Chapter 1101: I am New Black, Class of ’18 (25)

There was something Taehyun had told me back when we were rookies.

"Hyung, when you're really busy, you don't even have time to organize your thoughts. You just collapse asleep while you're moving from place to place, wake up, do another schedule, then pass out again."

Back then, I couldn't really relate.

We were still rookies.

But once people started calling us "rising stars" in 2015, I finally understood exactly what he meant.

Schedule. Power nap. Schedule. Power nap. Schedule.

Fortunately, we'd long since made it past that stage.

Unless we were in an exceptionally busy period, we usually got enough sleep.

The problem...

...was that this was one of those exceptionally busy periods.

"Guuuuuuuh..."

"Guuuuuh..."

Sprawled across the seats of our chartered jet like zombies, my underlings glared at me with resentment.

"Why would you schedule the university festivals this tightly?"

"Why are you blaming me? You were the ones insisting we squeeze in every festival no matter what."

"But if you'd objected, we wouldn't have done it."

At Jiho's complaint, the others immediately chimed in.

"Exactly."

"That's why we outsourced our brains to you. Do you have no consideration for your clients?"

"Boo. Dictator. Boo."

I shot Junghyun a look.

"Uh... Boo... Mr. President... boo..."

The way he timidly changed his wording made me burst out laughing.

We continued bickering for a while before everyone eventually grinned and shook their heads.

Biju smiled.

"It feels rewarding since the festival went so well... but my body is definitely feeling it."

"Get some sleep, Biju."

"I think I can't fall asleep because I still have things to do. We need to prepare answers for the AMA red carpet interviews."

Everyone was staring at the anticipated Q&A packet our American agency had prepared, their eyes dull like zombies.

Ri Hyuk rubbed his temples.

"Wow... this almost never happens. The words just won't register. I've read this same paragraph three times."

"You should rest too."

"I think I should."

Maybe it was because we'd flown out immediately after finishing the university festival.

Our TF team had already been snoring away for quite some time.

The younger members weren't much better.

I quietly reassured them.

"Let's just get through this week."

Once the AMA and the Tokyo Dome tour were over...

Life would become blissfully manageable.

"If we survive this week, this year's basically over. Let's finish it well."

"That's true."

For idols, the working year effectively wrapped up around October.

Aside from domestic award shows and year-end performances, there usually wasn't much left from November onward.

Of course, we still had work.

"My album comes out, hyung."

"Is that this month?"

"Yep."

Following last year's VIBE, it seemed Junghyun's solo hip-hop album was finally ready for release.

"How's it coming?"

"Really well. Senior Hation and the others have been helping me."

"So buying that label was worth it."

I nodded when he mentioned the hip-hop label where Hation belonged was helping with production.

Still...

I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

"They're definitely the experts when it comes to hip-hop... but if you've got questions, you could ask me too."

"I wanted to, but you've looked so exhausted lately."

"Or is it because you don't want me sticking my nose in and telling you what to do?"

"...No."

"Junghyun. Doesn't your nose twitch whenever you lie?"

"...! Really?"

"Nah. I made that up."

Still...

I knew exactly how he felt.

While Junghyun hurriedly protested that it wasn't true at all, I merely turned away with a cool little huff.

Our youngest raised his hand.

"My fried chicken drama starts filming soon too."

"Oh, you're going to be busy."

"Yep! Oh, right. You know Jihoon hyung's joining the cast too, right?"

Jiho continued.

"I think he's been thinking about changing agencies lately. He kept asking me questions about Lemon Entertainment."

"Did you tell him to come?"

"Nope. I just answered what he was curious about. The actors are under a different division anyway, so it's not like I can make promises on the company's behalf."

"Good."

I ruffled our youngest's hair.

The [N O V E L I G H T] singers' division was one thing, but we weren't deeply involved with the actors' side of the company.

Still...

Someone like Jihoon would probably receive plenty of support.

Being a member of TNT certainly carried weight, but he'd also steadily built up a respectable acting career.

He was the kind of idol actor whose name always appeared in articles titled things like Idols Who Successfully Transitioned into Acting.

"It'd be nice if Jihoon joined us."

I smiled quietly at the thought of eating together again.

