In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Here is one perfectly ripe red carrot.

“Risa Joa-nim was New Black’s manager after all.”

“Yes......”

“It’s so amazing to see you here. Thank you so much last time too. You even came with the others to my first musical performance.”

Risa was holding onto Hyung Mingi and chatting happily.

The person who had been so shy around us was now talking gently to her fan.

Like a chick delighted to see a long-lost friend.

“When I went to Belgium to learn how to make waffles, I thought so much about my Korean fans. Oh, right. I used that gift ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) you gave me there so well.”

“Ah, yeess......”

Unlike Risa, Hyung Mingi looked like he was dying inside.

While Risa Joa rattled on about how devoted a fan she’d been since early Sugarfish days, Hyung Mingi side-eyed us laughing faces and closed his eyes sadly.

His expression said he could already foresee what was coming.

Well, even I could already picture the faces of the management team joking like, “Seo-dairi, how’s it going these days? You like Risa Joa, don’t you?” and bursting into laughter.

“I’ll see you again in a bit, Risa Joa-nim.”

When Risa and the manager stepped outside for a moment, Hyung Mingi approached as if he were about to kneel.

“Guys.”

He said earnestly.

“Today’s matter is secret. Don’t tell the director, don’t tell anyone at the company.”

“Don’t worry. We’re tight-lipped.”

He narrowed his eyes with distrust.

“...You?”

“Don’t go giving us that suspicious look, Risa Joa-nim.”

“......”

Hyung Mingi muttered to himself, “How did I end up like this?” and we burst out laughing.

A mist of moisture filled his distant gaze in real time.

What a shame.

If this had happened to our kids, we’d have teased them about it all day long. But since he’s a manager, there’s a line we can’t cross. I smoothed things over just enough.

“Don’t worry, Hyung Mingi. We won’t tell anyone at the company. Trust us.”

“As expected, it’s only you, Woo-joo.”

“Hyung, but it’s unfair for us to just say nothing.”

The younger ones nodded in agreement.

“...There isn’t, is there? I wish it didn’t exist.”

“What did you say?”

“It’s nothing, Woo-joo-nim. So, what do you need? Shall I buy you some tasty snacks?”

“No, no. Please don’t.”

I know how poorly paid and difficult a road manager’s job is, but I’m not so shameless as to exploit him for snacks.

That’s why I cautiously brought up the favor I’d been waiting for the right moment to ask.

“You know the title of the third album we’re working on now, right?”

“...Mm.”

“We need a fresh perspective. Since the A&R team and we spend all day immersed in music, our tastes and viewpoints get stagnant. So we need a popular perspective too.”

There’s no one better suited to idol music than someone who has been an ardent girl-group fan.

“Whenever you have time, Hyung, could you share your opinions on this song a bit...”

“I’ll buy you a meal instead, rather.”

He was being uncooperative.

“Wait, Hyung. Lean in a bit.”

Like secret agents exchanging codewords, I whispered the magic phrase into Hyung Mingi’s ear.

“Risa Joa.”

“...Ugh, just hearing that makes me itch to hear the song already.”

“Thank you, Hyung.”

Watching him newly captured as our bonded servant, I gave a pleased smile and nodded at my juniors.

They all gave thumbs-up with satisfied faces.

“Good job.”

“Welcome, new servant.”

At that moment, I locked eyes with Big-Brother Wonseok, who had been standing blankly nearby.

Flinch.

The man towering over 190 cm shivered and desperately looked away from my gaze.

“...Tsk.”

Maybe I’ll “capture,” no, ask him later instead.

Just then, the door opened again and Risa and her manager returned.

They were carrying boxes of coffee and piles of mini cakes in both hands.

I thought they might be for the production crew, but it wasn’t that.

“Enjoy these.”

Risa handed us the snack gifts. She smiled at Hyung Mingi, then spoke to us.

“Risa Joa, or rather, Manager Seo always gives me gifts. This time I wanted to give something back.”

“Thank you.”

Usually it’s the manager who benefits from the entertainer they manage, so the reverse felt odd.

Thanks to the common connection of Senior Jang Soyeon, the first meeting had started off warmly, but we’d still been shy. Ever since she spotted our Risa Joa, though, she seemed to like us by extension.

Maybe it was like a little badge certifying us as her fans.

I thought, if I had a favorite soufflé of mine managing an entertainer, I’d want to be good to them too.

Watching the celebrity happily taking selfies with her fan, I drifted into reverie.

Someday in the distant future, I’ll have a fan like that...

“The tiramisu with strawberries is mine!”

“Then dibs.”

Like that, with a fan...

“Hm? Dibs should be said by me, Joonghyun-hyung.”

“...Sulky.”

“Joonghyun, you and I will share the apple.”

Someday, with a fan...

