Chapter 368: Chapter 370: Kobe World Memorial Hall.

I surveyed the venue as we ascended for the final rehearsal.

“Wow…”

It’s vast.

Not as large as a Korean gymnastics stadium, but to us, it felt incredibly spacious.

Bijoo, scanning the chairs spread across the first floor and the second-floor seats, asked, “Hyung, did you say this place holds 9,000 seats?”

“Probably.”

“…Wow. That’s a lot of people.”

Together with the other members, we marveled at the venue.

Roughly 9,000 seats.

The Seoul concert we held last summer at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium had about 5,000 attendees.

9,000 seats meant almost double that number.

This was the largest audience we’d ever had for a single performance.

My heart was pounding.

“Hoo-”

We all took a deep breath, shivering.

Nervous.

Despite the heating inside the venue, it felt like we were outside in the cold.

If you could see the breath we exhaled here, it might look jagged, as if cut with zigzag scissors.

While we were calming ourselves with deep breaths, Jiho burst out, “Ahh, I’m shaking. I’m so nervous…!”

That set us all off, exclaiming, “Me too!”

“I’m super nervous!”

“Same here!”

We all cried out, twisting our bodies as if in a frenzy.

Junghyun joined in, his voice quivering.

Huddled together like penguins facing a polar bear, our tension seemed to ease a bit.

“Are you very nervous?”

“Yes.”

I turned my gaze to the camera held by Wonseok hyung.

He appeared to be filming the making-of footage for the Japan concert DVD.

“I thought I’d be used to it by now, after touring various countries last year and gaining concert experience.”

“Not really?”

“It’s still the same. I’m just as nervous.”

Bijoo, who had his arm around my shoulder, popped his head out and pretended to shiver.

Speaking to Wonseok hyung’s smiling camera, I said, “I guess the nerves before a concert will always be there, no matter how much time passes. I bet even at our 70th-anniversary dinner show, we’ll be trembling before the audience.”

“70th anniversary?”

Jiho chimed in.@@novelbin@@

“By then, we might be shaking for different reasons.”

“We might not even be a quintet anymore.”

At Rihyuk’s joke, we all burst into laughter.

While Rihyuk wore a proud smile at his quip, the staff, having finished checking the equipment, signaled us.

We gathered in our places, microphones in hand.

“Two, three! Hello, we are New Black!”

“The weather’s quite cold, isn’t it? We hope for another great rehearsal today, following yesterday’s!”

As the lights began to move, we spread out in formation with the younger members.

Just hours before the concert.

The director, holding the microphone, announced, “Let’s start the music.”

The prelude of Nine flowed through the concert speakers.

As we entered the final rehearsal, I watched the younger members’ faces settle, then reached out towards the audience.

In a few hours, we would finally see the fruits of our recent months of practice.

The overwhelming tension subsided, and my heart began to race.

Outside the venue.

The biting cold that had prevailed recently had eased, leaving a warm winter day.

It was one of those perfect days.

Under the bright sky, a winding line stretched out.

“Where’s the line for trading cards?”

“Isn’t that over by the sports center with the other merchandise?”

“My heart feels like it’s going to burst. I’m so nervous. Really.”

Chatter erupted from every corner.

Part-time workers, megaphones in hand, darted around shouting, “Line up! Please, let’s organize the line!”

While the final rehearsal took place inside, outside, the early birds stirred up a commotion, queuing to buy merchandise.

“Wow, there are so many foreigners.”

“Seriously. It’s impressive.”

“Are they exchange students living in Japan? No, that can’t be it…”

There was a noticeable number of people from Asia, but occasionally, one could spot attendees who seemed to hail from the West.

Fans with wide eyes whispered among themselves.

“Looks like the rumors of their popularity in the US are true?”

“Indeed, a cow’s moo is a universal point of laughter.”

“Even aliens would find that funny.”

Amid such conversations, the topic quickly shifted to NewBlack.

“When they were packing the soufflé bread, Woojoo just smiled at me, our eyes met, I swear.”

“Rihyuk is so adorable. I want to fold him up and carry him in my wallet.”

“I went to a K-pop concert last year. Seeing Bizu dance live is like watching butterflies in flight.”

