It's Actually Not Easy Wanting to be a Supporting Male Lead-Chapter 9 part13
Translated by Eve
Edited by Juurensha
Since he had thoroughly dealt with Le Sen, that rival in love who had been covetously eyeing his man, Eason reluctantly accepted the company's plea for him to delay his publicization of the relationship between him and Sui Yuan—to do things 'step by step'. After all, although Eason didn't care about public opinion—about being attacked or sneered at—and felt that Sui Yuan also didn't care, he didn't want to take any risks of Sui Yuan ending up unhappy.
——This decision truly let the company's upper management let out a sigh of relief.
After the news of Huo Ke's involvement in the major Hollywood production was released, his opportunity for ‘instant success’ made many people envy and admire him. He also got to ‘enjoy’ some defamation and smearing of his reputation, as Sui Yuan had before. Only, none of this really had anything to do with Sui Yuan and Eason. At most, they would just post a perfunctory line or two on Weibo, indicating that they supported him and still recognized him as their former bandmate.
Anyway, even if it was like this, it lessened the pressure on Huo Ke a lot. After all, Eason and Fashion Mix's influence was growing by the day. The number of fans kept growing higher and higher and so their fighting strength was also reaching new heights. Not only were there rational fans that were good at organizing and leading the other fans, there were also passionate, impulsive young fans. As long as it was their idol, they would do anything. If the idol pointed at a black cat and said it was a white cat, these kind of fans would also point at the cat and also say that it was white without even blinking. Since their idols were in favour of Huo Ke, then they would also support him. It didn't matter if the negative news was true or was just hearsay, they didn't care at all.
—— Fortunately, the protagonist would always have their protagonist halo. Even if they threw mud at him, Huo Ke could always wash himself clean at an appropriate time. Not only did his popularity not decrease at all, on the contrary, it even went up. Similarly, Eason and Sui Yuan who had always had his back also gained a good reputation. It could be considered a mutually beneficial relationship.
Little by little, the relationship between Huo Ke, Eason, and Sui Yuan became even more intimate than when they were all together in the band. The knot between them also gradually disappeared.
Compared to Huo Ke who had begun to emerge amidst the acting industry and make a name for himself, Fashion Mix's untouchable position within the music industry never wavered. The band consistently and efficiently released two high quality albums a year. They solidified their new fans into loyal fans, and they turned loyal fans into diehard fans. They practically owned the music world— not a single contemporary artist had the power to fight against them.
This period of time was acclaimed to be the music industry's most splendid era, but it was also its darkest. The splendid part pointed to Fashion Mix's unrivaled radiance, while the darkness pointed to all the other artists that tried to find a way to break out, only to be unable to find a way.
The music world's tornado named Eason originated from their nation and spiraled out to quickly engulf the rest of the world. No matter what country they came from, or what their culture was, anyone could resonate with the songs that he 'created'. This was truly an unprecedented musical extravaganza.
Finally, amidst the repeated urging from their fans, Fashion Mix released news of their first concert in China since their re-emergence, and it would be the first stop in their world tour at that.
Because of Fashion Mix's powerful influence, the company did not dare to act carelessly. The rented the country's biggest stadium as their venue. Several tens of thousands of tickets were swiped clean within minutes of sales going live, to the surprise of no one. Before the sale, many fans had already reassured themselves: If I can get my hands on a ticket, then that's fortunate. If not, then that's only to be expected. If I can't get it during the first round, there's always the second and the third.
—— Damn! Big brothers and sisters who were able to get a ticket, begging you to give me a rope to hang onto! Don't fight for another ticket in the next round! Believe it or not, but this student here will hang themselves in front of your home in the middle of the night if you don't!
—— Yingyingying, begging people who got tickets to livestream the concert! It doesn't matter if you're not allowed to record, even a written report will do! This little sister thanks you in advance!
—— For the sake of getting a ticket, I, this old lady, bought the newest device and switched to the fastest internet speed! Come at me!
After the first round of ticket sales had finished, the internet was swarming with victims. The company's upper management wiped the sweat off of their brows, knowing that the real challenge was just beginning.
