The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 279 Behind-the-scenes footage released, a major surprise!

On June 1st, Gong Cheng returned to Japan to scout out venues and proceed with the tour according to the schedule.

……

On June 5th, Bombardment Meteor concluded their tour at Kyocera Dome in Nishi-ku, Osaka. Just one day later, they moved on to Yahuoku Dome in Fukuoka, where they held a concert from June 8th to 11th…

Meanwhile, on the Korean Peninsula, the imminent return of BLACKPINK has fans eagerly anticipating it. The name "Tarot" has also attracted the attention of many fans and observers, who are placing their hopes on BLACKPINK's comeback.

From TWICE to Red Velvet to Bombardment Meteor, Taylor Swift, and even his own albums, they were all huge hits, except for Ryderby… to the point that many music fans were thrilled about the first mini-album that Gong Cheng produced for BLACKPINK…

Meanwhile, another group of Akana members were focused on a cat-and-mouse game, relentlessly digging into the identity of the girl who had been with Gong Cheng on the Han River Bridge two years prior…

During this time, many online celebrities, and even female idols, vaguely alluded to the incident, seemingly trying to pin the blame on themselves to gain attention. However, the "Sherlock Holmes" of the Arcana School saw through their tricks one by one, leaving behind the comment, "What the hell are you doing? Want to get laid?"

"..."

The massive attention and traffic attracted many local Category III film actresses to publicly express their love for Gong Cheng, while some Japanese action actresses boldly displayed their affections by sending semi-nude photos to "Tarot's" Instagram account, infuriating the Akana fans who angrily cursed, "You filthy bitch! Don't seduce my oppa..."

However, due to the constant exposure of private messages and photos used to gain attention and traffic, many media outlets discovered that Gong Cheng himself completely ignored the bold declarations of love from these actresses in Category III films and even some overseas supermodels in his private messages.

Conversely, several well-known Japanese adult film actresses, who were childhood idols for many, have been exposed for liking private messages from male artists under other companies who wanted to hook up with these actresses, causing a huge uproar in their fandoms and clearly demonstrating the difference in their status...

"My God, damn it! Tarot, who used to be embroiled in scandals, is actually clean-cut, but those male celebrities who claim to be single are actually disposable actresses?"

"This is insane! They don't even watch videos and they still hire actresses without paying? Are they trying to renege on their debts? I'm speechless..."

"Don't talk nonsense, you punks. My Tarot oppa may have a lot of rumors, but all those ex-girlfriend stories are true. He's not an idol, so it's normal for him to date. As for the rumors, it's a mix of truth and falsehood. Even if he's dating, he's very clean-living, understand? He wouldn't go to brothels, solicit prostitutes, or even slutty porn stars..."

"How much do they love Japanese action movies? But isn't it a bit much that they're not paying... Some celebrities earn so much money from their fans, and then they do this kind of unethical thing and then refuse to pay. I'm speechless... This is truly eye-opening..."

"Stop talking nonsense, you little brats! So what if my oppa is dating? Dating ten wouldn't be too much for him, do you believe me? If you keep acting tough, I'll make oppa date your idols, I don't believe your idols can refuse oppa, I'll make sure your idols are fucked to death!..."

"I'm speechless, damn it! How could my Jisoo be with Tarot?"

"Hey, you brainless Jisoo fan in front, think before you speak if you're defending your idol. Who knows, maybe your idol has already slept with my oppa, otherwise why would he be making albums for you obscure BLACKPINK fans?"

"Can Jisoo's toxic solo stans please get lost? Don't ruin the friendship between us BLACKPINK group fans and the Akana fans! My Jennie is getting caught in the crossfire..."

"Sisters, next time, can you bring up the rumors about my Jennie and Tarot oppa? My Jennie is the real TOP..."

"Catfish? Get out! Donkey fans and Li Xia fans, get out too!"

"So, we Show Riders should thank you [Cannon King] fans?"

"if not?"

"Thanks……"

……

On June 11th, after finishing his Yahuoku Dome concert that evening, Gong Cheng, dressed in a beige polo shirt and white trousers, arrived at an izakaya in Fukuoka. While chatting with the members of Ryder Baby, he checked the trending topics on his phone.

"Tsk tsk, you have to admit, BLACKPINK's fans really fight fiercely..." Son Seungwan sipped her juice, leaned over Gong Cheng, and watched the classic fan war unfold, clicking her tongue in amazement.

Gong Cheng took a sip of his cola and nodded in agreement. "They're coming back in three or four days, it's kind of a BLACKPINK tradition." He scrolled through the screen, watching the epic battle between their toxic fans with a mix of amusement and exasperation...

It's really lively. It feels like the BLACKPINK fans are the most interesting in the entire fandom. The infighting is incredibly fierce. Most of the nicknames given to the members are by their respective solo stans, and it's rare to see them being given by rival groups.

"Your fans are even more terrifying, they're practically a demon-locking tower in the fandom!" Kang Seulgi picked up a skewer of grilled meat, took a bite, and said with a silly, cute expression, her lips smeared with oil. Bae Joohyun, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, was busy grilling things for Kim Yerin and the others. After hearing her friend's words, she seriously agreed, "Yeah, calling it a demon-locking tower is an exaggeration..."

"They're simply outrageous and domineering..."

"They have the right to be arrogant, don't they?" Gong Cheng chuckled as he picked up the grilled meat Daegu Xiaoxuan handed him, taking a bite of the green pepper next to the meat. "They're rich, good-looking, have plenty of free time, and have the confidence to be a bit cocky, right?"

