In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe-Chapter 382
Amidst our murmuring, Rihyuk raised both hands.
“Everyone, calm down for a moment.”
“You seem to be the most excited here.”
“…No, that’s not it. It’s just that the weather in Jeju is so hot.”
He ruffled his hair to hide his reddened ears and continued.
“Let’s sort out the situation first. So, you want to drive, right, Junghyun?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s absolutely not happening.”
His tone was as firm as if a knife were at his throat.
I felt sorry for Junghyun, who looked increasingly dejected, but we had no choice this time.
Rihyuk spoke up.
“Junghyun, do you know one of the reasons why there are traffic accidents in Jeju?”
“What is it…?”
“It’s because novice drivers rent cars, wanting to try driving, and then they get into accidents.”
“I’m not a novice.”
We all looked at him with wide eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Junghyun scratched his neck and then looked up at the car ceiling.
“If we’re being precise, maybe a trainee?”
“Come on.”
The words slipped out before I knew it, and my younger brothers burst into laughter, clapping their hands.
Even the production crew, who were filming, chuckled among themselves before turning to us with a smile.
“Are you that worried about Junghyun driving?”
“Yes.”
We answered in unison.
“It’s not for no reason, really. Our brother has a rather… colorful history.”
“Our Junghyun is pretty good at breaking things, all sorts of things.”
“Really.”
Rihyuk nodded at my words.
“When you have the footage later, please display it with subtitles. ‘Why are the New Black members terrified of Junghyun’s wish?’”
“Right. The viewers have to see it too.”
Scheduled to air on K-net, “New Black’s Travel Diary Season 1,” Episode 1 edit.
Inside the Car (D)
As soon as Junghyun expressed his wish to drive, the car filled with uproar.
New Black wailed like kindergarteners on their way to get shots.
Underneath Junghyun’s awkwardly seated face, a special summer episode subtitle appeared.
[What could be the reason the members fear Junghyun’s driving…?]
Then came the footage.
With ‘Provided by: MeTube New Black TV’ at the bottom, the usual scenes of Junghyun began to play, accompanied by a serene classical BGM.
Junghyun humming a tune while watering the plants.
Junghyun shaking a frying pan back and forth over the gas stove, trying to cook stir-fry in a small lodging.
Junghyun inserting coins into a vending machine.
-#@#!
The tape seemed to tangle, and the classical BGM shattered with a crash.
Ominous BGM.
The plant that Junghyun was watering got pushed by the force of the water to the edge of the table and then toppled over in the living room.
The dirt exploded, and the faces of the members who had just entered the house were covered in dirt.
-Ah! My history of the Soviet Communist Party! This is out of print, even graduate students can hardly find it!
-Oh dear. Comrade Rihyuk, pull yourself together.
The scene ended with Rihyuk and Jiho’s wailing and jokes.
Then, in the kitchen, as Junghyun was cooking, the handle of the frying pan suddenly snapped off!
A shower of rice grains fell from the sky, along with the scattered rice.
-This reminds me of a movie I saw recently.
-What if food fell from the sky?
Jiho and Woojoo’s conversation flowed as they calmly fished rice grains out of their morning coffee.
Lastly, the vending machine into which Junghyun had inserted coins.
When there was no response, Junghyun knocked on the vending machine and listened closely. Still no reaction, so he pressed the drink button repeatedly. ṛ𝔞ɴőВĘs
Pressing hard.
Perhaps in response to the force, an ‘X’ light appeared on all the buttons of the vending machine, and Junghyun panicked.
-Ki, Kim Bijoo, where are you?
Then Bijoo came running, assessed the situation, and started pulling out his wallet.
A subtitle appeared.
We never knew it would come to this. — The Production Team
The footage was so shocking that even the viewers couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, as if the god of destruction had descended.
While we were adamant about not doing it, huddled inside the vehicle, the K-net production team offered a laptop.
“Chung-hyun already warned us there might be some pushback like this.”
