boyutpedia Chapter 193: Activities (6)
Chapter 193: Activities (6)
The official concert date in Japan for ‘Vanguard’ was announced by GN Entertainment. Since ‘Vanguard’ was extremely hot topic, other reporters quickly spread the news.《[Issue Pick] On Saturday, June 12, ‘Vanguard’ will land in Japan!》
《They’re holding a Japan concert this quickly? ‘Vanguard’ announces Japan concert date, earning yet another ‘first’》
Fans of ‘Vanguard’ were also busy sharing the news on SNS and community sites.
-Wow...a Japan concert within 3 months of debut...this is seriously insane
-ㅠㅠㅜㅠㅠㅜㅠGuys!! Keep walking on the path of money!
-Hey! GN!! When are you going to hold a Korea concert for Vanguard!!
-But seriously, Vanguard’s vibe is insane;;;
-Hah do I have to go to Japan
-Right now Vanguard has flipped the Japanese chartsㅋㅋㅋThe concert day gonna be chaosㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Seeing them in person is seriously holy....I want to see the concert....Last time I barely made it to the pre-recording, but I almost proposed the moment I saw Rojun...
-GN seems to be doing good work latelyㅋㅋㅋㅋSo hurry up with the Korea concert too....
-I went to Japan last week, guess I have to go againㅠㅠ
While articles were popping up left and right, various domestic entertainment companies couldn’t help but admire the news.
“Wow- ‘Vanguard’ really is doing a Japan concert?? When the rumors came out last time, I thought it was half fake news.”
“That’s what I’m saying, it’s really impressive. If they debuted in April, that means they’re doing a Japan concert in just 3 months??”
“That’s crazy......They’re definitely setting a new record for the fastest overseas concert. The fastest before was over half a year, right?”
“Most of the time, even fast ones take at least 6 months to a year.”
“Even if ‘Produce That 100!’ gave them a push, seeing them sweeping the Japanese charts now proves how huge their fanbase is there......I’m jealous, really.”
There was no idol group moving at Vanguard’s pace. While already showing massive power domestically, they now set a major first-time record with the fastest-ever Japan concert.
A Japan concert in just 3 months after debut.
Usually, among domestic idols, even if they’re popular, a Japan concert doesn’t happen until they near their first anniversary. But ‘Vanguard’ was holding one in just 3 months post-debut, an unprecedented and unparalleled record.
Thanks to that, not only ‘Vanguard’ fans but the entire entertainment industry was buzzing once again.
However, GN Entertainment made it clear this wasn’t the end, and dropped an additional official announcement. A few hours later.
《[Official] ‘Vanguard’ confirms Japan concert on June 12, venue is Japan’s ‘Saitama Arena’!》
《‘Vanguard’s Japan concert venue is ‘Saitama Arena’, maximum audience capacity of 35,000 / photo》
They revealed the concert venue to the world. Of course, GN Entertainment timed the announcement strategically, and ‘Saitama Arena’ was among the largest concert venues in Japan. It could hold a minimum of 20,000 and a maximum of 35,000 people.
Furthermore, this venue was familiar to fans who were a bit into the idol scene.
It was already a concert hall frequently used by many domestic idols.
Anyway, with ‘Saitama Arena’ set as the venue for ‘Vanguard’s Japan concert, which could hold 35,000 people, the domestic media were astonished once again. Their debut showcase concert had drawn 20,000 people, but this Japan concert would be even larger at 35,000. The numbers were significantly higher.
The interesting point here is the reaction from various media outlets who heard the news.
“35,000 for a Japan concert?? Hmm- well, it’s ‘Vanguard’, so I think it’s totally doable.”
“They’ll fill it easily. Their debut showcase with 20,000 seats sold out immediately after opening.”
Entertainment companies, broadcasters, and others in the industry were now viewing ‘Vanguard’ very differently compared to their early debut days. The question had shifted from ‘Can they fill 35,000 seats?’ to ‘Of course they’ll fill it'. 35,000 was undeniably a massive number, but considering how ‘Vanguard’ was currently sweeping Japanese charts, speculation was rampant that they could easily pull it off.
Whatever the case, the information about ‘Vanguard’s Japan concert was released simultaneously not only in Korea but also in Japan, and both sides were overflowing with explosive reactions.
In the meantime, Kang Rojun and the members were steadily handling their packed schedule.
The ‘GreenBee’ promotions were gradually coming to an end, and in particular, Rojun spent each and every day like hell, constantly traveling back and forth between Japan and Korea. Though he himself seemed perfectly fine.