“By the way, did you all know? ‘Dibs’ actually comes from the English expression ‘dibs.’ If you’re saying it in Korean, it’s better to say ‘jjim.’ We’re meeting kids now so we have to watch our language.”

“Really? When gaming, kids curse the most.”

“...Really? Kids curse too?”

“They said I was so bad they unfriended me over voice chat.”

“Hm? That’s an objective evaluation.”

Their nonstop chattering like a flock of chatterboxes finally snapped me out of my reverie.

Right.

...Let’s just eat the bread.

As the appointment time approached, participants began arriving one by one.

The third guest to arrive was someone we’d met once before.

He was wearing a sparkly suit, as if he’d just come from an event or had a reserved costume.

A man in his early thirties with a cheerful smile on his face, overflowing with charisma in both expression and voice.

“Hello~! Song Bohyeong has arrived!”

The trot singer burst in, threw a disappointed look around, and said,

“What, no camera?”

“......”

“No matter. Hello, uh, everyone~!”

Song Bohyeong laughed affably, saying the event’s excitement hadn’t quite worn off, then entered with his manager.

“We haven’t met yet, Risa-ssi.”

“Yeess...”

Sensing that Risa was shy, Song Bohyeong cheerfully said, “Nice to meet you~,” then stepped back to give her some space. Risa looked more at ease.

He then turned his gaze to us.

“Oh, New Black! Wasn’t it Bucheon’s Light Festival then?”

“That’s right.”

Jiho nodded, and Rihyeok added carefully,

“The Icheon Starlight Festival.”

“Oh, right. I’m so silly, I called it the Light Festival.”

He laughed merrily and we all laughed along.

Song Bohyeong.

He was the trot singer who shared the stage with us when we filled in for Teen Spirit in Icheon.

He sat close to us and chatted familiarly.

“I haven’t seen you since then. How have you been?”

“We’re fine. How about you, Senior?”

“I’ve been great. As you can see, my market value has skyrocketed, so this glitter is high-end now.”

He fluttered his glitter suit proudly and we laughed again. Jiho’s eyes sparkled as she asked,

“Amazing, it’s so pretty. Can I touch it?”

“Gently stroke it. Gently.”

“Gently~”

As our maknae mimicked the onomatopoeia while touching it, we admired the suit ourselves.

“Wow......”

I was especially moved.

It was incredible.

The suit was truly beautiful.

The glitter flashed rainbow colors with every movement, like a phoenix koi scattering multicolored light as it ascended.

“Guys.”

I said as if dreaming.

“Maybe I could...”

“No, you can’t.”

Biju said firmly.

“That’s something I can’t allow.”

“Biju. How did you know what I was going to say?”

“You want to try wearing it as street clothes. You can’t, Hyung.”

“Then.”

“Not the costume either.”

“I gave up a floral pattern just for you guys......”

When I slumped my shoulders in mock sulkiness, Biju twiddled her fingers with “Uh...” I thought I’d succeeded, but Rihyeok urged Biju not to lose resolve.

Hmph.

Really exciting.

At that moment, Risa, who had been glancing sidelong nearby, timidly interjected.

“Maybe I could too......”

“Yes, touch it. Touch it.”

Risa also carefully stroked the suit’s glitter and her eyes widened with “Oh my.”

“Beautiful.”

Song Bohyeong beamed proudly, showing off his prized item.

“You envy it, right? This was imported from Italy.”

“Bohyeong-a, the company name is Italy.”

We all clapped and burst into laughter. Song Bohyeong sheepishly scratched the back of his head, then laughed.

He was as down-to-earth as ever.

Song Bohyeong.

Just last summer he was unknown, but now he was the rising star of the trot world.

“That’s right. I thought it was my final release and gave it my all, and it hit the jackpot.”

When he was wondering if he’d have to stay a struggling singer, that last album turned out to be his breakthrough.

He charted, and the trot song he released afterward gained massive popularity with its catchy melody. Among young trot singers today, he was one of the most recognized names.

At this point you’d expect his walk or shoulder movements to change, but he remained just the same.

Song Bohyeong held up his index finger and said,

“I concluded this is a bubble that’ll burst soon. At times like this you shouldn’t arrogantly suck up all the sweetness.”

Everyone empathized with the maxim about staying humble while enjoying the honey, and laughed.

It felt good.

Both Risa and Song Bohyeong were people with widespread public popularity.

Of course, if you look only at our streaming numbers, Soufflé also did quite well with “Fireworks” and “Masquerade.”

Especially “Masquerade” had been trendy enough that anyone interested in music would know it.

Between music video views and consistent responses from overseas K-pop fandoms...

Recently the management support team told us they were shocked by the download and streaming numbers for “Masquerade.”

“Manager, I think there’s a typo here. There’s an extra zero.”

“That’s right.”

