In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Chapter 398

After sending the song to the producer’s team, I wrapped up several nights of work and dove into the comeback schedule.

The recording of the title and tracks was complete, so what remained was mostly visual work.

“Okay! Like that… Yes, that’s it!”

“Nice expression! Try smiling a bit more naturally!”

“Oh my! How pretty!”

The album jacket shoot was conducted with photographer Hwang Tae-sun.

The youngest member, her face flushed with excitement, spoke after finishing her shoot.

“It’s starting to feel real now, the comeback. I didn’t feel this during the recording.”

“Right? Wearing these clothes definitely makes it hit home.”

Every time we made a large movement, the hanbok’s hem fluttered, filling us with joy.

Then, Bijoo, who had just finished her shoot, approached us.

“What are you two doing?”

“Bijoo, come here. The dress flutters so much when you dance.”

“Really?”

And there she was, fluttering and beaming with us.

Wonseok, holding the camcorder, filmed us diligently.

“How is it, Wonseok? Aren’t we cute fluttering like this?”

“Hmm, it’s like something you’d see in the countryside…”

I was expecting him to say puppies or something cute.

But the mood shattered instantly.

“You look like a swarm of moths.”

“No…!”

Our vehement protest prompted a correction to ‘handsome moths.’

“But… do we really look like moths?”

“Hey, do we look like moths to you?”

Fluttering.

As the three of us spread our arms and fluttered our dresses, a staff member burst into laughter.

It must have looked hilarious.

“…”

I stopped, thinking the designer might be sad to see the outfits we stayed up nights creating used this way.

Then, examining the outfit closely, I said,

“The clothes are truly beautiful.”

“That’s why they say clothes make the man, I guess.”

As expected from the country’s top hanbok designer, the outfit was incredibly luxurious.

A black base with a subtle mix of silver.

The other stage outfits were also of an astonishing quality.

“I want to show them to the Soufflés.”

“When Woojoo wants to show off the clothes, I just want to see the Soufflés!”

“Me too!”

As the two waved at the camcorder, I laughed.

A pale face with sharply drawn eyeliner approached.

“What are you doing now?”

“Ah, our Seoweed has arrived.”

“Where’s your foot? Tell me. I want to step on it.”

“Here.”

I stuck out my foot from under the stage costume.

Ri-hyeok tried hard to stomp on my foot but never succeeded.

It felt like playing with a butterfly and a toy.

I dodged by moving my foot swiftly and teased him by wiggling my toes, causing Ri-hyeok to explode in frustration.

“Argh! This is so annoying!”

“If you want to beat me, come back after 20 years of practice.”

“Soufflés, look at this person. Isn’t this too much?”

“The world of competition is always harsh.”

I grabbed the sulking Ri-hyeok and pulled him in front of the camera.

Then, I wrote a video letter to the Soufflés who would watch this later.

“I miss you.”

“Just wait a little longer for the concert, then we’ll definitely see you. Us~”

While waving, Jun-hyeon, who had finished shooting, joined us and asked,

“What are you filming?”

“We’re sending a video letter to our Mip fans. Bro.”

“Ah.”

Amidst the suppressed laughter, Jun-hyeon asked with wide eyes,

“Are you keeping up with your diet?”

“Sigh…!

You really must lose weight. It’s essential. You can’t go on like this.

Yayayayaya!

In a panic, the four of us frantically waved our hands in denial.

Jung-hyun, this is a video letter for the Soufflés.

Eek…

Jung-hyun, who had been covering his mouth, now clasped his hands over his belly.

Dressed in traditional Hanbok, his appearance was that of a royal guard, yet his posture was that of a perfect servant.

The company staff burst into laughter.

It’s okay for our Soufflés to eat a lot.

We all chanted the slogan together, warmly smiling, ‘If you enjoy your food, it’s zero calories~’ beside Jung-hyun.

After the album jacket shoot was finished, we also wrapped up the VCR for the May concert.

There was still a music video shoot left, but aside from practice and variety shows, I felt incredibly light-hearted.

Especially now, as we traveled by car, the sense of leisure was even greater.

They’ve distributed our press release.

Oh?

Everyone grabbed their phones to check the article links sent by the PR team.

The articles were popping up rapidly.

