Chapter 332: Chapter 333:

The audience’s gaze was riveted to the stage.

“Welcome,” Rupert Dean greeted with open arms.

Bella Paige was there too, her smile just as bright as she welcomed everyone.

The quintet, who had been exchanging hugs and handshakes with the two actors, now set down the chairs they had been carrying.

Rupert Dean asked, “Where’s my chair?” with a slightly aggrieved expression.

At his words, all five shrugged their shoulders in unison, prompting laughter from the audience at their well-timed skit.

“They didn’t give you one,” replied the handsome man at the far left, his voice smooth.

His eyes and mouth gleamed, reflecting the stage lights. His beauty was undeniable, the kind that would draw admiration anywhere in the world, even from the American audience.

The female spectators’ eyes softened.

“The cute ones,” they thought.

“The one in the middle with broad shoulders is exactly my type.”

“A bit too skinny, though…”

Even the slim-cut suit pants they wore seemed loose on the slender singers.

Meanwhile, the audience’s minds were busy trying to guess the identity of the five newcomers.

“Colorful hair… K-pop singers, maybe?”

“I know the band’s name, but I can’t quite place them.”

As these thoughts swirled, the leader, seated at the far left, picked up the microphone.

“Good evening. It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

His natural American English made him sound like someone from the neighborhood, friendly and approachable.

“You’re probably wondering who we are. We’ve been thinking about how to introduce ourselves in a way that you’ll remember, so we looked it up on the internet.”

He showed his smartphone with a smile.

“And ‘Book guys’ came up.”

The members gazed into the distance as if looking at a faraway mountain, and the audience burst into laughter at the spot-on summary.

“Yes, that’s us,” the leader said with a laugh, joining in the audience’s amusement.

As the concert filming crew captured the laughing crowd from various angles, the singer continued with a witty remark.

“Even if we tell you our names now, you’ll forget them by the end of the show. We all know that.”

He then turned to the member seated in the center, as if performing a skit.

“Hey, remember the singer who performed ‘Thousand Dreams’ earlier? The group of five?”

“Uh…”

The member with the fierce look blinked innocently like a teddy bear and replied,

“You mean the Book guys?”

Laughter erupted from the audience.

They could vividly imagine the situation and couldn’t help but laugh in agreement.

“You see?” the leader said, as if proving a point.

“That’s why we’ll introduce ourselves just before we leave the stage.”

“By that time, you’ll remember our names.”

The youngest member at the far right confidently assured the audience, who responded with smiles.

Gradually, curiosity about the unfamiliar singers turned into fondness.

Backstage, a sense of ease spread among the staff, who had been nervously anticipating any unexpected incidents due to the foreign singers’ surprise appearance.

“These guys are good,” they murmured, exchanging approving glances.

They had hoped the stage performance would be enough, but the singers had already captivated the audience with their skilled banter, fitting perfectly with the live concert’s theme of “An Elegant Night Party.”

However, one person wasn’t smiling.

“What’s going on?”

Anton, a stagehand who had encouraged the band New Black before their performance, was puzzled.

He had thought they were unknown newcomers, but their stage presence and skill surpassed everyone else’s that day.

“They seem like professional singers.”

Then he realized he hadn’t been present during New Black’s rehearsal.

“Anton!” called a senior staff member.

“Coming!”

Even as he hurried off, a nagging doubt lingered in his mind.

On stage, the universe seemed to pause as the keyboardist took his seat at the empty instrument.

He clapped his hands to draw attention.

“Before we start the song, I have a request.”

As all eyes focused on his pointing finger, it gracefully descended onto a piano key, producing a single, delicate note.

His lips approached the microphone placed on the keyboard.

“Imagine,” he began softly.

As he played a gentle melody with one hand, his voice continued soothingly.

“Imagine dreams floating up to the sky like balloons. Literally a thousand dreams taking flight.”

The tender melody from the keyboard, along with the voices of the four members sitting in a row, filled the concert hall.

