Free Web NovelOn the day of the awards ceremony
In the athletes’ waiting room at the gymnastics arena, we finished makeup and styling and climbed into the vehicle.
“Brr, it’s cold.”
Since it was November, the weather wasn’t playing around. In our suits, we all flapped our hands to warm up while checking each other over.
Ri-hyuk read off the checklist on his smartphone.
“Sneeze medicine.”
“I took it!”
We pumped our fists and shouted.
“Runny-nose medicine.”
“I took it!”
“Long underwear under.”
“I’ve got it on!”
“...You don’t have to raise your fists every time you answer.”
“Well—”
The four of us looked at each other.
“—it’s our style!”
When we all raised our fists together, Ri-hyuk shook his head. Then he pocketed his phone and said,
“Anyway, with this we’re perfectly ready. No more runny noses on the red carpet.”
“Hey, if anyone wants to drip now, go ahead and drip.”
“Hold on.”
The youngest dabbed tissue at his nose, made a goofy face, and gave an OK sign.
“All clear here.”
“Good job.”
“Phew, we can’t suffer that humiliation again like last year.”
We’d been so nervous because at last year’s Mango Chart Awards red carpet, one sneeze and nose-wipe had turned every photo-journalist’s headline into “Snot-soaked idols.” That’s why we prepared down to the last detail this time.
“Don’t act so grave just because you took a single dose of runny-nose medicine.”
Ignoring the remark, someone peered out the window. Following a staff member waving a baton, our vehicle moved onto the red-carpet area. From a distance, faint cheers echoed.
“Time flies, huh?”
Bi-ju, using her phone as a mirror to fix her bangs, said,
“Last year when we came here, I wondered if this time this year would ever come. And now it’s already November.”
“Yeah. It’s winter.”
Strange to think that in two more months another year would have passed. Perhaps because my thoughts wandered there, I really noticed my younger siblings’ faces. Thanks to the camera-massage makeup, they looked like real celebrities now. I admired how Jung-hyun, like a spy in a party scene from an espionage film, was adjusting his butterfly tie with one hand.
“Jelly is good.”
Seeing him pick up a gummy bear and bite it in that elegant posture cracked me up, though in an instant his refined image shattered.
“Jung-hyun.”
“Yes.”
“Hand one over.”
“I’ll give you two.”
He handed me a red and a clear gummy bear, and I popped them into my mouth. The sweetness seemed to loosen some of the tense stiffness in my body. During rehearsal I hadn’t been that nervous, but now that the awards were really here I felt both excitement and a little jitters. This was our second year—no longer rookies, but professionals receiving our annual report card for a full year of activity.
“Hey, Woo-ju hyung is nervous. That’s a nervous face.”
Ji-ho said.
“Hyung, are you nervous?”
“A bit.”
He grabbed my hand. I thought he was trying to warm me with his kindness, but then he said,
“Since you’re nervous, take my nerves too.”
“......”
“Ri-hyuk hyung and Bi-ju hyung, want to put your hands on too?”
“......”
“Then me too.”
They laid their hand on mine, chanting, “Take our nerves~” and I could only laugh.
Ri-hyuk said,
“Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?”
“Just a little.”
I answered with a smile.
“You know that feeling? You finish a test, close the booklet, do a quick self-check and say ‘Wow!’ but you don’t really know how well you did.”
“I get it.”
“That’s the feeling. A bit thrilling and scary at once.”
Then I gave the youngest a reassuring smile.
“Of course, someone who scores 69 won’t get it.”
“......”
The youngest, trembling, yelled “I’ll retake it!” and we all burst out laughing.
At that moment Ri-hyuk said,
“I think I get what you mean. I’m a little nervous too.”
“Right?”
“I barely slept last night. I was so tense. I still don’t know if we’ll win or not.”
Except for one unusually calm member, the rest of us felt the same way. Even when I was a kid and won a “Good Child” award, I got excited. This was our first awards ceremony as established artists. My heart pounded.
Meanwhile, the vehicle began to slow and stop.
“All right, everyone get ready.”
“Yes!”
I exchanged determined looks with my siblings and smiled.
“Okay.”
We all reached out our hands. I grinned and shouted,
“Flip it over~ reverse it~”
“Up!”
“Down!” frёewebnoѵēl.com
Ri-hyuk, the only one who put his palm down, beamed proudly and was the first to prepare to step out.
Click—
The vehicle door opened and the camera shutters poured in. In his suit, Ri-hyuk elegantly extended his leg.
Screams of “Kyaaah!” and whispers rippled through the crowd.
“Is that the button! The button is undone!”
“......”
“It’s NewBlack! Is that the Faded Nam? Faded Nam?”
As we followed him out, our cheeks twitched.
In front of the gymnastics arena
The red-carpet area buzzed with noise.
“Waaaah!”
The screams aimed at NewBlack made the reporters in attendance flinch.
Before the “2015 MCA” photo wall, NewBlack waved at the press. Without instructions, we fell into formation, posing perfectly so ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ no one would stand out of frame. Each time we did, the cheers grew louder.
