Inside the vehicle heading to the broadcast station

It was quiet

Surely no one was sleeping yet the place was so still

Why such an atmosphere

Because today was our first appearance on a music show

Our first terrestrial debut

Something had become wildly popular and out of the blue the station contacted us

They said since we were a candidate for number one we should appear

When we heard that news we stared at each other with blank faces rather than hugging in joy

“Why are we candidates for number one”

“Did we hear wrong”

“Manager, excuse me Just now did you say we’re number one”

“Hyungs, you must have misheard”

To our questions Manager Yoon Seok-hwan nodded

“Is this for real”

He nodded again at that question

From that moment we began to stammer and panic

A number-one candidate before even debuting

It was absurdly unreal

There are countless groups in their third year who have never hit number one yet a brand-new rookie who hasn’t debuted is a candidate for number one

And a leading candidate at that

Although TNT’s Blink might dominate in album sales our overall score including digital performance put us ahead

That was why the station’s invitation felt like “You’re number one so come and collect it”

But we couldn’t help feeling flustered

“What do we do hyung We’re not prepared at all”

With eyes hoping I’d have a brilliant solution like at the year-end review my juniors looked at me and I could only shrug

“What can we do We’ll just have to be ready to break our bones”

Everything proceeded at lightning speed

A week of practice

Cutting our sleep down to about thirty minutes a day we prepared the stage thoroughly

Senior Jang Sowon’s help was huge

As a veteran of music shows she knew exactly what to focus on

If it were just us we wouldn’t have dared try

We practiced for a week as if our spit and blood depended on it but still felt uneasy

Could we really do well

“Guys”

Manager Yoon Seok-hwan in the passenger seat looked back at us

“You know it’ll be crowded when we get to the station right Reporters and all”

“Yes”

“All the photos taken there go online You can’t undo it once it’s out so be very careful”

“Yes”

“If you don’t want to be remembered as ‘the rookie bragging just for being a number-one candidate’ then watch your manners Understand”

“We will”

“You know you have to bow at least right From the moment you get out of the car always lower your head No one at the station is above you”

He lectured us twice as much as usual, clearly worried about us

When his thirty-minute list of cautions ended Bijoo rubbed his palms together to ease his tension

Because of makeup the heater was on low and his breath steamed

“Hyung I’m really nervous”

“Me too”

“You really are nervous right I don’t know if I believe it”

To doubting Bijoo I said

“Trust me Want to feel my heartbeat”

“You want me to touch your chest”

“Don’t say it ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) like that It makes me sound weird”

Finding the wording odd himself Bijoo covered his mouth with his hand and laughed

A smile revealing a row of perfect white teeth

Rihyuk beside us grumbled with a displeased expression

“Cut the act You both look nervous as hell I can see you’re not shaking at all It’s rubbing salt in the wound for the people actually trembling here”

“Wow”

Jiho next to Rihyuk exclaimed in awe

Rihyuk furrowed his brows

“What”

“Hyung your face is insane today”

“Really Is the makeup working well”

Taking it as praise Rihyuk beamed until our maknae shook his head and smiled innocently

“No It’s your eyelids They’re shaking like crazy Maybe 120 times per minute”

“Shut up It’s from a magnesium deficiency”

“Shut up You really say that to our cute maknae”

“Geez this is for real”

When Jiho grinned and leaned in Rihyuk shoved him away as if he couldn’t stand the sight

The maknae’s face squashed like a steamed bun

While they bickered I realized an audio channel was empty

“Junghyun sleeping”

“Looks like it”

“I can’t tell his sleeping from his wakefulness”

Remembering something Bijoo laughed

“Hyung don’t you know The way to tell if Junghyun’s sleeping”

“There’s a way”

“There is Hyung when Junghyun sleeps he takes off his shoes You can tell by his feet”

The maknae chimed in pointing at Junghyun’s feet

He’d taken off his shoes so he was in socks

Bijoo explained in a soft voice

“When he’s wearing shoes he can’t sleep anywhere So he always takes them off to sleep”

“Such a strange habit”

“Junghyun’s always a bit odd”

At Bijoo’s words the others nodded in agreement

Weird

He didn’t seem like a four-dimensional character

Noticing the expression I wore, Rihyuk looked like he had more to say but held back

“You’ll understand once you experience it”

“But he’s a good kid”

Bijoo added with a grin

No that makes it sound even weirder

And why did he look like a dog owner saying “My dog doesn’t bite”?

