The musical movie was currently planning to promote itself around the world before its release.
And the first stop was Korea.
Before opening during the Chuseok holiday, they came to Korea and did various publicity activities.
They did ‘I love you, Entertainment News’, and amusingly played Do You Know, and even tried on hanbok when they had time.
-Hey, guys.
The morning after we got our first number one as Nine.
We got a call from the director after we finished the dry rehearsal at PBS’s MusicOn.
On the laptop screen, director John Edwards smiled cheerfully.
-I’m excited to be in Korea for the first time. Do you have any recommendations for places to go? Preferably some delicious restaurants.
I answered in English with a smile.“If you’re looking for good food, we know it well. We’re the K-Michelin, you know. Let’s start with the barbecue place then…”
-Barbecue place?
“Barbecue.”
-Ho ho. Wait a minute, I need to get a notepad.
The director enthusiastically wrote down notes every time we listed a restaurant.
It was a warm atmosphere.
We seemed to have gotten quite close while working on the Nostalgia OST.
At first, it felt very businesslike, but we realized that we had a lot in common when we talked about music.
He always agreed with me and the music director whenever I suggested changing the sound in some way.
And I also fixed things right away when the production team asked for something.
It was a tight schedule, but it was a fun experience for both of us.
‘Waaaaah!’
‘Uh uh… I need to get out of here!’
Of course, in the meantime, the producing team staff were ground like millstones.
-By the way, I heard that we might see each other at the Korean event. Is that where we’ll meet?
“No. We’re not attending.”
-Ah.
We declined the request from the publicity agency to ‘please attend the Korean event’.
It was a bit awkward, but it was because of our popularity.
If we went, there was a high chance that a lot of fans would gather at the scene and it would be chaotic.
And there could be conflicts with the actor fans.
To make matters worse, if the event was poorly organized, we could end up getting a lot of hate and burning like firewood.
-That’s too bad.
He didn’t look too disappointed.
-Then let’s have dinner together sometime. How about with Rupert? He said he wanted to meet New Black after hearing the song.
“It would be nice to have dinner together.”
We made a promise to eat together and finished the small talk. Then the director brought up the main point.
He scratched his nose and said.
-Um… This is my first time going to Korea, so I’m a bit nervous. There might be a lot of cultural differences. And I’m also putting a lot of effort into the promotion… �
We nodded with a smile.
‘You went over the budget.’
‘You have a high break-even point.’
Roughly translated, it meant ‘I spent a lot of money making the movie, but I need more than a few pennies to make it back’.
So he seemed to be putting more effort into the promotion.
He wanted to look good to the Korean people.
-I want the Korean people to have a good impression of the movie ‘Nostalgia’. Of course, I made a good movie, but the box office also depends on whether the audience wants to see it.
“That’s right.”
-Musical movies are not very popular in Korea, I heard.
Director John Edwards asked.
-My agent told me that there was an article in Billboard magazine about how popular it was.
“Kyarururu!”
-…And it’s popular in Korea too.
“Uhuhuhu!”
We reacted explosively to the American-style compliment without holding back.
Jiho smiled brightly and said ‘Thank you’.
-The Korean distributor also showed me this heart…?
The director made a finger heart and asked.
-They gave me some tips, including this, but I want to know more.
“Hmm, tips…”
We looked at each other and said ‘Wait a minute’.
“Guys. If a foreigner comes to Korea and wants to be popular… It’s gotta be that, right?”
I nodded at Bijoo’s gaze.
He didn’t say anything, but he seemed to catch what I was thinking right away.
“That’s right. Bro.”
Junghyun also agreed.
“I don’t know what it is, but I’ll go along with it.”
“Hmm. It’s true that statistically, that has the highest chance of success. Assuming we do it right.”
“I think so too.”
Riyuk, who was stroking his chin, and Jeeho, who was next to him, seemed to have the same idea.
After we reached an agreement.
We turned around with wide smiles on our faces.
And then we smiled at the middle-aged man who was blinking at us from the screen.
“You said you wanted to know some tips on how to be popular among Koreans, right? Hehe.”
