In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

At the same time.

News about NewBlack’s gifts was spreading across social media and idol communities.

[NewBlack’s reverse support gift at today’s first music broadcast]

(A happy elderly American man and his sons smiling while making hamburgers.jpg)

They said they would make hamburgers, so they brought the hamburger shop owner.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Post the other photos tooㅋㅋ Guys, there are tons of snacks besides that!

-(Photo of a cheese ball tub the size of a jar.jpg) The cheese balls are freaking huge!! Someone said it could be used as a burial mound and everyone lost itㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why does that grandpa look so happy

-NewBlack ate at that burger place -> American Souffles visit -> huge win -> Korean tourists flood in -> curious locals swarm too

-They’re renaming the burger NewBlack Burgerㅋㅋㅋ I heard it on site

-How’s the taste???? Is it good???

-It was so goodㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I want one too

Just like the comments said, what people were most curious about was the taste.

As questions about the flavor flooded social media, the ones on site tapped away at their phones with fingers shiny from french fry grease.

@KimNorang

Now I get why friends who went to Southeast Asia say, "Hey, you have to try real mango there." Everyone, this is what a real hamburger tastes like.

Everything we ate in Korea until now was not a hamburger.

@Kyuhojjang_kkanbate

Ahh— so this is a “hamburger.”

@King_jiho

It feels like when the Joseon envoys first visited America and tried their first hamburger. So this is the taste of America.

Franchise burgers are all fake.

It’s like when a friend comes back from Southeast Asia and says, "You just haven’t tasted real fruit. What you eat in Korea is fake!"

Idol fans stomped their feet.

"Damn it, I’m so jealous!"

Whenever a famous American burger chain opens in Gangnam, Koreans line up all day.

And here, a true master of hamburgers from the homeland came in person to make them.

There was nothing more enviable.

Some people began trembling like the fox in Aesop’s fable, shouting, "Those are sour grapes!"

[Aren’t American burgers super salty??]

Anyway they’re salty.

They must be super salty.

Probably like Salt Lake City.

The Souffles on site let out a soft snort, their lips shiny with grease.

-I was worried American food would be too strong in flavor but don’t worry. Seems like they adjusted it for Korean tastes

-The boys already suggested itㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Damn I’m so jealous

-The seasoning is perfect though

-I knowㅠㅠㅠㅠ I’m just jealousㅠㅠㅠㅠ

The trembling fans searched delivery apps with complicated expressions.

"Guess I’ll settle for a handmade burger today."

Then they looked up the shop run by a man named Mark Weber, who had been cooking hamburgers on site, and added it to their bucket lists.

Meanwhile.

The Souffles watching today’s gift started thinking rapidly.

"They brought burger shop owners while expanding into America?"

In that case!

[Guys I hope they expand into Italy]

I want to try pasta

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-???: We brought a master of one-hundred-year traditional aglio e olio just for you

-I just imagined ordering vongole at a music broadcast

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is killing me

Starting from one random post, jokes began appearing about where they should visit next.

-Imagine them expanding to France and bringing a macaron master

-Huge win

-Let’s make a full list of famous restaurantsㅋㅋㅋ

-Nasi goreng made by an Indonesian... tonkotsu ramen made by a Japanese chef...

-I want Neapolitan pizza

-Overseas activities... not bad..?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-I want a souffle brought from the homeland of Souffle, France

-Then if they go to North Korea is it Pyongyang cold noodles??

-That’s not allowed.

Everyone burst into laughter at the fans’ shameless desire to use their favorite idols for personal gain.

Of course, there were people who took it seriously.

"Hoh."

The Demon King and his four henchmen were monitoring online reactions in the waiting room.

"Hyung, this sounds like a pretty good idea."

"The response is good."

"Should we push it as is?"

Grand fantasies began spreading through their minds.

-Now! Today is the Souffle Expo! To celebrate NewBlack, culinary masters from around the world have gathered!

-Hello. I am Roberto, a pizza master from Italy.

-Today for NewBlack’s music broadcast we invited sushi master Nakamura. In the tank, there are fresh live fish...!

The five of us placed both hands against our blushing cheeks like sunflowers.

"Hoooo!"

"This is good!"

Laughter echoed through the waiting room.

Finally, pre-recording time.

