In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

“Aigo.”

“......”

“Aigo, my stomach burns.”

“......”

“My stomach hurts to death. How could I fail to recognize someone like that?”

Ri Hyuk shook his head at me as I chewed a Hawaiian burger with pineapple.

“Honestly, the fact you recognized him is what’s amazing. Didn’t that band last promote in the ’80s?”

“The train’s already left, hyung.”

Junhyun, as if to comfort me, slid some of his fries over.

“People you miss are just people you miss. The head monk at Songgwang Temple said it last time. If it’s meant, you’ll meet again.”

“Right. If it’s fate, we’ll meet again.”

Saying that, I waved toward the mini-cam set on the table.

“Mr. Glenn Davis. If you’re watching this, please contact Sun Wooju in Korea. I’ll treat you to great food on a three-nights-four-days course in Korea, and we can play together too...”

“Hyung. The egg yolk is dripping.”

“Waaah!”

The yolk in the burger must have burst—seeing it drip, I hurried to take a bite.

Jett, who was eating a burger across from me, chuckled, pulled out some tissues, and offered them with both hands.

“Thank you.”

“I can’t allow the sight of egg yolk falling on a senior’s august body.”

Still chuckling, Jett asked:

“By the way, how do you like it here? Is it to your taste?”

“Yes. It’s really good.”

A noisy open-air eatery full of chatter.

A candle on the table glowed warmly, and the salty sea breeze tickled my nose.

This was a famous burger place near Sydney Harbour.

We’d originally thought of going to a very famous fine-dining restaurant in Australia, but for practical reasons we changed course. They had a dress code, and we didn’t really have time to change.

Above all, the production staff had to eat too. If we ate somewhere like that, the staff wouldn’t be able to.

“We could’ve gone to the fine-dining place.”

The PD at a nearby table smiled.

“We can just grab something simple.”

“Come on~”

The youngest protested like it made no sense.

“People live on food energy. We have to eat something tasty together to rally together. If only we eat something tasty, we’ll be too uncomfortable to enjoy it.”

“We’re grateful, really.”

“If you’re grateful, how about adding to our allowance!”

“In that case, just one game...”

The writer, unable to give up, held up a princess dress and a magic wand for penalties, and the mood turned ominous.

A burst of laughter came out right away.

We decided to film only with mini-cams for a bit, and even the camera directors relaxed and picked up their forks.

“Nice.”

Good food by the wharf with an exotic night view, good people—how could I be happier?

“Hyung.”

“Hm?”

When I turned my head, Biju was looking at me.

“What are you thinking about?”

I had a lot on my mind.

How to apply ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the inspiration from busking to the title track “Coin,” whether Grandma was doing well in Gunsan, whether the sudden weather shifts were okay for the members’ condition. What to do on the reality show so the fans would like it.

Still, the biggest thing was...

“I keep thinking it was a great idea to travel around this time of year.”

“Me too.”

Biju grinned and smoothed his wind-tossed hair.

“Once we’re back in Korea, we’ll be up all night every day. It feels like we’re charging up early? Something like that.”

“Yeah. This is real healing.”

We clinked cola glasses and laughed.

Aside from taking in the Sydney night view, we had no schedule, so the one-day outing felt like it was winding down.

Starting tomorrow, it would be our self-planned, independent trip.

“So are we heading in to the lodging to make the plan?”

“Yeah.”

“This time there isn’t... anything weird, right? Like that haunted courage-test we did last time.”

“Nothing in particular.”

Maybe the memory of hearing that weird voice came back—our audio director shivered.

While everyone rehashed that Jeju ghost episode and Jett was intrigued, the writer continued.

“This time there’s no courage-test content like that. Australia’s overseas, right? Back then it was familiar Jeju, so we felt like we needed to show people something unique...”

“Just look around—there are animals wandering everywhere.”

“There’s a lot here.”

They laughed among themselves—huhuhuhu—and I got an ominous feeling for some reason.

“...You’ve got something lined up again, don’t you?”

