Chapter 177: Coarse Card

eir energy and spirit look different. Ji Jingyuan hasn't seen Jin Yaryeong and several members of Girls' Day for a while. Now seeing them on stage, they feel much better looking than before. It's not...“Whoa, you guys are already here Annyeonghaseyo...” Inside the backstage waiting room at Tokyo Dome, just seconds after going live, Park Chan-yeol, noticing the rapid influx of viewers, quickly interrupted his chat with the other members and waved to the camera: “Hello, everyone! Annyeonghaseyo~ Do you know where we are right now…”

“zzangzzang!” He said, using his phone camera to scan the surroundings, his voice loud and exaggerated: “That’s right, we are currently in the backstage of the concert. There is still some time before the official start, and the members are doing their own things……” Two days had passed since EXO's official debut in Japan under neon lights, and it was quickly approaching the most important event of their Japanese tour: a concert at Tokyo Dome.

Although their debut here was a success and the results exceeded expectations, it's clear that ** doesn't plan to shift EXO's main focus to Japan. After the album release on the 4th, they haven't had many activities scheduled. Besides recording some local talk shows and stages, most of EXO's time has been spent preparing for this concert. They started rehearsals on site yesterday and came early today to prepare as well.

From morning till just now, everyone was in the waiting room waiting for the start of the performance. Park Chan-yeol, who always likes to livestream, after communicating with his manager during his free time, directly opened vlive for a surprise live stream.

"...Xumin is still doing his makeup, so let's not disturb him." After about ten minutes, Park Chan-yeol took a selfie stick and circled the entire resting room, pretending to interview most of the members. The popularity in the live broadcast room was also increasing. Just after filming Kim Min-seok who was still putting on makeup, he stood in the middle, close to his phone, reading the constantly scrolling messages and interacting with the audience: "Wow, the message is scrolling so fast. Suho hyung went out just now... 'Where's Yuan I want to see Yuan,' wanting to see the youngest, okay, no problem, let me see where he is... Found him!" As he said this, Park Chan-yeol walked towards Ji Changwon on the right side, aiming the camera at him from several meters away. "

At this time, Chi Jingyuan sat alone on a small sofa in the corner. He had finished his makeup, and several university textbooks were spread out on his legs. He was hunched over, holding a pen and writing and drawing on them with some effort. He pursed his lips and frowned slightly, clearly not finding it easy.

Although he took some time to read during this period, the atmosphere in the lounge was clearly not conducive to concentration. From afar, he could hear Park Chan-wook's boisterous livestreaming voice.

Park Chan-wook quickly walked over and stood beside him, pointing the camera at Ji Kyeong-seon and said with a grin, "Yuanxi, give the viewers a hello. Many fans have been spamming the screen wanting to see you..."

"Annyeonghaseyo..." After looking at the book for a while, Chikyeong-won, who had a slightly large head due to reading for too long, raised his head and immediately entered work mode, smiling at the camera and waving.

As soon as Chi Jingyuan entered the country, the barrage in the live stream immediately became much faster. This kind of appearance seen during private live streams is completely different from what he looks like on television.

"What's Yuan Xi doing" Park Chan-hyeok vaguely patted Ji Jing-won's textbook on his leg and, instead of the curious audience, asked.

"Hmm, I'm reviewing. It's the end of the year and exams are coming up soon…" Chi Jingyuan put down his pen, straightened up, and shook his head.

"Aiya, it's really hard work, isn't it Lately, whenever I have a free moment, I just do my homework. I've seen it so many times already." Park Chan-yeol obviously understood, and without even needing to communicate, he immediately followed along and praised him. After saying a few words, he pointed the camera at Ji Sung-won's face and hair, and in a surprised tone like many fans, he asked: "Wow, was this dyed especially for today's concert"

"Well then." Chi Jingyuan lightly brushed his bangs away from his forehead, smiling and nodding at the camera.

For this performance, they really put in a lot of preparation. And for these shows, Cody even specially dyed Park Ji-won back to his popular ash-gray hair color from the 《callmebaby》 era. This hair color was a hit back then, trending several times in a row. Many fans even created threads praising it as one of Park Ji-won's most handsome looks since his debut, attracting many new fans.

However, this hairstyle only lasted for about a month and a half. Although many fans liked it, because it was too troublesome to dye and easy to fade, they never dyed it again. When she revealed her face on the live stream later, it immediately caused many fans to scream in surprise.

"Okay, let's not disturb Min inside while he's reviewing. "After chatting casually and asking a few questions, Park Chan-ryeol and Ji Kyeong-yuan said goodbye, preparing to end this live broadcast: "Besides Suho hyung, all the other members have met, and it's getting late. This livestream is almost over..."

"Look forward to tonight's concert!"

Let's all burn together!

“hello there isn’t this w, tokyo!” The Tokyo Dome concert started on time in the evening. Facing the audience that was boundless and the glittering stars throughout the stadium, many members couldn't hold back their enthusiasm. During the intermission, they shouted loudly towards below, and in response to them were cheers and support that surged like a tidal wave.

