Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: This Life is Space Star 64
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When I first heard that we had a radio schedule lined up, that was the thought that crossed my mind.
That it would feel lacking compared to a stage performance.
Because unlike other stages where you face the audience directly, on radio, the singers and listeners can't see each other.
I'd felt a bit disappointed at the idea that we wouldn't be able to properly feel the audience's reactions.
But.
The moment I looked at the chat window unfolding before my eyes right now, I realized my thinking had been wrong.
“Wow, that startled me. I was panicking because there were no comments at all, but it was just a lag.”
Jang Sowon stuck out her tongue as she spoke.
“This is the first time I've seen something like this since I became DJ.”
Comments were flooding in so fast there was no time to read them properly.
With lots of emoticons, the overall reaction seemed positive.
Even without knowing the exact contents, it felt good.
Just like how, when the audience screams, you can feel their emotions fully even if you don't know what they're saying.
Our eyes sparkling, the DJ addressed us.
“We usually say our goodbyes right after the live ends, but we missed the timing because of the listeners' reactions. Since it's like this, how about each of you share a quick thought before we wrap up?”
“Uh…….”
Normally, the words would have flowed smoothly.
Maybe because I was still immersed in ‘Night Sea’, my mind felt blank.
I managed to cobble together whatever came to mind and stammered it out.
“It’s a song I wrote recalling childhood memories, and doing the live stage today feels like it created another memory just as precious. Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity. We'll keep showing you our best sides.”
“Yes, that was New Black until now.”
So-won sunbae clapped her hands as she said it.
“We'll say goodbye here to New Black, who spent this beautiful night with us today. Great job!”
“Thank you!”
I bowed my head toward the camera.
It was a thank-you to the audience, just like on stage.
* * *
I'd had a hunch from the maknae's fire drip that lit things up, the advice segment, the live stage, and more.
That we'd done really well on today's broadcast.
But seeing the production staff's reactions made it feel real.
“Great job, New Black.”
The PD grabbed our hands firmly, her face blooming with smiles.
It was a familiar expression, I thought—and yes, it was that one.
She'd had the same look after the Music Cafe recording last time.
The head writer and engineer chimed in too.
“Watching today's broadcast, you guys have great sense, and your chemistry with Sowon was spot on. Make sure to clear your schedule for our next album slot. We'll book you for a solo spot then.”
“Exactly. Mi-kyung, she's got promising buds—we need to reserve her early.”
Especially the head writer's words made us break into huge grins.
I wanted to show this scene to Seokhwan hyung.
See, hyung? We can snag schedules too.
“Oh, this is our album.”
When I handed over the debut CDs we hadn't been able to give because of the cake incident, they all lit up.
Moments like this really make you feel the greatness of music.
The way the staff, still immersed in the ‘Night Sea’ vibe, were looking at us so fondly.
“Where's the signature?”
“The cover's black, so it's on the inner sleeve.”
“Wow, the signatures are so pretty.”
The sub-writer seemed especially thrilled.
It was amazing.
Just an hour ago, in front of the elevator, it felt like she wouldn't even make eye contact with us.
Her face, sunken with exhaustion, was now full of smiles.
She joked that she'd check out the fan cafe later, and when I thanked her, she said seriously that she meant it.
After saying goodbyes to those packing up to leave, we spotted our sunbae gathering her things in the booth.
“Our little puffballs are already superstars. So hard to even catch a glimpse now.”
I smiled and replied.
“No way. Compared to you, sunbae-nim, we're fireflies before the sun.”
“Right. We're like plankton, barely existent.”
“Then I'll upgrade to krill shrimp.”
She chuckled at the playful plankton and krill shrimp, then nodded toward the staff beyond the glass.
“You guys wouldn't know, but those people aren't usually this nice to rookie guests.”
“Really?”
“That's how much they liked your song.”
Jang Sowon said.
“I had a feeling it'd do well from reading the sheet music, but hearing it live was even better. The melody was great, but it was the sincerity shining through as you sang it.”
Her gaze turned to our main vocal.
“At first, I was worried if Ri-hyeok could pull it off. Thought there might be some challenges conveying the emotion and theme.”
“How did you know?”
“Why wouldn't I? We sang together for over two months.”
She said it like it was the most obvious thing.
I hadn't even realized until she mentioned it, but experience really is something.
“I was really worried, but you nailed it so well I was shocked. Made me wonder if it was the Ri-hyeok I knew.”
“……I got some help.”
As his ears turned pink with his response, she laughed and turned her gaze to me.
No need to ask whose help—it was obvious.
