Chapter 151:
Translator: MarcTempest
Editor: Rxel
Chapter 151
As Woojoo got out of the car with a nervous heart, his whole body shivered.
From the cold.
It was the kind of weather that made you curse how damn cold it was.
The breath that escaped from his lips fogged up his vision.
The wind that blew through his suit pants gave him goosebumps.
If he was near the dorm or the company, he would have wrapped himself up and complained, “It’s cold, so cold”, but there were flashes blinking in front of him.
“Look here! Here!”
“Woojoo, Woojoo!”
“Over here!”
Woojoo couldn’t even appreciate this red carpet as he tried to adjust to the blinding light.
“One, two, three, hello. We are New Black!”
They bowed to the people who were looking at them and walked ahead.
Unlike the front where the cameras were crowded, there were more general spectators from the middle.
They were bundled up in scarves, padding, and masks, and they covered their mouths with pamphlets and chatted with the person next to them or took pictures with their phones.
Woojoo smiled brightly as he passed by.
When he looked back to see how the others were doing, they seemed to be doing well.
They smiled softly and nodded, and waved their hands.
Sometimes they did both at the same time, but they looked so nervous that they didn’t even know what they were doing.
But Woojoo couldn’t laugh at them.
He was doing the same thing.
The idol fans who saw them laughed as they rubbed their frozen cheeks.
…Woojoo thought he could do better if he did it again.
He swallowed his regret and waved his hand with a bright smile.
Soon after, they reached the end of the red carpet and climbed a few steps to the photo wall with the logo of ‘2014 MCA’, the sponsor.
Flash-
Hundreds of moths fluttered as the shutter sound and the flash exploded everywhere.
The MCs, a man and a woman holding microphones, called them with a gesture.
-Yes, New Black! Come over here quickly!
-They are really handsome!
-Over here!
Andrew, the Chinese member of Daydream, and announcer Jung Hyojin greeted them in suits and dresses.
The latter was a familiar face.
She was the host at the previous Icheon Festival, and she struggled with them when Teen Spirit was late.
She looked happy to see them.
-You are the hottest rookie boy group of the year, right? You were nominated for the Rookie Award and attended today, right?
-It’s not an exaggeration to say that you swept the music charts, from Something to breaking a million views on your music video in the shortest time among the rookie groups this year!
Andrew praised them in fluent Korean, while they looked away.
It was embarrassing.
It was like getting first place on a pop quiz and being happy, but then being interviewed on a broadcast and saying, “Here’s the first place on the pop quiz!”
They were actually things they did, but they sounded like achievements and made them shy.
The interview started soon, which was a relief.
They answered questions about their outfit concept, showed the point choreography of their song, and shared their thoughts on being nominated for the Rookie Award.
Then they left the MC station.
-No, behind you, no, you can’t go there!
“Bijoo, not there!”
“Huh, no?”
-You have to go behind. Yes. That was New Black.
Woojoo quickly grabbed Bijoo, who was going the wrong way, and dragged him along, while laughter erupted from the people.
“Uh, I have a runny nose.”
“Me too.”
“I’ve been holding back my sniffles for a long time.”
Even with a hot pack inside, the temperature of minus three degrees was really, too, very, cold.
“Achoo!”
They ended up sneezing together and wiping their noses. As they were going behind the MC station, Jiho asked with an excited face, “Hyungs, do you think our photos came out really well?”
***
At the same time.
When they thought they had sneezed out of the camera’s sight, New Black’s photos were being uploaded in real-time.
-[Photo] New Black, “Achoo!”… ‘It’s too cold today!’
-[Photo One] New Black at MCA, the reverse charm of the handsome boys ‘Achachacha’
-[Picture] ‘Oh my, Rudolph nose’ New Black’s youngest Jiho
The headline of the article’s photo spread across the idol communities that were watching the red carpet event live.
-??????
-The reporters are crazy ??. There are already dozens of types of sneezing sounds.
-?? what is this
-So cute ????. They’re all pale and their cheeks are red and they’re shaking.
-Why does the maknae have a wet nose like a country puppy?
-2222 ????
-They’re all cute every time I see them ???
-Daegil’s friend wiping his nose and smiling awkwardly is so funny ?. It matches the webtoon meme.
Meanwhile, the stylist team was swallowing their tears, saying ‘this is not what we dressed them for’, and Director Yoon Seokhwan and the two managers were chuckling.
Among them, there was one unexpected gif that became a hot topic.
-What’s his name!!! Tell me!!!
-New Black Woojoo
-He’s crazy. He should be exported overseas.
It was a photo of Woojoo sneezing while laughing during the interview.
The timing was lucky and it looked like he was smiling and wrinkling his nose.
Soon, the gif file started to spread all over the community.
-Who is this cutie???
-He’s an idol. New Black Woojoo. He was on Around the World With Dice recently!
-Wow… I’m amazed that there are such beauties in idols these days.
-I came rushing in because they said he’s handsome.
-He looks better than the actors these days, doesn’t he?
And in the waiting room, the New Black members were looking at this reaction on their tablet PC.
