Chapter 1098: I am New Black, Class of ’18 (22)

Junghyun looked at me in amazement.

"Seriously? They really offered you the main villain role?"

"Yeah."

Honestly, I hadn't believed it at first either.

The main villain? Me?

I didn't know everything there was to know about superhero movies, but I knew one thing.

The main villain was crucial.

The more compelling the villain, the better the superhero movie became.

Which was exactly why it felt so strange that they'd entrust such an important role to an unproven rookie actor like me.

"That's pretty unusual."

The maknae chewed on his tteokbokki as he spoke.

"There's basically an unwritten rule with superhero movies. The hero is usually played by a newcomer, while the villain is cast from veteran actors. Oscar-caliber actors."

"Why?"

"Money."

Jiho shrugged.

"The villain usually appears in just one movie, but the hero sticks around for multiple sequels. If you cast a famous actor as the hero from the beginning, their salary skyrockets every time you make another movie."

So it was rare for a franchise to cast an already-famous actor as the hero from the start.

"...That's an incredibly calculating industry."

"That's part of it. The other reason is that a hero can get away with being just decent at acting. But if the villain can't act, the whole movie falls apart."

Jiho looked at me with obvious envy.

"It means the director really thought highly of you."

"He praised me enough to make me feel uncomfortable."

At the SNL after-party, Director John Edwards had spent nearly an hour trying to convince me.

"I'm not offering you this just because you're famous. I've seen the sitcom you acted in. Sunny, I know exactly how good an actor you are."

Seokhwan hyung asked,

"Did he say what impressed him?"

"He gave me really high marks for action acting. Apparently it's a role where physical acting is just as important as the action itself."

"What kind of character is it?"

"Uh... what was the name again? Fang."

"Fang?"

Biju tilted his head and mimed chopping mushrooms.

"Like enoki mushrooms?"

"No. Fang. F-A-N-G."

"That means 'fang,' as in a canine tooth."

Ri Hyuk's explanation made me nod.

"Right. That's it."

"Hmm... there it is."

At Mingi hyung's words, everyone looked toward the tablet.

It was an AntWiki page.

Fang (Silver Comics)

The article explained that Fang had been one of the Guardians series' supervillains ever since 1977.

Ri Hyuk summarized as he read.

"The origin changes depending on the version, but generally he's a wolf that lost his family and homeland because of humans. He transforms into a human and becomes a villain whose goal is to destroy human civilization using the power of nature."

"What do you mean the origin changes depending on the version?"

"It looks like every comic reboot tells his origin story differently."

"...?"

I turned to Jiho, expecting him to explain, but he shrugged.

"I'm more into the movies than the comics."

The members gathered around and continued reading.

One line immediately caught our attention.

Fang is the Guardians' archenemy and consistently ranks among the Top 3 most popular villains in the series.

"He must be incredibly popular. Apparently he ranked thirteenth among all Silver Comics villains."

"But... would I really fit the role?" I asked. "Wouldn't I clash with the character? The ethnicity might not even match."

"Look at this."

Another line.

Among all villains, Fang has appeared in the widest variety of ethnic portrayals.

"Since he represents nature, there are tons of different versions. Hispanic versions. Asian versions. There's even one where Fang is a woman who marries one of the heroes."

"So casting isn't really a problem... wait."

I blinked.

"Did you just say there's a version where Fang gets married?"

Apparently, because Fang wasn't originally human but a wolf transformed into one, ethnicity had never been treated as particularly important.

The logic was basically:

The wolf turned into a human. Why would race be the issue?

Still reading, our maknae nodded thoughtfully.

"The more I read, the more I understand why the director wanted you."

"How so?"

"You're obviously a good actor, but at the end of the day, this is an animal that became human."

"True."

"You have to make people believe that a wolf really turned into a person. I think you'd be really good at that."

Junghyun nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Remember when we did the Dangun Myth special for NewBlack TV? You played Ungnyeo so well. Souffle kept saying you really looked like a bear that had transformed into a human."

"That's true."

I smiled.

"That was fun."

