The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 161 Debut for You (asking for monthly ticket)

The nanny car drove smoothly through Gangnam District in Seoul. Along the bustling streets, Twice's figure could be seen everywhere, appearing at bus stops and on electronic screens...

Inside the car, Lin Yingxiong and Park Jae-bum were still arguing about what names to give to their fans, "Bomb" and "Little Star". Gong Cheng had reservations about the naming skills of these two guys.

He glanced out the car window at the LED display hanging in front of a building. The bunny idol's beautiful figure took center stage, her smile beautiful. Gong Cheng chuckled, pulled out his phone, snapped a picture, and sent it to the bunny's mother: "Big star..."

……

At eight o'clock in the morning, Gong Cheng and others arrived at the recording site of "Running Man". Lee Kwang-soo, Yoo Jae-suk and other MCs and several members of Bombardment Meteor are already old friends, even Lim Young-woong, who only debuted last year.

After the explosion of Bombardment Meteor, they also appeared on a separate show not long ago. Needless to say, Park Jae-bum has always had a good relationship with one of the MCs, Kang Gary, and they often collaborate on feature songs.

"Xiao Cheng, long time no see. You are really becoming more and more popular." When Liu Zaishi saw Gong Chenghe, he walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"It's getting harder and harder to invite them, haha." Lee Kwang Soo added on the side. The MVs had heard last month that the program team had invited several people from Bombardment Meteor as guests, but due to their schedules, it has been difficult to confirm the time.

The program team’s persistent invitation finally culminated in another recording today.

"However, speaking of it, Xiao Cheng has rarely appeared on variety shows. Not counting his music performances and the year-end music festivals on the three major TV stations, Xiao Cheng seems to have only appeared on a radio program once, and on our 'Running Man'?" Song Ji Hyo greeted Gong Cheng with a smile and gave him a big hug. The other MCs were not surprised either, as they had always known that Song Ji Hyo was a die-hard fan of Gong Cheng.

When "Goblin" was aired some time ago, she mentioned Gong Cheng many times in the show.

"I've always wanted to come to "Running Man" again. I had a lot of fun last time with the brothers and Ji Hyo, but the schedule and other things were too many headaches." Gong Cheng replied with a chuckle. The last "Running Man" trip was not bad.

So, this time recording the show with the members, as Kim Dae-woo said, is a chance to relax.

"Xiao Cheng, do you still have a headache when you are so popular? Ah Xi, you are really greedy. If it were someone else, no matter how many schedules they have, it would be painful and happy..." Lee Kwang Soo said jokingly with an expression of incomprehension.

The younger generation before us is incredibly popular compared to last year's recording session. Coupled with the massive success of "Goblin" and the recent release of their new album, their popularity is even more terrifying than last year, reaching a new peak.

"..."

The director team of "Running Man" set up their cameras and watched with smiles as the guests and MCs exchanged greetings in the cold morning.

For the director, these small talk clips were also part of the material for this episode. Just like the footage, even on a quiet street, the smiles in everyone's eyes couldn't be hidden. He couldn't even imagine how explosive the ratings for this episode would be.

……

"An Ning Haseyo, I'm Tarot of Bombardment Meteor!"

"An Ning Ha Sai Yo, I'm Song Ji Hyo."

On the quiet street, Gong Cheng and Song Ji Hyo walked side by side, and they both greeted the camera in the hands of the VJ behind them.

The recording of the show had already begun when they arrived at the scene and got off the car. According to the director's request, the guests and the MCs will be divided into two groups and recorded in pairs, similar to encountering fans on the street.

The camera will capture the fans' reactions when they meet their idols, and will also capture the idols' emotions when facing their fans. They will then negotiate and communicate with the fans, and go to the fans' homes to have lunch together, etc.

It doesn't sound like an easy task.

