Chapter 1147: The Warmest Season, Winter (19)

The Tokyo premiere of Sound of the Sun.

The Japanese media reporters in attendance watched with shining eyes.

This is an excellent film.

People’s tastes might differ wherever you went in the world, but their ability to recognize a good film was rarely all that different.

It’s the kind of film you rarely see these days. It captures both entertainment and emotion. And the music is beautiful beyond words.

Within the first thirty minutes, every reporter present had the same premonition.

This film was going to become an enormous hit in Japan as well.

A journalist who contributed film columns online stroked his rough stubble and sank into thought.

It has every element necessary for box-office success.

The expert organized his thoughts with a cool expression.

First were the circumstantial factors.

In his view, the fundamental reason the Japanese media was so eager to promote Sound of the Sun had nothing to do with Hashimoto Kenji or anything of the sort.

It was NewBlack’s extraordinary success.

[The Greatest Group in the World, NewBlack! Finally Conquering the Globe with Overcooked!]

NewBlack continued to rack up achievements like the protagonists of a comic book.

A K-pop idol group was accomplishing in reality the sort of things people had only ever imagined in fantasy.

Live performances on television programs watched by tens of millions.

Drawing attention at the world’s largest fashion event.

Videos of people across Europe and Africa performing coordinated flash mobs to their music.

The most important point was that every member of NewBlack was Korean.

And equally important was the fact that neither Japan nor China had contributed anything to their success.

Because of that, the Japanese media felt a peculiar dissatisfaction with NewBlack’s current level of achievement.

-The World’s Greatest Idol Group, NewBlack! In Japan, they….

-In Japan?

-Nothing happened…….

But the story changed when it came to Sun Wooju’s father.

-Koreans failed to recognize him, but Japan raised the pride of Asia! And now his son, Sun Wooju, is conquering the world!

And so, that equation was formed.

To the cynical reporter, what the media wanted to say was obvious.

They want to elevate Sun Myeongju so they can claim a share of his son Sun Wooju’s achievements. After all, the son’s roots ultimately lie with the father.

That calculation was why the media was currently promoting the film with such fervor.

It was the first reason the journalist believed the film would succeed.

The second was the extremely high level of public recognition Sun Myeongju possessed.

After all, a great many people in Japan had loved his music.

There was also no small amount of pride in the fact that Japan had been the first country in the world to appreciate it.

Unlike other Korean films, the very name Sun Myeongju carried a sense of familiarity.

There’s also a representative Korean Wave star like Lee Gyeonwoo, and his son Sun Wooju has a huge fandom. Their fans will watch it over and over.

The expert turned his gaze toward the screen.

In truth, he was more curious about something else than his analysis of its commercial prospects.

How will everyone react once the film is released?

He was deeply curious about how the established media and Japanese audiences would respond to it.

Specifically, how they would respond to the Japanese music industry’s poor treatment of Sun Myeongju at the time.

He could not predict whether they would applaud while pretending not to notice as much as possible, or whether they would criticize those responsible….

“Hoooooo…….”

“Hssssss….”

Seeing Sun Myeongju’s fans breathing heavily, a smile spread across his face as he concluded that there would probably be quite an uproar.

He found this sort of thing tremendously entertaining.

It’ll be awkward.

They could not simply condemn it as an anti-Japanese film, because it was not one.

It portrayed the glamorous side of Japanese society at the time and showed its positive aspects as well.

The film merely presented the facts in a dry, straightforward manner.

Rather than depicting the other side as absolutely evil or wholly wicked, it

°• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •°

simply portrayed them as the sort of greedy people one might encounter in real life. It never hurled accusations or openly condemned them.

Yet that made it strike the heart even harder.

Hashimoto… may need to leave Japan for a while.

Thinking that, the reporter turned his head and looked at someone seated in the front row.

Whether he realized it or not, he was the one who had planted a bomb that would explode on an enormous scale after the film’s release.

-Hashimoto Kenji-san recently said in an interview that he believed he might appear in Sun Myeongju’s film. What do you think? Could you give us a small spoiler about the movie?

-I believe that question will also be answered once you watch the film.

At the time, he had not quite understood that expression.

But after seeing the smile of the person seated in the front row, he thought he finally understood.

It was the smile of someone who had waited for this for a very long time.

The Japanese premiere was a success.

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

We wrapped things up by greeting the audience together as they applauded enthusiastically after the screening.

The final scene appeared to have moved them just as deeply, and many of the audience members had damp eyes.

My father’s fans in particular were shedding tears like waterfalls.

“How was it?”

The fans, wearing overwhelmed expressions, answered my question.

“I truly think it was the greatest film of my life.”

…Or at least, that seemed to be what they were trying to say.

Every one of them was speaking through sobs, so it was difficult to understand them properly.

I could only smile warmly as I picked out words like “moving” and “tears” from between their sobs.

They also all wore the same determined expressions.

