The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 231 Jisoo, are you going to be my stage designer?

"...Oh my god, get fewer ear piercings, really...it's giving me trypophobia."

"None of your business! It's not for you to see!"

In the restaurant's private room, Kim Jisoo smoothed her hair behind her ear. Her three or four ear piercings were adorned with silver beads and earrings. She wore a smoky eye makeup look and chewed on a piece of steak.

Park Jin-young and Yang Hyun-seok sat together, chatting about old times.

Gong Cheng sat between Park Chae-young and Kim Ji-soo, and couldn't help but purse his lips. If he remembered correctly, the last time he saw Kim Ji-soo, this person didn't have this many pores on her ears...

They're incredibly rebellious!
"Xiao Cheng, come have a drink with me. Jennie said you have a pretty good alcohol tolerance."

Yang Xianshuo smiled and raised his wine glass to clink with Gong Cheng's.

Gong Cheng hesitated before picking up his glass, "President Yang..."

"Call me Hyunseok hyung..."

"Hyunseok, I drove here..." Gong Cheng gave a helpless bitter smile. He really had no interest in drinking with the old man in front of him, but seeing his enthusiastic smile, he took a sip of red wine and put down his glass.

"I'll have your agent take you back."

Yang Xianshuo had already made his plans, and glanced at Gong Cheng with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Who knew the notorious womanizer in the industry would be so law-abiding? But that's a good thing, unlike those guys in the company…

"Xiao Cheng, Zhenying must have talked to you about it, right? YG wants to invite you to be the producer for BLACKPINK's new album..." Yang Hyun-suk put down his drink, leaned back in his chair, and got down to business.

Park Jin-young didn't get involved either. Before coming, he had already made the decision himself with Gong Cheng.

Do it if you want to, and forget it if you don't...

His smiling eyes swept over the members of BLACKPINK, wondering to himself, "Which one is it? Which one is it?"
This junior colleague really doesn't eat the grass near his burrow; many of the female artists in the company are just as good as those in other companies!
As expected of a student from Yonsei University, you have great principles!
Gong Cheng listened to Yang Hyun-suk's explanation for a while. This guy went straight to revealing the style he wanted to give BLACKPINK for this comeback. Normally, these project details, including the comeback style, need to be kept secret before the comeback.

As he spoke of these things, the members of BLACKPINK all turned their gazes toward Gong Cheng.

I wanted to see his expression to guess whether this would work out.

Although they all had a good personal relationship and enjoyed playing together, they knew Gong Cheng's personality well. He rarely mixed up work matters with his personal friendships. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shown them no mercy when they bumped into each other during his comeback last year.

So she kept quiet, subtly inciting him, but the hopeful look in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"A mini album?" Gong Cheng was somewhat surprised when he heard about BLACKPINK's comeback project this summer.

In the past, he didn't pay much attention to BLACKPINK's group activities because, since his debut, it seems that other groups and solo artists haven't had any comebacks either...

This was the first time he had ever heard of BLACKPINK, who had never released a mini-album since their debut, and usually released singles containing 2-3 songs.

"We plan to include 4-5 singles. Given your skill level, the workload won't be too heavy. As for the style, we're looking to release a typical hip-hop album, along with rhythm and blues, and even tropical house and reggae..."

"To be honest, I wanted to talk to you because of your reputation, and also because, frankly, no one in all of Asia does these styles better than you..."

Yang Hyun-suk frankly expressed his thoughts: for BLACKPINK's comeback this year, the company is preparing a big production. YG's situation has not been good in the past two years. BLACKPINK is gradually entering the military service period, and GD will also be enlisting in the military in a few days.

Winner, iKON, and BLACKPINK, all under YG Entertainment, were instant hits upon debut, but their subsequent success was lackluster. Therefore, YG urgently needs a flagship artist, and BLACKPINK's summer comeback is a key project they are focusing on.

The key to the project is simple: bring in Tarot!

"The concept for this album is to connect with the children's debut album 'SQUARE ONE' and second album 'SQUARE TWO', using the first two albums as a foundation to introduce this mini-album..."

"Let them return with a stronger and more mature musical presence than ever before..."

