Chapter 861: Answer (14)

A special album.

It was the kind of album we released whenever there was something we wanted to try musically.

Like Winter Sleep or Goblin in the past, it was an album planned either to challenge genres we normally wouldn’t attempt or to get closer to the general public.

But since Goblin in early 2017, there had been no plans to release a special album this year.

We had been busy last year working on English tracks.

And nothing in particular had come to mind.

But then...

“To give us such a precious idea...”

Right now, Teen Spirit had just given us an incredibly valuable idea.

– If you’re going to do this anyway, you might as well just come back every month. This month Ri Hyuk with someone, next month someone else like that, doing monthly collaborations...

The younger members and I clapped our hands together in admiration.

“Hey, this is actually good?”

“Hyungs. I already thought of a name. Monthly NewBlack!”

“Monthly NewBlack Project...”

As the idea of a full-group project emerged, Biju placed a hand on his flushed cheek.

“It already played out in my head. Hyung. Chuseok release, Lunar New Year release, Children’s Day kids’ song release, Parents’ Day trot release... even Christmas carols.”

“That’s good.”

“It’s so good...?”

We all went “ohhhh” like the green aliens from Toy Story, and Cold Brown leaned in, listening.

As the interpreter quickly translated our conversation, he nodded.

“If you need me, I can clear my schedule.”

“Thank you, Cold.”

“Didn’t Junghyun say he was interested in working with me?”

“Yes, yes!”

While Junghyun nodded like a broken doll, ideas started bursting out among the younger members.

Monthly NewBlack.

Even just hearing the name made my heart flutter—it already felt like a done deal.

“This is insane...”

“You guys are really an idea bank.”

“This one deserves praise.”

Even Ri Hyuk gave a thumbs-up, smiling with satisfaction.

But the six-member boy group looked stunned.

Their leader, Hwiyeon, came to his senses and asked,

“Uh... what?”

“I’m saying it’s a great idea. You just said we should come back every month.”

“Usually normal people take that as a joke.”

“Hmph!”

Jiho snorted.

“Do we look normal to you, Hwiyeon hyung?”

“Exactly.”

“Did you think we were normal? We’re a group that gets ideas from fallen leaves.”

We burst out laughing, and Teen Spirit clenched their fists tightly.

Their faces looked like curses were going in and out of their throats, like every breath was filled with swearing.

Yeonhu hurriedly spoke.

“No, you have to take a joke as a joke. Hyungs, your condition will collapse. One comeback a month? Your bodies will break. One hundred percent.”

“It’s fine.”

“You’ll ruin your bodies!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

As we waved it off, Teen Spirit members all spoke over each other.

“You already have a backlog of schedules. Do you even sleep?”

“You’ll die. Seriously. Are you going to play your songs from the grave?”

“Drama, variety shows, albums, MyTube... even if you had multiple bodies, they’d all wear out. Let’s live like humans for once. Eat something good too, like seafood.”

But no matter what they said, our heads were already filled with a dazzling future.

The Monthly NewBlack Project running from January to December next year.

Collaborations with various artists, keeping the music industry buzzing all year long.

Just imagining it made my mouth stretch into a grin.

“Hehehe.”

“Hehe.”

Teen Spirit clenched their fists again.

At that moment, Cold Brown asked,

“Is NewBlack’s digital power really that strong in Korea?”

Teen Spirit answered for us.

“It’s insane. Just...”

“It wipes everything out.”

At their oddly fluent English phrasing, Cold Brown burst out laughing.

Hahyeon sighed and lowered his head.

“Well... it’s already wrecked, so nothing we can do. Just promise us one thing, hyungs.”

“...?”

“In interviews, say you got the idea from Teen Spirit. If you reveal that, we’ll be socially buried.”

A headline flashed through my mind.

– [Official] NewBlack Wooju, “We thank our senior Teen Spirit members for providing the idea for the special album...”

Our eyes sparkled.

Teen Spirit smiled gently.

“You just imagined doing an interview, didn’t you?”

“No.”

“Be honest. You imagined it.”

“No~?”

Teen Spirit members began clenching their fists again.

They huffed angrily, then suddenly shut their mouths and set down their chopsticks.

“...We’ll get going.”

“Huh?”

“We’re leaving.”

As Teen Spirit started to storm out with sulky expressions, we hurriedly grabbed them.

“Hey, hey! Okay, we won’t say it.”

“We won’t!”

We soothed them like children on the verge of sulking.

Average age over twenty.

But still kids who needed society’s care.

As I felt proud of myself for guiding these sprouting young shoots away from going astray—

“Manager.”

Catching my breath, I whispered to Teen Spirit’s manager.

“What stage was that just now?”

“Stage four swearing.”

“That was close.”

“They’ve been very sensitive lately. Spring’s affecting them.”

The sparrows looked over at us, tilting their heads mid-chew.

The manager and I waved our hands, smiling like it was nothing.

“Phew.”

Only after returning to the company following the music show did I finally get a moment to breathe.

It had been a brutally tight schedule.

Yesterday we went around markets campaigning with Cold Brown.

Today we did a daytime showcase, then rushed through pre-recordings for the music [N O V E L I G H T] broadcast.

“Once tomorrow’s done, Korean promotions are over.”

I exhaled while checking my phone calendar.

After briefly appearing as a special judge on K-Net’s hip-hop survival program Next Mission tomorrow...

– Larry Gordon Show recording

– Billboard interview

– Light It Up performance

We’d do one or two days of promotions in the U.S. before coming back.

