Chapter 67 Spreading Rumors and Slander: The Media in 2023 Still Criticize GD...
【6L】
I couldn't recognize him at all, but he seems really handsome? He looks great from both sides; you can imagine how good-looking he would look with his hair flying in the wind. If he weren't good-looking, then never mind.
【7L】
Even if kkk doesn't look good, he still looks good driving a Lamborghini.
【8L】
How can you tell if someone is handsome?
【9L】
You don't understand, being handsome is a feeling.
【10L】
Hey, I think I can see a bit of the license plate number? It looks familiar? I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.
【11L】
I remember now, isn't that GD's license plate number? He seems to have uploaded a photo of this black sports car with the license plate number unobstructed before, maybe he got tired of being chased by cars?
【12L】
Ah, I remember that too. Back then, Oppa said something like, "If you can catch up with me, then come and catch up with me!" It was so cool that I remember it vividly. The car was one of those two black Lamborghini sports cars. Aigoo, OP, you've done a great job!
【13L】
Ahhhhhh?! Is this GD filming? Is he really making a comeback soon? He's really moving!
【14L】
Talk is cheap; actions speak louder than words. Surely GDxi wouldn't lend out their car for filming? I'm relieved to see these leaked photos.
【15L】
What about the one next to it? They've found a female lead, is it another love song? Are they filming "7 Hours"? But I can't imagine driving a sports car in "7 Hours"... Could it be a new song?
【16L】
I don't know. Maybe it's a short clip released for his birthday? Or maybe it's that sweet little song released with "7 Hours"? Oppa has so many new songs out there now, it's hard to tell them apart.
【17L】
We've never fought such a lavish battle before, but the fans are starving.
【18L】
It's okay, I'm still alive, I can wait, there's really hope! And we've been very involved in the creative process, kkk. We've been watching it since last year, and I have a feeling that the comeback will be in November or December. With three songs and two more, we can release a mini album.
【19L】
kkk So, will I ever get to see a proper third season in my lifetime? But this sports car + beautiful women video, GD is still the same GD who likes to cast a bunch of beautiful women in his music videos.
【20L】
Ahhhh, I'm so envious! I want to sit in Oppa's passenger seat too... This time it's really different, right? I remember most of GD's solo music videos were filmed in a studio? The only one I can recall was "Wild" which was filmed outdoors? Driving a sports car on closed roads is something he's never done before, right?
【21L】
Well, if my memory serves me right, there isn't one. Is it because it's a six-year hiatus that they're willing to spend more money? It seems there's more than one scene; it's really good.
【22L】
Three minutes! Find out all the information about this girl! Let me see who's the female lead in Oppa's first comeback music video!!!
[23L]
Is this in the XX area of XX Road?
[Poster]
Yes! Did the residents living nearby recognize kkk?
[24L]
I think I know who this girl is.
【25L】
Huh??? Who is it?! Tell me, tell me, tell me!
【26L】
Coldy, right? She's always followed by photographers when she's out on assignments. I saw someone mention a while ago that she was filming in this area, though it doesn't seem to be on this specific road, just in this area. Of course, it could be a coincidence; you can judge for yourselves. [Image]
[Poster]
Moragu?! It's this day!
[27L]
It's been reported by paparazzi that Coldy visited a black market factory recently, leading fans to speculate whether he has a business relationship with it. However, if it's related to G-Dragon, it makes sense, right? Using the black market factory as a cover... [Images][Images]
【28L】
Oh my god, this is terrifying! How can someone know exactly where they went on a particular day? Life is truly all-pervasive.
[29L]
Coldy's statement is indeed a bit exaggerated. She has a huge number of sasaeng fans, and many people buy her photos through proxy photography services. She's already financially independent. Moreover, many of these sasaeng fans know her dorm address and even stake out the entrance.
【30L】
Really? I've never heard of this before.
