Chapter 259: Chapter 260:

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 260

“It’s a show called ‘Strange Talk Show’ in Korean, and it’s a pretty major comedy show in Japan.”

“How famous is it?”

Woojoo was curious about Seokhwan Hyung’s expression, which couldn’t hide his discomfort.

What kind of program was it that made him feel the merit of risking his uneasiness?

“It was one of the top-ranked programs in the Japanese comedy ratings last year. I think it was fifth.”

“Huh…”

They gasped.

Their hearts were pounding.

It wasn’t just a major level, was it?

A program that ranked in the top five among the Japanese terrestrial comedy shows. Woojoo understood why he was tempted.

“Wow…”

The staff who got in the car also widened their eyes. Everyone had a similar reaction.

It was understandable.

They used to go around everywhere for Windflower, but before that, Seokhwan Hyung had to rub his fingers until they wore out to get on a terrestrial comedy show once.

He must have spent hundreds on coffee for the broadcasting station staff.

But they got a comedy offer from a foreign country where they weren’t even famous.

And from a program that popular.

It was too good to be true.

But maybe that was why his mind settled down.

“It’s quite unsettling.”

Rihyuk spoke for Woojoo.

Woojoo could understand if it was Korea, but they invited him to a Japanese terrestrial TV show? Nobody knew about New Black except their fans. Was there something fishy going on, or was the format weird?

"Yeah, I know. I've seen pictures of our seniors suffering on Japanese shows before."

They were talking about the stories of how the second-generation idols got into trouble on some strange shows.

Woojoo remembered there was a senior who played tag with a dolphin on a Japanese show.

The manager shook his head.

"The format is normal. It's one of the gentler shows among the variety shows. It's a bit more stimulating than ours, though."

"Really?"

"It's somewhere between a variety show and a talk show. It's a program where they invite guests and do some talk or games. The MCs are a famous trio of comedians."

"……That sounds okay."

It was a major show with a normal format.

Woojoo thought for a while and asked, "Then the only problem is why they called me alone, leaving the others behind. That's the issue, right, Hyung?"

"Yeah. That's it."

"Why did they cast me?"

"It has something to do with your father."

"……My father?"

Woojoo didn't expect to hear about Dad here.

He explained, "Your father must have been very popular in Japan. People still remember his name. It's also a country that's very interested in this kind of field."

Dad was popular in Japan.

Woojoo didn’t know much about it, since most of the photos on the internet were from America or Europe.

He heard that his dad, Seon Myungjoo, was as popular as the current Korean wave in Japan in the 90s.

He started his career in Korea, then moved to Japan, and eventually expanded his activities to the world. Here, he was treated like a national artist.

In Japan, he was called a ‘genius musician nurtured by Asia’.

…The nuance was a bit annoying, but he had to let it go.

“They were quite interested in you when you debuted as an idol here. Of course, not many people know that yet.”

“So they want me to appear as the son of a famous pianist.”

“Well, yeah.”

Woojoo was convinced by the reason for appearing.

It was a story of a foreign artist’s son who became an idol and started his activities in Japan.

But Seokhwan Hyung wouldn’t be bothered by this reason.

It wasn’t bad objectively, as far as he could see.

If he didn’t consider his personal preferences, this was an opportunity to make New Black’s name known to the Japanese public in one go.

Then what was the problem?

Thanks to the years of accumulated eye candy, his mind quickly rolled.

“It’s the guest, isn’t it?”

“…How did you know?”

Seokhwan Hyung flinched and Woojoo’s younger siblings blinked their eyes, wondering what he was talking about.

“It’s obvious that there won’t be only one foreigner on that kind of show. There must be another guest who will appear with me.”

If the ratings were good, the format was decent, and the reason for casting was plausible, there was only one problem left.

The guest.

They must have had a reason to call him out, leaving out the other members.

Seokhwan Hyung nodded.

“Yeah. That guest is a bit suspicious.”

“Who is it?”

“His name is Hashimoto Kenta, a promising pianist in Japan.”

“…?”

“His father was in a rival-like relationship with your father in Japan back then.”

“Really…?”

Woojoo tried to recall.

Woojoo thought of the lineup of people who were his dad’s friends when he was a kid, but none of them matched the name.

And there was something strange.

“My dad didn’t have any rivals.”

Seon Myungjoo was the overwhelming number one in the industry.

That was why he was able to receive applause from places like America and Europe at that time.

If he had a rival, Woojoo, his son, would have known.

“Are they mistaken over there?”

“They say he’s famous here. As a rival.”

“…What?”

Was his memory wrong?

