Chapter 1166: Artist of the Year (9)

There are occasional exceptions, but generally speaking, current affairs news tends to have a greater impact than entertainment news.

And when current affairs news combines with entertainment news, that impact tends to grow even larger.

-Jang Hanbyeol Banned From Chinese Entertainment Activities Sparks Controversy… “Why?”

At the moment, Jang Hanbyeol’s activity ban was receiving more attention than any other entertainment industry issue.

From the perspective of Korean viewers, it was impossible not to be curious.

Why was he banned from appearing?

As if answering that question, discussions began pouring out from various current affairs programs.

[He’s a member of the popular idol group TNT, right? Recently, Jang Hanbyeol was given a ban on entertainment activities. How did this happen?]

Students glancing at the TV while eating tteokbokki at a snack shop.

People lifting their heads while taking a spoonful of gukbap.

People standing in train station waiting rooms with cold wind blowing in, watching TV with their hands in their pockets, and so on.

Regardless of whether it was a terrestrial network or a cable channel, everyone was talking about the hot topic of Jang Hanbyeol.

[Well, I would say the biggest reason is the overwhelming success of the Korean Wave led by NewBlack, wouldn’t you? Aren’t we now living in an era of soft power rather than hard power? While the gap in economic scale has narrowed significantly amid the US China rivalry, there is still a huge difference when it comes to soft power.]

[…The reason Jang Hanbyeol became a target was…]

Experts explained interesting current affairs issues in the most boring ways possible.

The public came to their own rough conclusions.

‘They needed somewhere to vent their anger because of K pop.’

‘Why does that panelist keep talking in a way that sounds like he’s defending the ban? What kind of professor is he, anyway?’

Not everyone found the experts’ explanations convincing.

But one thing was certain.

The public was interested in this issue.

No matter where people went online, posts related to it could be found.

[A longtime C drama fan’s analysis of the cause behind this incident.twt]

The biggest reason is that he left his agency and lost his connections.

C drama fans will know this, but their censorship standards are really inconsistent. When you look closely, it all depends on the production company’s connections. (Connections = guanxi)

There are cases where something is banned in one drama but allowed in another, and the difference is obvious. I think Jang Hanbyeol was probably targeted because when he left TJ, the connections he had built in China disappeared, and so did his shield.

A lengthy analysis post about why Jang Hanbyeol specifically became the target.

[Jang Hanbyeol, who turns out to have constantly expressed his desire to promote in Korea since his TJ days]

A lengthy post written by fans about how Jang Hanbyeol had endured everything while staying with TJ.

Idol fans were surprised by stories that only people who had intensely followed TNT would have known.

-Oh noㅠㅠㅠㅠ He must have gone through so much mentally..

-The more recent the photos get, the more you can tell how hard things were for himㅠㅠ

-His face really started looking brighter after Pyeongchang.

-I hope things work out for him this time.

-Seeing him speak Korean this time, you could really tell he genuinely wanted to promote in Korea. I really hope he does well 2222

-Fuck, Taejun really left no mess untouched.

-Old man, live a long and healthy life!

The sincerity Jang Hanbyeol showed on Living Korean Showdown combined with fans’ promotional posts, and sympathy toward him grew stronger.

…Of course, it quickly turned into a mud fight afterward.

-Hmm… I still think what he did was wrong, but there are circumstances worth considering.

┕People like this are the worst lol. Who are you to forgive him? Even TNT fans didn’t insult Hanbyeol.

┕They didn’t insult him?? Weren’t individual member stans trashing him like crazy?

-He didn’t establish his own company, but looking at his actions, wasn’t he basically a runaway member? There were tons of controversies back then, but everyone’s pretending they don’t remember.

-What controversies? lol Antis always act like there’s something, but they never actually know anything.

-For real.

Fortunately, even amid that atmosphere, more stories and positive accounts about Jang Hanbyeol continued to surface.

[Jang Hanbyeol’s reaction when he met Korean fans at a Shanghai event three years ago.gif]

The way he became so genuinely happy upon seeing Korean fans that he delayed the red carpet event for a long time.

His retriever like behavior naturally brought smiles to people’s faces.

[A married couple’s positive story about Jang Hanbyeol during their honeymoon in Hawaii]

The story of how he approached them as soon as he heard Korean, spoke to the couple when they were in trouble, and helped them in various ways.

[Jang Hanbyeol, who posted Korean SNS updates every single day without fail]

Stories about how, aside from his recent hiatus, he visited his fan cafe or posted on social media every day throughout his career, and so on.