【31L】
Because she never speaks out, she just calls the police every time she sees something. Her sasaeng fans call her a "police-calling goddess." If they hadn't exposed her, we wouldn't have known she was so rampant. Although she's usually just given a verbal warning and released each time, at least she has some peace and quiet during the few hours she's arrested.
【32L】
Some sasaeng fans even said Coldy was Spider-Man, and that they were fascinated by Coldy. Once, a sasaeng fan even managed to sneak up to the door of the apartment building where they lived, and then the police arrived.
【33L】
It's both scary and kind of funny... but it does fit Coldy's persona—doing more and saying less. Sigh, these idols must have changed their phone numbers a lot by now.
【34L】
According to her sasaeng fans, Coldy hasn't changed her mind; she's just stubborn. However, she rarely answers the phone. Her manager says she's always on silent, so calls are practically unheard. She does reply to messages, though; texting is more effective than phone calls.
【35L】
Why are you all so calm? GD is going to collaborate with Coldy?! They've already recorded the audio, so it's not just filming. Aren't you excited at all?
【36L】
kkk The fans on the other side must be even more excited... I'm actually okay. Wanting to see Oppa's solo is more important than anything else. It doesn't matter who he collaborates with, even if it's a pile of shit, just bring it on first. And putting aside the public opinion, I'm actually really looking forward to his collaboration with Coldy.
【37L】
I agree, Coldy's songs are really good... I remember when we used to secretly listen to the good songs from rival artists from the first, second, and third generations. Now, even the popular K-pop songs aren't really my cup of tea, but Coldy's songs have that old-school charm. They don't focus on concepts, but on catchy melodies, and the lyrics are easy to understand and logical.
【38L】
It's just a normal person's feeling: doing something flashy within the limits that the public can accept. I'm actually looking forward to two creative idols collaborating. Also, Coldy doesn't have any scandals, which is crucial. I'm really fed up with the negative impact of my idol's collaborators.
【39L】
Putting everything else aside, Coldy is truly impeccable in terms of negative press. He's never said anything offensive, nor has he ever engaged in any behavior like switching to a smaller screen or criticizing other idols. I've seen many videos of him pandering to fans; he's witty and willing to exchange sweet nothings with his fans in creative ways. He's practically the perfect idol, so perfect that he doesn't even exist in real life.
【40L】
Actually, many people who used to be fans of G-Dragon have switched to supporting Coldy... There are so many people who are fans of both. She's never had to worry about her career; her appearances at events are always positive and get lots of positive press. So, many people criticize her as a "fake person," but pretending to be a perfect idol is much better than having a mountain of scandals and not being very talented.
【41L】
Suddenly it's turned into a Coldy praise thread, and I still can't accept it. I hate Coldy's fans so much; they're always criticizing my age, it's hard not to involve the idol himself. Sigh, whatever, since it's come to this, I'll just accept a big hit song. At least collaborating with Coldy isn't charity work, and my collaborator isn't like a teammate who's a liability.
【42L】
My goodness, this thread is frighteningly rational. They're actually objectively analyzing the benefits of cooperation. It's true that real strength is what matters most; with real strength, there's less criticism and prejudice.
【43L】
Hahaha, the other side is a rising idol, so her fans are more active. Many of us here are retired idols. There are tons of people who ship G-Dragon as a couple, and it's not like G-Dragon is doing charity work. History shouldn't repeat itself, right? I have a bad memory of someone else liking my idol and then being ungrateful.
【44L】
If this collaboration is really with Coldy, I'd accept it. I admire her; her solo album garnered nineteen number one hits, directly breaking into the top ten of female solo album history. "Always You" got seventeen, "Hate" one, and "Always Me" one—it's practically a miracle… I rarely see this kind of success. Releasing a full-length album really gives her confidence. Before, fans were complaining about not breaking records, but now Coldy has broken girl group records solo.
【45L】
Damn, I really believe there are a lot of people who double-fandom now. How can they know so much about other people's performance?
【46L】
But I feel like Coldy doesn't have that many music show performances, so how come he got so many number one spots? How can his fans vote so much?