Their voices merged into a single harmony, resonating through the space.

The familiar variation of the melody began to take shape, and blue and yellow lights bathed the stage.

The live band’s strings and drums, silent until now, started to find their voices.

All these elements combined into the musical number ‘Thousand Dreams’ from a famous movie, evoking a sense of nostalgia in the audience.

In the corner dedicated to foreign language books, I found myself lost in a song, a scene that would linger in my memory.

As I anticipated the first verse, a member with a face as pale as snow picked up the microphone to my right.

We have no story to show,

No hero in our midst,

Yet our dreams are plentiful.

The vocalist’s voice soared smoothly into the high notes as the lyrics progressed.

Before the echo of the song could fade in the auditorium, an involuntary gasp burst from the audience.

“Wow!”

It was a spontaneous exclamation, quickly swallowed by the sound of the venue, but it left the audience in awe.

“It’s different.”

“It feels unlike anything heard in a theater.”

The thought of how wonderful the live experience was caused a complete shift in the audience’s perspective.

The song continued.

A member with fiery red hair moistened the air with his tender falsetto.

A figure with a deep voice recited the lyrics with gravity.

A youthful-looking member drew all eyes with a smile that brightened one’s mood.

And the leader, orchestrating the performance, played the keyboard and sang refreshingly.

“Wow…”

The performance was distinct from the stages flaunted by the musical actors present that day.

It was as if the excitement was shared.

The melody, which began gently, transformed into something delightful, prompting the audience to tap their toes rhythmically.

What we possess are

Hundreds of words,

Thousands of dreams,

And a humble bookshelf.

With each continuation of the song, scenes from a movie vividly came to mind.

A library enchanted with magic.

Unlike the popular novels and science books that usually garnered attention, the foreign language section sat neglected in a shabby corner.

These books, too, yearned for the love of readers, but their circumstances were far too dire.

They contained languages that, aside from academic study, garnered little interest.

Dreams were plentiful, yet unattainable.

Yet, without sorrow, the books sang joyfully of what they had been given.

The mood of the song grew more serious.

If you can grasp a dream,

Seize it,

And send it soaring into the sky.

The lyrics spoke of dreams each person harbored.

No matter how beautiful or grand, they urged not to fret over holding and losing them.

Dreams are but a part of oneself. Do not become consumed by them.

The five singers harmonized as if in a choir.

To the high heavens,

Release them gently,

Dreams will become stars,

Illuminating each of our night skies.

Instead, they advised the protagonist of the story to use those dreams not as destinations but as compasses.

To know what one desires, what one wishes to do, and where to go.

The main vocalist led the powerful chorus of ‘Thousand Dreams.’

Across the vast ocean,

A thousand dreams will become

A thousand stars,

Guiding your voyage.

The voices resonated with the uplifting melody of the musical number, filling the air.

As the first verse concluded, the audience softly applauded.

While the meaning of the lyrics was interpreted in various ways, one thing was certain:

The live experience, unlike listening in a theater or through earphones, was profoundly different.

As the first verse ended and the second concluded,

“Wow!”

Amidst the pouring applause, the quintet rose, smiling graciously as they bowed on stage.

“We’ve been New Black.”

“Have a wonderful night!”

With a neat wave, the members descended from the stage.

The keyword ‘New Black’ resonated in the ears, promising to be a name remembered for a long time.

“New Black…”

The camera capturing their retreat backstage panned to the clapping audience.

Meanwhile, Anton, a staff member waiting below the stage, blinked in disbelief.

“What a following…”

The follower count on New Black’s SNS account made him gulp, unseen.

And the photos from a performance venue far grander than the current live hall confirmed it.

They were undoubtedly famous singers in Korea.

Though he hadn’t seen the live performance videos, their stage presence and performance were far from that of newcomers.

And so,

“How did you like our performance?”

As the members of New Black descended, beaming at him, Anton felt an overwhelming urge to hide.

