In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Tuesday, April 5th.

Amidst the bustling filming equipment, a man with drooping eyes approached, looking downcast.

It was Shin Murok, the main PD.

“Are you looking at the script?”

“Yes!”

“Don’t get too absorbed in the script. It’s just to set the direction.”

That was true.

Apart from directions like ‘makes a grand entrance’ and some MC lines, most of it was blank.

“Our show thrives on spontaneity, so it might be better to forget the script you’re looking at now.”

“Skim through it and forget it. Don’t feel pressured.”

PD Shin Murok said with a smile.

“I’ll just need you to react well. The cast will create the situations.”

“Yes!”

PD Shin Murok, still smiling, adeptly directed the staff on set.

Perhaps due to the show’s reputation as a national favorite, even the staff’s teamwork seemed extraordinary.

When the company’s common lounge was swiftly transformed into a studio.

Bijoo whispered to me.

“I’m nervous, hyung. Thinking about recording for Mr. Producer.”

“Me too.”

“You guys are nervous? I’m super nervous too. Let’s be nervous together.”

The three of us huddled together, shivering, then burst into laughter.

Though it was said in jest, the nerves were real.

We were going to be on Mr. Producer.

Even in the military barracks, it was an unwritten rule to watch Mr. Producer on Saturdays and Jusehan on Sundays.

It had always been such a famous variety show.

If you surveyed Koreans about their favorite programs, Jusehan and Mr. Producer would always be vying for first and second place…

“Is it ‘vying’ or ‘dalssarak’? What was it?”

“Dubchilrak? Isn’t it? But why are you asking me…?”

Watching from the side, Li Hyuk sighed and said, “It’s ‘duichirak’.”

Ah. Duichirak.

Maybe it’s because I haven’t been nervous in a while, but I can’t seem to remember words.

“This won’t do. Let’s make dumplings to ease the tension.”

“Li Hyuk, come here. It’s dumpling time.”

At Bijoo’s gesture, even Li Hyuk joined us.

As we all chanted ‘dumplings, dumplings, dumplings’ to relieve our nerves, the area buzzed with activity.

Company employees came out to watch, murmuring in awe.

Some even brought Jeju Island snacks we had given, munching away as they watched, like a festival in Lemon Village.

“What’s all this commotion?”

“Exactly. It seems everyone’s waiting to see the cast.”

The employees huddled together like fans waiting for celebrities, squinting their eyes.

Then, as our eyes met, the employees exclaimed ‘ah’.

With a look of disappointment, they playfully pretended to take photos with their phone cameras.

“Hmm.”

The PR team’s deputy manager turned on the billboard app and waved ‘Newbl’s screen time is a hit’.

As the employees playfully cheered ‘You’re so cool!’, we waved back, pretending to be haughty celebrities.

“What’s this? The mood’s great from the morning~”

A handsome man with a physique that earned him the nickname ‘shoulder gangster’ walked in, smiling.

As he entered, a chorus of ‘wow’ erupted, and all attention shifted to him.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Chu Gi Seok.”

With his hands clasped over his heart, Chu Gi Seok, a member of Mr. Producer, began to serve his fans, smiling at the employees who were awestruck.

Just as I was feeling slightly pushed aside and gloomy.

The actor turned his head and his eyes widened upon seeing us.

“Oh!”

“…?”

“It’s Newblack! Crazy!”

It seemed like we had met at last year’s entertainment awards.

His reaction was so welcoming, I felt bewildered.

His voice rose with slight excitement.

“It’s really amazing! I’ve always wanted to see you in person.”

…Even though we had already met, he didn’t remember.

A large hand suddenly reached out for a handshake, and a very cheerful smile caught my eye.

“Wow. You’re all taller than I thought.”

Somewhere, someone was looking at us with an expression akin to a soufflé’s. I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ah!”

“…Are you perhaps a fan of ours?”

“No! I’m a subscriber!”

