Chapter 327: Chapter 328:

As the idol community heated up over Teen Spirit’s album award, other posts began to trickle in.

Today’s most impactful Scarlet stage dance.gif

What are the hit songs of Girltop this year??

Idol outfits that sparked rumors of a scuffle with fans on the red carpet.jpg

Personally, I found Mango so fun, especially New Black, Enoti, and Scarlet

Overall, I was satisfied with today’s performances

Amidst discussions about today’s performances, singers, and costumes, one topic stood out.

The male idol group that won the grand prize in their second year, a first for a mid-sized agency

New Black’s ‘Song of the Year’ acceptance speech

New Black, from rookie of the year to grand prize in just one year at Mango

The idol community’s forums were dominated by news of New Black’s grand prize win.

Their growth is insane, seriou

Amazing

Wow… I expected it after seeing their career this year, but they actually won it

But honestly, they felt like the grand prize winners all year

Congratulations to all New Black fansㅋㅋ

Honestly, if any other group had won, there would have been complaints

Are you going to bow three times a day in the direction of New Black, Kyuho? Okay?

The general mood was one of congratulations and recognition.

It was all thanks to ‘Wind Flower,’ which had set records.

Seven consecutive weeks at the top of the weekly charts.

Six consecutive weeks at the top of the music broadcasts.

And practically confirmed as the number one song of the year on Mango’s annual music chart.

Even the most recent weekly chart still had it within the top 20, making it the biggest hit of the year.

Of course, not everyone agreed.

Honestly, am I the only one who doesn’t get it?? Everyone talks about their impact, but for me, Cha Woo-hyun’s song felt more impactful…

Haha, the public’s choice is really something. I’ve never seen such a peaceful reaction even after a mid-sized idol wins the grand prize

Why don’t they get criticized???

However, such reactions were in the minority.

Ridiculousㅋㅋㅋ Since when did personal impact become the standard for awa

Do we need to get permission before giving out awards now?

Have the critics stuffed soju bottles into their heads?; It’s hard enough to chart these days, let alone be number one for the year

The majority of the community members did not agree with this minority of critics.

The consensus was that New Black deserved the win.

Not only did ‘Wind Flower’ become a hit, but their songs, including ‘Nine’ which could be heard on TV, radio, and even on the streets, and the OST for ‘Nostalgia’ which made it to the Billboard Hot 100, had achieved the highest public metrics of anyone this year. Ṙ

Amidst this incredible growth over the past two years, from ‘Something’ onwards, various jokes were exchanged.

I went to get baby food because of the ‘baby cries,’ and when I came back, it seemed like the baby had grown up…

New Black: Baby cries (1 minute later) New Black: Ha ha ha! Soufflé, I have arrived!

Why is it getting so intense all of a sudde

It kind of feels like a story about Zeus’s son from around volume 18 of Greek and Roman mythology

Ag

It seems like the fans are growing along with themㅋㅋㅋㅋ The cheers at the gymnastics today were so loud

Every time the cheers were caught on audio, I was surprisedㅋㅋ It sounded like Doraemon calling for Nobita

Amidst such lighthearted banter, New Black’s image was gradually changing among idol fans.

They had felt the impact of New Black’s hit songs and issues on variety shows.

But for fans of other idols, today was the first time they truly felt the size of ‘Soufflé,’ New Black’s fandom.

With New Black’s grand prize win and the hot offline reactions today, perceptions were changing.

With New Black, are the ‘Big Three’ now TNT/Teen Spirit/New Black??

No, no, looking at the current trend, Teen Spirit should be first

I don’t know about the rest, but if you look at album sales, they’re definitely the ‘Big Three’ in order, right? There’s a huge gap between New Black and the next group

Ten-Tin-New

Looking at it this way, New Black’s growth is even more in

Despite various opinions, New Black had become part of the so-called ‘first-tier’ lineup.

While discussions about who was first and who was next continued, the Soufflés, who would usually frown upon checking every comment, were now showing the brightest smiles.