After the draw, Song Ji Hyo was lucky enough to be assigned to the same group as Gong Cheng. They came to Seongmun-dong, not far from the recording site. The street was a little deserted, not too crowded, and located in a remote area with many apartment buildings.

"Would you like a cup of coffee, Nuna?" Gong Cheng asked, gazing at the open coffee shop at the intersection beside the quiet street. Without waiting for Song Ji Hyo's reply, he smiled and said, "Come on, Nuna, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

Song Ji Hyo nodded with dark circles under her eyes. Younger people are always caring.

"I want an iced Americano."

After a few steps into the coffee shop, Song Ji Hyo placed her order with the waitress at the bar. The waitress in the morning seemed to be just like her, not well rested. She was yawning under her mask, and she must have just started her work day.

"A glass of orange juice, please heat it up."

Gong Cheng stood behind Song Ji Hyo, stated his needs, and then took out his wallet. Behind the two of them, a large filming team, except for two VJs who followed in with cameras, the rest were waiting at the door.

The waitress nodded, glanced at the filming team outside the cafe, and then glanced at the girl in front of the bar who was the same height as her and was wearing a mask and a hat.

In a city as small as Seoul, most residents are used to seeing celebrities. They're nothing special. Even obscure celebrities are considered celebrities, and people only get excited when they see a hugely popular artist or a fan favorite.

The waitress averted her gaze and clicked play on her phone's music app. The prelude to "Wild Flower" suddenly came to her mind as she listened to the cafe's Bluetooth speaker. Her expression, originally a little tired and sleepy, perked up as the warm song played.

"I heard before that you don't like coffee, and it turns out to be just as the rumors said."

Song Ji-hyo recalled the rumors circulating among Arcana fans about Gong Cheng's hobbies. As she spoke, she heard the song she remembered, and glanced at the young woman on stage in surprise. But then she thought of the younger and more influential person next to her, and she wasn't so surprised anymore.

"Yes, but it's not really a rumor." Gong Cheng shrugged helplessly and chatted with Song Ji Hyo in a casual manner.

"Isn't it because you haven't been active enough in everyone's sight? It seems that since your debut until now, only your singing has been with everyone every day." Song Ji Hyo curled her lips speechlessly, and stood up for many Akanas, "So, you still need to be more active."

"Um...um...excuse me, maybe it's Gong Cheng oppa?"

Suddenly, the waitress at the front desk stopped packing coffee and stared with a look of suspicion at the tall figure less than a meter away. Only a pair of bright eyes were visible beneath the brim of a white hoodie and between the mask.

The boy's entire appearance and the sound of his voice when he spoke matched the characteristics of her mobile phone wallpaper and the song in her ear.

"Inside."

Gong Cheng turned to look at the waiter, waved with a smile, and admitted his identity. Now that he was recognized, there was no need to hide. He took off his mask and greeted: "An Ning Hello~"

"Wow! It's really you! Gong Cheng oppa!"

The waitress jumped up excitedly. She was no longer as lifeless as she had been at work. She was instantly full of energy and energy. "Are you recording a show? Oppa. I really, really like you."

“Thank you for your love and support.”

The VJ's camera captured Gong Cheng being recognized in the coffee shop. She had even thought about how to edit the video later, perhaps adding a line of text over the current image: "Fan value +1..."

"Can we take a picture together?"

"of course can."

After a simple photo, Gong Cheng signed his name on the back of the phone case handed to him by the waitress.

Facing his warm smile, the waitress choked up and said reluctantly, "Oppa, I'm so grateful! I will always support you! I'll watch this show!"

"Yes! But why are you crying? Meeting you is also a happy thing for me." Gong Cheng put down the pen and heard the little girl's choked words. He smiled helplessly: "Okay, I won't bother you anymore. You must work hard and seriously."

"Oh, it's me who disturbed Oppa." The waitress lowered her head a little embarrassedly, then she looked at Gong Cheng's back and raised her fist and said firmly: "Oppa, I will support the release of the new album and buy a lot of copies.

