Chapter 12 Chapter 12
In August, Bigbang released their first mini album. Although it wasn't a full-length album, the tracks included were well-made.
Among them, "Lies", written and composed by Kwon Ji-yong, quickly topped the major music charts upon its release.
Unlike the popular ballads of the time, "Lies" opens with a piano melody, quickly introducing strong drum beats and spoken-word rap, presenting a distinct rhythm. Despite the lighthearted melody, the lyrics tell of a painful love story.
It wasn't just a good song; it was a breakthrough. Bigbang quickly went from being a largely unknown group to a massive phenomenon that took the Korean music scene by storm.
From the coffee shop downstairs to the soup restaurant at the school gate, no matter where you go, you can hear this song. The trend on the forum has also completely changed -
"This song is really crazy. My friend went to the music store to buy the album yesterday, but all the shelves were empty. The clerk said it was too late to restock..." "YG really knows how to choose a hit song. This song will become a national song!"
"Aaaaah! GD is a genius!" "I think everyone agrees that Bigbang is the greatest boy band!" "But I'm really curious... If 'Lies' is so strong, why wasn't it their debut song?" ...
Lia browsed the forum, the song "Lies" playing on repeat in her headphones, feeling a mix of emotions. She remembered that Quan Zhilong had proudly sent her the melody of the chorus one early morning.
"The god of inspiration is dancing above my head... Ha! Ha! Ha!" She was too sleepy to open her eyes. She listened to the music in a daze and said perfunctorily, "...The melody is great."
"Really?" He said proudly, "I think it can be used as a solo debut song." Her head was dizzy, and she didn't think about the feasibility of this decision. She just responded casually: "Yeah... It will shake up the music industry, Oppa."
Finally, a few months later, she heard the complete song. "Has the team song been released?" she murmured, tapping her fingers on the table to the beat.
After the hit song "Lies," Bigbang became busier than ever. Although she'd heard Kwon Ji-yong complain about the company's hectic schedule before, Lia hadn't expected it to be this much more extreme.
From morning radio to late-night recordings, from music shows to variety show recordings, the materials that can be seen on the surface are constantly emerging, and one can imagine the intensity of the work behind these people.
She originally thought that she would at least occasionally run into Kwon Ji-yong in the recording studio, but the reality was that she had never seen him in the YG building since the album was released.
Sometimes she went to the studio to help Teddy put together tracks, and occasionally she would hear other producers chatting: "Those guys are really famous now." "Did they fly to Busan last week?"
"Not just Busan, but also Daegu, Gwangju... We've been almost all over the country." "Looks like we need to strike while the iron is hot and release the next album." "Well, the company probably won't let them rest for too long. They should be working on the next one before the end of the year."
... Lia listened silently, not joining in the conversation. She returned to the practice room and, as usual, opened MSN. Kwon Ji-yong's profile picture was still gray. Her fingertips hovered over the chat box, but she didn't send a message.
[JiYo (offline)] The last message was three weeks ago. JiYo: The studio is full of cigarette smoke. I suspect Teddy has damaged his lungs... NeonL: Isn't smoking forbidden?
JiYo: I sneaked out to smoke after the recording, but the smell of cigarettes on my clothes was so suffocating [tears.jpg] NeonL: Oppa is also one of the sources of the cigarette smell... JiYo: Hey, I quit!!!
NeonL: You always say you want to quit smoking [doubt.jpg] JiYo: This time I really mean it! When I'm done with this, I'll ask you out for dinner to celebrate! She stared at the message for a few seconds, suddenly feeling a little dazed.
I'm afraid I'll never be done with this busy schedule. She sighed softly. * After intensive preparation and application, one evening in late August, Lia finally received the stamped admission letter.
She was sitting at a small table in the corner of the convenience store. The light outside the window was gradually dimming, and the air was still warm from the lingering chirping of cicadas. She exhaled softly and lowered her head to take a sip of iced Americano.
Soon, she would officially enter high school as an "ordinary student." After discussing with the company, her training schedule was adjusted, mostly on weekends.
As for her daily practice, she had to rely on reduced sleep time to make up for it. In September, Lia officially entered high school. At the beginning of the new semester, she met a new friend - Li Xiaqing.
To be precise, it wasn't her who went to get to know the other person, but Li Xiaqing who took the initiative to find her. One day during lunch break, Lia had just walked to her seat with her meal tray when she was stopped by an excited voice from behind.
