In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

A full three and a half hours passed in a blur.

Main stage.

Encore.

And encore of the encore.

After burning our souls on stage, it was already time for the final song.

“Ah.”

I took a sip of water and lifted the microphone.

“This is really the last song now. The last of the last.”

“Aaaaaaaaah—!”

“Sad, right?”

It was clearly a “Yes—!” but with that many people it sounded more like a monstrous “Gwaeeee—!”

I exchanged regretful looks with the members and smiled.

“We’re really sad too. I seriously don’t want to go home... Should we just stay here and keep playing?”

The cheers rose again.

Of course we couldn’t really do that, but the regret was that big. Once this song ended, this year’s world tour would truly be over.

The human heart is strange.

At the beginning of the first concert, we were thinking, “When will all this end?” But when it’s about to end, you wish it wouldn’t.

A world tour feels like school days.

Living routine days like a spinning wheel of performances, having fun with friends in between, yet still wanting to graduate quickly.

But when graduation actually comes, you want to spend a little more time like that.

“Did you all have fun today? We had so much fun.”

As the concert neared its end, my eyes felt slightly damp.

“Thank you so much for spending your precious Sunday evening with us. We worked really hard to make sure it wouldn’t feel like wasted time. How was it? Did you enjoy it?”

The light sticks swayed like waves in affirmation.

While I gazed at them with a faint smile, the members continued speaking into their microphones.

Thank you for coming.

We’ll work even harder from now on.

We love you.

As those words echoed through Sangam Stadium, I stared blankly at the sea of lights.

“Hyung.”

At Biju’s signal, I snapped back.

“Yes. Now, for the last of the last, there’s a song we thought would be perfect to close with when we were setting the list.”

“You’ve actually heard it once today!”

A song to sing at the end of a day like this.

“If I had to sum up this song in one phrase, it’s ‘On the day we part, we promise the day we meet again.’ It fits today, right?”

“Waaaaaaaah—!”

“It’s autumn, the season when leaves fall.”

I smiled at the cheering fans and audience.

“We were truly happy today. So this is where NewBlack will say goodbye.”

“Thank you!”

“We’ll return in spring when the flowers bloom!”

As Junhyun raised his microphone high while shouting the slogan, Souffle roared.

The concert-arranged version of Falling Blossoms began to play.

The slightly slower, calmer intro echoed with a gentler chant.

“Sun Wooju! Kim Biju! Kim Junhyun! Ri Hyuk! Wang Jiho!”

“NewBlack! Waaaaah!”

I removed my in-ears and closed my eyes softly, listening to the raw roar of the crowd.

After performing for over three hours, my body was exhausted, yet it felt like every nerve cell was alive.

When I hear cheers like this, it feels as if all the stars in the universe are pouring toward me.

The petals that bloomed so gently

Sway in the wind

Singing the first line, I walked toward different sections of the audience.

Happy faces.

Faces slightly tired but still singing along.

Smiling faces.

For some reason, each one looked like a small petal. Flowers we wouldn’t see for a while once today passed.

As I sang, countless thoughts swirled.

When the flowers bloom, return

When the flowers bloom, return

As if making a promise, everyone sang the chorus together.

Return and say

That spring is here

Looking at the waves of light sticks dyed red like balsam blossoms, we waved at each other.

Under the autumn sky.

The flowers were falling.

After the show, we quickly went around to greet everyone.

“You worked so hard. Kids.”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

We shook hands and took commemorative photos with the concert director, stage technicians, filming staff.

“Dance team! Dance team gather!”

“Band! Where did the band go?”

We smiled brightly and took photos with those who had carried today’s performance on their shoulders.

Everyone looked relieved and joyful now that the breathless preparation was finally over.

Especially the band members, who looked ecstatic after receiving signed guitars from Glenn Davis.

Jiho asked, “By the way, where are Glenn and Hayley?”

“They headed back first after finishing.”

At Manager Minsu’s words, I nodded.

I had wanted to say goodbye, but they must have already returned to the hotel.

After greeting the concert staff, we met acquaintances who had come to watch.

“Congrats on the concert, hyung.”

Taehyun, laughing that next year we’d be at the main stadium, handed me a bouquet.

“Thanks.”

“I bought flowers you like.”

“Really? They smell nice.”

I hugged the bouquet and smiled.

“You enjoyed it?”

“It was the best.”

Hanbin, Jihoon, and Hanbyeol chimed in beside him.

“When you sang Falling Blossoms at the end, I almost cried.”

