PBS public hall came into a wide shot as the broadcast began.

Bright lights illuminated the center of the studio.

An MC in a tuxedo and glasses appeared.

“Welcome, audience members. Welcome to Ha Seung-joo’s Music Cafe.”

The camera panned to the audience.

Young men and women applauded and cheered.

The opening remarks finished, and the show proceeded exactly as recorded.

From the hot indie band Buster in Hongdae to the Joyuri Band, the performances of the four groups before us flashed by in an instant.

“Ugh, we’re up next.”

The maknae stamped his feet and muttered, “I’m so nervous.”

“Now, we’ll bring out a new team. If you don’t know these people these days, you’d be called a spy, right? This is the collaboration team that every Korean is flirting with right now.”

The intro to Something, which we had performed at a morning event, played softly from the laptop monitor.

“Wow.”

Our first reaction was admiration.

We thought our stage had been pretty good live, but after editing it looked incredible.

From the camera angles on the singer to the transitions between audience and stage.

The production paid such detailed attention that it proudly announced we were today’s stars.

“Ugh.”

Whenever my face was close-up, Ri-hyeok covered his eyes with a dried sweet potato snack.

His ears were flushed red against his pale skin.

“What’s wrong?”

“My face keeps appearing on TV.”

“Hey, how can you be embarrassed about getting attention as an entertainer?”

I was incredulous, but I did sympathize to some extent with Ri-hyeok’s words.

Seeing our faces on TV felt strange and new.

We had monitored every music show for a month, but this felt different.

Like we had truly become entertainers.

It was the same at events.

Even when university students sang along to Something’s chorus, we only admired the song’s popularity. We never thought we had become entertainers.

Our minds were still stuck in trainee mode after all those years.

But seeing our faces on TV, on a broadcast, made it feel real.

The sudden sense of reality made me feel like I was floating.

“...We’ve really become entertainers.”

Everyone nodded.

I didn’t need a mirror to know what expression I was making.

We all wore the same look.

As the first stage ended, the talk segment began in earnest.

We looked great on screen.

I must have been super nervous for my first variety show, but thanks to the producer’s editing it came across as fresh and charming.

Of course, I was satisfied for another reason.

“Hyung, you’re really handsome.”

Bi-joo smiled proudly.

I didn’t know why he was so pleased, but he repeatedly hit the capture button on the laptop keyboard.

Jung-hyun agreed as he downed his beer.

“Woo-joo hyung is handsome, for sure.”

“He really looks good on screen.”

Ri-hyeok replied indifferently.

“But what good is being handsome if you never dress up?”

“Hey, I dress up when I dress up.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do that.”

“Who dresses up when we go to the practice room?”

At that, every member turned to look at me.

Specifically at me wearing sweatpants top and bottom.

“We all dress up every day...”

“You’re just saying you’re handsome. Let it go, Bi-joo hyung. Most people who rely on looks like that crash and burn.”

“Hyung, you just said we’re entertainers.”

“That’s right. You should dress up more. Buy some clothes. Buy some cosmetics. Put on some BB cream.”

What was this Suddenly it felt like a trial against Sun Woo-joo style.

It was absurd, but I had no real rebuttal.

It was true.

Compared to them, I really didn’t dress up. I just kept the routine I had in the military: shower, wash my face, sunscreen.

By contrast, my kids spent an hour on preparations.

Ri-hyeok was fussy about cleanliness like a cat, and even laid-back Jung-hyun took five minutes every day deciding which snapback to wear.

I surrendered to my nagging younger brothers.

“Okay. From now on I’ll dress up more.”

Only then did the nagging stop: do a face mask, apply moisturizer, that sort of thing.

But afterwards I felt wronged.

“Guys, at least I wear different colored sweatpants every day...”

As another round of ridicule threatened, I gave up my timid defense.

Meanwhile the talk on Music Cafe was in full swing.

Laughter from the audience echoed through low-quality speakers.

They must have cut out all the boring parts, because the members on screen looked wittier and more charming than usual.

It was about time for me to speak.

“But is this musical talent something you’re born with? Of course your own effort is important, but talent matters in art, right?”

I put on a serious expression and began talking about my father.

Video footage showed him playing piano at Carnegie Hall, photos of him with the U.S. president at the time, and shots of him posing with my mother at an airport press conference.

It was the moment to recall my father’s face, which ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ I barely remember, through archival footage.