Then, after hearing everyone else's major schedules, I reviewed my own.

Checking in on the trainees competing against DNS's debut team.

Preparing Hanbyeol's album.

And...

[Regarding the Confirmed Release Date for Sound of the Sun...]

I opened an email covered in CCs.

At last.

After waiting nearly ten months since January...

Sound of the Sun had officially been scheduled for an early November release.

Since I was already visiting Los Angeles this time, I'd also be meeting with Silver Screen's marketing team.

Apparently they were planning a massive global promotional campaign.

"Guys, this time I'm..."

I stopped mid-sentence.

At some point...

Every one of my underlings had fallen unconscious from exhaustion.

Looking at the younger trio with their mouths hanging open as they leaned against my shoulders, I chuckled and picked up my pen.

It was finally quiet.

The perfect time to indulge in a little sentimentality.

"October 7, 2018..."

"Heh heh..."

A plane flying over the Pacific.

Under the dim cabin lights, I decided to write in my diary while basking in the romantic atmosphere...

...or at least, that had been Wooju's plan.

Instead, he promptly passed out.

The end.

"What is this?"

Ri Hyuk asked after picking my notebook up from the floor.

"Were you doodling?"

"It's... my diary..."

Maybe because I'd fallen asleep with the pen still in my hand.

Staring at the page—which now resembled some kind of demonic summoning circle—I fought back tears.

After wiping the dried drool from the corner of my mouth, I pulled my hoodie over my head and stepped off the plane.

"Hi~"

A van waited beside the runway.

We exchanged smiles with the American security guards wearing earpieces while chewing gum.

"The weather's nice, isn't it?"

Our agent, Mr. D'Angelo, flashed a bright smile from inside the van.

Biju looked out the window at the palm trees lining the streets of Los Angeles.

"The weather's amazing. You could wear short sleeves."

He was right.

All of us had already taken off our hoodies and changed into T-shirts.

After chatting casually for a while, our agent began going over the schedule.

"We've got a photoshoot shortly, followed by a brief talk show interview. And naturally, I've booked dinner at your favorite Korean barbecue place in Koreatown."

All five of us immediately gave him a thumbs-up.

Chuckling, he continued,

"And congratulations on your AMA nominations. Five categories, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

At the 2018 American Music Awards, we'd been nominated in five categories.

Artist of the Year

Tour of the Year

Favorite Group

Those were the group nominations.

Then there were...

Collaboration of the Year

Best Hip-Hop Song

Those came from Cold Brown and my collaboration on Answer.

The most encouraging part was that we'd even been nominated for Artist of the Year, the ceremony's top honor.

Jiho asked with sparkling eyes,

"What do you think our chances are?"

"Officially? I can't comment."

He smiled.

"But off the record... from an insider's perspective, I'd say three awards are practically certain. As you know, the winners are determined by fan voting."

I asked,

"So Artist of the Year is probably our longest shot?"

"No."

He shook his head.

"Actually, I think you've got a very good chance there."

"The real question mark is this category."

"...?"

Rather than the grand prize, it was one of the smaller awards that was uncertain?

We tilted our heads.

The category he pointed to was...

Favorite Pop Duo/Group

A fan-voted award recognizing the most popular pop duo or group.

"Take a look at the nominees."

"Ah..."

Among the few nominees...

Right beneath us was a promotional photo of a seven-member multinational group striking a confident pose.

The New Black

Moonlight

Mr. D'Angelo explained,

"I've heard this category has received the highest number of votes. It's the only category where both you and Moonlight are nominated, so both fandoms have apparently been voting like their lives depend on it."

Instead of the grand prize...

It was the category below it that had become the fiercest battleground.

I couldn't help smiling.

He looked genuinely regretful.

"I really wish Overcooked had come out a little earlier."

"If it'd been released just a few months sooner, you probably would've earned the most AMA nominations this year."

"Haha."

"I'm not joking."

He looked completely serious.

"You have no idea, do you?"

"...?"

"Right now..."

He looked around before speaking carefully.

"You five are probably the only people in North America—no, in the entire world—who don't realize just how insanely popular Overcooked has become."

We truly understood what he meant the moment we arrived at our hotel in Los Angeles.

