Chapter 854: Answer (7)

At the same time.

Online, sightings of NewBlack were popping up one after another.

– I came to take the written driver’s test and saw NewBlack lol (+photo)

– [Celebration] Wang Jiho (21) fails Class 1 written test with 69 points

– Guys I saw NewBlackㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

The news that NewBlack had visited the driver’s license examination center for the written test.

Among it, the story that the youngest failed with 69 points was drawing laughter.

– ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– Off by one point ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– A long-standing tradition since the Korean history exam

– Bet he was gaming alone while the hyungs were cramming at the end ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– But once you fail the written test you keep failing... Jihoㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– They didn’t have licenses?

At the same time, a sighting of Seo Ri Hyuk was also trending.

[Fake madness can’t compete with real madness]

(Seo Ri Hyuk sighting.jpg)

Seo Ri Hyuk saying he wanted to retake despite getting 98.

– ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

– There was always one kid like that in every class ㅋㅋㅋ

– But can you even retake that? ㅋㅋ

– Probably not

– What was the staff at the counter feeling?

– I didn’t get it until I heard Wooju got 100 ㅋㅋㅋ I’d lose my mind too

But among all the sightings, the biggest buzz was about Producer Gu Jaeyoung.

“Newniverse...?”

News that he was filming a newly launched variety show with NewBlack began stirring the internet.

Producer Gu Jaeyoung, the star PD who created the national variety show Around the World by Dice, and his team.

NewBlack, the national idol group said to have created a “ratings duplication bug.”

It was a legendary combination, and variety fans’ hearts began racing.

– ㅁㅊ

– Gu Jaeyoung and NewBlack???? Countdown starts today

– Is NewBlack coming back again

– Hurry up Mayㅠㅠㅠ

– Show us NewBlack suffering under Gu PD’s spicy style

– Is it time for NewBlack to go to the Arctic now

– I’m so excitedㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Nothing to watch lately

Even without a teaser, it already felt like, “This will work.”

Entertainment reporters moved quickly.

– NBS new variety ‘Newniverse Project’... Producer Gu Jaeyoung: “Nervous but excited to collaborate with NewBlack”

– Producer Gu Jaeyoung: “Newniverse is NewBlack + Universe... We’ll show the true ‘wooju’”

– From ‘Jusehan’ to ‘Newniverse’... Producer Gu reveals reason for transfer to NBS: “I was burned out”

Articles poured out everywhere.

With a PD skilled in media play sharing behind-the-scenes stories, news spread rapidly among the general public as well.

People were surprised.

“Wow. So NBS was NewBlack.”

Everyone already knew Producer Gu Jaeyoung had transferred to NBS.

That alone had caused a stir.

Many knew the story of the Jusehan team being sidelined by TBC executives.

“Not surprising.”

It wasn’t rare for someone highly capable to be pushed out due to factional politics.

And the Korean public’s attitude toward someone who experienced such injustice was usually similar.

– I hope Gu PD does wellㅠㅠㅠ

– I hope those TBC bastards regret it

– Ten years of making national variety and that’s the treatment... no wonder big companies lose talent

– Hope the new show hits big

– Wow NewBlack personally contacted him to transfer;

Support for Producer Gu Jaeyoung.

Interest in national idol NewBlack.

Combined with the PR ability of the former Jusehan team to generate buzz, interest in Newniverse was already heating up.

[Real-time search rankings]

Newniverse Project

Sparrow vs Millstone

Moonlit Night of Gyeongseong

Smartphone Addiction Test

From number one on portal search rankings to trending keywords on various OTT platforms.

In that atmosphere, idol fans stared blankly.

“This is insane.”

The basic concept of the newly promoted show Newniverse was simple.

NewBlack would just try whatever they wanted to do.

“What kind of fan life are those guys even living?”

A national PD making self-produced content for an idol group.

Idol fans gaped at the scale, then turned their eyes.

To look at Souffle, who must be celebrating wildly.

But what they saw instead was a sea of gloomy faces.

– There’s no teaserㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– When is it comingㅠㅠ

– When is it comingㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

Watching that scene, idol fans glanced down at the crumbs of content they were clutching in their hands.

“....”

They felt tempted by Souffle’s paradise overflowing with honey and gold.

Fortunately, Jiho passed the retest right away.

“Hyuuuuungs!”

“Did you pass?”

“70 points! 70! I hit the cutoff exactly! Hahaha!”

Seventy points again. It made me wonder whether it was really okay to let our kid out on the road.

Well. It should be fine.

Junghyun had said something like that.

“The first thing I thought after getting my license was, hyung... is it okay for someone like me to be on the road?”

The youngest giggled while Biju praised him.

He looked around.

“I need praise. Where’s Junghyun hyung?”

“He went to take his test too.”

“Oh. Then I’ll get praise over text.”

While we filmed content about getting our licenses, Junghyun had separate content to film.

“Then I’ll get a Class 1 large vehicle license.”

We nodded, imagining the third member diligently driving a bus at the academy.

“He won’t break anything.”

“If nothing else, that hyung can drive well. He was great when we drove in Jeju.”

“Junghyun is good at driving.”

Then the topic returned to us.

While Junghyun pursued his large vehicle license, we also had to go to the academy for the functional and road tests.

Ri Hyuk said with a worried face,

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t think I’ll be good at driving.”

“It’s fine. Taehyeon said anyone can get it with practice.”

“Haah...”

While sitting in the lounge overlooking Cheongdam and comforting Ri Hyuk, the landline rang.

The first-floor desk said a delivery had arrived.

It was under Ri Hyuk’s name.

“Yes, please send it up.”

After hanging up, I asked,

“You ordered something?”

