Chapter 1081: I am New Black, Class of ’18 (5)

Sometimes people overseas ask a question like this.

"What kind of country is Korea?"

Whenever that happened, I would usually answer with a string of beautiful descriptions.

"Well, Korea is..."

But if someone honestly asked me what kind of country it was, I felt like I would probably answer this way.

"The Republic of Korea is a nation built on rice and meals. Hohoho."

People asked whether you'd eaten as a greeting.

When meeting an acquaintance after a long time, they said, "Let's grab a meal sometime."

Cooking shows and restaurant variety programs dominated television.

There were even records from missionaries who had visited Joseon centuries ago describing how shocked they were by the amount Koreans ate.

"I mean, I know that, but still..."

I stared blankly at Newni Jjajang completely monopolizing the real-time search rankings.

Jiho looked speechless.

"Koreans are seriously passionate about food..."

"There were so many teaser bombs yesterday too..."

Of course, there were plenty of reactions to the University Festival Special and Goblin Street as well.

The promotional website created by Gurye County had crashed due to excessive traffic, and university festival-related keywords were climbing the rankings.

But neither of them came remotely close to the buzz surrounding Newni Jjajang.

"It really did look delicious, though."

Yoon Tak, who was tuning the drums in the corner of the rehearsal room, spoke up.

"I was actually planning to ask for the recipe today."

"Me too."

"Tell us too~~"

The session musicians who had been with us through countless concerts—and would be joining us for this university festival tour as well—looked at me with shining eyes.

"All right then. Take notes. First ingredient: premium Korean beef tenderloin."

"That already sounds difficult."

Why was Newni Jjajang so good?

Because anything became amazing when you dumped premium Korean beef into it.

"The heat control is also very important. You can't let all the moisture evaporate from the onions at the beginning. You need just the right amount..."

As the recipe turned out to be far more complicated than expected, the session musicians gradually lost motivation.

I offered an alternative.

"I'll make it for everyone during the staff dinner after the festival tour."

"Your generosity knows no bounds, Your Majesty!"

The guitarists and drummer immediately played a cheerful little fanfare of gratitude.

We laughed.

Meanwhile, Min Ki, who was arranging drinks on the rehearsal room table with the managers, spoke up.

"We've been getting flooded with calls from ramen companies. They're asking whether we'd be interested in launching Newni Jjajang as a collaboration product."

"That'll probably be difficult."

Biju nodded.

"Wooju hyung's right. This dish tastes good because of the ingredients. I don't think it's something you can mass-produce."

No matter how advanced modern food engineering became, recreating the flavor of over 30,000 won worth of premium beef tenderloin in a product that cost less than 500 won to manufacture seemed impossible.

I turned toward Ri Hyuk.

"What do you think, science teacher? Am I correct?"

"You're correct. Realistically, it's impossible."

Unlike New Bulgogi Baekban, which could be sold as a meal kit, this was an entirely different case.

While we were chatting, the band signaled that preparations were complete.

We all put in our in-ear monitors and took our seats.

The setlist appeared on the screen.

The managers shuffled papers in the back while the members and session musicians looked toward me.

"Let's start with the opening song and keep it light."

The drummer tapped his hi-hat.

The younger members bobbed along.

The band version of White Night—our punk-rock title track that had become the biggest hit of the first half of the year and was now aiming for the annual No. 1 spot.

"Hyung, the arrangement is really good."

Biju flashed a bright smile and gave a thumbs-up.

The others nodded in agreement, casually humming along.

This wasn't really about practicing vocals.

It was mostly about checking synchronization, balancing sound levels, and making sure everything lined up properly.

Especially because university festivals generally allowed only a sound check before performers went straight onstage without a full rehearsal.

There were countless details that needed attention beforehand.

"Wooju, what should we do with this section?"

"Maybe space it out a little? The audience should have room to jump in and have fun too."

"The timing's kind of tricky for us as well."

"Hmm. Then maybe..."

I was discussing subtle stylistic differences with the session musicians when a pointed chin began poking my shoulder.

Poke. Poke.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving you a massage."

The youngest member continued poking me.

"I don't really understand this stuff besides singing and dancing. So I figured I'd help like this. Honestly, I still don't really understand what you're talking about."

