In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Early August.

The hottest news in the entertainment world wasn’t about celebrity romances or upcoming blockbusters, but the collaboration between NewBlack and an internationally famous singer.

– “Hailey Blue announces surprise collaboration with NewBlack on SNS live”

As one of the top-ten most–followed singers in the U.S., her announcement spread across social media in an instant—and reached the ears of entertainment reporters.

“What is this news?”

It wasn’t just any singer—this was Hailey Blue. Even in Korea, halfway around the Pacific, ordinary people would recognize her face. On every streaming site’s Pop chart, a few of her tracks were always charting. Naturally, reporters turned to Lemon Entertainment.

“How did this collaboration come about, Lemon?!”

...Their reply was:

“Excuse me?”

The PR staff acted as if they’d never heard of it. Ten minutes later, they sent back a vague, “It seems to be true.” It took a full hour for an official statement to appear.

One frustrated desk editor at an entertainment outlet exploded:

“So, does Lemon confirm the collab or not?”

“We haven’t gotten a definite yes— but the vibe... it checks out. They were handling it in secret until Hailey broke embargo.”

“Oh, that’s convincing.”

“Amazing security. You’d think they’d be negotiating for months with this scale, yet not a single leak.”

Reporters marveled at the ironclad secrecy. In reality, it had unfolded in thirty minutes: they wrote a song, then Hailey went live—and boom. No one believed the rumor that it had happened like that.

Regardless, the impact was undeniable.

[Real-Time Search Keywords]

It shot straight to the top of entertainment news, and related keywords began popping up in the searches. Ordinary netizens reacted much like reporters:

“What two-shot is this...?”

In the photos, NewBlack held up lobster, and on the right, Hailey Blue was swatting away paparazzi. Somehow you could feel the electric chemistry just from the stills—but the pairing was so unexpected everyone blinked in surprise.

– “Checking if this is April Fool’s or what date it is”

– “ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ thought it was clickbait but it’s real...”

– “How did it happen...? Am I the only one wondering?”

– “OMG ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

– “The styles don’t match... I [N O V E L I G H T] can’t explain it but it feels so wrong lol”

– “Nothing else matters—just spill how it happened;”

A combination with no clear common ground. They didn’t just like each other’s songs online—they’d never met. How did it come to be? Various theories circulated:

– “The established theory is she saw NewBlack TV on MyTube and reached out.”

– “The real truth is there is no established theory.”

– “By all accounts, it just... happened.”

– “I heard they were interviewing NewBlack, and the collab formed on the spot??”

┕ “Logically that doesn’t add up.”

Those who made sense got flamed. Any guess contradicted yet another contradiction, amplifying everyone’s curiosity. Soon another “official” statement claimed “It happened impromptu during the MyTube interview...” but questions remained.

[“We just made a crazy song~!”]

...A bizarre situation: “It happened during an interview, but the song was made instead of doing an interview.” Everyone nodded:

“...They probably just hung out with NewBlack or something.”

All they remembered was: a collaboration happened. They resolved to forget the details and recall only that it would be released on Halloween.

Meanwhile, news kept coming of the star’s Korea tour after wrapping her show at Gocheok Dome:

[“Saw Hailey Blue at Gyeongbokgung LOL”]

[“Spotted Hailey Blue at that budae-jjigae place~~”]

[“Review) I saw Hailey Blue at the Han River”]

She roamed Seoul like she’d visited dozens of times, covering every highlight spot. When Koreans on-site marveled how well she knew the city, she replied:

“Doctor Fish told me.”

She was oddly remembering “Doctor Pirarucu,” thanks to Ri-hyuk’s tip. Koreans understood perfectly:

“Oh, Ri-hyuk, huh?”

“They told her the famous spots, then drew lines on a map and planned the optimal route—and even printed a guidebook.”

“Ri-hyuk is something else.”

“Wait—they know each other?”

“...Oh, they don’t. I thought you were friends.”

Her misunderstanding that NewBlack had countless friends amused her. Now there were sightings in Daehangno, too:

[“Saw Hailey Blue at Hyehwa Station”]

Caught eye-to-eye getting off the subway ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

I asked tremblingly, and she answered kindly. Her bodyguard glared at me so I was scared, but she said she was filming a Korean drama.

– “Drama? What drama??”

– “Why take the subway?”

– “She said she wanted to ride it!”

– “Don’t know which drama; too scared to ask.”

– “ㅋㅋㅋ makes sense.”

– “She doesn’t beat up civilians... only reporters.”

– “Actually she didn’t beat anyone (see gif of Hailey spitting at a reporter asking about her changed bust size).”

– “Heard she’s in civil lawsuits all year in the U.S. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

[—Original poster:] “...Wait, who’s actually answering here?”

