Free Web Novel“Okay, great work!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
NewBlack’s “Nine” MV shoot wrapped up smoothly.
Of course, it wasn’t completely over.
To achieve that neon-soaked cyberpunk vibe, we still needed location shoots in Busan and scenes in empty subway stations and platforms.
What we’d just filmed was the set, to be augmented with CG later. The final result would emerge only in post-production—but I had a very good feeling about it.
“Hmm, this MV...”
Junghyun said with a serious expression.
“I have no idea what to expect.”
“Wh-wow, it’s gonna be huge!”
“It’s Junghyun hyung—he says he doesn’t know. This MV must totally blow up.”
At the “good feeling” comment, we all forgot our fatigue and bounced around.
When the MV assistant director asked why that was a good feeling, we explained.
“Oh, so it’s a total flop?”
“No, I mean I like that feeling.”
Junghyun widened his eyes objecting, but we shook our heads. Then we asked him,
“Junghyun, how do you think the weather’s gonna be outside? Give us your feeling.”
“I have a sense it’ll be great.”
“...”
I turned to ask, “Did we bring umbrellas?”
“No. It was sunny when we came. The weather forecast said it’d stay nice today.”
While we murmured, the assistant director laughed at how that made no sense. Then he went outside the set building to check the weather and came back looking like a log fished out of water.
“Huagh... huagh...”
The soaked staff member gasped.
“It’s pouring rain. It wasn’t even raining when I went out—one gust of wind and this happened.”
“...”
“What kind of shower...”
At this, the MV director’s eyes went wide.
He’d studied in the U.S., so I thought he didn’t believe in omens.
As we all went, “See?” the MV crew began pulling out wallets.
“I need you to bless this lottery ticket I bought.”
“This guy’s dating my sister—what does my face say? Bad omen?”
“I just bought this—think the stock will hit its limit today?”
Like people before a shaman, they asked earnestly, and we laughed.
“We tried that, but greed never pays off.”
“I lost twenty lottery tickets.”
We once tried to win the lottery and move into a new dorm, but we failed completely. At our story, everyone chuckled.
Outside, rain battered the building, and the sudden downpour stranded us all on set.
The director suggested we watch the footage again.
“According to Junghyun, this MV is going to do well, right?”
“Yes.”
“We think so, too. There’s something here.”
The footage played again.
Whenever I danced, my brothers twitched their cheeks, saying it looked like something flashed behind me.
The director pointed at the green screen.
“This is where the cityscape will be composited. We’ll use references like this.”
Images of neon blues and purples lit the city in a mysterious glow on screen, and we marveled.
“It’ll look so beautiful once composited.”
“More than beautiful—spectacular.”
The director grinned.
“It’ll come out great. Your choreography and song fit this near-future vibe perfectly.”
“Really?”
“Trust me. I’ve been shooting MVs for ten years.”
Encouraged by the expert’s confidence, we exchanged excited glances. Company staff behind us nodded as they compared us in front of the green screen with the imagined cyberpunk background.
The director laughed and asked,
“You have fans overseas, right?”
“Yes.”
“When they see this MV, they’re going to love it. North America and Europe go crazy for this kind of imagery.”
“...Do you think so?”
We and the company staff—all Korean—looked at each other. We could see the potential quality and say “Oh,” but whether it would resonate more with overseas fans, we weren’t sure. We just trusted our director’s experience abroad.
“Foreign fans are great, but please make sure Korean fans love it first, Director.”
“That’s my top priority. Of course.”
When Seokhwan hyung joked that way, the director laughed in agreement.
As the discussion continued, we watched the MV on loop, checking for any needed tweaks. Comparing it to the storyboard, we mapped the visuals in our heads scene by scene.
“Hmm...”
With the CG city added, it would look amazing—but something felt a bit flat. It was dazzling from start to finish, but I wondered if that energy would last through a third verse punch. It wasn’t bad as is, but it felt gloriously bland, maybe because similar backgrounds repeated. We needed one extra element.
While we hashed it out over group chat, the sound of rain outside caught our attention.
“This is it!”
“Exactly.”
As if a lightbulb went off, we all smiled brightly. Reaching consensus, we approached the director.
“Director.”
“Hmm?”
“At this part, what if we get a little wet?”
“Oh.”
The director clicked his mouse curiously and asked which moment we meant. We pointed to a spot in the storyboard. Tapping the table, his eyes lit up.
“...That could work.”
“Right?”
“No, it’s not just workable—it’s a brilliant idea.”
At his approval, we beamed at each other, proud of the idea. It really was an inspired touch.
Busan.
