I desperately want to win on the peninsula

Following their resounding victory at SMTM, on July 31st, after celebrating, Lin Qianqiao and Zhou Xian returned to the main group from AOMG. The entire Monstax team immediately boarded a plane to Los Angeles, USA.

The third annual KCON 2015 USA will be held at Staples Center, the home arena of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers.

This venue is frequently rented out to celebrities for performances outside of game days, which may be because the Buss family is the poorest of all the NBA owners...

Thanks to its advantageous geographical location and rich historical heritage, it has produced many legendary basketball stars, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant...

This place is never short of star players.

Many big-name singers and pop divas choose to perform here when they are in Los Angeles.

The other venue will be the Los Angeles Convention Center, where a three-day variety concert will be held.

However, another event will be held in New York on August 8th, but it has nothing to do with Monstax; they only need to participate in the Los Angeles event.

KCON is an expansion of K-pop culture spearheaded by CJ Group. Through concerts, fan meetings, music, movies, TV dramas, fashion comics, and other forms, it provides North American fans with opportunities to get up close and personal with artists and culture.

The goal is to spread K-pop culture worldwide and increase K-pop's influence.

The daytime convention features workshops and panels, as well as cultural exhibitions and other events, allowing fans to purchase merchandise related to their favorite artists and participate in various activities.

Top artists will also be invited to attend the red carpet ceremony, such as Girls' Generation, Super Junior, and Sistar. Media will then conduct interactive interviews, and the highlight will naturally be the concert in the evening.

It's pretty good that Monstax was able to participate in Kcon this time, because none of the invited artists or groups were as obscure as them... like GOT7, Block B, AOA, and other moderately famous groups.

Especially S.M. Entertainment's groups—Shinhwa, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Red Velvet—none of them have faded into obscurity. In a way, Monstax's status has been elevated.

Interestingly, apart from Red Velvet, none of these SM groups are at full strength; none of them are all present. Perhaps this is some kind of tradition.

What's even more interesting is that Lin Qianqiao discovered that apart from her senior Sistar, she didn't know any of the other artists in the Kcon group.

As the leader Shownu comes from JYP Entertainment, it's not surprising that he knows some people. For example, Park Jinyoung and Lim Jaebeom from GOT7 were his contemporaries, and they even had screen time during their debut battle. At that time, GOT7 was promoting their music, and their debut battle was being filmed, so Shownu was forcibly pulled into the program to catch up with them.

It's strange that even Zhou Xian has acquaintances here. He met Jimin from AOA on "Golden Fishing Boat". I don't know when he became so popular.

As Lin Qianqiao thought about it, she suddenly realized that she was doing really badly and felt ashamed.

Thinking of this, Lin Qianqiao, who was sitting in a chair waiting for rehearsal, sighed and glanced at GOT7 on stage, who were currently rehearsing diligently.

Lin Qianqiao thought their dance moves, which imitated turning a steering wheel while driving, were quite interesting and must have been a clever idea from the choreographer or a producer.

This should be their comeback song "Just Right" on July 13th. It's a hodgepodge of guava, bubblegum, and reggae, with a touch of hip-hop. The melodies of this type of song are usually not bad, but they also lack a punch. It's a relatively safe and clever way of composing music.

You can tell the producer really put their heart into it...

I wonder what the GOT7 members thought when they heard this song. I put myself in their shoes for a while and thought their feelings must have been quite complicated.

Suddenly, a question popped into his head: it seemed like Kim Shidai had worked with the president of JYP Entertainment for a while...

While listening to the song, Lin Qianqiao suddenly began to contemplate life for no apparent reason.

"Stop thinking about it, it's time for our rehearsal." Zhou Xian patted Lin Qianqiao, who was lost in thought, to wake him up.

"Oh... okay." Lin Qianqiao suddenly stood up and walked unsteadily toward the stage, her eyes glazed over and her face colorless.

During the handover of the stage, leader Shownu was exchanging pleasantries with GOT7's leader. Yoo Ki-hyun seemed to know their lead vocalist, Choi Young-jae, and the two chatted for a while.

However, when Jackson from their team saw Zhou Xian and Lin Qianqiao approaching, he introduced himself generously and enthusiastically.

He brought up Zhou Xian and Lin Qianqiao's performance in "SMTM" and said he really liked their rap and would like to discuss music together sometime.

"Haha, it's not as amazing as you say!" This is what Zhou Xian said. When he was chatting with Jackson, he realized that they were the same age, and their tone became more carefree.

"Really, your a cappella performance in the audition was very impressive," Jackson said earnestly, his face serious but his eyes clear.