Chi Jingyuan stood on the stage, looking at the tens of thousands of spectators in the audience. The sight filled him with pressure, yet fueled his ambition. His heart pounded like a drum, beating faster than any dance move he could perform. He felt an overwhelming surge of excitement coursing through him.

The difference between a concert with 50,000 people and one with 10,000 is very obvious. Just standing on stage feels completely different. In the vast venue, countless black figures and waving shimmering silver lights combine together, like galaxies dancing in the deep universe. From top to bottom, from left to right, they completely surround you, leaving no gaps, giving a sense of overwhelming pressure.

But being there, surrounded by all those stars, and becoming the center of attention for tens of thousands of people, is an accomplishment and excitement that's hard to put into words.

Even the high-scale concert at the giant dome on the peninsula earlier was, in comparison, somewhat underwhelming.

This is not EXO's first time performing at the Tokyo Dome. They have come several times before as part of **TOWN, but the sense of accomplishment from a joint concert versus a solo one is completely different.

Today, they are the only stars. This performance is also part of the second round of tours, so the songs and programs are basically the same as the previous second-round concerts, with no significant differences. However, due to the venue and facilities at the Tokyo Dome, whether it's the surround sound effect of the speakers, the visual effects of the giant screens, or the responses and cheers from several times more audience members on site, they are all significantly better than the ordinary venues before, making EXO contribute the most brilliant and classic stage of this second round, such as this song "Kingdom."

"Gleaming before us, we set off towards an unknown future."

"Every step will become a legend."

On the same day, under the same pretext.

“Because we are one, trusting each other.” Countless choreographies had been practiced until ingrained in their muscle memory, they didn’t need to think; they simply moved with ease. After barely three scenes, the excitement and surging adrenaline already caused visible beads of sweat on Ji Jingyuan’s forehead, his breathing quickened as well. However, these were insignificant compared to the boundless passion and drive within him.

The other members were clearly also immersed in this enjoyable atmosphere, waving their glow sticks with such vigor that it looked like they were using all their strength.

After several songs' performances, EXO stood in a line at the front of the stage. After several members had finished their speeches, it was Kai's turn.

After several months of Japanese study, although the others aren't very fluent, most members can handle basic greetings and communication without any problems. So we no longer need him to translate for us.

"Ahhhh..." The moment he appeared on the big screen, before he even had a chance to lift the microphone and speak, the audience erupted in a deafening roar that drowned out both the microphone and the speakers, shaking the stage floor as if it were an earthquake.

Ji Jingyuan's smile grew wider and more enjoyable. This stage, this attention, was exactly what he had been pursuing all along.

After waiting for several seconds, the cheers gradually subsided. He looked around and shouted loudly to the crowd below: “Hello everyone in Tokyo, how have you been lately”

"oh~~ah ah…"

"Have you been waiting long"

"Oh, dear..."

“We've also been looking forward to today, and we'll keep working hard until the very end…”

"Please take care, and please enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"

“Ahhhh……”…… 《EXO Tokyo Dome Concert Successfully Held, Offering 27 Wonderful Stages》bold card 《Since their official debut in Japan on November 4th, EXO held their first Japanese dome concert at the Tokyo Dome on the 6th, becoming the 'fastest overseas artist to reach a dome after debut'》《EXO's popularity continues to soar, becoming the most popular overseas group among young people in Japan》 The day after the first performance at the Tokyo Dome, many media outlets in Japan issued press releases for extensive promotion, making EXO, who had already topped the charts with their debut album sales, once again a focus of attention.

To debut with such momentum is rare, even among Peninsula groups active in Japan.

After the first concert at Taichung's largest stadium, the second performance brought a slightly less overwhelming and moving experience for Ji Kyung-won, as well as the other EXO members. Although they were still touched by the enthusiastic cheers from the audience and fans on site, the sensory impact was not as intense as the first show.

However, the stadium is still a stadium. Whether it's the atmosphere or the venue, all kinds of experiences are much better than ordinary small venues.

After finishing the concert on the 7th, EXO got together for a meal at a Japanese restaurant. Back at the hotel, Kim Junmyeon took some members to play cards, while Park Chanyeol stayed in his room, watching TV but looking at the live stream of this year's MMA awards ceremony on his phone.

As the first of the four major awards ceremonies in the K-pop world, this year's MMA garnered significant attention despite EXO's absence.

Because it was already quite late, when Ji Jingyuan started watching the livestream, it had reached the latter half with only the final top 10 awards being given out. Bae Joohyun still wore her little black dress and made a guest appearance as MC. As a result, whether it was nervousness or something else, her questions were similar to her usual pace on "Music Bank," a bit too fast and she seemed tense. Her hosting felt very obvious.

The last act was BIGBANG, performing five songs straight – they really worked hard! They turned the MMA stage into their own private concert. But no wonder – they were once a top group, and their popularity is incredibly high. After switching to the wide-angle view, you could clearly see that almost half the audience held up their crown lights. As soon as those club-style songs with an atmosphere like Pokémon started playing, the whole venue instantly came alive!