My younger brothers, who had been laughing and chatting until a moment ago, fell silent.

They rolled their eyes at me without wanting to watch.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to pay attention.”

Even after I said that, they still watched me warily.

That atmosphere continued until the mic passed to Senior Jang So-won.

Fortunately when the talk shifted, my brothers relaxed.

Jung-hyun resumed drinking his beer, Bi-joo went back to peeling an apple with a small knife, and Ri-hyeok rummaged in a bag for more dried sweet potato.

This time the maknae was super nervous.

“What’s he muttering?”

“He’s saying it won’t come out, it won’t come out? Hey, Wang Ji-ho. Believing hard doesn’t make it come out.”

“Shh. He’s praying for a wish.”

Everyone laughed at the maknae, who muttered like a primitive performing a rain ritual.

Soon the moment we’d all been waiting for arrived.

As Senior Jang So-won recounted his sad life story, the maknae on screen began to cry.

It would have been fine if it was just tears, but two streams of snot were the real highlight.

His chubby cheeks, now flushed, plus the snot made him look like a country puppy.

Or like a rice cake soaked in tears.

“Don’t show me wiping my nose. Don’t show me wiping my nose...”

Though he prayed desperately, the maknae received a tissue and the sound of him blowing his nose resonated through PBS public hall.

The MC and the audience on screen burst into laughter.

“Puhahaha!”

As the maknae covered his face with both hands and collapsed onto my forearm, the hyungs laughed themselves to pieces.

“What is this!”

The maknae clutched his hair in agony on my chest.

But regardless, I was on cloud nine.

Thinking about all the teasing he’d given me since our music show debut felt like chugging a refreshing soda in one go.

I laughed and pressed the capture button.

I could milk this for the next month.

Thanks to the story of being the son of a genius pianist, our talk segment was the longest among all the guests.

But talk was just an aside. Music Cafe was all about the stage.

That’s why from now on we focused on the upcoming performance.

The title “Jang So-won X NewBlack – Between” appeared on screen.

Piano chords played in the intro.

Jung-hyun’s rap kicked off the song.

Like our first stage, the production was well edited.

Meanwhile my heart calmed.

At the sight of the title Between, I remembered Untitled, which I had briefly forgotten.

How could we show our colors?

What was NewBlack’s identity? And what did NewBlack-style music express?

I had to figure that out to give Untitled a proper title.

I monitored the Between stage seriously, checking my brothers’ charm points.

Bi-joo’s dance lines, Ri-hyeok’s voice, Ji-ho’s expressions, Jung-hyun’s sense of rhythm.

All things I already knew.

They were the considerations I had in mind since the year-end evaluation whenever I planned performances.

If I considered myself too, I was stability?

Like the group’s pendulum.

I was second after Bi-joo in dance, second after Ri-hyeok in singing, second after Ji-ho in expressions, and second after Jung-hyun in rhythm, all solid.

My range was wide so I fit in naturally anywhere, and unlike Bi-joo, who packed every foot movement with technique, I was tall and danced by the book, which apparently made the audience comfortable.

It felt weird saying it myself.

Of course it wasn’t just my opinion but the consensus of my brothers.

Okay, I was stability.

If I considered all that together, would I reach a conclusion about NewBlack-style music?

I thought hard but reached no conclusion.

Maybe I should hand out questionnaires, like the 200 Q&A on mini-homepages back in the day.

So I watched the Between stage with my eyes and thought about our debut album with my mind.

“...Huh?”

My gaze fell on my brothers staring at the laptop. Their faces showed that they were imprinting the stage in their heads. But it wasn’t the pursed lips or wide eyes they made when concentrating.

They were all smiling, enjoying the music comfortably.

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

Good music is music that makes you feel good when you listen and that you keep humming.

Taste is one of the elements that define a person.

So maybe the music we like is also related to our identity as artists?

At that thought my mind raced.

Several ideas popped up. Some seemed doable right away.

Finally, as the Between stage ended and our segment concluded, I called my brothers.

“Guys.”

“...Yes?”

But I couldn’t speak.

Their faces still held gentle smiles. I didn’t want to ruin this mood by bringing up work talk.

I shook my head at my waiting brothers.

“It’s nothing. Let’s clear the table and head back to the dorm.”

My brothers straightened their stiff bodies and cleared the table.

I approached the maknae, who frowned at his phone, and put an arm around him.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m checking if our reactions are up online.”

