In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

The three-day concert came to a successful close.

– NewBlack wraps up first concert since debut... “Nothing left but to soar.”

– “Three days of happiness,” NewBlack gives thanks ahead of new album

– NewBlack’s Rihyeok shyly declares love on SNS: “I loooove... you Soufflé”

“Everyone, don’t say a word. Really.”

“Pfff...”

“Aaaah!”

We clutched our stomachs laughing as we watched someone, cheeks flushed, sing “Seureunghyeo” to fans three nights straight.

“Who goes and confesses love that hard on opening night and creates this mess?”

“I dunno.”

“A disaster of your own making, crushing you~”

“Shut up, Wang Jiho!”

“Puh-hah!”

Biju and I collapsed on the dorm living-room floor, giggling.

It’s now Sunday night. After the final concert at the handball arena, we’re lazing around the dorm.

The maknae, yawning wide, asked,

“The MV drops at midnight, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, I’m so sleepy... I wanna watch, but I’m too tiiired.”

Watching the sleepy maknae, I turned to Junghyeon.

“Junghyeon.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Instantly, Junghyeon sent Jiho flying—making the eighteen-year-old squeal “Waaaah!” with delight as he pretended to board a plane. I smiled, a little envious.

While peeling an apple, Biju fed a slice to Jiho.

“Jiho, keep it down a bit.”

“O-okay... Waaah...”

Sunday night, so we nodded at the landlady’s warning to be quiet for the neighbors.

Rihyeok and Biju sat calmly on the sofa while the rest of us rolled around on the floor. Lying flat on the wooden boards, the ceiling lights blurred into dreamy halos.

“Do you guys feel spacey too?”

“Yeah.”

Maybe from the concert buzz, the lights felt like stage lamps.

– Woooooooo!

As if cupping a conch to the ear reveals the sea, the cheers echoed. I could still see the Soufflés singing along with fireworks.

Though the concert ended hours ago, its afterglow lingered. Is this why seniors and TNT rookies say you can only get the real feeling after holding a concert?

The maknae next to me said,

“But it’s a bit bittersweet. Every day we improved, so yesterday’s show feels like a waste.”

“Right. I felt that too.”

“Really? You get it—the regret of ‘we could’ve done better’...?”

I nodded in sympathy. Live shows clearly sharpen with experience. Though our skills came from competitions, year-end stages, and college festivals, a solo concert demands its own know-how. Only by day three did it settle in, so it’s natural to feel regret.

Of course fans were happy, but artists striving for perfection always feel that way.

“Well, this was our first concert. We’ll do better next time.”

“Absolutely.”

Biju handed me his apple on a fork with a smile.

“Next time, let’s ace our choreography.”

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

We laughed about aiming for a bigger arena than the handball gym next year.

Looking at the wall clock, Biju said,

“Oh, it’s 11:09.”

“Uju time~”

“Uju time~ make our album a hit.”

They waved, calling it “Uju time” since it matched my birthday hour. Soufflés waiting for the “Nine” MV did the same.

– Uju time~~~

– Jemin time~

– Uju-ah, love youㅠ

– Sparkling grandfather time

– Uju-shi, smash that album

Despite the occasional prank comment, most Soufflés wished us album success.

“By the way, about our song.”

Rihyeok tapped his tablet.

“Do you think the general public will like it?”

“They should. Soufflés loved it, and our families said it’s great.”

Jiho nodded.

“Yeah. My sisters only listen to their usual songs, but they said they’ll download ‘Nine.’”

“My dad said he’ll recommend it as work music to people in town.”

“Minjun said it’s good too.”

Maybe their praise was tinted by pride, but family feedback was extremely positive. Even Yein in the U.S. called it trendy.

“So we can relax a bit...?”

Every album release brings that nagging doubt: “Will this fly?” Thankfully, we previewed it at the concert, and fans loved it.

“It was incredible.”

– What’s ‘Nine’? I wanna hear itㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– What did Biju do in dance break...?? Why didn’t I see it...??

– They say it’s a masterpiece—why did I miss it?

– Every review is like na-na-na-nine-ee-ee-ee

– Uju’s low-tone rap—I want that cave rap

After fans returned from the concert calling “Nine” a masterpiece, curiosity soared.

“Yeah. With this reaction...” 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

We shared warm smiles, thinking “Surely the public won’t be like ‘What is this?’”

“...”

“...”

Then we pounced on Junghyeon.

“Denga, Denga.”

“Magic rhinoceros beetle-nim.”

