Sss–
New at sizzled onto the grill.
As Hwiyeon, having roughly judged it seared on the outside, expertly grasped a slice with his chopsticks like a martial-arts master...
Clang.
Jung-hyun’s tongs intercepted it.
“You’ve got to let it cook a bit more for the best flavor.”
“Oh, right.”
“One... two... there. You can take it now.”
“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”
He chewed, and his eyes misted; soon he raised his arm to wipe his cheeks.
“Damn, this is insanely good... wow.”
“Eat more, go on.”
“Thank you!”
Apparently dieting had been brutal—here was TeenSpirit’s leader inhaling beef like a maniac. Jiho shot him a sympathetic glance.
“Hyung, that diet must’ve been hell for you.”
“Yeah, I thought I’d die.”
“Take your ti. I saw on MTube that if you starve yourself then gulp food, you could just drop dead.”
“Really?”
Munch-munch, as Hwiyeon chewed slowly, I asked,
“What about the others? You sure you don’t want to call them over?”
“Well, if you want to invite them, you can—I don’t really mind.”
They’re your kids... your kids...
Hwiyeon accepted a zero-cola from Jung-hyun, swiveled his head to slurp, then sighed,
“We’ve no sense of hierarchy here. Whoever takes the cold water first is boss—no seniors, no juniors. These little bastards...”
“Whoa, whoa.”
“Sorry for snapping, hyung. It just gets heated thinking about them...!”
“Good kid. Good kid.”
When Jung-hyun popped a slice into Hwiyeon’s mouth, his anger lted, and he sat back, content, then began to vent,
“But I’m the older brother—hell, I’ve eaten 365 more als!”
Ri-hyuk paused.
“Isn’t that 1,095 als? Three a day...”
“See? He’s the kind who even does the math. I catch them screwing up the multiplication table on WeApp, laughing at fifty-eight tis forty-eight, and I just can’t.”
“Sounds rough.”
“I envy that family vibe of NewBlack’s. My house was never family, just a....”
“No.”
When Biju shook his head sternly, Hwiyeon’s frown flipped into a smile as he ate. Then, suddenly, he went “Eh!” and pulled out his phone.
“Shall I call the other mbers?”
“I was going to eat alone, but I can’t stop thinking about them.”
Hwiyeon exhaled and texted Yeon-hu to co up. A minute later,
Ding-dong—the bell rang, and we went to greet him.
Like Hwiyeon, Yeon-hu appeared in a hood perfect for a tabloid romance photo, then dropped his mask and raised a hand to Hwiyeon.
“Hey~”
“Don’t hey . I’m your senior, you punk.”
Yeon-hu grinned and made a fishing-rod gesture with his middle finger.
Infuriated, Hwiyeon raised both hands to throw a punch, but Jung-hyun restrained him, and Biju covered Jiho’s eyes.
I peeked over Yeon-hu’s shoulder and said,
“But why alone...?”
“Oh.”
Yeon-hu scratched the back of his head.
“Didn’t want to bother them.”
I couldn’t help chuckling. They might claim their unity was like grains of sand, but to they were perfect duos.
I posted a notice in our group chat for a at gathering. Imdiately, the six of them crowded around our dorm table.
“at, at!”
“Wow, how long has it been since we grilled beef? Feels like a month.”
“This place does great at~!”
As complints poured in, Jung-hyun bead. The ravenous youngsters drumd the table with chopsticks, chanting “Kim Jung-hyun! Kim Jung-hyun!” and broke into raucous laughter. Known as a group that never mutes their audio, they turned the volu up even more.
“For a commorative photo—look here, kids.”
“Yes, hyung!”
“You two, hold hands for a reconciliation shot. Perfect.”
I sent the cheery photo straight to TeenSpirit’s manager, Park Jeong-gyun.
[Photo]
[The kids are doing well^^]
[We’ll feed them a bit more then send them ho]
Manager Park Jeong-gyun [Thank you so much, Uju-ssi ㅠㅠㅠ]
He even sent ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) a gift voucher—must be tough managing them. I felt oddly like a kindergarten teacher sending photos to parents... but that was probably just .
