In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

The barbecue restaurant was quiet.

The family had rented out the whole place so the kids could eat comfortably, and now silence reigned.

“......”

All you could hear was meat scraps burning on the grill, soda bubbles rising, and charcoal crackling.

“......”

I had just shot three straight 10s in archery, and the family stared at me in stunned silence.

If it had been just a single 10, they’d have smiled and said “Oh,” but my posture had been so perfect.

Bi-joo’s father asked, “Are you normally that good?”

“I got lucky.”

Just then, the Olympic archery gold-medalist on TV raised her voice in excitement.

“This kid doesn’t belong here. Look—his stance is perfectly suited to his body type. His grip is precise. It’s flawless!”

At her praise, the family in the restaurant looked at me with fresh admiration.

Bi-joo’s mother giggled and asked, “Woo-joo, you’re good at everything except drinking, huh?”

“Ha ha ha!”

Laughter burst out. Then the gold-medalist’s next lines had us laughing again.

“But Woo-joo’s expression reminds me of someone I know.”

“Someone senior?”

“There’s a male gold-medalist named Oh Yeong-jun. When he releases the arrow, he makes exactly that expression as his trademark. It’s such a close match.”

The commentators searched on their phones, then burst into laughter. The Olympic broadcast split into two frames.

On the left was my release expression; on the right was gold-medalist Oh Yeong-jun. His face looked even cheesier than the marbled beef I was eating.

“Puh-huh!”

Bi-joo’s sisters spat out their drinks laughing, and the family and members all laughed together. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

I laughed too, but my heart skipped a beat.

They’re sharp. When I watched archery videos on MiTube, I studied Oh Yeong-jun’s form the most. He’s our country’s most-decorated Olympian.

As I recalled, the competition continued.

“Oh my, look at my son.”

Bi-joo’s mother, happy, raised her phone to film her son on TV. Not to be outdone, Ji-ho’s father raised his phone too.

“He’s handsome! He’s so handsome, I don’t know who he takes after, but he’s handsome. My son.”

“I take after Mom, so I’m handsome, Dad.”

“.......”

“Right. Ji-ho’s pretty because he takes after Mom.”

“Mom, high-five!”

“Ta-da!”

Mother and Ji-ho slapped hands and giggled triumphantly in front of Dad.

Dad’s sour expression melted at the maknae’s cuteness, “My daddy’s the best” vibes.

It felt like a school sports day stands.

Whenever Bi-joo or Ji-ho released their bow and arrow and scored, their parents clapped and cheered.

Ji-ho’s sisters fed him meat happily, and Bi-joo’s sister and Min-jun sparkled as they searched online news.

They reacted similarly to me.

Bi-joo’s mother waved a perilla leaf and shouted, “Woo-joo! Cheer up!”

“Honey, Woo-joo’s right here. Why are you cheering at the TV?”

“You’re cheering for past Woo-joo. Oh, spoil-sport. Honey, get a clue.”

“......Woo-joo, fighting.”

Bi-joo’s father, holding lettuce for wraps, waved it at the TV and laughter erupted.

They were so happy, as if their own kids had achieved it.

“This is really fun to watch.”

Ji-ho’s father, musing about holding a company retreat like this, asked, “Is this held twice a year?”

“Yes. Lunar New Year and Chuseok.”

“I wish they did it more often. It’s so much fun.”

To parents, the idol Olympics on TV looked like a picnic.

From the edited TV version, it felt like “a festival of fans and idols! Wooaang!” which made sense.

In reality, the staff cursed and yelled, and idols and fans slowly wilted like opened wet wipes as time passed during filming.

Afterwards, we agreed to pretend it was fun for the families, and fortunately it passed.

I caught Ji-ho’s eye as the family gave seal-clap applause, and we nodded at each other.

Seeing everyone so excited warmed my heart.

“Oh dear, I just realized I forgot to order more meat. Boss! Bring ten more orders of prime rib, the best you have!”

“Yes!”

The owner couple beamed and brought more meat. They’d been watching the TV too and said,

“They shoot the bow so well. Are they all your sons?”

“Yes, these two are our sons, and these are like our sons too.”

“They’re handsome lads!”

We laughed and nodded at the owner’s compliment. Then he said unexpectedly,

“I watched the rerun of Master Song Discovery Team—this is you guys, right?”

“Uh... yes. It is.”

“I thought so. I’ve been wondering whether to ask... could I get your autograph when you leave?”

“Of course. Definitely.”

With a delighted smile, the owner said he’d bring paper later and left.

Once we were alone, the parents chimed in eagerly.

“We’re getting our kids’ autographs...!”

“Now our son’s tired—heehee. I’m worried since he’s famous now.”

“I should have videoed that autograph request. Where can I brag about this?”

Ji-ho’s father laughed heartily.

