boyutpedia Chapter 172: Music Show (2)
Chapter 172: Music Show (2)
The rehearsal began on the stage for the pre-recording of the music show. Although it was just a rehearsal, Kang Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung treated it no different from the actual performance.-♬♪
‘GreenBee’ resounded throughout the venue. Cameras filming them. Even a crew carrying a huge camera moved back and forth right in front of ‘Vanguard’. A production choice to heighten the liveliness of the stage.
A female PD of ‘Music Beat’ watched the entire stage with her arms folded.
“……”
Her expression was indifferent, but inwardly, she was quite satisfied.
‘They’re good. You can’t even compare them to other rookies. The grade difference is huge.’
She was acquainted with Woo Han-suk PD, but Woo Han-suk hadn’t asked her for any favors. All he said was, “They’re different”. That was it. And for some reason, the moment she saw Vanguard’s rehearsal, she immediately understood.
Dozens of staff around her commented,
“Wow- how could anyone think this is their first music broadcast?? They’re so good.”
“Yeah, they’re great, but also so composed. Look at how they’re managing their eye contact with the camera movements. Most rookies would fumble, but they’re clean.”
“Well, they already got used to performing on stage through ‘Produce That 100!’, and they debuted at Gocheok Dome. A stage like this probably doesn’t faze them. Still, their skills are insane.”
No one held back their exclamations or admiration.
“But, damn- look at Rojun’s face. It’s art, literal art.”
“The other guys have good-looking faces too, but Rojun is just… don’t you just blank out while looking at him??”
“Every reporter who’s seen Rojun gushes over him, saying he looks like a different lifeform. I totally get what they mean now.”
When the first rehearsal ended, the female PD gave ‘Vanguard’ some things to revise, and Rojun and the members reviewed themselves on the monitor and accepted the feedback.
Then came another rehearsal.
Kang Rojun, performing the choreography, roughly grasped how music broadcasts worked.
‘Ah, it’s like this?’
He felt a strange thrill. Of course, the stage was smaller compared to Gocheok Dome.
‘This footage is going to be aired on TV, right??’
A large audience would watch ‘Vanguard’ from their living rooms. The other members, except for Rojun, also looked visibly excited. After finishing the rehearsal, ‘Vanguard’ returned to the waiting room before the main shoot. It was time for final checks like hair, makeup, and coordination.
When ‘Vanguard’ entered the waiting room, Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung heard something they hadn’t expected and dropped their jaws. Si-hoo had the biggest reaction.
“Whaaaat??!”
It was because they heard their confirmed schedule from manager Kim Ki-baek.
“A-a commercial?! For us??!!”
The news that a commercial offer had come in for ‘Vanguard’, who had only officially debuted a few days ago. Even Kang Rojun widened his eyes like a startled rabbit, and Kim Ki-baek, wearing a faint smile, continued explaining.
“Yes. A commercial. Um- there are still some parts being coordinated, but you can pretty much consider it confirmed.”
Rojun blinked and asked again.
“What kind of commercial is it?”
Meeting Rojun’s gaze, Kim Ki-baek replied.
“Vanguard’s first commercial will be for ‘VORN’.”
‘VORN’ is one of the top 3 fashion retail platforms in the country. So both Rojun and the other members already knew about ‘VORN.’
“No way. We’re doing a ‘VORN’ commercial…”
“The plan is to film it as soon as possible to target this year’s F/W season. We’ll be shooting several versions, photo, video, etc.”
Soon, the members started hugging each other and jumping up and down. Amidst that, Manager Kim Ki-baek fueled the excitement even more.
“For a commercial to land right after debut- well, you can probably guess, but it’s rare. It’s not an exaggeration to say ‘Vanguard’ is the first. Other companies are definitely watching, and once the word gets out about this ad, more will jump in.”
As if that wasn’t the end of it, Kim Ki-baek called out to Kang Rojun.
“And Rojun.”
“Yes?”
“‘VORN’ is Vanguard’s ad. You’ve also received a solo commercial offer.”
Solo what? Kang Rojun’s eyes slightly widened, unsure if he heard correctly.
“A solo commercial? You mean just me?”
“Yes.”
Inside the waiting room, all eyes, from the staff to the members, were fixed on Rojun, as Kim Ki-baek continued his briefing with a smile.
“Actually, this came in even before ‘VORN’. The ad that came for Rojun is for a cosmetic brand. ‘Balt’ is launching a premium line, and Rojun was picked as their first ad model.”
The commercial attached to Kang Rojun was for a cosmetic product. And not just any company, it was a major corporation. At that moment, Do-kyung, who had been observing Rojun closely, chimed in dryly.
“It’s the face.”
Kang-min joined in.
“Definitely the face.”
The final word came from the eldest, Si-hoo.
“How could anyone resist this face?”
