Chapter 1134: The Warmest Season, Winter (6)

Anyone has difficult days in life.

Beep—

[Transfer complete.]

A woman in her thirties sighed as she boarded the bus.

A packed bus.

Before she could even grab a hand strap, the driver suddenly stepped on the accelerator, making her stumble as she hurriedly grabbed onto a pole.

Then, after bumping into the people around her, she repeatedly bowed her head and apologized.

"Sorry..."

Ha...

She swallowed the sigh in her mouth and gripped the bus handle.

She did not know why.

It was just one of those days when tears welled up even if she did nothing.

Biting her lip slightly, she looked out the bus window at the streets passing by.

"......"

Couples walking around arm in arm and laughing, high school students chatting while eating fish cakes from a street vendor.

Then she saw her reflection in the bus window.

I'm lonely.

Why did she feel lonely despite being surrounded by so many people?

She could already picture what would happen when she got home after work.

She would collapse on the floor in front of the entrance, barely manage to brush her teeth and shower, lie down in bed, wake up again tomorrow, go to work, come home, sleep, and go to work again...

I miss Mom.

She was an office worker living alone in Seoul, feeling lonely.

These days, she often found herself wanting to feel the warmth of another person, even if they were not family.

Her friends told her to start dating, but this was a different kind of feeling.

It was simply the desire for someone to silently hug her.

Is it because work has been so exhausting?

It was the tragedy of an office worker who seemed to be suffering from burnout but could not afford to rest.

Lost in various thoughts on the swaying bus, she shook her head and took out her earphones.

She played some upbeat songs to change her mood, but they did not seem very comforting right now.

At the same time, she did not want to listen to depressing songs that would drag her mood down further.

After scrolling through her playlist for a long time, she opened Mango and pressed random chart playback.

Then, suddenly, a sweet melody reached her ears.

Hmm.

The sound of a steady drumbeat suggested it was hip hop.

Tap, tap, tap—

Like someone gently patting her back.

As the calm melody played underneath, the rapper's warm voice began.

A night with nowhere to lean

No place to go again tonight

A day like any other

Where I have nowhere to belong

Looking at the red lights of cars bleeding across the window, she let the song sink into her ears.

It felt like her own story.

Having nowhere to lean on.

A daily life where she was not really going anywhere, only being pushed along and carried away.

She lightly nodded her head.

Spring is warm

But my heart is November

I thought I had gotten used to it

I thought I was fine

Outside the window, she saw people walking around happily.

She thought she had somewhat adapted to the stuffy, crowded bus, but whenever she saw people as bright as spring, her heart still wavered.

On days when the wind blows

It still hurts

You and I

Everyone has times like that

Lyrics that told her it was not only her.

If it's all right for a moment

Won't you lean on me?

The office worker calmly breathed out and closed her eyes.

As she leaned her heart against the lyrics that seemed to ask her to rely on him for a moment, a surprisingly warm melody wrapped around her.

This is nice.

She heard the voice of a female rapper somewhere in the middle of the song, a voice that seemed familiar, and the harmony between the two was excellent.

She did not know why, but after listening to the song, she felt a little better.

It was not that her sadness had completely disappeared.

It was the sense of comfort that came from thinking, I'm not the only one. Everyone lives like this.

The song is good.

With that thought, she tapped her phone screen, which had gone dark.

What's the title?

She did not think it was a love song.

The lyrics were not something meant to be sung to a lover.

Rather, it felt closer to a friend.

Not just an ordinary friend, but not exactly a lifelong best friend either.

There was a unique feeling to it.

While she wondered how to summarize that feeling, the title appeared clearly on the screen, and she let out a small laugh.

Sweet Potato - Potato Friend (feat. Silly)

Not boyfriend or girlfriend.

Potato Friend.

The album art showed a potato silhouette against a black background.

But who is Sweet Potato?

The moment she searched MyTube, her eyes widened like a startled rabbit.

"Huh?"

She was so surprised that she accidentally spoke aloud.

The rapper's identity was none other than Junghyun of NewBlack.

After calming herself down, she played Junghyun's showcase performances uploaded on MyTube.

...It's even better live.

Judging only by skill, the studio version was obviously better.

But the warmth of a person, including the sound of breathing and all the details that could only be felt live, came through more clearly.

The office worker replayed Junghyun's performance several times, watching him rap with calm, lowered eyes.

It was partly because it matched her taste, but more than that, the song seemed to hit exactly where her current emotions were.

Are the other songs good too?

Surprisingly, even the other tracks on the album were exactly the songs she wanted to hear right now.

They were not songs saying everything would definitely work out with bright optimism.

