In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Chapter 30

The first stage we presented at the music cafe was, of course, Something.

I was hesitant at first.

I wondered if I should rearrange or remake the song and sing it in a new way.

But Director Jo Gyu-hwan disagreed with me.

“You shouldn’t think that the audience always wants something new. If you change a familiar stage too much, it could backfire.”

Jang Sunbae So-won also agreed.

“I tried that when I was in Sugarfish. But the audience didn’t like it. A stage is also a show. It’s like a movie. If the audience has expectations, you have to meet them first. You can show them twists or new things later.”

Following their advice, we prepared the stage for Something as we had done before.

From today, I’m going to flirt with you

I’m going to catch you, who are hard to catch

I’m going to narrow the gap between you and me

When we sang the chorus, the audience sang along with us.

I had sung with the audience before at small events, but it was amazing to have so many people sing with me.

It gave me goosebumps all over my body.

We couldn’t get out of the afterglow until we entered the talk corner with MC Ha Seung-joo after the first stage.

-That was a great stage, right? Let’s give them another round of applause.

The audience clapped along with the MC’s comment.

We sat on the chairs that were set up.

Jang Sunbae So-won was on the far left, the members were in between, and I was sitting closest to Ha Seung-joo.

I had to do well in the talk corner.

I had done interviews before, but this was my first time doing this kind of talk.

I was afraid I might make a mistake, so Seok-hwan hyung locked us in the room and made us practice until we threw up, but I was still nervous.

The microphone in my hand was damp with cold sweat.

-First, can you introduce yourself?

-Yes, hello. I’m singer Jang So-won.

The audience applauded.

In the middle of it, some guy shouted “I love you, noona!” and the audience burst into laughter.

It couldn’t be our road manager hyung, could it?

Jang So-won smiled with her eyes and took it easy.

-I didn’t know I had fans here. Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Jang So-won, and you all know me as the main vocal of that group.

Sugarfish was banned from appearing on TV after the drug scandal, so they were treated like Voldemort.

The audience clapped.

It was a gesture of encouragement for her, who had overcome her dark past with a smile.

-It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Jang So-won.

-Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve been on a music show. I’m not the type to get nervous when I go on stage, but today I was shaking.

-Really?

-Yes, because there are Sunbaes I respect here.

-You’re making me weak, So-won. I have to stick to the script, but I want to take care of you more.

-Thank you very much, Sunbae.

-Did you see that, everyone? I’m so soft-hearted.

After the two experienced broadcasters exchanged pleasantries, the spotlight turned to us.

-Can you introduce yourself?

“Hello, I’m Woojoo, the leader of New Black.”

-I’m Bi-ju, the main dancer.

-I’m Jung-hyun, the rapper.

-I’m Seo Ri-hyuk, the main vocal.

-I’m Ji-ho, the youngest and the visual. I love you.

He was supposed to introduce himself, but he acted cute.

It could have been seen as too much, but he pulled it off with his natural facial expressions.

The MC, Ha Seung-joo, smiled.

-You’re a team with a lot of personality. But Ji-ho, I heard from the writers that the visual member is Woojoo.

-No, it’s me.

The audience laughed at Ji-ho’s answer.

-The youngest says so. What do you think, Woojoo?

“I also think our youngest is the most handsome.”

-Really?

“Actually…”

I pretended to hesitate.

“I have to say this outside, or he’ll get mad when we go back to the dorm.”

-So you’re not the visual?

“Yes, that friend is self-proclaimed visual, right?”

The audience laughed at my playful retort.

The reaction was not bad.

I could throw another line.

Who should I throw it to? 

The one who is quick-witted would be better.

The decision was made quickly.

“Actually, I think the real visual is Bi-ju. I didn’t know much when I first saw him, but the more I look at him, the more he has aura.”

Ha Seung-joo, who had eye contact with me, seemed to catch on and changed the direction of the talk.

-Is that so? Bi-ju, what do you think?

“No, not at all.”

Bi-ju smiled shyly.

Some of the audience were swaying at the smile of the gentle-looking pretty boy.

His delicate voice echoed through the public hall through the microphone.

“I think our team’s main vocal, Ri-hyuk, is the most handsome.”

-Then, what about Ri-hyuk?

A strange atmosphere was forming.

Ri-hyuk, who noticed the situation, pointed at Jung-hyun with his finger and said.

“Our rapper is the visual.”

-Ah, then shall we move on to Jung-hyun?

As expected, Jung-hyun pointed at me.

While complimenting each other’s appearance, the youngest, who was naturally left out, made a sad face.

The people burst into laughter as the youngest’s expression change was broadcast live on the screen.

Of course, it wasn’t sincere.

It was just a show for the broadcast.

If Ji-ho had a really hurt expression, the viewer’s board would have been a mess.