After hearing his thoughts, Gong Cheng felt a little embarrassed; they were incredibly childish. He glanced at the four members beside him; apart from Kim Jisoo, Park Chaeyoung and Kim Jennie were looking at him expectantly.

Kim Jisoo! Don't fall into my hands!
Or you'll regret it!

Garlic bird, garlic bird...

Yang Hyun-suk took a sip of his drink. Of the current "Big Three," JYP has risen to prominence, while SM still has EXO, Red Velvet, and NCT to hold its own. And the artists who renewed their contracts with Girls' Generation are about to form sub-units to continue contributing their remaining energy…

Aside from NCT, the rest are all considered top-tier groups, while YG Entertainment currently has Winner, iKON, and BLACKPINK active under their banner, making their group relatively weaker compared to these others…

Not to mention TWICE, GOT7, 2PM, Tarot, Suzy, and Bombardment Meteor, which has ties to both SM and JYP. And then there's Park Jin-young's upcoming new boy group, Stray Kids.

Thanks to the popularity of their seniors, they already have considerable buzz and viewership even before their debut...

"No need to rush to give me an answer, Xiao Cheng, you can think about it carefully."

Yang Hyun-suk didn't press him too hard. Instead, he picked up his glass and looked at Gong Cheng's face with great emotion, saying with a touch of regret, "Aigoo, even now, no matter how you look at it, Cheng, you should still be our YG's kid..."

"???" Park Jin-young looked somewhat displeased upon hearing this.

So you're trying to poach our employees?
Yang Hyun-suk chuckled and shrugged, thinking, "If only Tarot had come to YG in the first place..."

After hearing their CEO's words, the members of BLACKPINK gave Gong Cheng a blatant glance. Jennie picked up her glass, took a sip, and said, "Indeed, when I first saw the video of oppa freestyle on the Han River Bridge, I really thought he was someone from our company..."

Lisa and Rosé nodded in agreement.

There was once a saying among the three major entertainment companies in South Korea: SM was a flower garden, known as the world of flower boys, while JYP was where the boss was more famous than the artists. Compared to the former two, YG focused on music and individuality...

Judging by his looks, this guy should go to SM Entertainment, but his personality isn't in his fashion sense. Rather, it's his inner personality that has made many female celebrities in the industry admire him for a long time.

Everyone knows he's a playboy, but it's really hard to get in touch with him!

You're a player, why don't you play me?
Since this guy debuted, in all the variety shows on Peninsula TV over the past two years, whenever a female celebrity appeared on a show and encountered the "Ideal Type World Cup" game, the male celebrity she most wanted to date, get to know, and connect with could only be one name: "Tarot"...

The public is used to it, and the Akana fans are too lazy to criticize it, firstly because they are used to it, and secondly because their fans will also be happy!

"Then I'll think about it carefully, Hyunseok hyung," Gong Cheng chuckled and took a sip of his drink, not in a hurry to answer.

For the next hour, everyone chatted about this and that, and Yang Hyun-suk didn't mention anything about wanting his female artists to collaborate with him. It's likely that BLACKPINK and the others were unaware of this.

"..."

……

After the drinking session ended, Gong Cheng yawned and went to the underground parking lot. He had drunk quite a bit, but it was all just water.

His lips twitched as he stared at the Aston Martin in front of him. Damn! Yang Hyun-suk had promised his manager would drive him, but he and Park Jin-young ended up completely drunk!

He wondered if he should go out and hail a taxi.
With so many women around him, he absolutely cannot drink and drive; he is a responsible man!

Should I ask Oh Sehun or Park Chanyeol to come and pick me up?
Otherwise, leaving the car here is quite a hassle; I'll have to come back and pick it up tomorrow. It's better to trouble my buddies than to bother myself…

Not far away, Kim Jisoo, carrying a handbag, stepped out of the elevator. After seeing the three members, who seemed slightly tipsy, get into the van, she noticed a certain scumbag in her line of sight, squatting on the hood of a GT sports car, looking somewhat hesitant, the car keys twirling between his slender fingers.

A moment later, the man stood up, his tall figure stretching out, took his phone out of his jeans pocket, opened the driver's side door, and got in.