Basically:

Whenever hyung says something, the song gets better.

That seemed to be his entire understanding.

I laughed and let him continue.

"There are a lot of things to worry about since we're going straight into live performances without rehearsals."

"Personally, I kind of hope we get at least one sound system accident."

"Why?"

"You know. That thing."

He waved both hands excitedly.

"The music suddenly cuts out and only the raw live vocals are left. Like during our Fireworks showcase."

His eyes sparkled.

"The sound suddenly dies, then Ri Hyuk hyung goes KIIIIIIYAAAAAA with a five-octave high note. The crowd goes WOOOOOOOOOO! and gets five thousand times louder. Then the sound comes back and we recover like legends."

I couldn't help laughing.

Honestly, I'd thought about it too.

It was one of the classic legendary moments that skilled singers occasionally created during university festivals.

"That's probably not happening."

Ri Hyuk flipped through the lyric sheets.

"Why not?"

"Considering how much preparation these universities are putting into welcoming us, the probability of a sound accident is approaching zero percent."

Jiho and I stared into space.

We could practically imagine the students' reactions if a sound accident occurred.

-You brought NewBlack all the way here and THIS is your sound setup?

-A step down! Step down!

...Maybe not quite that extreme.

Still, considering the effort the student councils were pouring into these events, the chances seemed incredibly low.

"What a shame."

Junghyun sighed.

"Could've been a ten-million-view fancam."

"It's not too late yet, hyung."

The youngest member grinned.

"If things don't look like they're going to fail naturally, I'll ask the audio engineer to stop the sound in the middle."

He wasn't hoping for an audio accident.

He was plotting audio sabotage.

Everyone burst out laughing.

At that moment, the rehearsal room door opened.

Seokhwan entered carrying armfuls of food alongside several staff members.

"It looked like you were practicing, so I bought snacks! Grab whatever you want!"

"Woooooah!"

"These are pastries flown directly from Daejeon—the City of Bread!"

"WAAAAAAAH!"

The youngest member immediately charged toward the fried soboro buns with the greed of a starving predator.

As everyone grabbed snacks, I walked over to Seokhwan, who was drinking an iced Americano.

Today's suit made our TF Team Leader look unusually sharp.

"Did you just come back from a meeting?"

"Meeting at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency."

Apparently he'd taken the KTX down and back.

I asked,

"Korea University?"

He nodded.

It was probably related to the festival at Korea University in Daejeon, our first destination.

I'd heard the police, our company, and the security contractors were holding joint meetings because of concerns about crowd size.

"Later I've got another meeting with Gwanak Police Station too. Honestly, it's crazy. I barely know what day it is anymore."

He loosened his tie and shook his head.

I laughed and patted his shoulder.

Then he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, right. Min Ki probably already told you, but you know about the collaboration offers for Newni Jjajang, right?"

Min Ki, who was brushing fried soboro crumbs off his mouth, answered first.

"I already told him, Team Leader."

"Oh, really?"

"But Wooju said no."

After hearing the explanation about the premium ingredients, Seokhwan nodded in understanding.

Then he glanced at his phone.

"Still, I think we should release the recipe. At this rate people are going to protest in front of the company building if we don't."

"Yeah, we should."

I was already thinking about filming a recipe video for MyTube when an idea suddenly occurred to me.

"Minions."

"Hm?"

The others looked up while chewing pastries.

"What if we reveal the Newni Jjajang recipe like this?"

The day after New Universe aired.

Netizens were waiting desperately for something.

-It'll go up today... right...?

-Please hurryㅠㅠㅠㅠ I need to use this beef before it expires

-You aren't obligated to post it, but please post it (fist) (fist)

-I'm holding my breath until the recipe gets uploaded!! HUUUUUP!!

└ Three hundred years later: Professor! Come look! This mummy is clutching a packet of ramen!

Lemon Entertainment was famous for responding quickly to feedback.

Everyone expected some kind of answer regarding the recipe the entire country was talking about.

It seriously looked delicious.

The review written by the newlywed couple who had actually eaten the dish during filming was spreading rapidly online.

[We're the newlywed couple from yesterday's New Universe episode]

...(omitted)...

