peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 1429 Extra: 2024 (Please do not subscribe if you do not like this chapter)

Chapter 1429 Extra: 2024 (Please do not subscribe if you do not like this chapter)

2024, October.

In a high-end beauty salon in Gangnam District, Seoul, cold air spread out through the vents, and even though it was not yet summer, the air conditioning temperature was set extremely low.

The indoor lighting is a soft, warm white, reflecting off the mirror and the dazzling array of cosmetics on the dressing table. The air is filled with the light scent of hairspray, the refreshing aroma of foundation, and the sweet fragrance of hand cream. It's lively yet not noisy, just the perfect atmosphere for an artist's team when they're getting their hair and makeup done.

The beauty salon was quite lively, with many people... It was the five members of the girl group Newjeans, along with their manager and assistant team.

Newjeans is currently the hottest girl group in the Korean music scene. Since their debut two years ago, they have been nothing short of phenomenal. They reached their peak right from the start, with several of their title tracks breaking numerous records on music charts, and their popularity soared.

...Of course, it is also closely related to the company's usual marketing and user acquisition practices.

But this achievement is truly astonishing.

They released their single album "How Sweet" at the end of last month, which is their comeback period.

Having returned to the spotlight for half a month, the five members of Newjeans were mostly dressed casually. Two were getting their hair done, while the other three were scrolling through their phones, screens lit up, fingers flying across the keyboard. The space was filled with the soft hum of hairdryers, the makeup artist's gentle instructions, and the occasional whispers among the members, creating an atmosphere as relaxed as a casual get-together with close friends.

Compared to the non-stop schedules of other idols, NewJeans' treatment is top-notch. They stay in the best apartments, eat customized meals, and although their comeback schedule is packed, they have enough time to rest. At this moment, during a break from styling, the members look relaxed and show no signs of tension.

"Wow, Twice's Tzuyu sunbaenim filmed another video..."

Li Huiren, who was sitting on the sofa scrolling through her phone, suddenly spoke up. She looked at the video she had just come across on her phone and clicked her tongue, "How many is this now?"

She looked at TikTok on her phone. On the screen, Tzuyu was wearing a minimalist white slip dress, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her slender neck and delicate collarbone.

She was dancing to her hit song with the male artist next to her, her smile was beautiful, but it had a distinctly professional feel to it.

This senior from Twice debuted as a solo artist earlier this month with her album release, making her a contemporary of Newjeans.

As the third member of Twice to go solo, Lee Hye-in and the others didn't pay much attention to the news when they saw the group's current situation, but after going solo, they found that the album was of very high quality.

What's even more surprising is the sheer scale of the event, with many celebrities expressing their liking for it. For example, Challenge, which became popular with the rise of short videos, has been made many times since Tzuyu's solo debut. JYP's official account posts one every few days, and these are all big-name, highly popular artists.

Some of them are artists that even Newjeans couldn't get to shoot with, but looking at JYP's side, it feels like... they're eager to shoot with them.

Despite her high popularity and decent solo achievements, Tzuyu's solo career still couldn't compete with Newjeans on music charts, which inevitably made the members a little smug in private.

...No matter how much the older generation fades into obscurity, they can never compare to these newcomers.

However... Lee Hye-in was watching Chou Tzu-yu in the video.

It's really beautiful.

"They filmed again?"

Upon hearing Li Huiren's words, Fan Yuxin, who was standing next to him, asked, "Who is it this time?"

“It’s Senior Byun Woo-seok.” Lee Hye-in glanced at the face on her phone.

"Qingjia?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Yuxin couldn't help but put down her phone, her voice immediately shrill: "Bian Youxi!!"

Thanks to the hit drama "Running Away with Seonjae" which aired in April, Byun Woo-seok, who was previously not very popular, has suddenly become the hottest male actor on the peninsula, arguably the most popular actor right now.

