Free Web NovelMumbling around with their mouths full, the teenage fans chewed enthusiastically as we struggled to hold back our laughter.
“Whoa, it’s melting. It melts....”
“It’s sweet.”
“I wish life were this sweet.”
Watching them marvel over the sweet bread, Jiho whispered to me,
“Hyung, it’s like your expression when you eat gukbap.”
“Maknae, you just don’t know the taste of gukbap yet.”
I replied with a smile and turned back to the TeenSpirit members. They gripped their Soufflé Bread like kids on a neighborhood treasure hunt with 500-won coins. Every time they nibbled, the loaf got smaller, and they gazed at the shrinking bread wistfully.
“.......”
When the last piece of bread disappeared and they stared down at their empty hands in dismay, Viju smiled and asked,
“Would you like another one?”
“Yes!”
“Come on over. We’ll give you more.”
“Thanks a lot!”
They lined up casually, but once they held the bread politely in both hands, they immediately resumed eating. It was fascinating to watch. These once rebellious, angst-filled youths now looked so...
‘This is the first time I’ve ever seen them so docile.’
‘They’re angels....’
Perhaps it was the pure white outfits, but they really did look like cheerful angels.
“Don’t fling crumbs on my outfit. I’ll kill you.”
“Don’t get yourself covered in crumbs.”
“Aah! Just shut up and eat! We’re eating at your expense!”
Before thirty seconds had passed, they were bickering among themselves, and we couldn’t help but smile warmly. Yes—that’s TeenSpirit for you. They bantered among themselves about the twelve zodiac animals, then abruptly turned deferential faces toward us, all smiles:
“Thank you so much for the food.”
They bowed courteously and left the green room, and we waved farewell. Ri-hyuk grabbed his phone and announced,
“There are only two groups left.”
“Which two?”
“Scarlet, and then.... “
The door burst open. A hip-hop idol with heavy smokey eye makeup dashed in with a playful grin.
“I have arrived!”
“Senpai or junior is nice, but what’s best?”
“Why, it’s....”
When the nine-member group gave us a conspiratorial look of “You know,” we all broke into giggles and chanted together:
“We’re peers!”
“Waaaaah!”
All fourteen of us leapt around shouting dolphin-like cheers, prompting our staff to don noise-cancelling earphones. I shared a quick hug with Hwanjo,
“Congrats on your win last time.”
“Thanks.”
“I even got a small gift to congratulate you for Hong Kong. But....”
“But...?”
Sad memories flickered across Hwanjo and the Street Boys members’ faces. LB wiped away tears and said,
“It was on the prohibited items list, so they wouldn’t let me bring it....”
“Oh!”
“They said it could endanger other passengers on the plane.”
“What did you prepare?”
“That’s a secret.”
His headshake only increased my curiosity. What on earth had he tried to bring? The rough-looking idol members grumbled among themselves,
“Come on, how are we threatening? Right?”
“I’m an ambassador for the police headquarters, you know!”
Their complaints made us laugh. In any case, it was good to catch up briefly with our debut peers. With the awards about to start, we couldn’t chat long, but I realized we’d all had so many adventures since debut.
I murmured in wonder, “So much has happened in such a short time.”
“...It’s weird hearing it from you guys.”
“What about us?”
“You know your wiki has a separate section for scandals and incidents.”
“....”
Street Boys nodded in agreement with Hwanjo’s words, so I turned my gaze away. I offered bread to diffuse the topic and silence them:
“Have some bread. Bread.”
“Here’s some bread.”
They brightened at the offering and accepted the Soufflé Bread with grins. I said with a smile,
“Since you’re the Mint-Choco Brigade, I made your Street Boys batch mint-chocolate flavored.”
“...?”
Their eyes flicked to me in shock. They’d been delighted until they realized my joke, and then gave me death glares like cats pressing down on a cowering kumquat. I cleared my throat and said,
“Just kidding. Seriously.”
“Phew....”
Relieved sighs burst out around me.
“Team leader, don’t cross the line.”
“I was really in the Mint-Choco mood for a second. I almost staged a revolt.”
“Why? I like mint-choco.”
“Tree, keep still if you don’t want to get burned.”
