Chapter 52 Chapter 52 School Anniversary Stage
This summer, all of Korea was engulfed in the magical wonderland created by All Star Love. The music video's grand and opulent style surprisingly matched the catchy, melodic lines of her songs, which can be memorized after just a few listens. The refrain, "Left brain is sugar, right brain is a knife, my last word is riddle riddle," filled the streets.
Neon has also collaborated with other Korean companies to develop Grimm's Fairy Tales merchandise featuring four girls. These characters even have complete storylines, creating a hilariously thrilling and unconventional take on the show. Breaking away from traditional fairy tale plots, the story depicts a powerful witch who pays no heed to buzzing ants amidst the witch hunt.
Jeon Seong-ae's summer homework was to write a script for a stage play. She simply combined the homework with the development of album peripherals, which happened to be the inspiration given to her by Kwon Ji-yong.
"Oppa, who has broken away from Waiji, are you thinking of creating your own IP now?" Quan Xingai has been very busy in the past two months. The closer the official album release gets, the more work she has to do. Whenever she has a little free time, she will take her own melody inspiration and find Quan Zhilong to listen to the results together. As time goes by, the topics of their conversation are not just music, but also many other derivatives.
"Yes, it's just an idea. I only mentioned it to you for now." Influenced by the thriving vitality of the new company, Quan Zhilong found that the melancholy and sadness in him were slowly blowing away, and he began to want to return to work.
"Actually, if you leave Waiji, you can completely build a GD world. You can build your own universe around your personal IP. Big Bang and its fans can all be incorporated into your universe."
"You seem to be so confident about other people's future, but why was your mind always thinking about retirement?" Quan Zhilong raised his eyebrows, a little surprised by Quan Xingai's thoughts.
"I love creating beautiful melodies, but I worry about being reliant on inspiration. I hate working, but I have to make money. It's such a contradiction. I like to experience new and interesting things, but I don't like to set limits on my life. As for the future, I actually haven't thought about what might happen in the future."
"It's really interesting. Xing'ai usually looks like a sloth, but she always exudes wild vitality."
"How am I lazy?" Quan Xingai rolled her eyes, then asked excitedly, "I'm interested in your personal IP universe. Tell me about it?"
"The concept of a strong personal profile further deepens the image of Daisy, while also turning things about me that are familiar to the public into IPs. I'm thinking of turning iye and zoa into IPs as well, giving them their own stories."
"Ah, great! I've got an idea. My summer homework should be to write a new album concept. The mermaid Princess Sarah saved the prince in exchange for helping her experience the human world, but ended up being locked up in a mental hospital. Then she met two other people in the asylum who had the same experience as her. The four girls turned the asylum into a paradise. People say I'm a witch, so I'll let the witch heal everyone - how about it?"
"Expanding the concept of the album? To be honest, it's a shame to just use it as an assignment for drama class. Why not just make the concept of the album a part of your IP, and create a story with cultural and creative industries?" Quan Zhilong was very excited. He liked smart people, and even more so smart women who understood things quickly. The other party's fresh ideas made him start to have a lot of expectations for his future work.
"Ah, Zhilong, you are still so creative. Every time I meet you, I get a lot of inspiration! I have to write the story framework and then talk to Brother Hyunhao." Quan Xing likes to speak his mind. When he thought of this good idea, he wanted to discuss it with his agent immediately, so he left a word of praise to Quan Zhilong and ran downstairs.
Quan Zhilong pouted as he watched the girl leave the production room, sighing that this girl was truly a person of action. Then he muttered to himself, "Still? Still so creative?" This sentence always felt a little strange.
After talking with her agent Oh Hyun-ho, Jeon Seong-ae thought more and more that it was a good idea, so she stayed up all night to write the script. The next day, she ran to President Moon's office to talk to her about the development of the Green IP for the album. For the descendants of chaebols, this kind of money-making business only cost Seong-ae an idea, but Moon Eun-joo had already thought of a series of subsequent benefits.
So neon and kakao cooperated to launch kakao new friends, four cute cartoon princesses, and at the same time launched a series of peripheral products after the album was officially launched on 9.20.
