The first to react were the entertainnt reporters.
NewBlack TV: Pol Lorang appears as a surprise guest
World-renowned pianist Pol Lorang, surprise interview with NewBlack
“Why are you there?” Behind the scenes of inviting Pol Lorang?
It was fresh fodder for the reporters who had been refreshing NewBlack TV all day looking for an angle.
‘This is crazy...!’
NewBlack a world-famous pianist—that was a surefire formula.
Just as the reporters predicted, view counts shot up as soon as the articles went live.
I thought it was photoshopped
How to give plausibility to a headline: just tack “NewBlack” onto everything
┕ Zoo-escaped elephant captured by NewBlack... Jung-hyun: “We had enough pre-communication to make it possible”
┕ It works..?
┕ What do you an “works” lolol insane lol
NewBlack is the best...♡ cheering for you
Really an unexpected lineup lol
How did they even get him?
If you don’t know who Pol Lorang is, go look him up lol you’ll understand why everyone’s reacting like this
While surprised comnts flooded the comnt section...
‘Who is Pol Lorang?’
Those unfamiliar with classical music began searching, and “Pol Lorang” shot up into the real-ti search terms.
An image of the handso pianist appeared on screen.
People admired his string of competition wins, and one noted his past visit to Korea.
Pol Lorang enters Korea: “Is this the Land of Seon-myeong-ju?”
World-renowned pianist “Pol Lorang” holds charity concert in Korea
[Interview] Pol Lorang: “Korea holds a deep aning for ”
Reading these articles, people naturally pieced together the backstory of how he’d been invited.
‘He must know Seon Woo-ju.’
They’d grown numb to the nas foreign artists always ntion when visiting Korea, but now it made sense how he was connected to Sun Woo-ju.
When people saw the warm SNS snapshots of Pol Lorang with the NewBlack mbers, they switched over to MiTube.
“Heh-hah-hat!”
Just like the first viewers, they burst out laughing at the sa points.
[It’s been a while since I’ve perford a piece written by soone who’s still alive.]
They chuckled at his wistful smile—
—and felt proud watching him play “Nakhwa” on piano.
[It’s a beautifully written piece!]
Pol Lorang was offering a classical expert’s perspective on the song.
It was gratifying to see a master of his field praising NewBlack’s music and its composer.
His sincerity shone through.
It felt proud that a popular dostic artist could earn respect abroad.
They wanted to reply in the comnts, “They’re NewBlack,” to the “Who are they?” comnts in English—
—but within three seconds, fans had already posted “NewBlack” as the reply, their passion undeniable.
‘I’ll just watch from afar.’
As the general public felt this warmth and watched happily...
‘What is this?’
The video was spreading among overseas viewers too.
With both his artistry and good looks, Pol Lorang was even more famous in Europe and North Arica.
Western netizens watched the English interview video in awe.
‘Is this a talk show?’
At first glance at the hosts’ looks, it didn’t feel like a talk show—but the content quality was that good.
Especially the handso main MC, who conversed with the pianist like a veteran musician.
After watching, foreign viewers checked the comnt section.
‘Who the heck is NewBlack?’
There was no need to search.
Comnts detailed profiles, abbreviations like NBLK, fan promotions—it was clear they had an enormous, solid fanbase.
Laughing at the enthusiastic “just take a bite” pitches, soone said—
“Uh...?”
Among the suggested videos, a familiar face began to stand out in “Handso Man Who Cries Like a Cow.”
It was the sa face from the Pol Lorang interview!
“Ah...!”
The person moo-ing in that video and the solemn young man applauding in the interview were one and the sa.
I unconsciously clapped my hands at that realization.
‘They’re the sa person!’
Two unrelated pieces of information clicked together.
It felt like neurons firing in my brain.
The keyword NewBlack, once fleeting, now took root firmly in my mind.
Thanks to the clip of “My Hotown Now,” which had surpassed 100 million views.
“Ohho.”
Intrigued, I started clicking through other videos on the NewBlack World account.
Fascinating content.