“They’re celebrities! Celebrities! Ha ha ha! Our son might become more famous than me.”

“Huh?”

Ji-ho shook his head like “What are you saying?”

“I’m already more famous than you, Dad. Have you ever trended? I have, many times.”

“Hey, I can trend if I want!”

“How?”

“Well....”

Just then, Ji-ho’s eldest sister calmly said,

“Ji-ho, Dad shouldn’t ever trend.”

“Why not?”

“If you have something worth trending for....”

“Aah....”

Everyone pictured scandalous headlines or shocking clickbait—like someone found four neck bones in a chicken.

A moment of silence, then they all burst into laughter and the topic returned to the Olympics.

“What event did you do?”

“Jung-hyun did futsal...? As goalie? Poor kid. Did they make him goalie because he’s new?”

“They just wanted attention, making Jung-hyun do the boring part.”

“Wo o-joo did basketball too.”

“They do everything. Basketball too.”

“Ha ha! Did you make a splash there? Hit any three-pointers?”

Ji-ho tilted his head “Is Dad a prophet...?”

“Ri-hyuk did running...?”

“Putting a frail kid in a race—company’s too harsh, right?”

“Right. To a kid who struggles lifting chopsticks.”

Ri-hyuk lifted a bunch of chopsticks saying “I can lift chopsticks fine!” but dropped them in a clatter.

But unlike the cheerful family laughter, we just scratched our cheeks awkwardly.

A goalie nobody notices.

“Jung-hyun scored with a goal kick...”

A three-point shot in basketball.

“Ri-hyuk got a silver medal in running...”

It was awkward to spoil it, so we stayed quiet.

To the parents, the archery 10s were the big deal.

Like a movie highlight reel, after the golden archery, what more could there be?

“Ha ha ha...”

We laughed awkwardly, bracing for the events to come.

At the same time.

On the portal’s entertainment page, Olympic news was uploading in real time.

—TBC Lunar Special “Idol Sports Festival”... All Idol Stars Assembled

—“Olympics”: Birth of Next-Generation Archery Idols, New Black Hits the Bull’s-Eye

—“Olympics”: Rising Power vs. Next-Gen Dark Horse

“Idol Olympics,” which once boasted 15–19% ratings early on, was now at 8–10% this holiday.

As second-generation idols faded, general audience interest cooled.

But idol fans remained engaged.

—Please just fail... fail

—I have an idea: gather all TBC execs and PDs and hold “Staff Olympics” so they know how it feels

—Execs would like that...?

—Stop making idols suffer; cancel it

—Why do they even do this??? Why???

This time, over five idols were injured. A girl-group member fell doing relay, and a boy-group member got a sprain in futsal.

It’s happened every year since 2010.

Public opinion was never good.

But once the show aired, idol communities buzzed about the Olympics.

Everyone talked about their idols, and sometimes about others.

New Black held a large share.

—Every time Gen-min is on the scoreboard, the arena goes wild lol

—Super handsome

—My relatives gasp every time he appears

—[Breaking] Auntie: “My son is as handsome as him”... family opinions shifting

—[Report] Cousin: “Mom, please stop,” Uncle: “Even a hedgehog loves its baby” hypothesis

—Why do the other members look even prouder whenever he shows up

—I get that pride-inflation feeling, lol

—Me too lol

—He’s really handsome in person... even my bias fan friends were amazed in real life

—Lol, they photoshopped a gold medal on his face

—Every time fans wave that banner, I die laughing

—Feels like a golden critical hit

—lolololol

—Why do they give these kids so much screen time..? They’re rookies, right??

New comments surged whenever New Black appeared on screen.

Fans posted “Woo-joo IRL reaction pics,” while critics complained “Why so much airtime?”

Meanwhile, the airtime debate wasn’t unreasonable.

On a holiday special where MTV rookies struggle to secure screen time, New Black’s faces were everywhere.

Scarlet’s fandom, Curtain, was bewildered.

—Could Gyu-ho really have that kind of promotional power..??

—Gyu-ho, why did you do that to Scarlet?

—A premier girl-group fandom named Curtain... ugh, just the name makes me cringe

—Mom: My daughter’s favorite girl-group fandom name is that? Me: (awkward)

—Gyu-ho, don’t show your gums

—You only need one glittering head

—Other than treating them to prime ribs, what do they do well?

As Scarlet’s overwhelming physique shone in women’s ssireum, reactions shifted.

—Is there something under Lemon Ent..?

—Home advantage

—I keep thinking about that meme “Watching Sergeant Jump at month-end review” lol

—Gyu-ho, you were told to raise idols, but you raised human weapons

—What on earth happens in Lemon Ent’s basement

—Are they crossbreeding trainees

—Weaklings can’t debut at Lemon Ent

—Debut (physics)

—Wtf lolololol

—Their leader... I guess Ara and Woo-joo’s fists pack heat

—If Lemon Ent’s sign fell off, you’d see the hidden “Tae” from “Taereung”

—lolololol what’s wrong with everyone

The overall results aired in Part 2 the next day, but people were already saying “Lemon will win anyway.”