Honestly, it was embarrassing seeing ourselves on TV lol. My husband and I both looked kind of puffy.

The post continued by praising how kind NewBlack had been and how delicious the food was.

Then came the important part.

...Everyone keeps messaging me asking what Newni Jjajang tasted like, and seriously... seriously... seriously, it was amazingㅠㅠ The beef was incredible, but the onions were stir-fried perfectly, almost like gan jjajang.

I wrapped the noodles around my fork, added some premium beef and green-onion kimchi, and it wasn't greasy at all. It was absolutely perfectㅠㅠㅠ

There were nearly six full paragraphs dedicated solely to praising Newni Jjajang.

The author even worried about craving it again during pregnancy.

Naturally, the internet became obsessed.

The recipe! Give us the recipe!

People browsing the web would see a post titled "Lesser Panda" and briefly think:

Recipe...!? Oh. Never mind.

Then—

Ding dong!

Notifications appeared on the phones of everyone subscribed to NewBlack TV.

It's here!

Eyes widened.

[We're Revealing the Newni Jjajang Recipe]

The members appeared in chef uniforms, waving in front of a fully prepared kitchen.

[Hello, NewBlack TV subscribers!]

[You all know why we're here, right?]

Everyone nodded.

Head chefs Wooju and Biju grinned.

[The Newni Jjajang recipe you've all been waiting for.]

[We're finally revealing it~!]

[Chef B, please explain the secret behind the flavor.]

Biju adjusted the blond hair sticking out from beneath his chef hat and spoke seriously.

[The most important thing to understand before cooking is this. Where does 90% of Newni Jjajang's flavor come from?]

At that moment, Junghyun held up a package of premium beef.

[From Grade 1++ Korean beef tenderloin.]

Everyone burst out laughing.

It sounded like a disclaimer intended to stop future complaints.

"I tried it and it didn't taste the same!"

The younger members continued explaining the recipe.

Then Wooju added,

[And honestly, it'd taste even better if you just grilled the beef and ate it as a steak. Tenderloin is already amazing on its own. But for those of you who still want to make Newni Jjajang anyway—this recipe is for you.]

In other words:

Use other beef if you want, but don't come crying when it isn't heavenly.

Soon olive oil was sizzling in a frying pan.

At the same time, Overcooked began playing.

[While the meat cooks, please enjoy Overcooked.]

[It's currently No. 3 on the Mango Daily Chart!]

Everyone laughed at NewBlack's relentless efforts to promote their newest song.

Even Souffle couldn't help admiring it.

I really need to learn from their dedication.

Overcooked was already showing signs of becoming a global hit, yet they were still tirelessly trying to push it to No. 1 domestically.

[All right. Next we're mixing in the black bean ramen.]

[While it cooks, please enjoy Overcooked once again!]

The song kept playing in the background like hypnotic conditioning.

Before long, viewers found themselves unconsciously humming:

Overcooked, Overcooked...

Then Jiho gave a signal.

Junghyun immediately covered Ri Hyuk's ears.

[This is actually a secret.]

Jiho leaned closer.

[The recipe works better if you listen to Overcooked while cooking. It's like how classical music helps plants grow~]

[Truly scientific!]

[A magical spell!]

Biju joined in as well.

"It's magic!"

Meanwhile, a caption appeared below them.

『※ This is not true (pseudoscience)』

After watching the video, people happily copied down the recipe.

Then the reviews started appearing almost immediately.

Already?

People are fast...

Comments flooded in.

-This is ridiculously goodㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-A little sweet but seriously delicious

-You don't need Korean beef. I used American beef and it was still great

-I used Australian beef. Tasty but not THAT tasty

-Yeah it definitely depends on the beef LOL

Alongside the praise came occasional disasters.

[I made Newni Jjajang. Ask me anything.]

(Photo of a completely blackened frying pan.jpg)

Actually don't ask me anything, damn it.

-They said create a smoky flavor, not start a fire LOL

-Overcooked~ Overcooked~

-How did you even manage that?? LOL

-[OP] They said low heat for five minutes so I used high heat for two

└ Classic bad cook behavior LOL

└ "Cook on low heat for ten minutes"

└ "Nah, three minutes on high should do it"

└ LOW HEAT AND HIGH HEAT ARE DIFFERENT THINGS LOL

A competition soon emerged showcasing the worst cooking failures.

