Peninsula Platinum Era

Chapter 223 IZONE Fragment x1
In a long post, she expressed that she fully understands the company's recent busy schedule, but the group's future is a huge struggle for the members, and she is eager to know the company's plans.

But half a day had passed, and they still hadn't received a reply. The hope that had just been ignited gradually faded away.

Little did she know that Chen Shijun hadn't seen her at all, and that this man didn't even take her seriously, so she suddenly felt somewhat ignored.

After being exposed to the wind on the rooftop, Xiaochi, who is usually in excellent health, unsurprisingly caught a cold, which made Secretary Li feel very guilty.

Amidst their discussion, GFRIEND's leader's information was scrolled down, and Chen Shijun never saw this meticulously crafted little essay until the very end.

Just as spring was about to fully arrive, the countdown to the end of the limited-time group IZ*ONE was about to begin. MENT finally announced that it would officially disband in April, ending its two-and-a-half-year activities as originally planned.

Just as fans were feeling reluctant to say goodbye, HYBE, after careful consideration, decided to release a bombshell to the market.

The news that Sakura would be joining the group after its disbandment, reported by a trusted media outlet, caused a stir.

Compared to Kim Min-ju, who was caught red-handed, Sakura faced less public pressure because of this scapegoat. Instead, people were more pleased to see her able to continue her activities in South Korea.

After all, Sakura had worked diligently throughout the group's existence and performed exceptionally well. Given that there was no longer any potential for further development in Japan, her decision was met with much blessing and understanding.

In contrast, Minju felt that she had been scolded for nothing, but she never expected that this woman would become her teammate in the future. Fate is really wonderful.

Minju isn't afraid of anyone competing with her for resources within the group. She and Miyawaki Sakura aren't following the same path either. On the contrary, having some familiar faces in the group gives her a sense of security.

After the news spread, Sakura openly explained the situation to her teammates. However, Kim Chae-won seemed hesitant to speak, not realizing that she was the one who had kept it the most secret.

The two Japanese members also expressed some regret, wondering why this older sister wouldn't come back to the mountains with them, but everyone could understand, since it's much harder to make money in the Japanese entertainment industry compared to other places.

Nako Yabuki and Hitomi Honda are far less popular than Sakura in HYBE's assessment, and their contractual relationships are also more complicated.

Japanese K-pop groups follow a completely different model from traditional K-pop groups. A member's contract may belong to many different companies, and Sakura alone can fill all those niches.

If you're talking about envy, then yes, I'm definitely envious. Speaking of which, there's a little anecdote: a few days ago, when the news of the group's disbandment came out, Tanaka Miku, who was in the same group as Sakura in HKT48, uploaded a photo.

In the photo, he is cheek to cheek with Miyawaki Sakura and Yabuki Nako, and he also posted a crying emoji. He may have just meant to express his happiness for his two friends’ upcoming return, but in the eyes of the IZ*ONE members, this is completely gloating.

After being bombarded with criticism from netizens, Tanaka Miku could only post again, expressing her fondness for her two teammates who were active as members of IZ*ONE and feeling sad that she hadn't taken care of the fans' feelings.

A complex and subtle atmosphere permeated the practice room. Everyone was preparing for the upcoming farewell performance, but for Sakura, it meant facing a barrage of questions.

"Unnie was hiding this so well! I have to treat you! But will you be in the same company as Wonyoung oppa from now on?"

"They usually keep a low profile, but when they do make a move, it's a big one. Tell me honestly, when did you start contacting them?"

"You really kept this from us for so long! I thought it was only Minju! By the way, is Minju your teammate?"

Minju, who had been hiding to the side and not speaking, opened his mouth as if to say something. Although he had always denied joining and had not confirmed anything, his rebuttal now would undoubtedly seem too fake.

He gave an awkward laugh, his gaze softening as he looked at the woman who was about to become his new teammate. Their relationship wasn't particularly close, but given their personalities, it was impossible for them to have a bad one. Of course, this was in South Korea; if this were in Japan years ago, whether their relationship would be good or bad would depend entirely on whether she was in his way.

"Oh my! It was only recently confirmed. I wasn't sure before, so I didn't dare tell everyone."

Somewhat embarrassed, Cho Won-young smiled. This maknae already knew all along. It's good to have inside information; maybe she'll need to rely on her in the future.

"I wonder if any of our members are going to HYBE. Are we going to collect IZ*ONE fragments?"

Jiang Huiyuan suddenly muttered something, silencing everyone. They all looked at the people around them with strange eyes, as if everyone was a little suspicious.

Seeing that her words had changed the atmosphere, Huiyuan covered her mouth in regret. It was just a sudden thought, after all, Big Hit had briefly contacted her, although there had been no further in-depth discussions afterwards.

Kim Chae-won had an urge to confess, but then he shut his mouth, since HYBE and the martial arts world had not yet reached an agreement at the current pace.

If something hasn't happened, there's no need to participate in the discussion. Just wait until the media exposes it, and then say that you came into contact with it later.

As for any potential insiders, Yuan Ying probably wouldn't tell anyone she learned from her brother, since she's a relatively tight-lipped girl and never wants to cause trouble for Chen Shijun.

Yuan Ying was very jealous of her, but she was just teasing her and didn't really think that anything would happen between her and Chen Shijun. Indeed, as the maknae said, becoming her sister-in-law was definitely a hellish task.

However, I heard that among the senior management of her new employer, Chen Shijun is the one who clearly favors her the most, even describing her as a team leader.

As expected, to have such a huge fortune at such a young age shows a different kind of vision. Caiyuan admires him from the bottom of his heart. It would be best if he could get support in the new group.

"If you ask me, it would be great if we could all be taken away and the group could continue, so that we wouldn't have to be separated."

While Caiyuan spoke kindly, she knew it was impossible. Both CJ and some of the members' companies had made efforts, but for some companies, it was a matter of life and death.

At this moment, Eunbi demonstrated the demeanor of a captain very well. After Chen Shijun eliminated the threat from Yuan Ying, she was much more relaxed.

I'd like to offer some words of encouragement to Sakura. Actually, I'll be joining HYBE soon, and although we might be on different labels, we'll still be colleagues, in a way.

After initially feeling annoyed, Xiaoyuan gradually came to terms with it. She realized that she couldn't control Chen Shijun anymore, nor could she be the head of the household for her oppa. Saying more would only cause more trouble.

Although these bees and butterflies are annoying, even without them, could Chen Shijun do without other bees and butterflies? For example, Zhao Meiyan and Zheng Encai.

However, since they were teammates after all, and Eunbi never showed any interest in Chen Shijun, Wonyoung didn't think he was someone she needed to pay too much attention to.

"This is so tiring! It's like playing a game of playing field mice."

Yuan Ying thought they should make more of their portraits and stick them on the field mouse game dolls, then beat them hard with a hammer. Maybe that would alleviate some of their dissatisfaction.

(End of this chapter)