“To proceed despite expecting resistance. That’s even worse.”
“…Please, everyone, watch this video first.”
A video popped up on the laptop.
It was a scene from a pre-meeting individual interview, where Chung-hyun was sipping a pine drink in the K-net conference room.
Jiho muttered under his breath.
“The immersion breaks from the drink.”
“Typical taste-blind Chung-hyun.”
I gave a high-five to Bijoo, who had just made a trendy joke and was now cautiously looking around.
During the interview, a gentle background music had been playing.
It wasn’t coming from the laptop but from the production team’s phone, playing an emotional movie soundtrack.
“Chung-hyun, why did you list driving as a wish for this trip?”
“Ever since I was young, I envied the adults in my family who could drive tractors. I’ve helped with farming since I was little, even planting rice.”
Chung-hyun continued.
“Sometimes, my uncle would secretly give me a sip of makgeolli, and I lived almost exactly like the adults. But…”
“But what?”
“They said driving was strictly for adults.”
We were dumbfounded.
“Wait, how old were you then?”
“Maybe when I was in elementary school.”
“Man! Of course, you couldn’t drive then! What kind of elementary student tries to drive?”
Chung-hyun scratched his neck awkwardly, laughing.
Meanwhile, on the screen, Chung-hyun fidgeted with his large hands.
“It might sound silly, but to me, driving was a symbol of becoming an adult.”
“I get what you mean.”
“So, right after I turned 19, I got my driver’s license, but I never really had the chance to use it.”
Chung-hyun smiled at the production team.
“You asked earlier what theme I’d like for this trip. I’d say ‘challenge.’”
“Challenge?”
“Yes. I want to try things I’ve never done before. A new challenge.”
The video cut off there.
The production team and Chung-hyun looked at us, expecting to have moved us, but we all wore blank expressions.
“Chung-hyun.”
“Yes, hyung?”
“No…”
I calmed my excitement and said,
“Why are you dragging us into your coming-of-age story? Growth and challenges are meant to be faced alone.”
“Exactly. We just want to support you from afar.”
“You can drive, hyung. But do it alone. Alone.”
“Are you sure you won’t grab the wheel?”
As we were having this conversation,
Chung-hyun, who had been listening intently, clapped his hands with a realization.
“Are you worried about me driving? Afraid I can’t do it?”
“No! Are you only understanding this now?”
While we were passionately making our point, Chung-hyun signaled the production team.
The laptop crept closer.
The PD said,
“We’ve practiced thoroughly in advance because of safety concerns.”
“Practiced?”
“There’s a video of Chung-hyun’s driving lessons with Manager Won-seok. Just a moment.”
The second video started playing.
With a camera installed in the vehicle, Manager Won-seok sat in the passenger seat, visibly tense.
Chung-hyun got into the driver’s seat and casually buckled up.
“Watch closely, everyone.”
Chung-hyun said,
“I’m really good at driving.”
“…”
“I’m serious. I don’t lie…”
While Jung-hyun was adjusting the backrest and headrest, he glanced at the rearview mirror and said, “Brother.”
“Yeah?”
“How do you start this thing? There’s no key?”
“Just press the button.”
The sound flowed from the screen.
Jung-hyun laughed heartily at the blinking sound, and Won-seok’s eyes grew moist.
“…Mom.”
It had been a long time since I’d seen such a large figure, over 190 centimeters tall, hunch over with his face buried in his hands.
We, who had been clapping and laughing, suddenly turned serious.
It was funny when it was someone else’s story, but then we realized it was about us.
Meanwhile, Jung-hyun, who had started the car, finally set off and safely exited the parking lot.
“Jung-hyun, at the intersection, you should—”
Screech!
“Ack!”
Won-seok was startled, and Jung-hyun smiled contentedly as he gripped the steering wheel.
Then, the distinctive Windows notification sound played.
“The computer will shut down due to low battery.”
The production team panicked and pressed the laptop’s power button, but the drained computer did not respond.
