Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 619 The Goddess of the Round? The Fifth Generation Godly Face? 6.6K
The van smoothly approached the CJ ENM center, where the entrance to the MCD recording location was already crowded with people.

With the strict mask-wearing regulations now in place, the commute to various music shows has gradually become a popular route for entertainment media, fans of various groups, and casual fans hoping to bump into their idols, much like before the pandemic.

Inside the car, Kwon Hyun-hyuk ended his call with his manager, put his phone away, adjusted his posture, and straightened his clothes—even though he was only a special MC and not a stage performer, basic artist image and a sense of ritual were especially important on his "commuting" to the music show.

After all, it's been three years since I last went to work, and the offline popularity during the time I served as an MC after the pandemic was much lower.

This is the unique "commuting to work" culture of K-pop music shows, an important occasion for artists to interact closely with fans.

The driver skillfully parked the car at the designated drop-off point.

The moment the car door was opened from the outside by security personnel, a cacophony of noise, a mixture of spring chill and enthusiastic crowd, surged in like a tide.

The sound of camera shutters was like a machine gun firing in rapid succession, mixed with the shouts of fans in front and behind.

"Xuanhe Oppa!"

"Oppa saranghae, look here!"

Kwon Heonhyuk smiled and waved at the camera before walking towards the building entrance along the designated passageway.

His gaze swept across the enthusiastic crowd, where he could see many familiar fan photos and meticulously crafted support banners.

Some fun little interactions are interspersed throughout the short journey.

Behind the railings on both sides of the road, fans were holding up letters and small gifts wrapped in transparent document bags.

Near the entrance, a slightly older-looking fangirl held up her camera and called out.

"Xuanhe! Your performance in 'Blues' was fantastic! Good luck on MC today too! Take care of yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Quan Xuanhe turned around and responded in the direction from which the voice came.

"OK!"

Kwon Heonhyuk's figure disappeared behind the heavy glass door of CJ ENM Center.

The brief silence was quickly replaced by excited and amazed chatter from fans outside the door.

"The real experience offline is even better than what you see on camera."

"Your camera presence is absolutely amazing!"

A fangirl holding a professional camera looked down at the camera screen, quickly reviewing the photos she had just taken, and sincerely praised them.

"The photos of him waving as he walks are in great shape, and the lighting is perfect. He seems to be in a particularly good mood today, and his smile is so refreshing."

Her tone conveyed professional satisfaction and genuine appreciation.

Another fan pointed to the enlarged details of the photo on the screen.

"Look at the way he walks, that relaxed yet confident feeling, not everyone can have that kind of temperament."

"That's the aura of a top-tier celebrity," a male fan commented as he put away his telephoto lens.

“Yes, that’s right!” someone nearby echoed.

The murmurs only subsided reluctantly as he entered the passage and disappeared backstage, and a few satisfied sighs lingered as he left the camera's view.

"Wow... today was truly perfect."

"We've captured an amazing photo."

"I don't know when we'll run into each other again."

"Looking forward to seeing the MC stage!"

Unfortunately, there are fewer Panda Girls chasing stars here because of the high time cost; a round trip would take more than half a month. Now, only a few who still stick to the Peninsula are left.

Kwon Seonhyuk stepped into the bright lobby of CJ ENM Center. Although the bustling noise outside was blocked by the glass doors, the liveliness seemed to still linger in the air.

As is customary, once you enter the building's reception area, a designated spot for taking photos is already waiting for the dedicated fans.

The shutter clicked away rapidly and rhythmically, a welcome respite from the commotion outside; there were no shouts.

These locations were clearly designated by the TV station to allow these core fans to record the artists' "freshest" state before they went backstage, without blocking the main passage and maintaining order inside.

Meanwhile, members of the groups participating in this week's music show performances were moving around in the spacious lobby.

Which groups have recently made a comeback?

Starship's rookie girl group IVE, who made their comeback with the title track "LOVE DIVE," achieved phenomenal success on music charts!
Although it didn't receive the sudden explosive popularity of "Tomboy," its overall chart performance has been excellent, debuting at number seven on its first day and maintaining a stable position at number three for the past few days.

Why is it third? Because it's dominated by Tomboy and BigBang, who returned after four years with their new single "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter".

Four years later, the members are missing again, but the quality of this top boy group and its popularity have been the biggest focus of K-pop recently.