Kim Ji-soo frowned. She wasn't stupid; she had just been sitting next to Gong Cheng, who had drunk quite a bit.

You still dare to drive?
Do you not want to live anymore?!
"Sehun, want to test drive an Aston Martin?" Gong Cheng lay in the driver's seat, talking to Wu Sehun on the phone. "Ani-oh hyung, am I the kind of person who would lie to you? Really..."

"The latest model, oh dear, you've obviously never heard of it, it hasn't been released yet..."

He tried to coax the guy who was playing games in the dorm to come pick him up, when he heard a knock on the car window. He looked at it in surprise and then said into the phone, "Wait a minute, bro, I'll send you the address later."

He hung up the phone, opened the car door, and asked, "What?"

"Drunk driving?"

Gong Cheng leaned back in his chair, staring at Kim Soo-ji's serious, smoky face. He thought for a moment, "She hasn't been drinking, has she?"
"Can you drive?"

He suddenly felt that Wu Sehun should just stay home and play games instead of working so hard...

"Don't expect me to take you; call a designated driver."

"How many celebrities have you seen call for a designated driver after drinking?" Gong Cheng said with a light laugh. It's not uncommon for celebrities to call for a designated driver, but it's very rare. After all, drinking is a private matter, and no celebrity would want passersby to see it.

Moreover, the address where the designated driver delivers the product is usually the artist's residence, and these things must be kept strictly confidential. Otherwise, if someone is not discreet, they might spill the beans the next day.

"I'll ask a friend to take you," Kim Jisoo said, trying to come up with a solution for him, her words as few as they could be.

Gong Cheng glanced at her. "Aren't you my friend?" he said, and then started his sports car in the parking space with an exaggerated roar, which startled Kim Ji-soo.

He always knew that Kim Jisoo was a soft-hearted person, especially towards her friends.

Otherwise, what idiot would put pressure on himself when he's unhappy and punch holes all over his ears?

Hearing the engine roar so close by, Kim Jisoo glared at her helplessly. "I'll get Miyeon!"

"She can't drive, oh dear, never mind, I can't count on you. Get out of here, I'll drive back myself. Cheongdam-dong isn't far from Gangdong-gu..." Gong Cheng stepped on the gas, and the engine roared even louder...

He picked up his phone and unlocked the screen. It was 10:36 PM Seoul time. "This shouldn't be considered rush hour..."

As Kim Ji-soo listened to him talking to himself, she saw Gong Cheng stepping on the gas pedal without even fastening his seatbelt. Although it wasn't peak time in Seoul at this hour, it was the time when clubs and bars in the Gangnam area were opening.

The traffic on the main roads is no less than during the day. In Seoul, most office workers head to bars as soon as they get off work, so how could there not be a lot of traffic?
"Alright, move aside..." Gong Cheng gripped the steering wheel, raised his eyelids, and glanced at Kim Ji-soo.

If this person still remains unmoved after the last few attempts, then he can only be described as heartless. In the end, he obediently calls Wu Shixun over...

"Your seatbelt isn't fastened." Kim Jisoo reminded him kindly, her face expressionless.

Gong Cheng, “…” Holy crap!

Seeing how obediently he fastened his seatbelt, Kim Ji-soo couldn't help but open the car door as wide as possible, bend down and lean her upper body into the car, and directly pull the key out of the drive compartment.

Gong Cheng smelled the faint perfume on her. It was quite tasteful, a classic chypre scent. The top notes were like lemon and bergamot, sweet and refreshing, followed by jasmine...

"Come out, go sit over there!"

Jisoo stuffed the car keys into her pocket, pointed to the passenger seat next to her, and glared at him with annoyance as she spoke. Then she turned around and went to BLACKPINK's van, where she greeted the members.

"..."

……

Half an hour later, on the main road of Gangnam District, which was brightly lit by neon lights, a black Super GT was driving smoothly in the middle of the traffic. The occasional honking of the horn made Kim Jisoo look annoyed.

She sat upright, her small face prim and proper, her eyes fixed ahead, her arms stiffly gripping the steering wheel as she carefully infiltrated the traffic.