"Yeah, your aura is too big. A 22-year-old Grammy winner is the first Asian to achieve that in the music industry, and you're at the peak of your popularity. Your fans are bound to feel confident." Son Seungwan said enviously, then saw Gong Cheng's derogatory nickname in the comments section and burst out laughing, "So, what do you think about being called 'The Cannon King'?"

After a long period of contact, Ryderbebe and the others have become very close friends with Gong Cheng in the industry. Son Seungwan can also see that her unnie captain is very interested in this younger man, and who knows, they might even become closer.

"What could you possibly feel? You must be upset, right?" Gong Cheng blinked innocently at Bae Joo-hyun. "Besides, it's just a derogatory nickname, it doesn't matter. Just like those members of BLACKPINK, look at how their fans are tearing each other apart, saying all the time about backstabbing and internal discord..."

"There might be disagreements, but it's not as serious as the fans are making it out to be... It's all just baseless accusations..."

"A lot of internet celebrities and second- or third-tier Western actresses really want to... ask you out?" Kang Seulgi put down the bamboo skewer of grilled meat, blinked curiously, and stared at Gong Cheng with a gossipy look. The titles of "Gangnam Dance King," "Seoul Cannon," and "Kpop Cannon King" were just too impressive; she really didn't believe that Gong Cheng could resist so many temptations...

Gong Cheng glanced at the curious but not overtly expressive expressions of the women, including Ryder and Bebe, in the private room, and his lips twitched.

He's a very cultured person, but to be honest, the female celebrities in the industry, including the ones he's close to from Old Woman Era, as well as Bae Suzy and Lee Ji-eun, tell him one dirty joke after another in private. Sometimes, even when they're drinking, they can make him blush.

The woman who accidentally slipped her hand said she had an innocent persona, but when she dined with Suzy and IU, she was anything but innocent. During the kissing scene in "Goblin," she showed quite a bit of experience and skill with her lips, at least making him feel very intoxicated by the kiss.

It's just a matter of how close the relationship is; if you're close, people are quite open about these kinds of topics in private.

"Do you guys want to see it?" he asked, noticing Bae Joo-hyun's curious yet somewhat feignedly calm face. He opened Instagram. "Let's watch it together then. Anyway, since last year, I've basically stopped checking my private messages. It's pointless; they're all just random stuff..."

As he spoke, he opened his private messages. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Kang Seulgi, Kim Yerin, and Son Seungwan were craning their necks and peering at his forehead. Gong Cheng's face twitched, and he casually opened a private message.

The message contained one picture: "Tarot, can I have your contact information privately? I'm currently traveling in Seoul..."

[Image]—The woman with platinum blonde hair looks to be in her early twenties. Her blue eyes and narrow, elongated eyebrows give her a somewhat foxy appearance. Underneath her white, sheer nightgown, her chest and crown chakra are clearly visible...

And the color is well maintained...

"Ugh..." Ryderbebe and the others stared at the contents of the picture, their eyelids twitching. Kang Seulgi swallowed hard. "This is too daring!"

"Why didn't you leave your contact information?" Son Seungwan teased, nudging Gong Cheng's shoulder. "You're quite good-looking."

Upon hearing this, Bae Joo-hyun's expression immediately became unnatural. She frowned, glanced at Wendy, and coughed lightly.

Gong Cheng clicked on the profile picture in the private message. The woman was a Spanish internet celebrity with over two million followers. She usually updated her profile with videos and travel photos, and she had a kind of socialite vibe. He curled his lip and said, "There are plenty of good-looking people out there..."

"Besides, if I reply to her with even a single emoji, tomorrow the whole world will be full of rumors about us..."

After exiting the woman's profile, Gong Cheng scrolled down through the private messages. In Bae Joo-hyun's eyes, they were all unread. He randomly clicked on a few; some were genuine fans' confessions and blessings, wishing him all the best, while others were from internet celebrities or actresses trying to get his contact information or trying to seduce him...

"Aigoo, you've really changed my impression of you, Gong Cheng! How can you remain so unmoved by a woman in your lap?" Wendy stared incredulously at the unread private messages. This guy next to her really hardly ever looked at his messages, unlike Wu Sehun, who would open Instagram and the first thing he did was check if any beautiful women wanted his contact information...

Gong Cheng tapped the corner of his mouth and smiled, taking a sip of sake. "Ani, do you think I have such a bad impression of me?"

"I'm just too lazy to pay attention to these things. These private messages are too fake, and there's no point in reading them. Forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway, since you don't have my influence." He teased Wendy with a grin, making her roll her eyes in annoyance.

Kim Ye-rin curiously put down her chopsticks and asked, "So oppa, is what happened with your ex-girlfriend true or false?"

“You said she’s your ex-girlfriend, so it must be true…” Gong Cheng glanced at Bae Joo-hyun, who still had a smile on her face and remained expressionless, and said the truth. He had also shown the Daegu women the private messages on Instagram and had openly admitted to being his ex-girlfriend. Daegu Joo-hyun should be happy, right?
"We were indeed together a few years ago, but that was a long time ago... Didn't she recently debut? If we happen to run into each other at an event, please take care of her."

He spoke frankly, explaining that Bae Joo-hyun knew about his relationship with Jo Mi-yeon and had said she didn't care about the past. He was giving her a heads-up so that she wouldn't suspect anything if he and Jo Mi-yeon interacted at events in the future.

