boyutpedia Chapter 1252 Thoughts
Chapter 1252 Thoughts
Chapter 1252 Thoughts
In the van, Ji Jingyuan, who had just finished a brand promotion, sat in the back seat looking at his phone with a smile. Park Jae-hyun, who was in the front passenger seat, saw this and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
"In today's M!C., Girls' Generation beat Wanan One to take first place... I'm watching the online flame war right now."
Chi Jingyuan said casually as he looked at the book.
"You won first place in Girls' Generation?"
Upon hearing this, Park Jae-hyun was immediately surprised: "They actually beat Wanna One? Judging by their momentum, this group should be the most popular group to debut in K-pop history, right?"
"Pretty much... Anyway, it's much better than we were back then."
Chi Jingyuan stopped pointing, looked up and thought for a moment, then shrugged and nodded.
In terms of the response after their debut, EXO and Wanna One are simply incomparable.
"Tsk tsk, Girls' Generation is really impressive. That new boy group has more than a dozen entertainment companies behind them, and even more so, ChinaJoy. Just looking at the promotional resources they've invested in these past few months is terrifying, but the response has been really good..."
Park Jae-hyun had clearly done his research on EXO's new rival, and turned to Ji Kyung-won with a mischievous smile, saying, "Judging by their current momentum and popularity, I feel that even if EXO came today, they might not be able to get first place, right?"
"..."
His words caused Chi Jingyuan to pause in surprise.
Park Jae-hyun wasn't exaggerating. Wanan One's debut performance was truly impressive. Girls' Generation's success today is largely due to the explosive digital music chart performance following the huge success of "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter." This explosive performance also benefited from the nostalgia of fans and casual listeners, as well as the hype surrounding their disbandment.
While EXO will undoubtedly win in sales, their digital music chart performance won't be as good as Girls' Generation's, and they might not even reach the level of Wanan One, who ranked second in digital music charts for two weeks.
Although they are probably still no match for EXO, it's already quite impressive that they can compete with EXO so soon after their debut.
Looking at it this way, this new boy group really does pose a significant threat to EXO.
Although he objectively agreed with some of it, Chi Jingyuan frowned in dissatisfaction: "Brother, you underestimate us too much, don't you?"
"Haha, just kidding. With Jingyuan here, how can XO win?"
Park Jae-hyun chuckled and waved his hand in a flattering gesture, then glanced at his watch: "Let's go get something to eat first. Kyung-won, what would you like to eat?"
"eat……"
Just as Chi Jingyuan was about to say something, his phone suddenly rang. He looked down and saw it was Kim Tae-yeon calling. As soon as he answered, he heard a noisy background noise and her loud, clamorous voice on the other end of the line.
"Victory celebration banquet! Victory celebration banquet! Come to the victory celebration banquet, we're just waiting for you!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Jingyuan immediately understood what Kim Tae-yeon meant and smiled helplessly: "Noona, didn't you guys just finish your music show? You're already having a celebration party? Don't you have any plans for tonight?"
"No, we're all grown up now, how can we still work all night like we did when we were rookies?" Kim Tae-yeon said confidently.
"Besides, the celebration banquet wasn't held today... You think it's 2007 and you're holding a celebration banquet just because you got first place?"
"Anyway, we already agreed on this, are you coming or not?"
Hearing Kim Tae-yeon's blatant cheating and the commotion from the other members behind him, Ji Kyung-won shrugged.
Well, I guess I have to go now... but I was just about to eat anyway.
…………
When Ji Kyung-won arrived at the private room at the restaurant that Kim Tae-yeon had mentioned, all the dishes had already been served. However, none of the eight members of Girls' Generation ate anything. Instead, they were chatting animatedly, excitedly banging on the table, and their laughter could be heard from a great distance. Ji Kyung-won even heard someone singing as he entered the room.
Although it hasn't started yet, the atmosphere is already incredibly lively.
