In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

The snow that Junhyun had predicted continued into the next day.

I wondered if it would snow too much, but thankfully it stayed at just the right amount.

“Snow...!”

That morning, as we left the hotel, each time we stepped into the snowfield, we heard a light “crunch” under our shoes.

From dawn, we did a live broadcast from the hotel with the younger members.

“Supples—!”

“It’s snowing here! Snow!”

It was our first time to experience snow in another country, and it felt amazing.

It wasn’t just us—the local staff we’d met at the venue seemed to welcome the snow, too.

It must have felt like a first snowfall to them as well.

Ri Hyuk glanced at Japanese news on his phone and said,

“It seems like it didn’t snow as much as we thought.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Yesterday the Japanese news acted like a blizzard was coming, and I’d been pretty worried.

I wondered if fans might have trouble getting to the concert.

I’d trembled reading that roads through Saitama and Gunma Prefecture were closed and that Narita and Haneda had briefly canceled flights.

“Wow...”

Even long before the concert started, seeing Supples gathered around the venue made me marvel.

Peeking outside, Ri Hyuk said,

“I wouldn’t come this far just to see us.”

“Well, you see us every day.”

“...”

“If I only saw you sometimes, I’d want to see you so much that I’d come this far. Hyung, in forty years, you wouldn’t fly from Switzerland to Korea to see me, would you?”

“Uh...”

His logic was odd, but Ri Hyuk found it hard to argue. He blinked and fell silent.

Junhyun asked,

“But why would Ri Hyuk be in Switzerland?”

“I figure he’d want to work for some international organization—build wells here and there.”

“Oh, that’s convincing.”

While he modestly enjoyed the idea, we briefly imagined our forty-years-later selves.

“What about me?”

“You, hyung?”

Biju hummed thoughtfully.

“I have no idea.”

“Me neither.”

“Same here...”

We joked about Junhyun becoming the owner of the KG Dragons, but when it came to me, the younger members shook their heads.

Biju smiled and said,

“You two keep talking forty years ahead, but I picture you on some deserted island wearing a crown.”

“Me too. Like the dictator of Supple Kingdom.”

“With the producers at the very bottom of the hierarchy.”

“Be honest—what do you really think of me?”

It was a moment that confirmed my image wasn’t great in their minds.

In any case, inside the massive venue we relaxed by trading such silly stories.

National Yoyogi Gymnasium.

According to Jiho, the exterior resembles a ninja’s shadow-clone hand sign, and it’s ranked among the world’s greatest 20th-century structures.

This was our final concert of the overseas tour.

“Now it’s really ending,” Biju said.

I nodded.

“Once this is done, it’s truly over. I feel relieved.”

“I feel a bit empty,” he added.

Of course, finales should feel invigorating, but facing the final show made me regret small things.

There were moments on earlier tours I wished we’d done better.

To sort through those thoughts, Junhyun said,

“That’s the drawback: the more concerts you do, the better you get. We’ve been repeating the same content.”

“That’s true.”

“So by the time we reach the last show—when our skills are at their peak—and then it just ends...”

Everyone agreed.

Every show is special, but performances at home always feel most meaningful.

It’s nice to share first-show excitement, but I also want to share the feeling of the last performance.

It’s like you need a period at the end, but the chapter just stops abruptly around chapter twenty-three.

“When we get back, let’s ask the company to add a finale concert next year.”

“Do you ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) think Yoyogi will be available next year? Isn’t it under renovation?”

“They’ll probably be working on it for a while. And—”

I tapped the maknae playfully.

“Next year, we should go even bigger.”

“Right, Yoyogi’s too small for us~”

We all laughed at his cocky grin.

Just then, after finishing a rehearsal and resting, the Japanese staff approached us hesitantly.

“Um... excuse me.”

At their “ano,” we smiled and stood.

“What can we do for you?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. If you have a moment, could we take a photo together?”

“Of course.”

As we struck poses, the Japanese staff beamed.

“Junhyun-san, we saw you on TV predicting the weather. It was incredible!”

“I saw it too and was so surprised!”

Junhyun smiled warmly and moved to the center.

As they asked whether he should pose as the sun blowing wind or pretend to catch snow, the staff shyly asked,

“Um... a slightly embarrassing request, but could you place your hand above our heads?”

“My hand?”

“Yes, like that cat....”

“Oh!”

Junhyun lifted his hand carefully and paused about a millimeter above their heads.

He looked as cautious as if touching glass.

