The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 299 Liu Ningjin's Demonic Assault

"...Ten o'clock at night?"

On August 19th, JYP officially announced the start date of the "Tarot" [Cashflow] world tour and previewed the ticket sales dates for the first stop, the Bird's Nest, and the second stop, the Shanghai World Cup Stadium.

The various fan sites for "Tarot"—local, domestic, and overseas—as well as various fan groups, fan fiction, and book clubs related to "Tarot," instantly erupted in excitement.

"Yeah, tickets go on sale at 10 PM tonight. I wonder if I'll be able to snag one..."

"@SeoulDajiji, author, are you going to give away concert tickets to help us climb the charts?"

"I just checked on Baidu. The Bird's Nest has 80,000 fixed seats and 11,000 temporary seats. If we assume 90,000 people, that's 270,000 tickets for 3 days. The Shangyan World Cup Stadium can accommodate 66806 people, so if we assume 70,000 people, that's 210,000 tickets. In total, there are close to 500,000 tickets. I should be able to get one, right?"

"I'll go anywhere, even the Bird's Nest in Seoul! I'm rich! @SeoulBigGiji, keep writing and I'll give you a big reward tonight. Hurry up and write down the material @YingTaoWanzi collected for you. I want to see just how good Oppa is..."

"Please remember to focus on describing the wine bottle, okay?"

"..."

Far away in Tokyo, [Seoul Dajiji] sat cross-legged at her computer desk in her bedroom, wearing pajamas. She adjusted her glasses, stared at the group chat messages on the computer screen, pondered for a moment, and slowly replied to the book lovers chatting enthusiastically in the group:

No update today...

"please……"

"Ticket grabbing."

After saying that, she closed her notebook, got up, slowly lay down on the bed, casually took off her black-rimmed glasses, and entered a moment of fantasy.

Naiyong Zhili, real name, pen name "Seoul Dajiji". She was born in Garosu-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Dajiji was influenced by "Seoul Cannon" and she felt that she was very funny, so she adopted this pen name.

With the movement of Uchiha Eri turning over, large expanses of her fair skin were exposed to the air through her loose pajamas. In fact, she really wanted to tell her readers that she was preparing to "retire from the business" and become a trainee next year, participating in auditions for SM or JYP. But how could she tell her readers such a thing?
What if I actually debut as a celebrity and meet the male protagonist from one of my own novels? How embarrassing! That would be such a dark chapter in my life!
She herself never expected that a fan fiction she wrote casually would become so popular and profitable. Her readers across Asia were mostly wealthy and influential women who showered her with money. And recently, her book has also attracted a large number of female fans from Europe and America…

Originally, Uchigami Eri only wanted to indulge in some wishful thinking and satisfy her psychological needs, but how did she end up making a fortune? The daily tipping income was even more outrageous than the monthly royalties. For the first time, [Seoul Dajiji] felt the immense wealth of the Akanas.

By the way, @英桃丸子 said that Oppa smells really good, just how good does he smell?
How about becoming a trainee, working hard to debut, and trying to smell it in person? Even if readers recognize you later, you can legitimately say you were "going on a research trip"? At least that sounds better, right? You can't just be a dream girl, can you?!

"..."

Shaking off her wandering thoughts, Uchinaga Eri sat up, tugged at her pajamas that had slipped off her shoulders, picked up the tablet from the bedside table, and began to seriously read JYP's official announcement released today. She had been imagining her blissful sex life with "Tarot" in the book, but hadn't had time to read it yet, only listening to other readers discussing it.

I easily opened JYP's official website.

Then I saw...

JYP Entertainment Official Announcement:

[The date for Tarot (Gong Cheng), an artist under our company, to kick off his first solo world tour, "Cash Flow," has been officially set—September 15th, Tarot will land at the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) in Beijing, marking the grand opening of his global tour.]

Following its first stop at the Bird's Nest stadium, the second stop will be the Sangam World Cup Stadium in Seoul on September 23, resonating with local fans. Tickets will go on sale tonight at 10:00 PM.

