In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

The idol community.

On the Best board, posts about NewBlack were popping up one after another.

“—NewBlack kicked off their small-theater(?) tour today”

“—Couldn’t believe my eyes watching the Y-App live broadcast of NewBlack’s tour prizes”

“—Newbie Ri-hyuk just smashed the beauty legend today .jpg”

Thanks to the Y-App live stream, people were making GIFs in real time, captioning screenshots, and posting promotional threads. They shared the hilarious moments on site and photos of the members leaving work.

“Looking at their faces you’d really want to stan them”

“Our Ri-hyuk is a Slytherin beauty ;;; so pretty”

“I look like Voldemort in the mirror”

“ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ What’s with that crowd though, feels like a K-pop act actually came”

“Is that whole black sea out front all people??”

“When you say ‘small theater,’ you think 200–300 seats, right? Not hereㅋㅋㅋ”

“NewBlack’s pre-small theater (1,000 seats)”

“Maybe because it’s Gyeonggi region they went big?? Other regional tours—unless it’s a metro city—aren’t that huge”

“Performance content was solid too, not bad at all”

As people marveled at the scale, other fans were cracking up over the event prizes.

“Refrigeratorㅋㅋㅋㅋ Even a washing machine—what kind of appliances are those”

“A bicycle is the real kill point every time I see itㅋㅋㅋ Like a newspaper subscription”

“I thought for sure NewBlack had sponsors, but rumor is Lemon footed the billㅋㅋㅋ”

“And not even cheap stuff”

“Fans: Prizes?! Is that merch?? (whispers)

NewBlack: Refrigerator”

“Jealous of that grad-student fanㅠㅠㅠ”

“I’m curious how the parents reactedㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

“Mom: ‘Oh sure, go tail an idol around all day—what do you get out of it, cash? Time?’

Daughter: Refrigerator

Mom: ...

Daughter: Refrigerator”

“Profitable stan cultureㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why is this so funny”

Meanwhile, others wondered out loud:

“Wow, but wouldn’t they go bankrupt giving away prizes like that on every regional stop?? Gyu-ho must’ve said okay”

“They didn’t even sell merch... how much money have they made with NewBlack...?”

“The small-theater tour is free admission and no merch—there’s zero profit, right? Just fan service?”

Questions about the economics sprang up, and people began speculating:

“They’re cementing themselves as a public-friendly idol. Collab with ‘My Hometown Now’ was clearly intentional—regional news + MiTube content to showcase local specialties, ends up that way”

“Exactlyㅇㅇ I live in Yongin and saw company guys talking about NewBlack coming here; that made it real for me”

“If even non-fan communities are talking about the prizes, that says it all”

“Not a loss but an investmentㅋㅋ Touring the country like this builds buzz + recognition; by the end, to the public ‘idol = NewBlack’ will be cemented”

“Everyone’s laughing but this is scary... eventually even girl groups won’t match NewBlack’s mainstream appeal”

Some theories were right, some wrong. It was true that NewBlack and Lemon Ent. chose to collab with “My Hometown Now” as a publicity strategy—but the small-theater tour and the event prizes were impromptu fan service, decided by the members themselves.

“Director Jo texted: ‘Use unlimited budget for prizes. Go wild with expensive stuff.’”

“Really? Then what should we do?”

While NewBlack was lounging at the dorm:

[Refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioner...]

A used-appliance truck with loudspeaker passed by the apartment.

“...That’s it!”

“Yes, that’ll work!”

That was the real reason prizes ended up as appliances, but online no one knew—so serious speculation continued. Comments like “Gyu-ho is terrifying” or “Gyu-ho genius theory” popped up, but nobody guessed the truth.

After the first show:

From the weekend through Monday, we toured Seoul and Gyeonggi nonstop.

“What should we eat in Uijeongbu?”

“Budae-jjigae!”

Best of all was discovering local gems.