-You have a subtle charm, New Black.

Ha Seung-joo, the MC, moved on to the next talk while appealing to them.

The topic was, of course, Something.

It was time for me and Jang So-won, the co-composer, to fly around.

-I heard there was a special story in the composition process of Something.

-Yes.

Jang So-won grabbed the microphone.

-There is an event called the year-end evaluation.

-Year-end evaluation?

-Idol trainees have a monthly evaluation. That is, a time to check how much their skills have improved.

-It’s like a mock exam for students, right?

Indeed, MC Jambap was not eating for nothing.

The audience made a sound of understanding at Ha Seung-joo’s analogy.

-The year-end evaluation is a joint evaluation conducted by our company and four nearby companies.

-It’s a kind of showcase.

-Yes. That’s where I met New Black and Woojoo.

-You met as singers and trainees, not as singers.

-Yes, that’s right.

-What was the charm of New Black that led Jang So-won to collaborate?

So-won explained what happened at the year-end evaluation.

Most of the trainees showed stages filled with electronic sounds, but a team that started with trot suddenly appeared.

That freshness caught his eye.

-Trot, huh? I’m curious what kind of stage it was. Can I see a little preview?

“I don’t know if I remember it properly, but I’ll try.”

He answered in a rookie-like tone.

Even though he said that, the script also said (New Black performance).

It was a repertoire that he had practiced thoroughly.

The audience gave a short applause to the short trot medley that followed by Ji-ho, me, and Ri-hyuk.

-Wow, you sing trot well. I can see what Jang So-won liked about you.

-They were a team that popped like soda. But I was more interested when I found out that the one who arranged New Black’s song that day was not a professional producer, but one of the members.

-Oh, really?

The MC pretended to be surprised and explained to the audience.

-As you know, arranging is harder than composing. Because arranging requires an understanding of instruments and harmony.

The people’s eyes were on me and they made a sound of awe.

I felt embarrassed and awkward.

It wasn’t that great.

-From then on, I started working with Woojoo. Now that I think about it, it was a fate-like encounter.

-When I think of Something’s success story, it really is.

-Actually, it was Woojoo who came up with the idea of a crush.

-Really?

As I explained the story behind the song, Ha Seung-joo’s eyes were filled with interest.

He glanced at me.

I flinched at his gaze, as if he had found something interesting.

-From what I hear from Jang So-won, it seems like Woojoo had a bigger role in the song. How was it working with him as a co-composer?

“Well, Jang Sunbae was kind enough to say that, but I think this song started and ended with Jang Sunbae. I just helped out a little bit.”

-You’re both so modest. This is such a humble collaboration. You seem like the most humble duo among all the collaborations so far.

People laughed at Ha Seung-joo’s joke.

While So-won and I were talking about the song and the composition, we mixed in some stories about the New Black members to avoid leaving them out.

When we sang that part, Bi-jusuggested a certain move, Ri-hyuk did the vocal directing, and so on.

The effect was a bit vague, but still.

***

“He’s good.”

The PD sitting in the control room said admiringly.

“I thought he would be nervous because it’s live, but he’s doing well for a rookie.”

“He’s not just doing well, he’s doing great.”

“He’s good at reacting and talking, too. I might introduce him to some other pro PDs later.”

The target they were watching through the camera was Woojoo.

“He’s handsome and he speaks well, too.”

“If you look at his visuals, he could crush any idol, don’t you think? If he hits it big, he’ll gather some fans.”

“Is being handsome enough to sell fans? These days, that Jajinmori…? What’s that trend?”

“It’s called fan baiting, PD-nim.”

“Yeah, that.”

“But his face doesn’t suit my taste.”

The PD chuckled at the writers’ satisfied smiles.

He looked at Woojoo on the screen and exclaimed.

“He’s really working hard.”

“It’s not easy for a rookie to appear on Music Cafe. He must be prepared to die.”

“That’s true.”

“The only thing I regret is that the leader is feeding them lines, but the kids can’t follow him as well as he thinks.”

“That’s normal. Rookies tremble when they see the camera.”

As he said, Woojoo was giving appropriate comments to his juniors.

He and So-won were like a mother and father bird.

But the members who were new to broadcasting sometimes stuttered.

-Uh…

One member hesitated for about two seconds when he faced an unexpected question.

In that case, Ha Seung-joo coldly turned his head away and asked another person.

“Seung-joo is ruthless.”

“He has to take care of his own share, right? On radio, silence over three seconds is a broadcasting accident.”

“Ha Seung-joo always focuses on the ones who can react well.”

It was an unfortunate way for the ones who were not in good condition that day, but the reason why Music Cafe could exist today was thanks to his entertaining hosting.

“Isn’t it strange, PD-nim?”

“What is?”

