Chapter 845: Is This the Land of the New Black? (21)

Terrestrial broadcast coverage from the three major networks.

With ratings already surpassing 20 percent, the voices of the TV commentators rang out.

[All right, this is the first performance of the closing ceremony!]

After a reinterpretation of traditional choreography wrapped up, the official entrance of the flag bearers and athletes began in earnest.

[Wow. It feels like a festival.]

[It’s quite different from the opening ceremony, isn’t it? If the opening ceremony began in a tense and solemn atmosphere, the closing ceremony truly seems to be starting in a cheerful and joyful mood!]

[The athletes look incredibly bright!]

Freed from the burden of competition, the athletes were playfully hamming it up in front of the cameras.

American athletes raising their medals and cheering.

Nordic athletes entering arm in arm. South Korean athletes chatting with competitors from other countries.

Amid the freely entering athletes, someone was caught on camera.

[Hahaha!]

The commentators reacted to the sight of Suzy Clark dancing to NewBlack’s goblin dance.

[Quite the upset, wasn’t it? This is Suzy Clark, who won gold representing Great Britain in cross country, a discipline traditionally dominated by Nordic athletes!]

[She’s even more famous in Korea as a Soufflein fan, right?]

[I understand NewBlack will be performing today—now I’m really curious what her expression will look like later.]

While her teammates in red uniforms passed by pretending not to notice her, the athletes continued their entrance with delighted expressions.

It was clearly a different atmosphere from the opening ceremony.

Unlike the opening ceremony, where it felt like even casual chatter would be inappropriate, the closing ceremony had the vibe of an after party everyone could enjoy together.

Because of that, the performances carried a different tone as well.

[The main performances are finally beginning.]

Unlike the opening ceremony, which had been filled with traditional culture, modern performances followed one after another.

A large scale dance routine using LED screens.

A musical staged against a background projected onto the floor to resemble an ice rink.

Drones flying in formation to draw the mascot in the sky, and more.

As stages no less spectacular than the opening ceremony continued, joyful cheers erupted from the venue.

[You can really feel that the production team worked on this with a joyful spirit in many ways.]

That was true.

Generally, viewership for the opening ceremony is roughly double that of the closing ceremony.

With only about half as many viewers and a shorter runtime, the closing ceremony is typically prepared on a more modest scale.

For that reason, in most countries the concept of the opening and closing ceremonies tends to follow a similar pattern.

The opening ceremony proclaims, “Isn’t our country amazing?” showcasing history and traditional culture to the fullest. The closing ceremony shifts to, “Now let’s have fun!” creating an atmosphere similar to an after party.

Because of that, the top priority for the closing ceremony lineup was singers who perform that country’s popular music.

[National singer No Jaehyun has taken the stage!]

[This is practically his first stage since his illness. As a beloved veteran singer cherished by the public—]

A veteran singer who had not long recovered from illness, his gaunt appearance softened by a beard.

Wearing a coat and scarf, the elderly singer stepped out, strumming an acoustic guitar as cheers erupted.

With a slightly huskier voice, he sang warmly and bent his notes freely, drawing murmurs of admiration.

“Wow....”

“Oh my, that man was born for the stage. Incredible.”

“In our day, No Jaehyun was the best.”

In living rooms across the country, middle aged and older viewers watching on TV smiled in satisfaction.

As boys and girls holding candles surrounded him in a circle, the veteran singer’s fingers plucked the guitar strings.

He truly looked like a wandering bard.

As his signature song, , followed, Koreans nodded along.

Foreigners at the venue did the same.

‘I don’t know what he’s saying, but the song is good.’

Even without understanding the lyrics, the emotion of a masterpiece felt similar across borders.

Just as Koreans hum along vaguely to English pop songs, foreigners listened to the veteran singer pour his soul into his performance.

After a short medley ended, someone rose onto the stage via lift.

“Oh!”

Middle aged viewers brightened with recognition.

“Who is that? Is that Gyeon Seonghwa?”

“How does Gyeon Seonghwa never seem to age? Is it because she’s always out singing?”

“She sings everywhere. If you travel the whole country performing, you won’t age either.”

The queen of trot emerged wearing a fur coat and fur scarf, raising her hand.

A lively trot melody arranged in a modern style filled the air.

[Let’s all have some fun together!]

