SCT-Novel Chapter 214: Advance (3)
Chapter 214: Advance (3)
Around the time the set of ‘Blood Hunt’ was cranking up, the variety show ‘A Tranquil Day’, which had been thrown into chaos due to Kang Rojun’s ‘noona’ incident, was nearing its end. Top actress Choi Rina’s reaction to hearing ‘noona’ from Rojun, the other actresses’ responses, and then.-[Tak tak! Tak tak tak tak tak!]
Kang Rojun’s dazzling knife skills as he began cooking were broadcasted. The actresses got excited all over again.
-[“Wow... what, what is this? He’s really good??”]
-["That, that's not just the level of knife skills of someone who can cook a bit?"]
Subtitles were full of praise and compliments for Kang Rojun. Viewers who witnessed his knife skills or cooking talent in real time.
-Wow... he’s so freaking cool
-Crazy... Rojun’s good at cooking too?
-Is this my grave site? I’ve seen Rojun cook now, so I have no regrets...
-There’s nothing this guy can’t doㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-That insane visual AND he cooks well? I can’t take my eyes off himㅠㅠㅜ
-Just a taste... no, at least let me smell it!!!
They were getting pulled into Kang Rojun nonstop. While Do-kyung’s cold yet clueless charm did enchant a number of viewers.
-[“No, Do-kyung ssi! I said bring firewood, why’d you bring a whole log??”]
-[“I’m sorry.”]
Still, he couldn’t outshine Rojun’s presence. Anyway, dishes were being prepared one after another. In between, Rojun was shown on screen heading to the chicken coop to get eggs. Then he paused in front of a huge chicken.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋDid Rojun get scared? Cute
-That chicken really is bigㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Look at Rojun’s eyesㅋㅋㅋㅋWhy is he suddenly having a staring contest with a chickenㅋㅋㅋ
-Rojun’s such a super handsome that even the chicken might fall for him;;
Then Rojun, whose profile filled the screen, turned to the staff to speak.
-[“...Is that really a chicken?”]
-[“Of course it’s a chicken? Why? Are you scared of chickens?”]
-[“No, not really. It’s just... that thing’s size isn’t chicken-like.”]
Pointing at the chicken with his index finger, Kang Rojun spoke seriously.
-[“Isn’t that an ostrich?”]
At this point, the ‘Vanguard’ members watching ‘A Tranquil Day’ from the dorm burst into proper laughter. Starting with the eldest, Si-hoo.
“Puhaha! He said ostrich! Rojun, calling it an ostrich is a bit much!”
Kang-min and Do-kyung also laughed like they meant it.
“Ah, my cheeks hurt from laughing. Rojun hyung, why would there be an ostrich in the chicken coop?”
“I missed that scene. I was carrying the log.”
Sitting on the sofa at the back, Manager Kim Ki-baek also laughed quietly so it wouldn’t show. As he glanced at the members, Kang Rojun answered with the same serious expression as on TV.
“You’re saying that because you haven’t seen it in person. If you actually see that chicken? Its presence is unbelievable.”
“No matter what, a chicken’s still a chicken.”
“If you saw it yourself, even you, Si-hoo hyung, would be shocked and fall over. I swear, it looked rideable.”
As Kang Rojun’s ostrich comment turned the dorm lively and noisy, episode 1 of ‘A Tranquil Day’ was already.
-♬♪
Closing BGM played as the staff credits began rolling. The first episode had ended. Si-hoo clapped sincerely.
“That was fun! Super fun, actually??”
Manager Kim Ki-baek, slowly nodding, acknowledged it.
“Mmm- it’s good. Rojun and Do-kyung’s charms were well captured.”
Right? Kang Rojun smiled, satisfied.
‘I ended up getting drawn in without realizing it. Still, seeing my face on TV is a bit awkward.’
There are even famous actors who rarely watch their own work because it makes them uncomfortable. So Rojun’s current feelings weren’t strange. Meanwhile, Kang-min and Do-kyung had already picked up their phones to check the media or public reaction.
“Articles are up right away! So fast!”
“Whoa, and there are tons of comments too.”
And indeed, there were.
《Rojun and Do-kyung appear on ‘A Tranquil Day’... Bursting with charm, mesmerizing viewers!》
《[Issue Check]“Is there anything Rojun can’t do?” Rojun stuns with surprise cooking skills/ Photo》
As soon as episode 1 of ‘A Tranquil Day’ ended, reporters, as if they had been waiting, started firing off articles, and viewers who had been completely immersed wrote comments frantically, like personal reviews. Soon, even Kang Rojun and the ‘Vanguard’ members were focused on checking the reactions. The management team was the same. In the midst of this, Manager Kim Ki-baek slowly crossed his legs and murmured in a tired tone.
