In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

 

  "NEW BLACK?"

  "Why?"

  Seokhwan hyung nod his head, "What's wrong with it?"

  "No, it's nothing."

  There was no problem. However looking at the letters that were printed on my sweatshirt, I wonder if the roughly made name could be use as the official team name.

  "It's kinda sudden, but after the end of the year evaluation, the CEO went to a fortune teller after a long time."

  "Fortune teller?"

  "When he asked them what should be the name of the new boy group, they told him to keep it as NEW BLACK. It had a good feeling."

  Who in the world would decide the name of a boy group through fortune telling? It's absurd.

  But as soon as Yoon Seokhwan started to list off the names that the CEO and company employees came up with for the team, we changed our mind.

  "There were several candidates. I'll read you a few. First of all, GUARDIANS. I'm guessing it means to protect your fans."

  ". . ."

  "FLYING ANGELS. Or F.A.G for short."

  ". . ."

  "HOT VOICE. The key point here is to sing the last syllable since it can get confusing between the words, 'Voice' and 'Boys' as they sound the same. Ah, this one was rejected in the middle of discussion." (Voice and Boys are spelt the same in Korean fyi)

  ". . ."

  "Let's see. There was also BLACK HOLE. It was probably along the lines of once they (the fans) fall in love with you, they can't get out like a black hole-"

  Every time he read the group names written from his smartphone, our faces turned pale.

  How did this company survive this long without going out of business?

  Ever since LEMON BOYS, it's been quite extraordinary. When the explanation was over, we desperately squeezed out our voice.

  "I think NEW BLACK sounds really good."

  "Agree."

  "Looking at it again, it looks beautiful."

  Yoon Seokhwan chuckled, "See, NEW BLACK was the best."

  "Yes."

  "You may not like the group name, but that's not important. Even if the name's weird, it doesn't matter if it becomes famous. Look at the kids in the U.S. Haven't you seen Dostoevsky struggle speaking due to the difficult pronunciation?"

  We nodded at the logical remark.

  And so, NEW BLACK officially became our team's debut name.

  Yoon Seokhwan spoke out as if he thought of something funny, "You know what?"

  "What?"

  "I wonder if the CEO gave the fortune teller a lot of money, and so they said some strange things. It's funny, this was what they said."

  Yoon Seokhwan said with a smile, "The fortune teller said it would be a big success if you use the name NEW BLACK. If you use that name, you'll become the most famous boy group in the world."

  We laughed at the words. It was because it was nonsense to anyone.




 

* * *




 

  Sunday.

  Dragging my suitcase, I enjoyed the alley of Gangnam. It wasn't long before the destination appeared.

  A four-story apartment.

  I heard that room 301 was our new dorm.

  "There's no elevators in the world these days."

  Every time I went up the stairs, my body ached under the heavy pressure. Goodness! If I really do succeed, I'll move into a lodging that has an elevator with my own money. Seriously.

  Barely arriving on the 3rd floor.

  Entering in the password for the lock door and opening it, the room was bigger than I thought.

  It's pretty good.

  Thinking it was quite big, It was a time when I laugh with satisfaction. But somehow it felt a bit strange.

  Wait a minute. This isn't that big. . .

  I looked around the dorm in disbelief, but it was exactly as I had just saw.

  A living room and bathroom. That was all. It was hard to call it a room even though it had one bedroom. Three bunk beds were placed in the bedroom to fill it up. The CEO's voice could be heard in my head.




 

  Haha.

  Wooju. If you want to get out of here, succeed.




 

  ". . ."

  Literally, there were only furnitures installed, so sawdust accumulated all over the floor. When lifting my feet with the feeling of poverty, the bottom of my socks turned black.

  "I need to clean."

  Is there anyway I can let the kids handle this and get out of here? I gave up after seriously thinking. I'll just clean up roughly.

  I turned on my smartphone and set up for the best angle in the living room of the dorm. I took a selfie with the tips as a selfie-taker that has been honed over the years.

  I then sent a message to my grandma.




 

     ME:  [ Grandma~ This is our dorm. ]




 

 

  Among the pictures, I sent a picture that came out pretty in the living room. It was an A-CUT photo that was carefully chosen as possible to reassure my grandma who might be worried. (A-CUT: So you know how there's the grading from A-F, yeahhhh, basically A-CUT just means the best of the best)

  A reply was sent immediately.