Their pure, sunny smile made us all burst into laughter.

It was then that I remembered their profile.

38 years old.

It was Choo Ki-seok, the second oldest member of ‘Mr. Producer’ and the one who played the ‘foolish brother’ character.

Choo Ki-seok, the first to arrive, marked the beginning of the other members of ‘MiPro’ making their appearances one by one.

After the youngest, Hong Seok, arrived, we all gasped in awe at the members’ visuals.

Their popularity in China and Southeast Asia was evident, as much of MiPro’s appeal lay in the cast’s stunning looks.

From former national athletes to models, a collection of handsome men from diverse backgrounds had gathered.

“Alright. Let’s start shooting! One, two!”

As the floor director clapped the slate, the camera lights came on.

A man in his forties with a fiercely stern look smiled towards the camera.

It was Kim Eui-ji, the MC and former national soccer player.

I remembered him from the early 2000s when he transitioned to entertainment and chanted the slogan, “Rely on Kim Eui-ji.”

“Good day!”

He cheerfully recited a line akin to ‘April is the month of family,’ causing the members to groan, “What kind of lesson is that?”

Then they started bantering among themselves, glancing at the clock.

“When are the new producers coming?”

“It seems like they should be here by now?”

“Ah, it’s really tough to wait for these people.”

The true bad actors, famous for their small stature in variety shows, joined in with a laugh.

“I’m really glad we’re not doing an acting special. We would have been in big trouble.”

Meanwhile, the camera had been filming us, waiting to insert the caption [Already Waiting].

We waved our hands, sparkling with laughter.

Then, following the PD’s signal, we entered the break room in turn.

Matching the script’s direction to ‘make a grand entrance,’ I walked in like a model, catching the eye of model Hong Seok.

“Hello!”

“Wow!”

The cast members rose to their feet, clapping and welcoming us with a roar.

The response was so enthusiastic; I felt like Pororo descending upon a kindergarten.

“Oh my! New Bla-ack!”

MC Kim Eui-ji patted our shoulders, laughing heartily, when singer Ahn Jae-hee interjected.

“Brother, you haven’t watched much of New Black, have you? Why the sudden best friend vibe?”

“What. Is friendship defined by time? It’s about meeting with a heart willing to be friends, right?”

The MC winked and joked, and we waved our hands, agreeing, “That’s right!”

Ahn Jae-hee warned us.

“Be careful. This brother’s nickname is ‘Trend Collector,’ famous for being friendly only when you’re on top.”

“If you slip up even a little, he’ll delete your contact immediately.”

“No, it’s not me, you guys always…”

Amidst the eldest brother’s flustered atmosphere, we all smiled brightly.

Once the mood settled, the six-member group and we exchanged looks of wonder.

Choo Ki-seok, whom we had met earlier, marveled again.

“Wow. But you really are handsome.”

“Ki-seok brother is an avid subscriber of New Black TV. He watches immediately whenever a new video is uploaded.”

“Ah, really? I didn’t realize it was to that extent…”

Energized by our reaction, Choo Ki-seok proudly announced to his colleagues.

“That’s me!”

“What are you talking about, brother?”

“I’m part of the New Black TV fan club, the ‘Jjaple’!”

At the mention of ‘Jjaple,’ a name lacking any foundation, we all widened our eyes as the MiPro members burst into laughter.

The eldest brother, Kim Eui-ji, asked.

“Isn’t it ‘Souple’? The writer Mimi gave us ‘Souple,’ right?”

“No! It’s completely different. The… ‘Souple’ folks are like the nobility, while we ‘Jjaple’ are more like commoners.”

“Hehe.”

Rihyuk, smitten by the historical reference, laughed merrily.

It seemed ‘Jjaple’ was a combination of ‘fake’ (짭) + ‘Souple.’

Today, I learned something new again.

“Our ‘Jjaple’ may not buy tickets or merchandise like the ‘Souple’ folks, but we do everything else.”