The four princesses were drawn by the four of them. The cartoons are interesting and a bit cute. There is the grumpy Little Red Riding Hood holding an axe, the sickly Snow White chewing an apple, the white and black Sleeping Beauty leaning against the headboard, and the mermaid holding her tail and a crystal prosthetic leg in her hand.
Under such high-intensity publicity, RIOT DOLLS' co-branded peripheral products were launched before the official album was released at 13:00 on September 20. Coupled with neon's large-scale local advertising and publicity plans, the whole of Seoul was shrouded in a fairy-tale atmosphere.
Passersby would sigh and say, "They are so rich, they can do such a big publicity."
The epidemic at the beginning of the year seemed to be temporarily under control in the summer. After the weather began to get warmer, offline concerts and music concerts in Seoul began to explode. The school anniversaries of major universities in May were postponed to July. Although everyone wore masks, the performances were successfully completed. The college students who had been holding back for a long time were even more excited and looking forward to the school anniversary performances in September.
RD was invited by Seoul National University to participate in the school anniversary performance in September, and will sing 5 new and old songs including the pre-release song "RIDDLE". Jeon Star Love and Mike participated in the live version of the school anniversary stage adaptation, making the old songs more in line with the atmosphere of the scene.
Now for RD, every live performance will make Quan Xing Ai crazy to attract fans. Teammates also work hard under Quan Xing Ai's performance. Xing Ai at the top is arranging and producing, while teammates in the practice room below are practicing with all their strength. With more and more opportunities to go on stage, RD is getting more and more tacit. It can be said that the stage performances of the four of them in this year of Xing Ai's recovery are almost equal to those in the past three years.
The experience and effects brought by the high-intensity stage are amazing. Coupled with the support of neon's large-scale marketing, RD's popularity is getting wider and wider. Although Tumo has reached the top, Dao, which has experienced twists and turns and suddenly risen, has finally made a name for itself. Although it is still ranked behind those groups that have reached the top, Dao has become a group that those new groups look up to.
*
September 10th Seoul University
"Xing Ai, how do you feel about returning to school to perform as an idol?" In the backstage dressing room, Kim Eun-mi wore a blue bow on her short black hair. Her fairy tale character was Snow White from Grimm's Asylum.
"To be honest, I felt a little embarrassed to see several familiar teachers sitting in the first and second rows." Quan Xingai felt a little embarrassed. The school had recently resumed normal classes, so Quan Xingai had been staying in school for the past two days.
The student who had a bun and a T-shirt the day before had become a popular female idol today. She had just run into a few teachers at the door, and it wasn't that she was embarrassed, but rather that she looked really funny bowing to the teachers in all her attire.
Her long curly hair swept down to her waist like red waves. Her white stage costume skirt formed a fluffy bow like waves at the back of her waist. A white lace corset of the same color bound her upper body tightly. Her legs were still covered with sparkling rhinestones pasted by the staff, like mermaid's tears, and crystal long legs.
The four of them are all wearing similar styles of bras and shorts, and only the details show their different characters. Park Jinwen wears a red hat, Yoon Yeonjin wears a short front and long back skirt under her pink bra, and Kim Eunmi wears a blue bow hair accessory. The four of them correspond to their own characters in the details.
"After this, please show us around your school, Seoul National University!"
"Let's wait until it's over! Now that the sun has set, it won't be too hot."
"Is it crowded outside? I heard that Kyung Hee University held a celebration a few days ago and they had separate seating arrangements. There were so few people!"
“There are quite a lot of them, but Seoul National University also requires wearing masks.”
“Hey, if it weren’t for the pandemic, our online concerts in the second half of the year could have been turned into offline ones!”
"But think about it, if it weren't for the pandemic, our audio sources and streaming wouldn't have increased so much. Because of the pandemic, people's offline activities have decreased, so they've started paying attention to Kpao again."
“Yeah, there are good and bad ones.”
"We're ready, let's do it according to the rehearsal. Come on, come on, come on!"
The girls put their hands together to encourage themselves, and then started the summer school celebration feast with the lifting platform and everyone's screams.
In the distance is the setting sun. Although everyone is wearing masks, it does not affect the hot atmosphere at all. After half a year of loneliness and suppression, the epidemic has finally improved and everyone is rushing out like crazy to watch the live performances.
