album, but first week sales are already insane at almost 650,000 copies. How do we even compare Are they really out of their minds"

"I told you to stop comparing sales figures. No one can compete with them in this aspect, so why put yourselves in an uncomfortable position Look at last year's market share. If physical album sales don't show a significant increase this year, based on the cumulative sales figures of their four albums this year, all the groups on the entire peninsula combined wouldn't be able to surpass them."

"Is it really that exaggerated"

"Look it up yourself."

If you want to brag about your band, don't do it here. Show some common sense and don't try to show off, okay

"kkkkk just telling you the data, don't overestimate yourself and blame me later When I was chasing after Oppa, you were still listening to 'Three Little Bears'."

"Stop it."

Sales are incomparable, and the sound source can't beat it either…

"Both the daily and weekly charts are still dominated by "boywithv", is this song really that good I think "bangbangbang" is way better."

As a senior V.I.P., Lin Chengxian watched the flames of excitement already burning in the fan club, and he didn't know what to say.

From the very beginning of #1, not getting a blank win made many BIGBANG fans extremely disappointed. No matter how hard their fans tried to organize chart-topping support these past few days, they still couldn't push them out of the top spot for music sources.

They had high hopes for their debut stage, expecting a surge in popularity after the performance and a chance to top the charts.

It's a pity that although the ratings for "M! Countdown" on Thursday increased slightly after its broadcast, "boywithv" saw a bigger increase, making his position seem even more solid than before.

...But Big Bang didn't participate in this week's broadcast of "Music Bank"... They went on tour.

‘Who cares about him so much, of course the concert is more important.’

An idol group, after all, is just about making money, isn't it…

These are all the words that their V.I.P members said last month, though they were all very honest truths, but now it seems to inevitably make some fans feel a little resentful in their hearts.

Although concerts are important, things aren't going well right now. All kinds of data are being suppressed and we're constantly being harassed by antis. Can't we just sing a couple more songs and promote ourselves a bit more

Now is the most intense time when two generations of top boy groups collide! At this rate, their group is going to trample us and reach the top!

It's a pity that the Big Bang Oppa's can't hear their voices.

Because she was being bullied and feeling smug, Ai Li's various strange and domineering behaviors made it difficult for people to refute her, causing the atmosphere among V.I.P.'s fan groups to be quite bad recently.

"Don't worry, our music quality speaks for itself. "hile. We'll only be doing some preparatory work.EXO is currently preparing for their comeback in a meticulous and intense manner, swamped with work every day. From now until August when the new album...