This resulted in IVE's impressive comeback not receiving much attention, but it was still very impressive to those who did follow it.

In addition, Kwon Eunbi made a comeback with "Glitch," which has seen stable sales growth from die-hard fans, but it's not on the digital music charts, so there's little hope of it reaching number one, not to mention its popularity.

There's not much of a future for female solo artists in the Korean entertainment industry.

Aside from evergreen multi-talented artists IU and Kim Tae-yeon, who have a solid reputation and are no longer involved in fan wars, Somi is currently the most successful among them.

The Waterbomb Music Festival, which changed Kwon Ji-hyun's fate, brought her a flood of baby formula, and gave her a major boost in popularity, will have to wait until next year.

Even Waterbomb has become a sought-after resource for many idols to appear on, partly because of Kwon Eunbi.

Kwon Heonhyuk skillfully walked through the isolation area set up by staff and headed backstage.

He was immediately followed by the assistant PD sent by the TV station's production team, a young and capable woman who had obviously been waiting there.

It was someone Quan Xuanhe had never seen before; he was probably a new person who took office after Quan Xuanhe stepped down.

"PD Shen is already in the control room. He asked me to take you to check on the special MC process first."

The assistant PD guided the conversation quickly while explaining clearly in a fast-paced manner.

"Okay, please lead the way."

The passageway was filled with busy artists and their staff, the air thick with the scents of hairspray, cosmetics, and a subtle sense of hustle and bustle.

Upon arriving at his designated waiting room as the special MC for the day, the assistant PD stopped and took out a tablet to access the workflow document.

"Xuanhe-xi, this is the arrangement for Miyeon-xi's first stage performance."

"After the previous group's stage performance ends, you will come on stage as a special MC to briefly introduce Miyeon's upcoming solo stage."

"We have prepared several draft versions of the narration for you to take a look at. They mainly revolve around the concept of the song 'Drive,' Miyeon's challenges and efforts as her first solo performance, and our blessings for her stage."

"Of course, you can communicate with Miyeon-xi, her manager, and us to polish the final lines to ensure they flow naturally."

Quan Xuanhe quickly scanned the text on the screen.

"Understood. For the interaction part, just like before, an encouraging look or a short blessing? Like adding 'Keep it up' at the end?"

"Yes, it's both cozy and safe."

The assistant PD nodded.

"Also, keep the time under two minutes. If Xuanhe thinks it's appropriate, we can go to Meiyan's waiting room later to discuss the details."

"No problem, I was planning to go see her later anyway," Quan Xuanhe replied with a smile.

The assistant PD paused for a moment, then said nothing.

After handing over all the tasks, the assistant PD left first, and Kwon Seonhyuk's team arranged his makeup and styling for the day.

He read the script by himself for a while, then, feeling bored, got up and left the waiting room.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk left the waiting room arranged by his assistant PD, ready to go to Mi-yeon's waiting room to discuss the details as agreed.

He followed the familiar route, skillfully passing through the waiting room doors marked with different combinations of names.

One generation after another, and he basically doesn't know any of them.

Sorry, I don't know anyone who isn't famous.

The corridor was filled with the bustling atmosphere typical of backstage.

The staff members were talking in hushed tones, and the faint sounds of various groups exchanging shouts could be heard through the doors. The air was filled with the mixed scents of hairspray and perfume, and figures could be seen rushing by pushing clothing racks everywhere.

When he passed an area with a sign that read "Open Waiting Room," his view suddenly opened up considerably.

This is where the new groups are located. Apart from the groups that have some name recognition and are featured by marketing accounts, there are actually quite a few groups that have no name recognition overseas at all.

These combinations are usually found here.

Just as he was about to quickly cross the slightly noisy area, two tall figures wearing light blue pleated school uniforms came into view almost simultaneously, walking gracefully towards him.

Quan Xuanhe glanced over at it twice.

Is this considered an acquaintance?

It shouldn't be considered that; it's more accurate to say that they were the first familiar faces.

It's Jang Won-young and Ahn Yoo-jin from IVE.

Although she has only recently debuted for the second time, Jang Won-young's controversial yet popular status is already showing. While she is often referred to as a "twin tower," she is actually a one-woman show.

Oil Thief/Thief/Yingzi/Hairpin Sister/Five Oils One.

