In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

“Recording of ‘Survivor’ went smoothly.

“Taehyun!”

“Uju hyung!”

“I really missed this. This vibe.”

“Me too. It’s been so long since I worked with someone who meshes with me like this.”

Just watching the two handsome ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) guys radiating happiness made the whole world seem brighter.

No, brighter than that......

“Uooo...”

“Is there someone behind the monitor...?”

“Ugh!”

The recording studio atmosphere was blazing.

The producers and engineers, who’d been feeling sickened by the stale studio air, stared at the two beauties.

‘Demons....’

‘When will the ghost show up? No, the ghost would get caught and then Ujuseon would say, “You didn’t do it right. Let’s redo ‘Gwigeokseong’ take 1,” and tear us apart.’

“I feel like I’m going to throw up after staring at the monitor for ten hours straight. Seriously.”

“The jajangmyeon I had for dinner is coming back up. I feel dizzy.”

“Oh, my back hurts. Old people die like this.”

11 PM.

The producers, complaining of pain after over ten hours of recording, fell silent.

They were watching a much younger composer at work.

“Ggeueng......”

He sat so upright that they unconsciously straightened their own spines watching him.

His gaze fixed on the singer through the glass, his hand endlessly jotting notes.

Truly admirable focus.

“Look at his speed......”

“Where did the kid we used to teach go? Now it feels like we have to learn from him.”

“Even career-wise, he’s at a level above.”

He accomplished in ten hours what used to take others a week—truly insane speed.

Even compared to the 2010 versions of Jo Gyu-hwan, Ha Seung-ju, and Jang So-won, the gap was massive.

Sun Woo-ju had soaked up their know-how like a sponge and made it his own.

‘His rate of growth....’

The producers clicked their tongues and turned to watch Han Taehyun beyond the glass.

‘Uju is amazing, but Taehyun is something else.’

Taehyun had been standing and singing for nearly ten hours without showing strain.

Uju pressed the talkback button.

“Taehyun, if you’re ever tired, just say so. We can adjust the break times.”

“I’m fine. I can keep going.”

Han Taehyun, sweat-soaked, drank a sip of water and smiled to reassure them.

An ordinary person would have collapsed from exhaustion by now, but his mental stamina was terrifying.

The producers nodded.

‘...No wonder he flies on stage.’

He looked like a genius who’d be lazy, but in TNT he was known for obsessive practice.

Other members all said, “Taehyun is always practicing.”

And after practice, he spent the rest of his time on SNS with fans or doing fan service.

‘What a remarkable kid.’

Praised as a sensitive vocalist and genius dancer, but his raw talent was ordinary.

He’d lifted himself to this level through hard work.

Half their age but so deserving of respect.

Anyway......

‘He seems great on the surface.’

The pairing of a crazily hardworking genius composer and a crazily hardworking every-man made a beautiful duo.

Like a youth film.

The problem was they were the extras in the background of that film. Blazing extras at that.

“Save us......”

“If I could go back, I’d definitely write L.E.A.V.E......”

Sun and Han’s duo, praised by everyone, was the absolute worst.

“Listen to this.”

“We want feedback. How is it, everyone?”

They pestered for opinions constantly—one wrong answer and you got grief.

Then they’d giggle among themselves.

“That bending felt too fast. Too rushed, right?”

“It’s perfect. No need to worry if it’s slower. And this song doesn’t hinge on that bending timing.”

“Got it!”

Han Taehyun, about to prepare for another take, smiled and said:

“It’s so great the composer takes my requests so perfectly. Working with someone so... skilled feels like the right choice.”

“Hahaha!”

“Keaaruk!”

The producers and engineers nearby, expressionless at first, laughed at the stars.

“Wahahahaha!”

“Wahahaha! I’m so happy!”

It was TJ-style social laughter.

Ujuseon laughed brightly.

“Okay, let’s continue~”

As the night deepened toward midnight.

Uju approached the half-dead producers on the sofas at break time.

Seeing his bright smile, they jolted upright.

“Wh—why—?”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing. I thought I saw something. Like dots under your eyes...”

They were so worn out that Uju’s signature beauty mark looked like a mirage.

Uju chuckled at their appearance.

“Was working with me that hard?”

“No... yeah.”

They tilted their heads, and Uju pulled envelopes from next to the sofa.

He handed each a box labeled with their names.

“What’s this...?”

“I’m visiting TJ Ent., so I prepared gifts for the people who took care of me when I was a trainee.”

“Hey, you didn’t have to...”

“It’s touching, right?”

Their warm smiles at the playful handsome guy reminded them why they’d liked him back then.

This was the same kid.