New Black, May comeback… Entering the gymnastics stadium

Will the music industry tense up for New Black’s comeback on the 23rd? ‘The return of the music powerhouse’

New Black, next month’s mini-album comeback… ‘Star (☆): Into the Black’

Among the flurry of comeback articles, one incorrectly used special character caught my eye.

No.

That star wasn’t meant to be that star…

But before I could dwell on it, I was swept away by the flood of articles.

Meanwhile, we discovered other articles featuring the keyword ‘New Black.’

New Black to appear on Mip’s ‘Idol Project’… First broadcast on May 7th

Producer Shin Mu-rok of ‘Mip’ says, “You can really look forward to this project”

Chu Gi-seok posts a photo with New Black on SNS… ‘New Black teachers encourage us whenever practice gets tough’

These were articles about the main broadcast of Mip.

Although early May, the scheduled airing time, was still a while away, the attention was already quite high.

I smiled proudly as I read the articles.

At first, when our appearance was confirmed, I worried, ‘What should we do?’ But now, that worry had lessened.

Perhaps you could say my confidence was fully ignited.

Would they say there’s no fun in watching TV?

Right, hyung. We did our best to make them laugh.

Please, let’s be aware of our main profession…

I was confident that we had managed to extract at least some humor.

And Producer Shin Mu-rok was actively giving interviews, fueling the anticipation.

The public’s expectations seemed to be gradually inflating.

Since it came up, let’s send a message to our A-ten members.

That’s a good idea.

We entered the messenger group chat we had set up with the members of Mip.

[Notice] No eating after 8 PM. No flour. No beverages. [Notice] A stage isn’t built in a day – Sun Woojoo (1993~) [Notice] What will you choose between chicken and debut? (Poll closed)

The notices we and the Mip members had written were all jumbled up.

Wow, they had asked a lot of questions.

We answered the seniors’ dance questions and shared tips that could help with dieting.

This really works.

When Bijoo posted a hunger-suppressing meme with a blue filter over all the food, everyone expressed their discomfort.

…It definitely had an effect.

The moment I saw the blue tteokbokki, all thoughts of snacks vanished from my mind.

As we were communicating like this…

…Hmm?

Arriving at our dorm, we noticed a familiar vehicle parked at the villa entrance.

It belonged to the people living downstairs.

6 AM.

I thought they must have a schedule to catch as I got out, but then I ran into six handsome young men coming out of the entrance.

Oh!

The members of Teen Spirit widened their eyes in surprise upon seeing us.

Oh my.

We all focused on Teen Spirit’s leader, Hwi-yeon, as he brought his hand to his mouth.

Oh my?”

Silence hung in the air until I caught the expressions of the Teen Spirit members. They were bright and hopeful, like a ray of light in this harsh world. It was an epiphany shared instantly with my younger brothers.

“It’s a broadcast.”

Upon closer inspection, I noticed microphones attached to their clothes. Normally, I’d greet them with an enthusiastic, “Oh my! New Black bros! A huge hello to you all!” But not today.

“Hello, big bro!”

They greeted us with the most innocent expressions, and we responded with beaming smiles.

“Hello, seniors!”

We had gotten used to speaking informally when we bumped into each other at the villa, but now wasn’t the time for that.

I asked with a smile, “Where are you headed, seniors?”

Hwiyeon replied with a bright laugh, “We’re in the middle of filming ‘Please Take Care of My Manager’ for TBC! Haha!”

Translation) I’m counting on your cooperation, big bro.

If it’s ‘Please Take Care of My Manager,’ it must be that show. The one that follows the lives of managers overshadowed by stars through a candid camera.

Then I noticed something in their hands…

“What are you going to do with those balloons?”

“We’re off to volunteer and have a fun broadcast with the kids today.”

That explained the colorful balloons they were holding, which seemed out of place.

“Would you like one? We even have black.”

“Thank you.”

As I took one absentmindedly, a manager with a Buddha-like smile and a camera emerged from inside the villa.

“Oh…!”

The assistant director and writer behind the VJ looked at us with expressions that screamed ‘jackpot.’

The camera, adorned with the TBC logo, moved in closer.

“We’re neighbors,” we replied with a smile when the production team asked what was happening.

There couldn’t have been a more fitting explanation, and the crew nodded in understanding.

