Chapter 1008: It Was Beautiful From Far Away.. (20)

Vroooom-

The luxury sedan carrying Jiho’s father gradually disappeared into the distance.

“Hm?”

Did he still have some lingering regrets?

Through the rear window, Chairman Wang Hyeontak could vaguely be seen shouting something at us.

“Junghyun.”

“Yes?”

“What is Father saying?”

“I think he’s saying, ‘No. I really didn’t do anything today...’”

At that, Biju spoke up.

“Hm? It’s not like he did absolutely nothing tod—......”

...He trailed off mid-sentence.

All of us fell into deep thought.

The things Jiho’s father had done during today’s visit were....

“There’s nothing....”

“I don’t think there was anything in particular.”

It seemed like he had just come, eaten, and left.

We nodded and tried to phrase it nicely.

“His presence alone was helpful. Before opening the restaurant, he healed our mentally exhausted hearts.”

“I was really happy just seeing Jiho’s father again after so long. This is what healing feels like.”

“Uh... well, he helped a lot emotionally.”

Even while saying that, we somehow felt sorry toward Chairman Wang.

We’d been too busy to properly take care of him, and just as I started wondering whether we should’ve given him a bit more screen time—

The maknae shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it, hyungs.”

“?”

“This is how my dad gains enlightenment. No matter how much of a chairman he is, life doesn’t always go the way he wants. And in the broadcasting world, his son is the real boss. He realizes things like that, and now he’ll cherish me even more.”

“What a deeply filial child....”

As we patted the head of our youngest member, who seemed fine as a nephew but absolutely dangerous as someone’s son—

“I’m heading off too~”

Kim Deoksun emerged from the restroom after washing her hands and stopped in front of a car.

The flashy vehicle was so luxurious that even the New Universe production staff had gasped in admiration. It beeped as the doors unlocked.

Murmur murmur.

“That’s the car Grandma bought after expanding her baekban restaurant.”

“Wooooow.......”

“That’s literally my dream car.”

That’s right.

She hadn’t bought it with the allowance I gave her, but with the money Kim Deoksun herself had earned through her restaurant.

While Kim Deoksun smiled smugly, I clapped enthusiastically.

“As expected of our old and rich— GAAAH!”

“The hell are you babbling about, you crazy brat.”

Everyone burst into applause after watching me get smacked across the back.

Ri Hyuk was especially thrilled. He even raised his phone camera and started filming me.

“A rare sight of this person getting smacked on the back...!”

“Ri Hyuk, send that video to me afterward.”

“Me too.”

“Me too...!”

Watching everyone grin among themselves, I turned back toward Grandma.

Kim Deoksun, halfway through putting on her sunglasses, noticed my gaze and lowered them slightly to look at me.

“Why are you grinning again?”

“It’s nothing.”

“A person ought to have some dignity. Quit sitting there giggling.”

Dressed like the chairwoman of some foundation or a famous veteran designer, our Kim Deoksun looked incredible.

Our grandmother, who used to wear the same kind of clothes all the time, had recently started dressing in much younger styles.

For a grandson, it was the happiest sight in the world.

“I’m just happy.”

“Hopeless brat....”

Clicking her tongue, Kim Deoksun climbed into the driver’s seat and waved.

While the others shouted, “Goodbye, Grandma!” I walked over to the rolled-down window.

“Oh right, Grandma. Can you clear some time this week?”

“?”

“There’s something I need to give Ri Hyuk. You know, that thing....”

“Ahhh.”

It was about the birthday present we’d been preparing for Ri Hyuk.

While Grandma nodded knowingly, Ri Hyuk—apparently having overheard—hurried over like a sparrow.

“What is it? What?”

“The thing I said I’d give you.”

“!”

Thinking this was his chance to finally solve the mystery, Ri Hyuk approached Kim Deoksun.

“Grandma. What is it? What’s this hyung giving me as a present?”

“Our Ri Hyuk. Well, that is.”

“Yes.”

“Come a little closer.”

Ri Hyuk leaned in, offering his ear, and Kim Deoksun whispered:

“That’s a se.cret.”

“!”

“Alright then, everyone stay well~ I’ll call later~”

“Okay. Drive safe, Grandma.”

While Ri Hyuk cried out, “No, Grandma!” and desperately reached after her, Kim Deoksun drove out of the parking lot.

Somewhere in the distance, it felt like laughter echoed through the air.

“No......!”

Ri Hyuk, who absolutely could not tolerate unanswered curiosity, clutched his head in agony while the rest of us snickered.

With the special guests’ visit over, the mock restaurant service ended early.