“Let’s confirm it during the shoot later.”

“Please tell me there’s nothing weird.”

“There isn’t. Nothing like that.”

The staff smiled like we should relax, but for some reason it felt sly.

“Don’t worry. We only do verified things. Would we recklessly do anything dangerous overseas?”

“R... right?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry.”

We gave an awkward smile at the production team, who prided themselves on this being a healing reality travel diary.

Soon after we finished eating, we wrapped up by taking in the Sydney night view.

They say February is peak season for Australia travel, and maybe that’s why we saw Korean tourists everywhere.

“Should I take a family photo for you?”

“Oh, sure. Thanks. Wooju.”

“Okay.”

“...Huh? What—Wooju?”

We waved to Korean tourists who gaped or burst out laughing in surprise.

“Remember. NewBlack exists everywhere.”

[laughs]

We wandered night-view spots and wrapped up our early-evening Sydney sightseeing.

“Senior. Here’s my phone number.”

“Ah.”

“Please contact me anytime. Even if I’m filming in Goseong, Gangwon-do, call me and I’ll run straight to Seoul. I definitely want to join the New Line.”

“The New Line?”

Jett raised his hand and whispered.

“The variety-show-strong NewBlack line.”

“...That doesn’t exist, though?”

“Yes. So I’ll be the first.”

With burning eyes full of the ambition to absolutely blow up in Korea, Jett shook hands as we said goodbye.

“Then, preserve your august body.”

“Bye! Jett!”

“Y—yes...”

We burst out laughing at the sight of the Australian backing away in tiny steps, and we backed away in tiny steps too.

After parting with our one-day guide—

We got into the vehicle the production arranged and headed to the outskirts of Sydney. The trees grew denser as we went.

Looking uneasy, Ri Hyuk glanced around.

“This is Sydney, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

“...We’re not doing some midsummer-chill special, right? Since it’s summer in Australia, like ‘a chill special,’ nothing like that?”

“Oh, that’s a good line... ah. No, that’s not it. Anyway, no.”

From the passenger seat, the PD gave a spooky little laugh.

“We’re on the way to your lodging.”

“The lodging’s a bit out of the way.”

“Yes. That’s because the security is tight and it’s safe. The location looks like this, but if you call police or an ambulance, they arrive within ten minutes.”

“Oooh.”

“According to the owner, no one could ever breach this security...”

It sounded extremely safe.

Judging from the scale of the place, the price didn’t seem ordinary. We were just starting to worry about the production budget when—

“The cost was paid by your CEO.”

“Whoa...!”

We took the tablet from the PD; a video started to play.

—Hi.

Seeing CEO Park Gyuho’s forehead gleam on screen, our eyes went wide.

—Aigo. This brightness... one moment.

He swiped his forehead with a handkerchief to adjust the brightness, then smiled and waved again.

—So. Are you traveling well?

“Yes!”

—I somehow feel like I can hear a hearty answer. I imagine you’re traveling well. Wherever you go, you we— ... you kids adapt well.

He’d just tried to say “weeds,” I think.

—I heard you’re backpacking; I traveled a lot back when I had hair, so I know. It’s really hard. Your hair falls out too...

“CEO...”

—Did you bring good shampoo? I heard there’s a lot of lime in the water overseas. I also sent shampoo that helps your hair.

“Whoa, our CEO is so sweet.”

After a brief talk about herbal shampoo, the CEO got to the point.

—Anyway, I prepared something so you can at least relax while you’re at the lodging.

He knew we were especially sensitive about lodging after the past sasaeng incident—this was his consideration.

CEO Park Gyuho smiled warmly.

—I love you, kids.

He waved and signed off, saying we’d love the lodging.

We bowed to the screen.

Just as we handed the tablet back to the staff—

“Huh...?”

The dense trees slid away, and a neighborhood of mansions popped into view.

“Wooooow!”

The place we were headed to was a two-story luxury lodging.

High walls with CCTV installed, and inside, the blue glimmer of a pool wavered faintly.

