In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Who is Seo Ri Hyuk?

If you stop a hundred people on the street and ask, you would probably get similar answers.

– The one who sings the best in NewBlack.

– Um... he looks cold, but he has a warm charm?

– Pirarucu.

But what if you ask those of us who live with Ri Hyuk twenty four hours a day?

“My underlings.”

“Yes.”

“Who is Seo Ri Hyuk?”

At my question, the underlings fell into thought, then answered one by one.

Biju started.

“He is warmer than he looks, but it feels like that warmth is somewhat overestimated.”

“Someone born to oppose.”

“Ri Hyuk hyung is just Seo Ri Hyuk.”

That is right!

Our child born under the star of opposition, opposing everything.

Even if he is about to go left, the moment I say, “It is left!” he turns right out of spite.

A personality that nags all day just because someone touched one of his things!

“When did I?”

And that shameless personality that denies things that clearly happened!

“Why are you muttering to yourself?”

“It is nothing.”

I cleared my throat and said,

“Anyway, this is how we see you.”

“Stop lying. I know you all like me.”

“Pfft!”

Jiho went “Pfft!” and we burst into laughter. Ri Hyuk glared at us with a face red as a persimmon.

“Stop laughing!”

But our ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) laughter had already burst out, and we could only clutch our stomachs and roll around.

I wrapped an arm around the shoulders of the crane, who was pouting awkwardly.

“No, it is true that we like you... but you do not have to say it so confidently.......”

“Ugh.”

“But liking someone as family and personality are separate matters.......”

“You people, seriously.”

With a wistful smile, I looked into the distance. Ri Hyuk brushed off my arm and looked around at us.

“So I am saying there is no hate.”

The reason this whole mess started was because of what Ri Hyuk had just said.

As the four of us bickered over who possessed Seo Ri Hyuk’s love, he sighed.

“Shouldn’t you be discussing who has the hate? I am fundamentally a person with affection as my base.”

That was why even Biju had argued back.

Looking at us, who were staring in disbelief, Ri Hyuk spoke seriously.

“I am usually too embarrassed to say this... but I really care about all of you.”

“......”

We flinched at the sudden sincerity attack.

Then we looked at each other.

“All right. Let us say Ri Hyuk is right. Then now let us figure out who is in charge of Ri Hyuk’s hate.”

“Junhyun and I will step out.”

“Why?”

“This feels like something Jiho and hyung need to compete over.”

I grabbed the hem of Biju’s pants as he tried to slip away with a smile.

“What are you talking about? You two are not exactly innocent when it comes to wronging Ri Hyuk. For example, Biju, last time in Ri Hyuk’s room... mmph!”

Seeing Ri Hyuk narrow his eyes, Biju laughed and covered my mouth.

With that desperate look, I decided to let it go quietly.

Ri Hyuk asked,

“...So are we not going to debate who the object of love and hate is? I was going to be the moderator.”

At that, Jiho and I blinked.

“Hate? What hate? Maknae, what is Ri Hyuk talking about right now?”

“I do not know either. What could it be~”

“Let us just watch the drama.”

“Yes!”

We laughed together and lightly bumped fists.

‘The probability is one half. Between you and me, one of us will definitely get hurt.’

‘Sometimes there are things better left unasked.’

At our act of pretending not to know, Ri Hyuk only pouted with a prim expression.

“When does the advertisement end?”

I lowered the volume on a noisy bidet commercial blasting water cannons.

“These ads never end.”

“It is Writer Oh Jeonghee’s work. It deserves this many ads.”

“That is true.......”

On the TV screen, the logo stood out clearly.

Oh Jeonghee.

It is often said that if Director Kim Ikwan is the ten million director of the film industry, then in the drama world, there is Writer Oh Jeonghee.

A star writer with enough power to cast top stars like Senior Lee Gyeonwoo with just one phone call. There are even rumors that famous actors postpone other drama schedules just to receive her scripts.

“What was the rating for last year?”

“It passed 25 percent.”

At the youngest’s answer, I clicked my tongue.

The peak rating of , the fusion historical romance written by Oh Jeonghee last year, was a whopping 25 percent.

It was a rating rarely seen even on terrestrial channels these days, and it was achieved on cable GTV.

A simple story about a genius painter and a scholar of Joseon falling in love, but it gained immense popularity for its uniquely comedic setup and flavorful storytelling.

People say her stories are full of obvious clichés, but she wins with characters and dialogue.

“And in a writer’s work like that, our fourth member singing the main OST.......”

“Well done, Seo Ri Hyuk.”

“I raised him myself. Haha.”

At our satisfied expressions, Ri Hyuk made an incredulous face, yet the corners of his lips twitched.

Right then.

“It is starting!”

With the GTV logo and the age rating notice that basically says, ‘It is for 15 and up but we know kids will watch,’ the drama began.

[Roar!]

The sound of a tiger’s roar burst from the break room TV, making us jump.

“Geez, that startled me.”

The newest TV our CEO bought so we could enjoy ourselves in the break room.

Thanks to the surround audio system installed for tens of millions of won, the sound was immersive like a movie theater.

“The sound... let us lower the volume.”