Gong Cheng leaned against the passenger window, glancing at a bicycle on the sidewalk not far away that had been running alongside them for a while. He pursed his lips and said helplessly, "Lady, give it some gas! Speed ​​up! Can't you give it some effort? Driving like this is really hurting my sports car's pride."

"Sorry, I've never driven such a nice car before, haha."

Kim Jisoo listened to his sarcasm, but remained unmoved and retorted with a sharp retort.

Although she has a driver's license, she rarely drives, especially after her debut. Her manager and driver take care of everything when she goes out, so she's not very skilled. And now she's driving a GT sports car with someone sitting next to her, which makes her feel even more pressured.

Gong Cheng glanced at the dashboard, which should have been bright red on the daytime, but now the needle was bouncing back and forth between 20 and 30...

"You might as well walk back with me..."

Thirty minutes had passed, and we still hadn't left Jiangnan. Although there was some traffic congestion, the culprit was sitting right next to me!

Kim Jisoo, slightly agitated, turned to look at him, then quickly looked ahead again. "Ugh! I'm already being very kind by taking you home, okay? Why are you making such a fuss?"

"You think I don't want to get you home quickly, so you can take a shower, play some games, and get some sleep? I've been up all day!"

"I'll walk you back. You're not cold, but I am! Shut up! Otherwise, I'll just leave you here to fend for yourself!"

After saying her piece, Kim Jisoo glanced at the saliva splattered on the steering wheel. She felt a little embarrassed, but also felt much better. She raised her hand, wiped the steering wheel, and then, as if nothing had happened, focused intently on the road ahead and headed towards Gangdong District.

She really wanted to drive fast too. Yes, such a nice sports car would attract envious glances everywhere on the road. But soon, those envious glances turned into honking horns, honking and urging her on. How could she be in a good mood? How could she not want to leave this place as soon as possible?

But she hasn't driven in a long time, isn't it normal for her to be a little timid? But I just don't understand this scumbag next to her; instead of encouraging her, he said things that made her even more embarrassed…

What about the pride of sports cars? Is the pride of sports cars more important than our lives?
"Why aren't you saying anything?" After a moment of silence in the carriage, Kim Jisoo raised her fist to cheer herself up. Yes, we've finally left Gangnam!
Gong Cheng closed his eyes. He wasn't worried about Jin Zhixiu's driving skills while riding in her car; at least at this speed, a collision wouldn't cause any major problems. "Didn't you tell me to shut up?"

"When did you become so obedient?"

"After you lectured me..." Gong Cheng flipped the dial on the car's heater vent upwards, "Are you feeling better now?"

"Don't lie to me, we've known each other since before our debut. Thinking about it now, it's true. Back then, you were a trainee even more famous than Miyeon... Hey, that pretty female trainee from YG..."

He recalled with a look of reminiscence that in 15, neither he nor BLACKPINK had debuted yet. Because of Cho Miyeon, he had met Kim Jisoo quite often. At that time, among the trainees in YG, Kim Jisoo had already filmed commercials before her debut...

She's quite famous; many people know that YG has a beautiful female trainee, but they just don't know when she'll debut.

Kim Ji-soo listened to his words but didn't rush to answer. After changing lanes, she smoothed her hair behind her ear. Her dark brown and smoky gray eyeshadow on her eyelids gave her a cold and beautiful look with a smile. She glanced at Gong Cheng and said, "I didn't expect that you would actually become an artist, and even debut earlier than us. It's really unfair."

"Isn't that unfair?" Gong Cheng chuckled, ignoring her teasing, and instead said with a smile, "When we first met, didn't you whisper something to Mei Yan? Do you think someone like me looks like a trainee?"

"This pabo even told you my private conversations with her?" Kim Jisoo opened her mouth, feeling deeply betrayed.

"Otherwise what? Oh my god, it must have been eight or nine years ago, right? My bedside drawer was practically overflowing with business cards and phone numbers from talent scouts from all the major agencies. But at first, I really didn't want to be an entertainer... Now that I am, it's all a bit of a coincidence."

"Are you showing off to me?" Kim Jisoo smacked her lips without any curiosity.

