Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 544 Oppa, you speak first.

December 11, 2021.

This year's MAMA was held at CJENM Contents World in Paju. It was previously rumored that it would be held in Hong Kong, but due to the pandemic, it was ultimately held in South Korea.

Paju City is located in the northwestern part of Gyeonggi Province. It is the northernmost city in South Korea, 40 kilometers from Seoul, and is also the city in South Korea that is closest to the sun.

Forty kilometers isn't a long distance, but because of the rehearsal, we set off before dawn.

But actually, Aespa got up even earlier. First, she went to the beauty salon for a basic styling, then got into the van. She blinked and nodded sleepily the whole way, and finally sat down with her head tilted to one side. Finally, they arrived at their destination.

MAMA is the biggest K-pop event. They didn't arrive very early, just at the required time, but the venue was already bustling with people coming and going, quite noisy.

Liu Zhimin followed the team, looked around at the members, waved for them to follow, and then went to their waiting room.

This year, aespa nominated two awards: Best New Female Artist and Best Dance Performance by Female Group.

They are a formidable force in the prestigious Best New Actress award, alongside other nominees such as Jo Yu-ri, Kwon Eun-bi, Lightsum, and STAYC. Both external predictions and the actresses themselves believe they are certain to win the award.

"The rehearsals will be held all in the morning. Ours is one of the earlier ones, the sixth one."

"Zhimin still needs to do a second round of rehearsals, and the collaboration stage will be later."

The agent explained these things to them, and Liu Zhimin, who was mentioned, nodded to indicate that she had heard.

She also collaborated on stages with other idols from around the same period, including Hwang Hyunjin of Stray Kids, Jung Yooyoung of Ateez, Hwang Yeji of ITZY, Choi Yeonjun of TXT, and Lee Hee-seung of Enhypen.

They are all the main stars of their respective groups and can be considered the rising force in the new generation of boy and girl groups.

With such a large year-end awards ceremony stage and so much attention, comparisons are inevitable when she collaborates with others, so she does feel some pressure.

However, despite this pressure, Liu Zhimin still had some worries in her heart.

"Has oppa arrived yet?"

She sighed softly, then opened her phone and sent a message to Quan Xuanhe.

"I just got up."

Liu Zhimin was a little envious of his good sleep, and she pouted slightly, expressing her dissatisfaction that he could still sleep so well.

"??? I'm already so busy, why is oppa only just getting up?!"

They get up at three or four in the morning, which means they haven't slept much at all. But she's the one who loves to sleep the most, so she still feels a bit mentally exhausted.

It's only eight o'clock now.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk, still half-asleep, got dressed and prepared to leave. After a quick brush of his teeth and a wash of his face, he set off.

Last night I had a few drinks with Sana Minatozaki, and when I got back to bed I fell asleep quickly and slept quite soundly.

"Enough, oppa, come here quickly. You still have stage rehearsals, why are you up so late?"

Liu Zhimin wanted him to come over quickly.

"Sigh, we're about to leave. See you when we arrive!"

Quan Xuanhe went downstairs, bent down and sat in the van, adjusted the seat and lay back down, half-closing his eyes.

"Oh oppa, hurry up, I'm so bored here all by myself."

"it is good."

After saying that, Liu Zhimin stopped chatting with Quan Xuanhe, put down her phone, stood up, and started to simulate small jumps in the open space of the waiting room, following the flow of the stage.

Actually, some random thoughts started popping into my head again.

Who exactly is Kwon Heon-hyuk's girlfriend?
This question had been swirling in her mind for who knows how long, popping up intentionally or unintentionally, always making her restless and unable to calm down.

How can she find out?

He won't tell you even if you ask him. He'll never tell you these things unless you ask him.

Liu Zhimin was somewhat discouraged, unsure of which direction to take to find the answer.

Why is this relationship kept so secret? It's even more clandestine than idols' relationships.

Liu Zhimin couldn't help but mutter to herself.

the other side.

Quan Xuanhe rushed to the venue and finally arrived. There was still more than half an hour before the rehearsal started when he arrived, so it wasn't actually late.

Because last year's MAMA caused considerable controversy due to its differential treatment of actors and idols, this year's event aimed to equalize treatment as much as possible to avoid a repeat of public opinion issues.

When Kwon Seonhyuk arrived, staff members came to greet him.

"Ani-Asayo."

The female staff member's eyes lit up when she saw him, but she suppressed her reaction to seeing a handsome man. She was very professional and greeted him before leading him into the venue.

The team followed behind Kwon Heon-hyuk. Park Jung-jung also came with him today, along with a makeup artist, stylist, and assistant. There were only five people in total.

