mijobooks Chapter 1490 is still EXO
Chapter 1490 is still EXO
Chapter 1490 is still EXO
The streets of Myeongdong were bustling with people, and the noise from the coming and going made the whole street even more lively.
Han Se-ri clutched the pocket money in her pocket, her steps light and hurried. As a new fan who had become a fan after watching EXO's first stage performance last night, she went straight to the most famous music store in Myeongdong after school today, wanting to buy EXO's new album immediately.
"Power! Power!"
Pushing open the glass door of the music store, a strong smell of plastic hit me, and EXO's "Power" was playing from the speakers.
Han Shili looked around and took a deep breath. Although she was in the Korean Peninsula, a country known for its star-struck population, this was her first time buying an album at a music store.
Suppressing her excitement, she approached a shop assistant and asked, "Excuse me, do you have EXO's new album here? I..."
Before the clerk could even respond, she instinctively looked up and her voice immediately stopped... On the wall directly opposite the entrance, there was a huge poster of all nine members of EXO, their smiles radiant and their aura powerful. Below the poster was a prominent sign that read "EXO Zone" in bold font, with an arrow clearly pointing to the most eye-catching display case in the store, making it impossible not to see.
After giving an awkward laugh and thanking the shop assistant, Han Se-ri quickly walked towards the very eye-catching EXO section.
This music store is very professional, with exquisite and thoughtful decor, exuding a strong K-pop atmosphere.
The walls and shelves were covered with posters of all kinds of idol groups, from rookie groups to veteran seniors, but none of them were as eye-catching as EXO's poster.
EXO's nine-member poster was not only the largest in size but also the most prominently displayed, as if the entire store's center stage had been reserved for them. EXO's "Power" played on a loop inside the store, its energetic music and melody filling the air with vitality.
Following the signs, Han Se-ri quickly arrived at the EXO section. The sight before her made her eyes widen instantly, and her heart raced. The shelves were neatly arranged with EXO's new albums, four different versions in total, each with its own unique cover design.
In addition to the new album, the shelves are also neatly arranged with all of EXO's previous albums, from their debut album to their subsequent albums. Next to it are various kinds of merchandise, including keychains, badges, banners, posters with members' pictures, and official light sticks with silver-gray casings that emit a soft glow when lit.
This place is simply paradise for EXO-Ls, and Han Se-ri, a newcomer, is dazzled by what she sees.
The EXO section was undoubtedly the most popular spot in the entire music store, surrounded by many girls around Han Se-ri's age, clearly students, holding albums and merchandise, chattering away.
Han Se-ri quietly observed for a while and found that Ji Kyung-won's merchandise was selling the best, with very few of his posters and keychains left on the shelves. Byun Baek-hyun's merchandise was the next best, while the merchandise of the other members was slightly less popular.
What shocked her even more was that a few girls rushed over, pushing small baskets with a basket full of EXO's new albums, numbering more than a dozen or so. Without even looking at them, they went straight to the cashier.
In contrast, the shelves next to them looked particularly desolate. Han Se-ri subconsciously glanced to the right, where GOT7 posters were hanging, and below them was their newly released album.
However, there were only one or two people browsing in front of the entire shelf, and after a short while, they couldn't help but turn their heads to glance at the EXO section, clearly attracted by the lively atmosphere there.
There were a few girls I knew nearby, huddled together, whispering amongst themselves; their words could be faintly heard:
"This guy is so handsome, and that guy is so handsome too."
"I really love this style..."
"Yesterday's 'The Eve' performance was absolutely amazing."
"I bought a mini-card without Yuna the day before yesterday. Did you manage to get a mini-card?"
As Han Shili listened to their discussion, her anticipation grew stronger. After hesitating for a while, she finally chose two versions of the new album: one with the cover of "DNA" and the other with the cover of "POWER." She then carefully held them in her arms and walked toward the cashier.
"Hello, the total is 36,000 Korean won."
The clerk smiled and took the album, skillfully scanning the barcode: "We have a promotion right now, buy an album and get a member's poster for free, which member's poster would you like?"
As she spoke, the shop assistant pointed to a table next to them, on which were several large stacks of EXO posters, and a few students were browsing them.
"I want Yuan's!" Han Shili said almost without hesitation.
The shop assistant nodded, took a poster out of the drawer, handed it to her, and said with a smile, "You're so lucky, customer. Yuan's posters are the most popular. They were all sold out this morning. This is a new restock, and there are only a few left."
Han Se-ri quickly took the poster and carefully unfolded it. The poster showed Ji Kyung-won in his look from "Power," wearing a simple white casual outfit, with neat short black hair and a faint smile on his lips, exuding youthful charm. He held one hand out in front of him, and his palm was sparkling with bright light.
Han Se-ri's heart raced instantly, and a faint blush even appeared on her face. She was completely captivated by the song and Ji Kyung-won's appearance on stage.
