Chapter 841: Is This the Land of the New Black? (17)

Ding-dong.

Ding-dong.

Ding-dong-dong.

Biju’s phone began ringing nonstop.

“Biju, I think you’re getting messages.”

“It’s Minjun.”

It seemed the graduation ceremony had just ended.

The younger members and I gathered around Biju with gleeful expressions.

“So? Did he like the coffee truck we sent—”

Just then, we saw the phone screen.

Minjun [Don’t come home today for real]

Minjun [Oh, my god; I know]

Minjun [So annoying]

Biju smiled wistfully.

“The reaction’s really bad. Right now.”

“Why?”

The maknae looked utterly confused.

“Isn’t this something all celebrities dream of? Merchandise with your name on it... seniors sending a coffee truck...”

“Exactly.”

“Does Minjun not like attention...?”

Even Ri Hyuk, who usually lived to nitpick, looked puzzled. “Is the gift bad?”

Junhyun said,

“Maybe Minjun’s just really shy.”

“True.”

I nodded.

“But once time passes, it becomes a memory. Embarrassment lasts a moment, but even that turns into nostalgia. Look at me. I slipped and said Souffle wrong during a music show speech, and that’s followed me around for over four years.”

“Is that really a memory?”

“Now I can laugh about it.”

“Truly a black-history expert.”

When I whispered last year’s KG Dragons league record into Junhyun’s ear, he burst into tears and ran off.

I said confidently,

“Anyway, tell Minjun this. If he endures for four years, it’ll all become a memory.”

“That’s right. Squid Princess was devastated at first too, but now she enjoys it.”

As Jiho and I giggled, Biju looked at us.

“Then do you two want to reply for me?”

“What are you talking about?”

Jiho and I waved our hands.

“Why would we interfere in family matters? Biju.”

“Exactly. Seven-year-olds shouldn’t touch real estate!”

At our insistence that family matters should stay within the family, Biju looked betrayed.

“Then enjoy dinner with your family, Biju!”

“Hyung! Good luck cleaning up!”

“Stay strong.”

Watching the young lady’s expression slowly turn villainous, we hurriedly fled.

“Lady Biju! Good luck with cleanup!”

“Hahaha!”

That evening.

Contrary to our expectations, Biju returned from his family dinner looking extremely bright.

“Oh.”

Junhyun held out his hand for a high five.

“What’s this? You look really cheerful.”

“It was fine.”

Biju smiled softly, and we stared in amazement.

“That’s surprising. Minjun looked furious... Maybe seeing you in person calmed him down.”

Isn’t it true that even the worst anger melts at the sight of Kim Deoksun’s face?

Perhaps Minjun felt the same.

“No.”

Biju laughed.

“Minjun was really sulky. Said his middle school life would be exhausting because of me. That celebrities might like that kind of thing, but ordinary people don’t. Told me to find my sense of reality... stuff like that.”

“......”

“He sulked the whole way to the restaurant.”

We shuddered.

“The rage of an elementary schooler....”

“Unmanageable. Seriously.”

“Elementary schoolers are the scariest even in games. Total lawlessness.”

We leaned forward with curiosity.

“So how did you calm him down? Buy him expensive food?”

“Mm....”

Biju smiled as he recalled it.

“I told him if he kept complaining, I’d visit his middle school.”

“......”

“Then he quieted down.”

He laughed brightly.

We swallowed.

It reminded me of a Digimon scene from childhood.

When Agumon dark-evolved into SkullGreymon and traumatized countless kids.

“Only then did Minjun understand gratitude. Haha.”

As Biju chuckled, we whispered,

“I feel like that evolution went in the wrong direction....”

“Isn’t it proximity effect?”

Proximity effect.

You get stained black if you stay near black.

Considering our team name was NewBlack, it sounded persuasive.

“Ah.”

Biju cleared his throat.

“Minjun said to give you this. He wants to send thank-you letters... and prepared gifts.”

A gift box tied with ribbon, clearly done by hand.

We opened the letters first.

To. Wooju hyung

[Hello! Hyung, it’s Minjun!

I’m about to graduate elementary school now~ Time flies, right? Haha, I’m amazed too haha]

Like kids these days, the letter was full of “ㅋ” and “ㅎ.”

I read carefully.

There had been many things during elementary school. Not all of them good.

There were happy moments and sad ones.

School life wasn’t as beautiful as he had imagined from his hospital bed.

But—

[Being able to live what people call an ordinary life makes me really happy, hyung. Really. You are one of the people who gave me my life.]

The words “gave me my life” hit deep in my chest.

I scratched my cheek and folded the letter.

I should read it again alone later.

“......”

I looked around.

Each member was smiling or laughing at their letters.

Biju and Junhyun were reading long ones.

“Whoa.”

Ri Hyuk was reading nearly three pages.

I leaned over, but Ri Hyuk pushed my face away with his palm.

“That’s a privacy violation.”

“I’m curious. Why do you have three pages?”

“Why do you think?”

Ri Hyuk shot back.

“Where do you think Minjun learned [N O V E L I G H T] to write such sincere handwritten letters?”

“Your self-awareness is excessive, Ri Hyuk. You think the world writes letters because of you?”

“No. That’s not it....”

Our main vocalist explained.

“Minjun and I have been pen pals. We email each other letters. Since we met at the hospital.”

“Since when?”

“Since then. We both like science, so we talk about new asteroids and stuff by email.”

Judging by Biju’s expression, only those two had known.

“Anyway, I’m focusing. Don’t interrupt.”

Watching him return to his letter felt strangely moving.

Like the story of a wicked tycoon secretly donating fortunes.