“Isn’t that just a fan who doesn’t contribute?”

“Not at all!”

Chu Gi-seok flashed a bright smile, forming an ‘OK’ sign with his hand as if to signify money.

“Here, take this! Money!”

“Money?”

“The ad revenue from watching videos on MeTube!”

I burst into genuine laughter.

From the start, Chu Gi-seok’s crazy antics had everyone from the company staff to the onlookers erupting in laughter.

Riding the wave of energy, Chu Gi-seok raised his hand.

“Me, me! I can do that too. The expression that bald teacher had not long ago.”

“Oh, the ‘I’m getting divorced’ one?”

It seemed the entire cast was familiar with it.

It had become an internet meme known as the ‘Maeda Gospel,’ spreading far and wide online.

Chu Gi-seok puckered his lips forward and shouted, “I’m getting divorced! Definitely!”

Amidst the poor quality that had everyone sighing, Bijoo clapped her hands and laughed out loud.

“Hahaha!”

“…Bijoo? You find this funny? Seriously?”

“Yes!”

“That… is a very unique taste.”

As the teasing continued, with remarks like ‘Can’t even an actor mimic expressions properly?’ Chu Gi-seok seemed pleased to have made Bijoo laugh.

That’s when I chimed in.

“Our Jung-hyun is good at that too.”

“Oh?”

“Jung-hyun.”

“Yes?”

Without hesitation, Jung-hyun stepped forward, pointing his finger at the camera like Conan, then, like an opera singer, gathered his lips and bellowed, “Eehoooon-!”

It sounded as if an echo effect would follow.

The staff burst into laughter at his majestic voice, which seemed to spread out in all directions like thick clouds.

An Jae-hee, a singer-turned-actor, chuckled tearfully.

“Hey! That’s totally different!”

“Hahaha!”

“I thought you were a mountain spirit.”

One point for the absurdity contest.

As I wore a proud smile, the MC, Kim Ui-ji, said,

“Please introduce yourselves to the viewers.”

“Yes! One, two, three!”

“Hello! We are New Black!”

After another round of applause, we each explained our names and roles for the viewers.

The entertainer, Model Ju, sneakily interjected.

“But the New Black members are so famous, do they really need individual introductions? Even my grandmother knows who you are.”

“Really, these days there’s no one across the country who doesn’t know you.”

“Now that I think about it, you’ve come to my hometown. How did that happen?”

After a discussion about our small theater tour,

The conversation shifted to building us up with supportive comments.

MC Kim Ui-ji received cue cards from the production team and said,

“Still, it would be a shame not to introduce ourselves if the information screen doesn’t show up, right?”

“Woah!”

“Now, please read it!”

“…Us?”

As I looked around in confusion, the cast burst into mischievous laughter.

My younger brothers peeked at the content written on the cue cards behind me and covered their faces with their hands.

“Rihyuk has turned into a tomato.”

“I’m a subscriber, so I know! That’s Rihyuk’s ‘ear of truth’! He turns like that when he’s embarrassed!”

“Gi-seok, go inside.”

“This is a rare scene!”

“Drag him away.”

And so they did.

Under the stern gaze of the eldest brother, Kim Ui-ji, Nam Do-hoon, who played the strong character, took Chu Gi-seok away.

Meanwhile, Rihyuk, with his hands covering his face, said,

“No, no, I’m not a tomato…”

“Even your lips are curling up.”

As the adults cooed at how cute Rihyuk was, he protested even more, and I looked at the cue cards.

And then,

“How am I supposed to read this…”

As darkness seemed to fall before my eyes, I muttered those words, and the cast roared with laughter.

First, I must read diligently.

“NewBlack burst onto the scene like a comet in February 2014 with the collaborative track ‘Something’! Now in their third year, they are a top-tier group of five handsome men…”

“Ah!”

