Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: This Life is Space Star
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We watched Gil Chae-kyung sit down next to Ji-ho.
What was she up to?
The atmosphere, which had been revolving around Ji-ho, shifted in an instant.
Every time the girl flashed her lively smile and said something, friendly reactions popped up from all around.
Since his back was to us, we couldn't see Ji-ho's expression.
We were watching intently with tense faces when it happened.
Gil Chae-kyung said something, and murmurs began to spread.
It was like ripples expanding outward after tossing a stone into a pond.
And then, the stares turned toward us.
"Why are they looking at us?"
"It's startling. What's going on?"
Unlike the flustered kids, I stroked my chin.
Gil Chae-kyung looked slightly taken aback.
The one fact I could infer was that she'd tried to diss Ji-ho and failed.
The only leverage she had to diss us or Ji-ho was the difference in popularity.
But she'd failed.
So the reason the students were staring at us was probably because they knew who we were.
With that reasoning complete, I called out to Ri-hyuk.
"Ri-hyuk."
"Yeah?"
"Search our name in the search bar."
"Don't you have hands, ajusshi?"
Ri-hyuk pulled out his smartphone and tapped away rapidly.
"...Huh?"
He searched for New Black, furrowed his brows, and started scanning the articles.
His eyes widened.
Bi-ju and Jung-hyun, who had been watching, turned their heads that way too.
Unlike me, who had a hunch, the two of them looked tense at his unusual reaction.
"Ri-hyuk, what's wrong?"
"Did something happen to us?"
Ri-hyuk kept tapping without answering.
That's when the familiar yellow screen of the music site Mango appeared.
"...Huh?"
He was so shocked he dropped his phone.
I caught the scene while yawning.
The smartphone slipped from his loosened grip, falling in slow motion.
My body moved on autopilot, lifting my heel.
Tap.
The phone bounced up off my heel like a soccer kick.
I snatched it out of the air and handed it back to Ri-hyuk.
"Whoa."
Jung-hyun, next to him, stared with wide eyes in admiration.
Thanks to practicing acrobatic moves whenever I could using my motion mimicry ability, it came naturally now.
Back to reality, I called out to Ri-hyuk, who was still dazed.
"Ri-hyuk."
"......"
"Seo Ri-hyuk."
"Yeah?"
"Take the phone."
"Hyungs."
Ri-hyuk met my eyes and muttered with a half-blank expression.
"We hit the jackpot."
"Jackpot? What do you mean?"
"Look."
Ri-hyuk held up his smartphone for us to see.
[Mango Chart Real-Time Rankings]
1. Jang Sowon X New Black - Something
2. TNT - Blink
3. TNT - Don’t Smile
4. TNT - Pretender
5. Teen Spirit - Na Na Na
Something was at No. 1 on the real-time chart.
* * *
We tracked down the cause through internet searches.
It started last weekend on a variety show.
In a fake marriage program, our song played as background music during the moment they confirmed their feelings for each other.
This must've been what Seok-hwan hyung meant when he said he'd begged the PD to use it.
Up to then, no one paid much attention.
Viewers just thought, "Nice song," and moved on.
The real kickoff was when highlight clips hit SNS.
-Ubini love show!
-So sweet.. best ever
-But anyone know the BGM title?
-Me too. Been hearing it subtly on radio and cafes lately.
-It's Jang Sowon's single! Title's Something.
Awareness built gradually, but it still wasn't enough.
Then one video changed everything.
An internet BJ duo's cover of Something singing as a duet spread across SNS.
Word-of-mouth exploded.
The video went viral, drawing massive attention to our song overnight. Rankings climbed from early yesterday morning, hitting No. 1 by this morning.
I must've refreshed about a hundred times during the graduation ceremony.
"This isn't a dream, right?"
"Want me to pinch you?"
"You first, hyung."
Bi-ju and I pinched each other's sides, but only pain remained.
Honestly, so what if it was a dream?
I'd never want to wake from a dream this good.
Even Jung-hyun, who rarely got fazed, was blinking like a bear rousing from hibernation.
Ri-hyuk huddled his shoulders and clutched his chest.
"Ugh, my heart's pounding."
"You okay?"
"Feels like the ground's shaking. Legs are jelly. You feel it yet, hyung?"
"You're calling me hyung out of nowhere, so nah, not really sinking in."
Ri-hyuk shot me a glare.
As I grinned, Bi-ju asked me,
"By the way, hyung. Company's probably in chaos right now, huh?"
* * *
Lemon Entertainment PR Team.
Phones were ringing off the hook everywhere—it was like a fire broke out.
"Hey! Someone pick up!"
"Coming!"
"How's the press release coming?"
"Draft for reporters is done. Can finish in 30 minutes."
"Good. Hurry it up."
"No one going to Ji-ho's graduation?"
"Reporters probably not that interested in our kids yet."
"Nah, with Girls on Top members there, you bet."
"What?"
"Team leader, didn't you know? Gil Chae-kyung's in the same class as Ji-ho at Seo-il Middle."
The PR team leader frantically grabbed a phone.
"Hey! Send someone to the graduation site now! Chat with reporters, but if our kids slip up, we're done! Especially Ji-ho—that kid's a walking bomb."
"Team leader! Management's Yoon Section Chief already headed out."
"When?"
"Soon as he heard."
"Okay. With Yoon Section Chief there, that's handled. What a day."
The chaotic PR team.
They only grasped the situation after the rankings surged.