"It really was."

The memory drifted back.

I'd transformed into Ungnyeo and ended up dueling Junghyun, who was playing Hwanung.

Then Jiho added,

"And emotional acting matters just as much as the action scenes. If you deliver something like, 'Humans... you destroyed my home, so now I'll destroy yours...' badly, it'll come off as ridiculously cheesy."

He pointed at me.

"But you could probably sell it just with your face."

The staff all looked at me before nodding in agreement.

"Hmmm."

"He's got a point."

"If nothing else, he certainly looks the part."

The director had mentioned my appearance as one of the reasons for casting me.

Judging by everyone's reaction, I was starting to understand what he'd meant.

Even so...

"I still think acting ability matters more than looks. You have to convince the audience."

"Hyung."

"Hm?"

"Make a sad face."

"...How am I supposed to immerse myself when you spring that on me out of nowhere?"

"Imagine you accidentally dropped Grandma's birthday cake on the floor."

"..."

Within an instant, my eyes began glistening with tears.

Jiho immediately waved the staff over.

"Everyone, look! Imagine this face declaring humanity must be destroyed!"

The staff nodded solemnly.

"Well... humanity probably deserves it."

"I'd let him destroy us."

"Humans have made plenty of mistakes."

Their completely serious agreement made me burst out laughing.

As I jokingly complained about their reactions, our TF team leader—who had been quietly listening—finally asked,

"So what do you think, Wooju?"

"I'm taking it."

I'd been thinking about it ever since the after-party.

My answer had never changed.

"Personally, I think it's an opportunity I absolutely can't pass up."

A movie directed by John Edwards—a filmmaker famous in Hollywood—who was making the project out of genuine love for the source material.

"My only concern is how much of my schedule it'll consume. If it interferes with group activities, that's a problem."

I'd done television dramas before.

Movies were completely new territory.

I turned to Seokhwan hyung.

"If we can negotiate the schedule with the studio... I'd really like to do it. It's been a while since I acted."

"I'll negotiate with them."

"But unless something really unreasonable comes up..."

Ri Hyuk smiled.

"You have to do it."

"When would you ever get another opportunity like this?"

"Exactly."

The younger members all seemed to agree.

It was simply too good an opportunity to let slip away.

Slurp—

The sheer enthusiasm with which Jiho drank his tteokbokki sauce was enough to show how big a deal he thought this was.

I looked at him.

"Speaking of which, how are things going for you?"

"Me?"

"That superhero movie cameo."

Jiho shrugged.

"We've only had a couple of video meetings so far. They still haven't properly explained my role."

"They still haven't told you?"

"That's normal for superhero movies. They don't even tell you which character you're auditioning for. They only gave me a really vague description."

He frowned, trying to remember.

"I think they said it's someone with chameleon-like transformation abilities."

"Really?"

"Our situations are different. Wonder Comics movies are so successful that they're obsessive about secrecy. Apparently they even hand out scripts on tablets that automatically delete the files after a certain amount of time."

I understood immediately.

There was a world of difference between the industry's number-one superhero franchise—which could simply say Take it or leave it—and a franchise on the verge of collapse that had to reveal detailed information just to recruit me.

"...Looks like I'd better make Chicken Shop Four Siblings a ten-million-ticket hit."

He was referring to the movie scheduled to begin filming at the end of the year.

I smiled.

"It'll do well."

I spoke with complete confidence.

"Junghyun already said it would."

"Ah..."

Jiho's face brightened.

Remembering what that referred to, Biju laughed.

"Since we're talking about it... why don't we consult Junghyun's book again?"

"Oh, good idea."

"Junghyun, bring it out."

Junghyun rummaged through his duffel bag before pulling out a thick book.

"Hehehe."

"Hehehehehe."

It was the magical book that had once been dramatically ripped apart while predicting the ratings for New Universe.

Junghyun proudly declared,

"Behold! The Jelly Bible returns for Season Two!"

The black cover practically radiated holy light.

Gold lettering gleamed across the front.

JH's Magic Book II

All of us folded our hands reverently as we stared at it.

