In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Nine’s performance.

The intro played — just hearing it made heels twitch and shoulders and heads nod along.

A beat laced with electronic sounds reverberated through the venue’s amps.

“Waaaaah—!”

Sharp-eyed fans noticed that this Nine felt slightly different from the version they usually heard.

This was an arrangement of Nine meant for a large venue.

After repeated meetings with the members, NewBlack’s leader had rebalanced the overall sound.

Meanwhile the jumbotron showed members hyping the crowd.

– Hong Kong!

– I need you to make some noise!

A cheer escaped at the sight of the maknae smiling so brightly into his mic that the area around him seemed to light up.

And then.

Behind the protruding stage where NewBlack stood, dancers on the main stage lined up in a row and took their positions.

‘Oh...?’

As the cheers and heat from the audience rose, the members launched into a short dance break along with the full intro.

When the group gathered together and then, one by one from left to right, folded and moved their limbs smoothly,

the leader in the middle snorted and flicked at his shirt collar, then gestured as if telling the camera to come closer.

‘Wow.’

The Souffles’ gazes were briefly stolen by that look.

As the chorus of Nine started, green lights poured from every direction.

At the same time the members who had been clustered in the center scattered so fast it was hard to follow with your eyes.

It was a stage that grabbed attention with its highlight from the very beginning.

“Waaaaah—!”

Audience members in the standing section began jumping with their lightsticks raised as they watched the stage.

While the members’ faces, sweating from the intense choreography that twisted their bodies, flashed on the big screen,

starting with the chorus had re-fired up the atmosphere that had calmed earlier with “Wind Flower.”

The internet viewers watching in real time reacted the same way.

– Watching right now, this is insane lol they dance so well

– It’s wow wow wow here rn

– Uju really knows how to use his face.. that mic thing earlier and that snort-smile — want to replay it

– It’s weird how people keep saying Uju doesn’t have many parts but he actually gets a lot

– Ujuyyyyy our flower grandma turned back the clock

– My dad sitting next to me is in denial. The NewBlack he knows are not these delinquents;

– lolololol dad is such a cutie

Comments about the brightly shining NewBlack members on TV kept streaming in.

Every time they hit those choreography moves they were so cheerful and joyous.

Something about seeing NewBlack’s faces on the screen just made people feel good.

– Did Rihyeok always dance this well??? This is totally different from Maskerade last year??

– More impressive to me is how they pull high notes while doing that choreography

– Button: was gonna pop, huh?

– I melt every time I see Junghyun’s physique.. so powerful

– Vijuㅠㅠㅠ our bread-lover is the stage bossㅠㅠㅠ

– Our kid rlly has that (s)juiciness exploding permanently

– Jiho, auntie can like you, right?

– The speed they move on stage is damn fast so the camera keeps doing full-face shots lol

– Every time the camera tries to cut it’s like they’re somewhere else

As praise popped up from everywhere and the Souffles watching put hands to their cheeks to calm their excitement,

“Seriously good.”

Most idol fans watching the KMA award felt the same. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Award shows or year-end stages — where you end up watching other artists’ performances instead of just your favorite — often change your image of groups.

‘They really are doing well.’

Between the crowd’s reactions at the venue and the roughly fifteen minutes allotted near the end of Part 2,

and above all, the performers’ skill,

people who had been watching closely since Mango’s grand prize began to change their image of NewBlack.

The perception that idol fans had of NewBlack — aside from the public image — shifted.

– Watching this stage I finally get why they blew up lol

– At this point it’s basically officialㅋㅋ song + face + performance = Gyuho’s happiness

– Don’t talk about Gyuhoㅠㅠㅠ imagining it makes this massive Gyuho face looming behind NewBlack

– Gyuho is the sixth member, the money maker position

– But for real it feels like they’ve firmly risenㅋㅋ looks like they passed the rising stage

– Tentinnuu

– Tin-ten-new my ass

While a brief messy argument raged online,

whether in the venue cheering or at home watching the broadcast,

one figure on NewBlack’s stage stood out the most.

