In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe - C.162:

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 162

To be honest, Woojoo didn’t know about this time.

Last time, at the Mango Chart Awards, they were the only attendees among the rookie nominees, so they practically went out thinking ‘we got this’. But Woojoo was doubtful if they could keep up that momentum until this HBS Music Awards.

Of course, they were overwhelming in terms of indicators. It was to the point where people would say, who else but New Black?

They were the number one in album sales among the rookies who debuted this year.

Their digital performance was beyond words.

Masquerade was still staying within the top 10 of the daily chart, and Something was not showing any signs of dropping from the chart.

On top of that, Woojoo heard that Fireworks would make it into the top 100 of the yearly chart.

Objectively speaking, they, New Black, were the undisputed first place among the rookie groups who appeared today.

But the world didn’t always go by common sense.

Due to the nature of the year-end stages of the three terrestrial broadcasters, where the influence of the big agencies was strong, it wouldn’t be strange if another group took it.

Then Woojoo would be a little…

No, very angry.

Anyway, he wasn’t the optimistic type for various reasons.

Just look at Street Boys. They were the first place in the netizen vote, but they drank bitter water at the last Hong Kong Awards.

Maybe that was why, after finishing the dry rehearsal and coming down, Hanjo said quietly, “I hope New Black wins.”

“Huh?”

“The award should go to the deserving ones.”

The Street Boys members whispered loudly as if they really wanted them to win.

“Please win. The Rookie Award.”

“You have to make the leader’s black history.”

“This one has to go to New Black.”

Their eyes were directed at the Blink members who were far away, and it was a look of rivalry.

Come to think of it, they lost to Blink at the last KMA Rookie Award.

They looked like people who were asking them to avenge their enemies, and Woojoo couldn’t help but smile.

It was amazing.

They seemed to firmly believe that they would win the Rookie Award.

More than them.

Although it was called a music award, the event today was basically no different from a music show.

Only the stage equipment and the size of the audience were different.

As in a music show, the schedule was to wait, wait, and wait some more. After having lunch, and barely having dinner with a lunch box, the surroundings started to get noisy.

The singers with seniority arrived one by one.

“Shall we go around and say hello?”

They visited the tent of Teen Spirit, which was nearby, first.

They had a pretty boy concept, but their mouths were always rough, so they were the group New Black visited first in the waiting room.

It was a great strategy of hitting the whip first if you were going to get hit anyway.

Sure enough.

Even before they entered, there were various noises from inside the tent.

-Get lost! Get lost!

-Just one bite! Just one bite! Do you want to die like this?

-No! I don’t want to!

The conversation was filtered even though it contained swear words. Tey looked at each other and smiled warmly.

Junghyun said, “They seem to be in a good mood today.”

“Yeah, the conversation is smooth.”

“Ugh… I’m still not used to it. Junghyun Hyung, I’ll stand behind you, so please understand. Don’t push me aside like last time, saying you can’t see my face.”

“Okay. I got it.”

“Our coward. Are you scared?”

“You are. You freeze when you face Teen Spirit Sunbae-nims.”

They left the guys who were growling at each other behind and Woojoo lifted the tent and entered.

“Excuse me…”

As Woojoo entered, there were Teen Spirit members.

Some were sitting and playing with their phones, and some were arguing.

One was sitting with his mouth shut and shaking his head, and two or three others were standing in front of him with a pork cutlet on a chopstick.

…What was going on?

“Eat it, please! Please!”

“No! I’m on a diet!”

“You’re going to die like this! Do you want to diet your soul too? Is this how you’re going to do it?”

“Uh, I’m going to die.”

“Go ahead. You have a lot of sins, so you’ll go to hell.”

It was a scene of the leader, Hwiyeon, trying to feed something to Yeonhu, a member who was on a diet.

They decided to greet them at this point.

“Hello! We are New Black!”

The members of Teen Spirit looked at them at the same time. Then Yeonhu smiled at them.

“Hey, if you’re going to give it away, why don’t you just give it to New Black over there!”

