In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

"It's over!"

"It's finally over!"

We hugged one another with the younger members and savored the joy.

"Now we can ride airplanes less! Overseas trips are over now-!"

"Waaaaaa!"

The long, long 2017 global tour had finally come to an end.

When we started at Gocheok Dome, it had felt overwhelming, but at last the curtain had fallen.

No more dry-heaving and dizziness on planes.

Of course, our overseas schedules were not completely finished, but compared to the frantic flights during the tour, it was a piece of cake.

"You worked hard. Everyone really worked so hard."

"It's not even over yet."

Manager Hong Seoyoung said with a smile.

"We still have the Seoul concert."

"Still, the overseas tour schedule is done. That’s the biggest part."

I answered with a broad grin.

We waved our cards at the people laughing happily all around us.

"Tonight’s on us! What do you want to eat?"

"Beef!"

We decided to visit a Korean-style barbecue place that was trending among young people in Japan.

Soon, lively laughter filled the restaurant we arrived at.

Fat from the meat melted softly over the charcoal fire.

Staff who had shed their outerwear and were now in T-shirts downed beers one after another and burst into laughter.

Even our three new managers, usually stiff as boards, were smiling foolishly as they drank beer, the scent of alcohol spreading everywhere.

"Hyung, have a sip too."

At my words, Seokhwan waved his hands.

"This is the no alcohol zone. We have to keep it that way."

"You don’t have to......."

My table was the so-called no alcohol zone.

Instead of liquor bottles, cola cans sat on the table, and my underlings surrounded me in layers, guarding against alcohol like anti-air defense radar.

I grinned.

"You really don’t have to do this. You can just drink comfortably."

"No, no."

The youngest waved his hand with a magnanimous expression.

"We’re holding back for you."

"You don’t have to hold back. Just drink~"

"No. We really want to, but we’re not going to drink for your sake."

"That’s right."

"Exactly."

I snorted at the underlings nodding their heads.

They just can’t hold their liquor themselves....

I knew very well what kind of disgrace they had shown on the Australia travel reality when they used to tease me for being bad at drinking.

"I love you! I love you! I love you the most!"

Even if my memory was hazy, I could not forget Mr. Seo, his face flushed red, smiling brightly as he ran toward me and hugged me.

"Ugh."

"What? Why are you acting weird?"

"It’s nothing."

I wanted to tease him, but at least today I decided to protect Ri Hyuk’s ears.

It was a good day.

"Let’s toast."

"Yay-!"

We clinked our glasses with the younger members.

I glanced at Mingi and Wonseok mixing beer and soju at the next table and picked up a piece of meat from the grill.

Since our table was not drinking, comparatively normal topics flowed out.

Impressions of the dome venue today, the slogan event the fans had shown at the end, the first-day event where we smashed the cookie house, and so on.

Biju covered his mouth with his hand and burst into laughter.

"That was seriously so funny. You and Junhyun suddenly sneaking to the back and starting to break the house."

"We had no choice. I didn’t expect the cookies to run out."

"But the reaction was good."

It had been an improvisation, but fortunately the audience response had been tremendous.

I had heard that even in Korea people laughed after seeing photos Japanese fans uploaded.

Because of that, the audience on the second day at Osaka Dome seemed slightly disappointed. They must have expected us to smash the cookie house again, but thanks to the lesson from the day before, we had brought an enormous amount of cookies.

"Still, we wrapped it up well."

"Seriously."

I nodded and thought back from our first performances in Europe to today’s Osaka Dome concert.

"This year really flew by. In two months it’s the new year."

"And Hyung turns twenty-six~ Aaaaaah!"

After disciplining the tactless youngest, I picked up more meat.

Sentimentality was brief.

As we chatted, the topic naturally shifted to this month’s schedule.

"Ah."

Seokhwan looked at the memo app on his phone.

"I forgot to tell you. Wooju, you had an ad offer come in."

"An ad? What kind?"

"A game ad."

"......."

The underlings clutched their stomachs and burst into laughter.

I savored the taste of the melting meat and swallowed my anguish.

"What kind of concept?"

"Various. Some are games that show even people who are bad at games can play this much. Some are ads where you learn from famous streamers who appear on TV these days... not really styles I’d particularly recommend."

"I see."

I nodded, then flinched.

"But why did you say ‘had an ad offer’? It sounded past tense."

"That’s right."

Seokhwan smirked.

"When they heard your individual ad rate, they all ran away. I guess they thought it would be manageable if it was just you alone."

"My ad fee is that high?"

"It’s not just you. All of you are the same."

"......?"

Since we had not done individual ads lately, we did not really know the market rate.

Seokhwan whispered the amounts promised as ambassador fees from luxury brands including Leblanc.

"......That much?"

"Yeah."

"......."

While I blinked in ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) disbelief, the youngest stood up and tapped a spoon against his glass.

"Dear everyone."

"Yeees~!"