Then I noticed two mbers bickering again.
“Hey! Eat what’s in front of you! Why do you keep grabbing only my portion?!”
“It’s up to ~”
“Hey!”
“Both of you, if you keep this up, I’ll make you share at hand-in-hand.”
“.......”
With a dramatic “Heyyy!” TeenSpirit’s mbers set a romantic tune, and the two of them cheered and dove back into the at. At this point, things seed to calm down a bit.
But sothing was missing...
“Oh.”
I grabbed the remote and nudged the TV closer. Heads turned. Everyone murmured “Oh!”
“Ah! Right, MiP is on now.”
“How many minutes in? Not too late, right? VOD costs 1,500 won.”
We’d been so caught up in at and TeenSpirit that we’d forgotten the live broadcast of Mister Producer. Thankfully, the showcase footage hadn’t aired yet—only tense rehearsal clips of A-TEN dancing under watchful eyes.
“Tough stuff, huh.”
“The point choreography is gorgeous. Who made it? Biju-hyung?”
“Yep, that was .”
“Respected, hyung.”
When Biju and Yeon-hu high-fived, Hwiyeon clicked his chopsticks petulantly.
“Oh, now the showcase is on!”
All eyes were on the screen. A twenty-tis-speed clip flashed scenes of the stage being set, mbers arriving in the parking lot saying “Nice weather...” with sighs of relief, then us appearing in the waiting room as hair and makeup were finalized.
“NewBlack hyungs are on!”
“Good—if it was just nerves, it’d be boring.”
“Feels like a breath of fresh air~”
We laughed at those spot-on reactions. Normally, I’d monitor viewer feedback in real ti, but today we didn’t need to—the raw responses were right there.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha! The Magic Book is hilarious!”
“Check that accuracy.”
“That’s live, right? Hyung? I want prophecies for our album promo too...”
Jung-hyun nodded. “I’ll do it later.”
“Waaaaa-!”
Our villa’s soundproofing was a blessing. Even Ri-hyuk, hardened by Jiho’s voice, massaged his temples from the uproar.
anwhile, the TV moved from waiting-room banter into the full showcase.
“Yeah, we ca sprinting here~”
“The weather’s gorgeous~”
Eleven of them danced and sang, pumped up. Jiho shouted, beaming,
“Feels so good—if you worry about bothering downstairs, just invite them up to party~”
“Amazing~!”
“This is aweso! I’m freaking excited!”
It felt like a karaoke session after school—yet the dancers and vocalists’ precision was so striking, it was oddly captivating, like a year-end stage collaboration. I smiled at this collective display of talent.
“Ha-ha-ha! Look at Uju-hyung! He’s shaking a tambourine on the smartphone app!”
“T-Tambourine god!”
“Insane! If I did that, I’d look dumb!”
I chipped in with my own talent donation. Then TeenSpirit, having bounced around with us, sat back, relieved—seed their album-stress had lted away.
“Wow, the song and choreography are all perfect. It’s great...”
“Deserves #1.”
“You have to admit Nakhwa and Attention are fierce.”
We joked that #3 on the weekly chart was their dream; they laughed until, suddenly—
“Oh—cover stage!”
On TV, the “Bulkkotnori” cover began.
“Hidden gem, right here.”
“I have this on my playlist too~!”
Initially humming along, TeenSpirit’s chatter gradually fell silent. Even through the screen, you could feel the live atmosphere—plus Shin Mu-rok PD’s inspired editing made the great song sound even better.
A glance at online comnts showed them exploding:
“This song is sick lol”
“This will blow up after the show”
“So good. Fits A-TEN’s voices perfectly”
┕ “Actually those are NewBlack voices...”
“So fresh, fits today’s style”
“Guys, this ca out in ’14 lol they were years ahead”
“.......”
Heavy breaths alerted ; I turned to see all six faces crowded around one phone.
“Ah, tsk...”
Hwiyeon rubbed his temple.
“No chance at weekly #3 anymore...”
“We never were on the weekly chart to begin with. We hit weekly #1 only once—let’s accept our fate.”