After exchanging updates on members and managers, I got a text from Min-gi hyung saying he was almost there.
I grabbed the guitar case and pulled out the prepared gift.
“Oh, what's this?”
When I handed her the box from inside the case, she brightened up.
She asked if she could open it, and I nodded.
“Headphones?”
“Yeah.”
“You didn't have to get something like this…….”
“We owe you a lot, sunbae-nim.”
There was good reason.
Not just because it felt awkward showing up empty-handed after so long, but mainly because without her advice, the debut showcase would've been a disaster.
No a cappella live, and the reporters' reactions would've been brutal.
I'd considered a necklace or accessory at first, but it felt too inappropriate for sunbae-hoobae relations.
“While prepping the advice segment, I binge-watched past episodes, and Junghyun said your headphones looked super worn out. So we all chipped in to buy these. For use on broadcasts.”
“We included the receipt and exchange voucher too.”
The slightly touched atmosphere shattered with Ri-hyeok's words.
As she burst out laughing, I shot him a glare.
He met my eyes with a what-did-I-do face.
Sowon sunbae, who usually wore her headphones clamped over her head, touched her ears and looked at us.
Her eyes curved into half-moons.
“Thanks, I'll make good use of them.”
It was a smile that made me glad we'd given the gift.
* * *
The radio center hallway, soundproofed, was quiet.
Given the 24-hour radio broadcasts, another studio was probably connecting with listeners right now.
Passing through the lobby's steel door felt strange.
Like moving from one world to another.
From tomorrow, back to the daily grind with music shows……
“Ah, you scared me.”
Two people were slumped pathetically under the elevator buttons.
Street Boys.
Han-jo and Gi-won, who'd been completely erased from my memory since the live.
They jumped up brightly as we appeared.
“Hey, you're here.”
“……What are you guys doing there?”
“We were waiting.”
“For us?”
“Yeah.”
Han-jo scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“With Gi-won's thing too, I felt like we should say hi before leaving. Felt weird just going without…….”
“Ah, yeah…….”
After some awkward mutual praise for each other's lives, Han-jo cleared his throat and called his dongsaeng.
“Gi-won-ah, you said you had something to say.”
“Ah, uh…….”
Back to his timid self from his powerful singing, Gi-won fidgeted.
After squirming for a while.
He finally spoke cautiously to Ri-hyeok.
“Um, can we talk separately……?”
Ri-hyeok nodded, and the two main vocals headed to the corner of the lobby.
Strange atmosphere.
One side speaking carefully, the other nodding like he knew something, continuously.
Whatever he was saying, the other's expression brightened each time.
What were they talking about?
Something from the old agency? Or today's broadcast?
Curiosity suddenly hit me.
Like parents peeking at their kids' diaries even knowing they shouldn't—wanting to know what their kids are thinking.
When I turned, my eyes met Han-jo's, who had the exact same expression.
In the awkward air, he spoke up.
“Thanks for the live earlier. I was so caught up prepping my rap I couldn't look after my dongsaeng properly. If it weren't for you, he might've flubbed from the start.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“And personally, with Woojoo-ssi, a bit…….”
A bit?
“I feel sorry about something.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah, that…….”
He didn't specify, but I knew.
“Wanted to say it now. Won't have time or mood to talk at music shows later.”
“Right. With the managers around and all.”
“Sorry.”
It hit me out of nowhere.
Looking at him, I wondered.
How should I respond?
Saying it's fine felt off since I hadn't been fine before, and acknowledging it was awkward too.
Our relationship was subtle.
Rivals linked together, who knows for how long.
Too late for haha laughs now, with no clue what might happen ahead.
Today's broadcast made me realize.
They're not bad guys.
But the agency was another matter.
While we did album 2, 3, whatever, DNS Media could sabotage anytime.
And these guys had no say as their tools.
It was all tangled.
So, what I could say was set.
“Yeah. Let's meet on good terms from now on.”
Not friends, but at least not ignoring each other at music shows like before.
He smiled softly, understanding the nuance.
Expression saying that was enough.
As the dongsaengs returned from their talk, I asked.
“Hey, since we're talking anyway, want to exchange numbers?”
“Ah. Well…….”
He looked sheepish and held up his old flip phone.
“This is our company phone.”
“Ah.”
“They check messages and calls monthly. If a non-company number shows, they get really upset.”
I gave a wry smile thinking of Park Manager from earlier.
Once again.
Glad we came to our company.
* * *
Street Boys took a different elevator, citing our waiting manager, and we parted.
Just the two of us now.
