Free Web NovelThe ratings for My Hometown Now climbed slightly above average. But online the reaction went far beyond those numbers.
“‘My Hometown’ NewBlack’s Jung-hyun startles even cows with his ‘MooOOOO–’ impersonation”
“NewBlack on My Hometown Now: How the announcers nearly had a live-broadcast mishap”
“‘My Hometown Now’ NewBlack’s milk segment, crowned ‘the idol who milks the universe’”
Even hurriedly published typo-filled articles had everyone laughing. Not only portal headlines but fan communities were sharing related videos and pictures—mostly in entertainment and humor forums. The hottest clip by far was the cow-impersonation segment.
[Idol communicating with cows.swf]
(Link to video)
“From 2:13 omg lol”
“This’s blowing up on MiTube rn, died laughing”
(GIF)
“This one’s the announcers cracking up”
“Okay that’s legit hilarious”
“What is that lol so funny”
“Why are they gathering? lol”
“This is true herding style”
“Died because of the BGM it’s so calm”
“Even Yoon Chan-hyuk would bow to that herding style lol”
“So funny lol what situation is this? Any other NewBlack clips?”
“They’re on My Hometown Now”
“Why there?”
“Because it’s NewBlack”
“Oh ok got it”
“Ok I guess, you’re even funnier for understanding”
As soon as the broadcast ended, that clip rocketed up MiTube’s trending list. One watch, and you couldn’t stop replaying it. Thanks to that herding-style clip, casual viewers everywhere learned NewBlack were on My Hometown Now.
“Where can I watch that? MiTube?”
“Yeah behind-the-scenes is up there too”
“Heading over rn lol”
Those who clicked the linked behind-the-scenes video on PBS were stunned—its length: forty minutes.
“Forty minutes...?”
“I was curious, but when would I watch that?”
Then something amazing happened:
“Give me back my time...”
“Time flew by so fast lol”
“I just watched a whole weekend variety show aoa”
Indeed, from the over-the-top opening through every wild gag, an hour vanished in the blink of an eye. As views and comments soared, Sup-fle blinked in surprise.
“What... these people”
“It’s our kids!” they gushed—but strangers were commenting “lol” everywhere. There were so many that “eng sub plz” comments got buried. The commenters spanned all ages: teens, twenty-somethings, even “Thanks to NewBlack I de-stress from parenting and work.” Sup-fle huddled together, chatting:
“Enjoying yet feeling weird?? that’s the vibe.”
“I get what minor-fandom blues feel like lol my artist’s way too mainstream”
“Our kids are national idols”
“Why am I so embarrassed lol I laughed so hard but I wish ignorant folks never saw it...”
“I’m proud but also mortified anyone could see this lol”
“Who’d think we’d ever stan and watch My Hometown Now... saw ‘MyHometown–NewBlack cut’ and cracked up”
Meanwhile, as MiTube comments exploded, Sup-fle gasped:
“Huh? the feedback...”
Sorting by popularity, most top comments seemed negative. Their hearts dropped.
“NewBlack’s crossing the line these days lol jeez”
Seeing those in the top spots, their hearts pounded—then laughter erupted:
“If you drop all the gags, what am I paying for...”
“Crossed the line”
“Wrote all the jokes in the comment box and you used them all lol”
“Had to make the Hwang-hee-jeong-seung pun -> woo, Woo-ju did it -> herding style -> Ji-ho did it”
“If the main show’s funnier than the comments, what are netizens even for...”
“How can you beat the Communist Manifesto rap lol”
Indeed, most top comments were good-natured jabs: “You guys are robbing us of our fun.” As views and comments climbed, the video spread beyond fandom forums to every chatroom and social feed.
“Did you see NewBlack on My Hometown Now? Hilarious”
“Really? That show funny? No way”
“Just watch. Even the announcers almost had a broadcast accident”
“...Is it any fun?”
Though it seemed unlikely for a lifestyle-info show, those who watched recommended the clip to others—interest in My Hometown Now went viral.
“My Hometown Now PD interview: ‘We asked NewBlack first—they were unmissable.’”
The show’s PD beamed in articles: “Thanks to NewBlack, we’re trending~.” To achieve national buzz on a first appearance was astounding.
“But why is NewBlack doing a hometown collab?”
“What’s with that small-theater tour?”
“LOL they’re really popular, must be a nationwide tour”
Questions from “Why are they even on that show?” led to answers about the tour. Casual viewers unfamiliar with idols concluded: “A nationwide tour—NewBlack must be huge.” Meanwhile, some anti-fans left angry comments, but Sup-fle didn’t care for the day:
“Right... okay boohoo”
“You mad our kids are everywhere?”
