Chapter 893: You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you? (22)

I asked Souffle,

“Do you happen to know the song Lullaby?”

– Yes!

The answer came as if it were obvious.

Even though it was just a B-side, it was still charting, so it seemed to have decent recognition.

“When you saw this album’s tracklist, you probably found it a bit unusual. Normally albums start with an intro and end with an outro, right?”

Intro at the beginning. Outro at the end.

But this album was a little different.

Outro: Before the Night Ends

Lullaby

A track placed after the outro.

“You probably wondered why there’s a song after the outro. And the mood is completely different too, right? In an album full of pop, punk, and rock, this one is calm all on its own.”

An album that felt like a lively “party tonight” from start to finish—

And then suddenly, a quiet ending.

Seeing their curiosity, I explained.

“I originally thought about releasing it separately. Album cohesion is important, after all. But... I felt like it really belonged here. What’s the theme of this album?”

– Cuteness!!!!

Someone shouted from the first floor, and laughter burst out.

I smiled.

“That’s right. The cutest twenty-six-year-old in Korea. That’s me.”

More laughter.

Then I continued.

“The theme of this album is ‘sleep.’ And Lullaby is also a song about sleep.”

There was something I had learned from watching my father perform.

The importance of narrative.

The same song could feel completely different depending on the story behind it.

“You may have seen it in the news, but I’ve recently been working on my father’s biographical film. I’m in charge of the music... and while doing that, I’ve been looking through materials my parents left behind.”

Souffle listened closely.

“I came across my mother’s parenting journal. Apparently, I was a difficult baby. Didn’t eat well, didn’t sleep well.”

The audience smiled.

“And then I had a thought. My mom always wished for me to sleep well... but did I ever wish the same for her?”

Maybe it would’ve been different if I had grown older.

But the last time I held her hand was when I was seven.

“When a child can’t sleep, you sing them a lullaby. But adults don’t have anyone to sing to them, do they? If you ask someone to sing you one, they’ll look at you like you’re weird. I tried it once—Ri Hyuk looked at me with pure disgust...”

Soft laughter rippled through the stadium.

“I think... there must have been times when my mom couldn’t sleep either. Times when she wished someone would sing her a lullaby.”

Children grow into adults.

But becoming an adult doesn’t change you that much.

You just care more about money than toys, learn to endure people a little better, and realize you’re not the center of the world.

Strip all that away—

And that child is still there, curled up inside.

“So I made this song thinking... wouldn’t it be nice to have a lullaby for adults?”

I stepped closer to the audience.

“Are there many mothers here today?”

– Yes!

Voices from all ages responded.

“This song is for you. I hope you’ll listen kindly.”

I raised my hand.

The live band began to play.

The first sound—

Drums.

When I wrote this song, the first thing I imagined was the drums.

– What is the first sound a baby hears?

Probably a heartbeat.

A heart beating stronger than usual to give life.

Ninety beats per minute.

The steady rhythm echoed.

Then piano joined in.

Soft. Gentle.

The melody transformed all the sounds of the outside world into something warm.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the music carry me.

Like drifting on calm water—

Until you find yourself floating in the middle of a quiet sea.

Then I opened my eyes.

And lifted the mic.

“May your night...”

“Be like mine.”

My voice stretched across the vast stadium.

Wooju began singing softly.

Eyes closed, voice clear—

“May your night...”

“Be like mine...”

The melody brushed past like a chorus.

Then the band swelled.

“At night, the tide comes in...”

“Emotions you let drift away...”

“Voices and memories...”

“Like a bottle left to the waves...”

It felt like the song was asking—

Is that why you can’t sleep?

And if not—

“At night, sounds come...”

“Small sounds you never noticed...”

“Like the whisper of a clock...”

Wooju smiled faintly.

“It must have been a long night...”

“Time spent tossing and turning...”

“Moments when you wished tomorrow wouldn’t come...”

The song rose.

Effortlessly climbing into higher notes.

“Let’s set that time aside for now...”

“Will you give me a moment...”

