Chapter 926: We are, well... uh... henchmen. (16)

I feel ridiculously excited.

Like I just preordered something I’ve been dying to buy.

【 Ade 】

One day, that app icon will be sitting on my phone screen.

Probably shaped like a lemon.

When I open it, posts from fans all over the world will be neatly organized in a way that’s easy for me to read.

I’ll be able to send them long messages sometimes.

My heart keeps pounding.

“You’re already getting excited? It’s still a long way off.”

At that comment, I looked at my younger brothers.

“Quiz. What is Ri Hyuk the best at in the world?”

“Getting excited.”

“Correct. He’s the best at getting excited in the world.”

Ri Hyuk protested.

“You people!”

“I’m excited too!”

“Then?”

“It’s just... if I start getting excited now, I’ll stay excited the whole time. So I’m maintaining my composure.”

...He said that while already writing “Ade Launch” in big letters on the 2019 page of his planner.

Our main vocal declared confidently,

“If we’re talking about excitement, I’ll probably be the most excited. It’s new technology merging with our activities.”

“True.”

“It’s totally Ri Hyuk hyung’s taste.”

The kid who goes to vacuum expos because he likes technology.

I laughed at Ri Hyuk’s sparkling eyes and marked my calendar too.

About a year to a year and a half?

It was going to be a long wait.

“I love [N O V E L I G H T] stuff like this.”

Whenever something new related to fandom comes out, I get excited along with it.

Back when I went to senior artists’ concerts at TJ, there were no Bluetooth lightsticks.

No MyTube interactions.

Y app didn’t even exist when we debuted.

Jiho rubbed his hands.

“I hope it comes out soon.”

“Ugh~ I’m so excited.”

We all waved our arms, celebrating—

The limousine driver’s voice came through.

“We will arrive at the destination shortly.”

“Yes!”

A luxurious limousine.

The kind you see in movies.

The kind where Hollywood celebrities clink whiskey glasses and say yeah~.

“Hyungs~ look! The lights are blinking!”

“Oh. Lighting.”

We did penguin dances under flashing club lights.

In tuxedos, we looked like emperor penguins.

I straightened my bow tie and looked out at the city.

“We’ve come full circle. Back to New York,” Junghyun said.

“Seriously, we worked hard for almost three weeks.”

We had started our U.S. schedule at the Met Gala in New York.

Now we were nearing the end.

Concerts in Miami and Tampa.

And finally, the Time 100 Gala in New York City.

Biju looked out the window.

“I’ve never been around this part of New York before.”

“You guys haven’t?”

“No, around 59th Street...? First time. You’ve been here?”

“Yeah. For my dad’s concert prep.”

“Ah.”

Tonight’s gala was at Lincoln Center.

Famous for jazz.

I’d been there before for performance prep.

-Waaaaaaaah!

A roar suddenly erupted.

Souffle were gathered outside.

We had arrived.

“Alright, minions.”

“Yes!”

“Isn’t food best when it’s sweet-salty-sweet-salty?”

“I prefer salty-sweet-salty-sweet.”

Junghyun raised his hand.

“Then let’s go sweet-salty-sweet-salty-sweet.”

“Yes.”

“We gave them humor back home. Now it’s time to return to cool.”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s go in cool mode!”

We stood by the limousine door.

Paparazzi flashes exploded.

Souffle screamed.

Security opened the door.

The most beautiful face in the world.

If such a poll existed, he would win.

Wooju stepped out of the limousine.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

Even paparazzi gasped.

‘Insane.’

‘He looks even better in a suit.’

Not high fashion.

Not a dramatic outfit.

Just a calm tuxedo and bow tie.

Slim but with model-like shoulders.

Wooju and his Clouds waved and entered.

『TIME 100』

A gala inviting some of the world’s most influential 100 people.

In front of the orange photo wall, people posed.

A Big Tech billionaire CEO.

A Virginia senator.

An Olympic gold medalist from Pyeongchang.

A Nigerian human rights activist.

Various entertainment figures.

“That’s Alan Dale!”

“Who’s after him? Timothy Gillan?”

Talk show hosts.

Streaming stars.

Rappers.

Reality stars.

Directors.

-Waaaaaaaah!

An actor raised an eyebrow mid interview.

“Looks like ‘they’ are here.”

“Oh. The Sun and the Clouds.”

Since Met Gala, we’d become Sun and Clouds.

NewBlack posed.

Flashes burst.

“NewBlack!”

“How do the Clouds feel tonight?”

“Sunny!”

Photographers shouted compliments.

We finished photos and moved to interviews.