“Tell us your premonition, Denga. Is it ominous? Will something terrible happen?”

Every time he feels optimistic, something happens. At debut, Street Boys went self-produced; at the showcase, a sound glitch occurred.

“Sir, you said you don’t believe superstitions.”

“What are you talking about? I love them.”

“...”

Rihyeok shook his head at my praying for dark omens. When Junghyeon, stroking his chin, spoke...

“Ah—!”

We all waved our hands to cut him off.

“No! Good premonitions are banned.”

“Tsk! No way, Kim Junghyeon.”

Biju’s “tsk!” at him like scolding a toddler made us laugh. Junghyeon tilted his head.

“I’m not sure. Half positive, half ambiguous.”

“Ah...”

“Big trouble, guys. Junghyeon says it feels positive—so some huge incident’ll happen.”

We checked for sudden scandals or front-page news. Surely nothing bad would hit related to ‘9.’

“But it’s fine.”

“Why?”

“Uju hyung will cover it up.”

“Me?”

When did I sign up to cover everything...? The maknae beamed confidently.

“Whenever Junghyeon predicts doom, you flip the script—that’s NewBlack’s rule. Like at the showcase sound glitch, you said, ‘Ta-da, we’re true talents~.’”

“True.” Biju, too, seemed reassured.

Their wide-eyed “We trust you” gave me butterflies. Then Rihyeok said,

“A positive hunch from Junghyeon doesn’t guarantee disaster.”

“Right. Didn’t you hear Rihyeok, guys?”

“It’s just that when it happens, it’s massive.”

“...”

Putting on my earphones to listen to “Deoksun-ah,” we saw the crane-bird manager dancing excitedly. The maknae flashed “Maknae believes in leader☆” on the scoreboard app.

“...”

I ignored it, and the others laughed. Killing time...

Past 11:59, midnight struck on August 31.

“It’s up...!”

On MyTube’s official “NewBlackTV” channel, the MV was live.

As NewBlack clicked play, Soufflés across the country tapped too.

[NewBlack – “Nine” Official MV (4:33)]

The screen lit up with the MV. The setting: a subway.

“Huh...?”

As the train stopped and passengers boarded and disembarked, hooded figures sat illuminated. Biju’s wine-red hair fell from his hood, his fingers adorned with accessories. Blonde Jiho, blue-black Rihyeok, and brown-haired Junghyeon were shown. Then Uju, under silvery-gray hair, masked and eyes closed.

“So that’s why fans thought he looked like an ailing grandfather.” Soufflés got it. On live broadcast when we spoiled the album, members said, “Uju hyung looks sick at the start of the MV.” Though it looked cool, hearing it from the members made it feel that way.

“Ahem...”

Shaking off that thought, the subway emptied, and lights flickered around the scattered members. With the rumbling train sounds echoing in darkness, suddenly bright lights blazed.

“Wow...”

Maybe emerging onto a bridge, a dazzling cityscape appeared outside. A CGI backdrop—Seoul-like yet unfamiliar. A cyberpunk city of neon signs set the stage.

– The MV aesthetics are insane...

– No intro yet but my heart’s pounding lol

– Is Gyuho’s wallet okay?? I’m getting worried

– He seems more invested than us

– Rainy backdrop feels so atmospheric

Neon-lit alleys under drizzling rain perfectly matched the mini-album title “Neon Black.”

Strolling members removed masks and hoods as their outfits changed and the song began. Response to “Nine” was universally positive.

– Finally a strong conceptㅠㅠㅠ grandpa’s crying

– Song’s really good... now I get why concertgoers screamed “Nine Nine”

– Addictive... Nine Nine Nine

– They look tough—love it

– Respect to everyone on styling and makeup for Nine

– They came from heaven for a world tourㅠㅠ

Various scenes unfolded: Jiho smirking as he spray-paints a CCTV screen; rooftop dance under fluorescent paint after a blackout. Highlight: Junghyeon stopping torrential rain with a gesture, earning huge praise.

As views climbed, the MV spread to idol communities.

[Hot NewBlack comeback MV blowing up among fans.metube]

With other idol fans’ interest high, the MV quickly became a topic.

– What’s styling??

– Kind of tacky... is it just me?

– Props for trying a bold concept lol

– Song’s good. Hope they compete by talent this time, not chart-rigging ^^

After the usual hate-comment phase, more fans chimed in:

– What’s that flow at the start?

– Even strong concepts look good on them lol

– Wow, just released today??

