Chapter 90: It'll Pass

ut in a lot of effort to help you get an audition. Come on!""Don't worry, just relax..."Apk's agent, while driving, chattered incessantly like an old woman, but before he could finish, I cut him off."...Jennie's mood has been really bad lately.

Things are really going from bad to worse now.

Because of their debut timing, they have been at the center of controversy since their debut. They faced countless attacks and smear campaigns from fans of other senior groups in the company, and the entire internet was filled with insults. Due to the styling and makeup issues of their debut song, the four were called "Parrot Group" and "Quadruplets," and various mocking and sarcastic titles were given to them without any cost, all placed on top of Park Soo-hyeon's head. There were hardly a few people online who even dared to speak up for them.

But the failed debut didn't knock them down. Because after training for so long as trainees, a few of Ledebebe were not so easily discouraged. Besides, the company did not give up on them and quickly arranged their first comeback.

To make a comeback this time, the four of them spared no effort. In order to dance in unison, they practiced every day until late at night in the studio. August and September were the hottest months, even with the air conditioner on, the stifling heat was hard to bear. After just a little bit of practice, they would be drenched in sweat as if taking a bath.

Chair dancing isn't that easy to learn. When you're not yet skilled, you often bump into things and get hurt. Wearing high heels on the chair and not paying attention can easily lead to a fall. Both Park Ji-hyun, Kang Seong-ki, and Son Seung-wan have been injured, but no one has complained. Everyone grits their teeth and endures it.

Anyone who has filmed a one-shot MV knows how difficult it is. One mistake and you have to do the whole thing over again. I don't even know how many hours they spent overtime practicing.

For this comeback, they really worked hard and put in a lot of effort.

At that time, they were also under attack online. All the haters wished they would disband immediately. It was the most difficult period for the group, but they still had a lot of energy and motivation every day. The four of them often encouraged each other in their dormitory at night because of the external attacks. Sometimes, Maknae and Jihyo would start crying because of the immense pressure and being insulted so badly, but they still didn't give up on their determination to make a comeback and turn things around.

Everyone has put their full effort and dedication into this, and they are pinning their hopes on this comeback. They hope that through it, they can change the countless insults and overwhelmingly negative impressions of them online.

It's a pity that these expectations and hopes came to an abrupt end a few days ago.

It's been over half a month since the public release of red&vet's comeback "Be&ural" on October 13th, and we can basically draw a conclusion.

This song didn't perform well at all, and the digital audio quickly fell off the charts.

There was a lot of backlash, with all sorts of insults and abusive language flooding the internet. This made it so that Bae Joo-hyun and the others were afraid to even check their phones and look at comments about themselves during their short break after work each evening.

Leaves you unable to fall asleep after watching it.

From the 9th, they have been diligently preparing and performing on stage, but so far it has all been in vain. Besides their true fans who are few in number, no one else seems to be paying attention to their singing or performances.

Not only have they not even made it into the top ten on music shows, but they haven't even gotten a chance to win first place. Every time there's an award ceremony for first place, they stand in the last row and watch as the front is packed with idol groups. They try their best to stand on their toes, hoping to catch a few glimpses on camera.

Besides scolding, it's still scolding.

"Ugly woman!"

"Disband!"

"Die, parrot gang!"

"Trying to seduce my oppa, thinking he'd actually go for you That's hilarious."

"A girl group who relied on being the mistress of Kim Youngmin to steal resources from others, just repulsive to look at."

We want Girls' Generation! We want FX!

Just open the comments about Red Velvet, and there will be all sorts of insults. Even Taeyeon, who rarely swears, is deeply angered by such abuse: “Who seduced him We never dated, so why do you keep insulting me And do you think I care about what you say”

"If you want to see Girls' Generation, go watch them! TTS just came back and they are on variety shows and music programs. What do you want us to do Are you crazy!"

"Wanna FX, Choi Soo-ri's movie is also released, Jung Soo-jung's TV drama was aired last month too, you guys go watch it, why are you still chasing us"

She really wanted to directly reply to these comments and tell them exactly what she was thinking, hitting back hard.

But this idol profession doesn't allow her to do that.

After anger comes a heart full of desolation and sadness, along with a body filled with grievance and confusion.

Having poured so much sweat and effort for so many years, finally achieving their debut was only to end up in this situation now. Their all-out comeback brought no rewards, the only harvest being more insults.

