In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 236

What is this mysterious SNS?

“…”

Woojoo clicked on another SNS post by Cha Woohyun with his siblings.

@cha_cow

(A photo of Cha Woohyun wearing a cape for winning the first place in Legendary Song Discovery.)

I won first place >ㅁ<

It was dizzying.

What was this post that did not match his stern face at all? And everyone was commenting as if they were familiar with him, saying things like “Oppa, you’re so cuteㅎㅎㅎ”, “You’re a cutie today too”.

When Woojoo searched, he found out that he was nicknamed Muscle Fairy, Muscle Cutie.

It was written on Wikipedia that he got those nicknames because of his contrast between his usual appearance and his SNS persona.

No. This was too different.

For people who only saw him briefly on TV, this might be cute, but for them who knew his real self, it was very confusing. Was this the same senior they saw earlier…?

Woojoo swallowed dryly as he stared blankly.

“Maybe his manager wrote it for him?”

“I think so too. I want to believe that. This is… something I can’t accept,” Rihyuk said in a tone that implied it had to be that way.

Woojoo decided to think that his manager wrote it for him. Unless he had multiple personalities or was possessed, he wouldn’t write it himself.

“Let’s write a reply too.”

Woojoo logged in to their official account and wrote a brief comment under his post, saying “We’re more thankful!”

Spring came.

Rihyuk tore off the March calendar in the dorm and did a happy spring cleaning.

“Ugh, please let me rest…”

“What did you do to skip work? Hurry up and throw away the trash. If you don’t, I’ll make you clean the bathroom.”

“Uwaaah.”

“Ha… I love cleaning. I love it so much.”

…That kind of spring cleaning.

Not only cleaning, but they felt the spring everywhere.

The clothes became lighter, and in the daytime, the forsythias and azaleas that bloomed here and there swayed in the spring breeze.

This time last year, they were busy with events for Something. Time flew, Woojoo thought.

Speaking of which, Jang Sowon sent Woojoo a screenshot on KakaoTalk.

Something came back like a phoenix and re-entered the daily chart. It was a real-time chart before, but now it was on the lower ranks of the daily chart.

Woojoo joked that they would retire with Something if this continued, but it was becoming a reality.

-‘I’m here’… ‘Something’ re-enters the chart

-‘Swaying in the spring breeze~’ Want to listen to some spring songs? ‘Something’ and 3 other songs enter the chart

-New Black X Jang Sowon ‘Something’ a new ‘spring carol’?

It was strange that a song that came out last February was doing a reverse run on the daily chart after a year.

On the other hand, the general public was surprised for a different reason.

-What is this New Black song???

-I felt something weird when I saw the name Something

-I thought it was Jang Sowon’s song whenever I heard it at a cafe

-I didn’t know it was New Black ㅋㅋㅋㅋ so funny

-I heard the voice and it was New Black ㅋㅋㅋㅋ wow what is this they are them

It seemed to be because of the gap between the recognition and the success of the song at the time.

The song was popular nationwide, but Jang Sowon’s impact was much bigger. They were just rookies who hadn’t debuted properly, so there weren’t many people who paid attention to them.

As a backlash, their appearances on the shows at that time were being reevaluated.

“Woojoo, congratulations.”

Every time he met them at the company, the A&R Team staff congratulated him.

“It looks like the song is going to be a hit again. At this rate, you’ll be living off Something every spring.”

“I’m jealous. I wish I had a piece of the arrangement.”

“Woojoo, do you need a composer slave? I’m free these days.”

They looked at Woojoo with envy.

Woojoo avoided them shyly, and they thought it was funny and chased him.

But the reason Woojoo reacted like that was not just shyness or modesty.

He was worried.

Of course, it was a good thing that Something was on the chart.

Their clips from Music Cafe and other shows were getting attention again. And the royalties were piling up, so he could buy some delicious food or gifts for their Lady Deoksoon or the members.

But he was concerned about the 3rd album.

What if Something, which came out a year ago, was still making noise, but the 3rd album title was forgotten?

Woojoo felt like his worries were accumulating, so he decided to go see his mentor and ask for a consultation.

“Sure.”

Jo Gyuhwan, the Director, smiled brightly.

“Can you tell me exactly what part you are worried about?”

“We are putting all our resources into the third album right now.”

Woojoo continued to talk to the Director who was listening calmly.

“The managers have already booked the broadcast schedules for the third album promotion, and we spent a fortune on the album jacket and the music video. Everyone in the company is working hard for us.”

When Woojoo was practicing, he saw something glittering and turned his head to see the President watching them from outside the door.

He ran away as soon as their eyes met.

He probably didn’t want to put pressure on them, but Woojoo understood.

Woojoo would be nervous too if he invested such a huge amount of money and wanted to know the progress.

The other staff members didn’t show it either, but he could feel that they were anxious about the third album preparation.

“We want to live up to their expectations and do something, but I’m worried that we might not be able to.”

To be precise, he was afraid that the third album would do worse than the previous one, Something.

When he finished, the younger ones also said a word.

“When I go to school, the kids who debuted as idols with me ask me how the next album is and subtly brag about it.”