“World stars who reign not only in Korea but across the globe… Ah.”

“Ahahahah…!”

There were so many truly embarrassing moments.

Why did the writers compose such a newbie’s song of praise?

“Ranked fourth among figures admired by elementary students, and recently, the music video for ‘Nine’ achieved 100 million views in record time. In a survey asking the general public, ‘Based on looks alone, which male idol would you want to date?’ we ranked first, oh…”

There was a parenthesis right after.

“But including personality, we plummet out of the top ten… Plummet?”

“What? Why are we out of the top ten when personality is included?”

“What’s ‘plummet’…?”

“Why! What’s wrong with our personality! We’re this cute…!”

The cast and crew showed an amused reaction to our rapidly changing expressions.

When Rihyuk wrote the meaning of ‘plummet’ on his palm with his finger.

As I read the cue card again, my younger brothers bowed their heads or covered their faces.

“Entering 2016, NewBlack is finally being called ‘the nation’s idol’…”

“Ah. The nation’s idol! How can I go to school now…”

The youngest’s school comment seemed to hit the cast’s taste as they whispered and giggled among themselves.

Before we knew it, we had reached the end of the cue card.

“Our Mr. Producer supports the explosive journey of NewBlack, and for this idol project… It says here to read together.”

“We appoint you as Mr. Producer for this idol project! Oh, there’s a (fanfare) here too?”

“Just a moment. Ah. One two three four.”

Led by the main vocalist, we celebrated with an impromptu acapella, harmonizing to the sound of ‘Bambarabam bam bam!’

Our eyes met with the production team as we joyfully danced the bear quintet’s choreography.

“…?”

“…?”

The writers, who were about to bring out celebratory fireworks, were flustered, and the cast fell over laughing.

An Jae-hee, in charge of explanations, said,

“Hahaha! The fanfare is our job to do.”

“Ah…!”

“I’ve heard so much about you from senior Cha Woo-hyun, saying you’re the best singing junior, and you really do sing well. Wow, the harmony… I’m in awe. Really.”

Rihyuk’s face flushed hot like tomato juice filling an empty glass.

Choo Ki-seok excitedly stood up.

“Again! The ear of truth has spoken!”

“Someone take Ki-seok away. He’s got a serious case. Either unsubscribe or something.”

After another round of embarrassed squirming and laughter.

MC Kim Eui-ji handed us the award plaque received from the production team.

[Idol Debut Project]

Appointed Producer – The New Black

by Kim Eui-ji, Choo Ki-seok, Nam Do-hoon, An Jae-hee, Mo Beom-ju, Hong Seok – Total 6 people

But the shape of this…

“It’s shaped like a black goat.”

“Each producer gets a customized one.”

“Jung-hyun.”

Jung-hyun held the plaque and bleated like a ceremony.

After the appointment ceremony, the production team distributed drinks for a comfortable chat.

“Hahahat!”

The conversation flowed much more comfortably.

Looking back, it all seems designed.

Any guest would naturally be nervous at first because of the reputation of ‘Mif’.

It seems like they made us read the cue cards to lead the atmosphere to a more relaxed and enjoyable side.

While my younger brothers and the cast chatted, I glanced back to see PD Shin Mu-rok smiling.

“So, NewBlack is currently preparing an album?”

“Yes.”

“You came at the busiest time. The timing is… I wonder if we’ll get scolded by the fans.”

That’s when the PD said,

“As soon as the news of NewBlack’s appearance spread, the viewer’s forum went wild.”

“Really?”

“Our kids, they asked us to tease the oppas a lot…”

“…What? You want us to increase the footage?”

“They said ‘tease’ us.”

As we trembled like exiled ministers, eyes shut tight, the cast burst into laughter.

An Jae-hee chuckled and said, “Wow, our fans are quite the actors.”

“We’ll have fun teasing you, don’t worry!”

We offered a pitiful smile in return.

“Weren’t we the producers…?”