【47L】
With its digital music sales and overall sales figures far ahead of the competition, no one can beat it. Even with zero broadcast points, "Always Me" still managed to take first place. It's unbelievable how popular its first solo album has become.
【48L】
I was initially furious, but after watching the whole thing, I actually started to accept working with Coldy.
【49L】
Accept my ass! Aren't you guys afraid? They just met at a business event and immediately want to collaborate? Isn't this moving way too fast? I'm really worried something's going on between them. Is this collaboration just a test of us? The female fans are heartbroken!
【50L】
KKK wants to talk about relationships, and there's nothing we can do about it. Back when he was with Kiko, we still followed him everywhere. If he wants to date, a few words from fans can't stop him. Let it be. He's over thirty; he can't stay single forever.
【51L】
It would be a disaster if he secretly married and had children; at least this is out in the open. Even those who haven't followed K-pop for a while have heard of Coldy; he's probably quite popular. Hopefully, they'll treat him better.
【52L】
How did I accidentally stumble upon such a nonsensical post? Random speculation is one thing, but some of the comments are so old-fashioned. Even if they're collaborating, how can you tell they're together? And the woman has to take care of the man? Are your oppas giant babies?
【53L】
No, it's just that I hope he's happy. It doesn't mean anyone has to take care of anyone else. After watching 2017, everyone hopes he can be happy.
【54L】
It's so conflicting. On one hand, I hope he can find a partner he can spend his life with, but on the other hand, I feel so jealous and upset!
【55L】
It's only natural. Who hasn't been G-Dragon's dream girl or a heartthrob at some point?
【56L】
I have no other hope but that the media and public opinion will be kinder to him after his comeback. The public opinion has been very bad to him these past few years. I will always remember when he lost a lot of weight last year and was called a deflated Hello Kitty. I will also always remember that he was falsely accused of enjoying special privileges in the military when he was just going out for medical treatment. (crying) (crying)
【57L】
It's easier to just dream about it. This world has always been unkind to GD; every time he has an event, there are even more smear campaigns—it'll definitely come flooding in.
【58L】
Don't hurt me...
*
Lumera's comeback is scheduled for November 1st. Originally, there were ten songs, but one more song was added later because of the date. This song is a collaboration between the Coldy&sky subunit and Dua Lipa.
This collaboration had been in the works for a while. Coldy's performances of Dua Lipa during his audition garnered global attention, and the two sides used this as a bridge to begin communication. Originally, they planned to include this song in the first full-length album, but due to scheduling conflicts, they were unable to complete the collaboration.
After filming the music video for "Snow Nails," Jiang Tinghan, sporting her newly dyed blonde hair for her comeback, flew to the United States with Sky to record and film a new music video.
The music video was filmed on Wall Street, a hub for elites. The song is a dynamic dance track that combines trap pop and funk styles. It's called "All In Gold," which is the "all in" in gambling. Although the song sounds decadent, it actually has nothing to do with gambling or money. It tells the story of three girls who became best friends in high school and became Wall Street elites after years of hard work. The song is essentially a scene of their victory.
"All in" means to give it your all and fight for it, while "Gold" means that they eventually became shining gold.
This song, written and composed by Coldy, sky, and dualipa, samples Diana Ross's "I'm ing Out," and is a hymn to self-declaration, showcasing confidence and making a statement.
The three of them even bought a big villa together and threw a wild party by the pool, inviting more than a dozen handsome men and beautiful women to dance together in the beautiful night.
Releasing this song in August was actually the best choice, since filming underwater scenes in October would be quite cold, reminding Jiang Tinghan of when she was filming "The Waves".
But as soon as the camera started rolling, the three of them instantly got into character, showcasing their individual charms. Their swimsuits also represented different styles: Sky was passionate and fiery, Coldy was a sharp minimalist with a high-quality obsidian black silk fabric, and Dualipa was vintage and exquisite, wearing a pink halter bikini with a cutout back.