After finishing even the dry rehearsal, we stepped into the K net studio for the final rehearsal.

"Waaaaaaah!"

We waved at the cheering Souffles and smiled.

"Pfft!"

"Hahaha!"

Without anyone starting it, laughter burst out among us.

Sparkle sparkle.

It was because of our Souffles shining in the darkness. Under the glowing light sticks, their lips and fingers glittered with grease.

Even their bright eyes seemed rounder somehow.

"Did you eat well?"

"Yeeeeees!"

"If you thought the hamburger was the best, raise your hand!"

Everyone raised their hands.

"If you liked the hot dog better than the hamburger, raise your hand!"

Most hands went down.

Junhyun smiled contentedly.

"That’s a relief. Tomorrow’s music broadcast menu is hot dogs."

"Gasp!"

At the loud gasp from someone, laughter exploded among the Souffles.

So cruel! they protested, booing, and we smiled.

"This hot dog place is really good too. Their chili hot dog is famous. Honestly, it’s the best hot dog we’ve ever had."

"That’s right. The sauce is really......."

The youngest added,

"You guys have to try it too. The moment you eat it, you’ll think, ‘Ah, this is America’......."

"Booooooo!"

"Wow. Listen to them boo! After eating all the hamburgers!"

"Boooooo!"

"Traitors!" the youngest gritted out, making the Souffles laugh fondly.

Looking at fans who had become plump like seasonal fruit, we smiled warmly as well.

In the end, there’s no place like home.

The American award show had been a fun experience, but being here in this music broadcast studio with our fans felt the most fun.

It was like we shared something only among ourselves.

"You waited a long time, right? No matter how long or short the actual time was, it always feels like it’s been a while since we last met."

Shy smiles returned.

"And when we meet again, it feels familiar, like we see each other all the time. I guess we’ve grown really attached."

"But there must be people who just became fans this time."

"Oh. Right."

At Ri Hyuk’s words, I raised my hand and whispered,

"Sorry if we made you feel left out."

The Souffles burst into laughter.

"But even those who just became fans must have encountered us somehow before... so maybe our inner closeness is already there? We’ll just get even closer from now on."

"That’s right."

Biju nodded in agreement.

While saying that, we properly greeted the Souffles.

"I feel like I always start with this. Thank you so much for waiting. You must have waited a lot, but we were really waiting for this moment too."

"Waaaaaaah!"

"Then, shall we start recording?"

"Yes!"

We signaled to the PD that we were done talking and took our positions.

Finally, the first performance of METRO in Korea.

Throughout the pre-recording, amid the hot cheers and shouts, we felt alive again.

"Waaaaaaah!"

Even during the VMA, it hadn’t felt real.

Only now did it feel like we had truly returned.

The American food trucks were definitely effective.

Not only were the plumper Souffles cheering louder than usual, but it was also remarkably effective at warding off natural enemies.

"Wow. It’s Sun Wooju."

"Wow."

"Get him."

"You said during Not Fine recording, ‘We prepared an amazing song for you,’ and then you immediately teased us with METRO?"

Dressed like pop stars, beautiful goddesses of fury rushed toward me, but I wasn’t afraid at all.

"A congratulatory hit......! Huh?"

The Scarlet members who had come right up to me sniffed the air.

As expected, sharp noses.

Nayoon flared her nostrils and blinked.

"Where is that delicious smell coming from......."

"You got it right."

I snapped my fingers, and the henchmen lined up behind me stepped forward with trays.

When the lids were lifted, American hamburgers were revealed.

The rich scent of grilled meat patties filled the air, and warm yellow cheese melted down with visible heat.

"Th-this... this is totally an American hamburger......!"

"That’s right."

After explaining everything, I presented the specially prepared hamburgers for Scarlet.

Was this how countries felt when they offered gifts to prevent invasions and pursue peace?

As they carefully accepted the hamburgers, I smiled.

"I heard you hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so I ordered these specially."

"Wooju!"

Looking at the girl group on the verge of tears from happiness, I smiled contentedly.

Crisis averted.

At my signal, Junhyun handed over a convenience store bag. Nayoon peeked inside like a chick.

"What’s this?"

"After you finish, it might feel greasy. Kimchi and cup noodles as snacks."

"Oppa!"

"Wooju!"

Now it really seemed perfect.

