pappabearbooks Chapter 205: Summer (8)
Chapter 205: Summer (8)
Kang Rojun was currently checking out the living room of an apartment. Since it was completely empty, there was nothing to get in the way. For Rojun, who had always lived in a one-room apartment that served as his home base, this enormous house was a whole new world.“Wow- no, seriously, wooow.”
He kept exclaiming in awe, his eyes sparkling.
“It’s so spacious. I think you could play soccer in here?”
Manager Kim Ki-baek, who was leaning against the wall near the entrance, let out a chuckle as he watched Rojun.
“Soccer might be a bit- difficult, don’t you think?”
“Why?? I think you totally could! Ah! Noise between floors! No, I don’t mean we should actually play soccer, I was just saying it’s that big.”
“Yes, yes, I get what you mean.”
Rojun, who had been exploring the living room, began opening the doors to the other rooms one by one. A gasp of awe naturally escaped his lips.
“Whoa-”
Kang Rojun soon recalled his own one-room apartment.
‘One of these rooms feels like my whole place. It’s even bigger than my current dorm!’
Not that the one-room apartment he used to live in was bad. A lot had happened there, and it had been a place that embraced him until now. But because it was small, the loneliness and solitude were always felt more keenly.
‘Would it be lonely even if it's spacious? But maybe it’s less isolating. It won’t feel so suffocating, at least.’
With a place this big, it seemed like it would be fun to decorate, too.
‘I’ll hang some picture frames on this wall, put up a bookshelf and pile up books.’
After finishing his tour of the rooms, Rojun returned to the living room where Kim Ki-baek was waiting. As if he’d been waiting for this moment, Manager Kim Ki-baek slowly moved and opened the large living room window.
“Hmm- the house is great, but take a look at the view, too.”
Rojun complied without resistance. And then his eyes grew even wider.
“......It’s amazing. Something about this view- it is just so cool.”
“Right?”
The sight reflected over the Han River. From the cars driving on the bridges to the many buildings standing tall in the distance. The view was absolutely stunning. Soon, Kim Ki-baek crossed his arms and added a comment.
“It already looks great now, but once night falls, the night view will be unbelievable.”
“Oooooh!”
“Your reactions are really fun, Rojun, because they’re so honest.”
Even when surprised or in shock, Kang Rojun still looked handsome. Manager Kim Ki-baek acknowledged it inwardly to himself. Then, Rojun suddenly mumbled something.
“But can I even afford to live in a place like this?”
“You probably can’t, right?”
“Ah, then it’s just a pie in the sky. Why did you show it to me then, Manager-nim? That’s so mean.”
As Rojun’s expression darkened dramatically, Kim Ki-baek showed him a faint smile.
“Our GN will lend you the money.”
“Like a loan?”
“Something like that. An internal loan, more or less.”
“Ah-”
“But.”
Manager Kim Ki-baek met Rojun’s eyes and lowered his voice slightly.
“We’re only calling it that for ‘Vanguard’. We probably won’t collect on it. The CEO isn’t the type to let things slide lightly. He even mentioned this himself.”
“...So I borrow it and don’t pay it back??”
“It’s just for show. If we give too much outright, it wouldn’t look good, so it’s more like a formal bonus?? Of course, this condition will apply equally to all the ‘Vanguard’ members.”
Meaning it was a bonus equally shared among all the ‘Vanguard’ members. Then, Manager Kim Ki-baek turned his gaze once more toward the Han River outside the window.
“The reason I showed this house to you alone is... it kind of bothered me that you’re on your own.”
“......”
“Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung all have parents, so they’ll probably manage their income well. But you, Rojun... you tug at my heart a little, you know?”
Manager Kim Ki-baek scratched his chin slowly and continued.
“Not that I want to interfere or anything. Just, up to this house.”
“Thank you, Manager-nim.”
Kang Rojun felt slightly- no, quite deeply touched. He hadn’t expected someone to care about him this much. Then, after politely bowing and asking that the matter of the house be handled well, Rojun.
-swish.
Smiled with his eyes as he looked at the view of the Han River.
‘Having a place of your own... it really feels incredible.’
And it wasn’t just any house, but a spacious one with a view of the Han River. For someone his age, that was practically unthinkable. Rojun was well aware of that, which only made his resolve stronger.
‘I need to work even harder.’
Meanwhile.
