Chapter 144:
Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: Rxel
Chapter 144
The day before the showcase.
They finished their practice earlier than usual and arrived at their dorm.
8 p.m.
“Good job, everyone!” Woojoo said with a bright smile and gave high-fives to his brothers as they ran around the rooms…
“Hey, don’t run around like that. You might disturb the people downstairs.”
“Then let’s just hop on one foot.”
“Woah…!”
“And lower your voices…”
“Woahhh↘”
They settled for hopping on one foot and whispering instead.
They were in high spirits.
So they took showers, and toasted with sparkling water and ice cubes with their fluffy brothers.
They decided to go to bed early today.
No, they had decided.
The problem was, after they turned off the lights.
“…”
Their bodies couldn’t accept what they usually didn’t do.
When five owls were lying under the blankets with their eyes wide open.
“Hyung.”
Their rapper, who could sleep soundly anywhere, spoke.
“I can’t sleep.”
“You can’t sleep?”
“I’m surprised too. Maybe I’m nervous. I feel jittery when I think about our second album coming out.”
“…”
He couldn’t sleep and felt jittery.
After his shocking confession, the others started to chime in.
“But I think I can’t sleep either. I’m worried a lot.”
“Me too. We have to do well tomorrow.”
“I feel like my heart is pounding. I shouldn’t have bragged to the kids at school. They keep texting me that they’re looking forward to our song tomorrow.”
Woojoo listened to their words calmly and then said with a smile, “Then how about we do some practice?”
So they all got up from their beds and gathered.
On the first floor of the middle bunk bed that no one used.
They turned on a mini light that they used as a backup battery and took out some papers.
It was the Q&A preparation material that Seokhwan Hyung gave them.
-There will be some low-quality questions during the Q&A session of this showcase. Your popularity has increased, so it’s easier to get haters.
That was his message.
The words of New Black in June and the words of New Black in November were now incomparable in weight.
-Be prepared for some jerks who will throw weird questions to get a headline. Especially, be careful about TNT or Serenity, who have overlapping comebacks. It will be a big deal if the wrong title comes out.
That was the reason why they practiced the Q&A.
Weird questions…
Woojoo was a bit worried.
They had become proficient in performing on stage, but dealing with the media was still awkward.
“It’s awkward?”
“Yes.”
“…”
The brothers laughed as if they couldn’t believe it.
Why were they like that?
Woojoo defended himself that he was nervous about the Q&A time as well, since he had messed up a lot in the last showcase, but no one listened to him.
***
10:30 p.m.
As the New Black members who were preparing for Q&A started to lie down in their places, and their voices became one by one drowsy.
And in that state, they lay down like skewers in a row and started to snore.
The fans couldn’t sleep easily.
It was because of the music video that would be released at midnight.
‘Oh, I’m nervous…’
They all had their computers or smartphones in front of them and repeated meaningless refreshes.
-I have to work overtime today??
-I’m in the lab… Gyesnim… I want to go home…
-[Breaking News] 1 hour and 30 minutes ago
They were chatting and waiting for the 12 o’clock music video.
-Huh…?
-What’s this, I refreshed and something weird came up
-??
-A story film…?
At 11 o’clock, a strange rumor came to their ears.
A video with New Black as the thumbnail was uploaded to the Lemon Entertainment account.
But it was not a music video.
‘What is this…?’
The fans were confused by the video that was posted without any prior notice.
Fingers from all over the country, and across the sea, clicked on the mouse or touched the screen.
An 8-minute video.
Soon, the logo of Lemon Entertainment and the name of the director appeared on the black screen.
***
The video started with a familiar scene that they had seen once before.
The music video of Fireworks.
Five boys who crash-landed on a strange planet, wary of each other at first, but soon became friends and had fun together.
The Fireworks part at the end was the opening.
Bang- Bang-
Colorful fireworks decorating the night sky.
The sandy beach where the waves rolled in.
The faces of the five members sitting in front of the bonfire were captured on the screen.
As the fireworks exploded, their faces were colored with red, purple, and various other colors, and then disappeared.
Then, the close-up of Wang Jiho continued.
The focus was fixed on his handsome face, and the background around him quickly brightened and darkened.
It was a scene that showed the date changing by the sun and the moon setting.
At the same time, Jiho’s hair color changed.
Like the autumn leaves turning red, from brown to red. And when it became completely red.
The perspective changed.
Swoosh-
The white sand beach where the waves came in under the hot sun.
The members of Molgol appeared, looking shabby.