She genuinely didn't know about this. She had asked Gong Cheng before, but he remained silent, saying nothing, just smiling. Even when Zhao Meiyan ate with him, he often wore that hateful smile…

People who watch it always find it hypocritical and annoying!
Because he always smiled and remained calm with everyone, she felt a little uneasy and suspicious when Gong Cheng sometimes told her that they were friends. She knew Gong Cheng well, but she couldn't figure him out.

"I guess so. I never expected that I would not only become an artist, but also a very popular one..." Gong Cheng turned slightly, his pupils under his wispy hair reflecting the warm yellow light of the carriage. The light swept across the stray hairs falling beside Kim Ji-soo's ears and her wheat-shaped earring. Her fair cheeks and long eyelashes cast dappled light and shadow under her eyes. To be honest, this smoky makeup made her look a bit like a delinquent.

"Would you like me to design the stage?"

He remembered Yang Xianshuo's plan and started joking.

"?" Kim Jisoo raised her eyelids and rolled her eyes. "Who do you think you are?"

She had no idea what the company president was planning, and instead thought that Gong Cheng was just joking around because of his popularity!

Even if I wasn't joking, how could I possibly work as a stage designer for him?
"Oh, just kidding." Gong Cheng chuckled, ending the conversation. Before SM and YG reached an agreement, it was uncertain whether the project would even materialize. So he yawned and changed the subject, "Have you and Joo-hyun been in frequent contact lately?"

“Yes, Joo-hyun unnie is a very nice person, we get along very well.” Kim Ji-soo said with a smile. Seeing that the road in the distance was becoming empty and there were no cars in the rearview mirror, she couldn’t help but want to try the feeling of stepping on the gas.

Earlier in the hotel restaurant's underground parking garage, Gong Cheng stepped on the gas. The sound of those two GT sports cars was quite cool, and she wanted to try it out, but there were too many cars around, so she didn't dare...

"Speed ​​up, there are very few cars on this road at this time..." Gong Cheng seemed to see through her eagerness, his words encouraging, "Don't worry, you won't have to pay for the damage..."

"Anyway, a car, no matter how expensive, is still just a lump of iron..."

"Shut up!" Kim Jisoo's eyebrows twitched, she was so angry she wanted to tear his mouth apart. How could anyone be so encouraging? What a show-off! A sports car worth billions of won is nothing more than a lump of iron?

"..."

……

The following day, a report quickly became a trending topic across Asia after its release.

The K-pop White Paper is an annual report that provides a comprehensive analysis and summary of the Korean Peninsula's pop music industry. It is usually published by relevant government departments or institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Korean Peninsula and the Korea International Cultural Exchange Promotion Agency.

Its role and significance is to allow fans to gain a deeper understanding of the overall situation of the K-pop industry, as well as the status and influence of their favorite artists in the industry, through the white paper.

Furthermore, within the K-pop fan community, white papers are frequently used to discuss and evaluate the achievements and status of artists or groups. For example, groups mentioned or certified by white papers are often considered to have high achievements and influence among their generation of groups, which is what fans refer to as the "top group."

The K-pop music scene in 2017 was a continuation of the trends that began in 2016-2017. Second-generation K-pop groups, represented by Big Bang and Girls' Generation, saw members disband due to military service or contract terminations.

The emergence of Tarot and the "unlimited expansion" of Bombardment Meteor shifted the center of K-pop music to them, leading the way in K-pop and drawing more attention to third-generation groups such as BLACKPINK and EXO.

[K-pop king Tarot dominated the world's largest music chart for nearly a year in 2017, with five number-one singles on the US Billboard charts, earning the album of the year and song of the year, becoming one of the world's hottest pop stars.]

[The group Bombardment Meteor, formed by these seven members, broke K-pop records by achieving the first number-one single in K-pop history, becoming a global pop sensation.]

Even Japanese music fans, who are not particularly enthusiastic about K-pop, were drawn to "Bombardment Meteor" and "TWICE," and both reached the pinnacle of their careers.

Tarot ushered in a new era for K-pop music. President Moon Jae-in has stated publicly on multiple occasions that "Tarot" is a symbol of an era…

【…】

With the release of the white paper, three highly topical photos accompanying it instantly sparked heated discussions.

