In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

“You worked hard.”

“...Thank you.”

As we stepped down from the talk show stage, the manager hyungs handed us handkerchiefs.

Wiping our sweat, I let out a long breath without realizing it.

“Whoo...”

I grabbed my thigh, took a moment to catch my breath, then turned my gaze to Ri Hyuk.

“Ri Hyuk, I didn’t mess up anywhere, did I?”

“You didn’t.”

After a moment’s thought, Ri Hyuk replied briefly.

“You did well. All of you.”

Only then did we all exhale in relief.

The stage itself hadn’t made us nervous at all. Even on unfamiliar soil, performing in front of just over a hundred spectators was a piece of cake.

It was the talk segment that had us trembling.

I had been so worried about misspeaking or saying something unacceptable in this culture that I had been on edge the whole time.

“Why were you shaking so much? For someone so nervous, you spoke really well.”

Ri Hyuk’s words made me chuckle and nod.

Well, it was over safely, so that was that.

I stretched, then turned my gaze to my younger brothers, who were dabbing sweat.

“Hyungs, look at this.”

The maknae showed us the back of his shirt.

“It got soaked because I was so nervous.”

“You barely spoke at all.”

“That’s why it was scarier. What if Allen suddenly called on me?”

I laughed at the maknae clinging to Biju, trembling like crazy, then said to the members,

“You all did great.”

“You too, hyung.”

We high-fived to celebrate getting through it unscathed.

I waved at Wonsuk hyung’s camera as he filmed behind-the-scenes for MiTube, then we left backstage.

A few staff we passed in the corridor gave us quiet applause and words of praise.

“Where did Hailey go?”

“She had another schedule and left earlier.”

We packed up and left the studio immediately.

While we rode the elevator, Seok Hwan hyung glanced at his phone and spoke quickly.

“We’ve got a few interviews lined up now. They won’t take long each, but answer carefully.”

“Okay.”

“If you get a tough question, give a non sequitur.”

“Understood~”

We burst out laughing at the manager’s excellent practical advice.

By “interviews,” Seok Hwan hyung meant press interviews with broadcasters gathered on the first floor.

We just needed to give a few comments to the reporters.

Ding.

“Waaaaah!”

Through the lobby glass doors, the crowd was shining brightly.

“Oh, the souffles are lit up...”

“Lit up?”

“What’s going on? Why are they lit up?”

It should have been dark on an November evening, but outside was as bright as midday.

Not from Broadway’s fancy lights...

“Dalbong?”

It was because of something the souffles were holding.

When we stepped outside, a cold winter wind hit and the crowd’s energy exploded like a blast.

“Waaaaah!”

We and the staff who emerged froze.

“Wow...”

Everywhere I looked was filled with Dalbongs.

There was even Wangbong, and the police were keeping a careful watch.

Meanwhile, we just stood there, mouths agape, watching thousands of Dalbongs waving on New York Broadway.

“NewBlack!”

“NewBlack!”

“NewBlack! NewBlack!”

We blinked at the cheering fans, then smiled and waved.

Perhaps because of the unexpected wave of Dalbongs, we couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hello!”

A reporter who had been with the cameraman approached us.

“I’m from Showbiz. May we have a word?”

It seemed to be a celebrity gossip channel, and Seok Hwan hyung gave an OK sign with his eyes.

That meant it was one of the news outlets the local agency had pre-selected.

As we stood in front of the camera, the souffles in the background began waving their Dalbongs enthusiastically.

“Wow, you have a lot of fans. How do you feel right now?”

“It’s amazing.”

We gave our impression that it couldn’t be better, then answered a few more simple questions.

The reporter asked,

“You’re incredibly popular here. Do you plan to work in the U.S. separately in the future?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“This country is a dream stage for many singers, you know.”

We smiled at the reporter’s grin and replied,

“Every country is meaningful where our fans are.”

“Then...”

As the reporter was about to ask another question,

“That’s all the time we have!”

A local agency staffer who had appeared out of nowhere cut off the interview with a smile and an approving expression.

Then he connected us to the next interview.

At first, the unfamiliar celebrity gossip channel felt odd, but as the interviews continued, our eyes widened.

“Huh?”

“Why are they interviewing us...?”

Perhaps because this was the financial epicenter like Wall Street, familiar TV news outlets had also slipped in.

Mid-interview, Ri Hyuk whispered,

“I’m so happy. I can’t believe I’m interviewing with these news agencies...”

“You have very picky happiness standards, hyung.”

Ri Hyuk, who always catches international news in the morning, had tears glistening in his eyes with excitement.

In the meantime, the interviews finished without a hitch.

Most questions were variations of “Who are your fans?” or “How do you like being in America?”

“Let’s greet the fans quickly and go.”

Since we appeared, the crowd had grown more excited, the police more uneasy, and things around us were getting chaotic.

We gathered and greeted fans who teared up every time we took their hands.

“Everyone! Thank you so much!”

“We’ll come back on Y App Live later!”

We waved at the fans shouting our names and climbed into the vehicle immediately.