The younger members and I nodded and laughed.

‘People are fragile.’

The staff thanked us, showed us the photo, and then departed.

It was a shot of Junhyun smiling like a lucky cat, with the rest of us softly smiling beside him.

“That...”

Ri Hyuk said,

“I’m not the only one who feels like we’re being treated like living lucky cats, right...?”

“...”

We all gazed into the distance.

For a moment, I worried about the image we were cultivating in Japan.

As NewBlack concluded the World Tour with the show at National Yoyogi Gymnasium, good news arrived for the Supples back home.

– [2016 Entertainment] NewBlack ranked #1 Singer of the Year

Every December, polling firms ask citizens, “Who rocked this year?” This time, NewBlack took first place.

Normally, first-place percentages hover around ten to twenty percent, but here they scored an overwhelming thirty-three percent.

– Congrats congrats

– Wow, NewBlack could run in elections lol

– Three votes each and thirty-three percent means everyone voted NewBlack

– Well done, NewBlack

– Fireworks for Song of the Year... I fell in love during track fourteen... I can’t believe this day came

– Three out of the top five on the year’s top ten picks are NewBlack

– Thirty-three percent is legit Singer of the Year

– “Responses from all age groups” is the real highlight

– Unexpected grandpa pick

– My grandparents also know NewBlack lol. They see them weekly for a short segment, and it leaves an impact

The Supples, eyes brimming, stared at those numbers.

‘Truly Singer of the Year...’

Yet it also explained why we’d seemed small until now.

– Look at that—those muggles are so huge

– Compared to muggles, we were just a handful...

– Those muggles were blocking our eyes and ears

– No wonder we had a collective cognitive dissonance

– I don’t know, but we were small

– Every album we release should show steady growth, but they shoot up like rockets

Each time an album dropped, they’d boast “This time we’re hitting the stratosphere~” or “Booster full throttle~!”

By the time you notice, they’d grown twice as big.

– Still getting a lot of attention;

– Yeah, Blue Moon hit 100 million views, and they’ve been on talk shows, pulling in huge interest from the U.S.

– (American Supples waving thousands of lightsticks.gif)

– What’s next...?

– U.S. TV is still the best promotion, wow...

– Japan’s fanbase grew a lot after that morning show appearance. Some Japanese fans, not wanting more, post weird videos to troll them

It seemed that unaware newcomers in the U.S. and Japan were falling into the antlion pit.

‘Will the next album be even bigger...?’

They’d sent a press release about an upcoming special album.

Supples were excited but anxious, unable to predict what would happen next.

I couldn’t shake the thought,

‘Can it get any crazier than this...?’

We were building a palace in the clouds, but looking up, the dark night sky was studded with stars.

It felt distant, yet not distant, strange and a bit scary, yet thrilling too.

I imagined our artists felt the same way.

‘No.’

Supples shook their heads.

‘Let’s manage our mental health.’

Resolve to focus not on rankings, but on supporting the members’ activities and music.

Then a new question arose on the fan forums:

– Who do you think will get the year-end finale spot?

– Teen

– Teen

– I think Teen will get it; they’re huge

– Don’t know, though—TV stations are wary of the black group’s influence lol

– Music show PDs are under the variety department, so they’ll favor us

– They saw the ratings bump from variety—no way they won’t give us the finale lol

Even before the finale, rival fandoms had begun jockeying for that coveted ending spot.

Securing the finale at year-end shows symbolizes who truly rules the music scene, so every agency fights for it.

But if NewBlack took it, some cried foul, saying it wouldn’t be fair.

‘What the heck are they talking about?’

Supples who’d just sworn off caring about rankings now leapt to defend our honor.

Then, as if to ease the tension, another surprise arrived.

– OMG guys, look at this???

– [2016 Entertainment] Entertainer of the Year #7: NewBlack

The same pollster released new data on variety stars and comedians who made the year shine. Under “NewBlack TV,” we proudly took seventh.

Fans stood speechless, staring at the screen.

– What the

– lolololololol

– Seventh lolol

– You’ve got to respect them

– First time I’ve seen an artist top singer and land in variety top ten lolol

– Their scale is extraordinary lol

– Something feels off, but NewBlack TV... I get it

– Is this like idol two-way specialization?

Not long after topping singer polls, we’d also claimed seventh in entertainer polls, cementing our status as national idols.

‘No, no...’

Like our artists, the fans averted their gaze.

After the final show, back in Korea, we were greeted with more good news.

“Singer of the Year #1...!”

