In This Life, The Greatest Star In The Universe

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 188

Woojoo sat down in the guest seat after introducing himself.

There was a short break while the equipment was being set up for Jo Yuri Band’s stage.

Woojoo took a sip of water and breathed deeply.

“Phew.”

He smoothed his forehead, careful not to mess up his styled hair. Cold sweat was dripping from his palm.

It was his first fixed variety show, so he was nervous about his comments.

Did he do well?

Bijoo, who was glancing at Woojoo from the side, rummaged through his pocket and handed him a pink handkerchief.

“Here, Hyung.”

“Thanks.”

“I prepared a floral one for you because you said you were sad that you couldn’t wear floral patterns these days,” he whispered, covering his mouth.

Woojoo wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled happily.

‘Our Bijoo is the best.’ Woojoo patted him on the face.

Then they made faces at each other, saying ‘Hyung is the best, dongsaeng is the best’. The other siblings looked uncomfortable.

‘They’re too close.’

‘Jealous.’

Woojoo couldn’t help but laugh.

“You guys worked hard singing. Our siblings are the best.”

…That was his excuse to pat everyone on the shoulder once.

Except for one person.

“What? Why did you just skip me?”

“You don’t like it when someone touches you.”

“Don’t you know that a handshake is okay?”

He made a face as if he couldn’t believe Woojoo’s lack of tact.

How was he supposed to know that?

But he soon smiled and shook hands with their Durumi.

Woojoo looked at the stage where the drums and guitars were being set up and turned his attention back to the siblings.

“How was I? Did I do well with my comment?”

They all nodded.

“Well, it wasn’t bad.”

“I guess it wasn’t a black history since you don’t remember it.”

“I liked it. I really liked the comment you made, Hyung.”

There was one weird remark in the middle, but most of them were positive.

Woojoo asked jokingly, “Then how many points out of 10?”

Serious answers came back right away.

“8.4 points.”

“Objectively, about 7.3. If you rate it like a movie, maybe 3.5 stars?”

“Early 8s.”

“I round it up to 10 points.”

Woojoo smiled warmly at the siblings who gave himobjective evaluations without any pretense.

…Yeah.

Whose fault was it?

It was his fault for expecting a comment like ‘Hyung is 10 points in my heart’.

Woojoo shook his head and looked at the stage. The equipment was ready and the recording resumed.

MC Baek Sangjung grabbed the microphone.

-Yes, can the next team come up?

The four-member band went up on stage and performed.

The intense rock music echoed throughout the hall.

Jo Yuri held the standing microphone and showed off her vocal skills, while the guitarist, bassist, and drummer made the music stand out with their excellent playing skills.

They exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow…”

It was the second time they saw Jo Yuri’s band’s stage.

Woojoo had seen them at Ha Seungju’s Music Cafe before, and he thought they were good then, but they were better now.

It felt more musically complete.

“Good.”

From Jo Yuri’s cool high notes to the other members’ playing skills.

It was a skill that anyone would acknowledge.

Their skills were probably among the top in the country.

That was why they gave them a favorable response to the song itself, regardless of their personal feelings.

They hummed along with the rhythm.

The other guests also applauded Jo Yuri’s band as fellow musicians.

Clap, clap, clap.

During the introduction time, the MC talked to Jo Yuri.

-There’s a story behind your name, Yuri, right?

-Yes, a lot of people think I’m a girl by just looking at my name… My parents worked as diplomats in Russia. That’s why I spent my childhood in Russia, where Yuri is a male name.

He told them the story behind their band name as well.

-As you can see, even a name like this can reflect prejudice. That’s why I named my band after myself. It was my intention to break the fixed stereotypes of the world.

He didn’t sound cool, but he said something cool.

Woojoo was secretly envious of him.

When people asked them why they became New Black, we can only say ‘Huh? That’s actually a chicken story on the logo of a sweatshirt…’.

Now it was the most precious name in the world, but it was hard to reveal the behind story to others.

Of course, Assistant Manager Hong squeezed her brain and made up a meaning for external use, saying ‘It brings a new trend to the world’.

Then, Baek Sangjung looked at the cue card and showed interest.

-This is interesting.

He glanced at Woojoo and turned his eyes to Jo Yuri.