As the vehicle sped down the road, souffles on both sides waved Dalbongs.

It was a dreamlike scene as if we were traveling on a path of light.

“...”

When we left Broadway’s streets, we all turned back together with the younger members and watched thousands of stars swaying.

“...What is going on?”

Jung Hyun’s slightly bewildered voice summed up our feelings at that moment.

After NewBlack left the scene, news of New York spread across the United States the next day.

[This K-pop group from Korea...]

[According to the NYPD spokesperson, thousands gathered at the scene...]

[These ‘souffles,’ who showed amazing solidarity in Burbank, California, are going global...]

Because after New York media reports, it went nationwide.

It wasn’t a headline story but a human-interest segment—and it didn’t end there.

Countless videos taken that day.

The NewBlack vehicle slowed to a stop as fans screamed, later creating a path of light with their cheering sticks.

The footage spread instantly on MiTube and SNS, becoming a hot topic among the general public.

“Who are these guys?”

“They’re K-pop singers... um, which country is K-pop from again?”

“Whoever they are, they seem really hot right now.”

As curious people searched, NewBlack rose to No. 1 on the world’s largest search engine trends.

Amid mostly amazed reactions, some negative comments also appeared.

– This is exactly why we have to stop immigrants.

┕ They’re foreigners, idiot.

– I hate them. Who even are they?

– I don’t know who they are, but they’re doing their part to make me dislike them. Those cheering fans look like maniacs.

– Why do Asians want to be adored by whites?

– Get out of this country

While souffles rushed to smash all the discriminatory remarks flooding SNS,

Some raised serious suspicions.

– I’ve seen this kind of star-making a few times. They hire plants to hype them up, then once they’re big, real fans follow.

They claimed it was viral marketing.

Could people who’d never heard of NewBlack suddenly become this popular?

But netizens’ debate quickly debunked that doubt.

– Bro. Your doubt seems reasonable at first glance but has a serious flaw.

– What is it?

– Do the math. If you assume 2,000 in Burbank and 3,000 in New York, you’d have to pay at least $30–50 per person per hour.

– True.

– That’s $150,000 per hour for 5,000 people, and if it took seven hours, that’s $1,050,000.

– Ah.

– Even if you spend $1 M, how would you recruit that many people without any proof? Plus gag orders to keep them quiet would cost more.

– You’re smart. Are you a grad student?

– Yep. I’m planning how to assassinate a professor right now.

That simple rebuttal showed the math didn’t add up.

No ordinary viral marketing could match that scale—it actually proved its authenticity.

Interviews claiming the group came from Barbados, Mexico, and so on surfaced online.

It was the moment the name “NewBlack” stuck in the minds of the American public encountering the news or online posts.

“They’re going to be on the Allen Dale Show.”

The talk show producers were posting promos on MiTube and SNS that NewBlack would appear.

Meanwhile, in this country full of daily issues, memories of NewBlack soon faded.

They were remembered only as that mysterious, wildly popular star group from Korea.

“Wow...”

People who’d just watched Blue Moon’s music video quickly started checking out other NewBlack content.

Along with that, others began showing interest.

Fans held their breath, wondering if new people would dip a toe into fandom.

‘Can’t scare them away.’

Fans decided to wait until newcomers overcame their hesitation—when they had nearly given in.

And there were those who, like the fans, screamed with joy.

“Photos are selling!”

They were the paparazzi who had filmed the members disembarking the plane on NewBlack’s first day in L.A.

As more people in the U.S. learned about NewBlack,

The “path of light” they showed with Dalbongs in New York became an issue in Korea too.

“Hmm...?”

Souffles returning from hagwon or work widened their eyes as they checked online communities.

– Surprise guest appearance on the NewBl App talk show by host Allen Dale

– Live in New York (feat. cheering Kim clan’s 32nd-generation Kim Dalbong)

– NewBlack makes U.S. terrestrial news (not photoshopped)

They were dumbfounded trying to understand what had happened.

They’d heard huge crowds in L.A., then in New York it was even bigger.

Some unknown foreign talk show host tweeted, “I had so much fun with NewBlack,” jumping on the bandwagon.

– What is this, charcoal grill squad?

– We don’t know either

– What if you don’t know...

Even other idol fandoms’ comments left souffles speechless.

American friends reported over the internet, “How was our bias?,” and they had no words.

They just stared blankly.

– LOL why is being shy in Y App comments so funny

– NewBlack stays true overseas too

– If something weird happens in idol world, NewBlack is 99% safe bet

– Forced overseas debut lol

– Man, even if other things are unknown, I’m jealous of their fan off-power...

Alongside translations of Americans’ baffled comments, Japanese media that always spitballed about America and Korea praised it as a successful Korean government strategy.

– Those bastards must not have watched the NewBlack Laugh Challenge on MiTube

– Government-built idol group...

– But it is pretty convincing lol Super idol Kim Jung Hyun raised by the Korean government

– CIA operative theory on April Fool’s Day

– Oh that one I admit lol

– Why are Americans so flustered lol

– NewBlack hasn’t done anything in the U.S., right? Yet so popular

– Where the hell is their overseas fandom... those who asked never show up

For once the haters seemed too tired to appear.

