It was nearing midnight. Soone entered a house with a good view of the Han River. It was Kang Rojun. In other words, this was his house. Rojun’s neatly tailored white-toned tuxedo was slightly disheveled, and the tie that had been around his neck was nowhere to be seen.
Regardless, his face still radiated a dazzling glow.
“Hoo-”
Letting out a small sigh, Rojun placed the paper bag he had brought with him down near his feet. Right after the Blue Dragon Film Awards ended, Kang Rojun had co straight to his own ho instead of the accommodations, and most likely the 'Blood Hunt' team was in the middle of their after-party right now.
Should I take a look?
Muttering softly, Kang Rojun rummaged through the paper bag. It was the trophies he received today. A slight curve ford on his lips. They were brilliant, truly brilliant. He had collected a few more trophies today. And not just anywhere, but at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, the most prestigious in the Korean film industry.
“As a writer and actor, I’ve been properly recognized now.”
Sure, the fact that 'Blood Hunt' surpassed 10 million viewers and generated a lot of buzz probably influenced the evaluation, but regardless, today’s Blue Dragon Film Awards’ star was Rojun. Soon, holding the trophies he had brought, Kang Rojun moved.
The bookshelf lined along the living room wall.
Quite a few books were placed there, but he didn’t have ti to read. What Rojun was focusing on now were the trophies, not the books. Humming as he set them up. Before he knew it, the number of trophies from both his main and side jobs, collected from various awards ceremonies, had grown significantly. After arranging the trophies he received today, Kang Rojun placed both hands on his waist.
“Mm-mm, nice, nice.”
He nodded proudly.
The trophies didn’t completely represent all the hardships he had endured, but they were definitely symbolic rewards to so extent. Was there anyone in the current entertainnt industry who had received such major awards across so many different fields?
“There probably isn’t, right? Manager-nim said so too.”
As of now, Kang Rojun was one of a kind. Soone might erge in the future, but if you go by what manager Kim Ki-baek said, this record wouldn't be broken for at least another 10 years.
Rojun's smile deepened as he gazed at the splendidly arranged trophies for a few minutes.
-Swish.
He moved toward the refrigerator.
“Alright, I’ve got to have a drink today.”
He pulled out an ice-cold can of beer and took a refreshing gulp. Ever since he got the 'AI Simulation' app, he hadn’t really enjoyed drinking much, but today was an exception. Soon, Rojun stood in front of the large window.
“The night view is amazing.”
The night view of the Han River was the perfect drinking companion, and as Rojun took another gulp of beer, his parents ca to mind.
‘Sohow, I made it this far. I wonder if you’re watching well??’
anwhile.
The dia was buzzing, either from the Blue Dragon Film Awards or the 'Vanguard' world tour teaser thrown out by GN Entertainnt. Regarding the Blue Dragon Film Awards, they praised Kang Rojun and 'Blood Hunt' for their wins, while the 'Vanguard' world tour sparked speculation and escalated discussions.
Public opinion showed a similar trend.
-Huh? Vanguard world tour? Already???
-This seems a bit much
-GN’s just getting too excited and rushing it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-A world tour in their second year seems too soon;;;
-Is this finally Vanguard kicking the ball into their own net!!
-No no, it’s totally possible, Vanguard’s overseas popularity did rise
-Still, a world tour is a bit...
Both dia and public sentint were mostly negative. However, GN Entertainnt held firm in its stance, and a few days later, on December 31st, the last day of 2021, they made an official announcent.
Vanguard’s world tour was confird.
Even at year-end, 'Vanguard' remained scorching hot like molten tal, and the new year arrived.
2022.
Throughout January of the new year, 'Vanguard' was busy with single album promotions and preparations for their second album. The second album, including the current single track ‘zephyr’, was confird to have at least five songs. The key difference from their debut was that this ti, the proposal ca directly from Kang Rojun, not the company.
“You can use the songs I composed.”
Since his skills had already been proven, GN Entertainnt welcod it, but manager Kim Ki-baek showed a slightly regretful expression.
“Weren’t those songs ant for your solo project later?”
“That’s true. But I can always write more songs.”
On the other hand, Kang Rojun didn’t think much of it.
“With a world tour coming up, of course I have to focus more on the second album. And even if we use so of them now, I still have a few songs left.”
“How many songs do you have?”
“Roughly 11??”
“When did you even write that many-”
Thus began the production of Vanguard’s 2nd album. Around this ti, settlents were made for Rojun and the mbers. Naturally, it was on a much larger scale than the first settlent, and when Kang Rojun saw his bank account, he didn’t react with shock but let out a dry chuckle.
‘...How much even is this??’