"..." Looking at Zhou Xian, whose face was all smiles, Lin Qianqiao's lips twitched and she was speechless. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jackson looking over and gave him a friendly squinting smile. This guy was surprisingly good at praising people.

Is Kyo still participating in the show?

"Yes, we were still recording it the day before yesterday."

"Great!"

"fine……"

The SMTM Top 6 matches haven't aired yet, so Jackson wasn't aware that the two players in front of him had already advanced, but he didn't brag about it, mainly because there wasn't much to brag about.

Both sides were chatting happily about music, mostly hip-hop.

According to the rules, Lin Qianqiao should reply with praise for the outstanding performance of the show this guy is participating in, but the problem is that he has never actually watched it, and making random comments could easily offend people.

As for the praise in the comeback song, this guy probably doesn't want to hear it, and Lin Qianqiao can empathize with that.

After all, this guy has a deep, husky voice, and his songs are the kind that are sweet and cute, so no amount of praise will really work. Therefore, he can only pretend to be shy.

It would be really interesting if that little dog sang it.

Lin Qianqiao came across a clip of her dancing to "Mr Taxi." "Just Right" and "Mr Taxi" are similar in that they both involve imitating turning a steering wheel... But Japanese people are indeed uniquely gifted at creating awkward atmospheres, and he would call himself the king of awkwardness.

This minor incident did not affect the communication between the three of them at all; the atmosphere remained quite harmonious.

However, GOT7 has only been around for a little over a year, and Jackson is considered a senior by seniority, but he is very approachable and a very nice person.

"Are you planning to film your group variety show here?"

"It shouldn't really be called a group variety show, it's more like a vlog, recording the group's private life or something like that," Zhou Xian replied.

"Then you can travel around for the next couple of days... I'm so envious!" Jackson said with a hint of envy in his voice. He hadn't had a proper rest since his debut.

JYP always schedules an endless series of events, just like the protagonist in Temple Run. Got7 can only run through mountains of knives and seas of fire to earn coins. If he dies in one level, he just keeps running without stopping.

Perhaps noticing a hint of fatigue on Jackson's face, Lin Qianqiao shrugged. "There's nothing we can do but entertain ourselves and sit in the dorm doing nothing."

Different companies offer different treatment, and it can be difficult to empathize with colleagues at the same time.

Perhaps he felt incredibly exhausted from the non-stop schedule, which was also the life that even the most clueless people at the bottom of the social ladder dreamed of.

It's worth mentioning that when the two participated in SMTM, Starship did not provide any clothing or cosplay support.

Zhou Xian's approach at the time was to do her own makeup, using lipstick as blush, and the result was, of course, less than satisfactory.

Some people will definitely ask why hip-hop shows require makeup; why not just go all out with real weapons?

The premise is that SMTM is a variety show with a lot of performance involved. Regardless of whether it's good or bad, you must always maintain your personal image.

Instead of a group of underground rappers hiding in a dark warehouse and going on a crazy freestyle.

Another point is that Zhou Xian is an idol, and applying makeup is the most basic etiquette lesson for idols. Getting scolded for doing a bad job is a different matter altogether.

Even if Lin Qianqiao didn't wear much makeup at the time, she still washed her face, took care of her skin, and put on a few fashionable outfits to enhance her image. You can't really... lump idols and rappers together, that would be too ridiculous.

Only after achieving success did Starship decide to cover the costs of the beauty salon and stage costumes.

After all, without any family or friends, don't expect AOMG or the TV station to invest a lot of money in the players. The stage for the top six was entirely funded by Starship, but that money will eventually have to be returned.

It's a very common transaction. Companies are usually happy to invest when they can see a return. The money will likely be used to recoup the investment through a series of business activities after SMTM ends, and they might even make a big profit.

Therefore, there is often no need to generate unnecessary emotions to feel sorry for others; recognizing one's own situation is the best solution.

Zhou Xian chimed in, "Since we've finally made it overseas, we definitely want to shoot some footage everywhere."

"Call me if you need anything."

Upon hearing this, Jackson composed himself and joked, "We'll call Mark for you. He's a buddy in LA, this is his territory."

"Hahaha."

OK.

Not far away, Mark Tuan suddenly sneezed. He glanced strangely at the three people who were chatting and laughing. He thought he had just heard his name. Could they be secretly cursing him?

After chatting for a while, those who were closer decided to exchange contact information, and then the GOT7 members left.

Following the usual practice of scheduling by size on the peninsula, Monstax was naturally scheduled for a less than ideal time slot.