As he entered the backstage area of ​​the venue, the hustle and bustle of people coming and going filled his ears.

As soon as Quan Xuanhe stepped into the backstage corridor, he was greeted by a chorus of greetings.

ITZY's Hwang Ye-ji was passing by with a thermos when she saw him and immediately bowed at a 90-degree angle: "How are you, senior?" Shin Ryu-jin and the others behind her also hurriedly followed suit.

Unexpectedly, he saw them as soon as he entered. Quan Xuanhe smiled and nodded, his gaze moving between them before finally landing on Shen Youna.

"Oppa just arrived?"

Shin Yuna was the most familiar with him. After the other members stopped talking, she took the initiative to speak. When she saw him, she was all smiles, and her eyes seemed to be shining when she looked at him.

"Just arrived."

Quan Xuanhe nodded and said.

Other people passing by noticed the two groups talking in the corridor and either avoided them or quickened their pace. If they were idols, they would bow and greet them.

"Alas, oppa, you can get back to work now."

Since it was a chance encounter and wouldn't waste any time, Quan Xuanhe nodded and they went their separate ways.

Shin Yoo-na glanced back at Kwon Hyun-hyuk's figure, a gesture that seemed to others as a sign of lingering affection.

"Why don't you go over there?"

Shen Liuzhen saw this and said something to her with a smile.

"ah!"

The two Shen started bickering.

After encountering ITZY upon entering, Kwon Heonhyuk ran into many more idols along the corridor.

Some of them he didn't recognize at all, had no recollection of at all, and if he bumped into them, he would just nod and smile briefly.

Compared to his lack of impression, those who encountered him on the street had a much stronger impression of him.

There were more idol groups present today than at AAA, and quite a few actors were also present as award presenters. Each artist's team also had several people, making the total number of people in the hundreds.

many people.

But among so many people, there are always some who are real stars.

These staff members weren't actually that interested in idols. They had brightly colored hair, and while they were said to be handsome, they weren't as extravagantly praised as their fans made them out to be. It was just something they were used to.

Watching actors is more pleasing to the eye than watching idols. These staff members see actors even less often. Although they all work in the same circle, they are actually clearly separated.

Idols' makeup and styling are too heavy, and their colorful hair wouldn't look out of place even in a bar. A group of teenagers are immersed in the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, and it's hard to find many who have any so-called 'charm'.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's arrival attracted a lot of attention, and this kind of scene will likely be common for him in the future.

Because of the pandemic, he has had very little public exposure, and each appearance of his is a fresh experience. It is also difficult to see his true face at the year-end award ceremonies, especially these Korean wave award ceremonies.

Besides the high volume of TV dramas produced, offline exposure is also very attractive.

Although he is no longer an idol in the Korean wave, he has left behind a reputation and popularity that are still unmatched.

As he walked down the corridor, Quan Xuanhe attracted the attention of many passersby. Everyone's eyes would linger on him, whether out of curiosity or amazement. He attracted the most attention.

His eyes seem brighter than my future...

[It was absolutely shocking...]

【All the wonderful things have been achieved with a face】

Many people stared at them.

The surprised look on the face of passersby in TV dramas isn't too different.

Kwon Seonhyuk and his entourage arrived at the waiting room. The stylist hung up the haute couture clothes he had brought and sat in front of the makeup mirror. The makeup artist placed all the cosmetics she had brought in bags on the table and laid them out in order. "The red carpet event starts at 5 p.m., and the rehearsal ends in the morning. Let's start the makeup session after lunch."

The makeup artist wasn't in a hurry and discussed it with him.

"it is good."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't want to put on makeup too early, otherwise the feeling of having something on his face felt heavy and uncomfortable.

The team started setting up their things in the waiting room when a staff member knocked on the door and came in. "Get ready for the rehearsal. Head over to the stage and start waiting."

"it is good."

Quan Xuanhe nodded, then stood up and headed backstage.

Upon arriving backstage, Kwon Hyun-hyuk subconsciously pressed his mask against his face. The noisy and crowded backstage reminded him of the increasing number of infections recently.

When the staff saw him, they took an ID sticker and put it on his chest, and also handed him an earpiece.

"Let's open it when we go on stage later."

The staff member said that to him and then stepped back.

Meanwhile, backstage, quite a few idols were watching him subtly after he arrived.

At this moment, Aespa, who had arrived a step earlier than him, approached Liu Zhimin.

She had been glancing backstage, intentionally or unintentionally, so that she would spot Quan Xuanhe the moment he arrived.

"oppa!"

Liu Zhimin waved to him, a pretty smile on her face, and stood gracefully beside him.