《‘Rojun’ heads to Japan once again, flashing a smile to fans despite endless schedules / Photo》
What was especially impressive about Kang Rojun was how meticulously he managed his time. From the set of 'Like a Kaleidoscope', to airplanes and cars, if he had any waiting time, he always worked on something. He had recently finished the OST for 'Like a Kaleidoscope', but still had an overwhelming amount of work left.
After completing ‘Song No. 4', he had begun composing and writing lyrics for ‘Song No. 5', working on the 'Tale of the Strange Moon' x 'Vanguard' collaboration, writing the script for 'Tale of the Strange Moon', and more. On top of that, Kang Rojun was receiving numerous requests and proposals for songwriting and lyrics from various places lately.
It was only natural.
From 'Produce That 100!' to 'Vanguard', veteran singer Park Hyun-jung, and various OSTs for different works. Rojun had delivered results across the board, so the offers coming in were a natural flow. Manager Kim Ki-baek filtered through the first batch and then showed most of them to Rojun, who also needed time to review the incoming proposals and requests.
Rojun occasionally felt a curious emotion about it all.
‘Wow- this singer is asking me for lyrics?? That’s insane.’
Watching Kang Rojun not waste even a single second, the GN Entertainment staff who worked with him couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement.
“Where did Rojun-nim go??”
“He’s in the car.”
“The car??”
“Yes. I was giving him some water earlier and happened to glance in, he seemed to be composing music in the car.”
“He’s composing during waiting time?? Wow- even in Japan, his routine doesn’t change?”
“I was surprised too. Usually, during breaks between shoots, people review the script... but he’s doing other work without losing a single bit of his acting form.”
“Honestly, he acts better than the other Japanese actors too, doesn’t he?”
“Totally. He’s a genius who puts in insane effort, how can you compete with that? It’s impossible.”
“But is Rojun-nim really o-okay? Isn’t he going to collapse at this rate?”
“Well......Manager Ki-baek said he’s fine, at least.”
The staff worried while watching Rojun, but Kang Rojun himself was utterly enjoying it.
'Having lots of waiting time when filming works is awesome!'
Later that afternoon, PD Noguchi Ken was watching Kang Rojun, now transformed into the legendary host ‘Murata Sho’, intently through the monitor. Soon, a smile crept up the corners of his lips, and he shouted in Japanese toward Rojun, who was in the filming zone.
“Cut, OK! Great work, Rojun-nim.”
Kang Rojun bowed deeply to the hundred-plus staff members. His filming for 'Like a Kaleidoscope' had just ended.
“Thank you for your hard work!! You’ve all worked hard!”
It was the moment everything came to an end.
At the same time, in Han Seo-ryeong’s writing studio.
In the living room of star writer Han Seo-ryeong’s studio, which was essentially the same as an apartment, a familiar woman was sitting across from her. It was PD Jung Soo-ryeong, with her frizzy brown hair tied back in a single line. Seemingly just arrived, steam was still rising from the teacup in front of her. She sipped the hot coffee and gave Han Seo-ryeong a smile.
“I’ve decided to leave SBC, you’ve heard the rumors, right?”
Writer Han Seo-ryeong slowly nodded and pushed her glasses up.
“Yes. I was actually planning to contact you. Honestly, I thought PD Jung would become a CP at SBC, maybe even a senior executive at the desk. Did something happen?”
“Not really, more like, just like you said, the network started giving me the look, hinting I should settle down at the desk. I did consider taking the desk position, but I got too antsy to sit still. So I just quit.”
“......How long were you at SBC?”
“About 16 years? 17 years? I don’t even remember anymore. Anyway, now that it’s turned out this way, I guess I’ll just keep directing outside until I’m old enough to retire.”
Watching PD Jung Soo-ryeong laugh so refreshingly, writer Han Seo-ryeong thought to herself.
‘Seventeen years of directing, she just set records with 'Rental Lover' and her filmography is full of hits. It’s kind of a shame that someone of her caliber won’t be sitting at the desk.’
PD Jung Soo-ryeong, after putting down her teacup, continued speaking.
“I came by partly to say hello, and also because I have something to discuss with you.”
-Swish.
She placed two stacks of paper she had brought separately onto the table.
“Since you’re one of the CEOs of ‘Culture Drawer', I wanted to return these scripts first.”
“Scripts?”