‘That guy is really...’

For those who usually saw the leader Uju only as a visual member, it was a refreshing shock.

On screen, the lead dancer soaked with sweat swept hair from his face and danced until his body felt like it would shatter.

His trained lower body held the center, while his limbs thrust strongly in every direction.

Each time, the sweat flung off and reflected the lights, scattering a greenish glow.

At the same time, the performance crossed rap and vocal parts in “Nine.”

Every time he took center, his signature facial acting added an extra pull to the gaze.

‘Insane....’

Even the Souffles on-site let out admiring sounds.

Centered around rapper Junghyun, the insane dance moves continued through the bridge into the third verse.

Then, when the song kept rising and everyone started jumping,

“Waaaaah!”

A scream-like cheer ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) burst out.

After “Wind Flower” ended and the waiting dancers jumped onto the protruding stage, NewBlack’s dance break continued at center stage.

With lighting concentrated like neon signs, the members’ faces hit the camera sharply.

Then.

Riding a wave, the leader tilted his chin gently to the sky — the upward-to-down camera angle captured it.

Amid the roar, some were left bewildered.

‘What the...?’

‘Why’s he like that today. No, why is he just like that.’

‘Where’s Sun Woo-ju right now?’

On screen, TNT’s mouths hung open as they applauded Uju’s center dance break in astonishment.

When Taehyun, the main dancer, reacted with alternating looks of admiration and puzzlement,

everyone’s eyes locked on the center.

‘Wow....’

Maybe because of the angle from below, it looked as if he monopolized the light.

The choreography that loosened and shook every muscle from head to toe elicited cheers.

After that thirty-second dance break ended,

“Waaaaahhhhh!”

The 15-minute Part 2 finally closed with shots of NewBlack members panting for breath.

And then.

“Huh...! Huuuh...!”

In the blackout, the NewBlack members, exhausted, slumped down without realizing it.

Their faces, as they looked at each other, bore happy smiles.

Backstage after the performance.

“Aigoo....”

“Aigo. Hyung, can you stick that patch on here for me?”

“Ugh...”

“Rihyeok. Want a plastic bag or something?”

There we were, collapsed like people who had almost passed out.

It was really hard.

Every muscle seemed to throb, and nausea clawed up from deep inside.

Rihyeok retched and said,

“Honestly, the dancing...! The dance intro was like five times... ugh!”

“Sit still. The more you say that the more you’ll throw up.”

“Ugh!”

Everything spun.

As Part 2 ended and ads for Part 3 played, VCR audio came from the stage.

Around us, people wearing wide smiles surrounded us.

“You did so well, guys. Really, great job.”

“You did amazing! So good!”

“This fancam’s gonna hit 100 million views!”

Managers and staff handed us water bottles and towels and patted us with smiles.

“Thanks, Mingi hyung.”

Dancers exiting backstage gave us thumbs up as if to show respect.

We barely got up and moved.

Jiho, cooling sweat with a mini fan, said with a pale face,

“Seriously, that was the hardest fifteen minutes of my life. The dance ended and even after it ended we came out again.”

“I was at my limit at the end too.”

“Good job, hyung. You had a lot of parts, right?”

“No. It was manageable.”

I waved off Viju, who offered an apologetic smile while rubbing his nape.

Because this performance had many power-intensive moves, I’d taken center for several bits.

Ironically, Viju, who planned the choreography, had once collapsed like he was about to pass out during practice.

“Everyone really worked hard.”

“Same for you, hyung. But it was so rewarding.”

I smiled and agreed with Junghyun’s words.

We’d snatched sleep here and there between Souffle Week and the next album work.

We’d even had IV drips during practice and still worked on the performance, so it felt fulfilling.

I smiled at the managers who said new fans would flood in.

“Alright, let’s head back.”

We fixed our makeup in the green room and returned to the artist seats ahead of Part 3.

As soon as we stood up, eight pairs of eyes looked at me.