When memories of teaching composition to a little kid overlapped with the person before them, their noses tingled.

“Uju...”

“Yes?”

The TJ Ent. producers asked with smiles:

“...Could we go home as thanks for the gift?”

“No.”

“Please. Your bunny-like daughter’s waiting at home.”

“Break’s over. Everyone, back to work!”

Their pleas fell on deaf ears.

Truly, Uju was unchanged.

1 AM.

He sent the TJ Ent. producers home.

“Zzzzz~”

“I wonder if it’s okay to leave you two here?”

I replied:

“We’ve finished the important parts. I can handle the rest.”

“Are you sure?”

One producer wiped sweat with a rag.

Seeing him mindlessly scrub, I said:

“That’s a rag.”

“Oh, is it? Sorry. I’ll wash it...”

“...”

I hurried them out.

Like zombies, they waved and said, “Good night~” then fled.

Taehyun shouted:

“Don’t turn off the hallway lights! The bathroom’s scary in the dark~”

“What’s he on about?”

“Taehyun says not to turn off the lights?”

“Lights... is that the right word? I’m confused.”

They debated “how to turn off lights” like zombies. Taehyun shut up.

“If the lights go off, the bathroom’s scary.”

“You’re still afraid of that?”

“You can’t handle horror movies either.”

“I even dated an egg ghost in Jeju. I’m not the original scaredy-cat like you.”

He chuckled, then flopped on the sofa making “Uooo” sounds.

“Tired?”

“It’s been a while since I recorded this long. I’ll adapt soon.”

“Take a break. We finished key parts, remember?”

“Let’s listen to what we recorded.”

He lay with his head on my arm, nodded while listening, and said:

“Hyung.”

“Yes?”

“It’s all good, but the chorus is tough.”

“How so?”

“It’s hard to capture the emotion. I felt weird asking earlier...”

Han Taehyun sat up and asked:

“What emotion should I bring to the chorus?”

“Hmm......”

“You know what ‘Survivor’ was made to express. You told me.”

“‘Survivor’ symbolizes you, Taehyun.”

In Korean, survivor.

He’s always been a survivor.

Despite precarious moments, he always made it through.

There was an awkward trainee.

Rumor said he got in thanks to exec Han Young-jun’s backing.

His skill was average, his tact nonexistent—telling everyone, “My uncle works here!”—so he was disliked.

“They’ll drop him soon.”

Everyone said that.

With that skill, he’d fail the month-end eval.

Yet he tried so hard.

“Um... can I ask something, hyung?”

“Sure.”

“Teach me this song a bit?”

“A bit? How much is ‘a bit’?”

He gaped at jokes.

But seeing his effort was touching, so I taught him.

He was astonishing.

I thought I practiced most at TJ, but he did more, and—like some gain weight when they eat—his practice turned to skill.

“What is this kid...?”

His dance, once average, became good enough to correct me.

His vocals reached debut level.

His path to debuting in TNT wasn’t smooth.

He was always eighth or ninth when lineup rumors flew.

He worked hardest, but others worked hard too.

The gap felt unbridgeable—until debut.

When he made debut, he was ahead of me.

I’ll admit I relied on songs and looks.

But looking back, I died and he survived.

“Keep it down... the people who failed are listening.”

He, whom I helped at the bottom, suddenly ranked high.

“They’re listening... grow up.”

He made it in.

He’s now a top idol.

A rapid evolution, but it happened.

He couldn’t stand out in TNT at first, but he covered that with effort.

Surviving and succeeding—that’s ‘Survivor.’

“What I wonder: in the chorus, should I feel joy at surviving? Or loneliness?”

“What do you think?”

“Never thought deeply. Our job’s not for deep thought.”

“That’s true.”

I said:

“You don’t need one emotion. Being the one left can hold many.”

“Really.”

“Loneliness, joy, memories of those lost, those present, or emptiness.”

“Hmm.”

“Think on it.”

I advised:

“As a composer, singing honestly is best.”

“Honestly?”

“Truly, sincerely.”

He pondered.

While I tweaked the session file.

Jiinging—his phone buzzed.

“Oh? Jihanbin texted.”

“What’s he say?”

“He’s asking if we’re still working, can he come now?”

“At this hour?”

“His schedule just ended.”

Oh, right—they’re TNT.

Their schedules are packed.

“Should we invite him?”

“He must be tired.”

“He’s freaking out. He’ll come as soon as he hits Seoul.”

“Tell him to bring something good to eat.”

“OK. Wow, class reunion.”

Taehyun texted excitedly as I realized:

“Oh.”

I’d forgotten something.

I checked texts from Mrs. Kim Deok-sun and family.

