SCT-Novel Chapter 202: Summer (5)
Chapter 202: Summer (5)
The words “Let's start the engines for Royal Procession” from Manager Kim Ki-baek. As soon as he heard it, CEO Ha Seo-hwan responded over the phone with a slight chuckle in his voice.“Did Netflix Korea take a liking to ‘Royal Procession’?”
Kim Ki-baek nodded immediately.
“Yes, very much so.”
“What was their reaction?”
Kim Ki-baek, recalling Executive Director Lim Hyun-jin and the others who had listened to ‘Royal Procession', showed a faint smile.
“Hmm- from the moment the gayageum intro started, their eyes widened, and as the song went on, their expressions started to change strangely.”
“Strangely?”
“You know what I mean, right? That ‘This is it!’ kind of face. They didn’t say anything while the song was playing, but when it ended, it was a round of applause. They even gave a thumbs-up and immediately said they’d go with ‘Royal Procession’.”
“Well, considering it captivated all of us at GN too, that kind of reaction is only natural. Anyway, that’s great news. You did well.”
To CEO Ha Seo-hwan, who said he would instruct the team to initiate work on ‘Royal Procession’.
“And CEO-nim.”
Kim Ki-baek added.
“Netflix Korea has offered Rojun-nim a role in ‘Tale of the Strange Moon', as an actor. It’s one of the two lead male roles.”
“Really?”
CEO Ha Seo-hwan didn’t sound all that surprised on the other end of the line.
“He’s deserving of it. Still, I didn’t expect them to offer him a lead role right away.”
“I also thought it might be a supporting role, but I think it’s probably because the director is PD Jung Soo-ryeong.”
“Because of the ‘Rental Lover’ connection?”
“Hmm- she’s the one who first got Rojun-nim started down the path of acting, after all. I think she’s been waiting for a lead role project for him since ‘Rental Lover’.”
“That’s great. What does Rojun think?”
“He wants to do it. It’d be strange if he didn’t.”
"With that kind of opportunity, it's right to join even if his body breaks down."
After a few seconds of silence, CEO Ha Seo-hwan spoke again.
“If ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ really takes off, Rojun can make a name for himself by linking writer, actor, and 'Vanguard' together."
“The explosive potential, ‘Vanguard’ might be the biggest.”
“We’ll need to prepare thoroughly. Got it, let’s move forward, including Rojun’s acting role.”
“Yes, CEO-nim.”
After ending the call, Manager Kim Ki-baek turned his head. Kang Rojun was still in conversation with PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the others. Kim Ki-baek let out a chuckle and called out to him.
“Rojun, it’s time to go.”
“Ah! Yes!”
Rojun bowed politely to the others and left the meeting room. PD Jung Soo-ryeong looked regretful to see him go. The people remaining in the space Rojun had left behind continued the meeting in an after-party-like atmosphere.
"...Finally, let's listen to 'Royal Procession' one more time."
At Executive Director Lim Hyun-jin’s suggestion, the wide meeting room was once again filled with the sound of ‘Royal Procession.’
-♬♪
Everyone listened intently. Amid it all, Lim Hyun-jin’s eyes were full of emotion.
‘It’s so catchy, how did they manage to pick a song that perfectly fits what I wanted? Must be a lot to do with Rojun being the writer of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’.’
She murmured softly to herself.
“I’m already looking forward to how overseas listeners will react to this song...”
A little while later.
After finishing the meeting with Netflix Korea, Kang Rojun went straight to GN Entertainment and then headed to the airport with the waiting members. They had to fly to Japan for the first stage rehearsal of the concert that had sold out all 35,000 seats.
On the way there, the members were busy outwardly expressing their nervousness.
“Ahhh- we’re finally going! Japan!”
“The last time was during ‘Produce That 100!', right? The Japan mini concert.”
“Yeah, I seriously thought my heart was going to explode back then, but today it feels even worse.”
“This time, it’s for ‘Vanguard’.”
Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung kept talking endlessly, perhaps to ease their nerves. In contrast, Kang Rojun wasn’t as nervous as the others. Compared to the members, Rojun had frequently traveled to Japan for the filming of ‘Like a Kaleidoscope.’
Still, he responded appropriately.
“It’s kind of surreal. I imagined this day, but for it to actually become reality.”
“Right?! That’s exactly what I mean, Rojun!”
There was a reason why Si-hoo was particularly hyped today. He had heard that ‘Royal Procession’ had been officially approved by Netflix Korea. Regardless, as soon as ‘Vanguard’ arrived at the airport, dozens of reporters swarmed them.