-Well, yes, but.
“Hehehe.”
As he flinched, thinking ‘Did I just hear a laugh?’, we looked at him with shining eyes and said.
“Write this down, director.”
“We’ll tell you something good.”
A few days later.
A Korean Air flight from LA to Incheon.
The airport was bustling with the arrival of the staff pushing carts and the Hollywood actors mixed in with them.
The shutters of the reporters waiting on the fence flashed incessantly.
And the fans who came to meet the foreign actors looked at them with sparkling eyes and waved their hands.
“…?”
The actors and the director who were looking at each other started to rummage through their pockets at the same time.
And then.
“Wowwwww–!”
The fans burst into laughter at the sight of the cast showing off their perfect finger hearts.
“Hello.”
The actors bowed their heads slightly and greeted them with awkward Korean.
Their angles, their expressions.
They felt more familiar than foreign.
“Thank you. Bbyong.”
The blonde actress, Bella Page, bowed to the fan who gave her a drawing and made a finger heart.
Rupert Dean, who signed and asked the fan in Korean, ‘Shall we take a selfie?’, smiled.
John Edwards, the director, was confidently answering the interview with the reporters.
“How do you feel about coming to Korea?”
“I love it.”
He smiled and said.
“The airport is so beautiful. Majestic. It’s no wonder Incheon Airport was ranked the best airport in the world. I’m really looking forward to my schedule in Korea.”
“Did you know a lot about Korea before?”
“I studied a lot from the US.”
He then pushed his belly forward, as if to show off the calligraphy ‘John’ engraved on the black t-shirt.
The interview continued.
The reporters had blank expressions on their faces.
‘What’s going on? He knows more about Korea than I do.’
‘Stop praising Korea… I’m more embarrassed.’
‘I don’t feel like doing a Do You Know.’
The atmosphere was so awkward that it was hard to ask who he knew.
Director John Edwards spoke in broken Korean to the camera.
“Happy Chuseok, everyone in Korea.”
“…”
Then he moved to another seat with the actors, as if he had forgotten something. He stopped abruptly and smiled at the reporters, throwing them a heart.
“Please write a good article.”
Even the reporters who had been expressionless until then burst into laughter.
And then.
The cast of ‘Nostalgia’ who entered the country with an extraordinary pose from Incheon Airport continued their rampage.
-[Photo] K-heart popping out of the pocket, ‘Nostalgia’ cast’s love attack
-Edwards director, with the lead actors, ‘Gyeongbokgung selfie’ SNS reveal… ‘This is the beauty of Korea’ praise
-“There are many great Korean movies on Chuseok…”, Edwards director ‘Korean movies are too strong’
-‘Nostalgia’ director, mentioned the Korean movie ‘Ghost City’ that entered Cannes Film Festival last year
-Edwards director, plans to visit DMZ with the cast
-John Edwards director ‘My best friend New Black, they told me Korea is a country full of affection’
And of course, the cast’s actions filled the Korean internet community.
‘Nostalgia’ cast-related posts everywhere.
-At the press conference, Rupert Dean pretending to pick something up from the floor and making a hand heart.gif
-How urgent is it that he runs in without looking back and forth, ‘Nostalgia’ director’s behavior
-[Breaking] My sister “Shouldn’t we watch it out of loyalty?”, my younger brother agrees “Let’s book three tickets, including mom’s”
As the events continued, the comments became a sea of laughter.
-Lololololol why is it so funny lol
-I still remember the director’s legendary comment ‘Is this the land of Arirang?’ as soon as he arrived
-He’s in a hurry lol
-Is that?? Lol The director hasn’t said ‘Do you know’ once in the press conference or interview since he came
-Yeah, because he did it all beforehand
-He’s too patriotic
-I didn’t know what you would like, so I prepared different types
-At this rate, won’t the cast upload a video wearing hanbok lol
-It’s up
-???
-It just came up on SNS… Whew… I’m going to book a ticket.