A figure easily exceeding several billions. Compared to the other mbers, Kang Rojun was also steadily getting settlents from his side jobs. What should he do with all this money? As he pondered that, he suddenly recalled a dream he’d had during his darker days.
‘Yeah, maybe I should buy a building?’
He had already bought a house, so now it was ti for a building. The wish to soday beco a building owner was no longer just a dream, but a reality.
And so, January ended in a flurry, and in early February.
“...Cut!! OK!”
A louder signal than ever echoed from PD Jung Soo-ryeong at the set of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'. After her thunderous shout, Kang Rojun, dressed in an elegant traditional robe with his hair in a topknot, took off his gat and flashed a radiant smile.
“Thank you for your hard work!!”
He bowed deeply to the hundred-sothing staff and fellow actors. Even his tone and energy were higher than usual. For good reason.
“You were really the best, Rojun-ssi. In both acting and the work itself. I'm really going to stake my life on the editing.”
“You have to stay alive so we can film season 2!”
“Of course. Anyway, great job filming season 1.”
Because the filming of 'Tale of the Strange Moon' season 1, which had begun in November, had just wrapped. Thanks to that, not only the hundred-sothing staff but also the actors, including Kang Rojun, enjoyed a liberating mont. High-pitched greetings were exchanged all around.
Soon, this was reported through the dia and shared with the public, and later, when PD Jung Soo-ryeong declared editing was complete.
《‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ Season 1 Editing Complete, Global Launch Imminent!》
It was a few months later, in April.
April 11.
A large hall was packed with reporters. Seated on the podium they were looking at were PD Jung Soo-ryeong and the cast of 'Tale of the Strange Moon'. Naturally, seated directly to Jung Soo-ryeong’s left was Kang Rojun, dressed in a formal suit.
Behind him hung an enormous poster of the completed 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.
With a rough-textured font and shadows representing yokai, and in front of them stood Rojun and the cast, leaving a strong impression.
This was a press conference that felt like a launch event for 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.
So it was only natural that explosive questions were directed particularly at the actors, especially Kang Rojun. However, Rojun calmly answered each question, and inwardly, he was struck again by how quickly ti had flown, seeing this scene now before his eyes.
‘It feels like just yesterday I was writing 'Tale of the Strange Moon', and now it’s about to launch, and I’m even in the middle of writing season 3. Ti flies so damn fast.’
Then, from Kang Rojun’s lips ca the release date for 'Tale of the Strange Moon', which was set for a global launch.
“'Tale of the Strange Moon' will be released on May 1. Please give it lots of love!”
And May 1 arrived in no ti. Even before the official launch, the dia was already heating up the atmosphere.
《[IssueTalk] Long-Awaited ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ Launch Just Around the Corner! Will Rojun’s Box Office Power Work Overseas Too?》
At 30 minutes before release, Kang Rojun and the mbers could be found at the practice studio. They had cleared their schedules as much as possible to focus on practice for the world tour.
However, at the mont, even the dozens of choreography teams gathered were all busy staring at their tablets or phones.
The most excited one was Si-hoo.
“25 minutes! Just 25 minutes left!! Ugh, I’m so nervous!”
Kang-min and Do-kyung were also stuck close to Kang Rojun, openly expressing their excitent.
“Si-hoo hyung’s the one freaking out the most, but Rojun hyung is just sitting still.”
“Do-kyung, stop shaking your leg.”
“It’s a habit.”
“Your hands are shaking too?”
“Ugh, seriously, I’m nervous, okay?? Am I the only one?”
And Kang Rojun?
“Rojun hyung! React! This hyung’s not even breathing??!”
He thought he was fine, but now that it was right in front of him, his heart was pounding non-stop.
“I don’t know, I really don’t. My mind’s blank. My brain’s broken.”
“Breathe, breathe!”
“Stop shaking , I’m getting dizzy.”
Soon, Manager Kim Ki-baek and the managent team joined them in the practice room.
“Has it started?!”
“Not yet! 10 minutes, 10 minutes!”
Of course, from CEO Ha Seo-hwan in the CEO’s Office to every employee at GN Entertainnt, all attention was on 'Tale of the Strange Moon'.
Naturally.
'Tale of the Strange Moon' was a work of great significance for 'Vanguard' as well. Since there were collaborations and ‘Royal Procession’ was tied to it. Whether the series succeeded or not, Vanguard’s world tour would proceed, but if 'Tale of the Strange Moon' exploded in popularity, Vanguard’s overseas impact would multiply several tis over.
Naturally, the world tour would be a massive success.
From idol to actor to writer, Kang Rojun’s influence now extending overseas was just the icing on the cake.
Because 'Tale of the Strange Moon' carried that much significance, there were countless eyes watching its launch at that very mont. Nurous dia outlets, entertainnt companies, production companies, broadcasting stations, Netflix Korea, and of course, many of Kang Rojun’s connections.
