Chapter 775: The Great Legacy (20)

As the broadcast feed from the Japanese network fell silent, the public suddenly became noisy.

"Eh?"

"Isn’t that Paul Laurent?"

It was because of the man they all recognized.

‘Paul Laurent!’

Around the 2000s, when a classical music boom swept through Japan, he had been one of the most talked about performers.

A top tier French musician admired by Japan.

With blond hair and an aristocratic appearance, the pianist had even earned the nickname “the Prince.” His popularity still remained strong enough that people in Japan longed for the day he would come perform there again.

So when that performer suddenly appeared on television, the shock was inevitable.

‘Is NewBlack really that big?’

To Japanese viewers, NewBlack was simply a “K pop group” currently receiving global attention.

Classical music and popular music.

In their mental ranking, Paul Laurent was a greater musician than NewBlack.

Yet Paul Laurent was providing accompaniment for them.

"......."

Cognitive dissonance set in.

Was NewBlack really a musician great enough to stand alongside Paul Laurent?

Had their agency paid him an enormous amount of money?

But would an artist like Paul Laurent move simply for money? If money were enough, wouldn’t he already be touring everywhere?

‘Then....’

There was only one conclusion.

That the idol group NewBlack possessed a stature worthy of standing beside that pianist.

Yet it did not immediately make sense in their minds.

‘Still, they’re just K pop idols....’

Even though NewBlack had achieved global popularity, many people still confined them within the frame of “K pop group.”

No matter how successful they became, there was a certain comfort in believing they could never escape the limits of Asian pop music.

Like true bone aristocrats looking down on a lesser noble who had made a name abroad, many Japanese observers had viewed NewBlack that way.

That was the tone often used on television.

"......?"

But something about the reality in front of them felt different from what they had imagined.

The NewBlack presented by the media and the NewBlack standing on stage felt like completely different entities.

Only after that mental frame shattered did they begin to see NewBlack clearly.

[OK.]

On the television screen, Sun Wooju, dressed neatly like the vocalist of a jazz band, walked forward smoothly.

Approaching Paul Laurent, who wore the same outfit.

[That’s Not Me.]

The song began with a refreshing melody.

A lively rhythm.

As his footsteps echoed lightly across the stage, Japanese fans of Sun Myungju watching television cheered.

‘That song!’

It was a playful composition written by Sun Myungju.

A famous performance where critics who mocked his piano skills were invited to witness it.

He had deliberately seated one of the greatest pianists of the era, dressed in the same outfit as himself, while he later made a surprise appearance.

"Waaaaaaa!"

As cheers erupted from the venue, Wooju slid backward across the stage, singing with a sly smile.

He looked like someone who completely understood the genre of jazz.

The contrabass thumped deeply.

Strings and clarinet intertwined.

Wooju lifted the microphone.

"If you think it’s over"

"That’s not true at all"

Instrumental sounds tapped gently at the ear, while his voice evoked a midnight concert. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

He looked like someone simply happy to be standing on stage.

The unknown passion visible in his eyes captivated Japanese viewers.

"So that’s why they made it to the world stage."

"Wow."

"How should I put it... for a singer these days, there’s something rare about him. Maybe it’s just my imagination...."

Seeing was believing.

The Japanese broadcaster had hoped to promote the message of “J pop standing alongside K pop.”

But the result was the complete opposite.

‘He’s really amazing.’

Watching him perform a jazz piece freely—not a flashy dance track or a ballad—was astonishing.

Jazz was a genre where vocal weakness would be exposed immediately.

When viewers became mesmerized by the atmosphere that required both technical fundamentals and musical understanding—

"Ah... it’s already over."

After singing the final lyric, Wooju lowered the long cable microphone and strode toward the grand piano.

He shook hands with the pianist who stood up beside him.

[Paul Laurent, Ladies and Gentlemen!]

The two men bowed and shared a brief embrace.

The stage went dark.

Immediately the next stage followed.

A dressing table with light bulbs like those used by Broadway musical actors appeared as the camera switched.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!"

The visual youngest of NewBlack.

Jiho lifted his chin slightly while examining his face in the mirror.

Ignoring the camera moving around him, he adjusted the position of his head microphone.

When he stood up, Japanese viewers—especially women—gasped.

‘My god.’

Jiho’s real appearance was finally revealed, beyond the cheerful footage previously shown.

From his shoulder muscles down to his collarbones ran a smooth line.

Even though he was called the youngest, the broad back beneath his suit made that label feel awkward.

As the screams of fans at the venue grew almost feral—

Jiho glanced at the camera once.

Then he walked forward with relaxed steps.

As he exited through the backstage corridor, the dark concert hall appeared from the singer’s perspective.

A wave of glowing light sticks.

The camera switched to a wide shot as Jiho joined the other members posing within that sea of light.

The song began.

‘Is it METRO?’

That was what Souffle thought.

But the intro that followed was completely different.

‘Huh?’

The music playing on TV was Coin.

A rearranged version—slightly calmer, more seductive.

