Chapter 1142: The Warmest Season, Winter (14)

As a performer, there was something I found myself thinking about every time I stepped onto a stage.

-What makes a good performance?

And if I were to ask an even deeper question—

-What is it that creates a great stage?

Back when I was a trainee, I thought that as long as you had singing ability and choreography, you could create a perfect performance.

But after debuting and gaining experience, my thoughts changed.

There was clearly no difference between the choreography practice videos filmed in the practice room and the videos filmed after stepping onto an actual stage. So why did the performance I gave on stage always look so much more impressive and spectacular?

The flashy outfits?

The makeup?

Or the stage effects?

But now, I know.

Even if you have all those things, if you are missing the one most important element, you can never create an amazing stage.

And among all those elements, the most important one was the audience.

The audience who could meet the singer's eyes and breathe together with them. The audience who could exchange energy with the singer.

And...

「Because we are like the sun—」

Sometimes, the audience filled in the empty spaces that a singer alone could never fill.

「Look—」

「At your sun that still shines brightly—」

The chorus echoing through Times Square.

Each individual voice might have been tiny.

But the voices of everyone singing together were so powerful that it would not have been an exaggeration to say they spread throughout all of New York.

“……”

I was supposed to sing, but my throat ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) tightened.

Even while I quietly played the piano accompaniment, Souffle continued singing for me like an echo.

As if they were telling me—

It’s okay. We’ll sing it for you.

I turned my head and looked at the screen.

Various scenes appeared on the giant electronic billboard.

Lights resembling sunlight illuminated New York’s skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building.

And in Times Square, people holding up their phones with their flashlights on were singing.

Watching that, I brought the microphone back to my lips.

Because we are like the sun—

A slightly choked voice flowed out.

Look—

「Look—」

At your sun that still shines brightly—

「At your sun that still shines brightly—」

Feeling like a single touch would make a tear fall, I shook my head and finished the piano performance.

When I slowly lowered the hand that had been resting on the keys for the final note—

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Souffle shouted, decorating the end of the song.

In a place where cheers and applause did not stop for nearly three minutes, I smiled as I simply enjoyed the overwhelming response for a moment.

[Wow.]

I smiled and stood up.

After looking at the New York nightscape displayed on the giant screen, I glanced around.

Not only were the actors filming the scene with their phones held up, but the members were also covering their mouths in amazement.

[Thank you. New York.]

I spoke into the microphone.

[I really… think this will become a stage I’ll never forget.]

Judging by the cheers that came back, it seemed Souffle felt the same way.

The event at New York’s Times Square was nearing its conclusion.

The security personnel managing the crowd, along with NYPD officers, rubbed their stiff shoulders.

“Is it almost over now?”

“Probably.”

They let out sighs of relief.

Still, this wasn’t bad.

They had been nervous because an astonishing number of people had gathered.

With this many people, even accidents that normally would not happen could occur.

But there had not been even a single minor incident.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

The fans’ efforts are incredible.

Perhaps because they were determined not to bring shame to their artist, the cloud-like crowd of fans was surprisingly orderly.

Those who had initially been tense as if they were dealing with hooligans relaxed after realizing that NewBlack’s fans were peaceful.

Speaking of which...

Everyone turned their eyes toward the stage.

The New York nightscape displayed on the electronic billboards was filled with dazzling lights, making it look almost like daytime despite the night.

“I don’t know who Sun’s father is, but he must have been an incredible person.”

“I heard he was extremely famous. Apparently, if you liked jazz, you couldn’t not know him.”

“Was he more famous than his son, Sunny?”

“I don’t think so. Jazz and pop have completely different levels of public recognition.”

The scale of the event was so enormous that even people who had no interest in movies became curious.

No.

Anyone who had watched the stages performed today would have no choice but to watch this movie.

I thought it was a Broadway musical.

The songs were so overwhelming that it would have been believable even if someone said this was a famous musical being adapted into a film.

Even the security staff who had been focused on their duties with indifferent expressions felt moved during the group-singing section of .

“Let’s start preparing to wrap things up.”

“Yeah.”

The security personnel began preparing for the end of the event.

This is the dangerous part.

Because of the performance, NewBlack’s fans were already at the peak of their excitement.

Their pupils were wide, their faces were flushed with heat, and everyone was drenched in sweat.

If the performance ended like this and everyone rushed out at once, people could get hurt.

So just as they were thinking they needed to calm everyone down—

[The songs we prepared end here, but...]

Wooju’s voice rang out.

[You want to hear more, right?]

Souffle answered.

“NE!!”

While ordinary people wondered, Did they just say no...?, the leader of NewBlack put on a mischievous expression.

[If you’re curious for more……]

An oddly irritating, teasing expression.

[We would appreciate it if you checked it out in theaters.]

When the cloud-like crowd playfully booed their favorite artist with cries of “Arrggggh-!”

