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The audience began finding their seats.
Wow...
Those attending a live taping for the first time widened their eyes and looked around.
A panel reading “Challenge, Masterpiece Discovery Squad!” was affixed above the stage, and behind the spacious platform, the sound team was checking instruments.
Although recording hadn’t even begun, the atmosphere was already thrilling.
“Really amazing. So this is a TV station.”
“Who’s appearing today? Cha Woo-hyun and who else?”
“They’ve got so many instruments. That mic stand over there is for backing vocals, right? People shaking their shoulders and going ooh-ooh.”
The attendees chattered excitedly with their friends.
“Wow.”
A front-row spectator scanning the back seats whispered to a friend with mouth agape.
“Incredible. Hey. So many people.”
“I saw some high schoolers waiting without tickets earlier. They’re planning to slip in if someone gets up.”
“...It’s the first recording, though?”
Challenge, Masterpiece Discovery Squad! was a brand-new program, not yet well known.
Yet these numbers...
Group reservations were visible here and there, but it was astonishing that so many people came to see a show that hadn’t even premiered.
“Oh, look here. It says what’s happening today.”
“Where?”
“Page three.”
Putting away their phones for a moment, people began flipping through the pamphlet they had received upon entry.
It listed which singer would perform which song today.
“The lineup is insane... Cha Woo-hyun hardly ever appears on shows like this, right?”
“They’re all singers we know.”
“But I don’t recognize the songs. I don’t know any of them.”
Perhaps because the songs were unfamiliar, most talked about the singers instead.
Those interested in musicals discussed Lisa, and indie band fans kept an eye on the Jo Yuri Band.
Older attendees recognized Song Bo-hyung’s face.
Cha Woo-hyun was a representative vocalist of Korea, known to everyone in the hall.
But...
“Who are these guys?”
Reading the pamphlet captioned [NewBlack: Noh Jae-hyun ‘Insaeng’] alongside a photo, people tilted their heads.
Then they turned their eyes.
On the stage backdrop like a slideshow, promotional images of the singers flickered by.
Five idols casually dressed, seated on chairs.
“NewBlack?”
One of them blinked, seated among the audience.
Who are they again?
They looked familiar, somewhere...
Someone searching on a smartphone spoke up.
“They’re those guys. You know, from the Joo Se-han show!”
“Oh...”
“The ones on the Chuseok special. They fought that goat and threw a filial piety feast or something.”
People who remembered Joo Se-han’s Chuseok special, a beloved variety show, murmured here and there.
A few attendees’ faces briefly lit up with recognition.
But despite recognizing their faces, the questions remained.
“Aren’t they rookies? What are they doing on a competition show?”
“Right.”
They knew idols were among the contestants, but they expected groups known for vocal talent like Daydream or Playlist, even if not as famous as TNT.
Is there something special about them?
Someone covered their mouth and whispered jokingly.
“Maybe they’re actually amazing singers? They’ll stack crazy harmonies and hit every octave.”
“No way.”
Hearing that, another snickered and turned back to the stage backdrop.
Amidst the gentle music, NewBlack’s images passed by again.
They looked handsome.
Their looks could catch attention, but beyond that, people had no impressions of NewBlack as singers.
Somewhat pleased to see faces from a weekend variety show again, they soon shifted focus when someone ascended to the stage.
A man with an amusing expression.
Gripping a mic, he strode forward, drawing everyone’s gaze.
“Hello-ooot~!”
The man greeted energetically, introducing himself to the audience.
“You must be surprised. Some unknown guy just walked up and said hello. Wondering if I’m the MC? Half right, half wrong.”
His salesman-like humor elicited light laughter.
“I’m Kim Chul, a PBS comedian who passed the public audition, and I’ll be your pre-show MC today! Nice to meet you!”
The pre-show MC, tasked with delivering notices on behalf of the production team, began to liven up the mood.
“All together now! Let’s hear a cheer~ Ready? Too small. That won’t do! Louder! Shout again!”
“Waaaaah!”
“Out of ten points... nine. I’ll give you nine. You’ve still got a ways to go before a perfect ten.”
Encouraging applause and cheers, he gradually heated up the audience.
The pre-show MC ran games like rock-paper-scissors with attendees, awarding prizes.
Autographed items from today’s performers.
And then...
NewBlack?
The person who had joked about their singing ability earlier examined the autograph prize.
Five signatures in different styles.
After lingering on “Seo Ri-hyeok” scrawled in an isolated corner, their gaze moved on.
A stifled laugh escaped.
“What’s this? Haha!”
Their friend peered over and laughed too.
It was the signature in ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the very center.
In English, “Woojoo Sun” scrawled wildly, with a little doodle attached.
A cute spaceship blasting off from its rear.
[ ˘ᗜ˘ ]
7:30 p.m.
At last, recording began.
After the pre-show MC warmed up the crowd, main MC Baek Sang-jung appeared on stage in a tuxedo.
“Waaaaah!”
The audience was ecstatic.
Before the competition, the singers lined up on stage and greeted the audience. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Six hundred spectators.