Female May Day / Chaotic Emperor / Round God / Five Generations of Divine Beauty / Long-Legged Arctic Hare.

The two young girls clearly recognized Kwon Heon-hyuk immediately.

The two have a history. After all, Kwon Hyun-hyuk came from Produce 101, and they both attended the debut night and witnessed the moment when Kwon Hyun-hyuk was unfairly eliminated from the debut lineup.

Time passes.

IZ*ONE is gone, the show Produce 101 is gone, and the identities of the members are all different now.

Quan Xuanhe was tall and strong, and naturally stood out in the crowd. The two spotted him immediately.

How did Kwon Hyun-hyuk end up here?
The idea popped into both of their minds at the same time.

Jang Won-young's signature sweet smile was on her face, while Ahn Yoo-jin's smile was more cheerful. The two stopped almost at the same time and bowed respectfully to Kwon Hyun-hyuk.

"Ah Ning Haseyo! Kwon Hyun Hyuk sunbaen-nim."

The situation is different now. The two have re-debuted, and Kwon Heonhyuk's status is soaring. The past doesn't matter anymore. The two just greet each other politely and that's it.

After all, Quan Xuanhe is older than the two of them, by more than just a year or two.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk stopped in his tracks, a gentle smile naturally appearing on his face as he looked directly at the two of them.

She's tall, slim, well-proportioned, and impeccably dressed; otherwise, how could she be so popular with elementary school students and become their princess?

His gaze was mainly focused on Zhang Yuanying, but he looked away after a couple of glances.

Her legs are so long and thin.

The only problem is that there's quite a big age difference between them.
Let him wait until he's old before he tries to mate with younger women.

“A-ning-haseyo.” Kwon Hyun-hyuk nodded in response.

“Yuan Ying-xi, You Zhen-xi.” He pointed out their names precisely.

"Keep it up," he said with a smile, offering a brief word of encouragement. Considering the time and occasion, it wasn't appropriate to chat for too long, especially since they were complete strangers and there wasn't much to talk about.

"Stage Fighting!"

"Yes! Fighting, senior!" Jang Won-young and Ahn Yoo-jin bowed slightly again, their reply perfectly standard.

The brief and polite encounter came to an end.

Zhang Yuanying kept her eyes straight ahead, a sweet smile always on her face, but her eyes seemed devoid of emotion and laughter.

After Kwon Hyun-hyuk left, Ahn Yoo-jin turned around and glanced back a couple more times, then casually asked Jang Won-young, who was standing next to her.

"How did he end up here?" Zhang Yuanying simply shook her head slightly, seemingly not very concerned.

"do not know."

This is not someone she can care about right now; they are irrelevant in every way.

"I was quite startled when I saw it."

Ahn Yoo-jin casually added something, and Jang Won-young, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything more, but simply nodded in agreement.

A simple little incident.

Quan Xuanhe found the waiting room door marked with Zhao Meiyan's name with practiced ease.

The space was much smaller than the standard group waiting room he remembered, but having a separate waiting room was already quite good.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door. Behind the door was Zhao Meiyan's manager, who made way for him upon seeing him.

"Ah! Xuanhe-xi! You've arrived."

The agent, beaming with smiles, quickly opened the door wide.

The waiting room was filled with a faint scent of cosmetics, hairspray, and perfume. The space was small, but it was fairly clean.

Zhao Meiyan was sitting in front of a makeup mirror, wearing a slightly loose and comfortable stage outfit underneath her clothes—she would probably change into her formal stage outfit at the last minute.

She looked a little tired after finishing rehearsals, and was closing her eyes while the makeup artist gently massaged her temples.

Hearing the noise at the door, her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The mirror reflected Quan Xuanhe's tall figure.

Those big eyes, which had been somewhat hazy and tired, blinked rapidly the moment they saw who it was, as if they had come to life.

“Xuanhe.”

Zhao Meiyan was naturally delighted to see him arrive, and greeted him with a bright smile and a sweet voice.

The makeup artist and the agent exchanged a knowing glance, their hands continuing their work, but they tactfully moved aside to make room.

Quan Xuanhe walked in with a smile, his gaze falling on the delicate face reflected in the mirror. "Yes, you're here."

"How was the rehearsal?"

"Of course, it's not bad." Zhao Meiyan's smile widened as she looked at him through the mirror.