The World account—nicknad NewRi-rang TV by Korean fans—was working its magic.
anwhile, so people were watching Pol Lorang’s appearance closely.
“Boss, look at this.”
In a Korean PR agency office—
“What is it?”
“It’s an overseas artist interview posted on NewBlack’s MiTube account. Look at the guest.”
“...Pol Lorang? Why is he on here?”
An employee pointed at the screen while the team leader watched with wide eyes.
“It seems there was so connection, but that’s not the point—look at the view count.”
“Huh...”
“People overseas must have clicked a lot. The interview’s level just went up since Pol Lorang appeared.”
Only then did the PR team leader understand the significance.
‘An influential MiTube interview in Korea, and Pol Lorang appeared on it.’
It was a perfect condition for whatever they were promoting or would promote.
Above all, the interviewer was impressive.
“They really speak English well.”
“They must’ve prepared thoroughly. It’s rare to see anyone prepare this much regardless of the guest.”
“That’s what matters. No weird questions.”
“Should we contact Lemon Ent.?”
As several top Korean PR firms began contacting Lemon Ent.’s publicity team, celebrities overseas received new schedule briefs from their agents.
「NewBlack Café?」
They were mostly stars planning to visit Korea for film or performance promotion.
To the curious, the agent explained:
「It’s an interview schedule in Korea, formatted like a talk show.」
“Talk show. Sounds good.”
They nodded at the familiar format—
“But what?”
Their eyes narrowed at the next line.
「It’s an interview with MiTubers.」
It wasn’t that they’d never been on a MiTube interview before.
They doubted whether MiTube could generate enough buzz for promotion.
“To be precise, it’s an interview hosted by Korea’s top boy band. One of the country’s most influential influencers.”
“Oh.”
Hearing that it was conducted by that nation’s most famous celebrity piqued their interest.
They, who were debating whether to accept, were struck by this definitive line.
“Do you think I would’ve gotten it if it weren’t good? Pol Lorang appeared on it recently too.”
“...!”
That sealed the deal.
If it was the sa platform where the world-renowned pianist who has perford at Carnegie Hall appeared, they had to join.
The interview’s level matched.
“I’d better prepare well.”
And so foreign celebrities began to perceive ‘NewBlack Café’ as a must-stop program before visiting Korea.
A butterfly effect triggered by one pianist’s appearance.
On the day of the K-pop concert, we arrived at the venue and studied the floor material and stage structure during rehearsal.
“It’s huge.”
“It’s bigger than I thought.”
We looked up to the third tier of seating, raising our chins.
“Akor Hotel Arena.”
Located by the Seine River, this venue reportedly holds around 20,000.
Bi-ju gestured, exchanging OK signals with the managers up in the audience.
“Just tweak the choreography slightly for the sightlines from above; otherwise, it looks fine.”
Following the main dancer’s assessnt, we quickly adjusted a few minor moves.
While rehearsing seriously, we high-fived /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ and laughed with the younger mbers.
“This is going to be fun today, for real.”
“I’m so excited. Thinking about performing here in a bit...”
“I think today’s stage will be pretty great.”
Since our concert at the Gymnastics Arena, our confidence had grown.
Nerves and pre-show regrets remained, but the conviction that we’d perform well had settled in our hearts.
We’d practiced more than anyone, perford in various venues, and gained know-how for unexpected situations.
I turned to Ri-hyuk.
“Sound?”
“No problem. It’s clear.”
“Floor?”
Jung-hyun stomped his foot.
“Solid.”
“Condition?”
“Excellent.”
We all high-fived and laughed.
Even during rehearsal the vibe was so good the on-site director gave us a thumbs-up.
All that remained were the main performance and a few pre-show events.
We’d visit a booth introducing Korean food, try it out, and do a brief fan et-and-greet.
-Wooaaaah.
While waiting our turn in the dressing room, cheers rose and subsided outside.
Fans who’d waited from afar were incredibly passionate.
And then—
“Hi!”
We reunited with friends we hadn’t seen recently.
Street Boys.
The nine-mber hip-hop-concept idol group bounded over energetically.