Scanning his fellow members, Kang Rojun let out a small laugh.
“As expected, if I’m in charge of face in Vanguard, this much is light.”
Boos erupted from all directions.
Later.
The main pre-recording for ‘Vanguard’ on the music broadcast officially began. When Rojun and the members stepped out onto the stage again, the audience seats were already filled with well over a hundred fans.
“Kyaaaaaaa!!!”
Screams poured in. Kang Rojun and the members waved to the fans thoroughly before filming began. It was partly fan service, but truthfully, Kang Rojun was genuinely touched by the fans who came out so early in the morning waving light sticks.
‘Thank you, seriously. Aside from lunch boxes, isn’t there something else I can give them??’
Once the fans calmed down, the main filming began.
At this moment, Kang Rojun was surprised once more. During the intro of ‘GreenBee’, the fans shouted the names of the ‘Vanguard’ members at the top of their lungs, and after each line, their chant-like singing filled the air with energy.
‘So this is the fan chant.’
He had heard about it from Manager Kim Ki-baek, but hearing the actual “fan chant” in person overwhelmed him even more. However, Rojun and the members had no time to get emotional.
-♬♪
The best return they could give their fans was to deliver an incredible performance, and right now, they had to focus on the pre-recording for ‘Music Beat’. The stage wasn’t just done in one go. There were multiple rounds of monitoring, directing, and stage filming.
The female PD finally gave the OK sign after about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
‘Vanguard’ immediately bowed 90 degrees to the dozens of staff members.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Thank you so much!!”
They didn’t forget to wave to the fans shaking their light sticks or to make eye contact with them. ‘Vanguard’ completed their pre-recording for ‘Music Beat’ at around 8 a.m. After briefly stopping by the waiting room, Rojun immediately moved to the van for their next schedule.
-Swoosh.
While on the move, he checked his phone.
A familiar notification had arrived.
-[Hidden Mission ‘Complete a Music Show as an Official Idol!’ has been achieved! You have been rewarded 15 Coins.]
Today had been packed with joy, even though it started at dawn. No matter what, after finishing the ‘Music Beat’ schedule, ‘Vanguard’ moved straight to their next appointment. A quick stop at the salon, then three interviews, two YouTube shoots, content filming for Vanguard’s channels, and even a live broadcast to communicate with fans.
In their tightly packed schedule, the only rest time allowed for Kang Rojun and the members was during travel.
Some members took naps or grabbed meals during short breaks, but Rojun, who wasn’t tired at all, stayed in work mode even during downtime.
‘Once one schedule ends, an hour or two flies by, and then it’s off to the next one. There’s no time to spare. I need to squeeze in work even during commutes.’
He used his laptop, phone, or tablet to work on his side jobs. Recently, he had finished a synopsis and started writing Part 1 of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’, along with songwriting, lyric writing, and more. He also didn’t forget to review the scripts and scenarios for ‘Like a Kaleidoscope’ and ‘Blood Hunt’, which he would be filming soon.
Most likely no, 100% the busiest person in Vanguard’s van was Kang Rojun.
But he never showed it outwardly.
‘Wherever I turn, there’s something fun.’
These days, Kang Rojun’s condition was at its peak. Thanks in part to the ‘Vitality Booster’, but also because every place and experience he encountered after debuting as an idol was new, it amplified everything several times over. It was at this moment that Manager Kim Ki-baek brought up a new gig to Rojun.
“Rojun.”
It was late at night, after the day’s schedule had ended. Just before midnight, while Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung were busy nodding off in the van heading back to the dorm, Manager Kim Ki-baek opened his mouth.
“Netflix Japan contacted us. They said they want Rojun to handle the ending main theme OST for ‘Like a Kaleidoscope’.”
An OST for me? Maybe because Kang Rojun was the one who wrote ‘Like a Kaleidoscope’, but the moment he heard the news, a flood of musical ideas rushed through his head. Considering how busy he already was, getting another job could feel overwhelming, yet Rojun felt a surge of excitement instead.
“When they say they want me to do the ending main theme OST, how much do they mean exactly? Just vocals?”
Manager Kim Ki-baek slowly shook his head.
“No. If possible, they’re talking about composition, lyrics, and vocals. Mm- it’s definitely a great offer. But thinking about your current schedule, Rojun, I’m not sure it’s realistic. Maybe just the lyrics, that could be doable.”
“I’ll do it. All of it.”
“…You’re saying you’ll do the composition, lyrics, and vocals?”
“Yes.”
Kim Ki-baek stared at Rojun for a moment, then let out a small sigh and scratched his head.
“Rojun, I want to advise against this. I’ve never told the other members, but I’ve been keeping a separate schedule diary just for you. That’s how packed your calendar is. I’ve seen a lot of people burn out after taking on too much because they were swept up in the moment, and your schedule’s already intense. Really, are you sure you’re okay?”