The eye-catching horizontal black and white poster records the precious moment when Bombardment Meteor gathered together for the first time last year. The seven well-defined faces are outlined by light and shadow, making them look very sculpted. The cold black and white tones are very impactful.

Another Twice group poster exudes a completely different atmosphere. Vibrant colors and soft lighting intertwine, with the nine Twice members standing in different poses. Some of them playfully tiptoe and make victory signs. The youthful and energetic atmosphere is full of vitality and sweetness, and has their unique charm.

In the individual photo centered on the two group posters, Gong Cheng sits lazily on a leather sofa, his slender figure clad in an exquisitely tailored black Armani suit. With his elbow resting on his knee, his face is turned to the side, his dark eyes half-closed, lazily looking at the camera. The warmth in his eyes, framed by his palm, flows with a smile that is not quite a smile...

"Aigoo, is this the poster for the commercial oppa filmed last year?"

"Officially certified? The new generation of TOP group has reached the top..."

"Idiot, do oppas even need a white paper for certification?"

"..."

Meanwhile, inside JYP's building and TWICE's practice room, a joyful atmosphere filled the air. The members were constantly looking at the news reports on their phones, taking screenshots, whispering and chattering away...

"Aigoo, it's just a white paper, is it really that big of a deal?" Gong Cheng lay on his side on the sofa, picking up the blue blanket that Kim Da-hyun had just covered his cheek with, like a shroud...

He was almost asleep, but the members kept talking about the white paper report. It was just a few sentences from the report, but he almost memorized them.

Sana Minato ignored her boyfriend. What did he know? Could he understand what reaching the top meant for a group? The group highlighted a sentence from the report: "Bombardment Meteor and Twice have reached the summit..."

"Don't you think we're pretty amazing?" Mina asked with a slight smile. She had just finished practicing, and a few beads of sweat still glistened on her fair face. It was clear she was very happy to have topped the white paper certification. "I, you, everyone, did a great job..."

Gong Cheng lay on the sofa, turned to make room for her, and said, "Mina-chan, will you be happy if you reach the top?"

He didn't care about reaching the top at first. When he was in Bombardment Meteor, Lay and Jaebum said they wanted to reach the top, and Sehun, Chanyeol, and Jackson joined the group with so much pressure on their shoulders.

Everyone had their own compelling reasons to reach the summit, and now that they've achieved their goal, it's certainly something to be happy about. But isn't that what we deserve? Besides, the climb was exhausting...

Since her video chat with Miyako last time, Mina has become much bolder and more and more audacious towards him. Taking advantage of the members' inattention while they were hugging and cheering, she pinched his high nose with her slender white hand and chuckled softly, "You're not happy that you reached the top? What would make you happy, you little thief?"

Gong Cheng lowered his eyelids as if pondering, thought for a moment, then smiled and said in a very soft voice, mimicking the little penguin, "If you kiss me, I'll be happy."

"Actually, it's not impossible. After all, your Shiba Inu mother already considers me her number one enemy, so I have to collect some interest from you..." Mina's pink lips curled up, then she sat down next to Miyako, glancing sideways at him as he lay down.
"The problem is, if you're unhappy today, a kiss from me might work, but tomorrow you might need another girl to kiss you to be happy..."

Although Mina never explicitly stated that she was on Miyako's side or anything like that, she had helped him a lot, yet she also frequently tried to stab him. Miyako glanced at her, closed his eyes, and said nothing more.

I never imagined that I was seen as this kind of person by the little penguin.

"What are you two talking about?" Lim Nayeon asked curiously when she saw her boyfriend chatting with Mina. Her boyfriend used to enjoy playing games with Mina, but it seemed like it hadn't been as frequent since last autumn.

But it's good that we should keep our distance, after all, Gong Cheng is TWICE's brother-in-law!

Mina smiled, wiped the sweat from her forehead, stood up and stretched her petite body, then suddenly said loudly, "He said he's unhappy..."

Upon hearing this, the members, who were initially immersed in the cheering atmosphere, immediately looked at Gong Cheng with strange expressions.