Meanwhile, Tarot's latest album, "The Lovers," will be released in September, featuring a total of 10 tracks. Stay tuned!

[More information on tour cities and shows will be released gradually. Follow JYP Entertainment's official channels...]

"Sri Lanka, number one..."

Uchinaga Eritoshi stared at the announcement with excitement. A world tour, a new album—it was all happening. It was clear that JYP Entertainment had a lot going for them in the second half of the year, from the recent full rollout of TWICE's individual accounts to Tarot's concert and new album...

"Is the poster a concept for the new album?"

……

"It seems like this is really the concept for a new album?"

In New York, on the top floor of the Empire State Building, amidst a filming location filled with cameras, Kim Minjung huddled close to Ning Yizhuo, the two whispering as they looked at the JYP announcement on their phones. Meanwhile, in the nearby filming location…

Gong Cheng, tall and slender, stood in the night, negotiating with the director about the shooting angle and the altitude of the drone. Liu Zhimin stood to the side with a rather obsequious air, her oppa's suit jacket draped over her arm, and a water bottle clutched in her other hand, looking every bit like a devoted secretary.

Being very cautious, she didn't dare to disturb her oppa who was working. She glanced at her friend and another trainee from the same company sitting together in the back of the crowd, whispering and looking at their phones. The three of them came to New York with Gong Cheng to participate in the MV shooting.

It was essentially a paid trip. Initially, they hadn't expected to travel so far, and after spending a few days together, the three of them had become a little more familiar with each other. As for her current good position, Liu Zhimin was very proud of herself; she had worked extremely hard to get it.

She wondered if those two were huddled together plotting some cunning scheme to harm her. She cautiously became suspicious.

"OK, let's try to finish this as soon as possible..."

Gong Cheng chuckled as he spoke to the director in front of him. The music video they were shooting in New York wasn't just about "Blinding Lights." During the shoot, Wolong, Fengchu, and Ning Yizhuo were all scheming for their own purposes, all wanting more screen time.

Sometimes, even shows where the participants scheme against each other leave him speechless and with a headache.

Gong Cheng even suspected that if SM were to launch a new girl group in the future, and these three trainees all possessed considerable talent and good looks, what if they happened to be assigned to the same group and debuted? How fierce would they become in their struggle for resources?
Gee...

So, in addition to being backup dancers for the song, Gong Cheng also put the three of them into the music video for the song "The Only One," allocating several shots and scenes to them.

Like Ning Yizhuo, although she looks a bit childish, with a little makeup and styling to amplify her innocence, she looks great on camera. As for Executive Dragon, Lei Da, her makeup in the MV is very charming and has a strong 3D feel. As for the washboard?
A seemingly naive and well-behaved student, playing the role of someone with a crush... In short, Gong Cheng was bored, so he filmed a melodramatic youth romance MV with the three of them to accompany the song "The Only One"...

"Aigoo, he's so handsome..."

Kim Minjung whispered something, looked up at the oppa standing in the center of the set, but then saw Yoo Jimin standing with her hands on her hips, head held high, looking smug. She subtly rolled her eyes and lowered her head again.

"..." Ning Yizhuo caught the fascinating moment in her eyes, his lips twitched, but he wisely didn't say anything more. Although everyone had become closer these past few days, no matter what, Liu Zhimin and Jin Minzheng's relationship was definitely stronger than his own.

Moreover, she has had her eyes opened these past few days. She has met the two most cunning, shrewd, and scheming people since she started her training career at SM: one is a brainless, talkative person with a bad temper, and the other is sarcastic and cunning.

Ning Yizhuo often wonders if she will debut alongside these two.
They were not only cunning, but also patient. It wasn't until she boarded the plane to New York that she learned from the two that they were actually connected to Tarot and had known him for a long time, and that they even claimed to be die-hard fans.

Fortunately, after several days of filming and getting to know him, the incredibly popular, globally famous oppa who had come to New York to be with the king was very easy to get along with. He took good care of his fellow countryman and didn't discriminate against him or show any favoritism...

We got along very well.