High-resolution photos from the scene were posted, and even fans of other idols felt a strange thrill.

They knew how it felt to see their own idols in person.

Meanwhile, souffles calmly collected their emotions.

‘If it goes well, it’s a good thing.’

Though something extraordinary had happened in the U.S., they treated it as a mere incident.

They knew the history of K-pop’s U.S. ventures.

Many groups hailed as huge in the U.S. hadn’t actually succeeded, so they tempered their excitement.

They simply hoped for more fresh faces joining.

And,

‘Guys, come back soon...!’

They missed them so much whenever they went overseas.

Like longing for winter in the summer, that was their bias.

The U.S. schedule ended quickly.

The day after filming the talk show, we did an interview with Billboard magazine.

They requested it after hearing the news in Burbank, and their headquarters happened to be in New York.

“It’s our first time seeing you in person. Nice to meet you.”

We had a brief interview with the K-pop columnist who had written many articles about us.

Then back in L.A.:

“Clay...! We miss youuu!”

“Eeeek!”

After the meal we’d promised with the famous dancer father and daughter, we boarded the private plane provided by Hailey again.

“Thank you, Hailey.”

“Have a safe trip, see you later.”

We waved farewell to Hailey, who said it coolly, then ended the video call.

I felt the soft seat beneath me. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

“Ugh...”

Daldaldaldaldal.

The massage chair in the plane kneaded my sore body. The pressure was so strong my muscles relaxed completely.

“Feels good?”

“Yeah.”

“I want to try it too.”

Jung Hyun sat in the massage chair, twisted around, and laughed.

“What’s wrong?”

“It tickles.”

“...”

Then we forced Ri Hyuk into the chair, and he let out a tortured scream.

Under the LA dusk sky, we smiled as we looked out the window, using his scream as background music.

“We’ll come again, right?”

“Probably.”

Softly, “I’ll miss you, L.A.,” we said with a smile.

“I want kimchi.”

“I want ramen.”

“Ramen with kimchi...”

Ugh, said the maknae.

“That’s because we only ate greasy food.”

“Right. We got tired after just four days. I guess U.S. food doesn’t sit well with us.”

“True.”

The managers said,

“What did we eat again?”

“In-N-Out, Shake Shack, Five Guys, Gordon’s show concession hot dogs, the Allen Dale Show buffet, and American apples...”

“No wonder anyone would get tired eating that.”

We gave the managers a look asking them to be quiet, and they smiled brightly.

Meanwhile, even after the plane took off and until we returned to Korea, our Korean food relay continued.

“Maybe the passing clouds are moist. Feels like a rainy day... I want seafood pancake and cola.”

“I want bossam and bossam kimchi.”

“Korean apples...”

“Roasted sweet potatoes with rolled kimchi.”

“Waaaaah!”

When we landed at Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center, just like before, entertainment reporters waited with tripods and asked us with smiles,

“How was America?”

“It was great.”

“You all look so happy!”

“Yes! Now we’re going to eat ramen and kimchi!”

Yoho! We cheered and waved, and the reporters laughed.

After speaking only English for so long, being able to use Korean freely felt so good. People really should live where they’re used to living.

“I say ra!”

“You say myun!”

“Ramyun! Ramyun!”

And when we arrived at our accommodation,

As we cheered and pulled out pots and kimchi, our expressions fell.

“It’s not here.”

“...”

“There’s no ramen.”

Jung Hyun widened his eyes as if he’d stopped breathing, then exhaled sharply, trying to calm himself.

We tore apart the kitchen, but no ramen appeared.

“We have kimchi, so why can’t we eat ramen...!”

After over ten hours of anticipation, once home there was no ramen.

We could find a way if we tried, but each option would take some time.

Just then,

“I have a good idea.”

“What is it?”

Bright sunlight.

Six handsome boys lay sprawled in the living room like damp napa cabbage under the gentle rays filtering through the curtains.

“Shit...”

When one muttered, the others chorused,

“Shit...”

No doubt from practicing every day for the upcoming awards, they looked like wet towels these days.

All together, saying “shit,” they soaked up the sun, when

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

“Who is it?”

“Hey, someone get up and check.”

“You do it.”

Among the grumbling group, Ha Hyun, who was closest, got up and looked at the doorbell monitor.

Then he let out a single scream.

“It’s the hyungs!”

“Really?”

The Teen Spirit members, neighbors who’d gone to America, must have returned.

They all rushed to the monitor in a crowd. After a few days apart, they were happy faces to see.

But...

“Why do you look like that?”

Behind the leader, who [N O V E L I G H T] was grinning so broadly it seemed forced, the other hyungs were also beaming.

Bi Ju held up a note that read, [I brought souvenirs], and the maknae had the message app open on the screen saying, [We missed you Teen Spirit]. The boys narrowed their eyes watching them.

“But why is Jung Hyun hyung holding a kimchi container...?”

They tilted their heads at Jung Hyun holding a giant kimchi tub.