“This is... what you call reverse traffic?”
“Re–?”
They told : “Reverse traffic” is when an overlooked song blasts back up the charts like a salmon swimming upstream. Already people were clamoring that “Bulkkotnori” would reverse-traffic. We waved them off.
“Co on—one reaction clip and they’re already talking reverse traffic...”
“Not at all, hyung.”
Hwiyeon shook his head.
“We may look la, but we’re five-year veterans. We’ve seen songs rise and fall.”
“......?”
“This one will blow up. Seriously.”
The others nodded more earnestly than ever. If seniors know best, I thought, smiling at their confident chart predictions.
“I see...”
“Yup.”
“Uh, sorry to ntion it, but you’ve got gochujang on your mouth...”
“Oh, right.”
They blotted their lips with tissues like chicks cleaning their beaks, then posed with “Hah!” When we applauded,
“Hey?”
Ri-hyuk’s eyes went wide.
“Look at this!”
“What is it?”
“‘Bulkkotnori’ really reentered the real-ti chart!”
We gaped—seeing “Bulkkotnori” climb into the real-ti chart’s trending slots. The rank was one thing, but watching these youngsters display such poise... how did they know?
Surprised, I glanced around to find them all wearing triumphant expressions. Hwiyeon whispered,
“Mi—”
I’d thought he’d say “miserable humans, you saw my power,” but instead—
“Holy shit!”
Yeon-hu yelled too.
“Incredible! I just said it jokingly, and it happened!”
“Wow, it worked?”
“When we only imagined it, these hyungs made it real.”
“What is this, a magic house? You say it, it happens?”
They hadn’t known either—it just ca to them. As the montum built, TeenSpirit clasped their hands and shouted wishes into the air:
“Make our next album #1!”
“May scalpers’ lives be ruined and fans score tickets!”
“May our parents and grandparents live forever!”
I smiled warmly at their prayers. Then...
“Jung-hyun.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you taking money?”
“They just co up and give it to when I sit there.”
“I’d give money if I sat still too.”
I massaged my neck watching Jung-hyun sit like a statue collecting coins amid wish prayers. No one around was sane.
“Do you really believe that?”
“Don’t read my eyes, Pirarucu.”
“Bulkkotnori”’s chart reentry was only the beginning.
“Hmm...?”
The next day, Sunday, it was #77 on the daily chart.
“Ooh...?”
By Monday it had reached #17.
“Whoa?!”
The next day it climbed to #7. It truly soared without pause.
“NewBlack’s ‘Bulkkotnori’ reverse-traffic: ‘Even reversal is so NewBlack!’”
“Next week’s music-show #1 contenders: ‘Ujuseon vs. Sun Woo-ju’ three-way?”
“Industry on NewBlack’s reverse-traffic: ‘It wasn’t just hype—always a hit’”
Headlines rolled in daily. Reverse traffic usually ant a slow climb for an obscure track—but ours just shot up. No surprise, really:
“31.2%.”
“Huh...?”
Seok-hwan said,
“The Mister Producer Idol Special, episode 7—the one A-TEN debuted on—got 31.2% viewership.”
“.......”
“They said it was the highest since 2009.”
We felt dizzy. I’d seen high ratings on dramas and variety shows when I was young, but never thought a 2016 national variety show would hit this. The TF team leader explained,
“We built it up for months. If the ratings didn’t spike, that’d be strange—they’ve been over 20% lately.”
“Still...”
“But it’ll probably drop after the debut. That’s normal.”
We’d been incredibly lucky: our debut song launched on the variety show everyone watched. National variety’s phenonal power at work. The manager said,
“At this rate, we’ll land solidly in the top 3 or 4.”
“So...”
“Can’t promise, but it’s looking good—maybe even a #1 contender. The trend’s insane.”
We stared.
“#1 contender...”
“Think that’ll happen?”
In my mind I pictured “Bulkkotnori” at #1—but it felt unreal. Two years later, the MV and performance were trending on MTube and it was on the Mango chart...
“Aah! This feels so weird.”
“ too. What is happening?”