“Ha ha ha!”

Whether they were leaving the gymnastics stadium where the award ceremony took place, sitting on the living room sofa watching TV, or watching on their phones outside.

Regardless of the location, all fans wore the same smile.

‘Our kids won the grand prize.’

Sitting still, I felt as if my body was floating up from my toes.

A smile slowly formed on my lips, and when I replayed the acceptance speech, my eyes welled up with tears.

It was the proud feeling you get when something ends well.

My heart felt warm and fuzzy.

An indescribable sense of fulfillment filled me.

Even after the ceremony, the atmosphere was ‘New Black’s song award is undeniable.’

‘We’ve really made it. Us.’

Although there’s still a long way to go, for today, I felt like I was soaring high in the sky.

On social media, hashtags like ‘#New_Black_Grand_Prize_Congratulations’ were trending.

Soufflés gathered in various communities and the comment sections of MiTube were flooded with tears.

Guysㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ You really worked hardㅠㅠㅠ

No matter what anyone says, I really like you guys. Let’s continue to shine like this.

The person above… saying such things with the nickname ‘I_want_to_be_Chu_Hyun’s_nose_hair’ makes me laughㅠㅠㅠ

I feel like crying, but I’m holding it inㅠㅠㅠ

Right now, the people making warm comments here are the ones saving Universe’s speech mistakes and the seven-line acrostic poem from the red carpet, I know everyt

I’m really thankful for todayㅠ For the fans of other groups who waved their light sticks during the performance

Even the external fans are going crazy with congratulations

On social media, congratulatory messages from international fans were overflowing.

It was one of those nights where everything around me seemed to shimmer with beauty.

As the fans, whom we affectionately call Soufflés, shared smiles while scrolling through stage videos and uploaded photos, my phone suddenly buzzed.

[whY-App]

Surprise Live Broadcast!

We’re here…!

It was a notification for a live broadcast on the app.

As the number of Soufflés entering the live stream soared rapidly, I thought, ‘Huh?’

I had joined to see the faces of my fellow members, but all I could see was pitch-black darkness.

“Hellooo…” came a voice, strained with emotion, from the darkness.

“We’r

The suggestion came up, “Shouldn’t we just turn on the audio if it’s going to be like this? The Soufflés want to see our faces.”

Tears were the reason, as one member confessed, “I keep tearing up, that’s why.”

Another proposed, “How about we show just a little bit of our faces?”

The Soufflés chuckled at the sniffling voices.

We wanted to connect with our fans, but our tear-streaked faces were too embarrassing to show. Our flustered fumbling was endearing.

“Just a moment,” said Junhyeon, and then—

Whoosh—

Light flooded the room.

“Ack!”

“Turn it off! Off!”

The light from Wang Bong’s phone filled the screen.

Our faces vanished like monsters obliterated by a hero’s finishing move.

After a brief commotion, a soft light filled the screen.

“Rihyuk turned on the book lamp.”

“The brightness is just right, isn’t it?”

“Agreed. At this level, they won’t see our tears.”

But they saw too well.

Our puffy-eyed group was giggling and enjoying the moment.

Then my phone rang.

“Mingi says our faces are too visible.”

“Uh-oh.”

We scrambled to cover our faces with the blanket.

From the position of the phone, it seemed all five of us were sprawled on a single bed, looking at the screen.

Woojoo brushed back his hair and said, “This is Junhyeon’s room in our dorm.”

“We wanted to talk to the Soufflés, so we started a live broadcast.”

Bijoo continued, “There’s always a set time for acceptance speeches, right? We had so much we wanted to say to the fans, but we couldn’t fit it all in and had to leave the stage.”

So, it seemed they were using the live app to extend their gratitude for the award they couldn’t express earlier.

Rihyuk started, “First of all, thank you for your support, supp… supp…”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

“Look, Rihyuk is crying!”

“Junhyeon, turn it off.”

At Woojoo’s command, Junhyeon swiftly disconnected the book lamp from the power bank.

Darkness returned.

“Sob!”

