In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

It was a quiet voice.

“My love

On the path where today and yesterday meet

There, you saw me”

The NewBlack main vocalist, eyes half-opened, took the microphone. His movement was subtle. One hand held the mic, the other expressed the song. A brief phrase. Yet the clear voice sent ripples through the hall like stones falling into a pond.

“Wow...”

At the first plea-tinged breath of the opening line, the audience widened their eyes or gaped in astonishment. The celebrity panelists did the same.

“...What is that? Who is he?”

All eyes fixed on the main vocalist at center stage. His pale skin and sharply angled features. When he set the mic down, some unconsciously showed regret that the first line had ended too soon. But he merely closed his eyes again, as if he had said all he needed to say.

Now the piano melody and the four-part harmony had faded. The stage lay momentarily empty. As air rushes into a sudden void, the audience’s gaze automatically returned to the stage.

And then Woo-joo’s voice began to fill the space again.

“The fragrance of flowers remains

Why do you tremble?

Is the path you’ve walked

Still in your heart?”

Like playing a delicate instrument, the lead vocalist sang softly and began to step forward. At his side, the maknae added gentle harmonies. One by one, each NewBlack member stepped out to sing their part.

“Whether it’s meaningless

Or full of meaning”

On the left, Bi-ju and Jung-hyun sang.

“The birds have flown away

Yet you are already here”

On the right, Woo-joo and Ji-ho exchanged lines. Those who met in the center shared warm smiles and blended their voices in harmony. When they formed a line beside Ri-hyuk once more, the main vocalist softly clasped the mic again.

“Then come to my end

Speak aloud your heart

Which once shone like a star—

Love, and

Let us speak of everything”

Like spring flowers adorning the season’s close, the clear voice crowned the end of the harmony. As the five voices united and gently dispersed, silence settled across the audience.

“......”

Barely thirty seconds had passed. Though only an intro before the main song, the audience found their mouths open without realizing it.

“...What is this?”

It felt as if they had prepared a stage to shatter every preconception held about them. Cameras panned the crowd, capturing astonished and bewildered faces. One couple stared at each other with hands over their mouths. If another singer had performed, it wouldn’t have been so surprising. If it had been Cha Woo-hyun singing, they would have nodded in approval. But this was rookie idol group NewBlack—handsome, yes, but whose singing ability no one expected much from. Their only claim to fame had been a variety show cameo. That’s why, even during the opening, panelists and the MC had focused on visuals over skill. NewBlack’s image until now had been “hardworking juniors slightly lacking compared to seniors.” Yet what unfolded before them defied all expectations.

“Wow...”

Though vocal roles were nominally divided, none fell behind. Even the maknae, once only seen as cute, displayed skill in weaving harmonies through shifting pitches. Some viewers, seeing Ji-ho’s serious expression, felt an incongruity.

“Didn’t he say in the opening talk he was the weakest?”

On reflection, he hadn’t been wrong—compared to main or lead vocals, he was relatively less strong. Yet Ri-hyuk and Woo-joo sang at a level that rivaled any senior. Woo-joo’s lead vocals felt solid and rich; Ri-hyuk’s technically effortless, born-talent main vocals; and the three backing voices supported them all. A combination with nothing wasted.

“They’re good.”

That was the impression left on the audience after those thirty seconds. The initial shock passed, and as they accepted that this rookie idol group were true artists, they relaxed. Smiles emerged, and with anticipation and curiosity, they focused on the stage. Everyone hoped the final performance would be as stunning as the intro.

Meanwhile, the watching eyes weren’t only those of the audience.

As NewBlack’s intro continued, composer Pyo Hyung-won, seated among the judges, smiled.

“This is something.”

He turned his head and saw the audience nodding along, fully immersed. The air had shifted in an instant. NewBlack’s opening gambit in those thirty seconds had succeeded in winning the crowd over.

“This is what rookie spirit tastes like.”

He smiled gently at the five idols who had thrown down the gauntlet. But his praise was not for mere vocal skill.

“They arranged the intro well.”

Structurally, the intro itself deserved praise. The seemingly abrupt piano and harmony actually flowed continuously. On closer look, it formed a natural, unified progression.