“Yes.”

“What did you order?”

He gestured for us to follow him.

At the freight elevator, the doors opened.

“Oh...”

I couldn’t help but gape.

Three workers wheeled out a box bigger than a person.

What was being installed in Ri Hyuk’s personal room was—

“...A steering wheel?”

“Isn’t that the thing from arcades? Like car racing?”

Installed with a monitor was a full driving simulator.

Ri Hyuk smiled softly.

“I’m not confident in driving, but I have money. I’m going to practice on this every day.”

“......”

“I’ll win the functional test... I’ll win...”

Losing by two points on the written test must have stung deeply.

“Can’t we just say you won?”

“Kyaaah!”

“Okay, okay.”

I handed him a self-cam.

The Newniverse staff had asked us to film everyday moments.

We left as Ri Hyuk busily checked the equipment.

“See you later.”

It was break time.

Biju headed to the vocal practice room, Jiho said he would nap.

Should I sleep too?

I was trying to take care of my health, but lack of sleep was unavoidable.

My eyes were dry, my head foggy.

I put in eye drops and headed toward the TF team office.

Bright, refreshing interior.

Designed to feel comfortable since they were often out on fieldwork.

“Oh, you’re here.”

Seokhwan hyung, who had been dozing in his chair, waved.

I handed him a tissue.

“Hm?”

“Drool.”

“Oh.”

Wiping his mouth, he put on his glasses.

“This chair’s too comfortable. It’s ergonomic, but I fall asleep instantly.”

“Then sleep properly, not just naps.”

“If I had time. With your comeback and concert prep, it’s meeting after meeting...”

He yawned and said they’d need to hire more staff soon.

We sat at the table.

“So what’s up?”

“Nothing urgent, but useful information.”

“Information?”

“Remember the American program that contacted you? The audition show.”

“I remember.”

It was a show to create a new boy group in the United States.

Apparently made by people who were furious watching Korean groups succeed.

“Looks like you remember.”

“I thought we should keep an eye on it.”

“Well, it started airing recently.”

He turned the tablet to show me numbers.

I didn’t understand U.S. ratings.

“What does it mean?”

“It exploded. Huge ratings from episode one. Same for episodes two and three.”

He continued.

“Top boy group producers from the U.K., U.S., and Canada are attached. And the biggest major label, Branner Music Group, is backing it heavily.”

“...They must’ve spent a fortune on promotion.”

“Almost Olympic-level promotion.”

In places like LA, every street crossing had a billboard.

I stared blankly.

“They can push that much?”

“As you see...”

It was a level of spending that fit the phrase “throwing money with gritted teeth.”

When we released METRO, there were rumors that American entertainment heavily backed us.

Even that was nothing compared to this.

“Right now the American industry is split over boy bands. One side backs you—those who bet on NewBlack.”

Including our World Records label.

“The other side watched while you made money.”

“So they’re fighting?”

“In a way.”

He smiled.

“This happened because of you.”

“Because we’re foreign?”

“No. Because you look like you’re about to become too successful.”

“...?”

“If the North American boy band market was 100 before, it’s now 110, 120 and growing. But only a few are profiting.”

“So others would be tempted.”

Money and nationalism combined.

“Anyway, that’s the background. Now about the program.”

I focused.

“It gathers teenagers from English-speaking countries—U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand—and debuts them as a survival group.”

“Like Korea.”

“There’s a Korean producer involved.”

“?”

He showed me a name.

Pil-soo Ham.

“Looks familiar?”

“Wasn’t he a former KNet director? Asked us to invite Hailey Blue to KMA?”

“Right. Heard he left after Japan KMA. Looks like he found a new job.”

The show looked American but had Korean-style editing.

It felt familiar yet strange.

“No wonder ratings exploded.”

“What’s the reaction?”

“Not much fandom yet, but signs are there.”

Some comments:

– Yes!!! I’ve been waiting for this

– K-pop sucks

– I don’t get the hype about NewBlack at all

– Jacob♡

– Their visuals are on another level

Mostly anti-NewBlack reactions so far.

I looked at the contestants.

“I think I’m more handsome.”

“There are very few people more handsome than you, Wooju.”

“Heh.”

I understood.

“If they debut successfully... it’ll be interesting.”

“Right now your fans shut down nonsense fast. But if they grow, the U.S. will get noisy. Fan wars too.”

I smiled, remembering the TenTenNew days.

“It’s fine. Even if they push a rivalry narrative.”

Street Boys. TenTenNew.

One thing I learned:

“Let them do what they want. In the end, the group with the better songs and stage wins.”

No boy group is better on stage than us.

Seokhwan hyung smiled reassuringly.

“Anyway. That’s the heads up. Now the important thing.”

“What?”

“Cold Brown’s Answer promotion schedule is finalized. Check it.”

Korea and U.S. promotions.

“Grammy! Grammy!”

I smiled.

“It’s going up today?”

“Yes.”

“Looking forward to it.”

The teaser dropped at different times across the world.

People in bed. On public transport.

On MyTube, a trending video appeared.

[Answer]

Two familiar faces appeared alternately.

“Hello. I’m Cold Brown.”

“I’m Wooju of NewBlack.”

Viewers blinked.

‘Cold Brown?’

‘Wooju?’

Soon, recognition.

“Our new song Answer will be released soon.”

“Please look forward to it.”

A short melody played.

Then the internet erupted.

Clink—

In Korea.

Teen Spirit members dropped their chicken breast salads.

“Fuck...”

Their comeback was near.

Moisture filled their eyes.

‘You said April.’

‘Hyung, why are you doing this to us....’

‘We’re screwed again....’

Six handsome boys stared into the void.