A Century-Old Curse: I Take on Korean Showbiz with the Girls' Generation

At SM's winter auditions in 2003, 142-centimeter-tall Zhang Xingran clutched a silver bangle that dug into her wrist and broke into the Korean entertainment industry despite the doubts that she was “too small for the stage.” She kept the secrets of an ancient martial arts family: her Wood-style Fist could crack the floor, a red cord concealed a cursed protective charm, and every time she used her light-footed technique, her life countdown advanced by one day.

From the mint candies Taeyeon gave her during trainee days and the notes Seohyun shared with her, to her stunning leap from a three-meter platform on Girls' Generation's debut night, and the way she used her inner power to catch water bottles and protect the group during the Black Ocean, she used her special abilities to keep the girl group safe. But she could not escape the curse's eruption in 2018. The ashes by the jade bed had not yet cooled when the phoenix pendant began to burn against the neck of her niece, Zhang Nianran.

In 2032, Nianran wore the same silver bangle and recreated the “tenth member” debut spot. In the holographic projection, Xingran danced “Gee” alongside her. This is no tragic ending, but the passing down of an ancient martial arts spirit and the bond between a girl group, a twenty-year promise that “the stars will never stop shining.”