"Sunny!"

"Jimmy!"

"Oh, my muse!"

I exchanged a warm hug with Jimmy Robbins, the chief designer of LeBlanc, the luxury brand for which I served as ambassador.

"Jimmy! What are you wearing? That beautiful outfit—what is it? Those flowers are gorgeous."

"It's inspired by the lotus flower in Buddhism."

The shirt featured an elegant design based on lotus lanterns displayed at Buddhist temples.

As I stared enviously, Jimmy snapped his fingers.

"Saif!"

"Yes, sir."

His assistant brought over a box.

Jimmy motioned for me to open it.

Inside...

Was the exact same shirt.

In my size.

"Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy."

"You're the best."

"Hahahaha!"

I was so moved by the beautiful gift that I nearly cried.

His assistant handed me a bouquet along with a handwritten card.

It was a personal message of thanks from LeBlanc's chairman.

After reading the fragrant handwritten note, I asked them to pass along my gratitude.

"Come on, come on! No time for this."

Jimmy pushed me gently toward the dressing room.

"I brought dozens of outfits just for you."

Inside the hotel suite, racks upon racks of clothing prepared by LeBlanc filled the room.

"Wow..."

I couldn't help gasping.

Not just because the clothes were beautiful.

Because of the designs.

"These are beauti—"

I caught myself speaking Korean and switched back to English.

"You've done an incredible job incorporating Hangul into the designs."

"You like them?"

"I love them."

Today was October 9.

Hangul Day.

When LeBlanc had asked about the concept for the ceremony, I'd simply suggested something related to Hangul since it was a meaningful holiday in Korea.

I hadn't expected anything like this.

From jackets covered in geometric patterns inspired by Hangul letters to uniquely designed shoes...

Everything was stunning.

"We have Korean designers working at headquarters."

Jimmy smiled.

"They helped create this collection."

The Korean designers standing among the LeBlanc staff greeted us in Korean.

We happily shook hands.

While repeatedly trying on outfits, the LeBlanc staff chatted with us.

"Did you know? My child practiced the Overcooked dance at school."

"Really?"

They showed us a video of elementary school students in France performing the choreography.

Some were dressed as bell peppers and tomatoes.

It was adorable.

"Come to think of it, wasn't there a flash mob near the Eiffel Tower recently?"

"Oh, that? I wondered what it was at first. Turned out it was Overcooked."

Even the hairstylists helping us get ready jokingly hummed "Overcooked~" while swaying their shoulders.

Honestly...

We didn't even need the videos anymore.

We could feel its popularity firsthand.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful..."

I looked at Jimmy's reflection in the mirror after we'd finished getting ready.

"But this isn't the Met Gala."

"Do we really need to go this far for the AMA red carpet?"

"The chairman gave direct orders."

Jimmy answered matter-of-factly.

"He said your red carpet appearance was the company's highest priority."

"And I agree."

If this had been the Met Gala...

Having the chief designer personally overseeing our outfits would've made perfect sense.

It was fashion's biggest event.

But even though the AMA was a major awards show, it wasn't the kind of event where the chief designer of a luxury brand earning over ten trillion won in annual revenue would personally show up.

The fact they'd even created custom Hangul-themed outfits meant only one thing.

"Our stock has gone up."

After everyone had finished getting dressed, Ri Hyuk looked over the Hangul-inspired outfits and smiled.

"I think all the brands are paying extra attention because of Overcooked."

"You can tell just by looking at us."

"Hyung's their muse, sure."

"But the rest of us aren't, and famous designers still came personally."

"I honestly felt so pressured."

It really drove home just how explosive Overcooked's popularity had become.

Why?

Because popularity wasn't something you usually experienced directly.

Sure...

Logically, we knew.

Seeing ourselves at the top of the Mango Chart made us think, Wow. We really made it.

But actually feeling successful...

That usually came from completely different moments.

Hearing our songs playing in a supermarket we'd wandered into by chance.

Walking down the street and hearing three different stores playing our music back-to-back.

Watching indifferent crowds at local festivals suddenly erupt into cheers of "NewBlack!!"

Or seeing television staff who once treated us like invisible dust suddenly greet us with warm smiles and excessive politeness.