The day after the live concert.

We celebrated a successful fan meeting in LA with the American fans, the Soufflés.

“Thank you for coming all the way here today!”

“We truly appreciate it!”

As usual, after an overseas tour, we gathered in front of the national flag for selfies with the fans.

The event was somewhere between a fan meeting and a concert in scale.

Not as large as those in Asia, but still far beyond our expectations.

And the enthusiasm was incredible.

“Aaaaah…!”

I waved back to the fans, signaling them not to leave, my hand filled with reluctance.

Even after coming down from the stage, my face remained flushed from the heat of their enthusiasm for quite some time.

“Seokhwan hyung.”

“Hmm?”

“You said to think of the fan meeting as something casual.”

“Well, you know, you guys always give your best, even on the smallest stages…”

Seokhwan hyung laughed, avoiding our teasing gaze.

“It turned out that more fans showed up than expected, so we had to increase the seating…”

It was like planning to pour just a cup of rice, but then the whole bag spilled over. We all laughed at the analogy.

And with this turnout, he suggested that we could seriously consider a concert tour next year.

“Wherever you go, the local staff always say the same thing about you guys.”

Our manager said with a smile.

“The enthusiasm is extraordinary. They say we could definitely plan concerts in other regions next year.”

“Wow…!”

“This fan meeting had people flying in from other states.”

“Really…?”

I asked.

“They flew here? Why?”

“Well… they couldn’t come by car, could they?”

“Hold on. So if we were to tour from here…”

“We’d have to fly.”

As I sadly murmured ‘Wow…’ and hung my head, my younger brothers comforted me with a chorus of ‘Oooh…’ and patted my back.

Then we just laughed.

Such worries were for later; for now, we were content with the positive local response.

“Great job everyone!”

I thanked all the staff who worked with us on the live concert and the fan meeting in the US.

“Live concert?”

“It’s over!”

My brothers replied with clenched fists.

“Fan meeting?”

“It’s over!”

“Interview schedule?”

“That too.”

This time, we all shouted together.

“It’s over!”

“So what do we do now?”

“We play and eat!”

With a cheer of ‘Waaaah,’ we immediately headed back to the hotel.

Our youngest, who would be a high school senior next year, couldn’t contain his excitement and started jumping on the bed.

“Let’s do it. Pillow fight!”

“Oh, come on, a pillow fight… Let’s do it!”

“Aaack!”

At first, we started with high spirits.

“I’m joining in.”

The battle ended because of a monster who spun pillows in his hands like a Shaolin master, not filled with cotton but bolts and nuts.

“Junghyun-ah, it’s me. It’s your brother, aaah!”

“Aaack! Kim Junghyun… from now on, I’ll only put carrots in your fried rice…”

“There’s a saying not to hit even with a flower, but I always think that hitting with a flower would still hurt if it’s that hyung.”

We all fell to someone spinning like a figure skater, twirling their body like a top.

Our managers were the only ones happy, clapping like seals at the thought of more videos for YouTube.

Anyway, after five minutes, we switched from pillow fighting to dancing with pillows.

After juggling pillows and tap dancing, I won by unanimous vote from my brothers.

And then I immediately passed out, asleep.

“The weather is really nice.”

“Right? It feels great to play outside.”

We were enjoying a break before our departure, basking in the unexpectedly warm weather and sunshine, when Bijoo spoke.

“It’s not just the weather. It’s nice that no one recognizes us here.”

“That’s true.”

“Back in Korea, it was embarrassing whenever people recognized us doing anything.”

“Exactly. We couldn’t even dance freely in the alleys.”

We all agreed.

Being recognized on the streets was nice, but it also restricted our actions.

Gone are the days when we could dance and play in the alleys as before.

Every time we conversed among ourselves, the nearby tables burst into laughter, forcing us to speak with decorum.

And that made me happy.

“In a place where no one knows us…”

Excited, I chatted away with my siblings about trying this and that.

