The one standing alone on the stage.
It was none other than NewBlack’s main vocal, Ri Hyuk.
‘Wow.’
A neat black suit. A black tie.
He had changed outfits in the anti; Ri Hyuk approached the standing mic in a sharp formal look.
His gentle hand gripped the mic stand, and his soft lips parted.
It’s ti to turn back for a mont
Beyond that mirror
To find the starlight of that dark tropolis
I’ll return to you
Perhaps because the lyrics were in English, they sank easily into the ears.
His beautiful voice blended with acoustic guitar and wrapped around the venue.
As Ri Hyuk finished his line and lted into the darkness, the spotlight shifted elsewhere.
‘Oh?’
It was the opening set from Coin.
The place where children had been playing arcade gas while adults fought.
Now, instead of children, adult dancers stood there.
Dressed in dull gray suits.
‘Ah.’
It felt like they were showing the destination ntioned in the lyrics—“turning back for a mont.”
Everyone has monts when they reflect on themselves.
How they’ve lived.
What they should do next.
And in those reflections, childhood occupies the greatest portion. What you loved back then. Whether you still love it {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} now. Looking back and reassessing yourself.
The stage seed to be telling those people—
Going back to childhood isn’t the answer.
‘Hm?’
As the lights slowly brightened, dancers in similar suits began moving around.
It resembled a busy train station, like Grand Central.
Then, in the center of the darkness, the silhouettes of five figures appeared, and cheers exploded.
"Waaaaaaa!"
That was the mont.
A futuristic intro with future bass elents poured out, and the Souffles scread.
‘Finally, TRO!’
As fans shouted the fanchants—Sun Wooju! Kim Biju! Kim Junhyun!—their voices covered The Forum.
The mbers, crouched low, began rising to the rhythm of the intro.
With each beat, their limbs snapped and twisted sharply.
"Waaaaaaa!"
Amid gray-suited backup dancers, NewBlack in black suits tilted their heads.
Wooju, standing in the center, brushed off his sleeve and walked forward. Screams followed.
Just as all eyes locked onto him, Jiho slid out in front, gesturing toward the audience with a smile.
"Hello, VMA—"
Glitter shimred under his bright eyes like a cluster of stars.
He quickly stepped back, and Wooju began singing in a low tone, nodding slightly.
I’m used to the dark
Especially this dark tunnel
This shaking
It’s just daily life to
Choreography cleverly portrayed the sway of subways and public transit.
With hands stretched out as if holding straps, they laughed lightly and tilted from side to side.
As the handso man in the striped suit stepped back, the main vocal ca forward.
Should I hide or not
If I hide in this darkness
Scars and wounds won’t show
But that’s not what I want
Ri Hyuk sang in his clear tone, scratching his throat lightly at the end, drawing cheers.
He adjusted his tie in choreography and slid aside.
Without a gap, Junhyun stepped forward, limbs flowing smoothly in the backup choreography.
His hand cut through the darkness, leaving afterimages.
Faint lights
Darkness wrapping around
Glass becos a mirror reflecting
What fills these shining eyes
Is a maze of the heart
Countless versions of
The tropolis of my heart
His mid-low rap matched his bold features, while the mbers delivered refined movents behind him.
The futuristic sound continued evolving.
It began calm, rising gradually toward the chorus.
‘This is good.’
It felt like a train erging from a dark tunnel into light.
Junhyun and Wooju clasped hands to form a bridge.
Jiho slipped through between them with a grin, brushing off his shoulder and riding a smooth wave.
It was choreography that made you feel good just watching.
It won’t take long
Just while passing through this tunnel
That’s enough
Close your eyes—
As the high note rose smoothly—
At the chorus, Biju slid out from behind and released his signature soft tone.
It’s ti to turn back for a mont
Beyond that mirror
To find the starlight of that dark tropolis
I’ll return to you
His tie swung like a pendulum from the force of the intense choreography.