When empty, the public hall felt cramped, but now it seemed vast. You could feel countless eyes scanning the room.
But aside from a few, no one seemed interested in us.
At best, they barely glanced at our faces.
Most showed interest in Cha Woo-hyun or the Jo Yuri Band.
“Hello. We’re the Jo Yuri Band.”
The audience greeted them with thunderous applause. The Jo Yuri Band beamed triumphantly.
It felt as if their glances toward us said, “See that?”
We ignored them.
But the disparity in recognition was clear.
“Hello, we’re NewBlack!”
When we greeted, people gave the obligatory cheer, but it was just polite noise.
A year ago, the MC would have exclaimed, “Something big is going on with these guys!” But promoting a song from a year ago felt odd now.
Amidst senior acts of that lineup, boasting “We won five rookie awards” or “We got a music show #1 in our first year” felt awkward.
Though some recognized us from Joo Se-han’s show, discussing it felt out of place here.
To rile up the mood, the celebrity panel mostly commented on looks.
“You’re so handsome. How old are you all? Whoa... Ji-ho’s eighteen? I apologize, niece.”
“All visuals on stage. Did the producer just choose based on face?”
“Look at their head sizes. They’re ignoring perspective.”
We wanted to shout, “Talk about our singing!” but the panelists kept commenting on appearance.
After two weeks of intense practice, they devoured nearly five minutes of our time with comments on looks.
So we...
“Heh, thank you so much.”
We embraced it.
Attention isn’t always what you want; it’s what you get. We gladly accepted the praise for our looks.
A celebrity who called himself an “idol expert,” Bang Mun-su, recognized us.
“I know a lot about idols, and these guys were called the 2014 rookies.”
He told the audience in a raccoon-like voice.
“Last year, so many rookies debuted, including from major agencies. Experts wondered, ‘What happened in 2014?’ because the talent was exceptional. NewBlack broke through that competition and became the representative rookies last year.”
He seemed well versed, and then we recalled his face from K-Net’s competing program to HBS’s Idol Show, where we had appeared.
The MC slyly asked:
“Mun-su, do you see NewBlack as today’s frontrunner?”
“Uh... yes, that’s right!”
He hemmed and hawed, then answered “Yes!” to laughter.
“NewBlack! Since I’ve called you the frontrunner, you have to appear on our show later! Got it?”
“It’d be an honor to be invited.”
We replied smiling.
When it was Cha Woo-hyun’s turn, the audience erupted in massive cheers.
True to a headline singer, his talk was lengthy.
“Wow! NewBlack overturned last year’s rookie charts” said even Mun-su, but while he hesitated at calling us frontrunners, Cha Woo-hyun was unquestionably today’s favorite to win.
His talk was earnest, and the audience’s gaze on him was intense.
The atmosphere during our turn was completely different.
If NewBlack were just cute juniors, he was treated as a professional artist.
Given his stature, it was expected, but even when other singers were introduced, our reception felt different.
Yet...
We couldn’t shake the feeling that the production was steering things that way.
The writers issuing directions remotely to the MC, the celebrity panelists—everyone seemed nudged to form a certain image.
Perhaps they aimed to implant an impression in the audience’s mind.
Just speculation, not certain.
But it was clear the audience saw us as just another rookie idol group.
Which made sense.
“Yes, singers, you may leave the stage now. I will explain today’s voting rules.”
As the singers departed with composed faces, I noticed the audience’s gazes following them.
Look here. Look there.
Except for a few, hardly anyone paid attention to us.
“Hyung, what’s wrong?”
When I paused, Bi-ju asked.
“Nothing, really.”
I smiled as if all was fine and continued walking, but my thoughts raced. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Was it the audience’s reaction?
Suddenly, ambition welled up.
I hoped that on our upcoming stage, we would capture every one of those six hundred gazes.
The competition finally began.
The format was simple.
A VCR briefly showing rehearsal and arrangement processes, followed by a VCR of the singer introducing the song, then the main performance.
The footage of discovering hidden masterpieces and meeting the original composer was intended for the broadcast and could influence the audience, so it wasn’t shown.
“Wow...”
Huddled in the waiting room watching on TV, we kept exclaiming.
“Wow. That song is amazing.”
“Look at how they gesture while singing. Their expressiveness is incredible...”
Because the cameras were observing, we weren’t performing; our admiration was genuine.
They were living vocal textbooks.
Lisa, who took the children’s song “Ddorong-ddorong,” rearranged it into a scene from a musical—it was spectacular.
Cha Woo-hyun, standing still without elaborate performance, sang so movingly that it drew tears from the audience.
A song difficult to pitch-perfect, and yet Ri-hyeok, moved, stood and applauded.
Then the Jo Yuri Band.
Though they altered many lyrics, they produced a trendy track that resonated with young viewers.
Regardless of our tastes, their instrumental and vocal skills were top-notch.
When Jo Yuri hoisted the mic above her head at the climax and hit the high notes, panelists and the audience gaped.
After each performance, the celebrity panelists raved about the songs.