Thus began our day of leisure, filled with amusement parks and meals.

We all moved busily according to the timetable that Ri Hyeok had created, segmented by time.

“It’s been a while!”

“Chichipong!”

The first was a casual meal with Rupert Dean, the lead actor of Nostalgia.

A friend I had grown close to during a promotional event in Korea.

“My manager says this is the most famous Korean restaurant around. They say the ribs are delicious.”

“Ribs…!”

My heart raced at the thought of the LA ribs I had only heard about.

As we followed Rupert inside, the restaurant buzzed with activity.

Perhaps it was the delicate, artist-like impression beneath his brown hair, but more likely because he was one of the hottest actors in Hollywood right now.

We felt a sense of pride under the murmuring glances from all around.

‘No one knows us.’

‘The perfect strangers…!’

That’s when we were waiting for the menu with proud smiles.

“Hmm…?”

At first, the waiter glanced at Rupert and approached, but then he caught sight of us and did a double-take.

“New Black?”

“…Yes?”

As we looked on, puzzled, the waiter, who seemed to be a Korean student, greeted us warmly.

“Hello.”

“Oh, hi. But how do you know us…?”

“I’m Korean.”

His logic was that being Korean, he naturally knew us, which left us momentarily flustered before we returned the greeting with a laugh.

It wasn’t surprising to find a Korean student working part-time at a restaurant specializing in Korean cuisine.

Rupert smiled broadly at our conversation in Korean.

“You guys are quite famous.”

“Not really. It’s just a coincidence that there’s a Korean person here.”

…I dismissed it, but as time passed, I realized something.

Even at the amusement park we visited with my siblings, while waiting for our turn on the rides.

A newlywed couple passed by and waved.

“Hey? Hello.”

“…”

“Why are you here?”

Even while shopping on a street lined with stores, a family of tourists recognized us.

“Oh, New Black…!”

“…”

“Right?”

Whether visiting Hollywood Boulevard or touring various landmarks, someone always greeted us.

Whenever we asked where they had seen us, the Koreans replied, ‘On TV,’ or ‘On MeeTube.’

By the end of our schedule, we looked at each other with hollow expressions, feeling robbed of our freedom.

And then we realized an important fact.

“Why are there so many Koreans here…?”

Wherever in the world we went, there were Koreans.

Meanwhile, in Korea.

A post appeared on several community boards dedicated to international celebrities.

[Rupert Dean’s Paparazzi Shot Today]

The teenage actor, recently proving his acting chops in Nostalgia.

The views soared, befitting his reputation.

Those who saw the photo couldn’t help but laugh.

What? Why is New Black there again?

NewBlack again;

I thought it was strange I hadn’t seen their faces all day

If you don’t see New Black, New Black will come to find you

Hawaiian shirts, LOL. The ones bowing their heads beside must be the members, right?

Bowed so low, couldn’t recognize them

First time seeing a Korean celebrity in a foreign paparazzi shot, LOL

There was Woojoo, smiling happily next to a foreign actor, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and grandpa sunglasses.

And it was the same on other communities and social media.

@Dayoung.227

(A photo of a bewildered New Black with a brightly smiling tourist family)

Came to LA for a trip and was surprised to find Koreans!! It was New Black~~ haha

So happy to take a photo together~

When I told Woojoo he was very handsome, he suddenly burst into laughter and offered handshakes to me and my husband (I don’t know why…)

Stories and selfies with New Black spotted in LA were popping up everywhere.

It was a consequence of their fame in Korea.

While New Black was becoming a household name in Korea, something else was trending across the Pacific in the US.

‘Huh? What’s this?’

People tilted their heads at an unfamiliar thumbnail on MeeTube’s trending videos.

It was a live concert video posted by the production company of Nostalgia.

Initially, the interest was modest, but soon it became the fastest climbing live clip.

[“Thousand Dreams” Performed by The New Black]

Fingers of those browsing MeeTube began to press play.