“What are you talking about, you crazy bastard.”

Then the leader, Hwiyeon, who was holding a pork cutlet with chopsticks, looked at New Black and asked politely, “Do you want some?”

“…No. I’m fine.”

“Hey! See! He doesn’t eat!”

He started to nag at the member again, but it was too noisy to stay still.

Rihyuk and Jiho quietly hid behind them.

The managers who were sitting nearby showed them a resigned smile and quietly rubbed their necks.

They were about to finish the conversation and leave when Hwiyeon said that.

“By the way, you seem to be getting the Rookie Award.”

“What? The announcement is not yet…”

“Who else would get it if not New Black? Congratulations.”

He bluntly congratulated them first, so they thanked him and left the tent.

Jiho swept his hair back and said, “Whew. We handled that well.”

“Right. Today was not bad.”

Rihyuk also chuckled and smiled, making Woojoo laugh absurdly. It seemed like one of them grabbed his clothes from behind.

Anyway. These cowards.

Woojoo smiled and wiped the cold sweat on his hand with his pants.

“…Whew, we dodged a bullet. Come on, let’s go and greet the rest.”

Next, they stopped by the tent of Scarlet, a senior singer from the same agency as them.

Inside, there was a constant sound of laughter.

They could hear the singing too.

Jiho peeked into the tent and shook his head.

“They’re huddled around the heater and dancing with each other.”

“…Let’s come back later. Not here.”

Woojoo remembered the award ceremony.

When he came to his senses, he was wrapped up in the face over there.

They also visited the tent of Girls on Top nearby and exchanged awkward greetings.

They also greeted the senior singers, including the ballad singer who would be with them today.

But somehow, the greetings that came back were similar.

-You seem to have a good day today. Congratulations.

It sounded like a compliment, but they all congratulated them as if it was certain.

At first, Woojoo wondered, ‘Why are they like that?’

Woojoo thought, ‘It’s not even sure yet,’ but he soon realized.

Everyone thought that no one else would get the Rookie Award if not them.

Woojoo finally realized the truth that he had been half-doubting until now, thanks to them.

“Wow, did we really hit the jackpot this year?”

Was it because they beat TNT and ranked first in the last week?

The atmosphere was different from the Mango Chart Awards. It felt like the singers who came here acknowledged them to some extent.

Woojoo felt happy, but also a bit embarrassed.

Then, they ran into Street Boys, who came out of TNT’s tent.

But…

Something was off.

They avoided eye contact with Woojoo. They acted awkwardly around him, as if they had done something wrong.

Woojoo asked them, “What happened in TNT’s waiting room?”

“Uh, well…” Hanjo said with a troubled face, “I’m sorry. We had no choice.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry!”

“Hey, what are you sorry for, you guys!”

They all said “I’m sorry!” and ran away, leaving Woojoo blinking in confusion.

Woojoo looked at his younger members, but they all shrugged as if they didn’t know what was going on.

And when he entered TNT’s waiting room, he immediately understood what they were sorry for.

As soon as Woojoo lifted the tent and went inside, eight pairs of eyes turned to him.

Soon, a strange smile appeared on their lips.

“?”

Woojoo was about to greet them, but Han Taehyun stood up from his seat.

He smiled kindly.

“Welcome, Leader.”

“…”

“Puhahaha!”

TNT members looked at Woojoo and burst into laughter, pointing at him.

“Puhahaha!”

“Mincho boss. Mincho boss!”

“Leader, welcome!”

…What did Woojoo do wrong in his previous life?

Woojoo muttered that, and Junghyun blinked his eyes and asked, “Did you love mint chocolate too much?”

“Puhahaha! Come here! Daegil’s friend! We’ll give you a special treat!”

“Can I come too?”

“Come on!”

“Kekkekke!”

Damn.

…Woojoo really wished they weren’t so friendly with each other, except for him.

8:45 p.m.

Thousands of spectators filled the COEX D Hall, where a huge stage was set up.

As the camera swept over the faces of the people wearing masks or holding light sticks.