Then two composers and a famous singer-judging panel took the mic to evaluate.
“When I heard it was a children’s song, I never imagined such an arrangement. It’s a tough challenge, and they nailed it.”
“Truly a Cha Woo-hyun stage, thanks.”
“Jo Yuri Band did great, but I have some critiques. The arrangement focuses too much on technique. Vocal skills can amaze, but that’s different from moving the heart. Watching a tightrope walker is impressive, but does it stir your emotions?”
Sharp insights emerged.
After each singer left looking pleased or relieved, the next was prepared.
Meanwhile, we studied lyrics or warmed up our voices with MR on earphones.
“O-baek won o-baek won...”
“O-baek woo-uhwon...”
As we all warmed up under the lead vocalist’s count, a knock sounded and a staff member spoke through the intercom.
“NewBlack, standby!”
“Yes!”
After watching Song Bo-hyung perform “Betrayal’s Flower” on TV, we left the waiting room.
I felt nervous.
The path to the backstage stairs felt endless. Time moved slowly.
After Song Bo-hyung’s song ended and the panelists chatted, we stretched in the dim area behind the stage.
“Whew...”
A production ENG camera captured us.
A writer asked:
“Nervous?”
“Yes, very.”
We clustered together, exclaiming “Ugh!” anxiously.
I inhaled deeply and said:
“Really, I just don’t want to make mistakes.”
“Me too. We practiced so hard for this. If I slip up, I’ll be so upset I might cry.”
We answered the interview, tense smiles on our faces.
I tried to relax my lips with a “brrr” and guzzled water, while we patted each other’s shoulders.
“Are you guys drinking too much water?” asked eldest Wonseok.
“It’s fine, hyung.”
We kept drinking to quench our thirst.
Our managers and staff cheered us on with fists raised.
Then an FD at the stairs signaled it was time.
My heart pounded.
My whole body tingled with anxiety as I swallowed dryly and reached out my hand.
The younger members also held out their hands, serious faces on them.
“Guys, let’s do a fighting cheer before we go up. We’ve practiced so hard these two weeks...”
“Let’s go. NewBlack.”
“Let’s do it like we always do! Fighting!”
After a quick cheer, we climbed the creaking wooden stairs to the stage, our hearts racing.
NewBlack began ascending onto the stage.
Five idol members dressed neatly in sweaters, jackets, and turtlenecks suitable for winter.
“Waaaaah!”
An obligatory cheer and applause erupted as they appeared, the air electric from Song Bo-hyung’s passionate performance just before.
As the scent of previous stage pyrotechnics faded, the stage went dark and the NewBlack members scattered to their positions.
A VCR played immediately.
“This is my studio.”
The handsome idol leader guided the crew around.
A warmly decorated studio.
There, Woo-joo clicked a mouse and began explaining the arrangement’s intent to the crew.
Beside him stood Assistant Manager Seo Pil-geun of A&R, pulled in as an interview subject.
“Woo-joo?”
A brief, sad silence.
“He’s someone who’s truly passionate about song. Our team jokes that we wish his sincerity were just average.”
Laughter rippled through the hall.
The scene shifted.
Clips of NewBlack members practicing so intensely they were soaked with sweat.
“Oww, my throat hurts. Hyung, give me some throat candy.”
“It’s mine.”
One member demurely handed another a piece.
The practice footage ended and an interview VCR filmed earlier in the waiting room began.
After greetings, song explanations followed.
“As you saw in the video, the song we’re performing is ‘Insaeng’ by Noh Jae-hyun.”
As the rapper gripped the recording mic like a subordinate serving a boss, the leader continued calmly.
“Our group’s average age is 20.4, and I’m 21.”
He added, under sharp gazes, “That’s by international age.”
“Having lived less than half of a lifetime, we worried if we could truly convey the song. Life isn’t just one path; it’s many.”
He spoke earnestly.
“We focused on honoring that weight and emotion, giving our all in arrangement and rehearsal. We may fall short, but having the chance to compete here, we intend to give everything we have.”
“Please look forward to it!”
After greeting viewers and the audience together, the VCR ended and the stage curtain rose.
The members stood spread out across the stage.
Under the main spotlight stood the pale-faced lead vocalist, alone.
As a piano melody played, he closed his eyes and nodded.
But he didn’t sing.
As the keys’ melody gradually faded...
Like receding waves giving way to another, a voice pierced the silence.
It was the leader standing just behind.
Bathed in a faint blue light, he hummed softly, filling the hall.
That was the cue for the blonde member beside him to add another layer.
Then the rapper and the maknae each took a mic.
The four harmonized like gentle blue lighting, moistening the audience’s ears and drawing every gaze to the stage.
The warmth of their harmony felt tangible.
Perhaps because of their dynamics...
Strangely, the audience’s gaze began to follow the sound.
Drawing near and holding.
Their eyes naturally settled on the lead vocalist standing center stage with eyes closed.
As piano and harmony gradually lured the audience...
The harmonies subsided once more.
And finally, the lead vocalist’s lips parted.
