In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

When, thanks to the success of episode 1, was uploaded in LA at the same time as in Korea,

viewers in Korea were sitting down with huge expectations.

“What will they pull out today?”

It was the second and final episode of the romance-fantasy special.

On Saturday night, as families huddled around their TVs, Souffle checked their phones and tilted their heads.

“Hm?”

There was a news item online.

— HBS extends NewBlack special by one more episode... “Will include behind-the-scenes cuts”

The show that was slated to end today had been extended by one more episode.

“Breaking now: it’s not ending today.”

“Yeah?”

“Looks like HBS decided to milk it because NewBlack’s on. They’ll air today, then add a behind-the-scenes block next week for one more.”

“The network punks know what they’re doing.”

Viewers accepted the plan to air a ‘2.5 episode’ cut and then make it three parts with behind-the-scenes added.

“If I ran a network, I’d do the same. Honestly, two weeks with NewBlack and done would feel too short.”

“So it doesn’t end today?”

“We can just finish it next week, whatever~”

With that cozy smile, they watched the TV.

During the ad break they nibbled snacks and asked, “Is Wooju okay?” 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

“Whew, they packed in a ridiculous number of ads.”

Maybe because the ratings had spiked, there were about 1.5 times more ads than last week’s NewBlack episode.

After the ad where Ri Hyuk looks blissed out sniffing lavender from freshly washed bedding—

“Ri Hyuk doesn’t even like lavender.”

“He still has to make money.”

[Last week!]

[The shocking identity of the Northern Duke...!]

Last week’s recap sped by and the main story began.

NewBlack had entered the Dragon Castle ruled by the Northern Duke, started their adventure, and now were being chased by Dracula, who’d revealed himself.

[Aaaargh!]

The members, fleeing in a panic, ran into a cannibal and froze, neither able to fight nor flee.

“Yikes!”

“If you ask me, Junhyun can definitely take him. If Junhyun steps up, that grandpa’s folding in half.”

“Dad, Grandpa’s face doesn’t look happy...”

Everyone expected Junhyun to take out the cannibal old man.

— A cannibal is exactly the kind of thing Junhyun handles

— Go, Kim Junhyun

— This one’s Junhyun’s to bag lol

— He can bag anything that isn’t already dead

— I wonder if the crew warned folks in advance... “Sir, that kid breaks walls when startled”

— Looks like the cannibal grandpa is the real danger in the story lol

— Thank goodness he’s American. If he were a Korean grandpa this would be terrifying for him

On TV the members clearly had the same thought, pressing Junhyun with “Hurry, attack!”

But Junhyun didn’t respond.

His pupils trembled like someone who’d seen something he shouldn’t.

“What’s up with him?”

“Maybe he’s too hungry to have strength?”

“The kid suddenly lost all his pep...”

The reason was revealed right away.

[Junhyun]

I’m not scared of most things. But I’ve been afraid of the sack-man story since I was little.

He was afraid of the sack-man, and the cannibal grandpa in front of him looked exactly like that.

— An unexpected weak point lol

— Okay, we found Kim Junhyun’s weakness..!

— And once you know that, what are you going to do with it

— Nothing... we just... know it...

— Like we could do anything even if we know... we just know...

Viewers laughed.

“The kid’s secretly dim and cute.”

While Junhyun hid behind Wooju, peeking out, the cannibal was fortunately taken out by Dracula’s three brides.

That also signaled the end of the first escape phase.

Next up looked like a bloody chase between Dracula and the members.

After the rules explanation that every set interval the invisible walls widened, expanding the vampires’ range—

“There’s a wall there!”

At the younger ones’ words, Wooju ran out in front of the vampires and mimed an invisible wall, drawing gasps.

“...Why can I see a wall?”

Adult viewers took off their glasses, rubbed their eyes, and looked again.

Seeing Wooju feel around thin air exactly as if a wall were there, they couldn’t help but marvel.

“How does he know how to do that too...?”

“He must go to a school that only teaches weird stuff. He brings back weird skills every day.”

“No, Mom—if that kind of school exists, Wooju is the principal.”

“True~”

As usual, the image of “a handsome guy who’s good at strange things” kept getting reinforced.

Online, related posts were popping up.

A video from a past NewBlack fansign.

[Rewatch: Wooju’s fansign mime]

(A fan says “mussel!” and bursts into cough-laughing .gif)

Fan: Wooju, I feel a wall between you and me.

Wooju: Really?

Fan: Yeah. The wall is—

Wooju: Who told you? That there’s a wall here.

— First time I’ve seen a ‘perfect’ pun crash like this lol

— Wow, dude was a pro mime in a past life

— lololololol

— When was this?

— Must’ve been the Falling Blossoms fansign

— Last year... he really worked his way up to here

— The fan who tried to tease her bias with a pun is now immortalized as “Mussel Human”

— The only named folks the fandom accepts even when they dunk on NewBlack: 1) Squid Princess 2) Mussel Human 3) Kim Deoksun

— Granny infiltration rate lol

As last year’s fansign mime resurfaced,

on TV the Vampire Duke and Biju bickered—“I love you,” “If you love me, pay in cash!”