It just so happened that Jeon Seong-ae was the type of person who was most suitable to watch the performance live, and since she was a student at Seoul National University, this half-hour performance further increased her popularity. Everyone went from just hearing that there was a very famous idol in the Department of Drama Arts to finally getting to know this very famous idol today.
[Wow, the junior is so beautiful, the senior is amazing!! So cool, so pretty, this is the kind of live K-pop you have to watch!]
[I had only heard about it before, but I never thought Xing Aixi would be so talented as an idol.]
[Wow, this is called a good student. She's really not just good at studying. I heard she's going to release a new album soon. She can still be a popular female idol while attending school. She's really strong.]
Did she miss any classes last semester? Didn't she fail despite being so busy?
[Don't underestimate me. Even though I was very busy last semester and filmed a Korean drama on Netflix, my grades were still very good. I got a perfect score in English and also got a perfect score in Japanese as an elective.]
[Ah, this woman is crazy. Where does she find the time? ]
[kkk Do you think my brain is the same as yours? I’m a genius producer and a genius girl.]
It’s amazing that our country has such an excellent idol producer besides GD.
The atmosphere was fantastic. The all-star Aixi live mic performance was like watching a European or American music festival. The mic shouting was so exciting and enjoyable. I really want to see their concert!
…
After dancing and singing on the stage for half an hour, the four of them finally finished the school anniversary performance. Backstage, everyone was exhausted and collapsed on the sofa to drink water. Then Chi Mingzhen came over and said to Quan Xingai,
"Xing Ai, someone is looking for you."
"Mo? Who? Could it be the teacher?"
"It's your peach blossom." Chi Mingzhen shook her head with a teasing look in her eyes.
"oh?"
"Whoa!! Who is it?"
“Oh oh oh…”
The teammates made gossipy oohs and chirps like birds.
Quan Xingai was a little curious, and then she walked out of the lounge and saw a tall man with curly hair and a familiar mask not far from the door.
"Ah, An Xiaoxiexi, why are you here?" Quan Xingai asked in surprise.
"I just watched Star Love's performance. I couldn't contain my excitement and ran backstage." An Xiaoxie took off his mask, his mouth almost grinning behind his ears.
"Thank you. I wanted to treat you to dinner but I never had the time. So why not treat you today?" Quan Xingai thought the other person was really cute and decided to have dinner together without hesitation.
"I should be the one treating you. I came here just to ask if you have time to have dinner together tonight." He touched his hair and seemed to feel even more embarrassed.
"Okay, wait until I change my clothes." Quan Xingai was still wearing her stage makeup, looking like a mermaid princess. An Xiaoxie suddenly realized her outfit and stared at her beautiful face in a daze before he found his voice.
"Oh, oh, of course, please..." He didn't know why he suddenly used honorifics.
Quan Xingai pouted and went back to the RD lounge. As soon as he returned to the room, he saw a group of people gathered together excitedly, each holding a cup of coffee in his hand.
"What's wrong? Where's the coffee?"
"You're back, Princess Nim, the senior is here——"
"It turns out that the finale of today's school celebration is Taeyang senior, so GD senior came and brought coffee to all of us, hehe."
Kim Eun-mi and Park Jin-moon walked forward, holding Jeon Seong-ae's arms on either side, their tone full of watching the fun.
"Xingai, your iced Americano, where did you go just now?" Kwon Ji-yong's voice came from not far away. He was dressed very low-key and wore a hat, standing with Wu Xianhao and chatting about something. When he saw Quan Xingai appear, he smiled and handed the iced Americano in his hand to the girl.
"Oh, senior, why are you here? I was planning to change clothes and go out for dinner with my friends." Quan Xingai took the coffee and said casually. Her attitude was a little distant compared to her private state, which made Quan Zhilong pout in his heart.
"Eat together? Let's all go together after Yong Pei is done." Quan Zhilong invited casually.
"No need, senior, An Xiaoxiexi will be waiting for a long time. I'll go take a shower and change clothes first!" Quan Xingai took a big sip of iced American coffee and then hurriedly pulled Chi Mingzhen to the room inside.
