Chapter 1164: Artist of the Year (7)

“Everyone!”

“Ne!”

“Today, we’d like to introduce the newest member to join our Lemon Salon, Jang Hanbyeol~!”

“Waaaaaaah!”

Scarlett and her underlings clapped like excited seals.

While Junghyun blew a birthday party whistle with a long, “Puuuuuu—,” Hanbyeol stared blankly.

She looked like she was thinking, Where am I? Who am I?

Daisy shouted.

“Introduce yourself~!”

“Yes... I’m Jang Hanbyeol. I was suddenly dragged out in the middle of practice, so my mind is completely blank right now. I know everyone here already, though. It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Waaaaaaah!”

As they seated Hanbyeol in the guest of honor’s spot, the paper that had been roughly taped to the wall with Scotch tape fluttered in the warm air.

[The 19th Lemon Salon]

Hanbyeol asked:

“...Salon? Saloon? Do you mean something like a bar that every town has?”

“If you lived in America, a bar might be more familiar, but it’s closer to the word used for social gatherings in old France or Italy.”

At Ri Hyuk’s explanation, Hanbyeol went, “Ah.”

I explained the gathering to her.

“We’re all idols from the same company, but I felt like we hadn’t interacted enough, so we started meeting regularly like this. We have tea time and all.”

“Oh. Tea time...”

Right then, Rina opened a can of zero cola, and the carbonation exploded.

“Ah, unnieee! You were supposed to open it slowly! More of it spilled because of you!”

“Eek!”

“Hey, hey, wipe it up before Ri Hyuk gets mad!”

“Kyaaaak!”

“...Too late.”

Hanbyeol raised one eyebrow.

“Tea time?”

“Well... the variety of ‘tea’ is a little wider than usual. Anyway, we have tea and snacks during tea time.”

A loud commotion came from beside us.

“When is the pizza coming?”

“Jiho. How’s the new Hoho Chicken menu?”

“Why are you asking me that? Do you think I know because I’m the son of a chicken restaurant owner?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right. It’s bad.”

Watching all of that, Hanbyeol looked at me.

I stared into the distance.

“The variety of snacks is pretty wide too...”

We were a group of energetic people in our twenties. It wasn’t realistic to expect everyone to just drink tea and eat cookies.

It was called tea time, but in reality, it was just a gathering where we ate snacks.

“Most people would call this amount of food a meal, hyung.”

“Ahem.”

“Wow. Even after living in Korea for over ten years, I still can’t get used to how much people here eat. Seriously. Does all of that actually fit inside them...?”

“Enough talking. Just eat.”

I casually placed a slice of pizza on a small plate and handed it over.

Meanwhile, the evening news was playing on the TV.

“Ah. But the thing is, I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to be here...”

Hanbyeol said awkwardly.

“Everyone here has been with Lemon since they were trainees, right? This place...”

She was asking whether it was okay for someone technically from outside the company to join.

Ara from Scarlett waved her hands.

“What are you talking about? We’re coworkers now.”

“That’s right. And if we’re only talking about origins, this person is technically closer to the sixth rank anyway. He joined last.”

Ri Hyuk pointed at me, and everyone, including me, burst into laughter.

Scarlett’s main vocalist Bom nodded.

“That’s true if you only look at where people came from. But this person drove out Gung Ye and rose up like Wang Geon...”

“Unnie. Why did you use Gung Ye when comparing the CEO?”

“......”

At my question, she pretended she couldn’t answer because she was busy chewing pizza.

Either way, Hanbyeol, who had initially felt awkward, quickly adapted and began chatting warmly with everyone.

Since she had known Scarlett longer than our younger members, she naturally ended up talking more with them.

Unlike Sbo or TeenSpirit, TNT members tended to be a little awkward with each other if I wasn’t there as the connection between them, so it was only natural.

I was watching them talk when suddenly—

[Next up, we have this report.]

The reporter’s voice from the TV news sounded unusually clear.

[Popular idol group TNT member Jang Hanbyeol has been banned from entertainment activities by Chinese authorities.]

“!”

“!!”

While Ri Hyuk waved his arms like a malfunctioning cat and Biju hurriedly searched for the remote in confusion, the news continued.

A protest march in Beijing, with people holding pickets.

[Jang Liang must reflect and apologize!]

Chinese citizens holding white pickets covered in blood-red letters shouted angrily as they walked through the streets.

[Leave behind everything you received from China!]

[Ugh—!]

People aggressively tearing down a life-size standee of Hanbyeol displayed in front of a famous fast-food restaurant.

Everyone covered their mouths in shock, eyes wide open.

[It appears that comments made by singer Jang Hanbyeol during a recent interview have provoked authorities.]

When asked why she wanted to promote in Korea, she had answered that it had been a long-held dream that she had never been able to pursue.

[Following this, Chinese state media outlets have released critical commentary, and citizens have also shown intense reactions.]

At my signal, Junghyun slammed his hand down on the TV like a karate strike—

Wait! Junghyun!

