LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 369
Chapter 369: Osaka, Japan.
Citizens passing by the shopping district widened their eyes in surprise.
“What’s this…?”
From the entrance of an alleyway to the far end of the street, people were lined up in a queue that seemed endless.
It was the first time I had seen such a crowd in this area.
“What’s going on? What’s this?”
“Is there some kind of festival inside?”
One might wonder if a famous Hollywood actor was filming a movie.
The citizens, bewildered by the sheer number of people, stopped in their tracks and watched as the line continued to grow.
Intermittent screams seemed to burst from the alleys.
And then…
“Panting heavily!”
Broadcast station employees, drenched in sweat, were seen retreating with cameras and equipment in hand.
It felt like they were being swept away by the crowd, pushed here and there, before finally giving up and withdrawing.
Someone spotted a familiar face in the midst.
“Huh? Isn’t that the person from TV?”
“Really?”
“Where was it again? NTN? That show they do…”
Reporters and other familiar faces from on-site coverage programs were also noticeable.
Vroom—
As vehicles adorned with the broadcast station logos began to disappear one by one, the citizens’ gaze turned to the people in line.
“Excuse me, what’s happening here?”
Someone wrapped in a coat, rubbing their hands together, answered.
“We’re in line for the NewBlack beverage.”
“…NewBlack?”
Initially puzzled by the unfamiliar name, the citizens soon had a realization.
They noticed the Korean placards held by the fans in line.
“The idol group that’s incredibly famous in Korea!”
Their name had been mentioned so often on TV that it was well-known.
Whether watching late-night current affairs programs, news, or lifestyle shows, it was a name heard at least once.
This idol group had recently received an immense amount of love from the Korean people, a phenomenon not seen in the last decade.
They were so famous that even the bread named after their fan club was a hit, as seen on the news.
“So, they’ve come to Osaka.”
It all made sense now.
While the citizens stood still, marveling, the screams continued unabated from deep within the alley.
Just when one wondered what was happening inside…
“Wow—”
Fans emerged, one hand holding prizes, the other carrying beverages and packaged desserts.
They walked with the triumphant stride of victorious generals.
But what the fans in line envied most was not the prizes but the bags of bread in their hands.
“NewBlack bread…!”
Though labeled ‘Soufflé Bread’ in Korean, everyone called it NewBlack bread.
That legendary bread, known for causing sell-outs.
It was the bread that friends would always ask to bring back from trips to Korea, having gained a reputation in Japan.
Gulp—
The citizens of Osaka began to quietly join the end of the line.
“…I can be a fan too, right?”
“NewBlack is the best.”
“I’ll start being a fan from today.”
As the line grew endlessly, two patrolling officers parked nearby scratched their heads.
“I want to join the line too…”
“Should I call my daughter to stand in line for me?”
The bread looked too tempting to simply pass by.
Inside the café.
The spacious area echoed with boisterous chatter and screams.
“Wow—!”
Despite renting a large café and clearing most of the tables, the crowd was overwhelming.
“Please come in orderly! Ahhh…!”
A part-time worker with a megaphone struggled against the influx of people.
Rihyuk, stunned and slack-jawed, had his chin pushed up by a finger.
With a snap, my lips sealed shut.
“Ah! What’s that for!”
“Just keeping your mouth shut.”
“…Don’t touch me. Not my face.”
At those words, four fingers simultaneously pressed into Rihyuk’s cheek.
Trembling.
The fans let out a collective shriek of delight.
“Ha-ha-ha!”
Unable to show annoyance in front of the fans, I could only tremble, which made us all chuckle.
Then, I turned my gaze towards the fans.
“Welcome, welcome~”
Each time fans entered, Jung-hyun greeted them with a warm smile and a wave, eliciting laughter from all around. He resembled a seasoned sushi chef, welcoming guests with a hearty ‘Irasshaimase~’.
“Welcome! My dear soufflés!”
“Ah…”
Clapping my hands together, I smiled.
“If there are no special orders, the New Black set, a drink and bread will be served.”
“Ah.”
A soufflé fan, having come face-to-face at the counter, gasped for breath, overwhelmed.
They had been muttering to themselves in line, seemingly preparing what to say, but now their face showed they’d forgotten it all.
I sent a reassuring smile, gently…
But it seemed to only increase their burden.
“…I like you!”
They managed to squeeze out the words, their face turning bright red.
I nodded and replied,
“Thank you for liking me.”
“Ah…!”
