In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Amid the applause, we held the seagull aloft again.

“Waaaaa!”

My siblings and I shrugged our shoulders and locked eyes with the spectators, laughing together.

For some reason it was just hilarious.

The seagull, blinking in confusion—“kwyu?”—now looked somehow dignified, beak pursed.

We frowned at it.

“Hey, don’t puff up like that thinking I’m impressed.”

“Watch yourself, seagull.”

I drew my brows together in mock menace, but the seagull was utterly unafraid.

Instead it looked down at us, calling “kee-ek! kee-ek!”

Viju raised an index finger sternly.

“Don’t glare at me like that. I’m weak against that. Uh—!”

“Eek! The seagull’s biting hyung’s finger...!”

Ri-hyuk, hiding behind Junghyun, gasped and blinked.

We did the same.

The seagull had gently rubbed its beak against Viju’s finger.

“What the—”

“Is it flirting?”

“It knows how to behave...”

PDs behind the camera couldn’t contain their giggles at Junghyun’s impressed expression as he stroked his chin.

While Viju, smitten, uttered a soft [N O V E L I G H T] “huuh—,” Junghyun said,

“But you know, this seagull is actually quite pretty, isn’t it?”

“It is kind of cute...”

It didn’t resemble the fierce monsters we usually imagine. If there were beauty standards in the seagull world, this one would be a beauty.

Its small size made it look like a baby bird—adorable.

We all cleared our throats and tilted our heads at the cute seagull.

“Try saying ‘kwyu.’ If you say it, we’ll forgive you.”

“Kirrroooook—!”

“You look like you have some talent for singing, but no knack for actual singing, right?”

“We win.”

As the writers and PD laughed, the captured seagull cocked its head at us, bewildered, while movement stirred around us.

A flock of fellow seagulls circled nearby.

Our team’s “animal communicator” guessed, “I think they’re looking at it like, ‘Is it fair for five people to hold one bird captive?’”

“What’s unfair about it?”

In unison we shouted at the flock, “There’s only one NewBlack!”

The flock didn’t respond.

Embarrassed, we looked back at the lone seagull. It was time to set it free.

“All right, let’s make peace. Jiho.”

“Okay.”

The maknae displayed his now-healed finger and said, “Be careful next time.”

“...”

“If you’re not careful, I’ll introduce you to some scary hyungs in the downstairs unit.”

Of course the bird understood none of this. As I released it, the seagull blinked and then took flight.

Ri-hyuk, who’d been hiding behind Junghyun, stepped forward.

“Ah, finally.”

“Were you that scared of seagulls?”

“More like where else has it been? It’s been poking Viju with a beak that’s eaten all kinds of sea worms.”

As Viju, who had been cooing at the seagull, looked at his finger and froze, I handed over a wet wipe.

Ri-hyuk, still incredulous, asked, “But how did you catch that seagull?”

“Just...”

“Just what?”

“With a little know-how, anyone can catch one.”

I thumped my chest and gave thumbs up to the 6mm camera next to me.

“You can do it too, everyone!”

“Catching seagulls isn’t hard~!”

We laughed alongside the maknae, who was an eager partner in our sketch. As Ri-hyuk prepared to say more—

Whoosh!

Something swooped down.

“Wait, the seagull—agh!”

Our main vocalist screamed, flitting through octaves in panic at the sudden appearance.

Flap!

The same seagull swooped and landed like an airplane—right on Junghyun’s snapback.

“...?”

Junghyun looked up, surprised, and we all burst out laughing.

The crew clapped and went wild.

We doubled over at the sight of that seagull settled atop Junghyun’s head.

“What the—why is it back?”

“Guess it got attached to me.”

“Hahah! Hyung, you look like a villain from One Piece.”

As Ri-hyuk blinked, stunned by this strange turn, I laughed and said,

“Congrats. You’ve made a friend.”

“I guess so—seagull acquired.”

Junghyun rummaged in his pocket for a snack and fed the seagull on his head.

“Oh, right.”

He pointed to his crossbody bag.

“Hyung, I have a Polaroid in here. Please take a two-shot of me and the seagull.”

“Okay!”

I snapped a Polaroid of Junghyun striking a pose with his feathered friend.

That evening on NewBlack’s official SNS:

@thenewblack.official

(Photos: Junghyun with arms outstretched and seagull on his head; arms crossed with seagull perched on his shoulder, etc.)

♡ Liked by Promis.Jang, Real_HanTH, and 7,953 others

thenewblack.official We made a new friend in Jeju!

#HisNameIs_Jonathan_Livingston

#DreamOfASeagull

NewBlack’s SNS was an open invitation to broadcasters. Meanwhile, HBS’s account admin lurked alone in the thread.

After finishing the beach shoot, we climbed into the car driven by Junghyun and followed the crew.

“Ooh.”

We still marveled at the smooth ride. freewebnσvel.cøm

As Junghyun shrugged modestly, we enjoyed the view outside.