Then another report revealed the truth:

– “Hailey Blue secured cameo in ‘Our Family Is Aliens’... netizens: ‘Is she the Giving Tree?’”

– “’Our Family Is Aliens’ PD Hwang Jeong-gu: ‘I must have helped Uju in a past life.’”

– “Top-tier cameos keep coming—when does ‘Our Family Is Aliens’ air?”

The sitcom “Our Family Is Aliens” had become unskippable.

– “I wonder what Uju said to reel her in.”

– “By now the director must be seriously rethinking his life... imagining spotting Uju from a distance and fainting repeatedly.”

– “If it were me, I’d turn on GPS and prostrate myself in worship.”

– “They’re hauling this sitcom by the collar lol.”

– “More like they’re lifting it with a construction crane.”

– “To command someone like Kim Jung-hyun, your skills must be this strong.”

Even people who’d never cared about the sitcom felt phantom whispers: “An alien ship landed—aren’t you going to watch? Aren’t you?” After airing, the ratings for Episode 1 were basically guaranteed.

@HaileyBlue

(Three-panel image of Hailey Blue delighting over bodies separated at the magic boxes)

“Even in thirds, I’m fabulous.”

She posted it on her own SNS, clearly delighted.

And the long-awaited NewBlack World interview went up.

“What on earth happened here?”

Viewers puzzled how this chain—from collaboration to drama cameo—had taken place. Those clicking to watch the MyTube video tilted their heads:

“There’s nothing special in it...”

It was the usual NewBlack chaos—slapstick and madcap. The visiting star smiled brightly at every question and had fun hanging out; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Yet for those interested in international entertainment or Hailey Blue’s fans, it was jaw-dropping content.

“She never curses like this...?”

Someone who usually drops an F-bomb every minute spoke fluently without a hitch—and was serious.

[“No creator avoids burnout. But is there a method? You just write and write. Even if you make a hundred pieces of garbage, one flower will bloom in them.”]

[“I hope my listeners find happiness in my music.”]

[“My goal... is to live a long life. With my husband.”]

She articulated her perspective on music, the themes of her next album, and her life goals. The answers showed she’d thought deeply; the Q&A flowed smoothly. Before they even asked, she sometimes led with her personal story. That little nose-crinkle smile she made whenever she was pleased appeared again and again. It felt like an interview with an incredibly profound person.

[“‘Loo-bley’ is such a lovely nickname. I love it.”]

Fans were stunned by her finger-heart gesture. They thought: “What a surprise.” Under that heart, they joked, “This is your last life bar.” Hailey Blue’s fans in Korea quickly realized why this was so different—they’d never seen her interview like this before.

“In the U.S., she never did interviews like this.”

Despite topping streaming charts and headlines, back home she had a reputation for daily scandals—“oops, she did it again.” But here, she was thoughtful, gracious, and honest.

– “This interview is amazing ㅠㅠㅠ”

– “First time I’ve heard Hailey Blue speak—she’s so thoughtful.”

– “This is what an interview should be.”

– “As a fan, I’m moved. You can see how much the NewBlack team prepared questions, and how considerate they were as interviewers.”

– “Suddenly motivated to study English;”

And that reaction wasn’t just in Korea. Overseas—where most of her fans live—the response was even greater. The interview video’s views overtook those of world-renowned pianist Paul Laurant’s interview, and it began spreading in real time across North America.

– “Media are so biased, I can’t believe it.”

– “After watching this, I see Hailey Blue in a new light.”

– “Honestly it’s weird. The media asks rude questions, then mocks her reaction.”

– “I love the interviewer’s attitude: confident, elegant, considerate.”

┕ “She’s the biggest celeb in that country... like Nebraska grandparents knowing your name.”

┕ “Ah, right.”

Soon it was revealed that the singer she’d live-streamed the collab announcement with was the interviewer. Searches for “The New Black” spiked. North American Souffle fans celebrated the collab, tweeting duck emojis in excitement.

“Hooh...”

People were impressed by Hailey Blue creating an opportunity to reshape her image. Agents of scandal-prone celebrities took notice:

“Should we try to make a Korea trip happen?”

“She’s clean now. What she needs is an image makeover.”

“Well, at least she didn’t go to jail.”

If NewBlack heard that, they’d scream, “Don’t you dare!” But the plan was moving smoothly.

Even initial song edits went without a hitch.

“I’ll add some creepy sound effects here.”

“Great.”

Hailey and I spent a few hours in our studio tweaking on-screen. Normally we’d revise endlessly—but we agreed:

“This song can’t be overworked.”

“We need to let it breathe.”

So we wrapped up a clean sketch of the “Blue Moon” intro. She would write the lyrics, and remaining work—recording, etc.—would proceed via email and video calls. It felt almost too easy to be real, but we weren’t worried about quality.

