Chapter 97: Chapter 97:

Translator: MarcTempest

Editor: Rxel

Chapter 97

The interview place was a Nordic-style cafe located on Garosu-gil.

It was a quiet weekday morning inside.

Seokhwan Hyung and Woojoo sat across from three men and women, sipping their drinks.

They were the production team of the PBS 50th anniversary special documentary.

…or so they said, handing them their business cards.

They were inhaling the desserts and coffee they bought for them.

They all had dark circles under their eyes and looked like miners with pickaxes, digging into the chocolate cake with their spoons.

They seemed to be eating for survival.

Seokhwan Hyung spoke with pity.

“Take your time. We still have plenty of time for the interview.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

The assistant director wiped his mouth with a tissue.

“We stayed up all night preparing for the shooting, and we haven’t eaten anything yet. This is our first meal of the day… We’re a bit pathetic, aren’t we?”

“We were so hungry, really,” the two writers also said with gloomy faces.

While Seokhwan Hyung went down to buy more, Woojoo chatted with the production team.

In the process, he learned several facts.

They were under subtle pressure from the higher-ups because of the commemorative special of the 50th anniversary documentary.

That was why Woojoo, a controversial figure, would be featured prominently.

They asked Woojoo to cooperate with them in various ways.

That might be the reason why he heard polite words from the broadcasting staff for the first time since his debut.

Writer Jung Woojoong said, “First, we’ll shoot the interview at the cafe. This will be the main part, so just answer the given questions comfortably. Don’t be conscious of the camera… Oh, I don’t need to explain this to you.”

“Yes, I’m confident about not being conscious of the camera.”

Woojoo nodded his head and the writers laughed for some reason.

“After that, we’ll go to the company and film the practice scenes. This part has been discussed with our PD, right?”

“Yes, the members are waiting right now,” Seokhwan Hyung answered.

As he said, the kids were waiting for Woojoo’s contact at the company.

Woojoo smiled unconsciously, remembering the kids who came out to see him off before he left.

While the equipment was being set up, he picked up his phone to turn it off.

Bijoo [Hyung. Come back well!]

Bijoo [ㅇ]

Junghyun [Fighting]

Junghyun [Fi]

Jiho [Re]

Junghyun [Ting]

Bijoo [Ting!]

Junghyun [Zzizzibong Kim Bijoo]

Jiho [Bijoo Hyung won]

Bijoo [What do I have to do?]

Rihyuk [Don’t do anything, Hyung.]

Rihyuk [No. Why are you guys talking on the chat when you’re right next to each other?]

Jiho [ㅇㅇ This way, Woojoo Hyung won’t feel left out~~]

Jiho [Love you, old man. Love]

A peach emoji with a cane and a groaning sound popped up.

This was real.

Rihyuk [There’s no one normal in this group]

Jiho [You]

Rihyuk [Shut up]

Bijoo [Rihyuk, be nice]

Junghyun [(Picture)]

Woojoo opened the notification that said “picture” and saw Junghyun making a V sign with his fingers, while their energetic brothers were moving around in the background.

Bijoo came out like a housekeeper who didn’t know what to do after seeing the cats fighting.

Jiho [Huh? 1 is gone]

Jiho [Are you reading…!]

Woojoo smiled as he saw the noisy messages popping up and sent a short reply.

Woojoo [thank you]

Woojoo [will do well and come back]

Rihyuk [Don’t act like we’re saying goodbye when we’ll see each other later]

Woojoo [flip him off]

Rihyuk [ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Rihyuk [This is my victory]

Jiho [You’re shaking with your phone in your hand]

Woojoo [ㅋㅋ]

Woojoo sent that message and turned off the power.

Thanks to his siblings, his nervousness had calmed down.

After everything was ready, the assistant director said to Woojoo, “Look this way for a moment, please.”

“Yes.”

“Okay, perfect. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am.”

The red light on the camera came on right away.

Woojoo remembered the time when he had an interview with KTN after the college entrance exam.

He was so nervous then.

Of course, a lot of things were different from then.

The interviewer changed from a reporter to a documentary producer, the outfit changed from a padded jacket to a short-sleeved T-shirt, and the job changed from a student to a singer.

And the biggest difference was him.

At that time, Woojoo was frozen by the fact that he was talking to a reporter and couldn't speak properly, but now he was much better.

A natural and confident tone of voice.

Woojoo got used to being in front of the camera often.

Now he knew what to say and what not to say, and what to say to avoid being edited out on the broadcast.

"Before I ask you a question, can I show you the video from that time again?"

"Yes, that's fine."

The writer turned on the video app on his smartphone.

The CCTV footage of the accident last November was played.

A car was speeding down a hill in the distance, and an old man was standing by his rear car below.

The viewers might feel anxious seeing him calmly making a phone call.

Then, a young man who was approaching the school gate turned his body without hesitation and ran like crazy.

He pushed the old man aside and saved him.

That was the end of the video.

“What were you thinking when you jumped in at that time?”

“Um…”

Woojoo practiced some expected questions and answers with Seokhwan Hyung, and he decided to answer honestly.

