The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 136 Goblin begins

The next day, not long after Gong Sung and Bae Joo-hyun's rumored romance set the peninsula on fire, the official website of YMC Entertainment announced that its limited edition girl group IOI, launched in May 2016, will release a farewell single "Shower" on January 18.

IOI (The Most Meaningful Idol), the limited-edition girl group that illuminated the night skies of Peninsular Malaysia in 2016, is coming to an end. It's reported that Tarot performed the farewell single "Shower" during her final encore performance on a music show. The copyright for this performance has been granted by Tarot herself...

IOI, the popular girl group of 2016, is about to disband. So, what's next for Bombardment Meteor, the boy group that burst onto the scene in 2016 and captivated Asia?

[The bombing meteor brought a magnificent performance that pierced the night sky to the music world of the Peninsula. But will this group, as dazzling as a meteor, fall like the limited-edition girl group IOI?]

[It is reported that Bombardment Meteor is about to disband...]

With YMC Entertainment announcing IOI's upcoming farewell single, fans knew that IOI's disbandment was only a matter of time. Following a series of entertainment news and gossip media reports, the people of the peninsula became even more worried about Bombardment Meteor.

The disbandment of IOI, known as the 2016 trend-setting limited group, is a foregone conclusion. So what about Bombardment Meteor?
For a time, fans of the Peninsula music scene fell silent. Bombardment Meteor's fans hoped for a miracle to happen. After all, Bombardment Meteor's existence was too short, yet as dazzling as a star.

Meanwhile, not long after YMC Entertainment released IOI's farewell single, another piece of news about Bombardment Meteor quickly spread. This limited group, which had once boasted of bombarding the Korean music scene, seemed to have broken the expectations of fans and was about to fall.

JYP, SM, and other four agencies jointly announced: [Bombardment Meteor will announce the members' departures and stays live after their contracts expire on January 20th, following the conclusion of the Seoul Music Awards...]

The announcement did not mention the renewal of Bombardment Meteor, only the simple and clear words of "staying or leaving", which immediately touched the hearts of many Bombardment Meteor fans. January 20th is the expiration date of the contract of the four-member limited group.

Fans who have been waiting for an update on Bombardment Meteor's future plans gathered under the buildings of the four agencies, holding their support signs.

"Hah a few yards, stay."

"Don't disband."

"Bombardment Meteor, keep blooming~"

"..."

Under the JYP building, many Bombardment Meteor fans held up large banners, seemingly offering humble prayers. The lesson of IOI was clear before their eyes, and they naturally didn't want Bombardment Meteor to face the same fate.

This announcement and the scenes of many fans trying to keep Bombardment Meteor were recorded by many people and uploaded to the Internet, which immediately ignited Bombardment Meteor's fans throughout Asia and many European and American fans.

They left messages on the social media accounts of the four brokerage companies.

"If you dare to disband Bombardment Meteor, you will die!"

"Hajima~ Are they going to disband? Why wait until the end of the contract to announce it?"

"The members' relationship isn't that good? Has it been difficult all along? Why are they disbanding?"

"Please, don't disband! Let's do it for another year! Hajime~"

"We can reach the summit! Why do we have to disband?"

"Ashi! We're finally disbanding! Disband quickly!"

"..."

Amidst the uproar in the music industry, many executives and artists from other agencies couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they saw that Bombardment Meteor was coming to an end.

Shit! It’s finally over!
Under the crazy dominance of Bombardment Meteor at the end of last year, the sensation caused by such achievements made them feel daunted. The sales and sound sources of the album "Fireworks are eternal" alone made it difficult for them to catch up.

Not to mention, their record of running against the tide in the US B charts…

……

At 10 o'clock in the evening, tvN's 10th anniversary special project Friday-Saturday drama "Goblin: The Lonely and Great God" was broadcast as scheduled.

In Twice's dormitory, the nine members were scattered in the living room, with a lot of takeout and cold drinks that had just been delivered on the table.

"Where's oppa? Hasn't he come back yet?" Kim Dahyun took a bite of the fried chicken, then sat next to Chou Tzuyu and watched the commercials on TV.

Son Chaeyoung threw down her phone and took a sip of coffee. "Oppa is still on set with his schedule, so he'll probably be back very late."

As the drama on the TV screen was about to air, Lim Nayeon remembered the name of the drama played by Gong Cheng, "The Lonely and Great God" (abbreviated as "Goblin"): "I heard from that guy that he plays Goblin?"

Her tone was a little surprised, and she picked up a brown ghost doll from the sofa. There was a small horn on its head that looked like a tail.

"Aren't ghosts folklore?"