"It's you! The trainee in "Ten Thousand Yuan of Happiness"! " She was stunned for a moment and looked back. A girl with shoulder-length hair was looking at her excitedly with wide eyes.
Seeing Lia turn around, the man looked excited and quickly caught up to her, pulled out a chair, and sat down across from her without any hesitation. "Oh my god, I actually met you at school! You're even prettier in person than on TV!"
It was the first time Lia was recognized, and she was a little overwhelmed. She smiled politely at the other person and put down her plate. "Uh...thank you...hello?"
"Hello! I'm Li Xiaqing! I'm a loyal viewer of "Ten Thousand Yuan of Happiness"!"
"Ah... hello, I'm Lia..." Lia was a little surprised by the show's lasting influence, then nodded. "So you've seen that episode?"
"Of course I have!" Li Xiaqing answered happily, "I'm a big fan of TVXQ! I watched that show several times just to see them! But -"
As she spoke, she moved closer and narrowed her eyes: "I notice you every time." Lia: "..." Lia predicted that she was going to ask her if she was letting him win.
"Are you...in a relationship with GD?" Lia: "???!" She nearly choked on the soup in her mouth before she could even swallow it: "...Where did you come to that conclusion?!"
"You two interacted on the show!" Li Xiaqing said confidently, "And GD Oppa was really miserable that day. It seems like you felt more sorry for him than his fans did." Lia:...
She felt that if she denied it too forcefully now, it would only make her seem more evasive. So, she tried to remain calm and said, "...I'm just a trainee. My relationship with the artists is just that of a senior or junior."
"Really?" Li Xiaqing stared at her for two seconds, a hint of regret in his tone: "Hey...it would be nice if you two were really in a relationship." Lia was puzzled: "Why?"
"Because in this way, maybe I can get TVXQ's autograph!" She held her face and looked at Lia with moist eyes, as if she was holding great expectations.
Lia didn't have the heart to dash the other person's expectations, but still shook her head and said, "...We are from YG Entertainment, not SM Entertainment."
"Oh, yes! I was just saying it casually." Li Xiaqing curled her lips and waved her hand, "But, would you date other artists?" Lia sighed. She was a little overwhelmed by the curiosity of the other party.
"No, I'm not planning on dating right now." "Huh?" Li Xiaqing was a little surprised, "Trainees can't date?" Lia shrugged: "It's not that I can't, it's just that I don't want to."
YG Entertainment doesn't have any clear regulations on this. As far as she knows, many trainees in the dorms are in relationships, and as long as it doesn't affect training, the company won't be too strict.
Li Xiaqing scratched his head: "But... don't you have anyone you like at all?" Lia paused.
She did not deny it immediately, but fiddled with the spoon in the soup bowl thoughtfully, and then interrupted the other party's question: "Let's eat quickly, lunch break is about to end." * Lia was actually happy about Li Xiaqing's approach.
Although she attended classes regularly every day when she joined the third grade class, she didn't make any friends at school. She wasn't proactive, and her Korean wasn't fluent at first, so she was practically invisible at school.
Li Xiaqing was the first person to speak to her. Originally, Li Xiaqing thought that the trainees rarely came to school, and if they did, it was probably just for show to get credits.
But she soon discovered that her new friend not only attended school every day, but also had very good grades.
During the break, unlike what she imagined, she didn't talk to everyone. Instead, she enjoyed climbing the fan forum like her. However, she climbed the forum for TVXQ, while Lia climbed the forum for Big Bang.
"Now I really believe that you and GD are not familiar with each other." Li Xiaqing sighed, "How can a trainee like us ordinary fans spend every day on the forum watching them?!"
She looked a bit disappointed, as if she wished she could be Lia's trainee and meet all the celebrities. Lia choked. Actually, she wasn't that unfamiliar with them.
Climbing the forum is just a habit left over from the past. She still keeps the small account with the ID lovelovegd222 and occasionally posts some promotional posts.
Perhaps because her posts unconsciously contained a certain amount of professional analysis, they eventually became featured posts on the fan forums. Sometimes, familiar fans would send her private messages asking when she would update.
Gradually, discussing albums and performances with everyone in the forum became a very happy thing for her. She has an inexplicable sense of belonging to the Bigbang fan community.
But it seemed that the good opportunity to confess had been missed. Lia opened her mouth but still said nothing.
Xia Qing didn't pay attention to her answer, but sighed with envy: "That's great, Bigbang is all active in China, unlike our Zhong Oppa, who has been sent to Japan by Li Xiuman for a long time."