“What do you think Jiho is saying in this Japanese video?”

“Hey, have you seen this? Junghyun vs. the rest?”

Fans burst into laughter, looking at photos on their phones and merchandise.

There are moments like these.

When your heart feels like it’s going to burst, and you just have to say something.

“Finally…!”

It was NewBlack’s first solo concert here.

How long had we waited?

Fans had slowly fallen for NewBlack, watching them on TV or stumbling upon related videos on MyTube.

Fans who had envied concerts in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and the US.

I heard they even did a national tour in Korea recently, with home appliances as prizes.

But what I envied the most was…

“I want to see the performance too.”

Even just watching the videos elicited a wow reaction.

I was curious about the live performance, which had garnered such high praise.

“Just a little longer…”

As the upcoming performance drew near, fans shuffled the merchandise line, gathering goods.

And then.

“Hey, look at the line.”

“Wow, what are we supposed to do with this…?”

Some Korean fans arrived at the venue, their eyes wide in astonishment.

“What a line…”

It stretched endlessly.

Last year’s handball stadium had a long line, but this was twice the crowd.

I heard there was plenty of stock, but at this rate, it might sell out quickly.

Korean fans blinked in disbelief as they watched Japanese fans frantically hoard merchandise.

“They’re spending money like water.”

Eventually, fans decided to focus and lined up for trading cards and various goods.

Some fans recognized each other and greeted one another.

“Oh, hello, Director Daegil.”

“Hello, Wunebok.”

Those with SNS nicknames like ‘Woojoo, your face is welfare’ and Director Daegil exchanged awkward smiles.

“But isn’t it amazing? I heard our kids are popular in Japan, but an arena for their first concert?”

“I heard that TV appearances had a huge impact, but actually, MyTube is the real culprit… I mean, the reason.”

“Really?”

They soon recalled how they too had become fans through MyTube content and nodded in agreement.

“On the way here, I saw a NewBlack car in the parking lot.”

“A NewBlack car?”

Laughter escaped at the sight of a car with NewBlack members’ photos and autograph stickers on the hood.

There was also a car with photos of the members laughing as if to say, ‘A child is aboard.’

“I feel like we shouldn’t just hop into this car.”

“Should we wear earplugs before getting in?”

Fans laughed as they shared such banter.

Meanwhile, after purchasing a variety of newly released goods, they lined up for entry.

“If this is the scale in Japan, they’ll probably be at the gymnastics stadium by this summer, right?”

“One hundred percent.”

“I wish it would happen soon. I heard they’re starting construction on the gym this year…”

After discussing the Korean concert, rumored to be held in early summer or late spring…

As the official entry began, they waved to each other, heading towards their respective seats.

‘The view is nice.’

A seat on the second floor.

Although the view was slightly obstructed by the structural beams descending from the ceiling, the stage was clearly visible at a glance.

Overall, the stage design was incredibly luxurious.

While humming along to the music video playing on the screen, the seats from the first floor to the second began to fill up gradually.

By now, the idol community forums were probably buzzing with photos of today’s audience.

“Ugh…”

Shaking my head at the thought of the annoying detractors, I turned my gaze back to the stage.

After everyone had settled in.

With roughly 9,000 seats filled, the sound system slowly transitioned to concert acoustics.

“Woah—!”

The lights dimmed slowly.

In the darkened venue, a spectacular sight unfolded as thousands of light sticks swayed.

A shiver ran through my body, and I felt the excitement of realization, “Ah, I’m really at the concert now.”

“Woah—!”

As a scream-like cheer erupted, the opening VCR began to play on the main screen.

It was a stylish black and white video.

The first to appear was the youngest member of New Black, sitting arrogantly as if looking down upon the camera, eliciting cheers from the crowd.

He sat backward in his chair, casually moving his hand resting on the backrest.

All the while, a bright red liquid flowed steadily beneath the chair where Jiho was seated.

The red stood out even more against the black and white footage.

The video featured only red objects, like a red bracelet on a hand, against the monochrome background.

“Woah—!”

Then, the other members’ videos followed.

Stretching as if greeting a refreshing morning.

There was the main dancer, watering daffodil-like flowers in a warm black and white garden with a yellow watering can.