The director muttered in confusion, “That’s not right. It’s not supposed to be like this.”
“But… in the latter part, I did well, and there’s a scene where Won-seok is impressed.”
We looked for Won-seok, but the managers were currently moving separately from the reality vehicle.
With a skeptical look, Jung-hyun quickly called Won-seok.
“Hey, Jung-hyun.”
“Won-seok, all the members are doubting my driving right now…”
“Hold on. I’m moving right now, what did you say?”
“The members doubt my driving skills; please say something for me, brother.”
“Your driving?”
An unconscious sound of wind leaked out.
“Hmm…”
“Yes?”
“Hold on, it’s too noisy here. I’ll call you back later.”
The call ended with a beep, and Jung-hyun asked us, “How about now? Did that calm your worries?”
Silence.
Our doubts were not alleviated.
After 30 minutes of persuasion, we finally agreed to get into the car driven by Jung-hyun.
We couldn’t keep dawdling, or we’d fall behind schedule. Besides, we thought, what’s the worst that could happen?
So, we agreed on one condition.
“Before we get into the car with Jung-hyun driving, please give us some time to call our families.”
The production team burst into laughter.
After using the break to call our families and let them know we arrived safely, we all stood in front of the rental car.
The production team, holding a 6mm camera, smiled at our forlorn expressions.
We looked around and said, “Aren’t you coming with us, director?”
“No, I have to coordinate the shooting.”
“What about the writers?”
“It’s New Black’s healing travel reality show. We’ve installed cameras in the vehicle, and we can’t appear in them.”
We then turned to the camera directors.
“Director.”
Camera 1 shook side to side, indicating a refusal.
Camera Director 2 made an X with his fingers.
“Ah…”
We sighed as we looked at the tinted windows and door handles.
While we were doing this, Jung-hyun, who had retrieved the car keys, ran towards us, waving his hands energetically.
“Let’s get in now!”
Silence.
Lacking the courage, I reached out to my younger brothers.
“Hand.”
“Here it is.”
Starting with me and Bijoo, followed by Rihyuk and Jiho, we all held hands. Then, starting with the youngest, we climbed into the vehicle.
Bijoo, who lost at rock-paper-scissors, got into the passenger seat.
And we all trembled with fear.
The car shuddered with a roar as I turned the key. “Ahh!” I screamed, startled by the sudden vibration. “It’s just the ignition,” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Please save us!” cried the youngest, rolling down the window in a panic. The production crew surrounding the car burst into laughter at his plea.
Jung-hyun raised the window with the automatic button, causing Jiho to pout. “Mom… Sister…” he whimpered. “Call dad too, Jiho. He always feels left out,” I teased. “Dad…” he sighed in resignation.
Then, Jung-hyun picked up the Bluetooth microphone in the car. “Hello, passengers. Welcome aboard the Happy Rental Car, driven by Kim Junghyun.” “Y-yes…” came the hesitant reply. “Have you all fastened your seatbelts?” “If it were possible, I’d wear two for safety,” I joked nervously.
“Is everyone happy?” he asked suddenly. “No!” we all answered in unison. Jung-hyun laughed like a tour bus guide, raising his hand to his snapback and spinning it backward. “Rider mode on,” he declared. “It’s driver, hyung,” I corrected him. “Driver mode on,” he repeated, pressing his foot on the accelerator as we all closed our eyes tight, anticipating the screech of tires.
But when we braced ourselves, gripping each other’s hands, there was only a smooth hum. “Huh?” I opened my eyes in surprise. There was no jolt, no shake. My eyes met with Lee-hyuk’s, both of us equally confused. “Huh?” “Huh?” We let go of each other’s hands, looking around with wide eyes. The scenery outside was moving.
Wiping the cold sweat from our palms, we looked ahead to see the rental car smoothly following the reality show vehicle. Through the rearview mirror, I could see Jung-hyun’s eyes crinkling with a smile. “What?!” I exclaimed, my mouth agape. “Hey! Why are you driving so well?”