They had helped with Korean promotions for me, so it was only fair to return the favor.

Ri Hyuk asked,

“So you decided to go on that show?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea...”

This time, I would also appear briefly as a performer on a U.S. boy band audition program.

In North America and the UK, there’s a unique kind of promotion.

Established singers appear as guests on survival shows and perform.

Since there are no music shows, it’s a way to get broadcast exposure.

Ri Hyuk rubbed his sharp chin.

“I just hope we’re not helping others more than ourselves.”

“It’s fine. The ratings are already high. My appearance won’t change much.”

I smiled.

“And the stage will be what, three minutes at most? I’ll just do the live performance and come back.”

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a moment, Ri Hyuk nodded.

“Well, if it’s live, they can’t mess with editing. Not a bad plan. How’s the reaction over there?”

“They seem to welcome it.”

When it was announced that Cold Brown and I would perform together, the broadcasting station was thrilled.

Either way, it would help ratings.

And I had my own calculations too.

“I’ll go show them the difference in skill.”

They kept trying to tie us together with phrases like “next after NewBlack” or “next-generation boy band.”

But from what I’d seen, the contestants weren’t that outstanding yet.

Many had potential, but they weren’t fully developed.

At least a year of training needed.

Which made sense—they were trying to turn ordinary people into idols.

Biju nodded.

“There are advantages. You can highlight the skill gap.”

“Exactly.”

“I like it.”

As our young lady smiled in satisfaction, Jiho pouted.

“I don’t know about that. I just don’t like it. I don’t want to get involved with places that diss us.”

“If you think too deeply about that, it gets exhausting.”

I stretched and smiled.

“You use what you can. Just shouting that someone’s your enemy gets you nothing. Even in a disadvantageous situation, the best move is to turn it in your favor.”

“That sounds like what my dad says. Turn the opponent’s opportunity into a crisis.”

“Yeah... turn opportunity into a crisis... huh?”

Something felt off.

“...Your father’s company is doing fine, right?”

Jiho shrugged.

“He says he’s doing ethical management now because of my image. Employees are wondering if he got seriously ill...”

We burst out laughing.

And continued dinner.

This was the company cafeteria.

In the distance, Cold Brown sat with his staff, discussing something seriously.

From bits I overheard, it seemed to be about tomorrow’s hip-hop survival show.

“Right.”

I turned to Junghyun.

“Junghyun, help me out.”

“With what?”

“I’m meeting the judges tomorrow, but I barely know anything about them...”

Of course, I knew their music.

But I didn’t personally know most of them.

Junghyun smiled.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know either.”

“....”

“I only know a few like Haitian. I was just rapping like a cow in the practice room and then debuted.”

“Right...”

“I’ll just tell you what’s publicly known.”

It wasn’t much different from the materials the company had given.

Then Junghyun added,

“You should ask Hanjo hyung. He’s been active underground.”

“Ah, right.”

“Once Hanjo comes—oh, he’s here.”

Speak of the tiger.

A nine-member group entered the cafeteria.

“We’re here to eat~!”

“We’re—whoa...!”

They froze upon seeing Cold Brown.

“He’s... he’s really here!”

“He actually exists.”

“Man... good thing we got acquired by Lemon...”

Street Boys stood there, wide-eyed.

They had been begging since yesterday.

– Let us see him! Let us see Cold Brown!

– Grant a friend’s wish and you’ll be blessed!

They had wanted to meet their idol from trainee days.

“Cold.”

At my call, Cold Brown turned.

“Sunny? What is it?”

“These are some hip-hop dreamers who wanted to meet you.”

“Ah, those guys you mentioned?”

He walked over.

The Street Boys stepped back instinctively, like believers facing a god.

“...Uh...”

One of them looked like he might cry.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cold Brown.”

“G-guh...”

“I’m... I’m a fan.”

Each handshake left them weak in the knees.

Watching this, Cold Brown smiled in satisfaction.

“I heard you came to eat. I was waiting to have a meal together.”

“With us?”

“Sunny told me Koreans value eating together a lot.”

The moment felt monumental.

They turned to me with shining eyes.

“Director Joo Sunwoo...”

“No, now it’s Director.”

“Director Joo Sunwoo...”

We laughed.

Hanjo nudged me.

‘Now.’

‘Got it.’

Hanjo pulled something out.

“This is a gift from Street Boys.”

“What is it?”

“A towel with your face and name on it.”

“...!”

Cold Brown burst into laughter, delighted.

He clearly loved ceremonial gestures.

Hanjo subtly gave me a thumbs-up.

‘Vanity confirmed.’

‘Good job.’

...

The next morning.

Wooju got into the car, greeted by Manager Kyungmin.

“Good morning, Wooju!”

“Yeah...”

“Did you stay up again?”

“Yeah. Couldn’t help it.”

“We watched Next Mission with Cold last night.”

“Ah, for subtitles?”

“He wanted to prepare thoroughly.”

The car headed toward Ilsan.

As they approached, they saw—

“...Red carpet?”

At the entrance, a red carpet was laid out.

Staff stood waiting like for VIPs.

A banner unfurled.

[We sincerely welcome Wooju and Cold Brown.]

[K-Net Staff]

In the rearview mirror—

“...!”

“...!”

Their lips twitched.

Trying to hide it, Wooju covered his mouth.

But the laughter leaked out.

“Hehehe...!”

“Ha ha...!”

Both men shook with laughter.

A duo utterly weak to ceremonial treatment.