Chapter 362: Gathered, We are a Fire; Scattered, We are Stars Across the Sky
The immense bond, like a scene from a dream, hung high in the sky, but it was no longer blurry. This time, Jiang Shu saw a part of it clearly.
It was a bond of two characters, but the specific words were still indistinct. Yet, this was the first time Jiang Shu had seen this thing in reality.
In the past, even when he often dreamed of it, he only considered it an association generated by his subconscious mind when thinking about bonds. But when this thing appeared in reality…
Jiang Shu's eyes flickered as he looked up at the huge bond in the sky, silent.
All good things must come to an end.
Even with tens of thousands of people singing IZONE's debut song, this farewell concert belonging to IZONE finally came to an end.
Regret is always like this; no matter how much people can't let go, no matter how much they hate to part, they can only accept it in the end.
IZONE's farewell concert concluded, but the subsequent impact was just beginning.
After IZONE's farewell concert ended, the reaction from the media and the public was like an emotional tsunami sweeping across Asia. Its scope of influence far exceeded the realm of entertainment events, becoming a collective outlet for the emotions of online netizens at the time.
The Korea Sports Newspaper featured the headline “IZONE, The Legend Concludes” on its front page, with a cover showcasing the shocking scene of hundreds of industry insiders and celebrities in C4 section with tears in their eyes, calling this image “the first legendary conclusion in K-pop history.”
The Dong-A Ilbo, on the other hand, used data to speak: “The number of participants in domestic Korean topic discussions exceeded five million. During IZONE's farewell concert, the number of tourists visiting Korea was ten percent higher than the average for the tourism industry, setting a record for idol concert category in terms of attracting visitors, proving its top girl group's strong influence on K-pop culture.”
A well-known YouTube K-pop blogger deeply analyzed the stage design of the lyrical version of “again meeting world,” featuring time-fragment projections—from the 20148 debut variety show to the 2022 farewell concert, creating a time-folding effect.
A well-known S.M. Entertainment choreographer interpreted the stage design of the concluding stage on a radio program, describing the ritualistic sense of the twelve members walking into the backlight with their backs to the audience at the end: “This is not an exit, but a visual engraving that imprints their figures into the memory of the era.”
In the early hours after the concert, in various places in Seoul—on subways, buses, in bars, in restaurants…
Fans spontaneously gathered and once again sang “again meeting world.” After their light sticks ran out of power, they turned on their phone flashlights, and in various parts of Seoul, a galaxy of stars lit up, just like inside the venue.
The world's largest IZONE fan club, “W*IZONE,” had its server crash for several hours due to a surge in visits. DM Entertainment urgently contacted Kakao Group, and it only recovered after new servers were borrowed and connected.
Subsequently, the homepage prominently featured candid photos of the members crying backstage, with the caption “IZONE Never Ends,” garnering over a million likes in just twenty-four hours.
The international version of TikTok sparked a “K-pop Dance Challenge” craze, with everyone joining in to cover IZONE's dance challenges, and the topic's video views exceeded 1.7 billion.
Song Yuqi, a member of the new-generation girl group (G)I-DLE, IZONE's direct junior, choked up on a radio show, saying, “When I saw the seniors bowing twelve times hand in hand during their curtain call, I realized that being an idol is not just a profession but also a responsibility.”
The concert director's behind-the-scenes notes went viral both inside and outside the industry: “When the camera swept over the company's artists who were crying so much their makeup was ruined, I realized that this live broadcast was not recording a performance, but writing history.”
And as mainstream media, Korea's Three Greats television stations also did not miss out on the nationwide discussion sparked by IZONE.
“IZONE used their influence to break the prejudice that girl groups are consumables. Their farewell is not a disappearance, but a redefinition of the idol profession.”
When a whale falls, all things rise.
They turned idols into faith, farewells into celebrations, and tears into starlight. When tens of thousands of people sang in unison, piercing through the dome of the venue, everyone understood: IZONE never left; they merely transformed into the era itself.
Gathered, we are a fire; scattered, we are stars across the sky.
IZONE, through their farewell, elevated the girl group era to a higher level.
…
IZONE concluded, but DM Entertainment did not officially announce IZONE's disbandment. Perhaps this was a gentle gesture left for the grand farewell of the entire public.
IZONE's conclusion symbolized the complete end of the second-generation girl groups, and the third-generation girl groups would officially step onto the historical stage.
On June 15th, half a month after IZONE's “The Best Start” concert ended, the members of IZONE received their subsequent arrangements from the company after a full half-month vacation.
IZONE Dorm 1.
Ahn Yujin, lying on the sofa, stretched her arms out, resting her chin on the sofa, watching her phone screen in the distance, scrolling through videos one after another.
Behind the sofa where Ahn Yujin was lying, Zhang Yuanying was sitting on a yoga mat, doing stretching exercises.
The large living room only had the two of them; other members had either gone out to play or were lying lifelessly in their bedrooms.
Ding-dong.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanying's phone, placed on the table, chimed with a message notification. Before either of them could react, Ahn Yujin's phone also popped up with a message notification.
“There's a message in the group chat!” Ahn Yujin sprang up from the sofa, not forgetting to tell Zhang Yuanying, who was doing yoga.
“A message?!” Zhang Yuanying also quickly stood up upon hearing this.
For the past half-month, IZONE's group chat had been as if it didn't exist, with no messages at all.
Suddenly, out of the blue, there was a message, and both of them were very surprised.
Ahn Yujin handed Zhang Yuanying her phone, then opened the group chat message, and seeing the dense text, she subconsciously read it aloud.
“Regarding the future arrangements for former IZONE members, the following is announced…”
“Kwon Eunbi, solo singer.”
“Sakura, new girl group project.”
“Choi Yena, solo singer.”
“Hitomi Honda, Japan sub-unit project.”
“Li Caiyan, solo singer.”
“Kim Chae-won, new girl group project.”
“Yabuki Nako, Japan sub-unit project.”
“Kim Minju, new girl group project.”
“Cao Rouli, solo singer + actress.”
“Jiang Huiyuan, actress.”
“Ahn Yujin, new girl group project.”
“Zhang Yuanying, new girl group project.”
“The above are the company's arrangements for each artist's future. If there are any differing opinions, please contact your manager. The manager will compile and report the opinions to the company. Deadline: three days.”
After reading these contents, Ahn Yujin and Zhang Yuanying looked up, exchanging glances.
But the next second, Ahn Yujin noticed Zhang Yuanying's expression—it was surprise, mixed with a hint of… relief?
“Yuan Ying, you knew your arrangements?”
“Yes.” By now, Zhang Yuanying no longer needed to hide it.
“I knew about my arrangements from President Oppa before. The company will be forming two new girl groups, and you and I will be in the same girl group.”
Upon hearing Zhang Yuanying's words, Ahn Yujin was first delighted, then immediately noticed the key point.