SCT-Novel Chapter 207: Summer (10)
Chapter 207: Summer (10)
United States, New York.It was morning in Korea, but afternoon in New York. In a famous fashion magazine company located in New York. The place was filled with foreigners. The employees' attire and the overall atmosphere were full of a sense of free-spiritedness, and the magazine office was bustling. Some were preparing to leave work, while others were gathered in meeting rooms for discussions.
Among them, a meeting room with fashion magazine posters hanging on the walls.
In this meeting room, about five foreigners were having a meeting while looking at their laptops.
“What kind of concept do you think would be good this time?”
“Hmm- how about food?”
“We already did food last time, don’t you remember how hard it was to schedule interviews with chefs?”
“Yeah. Since we’ve already done it, the editor-in-chief probably won’t be too thrilled about it.”
Amidst the flashy English being exchanged, a red-haired woman among them suggested a different idea.
“Then how about this time, instead of focusing on chefs, we do a review of restaurants from different countries located in New York?”
“Restaurant review?”
“Yeah. Introducing delicious places. There’s a Korean restaurant that recently opened next to my place, and the food is absolutely amazing!”
“Well... that’s not a bad idea. Rosie, you’ve been praising Korean food a lot lately, seems like you’re hooked.”
“It’s seriously delicious!”
“But we’ve also done food-related concepts already.”
As the red-haired woman clicked her tongue in disappointment, the bespectacled woman sitting next to her spun her pen around and then opened her mouth.
“Speaking of Korea, how about a feature on the KPOP groups to look out for this year?”
“KPOP groups??”
She was a Korean-American. And she had a strong interest in Korean idols. She had frequently visited Korea to attend concerts of popular idols and was quite well-informed about idols who had advanced to the U.S. or other overseas markets.
“Yeah. We did something earlier this year, but isn’t it about time we update it?”
That didn’t mean she would just blindly recommend only the Korean idols she liked. The famous fashion magazine company she worked for was one of the top-ranking magazines in the U.S., and the reason it had survived for so long with such a proud tradition was because it had a keen eye for trends.
They analyzed community trends faster than anyone else and presented them to their subscribers.
And these days, the Korean Wave was quite hot even in the United States.
KPOP, of course, but also Korean films were gaining recognition at various international film festivals, and Korean dramas and other content were enjoying high popularity. This was also true of Korean food and cosmetics being shared via Youtube and various social media platforms. The Korean Wave, which had already spread through Asia and into Europe, was certainly being seen as a trend, and the famous fashion magazine had tackled Korean Wave-related topics in several features in the past.
The most recent was a review of Korean idols.
Thanks to that, the employees in the meeting responded quite positively to the idea proposed by the bespectacled woman, with the bald man with a soft voice reacting the quickest.
“Come to think of it, I also watched a Korean movie a few days ago. That action scene with the hammer was shocking. I agree that Korea is a hot keyword right now. So, Nancy, do you have any research done on KPOP groups?”
The Black man sitting next to him shrugged his shoulders.
“When it comes to KPOP, Nancy’s the expert among us. Of course she’d have an updated list of KPOP groups ready.”
As if that were the obvious answer, the bespectacled woman called Nancy smirked and manipulated her laptop a few times. After several seconds, the screen of her laptop displayed photos and information of popular Korean male and female idols, including new rookie groups.
“Just say the word. Whether it’s new groups or whatever, I’ve got it all.”
“Haha. As expected.”
“Wasn’t it because of a KPOP group concert you liked that you went to Japan recently, Nancy?”
With laughter and a touch of pride, the bespectacled woman- no, Nancy,responded to everyone.
“I’ll share all the data I updated with you guys.”
Soon, the laptops of all the employees in the meeting, starting with the bald man, displayed photos of Korean idols. Then Nancy passionately began her briefing for the team. Surprisingly, the starting point was the now-defunct group ‘Neos’.
“One of the unfortunate KPOP groups is ‘Neos'. They disappeared while preparing for an overseas expansion because of a problem with one of the members.”
“I think I’ve heard about them. What was the issue?”
“Drugs.”
“Oh dear.”
After that, Nancy moved on from rookie idols to popular idols with recognition even in the United States.
“This group was even ranked on the Billboard recently.”
“Billboard Hot 100?”
“That’s right.”
After explaining the groups ranked from No. 1 to No. 5, she moved on to rookie idols.