They were not songs saying, "Everything is over now!" with hopeless despair.

And they were not songs that carelessly tried to comfort her by saying, "I understand exactly how you feel."

[I've been there too.]

[But someday, this will pass.]

He calmly told his own story, saying that he had gone through it too.

And somehow, that was more comforting than anything else.

While the office worker listened to Junghyun's album,

Potato Friend was becoming a source of comfort for many people.

O Darling

Just close your eyes—

A student preparing for exams studied at an academy, opened a workbook, and quietly closed their eyes while listening to the song.

A college student who had just finished a part-time job boarded the subway and quietly listened.

Someone who had just finished a job-search study group put on their coat and walked through the streets while listening to the song.

As if proving the number of lonely people in the world, the songs on Junghyun's album recorded high chart rankings.

[Real-Time Chart]

1st Place. Sweet Potato - Potato Friend (feat. Silly)

2nd Place. Serenity - EXIT

3rd Place. Sweet Potato - Road

4th Place. Sweet Potato - Whisper of Leaves

It was truly the chart invasion of the Music Potato.

And the majority of ordinary people that Junghyun and Lemon Entertainment had targeted showed nearly identical reactions.

First, people were shocked that the same kid who used to wrestle

~Nоvеl𝕚ght~

black goats had written a song like this.

Then, they were surprised all over again by the fact that he had turned his own story into music and shown his qualities as an artist.

This is seriously incredible...

Following the recent university festival special, the artistic image of NewBlack that existed in the public's minds was becoming even stronger.

And that led directly to results.

Search rankings.

Buzz.

Chart rankings.

However, the person watching these results was paying attention to something completely different.

Rattle—

A pair of innocent eyes reading online reviews while scrolling down with the mouse wheel in the studio.

With his chin resting on his hand, Junghyun smiled while reading the reviews.

Seeing him, Wooju, who had been studying an English vocabulary book, asked,

"Something good happen, Junghyun?"

"Just..."

Junghyun smiled with his chin still resting on his hand.

"At times like this, I feel like becoming a singer was the right choice. When I see people becoming a little happier because of my songs. When I see them feeling a little better."

"That's when it's the most rewarding."

Wooju turned a page and said,

"Come to think of it, have you ever sung it for your family?"

"No. It's a little embarrassing."

"When you go back home during vacation next year, try singing it for your parents or your grandfather. They'll love it."

Wooju smiled casually.

"Other people matter too, but you should let the people most precious to you hear it as well."

"I will."

While Junghyun nodded at the advice from his oldest member, advice that came from personal experience, he looked back at the internet.

The laughter kept leaking out.

"I like people's reactions like this more than chart rankings or search rankings, hyung."

"I see, Junghyun."

Wooju closed the vocabulary book.

"But if your chart rankings weren't high right now, would you be able to say that?"

"......"

"Don't get arrogant just because your rankings are high. That's not what this moment is for. You need to work now. Stop reading reviews and go work. Work!"

"......"

Junghyun gave a small, resentful glare at the monster of ruthless capitalism.

But soon, the sight of the third member quietly standing up without complaint made the oldest member laugh warmly.

Junghyun's album was a massive success.

Not just a success.

A huge success.

The public reaction was excellent, and music critics were also praising it.

Music critic Kim Jaesik ★★★★☆

Sometimes, telling your own story can become a greater comfort than anything else.

"What? This person gave us two and a half points for UBZ."

"I still remember that review, hyung. 'Sun Wooju, a new standard of manufactured goods.'"

"Hmph."

Music critic Lee Heeseon ★★★★★

The charm of Junghyun as a singer, which had been confined by the framework of NewBlack.

"Huh? Am I the only one who feels that? It's praise, but it doesn't feel like praise."

"That's too harsh."

"I could logically refute that, but it's not worth my time."

Even critics who had usually given us harsh reviews could not stop praising Junghyun's album as a masterpiece.

It seemed they were impressed by the many new musical attempts Junghyun had made this time.

Not only did critics praise him, but the songs also continued holding first place on the daily charts.

-[Photo] Junghyun: "I'm Swag Potato."

-"I will become everyone's Potato Friend"... The secret behind Potato Friend's chart success?

The youngest member said,

"Hyungs! Have you seen this?"

"?"

"People are talking about Potato Friend."

Offline, people were joking around, saying things like, "I'm lonely too. I wish I had a Potato Friend..." and using it as a joke.

Ri Hyuk, who was searching online, said,

"They say it's used when someone isn't looking for a romantic relationship, but wishes they had someone who could share their loneliness."

"I see..."

That was not exactly what Junghyun had originally intended, but apparently people were using the phrase that way.