How could they best decorate the stage? What should they do about security? How could they ensure that the fans remained orderly and avoid fans getting too excited and end up pushing and trampling on other people or the barriers? Everything was an urgent matter that had to be settled. Fortunately, the company was experienced in these matters and were also familiar with and could get in touch with the leaders of the fandom. Together, they worked to ensure that entering and exiting the venue would all go smoothly.
Every country had its own culture, its own aesthetic. Although each of their songs were well-received, the popularity of each song was different in each country. In order to ensure that each concert would be as perfect as possible, Fashion Mix would need to curate their set-list to meet each country's tastes. They needed to make every effort to fit in with the local culture and taste. This all-out effort would naturally obtain positive feedback in return.
The audience had just entered, and the atmosphere in the venue was full of everyone's high-expectations. After the lights dimmed, and Eason and Sui Yuan appeared on stage, the show quickly reached its first peak of excitement.
Earth-shattering screams, unsuppressable shrieks, uncontrollable tears– the fans waved their light sticks passionately to make clear their anticipation and extreme enthusiasm for this concert that they had begged for time and time again.
Eason, who had experienced this kind of scene many times acted with grace. Sui Yuan however was swept away by the waves of cheers and was dumbfounded. The palm of his hands even grew clammy.
Sensing Sui Yuan's rigidness, Eason tilted his head to flash him a slight smile. He grabbed onto Sui Yuan's hand and led him forward, as if giving him strength. Soon after, the relaxing melody of the opening song played overhead.
Unlike a regular concert where they would choose a fast-paced dance song to open the concert and fire up the atmosphere, the management team had foreseen that the fans would be too excited at the start of the show. After much discussion, they finally decided to use a slow song to open the show, to steady the fans' state of minds and prevent any problems from arising.
Eason and Sui Yuan were hand in hand. The former's voice was deep and magnetic. The latter's was mellow, clear, and melodious. Their contrasting voices harmonized beautifully and quickly calmed the fans frantic state of mind, making them completely immersed in the song's melody, guided into taking a step into the music's imaginary palace.
The slow tune gradually became fiercer and more high-spirited. What followed was the explosive sound of many instruments coming together. It instantly pushed the audience's excitement, which had just been calmed down, to all new heights— it was a dance song with a powerful beat.
The bodies and souls of the fans were completely controlled by the music. When to be calm, when to be impassioned— the ups and downs they experienced were reminiscent to the feelings they've encountered in real life. No one noticed that time gradually passed, let alone was there anyone who wanted to acknowledge that the concert was already halfway over and was slowly approaching its end.
The second to last song was a love song; obviously it was a song meant for a male-female duet. However, for two men to sing it wasn't any worse off. The words of love sung live were even more enchanting than when they heard it from the album or watched it on a MV. The eyes of Eason on the screen were so deep that one could drown within them.
No one could endure being looked at with such a gaze—although they felt a bit of regret, it was fortunate that Eason did not look directly into the camera and did not look at the fans—even though that was what fans would normally want.
When the song ended, the haunting tune still continued to resonate within the venue. The fans who were immersed in that love song had yet to snap out of their trance. Eason on the stage suddenly did something no one had expected —he hugged Sui Yuan tightly from behind.
"I wrote this song for you—it's a present for you. I've always wanted to tell you, to let you know while the world is watching, that I love you. I can't live without you. If you're not by my side, I'd rather die—just like the lyrics in this song."
His deep, sweet voice full of profound love echoed through the microphone, clearly transmitting throughout the stadium. The giant screen showed the fiery emotions within Eason's eyes fall unreservedly on Sui Yuan. Meanwhile, Sui Yuan who was held by him seemed to have no reaction, expression blank. Soon after, it gradually changed to one of helplessness, softness, and shyness.
Finally, the fans who were startled by this sudden confession reacted one after another.
At this moment, the efforts of Eason and the company's upper management to discreetly influence the fans finally bore fruit. After a moment of silence, one fan shouted, choked with emotion: "May you live happily together for the rest of your lives!"