A magazine editor asked,

“How does it feel to be selected for Time 100?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Wooju smiled.

“It’s surreal to be here with such remarkable people. Thank you for selecting us.”

“If not NewBlack, who else?”

“Thank you.”

The editor was impressed.

‘They feel different.’

More substance.

Mature. Intelligent.

As we answered questions—

“Gasp!”

Ri Hyuk covered his mouth.

“M-My goodness.”

“Ri Hyuk?”

“That person...”

The editor laughed.

“You really wanted to meet someone?”

“Yes. He’s like my idol!”

“Who...?”

Headline forming in her mind—

NewBlack’s Ri Hyuk meets lifelong idol

She followed his gaze.

No celebrity.

“Carl Phillips...”

“...?”

“The Nobel Prize in Physics winner.”

“....”

“He wrote The Future of Stars. He explained black hole mysteries—”

He rambled like a fanboy.

When the physicist made eye contact, Ri Hyuk flinched.

“He looked at me...”

The editor blinked.

‘How do I write this?’

NewBlack’s Ri Hyuk meets idol scientist

Odd headline.

After the interview, Ri Hyuk shyly approached.

His members laughed.

“As you can see, he’s the weirdest among us!”

“That’s right!”

The editor smiled.

‘That’s definitely not true.’

After the red carpet, we were guided to The Appel Room.

“Wow...”

Through floor-to-ceiling glass, we saw 59th Street and Central Park.

Elegant lighting.

Set tables.

“This way.”

“How was it?” I asked Ri Hyuk.

“Like a dream...”

“What did you talk about?”

“If it’s too late to start science... where he gets research inspiration...”

“So you got career counseling.”

“He invited me to his lab. Said they have an amazing telescope...”

We glanced over.

Carl Phillips avoided eye contact desperately.

‘Look at him dodging.’

‘Pretty sure only Ri Hyuk had fun.’

He looked drained.

Maybe extroversion is relative.

In Korea, we exhaust people.

In America, our energy drains.

Then—

An idea struck.

“What if we exhaust them first?”

“!”

“!!”

I nodded solemnly.

“Let’s go.”

“Got it.”

We approached attendees.

“NewBlack! My friends!”

“Best friends in the world!”

We responded with exaggerated energy.

“Oh my gosh! That’s hilarious!”

“Wow, really?”

We thought we were overdoing it.

Americans loved it.

“Oh yeah? I’ve got another story!”

“Your fashion is incredible, Sunny!”

“...We’re stuck.”

They got more hyped.

“Let’s party!”

We realized we couldn’t beat them.

We needed older targets.

“Hyung, what about them?”

Middle aged gentlemen calmly sipping drinks.

“That’s it.”

We approached.

Time to unleash our social skills.

Korea.

News was brief.

-NewBlack attends Time 100 gala... “Very excited”

Nothing special.

Until—

-U.S. Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Jerry Steinberg posts selfie with NewBlack... “Strong U.S.-Korea alliance!”

“....”

“....”

Article quoted him discussing cultural industries and geopolitics.

Then—

-NewBlack in discussion with billionaire CEO Nick Paulson... “Impressed by Korean market.”

“....”

“....”

Something felt off.

After many conversations, the gala began.

“Beautiful.”

Plated dishes.

Drinks.

Alan Dale opened.

Various people gave toasts.

But it felt... different.

-We are the most special people in the world!

I sipped ginger ale awkwardly.

Staff approached.

“It’s time.”

In the waiting room—

“Sunny.”

“Cold.”

Cold Brown looked thrilled.

“I love this feeling.”

“You look happy.”

“I’m one of the most influential people in the world. Of course I’m happy. Aren’t you?”

“I get embarrassed.”

He laughed.

“Still young, my friend.”

We were performing.

The highlight: our joint stage.

Answer.

Three songs from Cold.

Two from us.

Six songs, thirty minutes.

The reason we attended.

Special promotion for Answer.

Released in March.

Still #1 on Billboard Hot 100 in late May.

But songs start to wobble.

So we reinforce.

-Time 100 live video.

-Music video.

Maintain stability.

“I don’t want to lose #1,” Cold said.

Neither did I.

But I wouldn’t obsess.

“By the way,” I asked.

“Who’s #2?”

Cold checked.

“Moonlight.”

“....”

“Sunny?”

I grabbed his hand.

“Cold.”

“Y-Yeah?”

“Tonight.”

I said seriously.

“We give the best performance of our lives.”

“Okay...”

“With the resolve to break our bones.”

“....”

We walked out.

No second place in my dictionary.

Absolutely not.