Chapter 1: The Post-it Boy

December 13, 2007, at 7 PM.

The night of December was abnormally cold, with the north wind howling and cold air seeping through the nostrils, chilling to the bone, making people shiver involuntarily.

At this moment, inside the Seoul Olympic Stadium in South Korea, the atmosphere was boiling with the roar of the crowd. Tens of thousands of people gathered here, and even the harsh cold of winter could not dampen their enthusiasm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now at the most tense moment. In 2007, many new talents have emerged. Many boy groups, girl groups, and solo singers have achieved outstanding results.

So, who will win the 2007 Golden Disk Award for New Artist of the Year!"

At this moment, the 22nd Golden Disk Awards were being held at the Seoul Olympic Stadium. The Golden Disk Awards, or Golden Disk Awards, began in 1986 and are co-hosted by the Daily Sports and the Korean Music Content Association. The award criteria are based on album sales statistics provided by the Korean Music Content Association.

In addition, the Golden Disk Awards are known as Korea's "Grammys," a highly authoritative and traditional award ceremony. It is an objective award ceremony based primarily on sales and data, and is hosted by the Korean Music Content Association, with the judges being employees of the association. During the selection process, all identification documents are publicly disclosed to ensure fairness.

This is an extremely authoritative award ceremony, and winning the New Artist of the Year award at this ceremony is undoubtedly the greatest reward for artists who debuted in 2007.

After the list of nominees was played on MTV, the fans erupted in deafening cheers upon seeing their favorite artists nominated for the New Artist award.

"Everyone is so enthusiastic today!

We just saw many hardworking nominees this year, and the competition is truly intense!"

"Yes, under such fierce competition, I'm starting to worry about who will win the grand prize tonight! It's really hard to decide!"

This award ceremony is based on the sales of digital music and albums from November 8, 2006, to November 30, 2007, making it quite fair.

Alright, the first important award of the night will be presented by Samsung's Sun Jin-hwan and actress Lee Si-young!"

As the host finished speaking, Lee Si-young and Sun Jin-hwan walked out from the backstage.

"Hello everyone, I am Sun Jin-hwan, a senior executive at Samsung!"

Samsung has a superlative status in Korea, and as a senior executive, Sun Jin-hwan is one of the company's top leaders, exuding a natural air of elegance. Lee Si-young, standing beside him, felt a brief moment of disgust before saying, "Hello everyone, I am Lee Si-young! It's a great honor to be invited to present an award today! This is my first time presenting an award to a singer, and I feel both happy and very nervous. Mr. Sun has been here three times, how does it feel?"

Lee Si-young interacted with the audience, and Sun Jin-hwan responded, "This time at the award ceremony, I saw a different gathering of stars, and it feels very grand this year! I cleared my schedule early to attend this grand event! The Golden Disk Awards have now been held for 22 years, and I look forward to this highest indicator of Korean music continuing to write a long history every year! Miss Lee Si-young, let's agree to come back and present awards next year!"

"Yes, I will work hard and hope to come back next year. The New Artist award is a prize that an artist can only win once in their lifetime, and it has a profound meaning for the winner. I'm also very nervous about presenting this award! So, the New Artist award will be presented by Mr. Sun!"

Sun Jin-hwan opened the envelope, smiled for a few seconds, and then said, "The 2007 Golden Disk Samsung Yepp New Artist Award goes to—Girls' Generation!"

When Sun Jin-hwan announced the winner, the entire venue fell silent for a few seconds. When "Girls' Generation" reached everyone's ears, the fans erupted in thunderous cheers, startling the singers sitting in the artist section, including some veteran singers who showed a hint of jealousy at the overwhelming support for this group that had only debuted four months ago.

"The 2007 Golden Disk Samsung Yepp New Artist Award goes to Girls' Generation. Girls' Generation debuted in 2007 with 'Gee' and became an instant sensation, a very impressive new group. Congratulations on their win!"

The nine young and beautiful girls stood up, hugged and celebrated with the other singers, and then walked up to the stage one by one.

"Actually, everyone has worked very hard, and we are truly grateful to receive such a prestigious award. We never expected so many people to support us, Sone, we love you!" Taeyeon, standing at the microphone, held their first heavy trophy and certificate, and spoke emotionally.

"Thank you to our parents! And, President, we won, we want to eat meat tonight!" Yoon-a interrupted Taeyeon and spoke into another microphone. During this period, they had to maintain their figures and could only eat kimchi, which was a torment for her.

Ha ha ha... The fans and singers in the venue burst into laughter.