-You keep saying not to be fooled by image management, but do you really think you could maintain that kind of image management for seven years??

-If someone’s doing image management for seven years, then that’s just who they are.

-How does it happen that nothing but good stories keep coming out about him.. Is he a Sun Wooju type too?

-TNT solo stans really attacked someone like this?? lol That whole fandom era was unbelievable.

-The people who knew all this and still insulted him are the worst.

Combined with the likable image he had shown recently on Living Korean Showdown, netizens’ views toward him grew warmer.

A saying floated around in their minds.

-If someone styles themselves like a Joseon person, speaks like a Joseon person, and lives like a Joseon person, wouldn’t they be a Joseon person?

Jang Hanbyeol’s image was quietly moving from the category of famous Chinese celebrities into the category of our K pop members.

Most people had come to feel positively toward him like that…

But unfortunately, it was not the image Lemon Entertainment wanted.

“Sympathy is still stronger for now.”

Lemon Entertainment’s Manager Hong Seoyeong, who was expected to be promoted to deputy director next year, asked her subordinates.

“Can anyone tell me why sympathy from the public is bad for a celebrity?”

“Because once someone gets labeled as pitiful, it’s hard to shake that image off…?”

“That’s right.”

Manager Hong Seoyeong nodded.

“An agency has to be careful that their artists don’t end up looking pathetic or gaining a pitiful image. Once people see someone as pitiful, they keep seeing that person only as someone pitiful.”

It was the same reason why celebrities who committed petty acts often found it harder to make a comeback than celebrities who had committed major wrongdoings.

The same applied now.

Although favorable public sentiment toward Jang Hanbyeol had formed, people’s reactions were mostly similar.

-Awwㅠㅠㅠㅠ Hope he does well.

-Hanbyeol, stay strong.

A general sentiment of “I hope things work out for him~” did not help much with an artist’s activities.

Manager Hong Seoyeong continued.

“Simply put, think about the comment sections of the popular stars we know. Do you see comments like these there?”

The real sign of success was interest in the singer’s activities themselves.

When comments exploded over things like whether people liked the new song trailer or what they thought about it, that was the best possible sign.

‘Among the people leaving comments telling him to stay strong, only a tiny fraction will actually listen to his music.’

However, Lemon Entertainment’s TF team was not particularly bothered by this situation.

‘The sympathy is good for now.’

The situation had changed from indifference to interest.

Now they simply needed to redirect the attention created by sympathy toward something else.

“The strategy has changed.”

Manager Hong Seoyeong said.

“We’ve gotten Wooju’s permission too, so let’s go all in.”

They had the ultimate cheat code.

Originally, they could not use it because they worried it would take attention away from Jang Hanbyeol.

But now that Jang Hanbyeol was already receiving attention, they could use this strategy.

Someone whose mere mention became an issue.

-[Exclusive] Jang Hanbyeol’s Solo Album Launch… NewBlack’s Wooju Producing

A press release announcing that Sun Wooju would serve as the producer was distributed everywhere.

“Let’s start with the idol scene first. The general public already knows about him as much as they can, so we need to target the idol market.”

Naturally, this news immediately caught the attention of idol fans.

-Whoa.

-Is this Wooju’s first time producing another singer’s album besides NewBlack???

-Wowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-I said I hoped he would do well, but apparently he was going to succeed anywayㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Insane, insane.

For people who liked NewBlack, curiosity made them interested in how it would turn out.

For people who disliked NewBlack, they watched while hoping it would fail.

Then more news began coming in.

[Jang Hanbyeol becomes the No.1 trending topic in an instant]

[The current strength of Jang Hanbyeol’s Chinese fanbase]

[Jang Hanbyeol’s album predicted to break the No.1 first week sales record for an idol solo release]

In today’s idol industry, where first week sales could skyrocket just from Chinese group orders alone, the arrival of a K pop star with one of the strongest fanbases on that side was enormous.

With multiple indicators already suggesting he might break all time idol solo records, idol fans blinked in disbelief.

Jang Hanbyeol’s image had changed overnight.

-Sob.

From a former unpopular TNT member who had suffered harsh treatment and was now dreaming of rebuilding his career…

-Ahahaha!

Into a star leading a massive fandom like an army and invading the idol solo market.

‘Is this a Lemon specialty?’

‘Why does this feel like watching a NewBlack comeback?’

‘NewBlack of the solo scene…’

While everyone who followed idol soloists felt an unsettling sense of déjà vu…

Everyone watching the situation came to the same conclusion.

‘The key is the song.’

‘We’ll know once the song comes out.’