Taehyun pointed his finger at me and said,

“Give us the real Sun Woo-ju. You fake.”

“I’m too tired right now to come up with a good retort. Just give me some compliments.”

“Seeing how that lowly body of yours transformed like this never fails to amaze.”

We and the TNT members burst out laughing at whether it was a compliment or an insult.

Still, they cocked their heads at me.

They’d already accepted somehow that I’d started dancing well, but today’s stage left them puzzled.

“...Stop making him look like an alien.”

TNT leader Gu Seon-woong joked.

“Ai. Well, that’s because we’re happy. Hey, check the back of his neck. Any little mole?”

“Don’t touch my neck. Your hand’ll get chopped off.”

“Zero humor. It’s Sun Woo-ju.”

“.......”

I quoted a movie line and it fell flat; my juniors laughed.

Then one of them leaned in and whispered to me.

“But how little did you practice back when you were a TJ trainee for them to say stuff like that?”

“I practiced a lot. I just didn’t have the talent.”

“No way.”

They looked at me with disbelief, as if asking how I could be so bad at dancing.

It was like they treated me back then as a plaster statue in an art room that only moved at midnight.

While they shot puzzled glances from either side,

I laughed when a Street Boys member rummaged in his pocket and popped his thumb up.

“Ladies and gentlemen, 2015 K-Net Music Awards. At last we’ve reached the glorious Part 3. In Part 3 we have....”

After a famous Chinese actor finished the Part 3 opening in English,

the awards proceeded in earnest with performances by veteran top artists.

– Best Male Group Artist!

– Congratulations! TNT!

TNT took Best Male Group, beating us and TeenSpirit, who had been nominated.

Following TeenSpirit’s stage and TNT’s concert-scale performance,

the awaited grand prize announcement came.

It was somewhat expected, and the winner was decided surprisingly smoothly and without tension.

– Song of the Year!

– “Wind Flower,” congratulations.

Still, it felt good.

Amid the Souffles’ cheers and the standing ovation of other artists nearby,

as I went to accept the trophy, something that had been frozen inside me melted away like ice cream.

If the feeling after finishing Part 2’s ending had been liberation and relief,

now my chest swelled with something else.

I thought maybe the excitement would be dulled since I’d won before, but it wasn’t at all.

You only enjoy awards more the more you win.

– Thank you so much.

The dazzling lights and the audience beneath blurred into filaments.

If not for the cold weight of the trophy snapping me back to reality, I would have burst into tears.

“Aahhh!”

“Wahhh!”

“.......”

My juniors bawled loudly in place of my tears.

I cleared my throat, but even so my voice quivered.

– Just a few years ago we used to watch TV together and ask, “When will we debut?” and now to stand here receiving such a big award is really, really, so joyful.

Even as trainees, every year I used to watch these stages and wish to debut.

At one point I thought it was over.

But that end led to a new beginning, and thinking about how that had flowed made my heart ache.

– I’m just so happy to stand on stage, and to receive such a big award — thank you. Before I give thanks....

sniffling,

– Last time I didn’t mention this soon enough and got scolded so much... to my grandma watching on TV and applauding right now, Ms. Kim Deok-soon, I love you.

Light laughter reached my ears as the brothers beside me cried and smiled.

And then they cried again.

After thanking those I needed to thank,

– Souffles, we won!

He left the most important thing for last.

Amid the waving lightstick ocean and Souffles in the audience there came their screams.

– Since debut I’ve always thought about this. Memories of the military and those days when I was about to take the CSAT — that winter keeps circling in my head.

The winter of walking down snow-covered roads and watching award shows on TV or the internet.

It was a winter I’d always feel when I looked back on the path I’d traveled.

– Thank you for finding us and becoming our fans. Before debut this time of year always felt especially cold and the thought of the next year coming scared me.

He looked past the camera and smiled at fans watching beyond it and in the seats.

– Thanks to the Souffles I had the warmest winter of my life. Thank you so much.

A huge cheer returned from the audience and an involuntary smile escaped me.

Truly. It was the warmest winter of my life.

