Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: 7. These Are Our Singers
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The first music show victory behind us, we piled into the van heading back to the dorm.
“Puhahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
“Hahahaha!”
Everyone burst into laughter as Bijoo egged on the maknae.
“Ji-ho, do that thing again. You know.”
“This one?”
“Yeah, that.”
With all eyes expectant, our dramatic maknae cleared his throat and got into character.
“Ahem.”
Before long, he nailed the impersonation perfectly.
“Please love our Soufflés lots and lots~.”
The guys lost it, cracking up hysterically.
I buried my face in my hands.
If I died today, my tombstone would probably read [Seon Wooju, Died of Embarrassment].
It hurt.
The shame had maxed out—I wanted to crawl into a hole and die.
“Wow, spot on.”
Bijoo was wiping tears from laughing so hard, and I shot him a betrayed glare.
“Bijoo, what’s so spot-on about it?”
“Huh? It’s exactly the same...”
“No way. From my view, it’s not even close—”
“You never think it’s accurate when it’s you, hyung.”
The maknae cut in.
“Want me to compare side-by-side? The Music ON clip should be up online by now anyway.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“That just makes me wanna do it more.”
I snatched his phone, but it was pointless. Junghyun, sitting next to me, had already pulled up the video.
Smartphone screen.
Applause from the audience, subtitle flashing: [No. 1: Something].
On-screen me looked insanely tense. Full makeup made my skin porcelain pale, features sharp and defined.
Even I thought I looked okay, but that wasn’t the point.
Tears welling up as I delivered the line.
-Our Soufflés will keep working hard from now on...
The dongsaengs erupted in laughter again, and I sighed in lament.
“And after all I’ve done for you guys.”
“What’ve you done? At least fold your damn clothes properly, ajusshi.”
“Right. You just lie around doing nothing, always ‘Ji-ho-ya, grab me some water.’”
Seizing the moment, I flashed the maknae a bright smile.
“Our maknae’s got a lot of grudges against hyung, huh?”
“Yeah, I hated it so much. Always nagging, making me do chores.”
“I see. Hyung’s really messed up.”
“Right. If you’d just feel sorry no—Ow!”
The maknae clutched his forehead after my flick, face scrunched in pain, and the members cracked up.
Ri-hyuk snapping a photo like it was prime blackmail material was just icing.
Amid the laughter, I spotted Junghyun next to me, intently tapping away at his phone screen.
“What’re you up to?”
“Saving all the videos.”
He grinned.
“These are memories. Gotta keep records.”
“No... we don’t need to.”
I’d already chugged a lethal dose of embarrassment, and these guys were nailing the coffin shut.
Even Manager Yoon Seok-hwan seemed to be enjoying the rowdy vibe.
I ran a hand through my hair.
“Seok-hwan hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“Can’t we terminate my contract? I wanna get away from these ungrateful brats.”
“Woojoo, just hang in there for seven years.”
The guys chimed in at his teasing.
“Ah, where you going?”
Bijoo laughed, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
“We can’t make it without you, hyung.”
“Right. Whose song got us this win?”
“And you guys know that but pull this crap.”
“Nah, we like you, that’s why. You wouldn’t get it?”
I pretended to glare at the maknae clinging clumsily, but a laugh slipped out anyway.
Suddenly, I got what pet owners mean.
You come home pissed at the mess they made, but they nuzzle up all cute and it melts away.
Ri-hyuk caught my expression and smirked.
“Like a grandpa softening at his grandson’s antics.”
“Our Ri-hyuk always says the sweetest things.”
“I know.”
“Too bad your heart doesn’t match that pretty face.”
“Where you gonna find someone as nice as me?”
Ji-ho made a face like his appetite soured at the shameless line.
“How does he say that with a straight face?”
“Shut it, Wang Ji-ho.”
“Always telling me to shut up when it suits you?”
While the No. 4 and No. 5 in the pecking order bickered, the hyungs watched with fond smiles.
No.
Even the main vocal and sub-vocal tussling had grins tugging at their lips.
Everyone was riding high overall.
Maybe the best day of our lives.
Chest wide open, like a massive weight lifted.
Every deep breath dissolved the knots we’d carried; the lukewarm breeze through the open window felt downright refreshing.
No amount of money could buy this feeling.
Sweet reward for all the hardship.
After that endless dark tunnel, seeing light for the first time—how could anything not feel exhilarating?
Junghyun shoved his phone at me as I savored the breeze.
“Hyung, you see this?”
“What?”
“You’re all over the internet.”
“Really?”
I peered at the screen.
[New Black? Leader looks totally plausible]
Fits anywhere, no questions asked
-What’s “plausible” lololol
-Dorat? Lololololol
-Only saw the guitar guy’s face while singing
-As a true fan, starting to stan from today
My victory speech had sparked some modest buzz about my face.
I tapped the post with acceptance speeches below.
-Was Jang Sowon always this pretty?
-Sowon unnie takes it...
