In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Chapter 308:

The sound of meat cooking was so sweet.

I felt happy.

Just looking at it made me feel like I had everything in the world. A smile escaped my lips without me noticing.

“Hehe.”

“Heehee.”

The youngest sent us a finger heart, saying ‘I love you guys’. We also sent him a heart, saying ‘We love you too’.

Then we sent a big heart with both hands to Junghyun, who was grilling the meat.

“Please make it delicious~”

“Roger.”

It was his request to grill the meat, since he had a strong pride in his meat skills. The staff was supposed to do it for us.

Bangmunsoo asked with anticipation in his eyes.

“Does Junghyun grill meat that well?”

“Yes.”

I answered.

“He’s the best meat griller I’ve ever seen. If there was a meat grilling contest, he would be the winner.”

“That’s right. He’s almost Mozart-level when it comes to grilling Korean beef.”

The MCs chuckled, saying ‘Mozart, huh’.

Soon, the meat that Junghyun grilled was placed on a plate, and there were exclamations everywhere.

“Wow…!”

The MCs opened their eyes wide.

“The meat is good, but it’s grilled so well. The juice bursts out as soon as you bite it.”

“Really, he would win if he entered a contest, right?”

We had a similar reaction.

“Really. How long has it been since we had Korean beef?”

“Two days?”

“It’s been a while. Oh, I’m crying.”

The youngest’s eyes were moist from the deliciousness, and we all laughed.

Bangmunsoo said.

“Don’t do that, and come and have a bite. He grilled it so well.”

“Managers, come too!”

Soon, the camera directors came and took a bite each, saying ‘Oh’ and giving thumbs up.

The managers also had a bite that we picked up with chopsticks and put in their mouths.

While I was feeding Wonseok hyung a wrap, Minki hyung also got some meat from our youngest.

After a brief tasting corner.

“Now. It’s time to move on to the next corner.”

Bangmunsoo held up a cue card and said.

“New Black has a new nickname these days, right?”

“Us? Huh, what is it?”

As we looked at each other with ‘What did you do wrong again’ eyes, the MC said.

“It’s Chotongryeong.”

“Chotongryeong?”

MC Songsong explained.

“It’s elementary school + president, meaning Chotongryeong. It means that you’re very popular among elementary school students.”

“Oh, my goodness…”

“Look at that. They’re up again.”

We got up and shouted at the camera.

“Thank you! Elementary school friends!”

“You guys are so cute, right?”

“We may look different, but our mental age is probably similar!”

The MCs smiled at our sight of trying hard to sell ourselves to the elementary school fans beyond the camera.

Bangmunsoo said.

“Wherever you go to elementary school these days, New Black’s Nine is so popular.”

A data screen came up.

Somewhere in the school, some elementary students were cheering and dancing ‘Nine, nine, nine’.

And the kids who were running around cheerfully, saying ‘Nine nine~’ as they left school.

We were surprised and asked.

“Is this real?”

“Yes, of course.”

We were touched.

The elementary students, who used to be a fearful existence, were running around singing our song.

The future of Korea was bright.

“A while ago, in a popularity survey of 400 elementary students nationwide, our New Black’s…”

Everyone’s ears perked up.

As we focused, Bangmunsoo’s mouth opened.

“They said Woojoo came in second place.”

“Yay!”

I waved my hand happily while my siblings clapped and said ‘respect’.

“The reason for that was ‘like our big brother/sister’ with 34 percent of the votes.”

“Yay?”

I stopped waving and asked.

“Our big brother, sister?”

“It says here. A fifth-grader from Shinseo Elementary School wrote ‘super cool on stage but just like a neighborhood oppa (older brother) off stage.’”

“…”

“A sixth-grader from Guryong Elementary School wrote ‘I want to take care of him because he’s like my seven-year-old little brother.’”

“Puhaha!”

My siblings burst into laughter.

At first, they were jealous of me for coming in second place, but now they seemed relieved that they didn’t get picked.

Bijoo chuckled and clapped his hands.

“I’m so jealous that you’re popular with elementary school students. Hyung (older brother).”

“Woah. I’m really jealous~”

“Next up is. Woojoo, the winner, is a humble and easygoing charmer for the president of elementary school students…”

As we watched our kids cheer with the MCs, I smiled and asked again.

“Are there none of them?”

“There are.”

“Of course, I knew it.”

We then had a time to read the funny answers that appeared on the research.

Woojin said.

