Chapter 1033: I knew it (2)

One thing you end up doing a lot in the entertainment industry is recording video messages.

Congratulating a newly launched TV program.

Sending acceptance speeches to award ceremonies you can't attend because of scheduling conflicts.

Things like that.

And right now, that was exactly what we were filming.

"Ready, guys?"

"We're ready."

It was for the Teen Choice Awards in the United States.

"Action!"

At our manager's signal from behind the camera, we smiled brightly and shouted our greeting.

"Two, three!"

"Hello! We are NewBlack!"

After finishing our greeting in Korean—

Junghyun stood in the center holding the massive surfboard-shaped trophy while we gathered around him and delivered our acceptance speech in English.

"Wow, Choice Music Group! NewBlack won this award again this year after winning it last year! We really want to thank all the teenagers who continue to support us!"

The Teen Choice Awards.

Organized by the same people behind the Kids' Choice Awards, where we got slimed last year.

If you wanted to summarize the significance of the event, it would be this:

Q. Which celebrity should I work with if I want to market something to teenagers?

The Teen Choice Awards essentially answered that question.

Just like last year, we grinned as we accepted the award given to the group most supported by teenagers.

Let's enjoy it for now!

Last year we had won by an overwhelming margin.

This year, however, I'd heard it had been an extremely close race.

["Who Is the Best Boy Band?" NewBlack and Moonlight Fandoms Clash Fiercely Over Teen Choice Voting]

I'd seen an article in an American online magazine.

Apparently Souffles and Moonlight's fandom had spent the entire voting period fighting each other.

Seokhwan hyung had relayed some information from our American agency.

"They still can't match your streaming numbers or global album sales. But if you're only talking about the U.S., they're surprisingly close."

"Already...?"

"You can't ignore the advantage of being based there. While we're busy doing Korean music shows, they're making rounds on American talk shows and attending local events. We're touring internationally. They're holding domestic concerts."

Globally, there was still a considerable gap.

But in North America and the English-speaking world, they had apparently caught up almost completely.

The geographical advantage made perfect sense.

We often skipped American award shows because the travel time was simply too much.

For them, it was practically just a one-hour drive.

If it had been a Korean awards ceremony, we probably could have dropped by as well.

And on top of that—

"You know the survival show Moonlight debuted through became a huge hit in Australia, the U.K., and Canada too, right?"

"Yeah."

I'd even heard it had reached number one on NetPlus across multiple English-speaking countries.

The industry had gone wild over world-famous producer Terry Austin personally creating a boy band.

And then there was the successful K-pop audition formula passed on by Ham Pilsoo, the former Head of Production at K Net.

Granted, Director Ham Pilsoo himself had gotten stabbed in the back the moment the show ended.

But regardless, Light It Up—a combination of spicy American survival-show drama and K-pop idol know-how—had hit the jackpot.

"You know how powerful survival-show fandoms are. Even Wonder Child, who debuted through On the Stage, immediately caught up to Street Boys and TeenSpirit. Imagine how much bigger this one would be."

As a result—

Moonlight's fandom continued growing at an astonishing rate.

It had now reached roughly the same size as Cloud Corps, our North American fandom.

That was probably why the competition surrounding the Teen Choice Awards had become so intense.

A mentality along the lines of:

How are we still second place after debuting with this much buzz?! Something's wrong!

Isn't Teen Choice an American award show? Honestly, how are Americans supposed to beat NewBlack when all those Asian fans vote?

I hate NewBlack fans. They're selfish and only care about themselves.

Did you see what Koreans were saying about Colin??

Not surprising at all. (laughs) Korean friends I met on Twitter told me Korea is one of the most racist countries in the world.

The media landscape over the last two years has been bizarre. Before that, did anybody even know who NewBlack was??? They took a group nobody had heard of and suddenly pushed them everywhere. Someone should investigate this.

Personally, I think China is suspicious. They're using money to expand Asian influence.

In the end, the fake will lose and the real will prevail ✌✌✌

The conspiracy theory claiming NewBlack had risen to fame through Chinese money was so absurd that our company employees had begun forwarding screenshots of it to one another.

Whenever someone needed a laugh, they pulled it out.