Watching Scarlet chew on cheeseburgers, completely distracted by food, I handed out hamburgers to the other staff as well.

Then we returned to our waiting room.

"There’s still a lot left."

Even after distributing them to staff, there were burgers left.

It was because Mark Weber, excited by the Souffles’ energy, had made burgers like crazy.

-It felt like I was a pop star. Every time I sprinkled salt, they applauded and cheered. Hahaha!

-But... the quantity of burgers?

-Ah. I got excited and ended up making too many.

Looking at the mountain of thinly wrapped burgers, I immediately concluded,

"Let’s distribute them."

"Yes."

Fortunately, since we were the most senior act on today’s broadcast, we didn’t need to go around visiting others first.

Knock knock.

As the live broadcast approached, singers kept flying over the threshold.

"Hello, sunbae! We’re Sinister!"

"Sunbae, we’re Iris. May we come in?"

"Hellooooo!"

We exchanged greetings and well-wishes with junior singers and bestowed hamburgers upon them.

"Do you like American hamburgers?"

"Oh! So that’s the smell from outside. Yes, we love them. We were actually thinking of getting handmade burgers for dinner......."

"Take plenty."

"Thank you!"

It was enjoyable.

It was nice seeing singers we hadn’t met in a while and hearing what they’d been up to.

Among them, what caught our attention was.......

"M. I. S. T! Hello! We’re Mist."

"Huh?"

The younger members’ eyes widened.

"You changed your name? Weren’t you Wet Tissue before?"

I asked the surprised members,

"You didn’t know?"

"No. Did you know, hyung?"

"Yeah."

It seemed I was the only one who had been listening to new music releases.

Kwak, the leader of the former Wet Tissue and current Mist, explained,

"Our CEO said we needed attention first, so we debuted as Wet Tissue. Thankfully, after gaining popularity, we changed our name to Mist."

"Good change."

"Yes, my mother can finally tell relatives that I debuted as an idol."

Laughter flowed.

We gave Mist our blessings and handed them hamburgers.

Even though it had only been four months, coming back to music broadcasts made it truly feel like a comeback.

Even waiting was enjoyable.

Filming special corners requested by the music show was fun too.

-Congratulations! Scarlet’s Not Fine!

This week’s number one was Scarlet’s Not Fine.

During the encore stage, Scarlet shouted, "Thank you so much, composer Kim Deokchun!" and the gazes of idols and ballad singers turned toward me.

"......."

I pretended not to know and stared into the air, making those around me laugh.

Anyway.

Starting with the first week of music broadcasts, while briefly promoting in America, I was able to relax my tense body and promote comfortably.

"Friday! Today’s menu is hot dogs!"

"Gwaaaaaah!"

"Saturday! Saturday means California food! Tacos and burritos!"

"Grrrrrr!"

"Sunday! On Sunday it’s buffalo wings!"

Jumping around energetically with the plumper Souffles, performing together.

"Today’s ultra special guest at Idol School! It’s NewBlack!"

"Hello~!"

We also appeared on K net’s idol program Idol School, bickering with the younger members to win prizes.

"We have very precious guests on HBS MTV? The ones who confessed to a cat on Idol Show, saying ‘Kim Deoksun is mine!’ and who saved our program with a legendary stag beetle meme...!"

"Yes, we’re NewBlack. Please don’t mention that."

We also appeared again on HBS MTV’s idol information program and reunited with MC Seri and BookBook.

We wanted to appear on more variety shows, but that was the limit.

After Friday to Sunday promotions, we had to fly to the U.S. East Coast on Monday for more promotions.

"Why does time pass so quickly?"

"Exactly."

Thus, today was Sunday, September 3.

The August heat had ended, and autumn seemed to be approaching.

The day our first week of music broadcasts ended.

And.

The day to select winners for next week’s fan signing event.

"My heart is pounding!"

"Thump thump!"

The prize for the fan signing event was a non-sale CD.

Since there was no physical album for the digital single, a specially produced album would be provided at this signing.

The competition was expected to be fierce.

Because of that, the selection method would be a little unique.

"Souffles will like it, right?"

Looking at what we had prepared together, I smiled contentedly.

Another happy day of fangirling.

Souffles could hardly contain their excitement at the steady stream of updates.