If he was such a person, his dad would have mentioned him at least once.

He seemed like someone who had little presence in his dad’s mind.

“So… they want you to appear with the son of his rival?”

“Yes.”

Bijoo narrowed his eyes at Seokhwan’s words.

“I think it’s suspicious. Aren’t they trying to promote their own pianist by calling you, Woojoo?”

“That’s right. They might suddenly challenge you to a piano duel.”

“I’m uneasy. This is really uneasy.”

“I don’t have a bad feeling, but something is a bit…”

The siblings’ weight shifted to the opposite side.

Seokhwan also looked a bit relieved at their reaction.

He must have been reluctant inside.

Objectively, it was a golden opportunity to raise their popularity, but on the other hand, it was also uneasy.

But it was awkward to refuse without asking the artist’s opinion.

And there should have been at least one person who would say, ‘This is a chance, why don’t you go for it?’

But the staff joined in and they all said, ‘Woojoo, this is too risky’ and dissuaded him in unison.

Finally, Woojoo opened his lips.

“I appreciate the opportunity, but I’ll decline.”

Woojoo didn’t know if the popularity would be a plus or a minus at this point.

They would gain popularity, of course.

But if they edited it maliciously, he could be branded with a bad impression before they even started their activities.

And there was a realistic problem.

“If I go on the show, I have to talk about the rival relationship they want. But I don’t know anything about it. It would be weird to lie.”

“Should I tell the agency to reject it?”

“Yeah. Please do.”

The siblings and the staff seemed worried that Woojoo might regret it, so they told him he did well.

“You did well, Hyung.” Junghyun smiled warmly. “You shouldn’t follow someone who offers you something delicious, right?”

“…Thanks, Junghyun.”

“Do you want some jelly?”

He praised Woojoo like a good child and handed me a jelly.

Woojoo ate it diligently with a subtle feeling.

The hotel they had booked in Tokyo came into view.

“They will appear.”

In the meeting room of Japan’s NTN broadcasting station, a man spoke with confidence.

“It’s a win-win for both sides. There’s no reason not to appear.”

“Do you really think they will appear?”

“100 percent.” The PD said, “The other side is an idol who wants to start his activities in Japan. You know how hard it is for Korean idols to make a place here.”

Even the popular idols from the big agencies in Korea had to invest several years from the bottom to gain popularity in the Japanese market.

New Black was a rookie group from a small agency that had just debuted.

They couldn’t afford to refuse the offer from a famous terrestrial TV show.

“It’s a win-win situation. They can gain recognition, and Kenta-kun can spread his image as a genius pianist even more.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

The middle-aged man sitting across from him, Hashimoto Genji, smiled contentedly.

Next to the smiling representative pianist of Japan was a handsome young man drinking tea.

Hashimoto Kenta.

He was a rising star in the Japanese classical music scene, and a promising talent who had won several awards in various competitions.

He smiled brightly and asked, “What should I prepare for the broadcast, PD-nim?”

“Just relax. Kenta-kun, you’re a picture just by sitting still.”

“You’re too kind. I think the PD-nim is the one who creates that broadcast image for me.”

“Hahaha.”

Kenta-kun was always polite, he thought as he laughed out loud. Then he said to the two men, “We’ll do a talk and a game as well. I think they’ll have a limit in communication because they’ll use an interpreter, so they’ll take a moderate amount of time. The focus is clearly on Kenta-kun.”

“Hmm…”

Hashimoto Genji stroked his chin.

“What about a game, like a piano duel? How about adding something like that?”

“Indeed. You know the point that the viewers will find interesting, sensei. I’ll actively consider it.”

“You’re working hard.”

Hashimoto Genji replied with a smile. Then he thought of a man.

Seon Myungjoo.

A Korean jazz pianist who appeared like a comet when Hashimoto was making his place in Japan.

He was called his rival, who had reached a mature level at a young age, but soon he grew to a global level, shedding the title of rival.

‘…I’m still bitter.’

The bitter memory of defeat still lingered in a corner of his heart.

Hashimoto’s gaze turned to his youngest son.

That kid was a Korean idol, right?

K-pop or whatever, but he couldn’t compare with his son, who was a promising star in the classical music scene.

‘My son will be the one who becomes known worldwide.’

His son, who was a hopeful in the classical music scene, was going to make his face more widely known through the broadcast.

This talk show appearance would be the opportunity for that.

A special episode where the sons of the two pianists who were rivals in the past met.

He would use this as a stepping stone to go higher.

Of course, this was not only beneficial for him.