Sana Minato looked worried, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Nayeon's expression immediately turned anxious. She wanted to ask her boyfriend why he was unhappy. She had to tell her girlfriend!

Son Chaeyoung walked over cheerfully and patted her boyfriend on the shoulder, "What's wrong, oppa? We were planning to celebrate properly tonight..."

Chou Tzu-yu also moved over, while Hirai Momo had a worried expression on her face, as if she had never learned how to manage her expressions. Master!

Yoo Jeongyeon's face twitched; it was unclear what had gotten into her this time. Meanwhile, Park Jihyo was engrossed in her phone, chatting animatedly with someone...

Kim Da-hyun stared at Mina in surprise. She had a feeling that someone had seen right through her... her intuition!

Mina took in the diverse expressions of everyone in the practice room, then turned around and caught sight of Makoto Miyamoto staring at her. She smiled and continued doing her post-practice stretching exercises.

Little thief, are you happy now? Are you having a headache about how to deal with your girlfriends' concern tonight?
She helped him, but she just couldn't stand that this thief was dating so many women at the same time and doing so well...

……

February 24th, sunny...

Since Bombardment Meteor's comeback last year, their official Instagram account has been inactive. The last post was last month, on New Year's Day morning after the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle), a photo taken by Kim Dae-woo showing the members having dinner together.

However, this afternoon, JYP, SM, AOMG, and Mulgogimusic jointly released a statement:

[Bombardment Meteor's "Interstellar Wandering" Asia Tour will officially kick off next month, with the first stop at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul. Tickets will go on sale soon. Stay tuned!]

[Photos]

In the image, seven dazzling shooting stars are surrounded by countless stars in the hazy night sky, casting seven colorful double images on the horizon—the poster's starry sky is inscribed with "Interstellar Odyssey".

Before the topic could even gain traction...

JYP's official website released two more announcements, which instantly caused a huge uproar online. The K-pop season this year has once again been kicked off by Tarot.

The first announcement was made in gold lettering:
[Tarot, an artist under our company, is releasing his second mini-album, "The Moon," which includes five brand-new singles with distinct styles: the tender and poignant "2U," the sweet and lively "Peaches," the romantic and hazy "Paris in the Rain," the passionate and sincere "Off My Face," and the dark and psychedelic "Psycho."]

The album cover of "The Moon" caught everyone's eye, and below the cover, the album layout was laid out like an art exhibition for fans—posters, photo albums, tarot-themed cards and handwritten lyric postcards included inside, and the album number was printed in silver foil.

The words "Global simultaneous release on March 1st" at the end of the copy hit fans like a hammer blow, making their hearts race...

【…】

The second announcement, compared to the first, was even more explosive, like a depth charge, stirring up huge waves on the calm surface of K-pop and quickly going viral and sparking heated discussions.

[Tarot will be collaborating with Twice on a single titled "WE PRAY," which will be released simultaneously on March 21st!]

[Photos]

The poster depicts an outdoor setting with a metal mesh fence in the background. Buildings are faintly visible in the distance, their walls largely peeling away, the vast expanse of white snow unable to conceal the chaotic steel and concrete structures within…

Amidst the rubble and ruins, the dark gray background evokes a sense of street life and apocalypse. The nine members of TWICE stand in a semi-circle on various rubble of varying heights. Nayeon, dressed in a futuristic metallic leather jacket, exudes a cool and edgy vibe. Her black shorts paired with over-the-knee boots create a look that is both sharp and sexy.

Hirai Momo has long, straight black hair with bangs covering her forehead. Standing at the same angle as Yoo Jeongyeon and Chou Tzuyu, they all have sharp eyes and expressionless faces, like cold, mechanical girls...

Sana Minatozaki's silver earrings dangled from her ears, and a metal chain adorned her waist, extending over her thighs, exuding a rebellious and untamed spirit... Mina and Chaeyoung sat back to back on the ravaged rubble, Chaeyoung's eyes, framed by her blonde hair, filled with a sense of bewilderment.

Mina's cool gaze casually glanced at the camera...

Park Ji-hyo's high ponytail and Kim Da-hyun's expression as she looks up at the sky...

