In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

“Mayfly, huh.”

I burst out laughing as Ri-hyuk trudged over.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

I reached out for a high-five.

“Well done. High-five?”

“No.”

“Then let’s do it among us. Guys.”

“Yay!”

The four of us slapped hands and laughed while Ri-hyuk pouted and sat down.

Soon the men’s prelim Group 3 began.

As we all watched other idols’ sprints in awe, we heard a clearing throat.

“Ahem.”

We ignored it and cheered.

“Ahem!”

Still ignored, it cleared again.

“Wow, everyone runs really well.”

“That’s right I can almost see them grit their teeth and think I have to win.”

“Ahem... cough! cough!”

Just as he was about to clear his throat, he began coughing. We laughed at him, and he scowled.

“Isn’t this a bit much?”

He took a sip of water like a cat and frowned.

“Why?”

“I ran my race.”

“You did?”

“Well, shouldn’t you at least comment on it? Look there at Street Boys....”

Following Ri-hyuk’s finger, I turned to hear pleasant voices from Street Boys.

“Hey, persimmon tree. If you don’t want to burn, think you’re dead and run.”

“He’s already relaxed too much.”

“If you don’t win, death by our hands.”

Turning back, Ri-hyuk blinked.

“Even if it’s not like that. Look over there—Soul Six is chatting so nicely.”

“.......”

“Do you get me?”

Only then did I explain to my brothers.

“He wants praise.”

“No, it’s not that.......”

We immediately surrounded our main vocalist.

“Aww, our Ri-hyuk is the best.”

“Write down the vacuum model, hyung.”

“Ri-hyuk, you ran so well. You’d be great at mail delivery.”

At the members’ praise, he finally cleared his throat and looked smug.

After filling our Mayfly’s pride for a while, I put an arm around his shoulders.

“Why so upset? I was just being quiet so you wouldn’t feel pressured.”

“Me?”

“If we kept praising you, you’d feel you had to win and feel burdened.”

“Well, maybe.......”

It was our consideration. He’d already run out of energy after one 60-meter sprint. He looked like a surreal painting of a drooping clock on a branch I’d seen in middle-school art—pale face, sweating, barely hydrated. Our Souffle looked on as if wanting to feed him tonic.

Not knowing if he’d make the final, we worried praising him now might pressure him to overexert. So we’d stayed quiet, which he found hurtful.

“You know me? I’d really feel pressured by that.......”

When we opened our eyes drowsily, he corrected himself.

“Well, a bit.”

His eyes narrowed further.

The one who’d cleared his throat said,

“I can feel some pressure but why worry about that? I’ll manage just fine.”

“Don’t push yourself. We have more important....” 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

“The competition matters more. I know.”

Ri-hyuk nodded, then pretended to catch an imaginary heart thrown from the fan section, clutching it possessively and whispering to us,

“But the fans are watching.”

“.......”

“I want to hold back but I can’t. They’re watching, so I want to do better. Since I’m representing, I want to give my all. That’s the feeling.”

“.......”

“Isn’t that how everyone feels?”

He turned to us earnestly, and a moment of silence followed.

Ji-ho exclaimed,

“Wow!”

When Ri-hyuk pretended to be cool, saying “Huh,” in front of the maknae, our youngest clapped in awe.

“Grossly cringey.”

“.......”

We chimed in,

“Hey, Seo-ssi, going to the Olympics alone?”

“I need to note this. Ri-hyuk... I run as NewBlack’s representative... for the fans......”

“Puhaha!”

“...Hyung, where you go?”

Ri-hyuk snorted and stood.

“I’m going to hang out with LB.”

“Don’t go. What did Namoo-ssi do?”

“......Ugh.”

Then he sat with Street Boys’ LB, complaining about teammates. As Street Boys and we leaned in, LB said,

“...You guys are terrible. I ran first, and all you do is pick on me. No praise, just insults.”

“I can relate.”

“It’s unfair. Should we form our own group, Ri-hyuk?”

“No way.”

“Okay.”

“And keep your distance, Namoo. You invade my personal space.”

Their mock camaraderie had both groups roaring with laughter.

60-meter final. The winners from each prelim heat took their lanes.

“Wow, this lineup is something else.”

“Ri-hyuk hyung looks like the weakest one.”