Hearing this, Kang Seulgi was instantly displeased. She knew that Gong Cheng and her unnie were progressing very quickly. What did he mean by saying that? "What? You're still hung up on your ex-girlfriend?"

Bae Joo-hyun's expression also seemed a little unnatural.

"Oh, you said she's my ex-girlfriend, we'll run into each other sooner or later. Do you guys think I'm that cold-blooded? After breaking up, you think I wouldn't even say hello? We'll see each other all the time, we'll exchange a few pleasantries eventually." Gong Cheng raised his eyelids, chuckled, and then very obsequiously handed Bae Joo-hyun a skewer of grilled meat to show his loyalty. He felt it was better to say some things upfront…

Bae Joo-hyun didn't care about Jo Mi-yeon at all, because in her eyes, she and that pabo had already broken up, so making her relationship and stance clear shouldn't be a big problem.

Kang Seulgi's expression softened a bit, and she felt that Gong Cheng's words made a lot of sense. "That's true. You'll be seeing each other all the time in the future. Your fans know that you two had a relationship. How can you be strangers? That would be too cold-blooded..."

Bae Joo-hyun pursed her lips, took a sip of cola and a bite of barbecue and smiled, "You really aren't that cold-blooded."

"Come on, when we first met, you thought I was some kind of 'Gangnam Style Dance King' or something, making it sound like I was dancing old-fashioned disco..." Gong Cheng teased, while Jiang Seulgi winked at him and Bae Joo-hyun...

I don't know what he's laughing about, jumping around like that!
……

At midnight, Gong Cheng returned to the hotel, played a couple of games with Park Chanyeol and Oh Sehun, and then went back to his suite. Immediately afterwards, he saw a message from Bae Joo-hyun...

After finishing their meal at the izakaya, Ryder and the others returned to their hotel. They were heading straight to Tokyo the next day, while she was going to Nagoya with her group. With Son Seung-wan and the others acting as third wheels that night, the two of them only managed a brief, intimate kiss in the izakaya's bathroom. It didn't really express much of their feelings, but it did quench their thirst...

"A woman five years older than her husband is considered a lucky match": "You need to rest well. You seem to be in really bad shape lately, you know?"

"No way? I've been looking great the whole time. What's wrong? Am I not handsome lately? (Raises an eyebrow)" Gong Cheng replied. His recent airport photos still look amazing, his skin is great too, it's just that he's so tired...

[A woman five years older than a man is considered lucky]: "You're handsome, but you seem to have something on your mind; you look tired (scratches head)."

"Go to bed early and eat properly. I noticed you were drinking a lot tonight and barely ate anything. If you're hungry, ask your manager to order you some food..."

……

On June 13th, Bombardment Meteor's concert at Nagoya Dome officially began...

……

On June 1th, BLACKPINK's first mini-album "SQUARE UP" was officially released. The album contains 4 songs, all produced by Tarot. As soon as the songs were released, they topped multiple music charts.

#Tarot Manufacturing#
#BLACKPINK New Album Release#
#……#
A series of related terms quickly trended on social media. The members of BLACKPINK sat in the company's practice room, browsing the comments on music streaming sites after the songs were released. Apart from the infighting among their individual fans, there were many positive reviews.

Seeing this, Jennie, Jisoo, and the other two were overjoyed.

With a choked voice, Jennie excitedly shouted to her teammates, "Wow, it seems like we're really about to ascend! The song is getting a really good response!"

Before they could finish speaking, the members chimed in as the manager pushed open the practice room door, and YG's CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, walked in, exclaiming, "It's a hit!"

"Big bang!"

"Aigoo! I knew finding that kid Tarot would be no problem!"

"The title track of 'DDU-DU DDU-DU' surpassed 10 million views on YouTube in just 6 hours and 14 minutes after its release, ranking 2nd among K-pop group songs and 1st among girl group songs on YouTube! The 1st place is Bombardment Meteor, but their achievements are hard to surpass!"

"We've already started dominating the charts... As long as Bombardment Meteor, Tarot, and TWICE don't make comebacks anytime soon, judging by the momentum, BLACKPINK's comeback is already breaking into the mainstream!" The manager excitedly introduced the current comeback results to Yang Hyun-suk and the members in the practice room, "Album sales are a bit lower, but the momentum is still good..."

"..."

BLACKPINK members were starting to feel dizzy as they listened to the current comeback results. Kim Jisoo couldn't help but ask, "Is it really a huge hit?" Even though the data was right in front of them, it was still hard to believe.

"Yes, Tarot's influence is undeniable. The company hired him to produce the album, and the online response has been overwhelming. People are saying that this album has completely established your style, and the style he's created for you is unique in K-pop, very appealing. The song quality is also top-notch, otherwise the digital music charts wouldn't be so strong!" The manager nodded in admiration, "No wonder he's a hit-making machine..."

"All I can say is, kids, you need to get busy! Seize this opportunity and work hard on your music shows in a few days. A lot of people really like your style, so take the chance to properly thank Tarot..."

Yang Hyun-suk laughed heartily twice, offered a few words of encouragement to the members in front of him, and then turned and left.