It wasn’t bad for them either. As the PD said, they also needed recognition in Japan.

“How should we set the keywords? The fathers of the princes are the rivals of the century? Or the rivals of fate?”

“How about the rivals of destiny?”

“That’s good too.”

The PD smiled brightly, and everyone around the table drank tea in a friendly atmosphere.

“PD-nim!”

The door of the meeting room opened and the production staff came in.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s about the appearance of New Black’s Woojoo.”

“Oh, it’s finally happening.”

The PD smiled and asked with anticipation, “Really? What did they say? They agreed to appear?”

“They said no.”

“…What?”

The PD straightened his posture and asked, “Who said no?”

“New Black’s Woojoo.”

“….”

The PD paused and looked puzzled.

“Why?”

“They said it’s their principle to only appear as a group.”

“I see.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

As he regained his composure, Hashimoto Genji asked with a worried face, “Is this going to mess up the plan?”

“Absolutely not.” The PD said, “They’re being picky for rookies. They must be trying to negotiate for a group appearance. In this case, we have to be firm.”

He told the staff, “Tell them they don’t have to appear if they don’t want to.”

“Yes, PD-nim.”

“Emphasize that five is too much. Be decisive.”

He expected them to beg for at least one appearance.

‘They’ll change their tune soon.’

The PD smiled and sipped his tea.

10 minutes later.

“They said no.”

“….”

“They rejected right away, but there was nothing we could do.”

“….”

As the pianist family turned their heads, the PD’s face became anxious.

In the car heading to the K-pop concert venue.

“They invited us as a group this time?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t they say no just a while ago? Didn’t they tell us not to appear if we didn’t want to?”

“They did. I don’t know what’s going on either.”

They refused to appear unless it was as a group, and then they told them not to appear as if they were waiting.

They thought it was over when they agreed, but then they came back with a proposal to agree on a group appearance.

It was more suspicious.

And then….

“Why are you so hesitant? Tell them we’re not going, Hyung.”

“He says he’s not coming.”

“…”

“He says one of the members, Junghyun, is not feeling well lately and it’s going to be hard…”

“…”

The PD blinked his eyes.

He suddenly remembered a scene from a famous Korean variety show that he had found while doing research.

‘He even caught a goat-like monster…?’

The production staff spoke.

“PD-nim, what should we do with the props we bought for the shooting? Should we get a refund?”

“…”

“We have to write a new script now…”

“…”

“PD-nim?”

“…”

The PD had a blank expression on his face.

His hand that was holding a cup of tea trembled slightly.

Drip-

“PD-nim. Are you okay? The tea spilled on your clothes…”

The production staff hurriedly handed him a tissue.

As the tea stained the PD’s clothes, the faces of the three men turned dark as mud.

It was the moment when their plan went wrong from the first step.

He couldn’t understand.

‘The plan was perfect…’

He thought who would refuse such an opportunity, but an unexpected variable occurred.

The plan was supposed to be completed when New Black’s Woojoo appeared on the TV variety show.

It had to be that way…

But New Black didn’t come.

‘He’s not coming.’

‘Is he really not coming?’

Their plan was perfect.

It was just that New Black didn’t show up…

He thought there was no one as persistent as the PD of Men Go.

But the ranking changed after the visit to Japan.

To the production team of the bizarre talk show.

He made an excuse that Junghyun’s condition was not good, and then asked when he would get better.

He said they could adjust the shooting schedule as much as they wanted.

It was like asking someone who refused by saying ‘I’m going to the temple on Saturday’, ‘I’m going to church on Sunday’, if they had no empty schedule for a year.

“Interview?”

“Hashimoto’s side suggested doing a joint interview.”

“…They’re really persistent.”

“They have a past connection, and they want to get closer with this opportunity.”

Woojoo laughed when he heard they offered lavish meals.

At first, he couldn’t guess their intention, but by now it was clear what they wanted.

Some might wonder who would fall for this, but they proposed all kinds of tempting things.

Maybe it was an offer they would have succumbed to if they were in a precarious situation.

But they were not in a hurry.

The Japanese market was important for the overseas K-pop scene, but they were not so desperate that they had to grab at straws.

They were doing well in Korea, and more importantly, they had good signs in Japan.

“Kyaaaaa!”

The event hall was specially prepared at the convention center.

They were at the fan booth, doing the pre-concert event.

There were so many Soufflés.

Every time they waved their hands, screams erupted, and camera shutters sounded loudly. Woojoo saw some Korean fans’ faces here and there.

“So cute. So cute.”

“Woojoo!”

“Jenmin-”

Who was that? The last one.