Once we arrived at the large corporate training center surrounded by dense forest, Producer Gu Jaeyoung gathered us together.

“Get some good rest at the lodging tonight. Tomorrow, just come in during the morning. Departure time is 5 AM. Sound good?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Sleep well.”

Assistant producer Oh Taejun checked a flood of text messages as he spoke.

“I’m looking through official notices from the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, Korail, and the Korea Expressway Corporation right now... Apparently the crowd tomorrow is going to be insane. Besides the people who actually won reservations for your restaurant, there are apparently tons of people just coming to look around.”

Just hearing it painted an image of massive crowds in my head.

I asked, “How big are we talking? Compared to the old Jeungpyeong rest stop event...?”

“About ten times that. That’s the minimum estimate.”

“.......”

“Some people are already arriving early, so they’re saying traffic chaos will start tonight. Even after urgently increasing KTX train capacity, tickets sold out instantly.”

It wasn’t even a holiday or a weekend, yet the people of Korea were already displaying absolute madness.

Without realizing it, I ended up huddling together with the others.

Ri Hyuk asked, “But even if people come, it’s not like they’ll actually get to eat, right?”

“I think they just want to see you guys.”

“.......”

So it was because of us.

While we exchanged awkward smiles, Producer Oh Taejun continued.

“And I think people are also hoping for canceled reservation tables. If that happens, we might do some kind of on-site lottery.”

“That was part of the plan?”

“No... it wasn’t, but at this point we probably should.......”

Over a million people had entered the online lottery alone.

Of course, most of them had probably just applied on a whim. Only a tiny fraction would actually have the passion to travel all the way here.

But even so, if several thousand people gathered here....

“Well, that’s not something you guys need to worry about.”

Producer Oh Taejun rubbed the back of his neck and laughed.

“From here on, it’s our job to figure it out.”

“Yes sir. Then we’ll head off and rest.”

While the production staff sat around tables holding video meetings with local governments, public agencies, suppliers, and other organizations—

“Biju.”

“Yes.......”

“Do we really all need to sleep in the same room?”

“I just kind of wanted to do this. You know how when you go on school trips, there’s always this sort of dream about everyone sleeping together?”

“.......”

We spread blankets across one huge room and lay down together.

It really didn’t seem necessary, but the moment our head chef said he wanted to, we immediately laid out the bedding.

Ri Hyuk lay perfectly straight beneath the blanket.

“But isn’t it still kind of early to sleep? It’s not even evening yet.”

“That’s true, but let’s just lie down for a bit.”

We were exhausted.

Souffle Week, cooking prep, final checks for the WooBiz choreography, and everything else.

We’d practically been pulling all-nighters nonstop, one after another, and now my entire body felt sluggish and hazy.

“We’ve already finished the final checks anyway. Let’s just lie down and rest for a little.”

“Okay.”

“Just close your eyes for a second....”

And that was my last memory.

The moment I closed my eyes, it felt like my body dropped straight downward, and by the time I regained consciousness—

[Ba ba ba ba~! Ba ba ba ba! Good morning~]

[Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba!]

—I woke to the sweet morning alarm blasting from our maknae’s phone.

“Hrk.......”

“Hrk......!”

At some point, the lights had been turned off.

Beyond the closed curtains, the sky outside was pitch black.

[AM 03:30]

One by one, the others sat up with messy hair.

Maybe because our eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but seeing the others stare blankly at me with fish-like eyes made me laugh.

I ran a hand through my disheveled hair and asked,

“How long did we sleep?”

“Uuung.......”

Junghyun blinked slowly while propping his chin up with both hands.

“...No idea.”

“We probably slept over ten hours.”

Ri Hyuk answered after checking his watch.

I nodded before diving back beneath the warm blankets and rolling around.

I was still tired and half asleep, but at the same time too nervous to actually fall back asleep.

“Uwaaaaaah.......”

“Uwaaaaaah....”

That’s how it was.

At last, NewBlack’s Goblin Restaurant debut D-Day had arrived.

My heart pounded while a tiny part of me wanted to run away somewhere.

Without realizing it, I let out a sigh.

“Haa....”

The others chuckled helplessly.

“Let’s wash up and head out. Rock-paper-scissors?”

“Rock... paper.......”

“I’ll just shower first. You guys should sleep a little more.”

While Junghyun and Jiho crawled back under the blankets, I quickly washed up and got ready.

Just lotion and sunscreen for skincare.

After nudging the sluggish members awake, we headed downstairs.

As expected—

The production crew was already fully prepared and waiting for us.

