peninsula asteroid.

Chapter 1164: None of Them Look Good
On May 29th, in the backstage lounge of SBS, Twice, who was about to record a variety show, was waiting for their turn on stage.

They released a new album on the 15th of this month. Although the reviews of the title song were quite controversial, thanks to their super high popularity and love from fans, Twice's performance this time was not dragged down by the noise at all and once again set a new record.

However, just like before, Twice has started their devilish schedule again since their comeback and has not had a rest for half a month. Although the group of members in the lounge were wearing makeup, they were not as glamorous as fans saw in the camera. Instead, they seemed a little tired from head to toe.

However, the few people in the middle were quite lively and chattering:

"...In this episode, Kim Jong-hyun actually ranked first in the second place, and he was more than 500,000 votes ahead of the second place. It feels like he will definitely debut."

"I don't think he's the very handsome type... In fact, I feel like there's no one particularly handsome this season..."

Lin Nayeon blinked and said what she thought: "But Kim Jong-hyun seems quite friendly."

What several people were discussing at the moment was the hottest variety show currently available, "Produce 101 Season ". This talent show, which inherited the popularity of the first season last year, is even better than the original because of the inherent advantages of the boy band and the enthusiasm of female fans. Both the popularity and discussion level of the show far exceeds that of the first season last year.

After each episode is broadcast, it will cause a lot of discussion. The trainees who perform well in the program have already gained high popularity and loyal fans. Especially in the second half of the program, the heat is getting higher and higher. Even people in the circle such as Twice often discuss it privately.

"How can there be so many truly handsome ones?"

Hearing that Nayeon was still being picky, Momo Hirai beside her waved her hands and said unhappily, "It's not the first day since debuting. Do you really think all the male idols are good-looking? How many of them are really handsome? Most of them are good-looking because of makeup, right? To be honest, these male trainees are already pretty good-looking."

"..." Lin Nayeon rolled her eyes when she heard that, and shook her head playfully without refutation.

“Jihyo, who do you support?”

"Kang Daniel, I've always had high hopes for him."

Park Ji-hyo, who was staring at her phone, raised her head and glanced at the two of them, then continued to lower her head.

"As for Kang Daniel, his ranking dropped quite a bit in the second round of voting, to 6th or 7th place." Lim Nayeon checked on her phone and said with understanding, "There are only three episodes left, I wonder if he can still move up."

"It's all the production team's fault. The ranking has already dropped, and they still want to punish us. This is just cheating."

When Park Ji-hyo heard this, she said with a somewhat unhappy tone.

In the eighth episode of Relaxation on the 26th, the day before yesterday, trainees Kang Daniel, Kim Dong Bin, and Lee Ki Won violated the rules by hinting at their intentions for song selection to the outside world. As a result, they were punished by the production team by not getting the relevant songs and not being assigned the theme style in the end.

Hearing her tone, Lin Nayeon gave her a strange look.

"Kang Daniel should be fine. I think he's very popular, so he should have a good chance of debuting." Yu Jeongyeon also started talking: "I think Park Ji-hoon and Ong Seong-wu are both pretty good..."

...Just like when the first season was hot last year, EXO often discussed privately which female trainee was pretty, and everyone had a few girls they thought were to their liking. And now these girl groups also often discuss which male trainee is handsome.

That’s the thing…

"..."

The members beside them were still not participating in the conversation, but they were all listening. Kim Da Hyun listened for a while and poked Zhou Ziyu next to her with her elbow: "Ziyu, did you watch 101 this year?"

Zhou Ziyu sat very straight with her legs together, her jeans bulging out her hips and thighs. At this moment, she was holding her phone in both hands and looking at something. When she heard what Kim Da Hyun said, she stopped and nodded slightly: "I've seen a little bit."

"Who do you think is more handsome?"

Kim Da-hyun asked in a low voice. She was quite curious about Zhou Tzuyu's aesthetic preferences.

"Um……"

Zhou Ziyu paused for a moment, looked at her phone, and said bluntly without any euphemism: "I don't think they look good."

"Ah? No way, there's not a single handsome one?"
"Who do you think is good-looking?"

Kim Da Hyun looked at Zhou Ziyu and asked curiously.

She felt that the youngest member's words were a bit exaggerated. This season of 101 was extremely popular, and several members had long been praised by fans and viewers as the new generation of handsome guys.

But there is not a single good-looking one in Zhou Ziyu's place? Maybe her standards are too high~
"Well……"

Zhou Ziyu let out a slight groan and blinked when she heard the question. She peeked out from the gap between her bangs to observe the situation around her, especially glancing at Ming Jingnan who was sitting in the corner fiddling with his mobile phone.

After finding nothing unusual, she quickly tapped the screen with her thin, round fingers, found a photo from the album, and showed it to Kim Da Hyun: "This~"

Kim Da-hyun stared and immediately turned her head to look, and her expression instantly became strange after just one glance.

The photo that Zhou Ziyu adjusted shows a young handsome man. Both his facial features and the lines of his profile are very superior. His smoky gray hair and his original face give people a stunning visual impact.