Not to ntion the public, including fans of 'Vanguard'.
It was right then.
“It’s on! It’s starting!!”
With Si-hoo’s shout, everyone in the practice room, including Rojun, turned their eyes to the screen.
'Tale of the Strange Moon' was officially launched.
And of course, it wasn’t just in Korea. It was released simultaneously in 83 countries where Netflix is serviced. Technically speaking, this too was a ‘first’. While Netflix Korea had launched works globally before, this was the first ti for a historical drama. Plus, it was a collaboration with the super popular idol group 'Vanguard'.
Regardless of the result, the die had been cast.
‘Phew - whatever. It’s not like watching it will change anything. Just hang in there, hang in there!’
Kang Rojun tried to stay as relaxed as possible.
Whether it flopped or not, from this point on, it was uncharted territory.
The results weren’t likely to co out imdiately. All he could do was wait patiently.
But Rojun’s expectations and assumptions were wrong. The ripple effect of 'Tale of the Strange Moon' appeared in just a single day.
“It’s number one on Netflix Japan!!”
“Japan?! It’s number one in Japan right now?!”
“Yes!!”
Just like Netflix Korea was going wild, the fastest result ca from Japan.
《[Breaking News] ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ starts strong from Netflix Japan! Number one just one day after release》
《‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ debuts at number one on Netflix Japan! Japanese public response is positive / Photo》
The real shock ca a few days later.
《‘Huge hit!!’ 'Tale of the Strange Moon' becos the first K-drama to reach number one on Netflix US!》
'Tale of the Strange Moon' had claid the number one spot on Netflix in the United States. Though other Korean titles had made it into the top ten, there had never been a case where a historical drama reached number one, and in such a short ti too.
《[Official] ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ beats all popular US dramas to rank #1 / Photo》
From that point on, 'Tale of the Strange Moon' began to spread widely across major international communities, including Reddit. Word of mouth upon word of mouth upon word of mouth. Even after two days, 'Tale of the Strange Moon', which had conquered Netflix US, did not budge from the top spot, and what followed was a string of unbelievable events.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I live in the UK and 'Tale of the Strange Moon' is number one here tooㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Wait, it’s number one in the UK too, not just the US??
-Hell yeah!!! This feels amazing!!!
As ti passed, 'Tale of the Strange Moon' began to rank number one in multiple countries. And about two weeks later, the jaw-dropping results ca in.
《[Official] 'Tale of the Strange Moon' delivers! Number one in 80 countries – the world is now obsessed / Photo》
《Global SNS and communities filled with talk of ‘Tale of the Strange Moon’ – “The hanbok is so beautiful”》
《“Tale of the Strange Moon is insanely good!” International review sites flooded with praise / Photo》
《Breaking records upon records – #1 on Netflix in 80 countries. 'Tale of the Strange Moon' brings historical K-drama to the world》
Except for a few countries, 'Tale of the Strange Moon' had swept 80 countries. A monster work had arrived. Overseas audiences were already demanding season 2, and as 'Tale of the Strange Moon' created a global syndro.
《The world is hooked on 'Tale of the Strange Moon', and equally obsessed with its main OST, ‘Royal Procession’!》
Interest also surged worldwide for the main OST, 'Royal Procession'.
-Vanguard ‘Royal Procession’ Official MV
-220 million views
Right after 'Tale of the Strange Moon' took over the world, the music video for 'Royal Procession' surpassed 200 million views. It beca the first Korean video to hit hundreds of millions in views, and 'Tale of the Strange Moon' was tearing across the globe.
And naturally, the final destination of this terrifying tornado was Kang Rojun and 'Vanguard'.
《Rojun who bewitched the world – Vanguard’s YouTube and SNS channels explode... Overseas fans increasing exponentially / Photo》
It was the ergence of a global idol.
About two months later.
'Tale of the Strange Moon' was still shaking the world. However, there had been many changes for Kang Rojun and 'Vanguard'. Before officially expanding abroad, they had appeared on famous overseas talk shows and variety shows, including those in the US, and were featured on the main covers of top magazines like 'NOIR'.
Invitations to fashion shows and events from various countries were a given.
But that wasn’t all.
The 'Royal Procession' MV had now surpassed 300 million views. Additionally, 'Royal Procession' was number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and other 'Vanguard' songs had also entered the top 20. At this point, it was no exaggeration to say that 'Vanguard' was a global powerhouse idol group.
That’s how imnse their impact and influence had beco.
This was where it really mattered. The key was to ride this massive wave of global attention and firmly establish themselves as a true global idol group.
The mbers of 'Vanguard' were currently aboard a plane flying high in the sky.