“Wasn’t it said that guy did the arrangement?”

His gaze fixed on the leader on stage. He chuckled.

“...And that main vocalist too. At that age, composing like that isn’t common.” 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

While the audience marveled at vocals, to a professional composer the arrangement was even more astonishing.

“They made it intuitively clear.”

In thirty seconds of intro, they had introduced what Noh Jae-hyun’s “Insaeng” was all about. A clever plan. Challenge, Masterpiece Discovery Squad! differed from ordinary competition shows. Other survival or audition programs usually pick well-known songs for covers so viewers think “Ah!” when they hear them. But this show’s purpose was to uncover hidden masterpieces people didn’t know. Hence, compared to familiar songs, emotional connection could lag. As with an unfamiliar drama scene that’s hard to empathize with, one must at least know the subject to become immersed. NewBlack’s intro addressed that by summarizing the song’s highlights and key moments before the main stage, enhancing viewers’ immersion.

Of course, other performers knew this flaw too. Each had used VCRs or intros to introduce their songs in advance. But NewBlack’s approach stood out more—it was simpler and more impactful. Why? Because...

“They love the song.”

Most intros by other singers were arranged by third-party composers. But even experts can’t know a song as well as someone who loves it. Like a geography scholar unfamiliar with local streets, unlike other intros, “Insaeng”’s intro was made by someone who had listened to and cherished the song most. The arrangement alone conveyed genuine interest and affection. Plus the performance—it was intuitive, and the choreography visually conveyed what the song meant: souls branching from many paths meeting in one place with warm voices. It was a three-part harmony of arranger, performers, and singers honoring the original.

“The composer must be pleased.”

At center among the original artists, an elderly man in a fedora nodded in his wheelchair, watching with a misty expression. Pyo Hyung-won understood that feeling. Who would dislike a junior artist preparing an original song with such attention and effort? As he smiled in empathy, the other judges whispered:

“...Wow, they’re good.”

“Right. They don’t seem like rookies.”

“They’re definitely skilled. Unexpected.”

The three judges nodded at each other. Meanwhile, on stage, the intro ended and the main performance began. Lights shifted from blue to yellow. As the five idols embraced the emotion, the live band behind began to play.

The keyboardist’s fingers moved slowly, producing a gentle chord that filled the hall. Yellow and blue beams crisscrossed the stage.

“In the memory of canola fields

Small excitement and joy were mine

Driven by storms and time

Until I left my mother’s path”

The main vocalist, mic in hand and palm on his chest, sang with a calm expression. With each closed-eye verse, his voice brushed the skin of everyone in the hall. Cameras captured panelists mouthing “Wow...” or nodding. The piano’s slow melody matched the song’s tempo and gradually picked up speed.

The baton passed to NewBlack’s maknae:

“I walked without thought

Spring was kind

Summer radiant

Autumn lovely

Winter sorrowful

When I opened my eyes, here I stood”

His precise pronunciation and projection conveyed the lyrics clearly. Gone was his usual mischievous expression; he looked serious, as if reminiscing a long life. His earnest gaze drew the audience deeper.

As his haunting tone concluded, the sub-vocalist calmly set down the mic, and Woo-joo lifted his. Before the previous echo faded, his gentle voice seeped in:

“Sometimes

It was a path forced by others

Sometimes

It was the road I chose”

His pleasant voice traversed multiple registers, touching listeners’ ears. Though not loud or high-pitched, it carried clearly to the hall’s deepest corners. At the same time, strings began a soft melody. Melodies from Noh Jae-hyun’s past songs blended with “Insaeng,” adding color. A nostalgic air spread, and middle-aged listeners smiled gently. Woo-joo’s steady voice whispered comfort: “Relax, listen to our story.” Then a weighty voice followed:

“In the end, I came here

Sitting on a rock

Thinking of chosen and unchosen paths

I spent my time

Regretting the gentle fragrance I missed

The summer nights gone by

Yet what can one do?