"So lively?"
He entered the private room and greeted them with surprise.
"Jingyuan is here?"
"Oh, I've been waiting for you."
"This is a victory celebration banquet, of course it's going to be lively."
"Sit down, sit down."
Upon seeing him arrive, the already noisy private room immediately became chaotic. A group of older women greeted him with smiles, and Chi Jingyuan took the opportunity to walk to the seat they had specially reserved for him and sat down. He glanced around and saw Kim Tae-yeon on his left and Lim Yoon-ah on his right.
...One is the largest and one is the smallest; the seating arrangement is like an ouroboros.
"Ha ha……"
Faced with her friends' enthusiasm, Ji Kyungwon smiled and greeted them all. Then, looking at Kim Tae-yeon, who was pretending to be calm and waiting to eat with her chopsticks, he asked curiously, "Wait, is it really necessary to be so happy? Is this your first time winning first place?"
"Hmph, of course I'm happy."
Kim Tae-yeon couldn't keep up the act any longer. She rolled her eyes at him, shook her head, and said smugly, "How could you juniors at the peak of your careers understand the feelings of us seniors?"
"Was Nu happy when Girls' Generation won their first number one award, or was she happier today?" Ji Kyung-won asked again, laughing inwardly as he watched her shaking her head.
"..." This question seemed to have really stumped Kim Tae-yeon. She stared blankly for a while, then her brain overloaded a few seconds later, and she grinned impatiently: "Damn it, how can we compare these?"
"Haha." Seeing this, Lim Yoona covered her mouth and laughed.
Chi Kyung-won also laughed. Although he couldn't quite feel the joy of Kim Tae-yeon and the rest of Girls' Generation, he could roughly understand it.
Only by being there can you know how fickle the K-pop environment is.
Every year, new idols debut who are younger, more energetic, have better backgrounds, and are even more hardworking. They say they respect their seniors and are their fans, but in their hearts they are always hoping that their seniors will pass by quickly so that they can surpass them.
Ji Kyung-won is already feeling a sense of urgency, let alone Girls' Generation.
It's truly unimaginable that a group could overshadow such a top-tier boy band in their final album; at least, virtually no group has ever achieved this upon disbanding.
Most idol groups have an uncertain future, and most of them have already stopped their activities before disbanding. It is extremely rare for them to continue to perform together and release albums before disbanding.
Most groups manage to part amicably, avoiding a messy ending, which is already quite an achievement, let alone shining so brightly in the final stages of a group's run.
It's no wonder these girls are all in such high spirits today, given that Girls' Generation has managed to stay together from beginning to end.
After Chi Jingyuan arrived, the celebration banquet finally began.
The private room was bustling with activity, filled with the clinking of glasses and lively conversation. The food was eaten quickly, but the drinks were consumed even faster.
The dishes on the table had barely been touched, yet the wine glasses were already empty and refilled repeatedly. It seemed that neither those who drank nor those who didn't care anymore.
Laughter rose and fell, some slapping the table as they recounted amusing anecdotes from the past, while others, recalling past conflicts, began to pour out their grievances. The alcohol flushed everyone's cheeks, but it also rekindled a long-lost sense of intimacy.
At this moment, it felt as if I had returned to those days when I used to play around in the waiting room. All the glory and setbacks had turned into the fine wine swirling in my glass.
Even Kim Tae-yeon poured herself a glass, and after drinking it for less than five minutes, her cheeks started to turn red.
But he still waved his arms wildly and confidently, seemingly freed from all constraints, and talked at length about his contributions to his teenage years.
Kwon Yuri and Kim Hyoyeon, who drank the most, either recalled past conflicts or had a quarrel and suddenly started arguing, complaining that if they hadn't joined Girls' Generation, they would be working as backup dancers somewhere now.