A piece that the ruthless composing goblin had practically forced his arranging friend to produce.

The screams from the venue intensified.

"Waaaaaa...."

As the Coin stage continued, Japanese viewers were stunned.

‘Why is it so fast?’

The choreography looked simple, yet the speed was unbelievable.

They moved from the extended stage to the main stage, constantly changing positions, yet their synchronization was perfect.

It felt as if even the cameras struggled to keep up.

"...That’s insane."

While watching the awards show, viewers had thought other K pop groups were impressive.

Even Japanese members within K pop groups seemed more polished than typical J pop idols.

But NewBlack stood out even among them.

‘So they didn’t reach America just by luck.’

With those faces and those skills, even aliens on Mars would probably beg them to come perform.

Soon METRO appeared.

Japanese viewers stared in disbelief.

"What is this?"

"So fast... seriously fast...."

Five members stomped the stage so intensely that sweat droplets flying through the air looked like rain on camera.

Their hair soaked with sweat.

They had no time even to brush it aside as they danced.

Close ups captured eyes filled with determination, passion, and something even deeper.

When they threw off their jackets with their shirts soaked through, cheers erupted again.

‘More.’

Just as viewers felt they wanted to see more—

The screen switched to a VCR.

Crickets chirped in the darkness.

Under a dazzling moonlit sky, Korean palaces including Gyeongbokgung appeared beautifully.

But they looked abandoned.

The interior of a dark palace hall emerged.

The shadow of an old throne stretched across the floor.

Spiderwebs hanging from pillars swayed eerily in the wind.

‘Oh?’

A mysterious energy gathered, forming a figure reclining sideways upon the throne.

A beautiful young man with ash gray hair held an apple, his hanbok ribbon loosened.

The black robe shimmered with mother of pearl patterns.

‘Is that Biju?’

As the camera closed in on Biju’s face, golden colored contact lenses gleamed.

The camera zoomed back out.

"Waaaaaaa!"

Cheers erupted from the venue.

Biju was now standing on stage.

"There’s something atmospheric about him."

"He looks scary when he doesn’t smile."

Unlike during Mango, NewBlack had come prepared to show a serious performance without playful smiles.

Immediately—

Biju raised his arm.

The wide robe slid down, revealing a pale white arm.

Holding one hand aloft, he began a solo dance.

Slow.

Fast.

Sometimes strangely off beat.

The dance was so enchanting that people were spellbound.

Posts began appearing on social media and Japanese portals asking who the performer on stage was.

"Wow."

Traditional lanterns suspended on strings suddenly floated into the air, circling the main dancer like will o the wisps.

The lights shining softly through red paper looked as though they had been brought directly from a palace.

At the same time, music slowly began.

A melody both sorrowful and playful.

As Biju and the lanterns intensified their choreography—

He finished with a flourish.

His robe fluttered.

Then he extended a hand as if introducing something.

‘Ohhhh.’

Doors installed behind the stage.

At his gesture, they began opening one after another.

First the gate of a fortress wall.

Then the main gate of a palace.

Then side doors.

The doors opened one by one in succession like sliding tatami doors.

When the final doors of the royal hall opened—

"Waaaaaaa!"

Beyond the eerie fog stood five figures.

At the center, a handsome man with a proud expression revealed violet eyes.

"It looks like the final boss scene of an anime."

"Like a demon king and his generals."

"I feel like calling him Lord Wooju."

The stage began.

Stylishly redesigned traditional shoes crossed the threshold one by one.

A cold looking man with blue eyes brushed his black hair back.

"Did we take the wrong path?"

"So it seems."

Dancers followed the goblin like figures passing through the gates.

"Did we awaken at the wrong time?"

"So it seems."

Each time they crossed another threshold, the number of dancers following them increased.

"A demon castle needs its minions."

"But it’s actually scary... those masks look like tengu."

The dancers wore hooded cloaks and traditional Hahoe masks.

An enormous number of dancers.

A set that looked like an entire palace transported onto the stage.

A reaction shot briefly showed Street Boys and Teen Spirit staring in shock.

Then—

"Gabi gabi dokkaebi"

"Odokkaebi"

The performance truly demonstrated the dignity of a top idol group.

Vocals.

Dance.

Acting.

Every element blended together like a trinity.

The choreography grew more intense than the original Dokkaebi, accelerating until the motion left afterimages on television.

Even Japanese viewers unfamiliar with Korean found themselves humming “gabi gabi.”

"Until this night is over"

"We sing"

The main vocalist lifted his chin and soared into a high note.

The lead vocalist followed immediately.

The heat on stage gradually rose.

Just as viewers began feeling the illusion of flames flickering—

During the third chorus, the lead vocalist added his role as lead dancer.

‘What?’

Japanese viewers tilted their heads watching Wooju.

‘He’s dancing too?’

‘The TV said he just makes music... what is this?’

It felt like watching a craftsman who single handedly produced everything in a factory built on strict division of labor.

But the thought vanished quickly.

The main dancer and lead dancer led the massive choreography.