As she spoke, she pinched the doll's butt hard, and laughed in her heart, "Come, let Nuna measure your butt."

After the long advertisement ended, as the opening theme song ended, a sea of buckwheat flowers swayed in the wind under the night sky, with groups of fireflies floating around. A white butterfly, fluttering its wings, landed on the rusty, blood-stained hilt of a sword.

"..."

"Only the Goblin's Bride can pull out that sword..."

In the opening scene, the screenwriter uses an old man's mouth to explain the requirements of becoming a ghost. An old man selling vegetables on the overpass slowly tells the legend of ghosts. A woman squatting at her stall bargaining, smiling, is about to leave when the silver-haired old man grabs her wrist and solemnly instructs her.

“If you are faced with a life-or-death situation, you must pray with all your heart.”

"Maybe some soft-hearted god will hear it."

……

"Oh my! Oppa finally appears!"

In her high school dormitory, Park Mi-sook excitedly grabbed her friend's arm and screamed.

On the screen, under the sidelong glances of passersby, Gong Cheng strolled leisurely through the streets of Paris, one hand in his pocket. He wore a sharp brown suit, rich in British elegance, perfectly framing his slender, muscular frame. He paused at the stairs and bumped into a boy running frantically from a house. As if doing something insignificant, he handed the boy his lunch box, helping him out.

"The answer to question 1 on the math test is not 2, it's 4..."

When Gong Cheng showed his ability to predict the future, Park Mi-sook and the sisters in the dormitory who were watching TV could not help but wonder, "Who is he?"

"He is water, fire, and wind, light, darkness, and once, a human being."

As the voice-over ends, the picture suddenly shows a war scene with flames and smoke.

Gong Cheng was wearing blood-stained armor, and blood was dripping from the sword blade. Under his high bun, his cold cheeks were covered with blood and sweat.

"He is a well-deserved God of War..."

Gong Cheng drew the arrow from his waist, staring intently at the enemies and their horses on the battlefield. With a roar, he swung his sword. Amidst the deafening cries of killing, the clash of cold weapons and the neighing of warhorses, a cruel and tragic melody of war unfolded. Gong Cheng, brandishing his sword, weaved through the battlefield, each swing carrying a relentless, desperate momentum, like an unyielding banner on the battlefield.

This battle scene lasted so long that the girls in Park Mi-sook's dormitory were all covering their mouths and screaming, fearing that Gong Cheng's character would make even the slightest mistake. Even as his sword swings grew slower and slower, his eyes still gleamed with a fierce fighting spirit.

In the scene, Gong Cheng stared coldly at the enemy general in golden armor, then mounted his warhorse. The horse's hooves pounded the blood-stained mud, creating a vast expanse of blood-red soil.

Under the dim night, Gong Cheng rode his horse and caught up with the fleeing enemy general. In the close-up shot, Gong Cheng, his face covered in blood, raised his sword, the blood-stained blade reflecting his inky black pupils.

Then, as the sword was swung, splattered blood created ripples and rose in the pair of pupils that were cold without a trace.

"Oh my!" Park Mi-sook covered her mouth and exclaimed: "Isn't Oppa's costume drama too handsome?"

"Can you take on more costume dramas in the future? He's a total period handsome guy! No! A tough guy!"

"Wow, what a contrast, isn't it? He doesn't seem to be the same person compared to the scene in Paris at the beginning! In the scene in Paris, he really had the elegance of a British nobleman, and now in the blink of an eye he has become a general fighting in blood. Oh, it's amazing." Park Mi-sook's roommate exclaimed.

"Isn't this acting too exaggerated? If I keep watching this I'm going to become his fan!"

As she spoke, she tore down the poster of Wu Sehun that was on the wall behind her...

As the little girls in the room talked, the war scene ended. Gong Cheng returned to the royal city on a tall horse. The surrounding people and residents knelt down and bowed or raised their arms and cheered.

……

"Long live General Jin!"

Lin Yuna was curled up on the sofa in her apartment, also following the new drama by writer Kim Eun-sook. Kim Taeyeon sat beside her, staring at the TV screen and sighing, "Ah! No wonder he got the lead role in writer Kim Eun-sook's new drama."

"Her acting seems to have improved a lot compared to 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo' which is about to end in the next couple of days."

As she spoke, Kim Taeyeon glanced at Im Yoona subtly. No wonder after winning the Best Newcomer Award, she went on to star in writer Kim Eun-sook's new drama.