Ji-ho’s words rang true. The top qualifiers lined up: track-and-field alumni, soccer-team vets. Among the fit idols, our kid stood like a fragile crane. Paler than before, drained.

As we watched anxiously, Street Boys’ Hanjo said solemnly,

“Well then.”

“Yes. It was fun.”

The warm chatter ended. Each gripped slogans like “Run, Namoo,” “Earn your meal, Namoo,” and “Ri-hyuk backwards is still Ri-hyuk,” and prepared for the cheers.

“Ri-hyuk!”

“Just a bit more! The vacuum is crossing the Atlantic to your door!”

He flinched, messing with his zipper at his chin, then mouthed to Ji-ho “Pacific, Pacific!” We nodded approvingly.

“He’s okay.”

“His stamina’s holding up.”

“But he’s so pale. Ugh, I should’ve fed Ri-hyuk eel and abalone......”

At someone’s regretful comment, the camera angle finally set. All runners crouched with hands on the ground.

Beep!

At the whistle, the final began.

Pababab.

Each sprinted with all their might; in the first second, our kid was last. But...

“Aaaaaah!”

...our fourth bolted with all his strength. A bit less power than before, but still fast. While others relied on muscle, Ri-hyuk floated over the track, like an empty bullet. In short, insanely fast.

“Waaaah!”

He soon challenged Ace’s Pale for first place. Behind them, Street Boys’ LB and TNT’s Seon-woong chased hard. The four jockeyed back and forth.

“Ri-hyuk!”

“Hyung, the vacuum’s at the door across the Atlantic! Door!”

“I’ll turn you into sweet potato jerky!”

Amid our fervent cheers, around eight seconds in...

“Waaaah!”

Ace’s Pale just edged first, with Ri-hyuk right behind. Third was LB. Then TNT’s Seon-woong and others filled in.

“...He’s exhausted again.”

Ri-hyuk crashed into the wall and collapsed once more. He grabbed LB’s hand to stand, his jet-black hair soaked in sweat like seaweed. Gagging and eyes watering, he’d clearly run out of oxygen.

“You did great, Ri-hyuk.”

As the silver medalist was called up, he covered his mouth and gagged, a touching sight.

-But the fans are watching.

Our fragile sunshine had run his heart out for the fans. Proud and tender, we turned to the Souffle, who looked at him with pity and pride. We boasted of Ri-hyuk to other groups.

“That pale kid is ours.”

“So moving. I practically raised him. He’s finally like a person.”

“He’s weak but kind.”

Medalists were interviewed: Ace’s Pale, a middle-school track runner with 7.58 seconds in 60m, then Ri-hyuk with 7.77. His pale face, stark against his black hair, stirred the crowd. As I boasted again, announcer Jung Hyo-jin thrust a mic at him.

-Ri-hyuk showed the biggest turnaround today. You ran so well.

-Ahem, thank you.

His ears reddened noticeably.

-What’s your secret?

-Oh, I think the best self-defense is running away.

-Excuse me?

While the announcer blinked and the crowd murmured, our kid spoke earnestly.

-If you’re attacked by a thief or confronted by a wild animal, ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) the smartest self-defense is to flee. So I practice hard.

-I see.

-Each time I run, I imagine I’m being chased. That’s the secret.

Rather than blush, he proclaimed his philosophy with bold confidence. The announcer stifled a laugh as the crowd burst out. We, hurriedly, waved and clarified to the other groups,

“Actually, we’re not close.”

“Raising someone doesn’t mean you can mold them. Hyungship can’t be forced.”

“He’s my brother but I barely know him.”

“Huh, why is Ri-hyuk like that......?”

Other groups couldn’t hold back laughter at our explanations. Embarrassed in silence, we watched our silver medalist stride off proudly, like a baby sparrow flaunting its worm.

Swoosh swoosh.

Whisk.

Swoosh swoosh.

Whisk.

“Ugh, why do you drift farther each time I approach?”

“Go away. It’s embarrassing.”

He protested,

“But I won silver.”

“Because we don’t hang out with silver and bronze.”

“Right.”

“Shall we try once more?”

I smiled.

“Gather, NewGold!”

“Yep!”

Bi-joo, Ji-ho, and I held up our gold medals together. Joong-hyun squeezed in between us. Ri-hyuk fiddled with his silver and asked,

“What about Hyung Joong-hyun?”

