get-shopping Chapter 226: Fruit (7)
Chapter 226: Fruit (7)
The first cue from PD Jung Soo-ryeong was giving to Kang Rojun, who had transformed into Choi Si-baek on the set of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.“Action!”
Rojun, his elegant traditional robe fluttering, looked into the approaching camera and delivered his line, completely immersed in the character of Choi Si-baek. In that instant, this vast historical drama set turned into the Joseon era.
And the media announced it to the world.
《[Star Issue] 'Tale of the Strange Moon', Crank-in Today!》
《Netflix Korea’s most anticipated project 'Tale of the Strange Moon' finally starts shooting... Fans say “We want to see Rojun in historical drama version ASAP!”》
Around that time, quietly blended in among the many people on set of 'Tale of the Strange Moon', was Manager Kim Ki-baek.
‘Mm- uploaded right on time.’
He had just checked the 'Vanguard' YouTube channel on his phone.
-'Vanguard' ‘Royal Procession’ Official Teaser 1
The music video teaser for 'Royal Procession', which had been top secret, had just been released. The “1” in the teaser title was a bait suggesting there might be a 2 or 3 to follow. In any case, since this was a 'Tale of the Strange Moon' and 'Vanguard' collaboration, Executive Director Lim Hyun-jin, who was also on site, immediately took notice.
At the same time, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung, who were in the GN Entertainment practice room, paused their practice and were watching the 'Royal Procession' teaser.
“It’s up! It’s up!!”
“Let’s watch it now, hyung.”
“Of course!”
Well, since the 'Vanguard' YouTube channel already had over 18 million subscribers, the sudden upload of the 'Royal Procession' teaser drew in an enormous number of viewers. The views shot up in the blink of an eye.
Fans swarmed in like a herd of cattle.
Because 'Royal Procession' dropped without any prior notice, the interest it drew increased severalfold.
Subscribers and fans of the 'Vanguard' YouTube channel were, naturally, exploding with curiosity. Especially since 'Vanguard' was currently dropping a full-scale nuclear bomb on the idol scene, countless idols were also intensely puzzled.
“What is this??”
“Why?”
“You know 'Vanguard', right? Something just got posted on their YouTube channel, some teaser.”
“Teaser? Lemme see, huh? It’s real. 'Royal Procession'? Were they supposed to release a single? I don’t think so, I’ve never heard anything.”
“Me neither. I mean, how long has it been since their last promotion ended? Dropping a new single right away would be weird.”
“Doesn’t seem like a single? There’s no single tag in the video info either.”
At first, they thought it was a teaser for a single album, but that wasn’t it either. GN Entertainment hadn’t even officially announced 'zephyr', Vanguard’s next single.
So then, what exactly was this song called 'Royal Procession'?
“Or maybe it is the next single, and they uploaded it by accident??”
“Could be.”
“Eh? If that’s the case, their response is way too slow. GN isn’t some mom-and-pop store. The views already passed 100,000, and they’re just leaving it up? That doesn’t make sense.”
Whatever it was.
“Just play the video for now.”
“Whoa- is the concept historical?? The vibe of the song is killer.”
Many in Korea, unable to reach a clear conclusion, simply watched the teaser for the 'Royal Procession' music video.
Running time was about 20 seconds.
The teaser began with the title 'Royal Procession' appearing boldly in the center of a black screen. Then came the sound of a gayageum rhythm, as if from a distance. The tempo gradually quickened.
However, the teaser didn’t clearly reveal the song 'Royal Procession'.
It was just a taste.
As the gayageum rhythm continued, the black screen quickly shifted to a Joseon-era setting. Kang Rojun in a gonryongpo, and Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung wearing various Joseon-style outfits flashed quickly across the screen.
-♬♪
A single line right before the chorus of 'Royal Procession' played. Alongside it, the camera swept across the gathered 'Vanguard' members.
The angle zoomed out gradually. The color shifted to black and white, then the word 'Vanguard' appeared.
That was the end of the teaser.
A teaser only 20 seconds long, but the fans who rushed in had reactions far from brief.
-WHATTTTTTTTTTTT IS THIS???!!!
-AAAAAAAHHH!!!! WTF!!!! They suddenly dropped a song?! I love it
-'Royal Procession' ㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅜㅠㅠ looks like a historical drama concept?? But there’s not enough info!!!
-It’s most likely a single, right? The fans are happy but the members must be exhausted... immediately jumping into a single... GN! Aren’t you working 'Vanguard' too hard???