“I don’t know if our songs are good anymore, because I listen to them hundreds of times a day.”

“I don’t have any worries, but I’m worried that everyone else is worried.”

“We all put so much effort into making this album, so I think it should do better, but I don’t know the result, so I’m worried every day.”

The Director who had been listening quietly sipped his coffee.

“You must be feeling a lot of pressure.”

“Um, no. No.”

Woojoo waved his hand in case he misunderstood.

“It’s not that the company is putting pressure on us, it’s just that we feel that way for various reasons.”

“This is the time when the pressure increases a lot.” The Director said calmly, “It’s natural to feel that way. Anyone would. Especially in this business. You feel it too, right?”

“Yes.”

“You know what I mean. Everyone you meet shakes your hand and says ‘I’m looking forward to your next activity’. And some people look at you with a hint of envy.”

It was true.

At the broadcasting station, everyone they met smiled and said they were looking forward to their third album.

Sometimes they said, ‘I really enjoy History Discovery!’ but they didn’t hide their displeasure.

Whether it was good or bad, the number of people who were interested in their moves increased incomparably to the second album.

And so did the number of Soufflés who were eagerly waiting for their next album.

“This is normal. Everyone goes through this. Especially in this business. I did, and so did Scarlet.”

They nodded their heads.

This was why they asked for a meeting with the Director.

He was a composer who had a lot of hit songs, and he had been successful in almost every project.

He might not be able to relate to their trivial anxiety, but he might understand it to some extent.

The Director smiled.

“By the way, I hear a lot of talk around here. And your eyes have grown a lot, haven’t they?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know what I mean? When you’re in the military, you have ranks instead of grades, and the treatment is different depending on that.”

But unlike the military, where your rank was maintained once you got promoted, your rank changed every day in the entertainment industry. Yesterday’s private could be tomorrow’s sergeant, and today’s sergeant could be tomorrow’s private tomorrow.

There was a story that a top star revealed on a talk show.

The director who always called him ‘Mr. Who’ kindly at the shooting site, called him ‘Hey’ after a scandal broke out a few days later.

In other words, the people who said ‘Oh, who’s the sergeant’ yesterday would say ‘Hey, you’ tomorrow if you made a mistake.

It was no wonder that celebrities suffered from anxiety.

They were the same.

They had a successful second album, competing with TNT, the top group, and during the break, they had a hit with Legendary Song Discovery and History Discovery.

The staff and the associates who used to treat them with profanity before their debut were now warm as spring sun. Just look at the attitude change of Hwang Taeseon, the photographer who took the jacket photo.

But if the third album fails or got a bad result here…

Ugh.

Woojoo didn’t even want to imagine it.

“The more successful you are, the more pressure you feel.”

The Director handed them a drink each. Woojoo grabbed a cup of cocoa that was steaming.

“Because your competitors are not others, but your past selves. You have to do better than last time to be successful.”

The others agreed with him.

The Director looked thoughtful.

“Um, I don’t have any special advice for this part…” he answered with a troubled face. “I wish I could give you a clear answer, but I still feel this pressure too.”

“Even you, Director?”

“Of course, I’m only human. These two… Woojoo.”

It sounded like he mixed something up.

Director Jo spoke with his nails on.

“There’s no special way to deal with this worry. Even if there was, it’s not something you can reduce since it’s related to your career.”

“Then…”

“You have no choice but to adapt. The higher you climb, the bigger it will get.”

Woojoo suddenly thought of the TNT members.

How did they overcome this pressure? Should he admire them?

The younger line of kids who used to laugh and run around when they were a trainee must have gone through this too.

“I think that’s all I have to say,” Director Jo said. “The sure thing is that this is a problem that you can’t get rid of as long as you’re active. Me too, and the Scarlet kids too. It’s unresolved. But let’s look at it positively. It’s a great situation to be in, to have this kind of worry…”

People always thought from their own perspective. Woojoo felt like he heard an omitted sentence.

They nodded quietly.

“Thank you. Director, I think I have some clarity thanks to you.”

“I guess I have to get used to it.”

“It turns out that practicing more is the only way.”

The Director smiled and said, “One more thing, from what I see, you guys need to have some hobbies. When your body is resting, you keep thinking about work. Preferably something that can clear your mind.”

“Ah, hobbies…”

“Don’t you each have a hobby?”

Woojoo nodded.

“I compose.”

“Woojoo. Not something related to work.”

Woojoo wanted to say Kim Deoksoon fanboying, but he swallowed it because it was a bit embarrassing. Director Jo Gyuhwan’s gaze turned to Bijoo.

“I cook.”

“I exercise.”

“I like playing games.”

But that seemed to trigger something, and the Director’s hand holding the coffee trembled.

“Cough!”

He coughed as he drank the coffee and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

“What… Don’t you have something you can do together? Like how the Scarlet kids go hiking.”

“All of us?”

They looked at each other.

“How about traveling? Traveling. It’s the most harmless.”

“I don’t like it.”

Rihyuk shook his head.

“If we go on a trip, it’s obvious that only me and Bijoo Hyung will prepare. The other three will just stare blankly, and say one thing about this and that at every destination…”

“Hyung. Planning a trip is half done when you pack and buy tickets.”