-We should at least watch it out of loyalty
-Is the movie that bad?? He looks desperate
-No no The reviews from the preview say the quality is amazing, but he poured a blockbuster-level budget into it. The director is a CG otaku… Even if he succeeds, he’s barely breaking even, so he’s doing a lot of promotion right now
-Yeah, I can see the director’s expression going up and down like Dokdo
-Oh my, he’s so calculating. I’m booking a ticket
-Do you think we’ll fall for this childish thing?? Lol Wake me up
Making songpyeon, experiencing traditional Korean markets for Chuseok, and interviewing with entertainment TV programs.
The ‘Nostalgia’ production team, who saved every minute and second and went through all kinds of schedules, became a hot topic.
Some people raised questions.
-But where did they learn it…
-Did the Korean branch teach them something? That’s not something a non-local can do
-Someone must have taught them lol
And as if to answer the netizens’ questions, Director John Edwards answered a reporter’s question.
“I wanted to get closer to the Korean people, so I asked New Black for help. That’s right. It’s the New Black. They taught me everything about Korea.”
“How did they teach you?”
“They made a short video and gave it to us. I still remember it. Rupert?”
Rupert Dean nodded.
“No bowing. Yes nodding.”
“Puhaha!”
As the press conference was filled with laughter.
The actors were greeting hundreds of fans on the red carpet laid out at a shopping mall in Yeongdeungpo.
As related articles came up, the public learned the truth.
-It was New Black… I see
-Only Koreans know the Korean heart
-No lol What kind of video did they send? Lololol
-They sent a normal video, but the foreigners did that… I can’t imagine it at all
-That’s why popular idols are not for everyone
-Sometimes when I hear weird news, I think it’s them
-Yeah, if you hear an idol story that’s illogical or strange, it’s them
-I’ve seen disobedient idols, but illogical idols are the first;
And when the story came this far, everyone had the same curiosity.
‘How did they get to know New Black?’
It was an impossible relationship.
It was hard to imagine a situation where a foreign movie director and a Korean idol singer would be connected.
As various scenarios came out, official articles came up one by one.
-Edwards director, ‘Nostalgia has New Black participating soundtrack’ surprise reveal
-“Mysterious and captivating song”, Rupert Dean’s New Black OST praise
-Korean singer’s song in musical movie ‘Nostalgia’ “New Black”
And the reaction was half and half.
-I’m so anxious… What is an idol doing in a musical movie song
-Didn’t they say it was a famous musical on Broadway??? Why are they in there
-Pop music and musicals are totally different… Lololol In a musical full of classics
-Don’t put idols in serious movies
-I hate it, suddenly k-pop? They don’t know their place
-I was going to book a ticket, but I lost my appetite lol
Half of the comments were negative, saying that they heard New Black’s voice in the movie.
They acknowledged New Black’s achievements in popular music, but not in musical movies.
Including those who had been looking down on them, they filled the article comment section with comments that they couldn’t distinguish between what to do and what not to do.
While New Black’s fans were struggling to comment in those places.
Those who were conscious of the overly harsh atmosphere and joined in, and those who were curious, appeared.
-The movie hasn’t even come out yet, why are you making such a fuss. I’m not happy
-Other countries also have singers from that country in them, why are you making a fuss?? They said it was a fan service scene;
-I guess they don’t like New Black.
-What’s K-pop? LOL
-But I’m more curious about why the director contacted New Black first.
Someone replied to that last comment.
-LOL, isn’t it obvious? It’s because Woojoo defeated that salmosa like Codename 17. The director even tweeted about it and decided to cast them.
┕Talk sense… LOL, what
┕Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?
┕Think before you speak, use your brain.
┕LOL, I’m just passing by and laughing.
┕You should say that the director liked them after watching History Explorers LOL.
After that, various speculations started to circulate, but no one knew the truth.
Except for someone who got stoned for telling the answer.
From Thursday’s K-Net to Sunday’s HBS.
Our ‘Nine’ beat Teen Spirit’s ‘Feel So Good’ every time they met and took the first place.
Whether it was album sales or text voting, Teen Spirit was ahead of us in the fandom indicators, but it wasn’t a huge difference.