The audience roared through the chorus.
And the crowd’s mouths fell open.
‘Wow....’
The choreography had seed flashy throughout TRO, but the chorus was on another level.
Their limbs curved gently, then scattered around Biju at the center.
As if he were a mirror, they split into two pairs, performing symtrical mirrored movents.
Like narrowing and widening a decalcomania image, the suited singers moved with ties fluttering.
Their wrists and ankles twisted fluidly.
‘...This is insane.’
It looked brutally difficult.
During Coin, they had only shed a few drops of sweat.
Now, by the end of the first verse, their faces were drenched.
For most people, it would be enough to collapse.
Yet they were smiling brightly.
You almost wanted to ask what was so fun.
Maybe because of that effort—
"Waaaaaaa!"
By the second verse, the relentless choreography and addictive TRO had the venue fully heated.
Starting from Coin, the energy kept climbing.
The cheers and heat filled the arena.
Celebrities in their seats now nodded along to the chorus rhythm.
Then ca the bridge.
The mbers stepped away from formation, moving to the stage edges, singing toward the jumping crowd.
Ri Hyuk, looking stifled, threw off his jacket, straightened his shirt, and sang:
To find the starlight in this dark city
The Souffles shouted, “tro!” in response.
Looking back at the road I’ll one day return to
Other mbers tossed off their jackets too, singing one line at a ti.
The bridge built higher.
As if on cue, dancers and mbers slowly gathered center stage around the leader.
And then—
The mbers perford a dazzling group dance in one tight formation.
"Waaaaaaa!"
Red and blue lights crossed, shadows scattering.
Jiho rode a wave despite sweat-soaked hair sticking to his forehead.
Ri Hyuk snapped sharply into precise movents.
Junhyun, unaware his tie had fallen off, continued smooth gestures.
Biju moved as if dancing a different dance entirely.
And—
‘Oh my....’
At the center stood NewBlack’s leader.
Now it was clear why he was the center.
His long arms carved lines and shapes, anchoring the formation.
He cut strength and softness cleanly, directing the audience’s focus.
Energy seed to explode from his fingertips.
With him at the center, the mbers’ varied lines created the image of a giant bird spreading wings.
After about thirty seconds of dance break—
"Waaaaaaa!"
Sweat-soaked faces tilted back as they gasped and waved.
"Thank you!"
The Korean greeting ca out unconsciously, but the intention was clear.
Applause poured from singers and audience alike.
It sounded like fireworks.
Like their debut song.
Like applause hinting at the future of what they had shown.
Team Manager Yoon Seokhwan clapped.
"It’s done! We did it!"
"We did it!"
Hearing the applause at the venue, it felt like success.
The TF team and staff who had held their breath embraced.
Sothing heavy swept cleanly away.
"Whew...."
The final stroke.
Like placing the perfect finishing dot on a major project.
Seokhwan regained composure and checked reactions.
‘It’s a success.’
Everyone had poured imnse effort into this VMA stage.
Hair, makeup, outfits, choreography, vocals—Lemon Entertainnt’s full capacity.
The TF team had handled strategy.
-Aricans like stages with stories. If it’s about a breakup, they build a set like a house and sing inside it.
-Our boys should do sothing like that.
To appeal to Arican audiences who treat stages as spectacles, story was needed.
NewBlack had a weakness.
‘They’re performance-focused....’
They were so busy dancing that props and story were hard to show.
So the TF team brainstord with the mbers.
Make it feel like there’s a story.
First, introduce Coin properly.
-We know it’s part of the Empire-Dokkaebi-Coin trilogy, but Aricans don’t.
-Should we adjust the context?
They shifted Coin’s context toward broader social conflicts.
That was the opening with children.
Then linking Coin and TRO.
-TRO is about self-reflection. It’s different from our past songs.
Wooju’s voice echoed in mory.
-We’ll connect it like this. You beco an adult and look back at your childhood self. But that child isn’t there anymore. Only the adult you.