Simple and sincere acceptance speeches earned them rounds of applause. The nine girls on stage bowed to the audience and the cameras, and their tears of excitement and joy finally overflowed, unstoppable and uncontainable.

A few minutes later, the stage lights dimmed, and the familiar melody of "Gee" began. This song, which debuted in August and quickly rose to the top of the M-net chart, has remained at the top ever since. It has won numerous awards on Music Bank, Inkigayo, and Music Core, creating a "Gee" craze. The melody is light and catchy, and the lyrics are simple and appealing, making people want to listen to it over and over again.

The nine girls sang and danced on stage, their adrenaline surging. Although this New Artist award was not only for them, their brilliance overshadowed the other group, making them the true winners of the New Artist award.

On a cold winter night, their fiery performance brought wave after wave of heat to the audience, and time quietly slipped away. Soon, it was time to present the Best Songwriter and Composer Award.

The two hosts stood on stage, recovering from the exciting performances, and said, "Wow, today's performances were amazing. Next, we will present one of the most prestigious awards of the night—the Best Songwriter Award."

"Yes! Everyone knows that singers can sing a song well, but they can't really create a good song. So, songwriters and composers are very important; they are the soul of a song!"

"Very true. So, Yi-se, do you have a favorite songwriter or composer? After being in the entertainment industry for so long, you must have thought about branching out into other areas!"

Han Yi-se covered her mouth and laughed lightly, saying, "Yes, I do have a favorite talented songwriter and composer, and he is also very handsome! He is a versatile talent in the music industry, writing, composing, and singing!"

"Oh, really? Who is he?"

"Mr. G-Dragon, hello!!!" Han Yi-se waved to G-Dragon of the super senior newbies BIGBANG, and the camera switched to show G-Dragon on the big screen, causing the VIPs in the audience to cheer. G-Dragon stood up and bowed to Han Yi-se to express his gratitude.

The reason BIGBANG is called a super senior newbie is that in 2006, YG's main group BIGBANG burst onto the scene, but they debuted in the second half of 2006 and did not participate in many activities, so they were not eligible for the Golden Disk Awards in 2006.

However, whether as a group or a new artist, they can only win the New Artist award in the year they debut. In 2007, despite the huge success of "Lies" and their popularity throughout Korea, they did not win the New Artist award but instead won the "Best Male Group" and "Song of the Year" awards at the MKMF Awards.

In terms of experience, they are newbies; in terms of talent, they are far superior to the new artists who debuted in 2007, especially with "Lies," which elevated them to a god-like status.

They skipped the New Artist award, making them a unique exception among all boy groups, girl groups, and solo artists.

"Oh! It's G-Dragon. He is indeed a very talented singer, and I also enjoy listening to BIGBANG's 'Lies.' I hope they win a big award today!

So, next, it's time to reveal the Best Songwriter and Composer Award. Please welcome our presenters—Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo."

As Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo, the nation's golden couple, walked out from the backstage, the stadium erupted in even greater excitement than when Girls' Generation appeared, showing that film and television stars have a greater influence than singers.

Cough... Hyun Bin cleared his throat and said into the microphone, "I feel very honored to be standing here today! The organizers have paired me with such a beautiful star, making me feel that this honor is too great!"

Hyun Bin usually has a serious demeanor, but unexpectedly, he also played a bit of a prank on stage, and most of the singers in the audience raised their hands to applaud, while the fans screamed in excitement.

Song Hye-kyo rolled her eyes at him, saying, "I think if Yi-se were standing here now, she would say the same thing!"

Ha ha ha... Han Yi-se instantly became the "third party" between them.

"Alright, no more jokes! Next, we will present the Best Songwriter and Composer Award! Hye-kyo, what do you think of songwriters and composers?"

Song Hye-kyo thought for a moment and said, "I think their heads are filled with many incredible things, as if they've had brain surgery by aliens!"

Ha ha ha... Song Hye-kyo's absurd comment caused a wave of laughter in the audience.

"Really, I've always thought that! The melodies that move and touch the heart, the world they create, the beautiful melodies that make people unable to resist, are a gift from God, something irreplaceable! They are truly amazing!" Song Hye-kyo said earnestly.

Hyun Bin nodded and said, "Yes, they are indeed amazing. They can create melodies that are as powerful as a flood, and as clear and beautiful as a stream. It's truly incredible! So, let's see who will win this prestigious award tonight!" Hyun Bin handed the envelope to Song Hye-kyo.

Song Hye-kyo opened the envelope and glanced at it, her eyes showing a brief ripple of emotion before returning to calm. "Actually, I, like Yi-se, really like Mr. G-Dragon, but unfortunately, G-Dragon, you will have to try again next year to bring this award home!"