All the expectations and beautiful visions before my debut have now turned into bubbles, leaving only a dark sky ahead that I cannot see.

She thought that becoming an idol would allow her to get closer to Chi Jingyuan, who was on the same level. But after she actually debuted, she realized that she was now even farther away from him. Only those who have truly become insiders can understand the feeling of popularity being like a dimensional wall, a huge difference.

Just like some black fans say online, 'they are not from the same world at all.'

Originally, she often texted and chatted with Ji Jingyuan, making jokes. After her debut, her phone was restricted due to management rules, so they had much less contact.

And now, even if Park Chae-hyun can get her hands on her phone at night, the stark contrast and the remaining shred of pride prevent her from taking the initiative to contact him.

Especially thinking back to her former self, full of spirit and confidence before her debut, the kind of confidence she had felt before her comeback, believing she could rise above and make a real impact. Now looking at their current situation, Park Soo-Hyun felt incredibly embarrassed, like a clown.

Today from afternoon till now there wasn't any activity, red&vet a few people stayed in the practice room, while Seulgi because she saw some hateful comments from black fans targeting her at night and got angry, didn't go back with the others in advance. Instead, she practiced alone in the practice room as if venting, until she was exhausted and lay on the floor for a long time before packing up and preparing to go back.

As the leader and eldest sister, she really disliked crying or showing vulnerability in front of the members. Even though everyone else was often wiping tears while venting to each other late at night in the dorm, she felt very sad and wanted to cry too, but she endured it all.

One person dancing crazily alone has become a way for her to vent her emotions.

Just standing before the elevator, the moment the doors opened her carefully composed mood instantly fell apart.

Ji Jingye didn't expect to see Pei Zhuxuan at this time, and now she was alone.

It's already the wee hours of the morning, red&vet doesn't need to return yet, I heard there aren't many activities lately, does she need to be so busy working until this late

A man and a woman outside the elevator door looked at each other, both of them stunned and clearly surprised.

Both of them remained silent. After two seconds of eye contact, Bae Joo-hyeon silently walked in, even taking an extra few steps into the elevator and standing behind Ji Seong-won at a slight angle so he couldn't see her from behind.

The elevator door closed with a soft hiss, and began to descend.

"What a coincidence"

Ji Jingyuan slightly shifted his body, turning his head to glance at Pei Zhuxuan behind him, and calmly greeted her.

At this time, Jennie Kim was wearing a slightly long gray hooded sweatshirt with an adorable bear pattern on the chest. The somewhat childish style seemed not quite in line with her age.

She looked pretty petite in a pair of white sneakers.

Her hair was combed back and tied into a bun, revealing her entire face. A few wisps of air bangs fell across her forehead and cheeks. One could still see some water droplets on her forehead, not sure if they were from sweat or washing her face.

Maybe because she had washed her face, her makeup was very light, revealing dark circles and a slightly sallow complexion. At first glance, it was clear that she hadn't been sleeping well lately and was feeling stressed and unwell.

"At the sound of Ji Jingyuan's voice, Pei Zhuxuan seemed a little flustered. She raised her head to look at him and squeezed out a reluctant smile and nodded, but didn't speak. Afterward, she seemed to realize something and hurriedly lowered her head again, unintentionally taking a step back."

Without the boost of high heels and insoles, Seulgi, wearing only sneakers, revealed her true height. Standing before Ji-seong, she appeared rather delicate and petite. This step back was as if Ji-seong had done something wrong.

Seeing her like this, coupled with the recent changes in Red Velvet's Peijoo-hyun and the current state of Red & Vet, Ji-seong sighed inwardly. He had a rough understanding of the situation.

If it were him, he probably wouldn't lick his face and talk to the other party. On the contrary, if his self-esteem and career ambition were a little heavier, he would even take the initiative to distance himself.

Because of Jeon Somi's silence, the elevator fell into a quiet state. All that could be heard was the sound of it descending with a rumble.

"One person"

After a few seconds, Chi Jingyuan asked again, but this time he didn't look back. Instead, he gazed at the slightly reflective ladder door ahead of him.

"...Inside." Pei Zhuxuan buried her head and glanced up at him. Seeing that he didn't turn back, she settled her mind and softly replied.

After that, the entire elevator fell silent. Ji Jingyuan stood silently in front without saying another word. Pei Zhuxuan looked at her own toes and stood silently behind him.