Among the nine people standing, at the far end of the frame, through the gaps in the metal mesh, a tall figure stands behind the metal mesh, a smiling face peeking out from the cold metal lines.

Gong Cheng's gesture, his slender fingers seemingly drawing a horizontal line across his chest, and a beam of vertical sunlight shining on him from the vertical buttons of his black shirt, one horizontal and one vertical—a cross symbol.

……

【WE PRAY – We pray for freedom, redemption, and life】

Below the poster, JYP wrote a brief sentence that seemed to explain the concept and style of the song...

……

"What a bombshell to kick off the year! Twice and Tarot are collaborating? It seems like this is their second collaboration, right? Last time, Tarot produced 'TT' for their seniors?"

"Those who share this sentiment are truly blessed!"

"Has no one noticed that Mina and Tarot are actually quite a good match?"

"Is the gorilla trying to get Tarot to lead Twice to conquer America? The poster style and concept seem to have deviated a bit from the previous energetic style of the rabbits..."

"Aigoo, I'm impressed! In less than half an hour, #TarotXTwice# has reached the top of the global trending list on Twitter. Unnies, you must collaborate with Tarot! He's so incredibly popular!"

"Indeed, many people in Europe and America are searching for TWICE now; it's become a hot topic..."

"..."

……

December 2th...

The presidents of JYP, SM, and YG appeared together at a hotel in Cheongdam-dong. Lee Soo-man, Park Jin-young, and Yang Hyun-suk were photographed entering the hotel together by many paparazzi, and the photos immediately became a trending topic.

#Park Jin-young, Lee Soo-man, and Yang Hyun-suk, brimming with bromance, head to a hotel together for a 3P#
#……#
In a private room at the hotel restaurant, Lee Soo-man asked the waiter to open a bottle of red wine. Several plans were laid out on the large dining table.

Park Jin-young looked at the two people present, smiled deeply, and said nothing.

Regarding the possibility of collaborating with his own artist, Gong Cheng, on a limited-time group, he reiterated that the company would not get involved; it all depends on whether Gong Cheng himself can reach an agreement with SM and YG.

He was just there to act as a middleman...

"..."

After the presidents of SM and YG Entertainment exchanged views for a while, Park Jin-young looked at his two old friends, smiled, and said, "In my opinion, it's hard to say whether you'll reach an agreement or not. Sung-hye's exact words were, 'If our three companies were to collaborate on this group, we could discuss further...'"

"It's not as simple as you two reaching an agreement."

"Does Xiao Cheng have any artists he'd like to collaborate with?" Lee Soo-man asked, rubbing his chin, trying to get some information.

Yang Hyun-suk also looked at his friend with curiosity. He hoped to send the company's main candidate for BLACKPINK to the position, but he had to learn from Lee Soo-man's experience with Bombardment Meteor last year.

So from the beginning, he told JYP that the choice of candidate would be left to Gong Cheng.

“He didn’t say…” Park Jin-young took a sip of his drink, smiled, and a mischievous thought crossed his mind.

I've never seen a CEO who would let someone harm his female artists, especially Lee Soo-man!
You think you're all about flowers? You think you're all about looks? You just wait! I'll have my junior brother ruin your whole flower field!
……

On March 1st, Makoto Miyamoto's second mini-album, "The Moon," was officially released...

……

"Aigoo, did you really agree?" Gong Cheng took off his boxing gloves and turned off the speakerphone in the gym near his dormitory.

After receiving a definite answer from Park Jin-young, he hung up the phone with a strange expression.

He didn't expect Lee Soo-man and Yang Hyun-seok to make a decision so quickly.

So you're trying to freeload?
Shaking his head, Gong Cheng stopped thinking about work. He decided to go to the company tomorrow to discuss it with Park Jin-young. After all, he was just joking at first!
Why would they invite Jisoo and Joo-hyun? To be their backup dancers? For the stage design?

It's actually pretty good!

"Oppa~" From the changing room not far away, Hirai Momo came out wearing a white tank top, her full breasts glowing with a fair luster. "Could you do a double hip bridge for me?"

She took a sip of water, her eyes pleading beneath her wispy bangs…

(End of this chapter)