"Today’s sirloin is unlimited."

"Waaaaaaa-!"

We nodded contentedly.

After hearing the contract deposit amounts, they were figures large enough to buy the barbecue restaurant outright.

Seokhwan laughed.

"Anyway, once we told them the rate, the game companies panicked and ran."

"Oh dear."

"Still, a few companies remained. Want to look at the list?"

"Yeah."

"Keep in mind this list hasn’t been fully vetted yet."

I took the phone Seokhwan handed me, and the underlings stretched their necks and leaned in.

"Oh."

Junhyun’s eyes gleamed.

"I’ve heard of all these game companies."

"Yeah. They all seem to have decent capital."

Even I, who knew little about games, recognized most of the companies.

Most of them were promotional requests for newly launching games rather than existing ones.

"Let’s see."

We went through them one by one.

"New RPG game Heresy Mobile ad. Video ads and internet portal banners, plus a NewBlack Wooju-related cash item to be released. Revenue split to be negotiated later......."

"Mobile FPS game Rifle M ad. Sun Wooju commemorative skin release. Hmm... I’m not sure if they can implement your looks in 3D, but this one looks okay."

"Oh. This one isn’t mobile. It’s an RPG called Dream Tales, with a cute fairy-tale atmosphere. They want to promote it with copy like even beginners like Sun Wooju can play using auto-hunt......."

Promotional requests from about a dozen major game companies.

I turned to Junhyun.

"Junhyun. Do any feel good to you?"

"I’m not sure."

Not good, not bad. Neutral.

Junhyun, who was always the compass of our schedule, spun his chopsticks like a compass needle.

I fell into thought as well.

"Game ads......."

Even at this moment, ad requests kept coming in, yet we filmed only a small portion.

There were two reasons.

One was to avoid giving the public the image of being money-hungry.

A moderate amount was fine, but shooting an overwhelming number of ads was not good for a public image. So we were adjusting the number of ads from a long-term perspective so people would not grow tired of us.

No matter how likable someone was, if you saw their face everywhere all day, it would become annoying.

The other reason.

We only filmed ads that matched our image.

"You have to think of ads like a filmography."

That was our TF team leader’s belief.

"You have to shoot ads that suit you. So they create synergy."

From that perspective, the game ads listed here were somewhat ambiguous.

Brief details about the ad planning were attached, and there were parts that felt odd.

"......Looking at the ad content, I don’t know what this game has to do with me. No matter how I look at it, there’s no connection."

An ad where I just appear and say, "Please try it!"

It lacked persuasion when someone who did not look like they played games said, "I’m NewBlack, so you should try this game."

"Releasing a skin sounds too sloppy. It feels like they’re just trying to take Souffle’s money carelessly."

I did not really understand.

If Biju promoted kitchenware, that would be one thing. But would game users think, Sun Wooju is the model, so I should try it?

"Wow, he’s so bad at the game in the ad. I bet I’m better than that...!"

"I’m playing because Sun Wooju’s gameplay pissed me off."

Uh.......

Would that happen?

In any case, I could not see what part of me would appeal to the target audience.

It just felt like they were trying to squeeze something sweet out of the current buzz from the Idolympics, backed by enormous promotional budgets.

"Spending precious promotional funds like this......?"

For major domestic corporations, it seemed surprisingly sloppy.

As I smiled quietly, the youngest pointed at me and laughed.

"Wooju Hyung, your mouth is smiling but not your eyes."

"Oh. That’s the max rage smile when he’s dissatisfied with work."

"And he wonders why the A&R and producing team are scared of him."

"Ahem......."

At the younger members’ words, I regained my composure and asked Seokhwan to remove a few from the list.

For the rest, I decided to leave it to our expert.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

I smiled at the youngest, who pointed at himself and tilted his head.

"You’re the expert in games. I want you to judge them."

"Is that okay?"

"Of course."

The youngest brightened.

"That’s a relief. My mouth was itching to say something, but I held back. It felt weird to comment on your individual ads. But if you say so......."

Jiho, who prided himself on being a heavy game user, examined the remaining five or six entries with shining eyes.

"First of all, this is one hundred percent, Hyung. People who play games don’t really like it when idols do ads."

"I figured."

"Well, maybe it’d be okay if it’s you, but I’m just telling you in advance."

Then he began pointing them out one by one.

"First, pass on this one. It’s a Chinese company, and users are talking about boycotting it. There’s also the Northeast Project issue."

"Oh."

"And this company also has a lot of controversy. There’s no game company without controversy, but this one messed up a patch recently and caused chaos."

"Oh ho......."

"And here, in game communities people say the mobile division is a mess. A lot on this list seem like that. If they’re not confident in the game itself, they just pour money into promotions."

Ah. So that was why they wanted to use me.

As the youngest filtered them out one by one, he delivered the final blow.

"This company used to have amazing public sentiment."

"Yeah."