Thud-thud-thud—
Their muscles made faint vibrations as they bounced.
“How’ve you been?”
“Oh, hey.”
“Huh? You look worn out. Why are your arms so weak?”
“...”
Hanjo, shaking my hand, laughed loudly and patted my shoulder, jostling .
“Ha-ha-hat!”
Did all their laughs echo like a band of mountain bandits?
They’d slimd down from their previous bulk-up, but their strength remained.
They looked like muscular models, stylish as ever.
“Oh! Foreign air feels good!”
“Eating only chicken breast at the gym and pumping iron all day, but breathing fresh air makes life worth living.”
“Ha-ha-hat!”
...Why did it feel like a gym mbers’ gathering? You guys.
Watching stare, Hanjo asked—
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just... you all look so cool.”
“Really?”
His words made his teammates beam.
“Did you hear? Our leader said we look cool.”
“We did bulk up a bit.”
“Wanna see my abs? I got a six-pack for the first ti.”
LB, the prankster, volunteered, pointing at Jung-hyun, who was chewing French jelly.
“Jung-hyun hyung, I saw you arm-wrestle on MiP recently. Wanna go again now?”
“?”
Cheers of “Oooooh!” and admiration rang out.
“Trying not to die gracefully, huh?”
“My dear Namu’s tomfoolery has been missed.”
LB rolled up his sleeve as if puzzled.
“If anyone’s stronger than , co on up.”
“Ugh.”
“Now I’ve gotten too strong to burn out. Heh-heh.”
Hanjo whispered to —
“That’s why he does one-on-one because he can’t handle ganging up.”
“Such a wise solution...”
I envied them.
Even with four on one, we couldn’t beat Jung-hyun.
Jung-hyun waved them off with a Buddha-like expression.
“Can’t waste energy on pointless things before the show.”
“Hyung! You’re saying that because you’re afraid you’ll lose to ~?”
Kamnamu provoked him...!
“Oh, this is delicious.”
But the effect was minimal.
As everyone burst into laughter, LB tried to stir Jung-hyun’s competitive spirit—
—but when Bi-ju handed Jung-hyun an apple—
“Hey, Namu. Instead of arm-wrestling, take a bite of the apple... oh.”
Snap.
The apple in his hand was crushed to a pulp, juice flowing out.
At least 80 on a light grip test—our friend’s monstrous strength left LB wide-eyed.
He disappeared quickly so Jung-hyun wouldn’t notice.
“Heh-hah-hat!”
While soone who’d drawn everyone’s mockery was lanting, “I was a frog in a well...!”—
“Bench press tips? Just pick it up.”
“Ooooh.”
“Squats? Just do them.”
mbers of Street Boys gathered in front of Jung-hyun, opened their mo apps, and began jotting down his words of wisdom.
On one side, a gym study session unfolded.
“Have you tried that?”
“Not yet.”
Elsewhere, Jiho and the younger Street Boys mbers started talking about gas.
Among them, the leaders sipped green tea from paper cups and enjoyed refreshnts.
“I heard “Nakhwa” hit #1 on the weekly chart. Congrats.”
“Thanks.”
“The song’s really good. I downloaded a few tracks myself.”
I smiled at their praise that even the B-sides were great.
Hanjo leaned in and whispered—
“Congrats on the first-week sales, too.”
I nodded with a smile.
A record first-week sales.
Our newly released mini-album “Byeol (別): Into the Black” sold over 360,000 copies in its first week, claiming the all-ti #1 spot.
Nearly double the 220,000 of our last special album.
We’d pulled ahead of TNT’s second-place album by a wide margin.
“Thanks for celebrating.”
Even if I were in their shoes, could I have so easily congratulated the one standing opposite ?
I appreciated their generous spirit as fellow debut classmates.
Of course, I was also humble, knowing the record wouldn’t last—
—because Teen Spirit was about to make their coback soon.
Our record was historic, but the attention on Teen Spirit’s upcoming full album was even more monuntal.
Their dostic fandom had grown as large this year as Soufflé and TNT combined last year.
