In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

The authors of “My Hometown Now” and I were gathered around a table, articles popping up on the laptop before us.

“Wow,” one author exclaimed, hitting the refresh button.

“Articles are popping up by the dozens every second. I think this is the first time I’ve seen this since taking over the program.”

“My heart’s already racing, man,” the youngest among us said, pointing at the real-time search rankings on the monitor.

“Look there. ‘My Hometown Now’ is trending.”

“Whoa, that’s huge.”

As the authors scrambled to take a screenshot, Rihyuk pressed the button for them.

Meanwhile, the articles kept refreshing automatically at regular intervals.

NewBlack and PBS collaboration, “My Hometown Now” appearance confirmed

“Why is NewBlack there?”… “My Hometown Now” long-term appearance

[Official] NewBlack to appear on PBS1’s “My Hometown Now”

There was a lot of interest in the collaboration with PBS alongside the small theater tour.

“My Hometown Now.”

This weekday evening program was renowned for its solid viewership.

“If the young people have Jusehan and Mipu, the elders have ‘My Hometown Now,’” one might say.

The author covered her mouth as she spoke.

“Honestly… I still can’t believe it. I was so surprised when NewBlack wanted to appear on our show.”

“Right, it’s really amazing.”

“The PD couldn’t sleep that night because of the excitement.”

We all burst into laughter at the authors’ warm chatter.

Then, the youngest author asked,

“But has the company said anything?”

“The company?”

“You’d think they’d oppose if an idol from their agency wanted to go on ‘My Hometown Now.’”

“Oppose?”

We gazed into space, lost in memories.

“‘You’re going on ‘My Hometown Now’? Woosoo! Work hard and bring back some gochujang or kimchi.’”

“‘Let’s top the popularity charts among the elders.’”

“‘So you won’t be in Seoul? No, Woosoo. It’s not that I don’t want to work with you, just asking. Haha!’”

I vividly remember Seokhwan hyung flipping through the ad list, wondering if the next commercial was for a hangover drink.

My siblings and I answered with wide smiles.

“They were really welcoming. They told us to get a lot of love from the elders.”

“They said they’d send money, so buy lots of local specialties while recording.”

“It feels like they gave up on us at some point.”

The authors clapped and laughed at Bijoo’s wistful smile.

However, unlike the jokes thrown to lighten the mood, this collaboration was a carefully consulted plan with the company people.

It started with a suggestion from Hong Seoyoung, the assistant manager of the PR team.

“How about we continue to enhance our overall popularity while touring small theaters in each region?”

That’s why there were plans for Mitube content, visiting hotspots in each region or experiencing famous foods.

But then.

“The 2030s will find you on Mitube, but other generations will see you on TV.”

That was the issue we pondered.

One change that came with the new year of 2016 was the firm establishment of our direction within the company.

Until then, like other idols, our goal was to be ‘the best’ like TNT, but now it had changed.

We aimed to be the best as idols while also maintaining our unique trait of being public-friendly.

Our goal for the year was to take a path no boy band had taken since the first generation.

So, while planning a small theater tour for fans, we pondered how else we could approach the public…

“I really wanted to be on this program,” Junghyun said with sparkling eyes.

The authors laughed, his expression like that of a child who won a spot on his favorite TV show.

“As a kid, I used to watch this show every evening, holding hands with my grandparents.”

“Really?”

“I’m still a big fan.”

Our kid pleaded with his eyes for the authors to recognize his fandom, and they laughed.

We chimed in from the side.

“He even watches it on his smartphone at the gym.”

“True. Once, he stopped mid-bench press. I went to check, and there he was, crouching down, watching the chicks at a chicken farm on ‘My Hometown Now.’”

Jung-hyun was eagerly nodding his head while filming a vlog for his YouTube channel, inspired by what he saw here.

The authors exclaimed in amazement, “Is that for real?” during his enthusiastic demonstration.

“I even called my grandparents and relatives to brag about appearing here,” he said with a proud smile.

“Oh, come on, there’s no need to boast about our show to the whole neighborhood. It’s embarrassing,” one of us replied, trying to hide a blush.

Our conversation was interrupted as Jung-hyun took a deep breath.

‘Dear beloved Grandmother Deok-sun, your grandson has finally achieved success. Now, in my hometown…’

‘Dad! Hurry, send a message to the relatives. I’m featured in my hometown!’

