In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

A holiday when nearly fifty million people out of the nation’s three hundred million population travel back to their hometowns in a massive migration.

“Dad, I’m here!”

“Whew, there were so many people at the airport. It was really hard to get plane tickets this time.”

“Honey, should we take Father and Mother to Orlando this year?”

The biggest holiday of the year, when people travel either to the hometowns where they were born and raised or to famous vacation destinations.

But for most Americans, Thanksgiving had a kind of fixed routine.

‘Tonight’s dinner is turkey!’

The traditional Thanksgiving roasted turkey.

Just as Koreans eat rice cake soup on Lunar New Year, Americans have turkey on Thanksgiving.

Without turkey, could it even be Thanksgiving?

Even during World War II, when the war in Europe was raging, Americans still ate roasted turkey on the battlefield.

‘Turkey, mashed potatoes, pecan pie... today’s food is going to be amazing.’

Meanwhile, Americans excitedly thinking about holiday food smiled as they checked the Thanksgiving broadcast schedule for American football.

Games prepared every year by the NFL for citizens celebrating the holiday.

After checking the schedule, people turned their attention back to the TV.

There was something else besides football.

‘On Thanksgiving, it’s the Macy’s Parade.’

If football filled the afternoon, then in the morning there was the New York parade hosted by the department store.

A parade watched live by about twenty five million viewers.

When they turned on the TV, the cheerful holiday atmosphere filled the screen.

“Happy Thanksgiving! Hello! I’m Tom Walsh!”

“I’m Miranda Wright!”

Behind the two hosts exhaling visible breath in New York’s cold weather stood Macy’s Department Store and hundreds of cheering spectators.

The hosts were building excitement ahead of the parade’s start.

When their introduction ended, a professional announcer began introducing the day’s lineup.

“The voice you love, Bo Rich!”

A beloved national singer famous for his warm Christmas carols.

“America’s sweetheart, Olivia Sitwell!”

A diva considered one of the greatest pop singers of the late twentieth century.

And then.

“The global superstar group, NewBlack!”

“The New Black!” flashed across the screen in bold lettering, and Americans nodded in recognition.

“Oh, them.”

“My kids say they are insanely popular these days.”

“They’re the ones who sang METRO, Mom. They’re teenage singers like Ocean Five, but they’re really hot right now.”

The program was one where the parade’s characters and marching spectacle were more important than which singers appeared.

Because of that, the singers themselves were not the most important part of the broadcast.

But when NewBlack was introduced, it felt like the organizers had put special emphasis on them.

‘That’s basically the main act.’

Older singers like Olivia Sitwell or Bo Rich naturally had to appear first.

But it was clear that NewBlack was the main attraction.

‘Well.’

Considering how popular they were among children and teenagers these days, it made sense for a parade loved by kids.

“Oh, it’s starting.”

The broadcast showed spectators shivering in the cold while waving flags and cheering.

The parade officially began.

An enormous roar erupted from the crowd on site.

“Waaaaaaa—!”

The giant balloons, the most famous feature of the Macy’s Parade.

Dozens of handlers walked while holding the ropes of the balloons to keep them from drifting away, and behind them pumpkin carriages slowly marched.

The first balloon was a snowman from an animation that had convinced children all over the world to buy princess dresses.

After that, icons of dreams and hope floated through the sky, including the yellow electric Pokémon.

“Officer! Officer!”

As NYPD mounted police appeared riding horses in the middle of the parade, a reporter excitedly ran over.

“Officer! How do you feel participating in the parade today?”

“It’s fantastic! The crowd’s energy is incredible. I feel like a star.”

“Is this your first time participating?”

“Yes, it is!”

The officers patted their horses’ manes and trotted forward.

After characters from children’s cartoons such as Cookie Monster sang songs about harmony between races.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Bo Rich!”

The parade vehicle stopped in front of the department store, and the star with the warm voice began singing a Christmas carol while Americans in the crowd sang along.

The parade continued like that.

Then suddenly.

“Whoa...”

“What the... what is that?”

“Is bread commanding humans?”

All attention focused when NewBlack’s carriage appeared.