“That’s right, we were the producers,” confirmed the model entertainer Mo-beomju.

“But is it wrong to tease?” he asked.

“It seems the tables have turned; now we’re the producers, you trainees,” we retorted.

“No! Nooo! Oh my! That’s not…”

“Our producers are quite intimidating,” they teased mercilessly.

We were at their mercy, outmatched by the seasoned cast, including the youngest model Hong Seok, who at 29 was much older than us.

After several exchanges among the cast, it seemed they had decided on this approach.

“Oh, please stop tormenting us at NewBlackTV~”

Only Choo Gi-seok, playing the fool, remained unaware and came to our defense.

We rallied together in response.

The younger ones, in their early twenties, faced resistance when acting like seniors, saying, “You’ve made it as idols, but does that make you life coaches?”

It seemed they were setting us up as the underdogs, which we didn’t mind.

“Now, let’s talk about the idol project,” MC Kim Eui-ji began.

“Last year, one of our members wished to become an idol while in Jeongdongjin.”

“Really? Who was it?”

“It was me,” said the handsome redhead on the far left, raising his hand gently.

Hong Seok, a model known for his stunning looks, was now the visual maknae at Mip.

He was quiet, seemingly shy and reserved.

“I was briefly a trainee at a major agency in my teens. I was almost selected for debut but was let go after some complications…”

I nearly choked on my drink as the younger members’ eyes scrutinized me.

Hong Seok murmured with an awkward smile, “Of course, there were reasons for my dismissal. My dance skills were lacking compared to my peers. I’ve come to terms with it, but…”

His eyes hardened with resolve.

“…I can’t seem to forget it. Being an idol was once my dream.”

It sounded like he wanted to give it another shot.

As I listened intently, singer An Jae-hee sipped his herbal tea and asked, “By the way, have Seok and Woojoo ever met?”

“Huh?”

“Seok was a trainee at TJ Entertainment.”

“Oh, really?”

Hong Seok and I exchanged a few words.

We knew some common names, but it seemed we never crossed paths due to timing and class levels.

“So, you’re both from TJ,” someone noted.

“It seems Taejun missed out on a lot of talent. How many gems has he lost to the entertainment industry? At least a dozen.”

“Starting with Sun Woojoo here…”

Names of successful entertainers were mentioned along with mine.

Feeling oddly emotional, Kim Eui-ji respectfully asked us, “What do you think about this idol debut project as producers? Do you think we, the NewBlack teachers, can diagnose if it’s possible?”

“What do you mean?”

“Our average age is 33.5, and there aren’t idols that old in the industry. Isn’t that too old?”

“Well, there are certainly constraints,” we nodded.

“But it’s okay.”

“How so?”

“Firstly, we’re a group of exceptionally talented individuals. And most importantly…”

We smiled broadly and gave a thumbs up with the younger members.

“We’re Mip, after all.”

“Ha ha!”

Realistically, it’s a challenge. But in the world of national entertainment, anything’s possible.

Attempting to feign humility, Euiji Kim burst into laughter, and the other members followed suit.

“Of course, there may be various constraints regarding the concept, but I believe we can sufficiently compensate with other elements.”

“Wow. So, we just need to trust our teachers?”

“We will do our utmost as mentors for this project.”

“Wow!”

At that moment, one of the writers raised a sketchbook mentioning ‘Mr. Universe, test mention.’

“However, primarily, the singer’s ability to perform the song is most crucial.”

I said with a smile.

“In that sense, may we have the honor of witnessing the seniors’ skills?”

“Yes, Teacher!”

“We’ve heard you’ve been practicing for a month, so we’re really looking forward to it.”

“We’ve truly practiced with all our might.”

Amidst the warm and friendly atmosphere, we moved to the underground practice room for filming.

Bobbing along~

“…”

As six wooden puppets began to sway joyfully, the focus in my eyes and those of my siblings faded away.