"The viewership rating- I wonder how much it'll be."
Looking up from his phone screen, Si-hoo suddenly raised his head and shouted.
“‘A Tranquil Day’ basically pulls in a base rating of 10%! Don’t you think it’ll go over 10%??”
“Well, yes, but these days even 10% is considered a huge success. The vibe of the variety show market changes every year. Plus, more and more people aren’t watching TV. It’s not easy, seriously. Anyway, since Rojun and Do-kyung appeared.”
Manager Kim Ki-baek glanced at Kang Rojun and continued.
“It’d be good if it came out above 10%.”
As the media was quickly churning out various articles about episode 1 of ‘A Tranquil Day’, it was only natural that many of them focused on curiosity about the show’s premiere viewership rating.
《Episode 1 of ‘A Tranquil Day’ featuring Rojun and Do-kyung as guests... What will the ratings be?》
《Will Vanguard's firepower work even in variety? Broadcasting industry focuses on A Tranquil Day’s premiere ratings》
Regardless, the ‘A Tranquil Day’ team uploaded a slew of edited clips on their official YouTube channel. Including Shorts. It had all been scheduled in advance. Those videos caught fire overnight on YouTube. As a result, content related to ‘A Tranquil Day’ dominated the trending video rankings, and the Short that hit several million views in an instant was the scene where Kang Rojun called Choi Rina “noona”.
-I melt every time I watch this....
-I fell asleep last night with this Short on repeat
-I'm doneㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋI can’t focus at work because Rojun calling her noona keeps echoing in my head....
-Hit 5 million viewsㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋEveryone crying tears of joy after hearing Rojun say “noona”
It wasn’t just YouTube, SNS and online communities were also going wild over ‘A Tranquil Day’. The situation was hot, hotter than ever. At this point, Kang Rojun was in GN Entertainment’s studio.
“Hm-”
With his arms crossed, he had been briefly planning ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ Season 2, when suddenly, as if something came to mind, he picked up his phone.
‘The ratings should be out by now, right?’
He typed “‘A Tranquil Day’ ratings” into the search bar and hit search. The result came up quickly. With a small gasp of awe, Rojun’s eyes widened slightly.
“Whoa, 18%?”
After that.
Once the ratings for episode 1 of ‘A Tranquil Day’ were announced, the media went into a frenzy. Practically a seizure level of reaction.
《‘A Tranquil Day’ hits highest viewership ever, episode 1 reaches 18.4%!》
《[Ratings] A Tranquil Day’s premiere scores 18.4%, topping its time slot and sweeping all current variety shows!》
‘A Tranquil Day’ set its own highest record, and this result naturally led to Vanguard's value skyrocketing as well.
《The ‘Vanguard’ effect is incredible... ‘A Tranquil Day’ episode 1 with Rojun and Do-kyung breaks all-time record》
《‘Vanguard’ works its magic again, ‘A Tranquil Day’ scores 18.4% viewership》
Whenever ‘Vanguard’ appeared, ratings exploded, and whatever they did seemed to make headlines as ‘first-ever’, so it was to be expected. Incidentally, even the products endorsed by ‘Vanguard’ or Kang Rojun were currently facing major sellouts. With results like this, Vanguard's presence could only rise further.
July came to an end, and August began.
Even though it was the first week of August, with Vanguard's group activities wrapped up, they continued to be mentioned constantly. No, in fact, the buzz was even hotter than during the weekend broadcasts.
-18% ratings is insaneㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-WaitㅋㅋㅋIsn’t ‘Vanguard’ done with their song promotions?? I don’t feel any break at allㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
The group’s schedule shifted from team activities to individual ones, and the busiest among them, Kang Rojun, made time over a few days to move house. He had finally gotten a place with a view of the Han River.
‘Kya- No matter how many times I look, this view is killer!’
Even compared to all the famous idols in the country, Kang Rojun was the first to get his own home this quickly, one with a Han River view, no less. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t use the dorm anymore; he planned to split his time between home, the dorm, and the company as needed.
Whatever the case, Kang Rojun’s eyes sparkled as he looked out over the Han River.
As his mood soared to its peak, several thoughts flashed through his mind.
'It feels a bit lonely seeing this alone.’
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear his dad and mom praising him, saying he did well, telling him to keep going strong.