?

Oh. You were trying to unplug the cord. Sorry for misunderstanding.

But as Junghyun reached for the TV cable, Hanbyeol calmly raised her hand.

“Leave it. I was curious about this anyway.”

“......”

Junghyun nodded and sat down, and the news continued.

As the broadcast emphasized the harsh commentary from state media, citizens were interviewed.

Chinese university students riding bicycles to school.

[Honestly, while she was making that much money in China, it means she was always looking toward Korea. It feels bad. Are we just a way for her to make money?]

Various citizens shrugged as they spoke.

[She’s not even Chinese. She’s American. Tell her to go back to America.]

[C-pop’s representative singer is crawling under K-pop’s legs. It reminds me of the story of Han Xin from the Chu Han Contention.]

[Let her try. Let’s see whether she’ll receive the same warm welcome in Korea as she did in China.]

Even ordinary-looking people were expressing hostility.

Then another scene followed.

[Several famous Chinese stars have also joined this movement.]

A famous Chinese male actor was passionately criticizing Hanbyeol through what appeared to be a Y app live stream.

[Jang Liang betrayed the love and attention of 1.3 billion people. And then he left just to receive love from a mere 50 million people. As time passes, he will deeply regret how wrong his decision was.]

Then a familiar face appeared.

Andrew, a senior idol from TeenSpirit, a former member of Daydream, and currently active in the Chinese-speaking market, was speaking during a livestream.

[When it comes to Jang Liang, I know him better than anyone. Throughout his entire career in China, he kept saying he wanted to go to Korea. Well, he got his wish.]

Since he was an idol senior we had met several times in the past, all I could do was let out a hollow laugh.

Biju said:

“I always feel this way, but people who lie even though they know the truth are the worst.”

“Yeah.”

It felt strange.

He had been someone who seemed decent, but the expression on his face while falsely accusing and attacking someone during the livestream looked a little ugly.

Maybe because his styling had changed from when he was in Korea, but he looked like a completely different person.

Hanbyeol clicked her tongue.

“That hyung was actually a pretty good guy in private. We drank together a lot when I was promoting in China.”

“Why are you trying to understand him too?”

“I’m just saying.”

Hanbyeol was the kind of person who would think, He probably has his own circumstances too...

I firmly shook my head at her and looked back at the TV.

[Experts speculate that the success of K-pop led by NewBlack and the recent worldwide success of the film Sound of the Sun may have provoked authorities...]

That was the end of the report about Hanbyeol.

As international news about the Middle East situation and oil prices followed, everyone lost their appetite and set down their chicken.

“Everyone, just eat comfortably.”

Hanbyeol smiled.

“I’m not someone who gets hurt that much by things like this. If anything, it would be different if people I trusted and relied on...”

Her brown eyes turned toward me.

“...said things like that to me. But that’s just how the world is, isn’t it? People’s feelings are like reeds. After acting like that, if public opinion changes again soon, the atmosphere will completely change.”

She told everyone to relax and eat, but how could anyone actually eat comfortably?

Everyone picked at their food and brought up other topics.

Ara drank her cola and said:

“I didn’t really like that Andrew guy.”

“Me neither.”

“He gave me a bad feeling from the start. He has the face of a traitor. Like Ri Hyuk.”

“...Why am I suddenly being attacked?”

As they joked around and eased the mood, Hanbyeol joined in with a smile.

Meanwhile, the news ended, and the next program preview began.

[Coming up next, Our Language Showdown.]

Everyone’s faces brightened.

The reason I had invited Hanbyeol here, and the reason I had left the TV on in the first place, was because of this.

“Ah. This is great.”

Everyone laughed when Ri Hyuk smiled happily, looking forward to watching his favorite TV program.

Jiho said:

“Hyung, you finally got your wish. You always wanted to watch this.”

“No one ever watched it with me. Everyone always turned on something else.”

Ri Hyuk’s eyes sparkled as he looked around at everyone.

“Since we’re talking about it, should we make a bet today? Like who gets the most answers right?”

“......”

“......”

Nobody answered.

While our main vocalist, whose heart had been wounded, simply raised the TV volume, I turned my attention back to Hanbyeol.

The person spinning a glass of cola like it was a wine glass looked slightly dazed.

“Is it because of the news?”

“No. It’s not really because of that... It’s because of Andrew hyung.”

“Ah.”

She didn’t seem bothered by the other things, but the betrayal from someone she had once been close with appeared to weigh on her.

Hanbyeol looked at her phone and said:

“I guess it’s true that you only see people clearly when you’re in trouble. Even the ones who used to follow me around saying ‘sunbae’ unfollowed me.”

Apparently, some idol members from Chinese-speaking backgrounds had unfollowed her.

I smiled and said:

“They’re not very smart.”

“?”

“They’re all making the wrong judgment. Including you.”

When she looked at me as if asking what I meant, I explained.