They seemed to want to say more but, due to the line behind them, they moved towards the drink collection area with a forlorn look.
Oh dear.
If only there had been more time.
“Welcome!”
I continued to greet the incoming customers.
Truth be told, while we had set up a café ambiance, there was no choice in drinks or menu.
The New Black set consisted of soufflé bread and coffee.
For those who cleared the game and won a prize, additional gifts were given.
“Yes, thank you!”
On one side of the store, our staff, with the help of the Japanese team, were selling merchandise and stamping cards.
Meanwhile, I turned my head and shouted,
“Guys, three more sets!”
“Waaaaah—!”
The youngest pretended to cry out loud.
“I want to be a cashier too!”
“Well, you should have studied Japanese harder.”
While Rihyuk and I, fluent in Japanese, took orders and interacted with customers, the other members were busy making coffee and packaging.
Whirrrr.
“Ughhh…”
The sound of coffee beans grinding mixed with the groans of my younger brothers.
The café owner and part-time workers were all hands on deck preparing coffee, and an employee dispatched from the bakery’s headquarters was diligently packing soufflé bread.
Despite many hands, the work was immense.
Nearly ten times the number of people we and the company had anticipated had gathered.
“Welcome…”
And it wasn’t just people from Japan.
I greeted them with a smile.
“Hello.”
“Huh…?”
“Are you here for the soufflé bread and coffee?”
“…?”
When I greeted them first in Korean, a soufflé fan from Korea opened their eyes wide.
I recognized some faces from music shows or fan signing events.
Though I couldn’t call out names due to the many onlookers.
“I remember everyone.”
“Uh-uh…”
“Did you come to Japan for the concert?”
“Yes, I’ve managed to get tickets for the event in Kobe, brother.”
As we exchanged these words, I took the card he offered and completed the payment.
“How was the game? Did you enjoy it?”
“…I couldn’t get past stage one. I kept dying because of the whip brother was swinging.”
“Ah, right. That thing does deal quite a lot of damage.”
Ryuk, who was standing beside me, translated our conversation for the curious Japanese fans.
“He’s talking about getting hit by a whip.”
“Eh?”
The Japanese fans gasped in shock, and when I nudged Ryuk’s side, he smiled wryly and added,
“In the game.”
“Ah!”
Relief washed over the fans’ faces as they finally understood.
When I explained the situation to a Korean fan, they burst into laughter, and Ryuk grinned as if he had successfully avenged an earlier slight.
I returned the smile and turned my head.
“Everyone! Has anyone used Ryuk as a tank in the game?”
Hands shot up here and there in response to my question.
“The stats in the game aren’t great, and he’s not very useful, right?”
“Sadly, that’s true…”
“Absolutely.”
The fans agreed, and laughter erupted, while Ryuk glared at me.
Meanwhile, the other members were getting the hang of things and started communicating with the fans.
“Look over here! Here!”
Bijoo, wearing a headband with a mini-banner emphasizing ‘You’re cute,’ made a ‘V’ sign, causing everyone to laugh.
Our youngest, who speaks the least Japanese but talks the most, caused a big burst of laughter.
“I studied hard to communicate with Japanese fans. Joy, love, the best, and the handsomeness of Jiho!”
“Eh?”
“Meeting the world-famous Jiho is a great joy!”
“Eh?”
Each time the fans tilted their heads in confusion, Ryuk sighed and translated.
“I’m so happy that I can communicate with Japanese fans after studying hard! Jiho is really handsome, isn’t he?”
The confident youngest nodded as if to say that was exactly what he meant.
I asked him,
“Where did all your Japanese studies go? You’re regressing.”
“I’m famous for wasting money. Even the tutor my parents hired said it was a lost cause.”
“That’s something to be proud of.”
“But I did memorize a few things for sure!”
Jiho confidently spread his arms wide and exclaimed,
“Ryuk’s Korean nickname is Pirarucu!”
“Wow!”
“And I love you all the most in the world!”
The multitude of fans cheered and jumped around, and the ground felt like it was shaking.
I nodded and smiled.
“Junghyun.”
With a swish,
Junghyun appeared behind me like a shadow.
“Take him away.”
“Yes, brother.”
The fans laughed as Junghyun dragged the youngest away.
While this was happening, I greeted the fans.
Although 90% were Japanese fans, I occasionally saw fans from Korea and other countries.
It seemed that after last year’s tour ended, and the special album was added to the concert setlist, fans from other countries also came to watch.
