A photo uploaded to Billboard’s official Twitter.

In the chart listing positions 1 through 10, something jumped out.

“It’s there.”

“Huh?”

I spoke to the younger ones who were sipping crab soup.

“It’s there.”

“......?”

My fingers were trembling. I didn’t know if it was nerves or excitement. The phone slipped from my loosened grip.

Junhyun quickly reached out and caught it.

“What’s there?”

“Our name. We’re in the top ten.”

“.......”

Spoons and chopsticks clattered onto the table.

Clink.

The youngest grabbed me with wide eyes.

“W-what rank?”

“I didn’t see that far.”

The others stood and gathered behind me.

As if too scared to look alone, the henchmen hid behind me and urged,

“Hyung, hurry.”

“Okay. Just a second.”

I could feel the other restaurant guests looking at us.

But right now, nothing else mattered.

“Ha.......”

“Ajusshi, hurry!”

“Okay, okay. Calm down.”

The moment I unlocked the screen—

We had planned to check from tenth place upward.

Instead, we screamed.

Because METRO was sitting in a position that was impossible to miss.

[Billboard HOT 100]

Divine Rules - Cold Brown

Slipper - Wayne X & DJ Magik

Stay - Rogan Smith ft. Louis Leight

METRO - The New Black

I Am What I Am - Mandy Spice

The bolded “METRO” at number four stood out like it had been highlighted.

“.......”

“.......”

Goosebumps ran up my arms.

My mouth fell open.

We looked at each other.

Biju spoke first.

“I guess this is what they mean when something is so huge it doesn’t feel real. This is really.......”

“Yeah.”

I answered.

“We’re fourth.”

“W-when Coin came out, what was it? I think it wasn’t... a big number... I feel sick.”

“Coin debuted at ninety three.”

It had jumped into the seventies in its second week, but it never broke into the upper tier.

That was why this time we had cautiously set expectations around top ten.

It was an English song and had done well... so maybe somewhere between ten and twenty.

But—

“Fourth.......”

It was a number that didn’t feel real.

Even at our highest hopes, we didn’t believe we’d see a single digit.

And yet there it was.

Between the hottest songs in America.

“.......”

It still didn’t sink in.

Seokhwan and the TF team at the next table couldn’t even react.

Just as we were too stunned to even celebrate—

Bzzzz—

Phones began vibrating everywhere.

“Yes, yes, CEO. We’re in America. Yes, we saw it. Yes......”

“Reporters are calling.”

While TF team staff answered calls in a daze, our phones began exploding too.

Friends congratulating us.

Contacts sending messages.

It seemed Korean media had already posted breaking news.

[Breaking] NewBlack Debuts at No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100

They were in such a rush they uploaded only a news agency logo instead of a photo.

Articles were flooding portals.

“.......”

Maybe because we skipped the jumping stage, we were already in the relief stage.

Why were tears coming?

Maybe because the tension that had been wound tight finally snapped.

“Hyung... are you crying?”

“I’m not. I don’t cry.”

“You are... hu... huuh....”

The youngest started sobbing first.

“Why are you c-crying.......”

“You’re crying too.”

Ri Hyuk lifted his shirt like a turtle hiding its neck, but the fabric at his eyes was already damp.

Biju and Junhyun stared ahead, holding it in.

“Guys.”

“.......”

“Come here.”

They rushed over.

Soon all I could hear was sniffing and crying.

“Uuuuh......!”

“Don’t cry. Don’t cry.......”

In the end we all hugged and cried.

It felt like everything inside was dissolving into those tears.

Then—

“Our... our turn too.”

TF team members approached with wet eyes.

“Come here.”

“Get in.”

We hugged like penguins for a long time.

Then—

We felt it.

People at nearby tables were filming us.

A kind-looking Black woman congratulated us.

“I happened to overhear. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

But people were looking at us like they knew who we were.

“Do you know who we are?”

“Aren’t you NewBlack?”

“How do you know?”

“I just... do. Saw you on MyTube.”

Not everyone knew.

But whenever someone said, “That’s NewBlack,” you could hear soft gasps.

We looked at each other.

Americans recognized us.

Only then did fourth on the Hot 100 become real.

And then—

“Liz, can you see? NewBlack is actually here. I filmed them crying.”

“I’m in Chinatown. NewBlack is here.”

“I have to upload this.”

We had cried thinking no one would recognize us.

Guests were already tapping their phones.

We could picture the videos spreading across MyTube and social media.

We had no time to celebrate popularity.

The video of us hugging and crying was uploaded with penguin background music.

It became the second “Tears of Antarctica.”

While NewBlack cried in America, Souffles and even casual listeners in Korea screamed at dawn.

“Wow!”

Fourth on the Billboard Hot 100.

The first single digit entry since Gangnam Style.

-OMGㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-Guys congratulations

-Is this a dream

-Fourth is insane

-What a beautiful night

People jumped out of bed.

Even those who were usually indifferent felt proud.

“Chicken.”

“It’s chicken day.”

Koreans opened delivery apps.

“Maybe Jiho’s family’s chicken shop.......”

But orders were closed.

They ordered elsewhere and celebrated.

News spread everywhere.

Even people who usually said, “So what if they’re successful?” were Souffles today.

TV news, radio, podcasts.

“Congratulations to NewBlack for ranking fourth on Billboard Hot 100. Let’s listen to METRO!”

Even political talk shows mentioned it.

Everyone in entertainment talked about NewBlack.

“It’s not just because it’s English.”

“They’re ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) just that good.”

It felt like an Academy Award moment.

Meanwhile.

In TJ Entertainment’s top floor office—

Chairman Park Taejun held his chest and breathed deeply.

‘This can’t be.’

He had dreamed of conquering China, Japan, the world.

And now NewBlack leapt ahead.

‘He was right.’

He remembered the director who had advised caution.

He found a post.

[Park Taejun: My rival is over there.]

A photo of Wooju’s afterimage.

Comments mocking him.

Normally he would rage.

Today he didn’t have the energy.

‘I’m too old for this.’

He called Director Han Youngjun.

“I’m stepping down.”

“What?”

“I’m serious. You take over.”

Left alone, he looked out over Cheongdam.

“.......”

Then—

Flash—

Across the street, a giant billboard lit up.

The five of NewBlack.

Sparkling Souffle emojis floating.

[Congratulations! NewBlack Billboard Hot 100 No. 4!!!]

By Souffles

Park Taejun groaned.

“That fan club.......”