Jiang Tinghan was wearing light-colored contact lenses, and her long, wavy golden hair cascaded down her back, which was only suspended by a rope. The ends of her hair were slightly damp and curled. She wore a pair of exquisite cat-eye sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. Her blonde hair, black tattoos, deep dimples at the waist, and long, straight, snow-white legs exuded a sex appeal that was almost overflowing. Her posture was languid yet confident, like a big cat taking a short rest.
She began by responding to the lyrics: "Our problems aren't the typical, How much does it cost?"
Instead of asking "Which sunset looks best from the private coast?", the question should be "Which private coast offers the most spectacular sunset views?"
"They chase the trend, we take a week to set it."
"If we don't own it, darling, then we let it go."
"All in Gold, baby!" (A complete bet, guaranteed to be a gold medal!)
"All in Gold! Yeah, we set the trend!"
The lyrics are full of undisguised boasting. If you don't boast when you succeed, why wait until you fail to boast?
As Jiang Tinghan sang, she disdainfully pushed aside the handsome men and beautiful women with great figures who rushed towards her. She walked to the edge of the pool like a model on a runway, her arms together as she smoothly entered the water. When she came out of the water, her golden hair was wet and stuck to her back, making her sharp facial features even clearer. She looked like a beautiful, dangerous and mysterious mermaid in the deep sea.
The handsome men in the music video are mostly models, each with their own unique face, but their bodies are all impeccable. Just thinking about being surrounded by male models might make you feel happy, but let's forget about it for now.
She told G-Dragon about the MV shooting yesterday, and he cried all day. He's probably still sulking at home right now.
After finishing work, I still have to go back and think about how to coax people, which is a rather sweet trouble.
Back at the hotel, Jiang Tinghan talked to Quan Zhilong on the phone for an hour despite the time difference of more than ten hours.
"Oppa, none of them are my type. I swear I didn't like any of them."
Kwon Ji-yong's voice sounded faint, as if one could imagine him sprawled on the bed cosplaying as a lump of melted cream: "So if there's a type of you, you'll fall for it?"
Jiang Tinghan: "But you didn't come."
Oh, so he's Jiang Tinghan's type. Kwon Ji-yong's mood instantly brightened: "Ah, that's true. I should fly to America with you next time."
Jiang Tinghan: "Okay."
Kwon Ji-yong's lips curled up even wider.
Jiang Tinghan only took a minute to coax Quan Zhilong. The remaining 59 minutes were spent talking to him about boring, mushy things. In the end, Quan Zhilong got sleepy, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Jiang Tinghan listened to his breathing and slowly hung up the phone.
After filming the Wall Street and campus scenes the next day, the music video was almost finished. During that time, she also filmed some low-quality TikTok videos with Pa-chan, including some dancing and funny interactions. She didn't stay another night and went straight back to Seoul with Skye on an overnight flight.
During the last week of October, the girls began rehearsing for their music show performances and recording various materials.
Since they were making their comeback after nearly ten months, WK1 decided to give back to their fans with a big release of materials, including dance music videos and practice room videos for all eleven songs.
While the other members of Lumera had time to rest, Jiang Tinghan had none. One comeback after another exhausted her, causing her to lose two pounds. Now she weighs only 90 pounds. With this height and weight, she would be nothing but a skeleton if she didn't exercise. Kwon Ji-yong felt sorry for her during their video call, but because of the strict dietary control required for the comeback, he couldn't bring her food. He could only tell Jiang Tinghan to eat more.
Thank goodness he didn't sign with WK1. All that talk about how delicious the cafeteria food was was just a lie, wasn't it? I really want to sue WK1 for abusing his girlfriend, considering how he raised her to be like this.
Jiang Tinghan is already trying her best to eat, taking photos of what she eats every day and posting them on social media, jokingly saying that if she loses another two pounds, she'll be 88 pounds.
Then he got scolded by Kwon Ji-yong.
This man truly made up for Jiang Tinghan's lack of an older brother/sister in South Korea.