“You came from Shanghai, right?”
“Eh?”
“How is it over there? Is the weather warm in February?”
I chatted with a fan from China.
“You’re from LA, nice to meet you.”
“Uh?”
“I’ve been waiting to brag to American fans about the herding video that made it onto the news. Did you see it?”
I greeted a fan I met at an American fan meeting with a smile.
Each time, everyone looked at me strangely.
My brothers blinked in surprise every time I remembered and spoke to a fan.
Junghyun rubbed his eyes and tried hard to recall the fan I remembered but failed.
And then.
“How many languages do you speak, Mr. Woojoo?”
I answered the part-timer’s question.
“Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese…”
“That’s impressive. I can barely manage Japanese.”
The Japanese fans and staff always looked at me with amazement whenever I spoke a foreign language.
It was somewhat embarrassing.
It wasn’t even a special conversation, just ‘Have you seen Jung-hyun?’ kind of talk.
I noticed our employees explaining to the Japanese staff that ‘He’s always like that.’
“Welcome!”
Even as I continued to greet customers, I felt anxious.
The line kept growing, but we were running out of raw materials and various stocks.
We were out of straws, to begin with.
The boxes of soufflé bread that had been piled up like a mountain were also coming to an end.
Fortunately, the fans were dwindling, and the proportion of general customers was increasing.
While the staff went outside to explain the situation to the people in line.
“Here, take a cup holder.”
“Thank you!”
They looked sad but took the cup holders with bright smiles, and we waved at them.
The soufflés cherished the cup holders decorated to commemorate ‘The New Black Japan Concert.’
“Thank you for coming.”
“It’s okay! Really!”
I laughed as I watched fans holding cup holders and pretending to dance with joy.
I felt grateful yet sorry.
Perhaps it was because I saw them waiting outside, looking around nervously.
Even on the first day of entering the country for promotions, it was fine, but maybe because the TV kept saying ‘New Black fans are extreme!’ they seemed a bit intimidated.
Thankfully, after the broadcast cameras disappeared, they felt better, but I still felt sorry and grateful for those who waited in the cold.
“See you at the concert!”
I said, waving my hand.
“…Excuse me, is there really no bread left?”
A middle-aged man with a sad expression asked.
We stepped aside to make the SOLD OUT sign clearly visible and answered.
“Yes.”
“Oh no.”
“Do you need the bread for a specific reason?”
“I texted my daughter that I would buy her some bread…”
Oh dear.
Moved by his unfortunate story, I took a step towards him.
“Can I have a word, please?”
“Yes.”
“…It’s still a secret, but this bread will be released in Japan soon.”
His eyes widened with surprise and happiness at my whisper.
“Oh,” he said, his face lighting up with the good news, and we all nodded and smiled together.
Rihyuk spoke in a low voice.
“It’s an absolute secret, so you mustn’t tell anyone. Understand?”
“Strictly confidential.”
“You really mustn’t tell anyone. Seriously.”
After finishing our conversation and handing him the cup holder, he nodded as if he understood.
And when that person left.
Thumbs up.
The bakery company representative watching us gave a thumbs up.
“Nice.”
We returned the gesture and exchanged glances.
“Is this the 79th secret?”
“Seems like the 80th.”
We had completed the fan service for the soufflés and successfully marketed the soufflé bread through word of mouth.
Now, the only thing left on our schedule near Osaka was the concert.
In the idol community.
As usual, fans of TNT and Teen Spirit were playfully insulting each other, sharing a warm camaraderie.
Then, a post about New Black appeared.
[Photos of Woojoo looking like he’s secretly dating]
With such a clickbait title, idol fans couldn’t help but click frantically.
And they burst into laughter.
It was two oddly angled photos that caught my eye.
[Secret Romance: The Rookie Universe Meme]
(Photo #1: A picture of Universe whispering into the ear of a middle-aged man from an angle reminiscent of an intimate secret shared between lovers, his expression intriguingly suggestive.)
(Photo #2: As Universe pulls away, the middle-aged man’s face is flushed, looking at Universe with an enchanted expression.)
I didn’t say anything wrong, nope.
OMG, what is this? LOL
This isn’t what a secret romance meme is supposed to be like. 😭 LOL
Tried to fake a romance and failed.
The guy’s expression is too cute. LOL He looks like a kid who just got a baseball uniform from his favorite player.
But what exactly did he whisper?
Was it lottery numbers? 1, 10, 23…
That’s it!