“Did everyone sleep well?”

“Yes!”

“You guys look good. I came up last night to make an announcement, and you were all passed out together. I was relieved you got proper sleep.”

The staff laughed as we proudly bragged that after sleeping ten hours, our skin had practically turned glossy.

“Did you stay up all night, PD?”

“Yeah. There was too much to check... and honestly, I was nervous too.”

“Same here.”

The production staff looked exhausted and bloodshot after an overnight meeting.

Everyone had spent months preparing for this project together, and the atmosphere felt like the calm before a war.

“Should we do one big cheer before we start?”

“Sounds good.”

The members and production crew gathered together, stacked our hands, and shouted:

“New Universe fighting!”

Then we clapped together.

Despite being summer, the forest air felt cool and chilly as we immediately climbed into the vehicles.

“Alright, everyone.”

Facing the camera installed inside the car, we spoke solemnly.

“The day has finally come. Today is the day NewBlack officially makes its food-service debut through Goblin Restaurant.”

“It seriously feels like we’re heading to a showcase.”

“I’m not joking, I’m honestly just as nervous as when we release an album.”

As we said that, we turned toward one another.

“But NewBlack.”

“If we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.”

We proudly clenched our fists—

“Hm?”

“Hmm?”

—and suddenly the vehicle stopped.

Or rather—

It crawled forward at about five meters every ten seconds, stopped, moved again, then stopped again.

Almost as though something ahead kept forcing it to halt.

“Uh......!”

A shrill scream came from the driver’s seat, making us all turn around.

“What is it?”

“A water deer? A water deer?”

“What is it?”

“A moon bear??”

“Junghyun. Calm down.”

When we turned, we saw the staff in the driver and passenger seats staring blankly ahead.

“What’s wrong?”

“Over there.......”

Our eyes followed Producer Gu Jaeyoung’s finger from the passenger seat.

And immediately we understood why the youngest producer behind the wheel looked utterly horrified.

Current time: 5 AM.

It was still far too early for restaurant operations to begin.

And yet—

“?”

“??”

The road leading to Goblin Restaurant was completely jammed with cars.

Faint honking echoed through the air, while countless vehicles packed the road like some kind of nationwide auto exhibition.

It looked exactly like holiday traffic.

Under the dark pre-dawn sky, headlights glimmered everywhere.

“No, at this rate we can’t even get to work.......”

The road was so packed that even we—the restaurant staff themselves—couldn’t make it to work.

Police whistles shrieked as officers directed traffic, but the congestion showed no signs of improving.

“Should we try backing out now....”

Producer Gu Jaeyoung turned around as he spoke—

—but dozens of vehicles had already lined up behind us too.

“.......”

“.......”

Nobody had anticipated a situation where even getting to work would become impossible.

But we didn’t panic.

“Ri Hyuk.”

“I’ve been waiting for this.”

Our main vocalist—the guy who always carried emergency disaster bags everywhere and constantly worried buildings might collapse whenever we traveled.

“Heh heh heh. This situation also falls within the scope of my scenarios.”

“Magnificent...!”

“Everyone remembers, right? Scenario Number 13?”

“.......”

All of us nodded with smiles.

Ri Hyuk opened an electronic document and said,

“Let’s see. Countermeasures for situations where the vehicle breaks down or roads become blocked on the way to work... ah, here it is.”

At last, the day Goblin Restaurant officially opened had arrived.

[Seoul–Gurye Bus Schedule]

Departure 06:40 Arrival 09:53 [Sold Out]

Departure 09:00 Arrival 12:13 [Sold Out]

.

.

[Arrival: Guryegu Station / KTX Schedule Search]

KTX 503 [Sold Out]

KTX 505 [Sold Out]

KTX 509 [Sold Out]

Despite increasing both bus and train schedules to holiday-level capacity even on a weekday, every single seat had sold out.

Massive crowds from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province began heading south.

People who had won reservations, along with tourists hoping to see NewBlack, all started gathering in Gurye.

Posts about the overwhelming excitement spread nonstop across online communities.

[I came to Gurye to see Goblin Restaurant]

(photo of roads packed with cars throughout Gurye County.jpg)

Don’t ask questions..

-Wow..

-LOOOOOOOOOOOL

-The timing game failed spectacularly

-“What if surprisingly few people show up??”

-There are seriously so many freaking people

People kept saying the area was already overflowing with visitors even before business hours had started.

Of course, not everyone had come solely to see Goblin Restaurant.

Well—

Technically they had come to see Goblin Restaurant, but almost nobody seriously expected they’d actually get to eat there.