“If you cry, I’ll cry too… Sob!”

“Why are you crying… Then I’m crying too… Sob…”

The rustling of the blanket and the sound of all five of us sobbing together in the dark was a touching scene, yet it made us laugh.

As we each took turns expressing our gratitude to the fans, the light went on and off, creating a comical scene.

“I’m so grateful today… Hey, Kim Junhyeon. If I’m about to cry, turn it off in advance, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Today has been the happiest day of my li—”

“Click.”

The Soufflés, who had initially teared up with us, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Oh my, these kids LOL

My tears have dried up, you’re responsible

LOL Which idol does a live like this

You guys are the hidden gems of my heart

Plz say Camila Mendez

Why are you guys calling Kyuho??? Who’s that

Lethal

Why are there so many foreigners lately

Kyuho is a rich bald man who owns New Black

Don’t deliver it weirdly LOL

Lethal iPhone autocorrect, this little finger

Say it, Camila Mendez

Comments in English were popping up frequently, indicating a significant influx of international fans.

Amidst the rapidly scrolling comments, the members began to interact.

Junhyeon, with wide eyes, caught one of the comments and whispered to Woojoo.

“Did you like today’s stage? We were amazed by TNT seniors’ Glory performance.”

“I was so nervous during our performance. Standing there like a statue, I almost sneezed because of the dust.”

“Should we show them the trophy?”

The members chatted casually, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the awards ceremony.

Thanks to them, the Soufflés could savor the afterglow of the ceremony for a bit longer.

Their gratitude was palpable, not just in their words but in their expressions and tones.

“We should get going now.”

“We’ve planned to have a late-night snack with our managers. Curious about what we’re eating?”

The members emerged with their phones, illuminating the spread in the living room: chicken, pig’s feet, bossam, pizza, and bubbling beef tripe hotpot.

The steam rose from the food, tantalizing.

“…”

Watching the live broadcast with a contented smile, a pang of hunger started to gnaw at the Soufflés’ stomachs.

[“Well then~ Goodnight~”]

Amidst the members waving goodbye with bright smiles, Junghyun popped open a cola with a ‘click’ from behind.

‘What’s this feeling? Happy but somehow played…’

‘Really annoying.’

Soon after, the screen went dark with the notification, “The live has ended,” leaving a bewildered expression in its wake.

After the awards.

The New Black members were sprawled on the bed, clutching the trophy like a precious egg, faces twisted in Gollum-like satisfaction.

Beyond the grand prize, there was another gain for New Black.

-[HD Fancam] The New Black’s Reaction to NOT

-151107 New Black Artist Seat Reaction Compilation

-MCA 151107 TNT – Glory’s Reaction

Reaction fancams captured the artists’ responses from the artist seats at every stage.

New Black’s reactions were among them.

No matter whose fancam you played, New Black was always there in the corner of the screen, energetically shaking their bodies.

[New Black’s Reaction to Music All Day.metube]

(Video Compilation)

Start watching the second one from 01:37

It wasn’t just a few artists; they were really dancing along to every performance, following the choreography to a tee.

-The way they study music at MCA, it must be true;

-Woojoo and Bijou are rumored to watch stage videos all day long;

-I thought my idols were only dancing on the broadcast screen when they appeared, but it turns out everyone was doing it;

-The energy is insane;

-My affection for them grew because they reacted to my idol’s stage;

-If I were a fan of those idols, I’d feel really good;

-The reaction during TNT’s stage was hilarious, even following the fan chants;

-Why are they even cheering?

Everyone burst into laughter at the sight of New Black’s elated faces, chanting ‘Guseonwoong Shinjooyoung’ in sync with TNT fans’ cheers of ‘TNT! TNT!’

When watching Scarlet’s stage, Bijou would spread his palms and follow the point choreography.

And when the rookie groups performed, Rihyuk would hum along and nod his head.

‘Their reactions are pretty good.’

‘Do our kids know all the lyrics?’

‘Do they just eat and listen to music?’