With a 'ding,' the elevator reached the first floor. Ji Jingyuan walked out first, and Pei Zhuhyun followed after a slight pause. The two of them walked towards the side door one after the other, just like they did in the elevator.

At this time, most of the ** company staff had already gone home. Even though the incandescent lights were very bright, they still couldn't conceal the quiet atmosphere in the corridor. All that could be heard was a rhythmic and distinct sound of two different sets of footsteps gradually fading away.

As they were about to reach the side gate, Ji Jingyuan suddenly stopped and turned around, looking at Pei Zhuhyun and nodding his chin. "Want to take a walk"

The sudden braking ahead startled Jennie, and she almost ran into the car in front of her.

After halting her forward steps and standing still, she heard Chi Jingyuan's invitation. She was initially surprised, looked up at him for a moment, and pursed her lips without speaking.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she seemed to remember something, her gaze falling on a poster of Girls' Generation Taeyeon hanging on the wall beside her. She nodded lightly.

As Ji Chang Wook walked to the door, he put on his hat and mask. He saw that Park Soo-ah took a baseball cap out of her bag and put it on her head. He stared at the Donald Duck on top for two seconds before turning his gaze to her face: "Aren't you going to wear a mask"

Pei Zhuxuan shook her head, unsure if she meant she didn't bring it or that it wasn't necessary.

After Pool Jingyuan sent a message to Park Jaehyun, he took the lead and pushed open the door to walk out, while Bae Joohyun followed lightly behind.

In fact, Ji Jingyuan only saw Pei Zhuxuan and Red Velvet in this state temporarily, he was still eager to go back to sleep before.

I had no specific destination or plan in mind. After leaving the ** building, I quickly thought for a moment and then started walking aimlessly towards the Han River.

While Pei Zhuxuan was like before, within the company, she didn't raise her head much and just silently followed behind him without speaking. She stared at the ground as if afraid of being tripped by something.

As she walked all the way to Yanjiang Avenue, she saw familiar places and the memories of the past came flooding back into her mind. She was surprised and glanced at Chi Jingyuan.

It was past midnight, the temperature had dropped a bit in the dead of night. Looking around, there were only one or two figures on the riverside walkway.

Ji Jingyuan looked back and saw Pu Zhaiyan driving up and stopping nearby.

Park Jae-hyun came here to wait for him to be sent back, and someone was following behind to keep an eye out for reporters taking pictures.

But even if it were captured, it wouldn't have any impact on Chi Jingyuan. Even if he didn't say anything, the company would take the initiative to suppress it.

Besides, it's so late now, and there are no people around here.

After walking a few steps, Ji-Won found a wooden chair and sat down. Bae Joo-Hyun hesitated for a moment beside him, then also came over and sat down, but she didn't sit too close. There was a distance of almost half a meter between her and Ji-Won.

The two of them sat silently on the chairs, gazing at the brightly lit bridges over the Han River in the distance. They listened to the soothing sound of the river flowing ahead, and the atmosphere suddenly became peaceful.

A slight chill in the evening breeze rustled their hair. Though the temperature was quite cold, neither of them seemed to notice. They simply sat quietly there, lost in thought or staring ahead.

After the two sat down, Chi Jingyuan remained silent, his lips pursed as he gazed at the moonlight and reflections rippling on the surface of the Han River.

>

Today, Tao's departure from EXO just happened. Seeing so many people online downplaying EXO, his mood wasn't good either. He suddenly invited Seulgi out for a walk. Besides wanting to comfort her, he also wanted to clear his own head.

However, he seemed a little downcast. After sitting there for a while and getting blown by the wind, he looked out at the brightly lit Seoul skyline in the distance and suddenly felt much more relaxed.

Letting out a long, heavy sigh, Ji Jingyuan turned his head to look at Bae Joo-hyun.

After sitting down, she briefly glanced at the river view before quickly lowering her head. Her eyes were vacant and lost in thought, clearly troubled and her attention was not here. Her whole body was tense, although older than Chi Jingyuan, the little figure sitting there seemed rather pitiful.

The low pressure surrounding her was palpable, and even Chi Jingyuan sitting beside her could clearly see it.

Pool Kyung-won didn't proactively say anything, although he could empathize as he had a similar experience of being blacked out during his debut. However, some simple comfort wouldn't mean much, and it's possible that Park Soo-hyun might not need those things either.