Then the three teammates watching the fun noticed that the air conditioning had gotten stronger, or that the air pressure had dropped. "Shhh—this Shura-like atmosphere seemed a little scary." They glanced at Wu Xianhao, who also had an eager look on his face, as if to eat melons. He also signaled the girls to stop talking.
"Ha, An Xiaoxie? Who is that?" After a while, Quan Zhilong asked Wu Xianhao with a smile.
"Oh, that's the actor Xing Ai met during a commercial. He played the role of Romantic Doctor Kim earlier this year..."
"Oh, so you're an actor. How interesting." Quan Zhilong replied lightly, suppressing the sourness in his heart.
"Why does Ji-yong look so bad after coming back from the RD's lounge? What happened?" It was not yet time for Yong-bae to go on stage. He saw that his childhood sweetheart looked bad after coming back and was sitting on the sofa looking at his phone without saying a word. He first looked at his bodyguard Tiger Brother, who had a blank expression on his face, so he sat down next to Kwon Ji-yong, patted him on the shoulder and asked.
"It's okay. I came here specifically to support someone, but she just walked away on a date." He could hold it in when he wasn't talking, but as soon as someone asked him, our Quan Xiaomao couldn't help but start nagging and complaining in a sarcastic tone.
Dong Yong and Pei Li knew it, and Brother Lao Hu twitched his mouth helplessly.
"Ah—Xing Aixi, you said I could finally get to know Xing Ai today. What a coincidence! Did she leave for something?"
"Haha, what can happen? A witch is a witch, and a sea king is a sea king. They can't change their bad habits at all. Yong Pei, do you think she is really just trying to hook me? I don't believe she really just wants to be friends with me..." Kwon Ji-ryong was so angry that he squeezed the coffee in his hand out of shape.
"Zhilong, have you been holding back in the RD lounge for a long time? Now you can finally vent?" Taiyang couldn't help laughing.
"Speaking of this! It makes me even angrier. She also said that we should keep a distance in the company. Fine! Keep a distance and treat each other as ordinary seniors and juniors. Today's support was under the name of delivering coffee to the whole company, but she was not there when I went there. She finally came back to get the coffee, but after only two sips, she hurriedly said she wanted to change clothes for a date!" Kwon Ji-yong was so angry that he laughed.
For the past two months, he'd felt like his relationship with Star Love had truly reached the level of good friends. They'd freely chat about music, movies, books, and anything else they liked, and they'd often turn their inspiration into melodies. Quan Zhilong even thought this was a good way to slowly develop their relationship, but she'd always pour cold water on him when he got carried away.
"I thought you two had been together for a long time." Yong Pei was surprised that Zhilong's love life didn't seem to be smooth this time, but he was also very happy that he could have a new relationship, which brought him new happiness and passion.
"Tsk, would I be with her? No way, that's because she looks too much like Sarah, and I'm with Sarah..." He didn't want to continue talking halfway because he knew very well that he was just being stubborn.
After so long, he could no longer tell whether it was because of Sarah's shadow, her imaginative personality and her brilliant musical talent... or whether he was just habitually watching and paying attention to her.
"I'm about to go on stage, Zhilong. If you really like someone, just talk to her seriously and don't be stubborn." The staff came over to inform him, and Yongpei could only pat his childhood sweetheart on the shoulder and give him some advice.
Taeyang left, and everyone backstage went back to work. Kwon Ji-yong sat there, lost in thought. Yongbae simply didn't understand his situation. He hadn't seen him in ages. He'd been meeting Teddy, 37, and the others for drinks tonight to discuss Big Bang plans, so he'd come to see his old friend and give Star Love a little support. Why hadn't he really spoken to Star Love? It was because she simply didn't give him the chance.
Quan Xing Ai, it seems like she's constantly avoiding something, unwilling to let him get serious with her. They can talk all night, comfort and embrace, and cling to each other, but they're not allowed to talk about true feelings. The lazy, the creative, the unyielding, the stubborn, the curious... Which side of Quan Xing Ai is she?
What was her connection to Sarah? Why were so many of her habits and even small gestures exactly the same as Sarah's? Thinking back, she looked no stranger in Sarah's house in Kyoto. She seemed to hold a thousand mysteries.