Who could've predicted a solo track topping out at 30-something would hit No. 1?
No signs for the past two weeks, so no one saw it coming.
"Teens and their internet streams—we dismissed it, but damn, they propelled this song."
"It was a hit waiting to happen."
"Honestly, the song's killer. We'd do better with more budget."
"Don't get too hyped. Flash-in-the-pan No. 1s are common."
"Team leader."
Someone staring at the chart spoke up.
"It's not dropping anytime soon."
* * *
In that surreal moment, the maknae pulled us back to reality.
"Hyungs!"
At the auditorium entrance, the maknae came bounding over, arms full of flower bouquets like a retriever.
"I'm not a middle schooler anymore!"
"Aigoo, all grown up."
"You see our chart ranking?"
We all nodded at the maknae's words.
"Yeah, we saw."
And how.
As we gazed at him fondly, the maknae pulled out a card.
"What're we eating? Dad gave me this—no limit. Mom said anything under a million won."
Scale of it.
High on the music success and post-graduation vibes, we were buzzing about dinner when—
"Hey, Ji-ho."
We turned to see students from the school.
They hadn't approached the four of us, but with familiar Ji-ho in sight, they finally came over.
Fair enough.
Even I thought we looked stiff and awkward.
"Can we take a pic together?"
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
We took selfies with them.
Awkward at first, but after dozens of times, natural smiles came easily.
Students asked if they could post on SNS.
After handling requests for a good while and catching our breath, more people approached.
"You're New Black, right?"
"Pardon?"
"Hi, Star Daily reporters."
The ones who'd finished Gil Chae-kyung's graduation interview swarmed us.
Guessing we were news-worthy now.
Cameras suddenly in our faces left us stammering when—
"Excuse me."
A smooth voice cut in.
Yoon Seok-hwan.
Our manager, who we'd barely seen lately.
"These guys are new to interviews."
He explained to the reporters and stood by our side.
He cut in on tough questions, coached us from the side—got us through it.
It ended okay, but we were still dazed.
Overwhelming.
Heads went blank with sudden questions.
Not an experience I'd repeat.
But there was a silver lining.
Gil Chae-kyung watching us from afar.
She smiled for photo requests, but her lips trembled up close.
All attention meant for her stolen.
She hovered near entertainment reporters, begging for notice, but aside from a few, no one cared.
The expected outcome.
A done graduation story paled next to a suddenly exploding SNS hit.
I smiled watching Gil Chae-kyung kick sand as she left the field.
Serves her right.
* * *
The magical time began in mid-February.
Everything changed after topping the music charts.
-‘Something’ Dominates.. Weekly Chart No. 1
-Jang Sowon's Glorious Comeback
-‘Something’’s Chart Run: Collab Boom Incoming?
Radio love stories always requested our song; TV was the same.
Variety shows, streets, cafes—our song everywhere.
Surreal feeling.
Seeing Something as BGM on big shows or performers humming it felt unreal.
A clip Jang Sowon sunbae posted in group chat: cast chatting about our song in a camera car.
-Holding your hand that's so close yet slips away~
-What's that song, hyung?
-Hey! Jin-woo! You don't know this? It's hot right now.
-Really?
On mega-hit Dice Around the World.
I'd thought the song was good, but never dreamed it'd blow up like this.
Of course, song success didn't mean our fame.
-New Black, the rookies on Something with her—who are they?
-Jang Sowon: "New Black are truly talented guys"
-Lemon Ent: "Inquiries flooding for New Black"
Articles teasing curiosity about us trickled out.
But few dug into the singers just because the song slapped.
People hum movie OSTs without knowing the artist.
I once asked Seok-hwan hyung.
"Seriously, inquiries flooding about us?"
Simple answer.
"Flooding? Nah."
"......"
Gap between popularity and recognition? We didn't mind.
The song's success alone thrilled us.
We even enjoyed the disconnect.
At phone stores, we'd sing along to our parts in videos; at convenience stores, ask "Who's this?" when it played.
Everything joyful.
Especially for me.
Hearing copyright revenue projections from Executive Director Jo Kyu-hwan via management floored me.
"Why so shocked?"
"E-Executive Director... that much?"
"Obviously."
He smiled softly.
"You wouldn't know, but Something's a once-in-a-lifetime track for composers. You got lucky."
"Heart's racing."
"Congrats. You're a real composer now."
Even after splitting royalties with Jang Sowon sunbae, that much?
Jo said it was just the start.
At this rate, it'd be a half-year hit; add karaoke and downloads, buy a foreign luxury car.
Unbelievable either way.
Daily daze, joy, shock.
Of course, success breeds envy.
-Something chart manipulation? Trajectory's fishy.
Steady online posts like that.
But no traction.
-Post's straight malicious
-Could be manipulation, but then ALL charts are rigged
-No thanks, conspiracy bird
-Song's too good for that narrative
-Yeah, my crew sings it every karaoke
-Lemon/Hwayi ain't that type. Lemon's too proud, Hwayi just... nvm
-Lmao Joo Hana scandal had Hwayi fumbling—rigged? They're too dumb to pull it off slick
-Scrolling hyped till Hwayi mention soured it
Worried it'd blow up, but it stayed online fringes—no real-world ripple.
And finally.
The moment we'd waited for arrived.
Yoon Seok-hwan section chief came down to the basement practice room mid-session.
"Kids."
Face saying it was time.
"Your music show debut's locked."
As No. 1 contenders, too.