The 2014 HBS Music Awards finally began.

After the special stage by the three male and female MCs, the MCs took their seats.

-Hello! I’m Taehyun, the charismatic dancer of TNT!

-I’m Hwiyeon, the cutie of Teen Spirit!

-Yes, I’m Han Yeoreum, the actress who will be hosting the first part. Nice to meet you.

After each of them greeted, some events using the sponsored app followed, and the stage officially started.

The opening stage was an indie band called ‘Ee Jihoon and the Lazy Dogs’ wearing sunglasses.

They heated up the audience with their music mixed with djembe and guitar.

A cheerful folk song that everyone sang along with their light sticks.

-They are the rookies who heated up this year!

-Before the Rookie Award, let’s enjoy the stage of the super rookies!

The stages of the rookie candidates followed one after another.

The first batter was Blink.

[BLINK]

The group name appeared on the giant LED screen, and the door opened.

Four singers appeared on the lift with a powerful intro.

They performed a rap and dance in the style of hip hop, wearing black leather outfits.

After the 1 minute and 30 seconds teaser dance, they moved to the front of the stage and lined up on the left.

The second was Street Boys.

The group name that appears on the screen against the gray wall.

[Street Boys’]

The members, who usually wear gold necklaces and heavy smoky makeup, walked swaggeringly.

They spat out fast and powerful raps with intimidating expressions and shrugging shoulders.

While the rappers, led by Hanjo and LB, poured out the lyrics, the main vocal Kiwon’s high notes followed in between.

Someone’s shout burst out from the audience as if to respond for a moment.

The 1 minute and 30 seconds stage of the song ‘Deeper’, which was based on western hip hop, ended and the Street Boys stood in the center of the stage.

The next act that came up.

-We’re Serenity

With a whisper-like voice, the nine members of Serenity came up and started dancing.

If the previous Blink and Street Boys had a hip hop-based vibe, they showcased dance music that focused on refreshing vocals.

After the stage that highlighted their long arms and legs–

“Wow, amazing…”

“Insane. They’re all good. This year’s rookies.”

“Really, there’s no flaw.”

The audience members who stood in the standing seats exchanged whispers during the break.

A loud scream started from somewhere.

‘What?’

It didn’t take long to realize that it was the fans of New Black, who were scattered around.

The letters that appeared on the screen.

[The New Black]

“…Do they have more fans than I thought?”

“Listen to the sound.”

As they looked surprised.

A familiar melody flowed through the speakers.

It was Masquerade, which was staying in the upper ranks of the chart.

The general audience, who were just wow-ing and ah-ing, perked up their ears as they heard the song they knew.

“Wow.”

The New Black members, who wore different suits with style, started the stage.

It was a somewhat quiet atmosphere.

Rather than coming out and moving around like the other groups, they moved within the given lines, forming a circle.

As the song verse flowed, the corresponding member showed their performance, and the other members stood still like statues.

In this way, the five members showed their choreography in turn, and then moved their bodies softly to the short chorus that followed.

It was not a fierce dance like the usual Masquerade, but a smooth dance like flowing water.

As their hands and feet moved smoothly and drew something in the air, the people’s eyes moved back and forth.

‘They’re good.’

It was the thought that everyone, whether near or far, or watching TV, had at the same time.

They did well.

Of course, they were a bit better than other rookie idols in terms of skills, but not enough to feel overwhelming.

They felt that they were doing well, just like the other rookies.

But there was something about their expressions or gestures that drew their attention, for some reason.

Especially those who had been to music shows several times before, they licked their lips with a familiar feeling.

It happened sometimes.

They went to a music show to see their singer, but while watching another group’s stage, they caught a glimpse of one member.

But in the case of New Black, all five of them were eye-catching, even though there were some differences.

It was the same for the joint stage that followed.

Even in the joint dance where more than twenty idols gathered, the members of New Black captivated the viewers.

Especially among them, one member who seemed to dance easily by himself and two members who charmed people with their facial expressions drew the attention.

The reaction was the same on the internet.