And the rapper, turning an emerald-green hourglass upside down and peering into it.

Each member’s personal color was highlighted by the colored lenses they wore.

“Woah—!”

The main vocalist was painting on a canvas propped on an easel with blue paint, then swiftly turned his head to reveal only part of his face.

And the leader, lying on a rug with hints of purple, covered his face with his hands.

“Woah—!”

As the leader revealed his face by lifting his hands, a graphic butterfly, previously held in his grasp, took flight.

After the VCR sequence,

[Five Colors]

The concert name, written in an antique font, appeared along with the background music.

The stage was perfectly darkened.

Amidst the rapid shaking of thousands of light sticks, the lights came on.

Ta-da—

Five entrances, each associated with a pillar.

Under the bright lights, the members of New Black stood with their heads bowed.

The VCR on the screen depicted the members’ silhouettes as if to portray giant shadows.

All this time, the members of New Black stood silently, heads bowed, amidst the fans’ cheers.

Ta-da—

The lights dimmed and then brightened again.

“Woah—!”

Like statues that only moved when unlit, the members changed their poses during the brief darkness.

As the VCR changed accordingly,

The astute audience caught on to the prelude of the music being played, recognizing the arrangement.

‘Masquerade…!’

As the cheers exploded, the lights at each entrance where the members stood went out.

An intro prepared separately before the actual song began.

When the lights came back on, it was the sub-vocalist of New Black standing on the far left.

Under the soft red lighting, his close-up face appeared on the screen, and screams erupted.

In the paused music,

Remove your mask

And show me a smile

As his hand moved slowly across his face, his expression changed with each pass, as if the picture was changing.

The fans were both startled and delighted by the incredibly seductive impression.

In that state, Jiho stopped moving, and the light next to him came on.

The main dancer, whose hair appeared golden under the lazy gold lighting, rode the wave lightly.

“Woah—!”

Soon, the rapper’s short rap and the main vocalist’s chorus flowed seamlessly, and the decibels gradually rose.

As the leader gracefully spun around, marking the end of the sequence like a period at the end of a sentence, the opening performance was about to begin. The decibel level rose uncontrollably, leaving the staff agape in astonishment.

Then, with a sudden burst—!

The lights flooded the entire venue with brilliance before abruptly going dark.

The members of New Black strode out, converging into formation as the lights flickered on and off.

Like a fan unfurling, five hands stretched out elegantly in all directions.

The crowd erupted, “Wow!”

As the intro concluded, the members moved as if unfolding themselves.

It was the opening performance, Masquerade.

And then…

In just about ten seconds into the main performance…

The Japanese fans, the Soufflés, understood why the reviews of New Black’s stage were filled with such high praise.

After completing the opening and the subsequent stages…

Panting heavily, our breaths echoed through the microphone.

At the sound of our gasps, the Soufflés responded with a resounding cheer. After taking a swig from the water bottles provided on stage, we shouted in unison:

“Two, three!”

“Hello! We are New Black!”

Waves of cheers greeted us as we waved our hands.

“Wow, the screen is huge!”

Turning around, we waved at the back of our heads as if greeting them, eliciting laughter from the fans.

“First of all, welcome to New Black’s Japanese concert, Five Colors! I am Uju, the leader.”

“I’m Bijoo, the main dancer!”

“Jung-hyun is New Black’s rapper.”

Each introduction was met with a warm response.

Though the prompter prepared by the staff displayed Japanese comments, our natural delivery came from days of memorization.

The volume of the cheers was so intense it was almost tangible.

For a moment, I removed my in-ear monitors to fully appreciate the roar.

Rihyuk smiled and said, “It feels great to perform such a big concert after a long time. Are you happy too?!”

The response was overwhelmingly loud.

Rihyuk, usually shy, delivered his lines with ease, perhaps because it was in a foreign language.

I nodded and took the microphone.

“Until just before the show started, we wondered if we could really fill this huge venue…”

“Thank you so much for coming to see us.”

Our main dancer’s eyes were already moist, and the Soufflés responded with an incredible noise.

I said to Bijoo, “Don’t cry, Mr. Bijoo.”

“I feel like I’m going to start crying from the beginning.”

While saying this…

The youngest member, who had been listening intently, beamed and said, “I feel the same way!”