Jiang Tinghan was living a pretty good life, with a fulfilling job and a sweet romance, except for losing weight. Until October 25th, a piece of "news" ignited public opinion across the entire internet.
[NEWS1 Exclusive | Korean Media Reports Kwon Ji-yong Suspected of Drug Use]
On the 25th, after actor Lee Sun-kyun was placed under investigation for suspected drug use, G-Dragon, formerly of BIGBANG, was also placed under investigation.
After the Incheon Police Agency opened a case against Lee, it launched a compulsory investigation and conducted a special investigation against Kwon Ji-yong. The investigation will continue after the case was opened.
Police stated, "This is an ongoing investigation, and we cannot disclose specific details."
Kwon Ji-yong: "?"
Jiang Tinghan: "??"
fan:"???"
The news caused a sensation across the internet, with rumors flying everywhere, causing a major earthquake in the Korean entertainment industry and even the world. Some people quickly posted videos spreading rumors on YouTube, seemingly ignoring the word "investigation," and directly condemned Kwon Ji-yong, sentencing him to prison.
The internet was flooded with doubts and insults, including comments like "I knew it," "He looks like he's on drugs," "Bigbang is a den of snakes," "Didn't he have a history of drug use? He can't escape this time," "I've been a fan for ten years, and I'm really disappointed in you," and "I'm a fan, and I actually think he's been on drugs for a long time. His mental state has always been abnormal." Every word was like a knife to the eyes of Kwon Ji-yong, his family, and his supporters.
Kwon Ji-yong didn't even know he was under investigation until he heard about it from the media. He was at home, happily playing with his cats and dogs, and was even planning to call Jiang Tinghan at noon when his phone started ringing off the hook.
Jiang Tinghan saw the message at noon. She had just finished filming the dance version of "Wildfire" and had heard many staff members whispering on her way to the cafeteria. Occasionally, she also heard discussions about "GD" and "Kwon Ji-yong".
At this point, she already had a premonition that something was wrong. When she opened her phone's social media, the black text on the top trending list looked as red as blood in her eyes.
"ah?"
The seven teammates who had also seen the news all turned to look at Jiang Tinghan. It was no secret within the team that Jiang Tinghan had already collaborated with senior G-Dragon on a song.
Their emotional journey is similar to that of GD's current fans.
Is this true? → Will the new song still be released?
Jiang Tinghan didn't say anything, but made a phone call to her agent while jogging downstairs.
"Eun unnie, I'd like to ask for leave this afternoon. I'm very sorry to have kept everyone from working, but I don't think I'm in the mood to continue right now..."
Her voice was unsteady as she spoke, her hands trembled slightly, and she was filled with panic and worry.
This is no small matter. She still remembers how thin and emaciated Kwon Ji-yong looked when they first met. The departure of his group members had already put him in a bad mental state, and now they've directly slandered him. It's unimaginable what kind of blow he will suffer.
But this time, the agent's tone was no longer gentle; instead, it was quite serious: "Coldy, I can roughly guess what it is, but this has nothing to do with us. You'd better not get involved."
Even if the collaboration track might not be released, it's better than getting embroiled in controversy. Coldy can develop very well on his own, and the collaboration track is just icing on the cake.
“If GDxi really does... this is true, it will be very bad for us. We are already preparing for public relations. Coldy, you also need to calm down and not cause any more trouble.”
Jiang Tinghan pursed her lips, put on her mask and hat, and went downstairs to hail a taxi while switching web pages. Today wasn't anything unusual; no one was staking out the company building, which was the only thing to be thankful for.
But Jiang Tinghan's mind was in such a mess that she no longer cared whether anyone was filming her; she just kept typing in Quan Zhilong's address.
"Unnie, in short, please help me ask for leave. This can't be true. GD oppa wouldn't do drugs."
She hung up the phone, got into her car, and had no idea how she got to the apartment complex where Kwon Ji-yong lived.