The blue jacket was stained with dirt, and the pants were full of sand.
They rummaged through the cans that came in search of food, or looked at the sea with a thirsty expression.
When they started to feel isolated and reached their limit.
Thud-
There was a rustling sound from the forest behind them.
They tensed up for a moment, but soon relaxed when a young man with a green bracelet appeared.
And they greeted him warmly with what he brought.
A raft.
The mood changed completely.
From despair and pain to hope and happiness.
After launching the raft, the member with yellow hair and the member with blue clothes started to row.
The voyage was smooth at first.
Rumble-
Soon, dark clouds gathered and a fierce storm began to pour.
They rowed hard, but soon the boat was flipped over by a huge splash of water, and they saw the calm surface of the water below.
The blue sea was full of light.
A member with a green bracelet started to swim gracefully and rescue the others one by one.
The screen went dark for a moment.
Then it brightened up again with the sound of seagulls somewhere.
The people who were stranded on the sand opened their eyes one by one and looked disappointed.
Back to the island.
They woke up on a different beach from where they had been before and tilted their heads at the sight of something unfamiliar.
It was a door standing in the middle of the white sand.
A literal door.
A bright red door with a rose pattern engraved on the frame.
The member with red hair grabbed the door handle with a curious face.
Before anyone could stop him, the door opened.
And with a flash, they opened their eyes again in a strange place.
A cityscape filled with contrast of black and white, like a black-and-white movie.
The scene was like the opening of the music video for ‘Masquerade’, and the story film ended like that.
“…”
They were mesmerized by the video and snapped out of it when they saw their own faces reflected on the black screen.
They were flustered.
They were waiting for the music video, but a short film with amazing visuals came up.
“…”
The fans who were surprised by the story film felt the same way.
-What did we just watch…?
The chat room exploded and the link to the video spread to various idol-related communities.
And the reporters didn’t miss this hot topic.
-New Black’s surprise story film before the comeback MV release… ‘Praised for the visuals’
-New Black’s story film buzz… “They put a story in the music video”
-New Black’s ‘Masquerade’ MV, captured both the attention and the fandom
While the New Black members were in deep sleep, the anticipation for their comeback album was growing.
***
4 a.m.
When Woojoo woke up from his sleep, he was shocked for three reasons.
“Wake up. Woojoo.”
The first reason was the grim face of their new road manager, Seok Dowon, who greeted him as soon as he opened his eyes.
The second reason was when he rubbed his eyes.
“…Ah, surprise. Why are you guys here?”
“Why are you here, Hyung…?”
They realized that they had fallen asleep in a row on the first floor bed.
And the third reason was.
“Uh… what is this.”
When Woojoo habitually turned on the internet, he saw their name on the first screen of the entertainment section.
-The trendy rookie New Black, caught the eye with ‘glamorous visuals’ before the comeback…
That was the title of the article.
As the van ran through the Cheongdam-dong street in November, they caught up with the story of last night.
The story film had become a big issue in the entertainment community.
It was understandable.
When they watched the story film and the music video with the managers at the management team office yesterday afternoon, they all opened their mouths in awe.
“Wow, the reaction is really good.”
“The fans say, the visuals are really pretty.”
The fan cafe was noisy.
There were more comments about the visuals than the content.
Because the music video was focused on the choreography and the visuals, the story part was implied.
A city where everyone wore suits and masks.
The story of four people who fell into that world and were chased around, rescuing the red-haired one who lost his memory.
They considered the unspecified majority who would watch their music video and put the story to a minimum, and focused more on the choreography.
The most important thing was the song.
-Wow????? The song is really good
-Really… I keep listening to the music video! The choreography in the chorus is so pretty and the song is really really good… I’m so happy
-I’m going to recommend this to everyone when the song comes out
-I’m glad it came out after the college entrance exam. If it came out before, it would have been addictive and disturbed my studies
Most of the comments were positive about the song.
Woojoo was proud.
From the end of August to November, they touched and touched again. They worked hard on the song that they showed for the first time.
They were so happy that their favorite people gave them good reviews.
They smiled at each other with tired faces.
It felt like they had safely passed the first stage of the gate.
Now all they had to do was meet the stakeholders.
***
B Square in Hannam-dong.
Reporters started to arrive for New Black’s mini 1st album showcase.
As they sat down and turned on their laptops, some of them exchanged light chatter with familiar faces.
“Ah, I’m busy. So busy. I have no time today. I have to go to Serenity’s showcase after this.”
