wavenovel Chapter 1492 West 8
Chapter 1492 West 8
Chapter 1492 West Eight
"They're coming on strong."
Upon seeing these, Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but sigh.
"No matter what, they're just a limited-time group, aren't they?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Park Chanyeol chuckled, his tone seemingly unconcerned.
After saying that, he added, "And looking at the data, it's going to be released tomorrow, and the pre-orders are still less than a million, which is less than Baekhyun's solo."
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan glanced at him... He was so arrogant and didn't care, but he still paid special attention to other people's pre-sale sales.
This guy doesn't seem to be completely without pressure.
As the topic unfolded, the members started chatting. Some felt that the limited-time group's fan base wasn't solid enough, while others joked that their promotional efforts exceeded their actual popularity.
"Alright, everyone, try your best this time."
Kim Junmyeon concluded in a deep voice:
"Jokes aside, we can't let the younger generation actually step on it."
…………
Time flies, and the much-anticipated March 15th has arrived as scheduled. Wanna One has officially made their comeback with the release of their second mini-album, "0+1=1".
The title track "BOOMERANG" showed strong momentum as soon as it was released, directly debuting at number 2 on the Melon chart. Other tracks on the album were not to be outdone, all of which entered the top of the charts. Although the album did not dominate the charts, it was enough to show its great popularity.
In terms of data, the title track "BOOMERANG" saw its Melon listenership skyrocket within an hour of its release.
The comment section was flooded with supportive messages from fans, with praises like "So cool!", "Great comeback!", and "Playing on repeat".
Even though their numbers are still lower than EXO's initial comeback figures, as a rookie limited-time group, and a boy group at that, their achievements are already surprising enough to make fans cheer wildly.
In the early hours of the day the song was released, a silent war quietly broke out among the fans.
Wanna One's fans, Wannable, went all out after 2 a.m., frantically boosting the charts to try and get all the songs from the album to the top of the charts, wanting to use data to prove their idols' talent.
However, who doesn't know who? EXO's fans, EXO-Ls, were well-prepared for this move. They also mobilized all their members at 2 a.m. to do their best to protect the ranking of their songs. The two sides' fans engaged in fierce battles on various music charts, and the comments section and topic square were filled with support and competition from both sides.
Ultimately, EXO-Ls, with their larger fanbase and more solid foundation, successfully maintained their advantage, with EXO's two title tracks, "DNA" and "Power," firmly occupying the top two spots on the Melon chart. The fanbase was smug, feeling they had crushed their opponents.
EXO-Ls originally planned to get "THE EVE" to third place, but Wannables also did their best and managed to push Wanna One's title track "BOOMERANG" to third place.
Although it was only third place, Wanna One's fans were overjoyed, feeling it was a huge success. Spectators were also very excited, and many felt that Wanna One hadn't lost.
After all, being able to directly compete with EXO's fan base is a victory for any boy group.
This inevitably leads some people to ask.
So who really lost?
…………
On Friday, March 15th, EXO participated in KBS Music Bank as scheduled.
"Ahhhhh~"
"Oppa~"
Ji Jingyuan, Park Chanyeol, and Oh Sehun were chatting at the stairwell, while two other people nearby were smoking.
The corridor window wasn't closed tightly, and the noise from below seeped in through the cracks, buzzing like a swarm of bees hovering outside the glass. Hearing the noise, he pulled back the curtains and looked downstairs.
Hearing the noise, Chi Jingyuan pulled back the curtains, leaving just enough space for a person to peek out from the side.
The road in front of the new KBS building stretched from the bottom of the steps all the way to the side of the driveway, and was packed with people.
It wasn't just a few scattered fans; it was a real crowd. Banners, light sticks, cheering sticks, DSLR cameras, and long lenses lined up in two rows, squeezing the passageway cleared by security guards into a narrow strip. The light sticks flashed Korean characters, all reading "Wanna One."
Chi Jingyuan watched as two vans approached from afar, surrounded by fans who made it almost impossible for him to move. The moment the doors opened, the sound was so loud that even he, upstairs, felt a slight tremor. The screams of "Ahhhhh!" and the sound of camera shutters combined together, as if something had exploded.
"Goodness."
Wu Shixun leaned over for a look and whistled, "With this kind of entourage, you'd think a president had arrived."
Park Chanyeol also pulled back the curtains and glanced over, flicking his cigarette ash: "Are Wanna One here to record 'Music Bank' today?"
"Yes, it should be a return to the original stage."
Chi Jingyuan pursed his lips, then, as if remembering something, took out his phone: "I just saw online that some Wanna One fans have been lining up since yesterday morning."