And starting from the second week of August, Kang Rojun dived right back into his personal schedule. Variety shows, commercials, photo shoots, interviews, his calendar remained packed, but with Vanguard's group activities wrapped, he definitely had more room to breathe than before.
‘At this pace, this is real freedom!’
The schedule felt not only easy but even comfortable for Rojun, thanks to his passive skill ‘Vitality Booster’. Around this time, Manager Kim Ki-baek informed ‘Vanguard’.
“‘Royal Procession’ choreography is out.”
The choreography for ‘Royal Procession’, which GN Entertainment’s in-house choreography team had poured their heart into, was now complete. As a result, once individual schedules had been settled, the ‘Vanguard’ members gathered in the spacious practice room.
“Ah, why does it feel like it’s been forever since we’ve seen each other?”
“Did your variety show shoot go well, Do-kyung?”
"I felt like I was dying. The recording alone took over half a day."
"'A Tranquil Day' exploded properly so Do-kyung is getting into variety shows left and right!"
“By the way, Rojun hyung, when’s the housewarming?”
"I haven't even unpacked yet."
As they chatted like it had been a long time, the in-house choreography team appeared in front of them. They first explained the choreography for ‘Royal Procession’, and not long after.
-♬♪
The practice room filled with the sound of the gayageum. The song ‘Royal Procession’ had started playing.
At the same time, the choreography team showcased the completed choreography for ‘Royal Procession’ to ‘Vanguard’. The song was lively yet powerful, full of Korean traditional color. From the rap part that built up to the gayageum rhythm, the choreography transitioned into powerful movements within seconds. The key was to move arms and legs as much as possible.
However, throughout the moves, there were several fresh and unique elements rarely seen in the mainstream idol market.
‘Ohhh- Amazing.’
Just like how Rojun was quietly admiring it in his mind, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung watched the choreography as if spellbound.
‘Is that the hook move? It’s got flavor.’
Especially the highlight move inspired by sangmo spinning was the centerpiece. Before long, Kang Rojun’s arms and legs twitched. With eyes wide open, he had already started copying the choreography.
‘I should try to add more power in that part.’
Rojun’s Dance stat, heading beyond 100 and reaching toward 150. While his knowledge and dance lines had likely improved in various ways, what had developed by far the most was his ability to copy choreography.
His eye for watching, sensing, and absorbing dance had grown significantly.
As soon as the choreography demonstration ended, the ‘Royal Procession’ choreography was handed over to the ‘Vanguard’ members, and Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung immediately stood up and began moving their bodies based on what they remembered.
“Whoa, this is hard.”
“Agreed. Especially the key move. Is this how it goes?”
“No, it needs to be more aggressive.”
Meanwhile, Kang Rojun remained seated, calmly studying the choreography on his phone. He was already gauging the timing and the pacing. After that, Rojun and the other members each started individual practice where they preferred. The place Rojun chose was a small-to-medium practice room he often used.
‘Royal Procession’ echoed through the empty practice room and then.
-Swish.
Kang Rojun began by executing the choreography he had just copied. Of course, this was before he had even formally learned it. And yet, his movements flowed quite smoothly without any major interruptions. Sure, he paused here and there to rewatch parts of the choreography, but compared to before, he was no different from a professional idol. No, not even the top-tier idols could learn this fast.
“Whew- the moves are fun. Let’s do it a bit more.”
In the end, Kang Rojun practiced the ‘Royal Procession’ choreography from night into dawn, and even the next day and the day after that, he returned to the practice room whenever he had time. The number of days it took him to perform the choreography smoothly without any video?
Just a few.
Soon, Rojun.
-[“With ‘AI Automation’ analysis, you can derive the desired result. What would you like to analyze?”]
Added perfection to the current ‘Royal Procession’ choreography.
-[“Analyzing with AI... Analysis complete!”]
A tingling sensation shot through his wrist, followed by a strange wave spreading through his entire body. Naturally, this perfection of Kang Rojun’s was.
“Okay, let’s keep pushing with this level of practice.”
Only the beginning of something that would become even greater. And so, by Friday afternoon, August 20th, at the ‘Blood Hunt’ set where Director Yoo Ji-heon’s “Okay” cue had just echoed.
“Great work, everyone!!!”
“Thank you for your hard work, Director-nim!”
“Come on now, the actors had it tougher than I did.”
A loud cheer erupted.
“Seriously, thank you so much everyone!!!”
"Ahh! It's finally over!!"
“What do you mean done, just because filming is over? Director-nim’s going straight into editing now.”
“Well, at least the first half is over! Let’s celebrate!!”
It was the moment ‘Blood Hunt’ had officially cranked up.