Such reactions softened the gaze of other idol fans towards New Black.

As if anyone would look favorably upon those who react well to their idols.

-But New Black seems to have a really good personality. Watching the artist seat cam, they seem friendly with half the attendees;

-It’s the first time I’ve seen Chawoohyun greeting with a smile;

-Maybe it’s because of their variety show image? Like that time someone greeted a Jusehan member in the elevator with such enthusiasm, only to be met with awkwardness;

-Taehyun is usually so shy, but seeing him whispering and being friendly, Woojoo must be a genuinely nice person;

-Yeah, the younger line of Tentee officially said they are good people in a live broadcast;

-The capybaras of the idol world…

-A friend who works as an event staff always says New Black has a great personality. The downside is that their waiting room is incredibly noisy…

-I’m glad our Teenspirit sweethearts have made such friends;

During the award ceremony, there were moments of camaraderie as New Black, TNT, and Teenspirit chatted comfortably like friends.

Overall, the response was positive.

Of course, the favorable views were partly because New Black had achieved such good results.

And then.

There were those among the idol fans who viewed New Black most favorably.

-Really thankful for New Black’s reaction this time;

-The reaction at the venue was so poor I almost cried… but they gave the biggest response among the artists;

-So grateful for their great reaction;

-I’ve taken a liking to New Black because of this;

-I was really upset yesterday;

They were fans of Enoti and Highcolor, who had made it to the Mango Chart Awards for the first time this year.

Amidst the lackluster response from the audience.

The sight of New Black, smiling brightly and singing along or following the choreography from the artist seats, was etched in their minds.

Soon, those group’s fans began to stir.

[Knock knock, is this where the Charcoals are?]

-Who’s this?

-Thank you so much;

-But who are you?

The Soufflés were puzzled by the sudden appearance of rookie idol fans leaving messages of thanks.

The week of the awards was the happiest week of my life.

“Over there.”

“Here?”

“No, just a bit more, about 1cm.”

“Like this?”

“Just 0.5cm more.”

“…”

“Junghyun. It’s me. If you look at me with such insolence, I can’t write.”

“Ah…”

With a huff, Junghyun nudged the trophy with his index finger.

Finally, the trophy was centered in the display case.

“Wowww!”

We all clapped, proudly looking at the golden grand prize trophy on the second shelf of the display case.

Below it, the New Artist Award provided a solid foundation, with the Top 10 and Composer’s Award trophies resting above.

It was a sight so satisfying, it filled you up just by looking.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

“How about meat? Beef?”

Perhaps it was because I was the first singer from Lemon Entertainment to win the grand prize.

The CEO even gave me a card, insisting that for the next few weeks, I should indulge in meat every single day.

Days of happiness followed one after another.

“This is how a grand prize-winning singer eats.”

“Ha ha ha!”

“And that’s the winner of the Composer Award.”

Outside, in the presence of others, I’d respond with a solemn “Thank you.”

But when it was just us at the dorm or the practice room, we’d tease each other with, “Oh my, the grand prize-winning singer!”

Usually, such jokes would get old after one or two times, but this never seemed to tire.

For two days after the awards, I truly rested, basking in the joy.

I celebrated my birthday with a live broadcast party.

In the evening, I spent time dining out with my grandmother, who came up from Gunsan, and the members’ families.

After a tiring overseas tour, I finally took a well-deserved break to recharge.

“Now, let’s get to work! Work!”

Although I had achieved the long-dreamed grand prize, the real work was just beginning.

With the Asian tour over, it was time to prepare for fan meetings in North and South America.

In early December, I was scheduled to attend the K-net Music Awards in Hong Kong as both a performer and a nominee, so rehearsal time was tight.

Of course, the most important task was preparing for the next album.

The comeback was planned for after the winter tour in Japan, with a spring release next year, but it seemed prudent to start preparing early.

-MCA ‘Songwriter of the Year’ New Black Universe, “First Idol Singer”

-‘Wind Flower, Nine, Thousand Dream…’ ‘Genius Composer’ Universe… How much are the royalties?