Jisoo continued brainstorming, scrolling through the online reactions and comments, "I'm late, I'm late! YG's most anticipated girl group is collaborating with Tarot, the hottest girl group in the world right now. BLACKPINK members are all incredibly beautiful, with long legs, slim waists, and are naturally 'fairy-like'~ (heart) JENNIE, JISOO, ROS, and LISA have distinct personalities and unique voices (thumbs up)~ A powerful comeback in 2018, Tarot's strong arrangement and the four members' deadly vocals, still the familiar addictive and powerful rap, it's so good~, JENNIE even did a blast with her rap, it's heart-fluttering~"

"The breathiness in the verses is amazing, the layers build up so much it's like fireworks exploding inside your head!"

"Tarot, the top producer! Amazing!"

"Oppa's arrangement is amazing! And the lyrics, he wrote them all..."

"Watching the behind-the-scenes footage of the music video, I saw that BLACKPINK's rapping and breathing control in the song were all personally taught by Oppa. I can only say that Oppa is amazing... BLACKPINK did a good job, unlike Ryder & Baby who ruined Oppa's reputation..."

"For Oppa's sake, I'll reluctantly support you guys with one album..."

"Doo doo doo doo is amazing! It feels like they're going to dominate the charts. There haven't been any big group or artist comebacks lately. Lisa's rap is so cool! I've fallen in love with her sweet, chubby voice, it's so good o(╥﹏╥)o. I love Xiuxiu's looks! It wouldn't be the same without Jennie's divine introduction o(╥﹏╥)o. Doo doo doo expresses the charm of women. No one can resist such an excellent group. I really love them! Finally, I'm so grateful to Tarot oppa for being willing to produce this album (tears of joy)"

"I was watching that variety show the other day, and all the unnies were thanking Tarot oppa for taking time out of his busy schedule to help produce the album. After watching the behind-the-scenes footage of the music video, I realized that oppa is really busy and tired. He tours in different countries and cities every day, and he is still willing to help produce the album and teach the unnies how to interpret the songs and styles..."

"At least you fans of the ink have some conscience..."

"Wow, it's so rare to hear Jisoo sing so well in 'FOREVER YOUNG'!"

"..."

BLACKPINK members sat on the floor, looking at the comments, feeling a surge of pride. Rosé quickly asked, "Is oppa still in Japan? Let's treat him to a drink sometime, he's really going to be on a roll! Aigoo!"

Search engines and major entertainment sections are dominated by trending topics about BLACKPINK's comeback. From the music videos to the music videos and behind-the-scenes footage of the album production, they've practically been trending for a day or two...

"Beep beep~"

Kim Jisoo took off her baseball cap, revealing her pretty face with her hair tied in a low ponytail, and looked at the message Gong Cheng sent her: "Great comeback! Awesome!"

"Thank you (smile)," she replied sincerely, and then she heard LISA shout, "No wonder it's so popular. It turns out that when the music was released, Oppa retweeted our new song on Instagram and helped promote it."

……

This month, in addition to BLACKPINK's comeback attracting attention, TWICE's third Japanese single, "Wake Me Up," topped the charts with sales exceeding 500,000 copies, achieving double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). Furthermore, they were voted the best female group in the Peninsula Music Most Influential Person Survey for the second consecutive year…

After finishing their tour in Goyang, Busan, and other cities, TWICE returned to Seoul and threw themselves into busy work. They are expected to release their summer special album "Summer Nights" next July, which contains nine songs and involves a heavy workload.

"..."

After finishing recording one of their singles, the TWICE members returned to the practice room to rest. Only then did they have time to browse the overwhelming trending topics on their phones. BLACKPINK's new album had been released for just over ten hours and was receiving a huge response.

Yoo Jeongyeon rubbed her aching spine, leaned on Lim Nayeon's shoulder, and stared at her phone, muttering, "Aigoo, this guy is really amazing. Whoever he writes a song for becomes famous. D.O. looks like it's going to be a huge hit. It's catchy, addictive, and highly addictive..."

Lim Nayeon smiled happily, thinking that she didn't feel any hostility towards her friend's group BLACKPINK. On the contrary, she was quite happy for them. After all, when they were trainees, everyone wanted to debut, and after debuting, their dreams were very common and simple: to become famous... to be famous, to be popular, to be a big star...

But perhaps only ANCHIN has reached the pinnacle of popularity in the entire K-pop scene? As for groups like EXO, GD, Big Bang, TVXQ, Girls' Generation, and IU, as well as solo artists, they were frequently compared to ANCHIN by fans of other groups back in the last year and the year before…

But now all their fans have disappeared... you can't even see the exhaust fumes from their car anymore.

"Shall we watch some behind-the-scenes footage of BLACKPINK's album production together?" Hirai Momo chuckled as she opened a bag of potato chips, placed it in the crook of her legs (which were crossed over her shoulders), and clicked on the BLACKPINK behind-the-scenes video. "Tsk tsk, it's because there are scenes of oppa in the behind-the-scenes footage that the video has more views than their music videos."

"That's popularity..." Kim Dahyun clicked her tongue, sincerely admiring that handsome general. Although the general was a bit of a jerk, he was actually very loyal and good to his friends and members, as long as it didn't involve romantic relationships. She had watched oppa grow up...

Putting his personal life aside, his professional skills, talent as a producer, and singing voice are truly amazing. I want to admire him, but I don't have the confidence to do so because I can't possibly reach his level. He can sit in the composing room all day and spend long hours in the recording studio...

As his confidant, Kim Da-hyun knew very well how hard this guy had worked to get to where he was today. He wasn't someone who could just rely on his looks and have countless fans flock to him just by standing there.