Meanwhile celebrities and cooking MyTubers joined the trend.

"Today's recipe comes from the biggest corporation in the MyTube industry... no, a global corporation."

"The Newni Jjajang introduced by NewBlack TV."

"My viewers told me about it today."

Professional cooking creators began refining the recipe.

"Hm? I think this would taste even better if you did it this way..."

More efficient variations quickly appeared.

"Today's meal is my personal version of Newni Jjajang."

Mukbang creators prepared massive ten-person portions and piled mountains of NewBlack-style mustard-leaf kimchi beside them.

Then celebrities began posting:

"I made it too!"

And finally—

At last...!

That day.

Souffle looked at the newly updated daily chart and screamed in delight.

[Daily Chart]

NewBlack — Overcooked

King of Singers Sun Wooju — Halley

NewBlack had actually done it.

After celebrating Overcooked reclaiming first place—

"But Halley's catching up again."

"Noooooo!"

We immediately launched our next round of promotions to cement Overcooked's position.

University Festival Special.

Phase One.

If the three-university Gwangju Festival and the Korea National Open University festival scheduled for October were Part Two—

Then mid-September was Part One.

And our first destination was Korea University in Daejeon.

Back when we released Goblin, the professor who had kindly explained the etymology of the word "goblin" was from this university's Department of Korean Literature.

"So this is the place."

We sat inside our tour bus parked on campus, microphones clipped in place.

Outside the windows, the autumn university scenery stretched beautifully into the distance.

Then Gu Jaeyoung climbed aboard.

"Everything's ready."

"We can get off now?"

He nodded.

In the distance, the university's name was visible atop the main building.

[Korea University]

The reason Korea University had been selected as our first stop was similar to Seoul National University.

-We worked incredibly hard preparing this festival!

The student council enjoyed an excellent reputation.

The university was famous for organizing clean, well-run festivals.

And—

We had particularly liked the special content proposal they submitted.

-Would you be interested in experiencing university life?

-(Interested)

-We prepared every department you could want. How about NewBlack, Class of '18!?

If I were a corporation, I would've hired that student immediately.

The ability to identify exactly what the negotiating party wanted and offer it first.

Because of that proposal, today's filming would follow "NewBlack, Class of 2018" as we explored the campus.

"Let's see."

We reviewed the timetable.

"Yeah. This is the perfect place to start."

"Definitely."

"Doesn't this sound fun?"

We smiled while reading the syllabus for the first lecture we would attend.

Humanities Building.

Kim Yuchan trudged forward with a laptop tucked under one arm.

His face looked utterly lifeless.

I really don't want to teach today...

As he dragged his feet down the hallway, students greeted him.

"Hello, Professor!"

"Hello..."

Kim Yuchan was, in fact, a professor.

Not that professors never dreaded teaching.

But that wasn't why he looked so miserable.

-Professor Kim, some guest students will be attending your class. There will also be television filming, so we'd appreciate your cooperation.

A conversation from the dean's office replayed in his mind.

-Television? EBS?

-NBS. NewBlack.

-Pfft—! Cough! Cough!

Normally, he would've been thrilled.

Wow! Filming New Universe with NewBlack!

Instead—

Haaa...

As he approached the classroom, screams of excitement grew louder.

Students crowded around the entrance.

Some stretched their necks to peek inside.

Others held up phone cameras.

"Excuse me."

With help from security staff, he pushed through the crowd.

Then he entered the classroom.

And immediately saw them.

Five young men wearing Korea University jackets.

Sitting in the very back row.

Eyes sparkling.

"..."

Professor Kim Yuchan silently looked away and stared at the blackboard.

The teaching assistant had already opened today's PowerPoint presentation.

[K-Pop Culture: Understanding and Appreciation]

3-1. NewBlack's Recent Global Expansion Through Overcooked

The subjects of the lecture sat there eagerly awaiting the lesson.

The university students watched the situation unfold with pure delight.

I want to go home...

The professor felt like crying.