It was funny, but most people had the same reaction.

“But that actor is really handsome. I honestly thought they’d flown in an actual foreign noble.”

“He doesn’t get outshined even next to the NewBlack kids.”

Attention turned to actor Ronnie Lucas.

When he was the Northern Duke people went “oh,” but as Dracula with that seductive styling his face stood out.

— Dracula is insanely handsome

— Handsome

— Don’t know who you are, but I love you

— God, he’s so good-looking

While viewers were admiring the Vampire Duke glowing side-by-side with Biju,

the Duke and Wooju’s faces appeared in the same frame.

“Hm?”

Viewers froze.

“...Wooju’s better-looking.”

They’d been pleased thinking “the Northern Duke is handsome,” but the moment Wooju slid into the same frame, the other suddenly looked... ordinary.

Only then did Koreans wear shocked expressions.

“Right. Wooju was handsome...”

“Goodness.”

“Why didn’t we notice five minutes ago.”

With a comparison subject on screen, Koreans gasped “wow,” but hadn’t consciously clocked it before.

Skin white like jade despite the ordeal.

Features laid out neatly on smooth skin, like ornate patterns painted on white porcelain.

— So Wooju was this handsome

— Not easy to crash like this with a face like Goryeo celadon

— His behavior leaves us speechless, that’s why

— (a meme of someone entering 3×2 on the microwave and nuking two curry packs for 6 minutes .gif)

— Foreigners keep talking about NewBlack’s looks and I wondered why; I’m convinced again tonight

— Maybe that’s why he gets away with bad jokes... everyone laughs when they look at his face

— Purely on looks he’s Korea’s ideal type rank no. 1

— And if you include personality...?

— (a chart graphic where the ranking plummets .gif)

— Why are you like this to Wooju ㅠㅠ lol

While Koreans watched with a mysterious swell of pride, NewBlack tore through the escape rooms.

“I solved the code but the door won’t open. Junhyun! Can you do something about this door!”

“Hold on.”

With vampires closing in, the members yelled and Junhyun poured on the strength.

And—

The door shattered, they dashed through in relief, then Ri Hyuk stopped.

“Hold up.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a sliding door.”

“...”

Viewers smiled at how Junhyun’s strength had converted a sliding door into a swing door.

“As long as he’s healthy...”

“If it opens by swinging, it’s a swing door, whatever...”

“He rips doors.”

Scenes that made you mutter “those idiots” kept coming.

Even when offered [beef snacks + hard route] versus [easy route], they chose the former.

“We don’t know what traps you’ve set, but with these snacks refueling us, you’re no match.”

“Right!”

“Huh? The floor... aaaargh!”

The floor collapsed; Wooju and Junhyun plastered themselves to the wall.

“Heh heh heh heh. The floor collapses?”

“Then you hang on the wall, right?”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Ahahahahaha!”

Netizens smiled.

— They’re fools, but not easy prey

— lol

— And they’re fast at escaping, that’s the point lol

— This is great

— A team proving that if your idiocy has perfect teamwork, it works

— Maybe “21st-century creative talent” adults praised was secretly NewBlack

With creative solutions, NewBlack sped through problems the producers had made.

Meanwhile—

As they were thrillingly chased by Dracula and the three brides,

“Ooh...”

The identity of H, known to have arrived in this romance-fantasy world earlier than NewBlack, came closer and closer.

Like following bread crumbs someone had dropped, NewBlack closed the distance as they pursued.

“Who is it?”

A celebrity guest?

With curious eyes on the screen, NewBlack opened a hatch down into a storm drain.

[Clang. Clang. Clang.]

As the iron ladder rang hollow, they raised a lamp and someone came into view.

A grimy aristocrat’s outfit.

Someone with handcuffs on his wrists turned his head—and across on- and offline came a chorus of “Huh?”

“Hey, isn’t that the popular kid from TNT?”

“I’ve seen him somewhere.”

“That’s Han Taehyun, the dancer from TNT.”

The identity of H, said to be the one Dracula loved before Biju appeared.

As the members’ shocked faces filled the TV, online was heating up.

— Bananas guest lol

— Wow, Han Taehyun

— They actually booked him lol

— Guest is insane

— Taehyun ahhhhh

— Is he on because he’s besties with Sun Wooju??

Most netizens recognized the famous face, and things got noisy for a moment.

While the members teased Han Taehyun on TV, ’s ratings ticked up.

— Guys guys turn on HBS now, Taehyun is on

— Taehyun on a NewBlack variety!!!

— I was watching HBS and my bias showed up and I screamed

Timelines and message windows buzzed as TNT fans and Han Taehyun’s fans turned on the TV.

“What the— it’s real.”

It was rare to see him on variety since TNT went on hiatus.

