Chapter 356: Chapter 357

In the end, we settled on spicy fish stew for dinner.

Bubble, bubble.

I ladled the boiling broth over the vegetables, the steam rising in a fragrant cloud.

“Wow…”

The sight of the delectable stew brought beaming smiles to my siblings’ faces.

“This place really lives up to its soufflé recommendations.”

“Thank you, ‘Chosun Dynasty Swirl’.”

The portions were generous, and the taste was authentic, just as promised.

There was plenty of sashimi, and the stew was hearty.

I had been looking forward to trying Yongin’s famous Baekam Sundae, but missing out on it didn’t seem so bad now.

“I was sweating bullets thinking we wouldn’t get to eat, but look, problem solved.”

“What a relief.”

“That was a brilliant idea, Sunwoo-ju. Accept my praise.”

“Brother, don’t just say it, show it.”

Ri Hyeok pretended to write something in the air, then crumpled it and tossed it into my mouth.

I responded with a bright smile.

“Ptooey.”

“…”

“Ha ha ha!”

Our laughter drew applause from my siblings.

The clamor caught the attention of other diners at the restaurant.

We bowed apologetically under their curious gazes.

“Sorry—”

Amidst the laughter, Minki joined in with a scolding.

“Hey, don’t harmonize when apologizing. It lacks sincerity.”

“A well-fed ghost has a rosy complexion, so why not make apologies pleasant to hear?”

The youngest hummed a tune, seemingly content.

The aroma of the spicy stew made my mouth water.

I said to my dancing siblings, “Comrades, today we’ve had an epiphany.”

“That’s right.”

“If we can’t have meat?”

“We’ll have fish instead!”

“And if you don’t know what ‘feed’ means?”

“You get a 69!”

While the managers and older members clapped like seals in amusement, Jiho put down his spoon and rolled his eyes.

“Ah, seriously!”

“If you feel wronged, aim for a 70 next time.”

“Just watch. I’ll set a new record. I’m a master of Korean history now, you know?”

As Junghyun cheered ‘Oh, renewal,’ Ri Hyeok chuckled and asked, “What is ‘renewal famine’? 3 points.”

“What’s that?”

“It means, Jiho, you’re not likely to score 70 points.”

Ri Hyeok burst into laughter, and we teased along.

“Sixty—”

“Nine nine nine—”

The youngest stood up abruptly, shaking off our teasing. We clung to his legs.

“No, don’t go! Where are you off to? Are you upset?”

“Bathroom! I’m going to the bathroom!”

“Well, one must go when nature calls.”

We let him off coolly.

Bijoo pointed the way, and Jiho headed off in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, we smiled apologetically at the other guests watching us.

“Sorry~”

“Don’t harmonize, kids…”

The guests, and even Minki, who had been holding his forehead as if in pain, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

That evening at the renowned ‘Yongin Fish Market’ restaurant, the dinner crowd was bustling.

Amidst the various conversations, a college student suddenly remembered something.

“Right, I heard New Black came to Yongin today.”

“Really? Why?”

“They seem to be on a national tour. My friends saw them filming something for YouTube at the central market earlier. It was packed with people.”

“That must be what popped up on Facebook.”

As the chatter of stories filled the air, the patrons visiting the sushi restaurant couldn’t help but notice something eye-catching.

“…Hmm?”

A freshly printed, door-sized photo adorned the wall at the entrance of the sushi place.

‘NewBlack…?’

In the photo, the owners of the sushi restaurant stood on either side, while the members of NewBlack struck a pose in the center.

“Wow. That’s so dynamic.”

In the picture, Uju appeared to be reeling in a big catch with an imaginary fishing rod, while Junghyun mimicked the thrashing of a red snapper.

The other three were imitating already caught fish.

“Ha-ha-ha!”

Below the photo was a sign wishing prosperity.

Next to it was another photo where NewBlack was singing requests for the customers.

The background of hikers clapping and laughing ‘ha-ha-ha’ gave off the vibe of a trot song being performed.

“…”

The college students blinked in surprise.

‘What’s going on? What happened here?’

They wondered if there had been some kind of broadcast shooting.

And then.

As posts went up on social media, the famous sushi restaurant in Yongin that NewBlack visited started to get even busier than usual.

7 PM.

A group of people disembarked at Jukjeon Station on the Bundang Line and hurried on their way.