...But, isn’t this Chi Jingyuan?

Kim Dahyun recognizes this hair color. It seems to be the very famous 'Smoke Ash Source' in the history of male idols. It has been defined by fans as "one of the most handsome looks in the history of male idols". I heard that it has already been sold at a sky-high price in the second-hand market.

This photo of Zhou Ziyu is obviously not an official photo. It is a private photo. The background seems to be in a place like a private room in a hotel. The angle is from one side to the opposite side of the table. Chi Jingyuan in the camera does not seem to want to take a photo at this moment. He tilts his head to look at the camera, and the effect is a little blurry. There is a sense of helplessness in that oppa's eyes.

...But Kim Da Hyun always felt that she sensed an emotion similar to 'pampering' from his eyes. She couldn't help but look at Zhou Ziyu. The youngest member seemed to be pursing her lips to keep a low profile, but she somehow revealed a sense of pride.

Let’s turn our eyes back to this photo. Compared to the exquisite little card... this private photo is more real, more vivid, and the superior beauty brought by the close-up angle makes people feel more shocking.

Even though she recognized it and even though she had seen it many times in private, Kim Da-hyun was still shocked by the photo and stared at it for a long time in a daze.

But when she realized what was happening a few seconds later, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Asking you who you think is more handsome is asking you about the male trainees in "Produce 101". Who asked you this...Aren't you just bullying others by comparing Chi Jingyuan with this group of trainees?
Kim Da-hyun looked at this private photo, which looked dazzling no matter how you looked at it. It would definitely cause an uproar if it were to be circulated... There was no doubt that Zhou Ziyu must have many more in her phone.

Is this a show-off? It must be, right?
Damn black girl!
"What do you think, Ernie?"

The black girl next to her spoke slowly again, with an innocent and curious look, seeking her opinion.

The corners of Kim Da-hyun's mouth twitched a few times, and he returned the phone to her as if it was too hot.

but……

Kim Da-hyun savored the taste for a few times and understood why Chou Tzu-yu had no reaction to the topic discussed by Lin Nayeon and her group.

With people like Chi Jingyuan as a reference, these male trainees are really not good enough...

Just as a few people were chatting, a sound of footsteps slowly approached, accompanied by the casual conversation of two men.

"…It was even selected by Billboard. Oh my god, I never expected it."

"Indeed, there has been a lot of discussion online these days... It seems to be the first time since PSY, and the first boy band to be nominated for an award."

As the voices got closer, they looked up and saw that it was Park Jin Young and his manager Kim Sang Min who walked in while chatting. The Twice members greeted them and sat down again, which was not surprising, because Park Jin Young would be recording a show with them later, and they were going to share a lounge this time.

...The boss and the artists often appear on TV shows together to gain each other's popularity, which is also a major feature of JYP.

However, what Park Jin-young said was quite attractive, and several members who were originally discussing which trainee was more handsome lowered their voices.

“…I didn’t expect this to happen. This is a bulletin board. When I saw it, I thought I was seeing things.”

After Park Jin-young casually waved and greeted the Twice members, he sat aside with Kim Sang-min and said in a shrill and exaggerated voice, "I say, EXO hasn't even joined Amei yet, nor released a new album, so how come they were suddenly selected by Billboard?"

The Twice members were chatting and listening quietly. As artists of JYP, they all knew Park Jin Young, or JYP had a special complex and an innate yearning for the Amei market.

Or maybe it’s not just Park Jin-young and JYP, but all companies in the industry are like this...it’s just that Park Jin-young’s problem is a little more serious.

"The night before yesterday, I was drinking with a few friends in the industry and talked about this issue. In fact, many people in the industry were quite surprised. I even called Jingyuan at the time..."

"What do you think he said?"

Park Jin-young was watching Kim Sang-min keeping the secret, but he didn't notice that several people around him had their ears perked up.

"He actually said he didn't know how EXO was nominated. Isn't that funny? I wanted to ask something else, like how the Billboard organizing committee contacted them, but he seemed to be in a hurry and asked me if I had anything to say. Before I could say anything, he hung up the phone on me. Ah, ah..."

As he spoke, Park Jin-young's voice actually became somewhat complaining and aggrieved. No one in their company would dare to hang up on him like that, but Chi Jingyuan did this and he couldn't say anything.

"Oh, it's true. I first met him in the 2012 MAMA rehearsal. He was so polite and a little shy. He even got nervous when I talked to him."

Park Jin-young lamented that people’s hearts have changed: “Young people today~”

When Lin Nayeon and the others nearby heard this, they looked at each other with strange expressions. It was hard to imagine that Ji Jingyuan could be shy.

Zhou Ziyu also blinked secretly, looked at the photos in her mobile phone, and tilted her head.

"Maybe they are working. I heard that EXO is doing well in Japan now." Kim Sang Min smiled and tried to smooth things over.

"Indeed, I asked around and found out that their greatest hits album performed very well. And because they are the most well-known band to have ventured into Japan and Korea in recent years, they are also very popular."

Park Jin-young nodded: "Don't forget, Jingyuan still hasn't released that song..."