“Next up for New Black is Junghyun.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Reason: He looks badass. He seems like he would beat up my enemies.”

We clapped and laughed.

The other siblings also had hilarious reasons like ‘he seems like he would cook well’ and we had a blast laughing.

As the laughter died down, I asked.

“So what’s this corner?”

I only saw ‘President of Elementary School Students Project’ on the script.

They said I would find out when I got there.

“It’s a corner that we, the production team, specially prepared for New Black to become the true president of elementary school students!”

“President~”

“Project!”

The MCs answered us, who were curious.

Looking at the iron gate at the entrance of the shooting site.

“First, let’s meet today’s special guests.”

“…?”

Clack-

As the door opened, about twenty cute little beings came in.

‘Wow’ as they looked around the studio.

They were elementary school students.

They looked like they were in lower grades.

“Wow-”

Things like the lights hanging from the ceiling.

They looked at the broadcasting equipment and thick cables and said ‘wow’ and then they found us and stopped.

“Huh?”

Someone pointed at us.

“Huh! Huh!”

“Kyaahhh!”

At that moment, a scream that seemed to tear the ears of the elementary school students popped out.

The audio director started to cry.

We also felt like our eardrums were being hit.

Soon, the elementary school students came rushing to us with their teacher.

“Woww!”

“Uh, ah, hello…”

The eyes of the elementary school students who looked up at us like minions were round.

“Ooh la la la la!”

“Ee ya ya ya!”

“Kol lo lo lo lo!”

They each made a lot of noise and jumped around and I couldn’t understand them properly.

It was like thousands of bees were buzzing around us.

We lost our minds and waved our hands.

The visitor said.

“These are the elementary school student judges who will help us with today’s shooting.”

They seemed to have recruited elementary school students who came to visit the broadcasting station.

We asked.

“So you’re all in the same class?”

“Yeeeeeesss!”

“Do you know us?”

“Yeeeeeesss!”

The noisy chatter came back.

“I listen to Nine all the time! Nine!”

“Nine is really the best song I’ve ever heard in my life!”

“Please do something funny! Hahaha!”

The kids were startled when Junghyun repeated his eyebrow-raising trick.

The audio director took off his headphones for a moment.

The teacher who looked like the homeroom teacher swallowed a Tylenol with water, and then seated the kids in the classroom.

“Wowwww…”

They said ‘wow’ when they saw us drinking water to clear our throats.

They said ‘ooh’ when they saw our siblings drinking water in cool poses.

“Jiho, why are you winking while drinking water?”

“Hmm hmm~”

“Oh dear.”

I smiled warmly as I watched Bijoo gulp down the water while flipping his hair.

Then I tilted my head and drank the water.

“Wowwww…”

I felt happy when I saw the kids staring at my face with their sparkling eyes.

The MCs chuckled and said.

“The popularity contest is already fierce.”

“Yes, the game we’re going to play now is prepared for that popularity contest.”

We asked anxiously when we heard the word ‘game’.

“Game?”

“Are we… not going to compete with the kids?”

“We don’t get along well with elementary schoolers.”

Fortunately, the content was not a competition with the elementary schoolers.

“Fan-cam?”

“Yes. You know how you make fan-cams to attract fans. Like showing your talents. Or saying cool lines. Or acting cute.”

“Oh.”

“The member who gets the most votes at the end will win.”

The prize was a T-shirt made by ‘Idolgo’.

It had a blue flower drawn on a black background, and I didn’t know much about the design, but I wanted it.

They gave us two shirts, one with a pink flower, and it was perfect for Mrs. Kim Deoksoon and me.

The siblings also brightened their eyes at the pretty design.

“Okay, then who’s going to go first?”

“Me!”

Bijoo raised his hand energetically.

Then he approached the twenty elementary schoolers and greeted them with a smile.

“You can’t leave out dancing in a performance, right? I’m going to show you the dance I’ve been practicing lately.”

“Wowwww!”

“Director, please play the song~!”

Bijoo danced to the song of Teen Spirit, which the elementary schoolers liked.

Every time he flicked his fingertips, a dolphin-like scream erupted.

Even the homeroom teacher smiled like a sunflower and said it was healing.

The MCs added some comments.

“He reinterpreted the song in a new way.”

“It’s a bit rough dance. It’s a completely different image from the refreshing boy group Teen Spirit.”

“He’s a troublemaker. He looks like he’ll skip the after-school classes and go to the PC room.”