We lowered the volume at the realistic sound.

Soon the roar of a bear followed. After the scene of the bear and tiger clashing, text appeared.

[A very long time ago]

Veteran actor Song Hun, making a special appearance, stood in white beard and immortal like attire.

“Is this The Golden Axe and Silver Axe?”

“There is a subtitle. It says it is Hwanin from the Dangun myth.”

Like a historical drama caption, [Hwanin] appeared.

Next to him stood Senior Lee Gyeonwoo in splendid clothing, with [Hwanung] appearing below him.

“If you eat mugwort and garlic and endure for one hundred days, you shall receive a special treasure from me.”

Two men wearing bear and tiger masks nodded.

“Please trust us, Lord Hwanung.”

“We will surely prove ourselves.”

The Dangun myth was retold.

Two men enduring in a cave, plucking mugwort and garlic, shedding tears.

But one day, smoke poured in with cries of “Fire!”

The tiger man’s eyes widened.

“That sound.......”

It was clearly his friend in another cave crying for help.

When he rushed out to save him.

“That is a scam one hundred percent.”

“The bear backstabbed him.”

As if under a hallucination, there was nothing outside. Only the indifferent gaze of Hwanung poured down on him as he stared blankly at the sunlight.

“E elder.”

“You could not endure even that one thing?”

With a disappointed expression, Hwanung turned away coldly, leaving the tiger tribe leader alone in a full shot.

“This cannot be. To me......”

At first he refused to believe it, but remembering the voice he heard, he trembled with betrayal.

Soon, in a festival like atmosphere, the bear tribe leader received a treasure box from Hwanung, while the tiger tribe’s expressions were shown.

The tiger tribe leader placed a hand on his small son’s shoulder and whispered.

“Never lose.”

“Yes, father.”

From there began the fierce struggle between the tiger tribe and the bear tribe, flowing like history.

The trendy directing that naturally showed the flow of history stood out.

Children in primitive clothing rolling in mud fights.

Hwarang in Three Kingdoms era attire competing in beauty.

Warriors in Goryeo fighting each other.

In Joseon they fought in political factionalism, briefly shook hands during the Japanese occupation, then fought again immediately after liberation.

And time flowed and flowed.

“Ha ha ha!”

A scene showed buildings facing each other on a Gangnam street, with logos reading [Daewoong Group] and [Daeho Group], and we laughed.

The chairmen of Daewoong Group and Daeho Group glared at each other through glass windows and went “Hm.”

“Father!”

“Father!”

The story began as the chairmen of both groups collapsed from chronic illness.

“They collapse at the same time.”

“In stories like this, there is usually a traitor in each family. They send the fathers to the afterlife and secretly join hands... then later the conspiracy is revealed.”

“That makes sense.”

I nodded at the youngest’s chuckle.

Anyway, the two chairmen, who had been practically given terminal diagnoses, met.

“Sangwoong.”

“Speak.”

“Are you not sick of this fight? I do not even know why our families are fighting.”

“.......”

“Should we not end it in our generation at least?”

The old men, with little time left, promised to reconcile and break the chain of hatred.

“What?”

“What did you say?”

The spark soon flew to the male and female leads.

“A blind date?”

“Why?”

The two old men decided to marry off their grandson and granddaughter.

Hoyeon, the black sheep of her family but bright and lively.

Taewoong, heir to the group but sickly and extremely sensitive.

Naturally, the plan to marry them faced opposition not only from the family members but from the two involved.

“That is right. In a romantic comedy, you cannot miss this. It slowly develops into a relationship as they grow closer......!”

The youngest clenched his fist and nodded.

The male and female leads were set up as long time rivals since school, like our CEO and the CEO of DNS Media.

Anyway, even the two strongly opposed it.

“Aigo!”

“I am dying! If I at least go on one blind date, I feel like I will not die!”

“I might even live longer...!”

Unable to withstand the stubborn Hollywood level acting of the old men, the two eventually sighed and agreed.

But they could not just sit back.

In a comedic atmosphere, members of both families began plotting to sabotage the blind date.

“We cannot openly interfere. They might actually start liking each other!”

“Let us interfere secretly.”

The problem was that neither family had discussed their plans with the other.

As a result, the blind date became strangely tangled.

Their sabotage efforts combined and began creating enormous synergy.

“Where is that fragrance coming from......?”

“I like this.”

Even during a walk, there was a pleasant flower scent. At a restaurant, the menu inexplicably hit their exact tastes, surprising them at each other’s thoughtfulness.

Members of both families watching through binoculars clutched their chests in frustration.

Fortunately, the blind date ended without major results, but meaningful hints were placed that made viewers think, ‘I have to watch the next episode.’

Soon after, at a chaebol gathering.

Seeing the female lead being mistreated as the black sheep of her family, the male lead, dragging his sickly body, approached.

“Oh. It is coming. It is coming. Hyungs, let us guess the line.”

“She is my woman? Too old fashioned?”

“Apologize. For what you just said.”

“This woman is the one I am going to marry.”

As we threw out classic lines every Korean would know.

The female lead spotted the male lead approaching to say something, grabbed his hand and pulled him close.