Later, as they watched, the plot gradually revealed how General Jin Cong, played by Gong Cheng, was so powerful that he overshadowed his master. Slanderous remarks by a villain infuriated the king, leading to the massacre of Jin Cong's sister and servants in the palace hall. To protect his remaining family, Jin Cong chose to compromise, and the sword that had once shed the blood of his enemies on the battlefield was ultimately stained with the blood of its own master.

However, this did not make the king, blinded by vanity, jealousy, and selfishness, show any mercy. Instead, he abandoned Jin Lu's body carelessly in the wilderness, leaving it to be exposed to the wind and sun and to the ravages of wild beasts.

"Ah, this is too bad!" Kim Taeyeon was immersed in the character of Jin Xin created by Gong Cheng, and couldn't help but say indignantly: "So, this explains why General Jin Xin became a ghost?"

"That should be the case. Didn't the old lady at the beginning say that things that have been touched by human hands or stained with human blood will become ghosts once they have souls, especially one's own blood..." Lin Yuna read it very seriously and sorted out the plot by herself.

"Our general~ God, please bless our general~"

In the wilderness, Gong Cheng, still wearing the armor that had made him so invincible on the battlefield, lay in the wilderness, his sword stuck in his chest. Several civilians wept and howled, praying to the sun in the sky, hoping that the gods would save their general.

As the camera zoomed in, Gong Cheng seemed to hear the cries of the people. His tired and sad eyes trembled, he gazed at the bright sunshine in the sky, and then slowly closed his eyes.

"Don't pray to God."

"God doesn't listen."

"At the brightest hour of the day, he died by the sword of the monarch he protected."

……

With the appearance of the second character Wang Li, the messenger from the underworld, the plot slowly moves forward.

"...your sword wounds are stained with the blood of too many. Though they are your enemies, they are also God's people, alone immortal and ageless. Watching those you love die... no matter how they die, they will never be forgotten... This is my reward and the punishment you deserve... Only the Goblin's Bride can pull out that sword. If you do, you will return to nothingness and find rest..."

Inside the Twice dorm, Zhou Ziyu and Son Chaeyoung analyzed the plot: "So, if the Goblin's bride pulls out the sword from Kim Seol, then the Goblin will die?"

Momo Hirai nodded in agreement, and I thought so too.

"It looks like a horrible romantic curse..." Lin Nayeon was fascinated by the potato chips in her hand.

Time flies. Jin Chuan has lived as a ghost for more than 900 years. This immortal and ageless body is just waiting for his destined bride to end his life.

Generation after generation, the children who followed and served him grew up and grew old, repeating the cycle generation after generation, leaving behind only tombstones. But that face, having weathered over nine hundred years, remained, as God had said, immortal and ageless. However, the smile in his eyes now held a growing sadness and age.

The woman in the red scarf reappears, having collapsed in a pool of blood and snow after a car accident. She clutches the snowflakes on the ground, and in that moment of life and death, she remembers what the old man had told her: "If you ever face a life-or-death situation, you must pray with all your heart. Perhaps a kind-hearted god will hear you." "Save me."

"If God really exists, please save me..."

Along with the prayer sounds that seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts, the picture emerged of Gong Cheng's melancholy face. He was sitting on the edge of the rooftop in a light green windbreaker, drinking a can of beer, as if he heard the prayer sounds.

"Save me~ no matter who it is~ please."

When Gong Cheng put down the beer can in his hand, the camera showed snowflakes floating around him, and that sad face seemed to smile...

"Maybe." Listening to the woman's cry for help in the snowy night, Jin Quan, played by Gong Cheng, lowered his gaze: "It is my principle not to get involved in the life and death of the human world."

"I...I can't just die like this..."

Watching the dialogue on TV, Zhou Ziyu, who had just exclaimed at how handsome Gong Cheng looked in his trench coat, suddenly frowned: "Oppa can't be so cold-blooded, right?!!!"

"Hey, Tzuyu, this is just acting..." Kim Dahyun put his arm around her shoulders and comforted her. But I have to say, this oppa has a really good figure, he's a natural clothes hanger, how could there be such a handsome ghost?

Moreover, the brown suit at the beginning and the windbreaker now both look like they are from big brands and have good texture, and they are very consistent with Gong Cheng oppa's temperament in the play.

In a pool of blood, the woman shouted "Save my child" and her breathing gradually stopped.

As the Twice members held their breath in anticipation, Jin Chen, played by Gong Cheng, watched the falling snowflakes.

"You are very lucky to have met a soft-hearted god."

"I don't want to see anyone die tonight..."

As he spoke, Gong Cheng half-crouched down in the snowy night. As the camera moved, the pair of outstretched hands gradually emerged with a fluorescent blue special effect, covering the woman's forehead, and also grasping the hearts of countless viewers in front of the TV.