"Waaah."

Fireworks exploded.

NewBlack danced powerfully among dozens of masked dancers.

The long sequence ended.

The camera switched.

The doors that had been open began closing one by one.

Clack.

Clack.

When the final door closed—

The rapper of NewBlack smiled.

Then placed a goblin mask over his face.

The stage went dark.

"Kyaaaaaaaa!"

The roar of the crowd echoed through the television.

Only then did the announcers finally speak again.

"Yes. That was NewBlack’s stage. Long yet short."

"The impact was strong."

They tried to keep their praise restrained, but it was obvious to anyone that the stage had been outstanding.

Because viewers themselves had felt it.

While the KMA VCR played afterward, Japanese viewers seemed to wake from a spell.

‘What did I just watch?’

The most beautiful faces in the world shifting from solemn to smiling to mesmerizing.

Brilliant eyes with colored irises.

Overwhelming group choreography.

As those images lingered like afterimages, viewers finally noticed the tea cups or food in their hands.

Cold tea.

Cold meals.

"......."

Viewers slowly picked up their phones.

And began searching the internet for NewBlack.

"Great work!"

"Good job!"

After stepping down from the stage and exchanging high fives with the dancers,

We changed outfits and returned to the singers’ section.

"Yo."

We bumped fists with Street Boys, while someone behind us whispered “that was insane.”

After adjusting my suit, I looked at the younger members.

Their pale faces were flushed red.

The heat of the stage clearly had not faded.

"Everyone okay?"

"Yeah...."

Biju nodded, breathing heavily.

The youngest leaned slightly against Junhyun.

And our main vocalist, who had the weakest stamina—

Had his eyes closed.

"Are you alive?"

I held a finger to his nose.

He was breathing.

When I pinched his nose, he smacked my arm.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

When I grinned, Ri Hyuk clicked his tongue and then laughed.

"I’m not laughing because I like it. I’m laughing because it’s ridiculous."

"I know."

But Ri Hyuk looked genuinely happy.

So did the rest of us.

"Everyone worked hard. Really."

"You worked the hardest, hyung."

We massaged each other’s shoulders and laughed.

The KMA stage.

There were still the year end broadcasts of the three major networks.

But at least this was the last performance this year in front of tens of thousands of people.

It felt like the weight on our shoulders had finally lifted.

"We... did well, right?"

"I think we did."

Judging from the reaction at the venue and the other singers, the stage seemed successful.

Now only the awards remained.

The commercial break ended.

Grand music played.

Presenters in glamorous dresses and tuxedos walked out arm in arm.

"Hello. I’m actor Sunwoo Myunghoon."

"And I’m Honda Mayumi."

They were a Korean Japanese couple recently popular from a reality show about visiting in laws.

After praising K pop, Honda Mayumi said,

"Let’s meet the nominees!"

The VCR appeared.

[2017 K net Music Awards]

[Song of the Year]

Music videos appeared one by one.

[Teen Spirit — Forgotten]

[Hong Saetbyeol — A Cup of Coffee (feat. Yoo Jaechang)]

[Serenity — Candy Love]

[Wonder Child — SOSO]

Cheers rose and fell after each clip.

Then—

[NewBlack — Coin]

The cheers suddenly exploded.

"Waaaaaaa!"

We sat calmly.

Honestly this awards show had too many variables.

The judging panel held too much influence.

Seokhwan hyung and I had predicted earlier.

"Song of the Year will probably go to Serenity."

"Most likely."

They deserved it.

But winning three grand prizes in a ceremony that usually spread awards around seemed unlikely.

We were strong candidates for Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

Song of the Year was the one that might go elsewhere.

And Serenity was a strong contender.

Their earlier hit Party Girl had topped the charts alongside Coin.

And Candy Love was also near the top of the charts.

Though why K Net nominated a song released in the second half of the year remained unclear.

Other candidates had chances too.

Teen Spirit had a successful song this year.

And Hong Saetbyeol was famous for dominating digital charts.

Still, Serenity seemed most likely.

"Now! Song of the Year."

The presenters opened the envelope.

"Congratulations! Wonder Child — SOSO!"

The title song of Wonder Child, a group that debuted through an audition program last year, began playing.

Huh?

Instinctively we stood and applauded.

"Congratulations!"

"Congrats!"

As Wonder Child stood in disbelief, senior singers clapped for them.

While they accepted the trophy on stage,

My eyes briefly met the younger members’.

‘What?’

Among the nominees, it had been the least competitive song.

Fans near the stage murmured in confusion.

I was just as puzzled.

Usually my predictions were fairly accurate.

But this time I truly had no idea.

Was it worthy of a grand prize nomination?

Of course.

It had been quite popular.

But among that lineup, it was definitely unexpected.

"......."

One thought crossed my mind.

Next year’s K Net audition project.

KM Entertainment would apparently be involved.

Anyway—

The first grand prize had already left the venue filled with uncertainty.

"Next, we will present Album of the Year."

One of the two remaining categories followed.