"By the way, we have an area in our store where you can unpack your album on-site, check the photocards and gifts, and get a free photocard screen protector too."
The shop assistant kindly reminded them.
Han Shili's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded: "Kamsamida."
Following the store clerk's directions, Han Se-ri arrived at the album unpacking area. Several tables and chairs were set up there, and several people were already sitting around them. A quick glance revealed that most of them were holding EXO albums, carefully unpacking them while discussing their comeback.
"This album is truly amazing! The songs are great, the selection is excellent, and every single one is worth listening to on repeat!"
"The choreography is super cool too~ SM's team is really amazing..."
"I was a little hesitant about buying the album, but after watching the first stage performance, I decided to buy it immediately, and it certainly didn't disappoint!"
"Did you watch 'Golden Fishery' yesterday? It was hilarious! It seems like XO really has it easy on these kinds of variety shows now."
"Sigh, it's a pity I didn't get a spot at tomorrow's fan meeting."
"My friend got it, sigh... what kind of low-tier card did you get?"
"Kai, what a pity, damn it, it's Kai again, I've bought five tickets and still haven't gotten Yuan."
"Kai is alright too."
"No way, the photocards aren't good-looking at all, they can't compare to Yuan's at all. I want Yuan's photocards. I heard there are some amazing photos this time, the one with Ji Jingyuan's 'DNA' look, it's super handsome and very hard to get!"
Han Shili found an empty seat and sat down, listening to their discussion while carefully unpacking her album. The girls next to her noticed she was new and glanced at her curiously.
XO's new album comes in a hard-shell book-like box, which looks very high-quality. Inside, there's a rich selection: a thick photobook featuring the members' stage outfits and behind-the-scenes photos, an album CD, a set of postcards with all nine members on the cover, several cute stickers, and a folded poster.
Although the lineup is only passable compared to other idol groups, it is considered quite substantial for SM Entertainment.
What Han Se-ri is most looking forward to is Kawhi Leonard.
She took a deep breath and carefully pulled the photocard out of the album.
Because she was both excited and a little afraid to look directly, she deliberately covered her eyes with her hand and slowly pulled out the tea leaves to lick.
When the hairstyle and the upper half of her face were revealed from her palm, her eyes lit up and her heart pounded wildly...
Even without seeing her face clearly, she recognized her instantly – this was Chi Jingyuan's photo card!
The next second, she quickly pulled out the card.
On the photocard, Chi Jingyuan is wearing a light-colored denim jacket over a white shirt, with a bright smile on his lips and clean, bright eyes. He exudes youthful charm, and the sunshine in his smile seems to shine through the photocard into her heart.
"Ahhh!"
Han Shili couldn't help but scream softly, her face filled with ecstasy, her hands tightly gripping the little card as if afraid it would fly away.
This feeling of excitement and happiness is hard to describe in words.
This was the first album she bought after becoming a fan of Chi Jingyuan, and she actually got his photocard! She was incredibly lucky!
Her scream attracted the attention of everyone around her. Several girls immediately gathered around, and when they saw the small card in her hand, they screamed with envy:
"It's Yuan's photo card, it's Yuan's photo card!"
"It's not that god card, but this one is pretty cool too."
"So handsome."
"Yuan's cards are all so cool, this one is really hard to get."
"Wow, you're so lucky! I bought three tickets and didn't get anything!"
"Can you sell it to me...?"
The fans around them cheered, and one girl even asked the price eagerly, wanting to buy the photocard.
Han Shili started to get a little nervous, her cheeks flushed red, but she felt good being surrounded by people. She thought about it and decided not to sell, but instead asked some questions in a low voice about Xiao Ka and XO.
This feeling was both unfamiliar and wonderful.
"The new Alice? Wow."
"I'll add you to the group~ You can play with us~"
…………
EXO is still incredibly popular!
"I saw a lot of people predicting the worst before, but the result is still the same after the comeback."
Meanwhile, in Twice's lounge.
"The songs this time were pretty good, quite interesting."
"Is 'DNA' written and composed by Kyungwon Oppa? He was the first author of the lyrics and the second author of the arrangement. 'THE EVE' was also arranged."
Yu Dingyan nodded and agreed.
Several members were sitting together, scrolling through their phones and looking at the latest trending topics.
However, most of the discussion revolved around songs, dances, and popularity. As for whether they were handsome or not... to be honest, I've gotten used to it after seeing it so many times.
"Sales must be over three million, tsk tsk."
Lin Na-yeon clicked her tongue: "I don't think Wanna One can compare to them. Their last album only sold a little over a million copies."
"Indeed, they don't feel like they're on the same level."
"Captain-nim, what did that person say?" Son Chaeyoung suddenly looked at Park Jihyo.
If you want to know any news about Wanna One these days, just ask Park Ji-hyo.