‘Maybe if they do an on-site lottery... maybe......?’

That tiny sliver of hope.

And also—

‘Well, we can just sightsee anyway.’

Tourism itself was the main purpose.

For Koreans who were always hunting for fun new things, Gurye had suddenly become the latest hot topic.

It had already been a known tourist destination, but New Universe had pushed it even further into the spotlight.

Their team name, “The New Black,” truly fit them perfectly.

Apparently anticipating the crowds, NewBlack TV had already uploaded informational videos.

[Hello, everyone!]

[This is a guide for those of you visiting Gurye County for the first time!]

The videos basically carried the vibe of:

“If Goblin Restaurant gets too crowded, why not go enjoy these places instead?!”

There were even pre-release New Universe clips.

-[Pre-release] New Universe “Goblin Restaurant” Special... “What Should We Eat in Gurye?”

The videos showed NewBlack personally exploring famous restaurants around Gurye.

Beautiful sights like temples and bamboo forests.

The serene atmosphere of Jirisan Mountain and the gorgeous Seomjin River.

And the many restaurants directly recommended by NewBlack.

‘It’s Gurye.’

‘This summer belongs to Gurye.’

Parents wondering where to take their children after summer vacation started.

College students planning domestic train trips.

Couples looking for date destinations.

Countless people all decided on the same destination:

Gurye.

“And if we get lucky, maybe we’ll even see NewBlack.”

“Damn.”

Thus, the tourists who arrived in Gurye full of excitement were now—

“Good grief.”

“Oh dear.”

“Hahahahaha....”

—laughing helplessly.

The roads leading to Goblin Restaurant were already completely jammed before business hours even began.

Inside one of the vehicles, a family talked among themselves.

“Where is it?”

“Over there. It’s literally right around the corner.”

The driver tapped the steering wheel.

“Good lord, this is insane. Absolutely insane....”

“Dad, can’t we just leave and go somewhere else?”

“How are we supposed to get out from here now~”

They were completely trapped.

Drivers all wore expressions full of regret.

‘It’s literally right there.’

Most people had only planned to drive past and glance at the building.

Maybe take a commemorative photo nearby.

That was all.

But the narrow roads made escape impossible once they got stuck midway.

‘It’s seriously right there.’

The atmosphere felt like it would take over an hour just to move a little farther ahead.

Then—

Vroooom-

Something approached from behind.

A police motorcycle with flashing lights passed by.

But what truly caught everyone’s attention was what slowly followed behind it.

“?”

“??”

It was a bicycle.

A three-wheeled bicycle.

While the driver pedaled, someone sat in the rickshaw-like seat behind.

“Uh......?”

“Uhh...?”

Biju, adjusting his helmet strap from the back seat, suddenly made eye contact with a family in one of the cars.

Smiling shyly, he held up an LED sign app.

[On my way to work~! Please show lots of love for New Universe!]

The people inside the vehicles murmured while staring at the sparkling, smiling Biju.

“Shouldn’t it say ‘show lots of interest’?”

“That’s Biju.”

In the front seat, someone who looked like Wooju pedaled away while Biju smiled bashfully behind him.

Whoosh-

Then came the second bicycle.

Jiho pedaled while Ri Hyuk sat in the back with his head hanging low like some criminal riding to exile on an ox cart.

“Hm. That’s Ri Hyuk.”

“It’s Ri Hyuk.”

People casually thinking, ‘Oh, the boys are passing by...’ suddenly froze and widened their eyes.

“Huh?”

“Whaaaat?!”

Come to think of it, this was actually their first time seeing NewBlack in person!

As the bicycles sped past under police escort, the drivers screamed.

‘I saw them!’

‘It’s NewBlack!’

While NewBlack enjoyed the distant waves of cheers rolling in from behind—

People began murmuring.

“But where’s Junghyun?”

“Seriously?? I don’t see him.”

Just as everyone started wondering where Junghyun had gone—

FWOOOOOSH-!

A sound like a violent gust of wind erupted!

A powerful blast swept past so fiercely it almost felt like the cars themselves were shaking.

Something shot forward.

A mysterious figure instantly caught up to the bicycles that had already become distant dots.

‘A person?’

‘...Is that a person?’

A figure in a black hoodie with a Nike logo sprinted down the roadside path as people rubbed their eyes.

At just the right angle, the glowing crescent-shaped sports logo flashed brightly.

It looked exactly like—

‘A moon bear...!’

The tourists erupted into cheers after witnessing Jirisan’s greatest attraction:

Kim Junghyun, age 24.