"Ningning, can you teach me a Chinese phrase?" Kim Minjun nudged Ning Yizhuo's arm and asked somewhat shyly.

Ning Yizhuo has a gentle oval face with a slightly rounded jaw. She blinked and said, "Sure, what do you want to learn?"

"Oppa, how do I say you're so handsome?" Kim Minjung raised her sparse eyebrows, opened her mouth slightly, and was a little embarrassed. It was mainly because the unnie on set was too smug, making her seem like Oppa's personal secretary.

"..." Ning Yizhu chuckled twice, looking somewhat speechless, but still patiently spoke the sentence in Chinese, while instructing Kim Minjun on pronunciation, "..."

"It's not 'my dad,' it's 'oppa'... and it's not 'painted,' it's 'handsome'!!!"

Kim Minjung studied diligently, "Dad, you're so handsome!"

“Yes…” Ning Yizhuo nodded.

"..."

"Oppa, hehe..."

Standing next to Gong Cheng, Liu Zhimin couldn't help but chuckle as she flicked her black hair and brushed her bangs aside, her oval face showing a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Just say it, what is it?"

Gong Cheng took the bottled water she offered and took a sip. "So sycophantic," he thought, "not as comfortable or subtle as a tofu flatterer." The moment he saw "Wolong's" face, he knew she wanted something from him…

"Oppa's world tour is starting soon, right? Minjun is worried that he might not be able to get tickets, so he asked me to talk to you about it, hehe..."

Liu Zhimin spoke softly, looking somewhat embarrassed, but upon seeing Gong Cheng's suspicious expression, she quickly explained, "Oppa, we don't want free tickets for free. It's just that tickets are hard to get, and we're afraid we won't be able to get them. We can buy tickets at full price..."

"But could you give us a few insider tickets? I really don't have much confidence if we try to snatch them..."

The executive director, Long, was afraid that Gong Cheng would think she was the kind of woman who was greedy for small gains and would try to get concert tickets for free. Fortunately, she used her friend Min Zheng's name. Although she had opinions about her friend's behavior and actions, she still had to explain clearly that this kind of thing damaged other people's moral image.

After all, Minjung and I are indeed very good friends. Birds of a feather flock together, and I don't want to be implicated by a bad impression...

"?"

Gong Cheng didn't think too much about it. He just wondered if it was really the washboard that arranged for the execution department's dragon to ask about this. He waved his hand and threw the mineral water bottle into the trash can. "Oh, it's just a few tickets. I thought it was something serious. It would be too formal to ask for money."

As he spoke, he gazed at the New York cityscape from the top of the Empire State Building, "In a few days, when the company distributes internal tickets, I'll have someone send you a few..."

"Three Zhang? You, Minzheng, and Ningning?"

"Okay, let's call Ningning along..." Liu Zhimin said excitedly, then straightened her back and boasted, "I feel like Ningning is a really good friend too, the three of us can go cheer for Oppa together!"

"It's perfect timing to bribe Ningning so she won't tell anyone about the relationship between me, Minjung, and Oppa..."

"Tch, huh?" Gong Cheng rolled his eyes without hesitation upon hearing this. He gripped the railing, turned his gaze away from New York, and looked at "Wolong." "Ningning's mouth is much tighter than yours, okay? You don't need to bribe her, she won't say anything..."

Ning Yizhuo, at least she doesn't talk badly at people, like Zhimin!
Liu Zhimin didn't take the oppa's teasing to heart, because she herself sometimes couldn't control her tongue and had been reprimanded many times, but she still couldn't. She looked at the very lively Gong Cheng in front of her, and chuckled as she fiddled with her bangs. The night wind at the top of the Empire State Building was strong, blowing their hair into a mess...

Perhaps only when this oppa teases her, cares for her, or scolds her will Liu Zhimin realize, "Aigoo, so the boy in the poster and the wallpaper really is standing next to me, he's my friend..."

"..."

In the blink of an eye, filming for the music video resumed.