The setting was one of the many editing rooms at the broadcasting station ‘CVN’. On the editing room doors, the titles of programs were usually displayed, and among them, one familiar title stood out.
-‘A Tranquil Day’
It was 'A Tranquil Day', a legendary variety show with multiple seasons already aired, each season recording record-breaking viewership ratings. With Rojun and Do-kyung appearing as the first guests of the new season, it had also become a major topic of conversation.
Inside the editing room for 'A Tranquil Day', the main PD and the writers were gathered.
“Hmm... what kind of subtitle should I put here.”
They were deep into the editing process. Since filming for 'A Tranquil Day' had already wrapped and the production presentation had been held recently, it was time to speed up the editing. Various monitors viewed by the main PD, his junior, and the writers were currently showing footage of the actresses who appeared on the show. In other words, Jang Seo-young, Seo Da-in, and Choi Rina.
They had been deciding on the opening sequence, including the parts where the actresses were cast, for about 30 minutes.
The main PD, yawning widely while watching the junior PD’s edits, stretched when,
“Hold on a sec.”
The main PD gestured to pause the footage. On the monitor, Kang Rojun’s face appeared in a large close-up. It was the moment when Rojun was about to seriously start cooking, and he was shown concentrating as he chopped ingredients.
The main PD stared quietly at Kang Rojun’s face displayed across the multiple monitors, then let out a short laugh.
“This is ridiculous, what’s with that face? No makeup or anything, and that pure visual level is just breaking through the camera.”
The surrounding writers all strongly agreed.
“Totally, totally agree! His face is just insane.”
“......It’s a shame. He looked even more amazing in person at the shoot. The camera can’t even capture how he really looks.”
The main PD, looking dumbfounded, pointed at the monitor with his index finger.
“If this is what we got even though it didn’t capture it properly… I’ve been directing variety shows for over ten years, and this is the first time I’ve paused editing just to admire a cast member’s visuals.”
“He’s on another level, completely irreplaceable. I mean, is there even a face like that in the current idol market?”
“And on top of that, his face is doing all the work, but he’s even good at cooking, and from time to time he gives off those puppy vibes.”
“Did you see his eye smile? It’s just… melts you.”
“He’s an all-rounder even within ‘Vanguard’, right? He was just born with star quality.”
Letting out an amazed exclamation, the main PD muttered, imagining the future.
“This is the first time he’s showing his cooking skills too. Once this airs, it’s gonna explode, no doubt.”
Meanwhile.
After taking a break, ‘Vanguard’ had fired up again to clear the postponed schedules. Though music show promotions for 'Flying Bell' weren’t planned, they had more than enough variety shows and YouTube shoots lined up.
Kang Rojun and the members were swept up in the waves of a packed schedule, but the media and public opinion in both Korea and Japan still hadn’t moved on from Vanguard’s Japan concert. Articles were still being released, and all sorts of community sites were busy uploading photos from the event.
Japan, in particular, was especially fired up.
《Vanguard’s influence in Japan is incredible! After the concert, 'Produce That 100!' theme songs reappear on Japan’s music charts / Photos included》
Not just ‘Vanguard’ songs, but even tracks from the 'Produce That 100!' era were dominating the Japanese charts.
At this point, GN Entertainment uploaded a suitably edited video of the Japan concert to Vanguard’s YouTube channel, which had surpassed 9 million subscribers.
[Channel Name: Vanguard]
[Subscribers: 9.12 million]
[Videos: 58]
Vanguard 2021 IN JAPAN ｜Vanguard
The concert video surpassed 2 million views in under a day, and by the second day, it had hit 4 million views. It was partly the sheer power of Korean and Japanese fans, but also the mysterious workings of the YouTube algorithm that drew in international viewers.
Indeed, while most of the video’s comments were in Korean and Japanese, there were quite a few English comments as well.
Whatever the case, the 'Vanguard' Japan concert video was spreading widely not just among the general public, but also throughout the broadcasting industry, production companies, entertainment agencies, and media outlets. Those who watched, curious about what all the fuss was about, had no choice but to genuinely acknowledge it.
“...‘Vanguard’, these guys are on fire.”
“Right? Look at how relaxed they are on stage. How is that concert supposed to be right after debut?”
“Their live vocals are stable, and the way they draw in fan response is top-tier??”
Of course, many domestic idols were also paying attention.
“Whoa- 35,000 people? That’s just insane.”
“But... I felt it during their encore on the music show too, these ‘Vanguard’ guys are seriously good. Their live performance sticks with you even more than the recording.”
