pappabearbooks Chapter 137: Launch (4)
Chapter 137: Launch (4)
The word 'Vanguard' came out of the MC's mouth. In other words, 'Vanguard' was introduced to the world for the first time. Next.-Swoosh.
The entire hall went dark, and the lighting focused on the stage. Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung stood calmly in tuxedos. At this, viewers watching the 'SBC Acting Awards' poured out countless question marks.
-What?? What??!! What!! Vanguard??!
-???????
-Is the group's name Vanguard??!!
-Wow!! Guess they had already decided!!!
Curiosity soon turned into certainty. Because 'Vanguard' was called out, and Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung appeared. 'Vanguard' was their group name.
Viewers quickly went wild.
“Huh- In the year-end summary and festival full of top stars, they revealed the group name at the ‘SBC Acting Awards’?”
Dozens of reporters inside the hall where the 'SBC Acting Awards' was taking place also looked surprised with various expressions.
“‘Vanguard’? As in they’ll stand at the front, or lead? Not bad.”
“Wow- didn’t expect them to reveal the group name in this congratulatory performance.”
It was understandable. No one expected them to suddenly reveal the group name like this.
“Haha, ‘Vanguard’?? It has a bit of a rough tone, but it rolls off the tongue. Somehow it suits their image too.”
“GN Entertainment really used their heads. Drew in tons of public attention with Rojun, then revealed the group name during the acting awards. Pretty much every fan who watched ‘Produce That 100!’ must be watching the ‘SBC Acting Awards', right?”
“Not just ‘Produce That 100!', there must be fans of ‘Rental Lover’ too, and lots of general viewers drawn in by curiosity.”
“Even among the audience here, there are people like us reporters, tons of notable actors, and broadcast officials too.”
Soon, the shock felt by most reporters turned into admiration.
“The name ‘Vanguard’ is going to be properly embedded in everyone’s minds.”
“Of course, even we’re already repeating ‘Vanguard’ over and over.”
“......Those guys are really going to have a legendary debut??"
Among those looking up at the 'Vanguard' members on stage, the strongest reaction came from the 'Rental Lover' team. PD Jung Soo-ryeong had a smile stretching to her ears.
“So the group name is confirmed as 'Vanguard'. Finally, or maybe, why do I feel so good about this??”
Choi Rina, eyes wide open, kept her gaze fixed on the stage and silently repeated the group name in her head.
"‘Vanguard’...‘Vanguard’."
Other actors, excluding her, were also busy murmuring among themselves.
“Why is everyone so surprised?”
“You didn’t know? This is the first time their group name was revealed.”
“What? Really??”
“That’s refreshing. Usually, for idols, their group names are revealed during music shows or something like that, right?”
“It’s been unusual from the start. Even performing at the acting awards when their group name wasn’t confirmed yet. I guess they decided to just reveal it here since it came to this.”
It was then.
-Sss.
The four tuxedo-wearing men on stage no, the members of 'Vanguard' started moving. A fog-like mist began to slowly disperse from the devices installed in front of the stage.
-♬♪
A melody filled the entire hall, mixing grandeur with an eerie vibe. Then, keyboard sounds were added to lift the mood. It was the intro to the song 'Bold'. Fog rolled across the dark stage, thick with a generally dark vibe. The first one to pick up a handheld mic was.
-Swish.
Kang Rojun, who had won two awards at today’s 'SBC Acting Awards'. Wearing a tuxedo, he looked out toward the thousands of seats filled with actors, his expression serious and firm, and began to speak.
[I'll be rich, I'll be famous]
[I'll be a star, I must win]
He recited the lyrics in a tone between narration and rap over the ominous melody.
Soon, the actors were surprised again.
“It’s live??”
“I totally thought it would be lip-synced.”
A live congratulatory performance at a live broadcast awards show. However, unlike the actors’ surprised reactions, Kang Rojun and the other 'Vanguard' members remained composed. They had practiced countless times, and this wasn’t their first live performance of the song 'Bold'.
While facing straight ahead and quietly delivering the lyrics, Rojun’s gaze naturally turned toward the right side of the audience.
[I'll be rich, I'll be famous]
[I'll be a star, I must win]
Kang Rojun repeatedly echoed the same lyrics while sweeping his gaze over the many audience members, including the actors. Meanwhile, the melody continued to grow louder. Then, the song abruptly cut off. For a few seconds, the entire hall was enveloped in silence.