-I saw the pre-meeting interview content. The skill that Yuri wrote is exactly the same as Woojoo’s.

-…Yes?

-‘Music appreciation’ is your skill? You must know a lot of songs.

-Yes. That’s right.

Jo Yuri said confidently.

-I like listening to music. I know a lot of songs. Especially about Korean rock music that started in the 1960s.

-Oh, this is fun, isn’t it?

Baek Sangjung chuckled.

-Let’s have a verification time later. Let’s see if you two are really interested in old songs. Yes, thank you for your hard work!

Then, Jo Yuri, who came to the guest seat with the band members, looked at Woojoo.

He gave Woojoo a look that said ‘You?’.

He seemed to have a bit of contempt and competitiveness.

The difference was that he didn’t ignore Woojoo completely like when they first met. He seemed to recognize him as a rival because he saw their stage.

Of course, he still had the expression that said ‘How much do you know if you listen to the songs?’

While the next stage was being set up, Woojoo smiled silently at him who was looking at him face to face.

And…

He kept seeing the expressions of their siblings who looked at him pitifully.

Their voices played automatically in Woojoo’s ears.

‘You’ll regret it.’

‘Poor thing.’

‘Pray for him in advance.’

They looked at him as if they wanted him to be gentle.

Woojoo didn’t know what they thought of him.

He wasn’t someone who went crazy and ran wild when a song came out.

He just liked music appreciation as usual.

“Wow…”

Woojoo felt goosebumps all over.

Every time Cha Woohyun sang a verse, the audience members who were sitting in the seats gasped and cheered.

He was indeed the star singer of this program.

Woojoo thought he sang well at the Mango Chart Awards, but it was amazing to hear him up close.

He looked like a giant expressionless mustache man on the outside, but he looked like a different person when he sang.

He had the ability to convey the lyrics perfectly through his expressions.

He had a stable voice that seemed to be steady even on a shaky bridge.

His voice went up and down freely, but not in a choppy way, but in a natural curve.

“He’s crazy. He’s really crazy.”

Rihyuk kept exclaiming next to Woojoo.

He was so excited that his pale face turned into a tomato prince.

Normally, Woojoo would have teased him for his exaggerated reaction, but today they were all having the same reaction as him.

It was truly an amazing skill.

Everyone here was at stage 10, killing orcs, but it felt like a level 99 had entered and showed off the dragon he had killed.

Of course, everyone here was talented, so there was not that much of a gap in reality, but it felt like that.

He was overwhelming.

But what the performers were really amazed by was the amount of practice behind his overwhelming skill.

He had the skill that only a person with a natural talent for singing could achieve by eating and singing for over 10 years.

He was humanly admirable.

Woojoo thought about having to compete with him in the contest, and he was already nervous and excited.

-Wow…

The MC, Baek Sangjung, also forgot his role for a moment and opened his mouth wide.

-You’re not called the ‘God of Singing’ on the internet for nothing.

-I’m far from being a god.

He answered seriously.

Baek Sangjung laughed and asked, thinking it was a joke.

-Then, how do you rate yourself right now?

-…

Cha Woohyun stroked his mustache, deep in thought. Then he said with a more serious face than anyone else.

-About 73 percent.

-Oh, I see…

He seemed to have a unique sense of humor.

But there was someone who was happy and admiring the precise 73 percent figure.

“That’s amazing.” Rihyuk whispered irrelevant stories. “Isn’t that really amazing? How much do you have to master singing to be able to calculate and make a witty joke with that figure…”

“…”

“I want to be like that senior too.”

Woojoo suddenly thought of the future that would happen at the fan signing event.

Their Soufflé was sitting with a happy face, and opposite him was Rihyuk, who had a blank expression like Cha Woohyun.

-Rihyuk Oppa. You sing so well.

-Not that much. According to the current data, I’m in the top 78 percent.

-…?

-It was a joke.

Woojoo imagined a terrible future where a fan would leave them while losing interest.

Woojoo decided as he watched Rihyuk, who was listening to Cha Woohyun’s words as if he was going to write them down in his notebook.

He had to prevent them from having a conversation.

After the self-introductions of the cast members, Baek Sangjung said.