Huang Meiying, for some unknown reason, or perhaps because of something she had heard, suddenly burst into tears. Instead of comforting her, Cui Xiuying, who was standing next to her, laughed and said, "Aren't you American style? You're not crying because you're sad about leaving for America soon, are you?"
Some people completely exposed their emotions, some used alcohol to vent something, and of course, some simply had bad drinking habits.
At the same time, there was also Lim Yoon-a, who doesn't usually drink much, but at this moment she was chuckling and occasionally making a well-timed sarcastic remark, while her glass of wine never stopped flowing.
Ji Kyung-won didn't say much, but quietly watched the group of Girls' Generation members around him who were completely engrossed, silently feeling the special atmosphere.
Everyone seemed very engaged and absorbed, behaving quite differently from usual. Some expressions, some resentment, some words seemed to suggest that if they weren't said today, they would never have the chance again.
The whole atmosphere seemed a bit strange, a bit rushed, and a bit abnormal.
But after watching for a while, Chi Jingyuan roughly understood the reason.
Today's win was very close, and everyone can see Wanan On's momentum; it's really going to be difficult for them to achieve anything significant on music shows going forward.
Moreover, even if there were one or two more winners, none of them would be as meaningful as today's result, where someone directly defeated a super rookie and won the first number one spot on a single from this disbanded album.
This also means that after winning the music show award today, which witnessed Girls' Generation's last glorious moment, it also signals that Girls' Generation, this legendary girl group that has gone through ten years, is finally coming to an end.
Moreover, by today's standards, those who did not renew their contracts, such as Tiffany, Seohyun, and Sooyoung, are no longer considered members of SM Entertainment, and it's debatable whether they can even be considered part of Girls' Generation anymore.
So, the group of women who knew this all along finally stopped suppressing their deep-seated emotions.
Before coming, Kim Tae-yeon said it was a celebration party, and Ji Kyung-won thought he would be the main character.
But now he clearly felt that this was not a celebration banquet. Apart from the initial excitement and happiness, he did not feel the slightest bit of a celebratory atmosphere.
Instead, it's all a complex and subtle interweaving of emotions.
Instead, it was... a farewell dinner.
About Girls' Generation's farewell dinner.
…………
After a while, the drinking had subsided, and those who had been venting had done so. Those who had been arguing and crying had also sobered up a bit. Finally, someone remembered that Chi Jingyuan was still there.
"Jingyuan, I salute you."
Kim Hyoyeon brought over a glass of wine and toasted Ji Kyungwon with a smile: "What Taeyeon said when she won first place today was really true. Thanks to your help this time."
"It's all a small matter~"
Since she was so sincere, Chi Jingyuan didn't hold back and stood up to bump hands with her.
"..."
Kim Hyoyeon has an amazing alcohol tolerance. After downing her drink in one gulp, she laughed heartily and said, "Aigoo, I'm so lucky. I thought this album would only do so-so... I didn't expect it to become so popular before the group disbanded. This will be a big help for my solo career."
"Haha~"
Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but laugh; this woman was really straightforward.
However, what she said is indeed true... This album was a huge hit after the disbandment, and the massive success of "Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" brought Girls' Generation back into the mainstream spotlight after many years of silence. It also stirred up many people's memories and feelings, which will be of great benefit to the future development of the members of Girls' Generation who are about to go solo.
...So it's perfectly normal that they were all very grateful for Chi Jingyuan's help.
"Do you even need to tell me? Without Jingyuan, this album would have been a flop in the first place, okay?"
Choi Soo-young, who was following behind, retorted and then toasted Ji Kyung-won: "Kyung-won, I've made you laugh for so long... I'll have a drink with you too, thanks."
As soon as the two of them started drinking, the girls from Girls' Generation around them also thought of Chi Jingyuan and began drinking with him.
Whether it's to thank him for his help with the album or because of his considerable influence, I'm very willing to maintain this relationship and connection.
"call."