Junghyun placed one hand on the cover, closed his eyes, and asked,

"Oh great Magic Jelly Bible... would accepting this movie be a good decision for Wooju hyung?"

"Jelly, jelly. Magic jelly."

As everyone chanted together like monks reciting a sacred mantra, Junghyun dramatically flipped the book open.

A page filled with giant stylized lettering appeared.

CAW! CAW!

"Oh no! Crow cries!"

"Ri Hyuk."

Junghyun sighed.

"You're holding it upside down."

"Oh."

Ri Hyuk scratched his head.

"It's been a while."

Junghyun rotated the book.

In ancient Rome, crows were considered a sign of good fortune.

"W-What?!"

"Jelly has foretold success!"

An enormous weight lifted off my shoulders.

So...

The great Jelly had decreed that I should take the role.

"I-I have a question too!"

The maknae excitedly looked at Junghyun.

"Ask whether my movie will succeed!"

"Which one?"

"Chicken Shop Four Siblings, where I'm the lead!"

"Hmm..."

Junghyun closed his eyes once more.

"Will the movie starring Jiho become a success?"

"Jelly, jelly. Magic jelly."

Flip!

The dog that chased the chicken ends up staring at the roof.

"What does that mean?"

"It's an old proverb."

"It means all your efforts end in nothing."

"...Uh..."

Junghyun slowly rotated the book.

But what if... you were the chicken?

"Jelly!"

"That's our Jelly!"

Everyone applauded the Jelly's miraculous wisdom.

Meanwhile, Jiho grinned mischievously.

"Since we're already doing this, let's ask another one."

"Hmm?"

"Which movie will do better in Korea? Sun Wooju's movie... or Wang Jiho's?"

A superhero blockbuster with a budget of several hundred billion won...

...versus a completely absurd comedy about the Chicken Shop Four Siblings fighting aliens.

Junghyun shut his eyes and flipped the book.

An elephant fighting an ant.

An obvious mismatch.

Then—

He slowly turned the page.

Science Fact: Elephants will avoid ants if they smell them first.

...

The ant wins.

Not only Jiho, who had asked the question as a joke, but everyone stared at one another in bewilderment.

"...?"

"...??"

...Jelly?

What exactly is that supposed to mean?

After receiving an utterly incomprehensible prophecy from the great Jelly, we returned to Japan and performed two consecutive concerts at Fukuoka Dome.

The roar of tens of thousands of fans.

The sea of Dalbongs waving beneath the massive screens.

Even after the concerts ended, the excitement lingered.

"Dome concerts really are incredible..."

"They're seriously amazing."

It wasn't just the overwhelming cheers from tens of thousands of fans.

The indoor atmosphere of a dome itself was wonderful.

I'd already felt it during the Osaka Dome concerts, but now I understood why so many singers dreamed of performing in domes.

"The lack of temperature swings is the best part."

Ri Hyuk nodded.

"This weather is perfect for catching a cold, but being indoors makes everything so much easier."

"Exactly."

By now it was October.

The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures had become significant.

If we'd been performing outdoors, rehearsals would have been sweltering beneath the afternoon sun, only for the temperature to plummet after sunset.

Inside a dome, none of that mattered.

"And if the location's good, you don't have to worry about noise complaints nearly as much."

"That's true."

In short—

Large-scale dome concerts were incredible.

"Hyungs."

The maknae's eyes sparkled.

"What if we work really hard and build a huge dome in Korea ourselves?"

"...Do you honestly think that's possible?"

"You have to dream big. Seriously, who would've guessed we'd be flying around on private jets?"

"That's completely different."

"Oh, come on."

Jiho pouted.

"Instead of supporting my dreams, you're crushing them."

Everyone laughed.

He talked about building a dome that would cost nearly a trillion won as casually as someone suggesting lunch.

Shortly after wrapping up our Fukuoka Dome concerts—

With the upcoming American Music Awards and our Tokyo Dome concerts still ahead—we returned to Korea.