“They’re insanely popular.”
“Are all these people their fans?”
The reporters’ eyes lit up. Most of the crowd, they’d assumed, would be TNT or TeenSpirit fans, but it didn’t look that way. The numbers were formidable. Faces that clearly looked foreign appeared here and there.
“Oooh...”
Reacting to the heated scene, the male and female MCs laughed at each other.
When anchor Chae Ji-eun handed back her mic, she said,
“This is crazy.”
“Seriously. The roar...”
Andrew of Daydream, who again co-hosted the red carpet after last year, widened his eyes.
“I knew their name was hot, but this...”
They’d been the biggest rookie group last year. Their tracks “Baram-kkot” and “Nine” stayed at the top of the charts, and they’d just cracked the Billboard Hot 100 with the Nostalgia OST.
“They’ve really hit the top.”
Just from this offline energy, you could feel their firepower. Unlike last year, when fans praised how handsome they were, this time the response was overwhelmingly clamorous. Andrew, watching the five-member group walk the carpet with confident strides, felt a strange sensation. Second-year acts usually still carry a bit of rookie awkwardness, but NewBlack’s aura was more like established stars.
“Bi-ju! Bi-ju!”
Like a mother grabbing her child’s hand, the members caught one of us waving off to the side and pulled her in. Laughter rippled through the venue. As if waiting for it, the path-lost photographers snapped quickly and transmitted photos instantly.
“Welcome, NewBlack!”
The five of us bowed at 90 degrees when handed the mic.
“One, two, three—Hello! We are NewBlack!”
Another round of thunderous cheering. Andrew said with a laugh,
“The cheers are incredible. ‘Hot’ is the only word that comes to mind.”
“Thank you.”
“I don’t know how well this comes through the audio, but the warmth of these cheers is actually making me warm.”
As he spoke to the broadcast camera about NewBlack, the anchor asked,
“You’ve set the charts on fire this year. Domestically ‘Baram-kkot’ was #1 in the first half, and the ‘Nine’ music video has already surpassed 50 million views. I’ve heard your overseas popularity is also blazing!”
Woo-ju took the mic and answered,
“Yes. While on tour we’ve visited many countries and felt it each time.”
Each member smiled and answered each MC’s follow-up question. But something felt different—calmer than usual. If it were another group, you’d say they were giving a calm interview, but this was NewBlack, and their normally electric presence was subdued.
Andrew asked,
“Maybe it’s just me, but today’s vibe feels different than usual?”
“Ah!”
We all gasped dramatically, making people laugh.
Ji-ho grabbed his mic and asked,
“Does it show?”
“It feels calmer than usual.”
“Oh, that’s because...”
Woo-ju gave an embarrassed smile.
“We are—”
“—nervous!”
We all shouted like “We are NewBlack!” which set the MCs and audience laughing.
“No one shouts ‘We’re nervously excited’ that energetically.”
“Sorry. It’s our occupational reflex.”
NewBlack returned to calm composure. When the MCs teased that all our MeTube content was reaction clips, the members just smiled. After a few quick questions about signature choreography and greetings in four languages, the MC said,
“We’re running an event on the red carpet right now.”
“An event?”
“Yes, it’s a relay seven-line poem, like a short acrostic chain. You respond in turn to the given prompt.”
“Ooh.”
NewBlack clenched their fists and brightened.
The MCs laughed as they continued,
“This has been a hot TV topic lately—seeing NewBlack compose and write lyrics on the spot...”
“That was amazing. Not only the melody, but how you effortlessly fit lyrics. Can we test that improvisational skill?”
“Yes!”
The once-nervous NewBlack’s eyes ignited with competitive spirit.
“The prompt is ‘Mango Chart Awards.’”
“Mango Chart Awards...”
“Ri-hyuk, why don’t you start?”
Before the MCs could finish, the other members called out energetically.
“Man—”
Andrew blinked as our main vocalist began,
“My heart is helplessly anxious.”
He’d cleverly turned “man” into “maek” in Korean. The softly sung, lyrical tone followed, as if part of a song. Jung-hyun took the mic.
“Maybe it’s because I ate too many sweet potatoes.”
The lyrical poem instantly turned comedic. Laughter rolled through the venue. The anchor hid a smile behind her hand. Then the others followed:
“Chilly drinks, anyone?”
“Please bring me soda to burp.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Jung-hyun pretended to drink and belched theatrically, sending the crowd into laughter. It was like a soda commercial. Woo-ju, striking an ad-style ending pose, tapped the air with his index finger.
“Finally, I feel relieved.”
“Relieved!” he chirped, and the MCs beamed at the cute scene.
“I hear you’ve done a lot of commercials lately. A soda endorsement must be coming your way, huh?”
“Oh!”
The members beamed, winking at the cameras with “Please contact us~”
“You said you were tense?”
“Oh, right.”
Again NewBlack relaxed and said, “Yes, we were nervous...” Their expressions softened like serene statues, especially noticeable on Jung-hyun’s face. Watching such varied expressions, I understood why NewBlack was beloved by the public.