“You were never actually in a crisis, Hanbyeol. You know that too.”

“Well, that’s true...”

For a singer, the biggest blow wasn’t public backlash.

It was losing fans.

In a situation like this, unless Hanbyeol’s fandom somehow became stronger, there was no reason it would weaken.

And Hanbyeol herself knew that her fans would remain firmly by her side, which was why even seeing reports like that didn’t hurt her as much.

“Can I make a prediction?”

“Yeah.”

“The people who unfollowed you just now will follow you again within a few days.”

Hanbyeol laughed.

From her perspective, she was probably thinking, Come on.

But I believed it.

Of course, the people who banned Hanbyeol’s activities probably had an intention like this.

Where are you going to make a living now? Lower your head, apologize, and come back.

They probably expected Hanbyeol to post a tearful apology video on SNS.

From a common-sense perspective, where else would an entertainer whose main market had disappeared have to go?

They probably judged that Hanbyeol’s Korean activities would fail, which was why they took those measures.

Maybe that analysis wasn’t completely wrong.

But ironically, the ban on her entertainment activities that came from that very judgment changed everything.

Whenever someone forces something through sheer power, there is always a backlash or consequence.

History showed that when a powerful country chose oppression over sophisticated diplomacy, other nations would unite against it, and the great power’s influence would weaken instead.

From my perspective, it felt like something had been pressed down too hard, and something was about to explode.

“I told you before. It’s going to become the best promotion possible.”

“Yeah.”

“Watch from here.”

Today would probably become the biggest turning point in Hanbyeol achieving her dream.

Hanbyeol smiled much brighter and chuckled.

“It really would be funny. If my Korean activities succeed because they did this to me.”

I nodded and raised my glass, clinking it with Hanbyeol’s.

Well. Things might not go exactly as expected.

But so what?

If that happened, I could just make a move myself.

“Kyak!”

“?”

While I imagined countless strategies in my head and smiled happily, the broadcast finally began.

PBS’s educational program Our Language Showdown.

The program, where contestants showed off their Korean language skills, had ratings typical of an ordinary educational show.

A little lower than the ratings of programs from my hometown.

Aside from a small group of dedicated fans, most people simply watched it because they happened to have PBS on.

But today was different.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Fans openly shared their hopes that their favorite would suffer in very specific ways.

The future of the Souffle Kingdom was truly bright and energetic.

Anyway, as NewBlack fans gathered, the ratings for Our Language Showdown rose about 2–3% higher than usual.

Even so, unlike other variety programs, the increase was not dramatic.

It was still an educational program, and at 7:30 p.m., when the show started, most people were busy with other things.

However, its online buzz was undeniable.

People who couldn’t watch the live broadcast but monitored real-time reactions whenever they had time.

[Hello! I’m Sun Wooju!]

As the episode began, the atmosphere immediately became lively.

At the same time, viewers’ attention shifted elsewhere.

[I’m Jang Hanbyeol, Wooju’s close friend!]

Oh right. She’s appearing too.

Jang Hanbyeol... Ah, TNT.

Rather than immediately thinking of TNT, people first thought, What was her background again? before remembering she was from TNT.

That was inevitable.

She had been the member with the least presence in TNT.

Even online in the past, the atmosphere had been like this.

Of course, those comments came during the period when TNT was at its peak and individual fandom divisions were severe.

Now, people simply reacted with:

Oh, TNT’s Chinese member.

With those people as her audience, Hanbyeol introduced herself.

[Yes. I’m Jang Hanbyeol, a member of TNT.]

[Now that I think about it, Hanbyeol, you won the foreigner special on Our Language Showdown in the past, right?]

[Yes, that’s right~]

Hanbyeol smiled.

[Since I’m releasing an album this time, I came here to promote it! Many people watching this program might think my Korean activities came suddenly, but it’s actually been a dream of mine for a long time.]

Perhaps because of the media attention surrounding her current situation.

Every single word Hanbyeol said was captured and uploaded online.

The reactions were divided.

However, unlike the fierce arguments within idol communities, ordinary viewers and most Souffle generally watched Hanbyeol with sympathy.

She’s really unfortunate. She probably didn’t know this would happen when they filmed this.

Hanbyeol, who had smiled confidently throughout.

[I’ll show you just how serious I am about our language! After today’s broadcast, all of you will understand!]

The smiling MC turned toward Wooju.

[Wooju, could you tell us your determination for today?]

[Yes.]

Wooju looked seriously into the camera.

[People often say singers represent their fans.]

[Ah. Not that fans resemble singers, but that singers resemble their fans...?]

[That’s right.]

-????

Wooju clenched his fist.

[Therefore, my ability is the ability of Souffle. I will compete today with the honor of my fans on the line.]

-??

-???: I’ll just go to prison..

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

With Wooju confidently declaring his determination, the quiz officially began.

And then.

[I’ll use the phone-a-friend lifeline.]

Not long afterward, the legendary scene that would become famous on set finally appeared.