“Especially that Rojun guy, he really stands out.”
“Right? With visuals like that, and he’s even the main vocalist. The other members are good too, but don’t you think Rojun’s dance lines are the prettiest?”
“His skills have improved. I watched 'Produce That 100!' and he’s way more stable now, with better control.”
“Wasn’t he a monster even back then??”
“Damn, Rojun’s high notes are so clean. Does this guy even have a limit to his talent?? With the form he’s in now... I don’t think anyone can compete with him.”
Regardless of all that, Kang Rojun had no time to care. After completing his scheduled activities, he had to continue practicing 'Windveil', their third promotional track, with the members. And once the official work was done, he had to carry out various tasks alone.
In the stillness of dawn, after completing his daily mission, Kang Rojun entered the practice room.
First, he checked his face in the mirrors scattered around.
“Mm, good.”
Satisfied, Rojun began his practice with acting.
The role of ‘Choi Si-baek’ in 'Tale of the Strange Moon', which had been secretly confirmed. Over the past few days, Kang Rojun had been practicing the role of ‘Choi Si-baek’ purely based on skill, relying solely on his improved ‘Acting’ stat. He had written the script himself, so the lines weren’t difficult, and the emotions that surged in each scene were familiar as well.
While practicing, Rojun paused and muttered to himself.
“Not bad. No, compared to the past, it’s high quality.”
His raw acting tier had risen considerably. As his ‘Acting’ stat approached 90 points and he gained on-set experience, his skills had naturally improved. Feeling fairly satisfied, Kang Rojun picked up his phone.
“Time to learn.”
He was preparing to learn and internalize the role of ‘Choi Si-baek’ from 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.
-[AI analysis in progress...... Analysis complete!]
Before long, ‘AI Automation’ produced the result.
-[Applying...... Application complete!]
With a sharp jolt, Kang Rojun’s portrayal of ‘Choi Si-baek’ deepened and became more refined. But Rojun continued practicing regardless. The more he practiced, the greater the benefits.
About two hours later, Kang Rojun sat down in his workroom chair.
-Swish.
He began typing on his laptop in earnest, and by the time the morning sun began to rise, he had produced several results.
“‘Royal Procession’ lyrics complete.”
First, he finished writing the lyrics for 'Royal Procession', the main theme song for 'Tale of the Strange Moon', and then.
“Episode 4 is good enough.”
He completed the script for Episode 4 of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'. Now only Episodes 5 and 6 remained. It was impressive speed, and not just fast, the quality of the content was outstanding. Every time PD Jung Soo-ryeong received a script, she sent countless thumbs-ups via text as proof.
“I should be done with the remaining scripts... probably by next month.”
By July, the writing for Season 1 would be finished.
Well, he would have to begin writing Season 2 right away, but finishing Season 1 this quickly was what truly mattered.
And so, the end of June approached.
Right before July began, a project involving Kang Rojun came to a close.
It was in Japan.
“CUT!! OOOK!! Great work, everyone!”
“Phew- good job!”
“Thanks for your hard work!”
The filming for 'Like a Kaleidoscope', which had progressed swiftly, was now complete. In other words, it had wrapped, crank-up. While the Japanese actors and dozens of staff members were busy exchanging farewells, PD Noguchi Ken and Executive Director Tom Cavill, who had been observing the scene, conversed.
“It’s a bit disappointing that Writer Rojun isn’t here for the final shoot.”
“We’ll have to contact him separately.”
“Will Rojun be able to attend the production presentation?”
“We reached out in advance, but he said it’s still uncertain.”
“Hmm. Since the presentation will follow right after all the Japan buzz from the concert… his attendance would really boost his public recognition.”
“Anyway, the 'Like a Kaleidoscope' production presentation is scheduled for the first week of July.”
Around this time, ‘Vanguard’ wrapped up their 'Flying Bell' promotions and announced to fans that they would be starting their third promotional track, 'Windveil'.
《Fans respond to news of ‘Vanguard’ entering the latter half of promotions: “Does this mean we won’t see Vanguard anymore?”》
And on the morning of Monday, June 28.
Netflix Korea, which had quietly and secretly been creating a massive project behind the scenes until now, was.
《Kang Rojun of ‘Vanguard’ continues to soar in popularity, now teaming up with Netflix Korea as a writer?》
Finally about to go public with the existence of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.