“We split the staff from the beginning. Serenity and New Black, like this.”
“It would have been a disaster if TNT was there too. Really.”
“Hey, if TNT did it, we would all go there. Why would we come here?”
Light laughter filled the air.
“TNT is only doing a comeback show with their fans later. I heard it’s about three thousand people.”
“Wow. That’s almost a concert.”
“They’re probably going to sweep the music charts tonight.”
“What do you think of the rookies this time? New Black and Serenity.”
Someone’s question prompted predictions.
“Serenity will probably do similar to last time… New Black will do a bit higher. Their variety show effect hasn’t worn off yet. And their fandom has grown more than I expected.”
Soon, the conversation turned to New Black’s 1st mini album.
They admired the concept photos and the music video of the members that were projected on the large screen.
“They really spent a lot of money on this.”
“I wrote an article about this late last night. It suddenly became a popular video on YouTube.”
“It deserves it. The overseas fans must have gone crazy. The choreography is good too.”
“But, you know. I don’t mean to be rude, but… what were they thinking to invest so much?”
What if they failed?
They didn’t say the rest, but they all had the same thought.
New Black was the strongest candidate for the Rookie Award at various awards ceremonies, and the best promising group of the year.
But they were not a group that deserved such a big investment.
That meant…
“It must be because the song is that good.”
A voice from the back seat.
Oh Sohee, a reporter from Entertainment IN, looked at her laptop screen and answered.
“I heard from the insiders. The executives decided on the investment scale as soon as they heard the song.”
“Really?”
They all tilted their heads.
“Is it that good?”
“I saw the music video yesterday, but I didn’t get it. You know, you can’t tell with one listen.”
“Me too. It felt decent enough.”
“Right. Honestly, there are only one or two songs that you can remember after one listen. Look. Their song too…”
As he said that, someone hummed the chorus of Masquerade that he had heard last night.
He was trying to show that it was forgettable, but it came out of his mouth naturally.
He tilted his head as if it was strange.
“It’s strange. Maybe it’s because I fell asleep last night. I only heard the song once, but why does it come out so well?”
“Did you leave it on repeat and sleep?”
“No. Try it. It won’t be just me.”
“No, who remembers a song they heard once yesterday… It works.”
One by one, they hummed the chorus of the song they heard last night.
The melody popped out right away.
It was a strange thing.
It wasn’t even on repeat, and the melody of the song they heard once or twice stayed with them until after they woke up.
“…”
A strange silence.
Then, one of the reporters who was humming the song said as if he remembered something, “Oh, now that I think about it, I remember.”
“What?”
“There was a similar thing earlier this year. I heard it on the street and the song stayed…”
The one who was recalling his memory nodded and said, “It must have been during Something.”
***
He had always felt this way, but the atmosphere of the press showcase was really the end of business.
The only sounds that could be heard when the music video came out or when they performed or when they did some talk were two.
The clattering keyboard sound of over a hundred laptops and the clicking sound of cameras.
It was literally a business meeting.
It was just a stage in the background, and Woojoo felt like he was explaining the product to the buyers who had their arms crossed.
-Now, it’s Q&A time. If you have any questions, please raise your hand one by one.
While the host was proceeding, Seokhwan Hyung nodded his head as if to tell Woojoo to do well from below the stage.
Woojoo also exchanged glances with his brothers quietly.
Let’s do it as we practiced yesterday.
Soon, various questions flew in.
-I’m Lee Jonghak from Star Ten. First, I’d like to ask you about the choreography. How was it working with the overseas choreographer…
-I’m Bae Yeonjung from Media Cue. To member Junghyun, about Rapper Heysion…
Unlike the last showcase, where the questions were mostly about Woojoo, this time they were evenly distributed.
They asked Bijoo about the meaning of ‘B’ in the comment that Clay Tyler left on SNS.
They asked Junghyun about the episode he had while working with Heysion.
They asked Rihyuk if he could really handle the high notes he did in the music video while dancing.
Especially, there were a lot of questions about Jiho, the main character of the album.
Woojoo was happy that they showed personal interest in his brothers, but he was also worried.
Could they do well?
He was always anxious when they stand in front of these people.
But…
“Working with Heysion Sunbaenim was fun. He’s a musician I really admire, and I want to do it again.”
“Ah… The expression acting was a bit hard. I think it was possible thanks to the director’s detailed direction.”
There was a great improvement.
The brothers who held the microphone gave textbook answers every time they answered.