 

     GODLY RULER KIM DEOKSOON: [ Nice place. ]

     GODLY RULER KIM DEOKSOON: [ You need to work hard. ]

     ME: [ What- ]

     ME: [ Where's my grandma who wants her grandson to suffer? You're not my grandma are you? ]

     ME: [ Give me back my grandma, Kim Deoksoon. ]




 

  The reply to the playful messages were short.

 

     GODLY RULER KIM DEOKSOON: [ You lunatic. ]




 

  "Wow, that's going to far. Seriously."

  Are you really my grandma? I sent a message to protest, but there was no reply. Would you say it's cool being left on read?

  But if I send her a picture like this, she'll be less worried. The thought of it made me at ease.

  I changed the chat room and entered a group chat room.




 

[ SEON WOOJU AND HIS MINIONS (5) ]

     ME: [ I've arrived! ]

     ME: [ Where are you guys? Are you coming? ]




 

  The four people in front of the yellow message started to appear and one by one disappear. (iffy of sentence)




 

     KIM JUNGHYUN: [ I think I'll be a bit late. ]

     SEO RIHYUK: [ On your way, human? ] (the word human, is originally written in English in the raw)

     ME: [ What's with that weird way of typing? ]

     SEO RIHYUK: [ Do you have complaints, human? ]




 

  I blinked, wondering what's going on, and the chatroom was already filled with messages.




 

     SEO RIHYUK: [ Wang Jiho, where are you? ]

     SEO RIHYUK: [ I'm not going to hit you right now. ]

     SEO RIHYUK: [ You're driving me crazy. Really. ]

     WANG JIHO: [LOLOLOLOLOLOL ]

     WANG JIHO: [ It was me hyung. ]

     WANG JIHO: [ We're currently on the bus LOL ]




 

  It seemed like Jiho played a prank of Rihyuk through the phone. From now, it'll take about 30~40 minutes for a reply, so I looked at the one message that hasn't disappeared.

 

  That's weird. Usually, Bijoo would read and reply first.

  With that question in mind, I heard the lock door open.

  "Arghhh!"

  With a suitable height and sleek figure, a face appeared with beads of sweat. The young boy, who looked like a scholar, sat down on the porch with his luggage in both of his hands.

  "Wow, I thought I was going to die hyung."

  It was Bijoo with his many luggage that made his hands turn red. (Those stairs really putting the boys to work LOL)

  "You should have called me if it was difficult."

  "Eh? What are you saying? I can handle it."

  "Anyways, you had a hard time coming here. I'll get you a glass of water- Ah, that's right. There's nothing in the fridge."

  "I brought some."

  Bijoo rummaged through the plastic bag he got from the store and took out a bottle of water.

  "Wait, let me look for a cup in the kitchen."

  "It's okay."

  "Did you also bring that?"

  This time, it was a box of paper cups that came out from the plastic bag. I was genuinely amazed.

  "It's amazing how you're so prepare, seriously."

  While Bijoo was slowly drinking water, I looked at the bag from the store.

  "Why did you buy so many things?"

  "You said there was only the beds and fridge at the dorm, so I stopped by a nearby store."

  "What's this?"

  "Mold remover."

  "What about this?"

  "It's deodorizer. I'm going to put it in the closet and shoe closet."

  When I saw that he brought all the cleaning supplies I needed, I was tongue-tied. He's really good at housekeeping.

  While looking at Bijoo, who's neatly organizing the type of cleaning supplies, I suddenly remembered the part that I forgot.

  "Whose money did you use to pay for this?"

  "This? Of course I payed for it with my own money."

  "Give me the receipt."

  "Why?"

  "Why? You should split it into one-nth." (one-nth: examples like one ninth, one eighth, one fifth, and so on, substitute any number in. . . and split it as in split the paycheck)

  "Oh my, that's enough."

  Bijoo smiled and waved his hand. "They're items we're all going to use together anyway."

 

  "Yes, we're all going to use the items, but does it make sense for you to be the only one spending money?"

  "Hey hyung, I bought this on my own. Don't you think it's weird to ask the others to pay for it?"

  "Umm, well not for me", I said firmly, "Give me the receipt."

  ". . . It's fine."

  "You'll get into big trouble if you get use to losing your money like this."

  How is he going to survive in this world when he's this nice? I posted the picture of the receipt and the amount needed to be deposited in the chatroom.

  I was previously going to say, 'You should take the picture of the receipt and upload it', but I lower my smartphone and met the eyes that stared back at me.

  "What's wrong."

  "Ah, it's fascinating."

  "What is?"