In any case, regardless of the fighting and hostility in America, the trophy was ours.

"Okay."

Minki hyung checked the footage.

"We've finished the group award. Let's do the International Artist one and Wooju's individual award, then wrap up."

"Let's go."

"Hold on..."

We recorded another acceptance speech for International Artist, the award given to the hottest artist outside the United States.

Then I filmed a separate message after Answer, my collaboration with Cold Brown, won Best Collaboration.

"Whew..."

After filming wrapped up, I checked social media reactions and smiled bitterly.

"Souffles are working hard."

"Seriously. When we go to America this time, let's treat them even better."

Jiho rested his chin on my shoulder.

I nodded.

What could singers really do for fans who exhausted themselves fighting other fandoms?

Give them better music.

Show them better performances.

Win over even more people.

Achieve even better results.

Secure a position nobody could challenge.

And in that regard, we currently possessed the greatest weapon possible.

"Overcooked~ Overcooked~♬"

At my humming, Ri Hyuk immediately added harmony.

"I only cooked it a little too long~♪"

The others layered additional harmonies on top.

"Maybe I loved you a little too much~♬"

That's right.

This time, we had Overcooked.

A genuinely incredible new song.

Just wait, Souffles!

We're coming soon!

The members and I burst into laughter and clapped together.

Then—

"Um..."

At the tiny voice, we turned.

Park Gyuho was crouching in a corner with his hands clasped together.

"Are you all finished recording the VCR?"

"Ah, yes, sir! We finished a long time ago."

The Teen Choice acceptance messages had been filmed inside the CEO's office on the eighth floor.

His office simply looked good on camera.

Only then did Park Gyuho emerge from the corner, bringing over snacks and gesturing for us to sit down.

"Come on. Let me look at your faces for a while. It's been ages."

Studying us carefully, he asked,

"Are you all sleeping enough? How many hours did you get yesterday?"

"About three... I think."

"Oh dear."

"But we nap whenever we can."

It was an incredibly busy period.

An English-language comeback was approaching.

There was the cooking special.

And Newniverse Season One still had its final special left to film.

"You're all having a hard time, aren't you?"

"Nope."

"Ah... I see..."

The CEO had clearly been preparing a heartfelt speech.

Jiho completely derailed it.

We laughed.

"Maybe someday we'll reach a point where we have so much free time that even sleeping all day won't use it up."

"That's true."

"But that would mean our ranking in the entertainment industry has fallen, wouldn't it?"

"..."

"We can't allow that, sir."

The members clenched their fists.

"That's right! Until our five-member group becomes a zero-member group..."

"We're going to hold dinner shows in the Olympic Stadium."

"Headliner of the 2100 Mars Concert: Great Sage Ri Hyuk and the Old Men... Hehehe!"

As we declared our ambition to remain at the top until we were a hundred years old, Park Gyuho blinked.

"Ah... uh... I see..."

Then he chuckled.

"Well, it's not like there'll ever be a time without hardship... but I suppose even harder days are coming."

"Yes."

"You're expanding into all sorts of fields. And now a new rookie group has suddenly appeared in America."

Looking at us, he smiled bitterly.

"It bothers me that there isn't much I can do to help. All I can really do is provide money."

"That's not true. Thanks to you, we're able to work comfortably."

"Thanks to me? Nonsense. You earn all the money yourselves. I'm just the guy who holds onto it and spends it when needed."

Then he looked at us.

"So if you ever need anything, just tell me."

"Okay."

"Wooju, I heard you're recording the movie OST this time. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, everything's already being prepared really well."

Although there actually were a few things.

"If we added a few things, we could probably create an even better recording environment..."

"Oh? Go ahead and tell me. Hahaha."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"Really, really, sir...?"

"...??"

I cautiously began discussing several pieces of audio equipment.

"The thing is, sound quality really depends on equipment. Different microphones capture sound differently. And for film music, atmosphere is incredibly important."

"I see. I don't really understand those technical details... So how much are we talking about?"

"Ah, well. Roughly..."

As I leaned closer, Ri Hyuk muttered,

"Why is he whispering again?"

"Wooju hyung says that if you whisper shocking news, it feels less shocking."

I leaned toward the CEO's ear and quietly told him the amount.

