Chapter 1078: I am New Black, Class of ’18 (2)

The music-show recording we'd held with the Souffles yesterday had been an overwhelming success.

We'd spent so much time interacting with fans on stage that it could practically have been called a fan meeting.

"Hoh."

I smiled as I scrolled through the reviews pouring in online.

The hairstylist, who was busy transforming my dry silver hair into something presentable, spoke up.

"Oh? Looks like the response is good."

"Thank goodness. I was worried people might say, 'Why are they doing something weird instead of sticking to what they normally do?'"

"Why would you worry about that? If they're fans, they'll love whatever you do."

"...That's actually a dangerous assumption."

I always felt this way.

Sometimes I'd think, They'll definitely love this, only to get a lukewarm reaction.

Other times I'd wonder, Would fans even care about something like this?

And then everyone would lose their minds over it.

Fortunately, the self-produced music show had gone over well.

If there was one complaint...

"They're saying the venue is too small."

Ri Hyuk glanced at his phone.

"Apparently the space is way too cramped."

"Hm? Isn't it already pretty big?"

Junghyun sounded confused.

"I think it's the perfect size. Maybe not for a concert, but for recording music-show content? Feels ideal."

I agreed.

A normal music-show recording only accommodated around 150 to 200 people.

A thousand attendees was already massive.

But after looking at the comments Ri Hyuk showed us, it seemed fans wanted something even bigger.

A thousand isn't small, but it's way too smallㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Why isn't there a seat for me?

Honestly, with NewBlack's size it should be Jangchung Arena minimum lol

Olympic Hall or Gymnastics Arena is probably impossibleㅠㅠ

I'm not paying the rental fee but... still... I wish it was bigger... and that there was a seat for meㅠㅠ

I looked up.

"How many people does Jangchung hold? We've never performed there."

"About four thousand, maybe."

Jiho's eyes sparkled.

"Hyungs, if we're already doing this, why don't we go even bigger?"

"That's tricky."

"Why? Because of the money?"

"No. Because I don't think the fan managers could handle anything larger."

Honestly, venue costs weren't the issue.

A thousand people was manageable.

Three or four times that?

Now you were talking about exponentially more merchandise, distribution staff, crowd control personnel, and logistical headaches.

The workload became completely different.

Not to mention the stage-production costs.

At that point, the tail started wagging the dog.

Biju nodded.

"That's way too large for a one- or two-hour performance."

"Exactly. Feels wasteful."

More importantly, one of the biggest advantages of these recordings was that Souffles could see us up close.

Once the venue grew beyond the current live hall, that benefit disappeared.

Jiho tilted his head.

"Still, if I were a Souffle, I'd want to see you guys in person at least once. Even if my seat was far away."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even if the seat sucks, I still prefer watching a movie in a theater instead of at home."

That was a fair point.

I tapped my phone thoughtfully.

It felt like a difficult either-or choice.

A decent chance at getting a good seat and seeing your favorite artist up close.

Or a tiny chance of getting in at all, but a much larger venue.

I sighed.

"I wish I had the ability to possess people. I'd spend a day possessing a Souffle."

"I'd like that power too."

I looked at the youngest member.

"Who would you possess?"

"Ri Hyuk hyung."

"Out of all the people in the world, why him— Ow!"

Ri Hyuk punched my arm.

Then he smirked.

"I understand Wang Jiho's heart. He wants to experience being someone who sings as well as I do."

"I'm going to possess you and start a Flat Earth Society fan café."

"...!"

"You're mad, but you can't do anything, can you? You're in the middle of getting your hair done."

Wrapped in a salon cape, Ri Hyuk immediately tried to explode like No Face.

Only to be physically restrained by the hairstylist.

Watching him helplessly flap his hands beneath the cape made me laugh.

What a child.

Just as Junghyun was explaining that he wanted to possess Yongmeori Rock on Jeju Island—

Click.

The door opened.

Seokhwan hyung entered alongside a massive man.

The rugged-looking figure burst into booming laughter and waved a banner at us.

[Congratulations☆NewBlack's Antarctica Expedition★]

Everyone burst out laughing.

Except us.

We narrowed our eyes.

Even the managers were celebrating because they didn't have to come with us.

"Thanks to you guys, we've got an amazing project."

Producer Gu Jaeyoung grinned from ear to ear.

I stared into the distance.

"These days, before I go to sleep, I always wonder what would've happened if I hadn't promised Antarctica at the press conference. Maybe I should've promised Alaska instead..."

"But if you hadn't promised Antarctica, New Universe would've never hit twenty percent."

"...That's true."

Goblin Restaurant had already been an outstanding project.

Still, without the Antarctica pledge, it probably would've peaked around eighteen or nineteen percent.

Episode 5 had recently hit 18.7%.

After talking about Antarctica for a while, I asked:

"Are all the preparations done?"

"Yep."

I stood.

"Let's go, guys."

This morning we'd be listening to presentations from university students at the live hall.

Seven finalist teams from around the country.