‘Mom, should I buy a few boxes of apples when I go to Chungju? Should I rent a truck?’

Amidst this, the sound of Lee-hyuk typing an email on his laptop resonated with a rhythmic clatter.

We cleared our throats, prompting the person on the other end to ask, “What’s going on?”

“We’ve been bragging quite a bit too. We’re going to be famous singers among the elders soon…”

Our embarrassed laughter was met with the authors’ hearty chuckles.

Thanks to Jung-hyun’s genuine enthusiasm, the atmosphere turned incredibly warm and friendly.

Initially, the authors felt pressured by our participation, but they quickly became more relaxed around us.

“The average broadcast lasts about 50 minutes. Will New Black feature in a segment each day?”

“It looks like it’ll be about 15 minutes per segment.”

“Right. Since the segments change daily, we’ll adjust the filming schedule accordingly.”

A 15-minute segment would roughly take three to four hours of filming.

While mentally organizing the filming details, Lee-hyuk meticulously took notes.

I asked, “Is there anything else we should prepare in addition to studying the cities and towns we’ll be visiting?”

“Just bring yourselves. That’s all,” the authors replied, shaking their heads.

“Recording takes longer than it seems. It’s surprisingly difficult to get enough material… Just keep that in mind when you come.”

“Understood,” we acknowledged.

“And here’s the list of our reporters…”

The authors slid the list of reporters responsible for each segment across the table.

As Jung-hyun recognized them with an ‘Oh, these people,’ we blinked in surprise and asked, “Why do we need this?”

“Well, we told them that New Black would be joining, and if anyone wanted to film with you, they should volunteer.”

And?

“Every single reporter signed up. They all really wanted to participate.”

“Oh…”

We even heard that someone had given the authors a gift, pleading, ‘Writer So-mi, please let me work with New Black this time.’

“So, we wanted to know if there’s anyone you’d like to film with. It helps with planning the content.”

“Hmm…”

We had watched some recent episodes in advance, but we weren’t too familiar with the program.

Eventually, we turned to the expert. Jung-hyun looked at me with wide, hopeful eyes.

‘Can I do it?’

I nodded, and he picked up a marker pen.

“Hmm.”

With the marker in hand, Jung-hyun began to circle the names of the reporters listed next to each day’s segment.

“Like this.”

“Oh my.”

The authors looked surprised.

“How did you manage to pick only the most popular segments?”

“That’s amazing.”

“Jung-hyun has chosen the segments that are most popular among the elderly, according to our surveys.”

“Oh. I did that too.”

Jung-hyun’s innocent remark drew applause and laughter from us and the authors alike.

As we concluded our meeting with the production team of ‘Now, My Hometown,’ those who came to see us off said,

“We added your album to our playlist as soon as it was released. Every song is just so good.”

“Really?”

I joked with a smile, “If you like it, maybe you could use our songs as background music…”

“We’re actually planning to use New Black’s songs as background music during this collaboration period.”

“Thank you!”

As we celebrated the unexpected promotion, Jung-hyun hesitated before asking the authors,

“Excuse me…”

“Yes?”

“Do you have any extra merchandise?”

He seemed to have taken a liking to the authors’ notebooks emblazoned with the ‘Now, My Hometown’ logo.

Laughing, the authors promptly brought over a box of the coveted goods.

“I feel so happy. I hope all the authors out there are feeling happy today too,” Jung-hyun’s greeting, brimming with happiness, made everyone chuckle.

@thenewblack.official

(A notebook held in the hands of the five members, like a friendship photo, with a speech bubble from a cat saying, “This is my hometown now.”)

The meeting ended, and this is the hometown notebook we received from the authors. Thank you.

#JungHyun_Writes #NewBlack_PBS #This_Is_My_Hometown_Now #Going_To_Decorate_With_Seal_Stickers

As we were preparing for the small theater tour and recording for ‘This Is My Hometown Now,’ our special album was achieving overwhelming success.

“Wanted to capture winter,” NewBlack dominates the winter charts with an ‘all-kill + lineup’

“As expected of NewBlack,” chart lineup + MV views ‘explode’

“6 songs in the top 10”… The undeniable music powerhouse NewBlack’s comeback

From first to tenth place on the Mango daily chart, six songs were ours. It became a morning routine for us and even the company staff to check the charts after washing up, always surprised by the results.