"them……"
Park Jihyo paused, her expression showing some hesitation.
To be honest, Park Jihyo also felt that EXO's momentum in the first week of their comeback was really quite frightening.
Twice has been incredibly popular in the past year, becoming the top girl group, but the momentum of their comeback releases still can't compare to EXO's. In terms of popularity, fans, and casual attention, their buzz is truly at the pinnacle of K-pop.
"Daniel said they weren't affected much. He said their album was very good and the company invested a lot of resources in it."
After thinking for a moment, Park Jihyo revealed, "They've been busy pre-recording their stages and filming variety shows these past few days... Anyway, they all seem quite confident."
"So confident?"
Son Chaeyoung remained noncommittal, her eyes darting around before she suddenly grinned, "I can't wait! I can't wait!"
"Oh, right."
Lim Nayeon suddenly patted her head, as if she remembered something, and picked up her phone, rapidly tapping the screen with both hands.
"What's wrong?" Yu Dingyan asked curiously from the side.
"It's not like she's not my sister~"
While texting, Lim Nayeon complained, "She called me really late last night, like a total babe, asking me to get her a signed autograph from Kyungwon oppa."
Why do I need a TO signature?
"What else can you do with it? Show it off, of course."
Lim Nayeon pursed her lips, sounding somewhat tired as she spoke of her younger sister: "She insisted on writing her name on the paper, emphasizing it to me several times."
Although she is the older sister, I always feel that I instinctively lose to my younger sister and can't beat her when we're outplaying her.
"Oh right, your sister seems to be a fan of Jingyuan oppa... Haha, when did you become so polite?"
Yoo Jeongyeon leaned closer and glanced at Lim Nayeon's phone screen, only to find that she was sending a message to Ji Kyungwon that read, "Oppa, if you have time, write a signature for my sister." She couldn't help but laugh.
"I'm the polite Nayeon..."
Upon hearing this, Lim Nayeon pouted and muttered something. Before she could finish writing the text message, she suddenly felt a shadow appear next to her.
She looked up and saw that it was Park Ji-hyo.
"What's wrong?" Lim Nayeon blinked.
"Forehead……"
Park Jihyo hesitated for a moment: "Get one for me too."
"My sister is also a fan of...".
…………
"Oppa, if you have time, could you write a signed note for my sister? It's for her, her name is..."
The atmosphere in EXO's dressing room was a bit busy. Upon seeing the newly received text message from Lim Nayeon, Ji Kyungwon took a sip of water and casually replied, "Okay, I'll write it down and have someone bring it to you."
The lounge was bustling with activity, staff coming and going, making quite a racket. Cody was touching up his makeup with a powder puff.
They have two fan meet-and-greets later.
Chi Jingyuan nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and let the stylist touch up his makeup, his eyes showing some fatigue.
They've been incredibly busy these past few days, with a packed schedule and no free time. Some popular variety shows were pre-recorded, but many others were filmed on the spot. In addition, there are various radio programs, interviews, and fan meetings, so they're practically working non-stop every day.
In addition, he also had to take care of filming "The Spy". He often rushed to the variety show recording site immediately after finishing filming, running back and forth between the two places. He has hardly slept well these past two days.
However, all the hard work has been worthwhile, as EXO's comeback has yielded remarkable results in the past few days.
Album sales have soared, exceeding three million copies.
"DNA" topped the daily music charts for several days in a row, but its popularity waned after a while.
Boy group dance music is indeed not their strong suit in terms of music charts, but the main reason is that BIGBANG released their new song "Flower Road" on the 13th. This was the last new song they released before all members were enlisted in the military. It topped eight music charts, including Melon, within just 3 hours of its release, pushing "DNA" down.
Objectively speaking, EXO's music quality is indeed significantly inferior to Big Bang's.
Even though they lost the top spot on the daily charts, their two title tracks, "DNA" and "POWER," performed very well, making them one of the few strong tracks on the music charts for a boy group. The track "THE eve" also gained a lot of popularity and was loved by many fans, and could even be considered their third title track.
These past few days, the entire K-pop scene has been filled with the name EXO.
Some previously popular songs, such as Momoland's phenomenal hit "BBoom BBoom," have lost a lot of popularity, dropping significantly from the top ten of the music charts.
GOT7's comeback barely made a splash, with EXO stealing all the discussion and buzz.
This refers to MAMAMOO's title track, "Starry Night." Thanks to its high-quality song and a different target audience than EXO, it managed to secure a place on the music charts and retain some space.
This overwhelming popularity and the nationwide attention it garnered reminded many of the K-pop market once dominated by EXO.
Even after more than a year of silence, and even after experiencing a loss of popularity, EXO is still EXO.
That's why many people are looking forward to Wanna One's comeback on March 15th.
Countless people want to see just how good this super rookie boy group, which dares to challenge the big boss and wants to climb to the top by stepping on EXO, really is.