-NewBlack, rapid-fire schedule... Idol Show, Idol School recordings completed

-What’s next week’s music broadcast menu for NewBlack?.. Netizens: I want to become a Souffle too

-[Zoom In] The “this” from NewBlack’s music broadcast menu... eaten every Tuesday in America?

From idol programs brimming with idol charm to self-produced content uploaded on MyTube.

It was a flood of content.

Even veteran Souffles who usually paddled through content floods like forty-year rafting enthusiasts couldn’t relax this time.

"If you slip up, you’ll miss something."

They had to focus hard on fangirling.

Only then could they keep up with NewBlack TV’s dance practice videos and all the behind-the-scenes clips.

"That’s right! Our boys are idols!"

Perhaps because of the sorrow of having shared them with the general public for a while.

They were happy seeing their favorites overflowing with idol charm.

Pure fangirling bliss.

The only regret.......

"Ugh. Those nuisances."

Some thoughtless people who rushed to the food trucks meant only for fans attending the music broadcast.

Some simply showed up saying, "I’ll pay, just let me eat too!"

Others approached fans who were about to eat and asked, "How much will you sell it for?" trying to buy their portions.

Because of that, Lemon Entertainment announced they would take separate measures starting next week.

Aside from that, everything was perfect.

Only fun news otherwise.

If idol-related content was famous among fans, other news was famous among the general public.

[The grandpas from Food Before Sightseeing received a letter from NewBlack!!]

On Food Before Sightseeing, where Wooju and Biju had toured Gunsan, there were three real estate grandpas who had bickered with them, insisting they release an English song.

The members had sent postcards from America with a handwritten note saying, "So we released an English song!!" along with gifts.

In a video filmed by a granddaughter, one grandpa received the letter and teared up, saying, "Oh my...."

"Ah. So heartwarming."

Wasn’t this the virtuous cycle?

Citizens suggested good ideas, NewBlack absorbed them and grew.

Though for Lemon Entertainment staff, it might have meant something slightly different.

Fans reading that news turned their attention elsewhere.

"Ah, but I want to eat it too......."

They were already dying of jealousy over fans who attended recordings.

Seeing posts saying, "Recording 후기," happily declaring, "This is what buffalo wings are!" made them envious.

And.

The shoulders of the lucky recording winners rose proudly.

-Hah, jealous~

-Well. It wasn’t that special? Just enough to make me realize every # Nоvеlight # hot dog I’d eaten before was fake.

-When a master grills it, it’s different. Apparently he’s been making hot dogs in LA since the Great Depression. A hot dog place with pedigree?

Like young ladies in elegant dresses, they strutted proudly.

But that smile, as if they owned the world, did not last long.

A far more important event was approaching.

"Non-sale item?!"

For the digital single fan signing, a separately produced album would be given, and it was non-sale.

A chance to make eye contact and talk with their favorite plus ultra-rare goods versus a master-grilled hamburger.

For fans, the former overwhelmingly won.

"I have to win!"

Souffles clicked the application post and swallowed.

Sample prize photo.

A stylish CD labeled METRO, packaged in a sturdy hard case like a real album.

And if they received members’ handwritten autographs on it.......

Souffles swallowed hard, then exhaled.

"That bastard Gyuho! Just sell the album! Making it limited edition, damn it......."

After venting, they shook their heads.

What’s done is done.

What mattered was winning the event.

[Answer the quiz about NewBlack and win!]

Souffles clenched their fists.

"A quiz about the boys? I’ve got this."

They opened the server time and waited, pressing "Apply" at the exact moment.

A new window opened.

But.......

It was serious.

Along with what looked like a mock college entrance exam sheet, it read:

[Period 1: Seori Hyuk’s Seori Section]

"Period 1?"

It felt like a NewBlack mock exam.

Souffles burst into laughter and looked at Question 1 in the Seori Section.

"Let’s see if I can solve this."

[Question 1]

Kim Junhyun, holding a grudge against Kim Biju, made 200g of salt water with a 10% concentration by adding salt to water.

Wang Jiho mistook it for something tasty and drank 50g, then spat it out at Sun Wooju. Feeling slightly guilty, Kim Biju decided to add water to the remaining 150g of salt water to make it a 5% solution.

How many grams of water must be added? [3 points, short answer]

Souffles clenched their fists.

"Seori Hyuk......!"