“We will make sure the entire world learns what happened in this film.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Without fail…!”

I heard the same phrase Teacher Maeda had once used when he said, “I will be divorced! Without fail!”

My father’s fans looked as though they were surrounded by a dark aura.

The Japanese scenes in the film appeared to have stirred some extremely powerful emotions in them.

After seeing off my father’s fans as they dispersed with determined expressions, I finally let out a slightly easier breath.

“Phew.”

“It’s over.”

“You worked hard.”

Ri Hyuk patted me on the shoulder.

“This is exhausting in its own way. It feels different from album promotions, but somehow it’s tiring in a completely different way. Still, we’re almost finished now.”

For all practical purposes, most of the major premiere schedule had been completed.

The film’s three primary target markets were Korea, the United States, and Japan.

There were premieres in other countries as well, but I only planned to attend some of them.

For example, the premiere in Paris, France, and a few other important events.

Perhaps because all the major schedules were finally over, the actors and the director also looked visibly more relaxed.

“Ugh…….”

“Urghhh….”

Director Kim Bora massaged her stiff shoulders.

“I guess the tension finally left me. My whole body aches.”

“You worked hard, Director. Let’s keep going just a little longer.”

“You still have more schedules, don’t you, Wooju?”

“Yes.”

I answered with a grin.

“We have to promote the new songs.”

For me, the end was not actually the end.

I still had to promote October Christmas and Overcooked with the members.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Jiho, NewBlack’s cutie!”

“Hoho! I am Kim Junghyun, NewBlack’s dolmen-like handsome man. A dolmen is… difficult to express in Japanese. Because my Japanese skills are limited.”

“I’m Biju!!”

We appeared on morning broadcasts and chatted with hosts and panelists who exclaimed, “Oh! World stars!”

We performed short stages on famous Japanese music programs.

We interviewed with major magazines and diligently promoted our songs.

And the result!

“How is it, Biju?”

“There’s no change at all…?”

“R-really?”

There was truly no change whatsoever.

Usually, promotions would at least cause the chart rankings to rise temporarily, but strangely enough, nothing changed.

There was only the slightest increase.

The TF team told us our public recognition had risen through these promotional activities, but the performance of the songs themselves, the most important thing for singers, showed hardly any significant change.

“…Is it because they’re English songs?”

“That might be it.”

They were songs created with global success in mind, but they did not seem to appeal to Japan’s domestic market at all.

We were staring thoughtfully at the charts packed with Japanese artists and anime soundtracks when—

Flash—

Yeonhu [LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]

Yeonhu [Hyungs are you in Japan right now??]

Yeonhu [Look at this]

Yeonhu from TeenSpirit sent us a picture, saying he had something to show us.

I tapped the chat.

“…….”

“…….”

A screenshot of the Japanese music chart appeared.

#3. TeenSpirit - DISLIKE (Japanese Ver.)

..

#17. NewBlack - Overcooked

“…….”

“…….”

Flash—☆

Yeonhu [LMAOOOOOOOO]

Yeonhu [You got crushed, right?]

Yeonhu [jskfhskdjfh]

Hwiyeon [I’m sorry. I’ll keep a better handle on our little brat…]

It almost sounded as though someone was being dragged away somewhere.

But we remained exactly as we were, smiling warmly.

Thud—

I opened my laptop and spoke.

“The next time we come to Japan, we’re bringing a Japanese song.”

“Yes.”

“We’re making our Japanese comeback with one of the songs from the Overcooked album themed around Japanese food.”

“Yes.”

“I won’t let this go….”

There had not been many competitors in the music industry lately.

I gladly accepted the provocation from the kids next door who had stirred my competitive spirit for the first time in a while.

After finishing our schedules in Japan, we returned to Korea and began preparing for the year-end season.

All kinds of year-end stages awaited us, including the Mango Chart Awards and the K-Net Music Awards.

And, naturally—

-NewBlack! We cleared out the entire final forty minutes just for you.

-What…? How many minutes?

-Isn’t that great?!

We received offers like that, but we cut most of them down to twenty minutes.

Year-end performances required us to show something different on every stage, and even if they gave us thirty or forty minutes, we simply did not have enough time to prepare.

It was not an exaggeration. We were literally short on time.

“This really is a case of how times have changed. When we were rookies, we used to wish we could get even five minutes.”

“You mean it shows how much times have changed, Jiho….”

On top of that, October Christmas was currently becoming a massive hit, so we also had to perform in other countries.

In December, we were scheduled to attend the Jingle Bell Ball, a concert hosted by a famous British radio station, and we had also been invited to perform at a Christmas concert in New York.

There were so many schedules that Ri Hyuk clutched his head and groaned.

“I can’t organize the schedule at all. No matter how I arrange it, I can’t think of any way for us to prepare efficiently.”

“We don’t even have time to organize the schedule, Ri Hyuk. We just have to start practicing immediately.”

There were so many engagements that we barely had time to think.