“You can rant, I’ll just laugh”
“Yeah yeah—they’re tiny compared to TNT and TeenSpirit”
“Bring on more fanfare”
Everyone beamed. My Hometown Now’s collab debut got great feedback, but the news filling Monday’s idol communities really fueled the buzz:
[NewBlack special album first-week sales.jpg]
(Record on day seven)
Cumulative sales: 225,3** copies
Third ever group to break 200k first-week sales
ps.
Windflower 69k → Nine 117k → Hibernation 225k
After Nine blew up overseas, awards and year-end stages brought a flood of new fans
First-week sales measure sales in the week after release—proof of fandom power. NewBlack’s career-high surge nearly doubled last effort. Previously only TNT and TeenSpirit hit 200k first week; now NewBlack joined them.
“Whoa...”
“I wondered how big overseas reaction to Nine was—this big lol”
“NewBlack♥”
“This is insane”
“I thought streaming would dominate, but physical album exploded”
“How many signed fan-events?”
“Album is gorgeous, so is the package—super pleased ^_^”
“Yeah the goods are top-tier,”
“Honestly so jealousㅠㅠ even if my fave only got half those sales...”
“They’re selling that well... curious on total distributors”
“Where are the haters saying this album wouldn’t sell?”
“Seeing this, RockStar looks like going down the stairs”
“The Fibonacci theory was real 8 13 21 jokes used to annoy me”
Undervalued for so long, NewBlack’s fandom size shocked other idol fans—sales rivaled TNT and TeenSpirit. Sup-fle were stunned:
“Wow...”
Of course not all was smooth. Rival fandoms of TNT and TeenSpirit hinted at backlash. But the biggest downside was:
“Hey everyone tiny cute charcoal’s here pwoo >_<”
“Stop pretending to be small and cute”
“Pwu?”
“First-week’s out... no more small-and-cute act” freewebnoveℓ.com
“Tch”
(Image of sobbing grandma from a cartoon) “Grandma’s crying...”
They could no longer claim to be “small and cute.”
Hibernation, which hit #1 on weekly charts, stayed atop the daily charts. Other album tracks held high positions too. News trickled in: NewBlack’s special album entered the Billboard 200 and other overseas charts.
“NewBlack lands at #109 on Billboard 200, plus Hot 100 entry for ‘Thousand Dreams’”
“NewBlack special album enters Billboard main album chart”
“Billboard: ‘NewBlack are K-pop’s next generation to watch’”
Though the album was aimed at Korean listeners, it got strong reactions in the US. Billboard wrote about them as the most anticipated 2016 idols. They charted across Asia, Japan included. Critics speculated “the universal emotions in this winter album” resonated worldwide. And back home, Korean listeners loved it too.
“Hey sis, this is NewBlack’s song, right?”
“Yeah, must be.”
On snowy streets, their music played outside telecom shops and cafes. A passing couple smiled:
“Feels so wintry.”
“Yeah, it’s nice.”
Hibernation’s gentle mood was lovely; Winter Trip’s festive travel vibe was great too—either song fit the season perfectly.
“Let’s go.”
Hand in hand, NewBlack Ri-hyuk’s voice drifted into cafe chatter, college students on busy streets, travelers snacking at a snowy rest stop in Gangwon.
“Dad!”
“Yes—shall we ride again?”
“Yeah!”
At ski resorts and sled hills, laughter met NewBlack’s winter melodies as if snowflakes settling in ears.
Winter.
In the white season, NewBlack’s songs seeped into daily life for those greeting 2016’s new year—and became memories. As music often summons memories, their winter songs were becoming many people’s early-2016 winter.
And as NewBlack quietly entered memories like soft rain, another group felt the impact.
“Clears throat...”
Whether in remote mountain villages, farming hamlets, fishing ports, or urban apartments, every day at 6 PM the elderly switched on the TV.
“Good evening.”
“I’m Lee Mi-jung of My Hometown Now.”
“And I’m Choi Sang-hoon.”
The anchors smiled warmly.
“Did you have a good day? Today is Daehan, the coldest day of the year.”
In a quiet home in Yangpyeong County, an elderly couple sat in a hushed living room. The heated floor was warm, but the room felt empty. A wrinkled hand reached for the remote and turned up the volume. As the usual segments ran, time slipped by.
“It’s about time they appear.”
The volume came down slightly—and sure enough:
“Puhahahaha!”
With thunderous laughter, NewBlack burst onto the screen. The reporter looked momentarily dazed by the joyous noise.
“Tsk, so loud.”
The old man grumbled and lowered the volume further.