Quan Zhilong opened a few melodies saved on his phone. They were from Sarah's lyrics book, songs she had composed the year they broke up, and had never been made public. Quan Zhilong turned her into a melancholic instrumental piece, playing it when he was restless and restless, as if Sarah were still there.
*
"An Xiaoxiexi, why did you come to our school? Are you here to see the school anniversary?" Quan Xingai has been followed by paparazzi a lot recently, so she deliberately changed into a low-key and ordinary outfit when she went out. She wore a pair of plain glasses on her nose, a mask, and a backpack. At a blink of an eye, she looked like an ordinary female college student.
Her own car and the company's nanny car were already being followed by paparazzi, so she simply followed Ahn So-seop in his car. From the stage of the school anniversary concert, the sound of the audience singing "Sanbang" and "Pokémon" in unison could be heard. It was the sun shining brightly on the stage, and the audience probably didn't know that GD was actually backstage.
Quan Xingai lowered her head and smiled. Zhilong has been in good spirits recently. He has even written several songs and has returned to work. As for her, although she is busy with work, the popularity of RD has made her teammates and the entire company excited. Everyone is happy, and it seems that Xingai herself has become happy too.
"Yes, I came to visit a friend and watched the school anniversary show by the way. It was really great. Last year's Evil Girl Virus and this year's Mystery were both so good. I liked them very much." An Xiaoxie looked like a person who was easily embarrassed, and he spoke unexpectedly directly.
"Thank you. I didn't expect that actors would also listen to K-pop. And you play the violin and study classical music?" Quan Xingai found that the places where she met An Xiaoxie were quite unusual, from the theater to the advertising set to the Seoul National University anniversary.
This An Xiaoxiexi's identity is really changeable, and Quan Xingai is really curious about him.
The setting sun still had a purple afterglow, and the whole school was immersed in the long-lost Big Bang stage, with heart-wrenching screams and shouts, suddenly bringing back memories of their youth. The departing Quan Xingai sat in An Xiaoxie's car and drove away unimpeded in the empty campus.
Her eyes looked at the young actor who was driving. His brown curly hair was a little messy, and he wore a white shirt even in the hot weather. This guy looked like he had a bit of classical music temperament.
"Actually, I was from JYP before, and I almost debuted as a member of GOT7, so I have always listened to Kpop songs." Ahn So-seop's words surprised Jeon Star-ai.
"Oh Mo, you almost became an idol?"
"Well, because I was too tall, the president eliminated me--" He turned his head and made a sad expression.
Quan Xingai laughed. This little Bichon Frise is quite cute.
"Because you couldn't debut, you switched careers and became an actor?"
"Yeah, it was a coincidence. I grew up in Canada until high school, and I learned violin since elementary school. But I love singing and dancing, so I returned to China to be a trainee. I was upset for a long time when I was told I couldn't debut."
An Xiaoxie honestly shared his experiences with Jeon Xingai, and his similar life experiences piqued her interest. Both of them were classical musicians, but switched to pop music because of their love for it. However, in their previous lives, they easily achieved their dreams and eventually grew to hate them, while An Xiaoxie took a different path.
"No wonder I met you playing the violin in the theater orchestra. I also studied classical music. An Xiaoxiexi, you haven't practiced the violin for a long time, right?" After discovering their common experience, Quan Xingai felt a lot closer to each other and spoke more casually.
"Please have a more relaxed conversation. I didn't grow up in Korea, so Xingai doesn't need to use unfamiliar honorifics with me." An Xiaoxie spoke more proactively with a smile.
"Great! I don't like using honorifics either. Where are you taking me to eat? I think we're already near Gangnam."
"It's a music restaurant, and it's said to be recommended by many musicians. I haven't been there, but isn't Xing Ai also a musician? I thought you might like it."
"Oh, is it the internet-famous restaurant that opened last month? It seems to be a traditional Korean food restaurant opened by a producer."
"Yes, that's right. It seems to be opened by Choice37's mother. It combines hip-hop music theme with traditional Korean food. I think Xing'ai would be curious about this strange mix and match."
As we were chatting, we arrived at the eclectic restaurant that An Xiaoxie had mentioned. The traditional Korean font at the entrance was mixed with various English and hip-hop elements, which looked quite interesting.