Watching Tree’s indignation flame on, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“First, let’s take a photo!”
Before finishing their bread, the Street Boys snapped photos of the food and took selfies with us holding loaves. After a quick taste, they stood to leave.
“Already heading out?”
“Our stage is in the middle of Part 1, so we’re going back to practice our synchronization.”
“Oh....”
Hearing that a rookie block in mid-Part 1 was their slot, we offered awkward but heartfelt “fighting!” wishes as they exited the green room. We watched their backs long after the door closed, feeling a strange pang.
“You feel the same way, don’t you?”
“...It’s uncanny.”
Though only a week apart in debut, we now occupied different worlds. We all felt the subtle distance without saying so. Of course, the mood was good—but in conversation, I couldn’t help wondering if I said anything that might upset them, or whether bragging would come off bitter. On the flip side, Street Boys were just as considerate of our feelings.
“It’s a bit bittersweet.”
My brothers nodded. Wishing Street Boys even greater success, we prepared to enter our own stage.
“But the last group still isn’t here.”
“That’s right.”
We wondered where our first pick was, when the green room door opened and a face like a sugar-dusted rice cake peeked in—her stage makeup dusted her cheeks white. Long braid matched the color of bread perfectly.
“Oppas!”
Daisy waved cheerfully; we smiled and nodded back, then Ji-ho motioned her over. The maknae handed over a large plastic bundle. Daisy grinned broadly, slinging it over her shoulder.
“Thanks! I’ll share with the unnis! See you later!”
Like Santa Claus bounding away with a sack, she dashed out, and I couldn’t help a laugh. When the bread distribution was done, the stylist who’d joined us for the first time at KMA asked another staff member with a laugh,
“...Do we usually come here to pick up snacks?”
Hong Kong World Arena.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 2015 K-Net Music Awards....”
The booming English introduction reverberated through the arena, giving it an international flair.
“Waaaaah—!”
In the darkness, thousands of glow sticks waved in unison. Seated in the artist section, we lifted our heads to scan the crowd for Bong-dongs—no, Dal-bongs—and found so many that we gave up counting.
“Too many!” freewёbnoνel.com
“Yeah!”
Wherever we looked, there was a sea of Dal-bongs, waving wildly even in the stands and between seats like bright stars.
“Now, let’s introduce this year’s lineup!”
“Enotty!”
Starting with Enotty—who won Rookie of the Year at the Mango Chart Awards—artist logos and images flashed on the big screens, and the audience cheered up and down. Then:
“NewBlack!”
An explosive roar rose, and we cupped our hands over our mouths, whispering to each other,
“Man, this is amazing.”
“I’m so happy.”
“What are you so excited about?”
Ri-hyuk spoke in a clear voice full of joy—like someone humming a cheerful tune. He was the most excited. Following TeenSpirit and TNT’s introductions, the awards officially began.
“Th-thank you...!”
As Enotty accepted Rookie of the Year, actors presenting awards called out winners:
“Asia Trend Award! Congratulations!”
“Favorite Artist Award!”
“The Next Asian Musician Award!”
Each time a name was called and someone stood to accept, we cheered and applauded—but we also tilted our heads in wonder:
“What award is that?”
“Is that a good award...?”
Many award names were unfamiliar, sounding almost like “Grand Artist” or “Great Artist.” Winners offered understated “Uh... thank you” speeches. Some awards seemed designed just to hand extra trophies to TNT or TeenSpirit, or to any participating artists. The categories were as varied as plants in a botanical guide.
As we watched performances and awards, suddenly—
“International Hot Star Award! Congratulations, NewBlack!”
At the mysterious announcement, we all stood. My brothers looked at me in confusion; I silently mouthed “Three,” signaling it was the third award of Part 1. They let out small cheers.
“Waaah!”
“Wow!”
Then we bowed to the artists clapping around us and walked forward to receive our trophy. Accepting the “International Hot Star Award” trophy from a male and female actor, we stepped to the mic. Viju gently bumped the mic to her forehead.
Clang!
A bright, crisp note made the audience laugh—because the mic was adjusted to the height of Cha Woo-hyun, who’d just given his acceptance speech.