The filming didn't include any scenes with the three trainees. Yoo Jimin, looking smug, approached Kim Minjung and Ning Yizhuo. With a smile, she extended her hand, first giving her friend an "OK" sign, then sitting down on the stool next to Ning Yizhuo and taking her arm...

The two seemed very close. "Ningning, I specifically asked Oppa to get you an exclusive concert ticket. Shall we go to the concert together?"

"It was specially for you..."

"Thank you, unnie." Ning Yizhu smiled happily, but why did she have to say it twice? She glanced furtively at Kim Minjun, who was tugging at the corner of his mouth, and instantly understood...

Why is Unnie using military strategy?

"Let's get along well from now on!" Liu Zhimin, adopting a bossy attitude, suddenly clenched her right fist. "Support Oppa!" Then, she turned to Ning Yizhuo with great curiosity and asked...

"By the way, Ningning, aren't you also a fan of Oppa? Which department are you in?"

"I'm from the local [Execution Department]..."

Upon hearing this question, Kim Min-jung looked over with some curiosity and revealed his department, "I'm from the local [Publicity Department]."

She and Liu Zhimin have always been die-hard fans of Gong Cheng, but they belong to different departments in the huge fan support organization "Tarot Club". In her opinion, she is in the "Execution Department" and is known as the "Dragon of the Execution Department". She is very good at anti-black operations and fighting.

I'm in the "Publicity Department," and I'm quite well-known within the department, but not as passionate and action-packed as my sister's "Execution Department." The Publicity Department is mainly responsible for promoting and disseminating the latest news about my brother, such as new album comebacks, concerts, fan meetings, and so on, all of which require fan promotion.

The massive "Tarot Club" has so many fan sites that it has been divided into "Japan Tarot Club," "Peninsula Tarot Club," "China Tarot Club," "USA Tarot Club," and so on, all based on country distinctions.

The general departmental structure is relatively uniform across each fan club. However, friction and hierarchical relationships often exist between different "Tarot Clubs." For example, the "Chinese Tarot Club" looks down on the "Peninsula Tarot Club," feeling that they don't spend enough money and are just going through the motions...

When "Tarot" makes a comeback, it's almost always a time for the various fan clubs to secretly compete in terms of financial resources and support efforts. However, when faced with attacks from other fan clubs, the various fan clubs remain united and stand together against the outside world.

"I'm from the [Data Department]..."

After the two introduced themselves, Ning Yizhuo also revealed his true identity.

"Oh~ Doing data analysis? Like ranking and stuff?"

Liu Zhimin nodded in sudden realization, and suddenly felt that the three of them were quite evenly distributed: one was on the front lines, one was in publicity and marketing, and one was doing data. Generally speaking, the data department's Akana had daily targets.

"Ani, the chart rankings are done by the other Akas, and Oppa's data doesn't even need any chart rankings."

"Our data department is now responsible for compiling statistics on various streaming media data, such as single play counts, movie and TV ratings, MV views, etc., then compiling them into documents and distributing them to various fan sites. Then, the publicity department will use them for marketing to intimidate other fan groups."

Ning Yizhuo picked up her iced Americano, took a sip, and explained with a self-satisfied air.

"You're a senior executive?"

"How can your Chinese branch do this? Even if Oppa doesn't need to participate in the charts, he still has to! You're just dawdling!"

Kim Minjung frowned. What Ningning said, the data statistics, were all used by the Akanas to violently intimidate other fan groups. It was mainly for face! It could satisfy the Akanas' vanity.

Even though Oppa is so popular that he doesn't need to participate in rankings or artificially inflate click or play counts, the Peninsula's "Data Department" is still tirelessly working on these data.

"What do you mean by dawdling?"

"Our China branch spends a lot of money!"

Ning Yizhuo immediately raised her chin and retorted, "This concerns nationality and the honor of all Chinese Akana members, and she didn't back down at all. 'When Oppa came back last time, in Asia alone, wasn't our Chinese branch the strongest in terms of support? Japan was second? Your Peninsula branch was only third...'"

"And then there are the endorsements Oppa has done for LV, Burberry, Armani—aren't these the brands that we Chinese fans pay the most for?"