Fan Yuxin also likes Bian Youxi quite a bit. I remember she even suggested to her manager that they could do a collaboration film with Bian Youxi for this comeback. The company sent an invitation, but he declined.

Although she felt a little regretful before, she didn't care too much, after all, it's true that she doesn't film much with male actors who are so popular and famous.

And at this moment, I actually heard that Chou Tzu-yu, who was doing a solo performance, was filming?

"..."

Fan Yuxin opened TikTok and quickly found the video. After watching it for a couple of seconds, she was immediately filled with anger.

Why not take photos with Newjeans, but instead take photos with a washed-up senior?

"You've filmed so many movies, but the results haven't been that great?"

She didn't hide her emotions either, pouting and bluntly complaining, "And what has Twice become? Their last comeback didn't even chart, how come her solo is causing such a stir? So many people are rushing to film with her, you'd think it was some kind of big deal..."

"I don't even know who I'm taking these pictures for..."

It was unclear whether his tone was contempt or jealousy.

Although Twice was once a top girl group, they were incredibly popular in 18 and 19.

However, every girl group has its prime. As time goes by, young girl groups have emerged in the past two years. The popularity and influence of the former TOP on the Korean Peninsula have long since declined. Their comebacks have not only failed to compete with new generation groups like Newjeans, but they have also struggled to even make it onto music charts.

"Really..."

"ah!"

Fan Yuxin was about to say something more, but her manager suddenly interrupted her sharply.

Fan Yuxin trembled with fright, and looked up abruptly to see the group's manager, Kim Sung-jae, staring at her with a livid face and eyes that seemed to spit fire.

"Hanni, you can say these things here, don't cause trouble for others."

The agent's expression was very serious. Fan Yuxin was initially startled, but after she came to her senses, she quickly felt annoyed and wronged.

NewJeans have been pampered by their company since their debut, enjoying good treatment and a relaxed team atmosphere. Their manager is always kind and gentle, rarely being this strict.

"What's wrong, Oppa? It's just a few words."

Unfazed by her manager Fan Yuxin, she stubbornly retorted, sniffling, "Besides, that's exactly right. They're all washed up. Maybe JYP paid a fortune to hire these Challenge people to boost their image..."

His words showed no respect for his senior colleagues, only willfulness.

"Aish..."

Kim Sung-jae turned pale with anger and opened his mouth to curse, but was stopped by another manager, Choi Min-hyuk.

Seeing that Kim Sung-jae seemed about to lose his temper, Choi Min-hyuk pulled him back, gave Kim Sung-jae a look signaling him to calm down, and then looked around.

The relaxed atmosphere froze completely. The hair dryer stopped, the makeup artist stopped what she was doing, Kang Hye-rin and Kim Min-ji both looked over, and Lee Hye-in put away her phone, her eyes showing a hint of unease.

Fan Yuxin still held her head high, her face full of dissatisfaction and grievance, her eyes slightly red, but she refused to lower her head.

How could she possibly offend Twice's Chou Tzu-yu?

Fan Yuxin's expression left Cui Minhe speechless. He sighed inwardly, thinking that the company had been too good to Newjeans. Everything had gone smoothly for them, and they had never experienced the undercurrents in the industry, nor did they know who they could mess with and who they couldn't touch.

However, we should take this opportunity to give them a warning and let them know some things.

"Do you think this Tzuyu xi is just an ordinary female idol?"

Choi Minhyuk took a step forward, his gaze slowly sweeping over the five members before finally landing on Fan Yuxin. His tone was calm but carried a sense of pressure.

“Isn’t that right?” Fan Yuxin raised her head.

"The company is taking too good care of you..."

Choi Minhyuk shook his head: "She's been in the industry for two years, can't she be a little more mature? Just look at the momentum of her solo career, her connections are beyond those of an ordinary artist. Didn't you notice that even TikTok is actively promoting her videos?"

“Twice are all past their prime…” Fan Yuxin was still arguing, but her tone had softened a bit.