Students who had survived fierce competition to reach the final round of the Fall Festival Committee selection.

"Hello!"

"Wo... WAAAAAAAH!"

The university students leaped to their feet in shock.

I wasn't entirely sure why they were applauding, but I smiled and offered my hand.

The student who shook it immediately started stammering.

"Uh, uh, uh...!"

"Nice to meet you too. Weird seeing us in person?"

"Y-Yes..."

I grinned at the students covering their mouths while whispering, "This is insane."

Though...

Creak.

Creak.

Ever since we'd entered, the students had become increasingly robotic.

We'd come early to help them relax before the presentations.

Instead, they seemed even more nervous.

There were around a hundred of them.

And somehow they looked more anxious than we did.

"Wow, there are a lot of you. Did each school bring around ten people?"

Nod. Nod.

As I tried to continue the conversation, Ri Hyuk stopped me.

"Step back for a second."

"Huh?"

"You're making them more nervous."

Junghyun immediately grabbed me and dragged me backward.

While my underlings chatted with the students, the atmosphere became noticeably more comfortable.

I turned to Manager Minsu.

"Do I make people uncomfortable?"

"It's because you're too handsome."

"Hehehe!"

Now that was the kind of answer I liked.

After watching the members help everyone loosen up, we eventually took the stage together.

[Let's formally introduce ourselves. Two, three.]

[Hello! We are NewBlack!]

The students erupted into cheers.

I smiled and looked around at the cameras.

[This feels very emotional. Five years ago I failed the college entrance exam. And now I'm judging the greatest minds in South Korea...]

Laughter filled the room.

[You've all worked hard preparing for this. Don't feel pressured. Just think of it as presenting a class project.]

[And don't get too nervous because we're filming a variety show.]

[That's right.]

We smiled.

[Isn't this exciting? Now viewers all over the country are going to know your faces...!]

[Instant viral fame!]

"..."

"..."

[...Apparently that only sounds exciting from our perspective.]

The students finally started laughing.

After wishing everyone good luck, we sat at the judges' table.

While the camera crews finalized preparations, the students gathered into their teams.

The atmosphere felt like war-room strategy meetings.

Junghyun looked fascinated.

"It feels kind of like a KBO draft."

"A draft?"

"When baseball teams pick rookie players. Everyone holds strategy meetings."

For a moment, I remembered the joke that the nation's top-ranked student automatically got drafted by the KG Dragons.

Then I swallowed it for the sake of Junghyun's mental health.

Anyway.

The students looked even more nervous than usual because of the cameras.

I shrugged.

Ordinarily there would've been no need to film this publicly.

But public interest had reached a ridiculous level.

[NewBlack to Perform at University Festivals... Nationwide Competition to Bring Them to Campus]

Articles like that had already spread everywhere.

Some universities were apparently creating autumn festivals from scratch just to participate.

Alumni announcers wanted to personally deliver presentations.

Advertising professionals had joined some teams.

And as word spread, even more people became involved.

"How did they even get my number?"

"Huh?"

"I suddenly got a call. Some politician from Gangwon Province..."

One district lawmaker had even called Seokhwan hyung.

A former cabinet minister had contacted another university.

"Who was it?"

"Apparently someone who used to serve as Minister of the Interior. He's an honorary professor now. He promised he'd bring you guys to his university."

"..."

People wanted to show off their influence.

I brought NewBlack to our festival.

But secrets didn't stay hidden in this industry.

Stories spread.

People began scrutinizing the fairness of the entire selection process.

"We need evidence."

Ri Hyuk nodded.

"Once today's episode airs, nobody will question the fairness. They'll see why the winners were chosen."

"I hope so."

I picked up my microphone.

For some reason, I felt like a judge on a survival audition show.

Then—

"Hyung! Hyung!"

The youngest member whispered in my ear.

"Can I do it?"

"Of course."

Jiho immediately grabbed a microphone and spoke in a serious voice.

[Then let's begin the presentations. Team One, please come forward.]

I couldn't help laughing as I looked toward the stage.

The first team.

Students from Seoul National University.

Their presentation began.

The moment Seoul National University stepped onto the stage, every other team became nervous.

Those guys are from Seoul National...

The university famous for having boring festivals.

A place where students jokingly asked why anyone should attend the festival at all.

If they had reached the final round—

Then they had something special.

A refined-looking student wearing glasses stepped forward.

[Hello. I'm Kim Hajin from the Department of Clothing and Textiles, Class of 2016.]

He looked ordinary enough.

But his voice was excellent.

People exchanged surprised glances.

Then he clicked the presentation remote.

[Do you know the Three Fools of Seoul National University?]

One of them was apparently anyone who bragged about being first in their class.

Another was anyone who participated in the school festival.

The opening immediately captured everyone's attention.

From there, he launched into an eloquent presentation.

Oh.

Wow.

They prepared incredibly well.

The PowerPoint was clean and elegant.

No flashy effects.

Just an extremely polished presentation.

Nothing spectacular.

Yet it contained everything it needed.