His smile, clearly not understanding, made us all laugh.

I pointed backstage and said, “Jiho, just speak comfortably in Korean.”

“Ah, I guess I should.”

As this happened, the interpreter’s gentle voice echoed from behind the stage.

“Would you speak in Korean, Jiho?”

“Is that okay?”

As we stifled our laughter at the somewhat embellished translation, Jiho waved to the audience.

“I’m so happy to be doing this concert! I feel like I’m going to die of happiness!”

The interpreter hesitated, as if buffering, trying to translate the Korean expression ‘so happy I could die’ literally.

It was like a foreigner pondering whether the Korean phrase ‘잘도 그러겠다’ was positive or negative.

You could almost feel the interpreter sweating profusely in the background.

As the dialogue took a sudden serious turn, we burst into laughter, and the Soufflés joined in.

And then…

“I love youuuu!”

The roar of a robust Japanese male fan elicited a burst of laughter from the audience.

“Where are you? We love you too!”

“Since it’s been brought up.”

Jung-hyun looked around the audience with a curious expression.

“I wonder how many male fans are here.”

“That’s a good idea. If there are any male Soufflés, let’s hear a shout—”

—Scream!

At that moment, a chorus of deep voices resounded with ‘Ahhh~~’ from the audience.

Laughter erupted, reminiscent of the cheers heard at a soccer stadium during a girl group’s performance.

“Ah, it’s so much fun right from the start.”

I can certainly feel the rewards of diligently studying foreign languages. It’s like getting instant reactions every time we talk.

“By the way, did you enjoy the opening performance?”

—Yes!

“Our youngest member seems to have liked it. What about you all?”

Judging by the cheers, it seemed everyone enjoyed it.

“It’s a bit unfamiliar since we’ve done something cool after a while, isn’t it?”

“Actually, this is our main job.”

Amidst the laughter of the fans, I hinted at the many splendid performances to come today.

I took in the sight of the entire venue, inspecting every corner and seat.

I’ll make sure to remember this and reminisce about it time and again.

From the end of the second floor, I saw Dal-bong blinking rhythmically as if mischievous.

I caught sight of an audience member on the first floor laughing and falling backward.

While my younger members spoke, I took in the scene and picked up the microphone.

“Now, shall we create unforgettable memories together today?”

From the returning expressions and responses, it seemed the audience shared my sentiment.

As the leader of New Black said, the first performance in Kobe was an unforgettable memory for everyone.

“Woahhh—!”

The Soufflés were shaking Kim Dal-bong so vigorously that it could’ve caused cramps in their arms.

But there was no pain.

They would realize later that their throats were hoarse and their arms sore, but there was no time to feel such things during the performance.

‘Woahhh…’

My eyes followed each member, and there was so much to see that I wondered where to look.

Jiho was impressive in the opening, but…

The high notes of Rihyuk singing ‘Winter Sleep,’ a new addition to the setlist, tickled my ears.

In ‘Wind Flower,’ the main dancer spun around with a gentle smile.

Jung-hyun dominated the stage with his solo rap performance.

And the leader’s waves during Nine’s dance break sent ripples throughout the entire venue.

It was a performance that made me think, “I’m glad I came,” several times every second.

When over two hours passed in the blink of an eye…

“Woahhh—!”

After the encore VCR, which was like a video letter from the members to the fans, played.

The first official encore performance began.

“It’s a bit late, but Merry Christmas!”

“We love you!”

Amidst the pouring cheers of the fans, the members climbed onto the prepared moving carts.

An event where they waved to the fans on the first and second floors, moving between the rows of seats on the first floor.

And then…

‘Hmm…?’

The Soufflés blinked and burst into laughter.

Was it because of the Christmas music?

Instead of moving automatically, the staff pushed the carts, now laden with members, like sleds.

Above the heads of the burly staff, Rudolph headbands twinkled red.

The New Black members on the sleds laughed with a ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’

—Merry Christmas!

With beaming smiles.

While the staff, wearing Rudolph headbands, slowly pushed the carts, the members scattered signed balls like snow.

‘Cute, but…’

The members, resembling mischievous Santas, brought joyful laughter from the fans.

It was truly an unforgettable performance.

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