Chapter 928: We are, well... uh... henchmen. (18)

Austin Records.

The agency representing Moonlight, led by the legendary producer Terry Austin.

A sense of emptiness hung in the conference room.

"Do these numbers even make sense?"

"Exactly."

"No matter how popular they are..."

What they were staring at on their laptops was the Time 100 stage performance by Cold Brown and Wooju.

Someone asked,

"I might be mistaken, but... were Time 100 videos always this impactful?"

"Not at all."

A senior employee answered.

"It’s not usually a big deal. The highest views we’ve ever seen was Mandy Spice’s performance from the year before last... what was it at now?"

"Four million."

The performance of Tears of You from the 2016 Time 100 sat at 4 million views.

But the video of Cold Brown and Wooju—

had already reached 20 million.

And it had only been uploaded recently.

"...How many subscribers do they even have?"

The official upload from NewBlack TV showed staggering numbers.

"But honestly, it does look like it could get that many views."

"They’re good."

"Looking at the viewers, it’s really global. Asia, South America..."

Even with a large fandom, those numbers were hard to explain.

The staff began analyzing.

"First, it might be because there are so few performances of Answer. They’ve only performed together on a few talk shows. Or Korean music programs."

"Scarcity plays a role."

They nodded.

Then came the usual points—huge fandom, Cold Brown’s name value.

But this wasn’t a real explanation.

It was just material for a report.

Everyone already knew the real reason.

‘They’re insanely good.’

‘The storytelling is unbelievable.’

‘That narrative...’

Being top class didn’t just mean technical skill.

It meant the ability to move people.

Watching Wooju command the audience on screen—

they were impressed.

‘...He’s really good.’

A symbolic stage at the Time 100 Gala.

A song tied to a question about the world.

A father-and-son narrative layered over it.

Even the distinguished audience clapping and stomping along.

It felt like global unity in motion.

"It’s all NewBlack on social media."

They looked at the screen.

-You realize Wooju isn’t just a singer, songwriter, or performer. He’s an incredible storyteller

-Alan Dale was right. Whether you accept it or not, they’re already one of the 100 most important

-The atmosphere is insane. I’ve listened to it 20 times already (crying)

-Cold’s stage presence is on another level

One 13-second highlight clip from Answer was going viral on Twitter.

"What about the music video?"

"The views are even crazier. And the MV is incredibly well made..."

"It really is."

Black-and-white shots of the two singing back-to-back.

Dance scenes set against downtown LA.

Stylishly executed.

The director sighed.

"Moonlight taking #1 is impossible."

"...Realistically, yes."

Despite pouring connections and capital into promoting Moonlight’s title track—

there were limits.

Their fandom wasn’t as large as Souffle.

And chart positions depended on the general public.

‘We’ll aim for #1 next time.’

After Starlight, future singles might have a chance.

Moonlight was still a hot boy band.

But—

"Wait... our next release is summer, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then..."

An employee raised a concern.

"Won’t NewBlack release something too?"

"...Right."

"If they drop another English track..."

That would make things even harder.

The director tapped his pen.

‘We need a new strategy.’

Their rival narrative had already collapsed.

-Rival (lol)

-I like running, but I don’t call myself a rival to Olympic athletes

-I’m embarrassed for them

-I like Moonlight, but... rival? No

They had shifted toward competing in metrics instead.

But even that—

‘Now I’m not so sure.’

What had once seemed obvious—

‘We’ll win in the end.’

—no longer felt certain.

Was this really the limit of a “minor” K-pop act?

Watching NewBlack, they weren’t sure anymore.

"Should we go with a number-two strategy?"

Someone suggested.

"Less pressure. No real losses. And ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) if we win even once—it’s huge."

"That’s... worth considering."

"But it’s Terry’s call."

"And it’s too early."

Moonlight had just debuted.

They still had room to grow.

They had already surpassed NewBlack’s METRO results once.

And comparing against a Cold Brown collaboration wasn’t fair.

‘He’s a legend who fills charts with his own songs.’

The director concluded,

"A direct clash isn’t wise. We need to adjust timing."

Strategy discussions intensified.

Strengths emphasized.

Weaknesses hidden.

Concepts refined.

Promotions planned.

Late May.

Summer approaching.

Their eyes sharpened.

A major battle was coming.

"Hmm."

"What’s wrong, Junghyun?"

"My ears feel itchy."

Wooju laughed.

They stood near the private jet exit.

"Finally..."

The door opened.

"South Korea!"

"We’re home!"

Cheers.

At Gimpo Airport—

they almost cried.

"I missed this so much."

"How long has it been?"

"21 days and 17 hours."

Ri Hyuk’s precise answer drew amazement.

"Three full weeks."

"It felt so long."

"Same."

They looked around.

"Korean... it’s Korean!"

"Look, Korean people...!"

Even the language felt comforting.

The clean scent of the airport.

The familiar atmosphere.

As they entered the lobby—

cameras flashed.

"Hello!"

"We’re back!"

Questions flew.

Billboard.

Time 100.

Met Gala.

"That’s all for today."

They boarded their car.

"To the dorm?"

"No! To the company!"

"Korean food!"

"Yes!"

After weeks of Western food—

they craved it.

"Should we get a place in the U.S.?"

Ri Hyuk suggested.

"With a kimchi fridge?"

"Not bad."

Soon—

they arrived at Lemon Entertainment.

"7th floor."

They rushed to the cafeteria.

Staff greeted them.

"Congrats!"

"Thank you!"

"Hyungs, hurry—we need meat!"

At their favorite restaurant—

"More kimchi!"

"More tofu!"

It was perfect.

Later—

they toured the offices with gifts.

"Welcome back!"

"These are for you!"

Cheers.

Especially from the legal team.

"Is that... TIME magazine?"

"Yes."

Their Time 100 cover.

Hard to find.

Employees were stunned.

In return—

cakes and handwritten notes.

"If anyone annoys you, we’ll sue them!"

Laughter.

They visited every department.

Including the Ade development team.

Awkwardly formal.

‘What was that?’

Finally—

the TF team.

"Good work."

"Same to you."

They reviewed results.

"Your U.S. run was a success."

Met Gala.

Buzz increase.

Recognition rising.

"Wooju, your awareness is now comparable to major stars."

Applause.

"Junghyun’s line—‘Sun and his clouds’—boosted mentions too."

Laughter.

"And Midnight Sun re-entered the Billboard Hot 100."

More success.

"And now... your schedules."

Interviews.

Shows.

A film about Wooju’s father.

Then—

"Individual schedules came in too."

"Who?"

The answer—

obvious.

On a popular HBS show:

[Incredible Cooking]

"Today’s guest is amazing!"

"An idol chef!"

"The fish stew recipe went viral!"

"Please welcome—Biju!"

Cheers.

A global star entered with a gentle smile.

May had become NewBlack’s month.

Fashion impact.

700,000 audience tour.

Billboard wins.

#1 streak.

Record ratings.

And yet—

the biggest hit was—

[All About Braised Fish]

"Today, Chef Biju will teach us his recipe."

"Yes!"

For someone—

it was the happiest moment in the world.

‘My recipe!’

With a bandana and apron—

Biju smiled like a blooming flower.