Some came from nearby cities, others were locals.

Among them, a user with the nickname ‘Don’tGoToGradSchool’ felt their cheeks flush with excitement as they started walking.

‘Wow. They came to our neighborhood…’

It still felt surreal.

That NewBlack, instead of music broadcasts, was performing in small theaters across various regions.

And that they had won the fierce competition to get tickets.

‘NewBlack 1st Small Theater Tour: Encounter’

It was a project conducted by NewBlack in place of music broadcast recordings.

They divided the country into several regions and held a lottery for the fans in those areas.

The performance, including the talk session, was said to last about an hour to an hour and a half.

‘Nice.’

Though they had never been to a music broadcast recording, the idea of NewBlack coming to their neighborhood.

And being able to see their performance was thrilling.

As they walked, pondering what it would be like to see NewBlack in person.

“Hmm…?”

‘Don’tGoToGradSchool’ doubted their eyes upon reaching the venue.

‘A small theater, they said…?’

The art hall operated by the Yongin City Cultural Foundation.

No matter how they looked at it, the grandeur of the venue seemed too much to be called a small theater.

A small theater would typically have less than 300 seats.

But the banner reading ‘Small Theater Tour’ in front of them brought out an embarrassed laugh.

“…?”

Other fans also seemed to have a dazed look as they gazed at the venue.

The surroundings buzzed as they walked to enter.

‘This is no joke.’

There seemed to be a lot of fans waiting in front even though they hadn’t won the lottery.

Wondering if they might get a chance to attend if seats became available.

Or if they could somehow buy tickets on-site.

“Heave-ho…”

Some were already scouting for spots to take photos of NewBlack as they exited the venue later.

Masked, carrying personal ladders and camera bags, they moved with a professional air.

Feeling the entire area pulsating with excitement, she went through the entrance procedure.

Passing people taking photos with the members’ standees, she entered the interior of the venue.

“Is this supposed to be a small theater?”

She blinked at the sight of the opera hall with its incredibly high ceiling.

The laughter came naturally upon finding out that the venue, including the second floor, had over 1,200 seats.

‘Lemon Enter must be making a lot of money.’

She marveled briefly at the wealth that could afford such a venue for free, considering the likely high rental fee.

She flipped through the booklet she received upon entry.

The excitement was strangely palpable, thanks to the setlist written like a real concert.

‘Oh, the anticipation.’

Rubbing her palms together, flipping through the booklet, her heart began to race.

Hoping eagerly for the curtain hiding the stage to rise quickly.

And so, as the Suples found their seats, the 1,200 seats, including the first floor, second floor, and side seats, filled up completely.

“Aaaaaah!”

As the lights dimmed gradually, the cheers of a thousand voices thundered through the venue.

In the darkness, the glow of lightsticks spread like a miniature Milky Way.

The curtain that veiled the entire stage began to part slowly, and the sound of the soufflés filled the concert hall.

Ssshhh…

A white fog from the fog machine started to blanket the floor, and the lights bathed everything in blue.

A dreamlike backdrop.

Against the VCR background of falling snow, lights shaped like snow crystals began to move.

“Aaaaaah!”

Intro: Nineteen.

Behind me, the live band played the intro as the members sat with their eyes closed.

The lightsticks swayed gently to the sweet piano background music.

Then, lips that seemed unusually red today against an even whiter face than usual parted.

Slowly setting

Like the five o’clock sunshine

Our summer has passed

A voice with a soft yet strong resonance.

It wasn’t a high-pitched scream, but it felt like it dominated the entire concert hall.

“Woah…!”

A brief, scream-like cheer erupted spontaneously.

‘…Incredible.’

A graduate soufflé hearing New Black’s live performance for the first time opened their eyes wide.

I knew they were good, but I didn’t realize the difference between the live performance and the recorded sound was this vast.

My body resonated with the sound of the main vocal, as if painted by the blue lights that colored the stage.

And then.

As the refrain of the intro flowed, the members opened their eyes and grasped the microphones.

“Waaaah-!”

Harmonies added flavor to the main vocal’s song.

It felt like my ears were moistened.

Thus, after the intro and the week’s chart-topping ‘Winter Sleep’ ended.

“Aaaaaahhhhh!”

The lightsticks that had been gently swaying went wild, welcoming the members.