With a bold shout, she snapped her fingers, and a roar of “Waaaaa—!” rose from the venue.

A stage that made the entire nation’s shoulders bounce to the rhythm.

Netizens watching on TV burst into laughter.

-Suddenly feels like a Korean highway rest stop

-This is seriously legendary lol

-No need for stage props lol her gestures are the stage props

-The arrangement is insanely good though...?

The K trot arrangement, crafted with care by Lemon Entertainment’s composers, drew a heated response on site.

Even the athletes seated in the stands stood up and started bobbing their shoulders.

After thirty years of performance experience, the queen of trot turned the PyeongChang Olympics into a grand festival with her backup dancers.

Then another singer emerged from the lift.

-Oh damn

-The final boss has arrived lol

-Hyung please relax your face

-Lol foreigners are asking who that mafia looking guy is

-I’m so jealous of the audience... live Cha Woohyun

As ballad singer Cha Woohyun began to sing, admiration spread among both the live audience and TV viewers.

It felt like one’s ears were cleared.

His voice seemed to resonate off the stadium walls.

Without apparent effort, he moved seamlessly between high and low notes, delivering a powerful stage.

[Ah! There’s a joint stage!]

After finishing their respective hit song medleys, the singers gathered together and harmonized briefly.

As humming continued, the children surrounding them waved their candles.

A stage that concluded in a warm atmosphere.

[Wow.]

[It was truly a stage worthy of praise. A moving performance where legends of the music industry gathered in one place!]

It was as if the performance showcased the entirety of Korean popular music up to now.

A stage that demonstrated to the world, despite the language barrier, just how high the achievement and level of Korean music had become.

It symbolically showed that the foundation beneath the genre now called K pop was anything but weak.

[That was a stage by the seniors of the music industry.]

[We’re curious to see what kind of stage the juniors will show. I think there’s a lot of anticipation for what’s about to be revealed.]

Viewers nodded in agreement.

Shiver.

Daylight and TNT, along with us, huddled together trembling, padded jackets thrown over our stage outfits.

[Mesdames et Messieurs....]

The sounds from the venue echoed into the ears of the singers waiting underground.

The Greek flag and the Olympic flag were lowered from the poles.

Music promoting the 2022 Beijing Olympics played alongside China’s national anthem.

“Wow. 2022.”

At someone’s remark, everyone laughed softly.

It was a thought that always came up when seeing the year of the next Olympics. A year that felt impossibly far away.

“Phew....”

After the Beijing Olympic handover performance themed around pandas and martial arts concluded,

the program proceeded precisely on schedule, including speeches from the organizing committee chair and the IOC president.

Meanwhile, the singers could only stand underground, hand warmers clutched in their hands.

“Ugh....”

“Standing here the whole time is making my stomach hurt from nerves.”

“I’m seriously nervous.”

Everyone was barely holding it together from the tension.

I was no different.

Each second felt stretched into several, the waiting time dragging on like an eternity.

“I think the speeches are ending.”

As soon as Junhyeon’s voice was heard, the staff around us became busy.

A staff member holding a radio spoke.

“We’ll begin the five minute countdown now.”

“Yes.”

We nodded and looked at one another by idol teams.

I held out my hand.

“Let’s stack hands.”

“For a cheer?”

“So we can hold on.”

Nearly twenty of us clasped hands together like a giant circle dance.

I could feel the warmth of Bijoo and Jiho.

“In the middle of all this, Rihyuk hyung still has cold hands.... My left hand is freezing....”

“Hey.”

As quiet laughter spread, I spoke up as team leader.

“The preparation time was short, but we prepared well. Now it’s time to show it.”

“Translation: let’s wreck the stage.”

Everyone laughed at Lian’s words.

As the countdown dropped under two minutes, the Daylight members stepped onto the lift.

Their expressions had already shed the tension.

“We’ll go first.”

Like a Snow Queen, the members crouched in position as a voice came through the in ear monitors.

-Countdown. Three. Two. One. Music start.

With the background music filling the venue, the lift slowly began to rise.

As the girl group ascended to the stage, the Olympic cauldron burning fiercely at the top of the stadium came into view.

The idol joint stage, the final act before the flame was extinguished.

We were today’s last spark.

Daylight’s fans seated in the stadium shifted excitedly.

‘Finally!’

After the tedious speeches, it was finally time to see their singers.

The stage went dark.