“I’ll handle it.”
As Junghyun reached to adjust the standing mic, I stopped him and did it myself. If he’d tried, the mic would’ve snapped like a sword. We couldn’t risk making headlines as “the idol who destroyed a mic at an awards show.”
“Hello, everyone. This is Uju of NewBlack.”
I offered a brief acceptance:
“Thank you....”
I wondered if it was a big or small award, feeling the same uncertainty as other group leaders.
“Thank you so much for this wonderful award.”
I smiled at the camera.
“The International Hot Star Award—thank you for giving it to us, as imperfect as we are. In keeping with the name, we’ll reach even higher.”
When I glanced at Viju, who was smoothing her forehead, the audience laughed warmly.
“We’ll rise even higher. Thank you!”
We bowed amidst thunderous applause and returned to our seats. The staff who’d handed us the trophy smiled and nodded, sharing the victory. As sweat dripped down my brow, Ri-hyuk asked,
“Water?”
“Yes.”
“Drink, don’t deploy, okay?”
I patted my throat and watched the rest of the ceremony. We cheered “Waaaaah!” for Street Boys’ performance, mimicking their key moves. Because of our enthusiastic reactions, the broadcast cameras kept cutting to us—each time raising the decibel of the cheers around us.
“Waaaaah!”
“....”
It wasn’t supposed to be about us. The rookie performers brightened at our response, thinking it was meant for them. In some cases, our cheers for our own excitement outdid the audience’s applause for them, so we held back at times. The awards continued in rapid succession:
“Best Female Group Dance! Scarlet!”
“Best Band Award! Cho Yuri Band!”
Artists from various fields received awards one by one; TNT and TeenSpirit also claimed several accolades. When Part 2 rolled around, we won multiple awards:
“Best Music Video! Congratulations! NewBlack’s ‘Nine!’”
“Best Songwriter! Congratulations, Uju of NewBlack!”
Because “Flower in the Wind” ranked number one for the year, I received a songwriter’s award. “Nine,” with its cyberpunk visuals, won Best Music Video.
As Part 2 wound down:
“NewBlack, please stand by.”
“Yes.”
Following the stage staff, we rose from the artist seats. Fellow artists gave us supportive nods and waves. My brothers and I took deep breaths and descended the steps to the backstage area, where hundreds of staff bustled. We clipped on our mic packs and stretched out.
“Guys, relax and be comfortable.”
Managers patted our shoulders, easing our nerves as we adjusted mic-pack volumes at our waists. We checked my brothers’ packs too, then all reached out hands to the center.
“It’s been a while—don’t be nervous.”
“Just like we always do!”
“One, two, three—bread!”
“One, two, three!”
With a shout of “Bread, bread!” we headed down the backstage corridor. Meanwhile, Ji-ho, Viju, and I each held the props our managers had given us.
As the first-part behind-the-scenes footage of NewBlack aired on the live broadcast, subtitles stretched across the bottom of the screen:
[Coming up next: NewBlack’s performance!]
A prompt to fix viewers’ attention flickered. Idol fans watching the TV began posting on community boards:
– “They’re showing full-camera shots, tons of awards—why so over the top?”
– “Can the cam switch to an aerial shot whenever they tap the broadcast button?”
– “Oh, NewBlack’s up soon lol”
– “Holding out for ‘Nine’ dance break”
– “I’m a fan of another group but I love their stage—they know every song”
– “So wild—they’re doing two songs: ‘Flower in the Wind’ and ‘Nine’”
– “If it’d been just one or the other, we’d be talking about it—but both are theirs”
– “My dad walked past, smelled water, saw NewBlack on screen, freaked out: ‘Why are they on TV?’ Dad... they’re idols...”
– “My parents’ generation doesn’t really think of NewBlack as idols”
– “Yeah, my mom and dad just call them ‘those singing kids’”
– “Wasn’t there a backlash against NewBlack here until recently? What’s with the shift?”
As everyone posted their excited anticipation of the two-song set, the arena’s response was even hotter.
“Waaaaah!”
Amid Soufflé cheers, K-pop fans in the audience peered curiously into the blackened stage.