It was inevitable.

With ‘Nine’ at 16th and ‘Wind Flower’ at 48th on the weekly chart, all our songs were charting. Not to mention ‘Thousand Dreams.’

And the tracks from our winter album were steadily holding their ranks without any signs of dropping out of the top 100.

“…Out of 100, 12 of the songs are ours. What percentage is that?”

“12 percent. Duh.”

The fact that one idol group was stably holding 12% of the daily chart was unprecedented and bewildering.

Rihyuk said, “I saw a review by a critic. They said it’s because we chose such a diverse range of songs.”

“What does that have to do with the charts?”

“Usually, if the songs have a similar vibe, people get bored and only the title track survives. But we chose a variety, so it seems a lot of people are listening to all of them.”

“Ah.”

It seemed possible because the album, born from the wish to be everyone’s winter, maintained the overall concept while each track differed. Even the title track ‘Winter Sleep’ and the fourth track ‘Winter Trip’ had completely different vibes.

Perhaps that’s why the critics responded well.

Blue Winter (2016)

NewBlack

[★★★★★]

When I heard their ambition to capture all of winter, I was skeptical… but could it be that the unique vocal color of NewBlack and the flow of classical melodies have created the most popular ‘winter hit song’?

by Critic Hwang Ho-cheol

Not only the famously generous critic Hwang but even those who had previously dismissed ‘Nine’ as electronic noise were now praising us.

“Wow… have you seen this?”

“Wow…”

Our initial album sales surpassed those of ‘Nine’ in just two days.

The music performance was, needless to say, in a great spot.

Whenever we went to places where our fans, the Soufflés, gathered, there was music and a festive atmosphere.

“Ah, this is great…”

“Just looking at the charts fills me up. Ah! Jung-hyun, that’s the meat I was saving for myself!”

“When it’s chilly, it’s time for meat.”

Naturally, we were part of the feast too.

Every mealtime, we’d take a bite of meat, check the charts, then take another bite.

And fueled by that fullness…

“Alright, let’s go promote!”

“Go, go, go!”

We patted our full bellies and rushed out to promote the album.

Promotion was important before the release, but it was just as crucial afterward.

Until the small theater tour began, we were busy with a packed schedule.

Yes, after military variety shows and the nation’s bread, now it’s ‘This Is My Hometown Now.’ An idol group showing versatility in every direction!

Two, three! Hello, we are NewBlack!

Huh? No more roasted sweet potato and chestnut greetings?

We thought you might be tired of that slogan, so today we’ve prepared a song!

We even promoted the album on the radio.

Welcome to the Music Cafe, where every visit feels like a warm embrace.

“Thank you. Hello, everyone! Your daily dose of idol charm, we are New Black!”

I made an appearance at Ha Seung-ju’s Music Cafe.

The program was run by our album producer, and I worried it might seem like favoritism, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

“Woojoo called me yesterday, worried, ‘Senior, is it really okay for us to go on?’ Since I was the album producer.”

“Well, it might seem a bit like that.”

“Don’t worry. No one even knew I was in charge of the album.”

The audience burst into laughter at the MC’s words.

“Actually, I played the piano at New Black’s showcase recently, and I saw comments like, ‘Why has Ha Seung-ju become so greedy lately? Even when selling sweet potatoes. Why does he keep trying to insert himself into New Black?’”

“Oh dear…”

“Now, it seems I’m the one riding on their coattails, everyone.”

Perhaps it’s because our image has become so strong.

Throughout the recording of the Music Cafe, the constant attention was surprising, but even more so were the reactions to our social media posts, wondering, ‘Why is Ha Seung-ju acting so chummy with New Black?’

And then.

We had given up on music broadcasts due to a small theater tour, but thanks to the excessive consideration of the broadcasters, we pre-recorded the first week.

Thus, we completed pre-recordings with K-Net, PBS, TBC, and also performed two special stages.

One was PBS’s ‘Midnight Concert’ aired on weekends.

The other was an invitation from educational broadcasting to fill in for the vacant HBS slot.

“One, two, three, hello! We are New Black!”

“You’re surprised, aren’t you? Bet you didn’t expect to see us here?”

A music program recorded at night in Ilsan’s open hall.