And so did hundreds of waiting fans.
“Si-hoo-ya!! Si-hoo!!”
“Kyaaaah!!”
“Do-kyung-ah!! Do-kyung-ah, give us a wave!!!”
“Is that ‘Vanguard’?! Insane!!”
“Kyaah!! Rojun, do well!!”
“Kang-min!! Give us a cheek heart, just once!”
Before things turned into utter chaos, the ‘Vanguard’ team quickly completed their boarding procedures, and their flight took off. In the meantime, a flood of articles appeared about ‘Vanguard’ heading to Japan.
《‘Vanguard’ Departs for Japan for Concert Rehearsal》
《[Star Photo] ‘Vanguard’ Rojun, Sculpture-like Visual Lights Up the Airport / Photo》
《Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, Do-kyung - Who Had the Best Airport Fashion Among ‘Vanguard’?》
《Airport Fully Charged with Handsomeness Thanks to ‘Vanguard’, Hundreds of Fans Cheer “Do Well!”》
The wild scene wasn’t any different at the airport in Japan. The moment ‘Vanguard’ appeared at the arrivals gate, screams and shouts pierced the air. Hundreds of Japanese fans frantically waved slogans and handmade posters. Awkward Korean phrases could be heard scattered throughout.
A nonstop barrage of camera flashes continued.
If you had to name the hottest idol group in Japan recently, it was undoubtedly ‘Vanguard.’
Their recognition was already high, but the fact that they sold out their first concert in Japan became a hot issue, pushing their popularity even higher. Korean idol groups rising to fame in Japan wasn’t new, but achieving this level of impact in under a year since debut was a first.
Even as they swiftly made their way through the airport, Kang Rojun and the ‘Vanguard’ members kept saying,
“Thank you, thank you!”
They gave as much fan service as they could. Once they finally got into the waiting van, the ‘Vanguard’ members were excited all over again.
“Did you see that??! There were way more fans than when we came to Japan last time!”
“Hearing them shout our names like that, I almost cried.”
Their excitement lasted the entire ride, and about an hour later, the van carrying ‘Vanguard’ arrived at a concert venue. As soon as they got out, the members’ mouths dropped open. Kang Rojun also looked up blankly at the exterior of the concert hall, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion.
'This is crazy.'
It was Saitama Arena, the venue where ‘Vanguard’ would be holding their Japan concert, filled with 35,000 Japanese fans. The whole structure was white-toned and rounded, with a massive, square roof and impressive height. Even at a glance, the scale was enormous. The excitement from Japanese fans had already set their hearts racing.
“......”
“......”
But now that they were standing in front of the actual concert hall, their hearts pounded nonstop. It felt like adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins were rushing through their veins.
At that moment, Kang Rojun, the leader of ‘Vanguard', took a deep breath and turned to his members.
“Let’s go in.”
After that.
Inside Saitama Arena, where numerous staff were already busily moving around. When Kang Rojun and the members appeared backstage, they were once again taken aback.
“......Whoa.”
“Wow...”
They were overwhelmed by the grandeur and magnificence of the concert hall. The ceiling was so high even the lights looked small, with massive monitors hanging all around, an audience section too large to take in with one glance, a vast main stage, a screen installed on the main stage, and a long extended stage running forward.
How could this be described?
For a moment, Kang Rojun froze from the impact of such a colossal space.
'I feel like I just turned into an ant.'
But soon he began to feel the energy surging. There was fear, yes, but the dopamine that wanted to enjoy this was even stronger. Screw it, let’s go wild. Kang Rojun’s imagination stretched to the moment they’d seize control over the 35,000-strong audience.
'This feeling is seriously addictive, addictive.'
It must have been the same for Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung, because their faces were now glowing with energy. Then, from behind the members, Manager Kim Ki-baek spoke into his radio.
“I’ll play a track.”
Soon, one of Vanguard’s songs echoed throughout the massive Saitama Arena.
-♬♪
It was ‘GreenBee’. Next came the lighting test. As ‘GreenBee’ played, all the lights in the concert hall dimmed, and then colorful lights quickly lit up the stage and audience seats. The thumping beat that filled their ears, the lights decorating the vast, darkened concert hall. Unable to hold back any longer, Rojun turned to Manager Kim Ki-baek and said,
“Manager-nim, we’ll get ready.”
He ran off with the members to the waiting room. Watching the retreating figures of ‘Vanguard', Manager Kim Ki-baek realized how much they had changed.