“It’s the first time Seung-joo asked to extend the guest’s time, right?”

“He’s doing it within the allowed range. Just five minutes. What’s the problem?”

“It’s unprecedented. The other teams might be unhappy, you know…”

The PD thought for a moment and smiled at the staff’s words.

“Is there anyone among the guests who can say anything to us?”

“No.”

“Extending and reducing the time is the broadcasting station’s own right. And just take care of the time. The upcoming content will be that much more buzzworthy. No problem. And what if they talk behind our backs?”

He added with a smile.

“As long as the ratings are good, it’s all good.”

****

The talk about the composition and the trivial matters was over, and there were only two stages left.

-Well, it’s time to see the middle stage.

The MC adjusted his glasses and looked at me.

He gave me a look that asked if I was ready.

I nodded and Ha Seung-joo continued.

-I heard that Woojoo has a talent for piano, too.

“Oh, no.”

I waved my hands and said.

“Even though I’ve been playing since I was young, my skills are still lacking.”

-Don’t be fooled by his modesty, everyone.

Ha Seung-joo smirked as he looked at the audience.

-I sneaked in earlier and watched him rehearse, and I’m a pianist and composer myself, but I couldn’t play with such emotion when I was his age. You can look forward to Woojoo’s piano.

The audience’s eyes sparkled with curiosity at the host’s appropriate remark.

Their attention was focused on me.

I casually walked towards the grand piano.

I was nervous.

I put on a relaxed expression that I learned from the master of facial acting, Wang Ji-ho, but I couldn’t help trembling.

The stage is a strange thing.

Just when you get used to it, a new nervousness comes along.

As I passed by the members’ seats, they gave me encouraging looks.

“Hoo…”

I took a shallow breath that no one could see and sat down on the piano chair.

Cold touch.

The seat felt very cold.

“…”

The audience was silent.

Their eyes, filled with curiosity and anticipation, watched me like stars in the night sky.

I felt the heavy air on my body and started to move my fingers.

***

The audience was inflated with expectation.

‘Ha Seung-joo never praised anyone’s piano before. How good is he?’

Their eyes were fixed on one place.

The handsome idol member sitting in front of the grand piano.

He lifted one arm to the piano, and his thin, pale fingers caught the eyes of the people near the stage.

Maybe he was a bit nervous, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down a few times.

Then the performance began.

It was an arrangement of the legendary jazz classic ‘Route 66’ for piano.

A very cheerful melody.

From the moment the first phrase was heard, the audience was captivated by the performance.

It was probably because Seon Woojoo himself was immersed in the music.

He looked completely different from when he sat down nervously in front of the piano. His fingers seemed to make notes flow out of the piano as they tapped the keys.

The audience stared at Seon Woojoo in awe.

He had a face that enjoyed music.

His shoulders moved up and down naturally, and his knees also moved lightly as he pressed the pedals.

His fingers danced happily on the black and white keys.

But it wasn’t all joy.

There was a hint of melancholy in the arrangement of ‘Route 66’.

It was like watching a gentleman singing cheerfully about his lover who left him on a rainy day.

The audience naturally got absorbed.

They stopped seeing Seon Woojoo as a mere handsome idol and appreciated his stage as it was.

“He’s playing twice as well as he did in rehearsal.”

The PD who was watching from the control room grinned.

“It’ll be a good clip to upload on the internet.”

“That group must be good at live performances. They seemed so tense during rehearsal, but now they look totally relaxed.”

“What do you think of the audience’s reaction?”

The assistant director who was watching the audience’s expressions on the screen answered.

“It’s a huge success.”

“I knew it.”

The PD muttered as he looked at Seon Woojoo playing the piano.

“Blood doesn’t lie, after all.”

He had heard about Seon Woojoo’s father while talking to Ha Seung-joo earlier.

When Ha Seung-joo suggested increasing the airtime of New Black, he frowned and wondered what he was talking about, but he soon agreed when he heard about Seon Woojoo’s father.

It was a good story to boost the ratings.

‘Some people might not know, but well…’

Soon the performance ended.

The camera captured the applause of the audience, and Seon Woojoo returned to his seat.

Ha Seung-joo smiled and asked.

-That was a wonderful performance. Did you arrange it yourself? You’re really talented in music, from composing to playing.

-Thank you.

Seon Woojoo bowed his head and Ha Seung-joo, the MC, glanced at the cue card and changed the topic.

-But did you inherit this musical talent? Of course, your own effort is important, but talent is also important for art, right?

-Well, that’s…

Seon Woojoo said with a smile.

-I think I got it from my father. He was a pianist, and I saw him a lot since I was young.

-What’s his name?

-Seon Myung-joo…

At that name, gasps erupted from the audience.

Seon Myung-joo.

He was the most famous pianist in Korea 15 years ago.