The singer opened his mouth.

[But.]

Souffle’s ears perked up.

[If it’s not music from the movie, then we could probably perform one more song.]

Everyone became excited.

Overcooked? Is it Overcooked?

Are they doing Overcooked?

Not only the fans, but also the staff and people moving around the venue became curious.

They wondered if NewBlack was going to perform the song that could be said to have taken over the entire world right there.

Of course, if they performed a song that made people jump around in a place this crowded, the atmosphere could become impossible to control...

But still, when would there ever be another chance to see NewBlack perform live?

[Unfortunately, it’s not Overcooked.]

The staff came up and set up standing microphones, and the members of NewBlack walked onto the stage.

The fans became curious when they saw the leader wearing an acoustic guitar.

[It’s a carol.]

A carol?

[We heard the holiday season is coming soon. Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching. When you think of Christmas, New York is the city that captures the very essence of Christmas, isn’t it?]

New York citizens nodded with proud expressions.

[Everyone who gathered here today and made us shine, and everyone who managed this event so that everyone could participate safely.]

The staff wearing fluorescent vests and police officers holding light sticks waved them like cheering sticks and smiled.

[This song is something we prepared for all of you.]

As the NewBlack members took their microphones, they gave a brief introduction to the song.

They explained that it was originally a carol they had made in Korea, but they had recently rearranged it after receiving such a positive response.

They also explained that the title was inspired by the recent event where NewBlack had drawn attention with their carol stage similar to .

[The title is .]

After saying that, Wooju gently strummed the guitar strings.

As the session musicians began adding accompaniment, the unique sound of a Christmas carol flowed out.

The audience’s expressions brightened instantly.

This is good!

As the classic carol progression continued, the NewBlack members lightly swayed their bodies like they were doing a simple dance.

Jiho snapped his fingers with a cute expression, and New York citizens began snapping their fingers along with him. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

As a cheerful saxophone sound joined in, a movie scene appeared in everyone’s minds.

A movie about a child who accidentally gets left home alone and defeats burglars.

It carried the same feeling people had experienced while watching that film.

Merry Christmas Eve

It’s a little early

But the moment I saw you

I knew today was Christmas

The main vocalist of NewBlack sang with a clear voice and smiled.

Every time they heard the lyrics, scenes naturally appeared before their eyes.

A street somewhere in New York.

A man calls out “Merry Christmas” while offering a bouquet of flowers to a woman standing there with a cold expression.

Then the female chorus behind him adds harmony.

As if they are incredulous at the ridiculous things the man is saying.

I know too

That right now

The leaves are falling

And it’s October

I know that well

Biju’s graceful yet firm voice scattered softly.

When Biju smiled kindly and lifted the final note, Souffle covered their mouths in delight.

Within the lyrics, the man tells the woman:

He wants to spend a moment with her that feels like Christmas.

Junghyun smiled slyly as he took the microphone.

But listen carefully

Can’t you hear it?

Somewhere out there

The sound of bells

The sound of sleighs

Santa’s laughter

Jiho took over.

You may not know

But everything is already prepared

A Christmas tree

Mistletoe

And me

Jiho swept his hair back as if he himself were the present meant for someone.

Souffle burst into delighted cheers.

Amidst the excitement, Wooju, who had been smiling brightly while watching the members, stepped forward slightly with his guitar.

The handsome man standing before the standing microphone shook his head and smiled.

The chorus flowed out from between his soft lips.

Together

Let’s dance around

The Christmas tree

Keeping the rhythm

And then the most important part of the original song flowed out as humming.

Ta- Ta- Tata-

Tata- Ta- Ta-

Matching Wooju’s voice as he hummed like a drum or instrument sound, the members added their harmonies.

As the audience cheered happily, NewBlack’s leader beckoned with his hand.

Everyone together.

Following the pop star’s nod as he repeated the guitar phrase, everyone raised their voices.

Ta- Ta- Tata-

Tata- Ta- Ta-

As if saying that was exactly right, the NewBlack members smiled.

The song moved from the first verse into the second.

Honestly speaking, the lyrics themselves were nothing particularly special.

They were common lyrics about telling someone you love that the moment spent together feels like Christmas.

But everyone listening to the song felt it.

Something... something about this is good.

It was like the reaction audiences gave when a legendary masterpiece was first revealed at a concert.

It was difficult to explain exactly what part of the song was so good, but the feeling was there.

Like shedding happy tears while watching a family movie during Christmas season.

Like smiling when hearing a carol playing on the street, or taking pictures in front of a beautifully decorated tree.

Listening to this song created that kind of feeling.

[The title is .]

Just like the title suggested, it was not December 24th yet, but every American watching the performance enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere in that moment.

It felt as if snow was falling.

It felt like they should say “Merry Christmas” to everyone they met.