Just this alone is really impressive, because even EXO would find it difficult to achieve this effect due to the song's style and its popularity.

After the conclusion of the Big Bang stage, it was time for the main event of MMA: the final three major awards ceremony. Under the watchful eyes of all the audience and fans, presenters Kim Jong-jin and Moon Jin-hee took to the stage, and the first major award was quickly revealed.

The first "Song of the Year" award went to Big Bang, and for the second "Album of the Year," as expected by the host Ji Chang Wook, the presenter didn't even build up suspense, directly announcing EXO's album *EXO-L* as the winner.

This year, EXO's album physical sales account for almost half of the entire K-pop market share. The total number is several times that of BIGBANG's "MADE" series of four singles albums. Among them, the second studio album "EXO-L" has sold over a million copies. In the 'Annual Album' award, which mainly refers to sales performance, it would be a surprise if they didn't win.

If it weren't given to EXO, the other winners probably wouldn't feel comfortable going up to receive their awards. It's worth mentioning that BIGBANG only released four single albums this year: "M", "A", "D", and "E". Originally, they were scheduled to release a full-length album as a follow-up after the four singles, but YG Entertainment delayed it. The official explanation is that the album's preparation progress was affected due to BIGBANG's intense world tour, pushing its release back to next year.

Fans deeply believed this and even posted about it online, half-teasingly and half-boastfully. As for the true reason, who knows... Although "Annual Album" was awarded, EXO didn't attend due to a scheduling conflict. Because it was a major award, they hadn't pre-recorded an acceptance video. Therefore, no one received the award. After the presenter announced the winner, the music of 《callmebaby》 and 《boywithluv》 alternated in succession, but the stage was empty except for two presenters standing awkwardly alone.

Interestingly, the director immediately panned the camera to Red Velvet, who were sitting in the audience. The five girls saw the camera pointed at them and began waving their hands excitedly, celebrating their senior's win.

The result was a broadcasting blunder. The director's intention may have been to have Red Velvet, who is also from ** Entertainment, take the award in place of EXO, who was absent, to avoid an awkward situation and ensure the trophy was presented. However, it seems there wasn't enough communication beforehand. Red Velvet members didn't know they were supposed to go on stage to receive the award. Seeing the cameras pointed at them, they thought they were being filmed for their own segment, so they kept smiling beautifully. Some clapped enthusiastically, while others shook their fists in delight, appearing very happy and honored.

But when it came to shooting, the camera would usually move on after two or three seconds. As a result, the camera kept focusing on Red Velvet. Irene and Seulgi's hands were almost shaking from being filmed so closely. Joy's smile looked stiff and she didn't dare to look away. All five girls felt uneasy and apprehensive, wondering what was going on.

At this moment, the camera suddenly shifted away. A staff member quickly ran over and whispered something to them, then the camera panned back. The five members of Red Velvet only then realized what had happened and started laughing awkwardly as they stood up from their seats in the audience and walked towards the stage.

All the Alices present also screamed and, in perfect harmony, sang along to the bgm playing, which was "callmebaby".

"Call me baby, call me baby."

“Call me baby, call me baby.” Even though EXO wasn’t there, even though half the audience today were BIGBANG fans, the chorus still echoed throughout the entire stadium. Whether it was the sound or the energy, they weren't losing out at all.

Red Velvet walked onto the stage amidst a thunderous chorus of cheers. Bae Joohyun took the trophy, shyly approaching the microphone: "Um, hello, XO, senior nom Camida!" The younger girl's voice was sweet, but her lack of confidence and the previous broadcast error made her sound slightly timid and embarrassed.

We will pass that on to them properly.

"Kamichi, Kamichi!" Several other members also took turns expressing their blessings in adorable voices. Paired with their uniform maid dresses, it was quite endearing, at least many Alice couldn't help but develop some goodwill towards this junior girl group.

After Red Velvet quickly walked off the stage with the trophy, the two award presenters caught their breath and looked much more relaxed as they continued to present the next award.

Since the last award was given, Pool Jingyuan had stopped watching. It goes without saying that it would be Big Bang's award, after all, such an awkward scene appearing once already is enough.

> …Until the performance on August 8th concluded, the three-day Tokyo Dome concert finally came to a perfect end. Having debuted in Japan less than a week ago, they managed to draw nearly 160,000 spectators for their three performances at the Tokyo Dome. Every show, with its capacity of 5,200 seats, was completely sold out. This dazzling achievement not only highlights the immense popularity of this boy band from the peninsula but also sets a record that inspires awe.

After the conclusion of EXO's Neon City tour, the group returned to Seoul, South Korea on the 9th, the day after their final concert. As for Park Ji-young, upon his return and brief rest, his first act was to get a haircut.tain call. All of them gathered in several directions, forming lines and holding hands as they bowed and greeted the audience.The EXO members weren't all together yet. Pool Kyung-won and four other m...