At that moment, the sound of an organ began to play.
Rojun, who had been at the front, blended in with the members standing at the back, and as the organ intensified, drums and keyboard suddenly burst out explosively.
The fog on the stage cleared, and colorful lights beamed down.
The dance began. As Rojun, Si-hoo, and Kang-min performed the group dance, Do-kyung brought the handheld mic to his mouth and began to rap. Then Si-hoo and Kang-min each took the lead in turn.
Lead vocalist Si-hoo laid the foundation, and main vocalist Kang Rojun sang the chorus.
Before they knew it, the actors watching the performance had.
“......”
“......”
Shut their mouths and were only blinking their eyes. They were no different from regular audience members simply enjoying the performance of 'Vanguard'. 'Vanguard' was leading the tension and excitement of the entire hall. Several broadcast professionals voiced their admiration.
“They’ve been doing this since ‘Produce That 100!', sure but even on an unfamiliar stage, they’re doing great?”
“That’s far beyond just good. They’re controlling everything from tempo to atmosphere.”
“......Now that I’ve seen their performance, the name ‘Vanguard’ fits them even more perfectly.”
PD Jung Soo-ryeong, who had been focused on Kang Rojun, was now convinced.
“He’s cool as a writer and an actor, and even when he does other side jobs, but as expected, he’s at his most explosive when doing his main job as an idol.”
This was something everyone who knew Rojun acknowledged. Before long, Kang Rojun and the members entered the second verse as the first verse ended. Despite the unfamiliar tuxedos, the boys handled the performance effortlessly.
And then.
-♬♪
As the melody gradually faded, the movements of the boys on stage also became more subdued. With the end of the second verse, they wrapped up in a pose similar to their opening. The stage lights turned off. The entire hall slowly brightened.
Soon, Kang Rojun exhaled softly and gave his fellow members a subtle signal. They stepped forward together. Rojun, holding the handheld mic, opened his mouth.
“One, two, three!”
All the 'Vanguard' members bowed at a 90-degree angle.
“Hello! We are ‘Vanguard’!!”
At the same time, thunderous applause filled the entire hall.
-Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!!
The cameras were capturing 'Vanguard' in full shot.
Afterward.
Following Vanguard’s congratulatory performance, the live broadcast of the acting awards went into a commercial break. Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung returned to the waiting room, and Kang Rojun also went back to his original seat with the 'Rental Lover' team.
Jung Soo-ryeong, Choi Rina, and others clapped again.
“That performance was insane!!”
“‘Vanguard’, that group name is just so, so, SO good!!”
“Choi Star seems a bit too excited?”
“Ah, no! The performance was just that good.”
Within seconds, actors from other tables swarmed Kang Rojun. Countless compliments and questions. Rojun bowed and responded while smiling inwardly.
“The reaction’s good, and the performance went well just as we practiced?? Whew- feels good to see the actors going wild.”
He may not have known for sure, but today’s performance likely earned him even more actor fans. In any case, the acting awards resumed with Part 2 after the commercials. In Part 2, 'Rental Lover' was called up twice more.
“Drama of the Year!! Congratulations! ‘Rental Lover’!!”
One was the Drama of the Year award, and it was PD Jung Soo-ryeong who lifted the trophy. Naturally, she mentioned Kang Rojun first in her acceptance speech.
“The moment I saw Writer Rojun, I cursed at him, because he was too handsome. You remember that, don’t you, Writer-nim?”
The second award was for acting.
“Best Actress Award! Choi Rina-nim!! Congratulations!!”
Choi Rina received the Best Actress Award. With this, Kang Rojun personally had won two awards, but 'Rental Lover' as a whole had taken home four. The actors clapped while sticking out their tongues in awe.
“‘Rental Lover’ got four awards?? That one-act really made waves.”
“I mean, it hit 24% in viewership. It’d be weirder if it didn’t win anything. Still, four awards is impressive.”
“Will there ever be another one-act that creates this kind of impact??”
“Doubt it. Unless there’s another one like Rojun.”
“So you’re saying it’s impossible?”
Just as they said, this year’s 'SBC Acting Awards' was dominated by 'Rental Lover'. Many actors received awards, but the most attention was still on the 'Rental Lover' team. The ceremony ended with the MC’s closing remarks. On the live broadcast, the camera zoomed in on the hottest figure of the day.