“I’m embarrassed to say this, but I didn’t have any thoughts when I jumped in. There was no time for that. The car was coming and the grandfather didn’t know…”

Woojoo moved without knowing.

“It felt like my body moved on its own rather than having any intention.”

“On its own?”

“Yes, rather than thinking that I had to save him, I didn’t have any thoughts because someone was in danger right away. It was unconscious, I think. Like when you reach out and catch someone who is about to trip on the stairs without realizing it.”

When a baby playing on the table was about to fall to the floor, people reached out to catch the baby without knowing.

His action was the same.

It was more of an instinct than a sense of duty to save that person.

That was why he sometimes felt embarrassed by the word hero.

Other heroes might have moved with a noble mind, but he just moved unconsciously.

He had that thought, but the reaction was strange.

The production team nodded at each other.

They looked like judges who heard the answer they wanted from the applicant in an interview.

It felt like he had to ask, ‘Did I pass then?’

The writer asked Woojoo another question.

“Then, if something like this happens again, will you do the same thing?”

“Um… I don’t know.”

Woojoo gave a wry smile.

“I think in my head that I should do it, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll do it again. There are too many variables. If I had enough time to make a decision, I might not have had the courage.”

If they gave him five minutes and asked him to jump in or not, he didn’t know what decision he would have made.

Would he have chosen to jump at the risk of his life?

“But if I had to act with only one second left like then, I think I would have done the same thing.”

Then, the production team looked at each other again.

What was that?

Woojoo couldn’t figure it out.

***

They finished the interview at the cafe and got in their cars.

“Did I do well?”

“You did well. Your interview attitude was good, and there was nothing to criticize.”

“But I think I did well, too.”

“Then why are you asking, dummy?”

Seokhwan Hyung, who was holding the steering wheel, laughed as if he couldn’t believe it.

“What’s the problem? You did well.”

“Every time I said something, the writer and the PD kept exchanging glances. So I wondered if I said something wrong.”

“Oh… I heard them talking when we left. They said ‘We found the right one’. I don’t know what they were looking for, but your comments must have been exactly what they wanted.”

“Then I’m relieved.”

“Well, if I have to be more specific…”

The manager gave him some minor feedback on his eye contact and interview skills.

Woojoo memorized them in his head and looked at the time on the navigation.

Five minutes until arrival.

It was just the right time.

Maybe it was a good opportunity to say what he wanted to say for the last few days.

“By the way, Hyung. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Well…”

Woojoo hesitated for a moment and then opened his lips.

“I wanted to thank you, Hyung.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s out of the blue. Turn on the blinker at least, jerk.”

“Hyung, be careful. If Junghyun heard that, he might have really jumped over to the driver’s seat and turned on the blinker for you.”

It was a ridiculous joke, but they both laughed.

After laughing for a while, Seokhwan Hyung glanced at Woojoo and asked, “So… what are you thanking me for all of a sudden?”

“Well, this whole schedule. You arranged it for me, right?”

Woojoo stammered.

“Junghyun did a big favor, but actually, you chased after the PD for a month and pitched us to him. It’s thanks to you that we’re getting this kind of response now.”

“I’m grateful that you think that way.”

“Well, that’s part of it.”

It was because of the interview earlier.

“When they interviewed me about the college entrance exam, I remembered how you called me last year and asked me to join Lemon. I wondered if I could have been here as New Black without you. You know, this and that…”

Woojoo scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

“I just wanted to say thank you.”

“…Hmm.”

A very awkward silence followed.

Maybe he should have written a letter instead.

But he couldn’t write a cheesy letter like ‘Hyung, I’m so happy to see you…’.

So he thought he’d use this time when they were alone.

But somehow it was awkward.

Woojoo thought he got his sincerity, but the atmosphere was tense.

Seokhwan Hyung adjusted his glasses and tapped the steering wheel with his palm, not knowing what to do with his hands. Woojoo looked out the window, hopelessly searching for a distant mountain somewhere.

The navigation alert saved them.

[You have arrived at your destination.]

As if nothing had happened, Seokhwan Hyung told him to get ready for the kids.

Then he seemed to remember something and said, “Oh, by the way, you guys have a door lock, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I think it’s a bit broken, so I’m going to replace it today.”

“Broken?”

“I tried to get it fixed, but the technician said it was unusable.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah, and he said it looked like you guys used it roughly. Did you guys keep opening and closing it up and down?”

“No, we don’t use it much.”

What a weird thing.

Woojoo thought as he got out of the car.

***

When he went down to the basement practice room, the brothers were gathered in one place.

They were in a cheerful mood when he talked to them earlier, but now they looked serious.

Woojoo was curious and stuck his head in.

“What are you doing?”

The meerkats looked up at the same time.

“Did you come?”

“Hyung, did you do well?”

The youngest clung to him.

“Did you talk about me too?”

“Why would I talk about you there?”

“Because I’m your most precious brother…?”

“Wrong. The person I cherish the most among our members is…….”

Their heads turned at the same time.

“……None. None of you.”