“Didn’t you hear?”

“But I like traveling together…” Bijoo muttered regretfully, and Junghyun, who was eating konjac jelly, said, “How about a package?”

“No way. Traveling is backpacking.”

“Agreed.”

Jiho and Woojoo high-fived.

Woojoo continued, “Junghyun. If we go on a package, we’ll be on the internet as ‘idols who went on a package trip together’.”

“Street Boys and other idol seniors will tease us.”

“Hmm, is that so.”

They were talking about hobbies that they could do together.

Traveling came up as a harmless topic.

There was also a debate by Rihyuk about ‘whether traveling can be considered a hobby’, but the conversation ended simply.

“Just.”

The youngest snapped his fingers.

“Hyungs, just come. I’ll treat you to a luxurious meal while we’re traveling. The accommodation is a suite, the food is a restaurant, the clothes are from a local department store.”

“Wow…”

“Traveling can be a hobby if you have enough money… Hyungs?”

“Jiho, Jiho.”

“Ah, stop it!”

They all got up for a moment and praised their youngest for being so hardworking and kind.

But Woojoo doubted they would have enough time to go on a trip until the second half of the year.

They had many opinions, but in the end they decided to get a ping-pong table for the company.

Outdoor walks were nice, but the fans were getting more and more these days.

Meanwhile, the entertainment industry was rolling on without a break.

-GTV’s Friday drama ‘Slip’ hit the jackpot… soaring ratings

-Fox Bead vs Slip, which is the most talked-about drama of the first half of the year?

-Slip, will the prehistoric secret be revealed at last? Explosive interest in the next episode preview

The drama scene was booming with the second and third episodes of Slip, and Fox Bead was also increasing its ratings.

Reed, the drama that Rihyuk almost sang the OST for, disappeared like the wind.

Instead, it was gaining a cult-like popularity on the internet.

Looking at the PPL memes, this time even the prosecutor who came to the chief prosecutor’s office was lying on the massage chair.

Some people wondered if the attorney general would also lie on the massage chair, and the internet went wild when the next episode preview showed the attorney general lying on the massage chair.

And in the music scene, spring songs like Something and others were staying in the top ranks of the charts.

They had Street Boys for their first album, and TNT for their second album, but this time it seemed like their past selves were waving their hands and welcoming them.

But there was also good news.

-New Black’s comeback after five months… continuing the ‘trendy rookie’ wave

-[Interview] New Black’s mini 2nd album comeback, “Windflower will be a warm song”

-New Black, reveals promotion map ahead of comeback

Before, their PR Team had to work hard to send out press releases, but this time the reporters were covering their comeback with high interest.

And they got to perform two songs for their first comeback stage on a music show.

Considering that they had been cut off for a few seconds on their first album, it was a huge difference.

The best thing was the reaction of their Soufflés.

The concept photos for the 3rd album.

The photos of them smiling brightly with their birth flowers in a flower garden, and the photos of them in a background that looked like post-apocalyptic contrasted with each other and got a good response.

Junghyun sitting on an abandoned car hood.

Jiho hanging his coat on the reeds.

Ryuk touching his bloody lips and wounds.

Woojoo looking at the distance.

The most popular one was the photo of Bijoo lying in the reed field, turning his head and looking at his birth flower with a lonely expression.

Jiho admired him.

“Your expression came out really well. What were you thinking when you took that picture, Hyung?”

“…I was thinking about food.”

“Ah…”

“I was so hungry and sad then.”

Woojoo thought he should never reveal the behind-the-scenes to the fans.

As soon as it was uploaded, the likes and comments were pouring in.

He would have read them one by one and enjoyed them, but this time he decided to postpone it.

He decided not to look at the internet until the comeback. He felt more anxious every time he looked.

He decided to just practice quietly.

Wednesday, a week before the comeback.

“Hahaha.”

Finally, the day came.

“Hahaha!”

Some murmurs reached Woojoo as he laughed out loud in the waiting room of the Song Discovery Team.

“Woojoo Hyung, you’re weirder than usual today.”

“Hey. That guy was always weird.”

“Agreed.”

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Woojoo listened to the song in his earphones and cleared his throat.

“Ah, Deoksoon-ah~~!”

“…”

“Deoksoon-ah, why do you trample on this old man’s heart~”

“…”

Today was the special stage of the Song Discovery Tean that he had been looking forward to, ‘Deoksoon-ah’.

Woojoo listened to the instrumental part in the middle and got excited before the rehearsal.

“Dunggiduk, kung, Deoksoon Deoksoon~”

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door. It was probably the FD’s rehearsal call. Woojoo finished his shoulder dance and then.

“Excuse me…”

As Woojoo opened the door and peeked out, his eyes met with theirs. They were dancing with their shoulders.

Uh. What was this?

"……?"

Woojoo was as stunned as Ryan, TNT's younger brother, who had a bewildered expression on his face.

"Why are you guys there…?"

"What are you doing……"

They blinked at each other.

"……"

"……"

Woojoo didn't know about them, but for him, it was a moment when he desperately needed a time machine.