“We really are Singer of the Year!”

As we hugged in celebration, Wonseok-hyung paused.

“You guys, besides that, there’s—”

“Entertainer?”

At our eager looks, Wonseok shook his head and raised his hands.

“Oh yeah~”

“Oh yeah~!”

We toasted our achievement as Singer of the Year.

It felt like receiving a mock exam report—it was such a good surprise as we wrapped up the year.

And then.

Like every other artist, we dove into year-end activities.

Our first stop was PBS’s music show “MusicOn” year-end special.

They gather artists who hit #1 in 2016, so we reunited with faces we’d met at awards.

“Oh?”

In the PBS hallway, I spotted a familiar face.

“Sergeant!”

“Eunseong!”

We greeted each other with triumphant smiles.

I ran my hand over the epaulette on Eunseong’s princely outfit and said,

“Why didn’t you come when I won the grand prize?”

“Oh, seriously...”

He laughed as if he’d expected that question. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

“Sergeant~ Sergeant~”

“Why—”

“Why aren’t you on the HBS Music Awards~?”

“Well...”

I dropped my eyes sadly at my eager, teasing junior.

“I had... circumstances.”

“Huh.”

When I sighed and looked down, I could sense Eunseong fidgeting.

After a moment, I looked up and grinned at the sheepish look on his face.

“They didn’t invite me.”

“Oh, come on... stop teasing me.”

“Hahaha!”

Then he narrowed his eyes.

“Do you still see me as your junior?”

“You’re my junior in music.”

“But I’m an entertainer.”

“Even as an entertainer, you’re still my junior.”

Junhyun tapped his phone like a secretary and showed him the article “Entertainer of the Year #7.”

“Eunseong! Where are you going?”

“To the farthest spot from you!”

It was hilarious.

It felt different teasing him than teasing Jiho and Ri Hyuk.

The younger members smiled at my laughter; the maknae giggled and draped his hand over my shoulder.

“How old are you?”

“Shh.”

We passed Aple B members in the hallway, greeting seniors one by one.

We got Suppling from senior Jang Sowon in her waiting room.

“Ri Hyuk, could you stay a moment? I have something to discuss about the performance.”

“Oh, yes, senior.”

Seeing Ri Hyuk sit opposite Sowon-sunbae, we left.

Next week, on the thirty-first, we’d do a joint stage at TBC’s year-end music festival.

At year-end events, boy groups and girl groups often do collaborations, or cover hits from the nineties.

“Suddenly I remember the show from two years ago.”

“With S-bo?”

We recalled the joint stage we’d done in 2014 covering a ‘90s hit with Street Boys.

The time crunch was intense, but it was a hugely fun experience—syncing with different artists instead of our usual members.

I asked Biju, who was happily scrolling his phone.

“You said you have a joint stage too?”

“Yes!”

Biju grinned and held up his phone.

“All the I MOVE cast agreed to a joint stage.”

“Oh.”

“As the show’s hot dance act, they’re planning a joint performance at year-end.”

I’d heard Biju was in charge of choreography.

“Wanna see this, hyung? They’re all using the apple emoji I gifted them.”

“Oh.”

“It’s cute, right?”

“But... the apple is crying.”

“...”

Biju tapped his phone and apple emojis with smiles began floating in.

“Look again, hyung.”

“Oh, I see.”

I nodded with a bright smile, and Biju returned a gentle grin.

In any case, not only Ri Hyuk and Biju but everyone had multiple collab stages scheduled. It was tight, but that meant the networks were giving us plenty of screen time.

Jiho was set to do a cute joint stage with idols born in ninety-eight who turn eighteen next year.

Junhyun had a joint stage with Street Boys’ rappers and a hip-hop artist.

And—

“This must be it?”

I, too, had a joint stage on PBS.

I knocked on the door of the best waiting room reserved for top artists, and a velvety voice answered,

“Come in.”

Opening the door, I saw handsome Hyun Taehyun of TNT with purple-dyed hair, legs crossed, elegantly sipping coffee.

As he was about to set down his cup, our eyes met.

He froze the stylish pose and said,

“What—hyung?”

“It’s me.”

“Eugh....”

“Eugh?”

At my bewildered look, he burst out laughing.

He set his cup aside casually, relaxed his posture, and lounged back.

He sniffled once, then gestured.

“Come on in. The cold wind’s blowing.”

“You drama queen.”

Han Taehyun, the main dancer of TNT, was to share the year-end stage with me this time.