“Wow, he’s handsome.”

“Which agency are they from again?”

No vocal embellishments—just a textbook performance. Unlike the fresh charm of Wang Ji-ho a moment ago, this felt polished and composed.

“I’m right here

Come to me, come to me

Why won’t you come

At least tell me why”

If the first part had been meant to grab attention, the second part was meant to convey emotion. And because it had fewer high notes, it was the perfect part for Sun Woo-ju, whose full range was still warming up.

With growing emotion, the song crescendoed:

“I can’t stand waiting anymore

But you show no sign of coming”

At the climax, Woo-ju slipped to the side in one smooth move, making way for the main vocalist.

Seo Ri-hyuk took the mic and stood center stage:

“Beloved, where are you

I wandered all this time looking for you

Won’t you just hold my hand”

His skill was on another level entirely. Everyone listening was amazed. His voice captured both poignant longing and a modern edge. Meanwhile, the other members backed him like professional dancers—five of them filling the stage with a rich performance.

Jang So-won uttered in admiration, “Wow, who did this arrangement?”

“Why?”

“Don’t you hear it? The song’s tone /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ is changing now.”

Yoon Chan-hyuk, who had been listening attentively, widened his eyes. The song, which had clearly started as trot, had seamlessly shifted toward a pop sound. By the time the main vocalist sang the trot chorus, the typical trot feel had all but faded. The transition was so gradual it felt entirely natural.

As if to mark the change, when the first verse ended, the rest of the members slipped offstage to the wings, and the rapper appeared.

His mid-range voice delivered a weighty rap:

“You were there for me when times were tough

I’m always sorry I couldn’t buy you anything

My heart was filled with regret

I wanted to show you a proud version of me

Even if it’s not a grand gift

I hope my presence on this stage

Finds its place in your heart”

Kim Jung-hyun’s clear diction made every line hit home. It was a message to parents: gratitude for their support. Every parent in that audience smiled warmly. Expressing thanks to those who stood by them—this was the theme chosen by the five Lemon Entertainment trainees.

“To you who love this song

prepare for you

So, let me tell you something”

For a brief moment to catch their breath, Jung-hyun delivered his final lines with a bright laugh:

“Thank you, and I love you”

As the music picked up again, the audience was so engrossed they barely noticed the shift from trot to something else.

“Wait—this is my song, isn’t it?”

Jang So-won’s eyes popped wide. Their first single, “With You,” was playing in a dance version. Immediately, the five members launched into choreography, led by Kim Bi-ju. His boyish look contrasted with the complex moves, and the impact drew exclamations from the crowd.

“Thanks and thank you

My grateful heart folded

Into a letter

Please open your heart”

From the second verse on, the twenty- and thirty-somethings in the audience responded. The upbeat rhythm of the arrangement created a joyful, exciting atmosphere. The second verse transitioned as flawlessly as the first.

Then came the bridge leading into the third verse. A gentle accompaniment began to swell, and their synchronized dance moves—down to the fingertips—unfolded like ripples. Even those unfamiliar with dance could see how meticulously they’d practiced every motion.

Finally, just as the music reached its peak...

At the edge of the stage, Sun Woo-ju began to move against the flow in slow motion. Then his legs accelerated in a fluid slide across the floor, his body gliding like a dolphin cutting through water before coming to rest at center stage in a graceful pose. Silent gasps rose from every corner.

When the trickiest move was safely behind us, a wave of relief washed over me. We’d nailed the part I’d feared might trip me up. It felt like a ten-year weight had lifted from my chest.

The others must have felt it too. Though they’d said they trusted me, I could tell they’d worried I might slip. Now NewBlack’s atmosphere began to shift. Everyone seemed more at ease—our relaxed expressions and fluid lines proved it.

It was a joy. Sometimes on stage, you perform even better than you’d planned—120 percent instead of 100—and you wish the song never ended. It wasn’t just me; everyone felt the same. We knew, without speaking, that we’d pour ourselves into every remaining second.

Meanwhile, something in me had changed too. Though we’d practiced together for nearly a month, there’d been an unspoken barrier between me and the others. But on that stage, it felt like those walls finally crumbled. No—it felt like everyone’s walls came down. United by our love of music and dance, we poured our hearts into the final chorus.

“Thanks and thank you

My grateful heart folded

Into a letter

Please open your heart”

As Seo Ri-hyuk—no, Ri-hyuk—sang the refrain, we danced as if it were our last moment on any stage, every gesture in perfect sync one final time.

Standing there, breathless, the five of us held our last pose.

“......”

For two seconds, silence reigned—then the applause burst forth. It wasn’t thunderous—it wasn’t the performance of the century—but it was genuine. If someone asked me to name the best act of tonight’s evaluation, I wouldn’t hesitate to choose us.