Biju said,
“It really doesn’t feel real. Even as a #1 contender...”
“Sa.”
“So surreal.”
Our juniors were bewildered too. We’d touted “Nakhwa” and “Attention,” and suddenly “Bulkkotnori” burst in as a wildcard. It was a major variable. Many were already speculating about next week’s music-show lineup. Yet even if it made the contender list, actual #1 was a long shot.
“Nakhwa and Attention are so strong...”
“......”
“We never knew our song was this powerful.”
For “Bulkkotnori” to hit #1, it’d need to stay in the upper chart for weeks. If that happened, it’d be amazing—but honestly, I was already thrilled. Our overlooked debut was now belatedly viral on MTube and beyond.
“This song is sleek as hell...”
“Park Gyu-ho’s greatest achievent: NewBlack”
“Wait, they wrote their own debut track?? Lemon’s foresight is insane”
“Shout to Director Jo Gyu-hwan for bringing us Sun Woo-ju”
┕ “Where’s Gyu-ho?”
┕ “Don’t know; take a broom”
“How did this finally catch the algorithm...?”
“I was there at a music show, and it’s the most morable stage besides my own”
“Just watched MiP—what are those choreos lol totally different vibe”
┕ “Poor guys getting roasted lol”
“K-pop’s future was already bright in ’14... only my future was dark”
“Now they ask why it didn’t hit #1 back then—but it pulled fans from day one. It charted day one for an indie rookie.”
“Why didn’t I know NewBlack then? I would’ve stan’d hard.”
Watching new comnts on a two-year-old video was oddly fun. If I’d told my past self this, I’d never have believed it.
“Yeah, MintGyu-ho. I was handso even then.”
“Lost in Biju’s beauty, haha! Heart that comnt!”
“His main vocals are legit—button-up vibe was here from the start. Who? No thumbs-down, you fools.”
“My userna includes Soufflé—oops!”
“Nooo! Sorry!”
Our juniors lived glued to their phones, soaking up late praise.
“Alright, alright.” I clapped to get their attention.
“Comnts later—we focus on the task now.”
“Got it!”
“When you’re ready, let’s run rehearsal again.”
After the music-show week, we embarked on our overseas tour. The first stop was Hong Kong. It spanned two days and drew 22,000 fans. From the airport arrival onward, it was pandemonium.
“NewBlack! New-Black!”
“Waaaaa-!”
The Mister Producer effect wasn’t confined to Korea’s streaming charts. As a top Hallyu variety show, we felt our overseas fandoms swell massively. The heat was so intense, police escorted us everywhere.
We were busy with dia interviews but kept one ear on Korea’s happenings.
“Yes, A-TEN’s Attention, NewBlack’s Nakhwa! This week’s coveted #1 is...!”
“Congratulations! NewBlack!”
Sadly, our protégés didn’t clinch the music-show trophy. Normally they would’ve needed an overwhelming win—but they were pitted against “Nakhwa.” Close streaming scores and, in every other tric, we were leagues ahead.
“How do you feel about #2?”
“Well, we missed #1, but we’re grateful for this chance.”
A-TEN delivered our #2 speech. Though not #1, their upbeat remarks beca a talking point.
“To our company president Oh Young-mun... to composer Ujuseon, Producer Sun Woo-ju, Producer Kim Bi-ju, Trainer Kim Jung-hyun, Trainer Seo Ri-hyuk... and to Jiho.”
At “and to Jiho,” the singers behind him tried not to laugh or bowed, and we burst out laughing.
“And to Jiho? Jiho?!”
“Jiho-ya~ Jiho-ya~”
“Why am I the only one called Jiho-ssi? What’s that?”
We laughed at the maknae’s protest at being stuck with the “-ssi” honorific while everyone else got VIP treatnt.
“We were deceived by the producers.”
“They promised #1 no matter what. Then it turned out to be their own #1!”
We laughed at that variety-show–style gag ending the music show. Our one night in Hong Kong flew by.
In the hotel room, I finished up so work and finally hit “send.”
“Done...!”
The recipient was TJ Entertainnt A&R. It was the track I’d written for soone about to debut solo.
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