Woojoo was in the corner, closing his eyes and fixing his messed up makeup.
While everyone else became snotty, he was the only one who survived and they looked at him with resentment.
“…”
They were convinced by the makeup that was stronger than usual.
His white face with shiny lips, his straight nose and deep eyes, and the shadow that naturally formed.
It was a three-dimensional face.
From his round forehead to his sharp chin, the curve and the well-fitting suit matched, and it made them think that the photo couldn’t capture the reality.
Then they realized, ‘right, Woojoo Hyung is handsome’ and accepted it.
Woojoo opened his eyes and held a water bottle like a wine glass.
He had a similar expression to a foreign movie meme where fireworks exploded behind him.
“Have a drink. My snotty kids.”
“…”
He was too mean even if they were resentful.
***
The awards ceremony was often called ‘the feast of the stars’.
It meant that a lot of famous people attended, and today Woojoo felt that more than anyone else.
Woojoo was amazed by the faces of the people he met in the hallway from the waiting room to the stage.
From the most popular girl groups and boy groups in the music industry to the famous actors who attended as presenters.
Out of all the rookies who debuted this year, they were the only ones invited.
“Hello, we are New Black!”
They greeted everyone they met with a bow, and they all responded warmly.
Some of them, like Teen Spirit, said “congratulations on the Rookie Award”.
Others, like Girls on Top, said “congratulations” briefly as they passed by, aware of the many eyes on them.
Joanna, Autumn Girl, Daydream, and so on.
They were all congratulating them on the Rookie Award, but to them, it sounded like they were saying “welcome to this place with us”.
That was how overwhelmed they felt by the faces of the attendees today.
When they were making awkward expressions, a small, pale face with a mochi-like complexion bounced over and greeted them.
It was Daisy, the youngest member of Scarlet.
“Congratulations!”
Strangers who were dancing and having fun among themselves came over and congratulated them with a loud cheer.
They were Scarlet, a four-member girl group dressed in black feathered outfits.
“Guys, congratulations!”
As the leader, Ara, smiled brightly and high-fived their members, she looked confused when it was Woojoo’s turn.
She had a look on her face that said ‘oh, we haven’t met before’.
Then she clasped her hands together like a parent meeting a teacher for the first time.
“Uh… hello. I’m Ara. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re taking good care of the kids.”
“Yes, hello. Nice to meet you.”
They shook hands politely and exchanged greetings, while the younger members on both sides clapped and laughed at their scene.
It was a bit awkward at first.
Unlike their members who were happily chatting with each other, Woojoo was meeting everyone except Daisy for the first time.
But the atmosphere was friendly.
They were so sociable that they soon felt comfortable talking to them. “Let’s all go wow together!”
“Wow!”
…Before Woojoo knew it, they were all jumping around and cheering.
When they got out of there and headed to the stage, Woojoo asked with a bewildered face, “…It felt like I was caught in a whirlwind and then released.”
“That’s nothing compared to their usual selves. They’re really crazy, you know. Like Wang Jiho squared.”
Rihyuk shook his head with a dazed expression.
“What’s wrong with me? And you, Bijoo Hyung?”
“…”
“Don’t pat me with a kind smile.”
Then, Junghyun asked, “But why does everyone congratulate us on the Rookie Award? The ceremony hasn’t even started yet.”
“Probably because we’re the only attendees.”
There were other candidates for the Rookie Award, but they were the only ones who received an invitation.
It was almost like a foregone conclusion.
Of course, that didn’t mean they could relax.
There was a case last year where TNT, who had achieved great results, attended the ceremony but lost to a random trend award.
Last year, there was a general trend of giving awards to Sixty Seconds.
As Woojoo was thinking about that.
“Wow…”
The main stage of the Olympic Gymnastics Arena appeared before their eyes.
***
The high and majestic ceiling.
The wide stage.
They were sitting at the very end of the attendee seats, admiring the grandeur of the gymnastics arena.
It was really big.
Of course, there were bigger places in terms of size, but the gymnastics arena was a special place to Woojoo.
When he was a trainee at TJ Entertainment, the Rookie Development Team often took them to the concerts of their senior singers at the gymnastics arena.
They wanted them to see how happy their successful seniors were performing in front of tens of thousands of fans.
That was the place where Woojoo came back after a long time.
He was nervous.
It wasn’t a concert, but he was going to stand on this place as a singer for once.
But…
He felt strange today.
He was happy, but he also felt sentimental.
Woojoo pretended to be the same as usual, joking around with his younger members, but he felt weird.
“Hyung, congratulations on being a Rookie Award nominee.”
When Taehyun, who arrived last, greeted them and congratulated them, or when he saw the other TNT members, he saw their faces as trainees.
Woojoo was pondering the nature of his feelings when the lights went out and the awards ceremony finally began.
After Joanna, who debuted solo from a girl group this year, kicked off the show with her first stage, the MCs continued with their remarks.
-Yes, we will announce the first two groups of the TOP 10 this year.