“...!”

And among rookie groups, our idol fandom recognition was the highest.

In terms of fandom count, if you combined the fans of all the other singers on this show, we’d still have more.

Honestly, being able to stand here without being snubbed is thanks to our Soufflé members.

Because the power of idols comes from their fans.

But despite all these achievements, in the one aspect that matters most—public recognition—we were in last place.

So we worried we might be completely snubbed if we showed up, but luckily we’ve met good people.

We don’t know what Risa or Song Bohyeong are really like yet, but first impressions were that they were friendly and kind.

Of course, unfortunately, not everyone was like that.

“Hello!”

“Yeess.”

Even with Risa and Song Bohyeong’s greetings, the four men and women who entered nodded slightly and then walked in.

They wore leather jackets and had facial piercings like dots.

They were Jo Yuri Band, a rock band famous for their outstanding musical skills and popular music.

Their vocal ability and fame surpassed the three of us put together.

“Hello, Sen—”

I greeted them cheerfully as they passed in front of us, but they ignored me and sat down as if I didn’t exist. My juniors looked at me.

I smiled and greeted again.

“Hello, seniors.”

“......”

Their glances settled on us. With their smoky eye makeup, their eyes looked sharp.

Why were they staring so intently?

The man in the middle, Jo Yuri, shook off his jacket’s shoulder and said in a blunt tone,

“‘Senior’ is a term you use for someone in the same field, isn’t it?”

With that, he said nothing more.

I told my embarrassed juniors to sit down with a smile. If they didn’t want the senior treatment, that was fine.

I just smiled gently.

Considering I was the youngest among the cast, I judged that the polite approach was best.

“Achoo!”

At that moment, Song Bohyeong sneezed, and the Jo Yuri Band’s gaze turned to him.

He grinned playfully and gave them a look.

“Sorry. My nose is sensitive to breaking the vibe.”

“......”

“I couldn’t help sneezing.”

The others wore uncomfortable expressions but said nothing.

Song Bohyeong flashed us a grin.

We bowed slightly in thanks.

“Here, eat this, our juniors.”

Risa emphasized “juniors” as she handed us snack cookies.

She was too shy to say more and simply gave us the cookies with a look that said, “They’re my Risa Joa-nim’s kids!”

She was somehow adorable.

Seeing that, I was sure I’d handled things politely the right way.

The two singers seemed to be impressed by how calmly I’d responded.

After expressing thanks again, I glanced at my juniors.

“You okay?”

At my question, they gave sly smiles.

“Don’t worry.”

Seeing them munch cookies as if it were no big deal put me at ease.

As long as they weren’t upset, everything was fine.

Under Rihyeok’s guidance, we spent a warm moment deleting Jo Yuri Band’s music from our phones.

I was actually indifferent.

Having seen the rock band treat the other two established singers that way, it wouldn’t be surprising if they treated us poorly too.

I was just puzzled. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Why show hostility to us, strangers they’d just met?

Maybe they hated the idol industry or were immersed in their own world.

But as it turned out, neither applied.

“Hello, seniors!”

When Cha Woo-hyun entered last and greeted them, we all forced awkward laughs.

His ninety-degree bow was artful.

I thought he had no top or bottom, but it seemed he lacked the bottom half.

Those greeting him simply got a dry response:

“Nice to meet you all.”

The production staff followed behind the nearly 190-cm tall, expressionless Cha Woo-hyun.

He was the flagship singer of this program.

Whenever you pick the top three vocalists in Korea, he’s always one of them, and his career and hits are enormous.

He’s so active that whenever a new drama airs, one of its OSTs almost always features a song by Cha Woo-hyun.

Though still in his late thirties, in ten years he’ll have a career worthy of being called “Teacher.”

“......”

Blinking at the sight of Jo Yuri clinging next to Cha Woo-hyun and chatting, Song Bohyeong clicked his tongue in disapproval and used his glitter suit like a shield.

“Hello.”

The PD at the head of the table smiled at the singers.

“Welcome sincerely to our Song Discovery Unit. Let’s get along well for the next two months.”

As everyone applauded, they each introduced themselves warmly.

Ballad singer, Cha Woo-hyun.

Trot’s rising star, Song Bohyeong.

Musical actress, Risa.

Indie rock band, Jo Yuri Band.

And rookie idol New Black.

After the five teams greeted each other, they headed to their assigned waiting rooms to prepare for filming.

“Juwon-a!”

We heard the PD calling the assistant director.

“Where’s the hidden camera we set up in the conference room?”

Everyone froze in place.

“It’s installed near the potted plant.”

“Oh, there it is. Go retrieve it and bring it here. We need to edit in the footage of the cast bonding.”

“......”

Faces began to flush with embarrassment as we suddenly felt a thrilling sense of anticipation.