-Yes, I’ve seen the unique and cool personalities of the five teams.

-It’s time to enter the main game.

-In line with the theme of finding hidden old songs, it’s time to go and look for songs.

He said.

-First of all, before selecting the songs, I will reveal the year.

<Challenge, Legendary Song Discovery Team!> had the following format.

The production team set the year first.

They prepared songs that they thought were hidden gems, regardless of genre, such as rock, folk, dance, etc.

And then they randomly picked five out of the six songs.

Baek Sangjung looked at the cue card and said.

-Challenge, Legendary Song Discovery Team! The first year is…

The number appeared on the screen.

【 1990 】

Everyone looked at the screen with curiosity and smiled.

-1990. Globally, it was the year when Germany was reunified and the Cold War ended. In Korea, it was the time when popular music flourished.

The tension of the cast members eased a bit.

Unlike the earlier songs that were hard to arrange in the style of the 2010s, the 90s songs were less burdensome.

Then the production team handed the pouch with the lottery to the MC.

-Now, it’s time to pick the songs. In here are the songs that you have to prepare for the next two weeks.

Song selection, one of the most important things in a competition program.

Everyone had a nervous expression on their faces as the system distributed them randomly.

-First, Lisa, please come out.

Lisa, who was taking a deep breath, confidently pulled out a lottery.

She unfolded the crumpled paper, and there was a title that made everyone tilt their heads.

『 Ttolong Ttolong 』

Baek Sangjung grabbed the microphone and smiled.

-Ttolong Ttolong. I’ve never heard of this title before. Shall we all listen to it together?

Soon, a sweet voice rang out through the speaker.

?Ttolong

Ttolong?

Everyone blinked their eyes.

?Ttolong Ttolong Ttororong

?The dew is rolling down

It was a children’s song.

All the cast members burst into laughter and Lisa looked miserable.

The MC also cooled his head with a cue card.

-How do you feel, Lisa?

-It’s a children’s song. How am I supposed to pull this off? …I heard the genre was very diverse, but it was true…

-Yes, it’s amazing, isn’t it?

Then Baek Sangjung turned his head to me as if he remembered something and joked.

-How about you, music lovers? Do you know what song this is?

-…Uh.

Jo Yuri grabbed the microphone with a bewildered face.

-To be honest, I don’t know. Because it’s a children’s song…

-What about you, Woojoo?

Woojoo nodded and said, “At first I was doubtful, but after listening to the song, I think I know. Isn’t it the song that won the grand prize at the PBS Children’s Song Contest in 1990?”

-…

At that moment, everyone looked at him.

-…?

They had confused faces, like ‘What is he talking about?’ or ‘Did I hear that wrong?’

Even the production staff had expressions like ‘That’s not it…’

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Only their kids smiled proudly, saying ‘This is our novi’.

Baek Sangjung asked again.

-Do you know this?

“Yes.”

-How…? No, first of all, we need to check the answer. PD! Is Woojoo’s story correct?

The main PD who was standing behind the camera nodded. He also looked flustered.

Baek Sangjung turned his head sharply.

-How did you know?

“I’ve heard it before. I used to dream of being a composer instead of an idol.”

Woojoo explained how he knew this song.

In a moderate way.

When he started studying composition, his goal was idol music, but he thought realistically about what he had to do to make a lot of money.

Then he had a phase where he thought ‘Make money with children’s songs…?’

For example, making addictive children’s songs for babies and becoming a YouTube millionaire. Or creating a lullaby channel.

That was why he was obsessed with children’s songs and collected all kinds of songs.

Maybe it was because of his personality that he saw things through once he got into them.

He was so absorbed that he said to his junior at lunchtime, ‘Who are you, momma will bring you to eat’.

Ddorong-ddorong was the song he heard then.

Baek Sangjung said with an admiring face.

-Wow, that wasn’t unfounded confidence. You even got the title of the 90s children’s song right.

“I was lucky. Besides, it’s a famous song that won the grand prize…”

-Lisa looks very curious about that song.

-Yes. I was worried about how to prepare for the performance.

Lisa nodded.

-I’ll have to ask Woojoo later when the shooting is over.

As their younger siblings made expressions like ‘Oh…’, ‘Why?’, ‘How come?’, Woojoo gave them a wink.

