Teacher Songhun broke into a warm smile.
“If you’re good at music, you should do music. Acting can wait—you can do that when you’re older. Hahaha!”
As he laughed and patted my back, one of the veteran actors chid in teasingly.
“Teacher, you just told him to act!”
“Acting, shmacting—do you know how much Juseon makes right now?!”
At Songhun’s remark, everyone around joined in applause and laughter.
anwhile, Director Hwang Jeonggu—who’d heard the news from the next table—stood up, his face flushed from drinking.
“Good news! Good news!”
He chuckled loudly.
“It seems the youngest mber of Our Alien Family wrote a track that’s blowing up overseas! Let’s give him a round of applause!”
“Whaaa!”
Amid the staff’s hearty clapping, I bowed with a shy grin. It felt a bit embarrassing, but in the best way.
“All right, in that spirit—cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Glasses clinked sharply as the actors seated around offered their congratulations.
Just then, Junginwoo—who was about to grab my hand to piggyback so of my good luck—got a gentle smack on the shoulder from Teacher Yang Okbun.
“Ara only loves Uju,” she scolded, and Junginwoo yelped.
“Why does she only like you because you’re handso?”
“Huh.”
“Well... fair enough.”
Drawing an OK sign with his fingers, Junginwoo cracked everyone up, and Ms. Okbun laughed.
The mood was as lighthearted as ever. As fresh cuts of at sizzled on the grill, I slightly trembled while sending a ssage to my juniors.
“Guys. Looks like our track is doing great.”
Instantly, Bijuga replied:
“!!!!!!!”
“When are you coming ho, hyung?”
I told them I’d swing by soon after this first-party celebration. Jiho even sent a video of Junghyeon dancing to the beat. Smiling at the screen, my eyes t Ara’s across the table. Her eyes curved into soft half-moons.
“Are these the kids you told about?”
“Yes.”
“Do they like it?”
“They do, but they seem a bit bewildered. Since it’s a U.S. chart, they’re not sure what to make of it.”
“Yeah. It’s hard to know—these things don’t happen often.”
Back ho, if you hit number one on the Mango Chart, people instantly get it. But overseas, there are so many different charts, it can be confusing.
We’d heard our full album hit number 27 on Billboard’s main 200 Albums chart, but we didn’t really grasp how big that was—without knowing the industry there, it’s hard to contextualize. The various overseas charts where Blue Moon had climbed felt similarly opaque. And since it was a collaboration with a well-known Arican artist, we weren’t sure how much of the success was ours alone.
Still...
“I feel amazing,” I said, deciding to just enjoy the mont.
From where Seokhwan hyung sat drinking eagerly, it was clear the news was indeed fantastic. Teacher Songhun reached to refill my glass with cola.
“Teacher, from now on I’ll stick to soda...”
“Why?”
“I’m sensitive to caffeine. If I drink too much cola, my chest—”
Before I could finish, Junginwoo got another gentle smack from Ms. Okbun for his dramatic heart-flutters. Songhun sighed with mock concern, pressing his hands to my cheeks.
“You’ve got so many things you can’t handle. One sip of alcohol and you go down like dry straw—oh, poor you.”
Jinoeul and Ara across from us burst into laughter. After escaping the veteran actor’s grasp, I sipped my soda and found myself grinning.
“So...,” Ms. Okbun asked, looking at , “haven’t you thought about acting seriously?”
“Of course I have, but my schedule...”
“Right. Idols are always so busy.”
Noul nodded and added, “Rember when you fell asleep filming that studio scene during your last album prep?”
“Senpai...”
While everyone chuckled, I gathered my thoughts.
“I’ve managed so far, but if I’m going to act, I should focus solely on acting.”
“True. It’s hard to juggle both,” Noul agreed.
“Yes. I need a lot more practice ti for acting, too.”
Drama schedules are massive compared to a 50-minute sitcom cao. I’d have to carve my days into minute-by-minute slots.
Ms. Okbun sighed regretfully.
“What a waste—you’re so good at it.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m serious.”
Songhun nodded.
“If you ever want to act when you’re older, contact . I’ll recomnd you to directors.”
“Thank you so much, Teacher.”
“Assuming I’m still alive then...”
Everyone burst out laughing at his wistful gaze urging to return before it was too late.