Alongside Scarlet, famed for athletic idols, New Black made a strong impression as rising power.

And.....

—How did this happen..?

—I heard they did well, but the reality is so different from the text

—Other fandoms: Wow New Black’s good! Souffles: Of course.. (startled) What is this

—I opened my mouth in shock and missed the promo timing lol

—They said they’d make dark history, but they’re making history... Grandma is so happy ㅠㅠ

—Should we be happy now..?

—Heehee (dazed)

New Black’s fans were just as stunned as other fandoms posting “Wow...!”

Until the end of Olympic Part 2, our names appeared repeatedly in entertainment news.

If our families and closest fans were surprised, other fandoms were doubly so.

Every idol site reacted as if witnessing a strange species, full of jokes and amazement.

“Son.”

After Part 1 aired, Ji-ho’s father admonished,

“Don’t ever go against your hyungs. Got it?”

Our performance had clearly impressed them.

Though reactions were strongest in idol fandoms rather than the general public, it was still satisfying.

We returned, holding the bundle of side dishes Bi-joo’s mother had brought, and finished our remaining schedule.

After recording the Round 3 song draw on Friday, the long-awaited weekend finally arrived.

At dawn, I caught a bus at the express bus terminal and arrived in Gunsan at last.

“Hu hu hu...”

I couldn’t help but smile standing still.

“Hu hu hu hu...”

As I kept smiling, the taxi driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

“Something good must have happened?”

“Yes, I came to see my grandmother.”

I said this while checking myself in my phone mirror.

With makeup on, my skin looked good, and my siblings had insisted I wear this outfit.

“Think about it. My face already stands out—if I don’t ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ dress well, I’d stand out even more.”

“What’s wrong with this outfit?”

“Hyung, please just throw out that red jacket......”

So my most expensive purchase sat unused in the wardrobe, and the fashion-savvy maknae dressed me in a neat gray knit and navy coat.

“Isn’t it too plain? How about a scarf?”

“A Gryffindor scarf? Where did that come from...? Ah! Please, stop, no accessories!”

After that, the other siblings intervened, setting me up from shoes to scarf.

I grumbled then, but seeing the result... not bad.

When I set my phone down, the taxi driver smiled.

“With that outfit—and the mask—you look like a celebrity.”

“Oh, I am a singer.”

“......?”

I lowered my mask and introduced myself. I asked him to watch PBS Master Song Discovery Team tomorrow, jokingly asking him to tell his middle-school daughter.

Before I got out, the taxi driver smiled.

“Have a great late holiday.”

“You too, take care.”

I stepped out with a happy smile.

My heart pounded.

Now I understood how Souffles feel when they come to see us.

Just a little farther and I could finally see Kim Deok-soon in person...!

In person!

“Puhuhu...”

I paused and covered my mouth with both hands. Despite mid-February’s chill, my cheeks were warm.

Ah. This is wonderful. What should I do?

I swallowed the drool that kept escaping and hurried along, carrying my bags.

My footsteps sounded like “Deok-soon, Deok-soon.”

The winter wind whispered “Deok-soon, Deok-soon.”

Voices of customers at nearby shops beckoned “Deok-soon, Deok-soon.”

Passing a street of eateries, a sign for a renowned Gunsan restaurant caught my eye.

[Suni’s Famous Eatery] read the old sign, and my heart raced.

I quickened my pace.

“......!”

Like a close-up, someone far ahead appeared larger.

It was Grandma.

She’d stepped outside to chat with nearby shopkeepers, and sensed me, turning her gaze my way.

She immediately smiled brightly and waved.

“Grandma! It’s me!”

“Woo-joooo!”

I ran to her, arms out. She, eyes wide, hugged me as soon as I reached her.

“Grandmaaa!”

Holding my grandmother, who was head-and-shoulders shorter than me, tightly in my arms, I danced in place.

“Oh dear, you’re smothering me.”

“Just a moment. I want to stay like this a bit longer.”

“You’ve grown like a mountain... good grief......”

Despite her grumbling, Grandma patted my back.

Breathing in her familiar scent filled me with happiness. I glanced at onlookers nearby.

It was the ladies from the shops.

I removed my mask and greeted, “Hello!”

“Oh... it’s Woo-joo. My, you get more handsome every time I see you.”

“You’ve grown up. It feels like just yesterday you were a baby.”

I smiled and greeted the neighbors warmly.

They chatted about their shops. It seemed like small talk. Grandma patted my back and said,

“Come inside, you. It’s cold out here.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

Arm in Grandma’s shoulder, I entered the eatery.

I was happy.

I never thought coming home after a year would feel so good.