A photo uploaded to Billboard’s official Twitter.
In the chart listing positions 1 through 10, sothing jumped out.
“It’s there.”
“Huh?”
I spoke to the younger ones who were sipping crab soup.
“It’s there.”
“......?”
My fingers were trembling. I didn’t know if it was nerves or excitent. The phone slipped from my loosened grip.
Junhyun quickly reached out and caught it.
“What’s there?”
“Our na. We’re in the top ten.”
“.......”
Spoons and chopsticks clattered onto the table.
Clink.
The youngest grabbed with wide eyes.
“W-what rank?”
“I didn’t see that far.”
The others stood and gathered behind .
As if too scared to look alone, the henchn hid behind and urged,
“Hyung, hurry.”
“Okay. Just a second.”
I could feel the other restaurant guests looking at us.
But right now, nothing else mattered.
“Ha.......”
“Ajusshi, hurry!”
“Okay, okay. Calm down.”
The mont I unlocked the screen—
We had planned to check from tenth place upward.
Instead, we scread.
Because TRO was sitting in a position that was impossible to miss.
[Billboard HOT 100]
Divine Rules - Cold Brown
Slipper - Wayne X & DJ Magik
Stay - Rogan Smith ft. Louis Leight
TRO - The New Black
I Am What I Am - Mandy Spice
The bolded “TRO” at number four stood out like it had been highlighted.
“.......”
“.......”
Goosebumps ran up my arms.
My mouth fell open.
We looked at each other.
Biju spoke first.
“I guess this is what they an when sothing is so huge it doesn’t feel real. This is really.......”
“Yeah.”
I answered.
“We’re fourth.”
“W-when Coin ca out, what was it? I think it wasn’t... a big number... I feel sick.”
“Coin debuted at ninety three.”
It had jumped into the seventies in its second week, but it never broke into the upper tier.
That was why this ti we had cautiously set expectations around top ten.
It was an English song and had done well... so maybe sowhere between ten and twenty.
But—
“Fourth.......”
It was a number that didn’t feel real.
Even at our highest hopes, we didn’t believe we’d see a single digit.
And yet there it was.
Between the hottest songs in Arica.
“.......”
It still didn’t sink in.
Seokhwan and the TF team at the next table couldn’t even react.
Just as we were too stunned to even celebrate—
Bzzzz—
Phones began vibrating everywhere.
“Yes, yes, CEO. We’re in Arica. Yes, we saw it. Yes......”
“Reporters are calling.”
While TF team staff answered calls in a daze, our phones began exploding too.
Friends congratulating us.
Contacts sending ssages.
It seed Korean dia had already posted breaking news.
[Breaking] NewBlack Debuts at No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100
They were in such a rush they uploaded only a news agency logo instead of a photo.
Articles were flooding portals.
“.......”
Maybe because we skipped the jumping stage, we were already in the relief stage.
Why were tears coming?
Maybe because the tension that had been wound tight finally snapped.
“Hyung... are you crying?”
“I’m not. I don’t cry.”
“You are... hu... huuh....”
The youngest started sobbing first.
“Why are you c-crying.......”
“You’re crying too.”
Ri Hyuk lifted his shirt like a turtle hiding its neck, but the fabric at his eyes was already damp.
Biju and Junhyun stared ahead, holding it in.
“Guys.”
“.......”
“Co here.”
They rushed over.
Soon all I could hear was sniffing and crying.
“Uuuuh......!”
“Don’t cry. Don’t cry.......”
In the end we all hugged and cried.
It felt like everything inside was dissolving into those tears.
Then—
“Our... our turn too.”
TF team mbers approached with wet eyes.
“Co here.”
“Get in.”
We hugged like penguins for a long ti.
Then—
We felt it.
People at nearby tables were filming us.
A kind-looking Black woman congratulated us.
“I happened to overhear. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
But people were looking at us like they knew who we were.
“Do you know who we are?”
“Aren’t you NewBlack?”
“How do you know?”
“I just... do. Saw you on MyTube.”
Not everyone knew.
But whenever soone said, “That’s NewBlack,” you could hear soft gasps.
We looked at each other.
Aricans recognized us.
Only then did fourth on the Hot 100 beco real.
And then—
“Liz, can you see? NewBlack is actually here. I fild them crying.”
“I’m in Chinatown. NewBlack is here.”
“I have to upload this.”
We had cried thinking no one would recognize us.
Guests were already tapping their phones.
We could picture the videos spreading across MyTube and social dia.
We had no ti to celebrate popularity.
The video of us hugging and crying was uploaded with penguin background music.
It beca the second “Tears of Antarctica.”
While NewBlack cried in Arica, Souffles and even casual listeners in Korea scread at dawn.
“Wow!”
Fourth on the Billboard Hot 100.
The first single digit entry since Gangnam Style.
-OMGㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-Guys congratulations
-Is this a dream
-Fourth is insane
-What a beautiful night
People jumped out of bed.
Even those who were usually indifferent felt proud.
“Chicken.”
“It’s chicken day.”
Koreans opened delivery apps.
“Maybe Jiho’s family’s chicken shop.......”
But orders were closed.
They ordered elsewhere and celebrated.
News spread everywhere.
Even people who usually said, “So what if they’re successful?” were Souffles today.
TV news, radio, podcasts.
“Congratulations to NewBlack for ranking fourth on Billboard Hot 100. Let’s listen to TRO!”
Even political talk shows ntioned it.
Everyone in entertainnt talked about NewBlack.
“It’s not just because it’s English.”
“They’re ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) just that good.”
It felt like an Academy Award mont.
anwhile.
In TJ Entertainnt’s top floor office—
Chairman Park Taejun held his chest and breathed deeply.
‘This can’t be.’
He had dread of conquering China, Japan, the world.
And now NewBlack leapt ahead.
‘He was right.’
He rembered the director who had advised caution.
He found a post.
[Park Taejun: My rival is over there.]
A photo of Wooju’s afterimage.
Comnts mocking him.
Normally he would rage.
Today he didn’t have the energy.
‘I’m too old for this.’
He called Director Han Youngjun.
“I’m stepping down.”
“What?”
“I’m serious. You take over.”
Left alone, he looked out over Cheongdam.
“.......”
Then—
Flash—
Across the street, a giant billboard lit up.
The five of NewBlack.
Sparkling Souffle emojis floating.
[Congratulations! NewBlack Billboard Hot 100 No. 4!!!]
By Souffles
Park Taejun groaned.
“That fan club.......”
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