Looking at the silent and motionless Park Soo-Hyuk, who sat there like a wooden doll, Ji Kyung-Won blinked his eyes. He took the single shoulder bag behind him to the front, opened the zipper and began rummaging through it.

He quickly pulled out a bag of light yellow-packaged peanut butter chocolate bars. It was the one they, EXO-K, had filmed an advertisement for last time. He thought it tasted good and bought a lot more afterwards. He often carried some with him and would take a couple of bites whenever he felt like it, fulfilling his duty as the endorser.

He directly opened the wrapping, squeezed out a chocolate bar from it, and then held the wrapper in front of Seulgi.

Just now, whether it was the sound of unpacking or opening the packaging, it was actually quite loud. However, Bae Joo-hyun kept staring blankly as if she hadn't heard anything, until a bar of chocolate suddenly appeared in front of her, and she woke up abruptly.

Then, as if coming back to reality, she was stunned again upon seeing the familiar-looking chocolate before her. The scene from when she filmed the advertisement flashed before her eyes.

Although they hadn't returned this time, the group's situation wasn't fundamentally different from now.

At that time, she was also feeling down and sad, and didn't really want to communicate with people.

But the same chocolate bar was right there in front of me again.

Ji Jingyuan's hand remained raised, holding the package without showing any signs of fatigue. Meanwhile, Bae Joo-hyeon stared for a long time before turning her head away. For the first time since sitting down, she glanced at Ji Jingyuan, who had gently raised an eyebrow at her, and her eyes shimmered with a mixture of crystal clarity and complexity.

After a few seconds of delay, she snatched the package from Chi Jingyuan's hand with surprising force. She picked up a chocolate bar that had popped out and shoved it straight into her mouth, chewing and biting with all her might as if venting some pent-up frustration.

However, as she chewed, she started to cry.

Tears came down quickly, like the capricious summer rainstorm. Just moments ago, there was a serene and vacant expression, but in an instant, tears surged forth like a broken dam, and a face that was previously unwell became tear-streaked.

She was clearly losing control of her emotions. She stuffed something into her mouth and bit down furiously while muttering, “I... I saw so many people insulting me online tonight… I thought I would get used to being insulted after so long… But I can’t stand it.”

She was crying, still eating something in her mouth, speaking incoherently with sobs and choked voice.

"Are you crazy I didn't do anything to them, why are they doing this to me I haven't felt this bad even when I had the flu before..."

"Oh..."

“Even though I’ve been trying so hard, it seems like nothing is working… I even tried to comfort the members, saying this was a test for us and that as long as we persisted and endured, things would get better… But honestly, I’m losing faith myself. Everywhere I look online, people are criticizing us. I waited so many years for my debut, but now it’s turned out like this. It feels like everything around me, even the sky, is just gray.”

As Pool Jingyuan listened, he couldn't help but glance up at the sky. The black night sky seemed to be covered with a gray screen, blocking out all the stars that should have been visible. Only the lonely moon hung there in sadness.

Then he turned his gaze back to Bae Joo-hyun. Her tears were smeared on her face, her eyes and nose were a little red, and she still had chocolate bar crumbs at the corner of her mouth. She looked both pitiful and comical.

"Isn't it ugly" Feeling a little out of control, Bae Joo-hyeon wasn't as concerned with her image in front of Park Ji-won as she usually was. Meeting his gaze, she asked in a slightly husky voice.

"It is a bit," Qi Jingyuan honestly nodded, speaking the truth.

He actually toned it down a bit because he felt it was more than just 'a little'.

‘Ah!” Pei Zhuxuan cried out, angrily clenching her fists and punching Ji Seongwon hard. Looking at his face, she felt a surge of anger in her heart: "Your fans keep saying I seduced you, did I seduce you There's nothing to it, why do they keep chasing after me and cursing me Is EXO that great"

"It is a little bit." He smacked his lips, looking at the pitiful crying Bae Joo-hyeon who was staring at him with watery eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he replied.

"Oh..."

Pei Joo-hyuk seemed to be crying even harder after being angered by Ji-yeong's answer. She had a chocolate bar in her mouth, half sticking out like she was smoking a pipe, and she hit him hard before moving her butt back slightly. She lifted her legs and placed them together on the chair, covering her face with her hands and hugging her legs, trembling and crying uncontrollably.