At this moment, several gazes fell upon them.

It's common knowledge that Kwon Heonhyuk collaborated with aespa on a stage performance; almost everyone knows about it, and even idols are paying attention.

"Oppa must be sleeping soundly."

Liu Zhimin looked up at him, pouted and said in a sweet voice, bringing up what he had just said in his phone chat.

"is acceptable."

Upon hearing this, Quan Xuanhe chuckled and shook his head somewhat helplessly.

"It's alright~"

Liu Zhimin tilted her head, speaking in a slightly sarcastic tone, and repeated it to him, shaking her head left and right, instantly revealing her playful side.

"ah."

Quan Xuanhe raised his hand, pretending to pat her, but Liu Zhimin immediately hid behind Ning Yizhuo, smiling broadly and looking quite pleased with herself.

His playful demeanor was noticed by those who were paying attention.

"What should we do? It looks like she's your rival in love."

Xu Zhangbin shoved Huang Xuanchen, glanced at Liu Zhimin who was chatting happily with Quan Xuanhe, and said something to him.

Hwang Hyun-jin looked a bit upset, giving Yoo Jimin a cold look, his mood becoming somewhat irritable.

"What rival in love?"

"So how did your conversation with her go?"

Xu Zhangbin, looking like he was enjoying the drama, was adding fuel to the fire for Huang Xuanchen.

Mentioning this only made Huang Xuanchen feel more frustrated. He cursed under his breath, glanced at the somewhat glaring scene again, and then turned his face away.

Quan Xuanhe, however, subtly sensed different gazes from elsewhere, and raised his eyes to look around.

He happened to be with that group...

The short man looked up at her.

Quan Xuanhe's eyes met those of one or two of them for a moment, then they quickly looked away.

"Who is that?"

He withdrew his gaze, then looked down at the woman in front of him who was beaming with joy, her beautiful eyes sparkling with spring; anyone could see what she was thinking at a glance.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhimin hesitated slightly, then raised her eyebrows. "Hmm?"

"Nug?"

Liu Zhimin turned her face away, looking at the idols scattered around backstage. Not knowing who he was talking about, she turned back and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Over there, a group of people who are a bit short."

Quan Xuanhe didn't recognize him, but he raised his chin and pointed in that direction, describing the most prominent feature he noticed.

How desperate is South Korea for talent right now that even these people can become idols?

"what…"

Liu Zhimin glanced at it again and immediately understood. She quickly looked away, her eyes avoiding his gaze.

"It's Stray Kids."

"Wandering boys?"

"I think he's the height of a boy."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's casual remark made Yoo Jimin a little uncomfortable. She suppressed a smile and lowered her head, then looked up and scolded him, "Oppa, why did you say that to me? It's a bit impolite."

"This is still a JYP group."

Ning Yizhuo added with a smile.

"JYP's??"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was even more surprised; the trainee pool of big companies has reached this level now.

"correct."

"The differences between men and women are quite significant."

The girls are all great, so why are the boys like this?

These words made the girls in front of them even more nervous, and their smiles became even wider. At this moment, Jin Dong glanced at Liu Zhimin, his smile ambiguous.

“What Ji-min unnie says.”

What she said at that moment made Liu Zhimin's expression change; she felt a little awkward and speechless.

This piqued Quan Xuanhe's interest. "What, is there any news?"

Kim Dong-won's words clearly had a hidden meaning, and Kwon Hyun-hyuk turned his gaze to Yoo Ji-min, whose expression had become somewhat awkward because of those words.

"What is there to say?"

Meeting Quan Xuanhe's gaze, Liu Zhimin muttered something under her breath, feeling somewhat helpless.

"Just say it, what's there to be embarrassed about?"

Seeing her embarrassed expression was a rare sight for Kwon Hyun-hyuk, and he said this with a smile, his interest undiminished.

"It's nothing, there's a guy in there who's pursuing me."

Liu Zhimin felt a little embarrassed when she said this, but then she felt a little proud, and she mentioned it to him to show off a little.

"Who?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was not surprised at all that Yoo Jimin had suitors. In the world of idols who were always in heat, it would be quite strange if Yoo Jimin didn't have any male suitors.

"Why are you so curious?"

Liu Zhimin wrinkled her nose and pouted, a little displeased with his persistent questioning.

You haven't even told me who your girlfriend is, so why are you asking me these questions?

"Can't I just learn about it?"

Seeing her coquettish expression, Quan Xuanhe smiled.

"An Dui!"

“Oppa, tell me first, and then I’ll tell you who it is.”

Liu Zhimin retorted, staring intently at him, waiting for his reply.

(End of this chapter)