"Are you guys really no good?"

Ning Yizhuo, who originally came from the Data Department, knew these data inside and out. She sighed, looked at Liu Zhimin and Ning Yizhuo who were speechless in front of her, and said earnestly, "Unnie, it's not that I'm saying anything..."

"Oppa's career development is now focused on Europe and America. Look at how he's filming his music videos now, even at the Empire State Building. Oppa is so popular and works so hard, letting us Akanas run rampant in the fandom."

"Shouldn't we put in even more support? Those with money should contribute money, and those with strength should contribute strength. Usually, your Peninsula branch is the loudest, but why are the Japanese Akana members more supportive than you? Could it be that you Peninsula people don't like Oppa anymore?"

Ning Yizhu spoke in a tone of dissatisfaction, like a leader inspecting subordinates, using official jargon. On one hand, what she said was true; on the other hand, these two were too difficult to deal with. If she was going to have to deal with them, shouldn't she at least show some ability?
"Who said that? You're a trainee at the company too, how could you not know that our country is full of Oppa's posters and advertisements, LED screens on buildings, subway stations, Oppa is everywhere, the whole nation knows Oppa..."

"How could I not like him?"

"It's just..."

When it came to the dignity of the "National War" and the "Tarot Club," Kim Min-jung and Yoo Jimin held their heads high and argued their case, "Oppa is really important to us..."

"..."

Kim Daewoo and Cha Gunho, who were standing behind the three, listened to their debate and silently took a few steps back.

On the contrary, the SM staff member who came along chuckled and flicked his hair, "It's so good to be young..."

"..." After arguing for a while, the three of them sat down and simultaneously picked up their coffees, took two big gulps, and felt a bit thirsty.

Liu Zhimin picked up a hair tie and tied her long hair into a low ponytail. She thought to herself that arguing wouldn't work, so she quietly offered her idea, "How about the three of us form a new branch of the Tarot Club?"

"This needs to be reported, and it needs the approval of all the fan site administrators, fan site owners, and big fans!" Ning Yizhuo quickly reminded him upon hearing this suggestion. The establishment of the various national branches of the "Tarot Club" and fan sites also requires the approval of big fans through a vote.

Finally, it was agreed upon by the agency JYP to prevent criminals from using Tarot's influence and fame to commit illegal or criminal acts. Such things are also common in fan circles, such as fan sites where the site administrators run away with the money, which not only steals the fans' money but also has a negative impact on the artist.

"Yeah, unnie, stop acting on a whim..." Kim Minjung protested weakly.

Liu Zhimin shook her head, pursed her lips, leaned closer to the two, and asked, "Ningning, Minzheng, do you think you two can debut?"

"I think it should be okay?" Ning Yizhuo replied without much confidence.

Kim Minjung raised her eyelids, wondering what this unnie was up to, "I can too, right..."

"What do you mean by 'should be okay'? 'Is it okay...'"

"Unnie, I believe you can definitely debut! It would be best if all three of us debuted together! Although Ningning isn't a great dancer, she sings very well! Minjeong may not have a great figure, but she can dance..." Yoo Jimin offered some very encouraging words, but she didn't notice the two's darkening expressions...

She clenched her fist and said seriously, "As for me, there's no need to say anything..."

“My idea is that we secretly form a Kpop Tarot Club, which only debuted artists can join. Do you think we need the approval of the fan site admins and big fans? I will be the president, and you two will be the vice presidents!”

"How about it?"

She spoke with great enthusiasm, her eyebrows dancing, "Of course, we at [Kpop Tarot Club] don't allow an aging population; those born in the 90s are out, especially artists like Irene..."

"Ahem..." Kim Minjung coughed lightly twice and tugged at his unnie's sleeve.

"Can this be said?"

Ning Yizhu swallowed hard, finally witnessing firsthand how gossipy and talkative this unnie was. "Unnie, you're going to get into trouble sooner or later if you keep this up..." she kindly reminded her. "Don't drag me into this. Is it too late for me to run away and cut ties with you now?"
Liu Zhimin realized her mistake, gave an awkward smile, and continued to talk about her grand plan, "First of all, we will refuse to accept aging members and will only accept members born in the 00s to take over the future of fifth-generation female pop idols. Men will not be allowed to join..."