The song "Da Shang Hua Huo" was a song that I thought would become popular after listening to the demo, what a pity...

Ming Jingnan, who had been playing with his fingers with his head down, paused when he heard this, and the smile on the corner of his mouth looked a little sour.

"Neon has already opened it. If Amei wins the award this time, maybe there will be a chance."

Park Jin Young spoke with great experience, then shook his head: "EXO's domestic market is a bit problematic right now. From the beginning of the year to now, a lot of things have happened, and a lot of fans have been lost. It has clearly begun to go downhill. And according to the news I heard, they will have to wait until the end of the year to plan a comeback in their home market. The blank period is too long. If things don't go well in Japan, they will be in danger in their home market."

"Besides, this year's '101' is so popular, EXO's domestic market is expected to be snatched away by this limited-edition boy group... It can be said that this year is the best time to promote a boy group. The company has actually been considering whether to bring forward the boy group project..."

Since the end of last year, EXO has been targeted by many peers in the industry. Coupled with various revelations of their love lives and a very long hiatus, it is clear that EXO does not have the invincible momentum that dominated all boy bands in previous years.

This year, SM has placed EXO's focus overseas, and the vacant domestic market will naturally be coveted by major brokerage companies. Both Park Jin Young and JYP feel that now is the best time to launch a boy group to seize the market. The new boy group that was originally scheduled to be launched next year has now been considered for advancement many times.

The previous GOT7 debuted three and a half years ago and has proven to have limited potential. It is time to start a new boy group project.

"PD, nim."

Park Jin-young and Kim Sang-min were talking naturally without hiding from others, and Lin Nayeon couldn't help but interrupt them quietly after hearing their topic, and asked curiously: "Is the company going to have a new boy band? Is it Bang Chan and the others?"

"It's still under discussion, but there's a good chance it will be brought forward."

Park Jin-young was not annoyed when he was interrupted. Instead, he smiled and said to Lin Nayeon and Park Ji-hyo who were looking at him, "When a new boy band debuts, remember to take care of the juniors."

"Really? When does it start?"

“Who could it be?”

Lim Nayeon, Park Ji-hyo and other old trainees who have been training in JYP for a long time are very familiar with the male trainees. When they heard about the new boy group, they immediately became interested and came over to inquire about the news.

Several people gathered around, but some were obviously not interested at all. Ming Jingnan still sat quietly in her seat, her hair hanging down covering her dressed face, and she was immersed in her own world, scrolling through her phone.

And Zhou Ziyu didn't have any intention of joining in the fun. She just sat there with her eyes wide open, staring at her phone.

"What are you looking at?" Kim Da Hyun looked over there for a few seconds, then turned around and saw Zhou Ziyu's serious look, and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"The latest material..."

Zhou Ziyu didn't even turn around, just looked at the screen and said casually: "It seems that they have already arrived in Las Vegas, and some fans have uploaded the video of them meeting at the airport..."

"Do you want to see it?"

………………

The upcoming Billboard Awards will be much more popular on the Peninsula than in previous years due to EXO's participation, and many passers-by who usually don't pay attention to it have also started reading the news.

SM knew that the popularity was very high and many people were paying attention, but because they were not sure of winning an award, they did not do any publicity and even deliberately kept a low profile. The only difference was that they did not hide EXO's schedule so that fans and the public could get first-hand information at the first time.

As the billboard show date approaches, various discussions online are becoming more and more focused:

"XO will definitely win an award this time! These days, AIs all over the world are making efforts. We are ranked first in the Top Social Artist vote. If you check YouTube, you can see that people in Europe and America are discussing us!"

"Baekhyun said in a live broadcast a few days ago that he would 'not let everyone down'. This is obviously a hint! If SM dares to let them return empty-handed, I will go sit in front of the company!"

"Have you seen the trend #EXO_BBMAs? It's trending all over the world! Even if there's no big prize, no red carpet, no stage, being able to stand on the Billboard stage is already legendary!"

"Can SM give some help? Are the costumes, makeup, and PR materials ready? Why doesn't GUCCI play a role now? If we win the award, SM must release a special commemorative album, otherwise I will never let Lee Soo Man go!"

"So funny, EXO went to BBMAs just to show up on the red carpet? Do they really think they can win an award?"

"So what if I'm number one in the vote? Billboard doesn't just rely on fans to vote. A bunch of female data workers are trying to impress me, but the European and American circles don't buy into this."

"You are used to MAMA giving you local pork, do you think Billboard can do the same? Wake up! If you return empty-handed, let's see how the fans will clean it up."

"Let me help you think about it. When the time comes, we can say 'gift song', huh? No song released? Then 'gift red carpet', 'gift appearance'. Anyway, whatever the brothers do is right. Being able to participate is already a gift to the fans... If it doesn't work out, we can still say 'we are just going for cultural exchange', right?"

The fans who had been eagerly waiting and were filled with excitement, as well as the anti-fans who were so sarcastic that seeing them win the award would be more painful than killing themselves, together created the noise and excitement on the Internet.

At this time, EXO has arrived at its destination, Las Vegas.