But by then, the audience’s reaction no longer mattered. We’d gained something even greater. On that stage, having poured everything we’d practiced into our performance, we looked at each other and smiled. It just felt good. I don’t know how to describe it—liberation? Joy? A thrilling feeling of being able to do anything together?

Spotting my grandmother in the crowd, I beamed at her. Grandma—I’m right here.

“Great job! Well done!”

When Mrs. Kim Deok-soon’s applause turned to tears, Yoon Seok-hwan laughed and said, “How was it, grandma? Your grandson can really sing, can’t he?”

“Ahem, ahem.” She cleared her throat as if to compose herself, watching her grandson descend from the stage. “Well, well... not bad. He could even go on a national singing contest, I think.”

“Didn’t you just love it?” he asked gently.

“Oh, of course I did! Wouldn’t you feel proud if it were your manager?”

“Yes, I’m happy too,” Yoon Seok-hwan replied. “I didn’t expect them to do so well.”

Worried that we might slip up like we did in last spring’s evaluation, he’d felt uneasy—but that worry was utterly unfounded.

“Well done, kids,” he sincerely applauded.

Street Boys looked deflated after our performance—half their morale gone from the start.

“Hel—hello...”

“Hello! We are Street Boys!”

Even their greeting was off. They’d practiced heavily, but their stage felt flat. Maybe they’d been conscious of our audience-friendly trot strategy. Their hip-hop-rock performance needed confidence, and theirs seemed lacking.

In the end, first place at the 2025 year-end evaluation went naturally to Lemon Entertainment’s NewBlack.

“Director! We got first place!”

When we lifted our cheap trophy, Director Jo Gyu-hwan beamed at us over a video call.

“Great job, kids,” he praised.

The maknae, face glowing, shouted, “Buy us meat! Meat!”

“Talk to the CEO about it. He’ll probably say yes today,” Jo said with a laugh. “Anyway, congratulations—and you worked hard tonight.”

Moments later, the CEO arrived, in high spirits, promising a celebratory dinner.

There was time for family reunions.

“Grandma!”

I ran to her and threw my arms around her.

“Let go, you brat!”

“A little longer, please. I really missed the smell of grandma.”

“Oh, dear.”

She grumbled but patted my back. I clung to her shoulder, eyes shining.

“How was it? Did I do well?”

“Well... okay then.”

“What was that? I can’t hear you.”

“Ah! I said you did great!”

You scared me! Though everyone chatted with their families, our members stayed close together. I don’t know why—maybe we just wanted to be together in that moment. Looking at each other made us smile and lift our faces.

“You guys really worked hard.”

“Same to you, hyung,” Bi-ju smiled. “At first, I was so worried about doing trot, but really—”

“It was a masterstroke,” I said.

“Right, a true masterstroke.”

“You did great, hyung.”

“No, you guys did all the hard work.”

As the five of us joked about who could give the cheesiest compliment, an unexpected third party interrupted.

“Hello.”

We all froze at the sight of her. A beauty with a coat draped over her shoulders, her eyes sharp yet her lips curved in an enticing smile—singer Jang So-won was looking at us.

“Oh! Hello, sunbaenim!”

I bowed deeply, and the others followed suit in a perfect wave.

“Achoo, my ears are ringing. Just relax.”

“No, really.”

“I just came to say I enjoyed your performance. As the original artist, I had to thank you.”

Jang So-won smiled as she surveyed us like a predator eyeing its prey.

“By the way, who did the arrangement? It doesn’t sound like the company handled it—you must have done it yourselves.”

I raised my hand. “I did.”

“Really? You did it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s great.”

She looked us over and said, “I want to give you my contact. Who’s the leader here?”

“Leader? We haven’t....”

I was about to say “not decided,” when the other four gestured to me.

“So you’re the leader, huh? Figures.”

She wrote a number on a Post-it and handed it to me. “Here. It’s my contact.”

“Why are you giving this to us?”

“I’m preparing a collaboration single, and I’m looking for a singer.”

“With us?”

We looked at each other—was she really offering a collaboration?

“Think about it. Talk it over with your company.”

“Yes, yes.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

She made a gesture like holding a phone to her ear, smiled, and walked away. We bowed again in gratitude as she departed.

“This is amazing.”

When she was out of sight, we all crowded around me. They stared at her number as if it were a holy relic, swallowing hard.

Then someone grabbed my shoulder. Seok-hwan hyung, his face aglow, looked back and forth between me and So-won’s retreating figure.

“So you just got a collaboration offer from another singer?”

“Uh? Yeah.”

“You clever kid!”

He hugged me, thrilled that we’d gotten free promotion without spending a thing.

“Get off me!” I protested, and everyone around burst into delighted laughter.