Seeing their bias cameo after so long, Han Taehyun’s fans smiled, moved.

“...Did NewBlack invite him? Thank you in any case.”

The styling was perfect too.

He wore what a medieval noble might wear, grimy and all—but that was the point.

With visuals like an heir to a fallen noble house, fans smiled warmly and praised the variety team’s stylist.

“A cultured man. Truly cultured...”

While Taehyun’s fans were rejoicing, idol communities were full of laughter.

[Turns out the Northern Duke’s taste was evergreen]

(a year-end stage .gif of Han Taehyun’s soft, ornate lines)

(a Billboard stage .gif of Biju dancing smoothly)

He likes evergreens

— Certified dance connoisseur

— Lord Dracula suddenly feels familiar... we share tastes ^^

— Yo where’s that whiff of pine resin coming from

— So he likes a main dancer with soft lines

— He’s from overseas but his taste is iron-plated Namsan pine

— Pollen’s flying

— As someone who only stans main dancers, very relatable lol This is killing me

— Loves flashy lines with a classy vibe

Not what production intended, but idol fans’ readings spread and made the general public laugh.

“So he was a main dancer like Biju.”

The fact that Han Taehyun is a main dancer was getting known too.

With an impactful entrance, Han Taehyun rolled naturally with NewBlack, helping their escape.

They had to flee by boat, but the key to start the boat hung on Dracula’s neck.

As they entered the final act to get it—

“We’ll use this dress to lure the Duke.”

From a wardrobe room, a beautiful dress on the wall appeared and all eyes turned to one person.

Doki-doki.

While people thought “No way...?” the screen showed Wooju winning the draw and putting on the dress.

“Oh my.”

Gasps echoed through homes.

But it wasn’t a dainty dress—that body looked more like a Scottish warrior in a kilt, a handsome man with a solid build.

The ultimate weapon: Lady.

“What am I even looking at right now?”

Viewers stared, blank.

And—

Just as Lady Wooju strode in with sword and shield, cracking the “Captain Flower” line and sending immersion to its peak—

“Huh?”

Episode 2 of cut off.

“...”

“...”

With a [Next week!] bumper, viewers nationwide grabbed their heads in unison.

“Hey!”

“No! They...!”

“What is this. Where’s the next part?”

A polite caption asked them to tune in next week for the “part 3 cum special episode,” and viewers fumed.

While angry viewers hurled rocks on HBS’s viewer board and HBS grinned, satisfied with the perfect bait,

— “Call me Captain Flower”... the last 30 seconds of “From Now On” did everything

— NewBlack launches a counterattack in earnest—will they capture “Dracula”

— NewBlack’s Wooju, surprise physique reveal... “The world’s sturdiest lady”

Online was wall-to-wall articles about NewBlack’s Wooju, likely thanks to the shock of the final scene.

In the middle of it all, someone giggled.

“Hehehehe...”

A very happy elementary schooler.

“Hohohoho...”

It was Kim Biju’s little brother, Kim Minjun.

All through the show, even while everyone else—mom, dad, and the masses—were laughing, Minjun watched, dead serious.

But now that it was over and everyone was railing “Show us more!”

he was smiling.

“Wooju hyung stole all the impact...!”

When Biju hyung first put on the dress and went hohohoho, his mood had been beyond gloomy.

“I don’t want to go to school. Seriously...”

He was sure the girls at school would chirp, “Kim Biju is so pretty!”

He’d heard that all last week and... he’d had enough.

He knew it isn’t easy for his brother to make money, but still he’d pout, “I’m embarrassed!”

Now it was all in the past.

“When I go to school next week, they’ll only talk about Wooju hyung. My brother got completely buried...”

Kyarrrk.

The kid laughed happily.

He couldn’t wait to get to school and tease people about Wooju hyung.

“They’re smart...”

That was my thought watching episode 2 of HBS’s .

Smart.

They could have wrapped it cleanly in two episodes like other specials, but they extended it just a touch and cut it at a truly exquisite beat for maximum impact.

Our resident drama expert, the maknae, said,

“That’s called a cliffhanger—hanging off a cliff. It makes it impossible not to watch the next episode.”

“I see.”

“You know they’ll be saved from the cliff next time, but right now you’re dying to ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) know.”

It was more effective to stop at “Lady Wooju appears!” than to finish with Lady Wooju sweeping Dracula and the end.

I agreed.

It was a truly effective ending.

Anyone would be curious about what comes next, and they won’t forget my entrance as Captain Flower.

A great situation that delivered both fun and impact as variety.

The problem...

“Oh, Captain Flower, is it.”

“It popped in my Netplus recommendations yesterday, I watched it. You came out like Joan of Arc.”

“Bwahahaha! A lady.”

On my way to discharge, I kneaded my temples behind sunglasses as employees I passed in the hall kept recognizing me.

“I’ve decided.”

“Decided what?”

“...We have to leave this country immediately.”

The younger ones burst out laughing.