The radiant shine that normally gleamed from the top of Park Gyuho's head immediately began to dim.

After spending the weekend collecting first-place trophies for WAVE with Biju—

I entered Lemon Entertainment's main conference room.

"Hello, everyone~!"

With a hollow expression, the CEO followed behind me alongside the executives.

I shook hands and exchanged greetings with everyone gathered inside.

"Sunbaenim, you're here?"

"Hey."

Already sporting the signature chaebol-heir hairstyle required for his next drama, Lee Gyeonwoo raised a hand.

There were so many people present that he already looked socially exhausted.

After greeting him, along with actress Yeo Eunseon—who played my mother—and the rest of the principal cast—

"Was your trip comfortable, Director?"

"Yes."

I shook hands with Director Deborah Kim, who looked effortlessly stylish even in a simple T-shirt.

"I arrived in Korea yesterday. Wooju, your hair turned blue while I wasn't looking."

"I was promoting with a unit."

"Right! The one where it rains every time you perform."

That led to several conversations about WAVE.

After laughing through the usual requests for us to make it rain because of the heat, I greeted the remaining staff.

Since this was an OST meeting and production was already entering its final stages, quite a few crew members were absent.

"Where's Director Choi?"

Casting Director John Dukgyu Choi was nowhere to be seen.

Someone answered.

"He's a casting director. There's not much for him to do this late in production. He's over at Secret Agent 3 right now."

I nodded at the mention of the highly anticipated superhero film scheduled for release next year.

Then something occurred to me.

Wasn't Jiho making a cameo in that movie?

When I heard Choi was handling casting there, I leaned toward the director.

"Could it be..."

"Yes. That's right."

Director Deborah Kim lowered her voice.

"He thought very highly of Jiho during the Sun Myungju audition."

"Ah..."

When we were auditioning actors to play my father, the maknae had jokingly asked for a chance too.

"Son..."

Partly as a joke.

But his performance had genuinely been impressive.

Apparently the casting director remembered.

Now he'd recommended Jiho for another film.

I'd already been proud of the maknae for trying to make an impression on Hollywood executives back then.

Learning that it had actually led somewhere made me even prouder.

"All right. Shall we sit?"

After everyone exchanged greetings, we took our seats.

[Sound of Sun - OST Meeting]

Today's purpose was to discuss and prepare for the OST recordings for Sound of Sun.

"Nice to see everyone."

"Hello!"

A large Asian composer with a heavy build filled the conference room screen.

Frank Chow.

Co-producer of the film.

Broadway legend.

Beside him sat Music Director Travis Walcott and an interpreter.

I addressed Frank Chow.

"May we begin?"

"Any time you want, Sunny."

I nodded and turned to everyone.

"All right. It's time to record the movie's OST."

Strictly speaking, the soundtrack for the actual film had already been recorded long ago.

Frank Chow had assembled renowned jazz musicians in America.

The actors had sung during filming.

Only the engineers remained.

The movie's sound itself was essentially complete.

What we were recording now were the tracks intended for online and physical album releases.

Just as musicals have separate live recordings and studio OST versions.

"...We'll also be recording portions that couldn't be completed properly on set."

For example, scenes where actors sang while being filmed from a distant wide shot.

You couldn't place a boom microphone close enough.

In those cases, post-recording was necessary.

But differences in acoustics and resonance often became a problem.

"The issue is that the sound can differ from what was recorded on location. To preserve the atmosphere as much as possible and avoid that problem, we've prepared all the necessary equipment. Thanks to our CEO..."

The room erupted into applause.

Park Gyuho responded with a distant smile.

After reviewing all recording-related matters—

"Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Then let's begin recording immediately."

Lemon Entertainment's large recording studio on the second floor.

The actors from Sound of Sun sat with lyric sheets in hand, nodding along to the music.

We're finally at the end.

For months, they'd practically lived as though dead.

Brutal coaching from professional vocal trainers.

Choreography taught by Broadway choreographers.

Even Lee Gyeonwoo, famous for his iron stamina, had required IV drips during filming.

Like any major production, it had pushed everyone involved to their physical limits.

Still, it feels good.

Yeo Eunseon, who played Lee Myeongeun, smiled quietly.