At the end, Bijoo ripped his pants and asked them sweetly, ‘How was it?’

The cheers came back.

He came back triumphantly like a flower boy throwing flowers in front of the general.

The MCs said.

“It looks like he’s almost won by the atmosphere.”

“He’s too good from the start.”

“Who’s the next batter? Rihyuk?”

Rihyuk, who was taking a deep breath, nodded and stepped forward.

Then he said.

“Give me the beat.”

He started to sway to the nursery rhyme that came out.

He twirled his hands and lifted one toe behind him.

His white face turned red in an instant.

“Hahaha!”

As we clapped and laughed, the elementary school students also cooed and adored the seniors.

But I thought their reaction was slightly less than Bijoo’s.

“Ugh!”

Someone who was dancing suddenly felt ashamed and sat down, covering their face. I burst out laughing at the sight.

“Rihyuk!”

“Hyung, are you okay?”

As we carried someone who was curled up like a turtle, they laughed over there.

“Congratulations, Rihyuk. You got a lot of sympathy votes.”

“…Be quiet.”

“Geez, really. How can a celebrity be so shy? Hyung.”

Rihyuk gulped down water and pulled his T-shirt over his head.

We teased Rihyuk who didn’t know what to do with his embarrassment.

Then, Junghyun stepped up.

“I’m going to imitate a line from a drama that captivated the hearts of the viewers.”

“Oh?”

Then, Junghyun stood in front of the elementary school students.

The students gasped at his broad shoulders and intense presence, and the teacher nodded in approval.

Junghyun lowered his eyes and said.

“Kids.”

His shadow stretched over the students as he reached out his hand. Junghyun spoke softly.

“Let’s go.”

The students’ pupils shook, and the MCs applauded and laughed.

We quickly ran over and dragged Junghyun away.

“Hey, hey! Where are you going?”

“Students, don’t follow this scary man!”

“We’re sorry for causing trouble!”

“…Uh, this is not the reaction I expected.”

Junghyun said, looking bewildered.

“This is a cool line. In the drama Fox Bead, the male lead goes to another world and reaches out to the female lead.”

“Oh. That one?”

Jiho mimicked the same scene, reaching out his hand.

He soon had moist eyes and a pitiful smile, like someone who had walked in the rain for a long time.

“Let’s go.”

“Kyaaak!”

“Hehe, thank you. Anyway, this one?”

“Yeah. That one.”

The youngest actor blinked his eyes, looking puzzled.

Meanwhile, we said.

“Anyway, Kim Junghyun is the last place for sure!”

“Last place~”

“Confirmed!”

As Junghyun sulked and begged the students for ‘one vote’, I went up.

My siblings looked at me with wary eyes.

“Woojoo is up.”

“He’s the second most popular idol among elementary school students. I wonder what he will show us.”

I spoke to them with sparkling eyes.

“Everyone.”

“Yes!”

I smiled brightly.

“Please give me your precious vote~”

“Yessss!”

I gave a high-five to each student with a radiant smile, and the MCs laughed.

“Wow, he’s just breaking through with his face!”

“Woojoo and Rihyuk did a dance for over a minute to get votes, but he’s making up for it with one look.”

“The members look so disappointed.”

They glanced at me, saying ‘that’s so unfair’, and I grinned at them.

Then, I looked at the T-shirt.

It would soon be mine.

My siblings also smiled resignedly, as if telling me to take it, and the MCs also marked my victory.

“Everyone~”

But today’s winner was neither me nor the other siblings.

Jiho, who was walking leisurely, rummaged through his pocket. Then, he held up his wallet with both hands.

“What is this?”

The students looked at each other and said.

“A wallet?”

“Right. Then what do you think is inside this?”

“…Money?”

“Nope.”

Jiho shook his head and said.

“What’s inside this is your chicken.”

Their eyes sparkled more than ever.

“Don’t you want to try the two-person-one-chicken challenge?”

At that moment, a fiery scream erupted.

“…”

“…”

Our youngest gracefully turned his body and smiled.

The winner was not his face, his dance, his cute aegyo, or his drama-like lines.

It was money.

“Hahaha! Praise me!”

The king of the golden ticket election, who had never missed a class officer position since elementary school, burst into a wicked laugh.

@The_New_Black_Official

(A short video of elementary school students and New Black jumping around and singing ‘The Strongest 2nd Grade 3rd Class!’ at a chicken restaurant)

Thank you so much to the 2nd grade 3rd class friends of Shinseo Elementary School who joined us for the recording of K-Net’s ‘Idol Go’ today!