Because everyone in the room had focused on one question:

How do we move NewBlack's hearts?

NewBlack had recently shared stages with the world's biggest artists in America.

They were the undisputed top act in Korea.

Even three days at the Olympic Stadium wasn't enough to satisfy demand.

How exactly were you supposed to persuade artists like that?

Money?

The people sitting over there probably paid more taxes than most people in their twenties combined.

University prestige?

NewBlack likely couldn't care less.

So what would make NewBlack choose our school?

That question had driven every team's strategy.

And one answer was obvious.

First and foremost, the festival itself has to be managed perfectly. Safety matters most. From NewBlack's perspective, one accident could become a huge issue.

That was exactly what Seoul National University's team emphasized.

[Our proposal focuses primarily on event management.]

Nothing flashy.

But they were confident nobody could manage a festival better.

Everyone watching was impressed.

Especially Ri Hyuk.

He was probably applauding internally.

When Team One finished, Team Two took the stage.

[Hello.]

Unlike the other teams, a man in his forties appeared.

The audience blinked.

A professor?

The mystery was quickly solved.

[I'm the National Student Council President of Korea National Open University. I also run a small tax accounting practice.]

Open University!

Interesting.

Unlike the younger students, these representatives radiated the confidence of working adults.

The man smiled warmly.

[You were surprised because I'm a little older, right? But I haven't turned fifty yet! Hahaha!]

The atmosphere immediately relaxed.

[Our university doesn't really have a traditional festival. But we do have a few advantages.]

A simple PowerPoint slide appeared.

[The world's second online university. More than 110,000 enrolled students.]

[Which raises an obvious question. Where would we even hold the festival?]

Everyone nodded.

The middle-aged student grinned.

[How about the world's first online university festival?]

Eyes widened.

That's brilliant.

It's actually brilliant.

For NewBlack, it eliminated many venue limitations while generating enormous publicity.

Another method of temptation.

Create something newsworthy.

No wonder the members listened attentively.

Then Team Three took the stage.

And everyone immediately noticed something strange.

Three presenters.

Different university jackets.

Different schools.

People had been wondering about them from the beginning.

Seven universities had supposedly brought ten representatives each.

Yet one group clearly contained far more people.

[Hello.]

The mystery group introduced themselves.

[Chonnam National University!]

[Honam University!]

[Chosun University!]

Then they crossed their arms dramatically.

[The Gwangju University Alliance Team!]

The audience gasped.

An alliance team.

Nobody had considered that possibility.

Three universities joining forces.

[After careful consideration, our three universities decided to cooperate. We've also partnered with Gwangju Metropolitan City...]

They intended to overwhelm everyone through sheer scale.

[Most universities hold their major festivals in spring. Ours are in autumn.]

Unlike many schools where autumn festivals were secondary events, theirs were the main attraction.

The presentation continued.

And everyone was impressed.

This really is a national championship.

The seven strongest teams in the country.

Respect for one another kept growing.

But respect didn't mean surrender.

Nobody was willing to give up.

After all presentations concluded—

[Now we'll begin the Q&A session.]

The NewBlack members took the stage and started questioning each team.

[I'd like more details regarding this section. What's the basis for your attendance projections?]

The members immediately identified weak points everyone else had overlooked.

Teams scrambled to answer.

So there were still flaws.

Of course there were.

After all, nobody present had more festival experience than NewBlack.

The questioning continued.

Some teams gained momentum.

Others stumbled.

Everyone desperately calculated their odds.

Then the Q&A finally ended.

"What do we do? I totally stumbled on that question."

"It's okay."

"I really hope we get selected..."

For nearly a month they'd worked late into the night.

Some teams had practically lived together.

Nobody knew how many schools would ultimately be chosen.

They only knew they desperately wanted to be one of them.

Then NewBlack returned to the stage after consulting with the production staff.

[All right.]

The audience immediately erupted.

Wooju picked up the microphone.

[You've waited long enough. It's finally time to announce the results.]

The room fell silent.

[First, I'd like to sincerely thank every student who came here today. We could genuinely feel your desire to create a safe and enjoyable festival.]

He glanced at his cue card.

[But results are results. It's time to announce the final selections.]

"AAAAAAAH!"

[The universities we will be visiting for festival performances are...]

Everyone clasped their hands together in prayer.

[All seven teams.]

"Eh?"

"WHAAAAAT?!"

For a moment, everyone froze.

Then the room exploded.

"WAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"We did it!"

"We actually did it!"

People hugged each other.

Some cried.

Others jumped up and down.

Weeks of tension vanished in an instant.

Then—

One student wiped away tears and frowned.

"...Wait."

"Huh?"

"We spent two weeks preparing these presentations after making the finals."

"...?"

The room suddenly went quiet.

Everyone stopped.

Wait.

Heads slowly turned.

Creeeak.

"..."

"..."

Their gazes landed on NewBlack.

Who had been quietly attempting to escape the stage.

And at that exact moment—

Their eyes met in midair.