After drinking for a while, they finally calmed down. After sitting down, Ji Jingyuan looked at Kim Tae-yeon next to him and casually asked, "If you drink like this, don't you guys have to do your music shows tomorrow?"
"Don't underestimate them. They can drink more than anyone else. Look at Lee Soon-kyu, she's drunk so much and her face hasn't changed color. You might not even be able to outdrink her."
Kim Tae-yeon pouted: "There's only one performance tomorrow, so we don't need to go too early. It's nothing."
She paused, then casually added, "...The company already said that the album's promotional period is only twenty days, and it will end next week."
"Is this so..."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan could better understand how today's celebration banquet had turned into a farewell dinner.
If the promotional period is only twenty days, then the album's promotional period will end next week, which will actually mean that Girls' Generation will officially disband.
However, this activity period is not targeted by SM. It is normal for a ten-year-old group to have this activity period because they are all getting older and have many things to do. It is impossible to expect them to have a full schedule every day like before.
At the same time, several members did not renew their contracts, so the Girls' Generation brand became useless. Even though the results were good this time, SM Entertainment will not reap much reward if they continue to invest in this album.
Although Girls' Generation seems to have achieved good results this time, they are barely comparable to Wanan One.
However, considering the extremely high investment in the overall production of the album, including stage costumes, stylists, the budget for the schedule, and the profit sharing for each member, the cost-effectiveness is very average.
Instead of continuing to operate Girls' Generation, it would be far better to launch a new group.
Moreover, everyone knows that beating Wanan One once or twice is already quite good, and it's very difficult to beat them later on.
Rather than being overshadowed and humiliated by a rookie team at the end of his career, it's better to leave behind a legendary set and quit while he's ahead.
Even the fans have something to say:
...Never mind whether I ran or not or how long the event lasted, just tell me whether I won or not?
"However, publicly it will definitely be 'not disbanded' and the Girls' Generation brand will be retained."
Unlike usual, when she would get dizzy from drinking, Kim Tae-yeon was quite sober this time, even though her face was flushed. She said in a mocking low voice, "I heard from my manager oppa that maybe because Girls' Generation's performance this time was decent and they still have some value, after Sooyoung and the others leave the group, they might form a sub-unit for the remaining five of us. Heh..."
While seemingly revealing some information, Kim Tae-yeon didn't elaborate, instead asking, "What are your plans next?"
"I've been busy with brand and endorsement matters lately, and GUCCI has been making quite a few moves recently."
Chi Jingyuan didn't hide anything: "The new album is ready, and I'll be going to Ami's place in early September."
"..."
After listening, Kim Tae-yeon didn't comment, but simply poured him a glass of wine: "Here, have a drink."
Because they were so familiar with each other, Kim Tae-yeon didn't offer a toast or anything like Choi Soo-young and the others, but Ji Kyung-won could sense a similar emotion from her tone.
He easily finished his drink in one gulp, and then watched as Kim Tae-yeon tilted her head back and drank for a long time until her face was all scrunched up and she couldn't lower her head. He almost burst out laughing.
"Jingyuan~"
Just then, a familiar voice came from the right. Lin Yoona picked up her wine glass and looked at him with a smile, her eyes crinkling.
When Yoona offered a toast, it was naturally a matter to be treated with care. Ji Kyung-won immediately poured a fresh glass and, feeling honored, clinked glasses and drank it down.
But he's really amazing. According to Chi Jingyuan's secret observation, the senior has been drinking wine almost non-stop since the start of the meal, but so far, his face is only slightly flushed, and his eyes are very clear.
Everyone says Lee Soon-kyu is a heavy drinker, but in his opinion, Im Yoon-ah is the hidden GOAT.
After chatting for a few minutes and having a few drinks, Lim Yoona let out a long sigh and suddenly asked casually:
"Jingyuan, you haven't been very active since you won the Best Actor award. What are your plans lately? Do you have any ideas about filming a new drama?"
No update tomorrow, taking a day off.