In a quiet alley lit by neon signs, a water truck sprayed rain.
Sshaaah.
While the set was secured, passersby stopped to gape.
“Are they filming a movie? Look at all those cameras.”
“This trick is so realistic—it really looks like rain.”
“Who are those guys? Some celebrities?”
They couldn’t see the shoot deep in the alley; staff blocked the way outside. All we glimpsed was the busy jib camera wheeling around.
“Who are they?”
“Oh, they’re coming out.”
The water stopped and figures emerged through the crew.
“Blankets...?”
Five of us hurried forward with large blankets draped over us, faces peeking out like little curiosities.
“Oooh...!”
Even at a distance, our brightness was blinding.
“Heh-heh-chu!”
“He-chu-chu!”
We sounded like sneezing fairies.
Onlookers cracked up at our childlike faces on the verge of sneezing. Then they recognized who we were. Under the bright lights, our damp faces glowed.
“It’s NewBlack.”
“NewBlack! So cool.”
We were TV stars come to life.
“Heh-chu!”
Sneezing in the rain.
As we watched, one sturdy blanket-monster turned, a solemn face peeking from under the hood. Spotting the onlookers, he motioned to the other four, then dropped their blankets onto their shoulders. Shaking out their heads, they elegantly passed around a thermos, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° sipping tea.
Passersby were impressed.
“Look at how they manage their image.”
“Honestly, they nailed it.”
The NewBlack members, beaming and waving, were met with waves and cheers from the crowd.
“Handsome.”
Though still damp, our colorful hair and features gleamed. Especially the gray-haired member in the center, tapping his foot while drinking a hot canned drink—he looked like a silhouette in a cape.
A local observer tapped out a post on her phone:
[I’m in Busan and right now watching idols]
[Looks like NewBlack filming an MV.]
[They’re so handsome.]
[Not sure who the gray-haired one is... but I keep staring.]
[Like a sparkling grandpa.]
[- lololol Sparkling grandpa?]
[- haha isn’t that Uju?]
[- Among NewBlack, everyone says Uju’s visuals are next-level.]
[- Wait... I’m the only one who didn’t know NewBlack? Why does everyone know their names?]
[- If you’ve been listening to music, you can’t not know them.]
[- But where did “sparkling grandpa” come from?]
[- The writer tried—wet gray hair and sparkling eyes.]
But everyone was fixated on “sparkling grandpa.” The post got captured and spread across idol communities and NewBlack fan sites.
Soufflés cracked up in the comments:
[- lolol sparkling grandpa?]
[- Compliment or insult?]
[- I want to see him sparkle.]
[- Uju went gray—good call.]
[- I’m in Busan and I still can’t see them.]
[- After these sightings, I’m so curious—what’s the MV concept?]
[- If they brought in a water truck... wow, Kyuho’s really all in this time.]
[- Kyuho’s the most devoted NewBlack fan, though it doesn’t always suit them.]
[- But they’ve got the Olympics and a concert soon—shooting rain scenes is overkill, right??]
[- agreed]
Meanwhile, the most passionate reactions came from the ones suffering through the rain scenes: NewBlack themselves.
“Brilliant idea, my foot!”
“Aaahhhh!”
“Who suggested getting soaked?! Aaah! I got water up my nose!”
“Director! Water truck—water truck! Turn it down!”
Ignoring lessons from the tank shoot, we thrashed and wailed in the rain. The more we suffered, the more the director cackled.
“This is gold. This is amazing!”
The more NewBlack struggled, the more epic the footage became.
[ NewBlack “Nine” (Official MV) ]
A rain-soaked city alley reflects neon lights in a hazy, mystical panorama.
A picture-perfect vision of light. Four youths, exhausted from fleeing, gasp for breath and silently scream at the sky.
Music mutes as footsteps appear in close-up.
A hoodie-clad NewBlack rapper walks into frame, the four members’ eyes on his back. He removes his hood with a slow, deliberate motion. His outstretched hand pauses the rain—each droplet freezing mid-air, then reversing its fall.
As the members’ harmonies layer in and the tension builds, the scene cuts to the dance section, unleashing the third-verse highlight choreography.
Forget the rain you’ve borne—it’s all right here.
Regret can wait until later.
With fierce, determined expressions, NewBlack executes the group dance.
I regret it.
“Why did we decide to film ourselves running in the rain?”
“Why do we keep repeating these foolish stunts?”
“Why did we all agree on the idea, so no one can be blamed?”
As the blanket-monsters debated seriously, a pale, spirit-like figure spoke.
“They say people learn from the past. We did underwater filming—why did we learn nothing?”
“Learn...?”