G-Dragon shrugged with a smile. For him, a new artist is not yet worthy of this prestigious award; otherwise, it would be difficult to navigate the industry in the future. It's better to be sensible and not compete.

"Alright, let's reveal the winner! Who will win this award?" Hyun Bin said with some excitement.

"The 22nd Golden Disk Samsung Yepp Songwriter and Composer Award goes to—'Gee,' E-TRIE!"

G-Dragon shook his head in disappointment but quickly put on a smile. Losing to E-TRIE, he was convinced. E-TRIBE is a well-known composer in the music industry, with many highly popular songs to his credit, and he is highly respected.

Although G-Dragon believes his "Lies" is better than "Gee," the two songs are not directly comparable, and "Lies" was not created by him alone but with Teddy. Therefore, he has a positive attitude about not winning the award.

Amidst the applause and cheers, E-TRIBE walked onto the stage and, under the watchful eyes of thousands, received the heavy, golden trophy from Song Hye-kyo. He held it and felt its weight, which was very satisfying.

"It is an honor for the Golden Disk to award me this prestigious prize. This is the heaviest award I have ever received! I hope 'Gee' will be liked by more and more people, and I hope Girls' Generation will continue to grow and succeed!" E-TRIE's simple words were met with a huge cheer from the fans.

The singers in the artist section also clapped enthusiastically. E-TRIE is one of the most famous songwriters and composers in Korea, and it is beneficial for a singer to have a good relationship with him. Even without much interaction, leaving a good impression can be helpful for future collaborations.

However, no one noticed that the nine girls of Girls' Generation, who had been laughing and joking, gradually lost their smiles after E-TRIE went on stage. Their smiles became forced and strained, and a closer look revealed that they were only smiling with their mouths, not their eyes, a detail that was intriguing.

...

Outside the stadium, the city lights were on, and cars with headlights on were driving on the roads, gradually forming streams of light. Ordinary people were at home, preparing to watch the 9 PM news, while middle and high school students were watching the live broadcast of the Golden Disk Awards on KBS. Night owls were at nightclubs, discussing which women had the best faces and the biggest chests amidst the clinking of glasses.

The entire city of Seoul was bustling and never-ending.

In Blackstone Cave, Dongjak District, Seoul, at No. 409, a coffee shop called Left Bank was isolated and quiet, with no sound at all, as if the outside world's hustle and bustle had nothing to do with it.

A few couples were sitting and chatting, and the women would laugh and playfully hit the men when they said something amusing.

Ding ding dang dang...

The doorbell rang, and a girl wearing a red coat, a black scarf, and a woolen hat walked in, stomping her feet and then pushing the door open to enter the coffee shop.

The cold outside contrasted sharply with the warm atmosphere inside. She took off her hat and scarf, revealing a delicate face, and smiled at the boy in a shirt and plaid apron standing behind the counter, walking over to him.

"Hey, this winter is so strange, it's snowing so early. Yunjae, do you think it's because of global warming? Should we move to Mars?"

The girl leaned on the counter and spoke to the boy named Yunjae, who was making a latte. Under his careful and meticulous "sculpting," a white flower gradually formed on the surface of the coffee, looking dreamy.

"Hey, Lee Yunjae, didn't you hear me talking to you?!" The girl stomped her foot, a gesture that contrasted with her sweet appearance, but her voice was as clear and melodious as a silver bell. Her face showed no anger, but she was impressed by Lee Yunjae's skill.

Lee Yunjae has very sharp hearing and couldn't possibly not hear her, but he was focused on his work and didn't want to respond.

A minute later, Lee Yunjae looked up with a warm smile and pushed a fancy latte to the girl. His smile was so warm that it could melt a block of ice and make anyone feel a surge of warmth, especially in the cold winter.

"Wow, Yunjae, you look even handsomer after a few days!" The girl unceremoniously put her cold hands on Lee Yunjae's face. The sudden cold was enough to make anyone shiver.

Lee Yunjae wriggled out of the girl's "clutches," and she giggled, picking up the coffee and walking to a booth. Lee Yunjae took a blue strawberry cheesecake from the counter, grabbed a post-it note and pen, and walked over to sit opposite the girl, placing the cheesecake in front of her.

"Wow, Yunjae, you really know how to take care of people! This is free, right?" The girl blinked at Lee Yunjae, and it seemed that if he said no, she would explode. Lee Yunjae shrugged and smiled, and the girl's "terrifying" gaze disappeared.

"Suyeon, today, my aunt texted me saying you left S.M. Is it true?" Lee Yunjae wrote a line on the post-it note and handed it to the girl, his gaze complex.