Park Jihyo wasn't particularly interested in BLACKPINK's comeback. She wiped the sweat from her brow, took a couple of sips of water, then picked up her phone and sat on the sofa to chat with her ex-boyfriend...

Chou Tzu-yu hugged May, rubbed its chubby body a couple of times, and leaned over to watch the behind-the-scenes footage of the album with the other members. She also wanted to see another side of her brother when he was working for others, since she wasn't with him every day and he was too busy and too tired.

The behind-the-scenes footage of the album gradually buffered successfully... The black screen slowly lit up, and in the narrow corridor of the YG Entertainment building, Gong Cheng's tall figure, wearing a black jacket, a black shirt, black trousers, and black messy hair, followed the camera as he pushed open the door and walked into a huge conference room.

YG Entertainment's CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, who enjoys a high reputation and a prestigious image, sat at the head of the conference table. When Gong Cheng entered the meeting room, he immediately stood up, beaming, and called out, "Cheng, you're here." His overly friendly tone made the TWICE members feel somewhat uncomfortable…

"Is this some kind of poaching?" Yoo Jeong-yeon muttered with amusement, then analyzed, "This should be around the end of March, right? The weather in Seoul isn't very hot yet, it's a bit chilly..."

"President-nim..." Gong Cheng's smiling face, framed by his tousled hair, had barely begun to speak when Yang Hyun-seok rudely interrupted him, "Cheng, I'll say it again, call me Hyun-seok hyung. If you keep being so polite, I'll get angry!" His feigned displeasure made Zhou Tzuyu and Son Chae-young feel uncomfortable; it was too fake...

Instead, the fans in the live chat were going wild, exclaiming, "Aigoo! Oppa is really on fire! Look at Yang Hyun-suk's groveling! What a simp!" "Of course! If you were Yang Hyun-suk, you'd be even more of a simp. And now it's clear that Yang Hyun-suk's eye for talent is pretty good; at least Oppa really made BLACKPINK soar!" "Daibak, Oppa!" "..."

The camera panned across the meeting room, showing the members of BLACKPINK. Gong Cheng sat down next to Jennie, and with the editing speeding up, Tarot's requirements and suggestions for YG's comeback plan were displayed...

Then, the image flashed by.

Gong Cheng changed into a denim jacket and came to YG, handing over their comeback title track "DDU-DU DDU-DU". He patiently explained the style of the song to BLACKPINK and how to interpret it, saying, "BLACKPINK's rap needs to be powerful, understand?"

"Put the choreography aside for now, record the audio first, and send me the finished product. I'll listen to it once, and if it's satisfactory, then you can find a choreography teacher to work on the choreography..."

His serious face and earnest expression showed countless fans Gong Cheng's attitude when he's not working in the spotlight...

Then, the camera seems to move forward with time, and scattered clips move forward with the progress bar, showing the BLACKPINK members recording the song "DDU-DU DDU-DU" in the recording studio.

Gong Cheng's camera disappears without a trace after the meeting room scene, and most of the footage shows the efforts Kim Ji-soo and the others put into this album. The footage is disorganized but shows the production process behind this album that is about to soar...

After a brief blackout, it felt like day and night had passed.

The members of BLACKPINK sat in the conference room, and on the large screen in front of them was a projection of Gong Cheng's face, wearing headphones, with beads of sweat on his forehead. His warm and gentle eyes looked somewhat tired. He touched his headphones and spoke helplessly into the video, "I've listened to your audio recordings..."

"There's a big problem, Jisoo, is the 'super clear and cool voice' that fans are talking about the kind that's half-broken but not completely broken? Jennie, your fast rapping, your breathing and speech progression are also problematic..."

He pointed out the problems the group had during the recording, his expression helpless. His words were blunt and uncompromising, yet they got straight to the heart of the matter.

As Nayeon listened to her boyfriend's criticism of her friend, her lips twitched. "It's practically like he's pointing at Jisoo and calling her 'crooked voice'..." She knew her friend well, especially when she saw her friend's pursed lips under the brim of her hat. She knew that her friend was feeling very upset by her boyfriend's scolding. When her friend felt wronged and wanted to cry, she would purse her lips...

My husband's attitude at work was so strict that it hurt my self-esteem.

"Hehe, this guy treats everyone the same..." Yoo Jeongyeon chuckled awkwardly. Back when they were recording the music for "TT" and "WE Pary", this guy had pointed out a lot of mistakes to the members. But it has to be said, this guy's ability is undeniable. He points out mistakes directly, corrects them, and solves problems quickly.

In the video, Gong Cheng chatted with BLACKPINK about work issues for a while, and then immediately told them how to make corrections. Afterwards, the group chatted casually in the video, and Park Chaeyoung asked with a smile, "Is oppa in Hong Kong?"

"Yeah, the Hong Kong tour starts this afternoon. We just finished rehearsals. Ugh, never mind, I won't say anymore. You guys go record a few more audio tracks and send them to me around 11 or 12 tonight. I'll listen to them when I get back to the hotel after the concert..." Gong Cheng shook his slightly sore neck in the video, his Adam's apple bobbing against his pale skin, making many female fans swallow hard. Then, he lowered his eyes, as if looking at the BLACKPINK members on the other end of the video, and smiled, "Hey, Jisoo, don't think I'm being mean. Hang in there, just do as I say, and everything will be fine..."

"Bye……"

After saying that, Gong Cheng's video call was immediately turned off...