However, I don't have any objections, since they will be the first group to perform, so this is just a warm-up.

As night fell, the concert began as scheduled. Monstax took the stage to open the show. The setlist was predictable; aside from their debut song "Arbitrary Invasion," which had a slight reputation and was suitable for the performance, the other tracks were not worth mentioning.

Amidst the colorful cheers and applause from all around, and accompanied by powerful electronic music, Monstax gave their all on stage. Their well-practiced dance moves and perfectly synchronized choreography demonstrated their passion for the stage.

"Watch carefully"

How I disturbed your heart

Look carefully

start from here

I packed it all myself.

In my opinion

Your surroundings are chaotic

Now just wait and see.

Can this be called a crime?

knock knock

... "

The audience was quite supportive; even when it was a performance by an unfamiliar group or artist, cheers rose and fell.

As the last note faded, Monstax bowed in farewell, then the entire group waved goodbye and left the stage.

Following them, GOT7, Super Junior, Roi Kim, and Sistar will take the stage to perform. These senior artists are indeed quite popular in the United States.

……

After the performance, the MONSTAX group returned to their hotel to rest.

In the hotel room, Zhou Xian was lying on the bed with his legs crossed, leisurely watching TV, and childishly trying to learn some foreign words from the host on the screen, acting all cute and silly.

However, from the moment his phone rang, after replying to a few messages, he started scratching his head and fidgeting on the bed like an ant on a hot plate, extremely anxious.

When Zhou Xian saw Lin Qianqiao enter the room after washing up, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked while lying on the bed, "Qianqiao, do you want to go out for a walk?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Qianqiao first threw the towel she was using to dry her hair into the basket, then took out a hairdryer from the cabinet, intending to dry her hair before going to sleep.

However, I need to clear up Zhou Xian's confusion first. I turned my head to look at him and said, "The doctor said that my mental state is normal, so it is perfectly reasonable for me to refuse to go out with a man in the early morning."

"Who wants to go shopping with you alone? I'm not crazy." Zhou Xian sat up straight and said irritably, "I'm definitely not the only one. Are you coming or not?"

Hearing that it wasn't just one person, and that Zhou Xian was still so eager, Lin Qianqiao didn't even need to think before thinking of someone and blurted out, "AOA's Jimin?"

"...It's her, so what?" After a moment of silence, Zhou Xian answered with a forced smile, enduring Lin Qianqiao's gaze.

Lin Qianqiao was genuinely surprised; she hadn't expected Zhou Xian to have someone make an appointment with her, which was truly touching.

"I have something to ask you."

"explain!"

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​using an aircraft carrier as a wingman, or who taught you to do it? On the battlefield, you probably wouldn't last two seconds before you were in court."

Lin Qianqiao's incredibly humiliating words made Zhou Xian's forehead veins bulge. Although it was true, he still gritted his teeth and said sharply, "Damn it! I'll find someone else."

Seeing Zhou Xian pretending to look for other teammates, Lin Qianqiao was too lazy to pay attention and picked up the hairdryer to blow-dry her hair.

By the way, the teammate staying in the next room was accompanied by his manager and assistant.

The only advantage here is the hotel room, which offers a bit of freedom of movement. Apart from being very small, it has no other drawbacks and is fully equipped with all the necessary appliances.

Moreover, if someone dares to go out for a blind date less than a year after their debut, what will they be like in the future?

Although he knew this was a new and exciting thing for Zhou Xian.

But Lin Qianqiao was not interested, mainly because this was the first time in his life that someone had asked him to be their wingman, which was really unbelievable.

Moreover, he is very virtuous.

However, if teammates want to talk about it, they won't object. At this age, it's really a bit unreasonable not to talk about it a few times. Just keep it a secret.

In short, idols are human too.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Qianqiao casually smoothed her already dried hair, then shook her bangs that were almost reaching her eyebrows, before putting the hairdryer back in its place.

Hairstyles can't be cut arbitrarily, as anyone who's been an idol knows, especially with a comeback approaching, his wispy hairs are practically turning into thick bangs.

Fortunately, the members carried hair gel and hair clay with them, which made it easy to create cool looks like side-swept styles, and made things much more comfortable.

I yawned, getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow I can finally relax and enjoy a few days of vacation here.

In the brief moment it took for Lin Qianqiao to turn back to bed, she suddenly saw Zhou Xian, whose eyes were gleaming with a sinister light, and heard him shout sharply in her ear:

"Skilled! I'm not saying anything more!"

"Help me this once!"

"Next time, I will definitely repay you!"

"..."

The sound of the three explosions reached Lin Qianqiao's ears, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

……