“Let’s take a moment to sincerely thank the Sup-fle who recommended Uijeongbu’s best restaurant.”

“We love you, Life at Ninety!”

Staring at the bubbling budae-jjigae, we felt pure joy. Happiness isn’t far away: one spoonful of spicy broth and rice topped with sausage and ham, and...

“Huaaaa...”

Our bodies trembled with delight. Jung-hyun, Ji-ho, and I dabbed tears of emotion with napkins—while Woo-ju wore a playful pout.

“I know it’s delicious, but isn’t it basically the same as in Seoul?”

“It’s totally different.”

We answered firmly.

“Budae-jjigae in Uijeongbu has depth.”

“What logic is that?”

“Like seeing Seokguram in a photo versus in person.”

“Nice, our maknae.”

Ji-ho and I high-fived. Ri-hyuk cocked his head over his stew, and Viju ladled more for him:

“How’s studying going, Ji-ho?”

“I’m seriously aiming for Level 1 this time.”

Even at the table, she was poring over the Korean-history summary Ri-hyuk made. With her exam next Saturday, she finally seemed motivated. Jung-hyun whispered, astonished:

“I’ve never seen Ji-ho study this hard.”

“Aww...”

We laughed as she explained:

“I almost gave up, but last night Woo-ju hyung’s pep talk got me back on track.”

“What did he say?”

“He said once I pass, for historical-drama shoots they can market me as the history-savvy idol.”

“Puhaha!”

We applauded her unexpectedly impure motivation. Glad it worked. Her shining eyes scanning the summary was admirable.

“That’s our service.”

We beamed at the owner who kept adding dishes to our plates. Thanks to the fish restaurant’s viral fame, it was packed. Every recommended spot we visited, the owners came out to beckon us—like the fish restaurants by the sea.

“Thanks for the meal!”

We snapped commemorative photos, autographs, and even got scorched-rice candy to go. As we left, I glanced to the managers:

“You ready?”

Manager Won-seok and Min-gi nodded solemnly. We nodded back, took out our selfie stick:

“Let’s go! For naengmyeon!”

After budae-jjigae, it was time for Pyongyang cold noodles—then some fried chicken at Jeil Market, then the famous gopchang joint...

“But can we make it in time, hyung?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ri-hyuk’s calculating and says we probably can’t finish before hometown show recording.”

Seeing him drawing the route in red on our map screenshot, we thought:

“Hm...”

“Hmmmm...”

After huddling, we decided:

“Run.”

“Yes.”

We tied our sneakers and ran until out of breath.

“Let’s just grab a taxi.”

“Yes.”

Realizing our legs were weak, we hailed one.

While scouting hidden regional eateries recommended by Sup-fle, the “My Hometown Now” filming continued over the weekend—along with the 1,200-seat small-theater tour.

On Saturday we visited a village in Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong, helping out with winter farm chores; Sunday we went to the fish market at Incheon’s coastal pier. The only change from the first shoot was two or three more camera operators.

“Puhahaha!”

The constant similarity: us running around cheerfully while the crew wore dazed expressions. The reporter looked stunned too. But over time the assistant PD and writers wore satisfied smiles, so the footage must be good.

On Sunday Reporter Oh Dae-gi laughed:

“Wow, today’s filming was great. For this kind of show you can’t have empty audio. Usually we’re hoarse from all the chatter, but today it flowed sweet as honey.”

“We did well, right?”

“We did, but... the audio could be a bit emptier. Just a little.”

“Aah...”

Embarrassed at the comment that we were too loud, we laughed. But we were getting the hang of it. As a lifestyle-info show newbies, we were learning the ropes.

“Hello!”

“Wow, superstars in our segment!”

In a quiet alley, the 30-something reporter with glasses, squarish features, shook our hands.

“I’m Jung Young-jun.”

“We’re NewBlack!”

“I heard other segments get 50 minutes—please take care of our segment too.”

After friendly banter, filming began. It was Monday—on Fridays this segment airs as “’Round the Neighborhood.”