Later, when the messenger from the underworld arrived, the pregnant woman Chi Lianxi had already been rescued, leaving only the biting cold wind. The air was mixed with the smell of snow and blood, with a hint of floral fragrance.

The camera cuts to the baby in the pregnant woman's belly, who has successfully given birth. Her name is Ji Eun-tak. As she grew older, her mother passed away when she was nine, and she lived with her aunt's family. But because she was saved by a goblin, she was destined to be different from other children: Ji Eun-tak, who can see souls.

The souls (ghosts) also told her that she was destined to be the bride of the ghost.

Ji Eun-tak, who has entered her third year of high school, appeared in the camera. Her petite body looked very thin. She wore a loose and simple green sweatshirt with a school uniform skirt, and walked alone on the road.

"Oh, is this IU senior?" Yu Jeongyeon opened her mouth in surprise.

The pouring rain slanted over the edges of pedestrians' umbrellas, but Ji Eun-tak didn't have an umbrella to shelter herself from the rain. She was wearing a sweatshirt and had earphones hanging on both sides of her cheeks. She looked lonely in the eyes of passers-by, but there was a ghost next to her who kept talking to her.

"Hey, I heard you're the goblin's bride?"

Chi Eun-tak ignored him, humming the song in his headphones and turning a blind eye.

"It's him, he's here... Miane..."

The ghost that had been harassing her seemed to sense something, looked ahead, and ran away in panic.

Chi Eun-tak followed the ghost's gaze, looking in confusion. Under the curtain of raindrops, as the director moved the camera, Gong Cheng was wearing an elegant black long windbreaker, a turtleneck sweater, and holding an umbrella.

“It’s a beautiful life~”

"I'll be by your side~"

As the gentle OST theme song "Beautiful" swelled, a drizzle of rain splattered against the umbrella. A calm face walked alone on the road. Green branches and pink petals lay on the brick wall in the background. Pedestrians came and went, each busy at their own pace. The quiet and cool atmosphere, beneath that calm face, seemed to be slightly sad.

Chi Eun-tak glanced at his chest, then brushed past him...

Lin Nayeon opened her mouth. This director is really good at filming, isn't he? With just one simple shot, he pulled out the sense of fate of the hero and heroine.

She felt that even if she were to act, her performance might be a better match with Gong Cheng's.

"Is this the OST written by Gong Sung oppa?" Yu Jeongyeon asked curiously.

"no……"

As the plot progresses, the extra-long episode reveals Ji Eun-tak's predicament and bullying at her aunt's house, but it also reveals her tenacious and optimistic character. Due to various coincidences and the advancement of the plot, she unexpectedly follows Jin Yu, played by Gong Cheng, through a time gate and arrives in Quebec, Canada.

Ji Eun-tak looked at the surrounding scenery in disbelief. After confirming that he had followed the Goblin to Canada, he excitedly wandered around Petit Champlain Street.

"I made a decision!"

"What?" Jin Xin, played by Gong Cheng, looked at Ji Eun-tak in surprise, as if he couldn't understand why she could follow him to Canada.

"I've made up my mind!"

"I want to marry you!"

"No matter how I think about it, I think you are a ghost..." Ji Eun-tak, played by Lee Ji-eun, narrowed his smiling face with a scarf in the sun: "Sarangheyo~"

Two figures, bathed in sunlight, freeze in this scene. The ending OST, with the words "Sarangheyo," plays, a heartbeat-like prelude. The moment the music begins, the story rewinds to the moment not long ago when Kim Seung and Ji Eun-tak passed each other on a rainy day. It's as if nothing has happened yet. The ethereal female voice sings softly, and the warmth of the smile in the camera, a face bathed in sunlight, washes over us.

"When I close my eyes~"

"Those eyes that appeared~"

"Wow! Is this the end?" Yu Jeongyeon covered her mouth and said, "This is the OST Gong Sung oppa wrote, right?"

"Yes, it's over today, and there will be another episode tomorrow." Lin Nayeon nodded and responded to her friend. The ending song playing in her ears reached Gong Cheng's part, and his voice like a subwoofer came out.

"As if it was destined, I fell for you~"

"You're calling me again~Calling me~"

"..."

……

After the premiere of "Goblin," the nation and media following the drama went wild. The OST, "Stay With Me," which was released along with the series, topped the charts on major music websites.

The songs that ranked at the bottom of the list are "Fake Love", "TT" and "Spring Day". These songs are close to the top of the list and all have Tarot's name on their production.

tvn's 10th anniversary special Friday-Saturday drama "Goblin" premiered with a 6.5% viewership rating, breaking the previous record of 6.1% for a Friday-Saturday drama, "Reply 1988."