The public’s favorable attention.

The idol industry’s heated buzz.

Everything was prepared.

Now all that remained was the song that would determine the success of his activities.

“Whew.”

“You don’t need to be nervous. Just do what you usually do.”

Hanbyeol was sitting in front of the camera.

Sitting in the MC seat and calmly reading the cue cards, I sighed and spoke.

“Stop shaking your leg.”

“Yes, sir.”

“It’s just a showcase.”

Watching him gulp down water over and over because he still could not calm his nerves made me chuckle.

This was a mini studio inside Lemon Entertainment used for live recordings.

Right now, we were busy preparing for Hanbyeol’s first solo album debut.

“Are we all ready?”

At my question, the PD nodded.

“Yes, Wooju. Everything is ready. The current number of viewers is… wow…”

“How many?”

“The broadcast hasn’t even started yet, but it’s 1.84 million.”

“Oh. 840 thousand… Wait? What did you say?”

When I blinked after hearing that it had just risen to 1.87 million, Hanbyeol lightly tapped me.

“What are you so surprised about? You brought in 17 million yourself, and my 2 million is strange?”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

I looked at Hanbyeol.

“China has Y app blocked, doesn’t it?”

“Ah…”

“How are those people watching?”

Hanbyeol and I stared into the distance.

Amazing.

I was definitely told it was blocked, but apparently they had found some other way to watch.

“Alright.”

I organized the cue cards and asked.

“Are you ready?”

“Hyung. I’ve been ready for the past seven years.”

“Good.”

I clapped my hands, hit the slate, and immediately started the broadcast.

“Hello! Global fans! I’m Wooju, your MC for today’s showcase. It’s great to meet you!”

The atmosphere was the same as any other showcase.

The difference was that the celebrity sitting in front of me was no ordinary rookie.

He was already a nine year veteran, or rather, someone entering his tenth year next year, so he was extremely skilled at all of this.

And there was another difference.

The comment section was flooded with Chinese characters.

Hmm.

I had only learned beginner level Chinese while at TJ, so I couldn’t understand much, but it seemed like words meaning “I love you” and “stay strong” appeared frequently.

“Yes.”

After Hanbyeol finished answering seriously, I spoke.

“Now then, it’s time to hear the title track from this album.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“First, please introduce the song.”

Hanbyeol nodded and looked toward the camera with a smile.

“The title track of this album, <That Winter, We Were by the Sea>, was written by Lemon Entertainment’s genius composer!”

“Heh heh heh.”

“Na Sangyoon.”

“….”

Team Leader Na Sangyoon, who had come to the set to cheer him on, clapped happily from behind the camera.

While occasional “lol” comments appeared online, Hanbyeol continued explaining the song.

“It’s a song about telling someone who had been away from me for a while that I’ve returned. The genre is a ballad.”

“I see. Shall we listen to it?”

As Hanbyeol stood on stage and the staff prepared the lighting, I smiled.

<That Winter, We Were by the Sea>

It was not a song I had written myself, but it was one I had been involved with from the album planning stage as the producer.

From the moment we began preparing Hanbyeol’s solo album, I had said that a ballad was the best genre for him.

This kid’s voice is meant for ballads.

A voice with a warm and gentle texture.

TJ had pushed him into idol style solo activities in China because they were focused on sales, but they probably knew that ballads suited Hanbyeol best.

And for a solo singer like Hanbyeol, who had a relatively small domestic fandom, there was no better genre than ballads for gaining public appeal.

The theme… how about something like “I’ve returned”?

But that did not mean I wanted to release a song aimed only at Korean fans.

The story Hanbyeol had built in China until now was important in itself, so that also had to be considered.

That was why we made a song that any fan could enjoy, while the general public could hear it as a universal love song.

Softly—

The song began with gentle guitar sounds.

The singer lifted the microphone.

From the distant sea,

the sound reaching me—

was it the waves,

or your laughter?

A voice thick with longing.

Hanbyeol calmly unraveled the emotions he had kept in his heart, like slowly pulling apart a tangled thread.

Your days must have been

faint as well,

just like mine.

I quietly closed my eyes and listened.

Did Hanbyeol write the lyrics?

When listening to great singers, images often naturally appear in my mind.

And right now, I saw a young man standing in front of the sea.

That spring was happy,

summer was joyful,

autumn was chilly,

and winter—

Hanbyeol, who had gone to China in that winter after his debut.

Winter—

I think it was a little sad.

Inside my mind, the narrator stared at the sea.

At a very distant place.