Who else could it be?
-They’re ending the acting awards with Rojunㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋcrazy
-He was the most super handsome one, of course they should end it with Rojun!!
-Let’s be real, Rojun outshined every actor tonight, agree?
It was Kang Rojun.
That was the end of the acting awards broadcast. While commercials played on TV, the scene in the hall was completely different. Actors who had been sitting at round tables quickly gathered around Rojun once more. “The performance was amazing", “Do you use social media?” “We’ll support ‘Vanguard'", “Let’s get a meal sometime", and so on.
The comments were all over the place.
Thanks to that, Kang Rojun once again had to bow and nod non-stop in a daze.
'Agh- with my personality I just want to ignore them and run away, but that would be too much??'
The one who saved Kang Rojun was.
“Excuse us! Excuse us!! Our Rojun has to head to his next schedule right away! Sorry, everyone-!”
It was Manager Kim Ki-baek, shouting at maximum volume despite his weak tone. He apologized to the actors on Rojun’s behalf and pulled him out from the crowd.
“Rojun.”
He whispered quietly.
“If you stay here any longer, we’ll be here all night. Let’s run.”
Behind Manager Kim Ki-baek, the three other members were already waiting. Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung glanced around at the surrounding actors with great curiosity. Rojun let out a chuckle and nodded.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s bolt.”
Actually, after big events like the acting awards, there’s always an after-party. That applied to the 'Rental Lover' team as well. But things were too hectic here, so 'Vanguard' planned to step out briefly and then join the after-party later. Not just Kang Rojun, but Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung too.
And so, the 'Vanguard' members and Manager Kim Ki-baek quickly exited the large hall.
In the lobby outside the hall, dozens of reporters were already waiting.
“Ah!! ‘Vanguard’!!”
“‘Vanguard’!!! Please strike a pose!”
"Please say hello to the viewers once, 'Vanguard'!!"
They were shouting 'Vanguard' like crazy. Since one of the key purposes of today was to introduce the name 'Vanguard' to the world, Manager Kim Ki-baek said.
"Just stand in a line and wave your hands simply."
He didn’t ignore the reporters. Flashbulbs exploded endlessly on Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung. Kang Rojun had already experienced this on the red carpet, but the other three were frozen stiff. All they were doing was waving, but it sounded like their joints were creaking.
About five minutes passed?
“Thank you!!”
'Vanguard' gave a deep bow to the dozens of reporters, and guards blocked the reporters trying to rush in. Manager Kim Ki-baek quickly led them toward the parked van. Once they got inside the vehicle, the 'Vanguard' members immediately let go of the tension they had been holding.
"Wow- no, what was that just now?? I don't even remember where I was."
“I don’t know about anything else, but Choi Rina sunbae-nim was seriously beautiful.”
“No wonder Kang-min hyung kept staring at Choi Rina sunbae-nim. Huh? Si-hoo hyung? Si-hoo hyung’s frozen.”
“......Guys, we did go on stage at the acting awards just now, right?”
“We did, hyung.”
"Crazy."
The atmosphere quickly turned rowdy. Manager Kim Ki-baek looked at them warmly and, after saying they worked hard, gave Kang Rojun a thumbs-up.
“Congrats on your two awards. Oh, and ‘Rental Lover’ itself won four, right? Anyway, give that trophy a nice lift.”
“Ah.”
Rojun smiled slightly and raised the golden trophies in both hands high in the air, and the members let out cheers.
“Hyung, can I touch it just once?”
“Me too, Rojun.”
“Looks so damn cool.”
At that moment, Lee Yul-bin, the schedule manager, handed a tablet to Manager Kim Ki-baek. After scrolling down the screen for a few seconds, Kim Ki-baek let out a faint smile.
Then he showed the screen to Kang Rojun and the members.
“Take a look at this.”
All four of them turned their eyes to the tablet screen. News articles were already popping up.
《[Photo] ‘Vanguard’ appears at the ‘SBC Acting Awards’ / Photo》
《Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung appear not as ‘Produce That 100!’ winners, but as ‘Vanguard’》
《Group name revealed on live 'SBC Acting Awards'! ‘Vanguard’ members slay the congratulatory performance》
《[Issue Talk] ‘Vanguard’ confidently declares their arrival in front of top actors》
The world was now buzzing with 'Vanguard'.