A projector beam illuminated the floor, and blue waves began to ripple across it.

A refreshing blue ocean.

Crack.

Then the ice froze white, transforming the floor into a snowy field.

At the same time, a spotlight focused on someone on stage.

“Waaaaaa—!”

Daylight’s main vocalist and center, Lian.

Each step she took forward made her wavy brown hair sway like rippling waves.

The Snow Queen brushed her hair back and joined her members as the music began.

A whisper.

Daylight never ends

As Daylight’s signature sound flowed out, cheers erupted.

An upbeat drum beat.

Dressed in blue outfits, the Daylight members swayed their hips smoothly, creating a sexy atmosphere.

Take a look

Look at me

If you think you can handle it

Cuz I’m not shy

Daylight’s hit dance pop song played.

A song known for its arrow shooting choreography in the chorus, symbolizing Cupid’s arrow.

-Love won’t come? Then I’ll go and claim it myself.

If Cupid won’t shoot the arrow, I’ll steal it and make you fall for me.

Daylight’s main dancer Susan shook her shoulders and placed her hands on the shoulders of the members beside her.

She gestured as if drawing a bowstring.

Love doesn’t come easily

Let me borrow it for a moment

Your bow n arrow

Korean audience members chanted “bow n arrow!” rhythmically along with the rap as the arrow shooting choreography continued.

Idol fans pressed their hands to their cheeks and screamed.

‘They’re so good. This is insane....’

Daylight exuded seasoned confidence.

Everything moved organically.

Like athletes passing a ball, each choreography move flowed seamlessly into the next. It was a tightly synchronized routine that most singers would struggle even to imitate.

“Unni!”

“Unniii!”

“Girls...!”

As Daylight’s fans wept, the group that opened the stage was utterly captivating.

Even other idol fans were impressed.

‘So this is what seasoned really means.’

A stage that displayed maturity.

That was why it connected so well with the earlier performances by the national legends.

At the same time, it showed what K pop wanted to present.

Daylight embodied one of K pop’s major themes—love—through mature charm.

As the roughly two minute stage approached its end,

Lian, under the spotlight, lightly {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} stomped on the frozen floor.

Crack.

The ice centered around Daylight split apart.

From within the broken ice, flames emerged.

The small spark gradually spread outward.

Whoosh!

Red lighting filled the background.

As an electric guitar riff reminiscent of a rock intro played, the roar of engine exhaust engulfed the stage.

“Aaaaaaah!”

TNT’s fans screamed at the sight of motorcycles appearing on stage.

TNT members lightly dismounted behind them, landing spaced apart.

The music slowly built.

Wearing rider jackets, they crouched into position as the intro began.

“Waaaaaa—!”

It was TNT’s early career song that had become their most popular hit.

A rebellious concept.

TNT members walked forward, encouraging the audience to respond.

A repeating cycle

Uh you’re always the same

Covering your eyes like a coward

A sexy low toned intro.

Han Taehyun raised his hand and covered his eyes, drawing cheers.

Their fierce debut era concept resurfaced, and TNT fans covered their mouths.

Some simply cried at the sight of the full lineup.

Others, shouting “Park Taejun!” with choked voices, saw TNT give them exactly what they wanted.

Perfect teamwork.

Members who had initially stood apart gathered together as the chorus hit.

At that moment.

Gu Seonwoong placed his hand on main vocalist Shin Jooyoung’s shoulder and tilted his head slightly.

Hey—

A mischievous grin like a playful rogue spread across his face.

Who said we’re done?

‘Who said we were finished?’

TNT fans shrieked.

As they formed circles with their hands and danced closely together, the mood felt slightly different than usual.

When they had parted before, they had said, “Let’s just take a break,” keeping their distance.

Watching NewBlack and Daylight this time had changed their minds.

-Let’s really match our breathing this time.

-Didn’t we always?

-Not like that. More seriously.

Having spent time apart, they looked at each other properly once more.

Not just choreography aligned for sharp formations, but moves matched through eye contact.

They felt each other’s breath.

Leaned back to back.

And as cheers exploded, faint smiles curved on their lips.

It might have been a little late....

‘This is fun.’

A team stage reunited after stepping away was surprisingly enjoyable.

What it meant,

and what would come next,

they did not know.

But right now, what filled their hearts was joy.

They smiled.

‘All right. Take it from here.’