“I’ll definitely co back,” I promised, raising my glass again.
More at arrived, the Variety Director lay sprawled proclaiming “Drama Departnt, you see? I win...!” and CEO Kim Woyong of Gon Pictures, bear-like, wobbled with emotion and tears. Writer Hwang Jeongyeon slid over, reeking of soju.
“Uju, I’m so grateful... KimUju was born to be here—today, even though I can’t drink, I’m so—happy! And then I...!”
Director Hwang Jeonggu hastily grabbed the writer.
“Sister, stop it.”
“I wanna! Na-na-na! Don’t block my joy!”
“Let’s go. Co on. Drinking’s no good for soone this weak.”
“My dear Uju! I love you—forever!”
The writer’s eyes glazed over as she ford a giant heart, and we all roared with laughter.
at, drinks, laughter. After wrapping the drama, the barbecue joint brimd with camaraderie. Seeing everyone’s smiles made understand why film and TV projects hold such appeal—being part of sothing huge, creating together.
“All right, cake cutting ti!”
To celebrate the #1 sitcom rating, a whipped-cream cake appeared. Each ti the fan winded the candles, we hollered in laughter. Hands rested on my shoulders as soone counted down.
“One, two, three—”
The candles extinguished in a puff. The crowd cheered and teased loudly—“Hey, who blew first? It was supposed to be three!”—as applause echoed around the restaurant.
I looked at the actors around , their smiles bright as they patted my shoulders.
“Uju! One more drink!”
“Sure!”
My first-ever wrap party was extraordinary—mories I’ll cherish.
“Alright, I’m heading in.”
“Co on in!”
They waved as I climbed into the car. Linking arms, they laughed among themselves before heading off to their own cars. Their footsteps slled of lingering alcohol.
“Phew...”
Our team’s staff near gulped water and exhaled heavily. Seokhwan hyung’s face had turned crimson like a math demon—I asked him,
“Hyung.”
“Yeah?”
“If I tell you sothing now, will you rember it tomorrow?”
“Sure. I’m not that drunk.”
“Good to know.”
I resolved to seize another chance later, glancing at the managers playfully smacking each other’s cheeks.
“Is everyone skipping second round because of ?”
“No.”
They joked they were too old to keep going. Then another manager from our company hopped into our car and started driving.
And then...
“...”
At so point Seokhwan hyung regained his composure and stared at his tablet, likely the ssages from Manager Hong.
“It’s about our track?”
“Yeah.”
“I couldn’t ask earlier with all those people around—this number one, was it a good chart?”
“No.”
Seokhwan bead.
“It was number one on a very reputable chart.”
“Really? I should let the guys know.”
As I typed a ssage on TotoTalk, Seokhwan said,
“Honestly, thanks to Hailey # Nоvеlight # Blue’s na value, it climbed that high.”
“That’s obvious.”
“But it’s limited to the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.”
“Huh?”
Our TF team lead showed screenshots of charts from other countries.
“Before it climbed the English-speaking charts, it was already ranking in these places.”
“...”
“These are countries where your Tube subscriber count is high. It ans your fans are everywhere.”
“So...”
“Even without Hailey Blue’s influence, it would’ve done well there.”
It’s still early to analyze fully, but the fact that it’s an English song seems to help—people everywhere are used to English pop, so there’s less resistance.
“And the most important thing is...”
“What’s that?”
“There are signs that even more fans will flood in.”
“More...?”
It felt like giant successes rolling in. Seokhwan’s fingers tapped the tablet in rhythm.
“It’s morning in the U.S. now—do you know what day it is today?”
“Halloween?”
“Exactly. Perfect timing for a Halloween-thed song.”
He grinned.
“It might do even better than I thought.”
Could any news top topping overseas charts? I felt optimistic at his prediction, even if I didn’t know how far ahead his mind was. Seokhwan patted my shoulder.
“Congratulations.”
“For what?”
Before I could reply, the HBS radio show “Jang Sowon’s Wonderful Night” ca on in the car:
—Today’s brand-new release, October 31st, is a Halloween-thed track that really nails the vibe. Once you start listening, you just can’t stop.
When they announced a prize event for listeners who guessed the artist, we all texted in. Then Blue Moon began to play on the air.