Seeing that the Vietnamese girl in front of him still looked unhappy, Choi Minhyuk didn't bother arguing with her anymore. He became serious and told her sincerely, "Popularity is not a standard for measuring an artist. In fact, many people think that these things are the cheapest, because no idol's popularity will last long..."

"As for this Tzuyu xi..."

He paused, deliberately lowering his voice, as if revealing some secret: "Do you know her background? Or rather... do you know her boyfriend?"

"Qingjia? Boyfriend?"

"Tzuyu's boyfriend? Who is he?" Upon hearing the manager's words, Kim Min-ji immediately asked curiously.

These kinds of gossip questions are the most interesting, and although Twice has recently changed their image, this senior Chou Tzu-yu has never revealed anything about it.

"You've all been in the industry for two years, and you've never heard of me?" Choi Minhyuk looked around, glancing at the bewildered looks on their faces, and sighed inwardly.

If it were a more clever, ambitious, and thoughtful female celebrity, she would have found out everything by now, after being in the industry for so long.

It's still going too smoothly...

“I heard it from an unnie I know…”

At this moment, Lee Hye-in raised her hand and tentatively said, "I heard it's... Yuan, the senior from XO."

"Qingjia?"

"real or fake?"

"No way? Yuan?"

When Li Huiren said that, several people nearby, including the members who were getting their hair and makeup done, exclaimed in surprise. Even Fan Yuxin's eyes widened, her pupils reflecting the astonishment that the name brought her.

Who among the artists of Peninsula Entertainment hasn't heard of the name Chi Kyung-won?

Since his debut, he and EXO have almost dominated the boy group market in the Korean music scene, spanning both idol and actor paths. For nearly a decade since 13, he has been the hottest male artist in the Korean entertainment industry. Even his fellow EXO members cannot compare to him.

In the past few years, he and his group ventured into the US market, and he also released several singles, achieving the best results for a K-pop artist in the US, almost on par with top local pop stars.

In film and television, he won the Best Actor award for two consecutive years, making him arguably the most successful idol actor in the history of boy bands. In recent years, he also ventured into the film industry and achieved remarkable success.

The name Ji Kyung-won is so famous that it has been a constant presence throughout K-pop's most popular decade. Over the years, almost every member of the Korean pop community has known him. Even in today's music scene, many of the new generation of female idols are his fans.

However, as EXO members entered their military hiatus in 20, Ji Kyung-won's public appearances decreased significantly. After releasing his last full-length album in 22, he never made a comeback, and his public appearances drastically decreased. He even stopped filming dramas.

Aside from occasionally being photographed by fans and posting a few updates on Instagram, he's practically disappeared from the public eye, as if he'd retired from the entertainment industry.

Even though all EXO members were discharged from the military last year and there were constant rumors of a full-member comeback, Ji Kyung-won didn't make many appearances, and some fans online kept spreading rumors that he wouldn't participate.

Even though they haven't had much exposure or news in recent years, the name 'Yuan' is still the highest peak for these new generation female idols; just hearing the name is enough to immediately attract attention.

Hearing Chi Jingyuan's name suddenly made all the members of Newjeans excited, including Fan Yuxin.

What's more, it's related to 'love'.

As one of the most popular idols, Ji Kyung-won has never been without dating rumors, but most of them are just baseless rumors due to a lack of evidence.

In the more than ten years since his debut, Ji Kyung-won has only had two dating stories that were almost definitively confirmed by authoritative media: one with Mina and the other with Bae Suzy.

SM Entertainment acknowledged the former, but did not respond to the latter.

After that period of silence, the media stopped reporting on his romantic rumors. And since he had been in the industry for many years, many fans had become desensitized to the rumors and expressed indifference and blessings. Unexpectedly, a few years later, we suddenly heard about his romantic rumors again.

Or is it him and Chou Tzu-yu?