For adults, adult concerns matter.
-Looking back isn’t the answer. Reflecting on who you are now is.
TRO marked the beginning of a new album series.
After singing about “you and ,” now they sang about “.”
"Great start."
Seokhwan smiled.
Then checked reactions.
‘That’s what matters.’
Deep analysis was for fans and insiders.
What mattered was whether it was fun.
And from that perspective—
It was a perfect score.
However...
‘Oh?’
The intention wasn’t fully delivered.
Arican viewers and artists interpreted it differently.
‘It’s about teenage struggles!’
Aricans nodded.
‘Right.’
‘Teen angst.’
‘Riding the school bus through tunnels, thinking deeply.’
They saw it as adolescence.
NewBlack reflecting on themselves as teens.
Spokesn of youth.
‘No wonder teens love them!’
Aricans applauded.
‘Teenage years are tough.’
To them, NewBlack looked like late teens.
...A misunderstanding born from their unbelievable baby faces.
Their legs trembled.
From effort—but also relief.
"Haah...."
"Huff...."
They gulped water backstage.
Wooju felt dizzy, hyperventilating slightly, and sat on the cool floor.
Arican staff voices asked, “Okay?”
"What are they saying?"
Seokhwan laughed.
"They’re asking if you’re okay. If they should call dical staff."
"Tell them we’re fine."
In Korea, it was common.
Singers collapsing backstage wasn’t strange.
"Hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Did we do well?"
"You did incredibly well. Beyond words."
"That’s a relief...."
The anxiety vanished.
Like usual after awards performances, they lay scattered, recovering.
"Let’s go."
"Yeees...."
Biju and Ri Hyuk wobbled like jelly monsters.
"Hyung, I’m so happy...."
"Stay conscious."
"I’m sleepy now that the tension’s gone."
Jiho climbed onto Junhyun’s back.
Ri Hyuk stared at Wooju’s back.
"What."
"Nothing."
"Want a piggyback?"
"Your back’s soaked with sweat. That’s why."
He tossed a jacket over Wooju’s shoulders.
They walked down the hallway, smiling.
"Ah, we survived...."
"Feels like we did."
Like finishing final exams.
Just joy.
After fixing makeup and changing outfits, they reentered the venue.
"Waaaaaaa!"
They waved to Souffles and returned to seats.
Other singers reached out, praising the stage.
Their expressions felt familiar.
Like trainees at TJ Entertainnt who used to look down on him—until they heard him sing.
"I have to ask."
Hailey returned during a break.
"You prepared a stage like that, and still ca in astronaut outfits to get attention?"
"Yes."
"You’re insane in multiple ways."
"Complint or insult?"
"Complint. That was an insane stage. The ones performing after you must hate it."
They laughed.
Now they could relax.
Awards remained.
Best Editing—Cold Brown’s “CO2!”
VMA ant Video Music Awards.
It wasn’t about songs—but music videos.
Not as solemn as the Grammys.
"Sour grapes... sour grapes...."
"If so, just wish to win."
"No. I used today’s wishes on Grandma Kim Deoksun’s health and the stage."
Then—
Viewer’s Choice.
Revived this year.
"And the winner is... NewBlack!"
Like pocket money to take ho.
"Grrrrrr!"
"Kyaaa!"
They went up again.
After thanking company, family, and Souffles—
‘Shall we?’
They exchanged looks and smiled at the cara.
At the sa ti in Korea—
-There are so many people to thank. You may not know, but we receive incredible love in Korea.
Koreans smiled.
‘That’s right!’
Wooju looked at the cara.
-We can’t na everyone, so we’ll draw a few nas from those who left supportive comnts.
-Tada!
-We’ll pick three.
Suddenly it felt like a lottery drawing.
Junhyun held up a tablet showing cute mini NewBlack avatars spinning.
In Korea, people watching TV began sweating nervously.
A wave of tension swept across the country.
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