It was time to pass the flame received from Daylight to the next act.

TNT exited smoothly.

“Huh?”

“It’s changing?”

“Something’s coming out!”

Daylight had cracked the ice.

TNT had grown the spark into roaring flames.

The fiery effect flickering across the stage floor slowly condensed into a single point.

And then.

“Wooooah!”

Stage structures rose from various places.

LED frames.

The concentrated flame flared brilliantly and cast light in all directions.

That light was the light of a city.

‘No way!’

Even TNT fans who had been sobbing gasped in wonder.

Neon sign frames forming the silhouette of downtown Seoul rose onto the stage.

Under a backdrop of towering buildings stood four figures.

‘It’s NewBlack!’

NewBlack stood together in unique outfits.

Somewhere between techwear and traditional attire.

Black garments inspired by a scholar’s robe, tailored like jackets.

Viewers tilted their heads.

‘But where’s Wooju?’

At that moment, the camera pointed upward.

In front of a large clock tower shaped LED frame hung clock hands suspended by wires.

Someone sat atop the hand pointing at exactly nine o’clock.

The crowd erupted.

‘Nine!’

The song that had propelled rising NewBlack upward and become their symbol.

Wooju, seated calmly, lifted his microphone.

His sharp jawline and high nose bridge visible in profile, his eyes shone beautifully.

His voice even more so.

Burn even hotter

As if naturally entrusting the next line to the audience, he held out the microphone, and Koreans responded.

Shine brighter today—

NewBlack’s lead vocalist smiled, and cheers engulfed the stadium.

The electronic intro of Nine followed, and the roar grew louder.

Wooju descended from the clock hand and joined the group as the nation’s idol began to sing.

There was a clear difference from the previous stages.

Daylight’s Cupid sang maturely of love.

TNT’s Cycle tackled rebellion and independence.

And NewBlack’s Nine was....

-We don’t really know about all that. Let’s just have fun.

That was the only way to describe it.

Deciding they were not yet seasoned enough to carry heavy messages, NewBlack had chosen this path after much thought.

As they ran wild on a neon soaked stage, the camera cut to the Soufflein athletes.

Suzy Clark wept openly as she witnessed Wooju’s rap live.

It’s time to let it go

Throw away what’s in your hand

Set you free

Just for a moment before we cross everything

Cheers rose as the sub vocalist bent his waist smoothly and lifted into a high note.

NewBlack then held out their microphones to the audience.

With expressions that said, ‘You know it, right?’ the crowd answered, “Nine nine nine.”

“Waaaaaa—!”

The chorus of Nine followed immediately, and the stands swayed like a NewBlack concert.

Already drenched in sweat, NewBlack filled the giant screens.

The center rapper made a light slapping motion in the air as energetic choreography flowed.

As they stomped the floor, the choreography left even viewers breathless.

It was a stage that embodied the identity of NewBlack.

-Hold tight. From here on, NewBlack will take you on a roller coaster.

Not difficult. Easy.

Anyone can sing along.

Familiar.

Fun.

And hot.

As if declaring exactly that.

-If we were going to half do it, we wouldn’t have started at all.

Though already at the top, something still burned within them.

Passion, ambition, perhaps desire.

On stage, NewBlack expressed their hunger for performance without restraint.

The intensity of their performance made it feel as though the neon signs themselves were ablaze.

If the earlier seniors had been like a dignified lake, their stage surged like waves.

Beginning with the main dancer’s wave, heat spread outward.

“Waaaaaa—!”

To the electrifying dance music that felt like stress being blown away, the audience jumped along.

Even foreigners unfamiliar with them bounced excitedly.

Just as the audience realized two minutes had vanished as if enchanted.

‘Is there something else?’

As NewBlack members posed, gasping for breath, the LED frames shaped like buildings began to flicker.

A cyberpunk atmosphere.

The flickering lights slowly traveled down the frames.

‘Oh?’

As the frames were dismantled one by one, the lights descended to the floor and drew circuits.

As if connecting subway maps from around the world into one.

Then Daylight and TNT, dressed in outfits similar to NewBlack’s, appeared on either side, and cheers grew louder.

‘Oh my God.’

Idol fans covered their mouths as music began to play.

METRO.

NewBlack’s global hit that had topped the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to the highest tiers of charts worldwide.

And.

It was about to be performed by K pop’s greatest dream team.