-[OH! Critics’ Perspective] New Black, Why the Next Album is Anticipated

While I’ve certainly gained recognition for my compositions, the pressure is slowly mounting.

Every time I turn on the MIDI in the studio, it feels like people are watching over my shoulder, wondering, “Will the next album be just as good?”

Preparing a new album always felt like tightrope walking at great heights, but after winning the grand prize and the composer award, it felt like walking a tightrope atop the 63 Building.

“I am at ease. So at ease…”

“You don’t look relaxed at all.”

I ignored Rihyuk’s comment.

“I am Kim Junghyun. Because I’m Kim Junghyun, I am relaxed…”

“I don’t make such faces, hyung.”

…

I gave up on self-hypnosis and ate my meal.

As I was enjoying my breakfast of dried pollack soup, Rihyuk asked me,

“Is it because of the next album?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s talk later. I have a few ideas.”

I nodded in agreement.

The theme color for the next album was blue.

The protagonist was to be Rihyuk, but right now, I wasn’t in the state to work on music.

“I’m off.”

As Rihyuk put on his school uniform and slung his backpack over his shoulder, Bijoo asked with a worried face,

“Leaving already? You’ve barely eaten a bowl.”

“I think I’ll sleep during the language section. Better to eat light. Well, I’m off.”

“Should I see you out?”

“Don’t bother!”

“Be careful on the icy roads! And don’t follow any old men pulling carts!”

“Keep it down!”

Rihyuk and Minki quickly put on their shoes and left, feeling burdened by a send-off.

As I waved goodbye,

“Oh! The lunchbox! He forgot his lunchbox!”

Jung-hyun ran out faster than anyone, lunchbox in hand.

A minute later,

Jung-hyun returned, nonchalant.

“Why did it take so long?”

“Ah. The elevator went down from the 11th floor first. I had to catch up using the stairs.”

…

“I pressed the button on the 8th floor first. Wasn’t that smart?”

The door suddenly opened, and seeing Jung-hyun’s warm smile while holding the ‘lunchbox,’ I burst into laughter, imagining the expressions on their faces.

Meanwhile, I asked Bijoo,

“By the way, what did you pack for his lunch?”

“Ah. I asked him what he wanted to eat.”

“And?”

Bijoo shook off her apron and relayed someone’s words,

“Ever since I was young, there was always one food I envied other kids eating at school. On important days, other kids had their parents pack it, but I always had to eat the teacher’s. It made me a little sad.”

“I see.”

“He said he wanted to eat that…”

I nodded along to the heartwarming story, then paused.

“Wait a minute. What did he ask you to pack?”

At the SAT testing center.

Lunchtime had ended, and the students were preparing for the foreign language section.

The buzz of voices.

Every time students passed by the open back door of the testing center, they would sneak a peek.

It wasn’t intentional; it was just that one particularly striking figure in white caught everyone’s eye.

“Wow. He’s so handsome.”

The figure, draped in a coat and stretching his legs out elegantly, was none other than New Black’s Rihyuk.

No matter the pose, he exuded the aura of a celebrity, drawing admiration from some.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Damn it. I can’t concentrate…”

The murmurs of the onlookers.

It was then that the student sitting right in front of them, looking annoyed, was studying his English vocabulary book.

Tap tap-

Soft fingers tapped gently on his back.

Turning his head, he saw the owner of an unreal beauty looking at him with a cool expression.

“Excuse me?”

I found myself swallowing hard, overwhelmed by a sudden feeling.

It was when the celebrity, who had been silent in the examination hall, uttered their first words that everyone around tuned in.

“Um…”

A feeble voice escaped from Rihyuk’s lips.

“I’m really sorry, but do you have any digestive medicine?”

“…”

“I think I’ve overeaten.”

“…”

“It must have been the kimbap I had for lunch…”

It was the moment when the lead vocalist of New Black became the protagonist of the story, ‘The day New Black’s member got sick during the college entrance exams and people made way for him.’