"This one……"

Li Huiren was somewhat surprised by their reaction. He blinked and whispered, "This isn't a secret, is it? Many of my friends have told me about it."

"Huh? How come I've never heard of this before?" Jiang Xielin's eyes widened.

“You don’t pay attention, do you?” Li Huiren said casually.

"Although I shouldn't be discussing this with you, look..."

Manager Choi Minhyuk glanced at Fan Yuxin: "But in order to avoid trouble for the company and for yourselves, it is still necessary to explain this."

"That's right~"

He nodded: "Chi Kyung-won and Chou Tzu-yu are dating; they've been together for seven or eight years."

"Qinjia?"

"Didn't they expose him and..." a few years ago?

Ignoring the gasps around him, the agent shrugged: "As for what was exposed before... well, as far as I know, they've been together for a long time, even..."

He lowered his voice: "I even heard... that they're already planning to get married."

My god!!!

"omo!!"

The members were completely in an uproar, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

"I believe you've all heard some of Yuan Xi's stories, like his extremely deep connections and his chaebol background..."

Choi Minhyuk looked around, exchanged glances with the other members, and nodded slowly in response to their curious looks: "I can only tell you that most of what you've heard is true... and it might even be a little more serious than what you've heard."

He paused slightly, as if there was some profound meaning in his voice: "Incidentally, Tyuzu xi, who has been associated with him for so long, is not a simple person either."

"You think she's just an ordinary idol? Have you seen all the endorsements she's involved in?"

Choi Minhyuk looked at Fan Yuxin: "GUCCI fashion ambassador, Dior, and YSL, so many high-end luxury brand resources and advertisements, who do you think can get that? Can an ordinary washed-up idol get that?"

"Don't tell me you have them too!"

Seemingly anticipating what Fan Yuxin was about to say, Cui Minhe interrupted her by raising his voice as soon as he saw her open her mouth: "Completely different. Yours was obtained through a company resource exchange, while theirs... was invited by the brand itself."

"You only know that she's an artist under JYP, but do you know how many shares of JYP she owns?"

Choi Minhyuk glanced at the other members who looked surprised, then looked at Fan Yuxin, his speech becoming faster and his tone more stern: "Do you know how many companies in the industry have collaborated with them?"

Do you know what kind of people he usually associates with?

"They're simply incomparable to ordinary celebrities!"

"Let me tell you, Hanni, even Representative Min Hee-jin would smile and take the initiative to greet her when she sees her."

"You dare to say these things here? You're truly ignorant and fearless!"

Fan Yuxin was completely speechless after being criticized. Her previous arrogance and grievances had vanished, replaced by deep fear in her eyes. Her lips trembled slightly, and she dared not even raise her head. The other members also fell silent.

They never imagined that Chou Tzu-yu, the seemingly low-key and seemingly has-been female idol, actually had such a deep background.

Do you think they're still idols now?

Do you think she's still the same as ordinary celebrities?

But Choi Minhyuk didn't stop; instead, his voice grew louder and louder: "He doesn't need to maintain his popularity with a solo career anymore. He's just releasing a song because he wants to give it a try."

"That's why it's still going on, still touring..."

His voice gradually deepened:

"It's just because I like it."

The beauty salon fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint sound of the air conditioning vents.

Choi Minhyuk and Kim Sungjae exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

These spoiled kids are ultimately too young. They take the glamour of the entertainment industry too lightly, thinking that temporary popularity and fame are eternal assets.

Little did they know that the so-called "outdated" status simply meant that they had already left the idol race and lived a completely different life.

After a brief silence, Choi Minhyuk let out a deep breath, glanced at the people around him, and then looked at Fan Yuxin:

"I'm warning you, you can be a little more casual and willful at the company, and the company will tolerate it."

"But... if you see Tzuyu xi, you'd better bow to me properly and be respectful! And be a little sweeter with your words!"

“Not just Hanni, everyone is.”