The makeup artist is currently applying loose powder to Zhao Meiyan to set her makeup, her movements gentle.

"Have you read the script for the special MC?"

"Ah! Right, I've seen it." Zhao Meiyan suddenly remembered the important matter, and her eyes widened again, with the seriousness of a student reporting on homework.

After thoughtfully rolling his eyes in consideration, he gave a positive response: "Hmm, that's good."

In fact, the fact that Kwon Seonhyuk came today was enough to make her happy.

"I will answer seriously when the time comes."

Zhao Meiyan said this with a grin.

The makeup artist finished the final step of setting the makeup at the right time and gently reminded, "Miyeon-ssi, that's enough."

Zhao Meiyan immediately stood up from her chair, turned to Quan Xuanhe, and her whole face was radiant.

She is indeed beautiful, strikingly beautiful, and flawless.

"Alright, we'll do it then..."

The agent had only spoken halfway when the lock on the waiting room door clicked softly, and then it was suddenly pushed open a crack.

Song Yuqi's signature head, dyed a bright pink, peeked in first, her face bearing a lively yet cheerful smile, as if she were watching a show.

"Unnie! How did the rehearsal go...?"

Song Yuqi's words stopped abruptly when she saw Quan Xuanhe standing in the room.

Her bright, expressive eyes quickly scanned between Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Cho Mi-yeon, a knowing smile on her face.

She swaggered in, completely oblivious to the fact that she had stumbled upon something "good," acting as if she were in her own home.

"Oh my god! Superstar Kwon! You've really graced us with your presence! No wonder the backstage area felt so much brighter than usual."

Song Yuqi's voice was clear and loud, with her usual straightforwardness and teasing. She walked up to him in a few steps, raised her hand in a very "buddy" manner, and pretended to pat Quan Xuanhe's arm.

He raised his hand and easily blocked her slapping motion.

"As expected, you're here too, being Miyeon's teammate."

Song Yuqi didn't mind missing her attack; instead, she chuckled and withdrew her hand, turning to Zhao Meiyan.

"Unnie danced so well during rehearsal, amazing, absolutely incredible."

As she spoke, she sat down on the makeup stool next to Zhao Meiyan, affectionately putting her arm around Zhao Meiyan's shoulder, but her eyes continued to glance at Quan Xuanhe.

"So, are you ready for the special MC?"

Clearly, she knew that Kwon Heonhyuk would be attending as a special MC, which would at least give Miyeon some buzz, so she temporarily ignored all her personal life matters.

"I'm discussing it with Meiyan right now."

"Really? Then I made a mistake by appearing at this time?"

Song Yuqi looked around with an amused expression, then said with a smile.

Zhao Meiyan was amused by her words and playfully pushed her.

"Hey! Yuqi!"

With Song Yuqi around, the atmosphere became more relaxed and enjoyable, like a friendly gathering of acquaintances.

Seeing this, the agent smiled and chimed in, "Perfect timing, we're going over the last few script details with Xuanhe."

Song Yuqi nodded, cooperating perfectly at this moment.

"Then you guys continue your conversation, I'll just come and see our Miyeon unnie."

Then, her gaze turned to Kwon Heon-hyuk, "Let's also take a look at how this special MC, who shoulders such an important responsibility, works."

"Ahem," the manager cleared his throat, steer the conversation back to the main topic, "Xuanhe-xi, shall we move on from that last sentence we were discussing in a more natural way?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk nodded: "No problem. I'll be flexible depending on Mi-yeon's condition."

"OK! Then I won't bother you any longer." The agent was tactful, knowing that with Song Yuqi present, continuing to discuss work would be superfluous, so he smiled politely.

"Meiyan, take a rest and eat something. You still have a rehearsal to go through later."

After saying that, he turned and left the waiting room, leaving the space to the young man.

As soon as the door closed, Song Yuqi immediately revealed her true colors, winking and making faces at Quan Xuanhe.

"Hey, special MC, how are you planning to cheer on our unnie?"

"Is there a special arrangement? Like a deep, affectionate gaze? Or..."

She deliberately made hand gestures, trying to be mischievous and make a fool of herself.

Her words were a bit blunt, making Zhao Meiyan blush and raise her fist to punch her.

"Oh, there's no such thing. What nonsense are you talking about?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk smiled and shook his head, saying, "You want Miyeon to trend on social media for a stage mishap before she even goes on stage, right?"