They reacted with disappointment.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Actually, Woojoo was joking, but their expressions were so serious that he missed the timing.

“I brought you something to drink.”

Woojoo gave them the coffee in the box and answered roughly how he felt about the interview.

Then he pointed to the laptop and asked, “What were you doing?”

“Oh, we were looking at the article that came up on the portal main,” Bijoo said.

“There’s an article about us, and we were liking and disliking the comments there.”

Junghyun turned the laptop screen to show Woojoo.

There were likes on comments like ‘New Black is the best!!’ and dislikes on comments like ‘Wow, who are these guys? What is this crap… ㅋㅋ.

Woojoo wanted to dislike it too, but he heard that if they clicked it again, it would be canceled, so he clicked it twice.

“So what was so serious?”

“Well, nothing much,” Rihyuk said.

“There was one comment that we couldn’t tell if it was a hate comment or a fan comment.”

“What is it?”

“Listen to this. ‘ㅋ, you’re famous for your red face.’”

“Hmm, it’s kind of ambiguous. It sounds like a compliment, but also a subtle insult. But it doesn’t make me feel bad either.”

“Right?” Bijoo said. “That’s why I was unsure.”

“I know. It’s like when I dissed Rihyuk by saying ‘You have a bad personality, but a pretty face.’ He liked it.”

“Why are you picking on me? Where is my personality bad?”

“…”

“Hey, answer me.”

As the discussion went on, Bijoo suggested.

“How about we vote by pressing like if we agree?”

“Bijoo, that’s how they vote in North Korea.”

“Oops…”

“As expected, you’re a communist, Hyung. You always like doing things together.”

Everyone laughed at Rihyuk’s remark.

In the end, they decided to vote 3 to 2 on whether it was a good or a bad comment. They each logged in and made 3 likes and 2 dislikes.

“Okay, let’s move on to the work talk.”

Woojoo clapped his hands and drew the attention of his siblings.

“The documentary production team is coming to film us. They added one more team because of the equipment issue.”

As he relayed what the manager had told him, Seokhwan brought the documentary crew down.

They briefly made eye contact and then looked away awkwardly.

Damn. Why did he say that cheesy thing?

“Hello, we’re New Black!”

The writers were amazed by their kids, just like they were at the cafe.

They seemed surprised.

Jung Woojoong stuttered.

“…You all look much better in person.”

Thank you, they said, making them laugh.

It felt like they were healing from being hit here and there by his kids.

The assistant director explained to them.

“We’re going to take a few shots, nothing difficult. Just act naturally.”

Naturally.

They remembered that word and looked at each other.

Just do what they usually do.

***

The PBS documentary crew set up cameras in the practice room.

They were trying to capture a glimpse of how the person who was a hero back then was living now.

As everyone started stretching their bodies, the assistant director asked Jiho, who was loosening up nearby, “I have a question. How much do you practice when you’re active?”

Jiho lifted his leg 180 degrees like a Shaolin martial artist and said, “Well, it depends.”

The production team was momentarily startled by the sight.

They felt like they would scream if they were in that position, but the other person had a very calm face.

“Are you not tired?”

“Not really. I do this every day. Oh, do you see Bijoo Hyung over there?”

He pointed to a member who looked like a handsome young boy from a distance.

Bijoo was stretching his body like a nocturnal animal.

“Bijoo Hyung can sleep even with a torn leg.”

“…Oh, I see.”

“By the way, you asked me about the practice time earlier. When we’re on music shows, we don’t have much time, so we do it from eight to ten. When we’re preparing for activities, we do it from seven to ten.”

“Oh, that’s less than I thought.”

“I don’t know. I think it’s enough for me. But Bijoo Hyung and Woojoo Hyung always say we need to do more.”

He covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, “They nag a lot.”

The production team had to hold back their laughter at that.

The shooting started soon.

A refreshing melody filled their ears.

The title was something like Flower Play, and it sounded nice.

But as soon as the practice started, they were confused.

They danced sharply to the song, but the kids who were laughing and cheering a while ago were now full of fierceness in their eyes.

They practiced very fiercely, if that was the right word.

The shooting intention was ‘a leisurely daily life of idols~’, but what was captured on the screen was ‘we’re going to make it, we’ll definitely make it!’ burning idols.

They wanted to stop and start over, but the atmosphere was too serious to interrupt.

“Do rookie idols usually practice like this?”

“It seems a bit scary.”

“Maybe it’s because they have little practice time. They try to do it hard and fast.”

They were all ignorant of idols, but they knew that this was not normal hard work.

But the more they watched, the stranger it seemed.

Could they do those moves easily with just a few hours of practice a day?

The choreography looked difficult at a glance.

When the song ended and the New Black members were soaked in sweat, they asked the youngest again out of curiosity, “Hey, didn’t you say you practice for a few hours a day?”

“Me? Yes?”

“Yeah. You said from seven to ten.”

“Oh. That’s the preparation period.”

Wang Jiho tilted his head.

“I was talking about seven in the morning.”

“…”

The production team blinked their eyes for a moment.