NewBlack to Appear at Special University Festival Event... Three Gwangju Universities Hold Joint Festival

Our destination was Gwangju.

The joint festival organized by Chonnam National University, Honam University, and Chosun University—the final stop of the New Universe university festival special.

Unlike most schools, these universities held their main Daedong Festival in October, which had been one of the reasons we chose the project.

"It's been a while since we've been to Gwangju."

"Yeah."

I remembered visiting during our rookie days for nationwide fan sign events.

I also remembered filming TV shows like National Singing Contest during our small-theater tour.

"Come to think of it, Biju, didn't you come here during the METRO promotions?"

"I did."

When we'd recorded subway announcements across Korea's major cities to promote METRO, Biju had been assigned to Gwangju.

We were chatting about old memories when—

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

Something caught our attention through the car windows.

Welcome, NewBlack!

A gigantic banner fluttered in front of City Hall.

It featured all of us in our OverCook outfits, giving thumbs-up.

"...?"

"...??"

Wonseok hyung chuckled.

"Apparently Souffle started arriving several days ago because they heard you were coming. Local businesses say sales are up four hundred percent."

"...Why?"

Today's performance was almost entirely restricted to students from the participating universities.

Souffle wouldn't even be able to attend.

"They just... came anyway."

"..."

"Seems they've been eating their way across the city."

"...Well."

I nodded.

"They certainly do like to eat."

Souffle already had a reputation for being the young men and women who could visit a tourist attraction alone and still order enough food for three people.

It sounded exactly like them.

As we listened to stories about Gwangju's businesses celebrating their fourfold increase in revenue—

"We're here."

We had reached the venue for today's main event.

Crash! Bang!

Clang!

Beep-beep-beep!

The noise outside was deafening.

We looked out the windows—

"...Are all those people?"

"Wow."

The area surrounding Gwangju World Cup Stadium looked like one enormous festival.

College students hurried everywhere performing traditional percussion.

The entire parking lot had been transformed into rows of booths selling everything imaginable—including food.

There were university booths alongside local vendors from all over the region.

"They're really making the most of this opportunity."

"They sure are."

Then, in the distance, we spotted Lemon Entertainment's booth selling Dalbongs.

A huge crowd surrounded it, phones raised.

"What's going on?"

"Is somebody famous over—"

Then we saw him.

"...Huh?"

"The CEO?"

There stood Park Gyuho.

Dressed like a part-time employee, smiling kindly as he personally sold Dalbongs.

I couldn't help but admire him.

"As expected of the CEO..."

He'd already become that successful...

...yet he was still personally selling merchandise.

I should work just as hard.

Wonseok hyung looked at us.

"Want to go say hello?"

"No! It's okay!"

Our van rolled past the Lemon Entertainment booth and headed directly into the stadium.

We immediately met with the event director.

"We don't have much time for rehearsal today. There are multiple events scheduled here..."

Apparently the stadium itself was hosting several different activities.

With more than thirty thousand people expected for the evening performance alone, the staff had been in chaos since early morning.

"All right. We'll head into rehearsal now..."

The director glanced at what we were wearing.

"You came straight indoors, right?"

"Yes."

"You'll want to put on something warmer. The forecast says it'll feel like early winter today."

We threw light windbreakers over our clothes and headed toward the rehearsal stage.

I shrugged.

"Come on. How cold could it possibly—"

Whoooooosh—

Without another word, I pulled my zipper halfway up.

"Achoo!"

Ri Hyuk sneezed immediately as an icy wind swept over us.

I could already feel a chill creeping through my entire body.

After spending days basking in the warmth of the dome before returning to Korea, the weather felt absolutely brutal.

As I zipped my jacket the rest of the way up, I quietly said,

"Junghyun."

"Yeah?"

"If we work hard enough..."

"...do you think we can really build our own dome someday?"

"One moment."

Junghyun dramatically opened the book once more.

Man may devise his plans, but their fulfillment depends upon the universe.

No matter how hard you worked, the proverb said, luck still had the final word.

Then he slowly turned the page.

(Sun) Wooju

"...!"

"...!!"