"I think you guys don't want male fans."

"Tch~ That's so boring." Song Yuqi pouted.

She was just joking, but she knew that there was probably no chance of any particularly ambiguous scenes between them appearing on camera.

After all, there are a lot of male fans who have spent real money to support Miyeon's solo career. How can the fans live if this is done in front of a group of male fans?

The three of them sat around in the small waiting room, the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious. Song Yuqi was like a perpetual motion machine, constantly sharing funny stories from their group's rehearsal.

One minute they're complaining about how a certain idol backstage is too eager to show off, and the next they're joking about how Kwon Heonhyuk feels about being the MC.

Zhao Meiyan occasionally chimed in, her laughter filling the air.

The hands of the wall clock silently slid across a tick.

Not long after, the door to the waiting room was gently knocked on and pushed open, revealing Kwon Heon-hyuk's capable assistant PD.

She stood at the door with a professional, polite smile, but when her eyes swept over the three people in the room, she clearly signaled that "the show is about to start."

“Xuanhe-xi,” the assistant PD’s voice was clear and steady.

"It's almost time. We need to go to the control room to double-check the microphone and the final procedures, and then get ready to wait on the side of the stage."

Quan Xuanhe immediately understood, his relaxed smile fading slightly as he nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right there." He turned to Zhao Meiyan and Song Yuqi, his tone gentle but already showing the seriousness of someone about to start working.

"I'm going to get ready now. See you on stage later, Mi-yeon-xi. Don't be nervous, fighting!"

The final encouraging "Fighting!" was clearly directed at Zhao Meiyan.

"Yes, good luck!" Zhao Meiyan nodded earnestly in response, her hands unconsciously clenching slightly, as if to encourage herself.

"Big star Quan, keep up the good work! I'm rooting for you!" Song Yuqi clapped her hands with a smile, encouraging him.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't say anything more, turned around and quickly left the waiting room with his assistant PD.

Staff members moved back and forth more frequently in the corridor, and in the distance, the director team's instructions to direct the stage could be heard through walkie-talkies, accompanied by the rhythm of the sound control console testing the sound effects.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk followed his assistant PD, moving familiarly through the corridors leading to the control room.

The doors to several waiting rooms along the way were open, and you could see the group members doing their final touches on their looks and confirming their dance moves.

We quickly arrived at the outer perimeter of the control room.

PD Shin and his staff were busy communicating. Assistant PD gestured for Kwon Heonhyuk to wait a moment, then quickly went inside to communicate briefly. Soon after, a staff member wearing headphones came out with a portable headset and a handheld microphone.

"Xuanhe-xi, please put on your headset so the director can communicate with you. Please test the microphone again to confirm the signal and volume." The staff member skillfully helped Quan Xuanhe put on the in-ear communication microphone.

The cool headphones were inserted into my ears, and the control instructions from the control room and the sound checks on stage immediately came into clear view.

After confirming through the walkie-talkie, the staff member gave him an OK sign.

At this moment, the assistant PD also came out of the control room, holding a small cue card in his hand.

"Xuanhe-xi, just a final confirmation of the timing and transitions. After the previous group's performance, there will be approximately a 10-second gap for audience reaction and stage transition. The moment the stage lights dim, I will remind you to move to the designated waiting area on the side of the stage. The special MC segment will officially begin when the main stage lights come back on and focus on your position. The time should be between 1 minute and 30 seconds and 2 minutes."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk listened attentively, quickly reviewing the key points of the transition in his mind, then nodded to indicate that he fully understood.

“In addition,” the assistant PD added, his tone more cautious.

"As you know, live broadcasts, although there may be slight delays, have virtually no chance to make up for them, so in terms of dialogue... keeping it highly consistent with the script is the safest approach."

Quan Xuanhe naturally understood that her unspoken meaning was that she was afraid of uncontrollable factors arising from improvisation.

He smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I will follow the core content of the script and pay attention to safe words. The interaction will be controlled through eye contact and the last sentence."

The assistant PD seemed relieved and showed a more relaxed smile.

"Yes! With you here, we feel very reassured. Let's go to the left side of the stage to wait now."

As the two approached the stage entrance, one after the other, the sense of realism in the performance grew stronger.

Now it's time for him to make his grand entrance.

(End of this chapter)