Fortunately, the songs that came out next were ones that the other senior singers also knew quite well.

They had a talk on various topics, such as sharing their impressions of the songs, guessing who sang them, and so on.

Cha Woohyun said.

-It’s Teacher Eunsera’s song. I know this one as ‘The Flower of Betrayal’, but the song from the previous year was…

“It’s The Flower of Purity.”

-Right, that one… Wait a minute.

Cha Woohyun nodded and then widened his eyes.

-You know that?

“Yes, because she’s my favorite senior singer.”

Cha Woohyun and Woojoo joined forces to unravel the stories behind Eunsera’s flower trilogy, and everyone listened with interest.

It was a similar reaction to when they enjoyed listening to Chef Park Jaewoo explain the origins of the food at Patisserie Korea a while ago.

It was like that afterwards, too.

When an unfamiliar song came out and someone spoke up, Woojoo cautiously chimed in.

As humbly as possible.

At first, they were puzzled and said ‘What?’ but soon enough, they started asking him questions.

Originally, it was a time for the cast to share their feelings and opinions about the competition songs, but somehow the atmosphere turned into a corner like ‘A Musical Journey with Dr. Woojoo’.

Song Bohyung said.

-Woojoo, you seem to know more than me, both in speaking and in knowledge.

Cha Woohyun intervened.

-You look older than me, too.

The others laughed.

The MC was pushing it, too, and it seemed like he was trying to make Woojoo into an old-timer position.

Woojoo wanted to vehemently refuse, but they already treated him like an old man who cut songs.

And their kids smiled happily at that reaction.

They looked like a cat-sitter who got a lot of likes on their cat pictures.

-…

While everyone was having fun talking, Jo Yuri blinked their eyes like a honey-eating mute.

He did tell an interesting story when a rock song came out in the middle, but other than that, he had nothing to say.

Unlike Woojoo, who listened to anything and everything, he seemed to listen only to his own field. He wasn’t very good at entertainment or speaking, either, so it felt a bit awkward.

Normally, Woojoo would have spoken to him out of courtesy to get him involved in the conversation, but he just left him alone.

And finally, the last two lots were given to them, the last ones.

-Well, then, it’s time for New Black to draw their lot.

They rushed out.

The younger ones leaned their chins or hands on Woojoo’s shoulder and huddled together.

They looked like they were wishing on a statue, murmuring their wishes.

“Go, Woojoomon.”

With the support of Junghyun, Woojoo drew a lot.

And then, a song titled ‘Life’ came out.

He was familiar with the calm intro.

Hmm…?

Who sang this song again?

As Woojoo closed his eyes slightly to enjoy the song, he saw a camera trying to zoom in on his face.

He hoped he didn’t make a weird expression…?

Time is something that

flows as it will

It was a song with a trot-like feel, with a familiar vibrato technique, but not quite a trot.

But regardless of the genre, it was a good song.

Woojoo looked at his siblings as the serene voice expressed their thoughts on life.

It seemed that a good song remained a good song even as time passed.

He could see that their kids were also smiling and appreciating it.

And this time, not only him, but all of them knew who sang this song.

Baek Sangjung said.

-The title is unfamiliar, but the singer who sang this song is someone I know, and you know, and everyone knows. New Black knows too, right?

“Yes.”

Woojoo grabbed the microphone and said, “It’s someone we can’t not know.”

No Jaehyun.

He was the original singer of ‘Please Stay With Me’, the song they sang at the year-end evaluation, and a legendary singer who had retired.

His song was the mission song they had to perform this time.

‘Good.’

Woojoo was worried if they could handle the theme of the song well, but it was a very satisfying choice.

No matter what songs were in the other slips that he didn’t pick, there couldn’t be a song that he liked more than this one.

Woojoo was also showing off to his siblings with a ‘See? My picking skills?’ expression.

-What’s the other song?

At Song Bohyung’s question, the MC unfolded the remaining slip.

“…!”

As his siblings looked at him, Baek Sangjung told him what was on the slip that he didn’t pick.

-It’s ‘Deoksoon-ah’ by Yoo Myungdeok.

“…”

His siblings held back their laughter as he blinked his eyes.