On top of a carriage led by a fire breathing black goat, the NewBlack members spread their arms and enjoyed the cheers.

‘They’re handsome!’

Dressed in colorful outfits like Santa Claus and elves, they waved enthusiastically.

“Hello! We are NewBlack! Please remember our name!”

A member with a face pale like an ice prince called out softly, yet his voice carried clearly to the crowd.

Members bounced energetically while asking people to remember their name.

“New! Black! New! Black! NewBlack~!”

They snapped their fingers and even chanted a strange rhythm that stuck in people’s heads.

Then the fans with powerful voices joined in.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Kyaaaa!”

“Boys! Your faces are my health insurance!”

People watching the parade behind the fences clicked their tongues in amazement.

But surprisingly, the [N O V E L I G H T] members themselves were not the main focus.

‘What is that...?’

Because everyone’s eyes were drawn to the enormous yellow marshmallow monster balloon floating in front of them.

Even viewers watching on TV sat up from their couches and muttered, “What the...”

ƪʃ [ ✪‿✪ ] ƪʃ

Because shadows fell across its face, the balloon floated through the sky with an eerie smile.

Some children hid behind their parents or buried themselves in their arms because it was scary.

Meanwhile the balloon, which could be called the scene stealer of the day, showed off its terrifying presence.

“W what is that?”

When citizens asked the screaming fans nearby, excited voices answered immediately.

“That’s Souffle!”

“Souffle?”

How could that possibly be Souffle?

“Souffle is NewBlack’s fandom name, and that balloon is a cute representation of us cheering for NewBlack!”

Cheering? Cute?

The visual looked more like something huge standing behind the five people floating below it as their terrifying protector.

“Kyaaaaaaaaa!”

Fans screamed toward the singers waving their hands cutely.

The citizens slowly came to a conclusion.

‘That kind of makes sense... maybe.’

The singers looked cute.

But the fans looked terrifying.

After the balloon that had delivered a visual shock to twenty five million viewers passed.

While NewBlack sang “METRO” for the crowd gathered in front of the department store, the internet exploded.

First it was American social media and online communities.

—What is that balloon?

—Apparently it represents NewBlack and their fandom. But it looks like an evil bakery planning to conquer the planet.

—It looks ridiculously powerful.

—Why is the carriage pulled by a black goat?

—If I were one of those kids, I would probably remember that balloon even when I became an adult.

—What does it mean? Is NewBlack here to conquer America?

—At that level, we should probably just let them conquer us.

The balloon that seemed designed for children yet somehow looked frightening was gaining cult popularity.

Various videos immediately began appearing on MyTube.

One particularly popular video showed NewBlack’s balloon marching with the Empire theme music from a famous movie.

[The Imperial March]

The footage matched perfectly with the majestic trumpet music, making American netizens burst into laughter.

—American music industry: what the hell. Please spare us.

—Am I the only one who thinks it looks like an evil conspiracy from the Bread Kingdom?

—Darth Souffle: the power of the dark side is great, weak American singers.

—Is this their declaration to conquer the pop market?

—But seriously, can someone explain why that terrifying black goat is there?

└NewBlack once wrestled a black goat on a Korean show and won. That goat became a really famous mascot among the Souffle fandom in Korea.

└Thanks, friend. But your explanation only made me more confused.

└Proof video link. This will help you understand! Ha ha.

└Why does a video of a human wrestling a goat even exist?

└Watch it. You will see tons of people reacting exactly like you.

While the behind the scenes video about the black goat began gaining views in America.

Koreans watching the livestream simply stared into the distance.

—I don’t know lol they’re not ours

—NewBlack is a Japanese singer

—Japan: huh...?

—LMAO Dae gil has entered America

—Mom I want to become Dae gil when I grow up Mom I want to become Dae gil when I grow up Mom I want to become Dae gil when I grow up

—The butterfly effect caused by Jusehan

—What do you call the extremely bad version of the butterfly effect? Is it still the butterfly effect?

—Guys look at the Souffle Imperial Army meme on Western forums lol it’s hilarious

While all kinds of people mixed together in chaos in the livestream chat.

The Souffle fans were smiling with quiet satisfaction.