Today’s theme was “healing outing.”

“It really is healing. So nice.”

“Right.”

“Seeing this coastal landscape while driving feels too good to keep to ourselves.”

The maknae called his sisters on video, showing them the view. I turned to Viju.

“We’ve done the beach. What’s next?”

“We’re going to see an oreum first.”

Viju unfolded a map of Jeju-wide for us.

“We start out west and go counterclockwise. Hyung.”

“Ooh.”

“Then on day three we’ll do the Seongsan Ilchulbong sunrise and wrap up.”

Today we’d visit Yongmeori Coast in the south before finishing in Seogwipo City.

As we studied the route, Jiho said, “Doesn’t it feel strange to be this relaxed? Like, is this allowed?”

“Feels normal when you’re laid-back, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. I keep thinking we should be doing vocal practice right now...”

“Me too.”

We all sympathized. Having lived with a college-entrance exam mentality, this free time felt foreign.

It’s nice, though—it’s our first trip together as siblings.

But like Jiho said, a part of me thought, “Are we really allowed to relax like this?” as if my inner self whips me: “You’re supposed to be working, you’re on a travel-reality show!”

While we brooded, Ri-hyuk said, “But it’s a reality show, right? With cameras, it feels like we’re working while resting.”

“True.”

“Well, I’m not doing great, but let’s try to rest well this time.”

He smiled.

“It’s our first trip together.”

“...”

“What’s wrong?”

We rubbed our stomachs and said, “My insides feel weird saying things that go against our usual style...”

“Ri-hyuk, sorry. I also....”

“Just frown, hyung.”

Ri-hyuk folded his arms with a bubbling expression, and we resolved to let go a bit on our first-ever trip together.

Though completely letting go... was hard.

–Click.

The walkie-talkie mounted on the rental car crackled. It was how we and the crew communicated.

–Ah, guys.

It was our Travel Diary PD’s voice.

I grabbed the walkie.

“Yes, PD-nim. Loud and clear.”

–Uh, nothing serious. Manager Wonseok asked me to pass on a message.

“Manager Wonseok?”

–Hang on... ah.

He handed the walkie back to Manager Wonseok.

–Guys.

“Yes, hyung. What is it?”

–I forgot to say earlier: you must eat a lot on this reality. Got it?

Our faces lit up. What was this—why such a warm directive?

Before we could wonder further, he added,

–Team Leader Yoon said once you get back to Seoul, start dieting.

“...!”

–You know you’ll need to slim down even more for the next album concept, right?

With a final “That’s it~” his voice disappeared, and the car fell silent.

The maknae looked at us with moist eyes.

“...”

“...”

And in that moment, our lingering worry—“Can we really rest?”—vanished.

You can.

I asked Junghyun, “Did you load up on snacks?”

“Yes. Even brought drinks.”

“Time to open them.”

We hurriedly tore into snack bags and cans in the car.

“Ri-hyuk-jjang, search for Jeju food spots, go-go!”

“Wait. I’ll pick the very best place!”

As even Ri-hyuk’s eyes blazed, we nodded resolutely.

Suddenly, our fear of rest had completely melted away.

K-Net upcoming broadcast, “NewBlack’s Travel Diary Season 1,” Episode 1 edited clip.

Scenes: Car cruising the coastal road; members arm-in-arm gazing at the sea.

Peaceful BGM plays, then preview for Episode 2:

[Next week! Preview!]

[The seagull was just the beginning]

[This is MUK-Black]

Scenes of NewBlack devouring meat noodles in a restaurant, fellow diners stunned, “!!!” even Viju’s eyes sparkle.

[Eat]

Members race toward a five-scoop ice-cream cone shouting “Peanut! Peanut ice cream!”

[And eat again]

After dessert, they burst into a run—camera operator panting, “Guys... together! Huff!”—members shout “We need to digest!” while sprinting.

[Their quest to run for food continues.]

[NewBlack’s Travel Diary Episode 2 Subtitle: Is life... not just to eat?]

“Ah, good meal.”

It truly felt like we’d come on a trip just to eat.

At lunch, we had meat-topped noodles.

Early dinner was hairtail fish set.

Then we finished with the famous jjambbong place featured on Ju Se-han’s show.

“Great job, everyone!”

“Tough going? Want to cook instant ramen with us?”

That’s what we said as we entered our lodging.

“Huh?”

Cameras were already set up in the living room—still more to shoot.

The PD spoke in broadcast tone.

“How was today’s travel?”

“Great! So much fun!”

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I ate my fill.”

At the maknae’s recall, the crew gave thumbs up—respect.

“But do we go somewhere else?”

“More outdoor activity? Seems like they’re setting up something outside...”

Just as Ri-hyuk started to point out the construction outside, the PD intervened, waving his hands.

“That’s not the important part.”

“...?”

His awkward evasion made us squint.

“Just dinner leaves us... feeling... empty.”