“Good! Very good!”

“Wow! Nice composition!”

The production team’s genuine thumbs-up made me proud. Their eyes sparkled as they looked at a world-class singer-songwriter. Staff who tried speaking in broken English asked me to interpret:

“Tell her the song is amazing, and we all want to be part of future projects...”

I sensed desperate yearning in their eyes.

“She says, ‘Please help me escape this place and bring me to the U.S.’ ”

“How weak. Weak people can’t be my people. Tell them to escape under their own power first.”

“Excellent spirit, Hailey.”

I translated, and they laughed—catching on to my fake interpretation. That wrapped up our work with Hailey. Next comes negotiations on revenue splits and promotion, but since we’d agreed on the big picture, it should go smoothly.

“Let’s keep in touch.”

Just as when she first arrived, Hailey left coolly. She’d loved the hanbok, wearing a different version each day. As she walked away against the sunset, the maknae whispered:

“But... I thought she was flying to Japan next? If she goes wearing that...”

I smiled warmly at the image of a hanbok-clad woman strolling off. She was definitely on our side.

“Japanese TV’s gonna go crazy.”

“Right.”

I could already see the headlines:

– “Superstar Hailey Blue lands in Japan in hanbok—what’s her motive?”

– “Anti-Japan singer NewBlack’s master plan, government hanbok sponsorship, etc.”

I grinned, hoping she’d change clothes.

Anyway, while finalizing the Hailey project, other plans were moving forward. My sitcom airs this Sunday, and I’m in pre-meeting talks about appearing on KM Entertainment’s audition survival show On the Stage. And today we had one very important schedule.

“Jung-hyun, where’s Biju?”

“He’s sleeping. Should wake up soon.”

“Don’t let him leave his room.”

“He already blocked the door. He won’t get out.”

I smiled proudly at Jung-hyun’s confident chops. It was 5 a.m.—normally Biju would wake, rub his eyes, hum, and survey the fridge. But today, we’d occupied our kitchen to cook. It’d been a while since we prepared a full meal, but I still had the chops from overhearing at diners and helping out.

While I prepped Biju’s favorite dishes,

“Ri-hyuk, how’s the apple pie?”

“It’s almost done.”

Ri-huk had followed Biju’s MyTube recipe; the pie was turning golden in the oven. It already smelled awful.

“...We should probably toss it, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Strange. I followed the recipe exactly—this shouldn’t fail.”

“Your bad vibes twisted the dough, hyung.”

As expected, our maknae used pseudoscience to rile up Ri-hyuk at dawn. While they wrestled on the couch, I rolled out omelets into cute apple shapes. Then I decorated everything pretty, just like on MyTube. With the mood light on, I announced we were ready—and upstairs came the thump of something clearing the door.

“Does this sound like the Cave of Thieves from Alibaba and the Thirty Thieves?”

“Thirty-nine thieves, maybe...”

Soon, Jung-hyun carried a blindfolded Biju down the stairs. We clapped at the sight of him literally on Jung-hyun’s back.

“Oh, Kim Jung-hyun. What is...?”

“Smells like food.”

“Right. Who did it?” 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“Jiho did nothing, Ri-hyuk can’t help, you exploded something... only Uju could’ve done it.”

It was a perfect deduction.

“...I work hard when I need to!”

While his brothers worked, he’d just played around.

“I could do it if I had time.”

Unfortunately, we had none. I’d only dropped two eggs this morning. As Biju finally removed his blindfold, we struck a surprise-reveal pose from behind the table.

“Tada!”

“Whoa... what is all this?”

Biju’s face lit up seeing rolled omelets, bulgogi, spicy pork stir-fry, grilled fish—dishes you’d get at a homey diner—and kimchi sent by his mother. His mouth curved into a huge smile.

“You made this for me because of my recording today?”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t have to go this far...”

He said it, but he looked thrilled. We laughed.

“Sit.”

“Please, hyung.”

Like when I went to the sitcom pre-meeting, the maknae pulled out his chair and Jung-hyun set out chopsticks. Biju dove in, making delighted “mmmmm” noises.

“Good?”

“Yes!”

“I knew you’d like it.”

“It’s so good. How’d you cook it, hyung?”

“Curious?”

“Yes, I’m amazed.”

He smiled brightly and asked,

“You said last time I didn’t know how to make omelets—but look at this heart shape...”

“Did I say that?”

“Yes. And you said you didn’t know bulgogi, and that fish made you sad because you kept looking at its eyes.”

“.......”

As the brothers held back laughter at his karmic buffet, I spoke earnestly:

“Biju.”

“Yes, hyung?”

“......I’m sorry.”

He burst out laughing at my sudden apology.