In the video's comments section, fans flooded in, saying things like, "Actually, I'm a fan of Xiu Xiu. Although Tarot oppa was a bit blunt, Xiu Xiu's voice is indeed a bit... well... I think what oppa said is quite fair." and "Aigoo, I'm just obsessed with oppa. He points out problems and solves them. Actually, listening to the song 'Dududu' now, you can see that the problems oppa pointed out to them are gone. It seems like they're all correcting themselves according to oppa's requirements, which is why we have such a great album..."

"Did no one notice how tired Oppa is? Waaah... It's been almost two months since his Hong Kong concert, and we Akana only just found out..."

The comments are scrolling down...

Behind the scenes, as time went by, Kim Jisoo practiced her dance alone in the practice room, especially the "dudududu" part of the title track under the dim light, until her voice started to get hoarse...

Flickering video feeds showed the four members of BLACKPINK sweating profusely as they practiced their choreography in the practice room, occasionally calling Gong Cheng to report on their progress and receive his praise and criticism...

"..."

When Gong Cheng returned to Seoul and came to YG again, the previously quiet comments section suddenly became lively again.

Gong Cheng sat in YG's recording studio, supervising BLACKPINK's recording. He patiently pointed out problems and helped them solve them. He glanced at Kim Jisoo, who had her face down and looked embarrassed, and said, "Jisoo, don't practice until your voice is hoarse. YG's singing style doesn't suit you. Sing this song in your most natural state..."

"YG's singing style?" Lim Nayeon recalled YG's singing style and thought about her friend's voice. It was indeed not very suitable. Among the three major singers, to be honest, even JYP's own "air singing" style is not as healthy as SM's singing style, not to mention that YG's singing style is the most damaging to the voice.

"..."

As time passed in the video, after all four songs included in "SQUARE UP" had been completed, Makoto Miyamoto made his final appearance at YG Entertainment in this behind-the-scenes video...

He arrived at BLACKPINK's practice room yawning, wearing a blue and white cardigan over a white crew neck sweatshirt, blue casual pants, and white canvas shoes. His tall figure stood by the window, occasionally sneezing, while the warm sunlight behind him slanted across his handsome, yet somewhat listless face.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the trainees' area, Jisoo, Jennie, and two others were practicing the choreography for the song.

Gong Cheng's fair and handsome face was flushed slightly in the sunlight. He coughed lightly twice, then, as if remembering something, he took out a white mask from his pocket and put it on his face, covering his nose.

Perhaps noticing Gong Cheng's movement, Kim Ji-soo quickly stopped moving, turned off the speakers, came to Gong Cheng's side, looked up at him with concern, and asked, "Are you sick?"

"What?! Oppa's sick?!" The previously silent Akana fans instantly went wild in the comments section, and the behind-the-scenes footage also caught their attention. "Oppa really seems to be sick, he looks so tired..." "Waaaaah, this happened a month ago! Why did we only find out now, waaaaah..."

In TWICE's practice room, Nayeon, Tzuyu, and Sana Minatozaki instantly tensed up, each with their own hidden agendas. The superstar pursed her lips, her eyes fixed on her boyfriend on the screen. She hadn't heard him mention being sick at this time, and her heart clenched with anxiety.

Mina glanced silently at the expressions of Son Chaeyoung, Lim Nayeon, and Sana-chan. It seemed none of them knew about Sung-chan's illness in the video? They didn't know either…

For a moment, she clenched her fists, feeling a surge of anger! Makoto! Why didn't you tell me, or your girlfriends? Don't you take care of your health?!

In the video——

"Ani, I guess the air conditioning was too strong last night, and she caught a cold." Gong Cheng waved his hand, indicating that it was nothing serious. Then, when he saw Jin Zhenni and the others gather around, he smiled helplessly, "What's wrong? You guys hurry up and practice, I'll just watch a few times and then I'll leave..."

As he spoke, he sat down on the sofa and looked up to instruct, "So far, there seem to be no problems with the recording of the song, and the choreography fits my definition of your comeback style quite well. As for the music video, I won't get involved; I'm too busy. Let your company's directors handle it themselves..."

Kim Ji-soo didn't really listen. She got up, took a paper cup from the cabinet, and poured some water for Gong Cheng. "Drink some water first. You don't have a fever, do you? No wonder you didn't seem very energetic today..."

"Have a cup of coffee, or I'll feel sleepy," Gong Cheng waved his hand.

"Don't you not drink coffee?" Kim Ji-soo turned around helplessly and ran to the coffee machine to make him a cup of coffee. Her tone was a mix of complaint and concern. In this country where coffee flows in everyone's blood, Gong Cheng, a Chinese, had rarely drunk coffee since they met. She had asked him before, and he said that he couldn't sleep if he drank it, so he was very resistant to it.

Gong Cheng took the coffee, took off his mask, and took a sip. "I need to keep busy with my schedule, otherwise I won't have any energy."

Jisoo gazed at his slightly dazed and tired eyes, squatted down beside him with her bright eyes, reached out her hand, ran her fingers through his black, tousled hair, took his temperature, and clicked her tongue in annoyance, "You have a fever, why are you here instead of resting?"

"Wait, I have fever reducers in my bag, wait..." Upon hearing this, Jennie Jin quickly got up and went to the table to the side to open her handbag and look for the pills.