Woojoo rolled his eyes at the younger ones who giggled at Jenmin’s name.

Bijoo, who was laughing, stopped and looked at the sky when he heard ‘James!’. This time Woojoo clapped and laughed.

Bijoo’s eyes narrowed, and their youngest cheered him on, clapping hard.

“Fight. Fight. Break up.”

“Why are you like that?”

“Well, of course…”

“Of course?”

“If you two fight, you’ll both try to impress me.”

“Wow. Our youngest has amazing thoughts.”

Woojoo shook his head as he applauded.

“That’s not it. If you fight with me and Bijoo, you’ll get a shuttle talk. Jiho, tell Bijoo to calm down. Like this.”

Bijoo joined in with a smile.

“Yeah. Jiho. Tell Woojoo Hyung to eat.”

“Jiho. Tell Bijoo I got it.”

“Jiho. Jiho.”

“Jiho~ Jiho~”

“…Just don’t fight and live happily ever after. Please.”

They chuckled at the youngest who covered his ears.

It was a fun atmosphere.

Woojoo felt uplifted every time he talked to the fans at the noisy booth.

It seemed like life was similar everywhere, even though they were abroad.

Just like in Korea, there were people who tried to use them, and on the other hand, there were fans who looked at them with love-filled eyes.

Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore, Japan…

Wherever they went, Soufflés’ expressions were the same as ever.

Maybe Woojoo could say their eyes sparkled like pebbles in the clear stream. He tried to memorize their eyes as if he was holding pretty stones in his hand.

“Will you come to the concert tomorrow?”

“Yes!”

While Rihyuk communicated with them in Japanese and they clapped like seals, the company staff smiled at the sold-out goods.

On the other hand, the Japanese fans looked sad.

Woojoo wondered if they would soon learn the name of their boss. Maybe they would say ‘Kyuho Jjang…’ or something like that.

“I’m so happy to meet you all!”

And then, the most excited person today was Rihyuk.

He grinned widely, and Woojoo hadn’t seen him smile like that since he opened the box of a robot vacuum cleaner.

Even after the event was over, his face was flushed.

“Isn’t it great to be able to use what you learned? I’m going to use Japanese without any hesitation.”

He said that and added ‘Wait for me, Spain…! South America…!’ as a preview, making Woojoo laugh.

“By the way, why don’t you guys use Japanese? You can speak more than basic conversation, right?”

When they smiled quietly, he noticed.

“Don’t tell me you’re holding back for me. You don’t have to do that.”

“Why?”

“Well, even if you don’t, I’m the best at it. I don’t feel threatened or anything when someone else speaks Japanese. Never.”

He emphasized ‘never’.

He smiled confidently, saying that no one studied as hard as he did. They said they knew.

That was when Woojoo smiled quietly.

“Guys, let’s go to the next event!”

“Yes!”

The last event of the day was a talk concert where they had a simple talk and played games with the fans.

The talk concert venue was set up in the center of the hall.

The Soufflés screamed with joy as the five handsome men came up on the stage.

‘It’s New Black!’

The five members greeted the MC and sat down.

Their legs stretched out like cranes. Their eyes were drawn to the sky-blue shirts that suited each of them well.

“Then, please introduce yourselves.”

As the interpreter translated the MC’s remark, the youngest started to introduce himself.

“Hello. I’m Jiho…! This is a heart of joy!”

The fans cheered as he drew a big heart with both hands.

Then, a pale face that cleared his throat grabbed the microphone.

“Hello. I’m Seo Rihyuk, the main vocal of New Black. I’m so happy to meet you, fans. Let’s have fun today.”

The fans screamed at his fluent Japanese.

He was also proud of his Japanese skills, showing a petty look.

‘He’s so cute…’

‘I love him so much.’

‘He’s really good at Japanese. He must have studied a lot.’

Then, New Black’s rapper and main dancer continued to introduce themselves.

“Rap rap, I’m Junghyun. I love you.”

“Hello, I’m Bi, Bijoo…! I’m in charge of dancing in New Black!”

The leader grabbed the mic and flashed a smile like a flower.

“Hello, I’m Woojoo. Thank you for coming today, Soufflé.”

A moment of admiration flowed among the Japanese Soufflés.

‘What the hell.’

‘I thought he was Japanese…’

If Rihyuk spoke with sophisticated vocabulary like a local, this one had amazing pronunciation even with basic vocabulary.

The fans looked amazed by his natural pronunciation, as if he could be called a local.

“…!”

Rihyuk’s face, sitting nearby, began to be colored with a sense of crisis.