“Yes, thank you! We wish everyone success tonight. This has been NewBlack.”
“Thank you!”
“Bi-ju, let’s go.”
They shepherded our main dancer like parents and left, drawing another small smile from me. As the hall filled with gentle laughter, one group alone couldn’t smile.
—Next, an idol group that captured the public’s hearts this year with pure, warm, refreshing songs.
TeenSpirit’s innocent smiles on the red carpet earned cheers, but inwardly they weren’t laughing.
“This sucks. We’re next.”
“What the hell do we have to do?”
“Man, man... damn malicious commenters... we should sue them.”
These bright-eyed youth were silently plotting a fierce seven-line poem.
“This view is great.”
“From here we’ll see the stage better.”
We sat in the artist seating. Front row. TNT in the center, flanked by TeenSpirit and NewBlack.
“Hello!”
We greeted the camera director crouching in front of us, apparently rehearsing stage reactions. Each time other artists entered, we rose to say hello.
“Hello.”
We saw people from last year’s awards and some newcomers. Still, most faces were familiar. Sunglasses-clad Cha Woo-hyun entered and nodded at us. Scarlet and Girls On Top offered light waves as they passed. Ji-ho glanced at his rival Gil Chae-kyung with a triumphant look. Jo Yu-ri’s band was there too. Since this ceremony awards based on chart performance, top digital artists gathered. Most were senior singers.
“Hello!”
Of our fellow debut classmates, only Serenity attended. Enote and HighColor came to receive new artist awards. They were frozen with nerves—we’d looked the same last year.
“Um...”
“Yeah?”
Turning, I saw Enote’s members in the back row fidgeting as if preparing something serious. They clasped their hands and said,
“We’re fans.”
“Oh, thank you. We listen to your music too.”
“Ah...”
“Congratulations on the New Artist Award.”
We pumped our fists and said “Fighting!” They shyly returned the gesture. Then they turned their eyes forward. I swept my hair back and cleared my nostrils, pinching my cheeks to stop a twitch.
“Finally got to say ‘Congrats on the New Artist Award.’”
“Rocking the senior cosplay.”
“We’re not the rookies anymore.”
While we basked in pride, TeenSpirit and TNT finished entering. When TeenSpirit’s Hwi-yeon walked in looking dejected, I tilted my head and heard her whisper,
“We totally bombed the seven-line poem.”
I bit back a laugh. When TNT members asked “Where’s the watch?” looking at my empty wrist, I pointed to my brothers and sisters. The TNT juniors avoided our gaze under our big-brother stares. I’d wanted some sign of generous senior support, but they were still the same ragtag lot.
—Welcome to the 2015 Mango Chart Awards!
After the opening VCR, actor Yoo Baek-han with a pomade hairdo took the MC role. Each time he announced a performing lineup, the arena erupted.
—NewBlack!
“Waaaah!”
Our Soufflé fans roared so loud I laughed out of happiness. Reaching into my pocket for a finger-heart at the crouching camera, I sparked even bigger cheers.
—TeenSpirit!
“Waaaah!”
—TNT!
“Uwaaah!”
Their arrival sparked a final explosion of cheers. After the lineup intro, the ceremony moved quickly.
“Yes, this award can only be won once in a lifetime.”
“It’s given to rookies who achieved outstanding digital chart results this year.”
I naturally scanned the audience and cameras as I read the cue card. Last year’s winners—us—were presenting this year’s New Artist Award.
“Shall we meet the nominees?”
“Let’s play!”
Chanting the slogan, the big screen displayed nominees. Jung-hyun, in a low voice like a voice actor, introduced:
“Iris, APLB, Enote...”
Nominees flicked across the screen. I wondered what last year’s winners felt then. I tucked that thought away as I announced the winner.
“Congratulations! Enote!”
“NoT” appeared on the screen and Enote sprinted forward. They practically lunged at the trophy with a near-90-degree bow, so Bi-ju adjusted their angle and the audience chuckled.
“Congratulations.”
After handing the women’s rookie trophy to HighColor, we returned to our seats to watch the performances. Last year we opened Part 1; this year we were mid-Part 2, a more relaxed slot. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“Waaaah!”
As other artists performed, we hummed along and mimicked the dance moves, enjoying the show. Periodically they’d call up one of the Top 10 performers to share thoughts. Our cue sheet said we’d receive our award in Part 2. Watching the performances, I wondered if any songs might inspire our next album. Then...
—Now, this award goes to the songwriter who made the biggest impact on the Mango Chart this year.
—Songwriter of the Year.
—Congratulations!
A roar of “Waaaah!” followed the announcement. TNT and TeenSpirit jumped up, and we and our younger members stood and applauded.
“Woooaaah!”
Our siblings bounced with excitement. Clapping, I leaned toward Ri-hyuk with a smile and whispered,
“Who won it?”
“You did.”
“Me?”
I froze, then remembered the subject “you” and asked,
“Really me?”
I turned to see myself on the big screen applauding, then registered the title “Songwriter of the Year” with “Woo-ju” below it. I stopped in my tracks.
...So I was the Composer of the Year this year?