“There are quite a few rookie KPOP groups to look out for... but ‘Vanguard’ definitely stands out the most.”
“‘Vanguard’? That’s a pretty aggressive group name. When did they debut?”
“It hasn’t been more than a few months since their official debut.”
“A few months?? That’s way too new. Wouldn’t they lack enough material to cover?”
“Not really. In terms of impact, they’re the strongest among the rookies.”
As expected of a KPOP expert, Nancy began reciting the history of ‘Vanguard’ from their appearance on ‘Produce That 100!’ up until now. Her foreign colleagues' expressions gradually shifted to surprise as they listened to her briefing.
“They held a concert in Japan just a few months after debuting?”
“Yeah. They drew in over 30,000 audience members.”
“Nancy, was that why you went to Japan recently? To see the ‘Vanguard’ concert?”
“Yup!”
Nancy answered confidently and opened Youtube on her laptop. What she searched for was a video of Vanguard’s concert in Japan. She played the passionate performance of ‘Vanguard’ and turned her laptop so everyone could see.
“The energy was insane!”
Her colleagues, including the bald man and the red-haired woman, fixed their eyes on the video. Soon, the bald man widened his eyes and exclaimed in awe.
“This video got over 20 million views?”
“Yeah, they’re already pretty well-known in Korea and Japan.”
"That's impressive."
“This group holds a lot of ‘firsts'. From the fastest time to a Japan concert, to every move they’ve made since debut, it’s been something new.”
Nancy, seemingly excited, tried to continue her explanation, but the red-haired woman cut in.
“The members are cute! As expected, Koreans have great skin, and each has their own charm. Ah! Wait a second, Nancy!”
She pointed to one of the members in the concert video.
“Pause the video. Who is that guy? Is he a ‘Vanguard’ member??”
With a deepening smile, Nancy nodded.
“Yeah, he’s the leader of ‘Vanguard’.”
On the paused video, a close-up of Kang Rojun appeared.
“...What the? That face is real? I thought it was CGI.”
“He’s ridiculously handsome, right?”
The moment Rojun’s face appeared, curses spilled out of Nancy’s colleagues’ mouths.
“What the f…”
“Fuck… Fuck!!”
Even the foreigners had to admit Kang Rojun’s visuals were absurd. But Nancy wasn’t finished yet.
“He’s unique. Before debuting, he first made a name for himself as a writer and actor.”
All the colleagues furrowed their brows as if on cue.
“Writer and actor? What do you mean by that?”
Meanwhile, in Korea. Inside the moving van of ‘Vanguard’.
Kang Rojun was scrolling through the notifications sent by the ‘AI Simulation’ on his phone.
-[The Evolved Title ‘World Star’ has met the conditions and is now enhanced by +1!]
-[Congratulations! You’ve achieved ‘First Enhancement of an Evolved Title’ and have been awarded 80 Coins as a reward!]
-[As the Evolved Title ‘World Star’ has been enhanced, 2 bonus coins will be added to mission rewards.]
.
.
.
As the notifications continued rolling in, Rojun murmured internally.
‘World Star got enhanced? All of a sudden??’
For reference, the Evolved Title ‘World Star’ was previously the ‘Recognition Monster’ title, and it enhanced as Kang Rojun’s recognition increased. Soon, Rojun glanced sideways at the other members and accessed the ‘AI Simulation’ app.
The change was immediately visible.
-[Titles: (Evolved) All-Round Entertainer / (Evolved) World Star+1 / Global Genius+2 / Instrument Master+2]
On top of that, starting now, the Coins he would receive from Daily Missions, including bonuses, totaled 21.
'From evolved titles onwards, bonus coins increase by 2 each, right?'
5 Coins for completing the base mission, plus a total of 16 from title bonuses. Without even realizing it, Rojun had surpassed 20 mission reward Coins, and a subtle smile appeared on his face.
‘Freaking sweet.’
Then he thought,
‘But why did it get enhanced all of a sudden?’
The answer came quickly.
‘It must’ve been because of the Japan concert??’
Although his domestic recognition had been rising for other reasons as well, it was clear that the recent explosive success of the Japan concert was the biggest factor. Selling out over 30,000 seats made huge waves in Japan, and the concert video had already surpassed 20 million views.
‘SNS followers and YouTube subscribers also shot up. Compared to before, there are way more comments in Japanese and English too.’