“Yes. Uh- these are the ones I received from Writer Rojun in the past. I was planning to produce them, but with the way things are for me now, it’s going to take time. They’re scripts I’m really, really greedy for, but holding onto them any longer would just be selfish, so I’m returning them.”
“Ah, I see.”
Writer Han Seo-ryeong also knew a bit about these scripts. She had heard about them from Kang Rojun in the past.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure they’re properly delivered to Writer Rojun. So I’m sure you’ve gotten offers from all over, how about our ‘Culture Drawer’?”
“Mm... it’s tempting, but I still prefer being on my own for now. I’ve been worn out by SBC for such a long time.”
“I understand. Let me know if you change your mind. So what are you planning to do now?”
Crossing her arms and letting out a sigh, PD Jung Soo-ryeong replied.
“I’ve enjoyed unemployment enough, so I should start picking up work again. Maybe because I’ve been directing for so long, I keep hearing all kinds of things. I’ve found a place I want to aim for.”
“Oh, really? What kind of project?”
She smirked slightly.
“Wouldn’t be fun if I told you right away, right? For now, it’s a secret?”
Kang Rojun briefly flashed through Jung Soo-ryeong’s mind.
Monday, May 10th.
The location was a quiet rural village somewhere in Gangwon Province. The kind of place where old houses stood here and there, reminiscent of a hometown, each with large fields spread out in front.
Among them, the house with the largest field had a filming crew of over fifty people settled in.
That wasn’t all.
In the old yet nostalgic-looking house and the nearby storage packed with firewood and other items, small cameras had been installed, and drones with cameras buzzed through the air above. In front of the house, lighting and camera setups had already been completed. And there, three women, unmistakably celebrities, approached while chatting excitedly.
“So hot. It’s only May, but doesn’t it feel like summer? Anyway, is this the place?? The vibe is great!”
“Seriously, totally!”
“That must be the potato field the staff mentioned.”
“Ugh- this already feels tough.”
“But isn’t it kind of exciting? Feels like we’ve come to the countryside!”
The women were three popular actresses, one veteran who seemed the oldest, one with a mid-level career, and one who appeared to be the youngest. Among them, the youngest was a very familiar face.
She wore a hat, but her long hair and the beauty mark next to her nose couldn’t be hidden.
It was none other than S-Class top actress Choi Rina.
Including Choi Rina, the three actresses dragged large suitcases to the front of the house and began talking to the staff waiting for them. The veteran actress was the first to speak.
“How did you even manage to find a place like this?”
The man who seemed to be the main PD laughed heartily as he replied.
“Do you like it??”
“I do. But that potato field is huuuuuge.”
“For now, it’s just for display.”
“Yeah right, I can already picture us digging up potatoes.”
“We’ll see?”
“So, when do we get to eat?”
“You’ll have to prepare it yourselves.”
Letting out a sigh like someone who’d done this before, the veteran actress turned to the other two actresses.
“Since it’s the first shoot, should we look around the house first?”
The first to move was Choi Rina. The three of them explored the house where they’d be staying for about 30 minutes.
“It’s bigger than I thought??”
“There are a lot of rooms.”
“They’re probably not all for us. Some must be for guests. But I do like the spacious kitchen.”
“This place is just like my family home.”
“Rina, weren’t you from Seoul?”
“Nope? I used to catch frogs in the rice paddies and fields.”
"That's a huge plot twist. Eek! Look at this! There’s firewood stacked up in the shed!”
Not long after, the actresses were once again standing in front of the staff, and Choi Rina rubbed her stomach with a distressed expression.
“I’m hungry. I saw there are some basic seasonings and stuff... should we just mix soy sauce with rice and eat that??”
The main PD flashed a devilish smile.
“No way. Look around, this place is full of potatoes.”
The veteran actress let out a heavy sigh.
“See? I knew it. But still, isn’t this too much for the first day??”
Then, suddenly, as if something came to mind, she got excited.
“Ahhh! When are they coming?”
The PD realized what she meant but pretended not to know.
“Who?”
“Why are you pretending you don’t know! The articles are already out!”
The veteran actress fiddled with her phone and shoved it toward the PD. The article headlines were clearly visible.
《Rojun and Do-kyung confirmed as first guests of legendary variety show ‘A Tranquil Day’ new season!》
《Vanguard’s Rojun and Do-kyung to appear on the returning ‘A Tranquil Day’! [Official]》
The veteran actress questioned again.
“When are these noble gentlemen arriving!”
At that moment, the van carrying Kang Rojun and Do-kyung was.
-Vroooom!
Speeding its way through Gangwon Province.