"Why?" Kim Minjung asked, puzzled.

"We're a fan club. We're so pretty, what if some male idols pretend to be our oppa's fans and come in to chat us up?" Liu Zhimin asked wisely, speaking with great eloquence. "You know JYP's top trainees, right?"

"Huang Lizhi?"

“Yes! I think Hwang Yeji and a few other JYP trainees are also fans of oppas. Let's get to know them and recruit them into the group. Also, I saw a lot of oppa fans on the PRODUCE 48 show…”

"Of course, some are just putting on an act. I can tell the real Akana at a glance. As long as they debut, I can recruit them into the club. How about that? Doesn't that sound amazing?"

"I think it's possible, unnie! If we can really do it, wouldn't the future of fifth-generation girl groups be all our Akana's?" Kim Minjung felt a surge of excitement in her heart, nodded firmly, and pursed her lips.

Oh my god! Where can we go? Ning Yizhuo was a little unsure how to persuade the two unnies in front of her who seemed to have gone mad, that we were going to debut in the future!

They're competitors with girl groups from other entertainment agencies!

She couldn't even imagine how much drama this "Kpop Tarot Club" would create in the future fifth-generation girl group!
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as your agreement, Vice President Ningning!"

Liu Zhimin grinned and unanimously approved, "When I get back to Seoul, I'll check out the company to see if there are any trainees who can debut, and try to recruit them."

“I also know a few trainees who are quite good…” Kim Minjung said thoughtfully.

"But we haven't even debuted yet!" Ning Yizhuo looked at the two people in front of her with a sense of exhaustion, her bright eyes filled with despair as she turned to look at the oppa who was filming a music video on set...

Oppa, what is it about you that made friends with them?

【Kpop Tarot Club】? Sounds like a cult full of gunpowder!
"We'll debut sooner or later!" Liu Zhimin said confidently. Seeing that Gong Cheng's music video was about to finish filming, she quickly got up, took out the orange juice she had prepared in advance from a bag, and ran over, smiling as she waited...

"Limp..." Kim Minjung muttered unhappily, then opened his little mouth and practiced, "Daddy, you're so handsome!"

"..."

Ning Yizhuo stared somewhat bewilderedly at Jimin unnie, who had transformed into her little secretary, while listening to Kim Minjun's practice sounds beside her...

Weren't you all united against a common enemy just now?

Are you still planning to establish the great [Kpop Tarot Club]?

……

"...There's no way to get tickets..."

"Really... is this person that popular? The tickets sold out in less than a second..."

At 10 p.m. in Seoul, in YG's recording studio, the four members of BLACKPINK sat on the sofa. During a break, some were scrolling through their phones, but Jisoo was constantly clicking on the screen, trying to buy tickets for Tarot's world tour on the official ticketing website.

"Unnie, that's a bit heartless of you to say. If Oppa wasn't popular, how could our comeback have achieved such great results?"

Park Chae-young picked up her coffee and joked with a smile, "We even made it onto the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts."

Their summer comeback album, *SQUARE UP*, produced by Tarot, helped them climb the Billboard charts and top the eight major local music charts for several consecutive days. It also held the number one spot on the Melon daily chart for 30 consecutive days. As for number one…

By the end of BLACKPINK's four-member performance, they were even somewhat numb, finally understanding Tarot's question from two years ago: "Will winning first place make you happy?"

They were still happy, but they were so tired that they felt somewhat numb...

Such achievements are nothing short of a meteoric rise in K-pop. Starting from July 24th last month, they also held their first tour since their debut, "BLACKPINK Arena Tour 2018".

I'm currently in the recording studio to prepare for the release of the Japanese version of "DDU-DU DDU-DU" on August 22nd.

"Hehe... I'm just used to making sarcastic remarks~"

Kim Jisoo realized she had spoken out of turn. With a wry smile on her beautiful face, she glanced at the website where tickets were already sold out, and then helplessly put her phone down.