-Didn’t seem rookie, nailed the live
-Was eating ramen at home and lost it lololol so funny
Mostly positive vibes.
Relief: even TNT fandom reactions weren’t bad.
-This the kid who took pics with Taehyun lol
-Heard he almost debuted in TNT... must be weird for both.
-Still iffy on chart trends but... they cheered right after our kids’ announcement, seems all good
-Haven’t seen Taehyun grin like a fool in forever lololol real bros?
The ones raging about chart manipulation weeks ago had softened up.
Probably thanks to Taehyun posting pics on SNS.
No wonder he kept wanting shots at the broadcast station earlier.
I’d suspected, but seeing it confirmed? Grateful.
Me [Thanks]
Reply pinged back instantly from our swapped numbers.
Han Tae-hyun [^^]
Han Tae-hyun [Buy me drinks if you’re thankful]
Han Tae-hyun [Ah lol right, you don’t drink hyung]
Han Tae-hyun [Just buy food]
Han Tae-hyun [B team kids get together]
Han Tae-hyun [Group chat soon lol]
I fired off a reply, swept in a strange mix of emotions.
Fifth-year idol Han Tae-hyun.
The guy even less street-smart than Ji-ho had sharpened up in the industry. Would our naive maknae ever turn out like this?
He caught my gaze and grinned.
“Why?”
“Hm?”
“Why the lovey-dovey eyes?”
“......”
Still a long way to go.
* * *
When we clinched our first No. 1 on Music ON, I thought:
We’re so lucky.
Soundtrack charts held No. 1 steady, but against powerhouse senior fandoms, could we defend it?
If luck held, maybe two weeks at the top before dropping.
Reality flipped the script.
-‘Something’ charges on, 3-week streak of music show No. 1s
-Rapper Heysion comeback: end of ‘Something’’s reign?
-Stifling March music wars: ‘Something’ claims final victory
Music show grand slam: four wins across terrestrial big three and specialist channels. Three weeks straight.
Unbelievable.
Who’d have dreamed it?
In cutthroat March, unknown idols collabing with a non-mainstream singer topping charts.
Beyond surprise—absurd.
To outsiders, weekly music show wins might seem meh, but for rookie New Black? Massive.
We felt it daily, skin-deep.
Schedules exploded.
Post-shows, invites trickled in: obscure local fests with potatoes or sweet potatoes, name-brand music festivals.
Biggest flood? School events, hands down.
Universities geared up for late-April festivals, scrambling to book Something live.
Theme? Crushes.
Hottest topic among college kids on SNS.
One critic chalked success to “first-mover on universal crush theme.”
Relatable hook plus earworm melody: Something, 2014’s first-half megahit.
Hottest track on campuses now.
Schools battling to snag Jang Sowon and New Black—fierce turf war.
Competition so cutthroat, hearing event fees via Seok-hwan hyung left us speechless.
Junghyun crushed a can in shock, soda exploding; as we mopped, he explained.
“Agencies book gigs, rate acts like hanwoo beef grades. Check music show wins, chart ranks, buzz metrics—then price. That’s why No. 1s matter. Your seniors Scarlet doubled fees post-win.”
Yoon Seok-hwan chuckled.
“Hot right now, huh? Enjoy while it lasts. Can’t sustain it—shouldn’t try.”
No sugarcoating: real talk congrats.
Can’t sustain, shouldn’t try.
Spot on.
Our monthly chart No. 1, three-week music show sweep? Miracle we might never repeat.
Albums for singers: like sports games.
MVP last match? No guarantee next.
Independent trials from stats class.
Past win doesn’t predict future.
Something’s hype was the song’s hype.
Never New Black’s to begin with—couldn’t hold it.
So “shouldn’t try” meant...
-Honestly, all Jang Sowon lol She was already a singer-songwriter. Rookies just along for the ride
-New Black? Main vocal aside, just harmonies on music shows
-Honestly, why even there?
-Adult deals lol Kids don’t know
-One composed, they say
-Interview said co-composed.
-Sowon being nice lol Idols don’t compose. Producers do.
-Chart smash, so pre-debut kids thrown in last-minute...
-Live sounded underrehearsed? Lol
Even comments I saw online.
Our buzz leaned on senior Jang Sowon.
Schedules too.
Hwayi Ent invites via her name, split with our management.
All March gigs: mag pictorials/interviews with her, events same.
Even direct to us: “Fees based on with Jang Sowon.”
That’s what Seok-hwan meant by “shouldn’t sustain.”
Not our buzz originally.
Hit me odd saying it aloud.
This insane popularity... not ours?
Outsiders might call it spoiled whining. Pre-debut, this attention? Blessings.
Members content, faces beaming daily—enough to fill my belly just watching.
Still, I felt we fell short.
Strike while the iron’s hot, right?
Prime chance to stamp New Black’s image. Didn’t want four of us (Ri-hyuk aside) boxed as mere props.
Wanted to show them.
We had singer chops too.