-I wish all the cameras except the front one were broken

-Is this lip-syncing??

-Wow. The camera is always new and crappy, right?

Those who were watching the year-end stage live also showed interest when New Black appeared on the screen.

-New Black really stands out in a good way

-What’s going on this year? The rookies are so good…???

-Crazy??? The rookie pool is insane

-They didn’t have much time to match with each other, but they fit so well;;

-Is it just me or New Black is especially noticeable…?

-Is it because of their expressions? I keep looking at them because of that

It was also the result of practicing expressions for almost five hours, but to those who didn’t know the situation, it was a stage that somehow stood out.

And the harmony also contributed.

They didn’t try to stand out by themselves, but they blended smoothly with the other group members in one screen.

That was why the other groups were also getting good reviews.

Maybe that was why.

After the leader of New Black shook his head lightly to shake off the sweat and the main vocal of Serenity swept her hair back while breathing hard, they were caught in a picture-like two-shot and the screen went dark.

When the model Han Sora and the actor Lee Kangjin, who came out as the presenters, announced the Rookie Award winners, no one was surprised.

-Congratulations. New Black!

Somehow, with moist eyes, the faces of the New Black members who came to receive the award and the people who were smiling in the singer seats crossed and flowed.

Even though they must have expected it, somehow the ones who were most surprised at this place were New Black themselves.

The other members were standing behind and the leader of New Black grabbed the standing microphone with a very serious face.

…Then the static electricity rose.

-Ouch, ouch!

The scene where the MCs near him covered their lips with their lips or the progress card was caught on the screen with a blatant scream.

-Ahem.

Then, with a nonchalant expression, Woojoo coughed and opened the first word of his impression toward the camera.

He smiled with confidence, as if he could easily handle this kind of thing.

-Hello. We are New Black. Well, be careful of static electricity. Everyone.

At that, laughter erupted in the hall.

It was the second Rookie Award, but the joy was no less than the first.

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!”

They heard congratulations from everywhere after the second part ending stage.

When they left the waiting room, Junghyun put the Rookie Award trophy in his padding jacket like a puppy and walked around, making everyone laugh.

They were giggling.

“Wow, how can it be so pretty?”

“Right? Look at this radiance.”

“It shines. It shines.”

They touched the trophy like a tempting gold nugget.

They were happy.

Really happy.

Even if someone came next to them and said something bad, Woojoo felt like he could laugh it off today.

Woojoo didn’t know if it was because of the heat of the stage or because of the award, but his cheeks were hot.

What should he do with this happy feeling?

He had to call Mrs. Kim Deoksoon later and brag for an hour. Woojoo sent a selfie taken next to the trophy.

He also wrote a sensible message.

She would be touched by his sincerity, right?

He smiled contentedly as he pressed the send button.

“Hyung! Hurry up!”

“Okay, I’m going!”

Woojoo quickly smiled and followed his siblings who were ahead of him.

At the same time, in Gunsan.

Mrs. Kim Deoksoon, who had placed a cat on her lap and was watching TV, kept looking at her phone that was shaking with vibrations.

【 Group Chat: Children’s Harvest 】

Junghyun’s Dad [What a great day,]

Junghyun’s Dad [Our kids won another award!!]

Bijoo’s Mom [Oh my]

Bijoo’s Mom [Look at the message my child sent me…!]

Bijoo’s Mom [(Screenshot)]

I’m Chairman Wang Hyuntak [I just got a cute text too??]

I’m Chairman Wang Hyuntak [My adorable son ??]

Each of them uploaded screenshots of the texts their children sent them, such as ‘Thank you’ or ‘I love you?’.

‘Why isn’t this brat contacting me.’

‘Hurry up and send one, send!’

As she was thinking this, she finally received the long-awaited message from her grandson.

It was a message with 37 pictures attached.

Woojoo [Kim Deoksoon acrostic poem~~!!]

Woojoo [Kim not going to say anything]

Woojoo [Deoksoon ah]

Woojoo [Just look at my selfies~?]

“…”

She suddenly felt a surge of anger.