PBS broadcast station

In front of the building fans had been waiting since dawn to see the singers appearing on the music show Music ON

A place where a singer’s arrival is fully on display

Fans in plain clothes gathered with the hope of catching a glimpse of their idols and photographers scrambling for the perfect shot

Thanks to K-POP’s overseas popularity foreign languages could occasionally be heard

Inside the yellow lines everyone’s fashion varied but most wore masks or sat on mini ladders waiting

One by one singers stepped down from vans

“Hello! We’re La Vie en Rose!”

“One, two, three With Your Girl Ahnyeonghaseyo I’m Autumn Girl!”

“Hello! We’re Teen Spirit!”

Every time a singer on the photo zone greeted fans flashes popped

“Hyuyen hyung You’re awesome”

“Yubin-ssi Yubin-ssi”

“Your song is so good”

While singers came and went street photographers chatted

“Seems like a lot of rookies are debuting this time”

“One of them is a candidate for number one too”

“Really Who”

“New Black You know the collab with Jang Sowon”

“That’s Sowon’s pull though Honestly if it were released under their own name would anyone listen”

“Sugarfish’s name value is strong They’re digital powerhouses”

“FNC is too much They should focus on ONTOP’s song quality instead of Sowon It was a disaster this time With outfits and track Both”

“You’re a Girls On Top fan”

“Yes”

“Mood must be rough lately Hang in there”

“Honestly it’s all because of Sixty Seconds If only those bastards weren’t around”

A photographer’s Sixty Seconds diss drew nods from the crowd

Especially La Vie en Rose and Girls On Top fandoms were furious over the dating rumors around Ju-wan

“Girls On Top are coming now”

“They’re coming They’re coming”

“Did you see Hana’s cheek It must be from all the hate comments Poor thing”

As Girls On Top finished another murmur arose elsewhere

Veteran photographers in the photo zone turned their heads

“What’s this It’s not time for TNT yet”

TNT, currently the hottest boy group, always appeared last on Music ON arrivals

It wasn’t their time

But photographers soon realized the buzz

“Wow”

Five young men were walking toward the photo zone

When they lined up people paused in admiration

“Who are they”

“Probably rookies debuting today”

Their beauty was distinctive rather than generic

They stood youngest to oldest from right to left

The maknae handsome but turning puppy-like when he smiled

A member with sharp brows and an intellectual air

A tall member with a sturdy build and manly looks

A pretty boy whose movements were somehow graceful

And

The one drawing the most attention

Though wearing the same makeup he stood out like a peacock

His small face compact with features that drew the eye

“He looks unreal”

“That nose can’t be all natural Looks like chalk was inserted”

“He’d survive even without editing”

As people lost in their thoughts the five bowed politely and proclaimed loudly

“Hello We are New Black”

My heart was pounding Tremendously

I felt my knees shake for a moment

If I had relaxed I might have collapsed

Not just me but the others were nervous too

Standing on the empty parking-lot photo zone like red heart-shaped cushions we hid our trembling hearts as best we could

“Hello We are New Black” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Flashes burst and shutter clicks rang out

Swallowing hard we forced awkward smiles

Please don’t show how nervous we are Stay natural

“Look this way please”

But from the start we were directed

We waved toward the voice

Tried V-signs and thumbs-up

We’d thought up every pose in the car but froze when nervous

An empty parking lot

Standing alone

Strangers photographing us

It felt hundreds of times more nerve-wracking than the year-end review

What were they thinking as they looked at us

Did we look ridiculously rookie

No

Stop thinking that

Natural Natural

Watching Bijoo pose naturally I calmed and also posed with a smile

After some shots a voice came from the crowd

“Thank you”