'During their debut showcase, they were so frozen they could barely function, but now they’re running around voluntarily. Fast learners, they were made for this.'
Soon after.
“‘Vanguard’ going up on stage!!”
Kang Rojun and the members began their first rehearsal in preparation for the Japan concert.
The rehearsals were scheduled to run nonstop until the day before the performance on the 12th.
Vanguard’s first rehearsal, where they sweated on stage all day immediately upon arrival, wrapped up only by nighttime. The following day, June 6th, ‘Vanguard’ had the same schedule. Aside from YouTube filming and SNS livestreams, it was nearly all stage rehearsals.
On the 7th, they handled rehearsals in the morning and had a Japanese fan signing event in the early afternoon.
It was essentially the first official meeting between ‘Vanguard’ and their Japanese fans.
At the fan sign event, which drew thousands, Kang Rojun and Si-hoo’s Japanese skills stood out, and since Kang-min and Do-kyung had also studied hard, there was no major issue in communication. Japanese fans at the event took endless photos of ‘Vanguard’.
“They’re all so handsome! I seriously can’t take my eyes off them.”
“Rojun... he’s basically a god. He can’t be human.”
“I just held hands with a god! I’m not washing this hand for at least a month.”
The intense heat of Vanguard’s first fan sign in Japan made its way back to Korea.
《‘Vanguard’ Successfully Wraps Japan Fan Signing Event “Unforgettable Memory”》
After the fan signing, ‘Vanguard’ returned to Korea on a night flight. They had to fulfill a Korean schedule on the 8th. In the meantime, their second promotional track, ‘FlyingBell', continued its streak of topping music shows.
《How Many Wins Is That Now? Vanguard’s ‘FlyingBell’ Scores Another Music Show 1st Place!》
From the 9th onward, ‘Vanguard’ focused solely on rehearsals for the Japan concert. Of course, Kang Rojun still worked during breaks and downtime, but it was basically rehearsal after rehearsal after rehearsal.
By this point, the projects involving Rojun were also picking up speed.
《「Like a Kaleidoscope」Enters Final Stages of Filming, Crank-Up Imminent》
‘Like a Kaleidoscope’ was already nearing the end of its shoot, and ‘Blood Hunt’ had progressed into its early-to-mid phases. Thanks to ‘Royal Procession', GN Entertainment also gained significant momentum. They had already requested choreography from the dance team, and the pool of candidates for the music video team had been narrowed down.
Then, on the 10th.
As Kang Rojun and the members left their luxury hotel in Japan for Saitama Arena, a production presentation was being held in Korea for a variety show Rojun and Do-kyung had participated in.
《[StarTalk] Jang Seo-young, Seo Da-in, Choi Rina Greet Reporters at ‘A Tranquil Day’ Production Presentation / Photo》
It was the ‘A Tranquil Day’ team.
During the Q&A session with reporters at the presentation, there were many questions about Kang Rojun and Do-kyung, and the actresses responded with the impressions they’d formed during filming.
“Rojun-ssi? Really. Reaaaaally handsome. When you see his face, it just doesn’t make sense... I mean that.”
“Do-kyung-ssi looks cold at first glance, but he’s surprisingly quirky and cute.”
At the event, the main PD of ‘A Tranquil Day’ stated,
“Filming for ‘A Tranquil Day’ is now complete. We’ll work hard to deliver it to viewers as soon as possible.”
They announced that filming had wrapped and editing was underway. They also gave a small hint about the show’s premiere date.
“It’ll likely air in midsummer.”
So sometime between July and August.
Though it was already hot enough in June. People were naturally starting to wear short sleeves out on the streets.
Later that night, at Saitama Arena in Japan, Kang Rojun and the ‘Vanguard’ members were drenched in sweat as they rehearsed on stage. After pouring their passion into the stage all day, they were gasping for breath. Although they could’ve called it a day at that point, Rojun and the members agreed to go a little longer.
“Let’s run through the choreography one more time.”
“Yeah, Rojun.”
And so the 10th came to an end, and June 11th dawned.
Now fully dressed in their stage outfits, ‘Vanguard’ began their final rehearsal.
《With Vanguard’s Japan Concert on the 12th, Only One Day Remains!》
《[StarPick] ‘Vanguard’ to Stand Before 35,000 Japanese Fans Tomorrow... Japanese SNS Already Flooded with ‘Vanguard’ Talk / Photo》
There was only one day left until the Japan concert.
*****
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