“It’s not like I’m doing anything special,” Jung-hyun replied, feigning hurt feelings. The tension broke, and the younger ones burst into relieved laughter. “Amazing, Jung-hyun hyung is a good driver!” “Yeah, he’s good,” I agreed, as Jung-hyun smiled proudly, gripping the steering wheel. “I never forget anything I learn with my body, just like Woojoo hyung remembers everything.”
“Exactly as I predicted. See? People have so many different facets,” Lee-hyuk said, having switched from panic to admiration in an instant. Meanwhile, the car began to move westward towards Jeju Airport. A cool breeze flowed through the open windows, and the clear sky above welcomed us with the view of the blue sea. “Wow!” we all exclaimed, as Jung-hyun drove smoothly like a seasoned pro, smiling at us through the rearview mirror.
As we shared the laughter, Bijoo, who had been deep in thought, finally spoke up. “Jung-hyun.” “I’m good at driving, right?” “Yes, but… didn’t you say you never forget anything you learn with your body?” “That’s right, anything at all.” “Then,” Bijoo said with a gentle smile, “how come you forgot the choreography last time?” Jung-hyun’s shoulders tensed up, and despite the cool breeze, beads of sweat formed on his nose. We couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, and amidst Bijoo’s giggles, Jiho chimed in.
“Guys! Guys! Let’s listen to some music while we drive!”
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“Should we?”
In search of the perfect driving song to set the mood for our trip, I browsed through my playlist.
Excerpt from Episode 1 of “New Black’s Travel Diary Season 1,” scheduled to air on K-net.
Inside the car driven by Junghyun (D), the members joyfully sang ‘On the Green Hill~’ while playfully strumming their air guitars. The music streaming from Bijoo’s phone was our soundtrack.
As we finished the first song with high spirits, we blinked at the blue sky through the car window, our noses almost pressed against the glass. It was because ‘Winter Trip,’ a track from New Black’s special album released in January, started playing. The song, which usually filled us with the excitement of travel, now cast a shadow over our faces.
“Our song is good, isn’t it?”
“Let’s not talk about work; we’re on a trip.”
At Woojoo’s words, laughter erupted among the members, and cute subtitles appeared on the screen.
[Note: New Black listens to their songs hundreds of times during production.]
[Liking the song = Talking about work]
Rihyuk, sitting in the passenger seat, asked Bijoo.
“What’s this, hyung?”
“It’s a mix titled ‘Songs to Drive to at Travel Destinations’ on Mango.”
“Let’s skip to the next song.”
The next tracks from the special album, ‘Platform’ and ‘Companion,’ flowed out—perfectly suited for a winter journey. As the members grew increasingly uncomfortable, Bijoo frantically searched for another mix.
“Found it! A mix of songs that feel like spring.”
“No, not that either.”
“Why not… Oh.”
The first song was ‘Wind Flower,’ the chart-topping hit of last year.
“Isn’t there something else?”
“Yes.”
Soon, the members of New Black were humming the lyrics of ‘Wind Flower’ with warm smiles, enjoying themselves.
“Yayyyy~”
“Yoohoo~ Wind Flooower~”
Beneath the singers with misty eyes performing their song, a subtitle in a traditional font rose.
[The Sorrow of a Hit Song Maker.avi]
Whether we streamed recommendations or chose a mix, we couldn’t escape our own songs.
After wrapping up the morning with a simple drive, we completed the first day of our 3-night, 4-day schedule.
“On the count of three!”
“How are you? We’re New Black!”
“We’ve come all the way to Jeju Island for our special album fan signing. The air is so fresh here; it’s truly wonderful!”
Greeting the fans with the Jeju dialect we had practiced diligently, everyone burst into laughter.
Then they asked what we had just said.
“Do you understand what we’re saying? (You don’t understand, do you?)”
“Huh?!”
We heard from the fans that even the elders don’t use dialect much these days.