Someone who had spent time lost in thought while looking toward somewhere unreachable wandered along the shore, still troubled.

What if you had forgotten me?

In this empty place,

I searched for traces of you

and wandered—

But there, the man remembered.

The person he had searched desperately for had been searching for him as well.

That person had not forgotten him.

You were looking for me too.

I knew it.

The melody rose as it moved into the chorus.

Even as he moved into a higher range, his stable vocal control never wavered, and I found myself admiring him.

Suddenly wanting to experience it directly, I removed one side of my in ear monitor.

That winter,

at the sea where we met,

I have returned—

truly.

The word “truly” was sung with desperate sincerity.

Truly—

that I have returned,

I hope you know.

As I listened to the song, something inside my heart…

Something that had been inside me as well…

felt like it was finally being untangled.

“Hyung!”

“Hyung! I’m really trusting you for this month’s evaluation!”

He had been the younger brother who, along with Taehyun, had followed me especially closely since our TJ days.

“I want to know your fansign tips? Hah, the master of fansigns, Jang Hanbyeol, has arrived!”

After I debuted, he became a reliable senior.

“No. I’m thinking of quitting being a singer now…”

After TNT’s activities were suspended, he was also someone whose situation had hurt me.

While thinking about those memories, I opened my eyes and looked at the singer passionately performing in front of the camera.

The shadows that had been visible during his hiatus were gone.

Seeing his signature kind expression return, I felt that the Jang Hanbyeol I knew was finally standing before me again.

“…”

A smile naturally formed on my lips.

It felt like a road of flowers would unfold ahead of him now.

Like he would continue smiling brightly by my side.

Of course, the future could not be predicted with certainty yet.

But if there was one thing I knew…

Thank you, hyung.

Hanbyeol’s expression as he finished the song and smiled with his eyes looked genuinely happy.

After the showcase ended.

“Wooooooow! Amazing!!!”

“Amazing!”

Hanbyeol, me, and the others were taking commemorative photos at the set when we all high fived.

“Congratulations, Hanbyeol!”

“Congratulations!”

The TF team and producing team, who had worked hard for the past several months, lit candles on a cake and applauded.

Wearing a cone hat, Hanbyeol screamed after looking at his phone.

“Waaaaah!”

The real time chart appeared on his phone.

[7th Place. Jang Hanbyeol - <That Winter, We Were by the Sea>]

The album thumbnail showed the back of a man standing alone in front of the sea.

Everyone congratulated Hanbyeol on debuting at No.7 on the real time chart.

Biju spoke with a happy expression.

“I’m really glad it worked out so well.”

“Yeah.”

Everyone knew Hanbyeol’s story.

Everyone knew how much he had suffered because of the recent activity ban.

So everyone sent him their congratulations.

We were the same.

And from that day onward, more news continued arriving.

-‘Solo Debut’ Jang Hanbyeol Surpasses 1 Million First Week Sales on First Day

“Wow. It really worked out!”

“Wooooah!”

-‘Is This the Power of Sun Wooju?’ Jang Hanbyeol’s New Song Reaches No.1 on Mango Daily Chart… Surpasses NewBlack

“Whoa?”

“Ohhh… it surpassed Overcook…”

-Jang Hanbyeol Reaches 1.48 Million First Week Sales on Day Two… Will He Break NewBlack’s Record of 2 Million?

“…”

“…”

Ri Hyuk asked.

“Can I ask something I’m curious about?”

“No.”

“But I’m going to ask anyway. Do you sometimes do this on purpose? Like setting things up so we stay

~Nоvеl𝕚ght~

motivated and don’t lose our tension?”

“…”

I stared into the distance.

I had watered our company’s rookie singers so they could grow.

And now they were growing like Jack and the Beanstalk.

Still, I thought there was a positive side to this.

“What positive side could there possibly be…?”

“It gives us a sense of purpose.”

I looked at them.

“From now on, we’re preparing our international album that will be released early next year.”

“!”

“Can we just watch someone else break the records we set? We should be the ones breaking them.”

The 1.99 million album sales record we had set at the beginning of this year.

Now it was time to break it.

“Biju.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“This time, make the Hot Sauce choreography much harder.”

“!”

While the main dancer looked moved, the eyes of my younger members and me burned with determination.

“Who are we?”

“We are petty NewBlack who feel jealous of our colleagues’ success.”

“That’s right. From now on, we’re not going with Hot Sauce. We’re going with habanero… no!”

I declared to my members.

“We’re going with nuclear fire chicken flavor sauce!”

“Yes!”

And so, our winter activities became even hotter.