The reporters also gave them the exact points to write headlines.
Woojoo was moved.
It was like the feeling of a mother kangaroo watching her child run around in her pocket.
But the pride was short-lived.
Woojoo was the busiest one to digest the questions about the album.
There were questions about the production process that came out in the reality show, and whether he really came up with the melody in his dream.
And every time a bomb-like question came up, it was Woojoo’s job to defuse it.
Sure enough, as the fame went up, the frequency of weird questions was incomparably higher.
-TNT had a sudden delay in their comeback due to a member’s health problem. So you’re making a comeback in the same week. How do you feel?
Interpretation: I want to write a hot headline by linking you and TNT. Just give me something.
At times like that, Woojoo would answer with a kind smile.
“I think it’s an honor to share the stage with the amazing sunbaenims that I’ve always admired.”
Interpretation: No way.
That was how the questions came and went like a sword and a shield.
-Now, the music video and the internet reaction are very good. How much do you set your goal ranking for this time?
Interpretation: No matter what rank you say, I have the confidence to stir up the controversy.
“Our goal is to do our best on every stage we are given, rather than the rank. If we have to aim for a rank, we want to be the first in the hearts of our Soufflés.”
Interpretation: No thanks. No thanks.
Some of the reporters snickered at the word Soufflés, and the one who asked the question sat down with his mouth shut.
When Woojoo didn’t give them any bait, they naturally asked good questions about the album.
And then.
Woojoo didn’t know why, but just like he did earlier, his siblings were looking at him with proud smiles.
***
[New group leader who made a big laugh during the showcase by eating gold]
Reporter: You and Lee Geonwoo’s two-shot from the Around the World With Dice show is belatedly becoming a hot topic. People say you’re handsome and you don’t get overshadowed by him. What do you think?
Woojoo: Lee Geonwoo Sunbaenim shines from his face.
Reporter: No, I mean, my question is…
Woojoo: Sunbaenim is so handsome.
Reporter: …
Woojoo: Totally handsome. Super handsome.
Reporter: (sits down)
(Skipping some parts)
I captured this because it was funny to see him ignore the questions ????
-The invincible shield ????
-The members’ eyes are so cute next to him ?????
-The reporters gave up after trying a few times ???
-Wow, he’s really reliable
-I want to take him with me when I go to the department store for a refund??
-Why are you so trivial???
-With that face, he could probably get a refund from the department store
***
After the showcase, the reporters came straight to the company.
The official reason was to prepare for tomorrow’s K-net music show, but in fact, they couldn’t focus on practice.
“You guys did a great job.”
The managers brought them the sushi they had been wishing for to the break room, but their interest was not in food.
“Rihyuk.”
“What.”
“Why are you refreshing twice a second?”
“I did it once. My hand was shaking so I pressed it twice.”
Rihyuk raised his hand, but it was trembling.
Everyone was the same.
Bijoo was dropping the sushi he picked up with chopsticks, and their youngest was eating it with plastic gloves on.
“Why are you guys shaking like that?”
…Woojoo said, while gulping down ginseng before the meal, but the ginseng slipped out of his mouth.
His hand was trembling.
The siblings burst into laughter.
“Maybe it’s because it’s cold.”
“…The break room temperature is 27 degrees. Hyung.”
“Hmm, let’s check the chart.”
It was 6:55 p.m.
They were all looking at the laptop screen while eating sushi or pretending to.
Soon it would be 7 p.m.
The time when the real-time chart would be updated.
According to the PR team, they were definitely going to top the charts. The atmosphere was great right now…
No. They couldn’t be complacent.
Yeah. Since when were they a popular group?
Who cared what rank they were. They just had to work hard together…
Rihyuk. Stop refreshing the page like that.
When Bijoo handed Rihyuk a pair of chopsticks and told him to eat something, Woojoo watched him inhale the sushi without a word.
“Junghyun, how do you feel? Will our song do well?”
“Hmm.”
The youngest looked nervous at the sight of him stroking his chin.
“Wait a minute. Junghyun Hyung. The word ‘feeling’ is forbidden.”
“Uh-huh.”
Junghyun pondered for a while before answering.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t?”
“Yes. I have no idea.”
He was the one who always said ‘I have a good feeling’ before, but now he showed a clueless reaction.
At that, they all looked at each other.
They were flustered when the feeling villain showed his first ‘I don’t know’ response, when the youngest exclaimed.
“It’s 7 o’clock!”
With that, they all gathered around the laptop.
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