Preparing for awards-show stages, year-end stages, and Christmas performances.

On top of that, I had to record a thank-you message celebrating Sound of the Sun reaching five million admissions, oversee Ji Hyuk’s lessons, polish Hanbyeol’s album before its upcoming release, and provide the final vocal direction.

I also held regular video meetings with the production team of Guardians, the superhero film I would be appearing in.

During one meeting, they asked me this question.

-Sunny, what superpower would you want to have?

In the past, I probably would have answered the ability to turn back time or fly through the sky.

But recently, my thoughts had changed.

“I wish I had the ability to duplicate myself.”

I said it to the members on the plane to Paris.

“You know, the kind of power where I could split myself into several bodies and merge them again later. One of me could compose, one could practice vocals, one could practice dancing, and the rest could practice comedy.”

“Me too.”

Biju spoke with an expression of blissful imagination.

“If there were several of me, our dance lines would look so beautiful during synchronized choreography. We could all match our movements like this…….”

“Oh. That would be incredibly convenient for farming.”

“I could study all the things I normally don’t have time for too. I could properly study subjects like physics and chemistry.”

While we shared that sense of excitement, the youngest member looked at us for some reason with an appalled expression.

“Don’t you want a power like that too, Jiho? You could prepare several scripts at once.”

“I really wouldn’t want it.”

“Why?”

The youngest said,

“If there were several of me, I wouldn’t be able to keep all of my hyungs’ love to myself.”

“Ah… such profound meaning…….”

Having gained enlightenment, we stroked his head, and the youngest giggled.

After arriving in France, we attended the European premiere of Sound of the Sun.

[Ladies and gentlemen! Sun Myeongju’s son, Sun Wooju!]

It was the representative European premiere.

France had been the country in Europe where my father was most popular.

It was also home to Paul Laurent, the most famous of the artists Sun Myeongju had inspired.

“Sunny.”

“Paul.”

The blond pianist greeted me with a light kiss on both cheeks and smiled.

“It is a true honor to stand on this stage. Performing for him has always been my dream.”

With those words, he sat before the piano.

Beyond the stage, bathed in romantic lighting, the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of France, rose in the distance.

The wind stirred everyone’s hair.

Click—click—

Perhaps it was because the performance in Times Square had drawn seventeen million online viewers.

As reporters from France and other European countries repeatedly pressed their shutters, the cast and I sang to the accompaniment of the world-renowned pianist.

The cold wind kept blowing….

But it felt wonderful.

Standing in a romantic city, holding hands with everyone, and calling out to our sun together.

[Thank you.]

The response at the premiere was excellent as well.

Everyone rose and applauded passionately like an audience at the Cannes Film Festival.

Director Kim Bora’s eyes grew red, and the actors waved back at the audience with happy expressions.

Dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, the director said,

“I think these will become days I never forget.”

“Me too.”

And so, while concluding the global premieres….

The cast and staff of Sound of the Sun returned to Korea and the United States, while we remained in Europe a little longer.

The reason was a special screening.

-We received an official letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wooju.

-Huh?

-They said they wanted to see your father’s film in person. They asked whether you could visit.

There was a country that had formally invited us through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It had a small population but one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world.

And there was someone there who desperately wanted to see us but found it difficult to go outside for a special reason.

A palace.

Guards stood in solemn formation with rifles in a hall covered by magnificent carpets.

And there stood an elderly gentleman with a white beard, dressed in a uniform and wearing an expression more commanding than anyone else.

“Hmm…….”

He was the king of this country, Grand Duke Richard III.

Will they arrive soon?

The atmosphere suggested that every possible preparation had been completed for the guests who would soon visit.

The mood was stern enough to make anyone swallow nervously.

Yet an incongruous sound echoed through the hall.

Pat-pat—

It was the sound of a small and adorable creature walking.

Short, chubby limbs.

A frilled dress.

A brown-haired girl wearing tiny shoes toddled forward.

She was Princess Sophie, the heir to the country.

“Grandpa!”

“Hahahaha.”

A bright smile blossomed across the Grand Duke’s previously icy face.

The small child wrapped her arms tightly around his leg and giggled.

“How do you feel? I invited NewBlack for you.”

“Grandpa is the best!”

“Hohoho. This grandfather would do anything for Sophie.”

The little girl smiled happily at those words and wriggled with delight.

As the grandfather and granddaughter waited for NewBlack with happy expressions—

“But Grandpa.”

“Yes?”

“Sophie has a question.”

“Hoho. What could my granddaughter be curious about?” 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

“When Sophie becomes queen later, can I change the name of our Kingdom of Stern too?”

The Grand Duke burst into laughter as his granddaughter stared up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“Of course. Once Sophie becomes queen, you can do anything you like.”

“Hehehehe.”

“??”

“Hehehe….”

Her face was undoubtedly adorable, yet for some reason her laughter sounded sinister.

The Grand Duke began to feel vaguely uneasy.