Their destination was Los Angeles, USA.
'Vanguard' had already begun their world tour, having completed concerts in Korea and Japan. Their third stop was Los Angeles. Whether from the world tour or tight schedules, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung were fast asleep.
The only one with his eyes open was Kang Rojun.
Since the flight ti to LA would be quite long, Rojun was now.
-Tatadak!
Happily typing away on his laptop. He was working on writing Season 4 of 'Tale of the Strange Moon', the series that had taken over the world. Even though 'Vanguard' had risen to global status, Kang Rojun’s attitude and work ethic remained unchanged.
In fact, once this script was finished, he planned to jump right into another project. His hands were much faster than before. The touch of a master.
Naturally so.
-[Appearance (200/200)│Singing Ability (150/150)│Rap (150/150)│Dance (150/150)│Eloquence (150/150)│Acting (150/150)│Lyrics Writing (150/150)│Composition (150/150)│Arrangent (150/150)]
He was max level itself.
Even his appearance scored 200 points. Maybe that’s why? Kang Rojun’s natural visuals radiated with an endless glow.
Then.
-Swoosh.
A man swapped seats with the staff mber next to him and settled in beside Rojun. It was Manager Kim Ki-baek. Wearing his usual faint smile, he leaned in and whispered to Rojun.
“Mm- I was planning to tell everyone when they woke up, but I figured it’d be better to let you know first, Rojun.”
“About what?”
“Rember we talked about it once? 'Coachella'. Next year's Coachella main performance is confird."”
“Wow!”
'Coachella' was one of the most prestigious music festivals in the world, held in the United States. It’s often called the dream stage for countless international musicians, with top-tier global artists performing there every year.
“You know, right? If 'Vanguard' takes the stage at 'Coachella', it’ll be the first ti for a Korean group.”
That’s right, 'Vanguard' was officially confird to perform at 'Coachella'.
The timing would be around April next year.
Even just that was enough to cause a massive stir back ho, but Kim Ki-baek didn’t stop there. He opened his planner and continued speaking.
“During this LA schedule, you’ll probably have to stop by Hollywood as well.”
“The audition date ca out??”
“Yes.”
“And, I’ve scheduled etings with Netflix US headquarters and three agencies.”
After 'Tale of the Strange Moon', Rojun had received offers from major Hollywood studios. Casting proposals. On top of that, Netflix’s US headquarters also wanted Kang Rojun, and he had to et with so of the world’s top agencies. His side jobs, as a writer, actor, composer, and lyricist, were selling just as well as his main job in Vanguard’s world tour.
As the endless schedule rolled on, Manager Kim Ki-baek closed his planner and asked,
“I know it’s a bit sudden, but, are you okay with all this?”
With a smiling gaze, Kang Rojun pointed to his laptop.
“No problem at all. I got this.”
Later, at a massive stadium in LA.
A gigantic venue that could accommodate over 100,000 people had transford into an overwhelming concert arena. A jaw-dropping main stage and thrust stage, enormous monitors hanging from the back of the stage to the high ceiling, uncountable lights, and posters of Kang Rojun, Si-hoo, Kang-min, and Do-kyung hung all over the place.
And then.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
100,000 seats filled with Vanguard’s overseas fans.
A sight so spectacular it was hard to tell if it was reality or a dream. These 100,000 overseas fans were screaming like mad for 'Vanguard' in this stadium.
“'Vanguard'!!! 'Vanguard'!!!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”
This was Vanguard’s LA world tour concert venue.
The mont signs of Vanguard’s appearance began to show, the 100,000 fans went wild. Behind the stage, Rojun and the mbers were fully prepped for their entrance. The dancers had gathered in one place with their hands clasped together.
Wearing his stage costu, Si-hoo grinned at Rojun.
“Leader, give us a proper hype shout.”
Kang-min and Do-kyung quickly chid in.
“Leader, ready to deploy.”
“Go for it, hyung. Real loud.”
Soon, the eyes of all the mbers and dancers landed on Kang Rojun. With a smile, Rojun spoke with a confident tone, as if to say, “What’s so hard about this?”
“Whether it's another country or a different place, a performance is still a performance. Just like always, let’s go have fun out there.”
“Ooooooh!!”
“Waaaah!”
The morale of the 'Vanguard' team soared through the roof.
At this point, Kang Rojun also muttered a bit of self-hypnosis.
‘Have fun, yeah. Just enjoy it.’
Rojun didn’t know it yet, but a small change had occurred in the 'AI Simulation' app.
-[Desired Occupation: Global Artist]
And soon, Kang Rojun, leader of the global idol group 'Vanguard', ran out toward over 100,000 overseas fans.
His visuals and aura were.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!!”
Truly those of a world star.
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