His tone was dripping with sincerity, but Rojun answered with a bright eye smile that seemed to say not to worry at all.
“My stamina’s solid. If it feels like too much, I’ll tell you right away.”
Without replying, Kim Ki-baek gave Rojun a full once-over.
‘Honestly, Rojun should be the one struggling the most, but compared to the other members, he’s always fine. He doesn’t force himself to work either. His stamina… was he just born with it? For now, maybe it’s okay to keep watching.’
In the end, Kim Ki-baek raised the white flag.
“Alright. I’ll let the Netflix Japan team know.”
A few days later, on the 12th.
Today marked exactly one week since ‘Vanguard’ debuted, and currently, the internet was overflowing with ‘Vanguard’.
《[Star Talk] ‘Vanguard’ Firmly Holds No. 1 on the Charts… Dominating YouTube Too》
The YouTube variety shows ‘Vanguard’ had filmed were being edited at lightning speed and uploaded, and countless YouTubers were flooding the platform with content to capitalize on the hot ‘Vanguard’ trend.
These days, no matter where you looked, ‘Vanguard’ was there.
It was a bold move, no doubt.
《‘Vanguard’, Every Broadcast Variety Show Wants Them!》
Soon, ‘Vanguard’ was expected to take over TV as well. Around this time, the group ‘Neos’, who recently made headlines by selling over 1 million albums in their first week, were in transit for their own schedule.
“Ugh, the ‘Talk Cider’ Vanguard episode has more views.”
“How many?”
“Ours has 880,000 views. Vanguard’s is at 1.04 million.”
“Tch.”
They were watching ‘Vanguard’ with considerable sensitivity. The media was already pushing a rivalry narrative, and ‘Neos’ still ranked below ‘Vanguard’ on all kinds of charts.
“‘Talk Cider’ pushed harder on the promo for the Vanguard episode. They even dropped two teasers.”
“Whew, and on the charts, Vanguard’s still holding 1st through 3rd.”
“Well, at least our track ‘Box’ climbed up to No. 2.”
“Still just No. 2. Annoying. I saw Pineon-hyung’s face the other day, he looked pissed.”
The manager, noticing the mood, tried to calm ‘Neos’ down.
“Guys, stop thinking about ‘Vanguard’ and look over the interview questions.”
“But hyung! Are we even sending out our articles properly?? I don’t see them anywhere!”
“…We tripled the article volume compared to last comeback. But right now, it’s not just about Vanguard, other agencies are blasting out articles like crazy too.”
While the six members of ‘Neos’ were grumbling away, in a recording studio somewhere, someone else was grinding his teeth while reading an article about ‘Vanguard’.
“Seriously, what’s with all the hype over ‘Vanguard’? From what I’ve heard, their songs aren’t even that great. Isn’t Neos’s ‘Bloom Me’ like a hundred times better? Is it just me??”
It was Pineon, a famous producer with brown eyebrows and a bald head.
“Ha! Major streaming platforms still have ‘Vanguard’ sitting at No. 1 through 3. It’s driving me nuts.”
He slammed his phone onto the table with a rough motion. The piercing on his eyebrow swayed. Around him were about three fellow producers, and one of them, carefully watching Pineon’s mood, cautiously spoke up.
“But I wonder how much ‘Vanguard’ will sell in their first week. It’s been about a week since their debut, right?”
Pineon, rubbing his bald head, let out a long sigh.
“No matter how hot they are, it’s still a debut album. There’s a limit. Unless they keep this hype going into their second or third album.”
“Really? I feel like ‘Vanguard’ could sell a million in their first week.”
Pineon shot a glare at the colleague who just spoke.
“Why do you sound like you want that to happen?”
“No, no, it’s just that there’s so much hype around ‘Vanguard’ right now.”
“Has anyone in the idol scene ever hit a million with a debut album?”
“Nope.”
Just then, another colleague who had been glued to his phone suddenly widened his eyes and shouted.
“Hey!! The first-week sales for ‘Vanguard’ just got announced!”
Pineon whipped his head around and stood up.
“How much?! What’s the number?!”
“It’s not a million.”
Pineon’s lips curled into a smirk almost immediately.
“How much then? Like 800,000?”
“Two million.”
“See, now you’re just- what? What?? How many did you say??”
“…To be exact, 2.05 million.”
In a matter of seconds, Pineon’s entire bald head turned beet red as he snatched the colleague’s phone with a loud slap! But-
“Goddamn it.”
The reality didn’t change.
《[Issue Talk] Vanguard Hits Jackpot- 2.05 Million Copies Sold in First Week… First Ever Debut Album to Hit Million-Seller Status!》
‘Vanguard’ had just added another “first” to their list.