A faint holy halo seemed to glow above his sharp features.

“Humans really are dual...”

I turned—

The maknae stood there, looking deeply envious.

“Finished reading?”

“Yes.”

“That was fast.”

“It was short.”

He handed me his letter.

To. King Jiho hyung

[Hello~~ hyung~~ how have you been~ㅋ]

I burst out laughing at the lack of effort.

It read like a rushed homework diary, ending with a postscript telling him to stop being picky about food.

Jiho rubbed his neck.

“It’s sadder because I can’t refute it. Back then, I was really immature....”

“You really were.”

The days when Biju, exhausted from all-night practice, cooked while Jiho critiqued the food and got smacked.

“First impressions must matter.”

“But was it only the first impression?”

“......”

The maknae pouted.

After finishing the letters, we opened the gift boxes.

“Shall we?”

Rrrrip.

Inside were sketchbook sheets.

“Wow....”

Painted in acrylic was fan art.

A starry night sky.

Below it, a garden of roses and colorful vines, with me looking back over my shoulder.

It was beautiful enough to be a photoshoot.

“Look at this!”

“Hyung, look.”

Junhyun in a golden wheat field wearing a straw hat, arm around a scarecrow.

Ri Hyuk smiling at sea with binoculars.

Biju holding a small child, presumably Minjun.

“I think Minjun drew how he imagines us,” Biju said.

“That’s insane.”

“He’s really good.”

“This is gallery-level.”

Biju smiled quietly.

“Minjun always wanted to draw. He used to struggle—no stamina, weak wrists. Now he draws well. He’s talented. He didn’t even learn properly.”

Just as he mentioned the art teacher’s praise—

“Jiho?”

“......”

“You haven’t shown yours.”

“......”

The maknae handed his over with watery eyes.

We exploded in laughter.

A handsome villainous capitalist sitting at a dining table, fork raised, shouting at servants to iron his school uniform.

A brilliant satirical caricature.

“Hahaha!”

“Stop laughing!”

“At least you look handsome. If this were a photo, it’d be legendary.”

“What’s the point of handsome...!”

We teased the sulking maknae mercilessly.

Time flew after Minjun’s graduation.

“Magpies’ New Year was yesterday~”

“Our New Year is today~”

“...But why does New Year mention magpies? NewBlack TV will solve this mystery.”

“Suddenly?”

We filmed Lunar New Year content.

“Ri Hyuk!”

“Seori Hyuk!”

“Give us New Year’s money!”

“Give it in coins!”

We bowed to our investment genius with red ears.

Busy rather than fun.

Title track recording.

Choreography confirmations.

TF Team and album meetings.

And most importantly, closing ceremony rehearsals.

“Doesn’t it feel like we’ve known each other ten years?”

“Seriously.”

Rian from Daylight said so.

Six hours a day together made that inevitable.

Taehyun joked he didn’t need to eat with us anymore.

Daylight laughed.

“It feels like your company, right?”

“Yes, really.”

We scratched our heads.

Park Gyuho had asked our opinion recently.

What do you think of SNH Entertainment?

We summarized our impressions. He seemed satisfied.

Major shareholders would meet again, but not soon.

Right now, another project mattered more.

“One, two, three! Lift!”

“Watch your foot!”

Workers filled the building daily.

Ri Hyuk guarded my studio security closely.

“Careful!”

“Why are there thirty massage chairs here?”

“There’s even an arcade in the basement.”

We handed coffee to workers.

We were preparing to move.

The new Cheongdam building.

Finance and legal were already there.

Management support first, then A&R and producing last.

“It’ll be a memory soon.”

We stood with Park Gyuho and the directors.

Their eyes were watery.

“It’s a memory.”

They’d spent over ten years here.

“At least it won’t disappear.”

“The first floor will be a goods shop. Upper floors a museum.”

A NewBlack Museum.

“New building!”

“Yay!”

Memories aside, new facilities were best.

“So exciting. Is that why it’s new?”

“....”

“....”

The older staff laughed.

What was this bitter feeling?

The head director gave a thumbs-up.

“Our Wooju, comedic genius.”

“Thank you. Must be because I’m young.”

As Jiho whispered “old generation,”—

“The building’s incredible. Better than Netplus.”

“...!”

Interior finished. Only exterior left.

Corporate-grade facilities.

We gaped.

Then—

“Representative.”

“Yes?”

“Where exactly is it?”

He showed us the map.

“......”

“Is it really here?”

“Finding space was hard....”

“...Wow.”

The members asked,

“Where is it?”

TJ Entertainment.

At the top floor office, Han Yeongjun stared at his laptop.

[CEO Han Yeongjun]

Taehyun’s uncle.

His sharp eyes scanned industry trends.

Lemon and SNH investment talks.

Lemon seeking another label after absorbing DNS Media.

‘The gap keeps widening....’

Lemon had risen to number one.

Studio LM “The Deity” receives billions from Netplus

Lemon launches NBS Broadcasting

DNS Media acquisition rumors...

Using NewBlack profits for content and launching a network.

Worse, it looked like it would succeed.

‘What should I do.’

He couldn’t openly antagonize Lemon.

Then—

Whirrrrr—

Crane noises outside.

Han Yeongjun approached the window.

“......”

A large sign was being installed.

On an eight-story building taller than TJ Entertainment.

[ Lemon Entertainment ]

Across the street.

Han Yeongjun let out a hollow laugh.

A voice echoed in his mind.

I, Seon Myeongju, have returned.

As if whispering in his ear—

“Life is strange....”

The trainee he had released eight years ago was returning in glory as an industry giant.

A triumphant return in fine robes.