While even the people managing the crowd swayed their heads and smiled, everyone gathered at the venue thought the same thing.

I don’t want this song to end.

Even if they had major worries, it felt like everything would work out in the coming new year.

Like the happiness of spending time with family and friends.

Perhaps understanding those unwilling feelings of the audience, the song continued for nearly five minutes.

When the warmth spread from the first row of the crowd all the way to the very back—

Together

Let’s dance around

The Christmas tree

Keeping the rhythm

Ta- Ta- Tata-

Tata- Ta- Ta-

The NewBlack leader, who had been happily humming along with the rhythm, slowly stopped the hand resting on his guitar.

Then he politely bowed to the citizens of New York filled with warmth.

[Good night. New York.]

The NewBlack members waved their hands, bright smiles blooming on their faces.

They were truly smiles that looked like Christmas.

[And happy holiday.]

Average viewers: 18 million.

If someone only heard that number, they might think it was the audience count of an American broadcast network.

But this was the number of people who watched NewBlack’s performance live in real time.

Of course, most of those watching the live broadcast were Souffle, fake Souffle, and Koreans...

But the effect of 18 million real-time viewers immediately appeared on MyTube as well.

“Wow.”

Videos climbing the trending charts on MyTube, clips appearing across short-form platforms including TikTok.

Naturally, people’s standards for what made a good song were not that different.

-This is insane. The music from this movie is seriously insane.

-To be honest, I wasn’t planning to watch this movie... but I think I need to book tickets now.

-Does this movie have an original source?

-No. It’s about Sun, Sunny’s father. I heard he was a famous jazz pianist in the 1990s.

-Every time I listen to , I feel comforted.

-Can someone tell me the name of the handsome guy standing next to Sunny? I think I found my husband today.

-He’s married. He already married me. (laughs)

While countless comments poured into the performance that showed the scene where New York’s nightscape was painted in brilliant orange—

Surprisingly, the thing spreading online like a viral phenomenon was not the legendary performance that everyone had witnessed that day.

It was the carol.

The song spreading through short-form platforms and social media.

Together

Let’s dance around

The Christmas tree

Keeping the rhythm

Wooju sang with the unique vocal style of a Christmas carol.

Then he immediately followed with the humming.

Ta- Ta- Tata-

Tata- Ta- Ta-

It was a melody that anyone would naturally find themselves humming after hearing it just once.

The Christmas season was slowly approaching, so although people thought it was a little early, they kept humming the melody without realizing it.

Unlike difficult musical numbers that were hard to sing along with, this was a chorus people found themselves muttering in daily life.

Most Americans who heard the song had similar reactions.

[This is a song we newly remade.]

The NewBlack members had introduced the song that way.

-It really is true that great songs are great.

-Isn’t a truly great song one that people can still remember and sing even after time passes?

-I feel like I’ve heard this somewhere before... Was there already a carol like this?

The song sounded so much like a Christmas carol and was so good that people assumed it must have already existed.

And that led to this question.

-Can we know who the original singer of this song remade by NewBlack was?

A kind Souffle left a reply underneath.

-The original singer of this song is NewBlack! They remade one of their own Korean songs into an English version!

-What...?

Confusion spread across American faces.

This is the original song?

No... this is...

As spread like wildfire online amid that confusion—

“...Huh?”

Korea.

In the Lemon Entertainment meeting room, Manager Hong Seoyeong looked at her laptop screen after hearing another employee speak.

“What’s going crazy right now?”

“...The growth rate is insane.”

“What growth rate?”

“You remember Wooju asked if they could perform a carol?”

“Yeah.”

Hong Seoyeong nodded.

She already knew because he had contacted them a few days earlier.

“Manager~”

“I’m still just a section chief.”

“Can we perform one of our songs? We want to sing a carol. You know that carol song we released in 2015?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re thinking about polishing it up a little and singing an English version.”

She knew well.

It was a fan song by NewBlack that had achieved a certain amount of success in Korea.

But...

“……”

The moment she saw the view count, Section Chief Hong Seoyeong realized something had gone wrong.

She realized the things she had overlooked.

Three more years of growth since then, and now the ability of a composing monster who had evolved from an A grade to an S+ grade.

The members’ far greater stage presence.

The emotions of people in a country obsessed with Christmas.

As she watched the numbers rise beyond control, Hong Seoyeong looked toward the whiteboard.

The place where NewBlack’s new song plans for their South American activities were written.

Who exactly was NewBlack’s competitor..?

It was a list of enemies NewBlack would have to face during the December holiday season.

One by one, Hong Seoyeong silently stood up and aggressively erased the names written on the whiteboard.

“Section Chief?”

“Forget every competitor that was written here until now.”

The marker wrote exactly three words.

NewBlack’s competitor is NewBlack.

She declared to the employees.

“From now on, we have to beat our own artists.”

“……!”

The TF team had encountered their strongest opponent yet.