“I’ll hold you close...”

And then—

Release.

“Close your eyes...”

“Little by little...”

“You’ll fall asleep...”

“Little by little...”

The chorus soared again.

“There’s nothing to fear...”

“You have a star by your side...”

“The most beautiful star in the world...”

“Will stay with you...”

A wave of sound washed over the stadium.

No one even knew when to cheer.

They just stared.

Overwhelmed.

The tiny figure at the center of the massive stadium—

Felt bigger than anything.

Like a star.

And—

‘Beautiful.’

More than anything—

It was beautiful.

“Sleep well... Mom.”

The image was clear.

A small hand holding a mother’s hand.

Or a grown child embracing their mother.

‘What a beautiful song.’

Parents smiled.

They understood.

Only after becoming adults do you realize—

Adults struggle to sleep too.

“Close your eyes...”

“Little by little...”

“You’ll fall asleep...”

“Little by little...”

Then—

“Look! Look!”

Something appeared in the sky.

Drones.

Drawing constellations—

A child holding a mother’s hand.

“Wow...”

It was breathtaking.

Then—

Harmony filled the air.

“There’s nothing to fear...”

“You have a star by your side...”

The members had returned.

Singing together.

“The most beautiful star...”

“Will stay with you...”

A perfect harmony.

“WAAAAAAAH!”

The drones shifted—

Forming the words:

Good Night

“How was the song?”

“Yes!!!”

Even casual listeners were already thinking of adding it to their playlists.

Wooju smiled.

“The drones are amazing, right?”

Cheers erupted.

Biju raised his mic.

“You probably know from Pyeongchang, but this drone show costs a lot.”

Everyone nodded.

“So there’s someone we need to thank first... Director, spotlight please.”

The light turned.

Park Gyuho.

“Gyuho!”

“Light Gyuho!”

Jiho waved.

“We love you!”

Park Gyuho made a heart.

His eyes looked slightly wet.

“That cost a billion won...”

“...For that one thing?”

People blinked.

‘Respect.’

‘A concert floating in the sky...’

Then Wooju said—

“From now on... we’re getting our money’s worth.”

Laughter exploded.

“We’re serious.”

“We’ll make sure you catch the last train.”

The final stages began.

“Since the theme is Good Night... we’ll make sure you sleep well when you get home.”

The finale burned bright.

Members ran across the stage.

Rode carts into the audience.

Held hands.

Sang close.

Even dragged Ri Hyuk around playfully.

Above—

Drones painted the sky.

Outside—

Thousands watched.

From afar.

From the Han River.

“I want to go...”

People checked how to join the fandom.

More competition was coming.

“Last song!”

Fireworks exploded.

Souffle smiled.

‘The best.’

A warm April night.

Unforgettable.

The three-day concert ended successfully.

“NewBlack completes main stadium concert... ‘Our spring has come’”

“140,000 attendees... record-breaking”

An incredible time.

Indescribable.

For three days—

It felt like a dream.

Even now—

We were still smiling like idiots.

“...Will I look okay on Blu-ray?”

“You will.”

Ri Hyuk said.

“They said we look amazing.”

“Nice.”

We sat around the grill.

Junghyun cooking meat like a king.

“Junghyun’s really good at this.”

“Yeah. He’s amazing at grilling.”

“Want help?”

“No.”

He smiled anyway.

“Eat.”

We did.

“Delicious...”

Four hours on stage—

Everything tasted amazing.

Jiho checked his phone.

“The reviews are great.”

I nodded—

Then stopped reading.

Some comments—

Twisted.

Misunderstood.

I shook my head.

“The internet is like American food.”

“Why?”

“Looks good. You try it—too salty. But you keep going back.”

They laughed.

Then—

“Hey! It’s out!”

“First-week sales!”

We froze.

“Over a million... right?”

Jiho checked.

“...We passed a million!”

Then—

He read the number.

1,999,827 copies.

We stood—

Then froze.

“...Wait.”

“...Wait.”

“...Huh?”

Something felt off.