Lia listened and sighed. Bigbang was indeed promoting in Korea, but what difference did that make to her? Their schedule was so packed that even if she were in Korea every day, she wouldn't see Kwon Ji-yong.
"But... let's not talk about this," Li Xiaqing seemed to have suddenly thought of something and came closer excitedly: "Are you really not going to Li Zhengheng's birthday party?" Lia looked at the other party's gossipy expression and couldn't help but hesitate...
This guy is really... Although she was a nobody when she joined the class in the third year of junior high school, after entering high school, boys in the school began to show their affection to her one after another without knowing when.
Teenagers are at the prime of their development. YG Entertainment has never rated her appearance as outstanding, but that's based on idol standards. Even in a regular high school, her looks still caused quite a stir.
Rumors were circulating among several nearby schools that Jingtai High School's most popular girl was a trainee from the United States. Occasionally, students from other schools would sneak in during breaks and peek through the windows. Some brave boys would even stop her after school to confess their love.
The Li Zhengheng that Li Xiaqing mentioned was one of the men who showed interest in her. He was a member of the school basketball team, tall, and from a well-off family, and he was considered a well-regarded boy on campus.
Xia Qing was particularly excited about this matter and would always mention it to her from time to time - "That Li Zhengheng from Class 3 last time, I think he's pretty good, he's handsome and his grades are not bad!"
She counted his advantages on her fingers, "Oh, right! I heard his family is very rich and lives in a very famous community in Jiangnan." "If it were me, I would definitely agree on the spot!"
She looked very regretful, as if she wished she could take Lia's place.
Lia looked at her helplessly, reached out and patted her forehead, and complained: "Shouldn't you study hard now? Besides... I don't think he is very handsome..." "???"
Li Xiaqing's eyes widened in shock. "Come on! Isn't Li Zhengheng handsome? If we compare him to celebrities, he's not that impressive, but we're just high school students..."
Lia rubbed her forehead helplessly and blocked her mouth, "Anyway, I'm not ready to fall in love right now!" ... Want to compete with celebrities? Suddenly, a picture popped up in her mind -
Someone was sitting in a corner of the studio, holding the felt doll she'd given him, examining it intently. Lia paused, then slapped her head decisively, trying to shake off the image.
At this moment, a small commotion suddenly broke out in the classroom. She didn't pay much attention to it at first, thinking that a teacher had entered the classroom early, until she felt the whispers around her getting more and more intense - "Is it him?" "It seems to be..."
"Wow, he's even more handsome in person than on TV..." "Oh my God? It's a classmate!" Lia frowned slightly and followed everyone's gaze to the back row of the classroom.
In the corner, a previously empty seat, a boy was now hunched over a table. He rested his forehead on one hand, looking a little tired. His profile was hidden behind his arm, revealing only a stray streak of slightly messy black hair.
Just as she was wondering, Li Xiaqing had already rushed back and forth from the other end of the classroom, her face filled with the excitement of having found out something important. She plopped down next to Lia and whispered, "Do you know who that is?!"
Lia shook her head in agreement. "It's Yu Seungho!" Xia Qing's voice rose a few notches in excitement. "National brother! The one in 'A Dog'!" Lia remained bewildered. "...Which one?"
"It doesn't matter if you haven't seen it!" Xia Qing waved her hand hastily, showing understanding for the ignorance of overseas Chinese like Lia. "Anyway, she's a super famous child star in our country!"
"Then why is he in our class?" Lia was even more confused. "I heard he was originally planning to go to high school," Xia Qing lowered her voice mysteriously, "but he took a long vacation to film a movie. He was on the set for the past few weeks, so he just got back."
Lia nodded, turning to glance back. Before she could process this information, the bell rang. The boy hunched over the desk, as if awakened by the bell, stirred and slowly raised his head.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a shadow on his face. Through the leaves outside, light and shadow danced across his features. Lia subconsciously glanced over—their eyes met briefly in the air. She froze.
Deep eyes, smooth black hair, and the thoughtful look in his eyes as he stared at her - it was the boy she met in the convenience store.
The other person seemed to recognize her, his eyes paused, his expression stagnant for a moment, and then he looked away calmly. No nod, no greeting. Lia blinked, a little surprised and a little amused.
She breathed a sigh of relief, retracted her gaze, and opened her textbook. Xia Qing leaned over and asked, "Hey, hey, did he just glance at you?!" Lia said calmly, "Really? I didn't notice."
It turns out we are classmates.
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