Her bright eyes were a little red. She had been a fan of the boy in front of her since Gong Cheng made his debut, but due to financial problems, she had never met the boy she had been thinking about day and night in person.

She came to work at the coffee shop, just to buy a few more albums to see if she could be lucky enough to win the signing of this oppa and get a chance to meet him face to face. Unexpectedly, today, she unexpectedly met the boy she had been dreaming about.

The meeting, which lasted less than five minutes, had already given her a withdrawal reaction. Tears welled up in her eyes, tears of happiness, yet also of sadness for parting. She still had so much to say...

Hearing the girl's words, Gong Cheng paused as he was about to leave. He turned around seriously and stared at the girl in front of him: "Working so hard just to buy a few of my albums, isn't it a bit not worth it?"

"Of course it's worth it, Oppa! Oppa's singing has been with me for a long, long time." The receptionist clutched the phone case signed by Gong Cheng and spoke earnestly, "Didn't Oppa say that we are a love that runs towards each other?"

As she spoke, the little girl bowed to Song Ji Hyo who was standing next to Gong Cheng: "Thank you Ji Hyo Nuna."

"Oppa, what Ji Hyo and Nuna said is right. You should be more active. The Arcanas all want to have more opportunities to meet you. Please! For us! For Kim Sun Ni!"

"Kim Sun-ni is my name..."

Under the VJ's lens, Gong Cheng smiled under the brim of his hat: "I know, Jin Sunni."

"Will you still be working here in a month?"

"Yes, what's wrong, Oppa." After hearing that her husband agreed to her request to open more business, Kim Sunni's tearful face smiled happily, but she didn't understand why he asked about her job: "I work part-time here on weekends."

"It's nothing. JYP staff will send the latest album in a month. I hope you like it." Gong Cheng put on his mask again and said in a warm voice with a smile: "I really have to leave this time and work. You too, you must work hard and live hard."

"I'll give you the album, and give your salary to your hard-working self. Be obedient, Sunny..."

The VJ filming this scene moved the camera with some emotion. Perhaps the title of this clip could be edited as: "The two-way rush of high-quality idols and high-quality fans?"

After Gong Sung and Song Ji Hyo left with orange juice and coffee, Kim Sun Ni lay on the table at the front desk with mixed feelings. She was surprised that her oppa would send her an autographed album after the new album was released, but she was disappointed about this farewell and didn't know when she would meet this oppa next time.

The words "Be obedient, Shanni" still lingered in her heart for a long time.

She held her phone, opened the Arcana fan club group chat, and shared: "Sisters, seeing Oppa is really so happy that I am crying..."

"Aniha Saiyo, excuse me."

Suddenly, a steady voice interrupted Jin Sunni's thoughts.

"I'm from the Running Man staff and would like to invite you to tonight's..."

……

"Am I right? Xiao Cheng, you really are a bit mysterious in the eyes of your fans..."

"If you don't know, you might think your company is holding back your resources and not letting you out for activities or business."

Song Ji-hyo walked down the street, coffee in hand, and recalled the conversation between fans and idols in the cafe just now, which made her feel emotional. Although she was also a fan of Gong Cheng, compared to 99.99% of fans, she had Tarot's personal contact information and could even record a show with him.

"Not really, it's just that I've been very busy. I haven't had any free time since my debut." Gong Cheng took a sip of orange juice, glanced at the camera shooting his face nearby, thought for a moment, and revealed, "Actually, after this period of time is over, I'll be able to see you all more often."

He roughly estimated that the show would be broadcast next week, which is mid-March, and Bombardment Meteor's official contract renewal announcement was around the same time, so it wouldn't affect anything.

Gong Cheng continued, "There will be more materials and group shows then, I hope everyone will like them."

"Material, yes, it seems like you haven't had much material since your debut." Song Ji Hyo pouted and quickly turned her head away: "What did you say, group variety show?"