If you’re curious about what happened, don’t miss the broadcast of ‘Idol Go’!

#Age_is_different_but_we_are_friends

#We_will_lose_if_we_fight

#10s_and_20s

#Aren’t_we_cute?

After finishing the recording of K-Net’s ‘Show Show Show! Idol High School’.

We had a busy schedule on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday when there was no music show.

“Now, it’s time to introduce our special guests today. They are the group that is coloring the music chart with the number 9.”

“Hello! We are New Black!”

We went on the radio every morning or evening to promote our new song.

And in between, we filmed commercials.

It was a mobile phone company ad with a famous pizza brand, thanks to Sagan’s popularity and the recent rise in music sales.

It was an ad that featured scenes of us walking along a hallway full of neon signs.

“That’s right!”

I sat on a soft sofa and elegantly spun my phone with one hand and smiled.

Jiho took off his sunglasses and threw them away as he walked down the alley.

Junghyun listened to music with headphones on.

Bijoo kicked his skateboard with his foot and walked with it on his side.

Our laughter echoed throughout the set.

We were happy to film a mobile phone company ad that only famous idols could do, but there was another reason.

“Thank you!”

“Huh?”

We said to the advertiser who came to the set with tears in our eyes.

“This is the first time we’ve filmed an ad that makes us look cool and trendy.”

“We’ve never done this kind of walking in an ad before.”

He laughed at our sad lines.

It would be hard to tell what it was like until the graphics and music were added, but the initial result was very good.

I have to show this ad to the TNT trash when it comes out.

They used to tease us about when we would film a cool ad.

Meanwhile, the second week and our last music show activity came.

-New Black’s Nine and Teen Spirit’s Feel So Good. Who will be the winner this week?

-Yes! Congratulations!

We pushed aside Teen Spirit, who had won four music shows last week, and we won first place on the music show.

We were expecting it because we had been topping the daily chart, but it was really first place.

“Thank you!”

We smiled and took off the gold stickers on the heads of our juniors.

We had been number one for a long time with Wind Flower, but it was always a good feeling to be number one.

Now we smiled brightly at the wave of light sticks in the audience.

“Congratulations~”

While we were singing Nine on the encore stage, the refreshing boys greeted us.

It was Teen Spirit.

‘Do you want to join us for a bit?’

We asked with our mouths and they immediately responded.

They had been coveting the choreography of Nine since we did it together last time, and they helped us with the initial dance and left.

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They were the ones who danced briefly next to me with a ‘damn’ expression on their faces while I was rapping.

They waved their hands and smiled brightly at us as we bowed our waists to greet them.

After we finished the encore stage and went down.

“Damn it.”

I witnessed the Teen Spirit members grumbling as they came out of the dressing room with their luggage.

“What is this? Second place.”

“…”

“Ugh. Seriously.”

I was proudly holding the trophy when I came back, but I quickly hid it behind my back when I saw my siblings laughing.

I heard the angry voices of the teenage boys.

“Damn it! What about the fans who voted hard for us?”

“Fans of the second-place singer?”

“What? Who was that just now?”

“It was me.”

The leader, Hwiyeon, said ‘it was me’ like a line from a movie. The member who was grumbling lowered his head.

“It could happen.”

“I can’t believe this crap. You’re such a coward.”

“Ah! But I’m so sad. The fans must have worked so hard. And we couldn’t even get first place.”

They were teenage boys who were bitterly disappointed for not meeting the fans’ expectations.

As they were venting their frustrations, their eyes met ours as we walked down the hallway.

“Congratulations. You’re number one.”

“We’re just freaking sad, okay? Please understand.”

“I’m not lying about my congratulations.”

I took out the chocolate that I had hidden away and handed it to them.

“Do you want something sweet?”

“Yes.”

As they melted the chocolate in their mouths, they said ‘sweet, damn…’ and I smiled and nodded to the members of Teenspirit.

The top idols and teenage boys said their farewell to me.

And then.

“Congratulations!”

The managers and staff who were waiting in the dressing room set off the fireworks they had prepared along with the cake.

“Thank you! You all worked hard!”

As we all ate a slice of cake and chatted, my phone rang.

It was a text from our director.

[John Edwards and his crew will arrive on 9/21 at 10:30 a.m.]

It was about the musical movie ‘Nostalgia’ that I was going to star in.