With cameras rolling, the reporter cheered:

“Finally, the best idols NewBlack have arrived on ‘’Round the Neighborhood!’”

“Waaaaah!”

“Hello, viewers! When you think Friday you think NewBlack!”

We danced and sang our segment’s opening song, and the crew smiled approvingly. The reporter jumped in with perfect timing:

“Now, our ’Round the Neighborhood with NewBlack!”

“Shall we go!”

The camera panned up to the blue sky—a signature opening technique for this corner. One of us joked it looked like an SF “bone frame” effect, though none of us knew exactly what that meant.

“Oh, a magpie!”

Viju spotted a magpie in the alley and we sang:

“Magpie, magpie, Lunar New Year’s~”

“It was just yesterday~”

The reporter joined in as we strolled around. This was Gangseo-gu, Seoul; the “Neighborhood” segment highlights people living in the city. Locations were pre-set for each neighborhood.

“Hello, ladies!”

“Oh my!”

The reporter’s warm greeting drew stiff reactions from grandmothers who’d already been notified of the shoot—so their surprise was hilariously awkward. Then they saw us and their eyes widened.

“Oh my...!”

Our laughter erupted. They’d been blinking at the reporter, but seeing us they stared wide-eyed. The reporter held out her mic:

“You see? When they see me they’re like meh—but NewBlack... their eyes just...”

“They’re handsome, that’s why!”

The grandmothers giggled and the reporter pouted in mock indignation. We stepped forward:

“Hello! We’re NewBlack!”

“You know us. Oh, it’s been a while!”

“Uh? Have we met you before?”

“I saw you at the choir group.”

Their chic reply had us in stitches. After a short special arrangement of “Deok-soon Ah” for them, we moved to the senior center.

“Oh, it’s cozy...”

Underfloor heating warmed the room. The grandmas continued their handiwork:

“What are you making?”

“Earning some money.”

They were attaching decorations to norigae (traditional ornaments).

“It’s not much, but it’s fun and keeps you busy.”

“With that money we can play go-stop.”

Laughter filled the room as we listened to their hometown stories and even gave massages. Until...

“......”

Thirty minutes later.

A suffocating tension hung in the air. The grandmas with their go-stop cards stared, throats tight. The camera crew gripped their equipment. While the maknae and Ri-hyuk watched, Viju and I’s pupils darted. Then:

“A-ssa~!”

With a hearty “assa” (call of triumph), flowing as naturally as a beating drum, Jung-hyun flicked a card with rhythm and flipped another.

CLACK!

The grandmas shot him icy glares. In our grandmother’s dialect it was basically, ‘You little...!’ 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“Waaah.”

Ji-ho gasped:

“Amazing. Jung-hyun hyung, did you major in go-stop?”

“Hey! Be quiet while we’re playing!”

The grandmas scolded excitedly; Ji-ho shrank away and Viju patted her shoulder. The grandmas exchanged glances. After some silent signal, a grandma in floral socks flicked a card back. At that moment:

Jung-hyun, wearing a satisfied smile, watched us.

“A-ssa.”

We matched his “assa~” in harmony, then Jung-hyun teased, “Godori~” (special move). The directors cheered in admiration. Then:

“......”

An icy silence fell. The self-proclaimed number-one and number-three go-stop grandmas narrowed their eyes at him. Jung-hyun smiled kindly and asked:

“Did you have fun?”

Five minutes later, the answer:

“......We got kicked out.”

We were all unceremoniously shown the door, chairs banging behind us. From inside we heard warm banter: “Hey granny, you had no sense? Who laid that card?!” “You’ve got so much knowledge, how nice for you!”

Reporter Jung Young-jun blinked:

“Is this a genre shift or what...?”

“It really is.”

At first it had been the usual warm hometown program vibe; go-stop felt like a noir thriller, and now it felt like family-destruction drama. While the reporter wrestled with this identity crisis, the shoot continued:

“Hey! Life!”