After a brief exchange, we bowed to the departing Teen Spirit, grateful for our fifth-year seniors who cleverly promoted our album.

But then…

“Oops.”

A crucial realization hit me.

“Is it okay for us to be on camera like this?”

“Why?”

“Well, our faces…”

We hadn’t put on any makeup, which was a concern.

What should we do? As I turned my head, I caught the eyes of my younger brothers, whose skin somehow looked soft and smooth.

Seeing the BB cream marks on the back of my hand, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“How ridiculous…?”

The younger ones clutched at my clothes, bursting into apologetic laughter.

“When did you apply BB cream?”

“As soon as we knew about the broadcast…?”

“Without me? Hey, isn’t that a bit mean?”

“Given the time constraints, we had to sacrifice one. You can’t compare a conglomerate like you to commoners like us.”

“Wow…”

Feeling a chill of betrayal, the younger ones apologized. I ended up laughing too.

It was all in the past anyway.

Just as I was about to dismiss the absurdity with a laugh, my phone buzzed.

It was Seokhwan hyung’s number on the screen.

“Hello, this is Sunwooju.”

“Hey, Woojoo.”

“Why are you so happy? Did something good happen?”

A voice, bright and cheerful, reached my ears.

I snapped my eyes open as our team leader relayed the news. It was a rare piece of good news related to a song I had sent out not long ago.

At the Yeouido PBS Broadcasting Station.

In the entertainment department’s large conference room, cameras and equipment were being set up.

“Ah, dear me.”

There, the members of ‘Mr. Producer’ were practically buried in their chairs.

Usually chatty with trivial banter, now they slept soundly like babies.

“Snore.”

Choo Gi-seok was on the verge of drooling in his sleep.

“Brothers, wake up.”

The managers shook them awake, and the entertainers emerged from their slumber, looking dazed like people waking up after a wild campfire at a retreat.

They exchanged bitter smiles.

“Man, this is no joke.”

“Tell me about it. My whole body aches.”

We joked that it was lucky TVs couldn’t transmit smells. Otherwise, the scent of ointment would have been overwhelming.

Only Kim Ui-ji, the eldest and a former soccer player, looked unscathed. The rest resembled zombies.

“I’ve realized something,” Choo Gi-seok said, his eyes unfocused.

“Happiness in life comes from carbohydrates.”

“For me, it’s meat. Eating only greens makes me so angry,” An Jae-hee added.

“Just yesterday, I was watching TV while on a diet, and I got so irritated seeing people laughing on the screen.”

“Right? I thought it was just me.”

“Passing by a barbecue restaurant and seeing people laughing inside made me furious.”

As the dieters shared their pain, the staff couldn’t help but laugh.

The cast glared at them.

“Laughing? Want to try eating greens yourselves?”

With feigned anger for entertainment, they slowly warmed up the atmosphere on set.

Amidst the silly jokes and banter, the director called for attention.

“We’re starting the recording!”

Following the clapperboard’s cue, the members of ‘Mip’ greeted the camera.

“Hello! Viewers… no, we’re preparing to be idols now, so we should greet you like idols.”

“Yes, then our leader should lead the greeting,” they said, turning to Kim Ui-ji, the eldest and the MC.

“On the count of three!”

“Hello! It’s 10 o’clock! We are A-ten!”

They cheered among themselves.

“We really chose a great name for ourselves.”

“The New Black teachers gave us a fantastic name.”

“They’re also masters at managing people.”

As they all smiled with a hint of sadness, Model Student spoke up.

“But really, haven’t our skills improved tremendously? Don’t you guys feel it during practice?”

“We’ve improved a lot.”

“Even the trainers were surprised.”

We were receiving advice from New Black, but we had also separately invited vocal and dance trainers for lessons.

At first, they were shocked by our dancing, but recently, they were shocked for a different reason.

“The overall picture has improved. Who did you learn from?”

When we said we learned from idol members, they couldn’t believe it.

Of course, after showing them the videos of what we went through with New Black, they understood, albeit grudgingly.

“We’d like to express our gratitude to the New Black teachers for transforming us into real people.”

After a polite bow, Kim Ui-ji, the eldest, cheekily said,

“And for this week’s recording… the New Black teachers aren’t here!”

The room erupted with laughter.

“We miss the New Black teachers so much.”