‘They’re treating them well.’

At first it had seemed strange that NewBlack would appear in something like a Thanksgiving parade instead of performing alongside huge American singers.

But seeing how well the organizers treated the members made them feel pleased.

It was as if NewBlack were being treated like the main stars of the day.

There was even a special balloon prepared for NewBlack and the Souffle fandom to celebrate NewBlack’s entry into the American market.

‘We’re next to those characters!’

Seeing the Souffle balloon floating among famous characters made their hearts swell.

‘This is embarrassing.’

...It was a little embarrassing.

But if the results were good, that was what mattered.

More than twenty million people were watching the program.

Among them were surely many who had never heard of NewBlack.

This was a plan to leave a powerful visual impression on those viewers.

No one would forget a boy group riding a hell carriage pulled by a black goat beneath a giant bread balloon.

‘Our boys will trend worldwide again...!’

They smiled with anticipation.

Then one comment in the streaming chat caught their attention.

—But I’m curious lol do you think Dae gil’s owners know about this?

Public television news.

Inside a luxurious house in Yeoncheon County, the TV news was playing.

“Popular boy group NewBlack participated in the American Thanksgiving Parade today. At 9 a.m. local time on the 23rd...”

Footage of the NewBlack members appeared on screen.

At the front of the carriage where they waved to enormous crowds stood a giant black goat breathing fire.

“Heh heh heh.”

An elderly couple sitting on the sofa smiled warmly while looking out into the yard.

“Dae gil, can you see that? Those are your brothers over there. You even showed up there. You really made it big, didn’t you?”

Snort.

The ruler of Yeoncheon County, Dae gil the black goat, glanced at Kim Junhyun on the TV screen and then quickly looked away.

“He still does that.”

“Well, at least he’s afraid of that much. Is there anything that animal isn’t afraid of?”

The black goat still bullied neighborhood dogs as usual.

But there was one difference compared to before.

[Dae gil House]

After appearing on television and becoming famous, an enormous luxurious house had been built.

Of course their own house had also been upgraded.

Dae gil had practically become the village mascot.

“That’s Dae gil.”

“Oh my! Oh my!”

They even introduced him sometimes to city people visiting the area for weekend farm experiences.

Because of that, the number of houses raising black goats had increased.

“Well, this is nice.”

The elderly couple smiled warmly and picked up a postcard from the table.

“Hello! Father, Mother. Dae gil will appear in the American Thanksgiving Parade this time. So in advance regarding this matter...”

Below the neatly handwritten letter were the members’ signatures.

The elderly couple looked at it and smiled.

“You know, looking at things like this is amazing.”

“You’re right.”

It had been almost exactly three years ago.

In the summer of 2014, the boys had come to their house nervously saying, “We, we are NewBlack...”

And now they were traveling around a foreign land far away.

‘I hope they become even more successful.’

While the elderly couple smiled warmly, Dae gil suddenly began picking a fight with a passing dog.

Snort!

“There he goes again!”

“Oh dear!”

The elderly couple who had been smiling warmly suddenly started shouting.

The Thanksgiving parade ended successfully.

After finishing the performance cleanly in the morning.

“Turkey!”

“Turkey! Turkey!”

We went to a famous restaurant in New York to eat roasted turkey.

Golden brown turkey placed on top of vegetables.

“Wooooow...!”

We smiled happily while looking at the mashed potatoes and cranberries on the plate.

“Hyungs, stand there! I’ll take a picture!”

“Wow, it’s huge!”

After taking a commemorative photo, we happily tore into the turkey together.

“Oh? It’s better than I expected.”

“It’s good. Maybe because this place is famous.”

I had heard the taste could be divisive, but surprisingly it was good.

However our excitement did not last long.

“Well...”

Ri Hyuk placed a hand on his stomach.

“Do you know the economics term marginal utility? The more you consume something, the less satisfaction you get from each additional unit.”

“I know that.”

“That’s exactly how it feels right now. My utility is going negative...”

“Ugh...”

The trap was the portion size.

No matter how much we ate, the food never seemed to end.

Beef usually goes down endlessly, but turkey somehow made your throat feel dry and heavy.