Nevertheless, we managed to hold the fan signing we missed last January, and in the evening, we perfectly concluded our small theater tour by renting out a venue.
Among the audience was a special guest we had invited, the veteran singer Roh Jaehyun, with whom we had formed a bond through the ‘Song Masters’ group.
“Teacher, you look so much healthier!”
“Do I look healthy? Ahahaha!”
Now walking with ease and lightly leaning on a cane, the teacher looked much better. His complexion had improved, and his caregiver, a kind lady, confirmed he was indeed doing much better.
After the performance, over dinner, Teacher Roh Jaehyun said,
“I heard from Sanggyo. You’ve hooked a Japanese singer.”
“Hooked, teacher?”
“Ah, why does everyone want to jump into that pit of fire…”
We protested his harsh words, but the teacher just shook his head.
After the meal, we settled into our accommodations.
It was a facility used by corporations for internal training, with excellent amenities and security.
We heard from the producer that it was usually hard to book, but our high recognition and positive image made it possible.
With the first day’s schedule behind us,
Finally, on the second day, ready to start our real adventure, we arrived at the beach where the producer greeted us.
“Everyone…”
“Yes!”
“This season’s ‘New Black’s Travel Diary’ is all about enjoying the journey itself, within a natural setting, embracing a healing concept,” the producer said with a smile.
“You’ve all worked hard, so this is your time to relax. Please approach the broadcast comfortably.”
It meant we didn’t have to try to be funny; just being our natural selves was enough.
At those words, we all nodded and smiled brightly.
The atmosphere was free from the pressure to be entertaining like a variety show, making it the perfect respite for us.
The production crew, armed with 6mm cameras, followed New Black closely.
As the waves receded, we all linked arms and ran together, only to scatter when the waves rushed back in.
“Ha ha ha!”
We picked up seashells that had fallen to the ground.
And wrote in the sand, “Soufflé, New Black loves you as much as Hanlaksan,” while taking a friendship photo.
The producers and writers were in awe.
“Everything they do is picturesque. It comes to life.”
“Truly.”
Even standing still, our thoughtful expressions or the way we brushed our windswept hair seemed admirable.
We left deep footprints in the sand as we walked along the beach.
Pop songs and healing tunes naturally came to mind as potential soundtracks for these scenes.
“Kyahaha!”
New Black burst into laughter when the youngest member tripped and fell.
The producer licked his lips.
“A good shot doesn’t last more than ten seconds… but still.”
The youngest stood up on his own, pouting, and hurried after his older bandmates.
During the tranquil beach shoot, as the youngest munched on snacks…
A seagull swooped down and snatched the treats, causing him to clench his fist.
“Ouch!”
His cry of pain made the others whirl around, eyes wide at the sight of blood on his finger.
The mood turned fierce, like a pack of angry puppies.
“What happened? Did someone bump into you?”
“Jiho, what’s wrong?”
“Who was it? Which person?”
Pointing at the seagull, Jiho said, “That one! The seagull!”
“Junghyun, check quickly. Which bird was it?”
“It looks like the one with the black stripes on its chest.”
Just as they were about to capture the scene of their anger directed at the seagull…
“Wait a minute.”
While the members tended to the youngest’s hand, the leader picked up the fallen snack crumbs.
The crumbs lured the seagulls like fishing bait, and Woojoo deftly avoided each approaching bird.
After a minute of intense focus…
“Could it be…”
As the production team watched, a wild seagull attempting to snatch the snack…
Flap!
…was caught in Woojoo’s hand.
The camera director and tourists around them were stunned, while New Black cast a shadow over the scene.
The startled seagull stopped flapping its wings and looked around with wide eyes.
“Was it you? Did you make our youngest bleed?”
“Behave yourself, seagull.”
The onlookers burst into laughter, while the producers and writers blinked in disbelief.
“Who catches a seagull on an idol reality show…?”
It was supposed to be a healing variety show.
The production team wondered if they had bitten off more than they could chew.