“I don’t know what’s got them so excited.”
But even complaining, his eyes stayed fixed on the screen. Handsome young men—those he’d seen on the PBS morning news—now starred on his favorite show.
“Chungju! What comes to mind when you say Chungju, Viju-ssi?”
“Apples!”
With a rosy blush she placed her hand on her cheek, looking as if she might faint from happiness. NewBlack’s uproarious antics—laughing at a stray sunbeam—filled the screen.
“Tsk, that’s not how you do it!”
He scolded Ji-ho’s clumsy passing of apples to a farmer, then cracked a slight smile at her big-eyed apology.
“Such neat freaks!”
Next, Ri-hyuk shrank back every time someone flicked dirt, Jung-hyun worked like a born farmer, and Woo-ju felt like a peer no matter what they did. ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ In just a few days, you could immediately see everyone’s personality. After they juggled apples, he laughed in amazement:
“They look so normal but are the strangest lot.”
Each segment got louder, but somehow he enjoyed the chaos. It filled the empty space—like a litter of puppies tearing through the house.
“Shoo, get out!” he grumbled yet couldn’t help liking it. On Monday he’d shake his head, “What are those kids...,” but in days he’d grown fond.
CLUNK—
Just then, his son returned from work in the greenhouse, kicked off his boots, then his socks, and sat on the sofa.
“I’m back.”
“Did work go well?”
“Ugh, that village head came by again with his nonsense... Why are you staring at the TV?”
The son noticed the My Hometown Now logo and said,
“They say these guys are really popular now.”
“I don’t know about that. It’s too noisy.”
“Dislike it?”
“All they do is bicker—switch it...”
Before the son could switch, the mother grabbed the remote:
“Hey!”
A sock flew at his face.
“Why’d you throw that?”
“I was watching!”
“You said you didn’t like the noise...”
“Just change it back now!”
The son was blindsided—he’d misunderstood “don’t like it” as “your choice.”
“Too loud.”
“......”
“They’re razor-loud all day.”
The mother frowned at the TV; the son pursed his lips.
After touring Gyeonggi South and North and Chungcheong, we arrived in Jeonju City, North Jeolla Province.
“Hello, we’re NewBlack!”
In the Hanok Village we munched local snacks, exchanging happy smiles.
“Oh, this is lovely.”
Joy trembled through us.
“Glad we did the small-theater tour—even came to Jeonju.”
“Definitely feels like a happy sweet potato.”
Jung-hyun ate churros with a contented grin. Passing college students did double-takes and cheered.
“Huh...”
Manager Min-gi gasped. Like the Pied Piper, selfie-stick–wielding fans followed us through the streets. News of My Hometown Now collaboration must have spread—wherever we went people trailed behind. Mostly young travelers parted with “wow” to let us through; local vendors recognized us and called out:
“Why only four of you? Where’s the loudest one?”
“He went to take an exam!”
“An exam?”
“Korean-history test in Seoul, quick trip.”
Probably by now Ri-hyuk and Manager Won-seok were screaming “We’re in Jeonju without me! Jeonju!” en route madly. Anyway, we took a break snack-shopping at a stall.
“You took an exam?”
“Yes.”
“Funny—can’t see it on your face.”
That blunt assessment had us laughing.
“Aren’t you filming My Hometown today?”
“No! It’s a rest day!”
Thanks to our appearance, middle-aged visitors recognized us more—and seemed friendlier. While chomping snacks and exploring nearby sights with my brothers:
“But it’s weird without Ji-ho...”
Ri-hyuk said, staring at his snack.
“I thought it’d feel off, but this is tastier, don’t you think?”
“Tastes like honey.”
“Send Ji-ho a photo—tastes even sweeter, Jung-hyun.”
As Viju teased him, we guffawed and devoured the treats. We even made a group chat titled “Hyungs hiding food” to share snack pics.
“Waaaaah!”
“They’re here.”
Suddenly Manager Won-seok appeared, sprinting in traditional nobleman hanbok alongside the maknae, who leapt wildly like fireworks. His face shone.
“Hyuuungs!”
“Your face is so bright! You must’ve aced the exam.”
“Seems so. Thank goodness.”
“I read online reviews—today’s was the easiest exam ever.”
We murmured among ourselves when the maknae bounded up:
“Hyungs! Exam results! Exam!”
“Did you do well?”
He presented the test paper with a triumphant drumroll. We gasped.
[Score: 70]
Our eyes widened in astonishment. He’d not just passed—he’d set a new personal best.
“Yesss!”
We cheered, crowding around his incredible achievement, thrilled at how far our youngest had come.