And more importantly, it was thanks to the popularity of ‘Nine’ on the music charts, which ranked first for two weeks in a row.
-Nine Nine Nine
Thanks to the upbeat mood of the song, Nine was everywhere.
As I walked down the street, I heard it from the cellphone store outside the car window.
It was also playing in the cosmetic shop in Myeongdong.
And in the newly opened barbecue restaurant, a balloon doll was shaking its body like crazy while playing it.
My friends sent me videos of it playing in the clubs, and it was amazing.
Bijoo looked at his phone and said.
“Minjun said, it’s really popular at school. He said everyone would do Nine for the talent show at the retreat next year.”
“My school friends are always talking about Nine too. Right. Hyuk?”
“Well. Maybe?”
“Right. You don’t have any friends at school except me. As soon as lunch time comes… Aaah!”
While the two were bickering, I glanced at my phone.
“It’s so noisy, Nostalgia.”
“I know.”
“We didn’t say that much…”
“I didn’t know Director Edwards would upgrade it so much.”
Junghyun smiled with satisfaction.
On the screen, the director was holding a panel that said ‘ID Card: John Edwards’ and laughing heartily.
He was admirable as a greenhouse plant.
I guess that’s what it takes to be a famous director in Hollywood.
“It’s a bit noisy because of the OST, but… we can’t help it.”
“They’ll change their minds when they hear it.”
There was a lot of talk about Nostalgia’s soundtrack, but I didn’t care.
Most of them were worried that it would be K-pop that suddenly goes ‘Nillili~’.
But they would change their minds when they heard the song.
I was confident.
And if they still didn’t like it, then there was nothing I could do.
“Let’s go.”
We, who were waiting in the waiting room, moved according to the guidance of the staff.
While the cast of Nostalgia was busy with the fan service at the Korean event, we also had an event.
It was a fan signing event at a venue in Mokdong.
“Hello!”
The sound of cheers was only for a moment.
As we sat down at the table with a bottle of water each, the Soufflés greeted us enthusiastically.
I grabbed the microphone and smiled brightly.
“Two, three, hello! We are New Black!”
Since the music show activities were short, we had a fan signing event prepared generously from weekdays to weekends.
The time was also more generous than usual.
After exchanging opening remarks with the kids in front of the cameras full of reporters, the signing event began.
“Hello!”
At first, my heart was pounding so hard that it would explode, and I was scared and dizzy.
But every time, the fans comforted us.
But now I was used to it. After doing fan signing events and concerts for over a year and a half, I lost a lot of fear.
Now we were the ones who relaxed the fans…
“Uhahaha! Oppa!”
Yeah. That’s Soufflé.
They had no tension at all.
A Soufflé with black glasses smiled triumphantly at me, who was drawing a spaceship on the album.
“Oppa, why do you always wear the same tee?”
“Cutie?”
‘Not bad’ he added with an expression.
“Pretty.”
“Beauty.”
“What. You know everything.”
“I’m a pro lurker on the fan cafe. I know all your jokes.”
We exchanged a perfect harmony and laughed, saying ‘That was a good harmony’ and high-fived.
It was fun.
Next to me, Bijoo, who was looking at the empty chair, muttered ‘Beauty, cutie, pretty…’ and quickly memorized it.
“Hyuk. Lastly, this is your gift.”
As he got up, a fan handed a cute gem ring to Hyuk.
Our kid, who had a blush on his cheek, glanced at it and said coldly.
“I don’t like it.”
“Uh…”
As the fan came over to me with a hurt expression, Hyuk shouted urgently.
“Wa, wait! It’s my heart’s dislike! I was going to do that…”
“Hahaha!”
Laughter erupted everywhere.
Rihyuk, who failed to make a joke, put on a sad face and said, “Look at me, look at me,” as he slipped a jewel ring on his finger.
It was during the fan signing event, which was in a cheerful atmosphere.
“…?”
I felt a sudden chill and rubbed the back of my neck, looking around.
What’s going on?
The fan signing venue looked lively and fun, but I sensed something out of place somewhere.