“We were all like, ‘You grew up well, Sun Wooju...’”

“I love that you looked happy. When you make that expression you look even more handsome.”

“Yeah. When you glare you look super grumpy.”

I thanked the noisy bunch for their nonsense and sincerity.

“Anyway, it was really fun~”

“See you again.”

“Yeah. See you in Pyeongchang.”

They waved sparklingly, saying we’d meet as performers at the closing ceremony.

I waved back.

After that, we spent time taking selfies with acquaintances who had come.

There were probably tons of messages too, but I’d check those later.

After greeting people in the bustling waiting room for a while.

Only when it quieted down did we finally exchange greetings with the CEO and our company trainees.

“So? Hyungs are good at concerts, right?”

“Yes...!”

The trainees looked at us with admiration at Jiho’s boastful tone.

They must have enjoyed the performance, their pale cheeks flushed, flapping their arms like excited chicks.

And then.

“I’m here.”

“Grandmaaaaa—!”

My hometown of the heart had arrived.

Even though I was drenched in sweat, she hugged me tightly without care. I shook my head playfully side to side.

“Did you have fun? Was your grandson cute?”

“Sure.”

“Hehe, since you were coming, I really gave it my all today. Who am I? The man of Kim Deoksun—”

“Oh, you sure talk a lot.”

She scolded that even if I fell into water only my mouth would float, and I grinned as I hugged her.

Meanwhile.

We chatted with the members’ families after a long time.

“Minjun, you’ve been well? You’ve gotten more handsome.”

“Yes!”

Still close as ever.

I ruffled the hair of Biju’s younger brother, who now had muscles filling out his once slender frame.

“How was the event at the restaurant last time?”

“...It was good.”

“It was good.”

Maybe that event had made things more awkward; I played bridge between families awkwardly clearing their throats.

‘Be grateful, Ri Hyuk!’

‘Shameless people! Whose fault is that!’

I simply smiled at the main vocalist glaring daggers with his eyes.

Passing Jiho’s family fussing over their youngest, we finally reached the farmer family.

The strongmen from Goesan County greeted us.

“Wooju, look at Junhyun! The kid’s skin and bones!”

“...Is he?”

Junhyun’s father squeezed his soft cheeks.

“I’m telling you, he’s all bones!”

“I’m strong though.”

His grandfather even insisted he needed herbal medicine.

And beside them stood someone I hadn’t seen before.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Junhyun’s older brother.”

A tall man extended his hand.

Early thirties.

Around 190 centimeters tall, incredibly broad-shouldered, overwhelming presence.

Under his short-cropped hair was a face resembling someone—but sharper, more severe.

His hand was hot and powerful.

“Kim Daehyun.”

I wasn’t sure exactly what he did, but I’d heard he was a career soldier.

It felt like meeting a serum-enhanced super soldier from a movie.

We stared up at him.

“So this is Junhyun’s brother......”

“So that’s why they say Junhyun looks frail.”

We’d never understood why his family treated him like a weak child.

Now we did.

Unlike our amazement, Junhyun looked uncomfortable.

“You’re here?”

“What do you mean you’re here. You never call your older brother.”

He lightly smacked his back, and Junhyun staggered.

“....”

“....”

Shocking.

Their affectionate conversation continued.

“Are you working out these days? You looked skinny on TV.”

“I work out a lot.”

“How much?”

“An hour a day.”

“Junhyun, your body’s weak. That’s not enough. You sweat like crazy from just that.”

His brother’s face showed genuine concern.

It felt like being a right-handed person in a country of left-handers.

Biju whispered.

“I’ve decided, hyung.”

“Hm?”

“If there’s a zombie apocalypse, I’m going to their house.”

“Let’s go together.”

A family that could turn a disaster horror into an action blockbuster.

The zombies might sue for human rights violations.

“I need to go back to the members.”

“Go.”

Junhyun escaped using that excuse.

Unlike usual, our third member stuck his lip out slightly.

I asked with a smile.

“Talk more. You said you rarely see him.”

“He just nags. It’s nice seeing him though....”

“That’s how older brothers are.”

“Yeah. That’s true.”

...Why is he nodding while looking at me?

He always seems calm and eldest-like, but today he looked like a younger sibling at home.

Junhyun grumbled but smiled.

“It’s still nice. Seeing him.”

“Yeah.”

I understood.

After the concert ended, I’d felt oddly empty.

Like everything disappeared like a mirage once we returned to the quiet waiting room.

It felt different from usual concerts.

Like the feeling when you go home after hanging out with friends—magnified.