“Anything up yet?”

“Not yet. The broadcast is still on, so no news articles yet.”

“...Nothing special will show up. On Suneung day a few forum posts popped up, and that was it.”

“That’s not the issue.”

I didn’t need him to explain what was wrong.

New message notifications kept popping up over his smartphone.

Most were laughs like “ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ,” guys calling Ji-ho stupid, and girls texting “Ji-ho haha.”

Oh, right. He still went to school.

Judging by the flurry of posts, tomorrow was going to be brutal teasing.

I smiled and patted his shoulder.

“Now you understand how I feel.”

Ignoring Ji-ho, who narrowed his eyes like Ri-hyeok, I checked the texts from Grandma.

KingGod Kim Deok-soon [You did well]

KingGod Kim Deok-soon [You really did well]

I read on smiling.

KingGod Kim Deok-soon [The kids were so lovely]

KingGod Kim Deok-soon [You took good care of them]

KingGod Kim Deok-soon [Sent an emoticon]

I laughed at the cute bear waving lightsticks in both hands.

Don’t worry, Grandma.

Just like you took care of me, I’ll take good care of them.

The next morning, I woke up in the dorm and was literally startled.

Missed calls, dozens of texts, hundreds of chats.

What is this?

Had NewBlack’s rehearsal tapes been leaked? Or had a war broken out while I slept?

I couldn’t even remember where I put my military uniform.

Thinking those absurd thoughts, I opened the messenger and scrolled through the chats until I realized what the problem was.

Yesterday’s Music Cafe broadcast was the issue.

“Huh, what.”

My brothers, awakened from sleep, each clutching their phones, frowned.

They all seemed to be in the same situation.

I went online to figure it out, and blinked at the portal’s front page.

[Real-time search rankings]

No. 10 NewBlack Woo-joo

Had people been searching my name on their morning commute? My name was trending at No. 10 in real-time searches.

“Hyung, our article is on the entertainment news main page!”

“What? Really?”

“And it’s an exclusive article.”

Aside from news about No. 1 on music shows, our name had never appeared on the portal main page.

At most Jang So-won’s name would get a quick mention.

My heart pounded at their excited shouts.

With trembling fingers I turned to the entertainment news page.

...Huh? It’s real?

Our group name was prominently on the main page three times.

One at the top, one mid-page for a Music Cafe clip, and one at the bottom.

– NewBlack Woo-joo “My father is pianist Sun Myung-ju”

– [Music Cafe] What’s our relationship? ‘Jang So-won X NewBlack – Between’

– Jang So-won and NewBlack deliver a sweet collaboration stage 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

What was happening?

Just like on Ji-ho’s graduation day when Something succeeded, we traced the path again.

It started with the articles posted after yesterday’s broadcast.

Articles about revealing who my father was.

Of course we had expected that.

My father’s story was bound to be a hot topic.

But what I’d overlooked was the influence of Sun Myung-ju as a pianist.

The genius jazz pianist who was Korea’s pride during the IMF era, and the tragic plane crash in 1999.

Thinking back, there was no way people hadn’t remembered him.

Yesterday’s articles made those memories resurface and stirred curiosity.

“Is that idol debuting this time Sun Myung-ju’s son?”

On a quiet Friday morning commute before the weekend, people browsing entertainment news naturally clicked on the Music Cafe clip.

The view count proved it.

The Music Cafe clip, which usually only some people watched, had nearly doubled its usual views.

And most importantly, our Between stage quality.

Casual viewers saw our performance and reacted positively.

– Wow, the live harmonies are insane.

– Is that brown-haired guy Sun Myung-ju’s son?

– These guys aren’t idols, they’re like a vocal trainer team.

– There are so many talented singers in this country haha amazing

– Their timbre is so pretty

Reading the feel-good comments and seeing the likes made me smile involuntarily.

An unintended event had blown up into a huge topic.

I wondered if that was why celebrity children kept revealing whose kids they were. It was fascinating in many ways.

But most fascinating was the voice calling me.

“Hyung.”

I turned to see Ri-hyeok calling me with a dazed expression.

I remembered that moment.

I think he had that same look when Something hit No. 1.

“What’s up?”

“Look at this.”

On his phone was a music streaming site.

When I saw Between’s rank there, I widened my eyes like Ri-hyeok.

No. 1 Jang So-won X NewBlack – Between

The song released this morning was holding its place at No. 1 on the real-time chart.