"But their image completely tanked this time. When users protested, they used a meme insulting users as a map name."

"What meme?"

"The map name is Cave of Pigs and Dogs. It’s just a place where snake monsters appear, totally unrelated."

"......Impressive."

I prided myself on having seen all sorts of agencies since my trainee days, but the game industry seemed no less intense.

Legendary anecdotes poured out, and Biju and Ri Hyuk listened with their mouths agape.

"And business still works?"

"Yes. Sadly......."

As we laughed blankly, we glanced at the staff mixing beer and soju nearby.

And then.

Sparkle, sparkle.

I rubbed my eyes.

"Is it just me? Suddenly there’s a halo......."

"Whoa, it’s real."

Suddenly our company staff looked more beautiful and handsome.

When I turned my head, a gentle Buddha-like glow began radiating from behind Seokhwan.

As if fifty million light bulbs had turned on.

I grabbed Seokhwan’s hand and shook it fervently.

"Thank you, Hyung."

"Huh......?"

"You’re like sunlight."

"Oh. Thank you...?"

I nodded at the underlings while looking at the bewildered Seokhwan.

Junhyun stood up and blew on a cola bottle like a trumpet. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Dear Lemon Entertainment family."

"Yeees!"

"Today, alcohol is unlimited too."

"Waaaaaaa!"

I smiled happily at our staff, who were laughing so prettily.

"Then we won’t do the game ad."

"No, no. It’s not over yet."

The youngest waved his hands.

"There’s one good one among them. The eleventh one."

"The eleventh? I don’t think I saw that."

Jiho grinned at my curious expression.

"This one’s an Airsoft ad."

"Are they famous?"

"Yeah, they’re a pretty big domestic game company. They want to use you for an ad for a new game console they’re launching... and this would seriously suit you perfectly."

The youngest whispered subtly, and I felt uneasy.

Last time, because of that tone, I ended up going to the Esports Idolympics and embarrassing myself thoroughly.

"Hmm......."

"Trust me this time. Something that fits your image perfectly came in."

"Really......?"

As I glanced over skeptically, Jiho introduced the ad concept.

"It’s MyTube promotional content with you and pro gamers together."

"......."

I already did not want to hear it.

"......What’s the ad about?"

The moment the youngest continued, the underlings burst out laughing collectively.

And.

This time, I laughed too.

Some time later.

Cars began arriving at a massive advertising studio.

"Wow. The weather’s great-!"

Pro gamer Shin Hyunsoo stepped out of the vehicle and stretched under the clear sky before entering the shade of the huge studio.

He asked his manager,

"We’re really filming with NewBlack?"

"Yes."

"Wow......."

He had stamped the contract in a rush before even knowing the exact ad concept.

"An ad with NewBlack......!"

Wasn’t this something to brag about everywhere?

Even just filming together would provide three months’ worth of drinking-party stories in thirty-two variations.

Strictly speaking, it was not NewBlack but Wooju.

But who was Wooju?

"The ringleader of NewBlack!"

The great leader who commanded the puppet collective Souffle in the fandom world.

If he was there, that meant the underlings who followed him like shadows would be swarming nearby.

"Haah......."

He prided himself on being a famous pro gamer with an impressive career, but the thought of meeting the nation’s top star made him nervous.

His manager asked the hesitating Hyunsoo,

"Hyung, aren’t you going in?"

"Let’s stay here a bit. We’ll go in when the others arrive."

Soon pro gamers from different titles but familiar faces began to appear.

"Hyunsoo Hyung, you’re here?"

"You came?"

"Why aren’t you going in?"

"Why aren’t you?"

"I’m kind of shy."

The shy pro gamers laughed together.

Shin Hyunsoo, the eldest and most experienced among them, said,

"Shall we go in?"

"Let’s go."

They wanted to enter with dignity.

And they deserved dignity.

In games, they possessed unparalleled careers.

Compared to them, Wooju was not just the weakest in the game world, but someone who would get slapped by the weakest.

But.......

"Ah. Is this really okay? For us?"

"Seriously."

The expressions of the pro gamers were not good as they entered the advertising studio.

Because of today’s ad concept.

Something about a million light-years away from their main PC game genres.

"Will this really be okay."

A fitness game ad where you swing a game controller to play table tennis or tennis.

The concept was that they would learn such games from Wooju.

[Pro Gamers]

[Welcome to Wooju’s Happy Game Camp!]

[Kyuu!!]

The pro gamers chuckled at the fluttering banner, then turned their gaze and saw Wooju in the distance.

Even from afar, his looks stood out.

"Oh! That’s really Wooju—"

"Uh......."

But the pro gamers froze.

"Wait. His outfit......."

A red drill instructor cap.

Black sunglasses.

An instructor whistle hanging from his neck.

And beside him, underlings wearing cheerful assistant caps, smiling brightly.

"......."

"......."

Faced with the smiling flower-boy instructors radiating happiness, the gamers began to feel fear.