Like a horror-film underscore, the gayageum string flicked once before fading into the Blue Moon lody.
“Oh, this is good.”
The manager driving laughed.
“This is really great. It feels so exciting—perfect for a drive.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Perfect for parties, too.”
He reminisced about studying abroad in the U.S., where they’d blast songs like this at parties. We all felt a warm glow at his local insight.
Then they announced the winner:
—Congratulations to RainAlcohol! You’ll receive a cutting board and knife set!
I asked,
“Wasn’t that Supple?”
“Supple?”
“I think I saw that nickna before.”
“It makes sense—it’s one of your fans.”
“Yeah?”
I felt happy knowing a fan won.
Back at the dorm, NewBlack’s leader cocked his head at the unusually bright face of the second mber. As the others munched late-night snacks and danced the courtship dance, they collapsed under blankets in the living room and fell asleep.
anwhile, in many parts of North Arica, Halloween parties were in full swing.
“Trick or treat!”
Students in costus rang doorbells non-stop. High schools and colleges held Halloween events, and ho parties buzzed. Rooms decked out with Jack-o’-lanterns, candles, and props played eerie music for atmosphere.
Then...
“Oh...?”
Amid the spooky soundtrack, one song cut through everything.
“What’s this track?”
“Blue Moon. Hailey Blue released a Halloween song.”
“Nice~”
As drinks were sipped and shoulders shook to the beat, unfamiliar voices erged—boyish falsetto, charismatic mid-range, and more.
“Is it a featuring?”
“Probably.”
Most guests humd along, committing the title to mory. Yet they wondered:
“Who are they?”
They searched for the song, but the artist na was weird.
“Blue Black?”
“Why Blue Black instead of Hailey Blue?”
The host explained:
“Did you watch the music video? Hailey Blue singing with foreign artists.”
“Really?”
“Check it out.”
On Tube, Blue Moon racked up insane views—tens of millions. Their eyes widened.
“How many is that?”
The music video’s views climbed and climbed. Finally, on screen appeared “The New Black” at the end. A comnt with thousands of likes read:
—To those wondering who New Black is: Woo-Joo.
Link to an explanatory video appeared, and Wikipedia even had a detailed entry.
“Famous foreign boy band, huh? Popular in Arica?”
As Aricans, usually indifferent to other countries’ scenes, nodded in understanding, everywhere Halloween parties played Blue Moon. The video views kept rising, and the host smiled proudly.
“Finally, sothing aweso to recomnd!”
The first week of November kicked off with our wrap party. In the third week of music shows, we again took first place on every broadcast.
—Congratulations!
—NewBlack’s Empire!
Our title track Empire still held the daily chart’s #1 spot. At first, I worried Blue Moon would overshadow it. As an English song, Empire slipped to around #7—but staying in the top ten was impressive.
“English songs usually drop fast, right?”
“Maybe because it’s sung by Koreans.”
At Junghyeon’s remark, we were amazed.
“Ah...!”
“What’s ‘ah’ for, you idiots?”
“Hey, don’t call idiots idiots.”
“True, true.”
“...”
Separately from dostic charts, Blue Moon was flying abroad. Hailey even posted on social dia, “May the gods bestow infinite blessings on NewBlack...” celebrating its success. The Halloween special and the video drew initial attention.
“It’s still #5 here.”
“This must be huge.”
Though we weren’t based in those countries, the numbers proved it. Seokhwan hyung was right—our Tube views were skyrocketing.
Bijuga laughed.
“Tasting station people at supermarkets must feel like this when custors swarm in.”
“Right. It’s great to have so many custors.”
Behind-the-scenes videos with Hailey and our Halloween dance cover also kept climbing. Just seeing those numbers made us feel full.
“I’m hungry. Let’s order late-night food.”
“Shall we get jokbal?”
“Add more kimchi this ti—Junghyeon ate it all last ti.”
“Okay.”
It was Monday night, approaching Tuesday’s early hours. Junghyeon, the younger ones, and I awaited the Billboard Hot 100—compiled from sales, streaming, and radio. It’s one of the most reputable U.S. charts. We planned to screenshot it the mont Blue Moon debuted.
We even laid down gym mats so the boys below wouldn’t wake from our jumping around. While snacking and waiting...
“It’s up...!”
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