– This will explode, song’s great and MV’s top-tier, def best I’ve seen recently

– Quality’s insane—feels like a movie

– Back-to-back hits after Scarlet lol

– Thought gentle tofu-boys couldn’t pull this off... they nailed it

Praise for MV quality and individual members rose:

– Red hair guy is Biju, right??? Thought he’d be quiet but he’s fire

– Dance break’s epic

– When Daegil’s friend walks in, my heart skips

– Uju??? Wasn’t he lead vocal?? He raps too... charcoal fans, know about this?

┕ We were surprised at pre-release too

┕ Then let’s all be surprised

– His rap voice is fire... total bias

– Bridge drop at the end hits so hard lol

– Beat’s criminal... haven’t felt this hyped from another idol song in ages

Some even forecast MV success:

– With current view trajectory, it’ll blow up

– Concept’s full of points that stan gets wild over

– They won’t sleep watching this

– Considering time zones, they’d normally be asleep

At the same moment, K-pop fans worldwide scrolling content started seeing the “Nine” MV recommended.

“Wow...”

Their reactions matched Korean fans’.

‘What is this?’

A rainy cyberpunk city set; five members dancing fierce choreography. Their beauty and explosive sync made hearts pound.

‘...NewBlack?’

Any K-pop fan worth their salt knew the name. Many first saw them via Maskerade MV abroad. They were among Korea’s hottest boy groups. Whether in East Asia, Southeast Asia, North or South America, K-pop interest translates popularity back to Korea.

Yet even fans familiar with NewBlack found this MV fresh.

‘So dope.’

‘Who’s that rapper?’

Soon ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) overseas K-pop forums and SNS buzzed. MyTube comments flooded:

– Anyone know the red-hair guy’s name?

┕ That’s Biju :D

┕ Got it. He’s my husband from today

– Looping this song <3

– Someone add subtitles. Too old to learn Korean now

┕ Why do Korean fans call themselves Soufflés and Moktan? Any reason?

┕ I’m Korean! Here’s why Soufflé. Here’s Uju’s sad legend.

– How can anyone dislike this upbeat song?

– Gray-haired’s surname is Sun? Makes sense.

– Good thing I bought life insurance—I almost had three heart attacks watching

– Can’t decide which of the five to marry. MV’s too short.

– Korea has military service, so they must be in the Air Force. They dropped a hot bomb on my heart

Amid the memes, “Nine” MV’s views skyrocketed. When MyTube froze counts to verify spikes...

‘I’m curious.’

Those who watched started clicking other NewBlack content in recommended.

“...?”

A Q&A: “How strong is main vocal Rihyeok’s lung capacity?” He took a deep breath and played the recorder. We marveled at his red-cheeked, near-30-second performance.

‘How does he have that much lung power?’

Next, an English-subtitled “Goat’s Companion” saw Uju playing flute like summoning a cobra for a minute. We laughed at Rihyeok trembling.

‘Weird but fun...’

On the NewBlackTV channel, there were hundreds of videos—reality shows and more since debut. The standout was the bizarre recommendations: a thumbnail of someone striking wood to light a fire. Below, a youthful face in royal robes causing chaos at a feast.

‘History adventurers?’

Then stranger clips: subduing SWAT officers, rappelling training, even baking bread.

‘What is this? Can’t survive as just singers in Korea?’

As overseas fans clicked curiously...

“...!”

A new world opened before them.

11:00 AM.

“Ugh, I’m dead.”

“They say sleeping on the floor can twist your jaw, but mine’s okay.”

“Owooo...”

Our puffy, toad-like faces smiled warmly at each other. It’s Monday, August 31.

“Today’s NewBlack’s comeback day.”

“Waaa!”

“You wild ones, great job.”

“Even you ragged hyung did well.”

To celebrate, we sat around the table for breakfast. Biju tied on an apron and rummaged the fridge while I yawned.

“Hey, what were our MV views last night?”

“One sec.”

Rihyeok tapped his tablet. Then suddenly froze.

“What’s wrong? Someone called out a typo?”

“Or saw a historical distortion comment.”

Rihyeok stared blankly until we pried the tablet from him. Then...

“Ten hundred thousand... ten thousand... ba....”

“Whaaat?”

“Wait, look again. Ten hundred thousand... 1 m congratulations?”

“‘One million.’ It’s a million.”

Biju paused mid-search of the fridge. In the silent tension, the fridge dinged as if to say, “Close me already!”

I swallowed.

“How many hours passed?”

“About eleven.”

“And views...?”

The MV’s counter read 1,036,825. A million views in eleven hours. I woke up to a jackpot.