“Yes! NewBlack’s Travel Diary Season 2! We’re finally revealing the lodging you’ll be staying in!”

At the PD’s ta-da introduction, we stared up in a daze.

“Insane.”

“This looks even better than our place in Korea.”

“CEO, we love you.”

We sent heart signs toward the northern sky from a distance and entered the lodging.

“Tarararara~”

With the Love House BGM—national rule of travel reality—we entered.

A kitchen with an island, a living room; big enough that even the whole crew could stay.

Everyone sprinted up to the second floor, tossed their bags, and shouted “My room!” as they called dibs, laughing.

“This is so good.”

Ri Hyuk looked on the verge of tears.

“Single rooms for each—this is really too good.”

“I still prefer two to a room...”

While Biju was murmuring that, Junhyun went out to the second-floor terrace and beckoned us over.

A beautiful forest spread out at a glance.

We were smiling, breathing in air like pine scent, when—

“Huh?”

The youngest narrowed his eyes and pointed toward our pool.

“There’s something like a rope in there.”

“Right.”

In the brightly lit pool, a single rope was floating. A brown rope.

But its shape...

“Looks like a snake.”

“Yeah.”

“Wow. It looks real.”

We burst out laughing and glanced toward the camera director.

“We don’t get scared by stuff like that.”

“Hm?”

“Come on, director. Don’t pretend. You floated a fake snake there to spook us, right?”

“Fake snake?”

“Yeah.”

The camera director tilted his head and stepped closer.

He looked at the pool—and froze.

“......”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hey... that thing is moving.”

“What?!”

We hurried out onto the terrace; on the blue water, a python was swimming with silky ripples.

As if to say, Welcome to wild-paradise Australia.

“Screeeeam!”

Everyone except Junhyun shrieked and hid back inside the terrace.

What the owner had said about this lodging was true.

Security so thorough that no person could possibly break in.

But...

“Then what about animals?!”

“Aaaagh!”

Sadly, it didn’t seem to apply to animals.

The first day of the reality trip ended in a commotion.

Some people from something like a wildlife-service agency came, captured the python, and left.

The vibe was that it was no big deal.

“Harmless and very gentle, mate! Hahaha!”

It didn’t look venomous.

Of course.

If it had venom too? Australians would be losing sleep every night.

“Does this happen often?”

“Now and then. Last time a rattlesnake popped out from a supermarket display and we went to catch it. Sydney’s a big city so it doesn’t happen much, but the nearby areas have tons of reptiles.”

The wildlife service guy grinned and winked.

“Welcome to Australia.”

After that bit of chaos, the staff and the rest of us slumped with haggard faces.

“......”

“......”

“So this is Australia...”

Only Junhyun stroked his chin in admiration.

“Well.”

I clapped my hands and smiled.

“On the bright side, we all secured plenty of footage. A lot of it.”

“Th-that’s true!”

“Wahahahaha!”

“Hahaha!”

We laughed it off loudly and erased the incident from our minds.

Only Junhyun kept a sulky smile.

“I wanted to see it up close...”

“Look at the photo.”

“I did take some. Want to see?”

“Good things are for enjoying alone. You look at it alone.”

“Then, Ri Hyuk.”

“Eeeek!”

Like an angry cat, Ri Hyuk smacked Junhyun’s back with slaps for payback, then ended up red-handed and on the verge of tears.

Meanwhile, we returned to the reality shoot.

“Starting tomorrow, the true youth trip begins. Now you have to draft your own travel plan.”

“Okay!”

“Here’s the info we prepared for you.”

We received a packet stuffed with recommended destinations and food tips from the staff.

Ri Hyuk also pulled a thick binder from his suitcase.

“Huh?”

The writers asked:

“Did you prepare something?”

“Yes.”

Everyone marveled at the neatly organized travel info, as tidy as what the writers had prepared.

As expected of the man of the apocalypse—we all nodded.

“Stop saying weird things and gather up. The faster we make the plan, the earlier we sleep.”