Because of that, I looked at them sympathetically.
“You must be really nervous.”
“Totally.”
Debuting around the sa ti as Teen Spirit in late June, their worries were understandable.
Hanjo laughed—
“When you overlapped with TNT, I got how you felt.”
“Seriously. I couldn’t sleep the night before ‘Masquerade’ dropped. Worried we’d get buried.”
“Well, at least we had situations a bit better than yours... Were you complete rookies then?”
I nodded.
It was a harrowing mory, even in retrospect.
“Well, it’ll be fine. We’re...”
Hanjo gave a knowing smile.
Though he spoke with mock bravado, Street Boys were doing very well now.
They weren’t at risk of getting buried by Teen Spirit’s coback.
Their image shift to hip-hop beasts had been a masterstroke, and their growth was considered “rising” dostically.
Plus, their recent activities in Japan had heated things up, and overseas fandom...
-Woooaaaah!
As Street Boys’ na echoed outside, a massive cheer erupted.
“Ooooh.”
“You hear that? They heard it?”
We clapped in amazent.
Our youngest teammate and their younger mbers made arrow-shooting celebrations toward Hanjo with joyful smiles.
I asked Hanjo, who was trembling—
“Everything okay?”
“They always tease like this.”
They’d been mimicking arrow-shooting since so “watch” ga ca out.
While chatting about that—
“Street Boys, please prepare to enter.”
“Yes!”
At the staff’s cue, Street Boys stood and straightened their suits, looking like handso soccer players.
Noticing Park team manager’s changed態度, you could feel Street Boys had changed too.
More at ease.
“Let’s go.”
As Hanjo led his mbers to leave.
They suddenly murmured among themselves—
“Ah!”
They dashed over to send us off.
“What’s up?”
“Oh, I forgot! To make this album a hit, we need to catch so of your energy.”
“Energy...?”
LB held out his hand—
“Give your hand quickly! Hand!”
“No way. We need it too.”
“Just a little. Please.”
Their strange logic: they needed to absorb our energy, who lived a level above Teen Spirit.
When we briefly clasped hands, Street Boys lit up with joy.
“See you later!”
“Later!”
Street Boys left the waiting room amid trendous cheers.
-Woooaaaaah!
-Hanjo! Hanjooo!
-Kyaaahhh cough! cough!
What was that final vampiric squawk?
With the chant “Go Street!” they got an almost choral cheer.
A girl group finishing their event entered the waiting room, whispering in astonishnt at the intensity of each shout.
“This is unreal.”
“Wow...”
We shared stunned looks with the younger mbers.
We’d heard of Street Boys’ overseas popularity, but we hadn’t expected this level of frenzy.
When the solo-concert-like roar wound down after thirty minutes—
“Whoa!”
Street Boys returned to the waiting room, faces flushed, fanning themselves as sweat stread down.
We absentmindedly applauded—
“This is insane.”
“You saw that?”
We nodded to those chanting “This is Street Boys!”
Soon the staff called us in—this ti, we reached out.
“We need energy too.”
“Right. We need to absorb so of it.”
“Oh, we don’t give it to just anyone...”
Street Boys tapped our hands as if granting us popularity.
Receiving that energy—
“NewBlack mbers.”
“Yes!”
We nodded at those cheering us on and entered.
Under bright lights,
In a convention-center-style space, we appeared—
“Woooaaaaah!”
“Cra-ra-ra-ra-rack!”
“Aaaah!”
The hall shook with the trendous applause greeting us.
Spotting the original Soufflé fans holding placards, we paused in awe.
Then we felt gazes on the back of our heads.
“...”
Through a slightly open door we saw the nine-mber group narrowing their eyes.
Their expressions spelled out:
‘Annoyed.’
‘Why’d you take their energy?’
‘Why are you always doing this to us?’
To the nine staring at us with faces that said they’d been energy-scamd, we waved our hands to show we ant no harm.
‘Hmph.’
With a haughty expression, Street Boys closed the door.
User Comments
0 comments from readers