-Girls on Top, and Cha Woohyun! Congratulations!
There were various corners, such as taking selfies with the sponsored phones, but Woojoo couldn’t pay attention to them.
He was nervous.
And trembling.
While the senior singers’ stages continued, Woojoo clapped and cheered along, but his mind was elsewhere.
The members were the same.
They were smiling as usual, but they had a blank look on their faces as they clapped.
It was probably because of the Rookie Award.
Unlike other awards, it was only given to the first-year artists, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Even celebrities who received the grand prize at the awards ceremony said in interviews that they regretted not getting the Rookie Award, which meant a lot to everyone.
As Woojoo swallowed his saliva.
The time had finally come.
-Yes, the award that singers can only receive once in their lifetime, the Rookie Award. This year’s award will be presented by last year’s winners, Lee Jihon and Jolgae.
A trio of folk singers who became famous as singer-songwriters on an audition program appeared wearing sunglasses.
After the leader Lee Jihon’s greeting, the VCR started playing.
[The super rookies who heated up K-POP in 2014!]
…With the embarrassing caption, the music video scenes flowed.
Street Boys, Blink, Serenity, and other rookies who ranked in the Top 5 this year were mentioned.
At the end, when their name came up with the caption ‘New Black’, a small but fierce cheer came from the audience.
Meanwhile, as they swallowed their saliva while the VCR was playing, the presenter Lee Jihon opened the envelope with the winner’s name.
They were the only attendees, but Woojoo didn’t know why he was so nervous.
-Yes, the 2014 Mango Chart Award Rookie Award goes to…
He smiled and said.
-New Black! Congratulations!
At that moment, Woojoo almost jumped up and screamed without realizing it.
As he shouted ‘Wow!’ in his head, he got up gracefully with his brothers.
“Guys.”
“Hyung.”
Only then did Woojoo smile broadly, looking at his brothers who were also smiling.
“Congratulations!”
“Congrats.”
“Thank you.”
The singers who were sitting in front of them got up and clapped hands with them, congratulating them.
Woojoo smiled and greeted Girls on Top, who were trembling at the corners of their mouths, and Jang Sowon, who was congratulating the Boshiraegi.
“Congratulations, Woojoo.”
Woojoo greeted TNT, who had Leader as their representative. Woojoo made his way through the singers.
Woojoo was so nervous walking down the path that the people in the standing seats were looking up at.
His legs were trembling.
“Congratulations.”
Woojoo received the trophy from Lee Jihun and the Jolgaes, and his brothers gathered around him as he stood in front of the standing microphone.
More than a hundred pairs of eyes were looking at them in the bright light.
If you counted the people watching from behind the camera, it would be ten times that.
Their family, their company staff, and their Soufflés were all watching.
Woojoo held the trophy tightly and opened his lips quickly.
The acceptance speech time was 1 minute and 30 seconds.
“First, I want to thank the people who are grateful to us.”
Woojoo gave the spot to Junghyun for a moment.
He swiftly named the people he was thankful for, like a rapper who raps fast and calmly.
“Thank you very much. President Park Kyuho of Lemon Entertainment. Producer Jo Gyuwan…”
The audience and the singers who were watching burst into a short laugh, and then Woojoo stood in front of the microphone again as the representative.
“We…”
Woojoo coughed as his throat choked up.
He wasn’t going to cry, was he?
It felt like something was welling up in him, as if his body was telling him to cry.
Bijoo smiled softly and put his hand on Woojoo’s shoulder.
“Yes, it was an unbelievable year for us, starting from before our debut. We…”
Woojoo was saying the speech he had prepared, but he didn’t even know if he was saying it properly.
He just glanced at his brothers, whose eyes were moist.
He also tried to hold back the blurriness in front of his eyes and continued the speech.
It might not be a big deal for someone else, but it was a very meaningful award for them.
No. It was for him too.
Woojoo didn’t know why he kept remembering the old days when he was at TJ Entertainment today, but as he spoke, he realized why.
“There’s nothing that’s taken for granted.”
Woojoo thought he had that thought unconsciously when he was a trainee.
If he debuted like the other seniors at TJ, he would win the Rookie Award right away, and soon succeed and have a concert at this gymnastics stadium.
But when he actually debuted and did the broadcast activities, he realized that it wasn’t.
There was nothing that was taken for granted.
Fans didn’t grow on their own, and the music chart rankings didn’t go up on their own.
They were all things that had to be earned.
And even if they did it together, it was barely enough.
That was why he was thankful.
To his brothers who worked hard this year, the company staff, and most of all, the fans who brought them to the Rookie Award.
So Woojoo delivered the last thank you message.
“And Soufflé, thank you so much.”
Sincerely.
“I hope we can be together for a long time, so that our meeting so far feels fleeting. Thank you very much.”
“Thank you!”
As he heard the applause echoing in the hall, he went back to his seat with his brothers, holding the trophy.
As Woojoo walked with a bit of relief, the youngest whispered to him with a flushed cheek.
“Hyung, I feel so good.”
“Me too.”
It was the best day of their lives.
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