-Doesn’t seem like a single? If it were, they would’ve released an official article first, then announced it?
-Single or not, Rojun is super handsome again today
-If I had to guess... this song seems to be the main theme for 'Tale of the Strange Moon'
-↑Ah! That must be it!!
-But isn’t it too early for a main theme to be released for 'Tale of the Strange Moon'? Feels more like Rojun got inspired while filming and made it himself
-Just a few seconds in and the song is soooo good ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
.
.
.
.
Flooding speculation and excitement. Though they were just comments, the reactions were so intense it felt as if actual screams could be heard. Over an hour had passed since the sudden upload of the 'Royal Procession' teaser, and as it remained online, it became clear that it hadn’t been posted by mistake.
-Wow ㄷㄷㄷㄷ it’s only been an hour since upload and it already has 1 million views... Vanguard’s firepower is insane, seriously epic
The view count skyrocketed.
At this rate, surpassing 1 million views in just two hours was a given. And rightly so. The comment section was overflowing not only with Korean fans but also fans from Japan and other countries. Korean, Japanese, English, and more - a colorful mix of languages.
With the atmosphere like this, news of the 'Royal Procession' teaser wasn’t going to stay confined to just YouTube.
It quickly spread to SNS, communities, and beyond.
From finger to finger, mouth to mouth, it spread rapidly. So quickly that following the flood of media coverage came:
《Vanguard’s suddenly uploaded new MV teaser on YouTube / Photo》
《[Star Pick] New song 'Royal Procession'? Is 'Vanguard' preparing a single album?》
《New 'Vanguard' song dropped without prior notice... Fans excited but confused》
The entertainment industry was swept up in the news in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, on the set of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.
“Cut!! OOOK!!”
PD Jung Soo-ryeong beamed and flashed double thumbs-up at Rojun, who was wearing a gat.
“Wow- what is this, Rojun-ssi! Your acting is just so juicy and gripping??!”
“Thank you!”
“The cut was fantastic! Let’s try it once more from the side angle instead of the front!”
“Okay!”
“Let’s check Rojun-ssi’s costume!”
Several staff members rushed over to Kang Rojun in the filming zone. Soon after, Manager Kim Ki-baek also came over and spoke in a gentle tone.
“Rojun, the 'Royal Procession' teaser response is wayyy better than expected.”
As if remembering it just now, Kang Rojun clapped his hands together.
“Ah right. The first teaser release was today, wasn’t it?”
Manager Kim Ki-baek nodded and showed him his phone.
“It’s pretty loud even on ‘Reddit’.”
In other words, there was strong buzz overseas as well.
After that.
Although the 'Royal Procession' teaser had erupted into a fresh new issue, Kang Rojun calmed his excitement and focused entirely on the first shoot for 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.
‘Let’s just think about acting for now. Focus, focus.’
Thanks to his dedicated performance, they were able to cover a large amount of the shooting schedule for a first filming day, and PD Jung Soo-ryeong ended the shoot fairly early.
“That’s it for today! Rojun-ssi, the costume was heavy and unfamiliar, wasn’t it tough?”
“No! It was fun.”
“That’s a relief. Now that the lid’s been opened, make sure to manage your condition well. We’ve got a mountain of things to shoot.”
Condition management? No worries - there’s always the 'Vitality Booster'.
“Yes, PD-nim!”
Kang Rojun responded with confidence.
However, PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the 'Tale of the Strange Moon' team were deeply concerned. With the drama’s first filming done, Rojun’s upcoming schedule was set to be beyond hellish. Even a brief glance at his upcoming week’s schedule would be enough to make a normal idol feel sick.
No, they’d practically collapse for sure.
Filming 'Tale of the Strange Moon', preparing for the 'K-POP Awards' stage, practicing for singles like 'zephyr' and 'Royal Procession', various interviews and schedules related to 'Like a Kaleidoscope', which remained hot in both Korea and Japan, promotions for the movie 'Blood Hunt', and on top of that, his own writing projects.
And that’s even after Manager Kim Ki-baek had filtered out quite a bit.
However, it wasn’t GN Entertainment that forced this schedule onto Kang Rojun. In fact, GN Entertainment had tried to reduce his workload as much as possible, but the main character himself, Kang Rojun, insisted on doing it, which is how the schedule was finalized.
It was clearly a schedule only Rojun could handle.
Moreover, it was thanks to Manager Kim Ki-baek that this packed schedule was arranged efficiently and made manageable. Because of all this, a week felt like a second to Kang Rojun.