Looking at her like this, for some reason a faint smile appeared on Ji Jingyuan's face. He shook his head, reached out and flipped up the hoodie's hat that Bae Ju-hyeon was wearing, putting it over her head. Her pigtails stuck out behind her, pushing the hat up and making her look rather cute.

He sat quietly beside her, listening to the torrent of tears she had been holding back for so long, while watching the incomplete moon in the sky silently.

Seeing the similar scene and the same person, Ji Jingyuan couldn't help but recall a previous chance encounter he had with Bae Joohyun when they didn't know each other. Back then, she had also cried uncontrollably after seeing him.

He remembered hearing from either Jiang Seqi or Sun Shengwan that Chu Hyuk's emotions tended to be more reserved, especially she disliked crying in front of them. Even if she really had tears, she would try her best to hold them back.

Strangely enough, both times when Bae Joo-hyun broke down and cried, Ji Chang Wook happened to be right there beside her.

Destiny I wouldn't say so.

Although he thought it wasn't good to do this too often, he felt that occasionally doing so was also quite alright. At least it allowed him to release some unspoken worries and grievances from his heart. Holding them in for a long time would not only be bad for his mental and physical health, but over time it could even have a certain impact on a person's personality.

Ji-yeong can understand what IU is feeling right now. Back in 2012, although EXO didn't receive as much hate as Red Velvet for "Psycho," they were still heavily criticized.

At that time, XO was being half-shelved by the company. All the members were in a very bad mood. Besides being anxious and worried about their future, many people were also quite angry. They would have small arguments every three days and big fights every five days. Even Bomin and ChanYeol didn't know how many times they had blushed and argued until their necks were dry.

If the first two regular albums, “Wolf” and “Growl,” flop like “XOXO,” who knows what EXO will be like.

Red Velvet's private life in the dormitory, Pool Jingyuan is unclear. However, even if she is a member of the same group, her younger sister, presumably Bae Joohyun, should also find it difficult to let go of her outburst in front of them.

This is just fine.

A cool breeze blew past, making Chi Jingyuan feel a little cold. He tightened his coat collar and moved his neck.

Meanwhile, the cries beside her gradually subsided from loud wails to muffled sobs. Bae Joohyun still remained curled up, hugging her knees, and ironically, she was tightly clutching that chocolate bar in her right hand. Who knows if all that force crushed the snacks inside

A while ago han left, today tao also left, in two days I guess y will leave too. EXO has gone from 12 members to just 9 people since their debut. It's estimated that the remaining Korean members won't leave, but who knows what they're really thinking now.

Ji Jingyuan felt that her suppressed emotions had been released for the most part, and slowly calmed down. Afterward, he placed his hands on either side of his body to support himself, gazed at the Han River in the distance and suddenly spoke, his tone natural as if he were just casually chatting.

Pei Zhuxuan's sobbing subsided a little, probably hearing Chi Jingyuan's voice and realizing he was talking to her.

Although her movements hadn't changed, it was clear she was listening attentively.

“I saw that a lot of old fans from our fan and B group unfollowed us because of these things, and they were even more excited and crazy than black fans. Some fans have directly quit and gone to follow other boy groups. Online is also full of negativity... Although it hasn't affected me much, sometimes I really feel quite uncomfortable.”

"I can understand those members who left. What I care about, they may not like it, and what I don't care about may be their pursuit."

Scoffing, Chi Jingyuan glanced around before continuing, "In a more romantic way of saying it, everything right now is a test. Like you just said, no matter what happens, it will pass."

Or, it's already passed.

As he spoke, Ji Jingyuan's gaze drifted past, catching sight of Pei Zhuxuan who had stopped crying. She was gently rubbing her face against her pants, as if trying to discreetly wipe away the evidence of her tears. He estimated that she also knew she looked quite pitiful just now.

He was speechless, taking his shoulder bag forward and pulling out a pack of wet wipes. He directly pulled open Irene's left hand finger and stuffed the wet wipe into her hand, pressing on her hand to make her grip it tightly, then he said with some disdain:

"Wipe it with this, stop rubbing it there, is it dirty or not"

"Every time you cry like this, are you really a female idol, Dahyun xi"

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Networkhering of three or four people, usually those with better family backgrounds would take the initiative to treat, like Kim Jun-myeon. His family is doing pretty well, he's quite enthusiastic and as the...