“Indeed.”

“But still, we’re always in touch in real-time. Sometimes, distance is good.”

As the entertainers shared a laugh, they called over Producer Shin Mu-rok.

“So! What are we doing today?”

“Today marks the first blind vote to select your title track.”

The submission period was two weeks.

It was time to preliminarily choose the title and featured tracks for ATEN’s digital album.

Ballad singer An Jae-hee asked with a smile, “How is it? Did we receive many good songs?”

“That’s what Uju said, right? That renowned composers and hidden masters nationwide would send their work.”

“That’s right.”

“And it happened just as he said.”

The members of Mipf were impressed by the influx of songs.

“Yes, we’ve selected a total of 12 songs from the submissions. Please pick the one that resonates with you the most.”

Soon after, the songs began to play.

“Wow…!”

The genre chosen by New Black was disco-style funk music.

I was curious how it would fare as idol music, but the moment I heard it, I knew it was perfect.

It was cool yet exhilarating.

Everyone danced along with the rhythm of the song, shoulders bouncing, laughter filling the air.

But…

“It’s subtle…”

It was good, but it didn’t quite hit the mark.

By the time we reached the eleventh song, the cast was still indecisive about which to choose.

“Now, for the last song.”

With the mention of ‘last,’ everyone focused intently.

And then…

“Wow!”

The rhythm was extraordinary from the start.

As the melody struck, Kim Eui-ji found himself unconsciously slapping his thigh, while the others’ faces brightened with excitement.

All previous concerns vanished.

“This is it!”

It had to be.

The twelfth song was the epitome of trendiness.

I could clearly envision the six-member group, dressed in free-spirited suits, dancing on stage.

Forgetting to manage their expressions, the entertainers’ smiles grew wider and wider.

“It’s a hit.”

With each listen, I felt it—this part is mine, that part is theirs.

The thought crossed my mind; this song must be the title track.

The other staff seemed to agree, exchanging looks of approval as the last song played.

“Wow.”

After the song ended, a hush fell.

Producer Shin Mu-rok asked the silently laughing members, “Has everyone finished voting?”

“Yes.”

“Then, let’s reveal the details about the songs.”

Among the composers were well-known figures, including Pyo Hyeong-won, and some newcomers.

The identity of the much-anticipated twelfth song was revealed.

“The title is ‘Attention,’ signifying the call for it.”

“Oh. It’s similar to our name.”

“It’s a collaborative composition, by composers Na Sang-yoon and Uju Sun.”

“Yay!”

The entertainers burst into laughter, having guessed the identity.

Producer Shin Mu-rok smiled.

“Well, that’s the name they’ve sent us.”

The members laughed.

“It must have been a huge burden.”

Given the importance of the matter, it seemed they had approached it cautiously.

After another round of discussion, ‘Attention’ unanimously received six votes.

Model Moo jokingly asked with a grin, “So, is it possible to contact the composer now?”

“Yes. They’ve been waiting.”

A phone was placed on the table.

Kim Eui-ji called out with a hearty laugh, “Uju~”

-Yes?

Everyone erupted into uncontrollable laughter at the helium-infused voice.

“Is it the universe?”

“No, that’s not it. I’m Wooseok, the rookie composer. Why do you ask?”

“Then, Mr. Wooseok?”

“Yes, nice to— [What? That’s odd.]”

“Ha ha ha!”

Everyone burst into laughter when my voice modulator failed, revealing my real voice.

‘He’s really hilarious,’ they said as the chatter continued.

From the other end of the phone, the sound of helium being inhaled from a balloon hissed through in real-time.

“Ah, ah~ (Your voice is so funny, bro~) (Be quiet, will you~!) (Gyahahaha!) Hey! You guys! Scram!”

It was a helium party for the group.

“Mr. Universe?”

“No, it’s Wooseok.”

“Did you send ‘Wooseok’ because ‘Universe’ was too much pressure and embarrassing?”

“…”

“Just put a dot on it and come out. Universe. I’ll pretend I don’t know.”

After a brief silence.

“Well… please wait~ I’m with the producer… (Gyahahaha! Shall we go to our station?) (Ah! My mother in the shade of the island~) (Quiet down~!)”

The background noise was enough to drive anyone insane, and it set off a wave of laughter among the staff and cast.