Watching the descending numbers quietly, I spoke.
“Ri-hyeok-ah.”
“Yeah?”
“What'd you talk about with him earlier?”
“Nothing much.”
He shrugged.
“Just this and that. Talked about stuff from three years ago, and thanked him for today's broadcast too.”
“I see.”
“What about you guys?”
“Similar.”
The doors opened, cutting the talk.
As we took a few steps in the first-floor lobby, my phone buzzed.
Must've connected to Wi-Fi.
Ungrateful Brat [Wang Ji-ho sent a gift icon]
Ungrateful Brat [Wang Ji-ho sent a gift icon]
Ungrateful Brat [Hyungs, I love you lots~]
Ungrateful Brat [You know my poor heart, right?]
Ungrateful Brat [(Emoticon)]
The group chat was filling with gift icons and pleading emoticons.
Ri-hyeok's mouth corner twitched up.
“What do we do?”
“Read and ignore.”
“Good call. Thinks this'll get him forgiven.”
While the maknae, whose only asset was money, spammed gift icons, I checked other messages.
It was Madam Kim Deok-soon.
Whoa. What’s this 13-line review?
“Grandma?”
“Yeah. Says she listened well. And… what’s this?”
“What?”
“She's asking how to wash a kitty.”
“You know?”
“Nope.”
I quickly searched and sent a link.
Sudden cat talk?
The puzzlement didn't last.
Reading her message fully brought pride and affection.
She really loved ‘Night Sea’.
Our Kim Deok-soon lady, who usually replied with one-worders, ignores, or ‘crazy punk’, sending something this long.
Emotions dripped from every word.
Especially the ending: ‘Grandma loves her grandson’.
Reading it all might make my nose sting, so I closed the phone.
Gotta video call at the dorm later.
As I bowed to the security guard at the turnstile-like entrance and left the elevator lobby.
“Oh.”
I looked up at the short exclamation.
Wondering what, I soon joined in.
“Wow.”
The HBS building, all glass walls.
Moonlight flowed everywhere.
With lights off in the dim first floor, the moonlight pouring in felt somehow full of emotion.
Something I'd been curious about popped up.
“Hey.”
My pitch-black eyes, absorbing moonlight, turned to me.
“Can I ask something I'm curious about?”
“What?”
“That Street Boys maknae earlier. You suddenly gave him your water bottle. Why?”
“Nothing big.”
Ri-hyeok looked away.
“Just calming my nerves. Thinking of someone I'm grateful to. What would they think, how would they feel? Then the water bottle sound snapped me out, and there he was.”
Calm tone.
“That's what came to mind. If I were the one I'm grateful to, what would I do? Probably smile at the tense kid and help out.”
“So you handed him my water bottle?”
“……Forget that part.”
“Forget? Gonna milk it for three days.”
I glared back at his glare.
I'd steered to a joke to keep it from getting too serious.
Text saying arrive soon at broadcast entrance, so Ri-hyeok and I waited at HBS main gate.
Rubbing arms in the chill air.
A low voice came from beside.
“Hey.”
Ri-hyeok, gazing at the distant moon, spoke.
“Thanks for today.”
What was this guy saying?
Unaware I was blinking at him, Ri-hyeok kept staring at the night sky.
“First radio, super nervous. What if I blank on lines, mess up the song? But thanks to you, prepped well all week, and today too.”
“…….”
“So, thanks.”
Weird feeling.
Did I hear right?
No.
This guy, who always dodged or changed topic if I said say thanks, suddenly thanking me.
My head felt all jumbled.
As complex emotions swirled, his voice came.
“What're you doing.”
Snapping to, the Grand Carnival had arrived.
License plate confirmed it was ours.
He'd walked ahead a bit, turning curtly.
“Don't space out, hurry up.”
Back to his usual cool face.
So normal, I wondered if I'd hallucinated earlier.
If not for his ears glowing clear even in the dim night.
Matching his pace, I smiled.
“Hey, right. One more thing I'm curious about.”
“What now.”
“That person you've always thanked before—who is it?”
His absurd-look turned into a subtle smile.
“What was that expression just now.”
“Nothing. Just funny.”
“What's funny?”
Kept asking as I followed, but no answer.
Chatting back and forth, we boarded the van.
A pretty scenic night, with cicadas chirping somewhere.
* * *
One hour later.
As the two New Black members arrived at the dorm and began full battle with the maknae, one stopping and one eating dried squid.
At that moment.
The song titled ‘Woojoo & Ri-hyeok - Night Sea (Original Ver.)’ was just uploading to music sites.