The startled male lead widened his eyes. The female lead smiled brightly and blurted out in frustration.

“He is my fiancé.”

The scene of the two holding hands ended the episode, and the drama OST began.

After the trendy intro typical of drama OSTs.

Looking at you

The days I could not sleep

A clear voice calmly recited the lyrics.

“It is Ri Hyuk hyung’s voice!”

“Ri Hyuk!”

“......I am right here, so do not make it embarrassing!”

We went “Kuuu” and listened.

The OST played over still cuts of the two enjoying dates.

Junhyun said,

“This is the song filled with Ri Hyuk’s love and hate.......”

We all listened closely.

When I see you, sometimes I cry

I grow weary from long waiting

I closed my eyes and listened.

But somehow, conversations seemed to echo in my head.

– Hey! Wang Jiho! Why are you so late?

– Hehe. Were you waiting for me?

Somehow I felt Biju and Junhyun subtly shaking their heads.

I wanted to forget

But even when I close my eyes

All I see is you

The conversation echoed again.

– Ah. I miss Ri Hyuk hyung. I am bored.

– Where did Wang Jiho go? Why do I not see him?

Who is more professional about songs than singers?

Following the emotion of the narrator naturally, I opened my eyes and turned my head.

“.......”

“.......”

I looked to the left at Jiho staring at the mountains in the distance, and to the right at Ri Hyuk with a red face.

“So it was you two.”

“.......”

“.......”

I smiled warmly.

“Hyung supports your friendship.”

“Be quiet!”

“Shut up!”

Watching the two underlings breathing fire, I smiled happily.

Wow.

I have material to tease them for a month.

The drama , for which Ri Hyuk sang the OST, started smoothly thanks to Writer Oh Jeonghee’s name value.

Number one in Wednesday Thursday drama ratings.

Perhaps because of that.......

[1] Ri Hyuk – My Day Was Only You (‘My Bear and Tiger’ OST Part.1)

The song sung by our main vocalist was number one on all music charts.

There are many reviews saying the song itself is simply good regardless of the drama....

“Should I be happy or sad about this.”

I am proud that my younger brother succeeded.

But.

[2] NewBlack – METRO

Seeing Metro at number two on the Mango Chart makes me feel strangely conflicted.

It feels like Ri Hyuk stepped on my shoulder and went, ‘Wow, the air is nice!’

“This is interesting.”

The youngest said.

“In the U.S. it is number one on Billboard, but in Korea it is number two.......”

“Is Mango Chart number one harder than Billboard number one?”

We burst into laughter at Junhyun’s comment.

Of course Korean charts reflect Korean taste, but it was funny that a song number one on Billboard was number two on Mango.

I said to the youngest who was taking screenshots,

“By the way, are you not talking to Ri Hyuk?”

“What are you talking about. We are talking all the time.”

Jiho turned and said to Ri Hyuk,

“Hyung. Hello.”

“Oh. Hi....”

Goosebumps rose on my arm.

How can it be that awkward?

If there were a world championship for awkwardness, they could probably win second place.

Rubbing my arm, I said to Biju,

“That was goosebumps level awkward....”

“I got goosebumps too. Goosebumps.”

“This is all because you keep teasing us!”

As the maknae line protested with red faces, we swayed and laughed.

“Hahaha. Ri Hyuk, congratulations!”

A benevolent voice.

With a shining forehead, CEO Park Gyuho walked down the company hallway.

“Hello, sir.”

He returned our greetings with a pleased smile and congratulated Ri Hyuk on the OST success.

After exchanging warm words like it was all thanks to each other.

“Well.......”

“Yes?”

“No, it is nothing. Um.......”

His expression, as if he had something important to say, cautiously reading our faces, made me glance at the younger members.

‘What is it?’

‘I have no idea.’

He looked as if he had an important favor to ask.

“What is it, sir?”

“Well... I have one favor.”

“A favor?”

“Did you not say you were going to record a Street Boys song today? That you were going to DNS Media’s building.”

“Yes. That is today.”

We nodded, and he carefully brought up his request.

And we burst into laughter.

DNS Media building.

After the girl group survival show, the girl group La Rose was newly regaining momentum.

And Street Boys, currently the boy group with the highest overseas popularity after NewBlack, eyeing the number two spot domestically.

Lim Hyunsik, the CEO of DNS Media, who had raised both groups, looked out the window and pressed his lips together.

“.......”

Hair shining in the sunlight.

The rival whose mere face triggered irritation was stepping out of a car with the happiest expression in the world.

With a handsome five member group.

‘NewBlack.......’

On Park Gyuho’s face was the expression of a snot nosed kid bragging about a close cousin.

As if saying, You do not have NewBlack at your house, do you?

Park Gyuho stepped confidently in front of the DNS Media building, took out his phone, and started calling.

Bzzzzz— 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Ignoring the phone screen that displayed [Bald], CEO Lim Hyunsik’s cheek trembled. On the first floor, Park Gyuho looked up at him and waved.

His lips were readable.

‘Hyunsik, I am here! Hahaha!’

At the truly unbearable sight, Lim Hyunsik slammed the blinds shut.