‘Now... NewBlack’s performance.....’
They’d heard we were the fastest-rising group in Korea. Whenever they searched for famous Korean broadcasts, NewBlack clips appeared. Alongside the hits “Flower in the Wind” and “Nine,” our “Thousand Dreams” song also popped up on TV.
‘I’m curious.’
It was everyone’s first time seeing our live staging, and they brimmed with anticipation. Soft yellow stage lights bathed the stage as dancers in flowing costumes emerged first. With the intro to “Flower Dance,” they performed undulating synchronized moves. As the intro ended, the dancers swept offstage left and right like receding tide.
“Oh....”
Three group members appeared onstage in order: Uju, Ji-ho, and Viju. With the re-arranged “Flower Dance” instrumental, their hands moved in time—prompting an eruption of cheers. It was their eye-patches that captured attention.
“Waaaaah!”
The sub-vocalist in a black leather jacket and red eyepatch performed a smooth wave in place. The ripple began at his fingertips, flicked at waist level, and traveled down to his toes. As the blonde member danced solo, NewBlack’s dance line elegantly circled and entwined him, drawing every gaze. The main dancer, wearing a navy-blue shirt and red hair, moved swiftly, extending his fingertips gracefully toward the center member. The full screen captured his dark lips curling in a seductive smile beneath the eyepatch. Next to him, the lead dancer mirrored the movement—only difference was that his lines were razor-sharp, like the stroke of a calligrapher’s brush writing a phrase in one fluid sweep. You could feel the power radiating from him. Alongside the elegant main dancer, the leader’s pulsating strength commanded attention. When the intro ended—the sub-vocalist drawing all eyes with his facial expressions and solo spin—the three moved as one.
“Waaaaah!”
As the final note of “Flower Dance” echoed, the stage darkened then brightened to reveal all five members gathered. During the “Flower in the Wind” sequence, posts flew across the internet:
– “Oh lol I thought only the main dancer was good, but they’re all great”
– “They’re all solid, across the board”
– “My babies bake great bread and kill it on stage ㅠㅠㅠ”
– “Viju ㅠㅠ what was I doing before I stan?”
– “That intro sound is fire... live, it felt like I’d ascend to the sky”
– “Gyu-ho, if you get a chance, drop the arranged track for download”
– “Watching the performance, Uju surprised me—wasn’t he in the vocal line?”
– “He’s lead vocalist and lead dancer”
– “The top performers in each category, but Uju’s just great at everything, holding the performance together”
Meanwhile, on stage, the five members sang “Flower in the Wind” in harmony. After the main vocalist handled the final note gorgeously and lowered his mic, the warm yellow lights bathed his close-up face. When all lights went dark in sync with the big screen:
Take your breath...
Neon-paint-bright letters blinked across the screen, leading into the VCR narration. On stage, masked dancers in plain black lined up like indistinguishable robots until—
“Waaaaah—!”
Two men in all-black suits appeared. Against a suspenseful reworking of the “Nine” melody, they stood back to back, mics in hand. Moving to center stage, the main rapper and leader exchanged low-pitched rap lines:
– “Oh... they’re good”
– “Da-gil’s main role is no joke”
– “Crazy, it sticks in your ears”
– “They’re good, but it’s throwing me off...”
– “Me too”
Even those who’d rarely paid attention to NewBlack’s performance roles were stunned by the rap’s prominence. They’d seen our stages before but never focused on us as award-level artists until now.
‘What’s he’s role?’
He drew attention alongside the main dancer during the intro. In “Flower in the Wind,” he didn’t sing the chorus. I knew he rapped, but not that he carried so much weight.
– “Hey Charcoal Crew, quick Q—Is Uju in vocal, dance, or rap line?”
– “All three”
– “???”
– “You’ll know when you see it lol”
Just as their confusion peaked, two men emerged at center stage under neon-green lights like laser beams. After Junghyun’s rap finished, Uju—who’d snapped the mic in midair—re-grasped it and winked at the camera:
It’s Nine Nine Nine...
Amid the torrent of cheers and the opening notes of “Nine,” three lifts around the stage carried the rest of NewBlack’s members aloft, beginning our next performance.