In life, things are forgotten

Because they must be”

This part added gravity after colors had been layered in the vocals. His voice moved between singing and rap like reciting poetry in song. Meanwhile, the other four filled the gaps with their mics. In the soft harmony, the weighty voice deepened the rhythm. Then once more, lines from the intro returned. Ji-ho took the mic, gathering emotion:

“My love

On the path where today and yesterday meet

There, you saw me”

By now, acoustic guitar had joined strings and piano, deepening the music. As the tension slowly rose toward the climax, Ri-hyuk continued:

“The fragrance of flowers remains

Why do you tremble?

Is the path you’ve walked

Still in your heart?”

His relaxed vocal eased the prior tension like loosening a tight spring. With the band’s softened melody, the atmosphere relaxed—yet when singing “Still in your heart,” tension returned. The start of the climb to the climax. The member who’d remained silent until now gripped the mic. The blonde under yellow light sang:

“Whether it’s meaningless

Or full of meaning

The birds have flown away

Yet you are already here”

His pure falsetto and expressive gestures drew eyes to him. As the melody deepened, Bi-ju began to raise the song’s intensity. Next came Woo-joo:

“Then come to my end

Speak aloud your heart

Which once shone like a star—

Love, and

Let us speak of everything”

As the lead vocalist gradually lifted the pitch, he closed his eyes and tilted the mic. The note hovered between low and high—thin at first, then thickening to fill the stage, creating slight tension in the audience.

“I wish they’d just burst it open.”

But betraying that expectation, Woo-joo’s voice gently descended, easing the tension again. Some audience members folded their hands; others watched intently. Panelists nodded along.

Ts-ts-ts-ts.

With hi-hat clicks and a soft bass drum beat, the full band kicked in. Drums, piano, violin, cello, guitar—all played together in harmony, filling the hall. A thunderous sound. As the built-up energy exploded, some felt goosebumps.

Then all five raised their mics together:

“Your sunlight

Becomes my memory

In the tranquil night

It will bring comfort

Tell me your story

The night is long and so am I

Let us talk together

And forget”

Unlike the earlier static verses, the chorus was dynamic. Small gestures became grand; singers who had been calm now belted high notes, tilting their chins or placing a hand on their chest. The chorus soared as if piercing the ceiling. When one hit a high note, the others added exclamations and harmonies, enriching the sound. Yet it wasn’t technical showmanship—it conveyed relief, as ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) if shedding regrets about the paths taken and untaken. It said: the past is past, and in this moment we honor ourselves and each other for walking this far.

Young fans smiled or clasped hands, absorbed in the song. Middle-aged viewers watched calmly or closed their eyes, nodding. Cameras caught a light-hearted wink from someone waving their hand. Each person, with their own story, focused intently on the stage. The chorus ended.

The second verse followed a similar structure, with deeper melodies that captivated the now-fully immersed audience. The members sang with ease and enjoyment—natural. When one took the mic, another naturally added warmth or an exclamation. Like warp and weft weaving cloth, their voices intertwined, enveloping listeners in warmth.

The final chorus—the release of all built tension—elicited gasps throughout.

“Wow...”

When amazement peaks, reactions quiet; cameras caught wide-eyed stares or slack-jawed awe. Even staff reacted similarly. The production team, seeing them perform far better than rehearsal, first gasped then smiled. Some panelists rose dramatically or leaned back, turning to neighbors with “Right?” expressions. The judges smiled at the harmonious blend. Rival singers watched on backstage monitors, some forcing laughs or wry smiles.

“Success!”

Monitoring all reactions, the writers and the head PD grinned in triumph. As NewBlack’s voices and the band’s music gently faded, someone shouted into the PD’s ear:

“PD-nim, look!”

“Where?”

“Noh Jae-hyun-sensei!”

The head PD watched the seat where the original artists sat, then turned to see for himself. Though distant, the emotions on stage were palpable here too. As NewBlack’s song approached its final climax, the veteran composer’s face glowed with the most delighted, happy smile.

“I must capture that.”

With that resolve, the PD smiled in relief. The final performance had been flawless. As the last notes and band faded, he walked slowly toward the stage. The celebration was over. Now it was time to tally the results.