"Bombardment Meteor?"

"Nei, Nuna."

"Contract renewed?" Song Ji Hyo exclaimed in surprise. The renewal of Bombardment Meteor has been speculated by many fans and outside public opinion, but there has been no definite news so far.

She had previously asked Gong Cheng about this, but the younger man didn't know much either. People like Lee Kwang Soo had also privately asked many SM or JYP artists about this, but unfortunately, the four companies were very strict in keeping it a secret.

In short, some are talking about renewal, while others are talking about disbanding, which has caused panic among the people.

Gong Cheng nodded and said nothing more.

"Can this be broadcast?" VJ asked excitedly. He didn't expect that there would be an unexpected gain in this recording?

"Yes, it won't be long before the announcement."

Gong Cheng chuckled, signaling the production team not to worry. For Bombardment Meteor fans, the contract renewal was just foreplay; the climax would be the announcement of the cast expansion.

……

Elsewhere, Park Jae-Bum and Yoo Jae-suk were filming their own shows, as were Lim Young-woong and Kang Gary. Meanwhile, Lee Kwang-soo, alone, was leading a few VJs and crew members on a street in Gangnam, seemingly handing out flyers.
He was holding a thick stack of questionnaires with "Bombardment Meteor" written on the top.

"Please fill in the reasons why you like Bombardment Meteor and which member is your favorite." Lee Kwang Soo said to the girl filling out the form next to him with a smile.

Having failed to be selected as a teammate, he was assigned by the director to act alone. However, his mission wasn't like previous undercover roles. Instead, he was preparing for tonight's final segment, hidden from the Bombardment Meteor members and other MCs. The production team would distribute questionnaires about Bombardment Meteor on the streets of Seoul, and from those questionnaires, they would randomly select one hundred die-hard Bombardment Meteor fans.

Attending tonight's party is like a small fan meeting between "Running Man" and Bombardment Meteor.

"Do you like Tarot's smile?" Lee Kwang-soo picked up the questionnaire in his hand: "But, that guy is really handsome when he smiles!"

After putting away the questionnaire, he looked at the beautiful girl in front of him, who looked like a college student who had just turned 20. He thought to the camera, "Tarot will be very happy to see such a beautiful fan, right?"

Then, he playfully pulled out an invitation from his pocket and handed it to the girl: "See you tonight at 6:30 at Bombardment Meteor, don't miss the appointment."

"Really? Kwang Soo oppa?"

……

"Yes, this is it. I hope you don't think it's too small."

In a residential complex, Che Xianya nervously opened the door of her home. Behind her thin frame stood Gong Cheng and Song Ji-hyo. She had never imagined that she would experience such a dreamlike encounter not long ago.

She was rushing to catch the subway and accidentally bumped into the arms of a tall boy. That boy was the boy she saw every day when she opened her eyes (poster). To her surprise, the boy actually wanted to have lunch with her?
Great! If this was a dream, she just wanted to wake up later. Even if it meant being late for work, it didn't matter.

"Of course not, it's very warm." Gong Cheng carried a lot of gifts, changed his shoes and walked into the girl's home.

Looking around, I saw that the room was over 20 square meters, the living room was also the bedroom, the pitifully small balcony was converted into a kitchen, and next to it was a small bathroom that looked so crowded that there was no place to step.

Inside the narrow room, the white walls were covered with many posters, about Bombardment Meteor, about Gong Cheng, and a dozen or so albums related to the cover of "YDP" by Three of Swords, as well as the group's release of "Fireworks are eternal".

Beside the bed, there was a wooden guitar, and the wooden board beneath the strings was covered with Gong Cheng's small cards...

"These are all your little cards." Song Ji Hyo looked at the little cards on the guitar. Some of them are very rare on the market. I believe this fan must have spent a lot of effort to collect them.

She turned her head and asked, "Do you like Tarot?"