‘Wow- it’s already the second week of November??’
It felt like just yesterday they filmed the first scene of 'Tale of the Strange Moon', but they had already completed several shoots, and the recently dropped first teaser of 'Royal Procession' had hit:
-Vanguard ‘Royal Procession’ Official Teaser 1
-Views: 35,923,886
It had easily surpassed 30 million views. Even now, the number kept rising steadily.
In the meantime, GN Entertainment had confirmed Vanguard’s appearance at the 'K-POP Awards', and stage construction for the event, scheduled to be held on November 20, had been completed.
《Only 2 weeks left until the 'K-POP Awards', predicted winners already drawing attention》
《The year’s sensation 'Vanguard', can they write another legend at the 'K-POP Awards' in their rookie year?》
Just five days after the 'K-POP Awards', on the 25th, the film 'Blood Hunt' was set to be released. With all preview screenings completed, the final push of promotions and marketing was in full swing. What’s more, with 'Blood Hunt' confirmed for a November 25 release, it had a high likelihood of being included in the Blue Dragon Film Awards and other December film festivals.
Naturally, interest from film industry insiders in Blood Hunt’s ticket sales and in Kang Rojun intensified.
“Weren’t the Blue Dragon eligibility rules for films released from last November to this November? It’s right on the cutoff, but 'Blood Hunt' should qualify.”
“Probably? Director Yoo Ji-heon might’ve rushed the release on purpose to target the festivals.”
“Anyway, Rojun, if things go well, might sweep all the awards this year??”
“As an idol, the 'K-POP Awards', and as a writer or actor, the film festivals.”
“Not sure about the film festivals, but for the 'K-POP Awards', at least one award is a sure thing, right??”
In particular, Rojun’s presence was immense in both the music and film industries.
“Man- that Rojun guy is seriously in terrifyingly top form.”
“Whether it’s his main job or side gigs, in any industry, he’s a top-tier predator and ecosystem disruptor. A once-in-a-lifetime monster.”
“His earnings must be jaw-dropping, right?”
“Why even say it? He’s practically raking in money with a shovel.”
Then came November 11.
As the chill wind began to blow and the public felt winter approaching, Kang Rojun and the 'Vanguard' members stood on a massive stage.
-♬♪
A stage that could only be described as vast, with intricately arranged seating visible. But for now, the venue was empty.
Echoing through this stage was 'GreenBee'.
Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung were tearing up the stage with a team of over a dozen dancers.
Though not at full intensity yet.
The reason was simple.
They were rehearsing for the 'K-POP Awards', now just around the corner. Today and tomorrow, Kang Rojun could focus solely on rehearsals, setting aside 'Tale of the Strange Moon' filming and other schedules.
Another week flew by.
The date was the 20th, and since yesterday, the media had been buzzing nonstop about the 'K-POP Awards'.
《Today, the 20th! 2021 'K-POP Awards' live broadcast from 4 PM!》
《Audience size over 50,000! 'K-POP Awards' finally opens / Photo》
《[Awards Ceremony] With 'Vanguard' and a dazzling lineup, the 'K-POP Awards' draws intense domestic and international attention》
And it was no wonder.
There was less than an hour left before the live broadcast of the 'K-POP Awards' began. And Kang Rojun?
‘Wow- this is insane! So cool!’
With makeup and outfit perfectly done, Rojun was already seated in his designated spot on the grand stage, busy taking in his surroundings. Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung were the same.
It was a scale that would make their eyes widen.
A massive stage decorated in splendor, production crew packed in front of the stage, leading idols and popular singers seated around the stage, and more than 50,000 spectators filling the venue for the 'K-POP Awards'.
It felt different from past concerts or last year’s awards shows they’d experienced.
‘This is seriously going to be unforgettable for life??’
This year’s 'K-POP Awards' brought an entirely different kind of catharsis.
Right at that moment.
-Fwsh.
The lights across the vast arena dimmed. A sound effect designed to raise tension struck the ears of 'Vanguard', the other idols, and the audience. On giant screens throughout the venue, the 'K-POP Awards' logo appeared.
Dazzling lights swept across the audience and focused on the main stage.
“Good evening, everyone.”
A top actress in a beige dress, in charge of the opening, greeted the crowd. It was the signal that the 'K-POP Awards' was officially starting.
At that moment, the camera, which had been focused on the actress, briefly panned to the seated idols, landing on 'Vanguard'.
Vanguard’s image filled all the giant screens.
And then.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
Ear-piercing screams erupted and engulfed the entire venue.