This blessing compelled other fans to echo their own. Gradually, their voices converged and grew even more passionate, sincerely cheering for them. In the past year, they've already gotten accustomed to the idea of Eason and Sui Yuan being a pair. The two were mutually intimate and sweet—everyone could see that. All of their hearts were warm and happy, feeling as if they were soaked in a warm bath. The CP fandom had gradually gotten bigger and were no longer satisfied with sticking to their own corner. Almost all of Fashion Mix's fans had come across the CP fandom. Even if they were discontent, there was no way to resist the powerful current that was being promoted by the company behind the scenes.
People are creatures of habit. Even if they didn't like something, after coming into contact with it often, they will gradually adapt and get used to it. Even if non-CP fans expressed their discontent toward the CP fans' view that ‘Eason and Li Kun were made for each other, they're a match made in heaven’, after seeing it time and time again, a mark will be left within their hearts.
There was even a time where Eason was interviewed and was asked about his ideal woman. He only smiled calmly and said that he's never thought about it, and that he kind of couldn't accept having a woman come between him and Li Kun. These words quickly became the CP fans' decisive evidence. Even non-CP fans were left helpless—if even their idol says so, then what can they do? They could only sigh and comfort themselves that their idol would keep out of trouble, that he would put his everything into music and Fashion Mix, unlike those celebrities that would get involved in sex scandals at the drop of a hat. It was at least better than that.
Therefore, after secretly influencing—brainwashing—the fans repeatedly, Eason and the company managed to increase the tolerance level of his fans, bringing them to the present confession. The CP fans were crying tears of joy, and the large majority of other fans were also like "Ah, indeed it's like this. It seems only right" and accepted the news. Even fans who had strongly rejected the CP were moved by Eason's deep feelings of love when he had sung. For a short while, they couldn't speak any words of intense denouncement—or rather, even if they wanted to say it, their weak voices would be completely suppressed by the popular voice that expressed their blessings and would not cause any waves.
"I know that this road will be rough, that we'll be blamed and attacked by the public, but I don't want my love to be buried and sullied because of these kinds of things. No matter what happens, we will make it through it. And we will shout loudly and let the world know that we love each other and are extraordinarily happy!" Eason looked Sui Yuan in the eye, then they both raised their heads and looked directly into the camera. With their voices and expressions, they declared their perseverance, "Thank you everyone for your trust and love until now. We hope that you will support us as always from today on and give us the courage and strength to overcome any and all obstacles in the future!”
"We will! We will!" Faced with their idols request, the fans only responded in agreement with loud voices, waving their light sticks with fervor. The final song of the concert slowly began playing. Eason raised the corner of his mouth and raised his eyebrow to let the fans know that he was without a doubt extremely happy and delighted at this very moment. Lowering his head, Eason kissed Sui Yuan who had turned his head at the very same moment.
The cheers in the venue rocketed into the sky. The fans were happy for their idol's happiness and would firmly stand behind and support their choice. In the backstage area, the manager who had been observing the situation all along in a cold sweat finally sighed in relief. He laughingly cursed, "He really is an *sshole who likes to stir up trouble. This was such an important decision and he didn't even let us know beforehand!" Soon after he had no choice but to make a call and inform upper management of what had just occurred.
They had prepared for so long. This was the final battle.
News about Fashion Mix's opening show for their world tour engulfed the world. It wasn't because of the concert's great success or the fiery atmosphere during the concert—of course, that already was obvious— the most important highlight was that band member Eason had made the most profound, most romantic confession of the year and had come out of the closet with his bandmate, Li Kun, with the support of the tens of thousands of fans at the concert.
The company who had long handled these things suppressed all the negative information from the country's reputable news outlets at the very first moment. As for the tabloid magazines, for the moment, they couldn't control those. They instead made every effort to make the reports more just, more gentle. As for the media outside of the country, most of them were more tolerant of homosexual love. Many countries that have already legalized gay marriage even praised them for it.