Only one VJ came in to film the scene. The narrow room didn't allow room for anyone else, so most of the crew stayed downstairs in the apartment. Only one VJ went to Che Xianya's house to film.

"Yes, I like it very much. It's just that I didn't have the other sisters, so I came to the table early." Cha Xianya invited Gong Cheng and Song Ji Hyo to sit down, and there was some sadness in her eyes when she said this: "I became a fan after Oppa experienced the fire of Bombardment Meteor, and I am also a fan of the group."

"I'm sad that I didn't accompany Oppa from the very beginning..."

The room was only a little over 20 square meters, and it was a bit depressing to live in. Fortunately, the room had good lighting, and as the midday sun gradually came in, the sunlight from outside the window hit the faces of the three people in the room.

Gong Cheng sat on the lazy sofa, picked up the wooden guitar lying on the bedside, stroked the strings and the picture of his own card with his slender fingers, and listened quietly to Che Xianya's words.

"Can you sing a song, Oppa?"

Che Xianya looked at the boy in the sun. Just like Xiaoka and the boy in the mobile phone video, his smile made people feel warm.

"What do you want to hear?"

""shower"."

Gong Cheng nodded in surprise. Not many fans liked this song. He lowered his head, plucking the strings, and sang in his mellow voice: "If this rain~"

"If you pour it on your head, it will definitely get soaked~"

"~~~"

"One day~the cold raindrops~"

"It will surely turn into tears of tenderness~ I'll cry~"

Song Ji Hyo and Cha Xian Ya sat together, listening attentively to Gong Sung's a cappella singing. The VJ in charge of photography couldn't help but admire the singing skills of this popular artist.

After the song ended, Gong Cheng put down his guitar, his smile bright and warm in the sunshine, responding to the fan's previous words: "Don't feel sad or regretful for not being able to walk with me from the beginning. The moment you fell in love with me was the day I debuted for you."

Under the camera, when Cha Xianya heard this, her eyes turned red and she couldn't help crying. She hugged Song Ji Hyo's shoulders and sobbed softly.

VJ stared at the captured footage on the screen. Even as a bystander, after Gong Cheng said this, she felt as if her heart was being firmly grasped by a pair of large hands. She finally understood why the boy whose smile on camera was warmer than the sun was loved by so many people.

Yes, everyone loves Tarot. After a morning of filming and seeing how he treated his fans, she felt like she was going crazy. She had no doubt that after this episode aired, all of Gong Cheng's fans would go crazy after seeing these clips.

Giving away albums, encouraging fans to live life to the fullest, and telling them not to feel sorry for joining the fan club late...

"Okay, time for lunch."

Gong Cheng stood up, lifted up the sleeves of his sweatshirt, found the apron hanging on the wall in the small kitchen, and put it on.

He took out some vegetables and said with a smile to the stunned Cha Hyun-ah, Song Ji-hyo, and the camera, "Didn't expect that? I'm a pretty good cook."

"I'll do it, Oppa."

"It's okay, try my cooking..."

……

After a simple lunch, Gong Cheng and Song Ji Hyo left Cha Hyun-ya's house and reunited with other guests and MC under the guidance of the program team.

"what?"

"Are you kidding me, Jae-seok? Fan meeting?"

Gong Cheng and Park Jae-fan looked at each other suspiciously.

"There's no such process in the script..." Lin Yingxiong suddenly scratched his head.

The three people from Bombardment Meteor were completely unprepared and were a little confused by this sudden event arrangement.

"Don't worry, it's just a small fan meeting." Lee Kwang Soo patted Gong Sung's shoulder. He was the only one present who was taller than Gong Sung, so the gesture of patting his shoulder did not feel out of place at all.

"We've randomly selected 100 of your Bombardment Meteor fans from the street. They'll come to the venue we're going to tonight. We'll all sing a few songs together and interact with the fans."

Lee Kwang-soo is very familiar with this kind of part. Similar activities have appeared in previous programs, but they are not common.