"Seriously, I'm fed up with you. If you're not feeling well, go see a doctor. You clearly have a fever but you're just assuming it's just a cold..." Kim Jisoo muttered as she withdrew her hand, glared at Gong Cheng, and then Kim Jennie handed him two fever-reducing pills...

Park Chaeyoung and Lisa found some more cold medicine, and after they helped Gong Cheng prepare it, they handed it to him. "Take the medicine first, oppa. Rest here for a while and see if you feel better. If not, you'll have to go to the hospital."

"I should be fine. If it gets too bad, I'll have Da Yu take me to the hospital to get checked out. Don't worry." Gong Cheng leaned back on the sofa, took the pills, swallowed them with water from his glass, then chuckled to reassure the others. He then looked at Kim Ji-soo with a smile.

Jisoo then got up and turned her head away, sitting on the other side of the sofa. Jennie and Lisa Rosé kept asking her how she was doing, "Are you feeling any better, oppa?"

Are you dizzy, or is there something wrong with you?

"Oh dear, how could it possibly work so quickly? Besides, I'm just a little dizzy at most, nothing too uncomfortable, otherwise I would have gone to the hospital already," Gong Cheng said helplessly, responding to their concern...

Meanwhile, the restless fans flooded the chat with comments like, "Wow~ Jisoo and Tarot have such great chemistry, did you guys notice? It's so sweet and romantic!"

"Fuck your mother, you stinky black man! How come Oppa is sick? We fans didn't even know, waaaaah!", "So sorry for Oppa!", "Damn JYP, Park Jin-young, you gorilla, you son of a bitch, didn't you know to let Oppa rest for a couple more days?", "Damn Yang Hyundai, Oppa's sick, and you still let him go to YG? At least BLACKPINK has some conscience..."

"Didn't you notice? Oppa has a really good relationship with BLACKPINK?"

"Let's ship them properly..."

"If you keep kowtowing like that, I'll twist your head off, you little bastard! I feel so bad for Oppa, sob sob!"

……

Inside TWICE's practice room, Jeongyeon clicked her tongue and said, "Aigoo, this guy is really popular with women. He can get along well anywhere. But looking at the date, I remember we met oppa that day and didn't notice he was sick."

Hagi Makoto, you stubborn brat! Mina stared at the somewhat weak Miyako Makoto on the screen, her heart skipping a beat.

Kim Da-hyun tried hard to recall what happened that day. The general came to TWICE first, and then went to YG, but no one noticed that oppa was uncomfortable. She glanced nervously at the pale and self-reproachful faces of her sisters-in-law, and felt a cold sweat break out on her back...

As a girl herself, she felt it was essential to tell her mother about her illness. She knew that if she deliberately hid it from her, her mother would be heartbroken, but even more so, angry—why wasn't she told?

She figured that her sisters-in-law, who seemed so downcast, were probably worried and annoyed about this. It might sound a bit unreasonable, but that's just how girls are; if she wants to care about you, you can't hide it from her...

What's more, the things you hid weren't discovered by your sisters-in-law, but were discovered by other women... How upset would your sisters-in-law feel, and how much of a failure would they feel?
"..."

Behind-the-scenes footage is still playing—

After taking a few pills, Gong Cheng leaned back lazily on the sofa, while the members of BLACKPINK continued to demonstrate the choreography for their four songs to him...

Bathed in sunlight, Gong Cheng's eyes and brows gradually became hazy under his tousled hair. Then, with his arms crossed over his chest and his cheek tilted to one side, he fell into a deep sleep.

As the BLACKPINK members were keeping time with the song, they seemed to notice something amiss. Kim Jisoo quickly turned off the speakers, ran over, and squatted down near the sofa, watching Gong Cheng's downcast and closed-eyed face with the other members.

Jennie stupidly stuck her fingertip into Gong Cheng's nose to check his breathing, which made Jisoo roll her eyes. "What are you doing? He's just asleep..."

Immediately afterwards, she got up and stretched her knees, then carefully stroked Gong Cheng's shoulders, helping him lie flat on the long sofa. Park Chaeyoung quickly handed him a cushion and placed it under his head...

Kim Ji-soo took out a blanket from the drawer and covered Gong Cheng with it.

Jennie took out her phone and secretly snapped two pictures of Gong Cheng. Then she sat cross-legged on the floor and whispered, "Let's stop practicing for now and let oppa sleep for a while so as not to disturb his rest. I just remembered that he's flying to Tokyo tonight; his tour there is about to start..."

The group nodded in unison, each finding a place to sit down and busying themselves with their own things. Kim Jisoo, on the other hand, stood in front of the mirror, practicing a few imperfect dance moves without any music playing.

……

"My goodness, this guy is getting such good treatment in BLACKPINK?" Park Jihyo asked curiously, staring at the video.

Upon hearing this, Kim Da-hyun rubbed her forehead and said, "Stop talking, I give up..."

"It's alright. He gets better treatment in TWICE. Our practice room has almost become his private resting place. He sleeps on the sofa the most. Every time he tries to slack off and take a nap, he comes here and makes a mess when he wakes up!" Yoo Jeongyeon pouted and argued.

Hagi is the tenth member of TWICE!
……

Meanwhile, Gong Cheng, who was busy with the group's tour, had just come down from the stage and arrived at the backstage dressing room, curiously looking at the behind-the-scenes video in Wu Sehun's hand.

When Wu Sehun saw him, he raised his head and said, "Isn't this the day you came to Japan with a fever last month, maknae..."