"Three in the morning? Shouldn't they be checking their listener status at this time?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Shixun sarcastically remarked, "Well, you've divided the work in such detail?"
"Haha~"
Chi Jingyuan and the other two nearby chuckled twice.
But jokes aside, the support and popularity shown downstairs are no joke.
"Back in our day..."
Park Chanyeol picked up the conversation, deliberately drawing out the last syllable, as if recalling something from a long time ago: "I remember back in 13 with 'Growl,' we were so popular, we had fans everywhere we went, much more exaggerated than what's happening downstairs."
“This time wasn’t bad either, was it?” Wu Sehun interjected.
Another wave of cheers surged up from below, this time a series of synchronized supportive chants.
The Wannables' shouts were so clear, as if they had been rehearsed countless times. The rhythm was accurate, the tone was high, and everyone was shouting those eleven names with all their might.
That neatness, that fervor, that love that disregarded cost pierced through the glass, through the curtains, through the soundproof walls of the entire building, and crashed straight into everyone's eardrums.
"You're really popular." Chi Jingyuan said honestly.
Looking down at the dense crowd below, he couldn't help but sigh.
EXO used to be like that too, with fans lining up at dawn to show their support and protect them with the most fervent love.
Now, with the same entourage, newcomers have already risen to prominence.
…………
The sound of staff members' walkie-talkies could be heard at the end of the KBS corridor, mixed with scattered footsteps and noise. EXO had just finished rehearsals and were walking along the corridor towards the waiting room.
Kim Junmyeon walked at the front, his pace neither fast nor slow, holding a half-full bottle of water in his hand, talking to Byun Baekhyun beside him as he walked.
At the corner, a group of people were walking towards them from the opposite side.
Eleven people, all with identical and exquisite makeup and styled hair, looked like they had just finished an interview event.
Leading the way was leader Yoon Ji-sung, with Kang Daniel beside him, and the other members following in order.
The two teams met in the middle of the corridor. The corridor was narrow, just wide enough for four people to walk side by side, but now the two teams were walking towards each other, with less than two meters between them.
The two groups unexpectedly met in the middle of the corridor. The corridor was not wide, just enough for four people to walk side by side. Now the two groups were walking towards each other, with less than two meters between them.
"..."
The air seemed to freeze instantly. The conflict between Ong Seong-wu and Kim Jongin from a few days ago was still fresh in everyone's mind, and coupled with their rivalry, the atmosphere became exceptionally delicate, and even breathing seemed to become cautious.
The air between the two groups seemed to be pressed down by something, becoming heavy and sticky, filled with awkwardness and alienation.
"Greetings, seniors!"
"Annyeonghaseyo~"
After a two-second standoff and a brief playful exchange, the Wanna One members respectfully bowed. Yoon Ji-sung led the way, and the others followed suit, some bowing at a perfect 90 degrees, others slightly shallower, but all their movements were quick and synchronized, as if they had rehearsed beforehand.
Ong Seong-wu stood in the second row, bowing and subconsciously taking a half-step to the side, as if he wanted to hide behind.
Kim Junmyeon broke the silence first, nodding slightly with a gentle smile: "Hello, thank you for your hard work~"
Regardless of what people say in private, we still need to maintain proper decorum and politeness when we're face to face.
Before he could finish speaking, Kim Jongin snorted softly, his face expressionless, and without pausing, he walked straight ahead.
He even slowed his pace, passing slowly in front of Ong Seong-wu, his coldness in his eyes and his defiant behavior undisguised.
Chi Kyung-won noticed that Ong Seong-wu's body stiffened slightly, his head drooped even lower, his hands gripped the seams of his pants tightly, and he didn't dare to breathe.
Park Chanyeol walked behind Kim Jongin with long strides, creating a slight breeze as he passed. He didn't speak, nor did he even look at anyone; he simply walked past without expression.
Byun Baekhyun followed behind him, a slight smile on his face. His gaze swept over the Wanna One members without lingering.
Ji Kyung-won walked at the back, his pace slower than the people in front of him. His gaze slowly swept over the Wanna One members who were still bowing in front of him, and he smiled and nodded gently. He did not show any hostility, but rather appeared very peaceful.
Just then, his gaze accidentally met Kang Daniel's in mid-air... The kid was secretly glancing at him.
Beneath her gray bangs, a pair of eyes were secretly watching him.
It was very short, less than half a second.
But Ji Kyung-won seemed to see a burning ambition in Kang Daniel's eyes.
He chuckled and nodded at him.
Tsk tsk, young people these days.
…………
"The winner of this year's KBS Music Bank award is... EXO!"
At the end of the show, the MC, holding the award card, announced the winner of the day with great enthusiasm.