She didn't know exactly how the finished movie would turn out.

But she didn't think it would fail.

The atmosphere on set had been excellent.

More importantly—

"Wow. Listening again, it's still amazing."

"Isn't the music incredible? We heard it enough to get sick of it on set, but now that we're back in Korea, I miss it."

The cast whispered among themselves while listening to the songs playing through the speakers.

The fact that they wanted to hear them again after months of nonstop exposure said everything about the music's quality.

Songs originally written by a genius.

Reimagined for the modern era and expanded with lyrics by his son.

Yeo Eunseon waved at the camera installed in the studio.

"Hello~ We're here recording the OST today. Say hello too, oppa."

"Hello. I'm Lee Gyeonwoo, playing Sun Myungju."

"How do you feel before today's recording?"

"I'm confident."

Lee Gyeonwoo smiled confidently.

I did everything I could.

People had once joked that he was tone-deaf.

Now his singing was perfectly respectable.

Which was only natural.

He'd never lacked the voice.

Only the technique.

I can't wait to see the reactions.

The filming process had refined his vocals even further.

She couldn't wait to see how surprised Wooju would be.

The other actors felt similarly.

Confidence level: 200%.

They had practiced until they vomited.

Repeatedly.

All that remained was delivering their best possible recordings.

Everyone was smiling to themselves when—

Click.

"Hello!"

The studio door opened.

Wooju walked in.

Everyone looked confused.

Huh?

Wooju's presence wasn't surprising.

He had composed and arranged the album.

But then—

"Hello!"

"We came to help too~!"

The other four members entered behind him.

The actors exchanged puzzled looks.

Why is 4Black here?

What's going on?

Meanwhile, Wooju entered the control room and began adjusting microphone positions with the engineers.

Maybe because this was a film about his father.

His eyes seemed especially bright today.

He looked extraordinarily focused.

"All right. Let's begin with the first number. Senior Lee Gyeonwoo."

"Yes!"

"Please take care of us~"

Lee Gyeonwoo entered the booth and put on his headphones.

He hummed lightly.

Then recording officially began.

But the moment the first line ended—

Wooju stopped the session and pressed the talkback button.

"Sunbaenim."

"Yes...?"

"Could you sing the first line again?"

"Of course."

Lee Gyeonwoo sang once more.

The cast tilted their heads.

What? That was excellent...

Wooju spoke.

"I don't think the sound is coming out completely yet. Could you step outside the booth for a moment?"

"Uh... sure."

The Hallyu star who had been overflowing with confidence moments ago emerged looking strangely timid.

The cast assumed Wooju was about to explain breathing techniques or something similar.

Instead—

He turned off the camera.

Then said,

"Guys."

"Yes!"

"Give him a hand for a minute."

4Black immediately grabbed Lee Gyeonwoo's arms from both sides.

"What?!"

Ri Hyuk cracked his fingers.

Then followed the others outside.

The door closed behind them.

"??"

"??"

The actors stared in confusion.

Then Wooju casually began playing piano to drown out outside noise.

"AAAAAAAHHHH...!"

"...?"

"AAAH! AAAH!"

"!"

Then silence.

Did he die?

Click.

The door opened.

Lee Gyeonwoo walked back in drenched in cold sweat.

In just a few minutes, the handsome leading man looked like a completely exhausted squid.

Wooju smiled brightly.

"How do you feel? Could you make a sound for us?"

"Ah~ Ah~~"

Everyone's eyes widened simultaneously.

It's different!

His voice had already sounded good before.

Open.

Clear.

Unrestricted.

But now it sounded as though it were passing across perfectly polished vocal cords.

Smooth and effortless.

4Black grinned proudly.

"Ta-da. That's our job."

"Helping people."

"Compliments can make whales dance."

"But NewBlack turns whales into K-pop idols. Hehehe."

The actors all looked at Lee Gyeonwoo.

How was it?

The lead actor immediately shook his head.

As if warning them:

Avoid this at all costs.

Meanwhile, Wooju smiled brightly.

"Anyone else need help?"

"..."

The actors suddenly became intensely focused on their lyric sheets.

That day, every member of the Sound of Sun cast delivered performances that drew out every last ounce of their hidden potential.