The atmosphere shifted 180 degrees, and the members smiled mischievously.

“On two, three!”

“Roasted sweet potatoes! Roasted chestnuts! And…?”

“New Blaaack!”

“Hello, soufflés! We’ve come!”

The main dancer waved his hands with a flushed face, eliciting smiles.

The youngest member grabbed the microphone.

“Hello! Gyeonggi!”

“Waaaaah!”

Just like when he said ‘Yo! Hong-kong!’ to the audience at the Hong Kong KMA, the youngest member’s antics made both the members and fans laugh.

Rihyuk shook his head and took the microphone.

“I really don’t know why you do this.”

“Exactly.”

“No, guys. I prepared for each region. If it’s Seoul, it’s ‘Hi! I Seoul You~! Hoo!”

The older members burst into laughter at the youngest’s words.

Then the leader took the microphone.

“Before we chat with everyone, let me formally greet you.”

Sparkling eyes scanned the audience.

“We sincerely welcome you to our intimate theater tour ‘Encounter’.”

“Welcome- Welcomeee-!”

“This performance is different from our past ones. We wanted to come to the soufflés first, so we planned it ourselves. Do you like it?”

“Yes!”

“That’s a relief.”

The leader, still smiling broadly, skillfully pointed to the live band seated behind.

“These are the band members who have been with us since our first concert. Oh, guys, you don’t have to stand up to greet.”

“We’ll do it.”

As the band members awkwardly remained seated, the New Black members stood up and approached the drummer.

“Director, please give this man a close-up shot.”

The camera zoomed in, enlarging the drummer’s face against the backdrop.

“Don’t be nervous, Yuntak hyung,” said the drummer, shyly clutching his sticks.

Over 1200 fans were all eyes on me. No need to be nervous.

Like mischievous nephews teasing their uncle, New Black casually took the mic and burst into an impromptu song.

The bassist and guitarist laid down a lively beat, their faces alight with excitement.

“Let me introduce…”

Boom-tish~ Boom-tish~

“The drum god has arrived,

Drummer Hoon-tak,

Known for: Can’t watch horror movies.”

The fans erupted into laughter, and the drummer with the fierce face covered his face with his stick-holding hand.

“Ha-ha-ha!”

A band member at the keyboard played a dramatic soundtrack, mimicking a soap opera’s background music.

Bijoo asked,

“How do you like our introduction?

Express that feeling with the drums!”

The drummer, caught up in the moment, struck the hi-hat with a ‘ching!’ to show his mood.

Uju turned to the other members,

“What about you guys?”

A sound indicating approval played in the background.

The drummer, now holding the mic, said to his mates,

“You’re up next.”

The band members played a melancholic tune.

The fans couldn’t help but laugh at the cheerful display as New Black introduced the band members one by one.

“These are the special people who will join us for the next three weeks. Please welcome them with applause!”

“Wow!”

The band members played a brief melody of gratitude and bowed their heads.

Uju, back in his seat, announced,

“Before we start today’s performance, I have a few things to tell you.

As you all know, this show is in partnership with the Y app and will be broadcasted daily!

For those who couldn’t make it, we hope to connect with you this way!

And one more thing.”

Rihyuk smiled as if hinting at something exciting,

“We’ve prepared another surprise event for you.”

“Oooh!”

The crowd’s eyes sparkled.

Whispers of ‘Masks?’, ‘Some kind of cosplay?’, ‘Bread?’ filled the air, and Rihyuk looked flustered.

“No, it’s not about wearing masks, so don’t get your hopes too high.”

“Awww~”

The crowd laughed as the sound trailed off.

After the opening,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Shall we start the real performance now?”

New Black began singing ‘Winter Trip’ to the live band’s accompaniment.

The atmosphere kept heating up.

They shared the backstory of the song, similar to Ha Seung-ju’s music cafe format.

They even took time to address post-it questions from the fans.

“Wow!”

About 30 minutes in, New Black’s surprise event was revealed.

“We’ve prepared a surprise event! Did you all submit your winter stories?

We’ll pick some from today’s audience and give away prizes!

And we’ll sing a song that matches your story!”

Cheers followed as the list of prizes was announced.

“Why is there a kimchi fridge…?”

Everyone burst into laughter at the unexpected item among the expected merchandise.