“He got MVP of futsal yesterday. Joong-hyun is the Golden Hand.”

“Right.”

Ji-ho nodded.

“And we’re NewGold—if he joins, we’re not NewGold. Doesn’t fit the tier.”

“...Wow, these guys are ruthless.”

“Ri-hyuk, go set up Silver and Bronze with Namoo.”

LB’s ears pricked up from afar. But when Ri-hyuk shook his head, LB slumped. Both groups giggled as Ri-hyuk looked at the ceiling lamenting, “If only I’d been 0.5 seconds faster!”

“Uooaaar!”

All that time, deafening roars had filled the arena.

“Uoaar!”

I blinked. These were the same war cries I’d heard at military concert intervals. Like at a soccer match when the ball is in play, men’s screams shook the indoor gym.

I asked,

“Hey, do I seem like the only one who’s been to the military?”

“Yes.”

Joong-hyun blinked and answered,

“That’s because only you have.”

“Oh, clever Joong-hyun.”

“I'm smart, hyung.”

I smiled at Joong-hyun’s round-eyed earnestness as the roars continued. The commotion before us was caused by the match on the mat. Women’s ssireum. Girl group members wearing belts strained to throw each other. Each toss drew cheers and shouts from fans, echoing through the gym. While basketball prep continued in the auxiliary gym, we squatted to watch women’s ssireum.

“Oh, Scarlet unnies are up.”

Ara, Rina, and Daisy—excluding Bom—from Scarlet donned belts and climbed to the waiting area. Their opponents were from Girls On Top.

“Hmph.”

Although they wore bright expressions, we heard the maknae whisper “Hmph, hmph” to us. Girls On Top’s Joo Hana, Oh Hyena, and Gil Chaekyung faced Scarlet. When Girls On Top waved at fans on the screen, the men’s war cries rang out.

“Uooaaar!”

As everyone tried not to laugh, Scarlet waved.

“Kiiyaaaar!”

Unlike Girls On Top’s male-heavy fandom, Scarlet’s fandom seemed mostly female. Idols watching laughed at that contrast. Scarlet’s Daisy and Girls On Top’s Chaekyung bowed politely, then gripped belts.

-Now the youngest versus youngest.

-In the commentator’s view?

-Though Girls On Top’s Chaekyung has reach and physique advantages, strength is key.

-Daisy is worthy of ‘champion’.

The tiny glutinous rice cake’s enthusiastic waves drew laughter. To me, Daisy’s triumphant grin looked like a Three Kingdoms general boasting “I’ve taken the enemy’s head, brother!” Her spirit was so bold. While I gawked, Bi-joo whispered,

“Scarlet won the ssireum championship last year.”

“Oh, no wonder.”

“At our company, they say all the meat those unnies eat turns to muscle.”

No wonder they ate twenty-five servings of flower-cut steak like an ssireum team—they were strong. Next up was Rina. Her slender figure and striking visuals stirred cheers. Then—

Paaang!

With a blank look she tripped Joo Hana, throwing her to the ground for an ippon win.

“.......”

Then Daisy, like Zhang Fei greeting Guan Yu, ruffled her hair. My image of them shifted. Finally Ara. The sweet-smiling leader calmly faced Oh Hyena’s strength, then with a hearty laugh threw her as well.

“Kiiyaaaar!”

Hearing the curtain of Scarlet’s fandom cheering, I marveled.

“Amazing.”

“See? No wonder Ri-hyuk folds his hands politely in front of them.”

“......I never.”

Yet when Scarlet’s gaze briefly swept our way and Ri-hyuk looked away, we laughed. On-screen, our CEO wiped his brow with a handkerchief in ecstasy. Beside him, DNS Media’s Im Hyun-sik watched the next bracket “La Vie en Rose vs. Scarlet” with gloom. Nearby whispers reached us.

“Crazy strong.”

“But isn’t NewBlack from Lemon? Archery, running—what are these physiques?”

“That’s the supreme martial arts tournament over there.”

“Why are you amazed? You missed the unbreakable yesterday—should’ve seen it.”

As I brush off the awkward whispers, shadows fell over me. Looking up, I saw seven or so—Hanjo of Street Boys, TinSpirit’s Hwi-yeon, and my future basketball teammates. Tae-hyun smiled and tapped my shoulder.

“What are you doing Go play basketball.”