After NewBlack’s award, other grand prize winners were announced.

Like the Mango chart awards, idol communities erupted into chaos and wreckage.

Up through NewBlack’s award, the atmosphere had been alight.

This time the album award went to TNT and the artist award to TeenSpirit, unlike Mango Chart Awards.

– What the f***, did they pick the grand prize winner with a fan spinner

– Tenty can eat the Best Artist award and GTFO???

– If you’re going to do this, at least spin a slot machine so there’s some suspense

– Kenneth did Kenneth things lol

– Look at TeenSpirit awkwardly taking the artist award lol what a way to hand out prizes

– Even if metrics are close, Tenty was still ahead

– They always got flamed at Sixty and now this..

– I knew from when they started handing out awards like candy

As talk about legitimacy and the organizers’ ridiculous mishaps brewed and noise rose again,

time passed and the uproar calmed. Threads about the awards began hitting best boards.

– NewBlack Uju Nine fancam that made KMA legendary

– Uju trending overseas after the awards

– Most memorable stage at KMA.metube

NewBlack’s show that got so much attention sparked many reactions.

– I’m charcoal but NewBlack hit me with the feels real hardㅠㅠㅠ

– Their stage is worth watching

– After watching the awards my three-month denial of falling in endedㅠㅠ I’m going to full fandom life

– I finally understood why they have so many fansㅋㅋㅋ

– Personally it was a rediscovery of Uju; I thought he was just production/embarrassing-history guy but he’s so good on stage

– Saddest thing is I watched it on a tiny phone in a study room..

Among the hottest clips circulating were gifs of the dance break and the moment someone twirled a mic through the air and snatched it back.

Various fancams and official clips on myTube were also getting hot reactions.

– This is the stage where Gyuho’s rigidity finally broke..

– The intro was so cool I fainted and don’t remember the main stage

– Everyone knows but that gray hair kid is Sun Woo-ju from Gunsan, 23 this year. Please smile more

– Good to show this to parents who wonder if their kid is an idol. But turn off autoplay. If you don’t, you’ll get a unicycle clip

– I should’ve bought Lemon stock at their debut no matter what

While overseas K-pop communities were buzzing about Nine’s stage at KMA,

K-Net released a behind-the-scenes clip that Korean fans paid special attention to.

[Welcome to NewBlack Bakery]

A thumbnail of Scarlet Daisy bolting like a modern Jean Valjean with a bread bag — irresistible.

With mysterious BGM, the clip showed artists constantly coming and going from the green room,

and the producers approached TNT.

[Producer] What were you doing in there?

[TNT] Huh? No. Nothing.

TNT hid souffle bread behind their backs and fled.

Then TeenSpirit smiled for the camera and Street Boys looked sheepish.

[Producer] Did you come out after getting bread in there?

[TeenSpirit] Yes! It’s so delicious!

Each person came out holding Souffle bread with a happy face.

Finally Daisy came out swinging a bag of bread, humming.

It was a behind-the-scenes clip that made viewers laugh.

– Bread brings K-pop together lol

– How many breads did they bring to Hong Kong lol

– What, it wasn’t a green room, it was a restaurant

– If their annual sales combined they’d pass 50 billion, but they still went to get a 500-won bread lol

– Why go that far just for bread

– That wasn’t camaraderie, it was distribution

– Never seen this kind of friendship before for real lol

As people wondered just how good that bread must be for idols to go fetch it from another room, the Souffles who’d bought the new Souffle bread at KG24 convenience stores were stepping out.

They had lined up early and carefully unwrapped their bags.

“Looks so delicious....”

Just as someone reached to taste their bread,

thud.

A small paper slipped out from the bread.

“...?”

A small paper the size of a sticker.

The Souffle who picked it up flipped it over and blinked.

‘...What’s this now?’

It was a NewBlack character seal stuck in the hand.

『 Lv.7 Junghyun riding a black goat into battle 』

The fan burst out laughing at the sticker of mini-Junghyun charging on a battle black goat.