“Right.”

Taehyun asked:

“Aren’t you planning solo? At this point, it’s time.”

“I’ve planned it.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“That’s a secret.”

He joked:

“Drawing a firm line—that’s why Sun Woo-ju?”

“Whisper your nonsense to the cushion.”

“Cushion~ don’t let cruel words hurt you.”

He seemed exhausted.

I gave the cushion a squeeze as he texted.

He stretched and smiled.

“If Bi-ju’s solo comes out, tell him to delay it.”

“Why?”

“It’s too intense. Never seen a three-year idol dance like that.”

He joked he couldn’t beat him with my song added.

Bi-ju’s solo—no plans yet, but I’d considered it.

I’d been noting TJ Ent.’s solo-album know-how today.

As I checked texts thinking of my juniors.

“......”

“What’s up, hyung?”

“......”

“What did it say? What... haha!”

Looking at the screenshots, Taehyun burst out laughing.

A lounge in chaos.

Then pics of members peeking nervously.

I muttered:

“...What were they doing here?”

12 hours earlier.

“La la la la~ la la~”

“La la la~ la la~”

4Black strolled to the Love House BGM, selfie sticks in hand.

TJ Ent. staff gasped.

“Yes! It’s us—4Black~!”

“4Black~!”

They laughed and waved like stars.

They checked themselves in a mirror.

Then blinked.

‘Something’s missing.’

They lined up in 2:2, but the center was empty—like a transparent Uju.

Wang Jiho exclaimed:

“We look pathetic—like a headless lizard.”

“Our story was really a dragon’s head, fish’s tail.”

“But this uncle was still important—a beggar-boss vibe.”

“Ri-hyuk, lower your voice when trash-talking Uju hyung. I hear his spies are everywhere.”

Seo Ri-hyuk nodded.

“Makes sense.”

Lemon Ent. had also showered him with favors.

So Uju-isans would exist at TJ Ent. too.

“Hmm......”

4Black edged through TJ’s facilities filming.

Beep—

With passes to enter anywhere, they toured the offices.

“Shh. This must be workspaces.”

4Black held up a neon app saying [Hello..☆] on the glass, and staff laughed.

The special glass let them see inside clearly.

Kim Bi-ju’s eyes widened as he held his phone.

[Oh my..☆ can you see us..!]

Staff chuckled.

“Why laugh?”

“Seeing handsome people makes you feel good.”

“So that’s why people go crazy laughing at Uju hyung.”

They swaggered around proud of their leader.

Passing workspaces and the lounge.

“Woaaaa......”

True to TJ’s pride as top domestic entertainment, fun was everywhere.

A pool table, cafe-style reading nook, art on the walls.

“Books!”

One couldn’t resist the shelves and grabbed a book.

“I need to wash my hands—anyone come to the bathroom?”

“Hyungs! Look!”

“I’m going to wash my hands...”

“Look—a fish portrait that looks like Ri-hyuk hyung!”

“Where?”

As members gawked, Kim Bi-ju frowned.

“Uju hyung said never go alone...”

They seemed nice. Surely you can’t get lost here.

He steeled himself and moved off.

Meanwhile.

“Doesn’t that look like Ri-hyuk hyung?”

“No way.”

A strange ink-wash fish painting.

It looked similar.

To prove it wasn’t Seo Ri-hyuk, he stood before it.

“Hahaha!”

Kim Jung-hyun and Wang Jiho burst out laughing. Jung-hyun tapped the wall mid-giggle.

Clang, clang.

Paintings fell, frames shattered.

They stared at each other.

“...?”

Exclamation marks appeared over their heads.

“!!!”

Before they could text “The painting exploded!” to their leader.

“...Huh?”

Kim Bi-ju, lost in the corridor, blinked.

He’d been searching for the bathroom, swiping his pass everywhere, and now stood in a strange place.

Like an IT server room.

‘Where am I...?’

The moment he stepped forward.

“Whoa?!”

The door locked, an alarm blared, and he went pale.

TJ Ent. Security Team.

CCTV monitors blinked.

“What’s this?”

A security alert showed an outsider in a high-security area.

Their system was strict; it was odd.

“What's going on?”

They radioed for backup.

“...”

Watching the mysterious silhouette, they swallowed.

Like a professional spy, the figure moved elegantly.

As they tried to see his face, he tapped his phone.

“...?”

Looking up, he locked eyes with the camera.

“...It’s Bi-ju.”

“No way—Bi-ju... it is!”

Stunned by the spy who breached security.

The enchanting youth shyly held up his screen.

[Excuse me.. where am I?ㅠㅠㅠ]

The security staff burst out laughing.