Hey, author, change the title to ‘Whispering Lottery Numbers Meme.’
Cover the left side and just look at Universe; it’s thrilling.
I find it hilarious that this is an official photo released by the agency. LOL
No wonder the quality is so good.
When the title changed to ‘Rookie Universe Meme: Whispering Lottery Numbers?’ it climbed to the top of the charts.
News about NewBlack’s one-day cafe event in Osaka spread online.
NewBlack, crowd flocks to Japan’s one-day cafe, “Even patrol cars dispatched.”
[Field Report] “This reporter couldn’t even enter the cafe,” feeling the popularity of NewBlack in Japan.
[Photo] ‘Heartthrob with lethal charm,’ NewBlack Universe: “Sir, do you like bread?”
When the entertainment reporter’s article about going all the way to Osaka was published.
Korean web started to see translations of reviews from Japanese fans.
@tvwwwA
(Photo of an incredibly long line)
I wondered who the Korean kid was that everyone was waiting for, and then, huh??
Realized just how many fans NewBlack has in Japan.
@bijoo_kowai
(Balcony photo)
Still breathing in the air towards NewBlack from my balcony.
@leehyuk_huk
Seeing the members up close was a joy. I felt so fortunate to be born; truly, it was bliss. (;_;)
Alongside these posts from Japanese fans, Korean fans were also spreading their experiences.
Photos of the crowds in Osaka’s shopping district began popping up on idol communities.
This is huge, for real.
Did NewBlack do something in Japan??? Their popularity is no joke.
Tired of the fan wars over concert sizes, but maybe this will quiet them down.
Don’t they have a Japanese single or a cover song??
I live in Japan… The TV stations here can’t stop talking about NewBlack; their recognition is crazy high.
Yeah, among Korean male idols, they might top the recognition charts in Japan.
Not really. I’m a local fan, and people here aren’t that interested in Korean idols. They ask, “Teenspirit?” not knowing much about NewBlack.
Jealous… My idol has been in Japan for four months and is barely managing a hall tour.
It’s not all good… Every three days, there’s a current affairs program claiming the Korean government’s will is reflected in wishing from Ulleungdo towards Dokdo.
LOL, usually, when idols start activities in Japan, the fan gatherings are like a storm in a teacup, but these guys are a teacup in a storm.
Meanwhile, Japan’s web was also buzzing with stories about NewBlack.
It was all because of the much-anticipated Japanese release of ‘NewBlack Bread.’
Despite everything, they’re doing well.
I think we should boycott products from anti-Japanese idols.
But really, no matter the online uproar, no one here cares. Those who comment like this have no popularity in reality.
With such anti-Japanese sentiment, why doesn’t the Japanese government ban their entry?
Because the bureaucrats are stupid. LOL
Seriously, do the idiots above want to return to isolationism?
Turn off the internet and come out of your room. Everyone outside is curious about NewBlack Bread.
While a chaotic party erupted in various comment sections, most people were looking forward to the bread release.
During this time.
When the TV stations conducted online polls like ‘Do you support the Japanese release of NewBlack Bread?’
Korean idol sites were abuzz.
But if it’s Kobe and Yokohama, aren’t they arena-level from the first concert??
They haven’t even officially debuted in Japan yet, isn’t it a stretch to go for arenas instead of halls?
LOL, that’s a bad move.
The big agencies aren’t stupid to start with halls for no reason. LOL
Japanese fans love a narrative where they climb the ranks step by step; they might not like this approach.
Seems like there’s no long-term plan.
The comments on the forum are infuriating.
Once the concert photos are out, we’ll see. Honestly, claiming that they’ve sold out four shows in Kobe seems like nothing but hype from the event organizers.
Yeah, the band might be well-known to the general public, but they’re not at the level of having such a dedicated fanbase yet.
What will they do if the seats end up empty?
They booked smaller venues for handball, but now in Japan, they’re aiming for something huge.
Isn’t The New Black just riding on their general popularity in Korea too? Even their gymnastics event is barely scraping by for two days.
The debate was raging over the size of the venues, typically progressing from halls to arenas to domes.
Some predicted that despite renting out large spaces, many seats would remain empty, lacking real substance.
Meanwhile, suspicions arose that the current concert news was just media play by the event organizers.
Amidst all this…
[2016 The New Black Japan Concert]
On the artificial island of Kobe Port.
Banners for The New Black’s concert began to adorn the exterior of the Kobe World Memorial Hall on Port Island.