“Yes!”

“Tomorrow we’ll start with Blue Mountains National Park.”

With Ri Hyuk and Biju at the center and the rest of us nodding along with oohs, the plan came together fast.

“Ah.”

The PD spoke, like he’d remembered something.

“And there’s one thing you have to do.”

“Yes?”

“On day three, you’ll pair up and do a partner trip. You’ll also need to draft an itinerary for that.”

We all started drafting plans for the partner trips.

Now and then we’d glance at each other’s sheets and be at a loss for words.

“......”

“......”

“Apple-picking... You came all the way to Australia to eat apples, Biju?”

“You’re going to a Flower Garden.”

Ridiculous schedules and bizarre itineraries written on the sheets.

We smiled warmly and shook our heads.

While praying to be paired with Ri Hyuk.

“Then great work, everyone!”

“Good job!”

We wrapped filming and each grabbed our mini-cams and headed upstairs.

While Jiho and Junhyun ran around the second floor going whoa-ah-ah, I grabbed a toothbrush to brush my teeth.

No. I was about to.

Thud.

“Hm...?”

It was the dental pouch Ri Hyuk had packed in Korea.

He said he’d pulled it from the disaster kits he prepared for the rest of the members. Inside, something wrapped in plastic.

A small note.

“What’s this?”

A note that said, “To. Wooju hyung.”

Judging from the tidy Pirarucu font, it looked like Ri Hyuk had written it.

“Ri Hyuk!”

“What! I’m busy!”

“If you’re busy, that’s fine.”

“What is it?”

His voice came with a sigh from his room down the hall.

“Say it. If I’m curious, I can’t work.”

“This essential kit you gave me. There’s a note that says To Wooju hyung—did you write this?”

And at that moment—

Ri Hyuk practically flew at me.

“Eek! What!”

“Hand over the note, now!”

“Why the face? That scratches my heart.”

“Ah! Give it here!”

He snatched the note in a panic and then, at almost superhuman speed, started going room to room.

Like a pro note-collection agent.

“What kind of letter is it?”

“A secret.”

“It’s in the disaster kit, which makes me even more curious. Tell me already.”

“Absolutely not.”

Then he told me:

“Don’t tell the other hyungs. Especially King Jiho.”

“Got it.”

“Promise.”

“Trust only me.”

“Swear on Ms. Kim Deoksun’s honor.”

“Th-that...”

Once I promised, Ri Hyuk finally smiled in relief.

“But you really won’t tell me what it is?”

“I’ll tell you when it’s time.”

I should’ve just opened it.

But it didn’t feel like something to read without permission, so it wasn’t so bad.

I was just curious.

“Well.”

I could see it later. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

I was brushing my teeth and checking today’s photos on my phone when—

Brat [No, composer lol]

Brat [Why did you go busking in Australia..?]

I blinked at the link attached to Taehyun’s messages.

“Huh?”

At the same time.

Souffle fans in Korea were sprawled out surfing the web, snacking on the tidbits falling from the sky.

‘Looks like the kids went to shoot a travel reality.’

Reports of sighting NewBlack in Australia were pouring in from all over.

—NewBlack who performed “Dokkaebi” in front of the Opera House

—Another flood of bizarre NewBlack sightings today.twt

—How to verify NewBlack rumors: Is this real? (True) Could be. (False)

Maybe because there are a hundred thousand Korean residents in that city, people recognized NewBlack everywhere.

They enjoyed the photos and videos with oohs.

‘What are they going to pull off this time?’

On the last travel reality, they came back with the title track “Falling Blossoms,” and even caught a seagull—my ultimate faves.

What would they bring back from Australia? Anticipation grew.

“Hm...?”

A video popped up in Souffles’ recommended on MeTube.

It was in English and had high views.

On the thumbnail...

‘Wooju and Junhyun? What are they doing there?’

A certain park with Sydney’s sea as the backdrop.

Wooju and Junhyun, holding instruments, were surrounded by a crowd in the thumbnail that caught the eye.