Perhaps because the show usually invites indie musicians or ballad singers, the audience found our presence novel.

The winter special with eighty audience members ended successfully.

We took certification shots with the indie singer guest, communicated with the audience after the performance, and asked,

“Did you enjoy the show?”

“Yes! The songs were amazing, really great.”

Afterward, it’s customary to have a signing and photo session with the general audience in the lobby.

“Wow…”

Outside the company building, the paparazzi cameras were almost lined up, shaking the pupils of us, the audience, and even the security guards.

It was a day filled with unexpected moments.

It felt like being in a hot air balloon, aiming for the sky, then suddenly breaking through the stratosphere like a rocket.

It was bewildering, yet at the same time, blissful.

Especially.

“It’s nice.”

Our main vocalist, the star of this album, rarely showed such a happy smile.

“This is why Bijoo and Junghyeon liked it so much last time. It feels good when people appreciate you, like you’ve connected with the listeners. It’s like gaining something truly yours.”

“Yes, exactly that…”

“What I love most is that all of this is thanks to me.”

Amidst the laughter of my younger members, I teased our proud main vocalist.

“Now, Ryuk has become completely New Black. No conscience at all.”

“Who do you think made it this way?”

“…Such ingratitude. May you only get the bony parts when eating pork belly.”

“And may you only encounter tendons when eating beef.”

Ryuk and I exchanged fake smiles and curses, while the others also showed their happiness.

“Ryuk’s arrogance is annoying, but it’s still nice.”

“Indeed.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been this happy despite our busy schedule.”

Then came news from our manager.

“Guys, the director said HBS contacted us again.”

“Wow!”

Thinking about it now.

Perhaps this happiness is thanks to the persistent ‘Are you sleeping…?’ calls from HBS.

From Monday to Thursday.

After fulfilling our promotional schedule, we attended the Korean Music Awards ceremony last.

There are generally two types of music award ceremonies: one is the Mango Chart Awards or K-net Awards held during the end-of-year season.

The other is the ceremonies held around January or February, which tally the previous year’s achievements.

The Korean Music Awards hosted by the sports newspaper was the latter.

“Congratulations! New Black’s ‘Wind Flower’ wins the Best Music Source of the Year!”

Like the previous two awards, TNT and Teen Spirit won the Singer and Album Awards, while we took home the Music Source Award.

In addition to the main award, I also achieved the remarkable feat of winning the OST category with ‘Nostalgia’.

Amidst the congratulations from all around,

“Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

I fled from a group of seventh-year seniors, who were chasing me while crowing like roosters, as I was about to embark on my solo activities.

When I returned to the dorm, a package had arrived.

“…Oh. The trophy is here.”

It was the trophy sent by TBC.

It was the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award from last year’s entertainment awards, which I couldn’t attend due to my schedule.

My younger members burst into laughter at the sight of the trophy.

“Ha-ha-ha!”

“…”

“Gasp! Ha-ha-ha!”

It was a trophy made into a statue, gold-plated, capturing the moment I screamed while riding the rappel.

The expression was so vivid that it was unnecessarily high quality.

After flicking the youngest member on the forehead for teasing me as the ‘Golden Screamer’, I noticed a gift box next to the trophy.

“A USB?”

I tilted my head at the USB adorned with a ‘Congratulations’ ribbon and turned on the computer.

As my younger brothers and I looked at the monitor,

Someone holding a bouquet of flowers appeared, accompanied by a lovely BGM.

“Hello, Mr. Woojoo.”

“Yikes!”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s me, Do Jun-ki.”

The PD of ‘A Man Goes’ sent a fresh wink.

“I sincerely congratulate you on the success of your album. Our show is transforming from a military variety show to an extreme program called ‘A Person Goes’, where we experience the scenes of life.”

“No, wait…!”

My heart sank.

“Turn it off! Turn it off now! Kim Junghyun, can’t you let go of this?”

“Why? It’s just fun. Make sure to catch Jung-hyun.”

“It was a pity last time we weren’t complete, but this time, the other members too…”

“!”

The faces of my younger brothers turned pale.

“Turn it off! This thing! Right now!”

“Aaah! What is this person doing! Go away!”

“I think we need to throw this! Pull out the USB and throw it now!”

At the sight of my younger brothers tossing the USB as if it were a bomb, I burst into laughter this time.

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