"I've been very busy in the past few months and haven't had the chance to try it. Thanks to you, I don't have to go back to the company to face work today." The two got out of the car and walked into the restaurant side by side.
Perhaps because it's owned by a mother of a celebrity, each table is separated by a curved art installation, providing both privacy and style. The background music is also the familiar "Chicken Coop" song. Perhaps because the restaurant is frequented by celebrities, the waiter didn't show any surprise or surprise when seeing Jeon Seong-ae and Ahn So-seop, but instead showed them to their seats.
"This is a private restaurant, and the daily menu is randomly prepared by the boss." An Xiaoxie and Quan Xingai explained.
"Okay, I like the feeling of the unknown." If I couldn't order a dish, I could order something else. What kind of hip-hop Korean food is without alcohol? The fancy alcoholic beverages on the menu seemed to have a West Coast feel. "Ah, it's golden and dreamy here! LA's award-winning cocktails, An Xiaoxie, do you want to try them?"
"I originally wanted to take you home in the evening, but now I feel that I can't resist the temptation of drinking with you." He looked at Quan Xingai.
"Drink it. I've been controlling my diet and alcohol intake since my comeback. My agent and assistant are not here today, so I want to let loose a little. Just have a drink. Afterwards, I can walk back to the dormitory. It's very close here." Quan Xingai urged An Xiaoxie according to the menu.
"Okay, I'll have a drink with you, and then I'll take you back to the dormitory in the evening. Oh, and of course, by taking a walk." Faced with such a beautiful face, An Xiaoxie couldn't refuse at all.
Quan Xingai laughed, "You are so silly."
As the hip-hop music blared in the restaurant, Quan Xing'ai casually swayed her upper body to the rhythm. When she couldn't hear the lyrics clearly, she just made up some lyrics and hummed them. An Xiaoxie, who grew up in Canada, was naturally very familiar with the West Coast accent of LA. He looked at the girl without blinking and could clearly hear the lyrics in English without any accent. But when he listened again, he found that she was "reading out the dishes". Xing'ai turned the names of the wines she had just seen into lyrics and sang them.
"What are you laughing at? Why are you laughing when I say you're stupid?" Quan Xingai asked curiously.
"Xing Ai is so cute. I thought you were writing lyrics in English on the spot, but it turned out to be wine on the menu. I couldn't help but laugh."
"Thank you for the compliment. Well, take it as a compliment." Quan Xingai spread his hands with an expression that said, "There's nothing I can do about it, I'm just that awesome," and accepted An Xiaoxie's smile.
After the dishes were served, Jeon Seong-ae was amused by the strange way they paired Korean food with cocktails. She took a photo of the ginseng chicken soup and Golden Dream together. They chatted casually about classical music, Korean dramas, and life in North America. Of course, Jeon Seong-ae attributed her experiences to movies and books.
However, after An Xiaoxie heard Quan Xingai talk about her experience growing up in an orphanage, his expression immediately became sympathetic. He looked at her with a distressed look and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Xingai. You have been alone for so long. You will have a bright future ahead of you."
Quan Xingai was very happy. She accepted An Xiaoxie's words. This little girl was indeed pitiful. She grew up to be a proud person, but she could not escape the abyss of emotions. It was regrettable and sad.
So, even if Jeon Seong-ae hated her work, or even if she was exhausted, she wouldn't slack off on her studies at Seoul National University. She knew the girl held traditional values of success: attending a prestigious university and being a leader. Now, hearing a stranger, a new acquaintance, earnestly and sincerely affirm her story about Jeon Seong-ae's past... A wave of joy blossomed in her heart.
"Thank you, An Xiaoxie. I always knew that people who study classical music must be good people!"
"Tsk, then what about our pop music?" The familiar sticky and sarcastic voice of a baby sounded above Quan Xing Ai's head.
"Ah, it's Quanxing Aixi, it's really you, the legendary great producer of Zhilong New Company!" A group of familiar faces from 10 years ago crowded next to him, and the man with squinted eyes smiled and spoke in surprise.
"Oh Mo, we finally meet, Xing Aixi."
They are Kwon Ji-yong, Taeyang, Teddy and Choice37.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