When Jiang Tinghan got off the bus, she called Quan Zhilong, but the call was busy. She also sent a message but received no reply. Fortunately, the security guard at the gate recognized her face and let her in.
On the other side, the agent who was hung up on was a little confused, not knowing for the first time that Coldy could be so rebellious.
She belatedly realized, wait a minute, why would Coldy need to take time off if he was just making a phone call? Could it be related to GD? But Coldy didn't deny it, even saying, "GD oppa wouldn't do drugs..."
GD Oppa... isn't that a bit too intimate...?
If Coldy were to go find GD, she would definitely need to know where GD lives or where he is now, right? The question is, how would she know where GD lives or where he is now? Did GD tell her?
So... what's the relationship between Coldy and GD?!
The manager recalled that Coldy had already called him "oppa" once during Paradise Art Night, when GD personally came to give Yoshiki his autograph.
She personally introduced Coldy to Yoshiki, personally got Yoshiki's autograph for Coldy, and even ruffled Coldy's hair. Before that, she had even come to WK1 to invite Coldy to collaborate...
No way!
A certain answer is about to emerge.
The agent's face turned deathly pale instantly.
Jiang Tinghan entered the password and opened the door. Haha rushed over enthusiastically, wagging its tail like a propeller.
As she caught Haha, she looked around the living room; no one was there.
"Sweetie, I don't have time to play with you right now. Where's your dad?"
Haha grabbed her clothes and pulled her toward the bedroom.
Jiang Tinghan immediately understood. Without even changing her shoes, she hurriedly ran to the bedroom, opened the door, and found Quan Zhilong standing on the small balcony outside the bedroom, making a phone call with a lit cigarette between his fingers.
He was surprised to see Jiang Tinghan. He said a few words in a hurry and hung up the phone, also extinguishing the cigarette that was only burning a little bit at the top.
Jiang Tinghan approached Quan Zhilong step by step, smelling the faint scent of tobacco on him. He looked Quan Zhilong up and down and found that he looked fine and not very haggard, just like usual.
Kwon Ji-yong even smiled and said, "Why are you here? You were in such a hurry, and you're sweating."
He casually pulled out a tissue and wiped the thin layer of sweat from Jiang Tinghan's forehead.
Jiang Tinghan looked at Kwon Ji-yong, whose eyes were lowered like spring water and whose expression was focused and warm, and fell silent.
Such a gentle person...why can't they be treated gently by others?
"Because I was worried about you, Oppa, I was afraid something might happen to you."
Kwon Ji-yong shrugged: "What could possibly happen to me? Don't worry, I've been through a lot, I can handle this myself."
"It's okay, you probably have other plans at work today, go back first." He reached out and patted Jiang Tinghan's head to comfort him.
Suddenly, the girl in front of him stepped forward and hugged him, her warm hands holding his waist tightly.
Her voice was soft and sounded a little broken: "I don't really want to... go back."
After a few seconds, her voice became clearer: "I've already asked for leave from work, and I want to spend today with you."
Kwon Ji-yong noticed something amiss in those two sounds; he thought he heard a slight nasal tone.
He looked down and saw the small whorl of hair on the blonde girl's head. He slowly raised his hand and lifted Jiang Tinghan's face. She was pursing her lips and looked a little sad. Sure enough, her eyes were already red and a little water was welling up.
...Did you cry?
But she held it in, without making a single sob.
Kwon Ji-yong was taken aback, and his hand, which was touching the girl's pointed chin, stiffened.
He was completely bewildered and didn't know what to do. He opened his mouth and said, "Ah...I..."
In the end, he didn't say anything, but simply placed a gentle, warm kiss on Jiang Tinghan's forehead.
-----------------------
Author's note: If you don't know what to do, just give me a kiss.
Every time I get to this stage of writing, I have to read so many reports, it's so infuriating...
Tomorrow's update might be late too, because I have an appointment with the adopter to see the kitten tomorrow. I hope it goes well (praying).
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com