As soon as he finished speaking, the cheers for EXO instantly ignited the entire venue, and the members showed relieved smiles on their faces, high-fiving each other in celebration.
This is their second win since their comeback, defeating MAMAMOO with an overwhelming advantage.
They also won first place on yesterday's M!Countdown.
The MAMAMOO members, who were completely outmatched, all smiled and offered their blessings, but Ji Kyung-won felt that their expressions were quite interesting.
The Wanna One members, having completed their debut stage performance, were standing at the back of the stage clapping. Their expressions were all different, but they all seemed to exude a spirit of not giving up.
…………
Hotel on the evening of the 16th.
On the second day after their comeback, Wanna One's official VLIVE channel lit up on time, with the live stream titled "Wanna One COMEBACK 'I PROMISE YOU' SPECIAL LIVE".
As soon as the opening dynamic welcome screen appeared, many waiting fans flooded in, and the fans left messages at a visible speed.
"I'm coming!"
"Danielny!!!"
"Saint-Yonni!!!"
"Wannables, gather!!" All sorts of comments instantly flooded the screen.
All the members of Wanna One first waved to the camera, smiled, and greeted the screen with their standard stage smiles: "Hello everyone, we are Wanna One."
"Welcome to Wanna One's comeback show 'I PROMISE YOU'."
"Today is the official release date of our new album '0+1=1 (I Promise You)'. Thank you all for accompanying us to this day. Wannables, I love you all."
"Yes, thank you so much everyone."
"Today we had the first performance of our new song 'BOOMERANG,' which everyone has been looking forward to for a long time, right?"
Yoon Ji-sung took an envelope from a staff member, saying it was a letter to his fans. He cleared his throat and began to read:
"To our Wannables, from the summer of 2017 until now, you have shown us that dreams are not distant things, but stars that can be reached within our grasp. The album is called '0+1=1,' which is a promise and a beginning. We hope that everyone can go further with us."
Park Jihoon picked up where he left off, adding, "So, the album title '0+1=1' represents the meaning of us and our fans being one. 0 is the starting point, and 1 is the complete form of you and us together."
He paused, then smiled. "Moreover, if you read this sentence backwards, 1=1+0, it also holds true. You have us, and we have you; there's no difference."
"Ahhh!"
Many people who didn't understand the meaning of the album title before suddenly went crazy after hearing the explanation.
Oh, so that's what it meant!
So touching!
The atmosphere during the live stream was very lively, and the success of this comeback clearly excited Wanna One's fans, who kept flooding the screen with comments.
The Wanna One members kept talking about the fun things about their comeback, the characteristics of their dances, the style of their songs, and so on, and the number of viewers in the live stream also increased.
After chatting for about an hour, the official comeback announcement process ended, and the live stream transitioned into a casual chat phase.
"Wow, I met a senior I really admire when I went to record my first stage performance today..."
Kang Daniel, Yoon Ji-sung, and the others continued to stay in front of the camera, interacting and chatting with fans. Kang Daniel chuckled as he talked about the recording of "Music Bank" that day.
The other members were busy with their own things; some were called away by their assistants to talk, some went to the restroom, and others went to get water.
"Aigoo..."
Ong Seong-wu and Kim Jae-hwan took a few bottles of water from the refrigerator and carried them back together.
As they walked, Kim Jae-hwan remembered what had happened that afternoon and spoke up:
"Speaking of which, Kai really was targeting you at KBS today."
"Yeah~"
Upon hearing his teammate bring it up, Ong Seong-wu instantly recalled Kim Jongin's arrogant demeanor as he deliberately walked past him that afternoon, and his anger flared up instantly.
He already harbored resentment towards Kim Jongin, and hearing his teammate mention it felt like having his wounds reopened. His expression immediately changed, and he shouted impatiently, "Ugh, don't mention him!"
"No, I was just asking."
Kim Jae-hwan was taken aback by his reaction, and then seemed somewhat dissatisfied, though he felt he meant well: "I'm also quite annoyed by him, and Kai..."
Ong Seong-wu was already quite irritated, and hearing Kai's name again was like a lit fuse. He yanked on Kim Jae-hwan's arm and hissed in a low voice, "Damn it, I told you not to say it! Don't mention him here!"
Having said that, all the lingering anger from before seemed to resurface. Recalling Kim Jongin's face, she couldn't control her rage and habitually cursed angrily:
"...Stop talking, don't mention that name, damn it!"
"Shiba! Shiba! Shiba!"
Meanwhile, Kang Daniel, who was still telling a story, suddenly heard the commotion and his expression changed slightly.
Just as I was about to say something, a glaring white, bold message flashed across the screen, breaking the silence of the screen full of supportive comments:
What was that sound? I think I heard someone say "Shiba"?