Maybe because the crowd had been so massive, a loneliness rushed in, as if I were left alone.

I didn’t know exactly why.

I should have been happy after finishing, but my chest felt hollow.

The sudden loneliness was frightening.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

“For what.”

“For something.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and smiled.

I thought I was old enough to fear nothing, but maybe there were still things that scared me.

Thinking I’d open YApp with Souffle and hang out tonight.

“By the way.”

I said to Grandma.

“Don’t forget we’re hanging out tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

“And......”

Ah.

I remembered something I had meant to ask her.

“Grandma.”

“What.”

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

The day after NewBlack’s concert.

Monday came, and office workers, university students, middle and high schoolers returned to daily life.

Conversations began the same way.

“Did you watch NewBlack’s concert yesterday?”

Across the nation, similar scenes unfolded.

Mothers dropping kids at kindergarten asked if they’d watched it.

Customers and store owners chatted about it.

It was unusual, but inevitable.

[NBS NewBlack Concert ‘Mega Hit’... Ratings 23.9%]

Cable ratings of 24 percent.

Even considering Sunday evening, it meant nearly the entire nation had watched.

After the weekend drama ended, the concert ranked first overall.

“Glenn Davis? Apparently he’s huge in Australia.”

“I’d heard of Hayley Blue but she seems nice. Westerners can look so elegant.”

“But NewBlack were really good. They didn’t look nervous at all between those stars.”

They were fully benefiting from mobilizing famous guests.

At first, they’d lured people with the promise of Hayley Blue and Glenn Davis appearing live.

But after it ended, there was more talk about NewBlack. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“I didn’t know they had that much fun at concerts.”

“A singer is a singer.”

“There’s a reason Ri Hyuk sang the national anthem. When he dueted with Wooju yesterday, the sound was just......”

As people who had attended in person shared stories offline, word of mouth spread further.

At the same time, the public’s image of NewBlack grew more concrete.

‘There’s a reason they’re called national idols.’

Skills that didn’t pale even among famous performers.

Like how someone’s status rises after dating a Hollywood star, NewBlack’s level rose in people’s minds.

Offline was like that.

Online was even more intense.

[Old Man Glenn Davis Smashing His Guitar at NewBlack Concert]

[Legendary Falling Blossoms Encore Stage]

[NewCallet Stage That’s Infuriatingly Similar feat. Scarlet YApp Reaction]

From memes of the old man smashing a guitar to Daisy of Scarlet clenching her fist watching Sun Wooju copy her.

Posts about the concert flooded every community.

[Everywhere I go it’s just NewBlack concert talk lol is this a NewBlack board???]

(Photo of a spaceship.jpg)

Correct. As of today, it’s a NewBlack board.

It was surprising for the younger generation.

‘Our parents loved it too.’

They thought only young people would like it, but parents were going “Oh my.”

And the lineup wasn’t just guest stars.

And then behind-the-scenes posts appeared.

[Whoa; Apparently NewBlack concert ran at a loss..]

(Link)

It really was a loss.

As those posts spread, jokes circulated about streaming NewBlack songs to cover the deficit.

Maybe because of that.

People who watched the concert started searching for NewBlack songs, and Mango’s real-time chart filled with them.

And.

There were those suffering the most.

“You didn’t watch NewBlack’s concert?”

“Huh? No.”

“Oh... too bad. It was insane.”

Those who hadn’t watched the live broadcast.

People who had thought, “NewBlack concert live? Too lazy,” and skipped it were feeling excluded both offline and online.

‘What did Hayley Blue do.’

‘How did the old man smash the guitar.’

‘Please rebroadcast....’

The problem was there was no VOD.

Thankfully, NBS announced, “We didn’t plan a rebroadcast, but we’ll do one!”

As people resolved not to miss it this time.

‘Wow. One concert united the whole nation.’

Souffle danced in delight at the unprecedented success.

Antis and rival fans tried to nitpick, but today, nothing mattered.

‘This is the happiness of fandom life.’

Just as they smiled, thinking they could run on concert content alone for a week.

“Hm?”

After YApp and MyTube live ended yesterday, they thought there would be nothing for a few days.

But a new content had been uploaded to NewBlack TV.

‘What is it?’

Fans logged into MyTube with excitement.

The moment they saw the title, every fan and subscriber burst into laughter.

[The Match of the Century: Sun Wooju VS Kim Deoksun]

The thumbnail showed a grandmother and grandson wearing headsets, glaring at each other like pro gamers.