That bastard has never been a good person. What's wrong with saying a few words to him?
But perhaps to members who don't know the details, I might seem a bit petty...

"Unnie, if you can really snag tickets, you don't need to be an artist anymore, you can be a scalper. Go check the forums, some of Oppa's fans are asking for tickets now, starting at 2000 million won, tsk tsk..."

LISA placed her phone on the table, gesturing for everyone to look at the forum posts. Some fans who hadn't managed to snag tickets had already started asking on various forums if anyone was selling tickets, while others were more direct, saying, "Looking for a scalper for front-row tickets!"

……

#Tarot World Tour [Cashflow] Tickets Sold Out in One Second#
#ExorbitantlyPricedScalpedTickets#
#Tarot's New York City Photos#
"Why haven't I seen Tarot and Yoona trending lately? What's going on?!"

"They've probably made up, right? Yoona's back on set filming 'Exit,' wow, Tarot really threw away the script in a fit of anger for love. Can Yoona really win Best Actress?"

"..."

……

On the afternoon of August 21, Gong Cheng returned to Seoul.

After exiting Incheon International Airport, Ning Yizhuo, Liu Zhimin, and Kim Minjun were led away by SM Entertainment staff.

"I'm almost done with the album work, so I can finally take a few days off. Now I'll wait for the world tour; that'll be when I'll be really busy..."

Kim Dae-woo said with a smile that Gong Cheng's schedule at the moment only includes the filming of "Parasite" and the recording of PRODUCE 48. One of the films has already reached the post-production stage, and the other program has been recorded to the end.

By the end of the month, most of the contestants for the debut battle will be decided...

At that time, a new K-pop girl group will be born and debut...

"Okay, so let's go to Jeonju tomorrow. I'll go back and adjust to the time difference."

Gong Cheng yawned and looked out the window with a melancholy expression. The filming of "Parasite" was going quite smoothly. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be officially wrapped up at the end of the month. On the 15th of next month, he would officially start his personal world tour concert.

However, what worried him was the interaction between Cho Mi-yeon's group and the female members of TWICE at the Seoul event.

Furthermore, Pabo meant that it would be best to meet with her members before the world tour, have a meal together, and get to know each other.

Gong Cheng did consider having (G)I-DLE and TWICE perform one show a day at different times as guests on the world tour, but it wasn't necessary. It's impossible for a single day of concerts at the Sangam World Cup Arena to have only one group as a guest.

In short, even if they take a break, once (G)I-DLE makes their appearance, a flood of rumors and trending topics will likely make the female fans green with envy.

It would be better to give them a piece and let them touch it...

"How will the new album be released?"

Kim Daewoo suddenly spoke up and asked again, "There are still many music videos in production right now, but if we rush them, they can all be released before the world tour next month. After all, the audio has already been recorded, and not every song has a music video."

So it's not a big problem...

"Let's release them slowly, just before October is fine. I'll release two in early September..."

"No rush..."

Gong Cheng pondered for a moment and then shared his thoughts: releasing songs in batches would be similar to the market in Europe and America, where many Western singers would release songs from an album over a long period of time and then compile them together at the end.

Kpop, on the other hand, usually completes its comeback presentation within half a month.

Moreover, Gong Cheng personally has high hopes for some of the songs on this album. He plans to release the songs in batches to test their rankings on streaming and Billboard. If some songs can reach number one, then why not release them slowly?
"..."

Back in his dorm, Gong Cheng took a shower as usual, and then, with his hair still wet and messy, rummaged through the refrigerator for a beer!

The empty refrigerator made his heart ache with anger! All the alcohol was gone, leaving only a few bottles of soda.

"Who?!"

"Yu Dingyan, did you take alcohol from my fridge again?"

He impatiently tore open a can of Coke, sat on the sofa, and searched for the culprit in the TWICE group chat. Little Penguin had taken it twice, which was still quite open and aboveboard, but Yoo Jeongyeon also had a prior record...