“Learn. Learn...”
Just as Rihyuk was about to sneeze, I handed him a tissue. Jiho mimicked him, teasing, and got sneezed on.
Watching the two maknaes rolling around in blankets, Bijoo and I shivered.
“I can’t shake this cold.”
“I feel like my bones are soaked, hyung.”
Then we glanced at Junghyun, quietly chewing konjac jelly.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“You seem fine.”
While the others chattered about the cold, he just munched his jelly serenely, like he felt no pain. The only way to hurt Junghyun would be bad, old kimbap.
Bijoo said, “It’d have to be extremely bad. He never goes down. In school, everyone got food poisoning, but he wandered snack bars, singing and skipping.”
“Maybe not ‘skipping.’”
Junghyun objected, “More like just humming.”
“No—closer to full-on humming.”
“I said humming.”
“Humming-la.”
Neither side quite agreed, but as they bickered, Bijoo and I collapsed onto the sofa.
Pushing the blanket-monsters aside left us sprawled on the floor. Today was Sunday—after the Busan location shoot yesterday, we had the day off. Maybe from all the rain, we felt a slight chill. We’d all slapped cooling sheets on our foreheads and insisted we were fine when we showed up at the company. The trainer saw us, said to go home and rest, and here we were, lazing in the dorm.
With TBC fixed on TV, we scrolled our phones. freewebnσvel.cѳm
The publicity team must’ve saturated the press—or our fame had grown—but so many identical articles existed it felt like copy-and-paste.
Our fourth album, third mini, “Neon Black” (named after the Greek “neos,” meaning “new”) was everywhere. We laughed seeing Soufflés comment “NewBlack fighting!” under every high-view article.
I considered opening the camera app to take a selfie for the fan café, then thought, “...” and closed it.
My hair was a mess—gray and straw-like until the stylists fixed it. I toyed with my dry hair, then sighed sadly as—
“What are you reading?”
“Our articles.”
“Oh.”
The maknae peeked at my screen, scrolled, and said, “Oh, there’s an article about our appearance on Sani-ga Ganda.”
“Right.”
“Sani-ga Ganda will air soon—let’s read comments after the broadcast.”
“Okay.”
The live show was about to start anyway. Today was the first episode of “A Man’s Journey – Special Forces Edition,” featuring me and Junghyun. Hoping I wouldn’t embarrass myself, my phone lit up with messages.
Hantaehyun [Can’t watch live—busy]
Hantaehyun [Will catch VOD lol]
Me [Come back touring]
Hantaehyun [Can’t miss you rolling around ~.~]
Hantaehyun [Watching with Hanbin]
Me [Go roam the seas like a ghost ship]
Hantaehyun [Bro]
We teased each other with pirate-ship and squid-captain memes. As the playful “A Man’s Journey” opening played, we made small talk. Before the episode, many friends messaged.
Eunseong [Sergeant~]
Eunseong [Heard you’re back on “A Man’s Journey!”]
Me [Practice instead of chatting]
Me [Get your mindset right]
Eunseong [No schedule bc unknown rookie ;ㅜ]
I hesitated—how should I reply? Then I texted:
Me [Your schedule will come soon]
Eunseong [?]
Me [Soon... a schedule just for you]
Me [Just for you...]
I left out “the PD will reach out” and ignored his frantic follow-ups. He’d find out when he watched the show.
I briefly replied to incoming messages, then tucked my phone away. My brothers grabbed boiled sweet potatoes for dinner, and we watched TV.
“I’m hungry.”
“Why are there so many food ads? Makes me angry every time someone eats something delicious.”
“These aren’t sweet potatoes. They’re potatoes.”
As chicken and pizza ads played and I shivered, something unexpected appeared.
“...Huh?”
“That’s us.”
“It really is.”
An Olive House steak commercial was on. Bijoo poked the steak with his fork, took a bite, savoring the aroma. On screen, Bijoo made a satisfied “Mmm~,” and we narrowed our eyes.
“....”
“....”
Bijoo, feeling accused, protested,
“It’s not my fault. That’s me on TV.”
Then the mini-me cuteness: us in school uniforms eating meat and urging, “Come to Olive House!”
“So annoying.”
“I want to punch someone.”
“It’s not too late—Jiho, raise your hand and hit him.”
As we criticized our past selves, another ad began.
“...Us again?”
Two ads in one break. This time for contact lenses: five college-student versions of us enjoying campus life and also stuffing sweet potatoes. The contrast stung as we mournfully munched our potatoes.
“Here it comes. Here it comes.”
The screen went dark—“A Man’s Journey” live broadcast had begun.