There were chat screenshots where people in the early stages of a relationship asked, "Want to become Potato Friends?" and things worked out.

There were also painful-to-look-at screenshots where someone disliked would say, "Hey, how about we become Potato Friends too? Haha."

Junghyun blinked.

"Well... I didn't create the phrase for people to use it like this..."

"That's just how memes are, Junghyun."

I laughed and patted his shoulder.

"I once wore flashy clothes, and a few days later, a video went around saying I looked like a Ho Oh and catching me with a Poké Ball."

"But you really did kind of look like a Ho Oh back then."

"Ri Hyuk!"

I glared at him, and Jiho quickly hid behind Biju.

But he was so much taller that he could not even be hidden.

While Jiho and I chased each other around Biju, popping our heads left and right,

"Ah."

Junghyun spoke as if he suddenly remembered something.

"Come to think of it, I heard I got some advertisements."

"s?"

"Yes. Apparently, potato chip companies are sending in a ton of offers right now."

"Hoooo..."

I could already imagine the concept.

Junghyun wearing sunglasses and promoting potato chips while saying, "Want to become Potato Friends?"

Junghyun asked for our opinions.

"What do you think?"

"Sounds good. Let's eat all the potato chips from the companies that offered advertisements and compare them."

We bought different brands of potato chips at the company convenience store and spent time deciding which advertisement to accept.

And so, day after day passed by busily.

While preparing for North American schedules, including the People's Choice Awards, the most anticipated schedule finally arrived.

[The promotional schedule will begin in Korea.]

Rebecca Cassidy, the person in charge of global promotion for Sound of the Sun, confirmed the schedule.

[We plan to begin promotions first in Korea, Japan, and the United States. We have already received filming permission at landmarks in around ten countries worldwide. We are preparing thoroughly as well.]

In the United States, there were also many talk show appearances scheduled.

[I understand there are many talk show appearances related to the Alaska situation. There are also additional talk show schedules, and you can appear together with Director Deborah Kim and Lee Gyeonwoo.]

Since the project's North American success had become extremely important, I carefully listened to the global promotion director's words and took notes.

When we finished discussing the upcoming premiere schedule, which was now just around the corner, the other person spoke with a regretful expression.

[It would have been better if the release had been a little earlier... but there's nothing we can do.]

At the meeting, I had mentioned that November 9, my birthday, was also the anniversary of my parents' deaths, so I would prefer the release to happen after that date.

I could not exactly explain why.

Even after thinking carefully about it, I did not know why I felt that way.

But the production company and distributor agreed as well.

Because if my parents' memorial date and the release date were too close together, people might criticize it as being too commercial.

I smiled and asked,

"The United States is approaching Thanksgiving, right?"

[Yes. Major films are pouring out ahead of the Thanksgiving season. Major animated films, major fantasy films... We can only pray that a biographical film like ours survives.]

For that reason, it seemed they were not setting overly high expectations for the initial box office performance.

They wanted a movie that might not explode immediately but would succeed through word of mouth.

I nodded.

[Speaking of which, is the stage preparation going well?]

"Yes. I'm preparing everything I can."

[I look forward to it.]

The other person smiled slightly before ending the video call.

Silence filled the empty room.

In the practice room on the sixth floor corner, where a grand piano had been set up, I took a deep breath and pressed the keys.

"It's difficult."

Maybe because jazz was one of the more difficult genres in piano music, bringing out the right feeling was challenging.

It felt like I was constantly becoming aware of my own shortcomings.

The movements themselves were easy.

But just like my father had done, creating a jazz performance filled with my own unique character was the difficult part.

[♩♪♬-]

I gently pressed the keys and hummed.

The melody of Like The Sun.

After repeating it several times and warming up my voice, I picked up the tablet PC and placed it on top of the grand piano.

"Is the stage preparation going well?"

The promotion director's voice came back to me.

I had not mentioned it during the meeting because it was personal, but I was truly staking everything on preparing for this performance.

Because I wanted to let my parents hear it.

"......"

But now, it had been too long ago to bring them back through memory alone.

So I could only display their photo on the tablet.

"I'm... really going to practice like my life depends on it."

I looked at my parents smiling in the photograph.

There probably were not many people left who remembered my mother and father after more than twenty years.

Although Sun Myeongju had held a world tour this year, unless someone was already interested in jazz and music, or was Korean, their recent public recognition had naturally faded.

That was why movies were the perfect medium to introduce them to people.

The most accessible form of media.

That was why I wanted to change everything with the release of Sound of the Sun.

"Even if people don't show any interest..."

I smiled toward the people in the photograph.

"I'll make them care."