We bowed in return

“Thank you”

We all were so tense that when the photo zone shoot ended it felt like being released from prison

Finally we smiled brightly and walked toward the station

Still behind fences on both sides people in masks held cameras and phones but it wasn’t as tense as at the photo zone

We bowed repeatedly as we passed

Occasional greetings came

“I’m loving Something”

“Fighting”

“Great song”

I don’t know who you are but I love you Truly

Perhaps because we stood on a real stage every little word felt encouraging

Of course most were indifferent rather than friendly

Honestly would people waiting since four or five AM for their idols notice another group

But we all walked to the station smiling and bowing

Even after entering the station it was chaotic

“Hello We are New Black”

I lost count how many times I greeted passing staff and singers or repeated our group name

Probably more than I’ve ever said my own name

[Waiting Room – Jang Sowon, New Black]

Morning rehearsals ended in a blur and it was roughly waiting time

While Senior Sowon stepped out we decided to bet on who would go buy drinks

Rihyuk flopped on the sofa with his usual poor stamina and said in a daze

“I’m not going I’m exhausted”

“We haven’t even started yet and you’re tired Already they’ll ruin your hair styling Manager”

“Rihyuk”

At my call Manager Yoon Seok-hwan smiled at Rihyuk

“If your hair gets messed up I’ll charge you for the styling”

“......Sorry”

“Then you’re off the list Let’s see... everyone else is asleep”

In just minutes they’d all begun nodding off

I’m the oldest and still awake They’re pathetic

I decided later to mention to the fitness trainer that they needed more stamina as I left the waiting room

How many people... Senior Sowon plus stylists and the road manager, about ten? Eleven

Approaching the vending machine I encountered a familiar figure

A girl-group member

At first I admired her outfit from behind but when she turned I couldn’t help freezing

Gil Cha-kyung

That graceful face momentarily flashed an expression like she’d stepped in dog poop

Only I felt that way

Regardless I smiled broadly and greeted her

“Hello senior It’s nice to finally see you on a music show”

“Oh yes”

She managed a warm smile like a queen in a historical drama despite the brief lapse

A gentle expression full of kindness

Unlike before she treated me warmly because our song was doing well

“Must be your first time as a number-one candidate Congratulations Oppa”

Interpretation) We’ve had many number-one hits but this is new for you

“Thank you senior We’re also in disbelief to be number-one candidates before debut Sometimes we wonder if it’s a dream”

Interpretation) Yes we’re number-one candidates pre-debut

“It must feel good By the way call me whatever You debuted in middle school so I’m much older”

Interpretation) You debuted so young I was old already

“Right Cha-kyung”

When I suddenly spoke informally she widened her eyes and I smiled

“Is that appropriate Perhaps you’re a senior After all I believe in keeping manners”

Gil Cha-kyung, taken aback, closed her lips tightly

Her warm smile vanished and her expression turned icy

“Move aside I need to get my drink”

She shoved me aside with her shoulder and fed money into the machine

Why did she hate me

I could understand her hating Jiho but why lump me in as hated too

Because I stood next to the hated one

Gil Cha-kyung took her drink and glanced at me with a strange smile

“If you hit number one it’ll be interesting”

“What do you mean”

“You’re candidates over TNT today Their fans looked like they were itching to punish you As you know their fandom is extreme They’ll leave awful comments saying it was rigged even if you win”

“I see”

“Well unless someone from TNT says they’re friends with you New Black don’t pretend”

Right then

“Gil Cha-kyung Are you talking about us”

A boy-group member with dyed red hair stood where we’d turned

Gil Cha-kyung hesitated

“Oh, Tae-hyun oppa”

But the one called Tae-hyun ignored her and looked at me

His eyes grew wide

“Woo-joo hyung”

“Long time no see Tae-hyun”

For the confused Gil Cha-kyung whose eyes rolled I gave a bright smile