"So Overcooked really has become enormous."

The MyTube flash mobs.

The Billboard Hot 100 rankings.

We'd seen all the overseas success.

But experiencing it in person was something else entirely.

Especially after watching designers from every major brand personally come to work with us today.

"Underlings."

"Yes?"

"Times like these are exactly when we need to remind ourselves."

We gathered shoulder to shoulder in a huddle.

I looked at Ri Hyuk.

"Lead us."

He nodded solemnly.

"Prevent excessive self-importance."

"Live healthy lives."

Together we chanted,

"Stop excessive self-importance...!"

Knowing just how easily success could go to a person's head...

We always stayed on guard.

Ri Hyuk held up his phone.

"Observe the beautiful blue planet Earth."

"We see it."

"This is yesterday's satellite image."

"And this is today's."

He smiled.

"Has Earth changed at all because Overcooked became a hit?"

"No."

"Exactly."

He nodded.

"Whether we succeed or fail, this beautiful planet remains exactly the same."

"Hehehe."

Jiho raised his hand.

"Question."

"...?"

"So... doesn't that just mean we need to become successful enough to actually change Earth?"

"I heard you can see the Great Wall from space."

"You can't."

"...Seriously?"

Junghyun and Biju both looked genuinely shocked.

"You can't?!"

Ri Hyuk grabbed the back of his neck in disbelief.

Everyone burst into laughter.

After successfully resetting our egos...

We headed for the hotel entrance.

Our destination was the Los Angeles theater hosting the AMA red carpet.

"NewBlack!"

"Overcooked has become a global sensation! How does NewBlack feel about all this popularity?"

"Can we get a little spoiler for today's performance?"

After posing on the photo wall and answering reporters' questions, we entered the theater.

Greeting artists arriving around the same time, we found our seats.

"..."

"..."

Our eyes met the people already seated nearby.

With an expression that practically said, Bom Gam Za...

Colin Evans smiled first.

"Hello."

"Hello."

We smiled back and sat down.

Jacob, Moonlight's Canadian member seated beside me, greeted us enthusiastically.

"Wow! It's been forever since Dodgeball."

"What have you guys been up to?"

"I heard you did some festival in Korea."

"A university festival."

"Wow."

"It must've been a really famous university."

I answered casually while chatting with him.

Then Colin nudged Jacob in the side with his elbow.

Apparently telling him not to bother us.

Jacob pouted but obediently quieted down.

We killed time taking selfies until...

The ceremony finally began.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

"Please welcome the host of the 2018 American Music Awards!"

Grand orchestral music filled the theater as the lights exploded across the stage.

A famous stand-up comedian walked out in a tuxedo with an exaggerated swagger.

"Benjamin Washington!"

"Wooooooo!!"

He was the comedian who had originally suggested the Supernova Dodgeball concept.

"Thank you."

"Thank you all."

"Seriously, thank you for such a warm welcome."

Pressing his palms together in mock humility, the comedian effortlessly took control of the audience.

After joking about several of the artists attending tonight...

He turned toward us.

"And joining us tonight..."

"is NewBlack!"

"The group whose music is taking the entire world by storm!"

The audience erupted into cheers.

The comedian grinned.

"Speaking of Overcooked..."

"It reminds me of my son."

"You see, my nine-year-old absolutely loves that song."

"The other day he asked me to film the dance challenge with him."

"But I told him no."

Putting on the stern expression of a father, he continued,

"'Son... we can't do that.'"

"'Why not, Dad?'"

"'Because if we upload that video..."

"...the police are going to come arrest us.'"

The audience looked puzzled.

He spread his hands dramatically.

"Imagine what it looks like."

"A Black man dancing while throwing white powder everywhere..."

"And then claiming that sniffing the powder makes you feel amazing."

The American audience exploded with laughter at the sharp satire aimed at policing and racial profiling.

We exchanged awkward glances before laughing ourselves.

Overcooked...

It had become famous enough to be referenced in political comedy.

The song really has made it.

Wow...

The comedian winked at us.

"Welcome to the AMA, NewBlack."

"Everybody loves your music."

Amid roaring applause...

The 2018 American Music Awards officially began.