After hearing the explanation, the Bombardment Meteor crew nodded. No further comment was made; it was truly a sudden and surprising event.

"Let's go, we have to go to the venue next. We have to set up the venue before 6:30."

The director gathered the MC and guests into the nanny car. According to the procedure, there was no need to play games in the afternoon. Instead, everyone decorated the venue together and tried to make the atmosphere as warm and cozy as possible.

……

In venue YH3, Gangdong-gu, Seoul.

The Running Man MC and the Bombardment Meteor members were busy working together. The venue, which can accommodate over a hundred people, had gone from being empty in the early afternoon to now being crowded around the stage and the audience.

There are many human-shaped standees, including those of Bombardment Meteor members and regular members of Running Man.

Colorful balloons, tied with strings, floated to the ceiling. Warm yellow lights illuminated the approaching night outside the venue. Golden fireworks filled the stage and the auditorium.

From a distance, this small venue looks a bit crudely decorated, yet romantic and warm.

At 6:00 AM, Gong Sung, Park Jae-Bum, Lee Kwang-soo, and Lim Young-woong worked together to lift a sofa onto the stage. Afterward, they wiped the sweat from their foreheads and plopped down on it.

Park Jae-Bum panted and said, "Finally, we're done."

"This is just the beginning. You still need to practice more." Kim Jong Kook walked up to the stage holding a round table in one hand and joked with a smile.

"..."

With everyone looking forward to it, the meeting time arrived at 6:30.

The ticket inspectors outside the venue began letting fans in. Among them was Kim Sun-ni, whom Gong Cheng had met at the cafe that morning. As she entered the venue, she covered her mouth with excitement as she watched the boy being carried to rest.

The Running Man production team gave her a ticket for tonight's Bombardment Meteor fan meeting. She felt that she must be very lucky today to have encountered so many wonderful things.

"Wow! Tarot Oppa really came to record 'Running Man'."

"Wow! It's really Oppa. I'm crying my eyes out."

Inside the venue, as people poured in, there were also many whispers.

"An Ning Haseyo, we are Bombardment Meteor."

"An Ning Ha Sai Yo, we are Running Man!"

"I'm Tarot!"

"I'm Song Ji Hyo!"

"..."

After a long list of self-introductions, the fan meeting planned by the program team began.

There were endless exclamations in the hall. Gong Cheng sat on the sofa, picked up the guitar provided by the program team, and sang softly to the fans in the audience.

Park Jae-bum and Lim Young-woong also presented songs from their latest personal albums to fans.

"How long will you love Tarot?" During the halftime entertainment session, MC Yoo Jae-seok picked up the microphone and asked the audience with a smile.

"lifetime!"

"lifetime……"

"Really?" Lee Kwang Soo asked in surprise.

"real!"

Hundreds of fans beneath the stage answered firmly and forcefully, without any hesitation.

Gong Cheng held the microphone, looked around at the many enthusiastic fans in the audience, and said with a smile: "You are lying."

……

That night, after finishing the recording of "Running Man", Gong Cheng, Lee Kwang Soo and others went to a barbecue restaurant for dinner.

And with one hour left before March 8, countless media and fans in the peninsula were so excited that some could not sleep and were refreshing the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

After tonight, the Billboard chart will be refreshed. They are all paying attention to the first half of Tarot's first full-length solo album, the four songs, whether they can enter the Billboard chart and what ranking they can get.

Park Jin-young returned home from get off work, looked at the time on the computer screen, his hands folded, and his knuckles slightly tensed.

As time moves towards 00:00 in the morning of March 8th.

He held his breath and pressed the refresh button...

I'm begging for monthly votes, brothers. It's the end of the month. Thanks to joneo for the 200-point tip. I was aiming for 10,000 words today, but I'm 2000 words short, but I'm too sleepy from taking cold medicine. Forget it.

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(End of this chapter)