  "There was someone who said the same thing as you too."

  "Is that so."

  Well, it wasn't a story I was interested in. After giving a boring reply, I gave Bijoo a rough tour of the dorm.

  Bijoo expressed a similar reaction like mine after looking around the dorm.

  "This reminds me of the movie I watched with Junghyun recently."

  "Which movie?"

  "The Shawshank Redemption. . ." (I can't with this boi HAHA!)

  "The one where they appear in prison?"

  "Yes. . ."

  Laughter continued for a long time, but at the last minute, it turned into sounds that was indistinguishable if we're crying or laughing. A funny, yet sad situation.

  Looking at the small dormitory, we began to make a cleaning list.

  "Are you going to start right away?"

  "No, I have to wait for the others."

  I had a warm expression with a calm smile.

  Okay. We have to do this together.

  My minions soon arrived one after another while I looked through the list of cleaning materials contemplating on who to distribute what to.

  "We're here!"

  Whenever and whatever, our youngest is always cheerful.

  "Wow, what kind of stairs-"

  Rihyuk, who entered with a half-mad face, put down his luggage and sat down. The youngest was looking around the dorm while Rihyuk received a bottle of water from Bijoo and gulp it down as if he was water himself.

  Then, I saw there was the same surprise reaction.

  "Is this the whole dorm?"

  "Yes."

  ". . ."

  "But if you look around, it's pretty good."

  It was the first time I've seen him (Jiho) speechless. I patted him, who made a face in vain like a man who lost his country.

  There was only one thing to say.

  "Let's succeed."




 

* * *




 

  A person's ability to adapt is truly wonderful.

  The NEW BLACK's prison, which seemed like I would never be able to get accustomed to, was starting to feel like home after a few days. Junghyun's snoring that can be heard every night to Rihyuk tossing and turning while muttering curse words. I've also gotten use to that.

  Whenever I sleep, I'll hear the person next to me saying, 'Hyung, are you sleeping? If you're not sleeping, play with me'. The same goes for the youngest member who'll go to sleep after waking up everyone else.

  We all adjusted to the dormitory.

  Thus, after a few days, in this prison. . . I mean dorm, a morning routine was created.

  "Yawnnn."

  Early in the morning.

  I can hear the clatters in the kitchen when coming out yawning as usual. Bijoo wakes up first every morning and prepares breakfast.

  "Did you sleep well?"

  "No."

  I shook my head.

  "Junghyun snored a lot yesterday."

  "It was no joke."

  "I haven't slept a wink. Really."

  "Me too."

  "I cut the wrong rope while dismantling a bomb in my dreams yesterday. It exploded and I heard Junghyun snoring on the upper bunk bed."

  Bijoo giggled.

  I put the bottle water back into the fridge and poke my head out to where the action of cooking was done. (Like watching Bijoo cook-)

  "What are you making?"

  "I'm making toast."

  Most of them were simple dishes, but to make five servings a day was a difficult task.

  "Is there anything I can help with?"

  "Just setting up the plates."

  "Okay."

  With the table spread out in the cramp living room and plates being placed, another member would wake up.

  "I'm up."

  The youngest sits down on the sofa in the living room with his eyes wide open. It's better for you to sleep. He repeatedly opened and closed his eyes along with nodding his head.

  The reason why this guy, who sleeps the most out of all the members, woke up so well is because of breakfast.

  "Jiho."

  ". . . Hmm? Yes?"

  "Just sleep."

  "I can't. I have to eat the biggest toast."

  Isn't that some determination.

  When Bijoo brought over the frying pan and distributed the food, Jiho was the one who looked for the biggest one out of the bunch and took it.

  "Don't eat yet and wait. I'm going to wake up the kids."

  Bijoo went to wake up the other members as the youngest and I drooled over the toast. It's obvious who's going to wake up first.

  "I'm not going to eat hyung."

  The main vocalist, who always passes by the breakfast table due to having a short mouth, immediately went into the bathroom. (Having a short mouth is a Korean proverb that means having a small appetite/eats small amounts of food)

  Bijoo has an expression of regret.
 
    With Junghyun, who just woke up, joining us, it was our regular morning routine to have breakfast together.

  Boom-

  Junghyun looked at the ceiling and spoke as if it was insignificant, "It seems like the bathroom upstairs is leaking."

  "I know."

  The dorm is so soundproof that you could hear the flushing of the toilet upstairs.

  This was our daily routine.

     -     Oww!! Hot!!

Oh, including that too.