“We’ve read all the stories submitted throughout the holiday season and made our selections.

Now, for our first story of the day!”

A staff member climbed onto the stage and handed a sheet of A4 paper to the leader.

A thousand eyes drilled into that paper under the spotlight.

“Heh!”

The leader, chuckling, passed the story to the youngest member.

“Our youngest, the actor, will do the reading.”

“Okay!”

Jiho looked into the distance, capturing the emotion, as the music director laid down a gentle BGM.

It felt like the start of a heartfelt video letter.

Jiho began,

“Meeting New Black changed my winter.”

“Oooh!”

I had indulged in too many soufflé breads and gained weight.

The fans burst into laughter together.

Jiho recited the story with a calm voice.

“Thanks to the friendly fats that visited my belly, I think I’ll spend this winter warmly.”

While everyone was roaring with laughter over the story of a cozy winter gained through weight,

The person in question, ‘Don’t Go to Grad School,’ was covering their face in dismay.

“Now, I believe the subject of the story is here with us today.”

“We’re quite shy ourselves, so it’s perfectly fine if you don’t raise your hand,” Bijoo said with a kind smile.

“You can come and collect your prize after the show ends. If you’re okay with revealing yourself as the protagonist of the story, please raise your hand.”

Then, the person raised their hand.

“Oh, there you are.”

The audience’s gaze turned to her, and I felt an inexplicable embarrassment, but most of the looks were filled with goodwill.

Woojoo politely bowed his head with the microphone in hand.

“We’re truly sorry. The bread wasn’t meant to have such an effect…”

“Ever since we read the story, we all agreed that ‘we have to apologize in person.’”

As the soufflés burst into laughter, Woojoo asked,

“If you’re okay with the microphone… Ah, yes. Thank you. Hello.”

“Y-yes… Hello.”

“Since we’re live, we’ll slightly change the nickname. Our grad student soufflé~!”

Laughter erupted from all corners at the cute nickname.

‘Thank goodness.’

I was worried they might call out the nickname ‘Don’t Go to Grad School,’ but fortunately, they didn’t.

Of course, my face wasn’t shown, but you never know with these things.

When the members sent thankful gestures or apologetic hearts, everyone envied them.

After a brief talk with her, the attention returned to the members.

“Before you choose a prize, we’d like to sincerely apologize by singing a song for you.”

“Hmm, what should we sing~?”

The members whispered among themselves, then nodded in agreement.

Surely the music was already prepared, but their acting was so natural, you’d forget that fact.

“Grad school life is tough, isn’t it? After reading your story, we even asked around about it.”

“Studying and all. It must be really hard.”

Woojoo said with a smile.

“This song is for the soufflé pursuing a Ph.D.”

“Professor Baeksanggyo’s ‘I Will Become a Doctor!’”

Everyone burst into laughter at the unexpected song choice.

The cheerful intro played, followed by the lyrics, “I want to become a doctor of love quickly~”

The person coughed along with the song.

“Cough! Cough!”

Then, she clapped enthusiastically for the New Black members who sang for her.

‘It’s somewhat embarrassing. But…’

Everyone looked envious, yet relieved it wasn’t them.

After the song ended, the microphone was handed back to her.

Woojoo pointed to the stickers representing various prizes and appliances on the panel.

“As the first story winner today! You get to choose a prize first.”

“What will you choose?”

“Uh… um…”

Then she pointed with her finger.

“That one. The latest refrigerator.”

“Yes! Congratulations!”

At that moment, everyone’s gaze turned to envy.

The refrigerator’s price was in the millions.

At the same time, ‘Don’t Go to Grad School’s heart raced, and a joyous smile spread across her face.

‘The latest refrigerator!’

Embarrassment is fleeting, but money is forever.

After the show ended.

While the soufflés still flushed with the live performance’s afterglow were heading home,

A couple watching a drama at home was startled by their daughter’s sudden call.

“Mom. I won a refrigerator!”

“What…?”

“I won a refrigerator at the New Black concert today! I looked it up, and it’s worth three hundred!”

“What…?”

“All the weight I gained finally paid off…!”

They were bewildered by their daughter’s incomprehensible story.

‘What is she talking about?’

‘Has she lost her mind eating bread…?’

As the soufflés who won prizes contacted their families, each reacted with their own confusion.

Stories about today’s performance began to surface on the internet.