Aside from the news, the company also hired many posters to act as an "Internet Navy" to guide the internet's overall opinion. Combine them with Fashion Mix's huge fandom, and naturally they were able to form a force to be reckoned with.
Some members of the Internet Navy took on the identity of an 'insider', posting that they approved of Eason and Sui Yuan's pure, sincere, and deep love. They wrote extremely touching texts about how the two people helped each other out when they had first started Fashion Mix, how familiarity breeds emotions, how they supported one another when they were confronted with the band's imminent disbandment, how they encouraged one another and stood by one another no matter what; they wrote about how after the band got popular, neither of them were confused by the enticement of other paths and firmly guarded their feelings for one another as before.
If this still couldn't be considered love, then what would? Their love didn't hurt anyone else. Furthermore, it was because of their love that they were able to give the fans such precious songs. Gay love was not an illness— it wasn't abnormal. As long as they made a choice and were willing to assume responsibility for whatever consequences that would come with this choice, then no one was qualified to criticize their feelings and label it as having 'offended public morals'.
After Huo Ke finished skimming through a piece written by a member of the Internet Navy praising the couple's love, he shook his head and laughed despite himself while closing the webpage. This article could coax people, as long as no one dug into it too deeply. Anyway, the fans were mostly lenient. They cared about their idol and cared even more about their artist’s works. They just wanted to see what they wished to see. This kind of Internet Navy's method of leading the public opinion gave them a reason to persuade themselves to accept their idol's inclination.
Although he was the only person who knew the truth outside of Eason and Sui Yuan, and was the victim who was cheated on, Huo Ke didn't plan on making any additional trouble for the two people. He quickly posted on Weibo to express his support. Then, he threw his phone to the side and laid on his bed, feeling a bit powerless.
—— He wanted to support them, but was it only because he hoped to borrow the force of this revolution and receive this kind of support in the future? If the people of this country could accept Eason and Sui Yuan, then when he came out, then the reaction would probably much warmer than he had previously expected right?
While he was daydreaming, the phone on his bed suddenly vibrated. Huo Ke lazily grabbed it. When he saw the name on the screen, he could only stare at it blankly for a moment before hastily picking up, "Le Sen Ge?"
"…Did you see the news? I never thought that they would actually do it," Le Sen on the other end sighed with a hint of regret.
"Yeah, they really did. However, I'm not at all surprised," Huo Ke tried his best to control his voice, to stay calm. However, he couldn't completely suppress his emotions and a bit of bitterness seeped through, "I didn't think…that Le Sen Ge would call me."
"…Except for you, I have no one else to talk about this to," Le Sen paused.
"I know," Huo Ke smiled, expression darkening, "Regardless, as long as you're willing to pay attention to me, then I'm satisfied."
"Sorry, Huo Ke," Le Sen's voice was a bit tense, "I only see you as a talented junior. I…still like Li Kun."
"I know that," Huo Ke lowered his eyes.
"I don't have the courage to walk that road. Even if I did, I'm not as daring as Eason and would not be able to announce my feelings in front of everyone like that," This was the first time Le Sen felt defeated like this, feeling that he's been outdone by someone else.
"I'm the same," Huo Ke smiled, "I also don't have the courage to put my future at stake. Le Sen Ge and I are the same kind of person. If Le Sen Ge wishes, then you can forget all the stuff I blurting out after drinking together last time, and we can remain junior and senior."
Le Sen fell quite for a moment, seeming to sigh a breath of relief, "…I understand. Sorry."
Hanging up the phone, Huo Ke also sighed in relief and raised his head with a bitter smile.
Eve: One more chapter until the next world. This chapter was so sweet. If the last 8 arcs were "1001 ways in which the supporting male lead and male lead can die tragically in the name of love", I hope the next half of this novel will be "1001 ways the supporting male leads can blind single dogs with their excessively sweet confessions and PDA". Also, I really do feel bad for Huo Ke. If it wasn't for Sui Mary-Sue Yuan, he'd get his man haha.
Juurensha: GDI, I still hope Huo Ke gets his man.