“That’s right! Life!”

We greeted passersby cheerfully, enjoyed the local sights, tried the outdoor gym equipment for footage, and visited Songhwa Market. The reporter, relieved to be back in normal genre territory, shot happily.

“Uh...?”

Passing through the alley, Ri-hyuk’s eyes twitched.

“What’s up?”

“That typo is bothering me. It’s wrong.”

“Where?”

“There.”

We looked to see a sign: “Dosuh Daeyeojum Manhwatgage.”

“Let’s just move on, Ri-hyuk.”

“But I really want to tell them.”

“That’s just how you are, huh?”

To the reporter’s question we replied:

“Yes, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) he gets really anxious when he sees mistakes on the street.”

Someone pulled up a saved phone photo: “Wae an doen dae” meme—spot-on when fighting typos. Ri-hyuk said, “Wait,” and sprinted to the rental shop door.

CLINK.

Twenty seconds later, the door burst open and a crimson-faced Ri-hyuk ran at us like mad.

“What’s wrong?”

“The National Institute of the Korean Language says ‘Manhwatgage’ is standard! Ah, so embarrassing!”

“Puhahaha!”

“Don’t laugh!”

While the crew wore satisfied smiles, we collapsed laughing at the sight of tomato-red Ri-hyuk barreling toward us.

“Really feels like this segment’s genre is... off.”

Only the reporter continued to tilt his head in confusion.

6 PM.

After a quick rehearsal, we rested in the waiting room getting makeup done. Then:

“Oh.”

We, our managers, and staff gathered around the waiting-room TV. The jaunty jingle played, an opening showed cows and fish puppets frolicking, and the logo appeared:

“My Hometown Now.”

In homespun subtitles, the episode number popped up:

“Episode 5,987...?”

“That many episodes?”

True to its long-running, beloved status, the episode count was staggering. As we gawked, the broadcast began.

About 30 minutes in, the live studio anchors turned to the camera:

“New Year’s has arrived along with joyous news—very special guests have come to ‘My Hometown Now.’ Let’s hear more from Reporter Min Hyo-jin.”

The camera cut to Min Hyo-jin in the director’s chair:

“Yes, hotter than winter roasted sweet potatoes—idol NewBlack visited ‘My Hometown Now!’”

“How was the filming?”

“It was amazing and surprisingly fun.”

“We’re curious too—an idol group on ‘My Hometown Now’—lots of questions.”

“You can look forward to it.”

“When our Min Hyo-jin says that, there’s always a reason.”

After playful chatter and “Shall we meet them!” the show launched into a tightly edited recap. Even the segments that might’ve been too much for the senior audience were pared down, leaving only the essential, hilarious moments.

“Puhahaha!”

Stylists and company staff clapped along at every absurd clip.

“They’re coming!”

“There they are!”

Jung-hyun stood in front of the cows. The peaceful classical BGM featuring oboe and flute played—and on cue:

“MooOOOOO—”

Enhanced with special effects beyond the original, Jung-hyun’s cow call echoed as he beamed. We clapped and squealed with delight. Nearby staff collapsed in laughter, tears streaming down their faces.

“Great job, kids.”

“Hyung, you too, for doing such weird stuff.”

We congratulated ourselves as the day’s footage played smoothly on screen. The show ended with a “For behind-the-scenes, come to MiTube” caption.

“Ah... yes...”

“A fine segment with NewBlack.”

The anchors—trying to figure out what to say—appeared on screen. Behind them, a thumbnail showed Jung-hyun solemnly mooing. The male anchor finally spoke:

“Yes... that moo was truly robust.”

“Huhuh.”

The female anchor ducked her head, making a shy snicker sound; the male anchor twitched his cheeks. The stylists nodded in empathetic amusement.

“I can’t help myself.”

While the pros recovered the commentary, we checked the internet:

“Oh....”

More people than expected had watched live—and the reactions flooded in.