“I think...”

The youngest member said while panting.

“I don’t need to eat turkey again in the future.”

“Me too.”

“But the important thing is that we experienced it.”

I nodded while laughing at Biju’s words.

I felt so full it seemed like I could roll around on the floor.

“Alright. Shall we move?”

“......”

“Let’s move after five minutes.”

“Okay.”

Starting with turkey for lunch, we spent the rest of the day wandering around New York freely together.

“Wait, I know you! You’re NewBlack, right?”

“NewBlack!”

Maybe because of the Thanksgiving parade, more people recognized us in New York today.

Because of that we had to travel around with the large bodyguards provided by the American agency.

It was a little inconvenient, but it felt good.

“Here are the interview videos that were uploaded today. The reactions are good.”

Seokhwan showed us interviews with ordinary citizens.

“NewBlack was the most memorable part of the parade today. The balloon... I’d never seen anything like it!”

“It was NewBlack. That was the biggest impact.”

“Souffle! Sun Wooju! Kim Biju! Kim Junhyun! Seo Ri Hyuk! Wang... don’t cut it off! I have to say them all!”

Some people said the balloon was a little scary, but the plan to leave a strong impression on viewers and spectators had succeeded.

As I stood there lost in thought, Jiho called me.

“Hyung! Stand over there! I’ll take a picture!”

“Next to the tree?”

“Yes! Cute pose!”

I struck a deadly pose and winked beside the tree, making the younger members burst out laughing and clap.

Junhyun said,

“Hyung, should we go to that toy store?”

“Oh! Is that the one from Home Alone?”

“I checked. That one was fake. But apparently this one looks the most similar.”

“Let’s go. Let’s buy everything.”

Today was a day for joyful shopping.

The younger members kept chatting nonstop and playing around to cheer me up because I had been tense about the upcoming fundraising party.

Ri Hyuk pulled out his wallet.

“If there’s anything you want to buy today, just say it. I’ll buy it all. Well, except anything ridiculously expensive.”

“Please buy that building.”

I learned that being hit with a wallet could hurt quite a bit.

As we continued wandering around New York during the holiday season.

Flap.

A banner hanging from a streetlamp along a major New York avenue caught my eye, like the concert flags hung in Olympic Park.

[It’s Jazz Night]

It seemed to be promotional material.

Below a picture of a piano was a message announcing the date and time of the party.

I quietly looked at it and took a photo with my phone.

“What is it?”

“Looks like they hung it up for tomorrow’s fundraising party.”

“Ah.”

We stood there for a moment, breathing white breath into the cold air.

Sniffling from the cold, I asked with a smile.

“Do you think a lot of people will come tomorrow?”

“Probably.”

Biju answered with a smile.

Some people had already confirmed they would come, but many still might or might not show up.

Looking at the banner, I murmured.

“I hope a lot of people come.”

“I hope a lot of people come!”

Together with the younger members, we made a small wish in the night streets of New York.

The next evening.

Taxi drivers driving around New York City began tilting their heads while looking at their navigation systems.

“What is this?”

Traffic throughout the city was marked as congested.

Maybe it was because of the holiday season, but even considering that there seemed to be an unusually large number of blocked roads.

“What’s going on today?”

Luxury cars that looked too expensive to scratch zoomed past them.

At that moment another driver called.

“There’s some kind of jazz related event happening at the museum.”

“Jazz?”

“Apparently it’s a fundraising event for a concert by a deceased musician.”

“What kind of person could cause this kind of...”

No matter how famous a jazz musician was, could an event really be this big?

As the taxi driver wondered, his colleague said,

“The musician’s son is the leader of NewBlack. Apparently he’s hosting the party.”

“Ah.”

He understood immediately. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Taxi drivers began avoiding that route.

The scale of the party had become so enormous that it was making New York traffic twice as congested as usual.

And amid all of this.

“Hy hyung! What is going on?!”

“S sorry... maybe I wished too hard...”

“Heh...”

“Biju hyung, do you have any calming pills?”

“Sorry. I already took them.”

Several handsome men pressed their faces against the window like steamed buns, staring outside with terrified expressions.