“Feeling empty?”

He chuckled, “Pfft... that was a prepared line... anyway, after dinner, you feel a bit empty, right?”

“Yessss!”

“In that spirit, we’ve prepared a night market outing for you tonight.”

“Yeah!”

As we cheered, the PD continued, “Viju said he really wanted to go to the night market—he wants to try omogye tteok.”

“Ooooh!”

As we praised him, Viju squealed with delight.

We rose and asked, “So do we go right now?”

“No. You’ve eaten so much that if you go now, you won’t digest enough to eat more.”

“True. Really true.”

“So we’ll play a game with the crew for spending money at the night market.”

“Waaaa!”

We clapped in excitement. A mission after all = still working.

“We want to give you spending money, but it’d be no fun if the game is too easy.”

“Right!”

“So we’ll divide you into two teams and prepare two games.”

Team 1: Junghyun and Jiho.

Team 2: Me, Viju, and Ri-hyuk. freeweɓnøvel.com

“If you succeed in either game, you’ll get spending money.”

“Ooh.”

“First game:”

Junghyun and Jiho slapped hands, shouting “Aja! Aja!” We cheered them on.

“Finish it in one go.”

“If you two win, we get off the hook—do your best, got it?”

“Kim Junghyun, go!”

As they raised their hands, the crew spread out a paper with the first game:

[General Knowledge Quiz]

Our cheers froze.

“They’ll finish it in one go.”

“Is this what ‘my heart is ice-cold’ means?”

“Oh dear...”

Junghyun and Jiho exchanged glances and scratched their heads. I clapped to encourage:

“It’s okay! You can do it. Junghyun may be slow to answer, but you’re smarter than you look.”

“The game requires both to shout the correct answer simultaneously.”

“We’re doomed.”

The crew laughed at my deadpan cheer.

The quiz began. They choose a topic, then answer enough of the questions correctly to pass.

The PD read from a cue card:

“This soccer tactic can be summarized by three words: space, possession, pressing.”

After the explanation, Junghyun nodded confidently (sports being his area) while Jiho struggled.

“This term is also used when conversation flows smoothly, especially you NewBlack are famous for it.”

“The thing we’re most famous for? That’s... Wooju hyung...”

“You have ten seconds.”

“Oh...! No, I know it, I can’t think of it... that! That!”

With no chance to confer, we tried to signal answers, when Junghyun tapped Jiho’s shoulder:

“Just say it, Jiho.”

“Okay! Uh, but...!”

They shouted at once:

“Tiki-taka!”

“Pika-pika?! Ah! Tiki-takaaa!”

Jiho was immediately wrong, clutching his head, and we forced wry smiles. The crew’s uproar delayed the quiz briefly. Jiho fanned his hands:

“I’m bad under pressure... I know it in my head, but with only ten seconds...”

“It’s okay, Jiho. You can do it.”

Junghyun patted him and offered a fist bump. As they bumped fists, we cheered, “You can do it!”

“Second question. Really easy one.”

“Really? Thank you so much!”

“Oh my.”

PD smiled at Jiho’s bright grin, then remembered his role.

(He still doesn’t know our maknae’s true self.)

They continued the quiz.

“Next: a question about the Public Broadcasting Service, PBS. What does P stand for?”

“Public!”

“Oh! Public. I know HBS! Hansung Broadcasting!”

We shook our heads.

“...We’ve significantly lowered the difficulty. No need for exact spelling, just roughly.”

“Got it!”

“What do the A and R in your daily A&R team stand for?”

They answered in unison.

“Artist & Repertoire.”

“Artist &... uh... ah, Repertoire...”

Ri-hyuk and I held our heads, while Viju muttered, “Which middle school did Jiho attend?”

“Still healthy though.”

“Right. Health first.”

Despite the crew lowering the difficulty, our maknae always surprises. Junghyun barely hid frustration.

They ended up with one correct answer out of ten: the spelling of “Masquerade.”

“But I’m the lead, so I remember that!”

“You can stand over there with your hand raised.”

Jiho trudged off with a pitiful shuffle. We three thought we’d need to ask the manager to edit the footage kindly, then stepped forward.

“Fighting! Our spending depends on how we do!”

“Fighting!”

Their innocent cheers made Ri-hyuk’s vein pop; we calmed him and took a deep breath.

What would we have to do? As we waited for the next game, the karaoke machine clattered forward.

“The second game: each person gets one chance. If anyone scores 90 or above, you win.”

“I’m saved...”

The difficulty was absurdly low. As Ri-hyuk relaxed, a thought crossed my mind.

“PD-nim.”

“Yes?”

“If we get 100 on the first try, what happens?”

“Hmm, we could give you extra money? Why, can you get 100 on the first try?”

He squinted suspiciously.

I laughed, “No way.”

“....”

“It’s the kind of score that can happen by luck. Just curious...”

As my siblings’ eyes gleamed, the PD started eyeing us with doubt.