Yoo Jeong-yeon: "Oh, I was just too lazy to go downstairs to the supermarket the other day, so I just took two bottles from your fridge..."

"It was Tzuyu who went with me. She said you've been drinking a lot lately, so why don't we take it all and divide it up? @ChouTzuyu, say something, Tzuyu!"

Sana Minatozaki: "Indeed, you've been drinking a bit too much lately. Take care of yourself."

Lim Na-yeon: "This old minister seconds it! (bows with rabbit teeth)"

"+1"

x6
"Have I been drinking heavily lately?" Gong Cheng rubbed his chin as he lay on the sofa. "But I've been working hard in New York lately!"

Are they all just excuses from Hajiyan?
Those who received +1 should all be accomplices, right?

With nothing else to do, after playing some Mina's controller, Miyako dialed a number he often contacted but kept at a distance. "Noona, are you working?"

"Okay, don't tell me any nonsense about missing me. I've been really busy on set lately." Lee Sung-kyung's slightly hoarse voice came through the receiver, amidst some ambient noise. "Wait a minute..."

"Bok-joo! I'm making a comeback. I'll have someone deliver the album to you in a few days, or you can come pick it up yourself." Hearing the noticeably quieter atmosphere on the other end, Gong Cheng spoke with a grin. Sometimes, when he'd argued with his female colleagues, or felt his relationships with them were out of control…

He would then go to this understanding woman, who is also a career woman. Since getting out of the shadow of [Jung Joon-hyung], she has never mentioned the idea of ​​dating. The two have maintained a relationship as colleagues on set, or rather, long-term friends with benefits.

As for sending the album, that's just an excuse...

“I’ll pick it up then, Junhyung~” Lee Sung-kyung’s voice suddenly softened.

“Ani, stop messing around, noona! What Junhyung…”

Gong Cheng shrank her neck, lay on the sofa and kicked the anime penguin pillow. Ever since filming of "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo" ended, she had initially had a hard time getting out of character...

Before she moved on, she wanted to date the "Jung Joon-hyung" in her eyes; now that she's moved on, she never mentions it again. So, the mere mention of the character "Jung Joon-hyung" sends chills down Gong Cheng's spine...

"Is it really necessary? Why are you getting more and more timid?"

Lee Sung-kyung let out a teasing laugh, then, as if remembering something, said with a hint of disdain, "Next time I need to pick up the album from you, remember to get a medical check-up and show me your report..."

"?" Gong Cheng didn't understand at first, but he immediately realized what it meant. "Annie, what do you mean?"

"I really……"

He was somewhat speechless...

"The last time we were together, you had bruises on your inner thighs from being pinched by a woman, scratches on your back, hickeys on your collarbone, and even your underwear smelled strongly of a woman's perfume..." Lee Sung-kyung recounted the details of their last meeting with a slightly angry voice, "You're such a womanizer!"

“I know you have a girlfriend. Nuna isn’t an unreasonable woman and won’t interfere with you, but you still need to make sure Nuna feels comfortable with you, right?”

"...If you put it that way, I'm truly heartbroken. How dare you question my character?"

Gong Cheng forced a smile and said, "Why are you making it sound like I have a messy private life..."

"Then dump your girlfriend, okay? Noona dated you, went on trips with you, and stayed with you..."

Lee Sung-kyung's teasing voice rang out, and seeing that Gong Cheng remained silent, she laughed again.

"Alright, I was just kidding..."

"Let's keep it simple. Things are really starting to get better these past two years. We need to work hard, and so do you. With such a great opportunity, you need to take good care of your health..."

"If you're not as strong as you used to be, I'll kick you and you can forget about ever riding on Nuna's back again..."

"Okay, that's all for now, I need to get back to work..."

"Okay, then you go ahead and get back to work. Remember to come to my concert next month." Gong Cheng chuckled as he listened to Lee Sung-kyung's rambling voice, and the two hung up the phone.

This is the kind of pure friendship that exists between colleagues. Whether they are friends with benefits or sex partners, they will always think of each other.

……

(End of this chapter)