“Yeah.” Gong Cheng nodded, took a sip of the water Jin Dayu handed him, blinked, and stared at the camera in the video, which was almost right up against his sleeping face. Then he saw the screen full of comments: “Godly face! Waaaaah!”

"Oppa really doesn't wear any makeup at all..."

"Oppa looks really tired. Why is there a time difference in how I feel about you? It's been a month and I only just found out you were sick..."

"Why did YG release this?" Gong Cheng came back to his senses and muttered helplessly. YG sends a copy of their behind-the-scenes videos to the company before they are released online. After all, there is a lot of content involved, and JYP has the right to cut or omit things. It depends on whether what is released is appropriate.

But after promoting BLACKPINK's album, he hadn't paid much attention to this matter, and he never expected that this part would be released...

Jackson Wang patted him on the back and comforted him, "The company and YG just want the fans to know how tired you are. Don't forget you slept the whole time on the plane that day, and didn't get up until the next day after you got off the plane and went back to the hotel. Da Yu was almost worried to death."

Gong Cheng didn't say anything more and turned to reply to his female relatives' messages.

Big star: "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

Little Tiger: "Oppa, have we grown distant?"

Shiba Inu Girl: "Baka! Why didn't you tell me you had a fever? I could have taken care of you in the dorm..."

Pot Pot Hero: "Cheng-chan..."

xxxx: "..."

"I didn't want you to worry. I was wrong, Mina... There won't be a next time..." Gong Cheng sent the message to his female friends and his beloved student, as well as the female friends who were not quite lovers but had seen the behind-the-scenes footage...

Admit your mistakes quickly, hehe...

In the video——

The scene, played at double speed, skipped around for a long time. Gong Cheng got up from the sofa, greeted the members of BLACKPINK, picked up his coat and put it on. Responding to their concern, he smiled and said, "Much better..."

"Ani, I'll treat you to dinner when I get back to Seoul. My flight to Tokyo is tonight, I have to go..." After a brief farewell, she hurried off...

The following video content... consisted of behind-the-scenes footage of BLACKPINK filming their music video. At the end, the members of BLACKPINK were sitting on a sofa in their practice room, facing the camera.

"..."

Jennie laughed heartily, but her words were very serious, "Yes, I'm really grateful to Tarot for taking care of us and helping us produce the album..."

Kim Jisoo, "..."

"..." Park Caiying.

"..." Lisa

……

After the behind-the-scenes video, which had even more views than BLACKPINK's comeback title track MV, saw its views skyrocket and began to gain traction, YG Entertainment retaliated by spending heavily on a marketing campaign linking it to the dating rumors surrounding Jisoo and Tarot.

The entertainment section is filled with entries and rumors about Tarot, BLACKPINK, Jisoo, Jennie Kim, and others.

#Tarot is sick...#
#Tarot's second YG girlfriend! Jisoo!#
#Tarot's YG Girlfriend Database: Jisoo to succeed Jo Miyeon, Kim Jennie, Park Chaeyoung, and Lisa eager to try her luck#
#BLACKPINK solo stans clash: Who is Tarot's favorite woman? Following the love triangle involving Yoona, Taeyeon, and Tarot, a new five-way love triangle erupts, igniting the peninsula#
#BLACKPINK's new album is a huge hit#
After the four-way love affair between Tarot and BLACKPINK took off, SM Entertainment couldn't sit still. Lee Soo-man held a meeting overnight, bought articles, marketed, and spent money to bring "[Tarot and Girls' Generation's Love-Hate Relationship]" back to the top of the trending searches, making it a close call with "[Tarot and BLACKPINK's Untold Story]".

#DailyGossip: Confirmed! Shocking news! The reason for Jessica's departure from the group has been revealed: she was pregnant with Tarot's illegitimate child and secretly went to Los Angeles after leaving the group, where she gave birth to a boy. The child is being secretly raised by Jessica's parents, and their child's name is Gong Zheng! The name is a homonym for Zheng Xiuyan's name, supposedly to commemorate their love. It combines Tarot's surname with Jessica's surname to name their child.#
"Wow, how romantic..."

"Romantic my ass! You actually believe that?"

#0 Yoona and Kim Tae-yeon are preparing for pregnancy, and their competition for Tarot has entered a fierce stage...#
#……#
……

The next day, Gong Cheng woke up in the hotel and, seeing the rumors and exposés flying everywhere, immediately dialed Park Jin-young's number. "Brother, prepare the lawyer's letter. How come I even have an illegitimate child?"

After hanging up the phone, he looked at the latest trending topics...

#According to statistics, last night, Jessica gained 200,000 followers on Instagram, Jisoo gained 310,000, Jennie gained 190,000... Yoona gained 210,000, Taeyeon gained 180,000, Nayeon gained 250,000, Sana Minatozaki gained 280,000, Tzuyu gained 360,000, IU gained 170,000, Suzy gained 230,000, Joo-hyun gained 310,000... Female celebrities who are rumored to be Tarot's girlfriends and have opened personal accounts all saw a significant increase in followers.#
#Fans of various CP (couple pairings) are going crazy on the artists' accounts, and the fandom may be about to witness an unprecedented CP war#
"Idiot! Holy crap! You can even leech off this?"

Gong Cheng stared dumbfounded at the numerous love stories he had with various female celebrities. He was almost starting to believe the fabrications the media had made up. After calming his speechless state for a while, he helplessly put down his phone, got up, and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face...

(End of this chapter)