"Stay With Me" has reached number one on multiple music sites! Shocking! Tarot co-produced all five of the top songs! Truly a gold medal producer in the Great Cold Underworld!

[Will you meet a soft-hearted God this winter? ]

【Goblin Premiere...】

"Ahhh~ My oppa's second single is so good! It's amazing! He's a walking bass! IU's singing is pretty good too."

"I'm so impressed with Oppa's ancient costume! This setting is so cool! An immortal, ageless goblin..."

"Tsk tsk, to be honest, everyone else uses their expressions to act, which is why many new actors often try too hard, making the audience uncomfortable. But Gong Cheng, I find, acts with his eyes. Just the two settings of immortality and ageless appearance seem enough to filter out a lot of actors. But when Gong Cheng stood there, his face expressionless, but the sadness and loneliness in his eyes seemed impossible to hide..."

"I agree with the above. I came here because of Kim Eun-sook's reputation as a writer. I didn't expect Gong Cheng's acting to be so good. When that face smiles, it gives people a very sad feeling~"

"I thought Gong Cheng would be unable to escape the shadow of Jung Joon Hyung. After all, Jung Joon Hyung's role was so outstanding that he also won the MBC Newcomer Award for this role. However, Kim Yoon in this drama has no trace of Jung Joon Hyung at all. What can I say! Gong Cheng, you are my god!"

"How romantic, isn't it? Just blow out a candle, even a cyber candle, and you can summon a god to protect you... When will I ever meet a kind-hearted god?!"

"A soft-hearted God..."

"Has no one noticed Gong Cheng's outfit? He's a natural-born clothes hanger! I'll go check out the brand and buy one for my brother!"

"The one above, I just checked, it's Armani's custom-made one."

"You are my God! Tarot! (Kneeling)"

"Gong Cheng should be the most outstanding singer who is also an actor, right? Unlike some people, one has impeccable acting skills, and the other has nothing to say..."

"Shit! Who are you implying about above? Stop dragging him down, okay? Gong Cheng, that bastard! Are you blind, idiot? What acting skills does he have? He's such a braggart, and he even uses his eyes to act, what a moron! Wait until you win the Best Actor award before saying that!"

"So handsome! Gong Cheng and Lee Dong Wook's CP, I'm obsessed with it..."

"..."

The next day, Gong Cheng came to SM after finishing filming for "Goblin".

Today, I have an appointment with Red Velvet to record the song "Bad Boy", and Bae Joo-hyun, the short guy from Daegu, has almost recovered and returned to the company to participate in normal work.

"Good afternoon, Joohyun." Gong Cheng walked into Red Velvet's practice room without any hesitation and greeted Bae Joohyun who was practicing dancing in front of the mirror.

Tsk tsk, this little short leg is twisted like a pretzel.

"Good afternoon, Tarot." The members of Red Velvet smiled and waved to him.

"Good afternoon." Bae Joo-hyun paused and nodded at him. After the Red Velvet members rested for a few minutes, they headed straight to SM's recording studio.

Their job today is to record the audio of the title song "Bad Boy", and SM company has already assigned parts to several members. All Gong Cheng has to do is supervise the production in the recording studio.

In fact, Gong Cheng thought it didn't matter whether he came or not, since the song had already been written. But what could he do about Lee Soo Man, the old man? Even if Gong Cheng was just in the SM building, drinking tea and strolling around, he still hoped Gong Cheng would come more often.

Tarot produced the title song "Bad Boy" for Red Velvet's new album. What a great marketing topic!
"Joo Hyun, do it again."

Hearing some flaws in Bae Joo Hyun's voice and the sound going off, Gong Cheng frowned and asked for another try. Bae Joo Hyun in the recording studio nodded and said nothing. He was such a straightforward person. He had never lost his temper because of the producer, but he would point out any mistakes immediately.

"..."

"OK! It's over."

As the sky gradually darkened, Gong Cheng stood up and took off his headphones. He looked at the Red Velvet members walking out of the recording studio, his serious expression faded, and he smiled, "Let's stop here for today. As for the music video shooting, we can talk about it later."

As he spoke, he picked up the windbreaker hanging on the back of the chair and prepared to take a walk around EXO's practice room to see if Park Chanyeol and Oh Sehun were there.

If you're here, let's have dinner together. I've been busy all afternoon and haven't eaten yet.

But after taking just two steps, Gong Cheng took out his phone and frowned at the message he had just received...

I'm stuck, so I'll just write one chapter today.
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(End of this chapter)