The 20 million views in particular were an overwhelming number. According to Manager Kim Ki-baek, just the support from Korean and Japanese fans could’ve easily pulled in several million views, but this time, luck had played a part as well. Some unknown algorithm had kicked in at just the right moment.
Still, they wouldn’t have caught that lucky break if ‘Vanguard’ hadn’t been on fire.
In any case, Kang Rojun checked the ‘Desired Occupation’ listed under his status.
-[Desired Occupation: World-Class Idol]
Not long after it changed to ‘World-Class Idol’, the Evolved Title ‘World Star’ had been enhanced. This was after the ‘Recognition Monster’ title had already been strengthened to +5.
‘The enhancement of ‘World Star’ must mean that my worldwide recognition has risen, right?’
It was proof that ‘Vanguard’ was starting to gain visibility among the global public. Rojun scanned the members again. Of course, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung had no idea what was going through Rojun’s head, and feeling good, Rojun muttered softly to himself like a soliloquy.
“I might be using English for real pretty soon.”
Two days later, July 7. Japan.
A large hall in a major hotel in Tokyo. More than a hundred Japanese reporters were gathered in the space facing the podium. And behind the podium, the title of the work was displayed in large letters.
– Like a Kaleidoscope
The Netflix logo was a bonus.
Of course. In thirty minutes, the official production presentation for 'Like a Kaleidoscope', which had recently wrapped filming, was set to begin in this hall. The show had already generated huge buzz within Japan, so the crowd of reporters was overwhelming. On top of that, since this was an original series that Netflix Japan had poured its heart into, they had put in extra effort compared to usual.
Whatever the case, the noise level in the hall was high due to the presence of over a hundred reporters.
“They really called a lot of reporters.”
"Netflix Japan seems to have put in more effort."
"True, this way the label of being even more anticipated will be attached."
“But is Rojun going to show up today?”
“He probably will. He’s the writer of ‘Like a Kaleidoscope', and there’s no way Netflix Japan wouldn’t invite such a hot topic.”
There was a lot of talk about Kang Rojun going around.
It wasn’t strange. With Vanguard’s popularity in Japan growing by the day thanks to the concert and other events, the chance to see Rojun at a production presentation was more than enough to stir excitement.
All the reporters smacked their lips in anticipation.
Several minutes later, the staff managing the presentation announced that it was about to begin and asked the reporters to take their seats. Soon, more than a hundred reporters sat down and prepared to fire their camera shutters, and the stars of 'Like a Kaleidoscope' entered through the front door of the hall.
-Swoosh.
Starting with PD Noguchi Ken, and followed by the cast including Japan’s top actor Endo Takuto, who played the male lead. After all the attendees had entered, the stage was filled with quite a few people, and most of the reporters who had been snapping their cameras began tilting their heads in confusion. The reason was simple.
“Where’s Rojun...?”
“Don’t tell me he’s not coming??”
Kang Rojun was nowhere to be seen among the main cast. However, the reporters continued taking photos, and about three minutes later, the presentation staff and the team from 'Like a Kaleidoscope', along with the reporters, all took their seats.
At that moment, a reporter seated near the front raised a hand and called out in Japanese.
“Will Writer Rojun not be attending??”
PD Noguchi Ken, who had just taken the mic and gave off a generally somber aura, responded calmly.
“Writer Rojun will not be attending due to scheduling conflicts.”
“Ah.”
In that moment, although they didn’t show it openly, disappointment spread across the faces of over a hundred reporters. At the back of the hall, watching the situation unfold, was Tom Cavill, Netflix Japan’s Executive Director. One of the staff members ran over and whispered to him. Upon hearing the message, Tom Cavill’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh? Really??”
About an hour passed.
The production presentation for 'Like a Kaleidoscope' was now entering its later stages, and PD Noguchi Ken and the others were busy fielding questions from reporters.
Then, having just received a whisper from one of the staff members, a faint smile appeared on PD Noguchi Ken’s lips.
"Ah, just a moment."
As the reporters blinked in confusion, the front door of the hall opened again. A man with tousled black hair and a loose denim shirt entered, lighting up the hall with his visuals alone. He gave a respectful bow and greeted in fluent Japanese.
“Hello, I’m Rojun.”
Over a hundred reporters erupted into frenzy. And immediately, toward Kang Rojun.
-Pababababak!
Flashes exploded like lightning.